A New Knight Get [Germany|Erek|closed]

“You’re a Quincy” the man had said. As Erek had stood there holding a blade of what he could only assume was some sort of plasma from its color and texture- and yet it hadn’t burned his hand to wield it. He’d cleaved the invisible beast in two with it, and watched it dissipate into particles of dust that flooded the air. But he’d had no idea what the fuck a Quincy was, and the brief description that he’d been given on the matter was limited, to say the least. Though, he was certain that a part of his confusion was due to drifting in and out of consciousness while the man had explained it on the trip to the hospital.

The pain had been immense, he could only compare it to when he’d been captured behind enemy lines- and their “interrogation” of him. A searing heat that burned along his back from the claws of the beast, he’d thought perhaps it had been venom, but apparently, it had been something about its “spirit”, he couldn’t make sense of it. The extent of his understanding was limited to the idea that, somehow, he had entered combat with a ghost- and somehow he had summoned up a “spirit weapon” as the men had called it to fight the beast after his firearm and boot knife had both failed him. But honestly, it all sounded like utter nonsense to him.

Yet he couldn’t deny the oddities he had begun to see since that day. People with chains in their chests that others just seemed to walk around, or even through in some cases. More of the beasts, but they avoided him due to the other “Quincy” around him that had helped him arrive back into civilization. They had said something about his blood, commenting that it “was unusual”, but he’d missed most of that conversation as well. He only knew that he’d purposely tried to ignore the pain that seared in his skin, desperate to overwhelm it before it was instead shut down entirely.

Something had happened- changed the damage and allowed him to shrug it off, but he didn’t understand what it was. The men had told him he was unique and had entered the world of spirit, that he should join the “Quincy Order” and that they would explain everything in detail once he was officially a “Knight”. It all sounded like gibberish to him- but then, he couldn’t deny what he’d seen clearly with his own eyes either- between the beast, the other Quincy, and Mei it was hard to deny. He didn’t believe in gods or demons, but he did believe in what he could feel with his own senses.

He had traveled to Tokyo first- seeking out this apparently "spiritually potent" area in order for information, where he had met Mei- and had gained some basic insight into it all. However, he was still lacking heavily in real understand, experience, and importantly- ranking.

It was for this reason that Erek was currently walking up a long path to a massive castle in the distance- holding papers, a new passport, and no one knew what else in a pack that they had given to him when they sent him on his way up the hill. It felt like the past few days had flown by. Apparently, it was common for “Knights” to simply be taken in, but Erek was an odd case, due to his use of his blood- whatever the fuck that meant- he apparently was to be sent to the Castle for a more formal introduction, as well as an examination and test. However, Erek was quite simply- uncertain as to what it all meant.

To make matters worse, as he began walking up the road he would blink as a pregnant young girl sitting to the side waved him over. His brow furrowed as he walked forward, the sound of heavy leather combat boots meeting the earth filled the air, camouflage cargo pants tucked into them lightly- he hadn’t had time to change into his “casual wear”. He was still wearing half his uniform, the black T-shirt hugging his body tucked into the obvious military wear- as if the firearm on his hip and knife on his leg didn’t emphasize such even further. Curiously he tilted his head to the side as he examined the girl, uncertain what language to go with- this was Germany, so one would assume to use German but, honestly, the European languages were easily his weakest dialect.

If he could, he’d prefer using another, even if it was English, or Spanish- he knew Spain’s sub-dialect of Spanish, as well as North America’s dialect, either would be preferable. He could only hope the young woman would speak in a language he was fluent in and not just “Decent” at.

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This man was certainly of military origins. “Halló!” she greeted in her native tongue. “Where ya heading?” she patted at the ground in a gesture to have him join her in this nice morning. He probably didn’t understand Icelandic seeing as he was a foreigner so she decided to try English next.

“What brings you here? Lost?” technically she would be a bit strange the way she was dressed up: a diamond tiara and white and blue Quincy uniform. Her Nordic wolf-headed cross hung on a silver chain-link necklace mostly covered by her long blonde hair. She blew the fringes away that got in her face by the light breeze and giggled cheerfully.

She was too lazy to properly get up and greet the man; she hoped he wouldn’t take offense and he could already tell she was children with her hippo sized belly.

