Pondering Things

[Hector Olith]

"An arena or the knights, huh? Never was one for fighting for the amusement of others." Hector replied. He thought about Roland being a knight. If he was a knight, then maybe the other knights were was good or better than he was. Hector figured he'd have to stay for awhile to find out and set his mind to it. He wanted to at least meet every single knight of Avaleur before he headed out, and hopefully fight a few of them.

"But I'm surprised. Avaleur is the first major city I've run into that didn't have a Warrior's Guild. Many cities create one and invite famed warriors to join it so that the royalty have a formidable defense in case their kingdom is attacked. Could you describe these knights for me? Er, the ones you know about anyways?" Hector asked, curiosity filling his tone of voice.

[Jordan Hielo]

"Truth be told, Hector, I don't know much about any of them," he laughed sheepishly, shrugging slightly. After all, he didn't even know Roland as good as one would think.
"I just really know what most people know."

"There's Roland, of course, the hand. Quite loved by most of Avaleur, since he works pretty hard and seems to make a lot of friends. He specializes in strategy. Then there's Walter, he's a demon. Good with destruction. I hear he's getting married soon. That's...all I really know. There's Xavier, whom of which I know even less about. All I know is he's gotta be useful in some way, else he wouldn't really be part of the knights, would he? Lastly, if you want to count her there's the Queen, Namari. Good swordsma-woman? Anyways, I think she started the knights, then when King Phillis died a while back she became Queen."

Jordan walked and thought with pursed lips, thinking if he missed anyone.
"Mmm...that's it, I think! Really, I don't pay attention to that stuff really, only what I overhear at my shop."

[Hector Olith]

A knight, a demon, a mystery man, and the queen herself. Hector thought that was a bit strange, but nevertheless he would still try and meet these people if he could. The demon is what bothered him, but he didn't know why. It was a gut feeling from deep below, and he didn't know why he felt so much anxiety towards him.

"Why let a demon into the knights? Didn't he try and kill anybody or something? It seems likely." then he remembered Jordan said he didn't know much. "Sorry for asking so many questions, but I'm a curious type." he explained.

[Jordan Hielo]

With a laugh he quickly stated, "No worries. I'd be surprised if you weren't curious about the new city you've come across."

Another moment of hesitating thinking, before Jordan shrugged once more.
"I don't know. From what I know, he hasn't attacked an innocent. I mean, I've seen him walking around a few times in the market, doesn't seem too bad. He isn't blowing people up or anything!"
He chuckled slightly.

"Sorry, I'd be more precise with my answers if I could."

[Hector Olith]

"Well, that's good." Hector said in relief. What a strange land, to allow demons amongst the knights of their city. Hector puzzled over this for awhile, but eventually pushed it to the back of his mind.

"So, what's it like living here? Anything interesting happen besides capturing deadly creatures?" Hector asked.

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan smirked slightly.
"You don't know the half of it."

"When nothing's going on, it's pretty peaceful. I mean, for the past year probably it's been like that. But Avaleur has had quite a few wars in the past few years. Riots, that sort of thing. I think you've come at a pretty good time, really. It's just usual life now. I mean, there's not much to say but that."

Jordan scratched at the stubble on his face, yet again deep in thought. What was life like in Avaleur? Jordan enjoyed it for the most part, as much as he could enjoy a city. After all, he would love to live secluded in the forest.

"Is there anything specific you want from staying here?" the man asked, turning his head and smiling at Hector.
They were now on the main path up to Avaleur from the harbor. Jordan took note that it would not be too long before they reached the city.

[Hector Olith]

"Nothing unusual huh? Well, looks like I came at the perfect time then." Hector said. If this city was really as war torn as Jordan had explained it, then it's citizens must be hardship prone and therefore probably slightly more hostile than normal. When Jordan asked his question, Hector chuckled.

"I never have anything specific to ask from a city. Just a warm bed and some soup mostly. I don't stay long enough most of the time to really want anything. I guess that's what happens when you're a traveling mercenary though, so not much I can do about it." Hector said. They hit a road leading to the city when Hector decided to revise his statement.

"Well, I guess I take some of that back. If there's a good brothel, maybe I'll stay a bit longer or if somebody hires me to guard them while they're in the city. Most of the time, however, I try not to stay too long and attract too much attention. I big, tall, blue haired man with a big ax and full plate armor usually does just that though." he said a bit sarcastically. Truthfully, most people either left him alone or got so drunk they didn't recognize how big he actually was when they approach him.

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan laughed once more, placing both hands on the back of his head.
"I think you'll blend in just fine here. I mean, people might be startled at first a little, but they get used to it. I mean, all kinds of races and that live in the city. Compared to a stellio, or an elemental, how weird is a blue haired bulk of a man really?"

He couldn't help but laugh again at the thought. Sure, the man's size might attract attention he felt. But Jordan also believed that in a few days, people would consider it normal once more.

"So you're a mercenary then? What led you on that path?" now it was Jordan's turn to ask a question, as he was curious. He had not met too many mercenaries in his life.

