Soldier of the Queen [Finished]

[Yuiven]

(Sorry for making you wait, Jenn. I hope this introduction meets with SoD standards since I haven't properly rped in a long time. My skills are so rusty, I need a tetanus shot. >_o)



Above the Capital, Beowulf flew through the rich cerulean sky. Large amounts of air were gulped with every beat of his wings, propelling the crow from Josiggy Marsh onwards as fast as he could. The rush of wind howled in his ears, drowning out all other sounds; he couldn't even hear himself think. Fortunately, thinking wasn't necessary right now. Already knowing for certain where he had to go, Beowulf was set on his path, and nothing, nothing would deter him from it.

Beowulf had flown in a nearly perfect straight line for an hour now, but he wasn't tired. Ten years in the hero business had trained his body to undertake these long and arduous flights. Only a dull throb beginning to heat up between his shoulders like a growing bonfire signalled that he was running at slightly below his best. Just as Beowulf was about to use his basic magical ability to block out the pain, a sudden tailwind blew in.

Crimson, gold, orange, and emerald leaves were pulled from their standings and carried into the air. Twirling...Flipping...Encircling the crow as they fluttered past him.

Seizing this unexpected opportunity for a break, Beowulf paused in mid-flight and stretched out his wings comfortably to their fullest extent. Now that he was gliding, the world became infinitely quieter, with only the faint, shrill whistle of wind over his wings. In this moment of respite, he reflected on his journey so far.

To be honest, he would've never considered enlisting the military in the first place. He had been trying to live a normal life as a civilian after what had happened; moving to the Capital where he could live anonymously in the crowd.

Try as he might, Beowulf couldn't evade his fame.

It seemed everybody knew about the heroic Five of Hearts and of his feats. He was unable to hide anywhere in this world because someone would always find him. They couldn't just leave him alone. Despite his feelings Beowulf had trouble refusing the strangers who asked for his help, therefore he was hired for various odd jobs- bodyguard, delivery boy, pack mule, etc.

Much to his surprise, he actually enjoyed the diversity. Each job added to the purpose of his life...yet still his soul yearned for more. While contemplating the emptiness in his life, he finally realized that he needed to work for the greater good instead of for personal gain. Wise now to how wrong he was, Beowulf decided to seek out the only place where an individual such as himself could truly do some good.

Beowulf snapped back to the reality as he realized he was letting his thoughts wander. The crow's small, bright eyes gazed to the horizon, not really focusing on anything around him. As he flew, the Palace of Hearts came into view. Vastly high white stone walls with spires reaching upwards to the heavens faced him. Red, gold, and white accents artfully positioned where light could reflect made the entire building glitter softly.

Beowulf stared in awe for a moment, then he let out a long whistle.

Scanning the landscape below, he spotted the main gate. Dropping twenty feet, he skimmed the tops of colourful trees, before cautiously gliding in to land on the pathway. Beowulf took account of his surroundings, noting two guards with a thoughtful frown. The pair were Eights: a muscle-bound Highlands pit bull with a gold earring pierced in the right ear, and a lumbering Avington moose endowed with an impressive set of antlers. To anyone else the pair looked intimidating. Beowulf, however, wasn't just anyone. He had lived too long, and seen too much to be put off by the likes of these brutes.

Beowulf took a deep breath and marched in slow, measured steps. Being careful to make no sort of sudden movement the guards would mistake as an attack. "Excuse me, I was wondering if either of you could tell me how to enlist in the military," he asked, stopping and looking at each one in turn.

[The Jenn]

((Your writing is now, and has always been, of superb quality. XD *fluffs you*))

The canine looked down at the avian, possessing his bipedal form whereas the moose hadn't yet acquired it. His earring gleamed against a golden swirl of fur as he raised one lip in a slight sneer. So the Five wanted to join the Hearts standing army? At least he possessed the ability to use any weapon proficiently, just barely at his rank. Palace guards had all been taken from the regular militia at one point or another, some of them by request and some of them unwillingly. It was a less 'active' job, but more frustrating in how many different personalities they had to deal with.