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144/620=764

Erek’s brow rose slightly at the greeting, his head tilting slightly to the side as he tried to analyze the words used. It wasn’t a language he heard often, but it did sound familiar- as she continued to speak he blinked realizing it’s origin, Icelandic? How rare. Well. At least in the states. Stepping forward he would calmly raise his hand, aiming a finger toward the castle as he spoke in stiff, and slow- but accurate Icelandic, clearly showing he wasn’t exactly “fluent” in it, but passable- like most of the European languages.

“The castle, I’ve been told that the information I’m after will be found there,” as he clarified this, he had to resist rubbing his throat. Why were the languages always so damn harsh? German was even worse though, he had to admit.

Blinking as the language was suddenly shifted over to English, he would offer a slight, appreciative smile before he inclined his head a bit, motioning she should stay seated before the thought of rising even came to her. The girl was with child- and quite young to be with child at that, there was no reason she should trouble herself to get up on his account. Her appearance was a bit odd, but then, he’d seen a lot of white and blue recently- perhaps this was just the fashion for these “Quincy”? It was hard to say.

“Not quite lost, no,” he would reply in fluent English, a very faint southern accent attached to it as he would fall down to sit on the backs of his ankles. “Are you one of these Quincy I’ve been told about?” as he inquired this, his head would tilt once more, his facial expressions left much to be desired, but the faint etchings of curiosity shone in his eyes- and the body language he portrayed said quite a bit on its own as well.

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Freyleif gave a giggle at the attempt of Icelandic from the man and quickly covered her mouth to cease making him feel bad. It was somewhat passable - the language isn't exactly that easy to learn but she was impressed someone took their time to learn a language that didn’t change much. She tilted her head as he mentioned finding information to his destination at the castle - so perhaps, she guessed, that there would be a new recruit to snatch up as she never seen him before.

Oh - one of those Quincy? She thought before removing her hand from her mouth and chuckled. So he didn’t know much about the Quincy which she held a bit suspicious in her squinted eyes at him. From his accent, he must have been an English person from America? She had only been there once with Angeni before they parted way in Arizona.

“Yes, I am one of those ‘Quincy’.” she air quoted with a cheeky grin. “I’m Queen Freyleif and what you seek must be the Order?” that name still sounded silly in her mind, and many people would probably think of it as some cult or upstart group gathering under one banner these days, though she was proud there was so much attention in Quincy gathering to make a difference now than how things were before.

“How may I help you, sir?” she inquired keeping upright and cheerful disposition and placed a hand on her bulging stomach. Despite the pregnancy, the teen didn't seem to have any worry in her condition except the dark bags under her eyelids starting to show in her pale skin.

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272/764=764

Erek didn’t mind the giggle, he was fully aware of his inexperience in the language, after all, he could tell she meant no ill-will by it and so simply smiled in return. As the conversation evolved and the young woman clarified that she was “Queen Freyleif” he blinked a few moment’s slightly and then his head tilted in evident confusion. “So the order is a monarchy? Interesting. That will take a bit of adjusting to,” then again, he supposed America was similar to a ‘modern monarchy’, but it wasn’t quite the same. It was a republic above all else. Smiling softly, he would introduce himself politely with a light salute, “Erek Blackmore, ma’am, Retired Military Officer and apparently now, a Quincy,” it was odd, giving such a title- the word itself felt off.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind he would adjust his positioning a bit, widening his footing so that he could sit on his heels more comfortably, intertwining his fingers in front of him as his eyes curiously examined the young woman- pale, dark eyed, young, pregnant, it was clear the young woman wasn’t what would be called “normal” by any means. Most teenagers that got pregnant had bags under their eyes but it was from depression and stress- this young woman appeared stressed, certainly, but it wasn’t quite the same.

It was the same look that he often had on the battlefield- stress over responsibility, from overworking. A soft smile formed on his lips, emphasizing with the young woman, “If you’re the example the Quincy go by, then I suppose I won’t have to second-guess my reason for being here after all,” he murmured the compliment, mostly to himself, before he would clear his throat and continue on to answer her question.

