Kaz left the home early once more, Leaving some pancakes on the table for Noyiah to enjoy. One of the few times he was up before she was. One thing Kaz had in the wild was the luxury to wake up whenever he pleased, but now he had more of a schedule.

The town was as bustling as it had always been. The days spent with people carrying bags of warm breed. The occasional ruffian reared their head but most knights were around and ready to dispatch them.

The rune knight headquarters had the usual run of pages and apprentices in and out of the building. The training hall echoed with the sounds of new recruits being drilled.

Kaz entered the building and passed by the others. His intent was to have a normal day and get to his training and then out for a patrol. There was the matter of his new assignments from his position to get to.

He moved by the front desk and opened the doors to the outside training area when the receptionist called to him. "Kazimir, we are in need of your assistance today."

He stopped with a hand lingering on the doorway. He thought of the times before when he had been curt and rude to those around him and the guilt he felt for it now.

The door closed as he turned around, "What do you need," he said with a smile.

"We are understaffed for knights to go on patrol. Can you go on your patrol now and take one of the new recruits with you?" She asked, already shuffling the paperwork together.

Kaz nodded and made his way over to the desk. "Of course, I'll wait here for them," He answered with his hands hung to his sides.

"Great he should be arriving soon," she replied with a smile. She had already looked at the recruit's file and figured the two would be a good match up in terms of magic.

Kaz was waiting patiently as knights came and went. Most walking by him without a word, save for the occasional nod of respect or a leer from the ones that hated his return. A situation of some contention within some ranks of the knights.

A young man sauntered over to the receptionist desk with the charisma of someone that had been here far longer than the rank on his uniform showed. The man asked about finding a partner that caught Kaz's attention and now turned to face the man. The receptionist had pointed toward the wind mage solidifying his assumption. The man simply cocked a brow at Kaz without a word. it brought a smirk onto the wind mage's face, "Perhaps you were hoping for a lady to show you around."

He took a couple of steps forward and extended his hand to the new knight, "Unfortunately just me today," his smirk turning to a humble smile. "Name's Kazimir Seiryuu. I'll be taking on patrol today. It should be a pretty basic sweep of the city. I doubt we'll run into any real trouble," he introduced himself and waited for the fellow knight to do the same. Hearing the man's tone and use of words with the receptionists and his reaction to being pointed towards Kaz, it gave the wind mage more of an idea about the recruit. And with how the man looked and the sound of his voice Kaz assumed he had some lineage from outside of this country. Something he could relate to with being Sinesse in birth.

Some other knights walked by wondering what was going to happen. Kaz didn't have a reputation for working with very many people within the knights. Those that he did it was usually through harsh training. Most people stayed away due to his past exploits with being destructive on missions while others appreciated his passive attitude about most things. Nonetheless, there was controversy around being seen with the knight, but he was happy to help and work with a fellow knight.

Shimura would examine the strange man with a careful and judgement stare. He noticed that the stranger received some nods of respect and other notable things not afforded to a page or any rookie for that matter. Though, Shimura would also notice some leers and glares being sent this stranger's way. Both cases told Shimura that this man was well-known, and the man was both hated and liked at the same time, how interesting. Maybe this man was liked due to being attractive? Hmmmm, who on earth did they partner him up with.

A few more moments of silent judgement and Shimura ignored other people, and tried to figure out how the hell to get out of this partnership. He didn't need to be partnered with anyone! How was he supposed to make a name of himself if he had a partner watching his back twenty-four seven! Shimura heard the comment about wanting a girl to show him around which caused him to smirk. "I already had. Guess they thought it be better to partner me with a man, not that I am complaining" He said sarcastically.

He flinched a little when the stranger approached him with a hand outstretched, gods he hated the tradition of shaking hands, it was primitive. Likewise, it opened him up for an attack, but despite this distaste Shimura took the hand. But his eyes widen a little when the stranger introduced himself, and his jaw dropped. "Wait. Your not a page like me, your one of the seated! You are an incredibly powerful mage yes? Like, one of the strongest in the Rune-Knights." he quickly bent down to bow as a sign of respect. "I've heard about your name all the way within my clan's estate, and when I came here I quickly did some research in the library about you people."

Shimura was both honored and annoyed that he was being partner with Kazmir-san. Mostly, because he didn't want people to overlook his growth by being partnered with this powerful and well-known mage. He paused for a moment and cursed under his breath in Joyan; he did not introduce himself, how rude of him! "Forgive me Kazmir-san for not introducing myself when you did. I am Shigaraki Shimura, secibd son of Sosa and Akiko Shigaraki. It is an honor to be partner with me, though I must ask why?"

A moment lingered between the two as the new knight seemed to size him up. Kaz made no note of it. It was something he had gotten used to and would be a rather understandable response. the man's gaze was strong-willed and perhaps arrogant. Then again some new knights with any experience under their belt carried themselves that way. It didn't bother the wind mage, yet. Instead only serving to make him reminisce about how he was when he joined.

The man's sarcastic response hammered home just what kind of person he was. "Well we'll just have to make the most of it," Kaz responded almost as carefree as before, hiding a deeper seriousness about the person's attitude.

He waited for the man to shake his hand back when a sudden look of surprise washed over the man's face. Kaz cocked a brow at first, then realized he may have figured out who he was and heard the rumors abounding about him. Kaz was ready for anything. Anything except the praise. The man's compliments caused Kaz to put his hand on the back of his head. He nodded briefly," Yes, I did become a seated knight recently, but.." he started to wave off the compliment about being the strongest when Shimura bowed.

