#kirslyn

She didn’t have far to go - he was leaning casually against the wall next to the open door, and turned to greet her with a soft smile as soon as she emerged. Her eyes immediately jumped to his own uniform - more specifically, how it wasn’t the standard-issue browns and grays of hers and every other new recruit’s they’d passed on their way in.

“Did you dye your armor?” The question was genuine but carried a knowing, teasing tone.

“What?” Laivaan glanced down at his vest and laughed. “Oh, I guess I did it again, didn’t I?” With a quick snap of his fingers, the soft lilac tones shattered as he dispelled the illusion he’d subconsciously cast on them. “Aesthetics can wait at least until we’re done basic training, eh?”

With a nod, Kirslyn’s gaze drifted out towards Vigil Keep, towering above them. This whole journey marked the farthest away from home either of them had been, but yet it was so grand it almost didn’t feel real. Recruits now, but soon to be full-fledged Vigil Crusaders - fighting the good fight, facing down Elder Dragons, vanquishing…risen…

Laivaan’s hand on her wrist gently called her back to the moment, redirecting her fingers away from the loose threads on her gloves once more. She lowered her eyes to meet his stern expression, knowing what question was coming - the same question he’d been asking since the idea to enlist first struck him.

She’d seen his face that day, when he approached her with the idea. She’d seen how the spark that had faded from his eyes had come back with a vengeance as he explained to her what the Vigil was, and how he felt it was his calling to enlist, to fight for something. But not like, a Hunt-calling, he’d said. Definitely not a Valiant like you, but it just feels…right. Does that seem weird?

She’d shook her head, not weird at all. She’d got caught up in his phrasing, though. A Valiant, like you. Could she still be considered a Valiant if she’d lost her chance to complete her Hunt? Would she just live with the gnawing compulsion and guilt forever? She didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts. She didn’t want to be alone at all. So she’d smiled, put on an excited expression, and told him what a great idea it was, and how she wanted to come with him.

“Hey,” His voice was a perfect echo of all the times he’d asked since that day. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

She couldn’t explain herself in a way that would ease his worries, and she didn’t want to see that spark leave his eyes again. So she smiled, put on an excited expression, and grabbed his hand.