"Normally ye'd go talk to the recruitment officer, but he's out on leave this week, which bumps ye up to the captain of the palace guard. He's in with the Queen right now, if ye want to dare that. I don't know how occupied they are. Ye may just get in, or ye may have to wait."

The moose raised his head and swung it slowly from side to side, the gesture seeming almost absent-minded even as it showed off his antlers to an impressive degree. "We can have someone show you in, if you really want to take that route," he rumbled, voice as deep as the size of his chest suggested.

[Yuiven]

Beowulf blinked as he turned his head towards the Highlands pit bull. As the canine began to speak, he met his gaze with an implacable stare. For a moment, all Beowulf could picture was the satisfying rip of his claws rending that sonovabitch's face, but the guard was still talking. So he listened intently to the brief response pertaining to joining the Hearts standing army, processing and analyzing every word. These words echoed loudly in his mind, making Beowulf blanch. "Damn," he swore under his breath. He lowered his eyes, grimacing slightly, rather than show trepidation or the possibility that he was going cross-eyed.

Beowulf hadn't expected such precarious circumstances. Neither the customary recruitment officer being on leave, nor meeting instead such important personages. Then again, he wasn't certain of what he expected now that he'd come this far.

If birds had lips, his would've been pursed in thought, torn between apprehension and excitement. Beowulf considered leaving and returning at another time, but firmly squashed the thought; like hell was he going to turn back! That wasn't like him- a coward who gave up too easily. No doubt it'd be risky he knew, but he was still willing to go through the necessary steps to join. He didn't have to give up his greatest wish, only take a different route to achieve it.

The Josiggy Marsh crow drew himself up, looking squarely at both guards. "Alright, I'll take my chances," Beowulf declared with iron resolve. Then he shifted his gaze, locking eyes with the Avington moose. "Have someone show me in, please."

[The Jenn]

The guards could well understand momentary hesitation on anyone's part when told that they would have to meet the Queen himself or come back who-knew-when for another try. Even the palace employees hesitated before disturbing His Majesty in a meeting of any kind, barring the official Court. He usually rather liked disturbances then.

Eyeing one another, the moose and canine nodded before the latter gave himself a brief shake and walked towards the open gate. "Right then, this way. Easier for one of us to take you to the main palace and find you an attendant."

That plan was quickly put into action, the pit bull leading him down a large main path surrounded on either side by fragrant rose gardens. The palace itself was a gaudy affair, decorated with an eye towards opulence and a blatant display of wealth. White, red, and gold were the most noticeable colors, practically everywhere. Flagging down a passing Kahmden panther, he spoke briefly to the woman before nodding and ambling back towards his post at the gate.

The feline looked down at Beowulf's rank and raised one slow eyebrow but made no comment otherwise. Someone so low, looking to meet with the Queen... he must have a good reason. "This way," the attendant said in a bored tone, ushering him down several winding hallways before eventually ending up at a small door, looking just like the rest along the hall.

[Yuiven]

(My sincerest apologies for taking longer than expected to post, Jenn. This gave me plenty of trouble in the making, but is now ready for human eyes.)

There was no turning back for Beowulf. He had chosen, without being pressured, to embark on this unconventional route to enlist in the Hearts standing army by meeting with the Captain of the Palace Guard and His Majesty, Serafino, the Queen of Hearts. Against public declamation, Beowulf would pursue his dream, even should he meet unpleasant setbacks. Once he said he was going to do something, he'd do it.

Puffing up his chest feathers, Beowulf followed the pit bull, easily falling into step beside him. As he walked through the open gate, the entirety of the grounds greeted him. Hearts Palace stood imperiously, framed by the exquisite gardens at the opposite end of the courtyard. Beowulf gasped softly. His blue eyes were growing increasingly wider, stretched to the limit as he glanced around in wonder. The cloyingly sweet aroma of roses wafted in the air. Oddly enough, the smell didn’t make the crow gag as might've been expected. Flaring his nostrils slightly, he took a whiff. "Mmm," Beowulf smiled, muscles losing their tension as he relaxed. It smelt absolutely divine; the effect had soothed his jangled nerves like a balm.

In the moment of peace, a painful realization suddenly struck that made his face scrunched up as though he smelled rotting garbage

'I never took the time to stop and smell the flowers.'

