Gareth Arenar
Gareth had intended to arrive earlier, but in truth he was not overly familiar with the city's layout. He had, after all, just arrived a few days ago, after a fifteen day voyage, the memory of his confrontation with his brother still fresh on his mind. No doubt it was fresh on his brother's mind as well. And his face.
Gareth had only just finished settling into the city when he had heard about the expedition. And it was well-timed, too. Between paying for the horse, purchasing provisions to keep his hunger sated on the road, booking passage on a ship that would carry both him and his horse, and finding an inn to stay at, his money was nearly gone. Not that gold was his motivation, of course. It was just rather convenient.
As he approached the castle gates, the guards had naturally barred his entrance. "Who goes there!?" They had demanded.
"My name is Gareth." Came the unblinking response in the accent of a Sorusian aristocrat, only slightly diminished by his years patrolling the streets and associating with commoners. He thought it best not to reveal his family name just yet, however - though he still considered himself an Arenar despite his wrongful disownment, he was also a fugitive, even if he was leagues from home. "I am answering the Emperor's call to arms." He added, in a commanding tone.
The guards recognized his highborn posture and authoritative voice, and his expression yielded no trace of deception, so they stood aside and allowed him access.
As he stepped into the garden, he immediately did a double take, his usually stern expression briefly caught off guard by the sight of some sort of scantily clad woman with the lower half of a snake. He had read stories of such creatures, but he never believed they had actually existed - and yet, here she was.
He recovered quickly enough, and went to examine the rest of the party. Other than the snake woman and the Emperor himself, the other one who immediately stood out to him was a nervous-looking white-haired woman with a wolf companion. That certainly sparked his interest, and although he was not normally talkative he made a note to strike up a conversation with her at some point. The Emperor and his companion looked like capable fighters, well equipped for the task ahead. But the others...
He was not impressed.
At least three of them looked ill-equipped for any sort of heavy fighting, and two of those seemed too young to have any serious practical experience. One of those two had been singing - Gareth didn't mind music, but this seemed like a rather odd situation to be doing it. There was another man who had the look of a warrior priest, and seemed to carry the warhammer with confidence, but there was a look in his eye that Gareth wasn't quite comfortable with. Truth be told, he had been expecting a more disciplined group.
Putting his thoughts on his future companions aside, Gareth approached the Emperor. His armor had been meticulously cleaned and oiled beforehand. Coming to a stop next to the white-haired huntress, he bowed to the leader of a foreign nation he had only just arrived in. "Your Imperial Majesty," he began in a mechanical voice. "I am Gareth of Sorus."
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Lord Zee