“In all honesty, I’m completely clueless about all of this, including what to ask about,” he chuckled dryly before he reached into his backpack, a bit of rifling and he had pulled out a binder. Opening the binder to the center, and pulling a paper out that he offered to the young woman. “I have more, but this should explain the summary of it, I was told to give it to the first high ranking Quincy I encounter- I suppose you certainly count,” his lips curled in slight amusement, before he would intertwine his fingers around the binder and quiet so that she could read peacefully.

When examined, the paper would give a detailed briefing on the North American Quincy, one of the Mexican clans with loose- but existing ties to the order, that had been on standard patrol in New Mexico when they had felt a weak Quincy presence and a Hollow presence. By the time they had arrived, the Quincy- Erek Blackmore- had killed the Hollow, and had been seen actively utilizing Blut to minimize damage, allowing him to survive- barely- what would have been a lethal blow. The man still needed extensive medical attention, but when they pulled him in, he revealed an odd power- he was pulling in reishi around him and using it to mend the wound slowly as they worked on him.

When questioned afterward- they found he had never seen a Hollow in his life, and had killed the beast with only being able to see it in “Camouflaged Waves, like it was transparent”, marking that he had been very recently awakened- likely by the Hollow’s very own reiatsu for the first time. Due to this, they recommended he come to the Castle to have his bloodline examined as well as have some tests performed for the unusual Blut-Based abilities he had shown- as well as taking lessons in the basics of everything spiritual since he had virtually no clue.

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Emerald eyes observed the man before her, at least he was polite and did not mind the giggle towards his inexperience. She smiled in return and nodded to his introduction. He seemed confused about the Order being a monarch - definitely a new Quincy indeed, that was fine though, she was glad someone newly awaken was curious enough to be guided here.

“Pleased to meet you, Erek,” she responded kindly. “A retired Military Officer?” her head tilted a smidge and blinked curiously. Well, he did have the look and mentioned he was newly awakened. She was glad he wasn’t taken aback too much by her appearance either; even with the scars running across her right eye and the rest of them hidden underneath her clothing. Most would dot over her if they saw her scars or berate at her as some kind of abuse, all in all, she still held a strong spirit and did the best to take care of herself - sometimes.

She watched him take out some papers and took them when handed over and gave a quick scan. “I see, you are indeed in luck meeting a high ranking Quincy.” she gazed back up to him with a smile. Reading the paper over once again, Freyleif gave a rose of an eyebrow at the mention of his survival using Blut - one she barely used herself when it could save her by deadly attacks. Deep down she felt a tinge of jealousy unable to utilize such a skill when it could be used to not make her look like a battle worn teenager.

“Well, Mister Erek! Please follow me.” she would push herself up, gathered her mantle under her left arm and adjusted her tiara, and put on her knee high boots. After giving the paper a cursory glance, she kept hold of it before gesturing the man to follow her towards the castle.

“This is the former king Weylin von Wolfenstein castle,” she explained as she walked slowly along the road. “It’s being used for the central base of the Quincy and well my home, too, now. It may look all castle like from the outside but inside it’s mixed with a bit of modern flair.” since he didn’t know what to ask, a slight tour and history would probably be a good conversation. As they walked up to the gate two guards greeted them with a nod and a salute to the Queen before opening the double doors.

The entrance lead through a short hall with many banners hanging up over the tall windows on each side, and ahead of some stairs leading upward. Her eyes lingered on the first three steps and a smile curled upon her lips over a silly memory about a year ago but she quickly reeled herself back to reality than reminiscing about the past in front of her guest.

“The Order is pretty new,” she continued as she guided Erek around the stairs through another hall with stone and modern looking wooden walls. It seemed the old castle had a few reinventions but not much touched since Freyleif took over, though the place was kept tidy and clean as well as the decor. “Weylin wished to unite the Quincy as one with the Council being corrupted as it was and then later demolished. It all started with Markus sending out letters to all the well-known families of Quincy to a meeting in another castle here south of Germany, the Hohenfel estate.” the young Queen gave a sudden yawn she could not hold back and quickly covered her mouth. “Sorry, anyway.” she shook her head trying to shake off the fatigue wearing her down.

