Templars, secrets and zombies oh my! [Private]

[cherryicee]

Dallas Mills was not exceptionally impressed at the situation at hand. Perhaps if it were not four in the morning, the stars still piercing the darkened sky, she could have at least faked a smile. The alarm on her phone wailed at her from across the room and although she was awake, the young girl made no move to turn it off.


Eight days had passed since Dallas had begun this new chapter in her life. Although admittedly this is not what she had planned in the slightest and she cursed herself from not taking the now clearly sane option of having her mind erased.


As the alarm continues to ring she replays the events leading her to staring at this particular ceiling again and again.


It was a such a normal Saturday afternoon, she had at the time found it a little odd that she had received the say off. Dallas had worked every Saturday for the past four years, sitting quietly at her desk with her feet tucked up beneath her. Answering another "How do I get my boyfriend back?" or "My Mom hates me how do I cope?" in her column.


Without much second thought Dallas had decided to make the very best of this first Saturday off by delving into the old habit of urban exploration. One of her younger writers had mentioned being pressured into going into a supposedly haunted house and asked her how to deal with embarrassment and peer pressure. All Dallas could think about was sneaking into the house herself, although in high school she had never once come across an actual haunting the excitement over such a silly thrill was still there.


She wished she had never stepped foot in the damn thing...


Beep...Beep...Beep.


It was starting to get on her nerves that phone needed to be shut off. Hauling her exhausted body off the single bed, with it's unfamiliar sheets and strangely pleasant mustiness Dallas fumbled across the dark room. Hands out stretched probing the area before her at a deliberately slow pace, she eventually turned the alarm off peering tentatively at the time.


4:37 already... Dammit. She was late and boy was she going to hear about it, this would be the third time in her short time living at the Charlotte chapter of The Order. A secret society of men and women who protect the world from the supernatural. God the absurdity in that still made her want to laugh out loud.


With a heavily exaggerated yawn and sigh the young girl dressed as quickly as she could and left the little dorm room behind her. The building in which she was now living, was beautiful, Dallas couldn't lie about that. It was a sprawling campus built from rich crimson bricks now consumed by creeping ivy in various hues of green. The "squire" dorms laid in the center, surrounded by what she had come to believe were the Knight's apartments, the first level library and an infirmary. It had originally been a boarding school, someone had informed her kindly. The Order had occupied it for many years, choosing to let people believe the city protected it for historical reasons. It was the first of many things Dallas would come to learn in her very first week.


The infamy of her Knight trainer, her savior although she would be hard pressed to admit it at that point. Honestly after the ridiculous testing process they had forced her to go through, Dallas was convinced she had not been saved but instead was being punished cosmically.


Passing through the kitchens Emile a bright eyed squire who had instantly decided Dallas was his best friend waved at her sympathetically, glancing at the clock. She didn't mind Emile despite his tendency to talk for hours without stopping, he was knowledgeable and he'd kindly shown her around the buildings they had access to unaccompanied.


Tomorrow is a big day, he had informed her the night before. Somehow the council of elders or whatever it was they called themselves had deemed her testing complete. And she was to be officially assigned to a trainer. To a knight. Although it was no secret who she would be working under. Only Dallas Mills could have landed herself in such a predicament.


Cautiously she slipped inside what she had affectionately deemed The Round Table room, a sprawling room with marble floors. Sea glass mosaics littered the walls with biblical images of great battles and greater monsters. A sizeable round cherry wood table stood solitary in the middle of the room, along the walls were rows of velvet lined seats where aged faces loomed above her.


Dallas kept her head bowed.


"Apologies for being late." She stated dropping to one knee in a dramatic bow of respect.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan stood at the end of the room opposite the main doors. Here in the main meeting hall he would meet the woman he had saved just over a week earlier. While he was bound by duty to give her the chance to join or be mind wiped, he wished he could have just sent her on her way. She didn't look like she could up to snuff for this business, but now it was far too late for her to turn back. Now he would have his first charge in almost a year. It was a unanimous decision passed by Charlotte's council and quickly approved by ArchKnight Cho. According to them, it was only fitting that he teach the one he saved though the particular tradition was no often practiced anymore. If anything, they wanted to set him up for failure, most civilians that weren't taken young couldn't quite live up to more tenured members who grew up the teachings of the Order, much like himself. If she died under his charge, he would likely be stripped of his title and exiled.


He shifted in his white and red body armor, blade and sheath shifted against the magnetic holder on his back. At his left thigh his pistol pressed against the armor in its strap. He had to be fully suited up, as was everyone else. Behind him, sitting in his ornate golden chair sat ArchKnight Alexander Cho in full plate, great sword resting against the arm beside him. He looked onto Ethan and then to the clock. Ethan didn't look back but he could tell the man and a number of people in the room were smirking at him. Of course his squire would be late. He shifted uncomfortably again and glance to the clock himself, it was nearly fifteen minutes past the scheduled time. Behind him, Alexander shifted in his chair and prepared to say something when the main doors opened and in slipped Ms. Mills.


"Tardiness is unbecoming of a member of the Order, even for a Squire as fresh as yourself." Alexander's voice boomed across the room and echoed off the walls. "Rise and step forward."


At this, Ethan stepped forward towards the round table between them. Arranged on the table was a number of weapons from swords to bows to pistols. "As a squire you will learn all there is to know about our Order and how to combat our enemies. You will also learn how to fight." He stopped at the edge of the table and waved a hand over it. "The Knights here are experienced in every weapon in front of you but what weapon you will wield is of your own choice. Step forward, make your choice of weapon, then join me in front of ArchKnight Cho." He glared over Mills, taking her in. His face was mired in disapproval mixed in with a hint of disgust. Definitely there was much work to be done.

 

[cherryicee]

So I'm beginning to realize. The thought floated around her skull as she rose to her converse clad feet, how they managed to approve her was beyond Dallas' comprehension. They wanted Ethan to fail, the thought brought a lopsided smirk to her lips, it quickly disappeared however when she realized they were counting on her to be his downfall.


"Again, apologies ArchKnight and of course to you Sir Cotterill." Lousy self righteous ArchKnight Council, how dare they. The thought made her feel more and more out of place as her gaze roamed over the white and red robes. Only for a Knight, the thought of their honor made her feel particularly small.


Pursing her lips together in a tight expression Dallas approached her end of the great table, amber eyes lingering on each weapon for a good length of time. Choosing wisely would be the key for her success, even if they all thought she was useless, Ethan especially she could tell by the dangerous look he was giving her. You'd only be upset to lose me as a squire because you'd lose your own precious title. Dallas thought with a bitterness that left a bad taste in her mouth. Slowly she lifted her chin, meeting his gaze directly with a defiant glare of her own. Fire burned there, desperate to prove herself but make Ethan's job as difficult as possible in the process. If he wanted her to cooperate, he'd have to earn it. Oh was she in for a lesson.


After a long moment she returned her attention to the weapons on the table, sword play had always piqued her interest, foot work couldn't be much different than dancing. Besides, Ethan was well acquainted with a sword, Dallas knew no matter what weapon she chose he could teach her. It would be easier to play to his strengths however, which meant she'd have to pick up a gun as well.


Damn.


"I'm honored by the opportunity to join such prestigious ranks, being a commoner and all."


Gently brushing her fingertips along the flat of a great sword the brunette bowed her head before breathing softly."Sword and Pistol." With that she spun on her heel and took her place beside Ethan, facing the ArchKnight Cho. For a moment she felt a swell of excitement in her chest, what child doesn't dream of being a super hero? Of saving cities, self sacrifice with no reward had never been in Dallas' cards but she was determined to prove herself no matter what. She'd had enough of the disapproving looks from her parents growing up and she'd learned quickly the best way to deal with those was to shut your mouth and do as you were told.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan sighed at Dallas' response to the ArchKnight. At least she remembered to stay respectful, for now at least. His eyes never left her as she moved, he had to seem serious to the rest of his superiors in front of her. As much as he wanted to be true to his facade, he simply wanted to get to work. He knew he'd have to push her hard, but he knew he'd have to be careful at the same time. Everything he had lived for was on the line with her. And he'd only get one shot at working his way back up the ladder to redemption. Alexander did not grace her with a response, only quiet observation. He had much less faith in her then Ethan did.