"Oh," he said startled by the sudden show of respect. "There's no need for that," he replied with a soft tone, appreciative of the gesture but humbled by it. "We're both just knights." The man's demeanor seemed to change instantly and Kaz was surprised to hear he had even done research on him. He didn't think he was worth all of that effort. His statement about the strongest made Kaz pause and place a hand to his chin in brief contemplation, "Hmm, I suppose I'm as strong as a captain. So I guess that would put me in the top 5% but hardly the strongest," a thought that started with him just mumbling to himself but loud enough for Shimura to hear.

"All the way in your clan's estate," he responded puzzled by it. "I didn't think I hardly merited ant of that. But thank you for the compliment. I didn't know there was anything to learn about me in the library, but I'm sure there is a level of exaggeration with all things. Hopefully, I won't disappoint though," he replied with a nod. There was a flicker of concern on Kaz's face as to what all the records had said about him but he would look into that at a later time.

The Joyan quickly apologized and introduced himself in a formal manner. Being called 'san' was something Kaz wasn't used too. "Don't worry about it," he reassured Shimura about not introducing himself. "Well, in that case, I'm Kazimir Seiryu of the wind clan. Nice to meet you Shimura. The pleasure is all mine. Oh and You can just call me Kazimir."

Before answering Shimura's question, Kaz turned to the doorway and nodded his head in the direction for them to go. "Well, to be honest. I was asked to. But I looked over your file while I was waiting and I can see why. Seems we have similar magical interests and we're both foreign. So I think we'd be a good fit. I usually do missions and things alone, so this is a nice change of pace. And you? why did you join the knights?"

As the moment lingered between the two, and as Shimura sized Kazimir up. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited about working with this famous man. Mainly because he wanted to see how Kazimir fought and probe him on how he became such a powerful and famous mage. Perhaps, Shimura could learn a thing or two from this seated-knight and use that information to his advantage. Who knows, perhaps one day Shimura would get on the same level as Kazimir or even best him in a spar. Though, unfortunately, Shimura knew that currently that was impossible. He did not doubt that Kazimir could beat the living shit out of him within two-point five seconds, maybe even less then that!

Another smirk was made when the other knight mentioned about making the most of it. Shimura could make a really dirty joke right about now and make it awkward for both mages. But he decided to spare the powerful mage from his dirty mind and save that joke for later. “You might regret saying that.” Shimura taunted his smirk slyer than ever.

Shimura could tell that Kazimir was a little nervous with his fame. This was information he gathered from previous observations, and from his reaction towards Shimura’s own shock. While he did not know the rumors that circled around Kazimir, he could have careless about them. Shimura only cared about facts, and from what he read about from the library and others means, Kazimir was strong. Sosa, Shimura’s father, would have been proud to call Kazimir his son, unlike Shimura whom Sosa hated. “You must tell me how you became a seated knight! Please? I’m sure it wasn’t due to your good looks.” He purred. Shimura knew how to use compliments and flirting to get what he want, and currently that was power, and respect from the other knight that he had been partnered with.

He ignored the comment about bowing wasn’t necessary, and that they would just Knights. Yes, they were members of the same organization, but the power difference between the two demanded respect. Or well, at least, that was the type of thinking instilled by his Father. “You deserve to be more than a seated knight with the strength that I heard you possessed. It’s a crime that you haven’t attained that rank, well, unless of course, you’ve done something that isn’t too standards. Eh? Have you been naughty Kazimir-san?” he paused for a moment and waved his comment away.

“Indeed my father admire people with power and influence and he made sure that we were aware of them, though I must admit I rarely payed attention to my father’s rants about how great they were and how weak we are, they got tiring. Wouldn’t you agree?” He paused for a moment and gently shrugged his shoulders, "maybe I do have daddy issues." he commented under his breath, before acknowledging what Kazimir said. "You are right about that there are some exaggerations, but I mainly focused on your feats, everyone makes mistakes at times, and whatever mistakes you made. Well, I simply haven’t read about yet or discovered them. But indeed, it is nice to meet you, and to witness all of your greatness in person.” Shimura continued to appeal to Kazimir’s ego, wondering how far it would get him. 

Shimura nodded in agreement that they should leave and started to walk to the doorway with Kazimir. “So, it was destiny that we are to be partners?” he said in a mocking tone and then yawned quietly. “More or less, it seems that the higher ups thought it would be cute to match two foreigners together, but I supposed that having similar magical interest did help some. Anyway, why do you say that though?” He paused at Kazimir-san’s question, and casually rolled his shoulders. “Daddy issues.” He answered.

At the remark about regretting it, Kaz couldn't hold back the small laugh that built up within him. "If only you knew the kind of trouble I find myself in,"Kaz replied about the potential danger the two of them could be in. Clearly missing any of the undertones that Shimura may have actually been hinting towards. For as intelligent as the wind mage was, he either had a one-track mind about work or was easily distracted by a simple melody. If nothing else, Kaz gathered from the comment that Shimura was beginning to feel a little more comfortable with their team-up.

Shimura then shot an exciting question Kaz's way about becoming a knight, attached to a sly compliment. One that finally started to make some things click in the wind mage's mind. He was ready to answer the first part when the compliment garnered a sideways smile. "I don't think anyone in the upper levels would fall for my looks. They have only worked on one person" he said, thinking about the person that waited for him at home. Also serving as a way to curb some of the purring as Kaz began to wonder if the young knight was being flirtatious.

"As for becoming a knight," he paused to think a second. "Take on a good load of missions. Be diligent, train hard and take some risks," Kaz seemed most energetic about the risk-taking aspect. "As long as you develop your skills and magic, you'll be noticed. When I first started I was partnered with Captains. They taught me a lot and eventually I found my own way. That's all there is to it. Invest the time and work. Don't get discouraged by politics."