"Markus was a cruel man who did the behind scene killing of non-pure blooded Quincy or convincing them with wealth and a good life if they served under him. At this summons, Markus used Weylin's own mother to challenge him - they had a really bad history from what I recall, and the mad king had betrayed Weylin at a kingsmoot." she let the information settle in as they neared another set of double doors to which the guards quickly opened for them. The throne room, with a lavishly designed layout of tapestry on each side of the walls, laid before them with a red and gold trimmed carpet leading up to the wooden throne on top of a few stairs. The four guards were already standing diligently on each side of the carpet standing like statues and stone faces. One of the maids waiting by the throne bowed to the two before returning to her working dusting the windows. Freyleif neatly folded up the paper and tucked it into her jacket's pocket.

"Weylin did not fight his own mother, of course, and instead Aitrus, his Prussian friend, took his place to fight her himself. Regardless, Barbara had lost to Aitrus and Markus threw a fit saying they cheated. How they cheated I have no clue. Weylin stepped up and removed Markus' powers after an argument and crowned himself king afterward. It shocked a lot of people in what Weylin did but he did not joke around and selected his High Lords before sending the others off to cool themselves. I was one of the few who thought it was such a tyrant move and held some contempt over the White Wolf." the Queen sighed as she slowly ascended the stairs and slid herself into the throne. She stretched out her legs before bringing them back in and wrapped her hands around the ends of the armchair as she looked down at Erek with a slight frown tugging at her lips.

"It was not long after I trained myself under Aitrus and learned much that I finally challenged Weylin myself," she gave a bitter chuckle as her eyes grew distance settling on the older military man. "I and Weylin managed to work out an agreement that I would work my way up the ranks that he set up in the new Order, and I would help out the other Quincy until then. I met a friend named Cressida Schade while spreading the word about Weylin, I guess my story triggered her enough to think the king was a tyrant and went to challenge him next," she rubbed at her forehead at such stupidity.

"For whatever reason that only the Gods know, Weylin gave up the crown to the Schade and headed off towards the sunset without another word. Well, I wouldn't take the defeat so well and took the crown myself after forcing Cressida down - with many followers backing me up of course. It seemed the Quincy looked up to me to lead and my own friends stood by my side. So there you go, that is the history on how this all started. I'm sorry for giving you such an earful!" a twinkle came back to her emerald orbs. "I can certainly help you with your training and any knowledge of our abilities. I would be most glad to have you on board here."

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Erek would incline his head slightly as the young woman- Freyleif, would inquire about the military history, he would offer a simple, tired smile, “I’m of no importance, don’t worry, though suffice to say I’ve spent my entire life in the military,” with this brief, but accurate description Erek would rise up- he would offer her a hand politely if she wished some support to haul herself up, though he wouldn’t appear perturbed if she refused the offer either. Instead, he would rise, straightening as she would ask him to follow her- nodding simply as his hands would clasp behind his back, his posture returning to its normal straight and true stature.

Then, the history would begin- and to Erek’s credit, he remained quiet through the entire briefing, as it were. Carefully ensuring he focused each name to memory- including the locations, all of it could be useful to recall later. After they had arrived in the throne room, and she had finished her information, he would politely halt a few meters from the throne- keeping a respectful distance. He wasn’t entirely sure what the best distance was for a king or queen- but he assumed it was likely comparable to the president or similarly leveled politicians.

Calmly he would raise his hands, ruffling them through his hair as he contemplated all of the information- he was certain it was but a small tidbit of it all really, but it was a good place to start. As she offered to help him further he would offer an appreciative smile, “I’m surprised, usually the head of the rankings doesn’t stoop to assist the lowest sections of the tree,” he examined the girl quietly, before a soft smile formed on his lips. “That’s an excellent way to earn your soldiers loyalty,” and it was. Though it also came with its negatives of course, everything did- if he had to choose between a distant, cold commander that was skilled and to the point, or a heartfelt commander that understood and trusted his subordinates even if it may be risky- he chose the latter.

He had always tried to be the later himself as well. If anything, she had certainly earned his respect on that front already as long as she held to the image she was beginning to form in his mind. “You said the order itself is young, I assume since it only has had three rulers including yourself, that it can’t be older than a hundred years? Perhaps a bit more, but not by much?” this may seem unimportant, but in reality it told him quite a bit. Using America as an example, it was the youngest country in existence, and yet it was one of the military powerhouses of the world.

