[u][b]"Arise, O Champions of the Gods"[/b][/u]

As the sun rose over the horizon, filling the valley of Mirador with its light, the Order of the Knights Solanian scrambled about the city and the keep; scribes researched the Father of Dragons Htraknu, soldiers rushed to Alvar's Smithy to have gear forged and repaired, and the officers and Apostles of the Order convened in the Great Hall to discuss the Order's course of action.

Grandmaster Aquila had long delivered his speech to the people of Mirador by the time the assembly began. He spoke powerfully, imploring his men and women to make ready for war, for Htraknu posed a significant cosmic threat. He spoke of the need for unity, declaring that he would reach out to the many lords and doges of the Western Kingdoms as well as the Northmen for aid. The speech concluded with morning prayers as the Order's honoured guests busied themselves in the guest chambers, packing their gear for the journey ahead, aided by the Order's squires and pages.

Within the Great Hall, Lucian had revealed Herbert Leintke's plan, that valuable information was being held by a spiteful Viarosan noble. Given the necessity of said information, and the Apostolic preference for clemency, there was not much protest to the plan to use the thief and her eastern slave-soldier to retrieve this information. Though some did resist, Apostle Kinara chief among them, the matter was put to a vote and was passed by majority of the Apostles and the officers present, to include Seneschal Hristov.

Then came the matter of what Lucian himself would be doing to lead the effort against Htraknu. It was then that the Grandmaster expressed his desire to travel with Herbert's party, to lead from the field and not from Aesernia. This naturally sparked an outcry from his devotees, who naturally all yearned to travel with him. After some time discussing the merits of each volunteer, Lucian ultimately decided on taking Apostles Sorano and Kinara with him. Sorano stood out among the Ten for his prowess in storm magic and his profound knowledge of ancient history - surely useful in the pursuit of artifacts of power, which would open the way to the Infernum and to the Kingdom-Realms of Heaven. Kinara was an outstanding archer and brutal opponent in close range. Though her shy and unassuming personality was anything but intimidating, her fierce loyalty and defensiveness of her Grandmaster made her an excellent enforcer.

In his absence, Lucian appointed Apostle Raoulin de Argenroux to serve as Acting Grandmaster in the Holy Bastion on Thysdrus, in Aesernia. Apostles Rhodric Beynon and Aranirya Silinosin were to rally and direct Order Clergy in spreading word of Htraknu's power struggle to their congregations, to make the common folk aware of the threat they faced, to urge them to do their part.

Apostles Sidon of Carinthagia and Serena Fioravanti were placed on research detail: take troops to hunt for items of interest to the Order and keep them on the move, away from Htraknu and any of his accomplices.

Apostles Yusuf Barakat, Katla Gunnulfdottir, and Alessio Barbieri were ordered to organize and command Order armies and mobilize them on Lucian's word or - in the event they did not hear from him in a certain amount of time - Raoulin's.

When it came time to begin the next phase in the Order's War with Htraknu, they would meet again in Thysdrus if possible and plan their next course of action.

The assembly concluded with a prayer for divine intercession, directly specifically to the cause of felling Htraknu and saving Thurius from his rampage. With the assembly out of the way, Lucian, Sorano, and Kinara left to pack up for the journey.

[hider=An Unorthodox Alliance] It  was early; the sky beyond the walls of Mirador castle was beginning to fully brighten. The candlelit corridors deep within the fortress remained dim as always, with eerily dancing shadows bordering every pocket of soft orange glow. Erwyn crept stealthily through the hallways, unfazed by the darkness, his boots landing silently on the hard stone floor as he drew  closer to his target. There were more guards in the corridors now; more  Order functionaries too, so the elder vampire suspected Lucian Aquila  was somewhere nearby, probably heading towards his chambers. He grimaced; he had no great desire to treat with a man like the  Grandmaster - self righteous, arrogant, and sat at the head of an army  of fanatics who viewed his kind with utter contempt - but these were  dark times indeed, and if keeping the world from a terrible end required a temporary alliance of enemies, so be it.

Rounding  a corner, the Count muttered a brief incantation in a strange and  ancient tongue, his entire body seeming to flicker in and out of sight  for a second before he faded from view completely, leaving nothing but a  slight breeze to announce his existence. Voices echoed from the  passages ahead - faint, but recognisable as Lucian and a pair of his  apostles. He had heard them speak during the feast earlier, and the  vampire was not one to forget such things easily. He picked up speed,  flitting invisibly past the armoured guards who lined the castle's halls  until he stood merely a few metres behind the Grandmaster and his  companions. "Lucian Aquila," he called, his form still concealed by  magic as his deep, heavily accented voice passed through the air.

