Path to Paladinhood
Jan 3, 2017 2:48:35 GMT
Post by Thran Starcrod on Jan 3, 2017 2:48:35 GMT
Prologue
95 Years after the Verbanan Liberation War
A young adult Kani walked through the roads of his small town, he wasn't part of the nobility, but he was dressed at least somewhat well in his uniform. He had one goal in mind that day, as it was his birthday. He was going to go back home to see his parents for the first time since he started training. He waved to people as they passed by him, it was a small town, so everyone knew each other quite well. The Kani stopped in front of a small house and knocked on the door. He waited a few moments and then suddenly it opened, a female Kani looking at him, "Kauko, it's you!" The female Kani hugged him tightly, "Hello, Mom. I told you that I'd be back for my birthday, didn't I?" The female Kani nodded and pulled him into the house, "Your father has something for you."
Kauko placed his bag on the chair as his father came up to him, "Your mother and I pooled together our money for this. We know how it always has been your dream to go to Maan Valssi and become one of the Paladins, my son. So, your mother and I sent a letter there and well..." Kauko looked confused, "You didn't have to, I'm happy around here, being with the two of you." His mother looked at him, "Well, the carriage to take you to Maan Valssi will be here soon, Kauko. I'm sorry that your father and I cannot go with you, but we'll be here and you'll be able to visit us at any time. Lady Sinikka has given you the permission to do so." Kauko was so confused, he had indeed dreamed of being a Paladin, but now that his dreams were coming true, he was leaving everything he had known behind.
There was a knock at the door and it startled him. His mother spoke up, "Come in." The door opened and a Paladin stood in the middle of it, "Kauko Aaltonen, I presume?" Kauko turned around, "Yes, sir. I haven't yet packed my things or said my goodbyes yet, is it alright if I do so?" The Paladin nodded, "Of course it is." Kauko smiled and walked to his room, packing his clothing and everything that was important to him. He heard a voice speak up behind him, it was a female voice, "So you're the new student that's going to be part of my group, huh?" Kauko turned around to see one of the most beautiful female Kani that he had ever seen. He stood up, "Hello, ma'am, I am Kauko Aaltonen." The female Kani laughed, "Katriina Hietala." Kauko recognized that surname, "You are family to Lady Sinikka?"
Katriina nodded, "I am her daughter." Kauko knelt before her, "Milady." Katriina shook her head, "Do not bow to me, I am a student of my mother as well." Kauko stood up, "Yes, ma'am." Katriina shook her head, "Please cut it out with the formalities. I do not like it when people are formal with me, I just want to be treated like anyone else." Kauko nodded slightly, "As you wish." Katriina sighed slightly, "At least you're not like that other guy that's in our group." Kauko looked at her, confused, "What's he like?" Katriina sighed as she folded her arms, looking away, "Mother doesn't like me speaking ill about the trainees, but Hannu is quite the ass." Kauko nodded slightly as he picked up his own luggage and Katriina shook her head, "I'll take it out for you. You have something to say to your parents, don't you?"
Kauko nodded, he didn't really know what he was going to say to his parents, but, he had to try. He looked over to Katriina and handed her his luggage and she smiled, "Don't worry. We won't be going through any Kitsune lands. I hear that the army led by that young Kitsune... what was his name again... Masaru, that's it. The army led by Masaru is marching on the gates of the castle, but we cannot be too careful." Kauko nodded as he left his room, he felt saddened by the fact that he was leaving his family behind. He walked into the dining room where his mother was drinking tea, "Mom?" His mother looked at him, "Kauko, dear. I know that you're sad, because you took that big paying guard job to help us pay for the farm and all, but don't worry. We'll be fine."
Kauko's Father came into the room, "Sari and I have been fine here, since before you came around, Kauko. Don't worry, we'll be fine." Sari smiled, "What Tapani is trying to say is that you're a man now. You shouldn't worry about your parents, we're farmers. It's what we have always done, all our lives. You however, have dreamed of something bigger. You always had your head in the clouds, looking up at the stars." Sari placed her hand on Kauko's hand, "You even said that you wished to become a Paladin one day." Kauko nodded, "But, I didn't want to leave the two of you behind. You're my parents and I love the both of you." Tapani laughed, "We'll always be here, kiddo. You'll be welcome to see us at any time." Kauko nodded with a smile, "Thanks, Dad." Sari motioned towards the door, "You don't want to be rude and leave Lady Katriina waiting."
Kauko shook his head and hugged his parents, "I promise the two of you that I will return someday." Sari smiled as Kauko let go of them, rushing off outside. Katriina stood in front of a lavish carriage, "I apologize if this isn't what you're used to, Mother will not let me settle for anything less." Kauko reached out and touched the carriage, it was relatively cold to the touch, real metal was used in the construction. One of the attendants opened the door and Katriina climbed in first. Kauko was confused at first, but he climbed in and sat down, "I never thought that this would happen. I mean, I've always wanted to be a Paladin, but I never thought that I'd get the chance. I'm not nobility and thus I cannot become a knight." Katriina smiled, "You don't have to worry about that."