Shimura pressed a bit more, which Kaz didn't mind. His history wasn't a secret. Although it did make the mage's look become more focused on his answer. Then the next compliment came, Kaz shook his head with a grin, that was less about feeling flustered by the man's words and more from delight at seeing the different side's of Shimura's personality. A young knight spouting off words of whimsy. "I suppose I was. My strength may be comparable but my time and leadership skills need to be developed. I went on a mission to stop a religious faction from destroying a village. We did. But the man was too powerful to be stopped. His goals were to cast out angel's and demon's from this land. So I joined him, thinking I could be a source of rationality to stop him from destroying innocent lives during his quest. But then he just seemed to disappear. I was out of the knights for that time and have only recently returned. But I've trained hard and been in battles more difficult than I should have been in. So my strength grew faster than my time in the knights...Sorry for the long story. And thank you for your compliment," he said about Shimura feeling Kaz should hold a higher rank. He didn't yet say all the reasons he joined Nerva. Only if Shimura had a desire to learn more would he go into all of that.

"I agree those stories would get tiring," he felt sympathetic to the plight that Shimura had gone through with his family. It would be a hard thing to constantly be told you are weak."Ranting about one's own strength can be seen as a weakness of arrogance. You're here now, and your strength will grow. All that matters is you have a path and you see it through." He then flashed a smile, "Plus, families can be hard to deal with. Mine too."

Another wave of compliments came and Kaz crossed his arms, but still held a calm expression, not bothered by the words but contemplative of them, "I've made a few but," he shrugged, "I have no regrets. My choices were my own. But let's accomplish some great things together!"He added the last part to deflect the compliment about himself and include them both in it, then un-crossed his arms.

"I suppose," Kaz responded to Shimura's statement about destiny.

"The higher-ups make some interesting choices sometimes," he answered as they stepped out of the headquarters and stood atop the mountain looking down on Era. Their destiny somewhere within its confines. "Oh," Kaz looked over his shoulder at Shimura with sly and eager smile, " Says you're proficient with offensive magic. My magic focuses almost entirely on offense. "

There was an intrigued and somewhat excited look in Kaz's eyes, "I'm interested in seeing what you can do with it."

It seems that Kazimir did not understand that Shimura was attempting to make a dirty joke, well that was honestly a little disappointing, but oh well there was nothing he could do. “Wasn’t talking about getting into trouble, but okay you do you.” He commented with a gentle shrug and waved away that aspect of the conversation as he was no longer interested in it. Though he was a little interested in what kind of trouble he could get with Kazimir, Shimura guessed that sooner or later he would find that out.

Shimura honestly doubt that there wasn’t someone within the higher chains of command that could easily be seduced by good looks and a pretty smile, though not from a man but a woman. But of course, he would not express such pessimistic doubts on the good nature of the commanders, well at least, not just yet. Though the comment about his looks only working on one person did interest Shimura and caused him to cock a curious eyebrow and allow an ‘oh?’ to slip from his lips. But he did not press the subject anymore, mostly because he did not care about whoever Kazimir’s love interest was or his love life for that matter. He was far more interested in what he had to say about becoming a seated knight, and becoming one of the strongest mages within the guild.

Though he was honestly disappointed in Kazimir’s answer, it was so basic and bland. But needless to say, it was good advice on par to what his uncle would tell him. Shimura did take note that Kaz seemed to be more energetic about the risk-taking aspect, it did him a small concern. “I’ve been developing my skills since I was a young boy Kazimir-san, so I believe that I have that part down. But something tells me I need to know the politics of Fiorie if I am to succeed and surpass you one day.” A pause. “No offense of course.” He added in.

From an early age he was taught that knowledge was just as important as strength, and that together the two could grant him imaginable power. For that reason, Shimura did inquire about Kazimir’s path, mostly because he wanted to get a good feel for Kazimir and make connections and alliances with him. Furthermore, he wanted to determine if one day, Kazimir could become a threat. But he would inquire about his past a little more in the future, he didn’t want to be overbearing. “I see. You know Kazimir-san, I firmly believe that some people are inherently evil or wrong, and that those people cannot be reasoned with and they do not deserve such noble acts of mercy or kindness. Instead when we come across those people, then we as rune-knights as protectors of the people, should do what must be done. My father taught me that in those situations we must be thorough and merciless, and root them out like rodents. Though, this was the same man who killed my grandfather when he nearly drove the family into ruin. You did a noble thing, but in doing so you’ve allowed him to escape.” Shimura paused turned to Kazimir, and locked eyes with him; a fierce flame had sparked in his eye. “If you see that man again, what would you do?” he asked and maintained eye contact before breaking it.

Kaz picked up on the 'oh' that escaped Shimura's lips but he decided not to elaborate on it further. The young man would probably not find it too interesting.

A light laugh came from the wind mage, not to mock Shimura but at the fun of the thought at having a rival, "Well, I hope to see how strong you can go. Having more strong mages we have in the knights the more people we can help. As for politics, The knights' prize strength above some other things. Prove you're strong enough and capable enough and you'll rise. Politics gets you caught up in things. There are sides in the knights you'll find out about them. Join one or don't. It makes no difference. if you're powerful enough, you'll find your way," he spoke. Kaz spent most of his time solo and occasionally working with a team but the one constant was results. Keep succeeding and you get noticed.

Shimura's words were cold. Kaz wondered if they came from a dark experience or words of fear from a teacher. He couldn't deny there was some truth in it. He was optimistic in his youth but life had taught him otherwise. "True. There are some that can't be reasoned with. I think it's important to give people a chance but sometimes," his voice became more cold and emotionless, "You have to put people down just like demons."

"As for my situation with the inquisition. It was not necessarily a choice. There were some of the strongest mage's I had ever seen there to meet the zealot. And all our skill combined wouldn't have been enough to take him down. So there really wasn't much of a choice. Then we were all supposed to meet further north," Kaz's voice became less cold and back to normal, "But he never made it. So myself and another knight decided to just come back to the knights."

