Izetta Lorderius: (Narrating) "When I was far younger, I used to believe that we, Knights are fighting for a noble cause, to fight for those who cannot, and for the generations to come. But... hearing the truth from those who were scarred by wars made me question our true purpose of existing and fighting. Why is it that one life is spared while the other is taken? No matter how much they tried; Knights, Vikings, or Samurai -- war and chaos, and death all seem too inevitable. It's as if something that cannot be redeemed from us anymore. Brothers and sisters even turn on each other, but for what? What drives us to continue everything even when the blood in our bodies spilled hundreds of times already?"
- Six years before the events of Warlords and Cowards... -
A ceremony was taking place in a church for the Knighting of a number of people. Priests and clerics assist in the event as the soon-to-be Knights gather in the isle. Among them Alyssa Tigris and Julius Salavander.
Izetta Lorderius: (Narrating) "Knighting ceremonies was the only way that one could get the title, or at least as official as it can get. The Church was always instrumental in the Knightings, but other than that, that's all they did. In those times, the Church and religion as a whole was irrelevant as military power was prized among warlords."
Hours pass by and it finally came to the time when it was Alyssa's turn to be knighted. She hands the bishop her longsword and kneels down afterwards.
Bishop: "Alyssa Tigris, citizen of the Scrublands. You have distinguished yourself a worthy asset, one that the people of Ashfeld need and will depend on. You have proven yourself incorruptible, resourceful, and intelligent, as well as a capable warrior that the invaders will fear. With the power bestowed upon me by God, I now declare you as Warden Alyssa Tigris, Knight of Ashfeld." The bishop says as he taps her shoulders with the blade of the longsword, handing it to the new Warden afterwards.
Alyssa accepts her weapon back, pride swelling in her heart as she does so.
Only a few may join the Order of the Wardens, and yet she has completed everything that she needs in order to be a member. She has one particular noble house to thank for that. She looks to the sidelines and sees her best friend, Janna Goldfire beaming at her accomplishment. While Alyssa doesn't approve of her Janna's antics, she can't help but smile knowing that her friend is proud of her.
She redirects her attention and watches as Seren Lorderius, the lady of the noble house she feels indebted to, hand the bishop a medallion. The bishop takes it and faces Alyssa once more.
Bishop: "This medallion signifies one's duty to our people. Discarding of this medallion is an act of betrayal to the people Ashfeld. In order for you to acquire this medallion, you must pledge you everlasting loyalty to Ashfeld and most importantly, to God Almighty." The bishop says to her.
Alyssa: "I, Alyssa Tigris, do solemnly swear my undying loyalty to Ashfeld and God Almighty. My service shall cease when the day I die comes, but until then, my resolve to serve Him and the people of Ashfeld is absolute." She declares as part of her Knighting.
Bishop: "I see that you have changed several things in the pledge for your own, but it is nonetheless an impressive one." The bishop hands Alyssa her medallion. "Take this medallion, for it is the seal that binds you to the will of God."
Alyssa bows and salutes before standing aside for the next soon-to-be Knight turn. She looks at the medallion she is given; silver with hints of blue dye and in the center are her initials, signifying her permanent ownership.
Before, it was a distant wish. Now, it has become reality. She knows that her path will be perilous, but she also knows that God will always guide her.
- Hours later after the ceremony... -
Janna: "Alyssa!!!" Someone from behind Alyssa yells. Alyssa knows what's going to happen next but she was too little too late as the energetic blonde tackled Alyssa from behind, although she barely managed to stay standing.
Alyssa: "Janna-! Urgh!" Alyssa exclaims as she tries to pry the blonde off. "This is hardly the time and place for this!" Alyssa tells Janna.
Janna: "What do you mean? This is the perfect time for this! Although I do question if this is the place..." Janna replies, although Alyssa ignores her and continues to pry her off.
Alyssa: "Janna, get off me! You're too heavy!" Alyssa say. Janna gets off Alyssa's back and glares at her.
Janna: "What do you mean I'm heavy!? Are you saying that I'm fat!?" Janna exclaims while pouting.
Alyssa: "No, I'm saying that you in your full suit of armor isn't the lightest thing for me to carry." Alyssa calmly explains as she dusts herself off while Janna continues to pout. Alyssa looks at Janna, but notices someone wearing what seems to be golden armor approaching them.
???: "Alyssa Tigris and Janna Goldfire. A pleasure to make your acquaintance in this new path we shall take." The Warden in gold says to them. His tone comes off as that of a confident man.
Janna: "Hello, fellow Warden!" The blonde lady cheerfully greets the Warden.
