It wasn’t ideal but Mythal didn’t have much of a choice. And, as he saw it, it would be the perfect trial.
Alicia Sinclair had been part of the Rune Knights for some time now, having joined the organization shortly after Serilda had taken command. Unfortunately, due to circumstances that were continuously changing in his life, the Darkness King hadn’t had the opportunity to spend much time with his soon to be sister in law. He’d met her during his first excursion to the Sinclair manor, during the first Christmas he’d actually cared about. After that, even when they were in the same meeting, it seemed that their chances to see one another were always just missed. And truth be told, he may have considered someone else for the mission if the recommendation hadn’t come from Dakvid himself to look into the younger Sinclair and her record.
It was impressive, to say the least; Alicia carried the same effectiveness as her sister when it came to operations. Their manner of completion was different but in a way, that actually benefited the younger Sinclair more. Reaper Squadron had been an invention of Mythal’s; an undercover, black ops group of Rune Knights that took on highly dangerous missions for the sake of Fiore. The Special Ops branch of the Knights were already trained in a different capacity than the Combat Corps or the Engineering Corp but there were still matters that they shouldn’t be partaking in. There were jobs that were better suited for those that could think, react and compromise on the spot without the assistance of a greater force. They were the agents that Serilda and Mythal could send in to act accordingly, swiftly and surreptitiously. Their records were redacted to the point that only Mythal and Serilda had any access to their history and missions.
And now the Darkness Slayer needed them again. But it had been Dakvid that had approached Mythal about Alicia, curious to what he thought about recruiting her into the fold. It was… a bold ask, considering her connection to the Field Marshal. But it wasn’t right to hinder the younger Sinclair either if she was proven to be effective and efficient. All he could provide was a chance to prove herself and possibly join something a bit outside the normal range of the Special Operative field. He sent one of the officers to fetch her as he waited in the briefing room with Dakvid. “How did the Field Marshal take the news?” the Rune Knight corporal asked.
“She was fine with it,” Mythal said as he flipped through a few of the pages from his document. “As far as she’s concerned, Alicia is a fully grown woman capable of makin’ her own decisions. She joined the Knights, she knew the dangers -- whatever varyin’ levels there are, someone will always have a target painted on our backs. And if she’s effective and you believe she’s a good pick, I trust your instinct.” He sighed softly. “If anythin’, I just feel bad. I ain’t got the time to spend with Seri’s family often and I’ve only seen Alicia once, even includin’ while she was here. Kinda feel like… I dunno, a jerk for not makin’ the effort?”
“Well I know… next to nothing about family. My dad’s a drunk who is only good for slurred insults and disappointment. I haven’t seen my mother in a few years -- pretty sure she puts all her focus on her new family and forget about me and dad. So I’m the last person that should be offering any kind of advice on that front. But I can say that you’re the Director of the Rune Knights and frankly, you barely have time to breathe, let alone talk to each one of us individually. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
Time would only tell on that front. Mythal gave the corporal an understanding nod before his eyes flicked to the door upon the sound of knocking. Dakvid went and opened the door and there stood Alicia, presenting formally. The corporal gave her a short salute back and waved her in, where she would finally be able to see Mythal at the other end of the table. “Alicia,” he greeted her informally, as was his nature. “I’m sure you recognize ‘im but if ya don’t, this is Corporal Dakvid Bascomb. He’s the one in charge of Reaper Squad, which I’m sure everyone is now talkin’ about in the mess hall. Grab a seat if ya want to get more comfortable,” he said, waving at the chairs before her.
Once she was settled, in whatever way she chose, Mythal closed the folder in front of him and gave her his direct attention. “Imma cut to the chase, Alicia -- your record has caught the eye of Dakvid. He’s looking for someone to operate as long range support for Reaper and based on what he’s shown me, you’d fit the bill. But before I sign off on it, I have to see you work for myself. Every single member of Reaper Squad is someone that I’ve personally handpicked and I know what they’re capable of. Statistics on a sheet don’t reflect proper of a person’s ability to operate durin’ a mission. Not that I’m doubtin’ you but you’ll understand that I want to see how you work. Lucky for you, Reaper is startin’ a series of missions that can work as your trial run.”
The Director pulled out a remote and clicked in the direction of the table. The lacrima cylinder built into the wood lit up and presented a series of holographic images. A few of them were pages of an intelligence report that had been heavily redacted but, before her eyes, the redactions would start to clear. “Thirty four years ago, the Rune Knights launched an operation to dismantle a cult known as the Sons of Faera. They had been kidnappin’ and sacrificin’ civilians from several cities and towns the world over to appease their would-be-goddess, Faera. The operation took place on the night that they were preparing their ultimate sacrifice, one that would bring Faera into this world in the form of a baby. The operation was a success, several key members of the cult were captured and it was believed the Sons had been sufficiently shaken, enough to keep them from resurfacing.”
“Turns out they were just lyin’ low,” he pressed a button on the remote and the screen changed, revealing a heavily blurred face. It was a man who was as white as paper, both skin and hair, with beedy golden eyes staring out at the source of the picture from dark eyes. “This man is part of the Sons, believed to be one of their elite members. Moreso, it sounds like he is one that has been personally blessed with a portion of Faera’s power, grantin’ him abilities above others. He is part of a collection of like individuals called the Immortal Thirteen and he has been spotted, along with others we believe are part of the Sons, on Mount Hakobe.”
Mythal placed the remote on the table. “I have a personal stake in this as well. Not only did this man attack a former member of our order but… well, that baby that they attempted to sacrifice was me. Normally I ain’t a fan of talkin’ about my past or things that revolve around reason for bein’ born but these people are dangerous. They are a very real threat that wants to bring their dark mistress into this world and bring about the end of everythin’. And they’re gonna kill a lotta people on the way to get there. We’re gonna stop them before they get the chance, startin’ with this piece of trash. We’re going to drop in at one of the ice villages and set up a base before we trudge off to the mountaintops. From there we are going to investigate their whereabouts and survey them. Once we verify that he is there, we’ll strike.” Mythal leveled his gaze on her in serious consideration, though perhaps softer than she was expecting. “This will be dangerous. But I believe it’s the perfect test for your place in Reaper. Dakvid has signed off on it but it’s up to you. We don’t want you to take part if you aren’t feelin’ up to it and there ain’t no shame in that. The choice is yours and yours alone.”
STATISTICS
HP: x/y
MP: x/y
Spells Used: list them here
Abilities Active: list them and their effects here
Weapons Equipped: list/link them here
Monsters Killed: list here
Other Notes: reeeeeee this should scroll if you type too much