The bells ring loudly. Custos jumps off his bed and prepares for the day. His squire suit is kept atop his locker.
a blue and white suit with blue as its prominent color. The whites are used for lines, and on the chest region is the crystal fist within a shield, the logo of Dominion Guild. It's a long-sleeved shirt with gloves, trousers, a strap belt, and blue boots kept beside his locker. He quickly puts on the suit.
"Good morning, knights and... squire." Captain Cordius walks into the room.
"There is a reason you are called Team Beta. All of you are newly appointed knights, all knighted under a year ago, except for the young Custos here, who is the newest recruit." Cordius paces.
"You shall show him the training quarters and regimens recommended to produce effective knights, as well as the entire compound. I'll hold off on that training till the afternoon."
"Hurry up! We don't want him to be late for our training, do we?"
"No, Captain!" Team Beta responds with a shout as their captain leaves the room.
"Who is in charge of this little job anyway? We can't all run it like headless chickens." Hendrix says.
He's a human male, dark-skinned, green eyes, slim, tall, with cornrows that have a streak of white running from top to end.
"I'll do it. After all, I am the most experienced of all of you." Layla says proudly. She's a fairy, short, fair-skinned, a smallish frame, short blonde bob hair, pink eyes, and transparent wings.
"Why do you have to bring that up every time? We all know I am the most skilled, and Hendrix is the most powerful." Skye says to her. Skye is a human with an odd feature— she has rough brown hair, light olive skin, a white iris with a black pupil on one eye, and a black iris with a white pupil on the other. It makes her stand out. She's slim and of average height with small eyes, small lips, and a round face. She also has a slightly muscular build, reflecting her incredible physical training.
"I should be the one leading this." Edward rises from his bed. He's a gnome who has an orange buzz cut, reflecting the influence Cordius has had on him. He's fair-skinned, shorter than everyone else, has a mustache, and a wide, muscular build. His fair skin is covered in bruises and scars. He tends to quickly engage in combat.
"Since everyone is indecisive, maybe that guy should lead." Custos points at Vlad, who's been sitting in his corner.
Vlad is a skinny guy of average height with what appears to be a sideways black omega symbol tattooed on his left eye. He has long black hair, black eyes, bags under his eyes, and a pair of goggles on his head. His section is covered in black items and colors. Boxes of insects are displayed in his section. He's half-elven, but his average height often confuses people until they notice his long ears.
He looks up at Custos. "Not interested." He continues reading a book.
"Okay, so it's me then." Layla feels cocky.
"She always does this," Hendrix mutters as the rest of Team Beta dress in their tactical liners. He follows Layla as she drags Custos along to show him the compound as directed by their captain.
"So here is the library. It possesses archives of all kinds of information, from history to geography to what we know about alchemy and more." Layla gestures to the large wooden doors.
"You know, just in case you don't know what we really do here. First, we are not adventurers or explorers."
"I know that," Custos responds.
"We knights exist to serve and protect the realm, guarding council members, governors, towns, cities, and borders. We respond to requests for protection or threats. But we answer to the Roundtable, the governing body that keeps us in check. They make sure we don't abuse our power, and the Council keeps them in check, too. It's a balance." Layla keeps walking as she explained.
"And if an adventurer kills a knight?" Custos asks with concern.
"Then the Roundtable investigates. If it's murder, the adventurer becomes wanted. If it's self-defense, they negotiate. The point is, we can't just attack adventurers without approval. We're bound by law, just like everyone else." Hendrix adds as he sips the fruit drink he got at the dining hall.
"I know why all these rules are in place. What we do here is really important, and I swear to give it my all." Custos clenches his fists.
"That's the spirit," Hendrix says.
"Look, it's almost noon. We have to take you to the Training Arena quickly. Captain Cordius should be there." Hendrix adds.
Team Beta arrives at the Training Arena and walks past the training equipment and training hall into the large combat floor behind it. Cordius has been sitting under a tree, its huge leaves and branches providing shade.
"Would you look at the time?" He stands and brushes dirt off his pants. "It's time for your first training, young Custos."
Cordius says with a wide smile as Custos looks anxiously, preparing his mind for the moment that's about to take place.
"I really hope your teammates didn't bore you with their long talk, because I won't!" Cordius picks up his staff and enters a combative position.