[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Mzt5kmQ.png[/img][/center]

Ioxeia left her father’s clinic behind and headed deeper into the city, the familiar sun beating down on her to no avail. Even if she had had no idea where to go, the currents of the city’s people were telling enough as they flooded towards the center. She walked in their mists, carefully weaving her small frame between soldiers, spectators and the blessed few. Her distinctive apparel drew looks of confusion and derision from some who noticed her, but also, rarely, a thankful nod or gesture from someone who’s life or loved one had been saved by her order. She held those looks of thanks in her heart as the trepidation mounted the closer she got to her destination.

And then all of a sudden, she was there. Ioxeia skirted past the front-line of the civilians who had come to watch the spectacle and was able to see it for herself. The blessed. Hundreds of them. From every walk of life and from all across the known world. To Ioxia it was a glorious sight to behold, one that drove down her fear and smothered it with awe. Yet even this paled in comparison to what came next.
 
After she quickly joined the ranks the speaker announced their purpose here, to descend, and then announced those who would be leading them down into the depths. Ten shining knights stepped forwards onto the podium and each was boldly announced in turn. It was, as a nearby gifted in priestly attire put it, quite the spectacle. Others might have seen through the display, but it had the intended effect upon Ioxeia, lifting her spirits so soon after the dread spiked by the mention of the descent. Those spirits slowly cooled once more however, as the long list of 300 names where slowly read out, the numbers of gifted still standing around her dwindling and dwindling till, at last, it was just her and 8 others standing before the announcer while the other 300 began to be lead away towards the castle. 

Under the gaze of the onlooking civilians Ioxeia refused to let her concern or confusion show. A doctor, she reminded herself, must remain calm and appear in complete control of the situation, lest the scare or alarm the patient. She stood up straight and forced herself to patiently wait for an explanation.

Fortunately the 8 of them weren't left to stew for too long, as they were soon joined by their Sargent. The 11th. His late arrival or mockery by the announcer didn’t give the best first impression. He quickly led them away to what in retrospect seemed to be a hidden away part of the castle and then turned to explain himself.

He was new to his role, they were to be the first to truly enter the abyss, they would be doing so in less than a month and their mission was to be top secret. It was a lot for Ioxeia to process. The final question, however, needed no consideration.

[color=lime]“As the Lord wills, so it shall be. I am with you and you have my word as a doctor that I will uphold the confidentiality of this mission.”[/color] she said, with a bow of her head. She had to bite her tongue to resist the urge to bombard the Sergeant with more questions than he was already getting.