The Shimura asked a question with a fire in his eyes. But the question wasn't a hard one for Kaz. The wind mage simply smiled back, "Since my first encounter with Nerva, I have more than doubled my power. And they whole legion of Knights could through themselves at him and it would amount to nothing. Doing good is important. Throwing our lives away helps no one. But If I saw him again, I'd speak to him. Ask him where he went, what he did? and if he succeded? And if He came meaning harm...save as many people as I could."

"Sorry to hear about your family. Do you think that was the right decision?"

He watched as Shimura proclaimed his passion at the edge of the mountain. Kaz had a simple reply, "You will be strong enough. And we can bring more peace to the land," he answered but inside knew that bringing that kind of peace was nearly impossible. But they would do all that they could to get as close as possible.

They began their walk,"Already thinking about the future huh? Nothing wrong with that. Although I plan to do this for a good long time. I've been at this for awhile now. I think I'd like to start training more knights. Lead and protect from the headquarters and ensure the safety of the home-base. MY retirement will hopefully be as a captain-commander or Kingsguard." he spoke, maybe even revealing more details about the structure of the knights than Shimura may have known.

"But a family would be nice, nothing sappy about that," he replied with a sideways look and a smile at the sentimental side of the magma mage.

"Burn things huh. A fire mage through and through then. As for me, I make tornados," he said as he lifted his hand and created a 2-meter tornado a few meters away from them.

"Wind and Fire can be a dangerous combination."

It wasn't long before the reached the bottom of the mountain and the true entrance to the city. A large arch and hustle of people scouring from place to place.

Shimura did pick up on the light laugh but decided it wasn’t out of malicious intent, but he could not be too sure about that. However, he decided not to inquire anymore about the reason behind the laugh. “Mmmm, strength does seem to garner the ability to do more and it does lead to power.  But brute strength can only do so much especially if you do not have the intelligence and willpower to direct that strength.” He went quiet for a few minutes and listened to how the Knight’s politics revolved mainly around strength. Shimura frowned at that and sighed disappointingly, “My father taught me that wars can be fought with words alone. Anyway, the Rune-Knights divided between different  sides? Maybe that is what is wrong with the guild. We don’t have a strong and cunning leader to guide us and to usher in a new age of peace."

Honestly, those words were his own, but they were influenced by his upbringing. Mainly, his father’s cruel and merciless tactics and methods of ruling over his territory. Shimura had unfortunately adopted some of Sosa’s ruthless and merciless methods of ambitions when pursuing one’s goal. Shimura took a note when Kazimir’s voice when cold and emotionless, but he nodded in agreement with the statement. “Some people simply do not warrant a second change, and in that case we put them down like dogs when they have become old and weary of life."

Once again, he went quiet when Kazimir started to explain the inquisition and the choices that he had. He nodded as he listened and crossed his arms behind his back as he walked. “Did you not think of assassination? Or some other means to eliminate these potential threats? Or am I misunderstanding something, and they were not threats?” Shimura asked recognizing that he honestly didn’t know much about the inquisition. Shimura was honestly disappointed at Kazimir answer, "I do not know who this man is or what crimes he has done in the past, but there has to be someway to bring him to atonement for previous sins! It is our job to bring those who have broken the law to the Kings Justice." he pointed out.

Shimura paused when Kazimir asked him if his father did the right thing. “I don’t know to be honest. Something tells me yes it was the right thing, a necessary step for the greater good of the family, but also something tells me no.” A smirk formed across Shimura’s face at the comment about them bringing more peace to the land. With Shimura’s cunning and ruthlessness and their combine power, he was sure that they could bring peace to the land, that much he could essentially guarantee. “If I do not think about the future I would have nothing to guide me. Thinking of the future gives me a purpose and a plan, or at least it would allow me to create a plan, a beautiful one at that. Mmmm, that does sound nice to be honest, I mean I would still work with the rune-knights. I won’t fully retire. But it would be nice to have a partner, and a family. Anyway, I would look forward to you becoming a captain commander, you’d probably get things done.”

“Very destructive indeed, gonna make doing some missions a bitch though” As they spoke the managed to make their way into the city, Shimura looked around and yawned a little. “Though I must admit, making every city like Era would make being a rune-knight kind of boring if you think about it."

"You do indeed need a good amount of cunning and knowledge to deal with things while on a mission. A knight has to be able to fight, sneak, infiltrate. negotiate and much more," Kaz said. Shimura seemed to be a very attuned man. Someone who thirsted for the top and whatever knowledge he could possess.

"I suppose what I mean is that. While there is a level of politics in the knights. And words are important. The one undisputed thing is power and results. A person can't get to the top with only words. Much like the guilds, the higher-ranked knight the more dangerous missions and those are the ones that will really get you noticed. If your goal is to rise up," Kaz said, giving the man a slight smile and hinting towards Shimura's ambitions.

"mmm," Kaz hummed quietly, thinking about how to approach the question. "There are groups that run together. Knights that approach missions in different ways. The only things to really worry about are the corrupt groups. There has been a problem in the knights with corruption for some time. I assisted with a sting on a group of corrupt knights once. That's why I've received some stares from other knights. I have no problem with bringing down our own if they are breaking the law."

There was a harshness in Shimura's words about second chances and mercy. It was cold and resolute. But each Knight had to go about their path in their own way as long as justice was served. For now, Kaz had no need to follow down that train of thought.