Ethan's eyes met with Dallas as she stared back at him in defiance. He balled one hand into a fist, struggling to stay his hand. Part of him admired whatever fire seemed to burn in her, another part wanted to put her in her place. In spite of everything negative he felt about the woman, he had to admit that he was glad she chose his style. That meant he could teach her properly how to fight. He'd have been worried if she was left to any of the other experienced knights, they likely could have botched her training on purpose so that she would die on her first mission out.


Moments later she was beside him facing Alexander. The man had to be somewhere in his late fifties to early sixties, but he looked much much younger than that. Like Ethan he came from a long line of Templars based out of South Korea. His gaze shifted between the two before he stood and stepped down towards them. From a side door, a young man in cloth robes of red and white, a Templar priest, scurried out to meet him at where Ethan and Dallas stood, holding a bowl in one hand. Another, female priestess came out with bandages and a dagger, it's blade black as night.


"Your hands, please." Cho demanded rather asked. He took Ethan's as he offered it and retrieved the black dagger from the priestess and considered its edge. When he was satisfied that it would be sharp enough, he faced Ethan and began. "Sir Ethan James Cotterill. You are tasked with fulfilling your vow to ensure the continuation of the Templar Order by taking charge of a new squire. You will protect her, teach her our ways, and show her the truth of the world. You will train her to one day become a knight herself and to one day overtake you when your duty has been relieved of you by death. As it has been done before and will be done now, shed your blood to be bound in your obligations." As soon as he finished he brought the blade across Ethan's open palm. His blood ran scarlet down and into the bowl held by the priest. He flinched only for a moment and let his blood drain until the female priest moved to wrap his wounds. He retrieved his hand and looked to Dallas, now it was her turn.

 

[cherryicee]

It was not easy to admit that Dallas was completely lost within this new society. The knowledge of her less than noble heritage was known to her, she couldn't fathom why there was so much detest for her. Especially considering she'd never asked to be saved, Ethan had taken that upon himself. And excuse her for not immediately jumping at the thought of losing a portion of her memories. She'd been terrified and before he had opened his damn mouth, Ethan had been this solid beacon of safety.


Dallas couldn't forget the scent of her blood mixing with the years of dust and dirt on the floor of the decrepit house. Her ribs were still bruised, she could feel the pulse beneath them hot and angry. The abrasions on the rest of her body had been healing fine, all they did was itch, thankfully the pain didn't linger long. It was never her choice to be rescued, so why was she being treated like she'd burst into their lives with the intention of making everything hell.


Ethan's clear struggle to stop himself from disciplining her made her wonder, just how much patience he had. Just how much could she get away with if she proved she wasn't just some weakling about to bring about another round of disappointment. Of course, the tale of how he came to Charlotte in the first place was no secret among the other squires or their masters. How long until her got her killed because of his own cockiness, or perhaps he'd just give up when he decided she wasn't going to bring him any type of fame. Dallas grimaced at the thought, she'd originally took up his offer to join The Order when her panic stricken mind figured "mind wipe" meant death.


Dallas watched with quiet contemplation as the Templar priest and priestess approached from whatever shadows of the room they had been hidden in. Or perhaps she just hadn't heard the door open, had Ethan noticed them to begin with? She wondered shyly, determined to not let the insecurities rise. Screw all of them... She wasn't going to let anyone tell her she wasn't good enough, they'd regret their doubt. The black blade caught her attention, was it made of obsidian or onyx it was hard to tell from this far away once the blade touched her skin she'd have her answer. Observation was key in this situation, especially with the lack of knowledge. Ethan offered his hand without hesitation and despite her distaste for him she had to admit, he wasn't about to let anyone get the best of him. She could respect that.


ArchKnight Cho spoke to him and Ethan easily swore his oath and then the blade was turned towards her, the edge shining still wet. Dallas chewed the inside of her cheek to keep from making a smart ass comment of blood borne diseases, her throat would probably be slit for it. Instead she listened closely to the deep thunder of the ArchKnight's voice, trying to analyze the timber of each word he directed towards her. "Miss Dallas Grace Mills. From this moment you enter into our Order, you are pledging your services as Sir Cotterill's squire. You will do as he asks of you, train under him, diligently learn his knowledge so that you may protect this world as we all do. With respect and willingness may you too become a Knight, to overtake his duty when death relieves him of it." Dallas mimicked Ethan, offering her hand without the slightest hesitation. "As it has been done before and will be done now, shed your blood to be bound in your obligations." The urge to roll her eyes at the repetitive nature of the ritual was quickly extinguished as the black blade bit into the soft flesh of her palm. A quiet yelp escaped her and she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment as the others in the room smirked down at her display.





Damn it.


Her hand was quickly bandaged after enough of her blood had fallen into the bowl to mix with Ethan's. Obsidian. The blade was obsidian, at least her curiosity had been satisfied even at a price.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

And just like that it was over. As much as the others in the room looked down on Dallas, they all could not deny what their likely reactions were at their first ceremony. When Ethan had become a squire, he'd nearly yelped himself. The obsidian would cut deep, always. Slowly he flexed his bandaged hand, felt the sting and remembered it. The pain reminded him that this was another shot for him. He was intent on not earning another brand on his back. Alexander returned the blade to the female priestess and both robed individuals returned from whence they came. His attention was brought back to the ArchKnight with a single, deep, clap.


"The bond has been made, congratulations." Ethan feigned a smile and a nod. He could have sworn he heard a condescending tone from the man. "You now have full charge over Miss Mills, Sir Cotterill. Your bond vials will be delivered to your apartment later in the evening. I wish you good luck in your endeavors." The man offered a large hand to Ethan which would force him to use his bandaged hand. Without hesitation Ethan met his shake and did his best to hide the pain than came from Alexander's powerful grip. The ArchKnight simply offered Dallas a nod before moving to return to his chair. "Now then! I will call to order the meeting of the elders to plan for our movements in the coming month against the supernatural...."


Ethan turned on his heels for the door, injured hand resting on his pistol as he strode forward quickly. "Let's go." He urged underneath Cho's voice. One day he would get back at the man. He swore it on his life. Once the pair were outside of the room Ethan stopped and looked down to Dallas. "I will tell you this once. Within the Order, respect is everything and you'd do well to know your place. Otherwise a much less patient knight will be quick to remind you." His eyes burned with tired rage. It would have been proper practice for Ethan to close the distance and lay a good smack across Dallas' face the moment those defiant eyes met his. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, knowing that the elders and Cho would judge him either way. And he couldn't have his squire-to-be whimper in pain in front of them, even under his discipline.


Satisfied with his words he continued on wards, armor clicking and clanking with each step. "We will go to the armor now. You will be fitted for your own set of armor and have a sword made to fit your size. You will also make your choice of firearm from those provided. From there I will take you to the range to teach you basic form and techniques for shooting." He paused for a moment as they turned a corner, down the side of the main building and across a courtyard was the armory. It was once the engineering building for the old school, but has since been remodeled for a more deadly purpose. "Have you fired a gun before?"

 

[cherryicee]

<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;">Dallas followed behind Ethan quickly, desperate to escape the over bearing eyes of the ArchKnight, Ethan's temper she could handle. The cold stare she received from Cho on the other hand, that, turned her lungs to ice. At least Ethan had a reason to keep her alive, no one else did, she figured she should probably remember that from time to time. Lost in her own thoughts Dallas barely had time to react as her trainer stopped to look down upon her and inform her of her consequences should she lack proper respect. Casting amber gaze towards the floor beneath her, she swallowed the response that burned in her throat. </span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><span style="color:#000000;">"Yes, Sir."</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> She bit the inside of her cheek as she replied. What good would it do her to remind him that not one person had gone over customs of The Order with her. Or that she wasn't raised to bite her tongue, though Dallas was sure her Father would have been fine if she had.</span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><span style="color:#000000;"> "I'm sorry."</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> Her voice was small, her face red with shame and anger.</span></span></p>


<p><span style="font-size:12px;">


</span></p>


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;">


Trailing behind Ethan keeping a respectful amount of space between them, feeling not unlike a disobedient puppy. Cotterill was speaking about the armory and how she would be fitted for her own suit when they arrived. The idea made her grimace, how was it that civilians didn't continuously see armor clad Knights roaming around protecting them from the supernatural? The radiating sting wrapped beneath gauze painfully reminded her that she was now part of the "we save the world" group. Cradling her injured hand against her chest Dallas tuned back into what the man in front of her had been saying. Despite herself she felt a glimmer of excitement over having a sword made just for her, her Father would have had an aneurysm if he'd known. </span></span></p>


