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It was warm in the City of Grayle.

The fifteen-year-old sighed as he stood, hands buried in his pockets as he looked all around him. Elidthianis Hawke had come from The Aerie, not the first of his visits to Grayle but of those he could count on one hand.

The journey had been one of duplicitous debate, and people continued to criticize him in many forums. The son of a marquess, and second-in-line to inherit, but also fated with the gifts of both aura and that of the Absolute, there had been a hefty weight attached to Eli’s ankle on what seemed like forever. It had only been six years since his hair turned white as snow and his powers revealed themselves at the worst time possible. If you asked him, those languishing six years felt like six hundred. 

To be the Absolute and reject the Sages. To be the heir to the Marquess of the North and refuse responsibility. To be an Aura user and despise the idea of destiny. They were all unlikely and unpopular choices, but to have them all simultaneously? It was unheard of. That said, there had been one favorable decision Eli had made that those who looked down upon him with envy and shame to think positively of his future. He had wished to become a [b]knight[/b]. As much as he didn’t think much of fate or destiny or even responsibility, Eli seemed to be walking the path of a would-be hero with the chagrin to defend the realm. In reality, Eli’s intentions were however less noble. The reason Eli wished to become a knight was not out of some devotion to Grayle or honorable devotion, it was merely a means to an end. The best fighters in Grayle were knights. The best masters of the weapon arts were knights. On top of that, being a knight would allow him the independence to do as he wanted instead of being bullied by the sages or his father’s court. 

It would allow him to be himself.

[color=69D7CC]“My name is Elidthianis Hawke. I am from The Aerie, of the Silvercrest Mountain Vale, second son of Gandimere Hawke and Rimillie Edenbridge, and I wish to become a knight.”[/color]

The words still echoed in his mind. The questions in applying himself were all a formality. While he would’ve liked his skill with a blade to determine his place among the knighthood, he knew that there was no possibility he would not become one. The prestige of his house on top of his role as this generation’s Absolute ascertained that he would be and it ascertained that people would try to manipulate him to their whims. He knew this clearly, despite his disinterest in book learning he was quite adept with people and understanding their intentions. He wasn’t an idiot or a fool, so he knew he would have to keep his wits sharpened and eyes open when deciding to move forward with his goals to master the blade and fight great fights.

Still, he was nervous and ridden with the anxiety of anticipation.

Most of all, he was [i]smiling[/i].