Alyssa: "Indeed, my friend. Before anything else, may you tell us your name?" Alyssa says to the Warden in gold.
???: "Yes, of course. We must know each other's names if we are to work together in serving the people." He clears his throat before responding. "My name is Julius Salavander. Again, a pleasure to meet you." He introduces.
Alyssa: "It's good to meet a fellow Warden, Sir Salavander."
Salavander: "Please, call me Julius. I must say that you two fine maidens must be prized by your kin for your magnificent beauties." Julius comments, or more like flirts with the two females. Janna simply lets out a silent "oh" with a small tint of red gracing her cheeks, although Alyssa is much more overt in her reaction.
Alyssa: "Oh, really now? Don't tell me you're going to be one of those scumbags who only looks at women's bosoms." Alyssa questions while crossing her arms.
Salavander: "Ha ha! You need not to worry, Lady Tigris. Unless the right time comes, it won't happen. Not from me, at least." The blonde male replies to her.
Janna: "Well, that's good, because I if I remember correctly, last time one tried to flirt with her, the guy went back to his bed with broken fingers." Janna comments, causing Julius to sweatdrop at that revelation.
Salavander: "So that's why Hamman couldn't hold his weapon for a month..." The blonde male comments.
Izetta Lorderius: (Narrating) "From how it was described to me, it was peaceful times. At least, as peaceful as it can get in a place where war is just one step from exploding. The elders expressed their longing for those times to return, regardless of how brief they were."
Later, a select few of the new Wardens were invited by the House of Lorderius to their manor to celebrate their new appointment. Most of them were friends and relatives, but some were invited anyways or their friends brought them.
Seren, the Lady of the House of Lorderius has just finished talking with Julius Salavander. They both salute before Seren heads to where Janna, Alyssa, and as well as her eldest son, (Argen) are at. Her son takes notice of her presence and greets her.
(Argen): "Ah, mother. I was just congratulating them. They sure are worthy of becoming what they are now." Her son says to Seren.
Seren Lorderius: "I agree. They will make fine warriors and leaders in the future." Seren says in agreement.
Alyssa: "Lady Lorderius, we want to properly thank you... for giving us this opportunity to start again." Alyssa says to Seren, with Janna nodding in agreement.
Seren Lorderius: "I don't regret taking you in, ladies. My husband would say the same. If you are thinking about repaying us, you can do so by becoming the best you can be." Seren say to them.
Janna: "Then I shall raise my own legion from scratch!" The blonde woman declares. (Argen) didn't seem surprised about that. Alyssa and Seren, however, are quite surprised about her intention.
Seren Lorderius: "Are you sure about that, my dear? That sounds like a herculean task. Wouldn't you say so, son?"
(Argen): "It is a difficult task, but a daring one if I say so myself. Besides, it'll be the first legion to be created from scratch in a long time should it succeed." (Argen) replies, agreeing to Janna's proposal.
Janna: "See? Even brother (Argen) agrees!" Janna says as she hugs the male beside her who laughs at her antics and hugs her back. Alyssa just shakes her head.
Alyssa: "By the way, where is Sir Kalec? I thought he would also be here." Alyssa asks Seren.
Seren Lorderius: "Ahh, Kalec is in the Darkrose Sanctuary as of now with the House of Peltaris. He's organizing a sparring tournament with them that will take place in a few years."
Alyssa: "I see. My apologies if I am being to nosy, but what were you and Julius Salavander talking about?"
Seren Lorderius: "Oh, that? He requested to be under my mentorship until he can lead his own group of Knights." Seren answers, and Alyssa nods. "Listen, ladies: the task of a Warden is a difficult path to take. You know that, right?"
Alyssa: "We do, Lady Lorderius. We know what we are into when you took us in and educated us."
Seren Lorderius: "Remember, Wardens: In officio honor consistit."
Janna, Alyssa, and (Argen): "In officio honor consistit." The Wardens repeat.
Izetta Lorderius: (Narrating) "Hundreds of years or so of constant warfare in and out of our lands have hardened us, to the point that we can make merry even if we know that there are blades pointed at our necks, ready to slit our throats. But even so, our blind hatred of the Vikings and of the Samurai still lingers, even when the reason we fight was supposedly lost to the ages. Why is it so?"
A year later, another yearly raid from the Vikings is being repelled back by the forces of the legions. Many were once more pressed into service in hopes of defeating the menace of the hordes of marauders.
The Blackstone, Bronzetail, Regal, and Iron Legions plus the Lightshield Cohort have combined their might and slowly pushed the Viking army back to Valkenheim. Among the Knights are (Argen), Janna, Alyssa, Julius, and Kalec. While the four younger Wardens are affiliated to the Order of the Wardens, they are fighting on behalf of the Lightshield Cohort, being led by Kalec Lorderius himself.