Age meant little when it came to power, but what it did mean is that generally the younger an organization or country was- the more specialized it was. Knowing how old it was would tell him a bit about how experienced this order itself was. After this question he would move on to responding to her previous offer, “I’d greatly appreciate any assistance, honestly, if I have another encounter with one of those beasts I’m not entirely sure I’d stand a chance,” his eyes trailed downward as he raised a hand to his throat and raised the dog tags to his eyes.

“I suppose question one would be what was the sword that I summoned from my tags? They called it my “Spirit Weapon” but they said that its shape was extremely odd, and seemed more like a “Secondary Spirit Weapon” than a “Primary”, honestly it was basically all gibberish to me, I’ve never really believed in a god, spirits, or anything supernatural,” it sounded idiotic now that he said it when he was clearly surrounded by such things- but he was the type that only believed in what they could sense. Until now, he couldn’t sense any of these things, it was only honesty.

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“I like to think Weylin revolutionized the Order after Markus’ rule, but i’m sure the monarchy is indeed old dating back to the Council era several hundred years ago. “ Freyleif answered. “Mmm, perhaps around after the culling around the twelfth hundreds or such account then, there was a lot of guessing dates.” her shoulder rose and fell in a shrug.”The council didn’t do well because of a lot of infighting and the whole pureblood thing. A Queen had stepped up to lead, I do not remember her name, but anyway; The great purge ends, the last Quincy Queen dies. A council of elders takes control in the vacuum of leadership.”

She listened to his next question while trying to keep herself from yawning again and watched him look over his dog-tags. Carefully she expanded her spiritual senses to look deep into his emotional state before moving onto his next question, “Ah, ‘ spirit weapons’ or Heilig Bogen, basically the bow - the basic form being called the Kojaku. There are other forms; like the sword, guns, and throwing weapons. I’m assuming your ‘tags’ are made of Soul-synthesized silver - a Quincy make that allows you to draw in reishi and form your weapons, this serve as catalysts along with the bangle for those that lost their powers and having a hard time forming their weapon in training.” she did not comment on his disbelief in the gods as she herself believed in the supernatural entities and spirits of the land, she only offered a soft giggle before continuing. “Does that answer your question?” her hands then moved under her belly to cradle it, and the babies were acting up causing her a bit of a startle at their movements.

Focusing on a shape in her mind to distract her thoughts from the squirming little ones. Her eyes looked over from Erek’s right shoulder and drew in spiritual energy just behind him. Slowly it molded into a ball shape hovering above the ground and then two little limbs formed at the sides with two more at the bottom.

“From what I read you seem to use Blut to your advantage,” the Queen said, pushing herself up from the throne then made her way back down to face him. “This usually is easily utilized by Echt Quincy than the non-pure bloods…” a smile formed and a glint sparkled in her eyes as she tried to remain ‘innocent’ in her game. She made a motion of her left hand in a wave and the Silly Putty like creation molded into a humanoid form with raggy looking clothes wrapping around the torso next pants. Tiny pointed ears poked out on the side of its head and then lastly the nose, eyes, mouth, and spiky hair. The creature was the size of a soccer ball when completed. It plopped down onto the ground and quickly skittered up to Erek poking at his boot with its bare toe before running down the carpet flailing with one of the guards giving a roll of his eyes at the Queen’s antics. It ran up to the closed door before looking left then right for a hiding place and ran under a tapestry with its feet showing underneath.

"Do you know how to draw in reishi into your blood?" she asked flicking some fringes from her face. She expected it to be a conscious effort against the Hollow he had faced or pure luck.

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Erek contemplated the age this order apparently had, it was still young in the grand scheme of things, but certainly not as young as he had originally anticipated. Still, it wasn’t entirely surprising he supposed- monarchies tended to last quite a long time, after all, England was solid proof of such. Nodding his head when she gave what information she could on the matter, she would move on to the more important, and immediate question as to what this “Soul Weapon”, had been.

“Soul-synthesized silver?” to say that he was confused was a clear understatement, confusion, curiosity, and a bit of disbelief tinged on his thoughts- raising the standard issue dog tags with an arched brow. “As far as I’m aware these things are standard steel,” he commented idly, before glancing toward her and offering them to her for her to examine more closely. Briefly, his gaze would shift toward the orb and slowly blink, a single time, in confusion.

