The graduation ceremony continues. The Inquisitor looked up from his parchment, his old lips opening, and I awaited to see the result.
"Grave Rookhard, Imperial Battlemage."
A large man got up, bald headed and human of race. A Battlemage this big? He was at least the size of two grown men. I never saw one myself, but I heard tales of them being changed completely by the powerful magics they were able to conjure. These guys are seriously powerful, and some of them work as mercenaries, accepting only gold for their contracts.
"Helix of Redwick, Imperial Roguesman."
A slender young figure got up, a short haired blonde half-elf. He seemed to be just a fresh cadet, how could he be an Imperial Soldier? Was that even possible?
"Kelvine of Bran, Imperial Cleric."
A person that seemed of my age got up. They were an.. orc? I never heard of cleric orcs. Perhaps this was a warlock? It seemed completely irregular to me. But looking more at them, they seemed to be half-orc with how many human features they showed off.
"Finn Hensman. Guardsman of Lokarth."
The audience looked surprised at me, and I was even more in shock. I instinctively got up, and believe or not, I breemed with confidence. Why is that? I never became an Imperial Armyman.
Because becoming an Honor Guard meant to be a champion of Ebonvale. You are a wandering warrior, a man taking up missions for the Empire as to build up your reputation as a soldier. You are tasked with upholding the justice of the Empire, and its pride.
So I had to hold up myself with confidence. These people, they were all probably incredible warriors, prodigies. I was just a Guardsman, in comparison to them, I was nothing. But I couldn't show off any weakness, I needed to show my strength of character to these people. I walked through the rows of seats, hand on the hilt of my blade resting comfortably.
I took up a step, then another, going up to the podium and kneeling as the others had done. They merely glanced at each other, I managed to peek that detail, they were definitely questioning how I managed to get here.
The Inquisitor began to speak once more, turning to us.
"You four have shown feats of war unlike any other. You showed the world that you are truly meant to become part of the Honor Guard."
"Grave Rookhard. Your tenacity in combat was shown when you battled the twin drakes of Mount Ebon. Taking the beasts down on your own, without the help of your fellow battlemages. You shall be given a Great Sword made with Arcanic Ore. You are to be assigned to the Fourth Chapter of the Honor Guard; The Drake Hunters."
Defeating two drakes on your own, it was a feat not many could boast. This man deserved this position. But did I? I felt a bit out of place here.
"Helix of Redwick. Your successful infiltration of the rogue artist Malvus resulted in saving many lives and brought justice for the victims. You shall be given a twin pair of Inarius Blades. You are to be assigned to the Third Chapter of the Honor Guard; The Maw of Serpents."
Inarius Blades.. they are incredibly powerful blades. I didn't know anything about Arcanic Ore, but it held incredibly powerful properties. Him being the one to have infiltrated Malvus' crypt meant he worked together with the Honor Guard previous to this.. he was meant for this position.
"Kelvine of Bran. Thanks to your efforts, the Golden Plague was cured, and many villages and towns were saved. As such, you shall be given a Arcanum Rated Grimoire. You are to be assigned to the Fifth Chapter of the Honor Guard; The Hospitallers."
So, they were the one to do it? That means this person is a genius. The Golden Plague was killing thousands of farm animals, ruining the lives of many. This half-orc was a hero! I'm not good with magics, but, Arcanum Rated Grimoires I believe are one of the highest quality grades you can obtain.
Finally, my turn came. The hornets in my stomach disappeared. I composed myself, preparing to see what the Inquisitor had to say.
"Finn Hensman. A Guardsman reaching the Honor Guard is unusual, but your devotion to your duty, and your selflessnees to destroy the rogue Doppelganger that was set loose in our capital meant more than you can imagine. You shall be given a Palladium Longsword. You are to be assigned to the First Chapter of the Honor Guard; The Manticores."
I stood up, staring with intent at my gifted blade. I immediately began to cherish it, it was as if I had just held my new-born. You must not understand, but this was no ordinary longsword. I unsheathed just the very base of it, a red glare reflecting directly into my retina. It was beautiful. Palladium, a metal so rare was given to me of all people.