The Lightshield Cohort, at some point broke the Vikings' siege of Harrowgate alone and with the Iron Legion, crushed the Viking army pillaging the nearby lands. This alone earned the Lightshield Cohort fame for being one of the most effective fighting force of Knights in Ashfeld despite it's significantly smaller size compared to the legions.
Izetta Lorderius: (Narrating) "The stories I heard from our veterans described the celebrations after each victory as 'dining in the halls of heaven.' Even when there are blood in their hands, the taste of victory is still the greater factor in determining whether as man should rejoice or not."
Kalec Lorderius: "I must say, Alyssa and Janna, you two fought well beyond what I expected. To think that you two have just become Wardens." The elder Warden and commander of the Lightshield Cohort says to the two of them as they dine in a banquet inside Harrowgate.
Alyssa: "Well, we did train under a great mentor named Kalec Lorderius." Alyssa responds.
Janna: "I couldn't agree more with Alyssa. You did give us your time to train us well, even if you're hard at certain times." Janna comments, agreeing with her best friend.
Kalec Lorderius: "Hah, I suppose so. Even then, you two did have the passion for being Knights."
Janna: "That's still thanks to you and your son, (Argen). If it weren't for your House pulling us out of the Scrublands, we wouldn't be where we stand right now." Janna replies, in which (Argen) smiles at.
Alyssa: "I didn't know that you're capable of saying such things, Janna. What changed?" Alyssa asks Janna jokingly.
Janna: "What do you mean? I've always been capable of thinking ahead of... uhh, I forgot what I'm supposed to say." Janna says. Alyssa just facepalms.
Alyssa: "I take it back. You're still an airhead." She deadpans.
Janna: "Hey!"
Kalec and (Argen) just watched the two in amusement. It is lifting to see two warriors among thousands of others to be still their own persons despite the death and destruction that plagued the history of Ashfeld.
Salavander: "The two of them are quite a lively pair, even back in the proving grounds." Julius comments as he walks towards the group.
(Argen): "Indeed they are. I'm glad that I get to call them my sisters even if we are not of the same blood."
Kalec Lorderius: "Maybe you can have one of them as your wife, son." (Argen's) father whispers to him.
(Argen): "Hah, I suppose in another time, but not this time." He replies.
Kalec Lorderius: "Why not? They're both intelligent, capable warriors, and passionate, and that's not even mentioning that they are both beautiful maidens."
(Argen): "I know that, but they are my sisters now and they see me as their brother. I don't think being romantically involved with each other is in their minds, and I'm fine with that." (Argen) says to him. Kalec just chuckles.
Kalec Lorderius: "Fine, if you say so, son."
Salavander: "Excuse me for interrupting, but I have been meaning to ask: are you going to be taking part in the tournament once this raid is dealt with? It is going to be held in the Darkrose Sanctuary, and your father even organized it with the House of Peltaris." Julius asks (Argen).
(Argen): "I'm not. I've been in too many tournaments already."
Salavander: "Why so?"
(Argen): "Do you really need to know? Fine. I've been in too many tournaments, and most of which have no worthy opponents. Some of them did, but they were scarce. I'd rather help train the Cohort anyways."
Kalec Lorderius: "Who knows, son? There may be more this time."
(Argen): "That may be, but I'm not taking any chances again. Like I said, they are scarce."
Salavander: "That's a shame. I was looking forward to a duel with you." Julius says as takes a sip from his wine.
(Argen): "Believe me, Julius. You don't want to. Not until you fought through eighty seven tournaments and won at least half the duels there." He says to Julius, who chokes on the wine. He recovers before replying.
Salavander: "Eighty seven?!" He exclaims.
(Argen): "Yes, eighty seven."
Salavander: "Ehem... I see that you have plenty of faith in your capabilities."
(Argen): "I have more than faith, my friend."
Kalec Lorderius: "In any case, let us celebrate this victory, the more that will come our way." Kalec says as he raises his glass of wine. "For Ashfeld." He says.
Wardens: "For Ashfeld." The Wardens say in unison before taking their drink.
Izetta Lorderius: (Narrating) "It sounds amazing, maybe even preposterous to those who have not experienced war, that warriors are able to celebrate when their kin are fighting and dying elsewhere. But to those who did, it's their way of forgetting the blood and death that their people have taken and received. The heart of a warrior will always be different than the people he is protecting. It is why, no one will fully understand us. Regardless, we Knights, even when our origins are lost, exist for one purpose,"
"And that is defending what no one dared to."