[Hector Olith]

"Aren't Stellio's the lizard people?" Hector asked. He had met a lizard woman before. She hit pretty hard when Hector accidentally stepped on her tail. Jordan's question made Hector think to past memories he hadn't thought of in quite awhile.

"Well, I can only remember back to when I was four or five years old but even then I could always tell I was different. I had blue hair while my family had blonde. I was big and tall, always stronger than the other kids and much more intelligent. Plus, you know, I can heal wounds that should take years in about one day. I just, one day I got sick of it and demanded to learn how to fight. So, I learned how to fight and left my family and friends for a life I actually wanted instead of one that was forced upon me. It's been, oh god, ten years I think." Hector explained.

Hector sighed, then smacked Jordan on the back. "How about you, my icy friend? What the hell brought you to this place?"

[Jordan Hielo]

Not expecting the slap on the back, he was jolted a bit forward, at a loss of breath for a moment, before it quickly returning.

He took in another breath before answering, "Well, I suppose I didn't like the life I was forced into either. I sort of just, you know, left home. Ended up in Avaleur, and since then never really considered leaving." Jordan did not count leaving the city as 'leaving'. Avaleur's forest still counted as Avaleur, after all.

He considered mentioning who he was in his country, and how he decided to become a mute since no one seemed to listen. How Avaleur changed that. But then he remembered that he had only met this man- there was no reason to dump every memory onto him.

"I guess that's not really true though," he laughed surprised, forgetting for a moment that he had moved.
"A little forest village just outside of Avaleur forest, Riverbed. That's where I live now. But, most of my time I spend in Avaleur anyways, cause of my shop, and the circle.

[Hector Olith]

"Well it looks like we have something in common then!" Hector announced. He didn't know why, but this elemental was likable to him. He tried not to make friends as you never know when you may get hired to kill them in his line of work, but he seemed to easygoing to have any real enemies.

"Is life better in Riverbed than it was in Avaleur, or do you miss the Big City more often than not?" Hector asked, intrigued.

[Jordan Hielo]

The sides of Jordan's mouth perked up in a smile, as he thought about that. He felt biased- after all, Riverbed was a forest village. Jordan being himself, he dreamed of living out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing around him. To build his own home, furniture. Weapons. Grow his own food, not worry about money at all.
He truly loved the thought.
But he also did not want to completely leave the life he was living now.

"I suppose it really depends on the day. Some days I love the secluded feel, and quiet of Riverbed. Other days I love the hustle and bustle of Avaleur. I suppose both have their ups and downs though. Avaleur is more prone to crimes and such, but Riverbed is in the middle of the forest. You know, it can be dangerous, what with all the creatures out there. And not just the ones in the contest- even wolves can be a problem at the wrong time."
Jordan let his hands fall into his pockets once more.
"I guess right now I'm getting the best of both worlds," the elemental smirked. He was happy with his life. Going to the city every day, going home to toe forest every evening.

They were getting closer and closer to the front gates of Avaleur, and Jordan seemed to smile just a little bit wider.

[Hector Olith]

"Best of both worlds, huh? Well, can't get that very often." Hector mused. They were pretty close to the gates now, and Jordan seemed to perk up a bit once they got that close. "So do you own a shop or anything? If you make your own stuff, I bet you could probably make a bit of coin off of it all if you wanted to." Hector noted. Frederic started to whimper, getting this close to a city. Usually, Hector made his hide until he was done with his business, because they usually didn't stay very long.

"Ah, hush boy. If what he says is true, then you walking through the streets shouldn't be too big of a shocker to them. Might even get somebody to throw you some meat!" Hector mused. He thought about the hunt for a quick second, whether anybody else was going to join them. Hell, it was possible somebody even beat them to it.

[Jordan Hielo]

He felt a little sorry for the direwolf- Jordan couldn't help but be a suck for the animal, and hearing him whimper didn't make Jordan too happy. But, he just proceeded onward, assuming that Fred would not mind after a while.

"What you're saying is precisely right, actually. I mean, I love making things from scratch, like coats, or bows and arrows. So I thought that it would better to sell my stuff than to keep it all lying around my house. It's decent coin, I mean, I can certainly afford living with it."

They approached the gate, and as they passed by the guards at the entrance Jordan quickly spoke to Hector, "Welcome to Avaleur, Hector."

[Hector Olith]

Hector smiled after his assumption was proved to be correct. He loved guessing correctly, it just made him feel like he was more intelligent than what he may actually be. As Jordan welcomed him to Avaleur, Hector caught one of the guards look hesitantly at the bulk of a man that just passed him. Hector chuckled, maybe a bit too loudly, as the guard coughed and readjusted himself a little further from the gate.

"Avaleur City, hm? Looks like it's a smaller city than I had initially thought." Hector mused. Fred stayed close to Hector as they walked through the streets. "So, I'm assuming the only real tower like building is the Knight's Tower?" Hector asked, pointing at what he assumed was said Knight's Tower.