To understand how important it was, you would need hundreds of miners working without stop for a full day and night to find the ore. And then, you'd need a blacksmith of the highest skill level to forge it from morning sun to midnight moon, a grueling process without break. It is silver white in color, and when forged, the magical properties of this metal begin to appear, giving off a distinctive pearlescent red tint. This wasn't just a show of colors, no, it was the very aura that poured out from the blade. In this world, mana, or 'Ka', is present within all objects. If you can bring out that magical energy, its strength is amplified tenfold. Palladium was a metal abundant in 'Ka', thus, making for the most powerful weapons one can ever gain. Now you could understand how I, a simple guardsman, felt when in possession of such power.
I slid the blade back into its sheathe, the Inquisitor looked at me with a proud smile. I have known this man since I was a youth. I remember him back in the academy, giving me guidance on how to become a better swordsman. He taught me about composure, and about sleight of hand. Do not be fooled by his old age, he is a master at arms, and an even greater artist. He used to be a royal guard to the Emperor himself, and even without knowing that fact.. I wouldn't be so confident in my ability to best him in swordsmanship. He had the look of many battles fought and won, the look you get only from a man that has travelled far and wide, one that saw all there is to this world and challenged it. In comparison, I felt just like a cub out of the womb who didn't know what was ahead him.
I nodded respectfully to the Inquisitor, stepping in line with the other graduates. The young one, Helix, gave me a strange look, his lips pouted as if he was a feline. He seemed jealous of my newly gained weapon. But, I only smirked to myself, basking in the moment of this day, and the glory it brought to me. The Inquisitor spoke again, looking towards us.
"You are now Honor Guards. And with that position, so comes a new duty for you to perform. Each Honor Guard embarks on a 'Great Trial' to prove their worth. If you are to fail this mission, you shall lose your status of Honor Guard. These shall be your duties."
"Grave Rookhard, you shall prove your worth by taking a request from the Mining Expedition in the south. You must assist them in slaying a Great Desert Drake."
"Helix, you shall prove your worth by assisting for the following six months by aiding the Blades Guild. They require of a rogue to perform many important tasks for them. Some easy, some difficult."
"Kelvine, you shall prove your worth by working together with the Artist Association. You shall investigate a strange new illness affecting the far east of Athel Loren."
"Finn Hensman. You shall prove your worth by taking a mission from the Request Office. A client requests to have a bodyguard for his travels, which will lead you to Marea."
We were each handed a letter, and I had to say, all these missions seemed very important. We got briefed on them immediately, and had to start them this same day. That meant today I'd be leaving Lokarth for the first time in years. It surprised me the way these tasks all varied in difficulty and fit the individual. It seemed natural for the Drake Hunter to receive a quest to slay a great beast, for the Roguesman to be tasked in aiding an underground guild, and for the cleric to assist with dealings of a new disease in Athel Loren.
Though, my task excited me. From Lokarth to Marea.. it's more than a thousand leagues. Its a travel through continent upward and if you are not prepared for this journey, you'll come out dead or robbed of all possessions. It made sense as to why my client needed a bodyguard, but just one? Perhaps I was underestimating my ability, and to he honest, I have done so all day. Nevertheless, it was duty, and a Guardsman always does his duty.
The Inquisitor turned his back to us, walking up the podium once more to speak to the audience.
"With this new duty, comes new challenges. I conclude this ceremony with a final message. Remember who you are, soldiers of Ebonvale. The years may have changed you, may have matured you, you may no longer be as young or inexperienced as you once were. But. Remember your ambition. Remember the naivety you once had. Because as you saw today, your aspirations will come to be. Dismissed."
The Inquisitor's words echoed in my head loudly. It felt as if something deep within me sparked up once more. My goals dwindled as I grew up. The once young boy I was became a man, and his view over this world darkened. I still had a goal, I still wanted something, but it had gone down from the scope at which I saw things. This day proved that ideal wrong, that young cadet that I was years ago.. he was right to dream.