"well. I suppose it comes down to politics. Something you may be interested in. The church holds a lot of sway in the country. And the Holy Knights and Rune Knights have found a balance. But have different but sometimes overlapping jurisdictions. The inquisition was a splinter group of the church and then they broke off. During this time..." Kaz paused for a moment as if to relive a dark time. "Demon's were invading the country from portals all across the land. All mages, holy knights and rune knights were called to face them down. The scars of battle still littered across the land. A man named Nerva led the inquisition and sought to eliminate the demons once and for all. They were very 'ends justify the means'. They were also our best chance of stopping the portals. Nerva wanted to make sure Seraphim and Daemons could no longer bring their war to our land.

Kaz gave a brief sigh, "That's about things in a nutshell. He was a fanatic but one that was needed. Just needed to be reined in a bit. The only reason he would be a threat to Era or the knights is if there were demon's hiding in the city and he thought it would be easier to just wipe it all out." Speaking about the inquisition, he hoped that it cleared things up for Shimura. It was a complicated matter. He made eye contact with Shimura once more and spoke with a heavy heart, "words can win wars. Perhaps it could bring a man to justice. We convinced him to spare a village last time. He is not heartless or irrational," he said in reply to Shimura's query about bringing down the man.

"Lots of things can end up that way. A little of both," he commented on the unknown aspects of the murder of Shimura's grandfather. "Will you ever return there, question your father?" He realized he had just asked a probing question about the man's past who knew little of Kaz's.

"I too have some family issues to go back and address. A father as well." he added to give the two men some common ground as they were sharing and he listened for Shimura's answer.

There was little doubt that Shimura would become a great asset to the knights. Kaz was already intrigued to see what kind of knight the man would become. "That's a pretty good purpose. We all need something to guide us. He nodded his head, "I'll definitely give it my best. Clean things up around here. And your plan does sound beautiful. But for now, the next step is an apprentice. It'll come faster than you think."

Kaz laughed about the missions becoming more difficult as it was true. "It does create a limit but I've found some ways around it. The exciting part is finding what are limitations and creating ways around it"

They walked the city streets and Shimura yawned exclaiming his boredom. "Yeah it would but don't worry," Kaz walked over to a wall that was yet to be fixed. His hand running across the claw marks that were dug into it. "Petty crime is the least of our worries as a knight. There will always be dark guilds, Demons, and people hiding in the shadows.

“I guess what you say is true about not being able to get into the higher ranks without results. One of these days I am going to get into those delicious higher ranks and start calling the shots. I’m going to completely transform the rune-knights, so that they would be a proper and effective way to deal with chaos and disorder. Hopefully, I could tag along with you on some of those dangerous missions, it would make me a little noticeable and more appealing to those officials, heck you might be able to vouch for me on my combat skills once you see me fight.” Shimura clenched his fist and made a muscle, and then return his arms behind his back. 

He listened to what Kazimir had to say about the different factions within the rune-knights, and how they were mostly people going on missions together. Though he frowned about the corruption within the Knights, it truly pissed him off that people would pollute and ruin such a noble purpose. “It seems that each generation of man has cried out for a new world but has instead created the same old world; corrupt and filthy. I’ve helped one of the captains track down a group of knights who were taking bribes, unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to get rid of them.” He sighed in a dramatic fashion, maybe the rune-knights needed a leader that would purge away the corruption. “I wonder, if a faction dedicated to rooting out the corruption within the knights is needed?” he thought out loud.

Honestly, Shimura hated the concepts of the holy-knights and how religions was so intwined within the government and politics around here. Fortunately, it was not that way at home and for the most part, Shimura’s father held near absolute control over his lands; granted that may not be a good thing for some people. Furthermore, Shimura wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about the guild system.  There were a lot of guilds, but he didn’t know to much about them to make a firm decision on if they were good or bad. “I must admit that I do not agree with the amount of power granted to the holy knights and religious organizations around here. In my opinion, the holy knights should have not existed and instead they should be absorbed into the rune-knights. I mean, I can understand a couple of ‘ends justify the means’ line of thinking, I subscribed to it as well. And I must admit that I am starting to admire this man, well, from the small bits of information that you’ve told me. But that should be a rune-knight making those decisions, and not some pathetic holy warrior that has his mind racked on some deity” 

Shimura went quiet when Kazimir-san asked if he was going to return and question his father. He took a few moments to think, and starred at a couple of children playing, “You know, I don’t know to be honest. I plan on returning to show my father how powerful I have become. But returning and questioning him…again…well I don’t know about that, the last time I’ve done that well.” He lifted up his bangs which had somewhat been covering his scar, “He gave this to me as a present.” He allowed his bangs to fall back into his face. “But maybe I will turn, deliver the same justice that he gave my grandfather, or maybe I won’t and simply end the cycle.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened with your father?” Shimura asked and continued to walk down the street with Kazimir, it seems their patrol was going smoothly. So far they did not run into anyone who might pose a problem or might be breaking the rules, one of the reasons why Shimura hated Era, everyone did what they were supposed to do or else face the swift justice of the rune-knights. “Ugh, going from being a no one to being someone’s lap dog, such a major change in ranks.” He muttered sarcastically.

Kaz nodded with a smile at the man's enthusiasm. "You are more than welcome to join me on any quest I take. I'd be happy to have you there. And once I see you in combat, I've no doubt that I'll vouch for you. We'll transform the knights together," he said as the wind swept through his bangs.

"I'd like to hear more about that mission you were on," he inquired about Shimura tracking down a group of knights. It peaked Kaz's interests and also told him even more, how apparent the corruption was. Kaz thought for a moment if now was an appropriate time to answer the man's question but quickly decided Shimura would be a safe one to tell. "I've actually thought for some time now about a more expansive internal affairs division. A lot of things to get worked out on that though."

