Magdalene opened her eyes, ready to start her day. She dressed in her light leather armor, braided back her hair to pin up, and lastly picked up Telor. She unsheathed the Mithril saber from its lacquered sheathe, the gift given to her by the Archduke the day she took on her duty to the family. Sheathing it and securing the silken rope around her waist. She takes a deep breath she made her way out of the room. Walking through the stone corridor of the outer yard, Magdalene looked out over the western cliff watching the edges of light touch the border of the Bladesinger estate. Finally arriving at the personal training grounds set up for her and the youngest, she spots a well dressed older halfling standing in front of the door. Seeing the butler known as Mizer put her more at ease in the back of her head. Being an elf from the west continent of Etrissa she always feels out of place around the other humanoid races, but Mizer being a halfling and from a similar are as she had been helped alleviate the homesickness she had been feeling the last two months.
"Good morning Dame Glynren" Mizer smiles at me while slightly bowing towards her.
"Is the young master already in there? Earlier than normal lately." He nods at her, while she sighs and opens the large steel door.
Upon opening the door the sounds of footsteps springing rapidly reach her ears, before her eyes can pick up the blur flinging across the wooden platforms built across the chambers. Watching the figure fleet at speeds even most young squires can't reach, she thought back to the series of events that unfolded for her to meet the young boy less than a couple months ago.
All Bladesinger children were given their only personal guard and attendant at age five, ones they typically picked out themselves from a variety of retainers at the estate they had grown up around. Magdalene Glynren was a retainer of the Bladesinger family, while there were noble families in Etrissa, her family had been outcasts for years due to a confrontation between a high elf and her father. Only a little over a year prior was she recognized in talent by the Archduke himself who had arrived to the village closest to her home. She had been delving into a dungeon know for its crystal theme. She took the moment to think back to then.
A single lower floors Golem core could be sold for hundreds of gold, with her father bedridden due to injury it fell on her mother to make money for the family, Magdalene felt she had to help with the only talent she had. While her combat ability for being nineteen was well above average, it was her stealth trait that made her a cut above the rest. Being an AAA ranked trait, something only one in hundreds of thousands was born with, it was something intertwined with her nature. It even allowed her to safely make her way down to a lower floor and get the drop on a Crystal Golem feeding on large pillars of minerals. She expected with her stealth trait
She attempted to slash downwards at the mole still close to her side, but as the sword made contact with the moles upper hide it shattered. It had been damaged from striking through the golem with her full strength. As blood loss started distorting her vison she accepted that he over confidence is what killed her. She just hoped her absence would improve the household financial situation with less mouths to feed. While she knew how devasted her mother and father would be, it was likely they would never find out what happened to her since corpses cannot be recovered from dungeons. They might even think she ran away to live in a better situation which they had tried to convince her to do multiple times. Accepting her death she focused all her strength into her fist ready to give one last hit, through her Ether Channels a soft purple light spread though from her chest to her fist. It would be every bit of aura she could put into a single punch then she drew her arm back, that was when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright child save your energy" She whipped her head towards the gruff voice to see a human man, one who looked both average and extraordinary at the same time.
The living contradiction smiled down at her sheathing his sword. She hadn't even seen it for a moment before it was in place, when a sudden ear piecing screech made her flinch. Eyes darting to the moles, all she saw was two long puddles of purple blood splatter across the floor with pieces of crystal scattered throughout.
Later after being carried to her home by the strange man and sitting at the table while her mother patched her up did they find out who he was.
"M-Marcus Bladesinger?" her mother shuttered and paused only a moment before continuing to stitch her leg. He nodded and laughed.
"I guess even hear on this continent I should use a fake name when I want to get away for a bit. Please don't feel uncomfortable I'm not here on any official business currently." He quickly said as her mother started to bow while still holding a needle above her skin.
In confusion she turned towards her mother to ask "Is he someone you know of Mother?" Her immediately receiving a glare of indignation from her mother.
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"Yes, Magdalene. Not only is Marcus Bladesinger a Hero from the 100 Night Swarm, he is also an Archduke of the country Elyasia." Magdalene knew this to be a continent to the east. Turning back to the man who saved her, as he was opening his mouth to respond, she threw herself from the chair to he knees, tearing the stiches. Even as pain shot through her legs, and the sharp gasp her mother let out she did not stop nor stutter her next words knowing it might be her only opportunity to change her families situation.
"Please Archduke Bladesinger take me as squire, let me train under your household!" She exclaimed as blood pooled around her.
"Magdalene!" Yelled her mother, but before she could continue sure to admonish her daughter the Archduke started laughing.
