Raol Leveren (holyhalberds) wrote in emillion, |
In his short time in Emillion, Bastian Kelmendir had seen many awe-inspiring things: the grand cathedral of the Pharist faith, a Fighters' Guild so immense it necessitated nine guildhalls, a bazaar with goods and trinkets from every corner of Ivalice, and a dozen other impressive visions besides. It had been interesting, but he had felt very much a stranger in a strange land.
This, however, was something he felt comfortable with. Bastian had never been to the wilds of Kerwon, but he knew a raucous feast when he saw one, and the Kerwonian Bierfest was almost a comforting touch of home in this strange, busy, regimented city. The food was different, and the ales were not quite so sweet and welcoming as Kolokauian rum, but Bastian was making do. Thanks to the drink he wasn't even feeling chilly anymore, despite the fact that he was still walking around Valendia in Autumn without a shirt or a pair of shoes.
This particular Bierfest was especially notable for one reason: the 30th birthday of Raol Leveren of the Order of the Silver Blades. The usually subdued knight let his hair down for the celebration and joined the rest of his squad as they crawled from vendor to vendor. They seemed all too ready to offer up a free pint to the birthday boy. The usually reserved Holy Knight lapped up all the attention he received, enthusiastically chatting with anyone.
It was still relatively early into the night when Raol wandered away from his friends, having been distracted by all the sights and sounds of Bierfest.
Bastian had seen Raol a few times from afar, noting the Holy Knight in the guildhalls on occasion over the last few days. They had not spoken, but the birthday celebration had been evident, so he sauntered up good-naturedly to wish the older man a very happy 30th. "Hello! Congratulations on your birthday." Probably not exactly the right idiom, but it was the thought that counted, right? "I am called Bastian. I am also in the Fighters' Guild." He offered this by way of explanation, for while he had certainly noticed Raol he had no reason to think he had merited notice himself.
It took a few beats for Raol to realize that Bastian was actually addressing him. "Hello!" Raol chirped back through his drunken haze. "Thank you that is very sweet." He wore a lazy smile as he examined Bastian's face. It wasn't one he'd seen before. Even though most of his time was spent doing work for the Silver Blades or the Church, he did have a pretty good memory for names and faces in the Fighter's Guild. This was definitely one he'd remember. "Oh, yes I am too. Also Raol. Is my name."
"Hello Raol," Bastian said, smiling broadly. "You are one of the knights of the church, yes?" It seemed a waste of such a handsome fellow, to be locked up in a cathedral reciting verse or whatever it was they did, but even addled a bit by the alcohol Bastian could figure this was likely impolite to say. "I have only recently come to Emillion. It is very beautiful." He glanced around them for a moment. "And big. Very beautiful and very big."
"I am," Raol responded, his voice going low. He was supposed to be on his best behavior as a member of the Silver Blades. He could get in some major trouble with his superiors if they found him this far gone. He shifted his stance so that he stood up straight. "Oh! You're new, where are you from?" Leveren did his best to smooth his hair back to make himself look more presentable.