Shimura spoke passionately about all the topics to deal with the knights. He had given these things a good deal of thought and Kaz was pleased that he was at least comfortable enough to share even his controversial ideas. "He was a man to be admired in some respects. Ends justify the means is at times the best way to handle a situation. We have to save the most people that we can," Kaz gave a small sigh, "Unfortunately, Rune Knights, Holy Knights, Illumin, the church. There all things that for now are the way they are. I just stay focused on the task of helping others and doing my part. But just as some knights are corrupt, I'm sure that there are level headed holy knights."He left out some of the darker details he encountered about the church. At least for now.

"Sorry that happened," he remarked about the scar that was on the man's face. "Being attacked by a father is a painful thing to experience. End the cycle or take his life. Two hard choices to make. Either way, you have plenty of time to decide on that,"he spoke about Shimura' s future as much as he did his own. His own timeline for his choice becoming slimmer.

"Well...I suppose in a nutshell. I was an orphan raised in a clan. My adopted father was the clan leader. I was set to be wed to the daughter of another clan. He betrayed me. Killed my fiance and tried to kill me. They still hunt me and I face off with them," he glanced back at Shimura, Kaz's voice was as calm as a summer's breeze. "But I'll bring him to justice. I'm ready now."

As the conversation shifted, Kaz shrugged, "Not necessarily. I spent most of my time as an apprentice on my own. Just taking jobs and heading out. Occasionally accompanying other knights. It's a lot freer than it seems so longs as you don't get in trouble. And I have a feeling," he cocked a brow at Shimura and gave a coy grin, "you may prefer it that way too. Well...once you get past all the missions that have you helping Grandma's bake cookies and delivering sign-up forms on a beach," he gave a small laugh about it, one hand on his hip and the other swaying at his side.

Kaz dropped his hand from the mark and was about to reply when the sound of glass shattered in the alleyway. Halfway down, two men charged out of a doorway, a lamp spilling to the ground and breaking as they barged into the alley. One had a black cloth bag. Both men with black cloth headbands wrapped around their eyes.

"Not stupid. Yes, they can. And a Demon attack. The witch of carnage was in town not long ago too," he answered the mage's question rapidly and in a whisper. Kaz pressed his hand against the wall and gazed down the alley. "Take the lead," He replied and in a quick gust of wind beneath him, the wind mage dashed through the air to the top of the building, letting Shimura do his things. Kaz would ease closer to the group in pace with how Shimura moved.

Shimura nodded when the other mentioned that he was allowed to go on quests with him. “I am definitely going to take you up on that offer Kazimir-sama. Indeed, together we will transform the knights into a perfect order, and once the knights have been transformed, we will create a perfect Utopia.” He smiled in agreement and admire the other male from afar, if only, Shimura thought to himself. 

An eyebrow was raised when the other asked him to elaborate on the mission, Shimura rolled his shoulders backwards in a shrug. “Well. Simply put five Knights were suspected of corruption. The captain tasked me with shadowing five knights to discover which ones were corrupt, three of the knights were corrupt, I informed the captain about who those individuals were, and he said he’ll take care of it.” He informed the other knight about the mission he had done for the captain and wondered what he was thinking. “Indeed, such an organization would be tricky to make, and without proper funding and resources it would fall through rather quickly. Creation of an organization such as that must be precise and careful, we must first prove that there is corruption and give reason to its creation.”

Admittedly, Shimura probably should not have spoken about such controversial things out loud in public, but honestly, he could have cared less what people were going to say about him. Furthermore, Shimura felt like he could trust Kazimir-sama with this information. “Indeed, the ends justifies the means mindset can help in various situations, and such mindset can get things done. Results are the most important thing, well at least in my opinion results are incredibly important.” He nodded in agreement. “I do not think that in the future the rune-knights will not get in the way of justice, but for now they are a roadblock. There must be a reformation of some sorts, for the sake of the people and for justice.” However, admittedly Shimura would attempt to dismantle those religious zealots if he were to be in charge, but he felt like Kazimir did not need to know that.

“I do not know what I am going to do. If I were to return home it would probably be in order to deliver the justice that should be delivered upon my father.” Shimura said after a while and then shrugged. He frowned when Kazimir told him about his family and how awful they were. “Oh, I am sorry Kazimir-sama. But now you posses the power to defend yourself and end this terrible hunt.” He pointed out. “That doesn’t sound so bad. Being largely left to your own devices does sound good indeed. But I fear that the higher ups would get in my way or question my methods of justice.” He rolled his eyes at the lower rank missions, “Yea….if I ever get pass them.” He grumbled under his breath.

Shimura went quiet when the sound of glass shattering filled the alleyway. “Yumi you don’t say.” He muttered a bit absent mindedly, not really paying attention to the bit about demons. Halfway down the alley way Shimura could see two men dashing out of a doorway, shattering a lamp in the process. Another grin formed across Shimura’s face at the thought of entering into combat. Excitedly, he turned to Kazimir like a child who was ready to open his Christmas presents, when Kazimir gave him the ‘go ahead’ Shimura did not waste any time and quickly engage those criminals. Shimura clenched his fist which activated a magic circle below him, his entire arm was transformed into molten hot magma, Shimura slammed his fist into the ground. Cracks would appear on the ground, and another magic circle will appear below the criminals, this circle was followed by a loud boom. Magma erupted upward from the ground, splashing piping hot magma within a 2-meter diameter. Shimura’s hand returned to normal, and the magic circle disappeared as the lava cooled.

Statistics :

It was almost hard to believe that even being a page he was already a part of a mission that was so heavy. Even if it was a minor role. To be put in front of the concept of corrupt knights before his career had even begun would leave an impression on anyone.

