"There is quite a ruckus going on..." Ainael remarked as she turned away from the stained glass window to look at the busy halls behind us.
"Sudden, as well." I add on before I began to move closer to the door. Perhaps just seeing what was going on out there would make it clear?
"All members, gear up for battle! Chapter-Mistress Chiara commands!" someone relayed loudly from down the hall. But, it appeared most people were already prepared for such an order. Me and my friend, however, weren't. So I made a point of making sure she was aware.
"Ainael, we need to ready ourselves. It appears the Thunderous Brawler has failed." I explain to her as an uncomfortable sensation shivers across me. Despite the siege they were locked up in, the Valkinvar still found the strength to best an airship... That was quite the feat. Something of that size had been defeated.
"I-I see... You go ahead, I need to finish up with a few things." my friend told. And the moment she first stuttered, I looked into her eyes.
"We've just been looking at glass." I point out to her bluntly, though I still respected what she was feeling.
"Come back here, when you're armed, okay?" she asked me as I noticed her fingers trembling on the windowsill.
"If I can make it back, I will." I tell her before I rushed off to the armoury. Forcing my way through the crowds of war-witches, servants and chapter-guards. But it wasn't just soldiers, women and men dressed in cloth and steel. Whole crates and racks were being moved about and keymasters were going about locking things up.
"Sister Noalla, your space has already been cleared, move it!" one of my superiors pointed out to me as I rushed in through the door. Yet, the moment I walked in through that gap, someone was already on me and straightening out my posture.
"There are rules, Sister Noalla." a chamber-mistress reminded me before she sent me on my way with a firm pat to my lower back.
"Now's not the time..." I sneer under my breath as I obliged with the asinine rule. To maintain an air of respect and dignity within these halls. I understood the need for order and discipline, but this was just silly. And still, I followed through with it until I reached an empty space with idle servants occupying it.
"Sister Noalla, shall we begin?" one of them asked me as their slender arms guided me towards a pedestal.
"Let's get it over with." I tell her as I strip down completely so that they may do their task fully. The observing chamber-mistress didn't help things. That magic rod of hers hurt.
"Sister Noalla, whom do you dress for?"
"Mighty Jhrarda." I answer as I graciously accept the first layer. Mostly simple linen undergarments that could easily be mistaken for other purposes. In reality, however, they were that way for practicality.
"For who will you offer up your life for?"
"The Jhermonikra." I answer as I accept the next layer of clothing. But unlike the last lot, they handled it. I personally found it somewhat humiliating to be handled like this. But every one of them looked at me with a form of reverence.
"From where does your power flow?" they asked as a I let magic show itself in order to activate all of the mechanisms enscribed into my armour and attire.
"Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra, ignited by Jhrarda himself so that the winds that blew would save us." I tell them all, and contrary to the rest of the pointlessly extravagant ceremony. I said that part with genuine pride. Being a citizen of the city of Unondsburhg, from a long, storied family. It made me happy to think of my home.
Even more so when I considered that my homeland is where it all began... Where the Lone Lancer rode down the mountainside. The backing of The Mighty himself all around him. And I, in the far future, beyond his time, I carried on that burden.
"Then go forth, Sister Noalla, war-witch of the Order of the Outreaching Wind!" the lead servant invokes before they all stand aside respectfully. And, as I step down, the clank of armour and the jangling of jewellery is added to all the noise.
And now I just had to go back to my friend as I had promised. But, for the first moments since I stepped off of that pedestal. I made a point of adjusting my armour and clothing. Comfort was such a strange thing to focus on, but these subtle feelings mattered all too much.
"Chapter-Mistress Chiara would speak with you, Sister Noalla." I was informed just as I began to bend over to make sure my shinguards and armoured heels were just right.
"One moment..." I tell them before I rise up to meet them. Having sorted out my task.
"Come with me, please." she told me as she briefly took my hand to guide me out of the armoury.
"Has she told you anything directly?" I ask her impatiently as I glance back towards where I had initially come from. Ainael was waiting for me. I owed it to her as her friend to go visit her.
"No, and there will be no issues with her explaining it as of now." she told me before she stepped aside as we found ourselves at the grand banquet hall.
"Wonderful." I remarked quietly as I straightened myself out. Gracefully stepping into my superior's ironically private dining room. And despite the sudden pressure I felt from my superiors baring down on me with their auras and gazes. I kept my legs in stride and my back upright, my head not so much as looking anywhere but ahead.