It was the kind of infectious bolstering laugh one would hear in a tavern or wedding, with both a mix of surprise and enjoyment the laughing made the young girl and mother unconsciously shake. Magdalene's body felt it before her brain put it together, this large man laughing in her dining area had thick waves of aura spreading off his body. Even the aura she had managed to infuse into her fist earlier that day wasn't close to the amount coming from leaking out due to a laugh.
"No kid, I don't think so." He said wiping the corners of his eyes. She started to respond but he put a hand up making her mouth shut instantly. He stood from his chair walking over to her, and lifted her up from her knees like a child. She scrunched her face partially in pain another part anger as he sat her back in the chair. She wanted to argue, to say she wasn't a child but before she could he reached onto the table a grabbed a rag and started to tie it above her injury on her thigh.
Once the makeshift torniquet was on he moved away to let her mother restitch her wound. " Listen this morning I snuck away from the delegation I was here with to get some exercise in the dungeon we met at." He leaned onto the table making eye contact with Magdalene. " While coming up from the lowest floor I saw the Golem prior to you killing it, I also saw the two moles nested in its body. While I saw those creatures, do you know what I didn't see in that cavern?" He said it as a question, but she knew the answer. "Me." She said.
He nodded before continuing "Exactly, you. I, an archduke always on alert for assassins or enemies, did not see you. Not until the moment you used aura to launch yourself towards the much larger and definitely stronger golem killing it in one blow. So no kid, I do not want to accept you as a squire, the reason being you would put any squire even years above you to shame in terms of skill. Instead let me tell you about one of my sons."
She froze at that, was he about to offer to marry her to a son of his. Her mind raced taking in the pros and cons of this option. While she herself never though much about marriage she would do whatever it took to get her father help and mother in a better spot. As she started to prepare to accept whatever option his next sentence made her decision completely flip.
"My youngest son has just turned four, his name is Digaos, and yes that's his given name." He states this with a tone of pride every kid wishes to hear their parents refer to them in, rightfully so Magdalene thought admiring someone with the name of the Creator God loved by all races. "He is my thirteenth child." This statement might have been more shocking than the previous. She glanced at her mother who looked shocked as well. Due to her father being a former adventurer even with my mom being a completely average women they only managed to conceive one child after years of trying. Thirteen children was unheard of for anyone, let alone someone of the rank of Archduke. The stronger a person was the harder it was to have children.
"All of my previous children were aloud to choose both a guardian knight and a attendant at the age of five. I was speaking with my boy about this not long ago to see if he had a knight in mind. Do you know what he said in response? He said "No one in particular father, but someone native from Etrissa."" He left this last statement linger in the air before continuing. " No, your skills are to advanced to be a squire, instead come with me for the next year, prove your loyalty while training and become a knight for my family. If he decides acceptable, become my son's guardian knight."
The next year passed quickly, following the Archduke to learn the etiquette needed, delving in dungeons throughout the lands. She polished her skills under his tutelage while her respect for him grew exponentially. All leading to a few couple months ago on the youngest son's birthday. The Archduke and Magdalene had left Etrissa just a week early just to arrive on time for the event, before leaving she bid her parents farewell and left them with the bank tablet connected to the thousands of gold pieces she had made over the year.
They arrived the day before his birthday, she had already been unceremoniously knighted in under the Bladesinger banner in her home continent, so she was led to the knights quarters and given a room albeit temporary if she was accepted by the young master. After settling in she was about to lay into bed when she felt a Prescence behind her to close to react as fast as she would've liked. Grabbing her sword and infusing aura into it as she unsheathed it and spun.
"You know it wouldn't look good to attack the person you plan to serve your first night here." She froze as the young boy in front of her spoke. She had heard stories about him and the Archdukes other children constantly over the past year so she recognized the boy in front of her. Digaos Bladesinger was the largest five year old she had ever seen, of any race. Looking to be bigger than most eight year olds she had seen. His long Black hear was pulled back back behind his head, and even in the dim candlelight of the room she could see clearly the Marble grey eyes with gold flecks in them. He had a face similar to his fathers, but she could tell when he was older he would have much sharper features. What the Archduke lacked when it came to looking or acting as a noble he made up with power, but this child had those features that the father missed. What really stood out more than his physical appearance was how he had managed to sneak into her room an was now sitting on the windows edge without alerting her. By the grin on his face she knew that he had been there far longer than she was aware.
"I didn't mean to startle you, it wasn't until you started to undress that I started to rethink my actions so I apologize." He said as he hopped down, and reached a hand out. "Before we are thrown together in a room full of nobles and other knights I wanted to introduce myself and meet you in a more familiar setting. I am Digaos Bladesinger, and I do hope we get along"