[u][b][h1][center]Vires “The Griff” Spaeros[/center][/h1][/b][/u]

[center][h2][b]Pt. 1 | Knights Banter[/b][/h2][/center]

Griff stood confidently in the center of 7 Knights, each of whom Griff had served with in several engagements with the Vaim forces. They were awaiting their orders from Knight Commander, Roland Leonis, “The Old Lion”, and “Old” is an accurate account, and with age comes wisdom, an asset not every Knight has been known to possess. 

“Griff, when we dive, what say you on a wager between our blades?” Dane, a grimly handsome devil with long thick jet black hair and a smooth voice challenged Griff in a confident tone. Griff turning his head to meet Dane’s soft brown eyes responded with his own confidence, “I’d say 1,000 Belisi Coin and winner engraves their surname in the other’s armor.” Dane a little surprised by the added remark of branding each other’s artifacts eagerly accepted, “Yes! A perfect prize!” Griff smiled, “May you find comfort in our win after I slash my name across your chest when this day is over.” Dane cracked a laugh, “Federo, do you want in too?” 

Federo was slightly older then Griff and younger than Dane. He was a skilled Knight who specialized in pole-arms and heavy weapon fire. He carried with him a powerful side arm, retractable axe to pike and mounted on his power suit over the right shoulder was a small anti-tank rocket set-up that staged 6 Puncher Rounds. Puncher rounds would slam into a armor or mechanized unit without exploding, and then detonate inside the unit to neutralize occupants instead of immobilizing the unit from the outside. Federo was a large-built man weighing 250lbs at a height of 7’. He was not an agile one, he was more like the Linebacker, always there to fill gaps and plug up any holes on the front lines. Federo delayed in response to Dane’s ask, “Is it appropriate to gamify the end of those husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters?” Dane’s head popped back for a second, not a response he expected. Before Dane could reply, Kass, a lean lethal fighting machine specializing in the short sword and shield combo, chimed in, “Federo the Ethical, do not forget what those “things” are. Those things have  pillaged, raped, and ransacked entire nations between here and their own original territory, they are not to be humanized. They are not my people, they are the monsters who my people have had to courageously fend against for their families, the families I care about…get off your pious mount with such a question and sit with the rest of us, I’m in on this wager!” She was not about to give any ounce of sympathy to a Vaimese cat, in her mind, they all deserved to meet their Maker.

Federo accepted Kass' reasoning, he nodded, turned to face the hangar gates, “then let’s see who’s blade is strongest.”

Griff was staggered off Federo’s center-line, raising his left hand to meet the broad right shoulder of Federo in an expression of understanding, “Taking a life is never easy, but necessary when those who depend on you are in danger of losing their own. Of course, it is those who die that have it the easiest. For those who live must continue to find ways of lightening the heavy load of suffering and meaning after all the loss.” Griff knew how important it was in war to maintain fellowship. Every man and woman had their own way of dealing with the pain of violence, some turned to faith, others to games, and some resisted making any sense of it altogether. In the end, their roles did not change in the story, they were going to take life, and it was up to God to sort the rest out. 

Kass scanned after delivering her scathing review on the “things” of Vaim. She witnessed the hangar begin to buzz alive which meant orders were given recently for the dive. It was nearing that time to meet the enemy, but an unsettling feeling of sharing such a task with the Battlemages across from where the Knights were grouping up reared face. Kass looked toward Griff without receiving his attention since she stood behind him and he was currently facing the back of Federo, “Griff! Is “Old” Man sure we can trust the likes of these mages, I mean, they are exactly the same stock we are fighting against?” Griff turned around hearing Kass call him out and with poise he spoke, “I trust our Knight Commander’s decision to integrate our talents, and, I trust that if any of them turn around in an act of betrayal, like, the defected agent of Vaim, Turzo Drunoda, you and the rest of us will cut them down before they become a big problem.” 

Kass turned toward the defected battle mage with obvious glaring tattoos of some magic origin. She took a minute to settle her feelings, “I call dibs if that son of b**** forgets which side he is on.” Griff shot a smirk, “I would not expect any less.”

To all their surprise, the defected mage stepped out of order and gave a speech that fell to deaf ears of the Knights that resonated around Griff. Kass shouted after Turzo stepped back into line, “Cool speech! Don’t forget your place traitor!” As a Knight, honor, and strength burned at her core, there was no honor in betraying one’s nation, even if that nation was her enemy. It would take a lot more than a speech to sway the opinions of most Knights who saw would see Turzo for what he is, a Battlemage without honor, would he prove them wrong or right was still to be determined.