Guilt welled up in him. 'If only...' He squeezed his eyes shut, banishing a whole crop of memories which he didn't want to remember. This wasn't the time to grieve, but a time to focus on his future.

The rest of the journey passed silently and without incident, until he was introduced to one of the attendants, a panther from the Forest of Kahmden. Beowulf schooled his features just in time to catch the feline's vision as she turned to look down at him. Her raised eyebrow hadn't gone unnoticed, but he was quick to dismiss it as the Josiggy Marsh crow smiled serenely. Oh, he had a very good reason to meet with the Queen. With a nod, he followed her lead like a good soldier, walking at a respectable distance behind her.

The Court of Hearts was bustling with activity. Then everyone in the immediate vicinity- servants, guards, and nobles- abruptly became as still as a painting as they stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at the low-ranking individual. Beowulf felt all eyes on him, and could hear a jumble of gasps and whispers behind his back, but he outran the noise before it became coherent. He ignored them, not listening to what they were saying since their opinions meant diddly squat to him anyway.

The attendant was walking briskly, forcing Beowulf to hasten his own steps to follow or be left behind. The hallways were an elaborate maze of complex branching pathways...turn right, go straight, turn left... easy to get lost unless you had a guide or knew the layout by heart.

Eventually Beowulf found himself at a small, nondescript door. Coming to a halt, he stood next to the woman. Turning his head, he looked at the Forest of Kahmden panther expectantly, waiting for her to make the next move.

[The Jenn]

The woman glanced once more at the bird, as if giving him opportunity to change his mind and call off the meeting, before shrugged her furred shoulders in an apparent 'eh, whatever' move and knocked smartly on the door. There was a moment's silence and then a voice came through the door, evidently permission to enter despite the fact that it was quite muffled.

She turned the knob and stuck her head around, bobbing it politely. "Your Majesty, Captain, there is an individual to meet Captain Kaven regarding the Court army. Because you had not marked this as a private meeting and he seemed interested in an introduction regardless, we have directed him here." Her body stayed carefully still, face politely blank and barely even blinking. The avian could not be seen with the door open so little.



Serafino looked at the woman for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "If there is someone so determined to see the Captain that my presence does not deter them, you may as well send them in. This is not an especially important meeting." He sat at a table with a lion from the Range, the other man in bipedal form with a handsomely groomed mane. His captain was a Ten, comfortable with his rank and not looking to join the intricacies of politics. He had other duties to occupy him. Both of them were sipping drinks, the Queen a light tea and the captain a strong coffee.

Bowing her head, the attendant opened the door wider and stepped back, bowing more fully when her body was in sight. "Then allow me to introduce Beowulf, Five of Hearts." With that, she turned and withdrew, leaving the avian to his fate.

[Yuiven]

Cocking his feathered head to the left, Beowulf raised an eye ridge and grimaced in mild bemusement at the panther. 'I'm not going anywhere until I at least meet the Captain.' That statement was practically written on his young, earnest face. If he wanted to call off this meeting with the Captain and the Queen, he would have already back while standing at the main gate and conversing with those two royal palace guards. Beowulf managed to hold onto his scowl, staring at the Forest of Kahmden woman in defiance until she finally gave in. Slowly he smoothed his expression out. Now he looked apprehensive as he watched her knock smartly on the door. There was a moment of silence, then he heard a muffled voice and permission to enter was granted. Cracking the door open, the attendant poked her head into the room.

In the meantime, Beowulf focused on the door that barred the way. He was so close to achieving his goal...the next few minutes with these men would decide his future. Stretching the crow's audible range as far as he could, he made out two voices, catching snippets of a conversation that he wasn't privy to listen to pass quietly through the narrow opening.

Beowulf shifted restlessly from foot to foot. He wanted to pace; it would help make the wait less nerve-wracking. 'But that isn't proper behaviour for a soldier, is it?' Beowulf thought, and determinedly stood in place with rigid stillness, heels clicked together, wings tucked in against his sides and back straight. He schooled his expression to one of military composure.

"Then allow me to introduce Beowulf, Five of Hearts."

