The sound of wood clashing with wood filled the hall as the soldiers practiced. There were dozens of them, divided into smaller groups of maybe six sparring partners. Standing at the entryway, a large threshold with two large doors, was a rather tall man just under two meters in height. He wore light armor and carried two swords on his left side, one positioned below the other and both in sheaths. His hair was brown in hue and not necessarily long and not actually short. He spoke to a shorter man who had beckoned him away from his students. 


“Captain Cylus Thael, you have orders to appear for the parley at Dragonrage Pass. You’ll be joining a special regiment for an assignment. The Orders come from General Thael.” General Thael was, for clarification, Cylus Thael’s sister. 


“Ah, Mira. I was hoping she’d send me. While I do love teaching,” he glanced back at the soldiers, several practice swords had been broken since he’d left, “I do miss the action of battle. I’ll get ready with all haste.”


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Cylus stood by as the others members of their rag-tag group introduced themselves, he was certain that each member was as skilled, or maybe more so, with their abilities as he was with the blade. Even though the group wasn’t as intimidating to look at as an organized unit of soldiers, they, he was sure, were far more deadly by an order of magnitude, at least. 


There were two shape shifting dragons, refered to as manaketes; the Prince of Ereb was present, an outlaw from Archanea, a maid who Cylus was certain had more to offer than met the eye, there was also a tactician. 


[i]Mira must have something in mind if she’s involved in putting this group together…[/i] He considered approaching her and asking about it but had quickly abandoned the idea - she was just as likely to eat him alive as actually answer the question. Cylus feared his eldest sister, she didn’t become a general of a third of the Concilium military by collecting bottle caps. 


No one had spoken for a few seconds so Cylus decided to take the opportunity. He stood, making himself clearly visible, “My name is Cylus Thael. I teach swordsmanship at the base in Archanea. I can fight in close quarters but not at a distance and, so you're aware - I wear light armor for speed and agility. I don’t carry a shield for the same.” He’d turned toward the man who’d called himself Alfred as he spoke, letting the man know what he could and couldn’t do.