[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/7iJKKu5.png[/img]
[color=FIREBRICK][b][h3]MALAKAUS FIREBELLY[/h3][/b][/color][/center]

Nodding his head, Malakaus left Eris to her business. Reinhardt wasn't a surname he's ever heard... In fact, the mere fact she had a surname was a bit strange to him. Most peasants didn't have one, and even better known people hand pseudonyms or titles attached to their names. Things like "Mathel the Butcher" or "Eryn of Asteria" and such. If Eris had a proper surname, did she perhaps come from a noble family...? Well, it didn't matter to Malakaus. It wasn't as if Eris wished to be a knight, if anything she seemed to not want anything to do with violence. It was understandable; not everyone can stomach it. Malakaus only wished he could help in other ways, but his social connections were rather limited. Sure he could call in a favor with various outlying villages and farmers, but Malakaus was rarely ever in the city, and thus had no connection to the more wealthy or powerful people.

So the knight simply stood there in silence. He tried not to eavesdrop, but with nothing else to do he couldn't help but hear everyone's idle conversations. One of the guests, Chieko, wanted to be a knight. So did the other guest, a boy named Ryan. Additionally, Ryan mentioned something about "America", and if he heard correctly, Cheiko said something similar, though Malakaus didn't quite catch what she said. Was this America a land they came from? If so, Malakaus had never heard of it. Granted, he was never a worldly person to begin with, so it wouldn't be a surprise to hear about lands beyond the borders. More importantly however, Cheiko and Ryan wanted to be knights. Malakaus felt confident he could teach them as his squires, even if they lacked a noble birth, training, or physique. No better time to improve then the present.

Eris continued to show her mystery by producing a rough sketch of the criminal who had burglarized the castle. It must have been the same one that he and Atisha saw climbing over the wall. It must be the same one, and Malakaus wondered what had become of the elf. He hoped she didn't get lost, or ran into trouble. As Eris left the two guests to speak to Tani about her drawing, Malakaus approached the two. He was vaguely aware of his intimidating presence; it was natural for someone as big as him wearing full plate armor. Fear was sometimes the appropriate responds to danger one is not prepared to face. Malakaus occasionally employed that fear to weaken his enemies, though he didn't always rely on it. The world was full of fools who would gladly jump into a dragon's maw and believe they have what it takes to come out whole.

[color=firebrick]"You two wish to become knights of the Iron Bell? That is no small task. You must first begin as a squire for a knight, learn from him, and earn distinction. And a knight must learn how to separate himself from a mere barbarian in plate. Education, strength, honor, and reputation are just four of the few things one must have before he can become a knight. And for a knight of the Iron Bell, you may have to work harder. Do you believe you have what it takes?"[/color]

[@KoL][@liferusher][@ADamnFiddle][@Heckno12][@Rune_Alchemist][@6slyboy6]

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[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/MR5RyzW.png[/img]
[color=FORESTGREEN][b][h3]ATISHA ELUVIAN[/h3][/b][/color][/center]

Listening carefully, Atisha had hoped the voices would have indulged something of use to find or learn what they intended to do. But alas, it was vague, and this was likely only a meet up. Still Atisha felt like she was on the right path. She knew that the dog-eared boy was here, and he had a partner. That meant two separate leads Atisha could follow. but without knowing the in's and outs of the city, she couldn't hope to follow them even if she had them in her sights. She weighed her options. She could either try and continue her pursuit now, doing her best to navigate these alleyways to find the thief and his partner, or try to find her way back to Malakaus and see if he could help her with this matter. Atisha loathed to consider asking for his help, but she was no fool. She didn't even know her way out of these alleys, and if she wasn't careful she could easily get herself caught up in something beyond her ability. She didn't survive twenty years staging attacks on soldiers and their ships only to get taken out by low lives.

Sighing, Atisha allowed herself to retreat. She would need more information about the city before she did anything else risky. But now she needed to get back to Malakaus and the Iron Bell. Running through the alleys wouldn't help her, as this place was a maze. Fortunately Atisha looked up and noticed that there was still skies above her. Looking around Atisha noticed some barrels stacked up about half-way towards a building's roof. She sheathed her dagger only to take out her spear, and with a running jump she jumped high into the air, planted her spear on the top barrel, and vaulted herself onto a rooftop. From there she continued to run and jump until she reached one of the higher buildings. She could see the castle in the distance, so as long as she kept using the high ground she should not only be able to avoid getting lost in the alleys, but also avoid any other threats or annoyances that may find her.

[@Heckno12][@Rune_Alchemist]