Kingdom Key D

4!!!!

Manel Fienna, Sondon Manel's footsteps slowed as a familiar voice called her name, then came to a halt as a hand fell on her wrist. They were leaving with a threat in the castle that could be anything from a small infiltration to full scale invasion, with no way to hear the results later. For all they knew this could turn into a war. Still, Manel only hesitated half a second before turning and nodding to Curvis. "If that is the King's will, it shall be done." The lady turned back, weaving quickly through the soldiers as she ran to the Phoenix, trying not to think about the potential negligence she was showing. Thromoni had never sent out expeditions while a threat was in the fief. No. King Alderon had faith that his men could handle this. It probably wasn't anything huge (just a group skilled enough to break into the dungeon and release a high security prisoner without alerting a single guard on the day of an important event when everyone was extremely high strung, her brain helpfully reminded her). At least this gave new insight to the interesting, if a bit anxious, young soldier behind her. Naive enough to believe in the great heroes and legends of their land, bold enough to try to follow their footsteps, and dedicated enough that he might actually get there. The knight showed promise. If he wasn't already under Alderon's command she would have tried to recruit him to Thromoni.

Manel Fienna, Sondon (I hijacked an npc to speed things up. Let me know if that's not ok.) Manel nodded as she listened to the knight speak, storing the information away in her head. Stepping up to replace a father, that was something she could understand. And the knight did seem slightly more at ease than earlier, which was good. Just as she opened her mouth to reply, a huge eagle with the back legs of a lion whooshed past them, almost knocking her over as it attacked the ship and ascended into the sky. The lady loaded her crossbow, rapidly sending three heavy bolts after the beast and it's two riders, but they were out of range. They only had one magic creature here beside the witch, and that one had come from the dungeon. Its coloration and scars matched... So their prisoner had shapeshifting abilities? Her train of though was interrupted again as a muffled clanging noise came from the same direction the gryphon had. Even at a distance, Manel recognized the sound of swords immediately. "There's trouble in the dungeon!" She shouted to a nearby guard. "Alert the king!" Having warned the guard, Manel took off at a sprint towards the cells. If she hurried, she might be able to help capture a prisoner for interrogation. The guard blinked in confusion for a moment before snapping out of his stupor and running to the king. "Your Majesty," He bowed, "there are intruders in the dungeon." Stepping back, the guard awaited orders.

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Thank you! I don't do commissions, but I do requests. You can send me a message with a description of there is anything you would like me to draw, but it might take a while cause school. Thank you so much! I use colored pencils and prismacolor markers.Thank you for the offer. I should be able to find a situation on my own, but I will run it by you first just in case. Good luck finding time to post! Thank you! But seriously, look at any of my pictures from over two months ago. All it takes is practice. I'm sure you could be way better than me if you want to! You guys are so nice!

Sorry for being slow again! Here, have a reference picture for Amina! I will add her in later if a good situation shows up.

Manel Fienna, Sondon Manel's eyes narrowed slightly at Curvis' concession. That couldn't be right, she could have sworn she knew this soldier. "It was my mistake." She smiled at the flustered knight. Some nobles might have taken offense at the small blunder. Such nobles were not worth the air they breathed in Lady Fienna's opinion. Curvis had done nothing wrong. "You simply reminded me of someone." It wasn't as simple as that. Yes, the knight shared an uncanny resemblance to a boy she had known, to the point of her questioning a potential blood relation, but she had seen this man's face before. No matter, she could remember where she had met him later. They were getting closer to the ship. Nothing appeared amiss, but the nagging in her head remained that something was off. She glanced back over her shoulder before quickly returning her gaze to her companion. "What led you from a career in medicine to the military, Sir..." Manel trailed off as she realized that she did not yet know the knight's name.

(If Curvis had worked for Manel's father, he would have been 11 years old or younger. I am going to assume he was a page?) Manel Fienna, Sondon Despite her best attempts, her mind floated back to its earlier train of thought. Massive property damage, yes, and many of the Knights who had confronted the Dreadnaught had been killed, Simon, Harris, Martin, Fredrick, Greg, a voice in her head reminded her as she pushed it aside, but Manel couldn't immediately recall an incident where the man had gone out of his way to harm bystanders. Maybe he considered himself a hero of sorts, a vigilante rather than a ruthless mercenary or traitor? No one could have such a distorted self image. She was missing something very important. Hmm? Manel smiled as she was greeted by a familiar looking knight wearing blue. Ah, so that was why. He had been one of the pages in her father's army, a young boy with bright blue eyes and an even brighter, determined spirit. Unfortunately he had left before she began her habit of memorizing her best soldier's names. "It is always a pleasure to meet one who has worked with my father." Manel bowed slightly, just enough to indicate respect without being patronizing. "Thank you for your sentiment. May I ask your name?" She began to walk towards the ship, eyes on her companion as she waited for a response.

8!!!!!!!!

Manel Fienna, Sondon, present Manel was feeling much more comfortable than she had the night before. Whether that was her armor or the lack of abhorrent nobility to please was uncertain, although she expected it was a mix. The Lady quickly looked over her equipment as she waited for the other warriors to arrive and for final preparations, her thoughts traveling back to the conversation she had had the night before. Manel Fienna, Sondon, flashback "Work is fine." As fine as work could be, considering what her job was, at any rate. "There have a few more advances from Galvrok, mostly smaller parties." There was no need to explain to Draksis the implications of scouts in preparation for a larger army. He had taught her that tactic himself. She smiled. The poor fools had made excellent training for her Calvary. But the Dreadnaught, though... "I'm afraid to say I have had no news of the traitor since he was sighted in Fleuris a month ago." Something still didn't feel quite right, though. Manel Fienna, Sondon, present She still couldn't quite put her finger on it. Too many things didn't line up with the stories and the facts of the Dreadnaught, and she couldn't help but feel she was missing something very important. Oh well, there was no use putting much thought to that dirty traitor beyond his capture and execution.

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Manel Fienna, Sondon Manel smiled at the King's acceptance, internally promising herself that she would not let him down. She turned to walk away so that she could prepare for the voyage, stopping short as the fey began to scream again. Lab rats? Her eyelids slid shut as she inhaled deeply, counting in her head to calm down. She had not been aware of that small detail. But, Manel's chest fell as she exhaled, they had to have some way to harness this magic. The king wouldn't have taken random people, only volunteers. Right? Lady Fienna's eyes opened with their usual frozen clarity as the fey was dragged past her and out of the room. "King Alderon is a great man, and he has only ever done what is best for his people." Her quiet words silenced the murmuring nobility around her. Hmm. Her right hand had flinched toward her sword slightly. Maybe she should wait to leave until she had calmed down a bit and was certain that she wouldn't accidentally decapitate anyone for making noises behind her in the corridor. Although, the lady reflected on her odious dinner companions, she would have to find some better company. She hadn't seen Draksis in months anyway. The hall quickly returned to its festive state as the bunet made her way through the crowd. The Conqueror wasn't hard to spot, dressed from head to toe in bulky black armor among waves of lavish color and decoration. Manel's own, more simple dress swirled around her as she walked up next to the General. "Good even, Draksis Gunther. How have you fared these past months?" Her formal words were belied by a friendly smile. Thromoni was a costal fief at the border and her father's contemporary had been a lifesaving aide and mentor when it's unstable boundaries and questionable defenses had been dropped in her hands thirteen years ago.

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