Sentinels Story Challenge: Maelthas

"Maelthas Bloodhawk reporting for duty, Magistrix."

Magistrix Erona's gaze flickered over the young man who stood before her. Delan and Rena's young son, she mused, before correcting herself. No...this young man was clearly a child no longer. Rage simmered in his burning eyes, warring with the courteous words he'd spoken. One of Liandra's Blood Knight candidates now, she reminded herself, her mouth pressing into a thin line as she considered the young man. His fellow recruits were obviously uneasy in his intense presence: only one, a beautiful young mage with strawberry-blonde hair, did not shy away from him, her eyes locked on the blood knight's handsome features as her mouth turned up into a speculative smile. Erona shook her head. Good luck girl, you'll need it with this one's temper. The Magistrix looked up at the young man, her words carrying the brisk tones of authority.

"The island is laden with arcane magic, which has drawn too many creatures who feast on the energies here," Erona began, nodding subtly in the directions of the platforms that lay to the west and east of the training hall. "Your task is to eliminate a portion of them, as their presence is currently a nuisance. Too many, and they will breed out of proportion, and threaten our structures here." The blood knight recruit's eyes glinted at the prospect, whether for the joy of killing or the first twinges of anger, she didn't know. Erona mentally braced herself for his reaction. She'd already had several young ones loudly protest that such duties were beneath them: those had been escorted away by the guards for a dose of 're-education'.

"I'll see to it, Magistrix," the young man replied, not a hint of hesitation marking his voice. He saluted Erona, much to her surprise, and turned away to see to the task. The young mage who'd been looking the blood knight recruit over with a speculative eye approached him just out of the range of Erona's hearing and spoke to him, the young man tilting his head down to listen to her. The two set off together a few minutes, and Erona turned her attention to the next recruit, a pinch-faced priest with a sour expression. The Magistrix let out a silent sigh as she recognized yet another young one with an arrogant chip on their shoulder. It was going to be a long day. "The island is laden with arcane magic, which has drawn..."