To  the vampire's silent surprise, he had caught the Grandmaster, his Sun  Elf, and his Samothauress fully armored, coming from rather than going  towards their chambers. The three stopped in their tracks, the Sun Elf  turning to find nobody there. Ever the suspicious elf, his arms began to  crackle with sparks of lightning as his eyes scanned the halls.  "Someone's here," he said to the Grandmaster, who turned calmly around,  his hand on the hilt of his bastard sword.

"Reveal thyself," he said, staring ahead. The Samothauress also turned but did not reach for her bow just yet.

Slowly,  the vampire faded back into view, still whispering spells under his  breath. It was a terrifying sight - hovering at least a foot off the  ground, with his long coat flapping behind him, the Count's eyes seemed  to glow with black light, and the shadows that surrounded him twisted  and writhed as if straining to envelop the room in their monstrous  darkness, sucking out all warmth and life. He smiled eerily. "As you  wish, Grandmaster."

Now  because this was surely an excellent way to introduce oneself, the  Samothauress had drawn her bow and nocked an arrow in the blink of an  eye, aiming the bodkin at the beast before them. The Grandmaster too  drew his weapon, the blade sliding quickly from the scabbard, though he  took a more patient approach, gesturing for his companions to hold their  fire. "And I imagine the Shaitun Slayer sent for my head early? I must  applaud the monster's proactiveness," he said with an amicable chuckle.

Erwyn  laughed, a harsh, sinister sound that would make most men turn tail and  flee - those who valued their lives, at least. The tendrils of shadow  drifted closer. "So quick to assume I serve the dragon, Lucian. Who says  I serve at all?"

Lucian  responded to the tendrils by creating a golden glowing aura about him,  the mist forming into an arrow of hard light besides him, drifting in  the air. He did not move to assume a combat stance, but stood his ground  with his companions where others would retreat. "Forgive me for my  assumption, for it is not as though you give off a particularly friendly  air."

"You've  the look of a vampire out to kill, in all fairness," Sorano replied,  raising his hand towards the vampire, ready to start firing if need be.  "So then if you want a fight, come on and let's kill you already."

"Now,  there's no need for threats if you are confident of victory," Lucian  said in return. "I would give him the chance to explain himself."  Turning to the vampire, he gestured for him to speak.

With  a slight wave of his hand, the Count dispelled the magic that  surrounded him, his boots landing firmly on the floor as the shadows  retreated. He took a step closer, surveying the three holy warriors who  stood before him. "You," he gestured to Sorano, "are entirely correct. A  vampire, yes. Out to kill, yes." He chuckled. "Fear not though, I am sure you will not disapprove of my intended victim."

"Vague,  but I've my theory," Lucian replied, nudging his companions to stand  down. He sheathed his sword, and the light arrow faded into the air. "If  our interests align, might I have the honour of knowing my ally's  name?" He folded his arms behind his back, standing respectfully before  the vampire. His companions did as ordered, the Samothauress putting her  bow and the arrow away, the Sun Elf dispelling his magic.

"You cannot be considering allying with one of Lilith's?! First a thief and an easterner, next a nightstalker?" Sorano cried.

"Righteousness  belongs to all, Sorano. If this man wishes to aid us in slaying  Htraknu, who are we to turn him down?" Lucian explained. Facing the  vampire again he bowed his head. "My apologies. To offer him a defense,  it is not everyday that vampires approach us to offer aid. Would you  walk with us?" He asked, stepping backwards, gesturing down the hall.  "Our companions are waiting in the courtyard, and it would be uncouth to  keep them waiting."

The  Count nodded, stepping forward. "Of course." He paused. "Ah, yes, my  name. I am Erwyn Kásimir Hendryk Szilveszter, Graaf van  Amstetten-Szatmár-Bereg. Erwyn will, of course, suffice."

The  trio, now a quartet, began walking down the hall towards the courtyard  as Erwyn introduced himself. "Lucian Flavia Aquila, Grandmaster of the  Order of Fellow-Soldiers in Solanius and the Kingdom of Heaven, Lord of Thysdrus, Son of Solanius and the Theotokos, Aurelia Aquila." He bowed  his head a second time, smiling and speaking warmly to the man. "Please  just call me Lucian, I try to maintain a first-name basis with my men  and allies alike."

He  was very clearly taking the piss out of Erwyn's titles in the same  breath as he listed his own, but judging by his tone and expression he  hardly meant it to be a pissing contest of any sort. "You are from  Asmeinland as well, then? You may get along with Herbert and Erika yet."

"Kinara,"  the Samothauress said, nodding to the Vampire. Sorano remained silent,  glowering at the vampire. Kinara smirked mirthfully at the elf and then  looked to the Vampire. As he posed no current threat to her Grandmaster,  she could afford the niceties. "The Tarraconian with a wand up his rear  is Sorano Loraethal," she said, catching a glare of daggers from her  friend.

"A pleasure to meet you all," replied Erwyn, nodding politely.

"Likewise," said Lucian. After that, there was a silence between the four as they marched out of the keep and into the courtyard.

[/hider]