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;">


Once again the Knight paused his pace, this time asking a question she knew he would detest the answer to. Without being able to stop herself Dallas let out a bark of nervous laughter. </span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><span style="color:#000000;">"Once, never again after that."</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> Shrugging she cautiously raised her gaze to meet Ethan's observation her only intention. This way she could gauge his response, body language could only tell her so much without facial expressions to back them up. </span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><span style="color:#000000;">"I've hated fire arms since I was a kid, I didn't want to pick it but I figured choosing your preferred weapons was the best option... For both of us."</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> It was never going to be easy for Dallas to do as she was told, but she knew when to show that her intentions weren't completely awful. She did after all, regardless of whether she had asked for it, owe him her life. More importantly despite her feelings towards him, Dallas needed him to survive this new world she'd been thrust into. </span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><span style="color:#000000;">"I'm a quick learner."</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> Her lips quirked in a small smile. </span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><span style="color:#000000;">"Not that I'm really seeing any other options besides learn fast or die trying."</span></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><em>Was that disrespect?</em></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> She wondered without caring too much, respect she could do losing her personality was, however, off the table. </span></span></p>


<p><span style="font-size:12px;">


</span></p>


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;">


</span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"><span style="color:#000000;">"Do I have to ask permission to ask questions about how things work here? Or can I just go ahead and ask as we walk?" </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#006666;"> </span></span></p>

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan blinked at the woman's answer. He wished he hadn't asked at first. He couldn't teach someone that didn't want to learn his style, but if she was going to force herself, then he would have to relent. Part of it made him visibly smirk. It seemed that she had a better grasp on the context of their pairing than he thought. Maybe there was hope after all. "You'd best be a quick learner. I'd hate to further injure my hand if you aren't." He'd spare her the rod for her next comment, she'd earned it for at least proving that she wasn't going to be a helpless babe under his guidance. With a nod, he turned and began to lead her out into the opening towards the armory.


"You may ask freely. But it is a privilege, not a right. Pull what you did back at the Round Table and you'll be writing me notes to say anything." His stride was about as stern as his words, he was eager to get into the armory and to get Dallas fitted. "What else do you want to know?" They were halfway across the courtyard, high above the contrails of a handful of planes streaked through the sky in each and every direction.

 

[cherryicee]

Dallas raised her eyebrow as he began to walk again leading her closer to the armory. Was that a smirk she saw? Huh, guess she wasn't completely doomed after all. The next comment made her pause for a minute so she could bite her tongue and come up with a more respectful response. "I'm determined to prove myself, I know you think I'm hopeless, every one here does. But I swear you didn't injure your hand for nothing. You didn't save me for nothing." Her voice was steady though she was pushing herself to keep his pace, just to prove that she could keep up to him. Across the yard Dallas could here the sound of metal screeching against metal, she couldn't tell whether or not it was armor or weapon but she liked the sound.


"Terms and conditions understood, Sir. First question, was it the being late that you're telling me not to do again? Because I believe I was being respectful to ArchKnight Cho." She stated matter-of-factly. "Second question, if I was being disrespectful why wasn't I told how to act when I first got here? I was a civilian a week ago, this is all new to me I wasn't born into this like every one else was. I'm not exactly looking for anyone to cut me slack, but I'd at least like to know what the rules are before breaking them." Dallas peered up at Ethan through her lashes, watching for his reaction. "Third question, do you always wear your armor or is it a ceremonial and training thing? Because I have never in my life seen a Templar Knight just roaming around the city protecting people." It was true, not once had Dallas ever seen the Templar's until a week ago she didn't even think they had existed, they were supposed to be myth.





"Last question for now... Why did you save me? And... What was that thing you saved me from? Do ghosts actually exist? Okay that was three questions I apologize, but they go hand in hand." She could remember the temperature in the house Ethan had rescued her from, the way the blood in her veins ran cold just standing there. She had been raised to believe that ghosts weren't real, and they certainly weren't supposed to be corporeal. But whatever it was that attacked her had been able to touch her like any other being on the planet, although this one had been out for her death. It had been so violent and Dallas could not for the life of her get the scent of rotting flesh and pain out of her head. "Thank you again." She mumbled shyly.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan wanted to believe Dallas' little declaration. But it wouldn't have been the first time he had his hand cut open for nothing. One of the squires that had died in Finland was one of his own, of course. He kept his pace fast, just to watch her struggle to keep up. It didn't matter what she said, instead it was what she would do. Everyone could be all talk, but civilians that were brought in always had to learn the hard way. They weren't raised to be pushed into the ground before they could even hope to crawl when it came to becoming a Templar. And if he knew anything, it was that he was going to be sure Dallas ate her share of dirt. "We will see." Was all he offered her brave little promise.


He took in her questions and continued up the Armory's steps and halted just outside the large oak doors. He turned to Dallas and sighed. Where to start? "Being prudent is one of mainstays of what it means to be a Templar. When a supernatural being enters this world, we cannot be stuck twiddling our thumbs, we must spring into action as soon as possible. Imagine if I were a minute later to the house I found you in. You'd be dead." His face set into a soft grimace as he remembered the sad state Dallas was in when he found her. He pitied her, but he knew her best chance of surviving her wounds was to join he Order. He would have wiped her memory otherwise, and left her there to live or die. "For your second question, it was not Cho that you disrespected, it was me. The knight demands the respect of their squire, so that you may learn to follow in our code before you could ever hope to lead in it. What I should have done was given you a taste of my glove." He paused to show her his uninjured hand. "But I took pity on you, because you did not know. And that is the only leniency you'll get from me in those regards. To defy your knight is to defy the order, and insubordination will not stand. The general rules are simple, follow the orders of your superior. The Book of the Squire will be issued to you this evening, there you will learn of all the duties you owe to the order. And no, I do not wear this armor all the time, it was on ceremony, and I have a mission to head out on after I get you situated here."





He paused again at her final question, why he saved her. His feature almost softened, almost. "What you were attacked by was a banshee. A 'ghost' of corporeal form that knows only savagery. It seemed to lie dormant until you awoke it, we had little time to react once it was detected at that point. I saved you because it was my job, I gave you a choice because it was required of me. You don't have to thank me, I was prepared to leave you there. You were just a pitiful sight there.... Now come." With a sigh he turned and pushed one of the large doors open with a single arm. The sounds of metalworking bled out, louder than before, along with the heat of various forges burning. Quickly he led her inside and closed the door, the smiths hated the doors being open for very long. The entryway was a long, bland hall with several doors that led into offices, at the end were large metals doors. Beyond them, viewable through their windows, was the main floor of the armory, where a deep orange glow blocked most of their view. Ethan led Dallas down the hall and into the Armory where another knight, dressed in a body suit that usually was worn under their armor was waiting to greet them. The man was taller than Ethan, and much more muscular and gruff, he looked on to the pair in equal disdain.


Ethan placed a heavy hand on Dallas' shoulder and pushed her forward. "Sir Erwahl, this is Squire Dallas Mills, my new charge. She's here to be fitted for armor and blade." The man blinked and looked onto the female in disinterest before sighing heavily and approaching her. "I was notified." His accent was staunchly German. "Very well, come then squire. Let's get you to Lady Vikander for fitting." Ethan grunted as he took a seat at one of the many chairs lined against the walls flanking the room's entrance. He gave a passive wave towards Dallas if she thought to look to him for questions. "Follow their lead. Trust me they want to be through this as much as you do."

 

[cherryicee]

Dallas was struck with silence, bowing her head gaze focused on the split cement staircase they stood on. There had been many times in her life when she could find no bitter or defiant response. Words had been her only weapons for so long and when someone could fight back with their tongue, all she could do was stare. This war could not be won with pretty words and a fist full of hundred dollar bills, it was not a case of saying the right thing to quench the flames of someone's distrust. Dallas, was to Ethan as she had been to her Father, in a constant state of trying to prove herself. She could have promised until she was blue in the face, but action was what he wanted, what they all wanted. Sure, she figured there would be studying and that gave her some hope Dallas could deal with learning from a book. It was the crushing weight of learning to fight to defend herself against Ethan, against another Banshee or whatever else lived in this world that she had been in the dark about. That was what scared her. She figured by the end of the first day of training that Ethan would either have killed her or wished he had or she could impress him which Dallas would not hold out hope for. "Understood." She nodded, replying softly to his comment about leniency. It was not like her to be this meek, but the young woman had already pushed her limits today and was in no mood to further her own suffering. She was in fact a quick learner, especially when it came to authority figures, this she was used to.