Then, I dropped down swiftly in a display of subservient respect.
"We march to war, Sister Noalla." the Chapter-Mistress told me as she put down her grail. A quiet metal ting preceded harsher taps from her sandals. But even they were quite soft. Her power, however, was something different.
An oppressive force that blew out everyone else's power as if she was a sudden gust coming in through an open window. The gale that snuffed out all the candles in the room. Yet, when she touched me, she was gently and she even raised me up herself. That cold gaze of hers, however, silenced any positive assumptions.
"One of His Lunar Majesty's airships has fallen. The Thunderous Brawler, which you led astray has been grounded by the unclean you sent it against." she said to me as the urge to reply filled me. But I nearly had to bite my tongue to keep myself quiet.
"They fought bravely and with honour, as is to be expected of them. Ryphurgok-hearted heroes." someone commented from the table.
"And you are expected to live up to those same standards as we march against them." the Chapter-Mistress tells me as she gently takes hold of one of my hands. The one that I had chosen to be decorated by my mark of rank. A silver-rimmed, green gemstone that covered a large portion of my backhand.
And I take my hand away as she starts to rim the precious stone.
"I will show them that same quality. I will show the Valkinvar what it means to be a sister of the Order of the Outreaching Wind." I speak out of turn as I turn to leave.
"Show this same boldness before them in battle, and your transgressions will be forgiven." Chapter-Mistress Chiara explains to me as she let out a noise. One that seemed to imply my rudeness was amusing.
"The King expects the same of you too." I tell her as I look back at all of them. And I leave quickly as I felt a danger approach me from the other side of the hall. With that then out of the way, I made my way back to my friend as quickly as possible. But rather than finding the silence I had left her in.
I heard worrisome sobbing. My friend was crying. I had a feeling I knew why. But I still approached her with the mindset that I did not, just so she could let it out to me.
I had a responsibility to wring it all out until she was confident in herself. If I had the power to do that, I would find out. If this was, in fact, some kind of marathon. Then I would show her my stamina and be with her every step of it.
"Ainael, what's wrong?" I opened up with as I took hold of her hand. Helping her slip on the piece of armour her trembling hands could not put on. Then I waited for what seemed to be a while. I waited for that instant switch in attention.
And I returned the hug as I felt her tremble in my arms. I stroked her blonde hair and rubbed her back through her pure, almost ceremonial silk robes. I waited and waited. Not stopping until she started to push me away for the right reasons.
"Noalla... How're you not scared?" she asked me as she tried to avoid making a mess of her uniform. The symbology its cleanliness represented mattered a lot. So I offered up my own clothing for her to dry her eyes on.
"I am." I answered honestly.
"Then why am I..."
"Don't do that, Ainael, do not compare yourself to me like that." I gently scolded as I brushed aside some of her hair.
"I'm a war-witch, just like you." she points out before I let out a light-hearted laugh. I didn't want to offend her, so I kept it short and came up with a response quickly.
"You are a healer, Ainael, a sacred maiden. A Lady of the Wind. Not a war-witch."
"D-Don't start being pedantic..." she moaned as she briefly smiled. Only to force it right back down just before she looked away from me.
"Ainael, do not worry about being brave. So long as you are there, right behind me when I need you. You will have done more than anyone else here." I tell her as I bring her face back towards me.
"Like always, huh?" she asked as more tears started to come through.
"Like always." I tell her with a smile and nod.
"I will look after you." she told me as she started to nod again and again.
"And I will protect you."
"You can't protect me without me..." she laughed out awkwardly as I brought her to her feet.
"I'd like to see you look after yourself, then." I teased as I rubbed her upper arm.
"N-No thank you." she let out with a slight cough before she moved a few more pieces of her armour into place.
"Just stay close to me, okay, Ainael? When the guns of that fortress start firing, make sure you are right by my side." I explain to her firmly as I hold her still.
"I will not even lose you before then." she tells me as she smiles warmly at where her hand grasped my arm.
"We best find something to do, then." I huff in amusement.
"You'll have to forgive me for being a little distracted." she laughs out as she looks down at her tights-covered feet.
"No worries, the Chapter-Mistress wanted to see me whilst she was dining in her banquet hall."
"You know... Some extra pudding would cheer me up." she suggested as we started to leave the room. Returning it to the quiet it had once been.
"Yeah, right." I scoffed as I defended my right to be treated.