[center][color=pink][h2][i]Fiona de Valencourt[/i][/h2][/color][/center][hr]
It was hard for Fiona not to feel small as she was carried along in the stream of recruits headed for the castle. Many were taller than her, broader, and more heavily armored. Some were grizzled veterans of crusades, others fresh-faced like herself. They all had to feel the excitement of the moment, though, surely. This was what they'd been working towards all these years.

Her small size did have one advantage, as Fiona was able to linger in the shadow of a much larger, armored man while the announcements were made, the sergeants were introduced, and the names were called. She couldn't imagine enduring this heat for long wearing so much metal.

Names were called, and called some more, and the area steadily cleared out, though thankfully Fiona's pillar of shade was one of the unlucky few that had to stand around through the whole process like herself. She stood at attention the whole time, hands clasped neatly in front of her, but the de Valencourt name was never called.

For a specific reason, it seemed. She followed the man Virgil into the relative and welcome cool of the castle interior, trying not to get too distracted as she walked by the marvels of the architecture.

[color=pink][i]I was... chosen?[/i][/color] A moment of doubt seized Fiona when she heard and comprehended the reason, that she would be among the very first few to venture an organized mission into the Abyss. [color=pink][i]Why me?[/i][/color] Was it because of her family? She didn't feel exactly qualified for the honor, even if it was the sort of thing her training had been for. She forced the thoughts to stop. It didn't matter why. All that mattered was the duty that had been asked of her.

[color=pink]"I will,"[/color] she answered, firmly, and suddenly aware that she was the first to do so. She glanced around at the others in the group really for the first time. Some looked far more experienced than her, but not all. They were a diverse group of fighters, by the looks of them.

Fiona had a thousand questions she wanted to ask, but it didn't seem like the proper time, so she held her tongue, and nodded at Virgil.