Pitiful... Dallas fought hard not to think of herself that way, it was a sadness and helplessness she had not felt since being a teenager and those were hard feelings to swallow. She did not want his pity and she suspected thankfully she would not be subjected to it again. "Is this mission you're off to classified or may I ask what it entails?" Her eyes lifted to his again, curiosity shining behind them. She had been a lover of fantasy stories most of her life and although she knew this was no story she couldn't lie to herself about being excited about hearing about Ethan's ventures.





As the Knight before her pushed the massive oak door open a wash of heat poured over her and in an instant her face shifted to wonder and childlike amazement. Her amber eyes glowed against the brilliant orange of the forges, steadying herself Dallas looked to Ethan as his hand landed on her shoulder before she was pushed forward. Quickly the young woman composed her emotions, putting on a mask of quiet respect as she moved towards Sir Erwahl. "Yes, Sir." Dallas gave a quick bow of her head to Ethan before following the hulking German Knight or Blacksmith, both, before her. He silently led her into a spacious room where a tall and slender but surprisingly toned woman was busy jotting something down.


"Squire Mills, Lady Vikander." Erwahl too pushed her forward before turning back down the hallway that he had led her through.





"Well, well." The woman said with an accent Dallas couldn't quite place, it was similar to Erwahl's but there was a distinct difference in the heaviness in this woman's words. "Step forward." She snapped quickly towards the younger girl, ushering her forward with a hand. Instinctively Dallas moved with speed to stand before her, feeling small next to this towering woman. Dallas noted she must have been in her early fifties, her hair a silvery blonde that she had never seen in her life. Lady Vikander's face was tight with disinterest, obviously not in the mood to have her busy schedule interrupted by Dallas' less important needs. "Clothes off." She instructed. The squire did as she was told pulling off her very out of place clothing. Ripped jeans, comic book t-shirt and converse sneakers, now so painfully aware of how strange she looked in this place. The Lady moved quickly around her with a measuring tape, the woman's slender hands worked quickly, prodding roughly when she needed the young woman to move or reposition her limbs for a more accurate measurement. Dallas had remained silent the entire time, biting back whimpers of pain as her ribs or hand were jostled, this was important, she told herself nobody wants ill fitting armor.





Fifteen minutes later and Lady Vikander was satisfied. "Dress I will take you back to Sir Erwahl to fit you for a sword." Once again the squire did what she was told as quickly as possible and followed as she was once again led into a different part of the armory. This room was much larger than the one she had been measured in, it was for lack of a better term massive and it was absolutely beautiful. Four forges were placed in each corner of the room, bathing the entire room in a pallet that could only be described as melted sunrise. The walls were lined with glowing sets of armor in various states of completion, weapons laid on every available surface and three men were hard working on more. Quickly her view was blocked out by Sir Erwahl's mass, he gruffly thrust a first sword at her.


"Hold this, give it a test swing, do not hit anybody." He warned and Dallas did as she was told with extreme caution. It was far too heavy for her, and so another blade was tested, one in a series of five before the correct height and weight were established. "We will forge your blade to these specifications. Return to Sir Cotterill, he will accompany you to the fire arms portion of the Armory." This was the last piece of dialogue she would hear from him.





She was led back through the halls with a quick pace, when Dallas arrived she immediately came to stand in front of where Ethan was seated. "All of the fitting is done, Sir Erwahl says you're taking me to the fire arms, could you please help me choose the right one, Sir?"

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan leaned his head back against the wall once Dallas disappeared into the armory. Depending on how cooperative she would be with Lady Vikander, it would take at least twenty minutes. Enough time for a nap. He didn't have to be up so early in a long while, and the knight had grown accustomed to the night owl life. Most of his missions were conducted in the evening since he arrived in Charlotte. There was an usually high amount of nightdwelling supernaturals that plagued the south. It was of no real concern to him, it just made getting around and fighting easier with less people to worry about. These were all points he knew and they slipped away into nothingness shortly after he closed his eyes.


His dream brought him back to the moment that he had slayed the banshee. He remembered the look on Dallas' face as the corporeal being burned away from existence. He wasn't sure if the experience had snapped her mind right there. Some civilians couldn't handle their experience in the moment and would go crazy. Not even a mind wipe would fix them. But that was usually what happened to older individuals. Dallas was young still, to be permanently affected by something like that would've been hell for her. Worse than what she'd experience with the Order. And he did pity her. As green as she would be, he knew he couldn't leave her to die. Part of him felt bad for her, but he knew he could never treat he with leniency. Nothing they fought ever would, and he was determined not to lose another squire.


He awoke with a start at the sound of Dallas' soft voice. He almost thought her dream form was speaking to him from the infirmary bed. But no, she was in the flesh, standing beside him, the orange lights of the forge at her back. It took Ethan a few minutes to blink himself back to reality and process what the squire said. When it all clicked he stood and nodded. "Right." He glanced over to a nearby clock and raised a brow. The fittings had gone faster than he expected. "Getting a pistol for you is much less time consuming. We only have a few custom-made models, each varying in weight." He nodded his head down the opposite way she had originally left him and started to lead the way. "You asked about my mission. I'm going to be fighting strigoi, better known as vampires. Or hunting a known location at least. The rural outskirts of the city are infested with all kinds of ungodly beasts. The ones that inhabit this area will be the first that you learn about."





After a few moments they reached the gunsmith's portion of the armory. The area was much smaller than the forge areas. Most of it was a wide shooting range with two floors of workshops behind it all situated on metal scaffolding. It certainly wasn't the lion's share of the building's space, but the gunsmiths enjoyed it. He motioned towards another knight, this one an older, shorter dark-skinned male who was bald but sported an impressive graying beard. "Ah. Sir Cotterill, and you must be Squire Mills. I've got your booth set up, number 16. Your targets should be ready shortly." Ethan nodded. "Good to hear it, Sir Finch. Come, Dallas." Finch shot Dallas a sympathetic look before returning to another booth to tend to a squire struggling with a rifle.


At the booth three different pistols were displayed along with colored boxes of ammunition with individual bullets placed in front of them. Ethan shut the door of the booth behind Dallas and set it to occupied. Before he started he tossed a pair of noise cancelling earmuffs and safety glasses and put his own own pair around his neck and on his head. "So I'll try to keep this simple. We have three types of pistols we use. The first, is the revolver. It's highly powered and accurate, but you are limited to six shots before needing a reload. It often can down whatever you're hunting granted you've loaded the right ammo. It's downsides are it's weight, high recoil and load times. It's what I use. The second is a semi-automatic pistol. Medium in power, works well in mid to close range fights and has a fifteen-round magazine. It's not very heavy and will take two to three shots to kill most supernaturals. The last one is the machine pistol. We usually refer to them as baby sub machine guns. Essentially these fire at either full-auto or burst fire. They're the most deadly but the hardest to control. Often times you'd need to use both hands but with enough training you could pair it with a sword in the other. Think of it like a shotgun really. They have effective short range stopping power but lacks in the mid range right. They hold either fifteen or twenty round magazines and can do heavy damage in a three shot burst. For your...stature I'd suggest one of the first two, but the choice is yours to make. Take each gun, and give it a feel, test the weight. You'll be firing all three." While Dallas worked over the guns, Ethan began to undo the top portion of his armor, leaving on the body suit. At this point the armor would simply get in the way of teaching her the proper shooting forms. "We'll start with the one you like the least. Hold it the way you think you should."

 

[cherryicee]

Dallas quirked her head to the side taking in Ethan in this brief moment unguarded sleepiness and for a moment there was a look of warmth and sympathy in her eyes. It wasn't like the fact that this was a hard life had escaped her, but it had finally clicked that this had been Ethan's entire life. She had heard the whispers of his heritage being born into such a prestigious family, to never have a real childhood. To never have a simple nine to five job, to worry over unpaid bills versus wondering if this was the day some dark creature finally got the best of you and suddenly Dallas felt lucky to have such an experience. Gratitude was a new feeling for her but it was one she welcomed happily as opposed to her usual internal hatred for how she was raised. The young woman tried to hide the soft smile that was beginning to play on her lips, simply bowing her head as Ethan moved to stand and lead her away from the entrance of the armory.