The more that Shimura spoke the more Kaz gathered about his personality. Vigilant, true, and definitely headstrong and ambitious. All traits that could come in handy. In some ways, he saw a bit of himself in the man. They wouldn't have gotten along otherwise but there were undertones of contrast. But it was those contrast that made a partnership work

"It's a shame you were exposed to that side of the knights so soon. But on the other hand its better that you were. You seem to be of the mindset that could handle something like that. I would have been surprised if it detoured you from your path," he said as a compliment to the man's tenacity.

His talk of reformation got a casual stare from the wind mage. "A reformation...I hard thing to accomplish," he shrugged. "But then again I fought to rid the world of seraphim and deamons so I'm not one to judge a lofty goal."

"It's nothing," Kaz waved off the seriousness of his own past. "and thank you. I trained hard. But It will not be in defense. I will hunt them out and rid the world of their crimes," Kaz was a passive man and walked a grey line about most things. Looking on the bright side and too hope. But he was resolute when speaking about his clan. His mind was set on the task he needed to accomplish.

"The good thing about the higher-ups. They do come in all styles,"  he reassured the mage about his methods hopefully.
Secretly Kaz hoped to be in that position one day. Then he could promote people that were hardworking and deserving. He let out a small laugh at Shimura's grumble about the missions. He had been there himself and knew all too well how tedious they could be. Perhaps in traveling together, he could spare the young mage some of that grief.

The crash came. Kaz darted across the roof. Suddenly realizing that Shimura had said Yumi's name. The man spent a lot of time in the library so he dismissed it as acquired knowledge.

He was ready to jump down and help when Shimura conjured cracks in the ground and a spew of lava erupted around the bandits. They panicked in the hit and flailed to find someplace of safety as their clothes burned and they ripped them off.

Kaz stayed on the roof and watched with an affirmative nod. He was talented indeed. Just then, Kaz caught saw another man waiting at the end of the alley. His eyes were fixed on the two that were assaulted. He held a mask in his hands and began to flee.

A rush of wind surrounded Kaz and he dashed across the rooftop within a second and hovered over the man. with a swipe of his hand, he conjured a tornado, the same size as the area attack Shimura used, that shot the man into a wall and he slumped to the ground.

Kaz landed and looked back at Shimura, "Well done. That magic is pretty dangerous," Kaz was already thinking of how else that spell could be used and he looked at the wall to the building.

"If you conjure the fire...Have you ever thought about sending it upwards on a vertical surface and shooting the magma out at a horizontal angle?" he questioned as he brought out his cuffs and slapped them on the three men.

spell:

The man's responses impressed Kazimir. He showed himself more and more to be one with a heart that would cut through the corruption and the crime in the country. Even if their paths diverged in the future, Kaz had a strong feeling that the knights would be safe in his hands.

"Well then, I'm glad that it only made your resolve stronger. They are important thinsg to be aware of in navigating this world." As the conversation went on, kazimir saw the cocked brow of his partner. It was an abrupt thing to say to someone, that he was hunting down others. It probably did merrit an explanation and if they would be traveling together perhaps he should know a bit more.

"There are some people that can't be brought back. It is a battle of revenge in a way. But also they have been murdering and commiting crimes in the country and destroying things to get at me. But in the end we will have to clash and the man in charge of the clan is not one to yield. He wil lnot surrender. He will not let himself be taking in. He is the kind of man that will fight to the end. If it isn't him that will meet his end it will be whoever he is fighting. I don't know when the moment comes if it will be easy for me to strike that blow. But I do know that there won't be a choice. He will not alow me to let him live if I also want to walk away from the conflict." He ended the conversation with a shrug.

"Sounds a lot like my magic. It's also difficult to use around people. I have to calculate angles all the time. Fortunately I've deveolped a way to sense vibrations around me and can get a good idea of where people are by feeling the movement of them breathing. I know a fire mage that can sense thermal energy," he added. Shimura's magic had a harsh offensive presence. One that's focus was similar to Kaz's. One of the reasons he was curious about traveling and working with the magma mage. He looked back at the broken ground and the fountain of lava, "But your's may be a littl emore volatile than my own." Kaz dusted off his clothes and pants from the scuffle.

He gave a small bow of his head, "My apologies. Magma. That's a combination of earth and fire, yes? and as for going up the wall. It's more for the ability to reach higher opponents, and catch people off guard in different ways. Perhaps a spar some time would be good. I could get a real feel of what you can do and then perhaps give you some ideas on other offenisve tactivs. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve."

“Someone without a strong conviction holds no true purpose in this world other to waste away in self-pity.” He would comment on the subject about conviction, it would be his last thought on the matter before he shifted focus. Indeed, the comment about hunting down someone could use a better explanation, but that didn’t necessary mean that Shimura did not agree with Kazimir, merely that he would like more information. “Do not mistaken my raised eyebrow as judgement, or well granted sometimes it is judgement, but other times its curiosity.” Shimura answered swiftly and forced two of the prisoners to stand up; he firmly held them by their arm. 

“I don’t recommend doing this alone my friend. I recommend that you have help aiding this endeavor. And seeing that these individuals have killed innocent people and upset the law. I am sure that you can classify this as a problem that should involve a rune-knight, and thus have their resources available to aid you in this problem.” He shoved the criminals forward and directed them towards the end of the alley, he turned to Kazimir, who had the other criminal. “Come on I’m sure that you can handle him, Mr. seated knight.” Shimura taunted with a smirk, but he was not done with the matter at hand. “It seems that you are fixing to get yourself into a war Kazimir-san. I don’t recommend going in alone, I’d join you in the matter, but I’m not sure how much of a use I’d be.” 

