OOC: Tags to goblins!
Their screams had rung like a bell.
Gong. Gong. Gong.
Much like the sound that echoed across the square.
Gong. Gong. Gong.
It had been over a year since the incident when the mordecai forces under the Allarrick family name had been slain. Rebels. Heathens. Killers. He had only just begun his training. He had been so young, just thirteen, but had been well on his training to be a soldier long before.
But the mordecai of Allar were another breed of warriors all together, and were greedily kept on their lands unless the Grand Duke did his best to persuade the Duke of Allar, other wise. But Zannrick's powers were find out when he was quite young. His Aunt through marriage had been a mage and suffered through some terrible fits of electric shock- But when Zannrick was just a boy and near her-
She had been all but cured. It didn't take long for them to figure out who was responsible.
Living in Allar he was brought forth before the crown, where Duke Allarrick was still training his son and only heir to fight among the mordecai elite. At first he thought his son, Calent, had been a mordecai himself, but it was then brought to his attention he was simply there to train with those elite. His father spared no expense to make his son the best at what he could.
Being similar in age, the two bonded easily, and it seemed they had similar view on the mage problem. Naturally, the pair were groomed well by their father's.
Zannrick was showing great progress and promise within the mordecai. It seemed his mordecai range was a potent one, if not a little stingy in the area it covered, but one that seemed to make even enchanted weapons waver. He was also becoming quite brilliant with his sword, having learned a lot from his own father, (one who had been a serving captain in the Allarrian army) and was always, ALWAYS close to the Allarrian crown. It was in such a way they were much more loyal to their own duke over the Grand Duke- the Grand Duke appearing just as a 'name' that had as much value as air. It was there, it was accepted- and also necessary.
Calent hadn't remained long with the mordecai before he had to be carted off for further education elsewhere. There was mention, something about the young duke to be going to the fell with his family, something more secret that only those of his blood line would come to know.
But so much happened to the guard while he was gone- for Calent and his father had only left a few months when the mordecai had been attacked- Zannrick being one of the few who had survived. The entire training grounds had been compromised, and it took many years to rebuild it to what it had once been.
They stationed the new training grounds further west than North, and the bells were ringing at the presentation of a new set of men (and women) to train. So far, those around him had all been men, men with the gift- so when a new set of trainees came along and it was announced their would be a woman among them- Zannrick had to wonder just what this meant, and how good could a woman truly be?
He had never been exposed to a woman fighter, but had seen a few mordecai and lilies in passing to know they looked as imposing as all the rest. But the first time he saw Alanna Lowe, he couldn't help but scoff. She was younger than he, a pretty, scrawny little thing who was simple in looks and he had to wonder if she was simple in her head. A lot of the other men of course held many initial prejudice; and in so doing, planted the seed for he.
He couldn't have known what to expect, but as he joined his men in full line up at the barracks, he waited, sweating beneath his armor in the mid-day son, anxiously waiting to meet the new recruits-
and also the new young woman who was meant to he treated as an equal to he.