"Vampires... Huh, and I thought vampires only existed in the fantasies of love struck teenagers. More dangerous then some fever dream I imagine, just like the Banshee. So, different creatures only dwell in certain places? Interesting." Dallas mused offhandedly, trying to make her brain understand the idea but it was still proving a little difficult. She wondered how long it would take until this seemed like second nature to her.


As they reached the smaller gunsmith area a nervousness began to rise in her chest, fire arms had always caused her anxiety. Her Father had been into sport hunting for as long as she could remember, she had been so attached to him in her youth, until he had decided to take her on a hunting trip. Dallas had been nine years old, her Father had forced her to take the life of a young doe with two fawns. It wasn't that the thought of taking the life of something that was trying to take hers that she was bothered by, no she assumed that in that case it would be easy to pull a trigger again. It was just a childhood memory that had made her avoid guns as much as she could as an adult. Her thoughts were broken as Sir Finch greeted them and Ethan replied with a softer tone to his voice than he had regarded any of the other Knights thus far. Dallas bowed her head slightly in response to Finch addressing her and then nodded politely, unsure on whether or not she should speak or merely follow Ethan silently. After the pleasantries had been exchanged the Knight leading her once again ushered her forward with his voice. Wait, was that her name he just used? She blinked taken off guard for a moment but very quickly snapped out of it and followed him as she was instructed, but not before smiling kindly at Sir Finch who shot her a look of sympathy.


As they entered the booth Ethan tossed her the appropriate protective gear and she placed both around her neck before tuning into the spiel he was going on. Dallas was grateful that he tried to keep it as simple as possible for her and she tried in kind to pay close attention to his explanation of each model of pistol. After he was finished the squire moved cautiously forward to examine each of the weapons, delicately running her fingers over the metal of each one before carefully picking up the revolver. The nerves were starting to get to her, the weight of the pistol in her hand wasn't awful but her hands were beginning to shake. Despite her efforts to keep calm Dallas eventually ended up setting the revolver down where she had picked it up. She didn't want to disappoint him but swallowing her pride she turned to him with a pleading look on her face. "I'm sorry... I just... I don't even know where to begin on picking up a gun. I'm too afraid I'm going to do something wrong." A quiver of fear shook her voice.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan watched as Dallas tenderly took up the revolver first. A moment later she put it down and looked onto him, pleading for assistance. He sighed and mentally patted himself on the back for preparing for something just like this. He didn't expect much, at the least he wanted to see how far she could get on her own. But, he would work her fear of guns out of her. "Very well..here..." He stepped forward and grabbed the revolver against and pressed it into Dallas' hands. He then took her hands in his own and began to show her the proper holding techniques. He did the same for the next two before settling on the revolver once more. "Now, you never point your gun at something unless you intend to shoot it. Otherwise you keep it pointed towards the ground and away from the feet of others. Understand?"





He waited for her to acknowledge his words before continuing. In another move he shifted to be directly behind her. "Now then, when you do want to shoot something, you're going to want to use the correct stance. It's the same from revolver to semis, but machine pistols will require something different. Now, first you'll want to widen your stance, like this." With one of his feet, Ethan nudged Dalllas' legs apart, one a little further infront of the other. His hands took hold of her waist for a moment, twisting her so she could lead with her non-dominant side. "You'll always want the gun in your dominant hand, makes pulling the trigger easier. If you're without sword, you can support the weight with your free hand." His hands found their way to her arms and guided them up and ahead of her. He kept his movements smooth and sure as he leaned into her back to extend his arms with hers. He'd had to do this with enough squires that the lack of personal space barely bothered him. Despite this, he couldn't ignore their contact, or taking in the smell of her hair. It was oddly comforting in a way, and reminded him of younger days. But no, he couldn't be stuck reminiscing, there was teaching to do. "Hold it like this. Now you can pull the trigger easier if you cock back the hammer here first. Alternatively you could let the mechanisms do it themselves, but pulling the trigger is much more difficult. Like in the movies you can do this either with your thumb or the palm of your free hand. Now try both for cocking the hammer, and try a few times without it."





Despite how tentative Dallas was being around the guns, he was determined to take his time. He truly enjoyed the art of shooting. It was the mainstay of his personal style, and he'd be damned if his squire was going to be shooting with a limp wrist under his watch. Once he felt that she had gotten a good idea of how to work the revolver, he moved on the next two. He kept close but would urge her to do what she could on her own. Once they were done with stances Ethan backed off and moved towards the table holding the different types of ammo. "Before we start with shooting, I'll explain to you the different types of bullets we use. This green box is charge ammo, it's mixed with magical properties that will subdue any 'ghost' type of supernatural, it's what I used to kill that Banshee. When it hits them, it unleashes a charge of energy that burns their presence away. The blue box are UV bullets, specifically for taking down the varying types of strigoi. These will burn and weaken them enough to where their either die slowly or you can finish them with your blade. The red ones are silver bullets, for taking down morphs like werewolves. I'm sure you're familiar with that one as well. The black box simply carries high impact bullets, specifically made by the Order to take on any other type of monsters we come across. Thankfully most are very vulnerable to regular bullets and blades. There is a lot of versatility but we cannot load mixed magazines of them. So you'll have to switch out in the rare case you come across a mixed bag of supernaturals." He grabbed up the black box and returned to Dallas' side. "We'll start you with the basic bullets first. Which gun will you use?"

 

[cherryicee]

Dallas visibly relaxed as Ethan stepped forward to rescue her and her pathetic first attempt to handle a firearm, she had expected a more exasperated response from him but she was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps good behavior really was rewarded. As the revolver was pressed into her hands the young woman took a deep breath to steady her remaining nerves. His hands were hot over hers and she wondered for a moment why it made her feel safer, but Dallas quickly snapped back to the present. Nodding quickly to confirm that she fully understood not to point the weapon at something she had no intention of shooting.


Completely focused on the words being spoken to her the anxiety began to slip into the back of her mind, the revolver feeling slightly lighter in her steadier grip. Even as Ethan's hands slipped from her hands to her waist and then to her arms, as he lead her to a proper shooting stance. There was no hesitation in his movements even as he instructed her reluctant body, the confidence Ethan exhibited impressed her, even though she'd be hard pressed to admit it. The ease with which he had taken over her personal space indicated he had done this before, she wondered if he thought about the squires before her often. Dallas wanted to ask how many he had trained, if she was the only one that had required such a level of work.


Eventually Ethan had worked her through the basics of all three guns and although it was easier to pull the trigger if she cocked the hammer herself, Dallas liked the resistance of the automatic mechanisms personally.


Seemingly satisfied with stance work the Knight relinquished her space and Dallas found herself watching him as he did so. He seemed so relaxed to her and it felt like the first time she had time to notice that he was actually enjoying himself, which oddly brought out a smile. "So the silver bullet thing isn't a myth?" The young woman raised an eyebrow but Ethan showed no signs of messing with her, so she simply nodded and continued to listen. "Who knew some supernatural creatures could be taken down by a simple bullet. Well, I guess The Order knew..." Setting down the machine pistol currently in her hand beside the other two guns, Dallas looked over all three with careful consideration. Despite the hesitation she still felt, she did indeed have a favoritism towards one of them and that was progress that gave hope.


"Honestly, I'll go with the revolver there's something about it. I think I can kind of understand why you use it personally." She beamed at Ethan beside her although the young woman was trying not to get ahead of herself, there was pride in her smile. She could guarantee the moment that live ammo was fired that confidence would melt away, but for now Dallas was going to take her victories where she could get them. "You're actually going to make me fire this gun aren't you?"