“Going in this alone would only get you killed. No matter how much you have gained in power. You must think these through all angles that could possible pose a problem.” He waited for Kazimir to handle the prisoner, “Magma mage” he corrected as he cleared his throat and listened to what Kazimir had to say about their magic. “Ya’think?” he muttered when Kazimir mentioned that it maybe more volatile than his own. “Indeed, Magma is a combination of earth and fire. Oh, I have other techniques that allow me to reach higher places. I have techniques for melee and range combat, but for the most part, I prefer to stick in closer quarters combat. It ensures that I hit an opponent.” The magma that Shimura had created had longed cooled off, but the ground still smoked and their was a stain.

He would nod in agreement when Kazimir mentioned a spar between the two. “Sure we can spar one day, but don’t cheat with that advance level crap that I know you no doubt possess.” He smirked. “But one day, we would truly have to fight on equal footing in order to see who possess the most destructive magic yes?” He paused for a moment, “Random question, do you know a good tailor? Or if the knights have a uniform I could alter? Some girl told me something about a uniform, Noyiah I believe was her name, but I wasn’t paying attention. And honestly, I don’t feel like a rune-knight in this outfit.” 

He didn't expect such a strong response from Shimura on the topic of Kaz's past and what he aimed to do. He smiled and exhaled from his nose as he looked towards the sky. Small snowflakes dotting his hair and face. The conversation had given Kaz a brief pause as he held the criminal in cuffs. Shimura's taunt snapped him out of it. He forgot that the one thing he had grown lazy about in the knights was leaving bound criminals for pages to take care of. He brought his focus back to the man and brushed the snow from his face.

A smirk rested on his face, "Oh yeah. I usually leave them for pages to pick up," he taunted back as he pushed the prisoner forward to catch up to Shimura. It was odd for him to think that when he was brought in and shadowed the senior knights, he was now in that position. He hoped he lived up to their expectations. And this interaction reminded him of the small quips he shared with his senior.

The man then continued about the threat Kaz was about to face and the danger he would walk into. He shoved the prisoner forward again. Shimura's words ringing in his mind. 'Was he powerful enough to be the fool he wanted to be?' he thought to himself. Both hands rested on his hips and he took a deep breath in and breathed it out through his nose. "You do make a convincing argument, don't you. I had intended to face them alone. My history and all that. Not wanting to get others involved if I could avoid it. But they are a threat to the general population." Hearing the word 'war' was an accurate statement as to what it may end up being. Depending on how many of the clan came against him.

"You sure you want to fight a bunch of wind mages? It is very likely that you would have to take their life?" He slowed his pace as he said the last part. Letting the words set in. Kaz had already crossed that threshold and knew well enough that at some point a knight would be faced with that choice. But is that what Shimura wanted to take on now? Kaz also thought it would be a bit reckless if he took a newly trained knight on such a mission. But he would be a hypocrite to say no. If it wasn't for the reckless decisions he made and was taken on, he wouldn't have gotten to where he is.

"If it is, then don't worry. You will be more than a valued asset. The mages in the clan come in all skill levels. And I'll make sure you're ready,"he said with more conviction than anything else he spoke of. If there was one thing Kaz would ensure, it was the safety of his fellow knights, especially those putting themselves in danger for him.

If Shimura agreed Kaz would say, "Well then when the time comes," he ended with a simple affirmative head nod. "Be warned though...they jump around a lot," he added as a joke but was true. An attempt to lighten the mood again.

They stepped past the cooled off magma pit. The steam still rose from the impressive attack. "Close quarters huh. That's good cause I like space." For how similar some things were between their skillsets, there was still plenty of differences to make them a good balance. And the thought of seeing the way the man handled more unorthodox situations.

Kaz shrugged and rose his hands, "Maybe only a couple. I can't go too easy on you," he joked back and then guided the prison forward more. The came an intriguing offer. A test of destructive forces, "It's a deal then. Once you get more powerful, we will definitely have to find out which is which. although I may need to find a way to learn a new element," he added with a smirk.

Kaz slowed once more with the announcement of the random question, "hmm...Oh? A tailor huh? Let's see." He put a hand to his chin to ponder. "So you've met Noyiah already then," a spark flickered in Kaz's eye at the mention of her name.

"I know someone who touches up my uniform," he opened his arms. Kaz was very clearly not wearing a rune knight uniform, but it was a uniform of some sort. No regalia told what faction it belonged to. "But yes, you can have the uniforms altered. We can stop by and grab you one when we take these guys in."

Kaz looked over what the man was wearing, "Looks fine to me. But if you'd feel more comfortable in the traditional uniform, then absolutely. Then I'll show you my tailor."

"Still gotta work on those joke talking skills," he teased back at Shimura's glare about the page comment. If there was one thing Kaz worried about it was how serious the man could be. "That kind of frustration can be a detriment in a high-pressure situation. There will be many challenges, some enemies praying on emotions."

He put his hand on Shimura's shoulder, "I appreciate your support Shimura. Thank you. But don't worry. When the time comes I'll have allies. In truth, I've already teamed up with some and fought them off before. But there are some things in this world, that we must do alone. Some challenges that need to be faced so we find balance. When you face your father it may feel the same. A moment between two people with a long history." For Kaz that was what he trained for these past long years. The finality of his history. It was not about the knights and he didn't think about defeat. It was a moment that would define who would inherit the spirit of the wind. But he could understand Shimura's concerns.

" I think that's enough of such a somber topic," he said with a small smile. One that showed he wasn't bothered by the talk but that it had run its course.

The man had made a stout comment about taking out the high flying enemies. Kaz shook his head with a smile and pushed his prisoner onto the carriage.

He sat on the carriage and pushed the prisoner to the front. The driver spurred the horses and Kaz looked back at the city. "Been a while since I used one of these"

"You Know Shimura. The wind blows gentle and it blows hard. Sometimes it carries dirt and debris. At other times it carries bouquets of flowers that fill the air with color," he grinned, still looking out at the city. "But no matter what the wind carries or how long it blows. The wind is still the wind."

exit