[Deleted]

Harul had been wandering through the city for about an hour now, seeing what the vendors in the marketplace had to offer. He wasn't interested in trinkets or jewels, but found himself buying a small wedge of a peculiar cheese called 'White Cheddar'. Where he came from, the only cheese was yellow in color so this intrigued him. He had come to the city initially to sign up for some sort of hunt a few people sounded concerned with. Some expressed concerns over the safety of those hunting while others were more worried about pissing off something that shouldn't be made angry. Harul made his way from the marketplace to the gates of the city, about to ask a guard where to sign up when someone caught his eye. It was the big man with blue hair mentioning the Knight's Tower that drew his attention after nibbling on the cheese, and boy was he huge. It appeared as if he had a much smaller man and a direwolf accompanying him which made for a laughable sight, though Harul restrained himself on the off chance that these two were also signing up for the hunt.

"So, you two are going on the hunt?" he asked in a loud monotone. The man with blue hair turned, curious as to who may have asked the question. Harul stepped forward, taking another bite out of the cheese, and bowed in greeting. "My name is Harul, and I am here for the hunt." he stated. He turned and bowed to the small man, whom he soon noticed was an elemental of some sort. He laughed to himself, only having read about the elementals in his textbooks back at the monastery. To actually meet one, however, surprised him a little. "Greetings, elemental. I am Harul." he greeted the man.

[Deleted]

Roland shut the large, heavy wooden doors of the Knight's Tower war closest as he liked to sometimes refer to it as. In there, the many weapons, excess and training, were stored and used on days such as these, the A.I.E.T. training days were what they had begun to be labeled.
Avaleurian Inferior to Elite Training
The program was designed to take ordinary, guard quality, soldiers and raise their skill and functionality to a much higher level. The Elite, not to be confuse with the special forces or ELITE, is simply that, stronger, more able protection for the city by creating stronger men and women.

The program was headed by Roland, Ryn, Ralof, and others would often times step in to help, such as Chris, Elyse, one of the Crux, and sometimes the Queen would watch. Even with the help, it was easy for the leaders to grow weary. Roland in fact had been tired for a week straight, but after the program was finally put together, he had since had time to rest.

Elyse walked up behind Roland and patted him in the shoulder just as he locked the door.
"Hiya, you sure did work us good today." She smiled. She had been among those training, and although her conditioning was toward the top of those there, due to her training and fighting in a country at a higher altitude and much hotter climate, her strength and speed were still quite shabby.

"You needed it too." He joked, before getting down to a bit more of the business side of things.
"Hey I need you to go with Raymond, Chris and some of the other ELITE to help round up the creatures from the hunt. We have gotten word that Triscripto was defeated earlier today and Argilla is now in pursuit."

"Sure thing Roland." She smiled and walked down the corridor, her blue hair swishing back and forth acrossed the back of her armor.

Roland began walking down the tower steps, he supposed it was time he too entered one of these hunts.

[Jordan Hielo]

Before the other man had appeared, Jordan shrugged. "There are a few towers. But, yes, the one you are pointing to is indeed the knights tower."

But, he followed Hector's lead as he stopped, one eyebrow raised at Harul. To just openly walk up to someone and speak like that, it made Jordan smile. Was this man wishing to be competition of sorts? Perhaps even allies? Jordan was glad he would not have to deal with any beast alone.

Though he had to hold in a laugh as Harul bowed to him- after all, he could not remember the last time someone bowed to him. Here he was a normal commoner, the was Jordan enjoyed it.

"My name is Jordan Hielo. A pleasure to meet you, Harul."

[Deleted]

Hector coughed, not being used to getting bowed to either anymore. "Uh, hi. I'm Hector." he said, a little uncomfortable. He stood up a little straighter though, in order to maintain the mountain man appearance. "And yeah, we're headed to sign up for a hunt. You're welcome to join if you want, just be sure you won't die in the hunt itself." Hector warned. The man was built, but appeared to be older than Hector had initially assumed. He might be strong, but he may not be as durable as Jordan and himself.



Harul nodded at Hector after he introduced himself and nodded at Jordan as well, taking another small bite off of the cheese. It was more dry and had a slightly different flavor than the cheese he was used to. "Do not worry about me, Hector. I can hold my own against any beast." he said confidently. And he was partially correct, as one prerequisite to advancing to a Master level in any of his monastery's martial arts is wrestling the beast associated with that monastery. His beast just happened to be a black bear, native to the slightly warmer areas of the continent.

"You two have a strange city here, with white cheese and many species. I have never seen such a place before." he said, expressing his observations. "I am here to join the hunt because it is not right to let these beasts roam free harming people. It is not just. What are your reasons?" he asked out of curiosity.

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan shifted the bag on his side to a more comfortable position, as it had begun sliding off.
He had to admit- Harul seemed fairly full of himself. People always found Avaleur surprising- and Harul seemed no different. If Harul had never seen such a place before, Jordan noted that if they were to hunt together, he would definitely have to watch the older gentleman's back. After all- Jordan would wish the same if he had just entered a foreign place. Avaleur had surprised himself.

With a smile, he replied to the man, "I'm part of the hunting circle in Avaleur. I guess if anyone is obligated to go after these beasts, it should be us."
He looked over at Hector, awaiting for him to state the reason he wanted to go on the hunt.