Kauko was confused, "What do you mean?" Katriina smiled as the carriage started moving, "Well, Kauko. If you manage to make it through the training and become a fully fledged Paladin, you will automatically become a noble. Though you will be a lesser noble, you will be part of the nobility. However, unlike most lesser nobles, you only have to answer to the royal family or the deities and demi-deities." Kauko nodded, "Have you met the royal family?" Katriina nodded slightly, "Of course, they are a very regal lot, except for of course their youngest son and their daughter. Granted, Seija is less of a rebellious kind of princess and more acts as a diplomat, even despite her age. So she is sort of given a pass. Their youngest son is still just a small child, he hasn't quite learned the ways of royalty yet."
Kauko nodded, "So what is the Paladin training like?" Katriina smiled, "Well, it's grueling, and considering you were training to be a guard in a small town, it'll be taxing on you. However, it will be up to you to see it through to the end, Kauko." Kauko nodded slightly, "So the challenge will be difficult, that's good. As my father once said... Nothing in this life worth doing is easy." Katriina laughed slightly, "That is good advice. It will take us a few hours to get to Maan Valssi, would you like to sleep or anything?" Kauko shook his head, "If it's all the same, I'd rather talk to you on the way there." Katriina nodded, "You'll learn a lot that way, I wish Hannu was like you, but he's always looking down on people that weren't born into nobility." Kauko frowned, "People like that need to relax a bit more."
Katriina spoke up, "Did you hear rumors about a Kitsune in Masaru's army that is said to be crazy powerful and skilled?" Kauko nodded, "Kawal, right?" Katriina nodded, "I heard that he settled down and had some kids with a nice Vixen, but he returned to the battlefield to fight alongside the rightful heir as penance for what he did during the Menschilche occupation." Kauko nodded, "That much I didn't hear, but I do know the story of Kawal. It would be a frightening thing if we did meet the legendary enforcer himself." Katriina nodded, "Agreed. Our route will not take us through the areas we could meet him, though." Kauko was silent for a little bit, then asked a single question, "Do you think they'll win? The true heir and his army that is..." Katriina looked outside the window as they continued onward, "I don't know, but if they really do have Kawal on their side, then I have no doubt that they will."
95 Years after the Verbanan Liberation War
A young adult Kani walked through the roads of his small town, he wasn't part of the nobility, but he was dressed at least somewhat well in his uniform. He had one goal in mind that day, as it was his birthday. He was going to go back home to see his parents for the first time since he started training. He waved to people as they passed by him, it was a small town, so everyone knew each other quite well. The Kani stopped in front of a small house and knocked on the door. He waited a few moments and then suddenly it opened, a female Kani looking at him, "Kauko, it's you!" The female Kani hugged him tightly, "Hello, Mom. I told you that I'd be back for my birthday, didn't I?" The female Kani nodded and pulled him into the house, "Your father has something for you."
Kauko placed his bag on the chair as his father came up to him, "Your mother and I pooled together our money for this. We know how it always has been your dream to go to Maan Valssi and become one of the Paladins, my son. So, your mother and I sent a letter there and well..." Kauko looked confused, "You didn't have to, I'm happy around here, being with the two of you." His mother looked at him, "Well, the carriage to take you to Maan Valssi will be here soon, Kauko. I'm sorry that your father and I cannot go with you, but we'll be here and you'll be able to visit us at any time. Lady Sinikka has given you the permission to do so." Kauko was so confused, he had indeed dreamed of being a Paladin, but now that his dreams were coming true, he was leaving everything he had known behind.
There was a knock at the door and it startled him. His mother spoke up, "Come in." The door opened and a Paladin stood in the middle of it, "Kauko Aaltonen, I presume?" Kauko turned around, "Yes, sir. I haven't yet packed my things or said my goodbyes yet, is it alright if I do so?" The Paladin nodded, "Of course it is." Kauko smiled and walked to his room, packing his clothing and everything that was important to him. He heard a voice speak up behind him, it was a female voice, "So you're the new student that's going to be part of my group, huh?" Kauko turned around to see one of the most beautiful female Kani that he had ever seen. He stood up, "Hello, ma'am, I am Kauko Aaltonen." The female Kani laughed, "Katriina Hietala." Kauko recognized that surname, "You are family to Lady Sinikka?"