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan's brow raised at Dallas' choice. By the way she was acting, he couldn't tell if her enthusiasm was genuine or if she was simply trying to kiss up to him. That was the kind of thing he disliked. He'd accept no kind of ass kissing, or at the very least, it wasn't going to get her far. With a sigh he nodded and pulled six bullets from the black box before setting it down the table. he picked up the revolver and handed it to his squire. "Yes, and you're going to shoot it alot. The release is there. Hit that and the barrels will release. Loading is as simple as putting the bullets in, tip first of course." He took out his own revolver and gave her a quick demonstration. "They don't have any here but you can get rings to hold the bullets. Once you reload you essentially pop out the barrels, empty the cartridges and fit the bullet ring in. It can be a little clunky in a firefight, depends on personal preference. I don't use them."


With a shrug, he donned his muffs and glasses and slapped the large red button on the side of the booth. Further down the range, several targets dropped from the ceiling at varying distances, numbering six in total. "Fire one shot at each. Reload, then do it again, then once more." He blinked and positioned himself behind her once more. "Do take care to mind the recoil. The last thing you need is to let the revolver do your enemies work for them. Don't...forget your stance." He would act as a brace for her, just incase the recoil was too much for her. "Once you're comfortable, fire. They're just targets so don't be a nervous nancy about pulling the trigger."

 

[cherryicee]

Dallas felt her excitement fall as she heard Ethan sigh, she had just about let herself think he could lighten up. Apparently she was wrong, which did not surprise her at all. Before Ethan could once again get the revolver in her hands, Dallas took a moment to pull her long hair back into a pony tail to keep it out of her face. The last thing she needed was to have poor aim because of her silly hair. Watching the demonstration the young squire imitated her Knight, opening the barrel was just as easy as he had explained. She moved towards the table, picking up the first of eighteen bullets she would apparently be loading and firing, she fumbled at first but at the very least Dallas didn't drop anything.


Once the revolver had been loaded she closed it again placed it on the table so she could put on her protective gear. Now instead of anxiety over shooting the damn thing because of her Father, all Dallas could think about was knocking herself out in front of Ethan. Determined not to let that happen she took up the revolver with as steady of a grip as she could manage, she positioned her body just as her trainer had showed her. They're just targets, just shoot them and get it over with.. Now. With a deep breath Dallas took aim at the first target, exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger.


Dallas was certainly grateful for Ethan's presence, she had lost her balance because of the recoil. It wasn't as awful of a kick back as she had been expecting, but she could feel the sting of the wound on her hand reopen. For a moment she wished she'd let them take her dominant hand for the ceremony, oh well, couldn't change it now. Blinking tears out of her eyes quickly Dallas looked up from the ground and at her first target. Hot damn. It was just left of the center point on the target, she wanted to say something but she just positioned herself to take her next five shots. Ethan said nothing about the first shot, he only paused her for a moment to adjust her stance for so the recoil wouldn't take her as off balance. Her next five shots were easier, maintaining her balance for the most part although she figured that was because of the Knight behind her. However he wasn't aiming for her and she had been more accurate than she had ever hoped for. Four of the targets suffered from a chest shot the other two sported a not so fatal shoulder shot and a very fatal shot to the throat.


Not wanting to waste her time or run out on whatever lucky streak she had going on, Dallas barely hesitated to reload and continue her assault on the targets in front of her. She repeated this a third time trying not to examine the shots that she had made, after Dallas had finished she placed the revolver down in front of her and waited for Ethan's next instructions.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan would remain silent while Dallas shot. Her first shot went as expected and threw her off a bit, but not too fast for him to catch her. Despite her lack of form, her first shot was nearly spot on. Impressive, but likely lucky. She still have seventeen more shots to take. After a quick fix on her stance, Dallas continued. The next five shots were relatively accurate, only one would hit a non-vital position. Four out of six body shots was a good start, but Ethan wanted more consistency. By the time she loaded the next six rounds, Ethan was off to her side, eyes directed down the range.


What happened next left him speechless for a moment. Out of the twelve shots, only three were off from the center of mass. They weren't all dead center but...it was impressive. They were all in the chest area. "Hmm." Was all he offered for the moment. He pressed the red button twice and the targets shot up into the ceiling. He felt a seed of pride and hope settle in his stomach, though he would not let it show. Maybe there was truly hope for her. Being a natural at shooting would certainly allow him to train her harder in other aspects. "You aim is above average. Your form could still use work. If you keep it up you may be one of the better shooters among the squires at this Chapter." He maneuvered around Dallas towards his armor and began to put it back on. "Finish firing the rest of the regulars. Then do twelve of each of the specials. When the light there turns green, hit the red button to drop more targets. I want pictures of the rest of your shots, Sir Finch can arrange that for you. When you've finished, keep them in your room. I will come to retrieve them later tonight. Until then you are free of my charge, but I would strongly suggest you spend your time in the archives, begin to brush up on recent history on the Order and their actions here in the area."





As he made his way to the door, he stopped and sighed. "And go to the infirmary to get those bandages re-wrapped when you're done." And so he would leave her to it as he exited the booth. He'd have preferred to take Dallas further through the Chapter, but this was the most he could do. Even if it was still the crack of dawn, planning for a raid on vampires would take all day. Between planning and surveillance, they always had to be ready to adapt an hour or ten minutes before anything went down. Bad information got people killed, and so far the Knights of Charlotte were keeping themselves well-informed.

 

[cherryicee]

"Thank you." Dallas replied watching Ethan as he expertly donned his armor, she wondered what he would have looked like in civilian clothing. "Yes, sir." She nodded as he left her with instructions and once again alone to her own thoughts and devices. Once the door to the booth closed behind him, Dallas laid the revolver on the table and took a moment to breath and flex her hands. There was a pride that glowed within her, not only had her shots been more accurate than either of them were expecting, she was more excited about the fact that she had shot twelve bullets without his support.





Dallas did as she was told, firing the rest of the high impact bullets before moving on to the specials. The first charge bullet she fired gave her a jolt of panic as more of the night she was rescued flashed through her mind and it ended up being the poorest of all her shots that morning. After the young woman had regained her composure, she continued until Ethan's instructions had been completed. Dallas neatly left the revolver, her safety gear and the remaining bullets on the table, exiting the booth wondering when she would be allowed to carry her weapons around with her.


With a soft smile she approached Sir Finch who had just finished setting up a booth for a squire and knight who were making their way in. "Ah, Squire Mills is there something I can help you with?" Despite her usual outgoing self and the calm kindness Finch wore, Dallas shyly spoke. "Um, yes actually. I've finished my task Sir Finch, may I please get the pictures Sir Cotterill requested?" Trying to be as formal as possible must have a amused the older Knight, because he gave a chuckle before leaving to retrieve her photos. When he came back he kindly handed her an envelope containing what Ethan had wanted. "Thank you so much, Sir."


"You're welcome squire, now off you go I have to go prepare another booth." He shooed her out politely and she spent a good five minutes lost in the armory halls before finding her way back to the entrance and out into the daylight of the courtyard.





While she walked across the spacious grounds Dallas made herself a mental checklist of things to accomplish, first she'd return to the dorms place the photos somewhere safe and change into something that didn't stick out so much. Then she'd go to the infirmary and get the bandages on her hand changed especially before she handled anything in the archives, now that she thought about it her other bandages should probably be changed too. Finally she would head to the archives, spending the rest of her day reading suited Dallas just fine. It didn't take her long at all to reach the dorms she had figured there would be more squires like herself relieved of their charges, but it occurred to her that she was one of the very few who wasn't trained enough to help their Knights in some capacity. Emile wasn't there, which was unfortunate she had wanted so badly to relay everything that had happened. Without social distractions, Dallas did as she planned tucking the pictures away in the nightstand and changing her clothes.


From there she quickly moved onto the infirmary. There was a metallic taste in her mouth as she approached the building, this was the place she was most acquainted with and she despised it. It held a morbid beauty, tall and looming made of sandstone black as night flecked with quarts it certainly reminded her of the night sky stars and all. The doors were made of oak almost as dark as the sandstone, for all intents and purposes it looked like it was a place for death. With a heavy sigh she pushed her way through the heavy doors and entered searching out Lady Kestral, the woman who had kept death away from Dallas. Kestral was a tiny woman in every aspect, she could not have been taller than five feet and her weight must have been in the low hundreds. Her skin was a rich copper color, her eyes a piercing green that made Dallas uncomfortable if they lingered on her for too long. This woman may have been tiny, but the young squire was positive that Lady Kestral could have taken her life with just a glance.