Hearing his name being called, Beowulf jerked with a start before quickly covering up for his momentary lapse. When he had the time to think back later, he would wonder how she knew his name. No one had asked for it and he hadn't deigned to tell. With that, the attendant opened the door wider and stepped back, bowing. Then she turned, withdrawing to reveal the tableau of Queen Serafino and Captain Kaven seated at a table across from each other. The intense, speculative gazes turned his way might have been off putting, but Beowulf had faced down hideous monsters. It took a lot more than that to rattle him.

Suddenly he froze, staring at the two men for an absurdly long moment through a thick layer of building tension as he stood framed in the doorway, clueless as to what to do next. Just when all seemed lost, years of long-forgotten court etiquette lessons came to the forefront of his mind like an old book being opened for the first time in years. Words printed in black ink leapt out at him from the yellowing pages, looking as if they were printed last year. Beowulf heaved an internal sigh of relief. 'Thank you Uncle.'

Armed with this innate knowledge, he marched precisely five steps, his strides short, militaristic, and confident, each step placed with absolute certainty. He came to a halt in front of them. Blue eyes lowered, Beowulf unfurled his wings and raised both of them up to his head. Then he swept his left leg behind his right one with grace of a ballerina as he bowed, sinking his body to the floor. "Greetings Your Majesty, Captain," hailed the renowned hero, keeping his tone deferential. "It is an honour to meet both of you. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to meet with me on such short notice."

The formalized introduction over, Beowulf took a deep, steadying breath to prepare himself for his mission. "I have come to petition my right to enter the Court army."

[The Jenn]

The panther smirked as she stalked off, a sway to her hips. No, she'd never heard the man's name, but she was also an apprentice mage. Time at Court gave her the opportunity and access to many more mages than she would have otherwise, especially in Kahmden. Her specialty seemed to be developing as 'knowledge'. She wanted to 'know' things. And so she 'knew' his name. It was the only spell besides her natural suit abilities that she had managed to perfect. Everything else was still in the works.

Serafino and Kaven watched curiously as the bird entered, both sets of eyes immediately landing on the Five at his chest while he froze in indecision. It was a reaction one might expect from a Five about to meet the Queen of his suit and Fino's lips quirked up in a smirk of amusement. Kaven kept his expression more neutral, curious to see what this man wanted of him. He just hoped he had enough sense to do something polite before he offended and annoyed the Queen. That would make anything he wanted much, much more difficult for him, if even possible.

And yet his manners were impeccable, the bow of a low-ranking Card to a superior, executed with grace and poise, masculine efficiency meeting Courtly gesture. The fact that he introduced himself so politely, remaining in the lowered position, was also a pleasant surprise. The man knew how to handle himself. That alone earned him some attention from the monarch and his captain, both in a positive light for the time being.

"With Gremio out on leave, I suppose the men directed you to me, then." The lion evaluated him for a moment, taking in the steady posture and seeing something of the fighter that lurked beneath those feathers. "I more control the men chosen to guard His Majesty's palace, but I am still a high-ranking officer in the standing army, and I suppose it's appropriate. I would be pleased to hear your petition, with His Majesty's indulgence."

Fino waved a hand in permission. "Oh, by all means. This shows promise. Our discussion can wait until later. We have at least a week before it needs to be properly addressed. This seems much more entertaining."

[Yuiven]

Beowulf knew how to behave when it really counted. He was taught the basics of Court etiquette by his uncle who reckoned his only nephew should know this subject in addition to his regular lessons, whether he liked it or not. If he said one wrong word or performed one wrong gesture- no matter how slight the infraction- he'd be harshly reprimanded, then ordered to repeat the desired action again and again until Uncle was satisfied. The old buzzard's methods might have been tough, but they were proving their worth now. Every moment of this private meeting would be under observation; judging Beowulf's worthiness to be a soldier in the standing army. So he couldn't screw up this interview up by offending these two noblemen.

Frozen in his courtly bow, knowing better than to rise without permission in the presence of royalty, Beowulf listened to Captain Kaven. He was delighted at the response, but more so when he heard Queen Serafino speak. Slowly releasing an inaudible sigh of relief, he then smiled to himself. Without further ado, Beowulf rose, fanning out his majestic wings. Tucking his wings tightly against his sides again, he squared his shoulders and placed both feet shoulder-width apart as the look of military composure resumed its post.