Katriina nodded, "I am her daughter." Kauko knelt before her, "Milady." Katriina shook her head, "Do not bow to me, I am a student of my mother as well." Kauko stood up, "Yes, ma'am." Katriina shook her head, "Please cut it out with the formalities. I do not like it when people are formal with me, I just want to be treated like anyone else." Kauko nodded slightly, "As you wish." Katriina sighed slightly, "At least you're not like that other guy that's in our group." Kauko looked at her, confused, "What's he like?" Katriina sighed as she folded her arms, looking away, "Mother doesn't like me speaking ill about the trainees, but Hannu is quite the ass." Kauko nodded slightly as he picked up his own luggage and Katriina shook her head, "I'll take it out for you. You have something to say to your parents, don't you?"
Kauko nodded, he didn't really know what he was going to say to his parents, but, he had to try. He looked over to Katriina and handed her his luggage and she smiled, "Don't worry. We won't be going through any Kitsune lands. I hear that the army led by that young Kitsune... what was his name again... Masaru, that's it. The army led by Masaru is marching on the gates of the castle, but we cannot be too careful." Kauko nodded as he left his room, he felt saddened by the fact that he was leaving his family behind. He walked into the dining room where his mother was drinking tea, "Mom?" His mother looked at him, "Kauko, dear. I know that you're sad, because you took that big paying guard job to help us pay for the farm and all, but don't worry. We'll be fine."
Kauko's Father came into the room, "Sari and I have been fine here, since before you came around, Kauko. Don't worry, we'll be fine." Sari smiled, "What Tapani is trying to say is that you're a man now. You shouldn't worry about your parents, we're farmers. It's what we have always done, all our lives. You however, have dreamed of something bigger. You always had your head in the clouds, looking up at the stars." Sari placed her hand on Kauko's hand, "You even said that you wished to become a Paladin one day." Kauko nodded, "But, I didn't want to leave the two of you behind. You're my parents and I love the both of you." Tapani laughed, "We'll always be here, kiddo. You'll be welcome to see us at any time." Kauko nodded with a smile, "Thanks, Dad." Sari motioned towards the door, "You don't want to be rude and leave Lady Katriina waiting."
Kauko shook his head and hugged his parents, "I promise the two of you that I will return someday." Sari smiled as Kauko let go of them, rushing off outside. Katriina stood in front of a lavish carriage, "I apologize if this isn't what you're used to, Mother will not let me settle for anything less." Kauko reached out and touched the carriage, it was relatively cold to the touch, real metal was used in the construction. One of the attendants opened the door and Katriina climbed in first. Kauko was confused at first, but he climbed in and sat down, "I never thought that this would happen. I mean, I've always wanted to be a Paladin, but I never thought that I'd get the chance. I'm not nobility and thus I cannot become a knight." Katriina smiled, "You don't have to worry about that."
Kauko was confused, "What do you mean?" Katriina smiled as the carriage started moving, "Well, Kauko. If you manage to make it through the training and become a fully fledged Paladin, you will automatically become a noble. Though you will be a lesser noble, you will be part of the nobility. However, unlike most lesser nobles, you only have to answer to the royal family or the deities and demi-deities." Kauko nodded, "Have you met the royal family?" Katriina nodded slightly, "Of course, they are a very regal lot, except for of course their youngest son and their daughter. Granted, Seija is less of a rebellious kind of princess and more acts as a diplomat, even despite her age. So she is sort of given a pass. Their youngest son is still just a small child, he hasn't quite learned the ways of royalty yet."
Kauko nodded, "So what is the Paladin training like?" Katriina smiled, "Well, it's grueling, and considering you were training to be a guard in a small town, it'll be taxing on you. However, it will be up to you to see it through to the end, Kauko." Kauko nodded slightly, "So the challenge will be difficult, that's good. As my father once said... Nothing in this life worth doing is easy." Katriina laughed slightly, "That is good advice. It will take us a few hours to get to Maan Valssi, would you like to sleep or anything?" Kauko shook his head, "If it's all the same, I'd rather talk to you on the way there." Katriina nodded, "You'll learn a lot that way, I wish Hannu was like you, but he's always looking down on people that weren't born into nobility." Kauko frowned, "People like that need to relax a bit more."
Katriina spoke up, "Did you hear rumors about a Kitsune in Masaru's army that is said to be crazy powerful and skilled?" Kauko nodded, "Kawal, right?" Katriina nodded, "I heard that he settled down and had some kids with a nice Vixen, but he returned to the battlefield to fight alongside the rightful heir as penance for what he did during the Menschilche occupation." Kauko nodded, "That much I didn't hear, but I do know the story of Kawal. It would be a frightening thing if we did meet the legendary enforcer himself." Katriina nodded, "Agreed. Our route will not take us through the areas we could meet him, though." Kauko was silent for a little bit, then asked a single question, "Do you think they'll win? The true heir and his army that is..." Katriina looked outside the window as they continued onward, "I don't know, but if they really do have Kawal on their side, then I have no doubt that they will."