"Well well, Dallas Mills I see you're back again, what have you done to yourself this time?" The voice came from behind her causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Meekly she turned around to display the bloodied bandage of her hand and the dirtied bandages that covered the rest of her body. Lady Kestral raised an eyebrow at her although her eyes seemed to be glowing with some sort of sympathy or perhaps it was pity. "Come on then, lets fix you up I'm sure you've got more important things to be doing that mucking about in an infirmary." She barked ushering Dallas quickly back through a white curtain so there was a modicum of privacy as she undressed the wounds, inspected them and re-dressed them. "I'd suggest stitches for that cut on your hand but as much as obsidian bites it will also heal by tomorrow. No point in wasting my supplies. Alright, you're finished. Take a couple of these pain killers when you leave." The Knight pressed a few pills into her uninjured hand, spun on her heel and disappeared into abyss of hallways within the infirmary.


Dallas did as she was told dryly swallowing the pain killers as she exited. Once she was free of the death building it felt easier to breathe. Slowly she wandered the courtyard, taking her time to enjoy the warmth of the sunlight on her tired body as she made her way to the archives. Along the way she checked the time on her cellphone, it was only 8:30, god did she have a long day ahead of her. The first of many for the rest of her life, Dallas sighed again, as much as she wanted to enjoy the sunshine if she dawdled too long she would have disappointed herself.


From the outside the the archive building looked quite plain especially compared to some of the other buildings of The Order. It was the same rich red brick the dorms were made of however there was no creeping Ivy to give it life, there was a splitting cement set of stairs with a wrought iron railing. Dallas made her way up the stairs and into the building, eyes widening instantly, if this is what the archives looked like the library would blow her mind. There were cherry oak shelves everywhere creating a maze of dark wood and cream colored documents, the books looked huge and there were... Thousands of them. It didn't take Dallas long to get herself comfortable tucked away in a hidden corner with the most recent documentation she could find.


It would be hours before Dallas even looked up, completely absorbed and enthralled by the events The Order had orchestrated in the past six months. Eventually her attention snapped back to her surroundings as a silvery light flicked on above her and she blinked at it confused before it clicked. It had grown so dark in the building that lights were now needed, what was the time? How long had she been reading? Slowly Dallas stretched her contorted body out, her joints popping as she did so, eventually she got herself to a standing position. Returning the archive to where it belonged she finally checked the time it was ten past nine and Dallas wondered if she had missed Ethan's return.


Damn it.


Quickly the young woman exited the building sprinting across the court yard as fast as she could her eyes caught movement at the other end, after her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could make out Knights making there way towards the Main hall. The hunting party was just returning.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Everything inside of Ethan's armor ached. Of the twelve knights that had left off for the raid, only seven had returned. Usually they'd been coming out of missions unscathed, especially with the arrival of Ethan. Just because he was disgraced didn't mean that his skill was lacking in the slightest. That being said, nothing could have truly prepared them for what had happened. There were certainly vampires at the designated location, but something else was lurking there to attack both parties. It was hard for Ethan to tell exactly what they were, but they were vicious and didn't respond to many of the injuries given to them. And whatever it was, was infectious. The five knights that went down eventually came back from the dead and attacked their own. They'd barely escaped.


At the main hall, the doors were open and the imposing form of ArchKnight Cho stood, awaiting them. From the infirmary came a number of medical staffers with stretchers not far behind for the pair of knights that couldn't walk out on their own. Of the seven, Ethan was the least affected, which meant he'd likely be the one suffering through several hours of debriefing. At the very least, this wouldn't be counted as his fuck up. Then again, the mission lead was one of the first to go down. His bandaged hand ached now more than ever, the cloth around it was red and the blood was seeped through his glove. Of course it would be overshadowed be the splashes of blood on his armor that weren't his.


He looked over the courtyard as he approached the main hall and spotted a figure moving against the building lights and what remained of the day's twilight. In a moment he realized that it was Dallas. He sighed and tried waving her off but felt a pain in his chest that caused him to quickly recoil. "Squire Mills! Return to you room. I'll be there shortly." Each breath aggravated what he assumed to be bruised ribs, so he tried to keep his orders quick and simple. Quickly, he finished the rest of the journey across the yard and started up the steps where Cho ushered him inside. He hated that he'd have to explain the situation to him and the rest when they most certainly would believe that he was the cause for all of this.


------------------


By the time the debriefing was over it was nearly midnight. Cho had grilled him for every bit of information he could on these new adversaries. The best way that Ethan could describe them did not sit well with his superiors. Nobody liked the idea of zombie-like creatures being out on the loose now. Especially in the outskirts of a major metropolitan area. It was just another thing for the members of the Charlotte Chapter to worry about. But for now, Ethan was free and the firs thing he would do was head to the infirmary. There he was able to receive cursory treatments to his wounds, much to the dismay Lady Kestral who had already prepared a bed for him. Ethan insisted that he would be okay, but earned himself a grounding from missions by the medical knight anyways.


His next stop was the Squire quarters to find Dallas. Many of the squires looked on to Ethan in awe as he passed by. He hardly noticed the whispers that followed. When he did, it prompted him to turn and remind the squires exactly when their curfew was, and his ability to shorten it if they weren't doing something productive. That was enough to get them back on track, and left him with a clear enough path to Dallas' door. Ha gave three raps against the metal door and waited. "It's Ethan." He called. If he figured anything about his squire after having her for a week, it was that she was not an 'early to bed' kind of person.

 

[cherryicee]

Dallas froze in her tracks at the sound of Ethan's voice calling out to her, she could barely make him out in the darkness but she could tell that something had gone wrong. There were fewer Knights returning than she had expected and there was a look of shock on most of their faces, two of them couldn't walk on their own. Ethan himself looked worn down, tired and in pain the ease of his movements was gone. Dallas shifted into the darkness so that she couldn't be seen, although it looked like Sir Cotterill didn't have the time to make absolutely sure that she had made her way back to the dorms.


As silently as she could the new squire skirted the edge of the main hall, keeping herself low to the ground and making very sure to survey her surroundings. Eventually there was no one left standing outside the main door and Dallas was free to press herself against it so she could listen to what was going on inside. At first all she could hear was the thundering of the ArchKnight's voice, demanding to know what it was that had happened. It was Ethan who replied to all of his questions. She didn't stay long, just long enough to catch the brief details. People were rising from the dead and they were strong. People were lost and nobody knew what to do. Ethan's voice sounded exhausted and there was a twinge of pity that ran through her. Quickly she backed away from the door, content with the information that she had gathered and made her way back to the safety of the squire's quarters.


- - -


Dallas hadn't talked to any of her peers as she returned, feigning to be tired after reading for so long in the Archives. Emile had asked if she was okay and she had waved him off passively eager to go to her room and try to process the day.


In actuality she spent most of the night staring at the clock, she had returned around ten forty, it was now twelve ten and she was starting to feel a fear rising. She hoped Ethan was alright, regardless of how she felt she would never want him hurt. Especially considering he was the only thing keeping her alive really. The minutes ticked by as she sat staring at her cell phones screen. There wasn't much for her to do in the dorm room anyways, very few of her belongings had been moved here so the space was relatively empty. Dallas wondered if she'd be allowed off the grounds to shop for things to make it more homey.


Her thoughts were eventually broken by three taps at her bedroom door and then Ethan's tired voice carried through the metal. Dallas scrambled to her feet and dashed across the room opening the door swiftly to be greeted by the face of her Knight trainer, he looked about ready to fall over, there were a few scrapes on his face and bruises were beginning to form. "Sir Cotterill. Please, come in." She moved aside to let him enter and closed the door with a gentle click once he was inside. "The pictures you requested are in my night stand I'll get them for you. Oh and they dropped off my bond vial, nobody explained that to me but I'm sure you could do that tomorrow if we're resuming my training." Moving towards the night stand she retrieved the envelope for him. "May I ask if you're alright, Sir?"

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan found that the day's events were finally catching up to him as he entered Dallas' room. He swore that he could have heard more whispering behind him but he was simply too tired to care for whatever it was the squires gossiped about. If the topic was him, it would have been likely that he heard it all before anyway. His eyes danced over her room, relatively bland but well kept at the least. He'd be sure that it stayed that way as her first week turned into her first month and then season and then year. The small glass bond vial sat on her desk, inside their mixed blood was a dark scarlet. His eyes passed back to Dallas when she asked how he was. "Mm? I've had worse days. As you saw, the mission did not go well. We lost a few knights."


