[color=fff79a][center][h2]Edmund Silvaine[/h2]
In Collaboration with [@Obscene Symphony][hr][/center][/color]

Edmund exited the medical room as Sara was entering, fresh out of his armor and starting to truly feel the exhaustion and stiffness that was setting in from a physically intensive evening. There was a slight comfort to the sting, however. It reminded him of his time as a Church Knight, when his work made a clear difference. He had kept his oath this evening, but that is all he could say for his abilities. Not that anyone else seemed to do better. The other Templars seemed to be caught off-guard as well, though most seemed to handle themselves adequately. Though, now that he thought about it, Sir Jacinthe was absent... along with his Scion. He hadn't seen either on the train, nor walking into the castle. He had nearly blocked out Lucas’ cry from earlier in the night. He had been fearless and well-skilled in magic. Guess neither were great defenses against bullets.

2 casualties at least, if they were lucky. This was bad.

Edmund pulled out his flip-phone, an indestructible little brick of plastic and internal electronics. He quickly scrolled through his miniscule list of contacts, before settling on a suitable name. He lifted the phone to his ear, waiting until he heard the line connect. Without waiting for a formal acknowledgement on the other end, he spoke in a hushed tone. [color=fff79a]"I need the duffel bag under my bed brought to Veradis Castle. Soldiers will meet you, they'll get the bag to me."[/color]

There was silence on the other end, before a confused voice on the other end responded. [color=lightgray]"Uhh... right. Ok."[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Keep the penthouse locked down. Maya is safe. I'll update the team when I have more info."[/color] He lowered the phone, ended the call, and quickly made his way to the nearest attendant. [color=fff79a]"An SUV from the city will be coming towards the Castle. Woman inside will have a bag for Sir Edmund Silvaine. Please pass that on to whoever is running point on security, and please ensure the bag makes it to my quarters. It's going to be a long night."[/color] With a swift nod, he turned to head off in the direction of Ballroom A.

Edmund was somewhat delayed in his arrival to Ballroom A. Upon entering, he didn’t much acknowledge the other Templars. An attendant stood at the door, holding open a box with several of the armor crystals. Edmund’s hand rested in his coat pocket, and the rifle remained slung over his shoulder. He shook his head. [color=fff79a]”Not happening. Not yet.”[/color] He kept his fist closed around his armor crystal, hidden from view, and attempted to walk into the ballroom.

The attendant, a young woman wearing something resembling a Templar’s dress uniform, frowned. [color=lightgray]“Sir Edmund, I’m afraid I must insist,”[/color] she replied earnestly, stepping in his path and holding the box out to him for a second time.

Edmund’s stare was cold, the scowl returning in full force. [color=fff79a]”You can insist all you like. I will do what I must to uphold my oath.”[/color] He quickly moved one leg forward, hooking it just past the attendant, and stepping forward yet again.

[color=lightgray]“Sir Edmund,”[/color] the attendant repeated, catching the larger man’s arm as he passed. She fixed him with a strong-willed stare. [color=lightgray]“Your oath is not endangered by submitting your crystal for data logging. I assure you it will be returned at the end of the meeting.”[/color]

Edmund stopped for a moment as he was held in place, silent and unmoving. His eyes were screwed shut for the moment, the swirl of fear and anger reaching a near boil in his throat. No amount of attempted prayers or recitations were quelling the waves of emotion overwhelming him. He turned his head to the attendant, opening his eyes while clenching his teeth. He hissed,[color=fff79a]”Tell that to Ulysse.”[/color] Muscling through the pain in his shoulders and back, Edmund shook off the grab with a quick turn of the torso and entered the ballroom.

[color=lightskyblue]“Sir Edmund, I would have thought you outgrew bickering with squires when you ceased to be one,”[/color] a chilly voice sounded from the side of the ballroom, where Dame Irina emerged suddenly from a well-concealed servants’ door. Edmund ignored her misplaced comment, instead simply turning his attention to Irina. She barely glanced up from the tablet in her hand, tapping a few more things before handing it off to another squire, who disappeared behind the closing door. The attendant with the box, apparently a Church squire, snapped to attention, only to be waved off by Irina. The young woman made for the same door, now only visible as a recessed panel in the wall, and received a few murmured orders from Irina before she, too, disappeared.

[color=lightskyblue]“We’ll deal with this later,”[/color] Irina continued, [color=lightskyblue]“For now, there are more important matters to attend to.”[/color] She made her way to the front of the ballroom, heels clicking as she gestured flippantly with one hand. It was a familiar signal, especially to those more recently out of Templar training: a signal to form up.