Before Beowulf said anything, he studied the faces of the presiding queen and captain now that he had gained their immediate, undivided attention. They honestly looked interested, not blank or bored. Seeing their expressions encouraged the crow.

Dipping his head in a sign of acknowledgement, Beowulf raised his line of sight once more to the two noblemen. Then he paused for a long moment, thinking over what he would say next. Eventually he cleared his throat and puffed up his chest feathers. "As formally introduced by the lady attendant, I am Beowulf, Five of Hearts, and I've come to enter the standing army as one of its soldiers," he began, stating his case smoothly. "For the past ten years I have travelled extensively as a vagabond throughout most of the land, visiting every known region except for the Lowlands, Raemblen Bog, and Tulgey Wood. Over the course of that time, I learned a number of skills useful to a solider such as guarding, delivering messages, and administering basic first aid, to list a few."

"I also developed an above-average skill with swords, specifically large, two-handed ones like the claymore, through regular use in order to defend myself." Beowulf's eyes glazed over in remembrance while speaking fondly of that time. A small, sad smile tugged at the edges of his beak. Then he blinked, snapping himself back to the present, returning to the flow of conversation. "I am also capable of using other types of weapons, and am fully trained in the foundations of hand-to-hand combat too."

Continuing while he had a captive audience, the young man said, "I've seen a lot of things in my travels. There isn't much that can faze me nowadays, so I can keep a level head in almost any situation and use the knowledge gained from those past experiences to assist the commanding officer on a mission, either bringing victory or retreating to prevent loss of life."

"You might have heard about the incident with Grendal and his mother in the Golfam Marsh that happened ten years ago." Memories swam to the surface as the name was brought up. To Beowulf, it seemed so long ago since he opposed that mother-and-son duo of wicked serpents, but he could still recall the life-changing event as if it were yesterday. "As a result of slaying them, I learned the importance of knowing my enemy before rushing into battle, how to fight in a different environment and to creatively use a weapon as well as my own magical abilities. That knowledge can be useful to a solider too."

At this juncture, Beowulf went quiet. A moment went by after that, then he sighed and concluded, speaking with the conviction that only a soldier has, "I'm no fool. I understand that joining the standing army takes a lot of commitment. I'm not blind to the evil choices other cards have made either, but I've also seen the goodness in them. All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing. I have no intention of standing aside, doing nothing, and watching as cards suffer. As a solider, I'd fight to protect the land and the cards of our suit- no matter what the cost- because they're worth it. That's what I'd do."

[The Jenn]

The attentions of both men stayed firmly on the bird as he swept and bowed, gestures continuing with a grace that neither would have expected from a potential soldier but that pleased the Queen immensely. If other recruits and volunteers bothered to learn manners such as these, the military would be a much more elegant profession, he was sure.

Kaven listened to his petition with more attention towards what he was actually saying rather than how he was saying it. The manners and posturing was an excellent touch for the Queen, but had far more interest in the man's actual stated accomplishments and reasons than his pretty manners. If he'd done half the things he claimed to have done, he was easily qualified for a spot in the common military. If his claims bore even more fruit, perhaps he would be appointed as an officer.

"Your ambitions are admirable and your accomplishments quite extensive. I will have someone look into your past, Beowulf, and get back to me once they are finished. For now, you may rest easy knowing that you have a spot in the Hearts militia. If what you stay is consistent in the check, perhaps your standing will raise. For a Five, you seem to offer us a great deal. With Your Majesty's leave, I would like to begin the process now."

At a nod from the Queen, the lion stood and strode from the room, past Beowulf and into the hallway. Crimson eyes continued to regard the bird before he took a small sip of his tea. "Well. Congratulations. My Captain seemed impressed. You should take yourself off and become more familiar with the palace, I'm guessing, while you have the time."

((Grats, Kaven likes 'im. X3 When the things that he said 'checks out', he's going to be accepted as an officer into the military even with his rank, and will be expected to 'work on it' as he's able. One more post from you should conclude this thread. <3))