It was agreed to try and keep most of what had happened earlier that evening under wraps. Of course they could not hide the fact that some knights had died, they just could not divulge the full context of what had happened. And so, he could only tell his squire so much. It would be a tragedy, but life would go on, and an investigation into these 'zombies' would continue in secret. At least, that's what Cho decided. It was likely Ethan wasn't going to be part of that investigation once his full report on the mission was finished. He hated being grounded. It would limit the amount of field work he could introduce Dallas to when it was vital to get her integrated into the life of a knight.


Slowly he took the envelope from his squire and retrieved the pictures from inside. His brows raised in surprise at the level of consistency that Dallas had maintained after he left. Even with the swap to different ammo types and the likely pain in her hand. But it seemed like she powered through and it was plus in his mind. He just wondered how she would fare in their more physical training in the days to come. Of course, the worst of it would be when her armor and weapons were finished. Then, the gloves truly would com off. "I have to admit, I'm impressed by your skill with the revolver. Like I said though, it will need work. Eventually you'll have to start firing accurately with just one hand, and often while moving. So don't let this go to your head." He said before tossing the pictures onto her bed.


His next order of business was the vial of blood. "As far as the bond vial goes. It's really just tradition." He made his way towards her desk and took a seat in the chair. It was hard wood, barely comfortable but it felt like plush cushions to him. "It symbolizes the nature of our bond. It's made of blood and we should be prepared to pay the price of it to save the other. When we fight, it's our blood that spills together." He words were starting to slow, and he made the slow realization that it was probably best to get back to his apartment, but his body ached and bemoaned any effort he made to get up. "I...should...Your training....tomorrow." The urge to lay down was simply too strong and he took it upon himself to rest against the surface of the desk. Moments later, the world around him faded to darkness as he slipped into sleep.

 

[cherryicee]

Ethan was asleep at her desk and Dallas was lost on how to go about resolving the situation. Carefully she moved towards him placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and attempted to nudge him awake but his eyes didn't even flutter. Biting her lip in aggravation she sat down at the edge of her bed and pondered the situation at hand, all she could do was try to sleep and stay as far away from him as physically possible. Standing quietly the young squire grabbed a set of pajamas from her dresser and slipped stealthily out towards the female showers. She changed as fast as she could and managed to sneak back to her room without anyone noticing her, or at the very least nobody came forward to ask Dallas awkward questions she couldn't answer. Once she was safely back she flipped all of the lights off and slipped beneath the covers of her single bed. It was going to be an awkward morning for sure, honestly she hoped that Ethan woke up sometime before her and would leave and they could both pretend this had never happened.


It was just after two in the morning and Dallas was still staring at the ceiling. She was desperately tired and she wanted to let herself sleep but Ethan was still in the room, and for two very distinct reasons she did not want to let her guard down. The first was that she knew that Ethan would somehow make this her fault and likely she was going to pay for this whole thing. The second was that since arriving Dallas had been having awful nightmares, the squire who's room was next to hers had complained to her the second day after arriving that she had been screaming bloody murder in her sleep. Now she spent most of her time awake and utterly exhausted, thankfully she couldn't remember the nightmares but she knew that she would just be annoying her peers. So being awake was the safer option.


An hour later she had not so much drifted to sleep but been violently taken by it, it was not an option it was a demand and the blackness of sleep took her. Her last thoughts were of how oddly peaceful Ethan had looked before she had turned the lights out and how it was so horrendously contradictory to his actual personality.

 

[Space Cowboy Ein]

Ethan dreamed of nothing in his few hours of sleep. Just blackness until the sunlight that bled through the window hit his face. He groaned audibly and groggily lifted his head from some hard surface. He wasn't in his bed? No, no he was not. Slowly but surely the memories of the previous night were coming back to him. He was in Dallas' room. Why was he in Dallas' room? Did he pass out. His body continued to ache as she sat up straight and turned to look over to Dallas. The squire was fast asleep and curled up beneath her sheets. He looked back to the clock on her desk and sighed. It was five past six, and the morning sun bathed the main courtyard in orange humidity.


With a pained exhale, Ethan pushed back the desk chair and stood. It'd been so long since he'd been in a position like this. He'd been studying as a squire himself. He'd spent more nights than he was proud of slaving over books and making sure he'd get every last detail memorized. It was honestly a surprise that he ever remembered anything with the lack of sleep he got. His reminiscing brought a bit a pity on his view of Dallas. But it would not last long. He moved towards Dallas' bed and shook her lightly by the shoulder until she was up. "Meet me at the training grounds by seven thirty. I'd suggest eating light and bringing water. Prepare for some more athletic training." His voice was steady as ever, while his body was hurting, his mind was wide awake.


Shortly after he exited her room and took the pictures of her shooting results along with him. He was drawing even more eyes now that he was leaving her room so early in the morning. Her neighbors surely wouldn't have gotten any ideas, but he knew talk would spread either way. It didn't bother him, instead he was already thinking up a training regimen for the day. He fully intended to get the most out of Dallas today. He'd push her till she couldn't move and then some. In the next two weeks, he was intent on breaking her down. And once she got her equipment, he'd do it all over again. Boundaries had to be set, and he couldn't be caught passing out in his Squire's room again.


-----Two Weeks Later -----


Ethan stood outside of the armory, arms crossed and waiting. He'd just finished running Dallas through her paces in the morning, but relented only because today was the day she'd be receiving her equipment. He glanced down to his watch and saw it was close to noon. For a moment he wondered if she would be late. The thought made him consider the size of the armory's courtyard. How many laps would be optimal for its size if she was late? Or maybe push up until she collapsed on the ground, right in the middle of the yard without any shade. It was in the low nineties today, so it would certainly be hell for her.


It was harsh but it's what she needed to get her in line. After two weeks, it seemed that pushing her limits had only made Dallas more defiant. And more than once he had to physically reprimand her with a backhand. Unlike her induction, she knew full well the rules and her place in relation to him. And yet she was ever the rebellious soul. Ethan might have admired it if it didn't end up reflecting badly on him to Cho and the elders. They were watching his training of Dallas closely and he could hear their snickers every time she messed up or showed some level of defiance towards him. To, he was truly ready for her to don the armor, so he could really work her over. She'd get very familiar with Erwahl and Vikander for armor and blade repairs. That much was for sure.

 

[cherryicee]

Dallas mentally cursed as she sprinted as fast as she could from the infirmary to where she was supposed to be meeting Ethan in front of the armory. She glanced down at her watch quickly, technically she was not late in fact if she pushed herself Dallas could still be five minutes early.


It had been a rather brutal two weeks for Dallas and she imagined with her attitude it hadn't been a walk in the park for Ethan either, she was sure he was getting laughed at behind his back. It would have made her happy to hear that, if it wasn't because every one of his superiors thought that she was going to be a screw up forever. Despite how much snark she had been giving Ethan Dallas had to admit that she wasn't entirely unhappy about her new life style. Sure her entire body was on fire most of the time, yes it was now a common occurrence for her to be physically reprimanded for her mouthy ways, and she was dealing with an entirely new set of rules. But secretly she was beginning to love it. If she could have she would have asked for someone like Ethan to be her personal trainer in high school, in the past two weeks she'd lost a fair amount of weight, all she was hoping for now was that muscle would start to form. As unfortunately the weight loss had made her look rather fragile, especially in comparison to the Knight who was training her.


Her accomplishments were her own as well, sure Cotterill was the one who was pushing her and teaching her, but everything she did right was because she had worked for it. That was entirely new to the young squire and she would not have traded that feeling for the world. If she got through her morning paces under her previous time, or she pushed herself to do ten more laps just to be defiant towards Ethan or she shot perfectly at the range it was all her.


Finally the armory was coming into view, checking her watch again Dallas grinned from ear to ear, she had six more minutes until she was supposed to meet him. One minute to get from where she stood to the steps, that would be easy. Picking up the pace Dallas willed her legs to move faster, push her farther and much to her delight they did just as she wanted. As she arrived at the steps of the armory Dallas was still wearing her grin, partially it was being on time, some of it was the runners high but mostly she was excited to finally don her armor and get a shot to swing a weapon at Ethan. "Sir Cotterill." She addressed him a little breathlessly, bowing her head.