The observing captain jumps down from his seat with the other captains yelling at him to return as he would attempt to lure the boy.
"Don't worry i won't say anything to the kid". The captain said to calm down his fellow Captains as he approached the kid.
"You've got stuff kid. Just consider me as an option, i need someone like you on my team." He said to Custos as he took a leap and landed near his seat.
"That Logo!" Custos thought to himself.
"He must be from Dominion Guild."
As Custos stood on the stage his mind racing as the captains cheers and screams as well the cheers from the other participants filled the air and he thought to himself.
"The team is only as good as it's leader and a leader is only as good as his team.... I have to make the right choice."
The tournament had come to a close and the top ten winners were quickly scouted by captains. 11 to 20 were also hot picks and most of the others returned to their lives.
The Observing captain approached Custos accompanied by another captain both of them wearing the emblem of Dominion Guild on their chest plate.
It was a Crystal Fist in a Shield. Blue and White were the Guild's colors.
"Ayyy... Caesar i saw the kid first."
"I'm a sensor remember!". The oberservant captain said to his colleague.
Furious and annoyed Caesar looked a him and said;
"I think you get away with too much... Stuff, Cordius!!!".
The annoyed Caser yelled out as he formed a giant hammer made of metal and slammed it at Cordius.
BOOM!!!
Wind and dust was sent flying as the mighty captains played around. The dust cleared and it was seen that Cordius had generated threads combining them to strengthen them and using them to block the hammer's blow.
"Still up to your old tricks... Cordius!." Caesar said as he dissolved his hammer back to mana.
Both of them laughed but their strength and mastery was visible to everyone in the auditorium.
"Okay kid you're coming with me." Cordius said to Custos as he hurriedly followed behind.
"Wait. Firstly you're gonna go get your important stuff and return here under an hour. Nothing less." He added.
"Yessir!". Custos responded as he ran to the exit.
Custos arrived at his grandparents farmhouse.
"Grandpa... Grandma... I did it!". Custos shouted as his grandparents embraced him.
"Your parents would be proud." His grandfather said.
"Let's get your thing's ready son". His grandma said as they all walked into his room.
After packing up his necessary items. Custos greeted his tearful grandparents goodbye and returned to the auditorium.
"I'm back!". The sweaty Custos yelled out hoping the captain hadn't left.
"About time kid."
"Let's go get you registered." Captain Cordius told the young boy.
They arrived at the guild registry.
"Back again." Custos whispered to himself.
"What!". Cordius asked as he heard the boy.
"Sorry you heard that... It's just my friend was here with me some weeks ago." Custos replied him.
"I'm sure the kid must have crazy potential if he's friends with you." Cordius said as they walked into the building racing through the crowd of adventurers with complaints and inquires.
"Well... It's complicated." Custos said.
"Okay. Let's get you registered." Cordius said as he walked up to a secretary fast on her displays.
Cordius removed his helmet revealing his blonde hair, he had a buzz cut and a little bit of hair had been growing. He was clean shaven and spoke to the secretary.
"Gladys sweetheart, how long has it been?".
The frustrated and annoyed secretary took a second of her work and looked at the knight.
"What do you want Cordius?". She soulessly replied.
"What did i ever do to you Gladys... I swear i'll make it up to you.." Custos said to the still very annoyed secretary.
"I want to register this young man to Dominion Guild, Squad 1". He added.
"Okay but i still haven't forgiven you for last time." Gladys said as he collected Custos's details and inputed them in the registry system archives.
The registration had ended and the two left the building.
"I left her on a date but it wasn't on purpose...duty calls." Cordius said to the young Custos.
"I'm sorry but i did not need to hear that." Custos replied him while feeling uncomfortable.
"No worries kid just had to let that one out."
"Now we head to the DS Squad One, dorm and station. Your new home." Cordius said to the boy.
They arrived at the compound after a three day journey. It was a large and completely fenced compound in the central region. Surrounded by grassland and trees. A bit far from the capital where Custos grew up.
Their horses galloped into the large gates that had been opened by two large knights. The large gates bearing the emblem of Dominion Guild. It's fences bearing flags bearing the logo as well as revolving sets of archers and cannons on every side of the compound.
"Welcome to the base of Dominion Guild's Squad One." Cordius said to the mesmerized Custos.
They kept the horses at the stable and were greeted by training Knights all around them. Some sparring, some exercising, some patrolling and some simply walking by.
Custos held his bags in excitement as Cordius took him to his hostel.
"Okay... This is where you sleep now. These here folks are your roommates."
"Except for that hairy guy over there... Jimmy your hostel is next door scram." Cordius yelled out.
"Yessir!" the anxious Jimmy said upright with all his might as he fled the room.
"There's Hendrix, Layla, Skye, Edward and Vlad.Your second family." Cordius continued.
"So get used to them...".
"Oh and starting now you're my Squire, your training begins tomorrow morning so sleep tight." Cordius said as he walked out.
The other knights who had been standing upright as Cordius addressed Custos finally sighed in relief.
"Oh and Team Beta meet Custos and vice versa." Cordius said as he stuck his head at the side of the door startling team beta and then he finally left.
"Hello everyone." Custos said with a smile.
"Hello Custos!". His team responded.
"Welcome newbie."
"Welcome aboard."
Custos received all kinds of greetings from his new teammates as he then showered in the male bathroom to wash the journey's dirt off himself.
Custos began to unpack his things as he settled in his section. He placed a framed picture of Viola in his metal locker after giving it a kiss.
"I'll come back to you." Custos says to himself almost like a whisper.
He then changes to something comfortable and settled on his bed. A single thought entered his mind that second.
He wondered what Aki was doing as he looked at the ceiling, sleep drawing closer by the second.