“I assume that would be more of this silver you’re talking about?” he would inquire dryly, though he didn’t appear disapproving as the guards, simply curious- it was likely he was used to childish antics. Even if these dipped into the area of the supernatural, it didn’t really change the fact he was clearly being shown some of the powers that she had mentioned. When, and if, she examined the tags closely she would indeed find that they were made of standard steel- though they certainly had a faint energy signature that was identical to his own spiritual energy.

It was clearly an item of immense importance to him, but it wasn’t made of silver, perhaps if it would have been summoning his weapon would have been immensely easy for the man- but they weren't, and so his “cross” was only fulfilling half of it’s normal job as a reishi channeler. Watching the oddly detailed creation run about for a few brief moments, he would notice the way she’d shift her belly, and obviously seemed tired- but chose to simply not comment. He was certain she heard people fret over her constantly.

He didn’t need to toss his hat into the ring too, he had little doubt she didn’t already know she needed rest. Sometimes it simply wasn’t an option. The woman was a damn queen, teenager or not, pregnant or not, she clearly had the self-awareness to know when she needed to sleep and rest.

Instead, he would blink a few moments as she brought up the same comment the other Quincy had said, “Blut means blood, correct? I’m uncertain what you mean, the Quincy that found me kept saying that as well,” he raised a hand slightly signaling or her to slow down, “There’s that word too, Reishi, as in the mushroom? Or the Japanese word for spirit particles? I assume the second but honestly I really don’t know what to expect anymore,” his tone was good-natured and quite serious- going by the whole “spirit weapon” concept it would make sense, but really for all he knew the Quincy infused mushrooms or a heightened state of mind or some other shit. It wasn’t an unheard of battle tactic by any means- this entire concept was new to him, and though he hated to halt her or details at each turn, he didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. Mei had commented on this "reishi" and in hindsight he could have asked-- but at the time he had been far more concerned with learning the basics to survive.

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“Ah, is it just steel?” she observed the dog-tags he handed over and felt them over with her callous hands. It held his identification and standard for military wear. Yet, when she looked up to observe him further he held no ‘cross’ or something akin to such - this must of been something personal to him and she handed it back to him. “I see.” she commented before lifting up her own cross to show him. “This is something that’s been brought down through the generation of my family, it also very personal to me.” the old Nordic cross looked worn even the rune ‘Hagall’ looked unintelligible to see. She let the cross fall back in place and gave a chuckle to his observant of her creation and ignored the guard's disapproval expression.

The shaky creature slowly peeked out from its hiding space and gave a wave to Erek before hiding once more. “Yes, a creation made from soul-silver.” she replied staring into the man’s eyes as he became more confused by all the terms. Her lips curling into an amused expression as she had an inkling just what the man needed to understand - he did say he didn’t believe in all the mumbo jumbo of the spiritual world.

“No, we don’t get high on mushrooms,” she jested. “It is the term for spiritual particles and Blut is German for blood, aye. Most of the names are culturally base and I guess the German Quincy picked up reishi from the Shinigami or the Japanese.” she gave a small giggle again and shooed the guards away. With a bit of reluctance, they finally complied and left the two alone.

She would have to start from the beginning as the man was clueless in all this spiritual nonsense. “Please give me your hand.” she held out her left hand, palm down, and waited to see if he would comply - if he did she would move onto the next phase. Slowly she closed her eyes and reached out with her spiritual senses to observe Erek’s own spiritual level as she formed another small ball of energy between their hands. “Do as I do: draw in the spiritual energy and create something from your mind's image, if you have trouble please let me know - the basics should be easy enough.” she kept her eyes closed relying nothing but her senses to see the shifting mood, his energy levels, and the control he has over it.

“Don’t be hesitant and ask questions if they pop up.” she urged on and awaited on him to try it out.


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He nodded as she inquired about his tags material, once she offered them back and shared her own he would tilt his head slightly as he examined the cross- ah, so she was someone who believed in faiths after all. Well, that was fine- it didn’t hinder him in any way, in fact, it likely meant this would be a much smoother transition than he had originally intended. Lifting his hand, he would hold his chin and debated the words as they were described to him, contemplating the different words.

As she clarified no mushrooms were involved he offered a brief smirk, “Well you are Icelandic, you never know, your ancestors did,” he chuckled softly before he would curiously halt his words and listen to her as she explained the terms. As the guards left, he would nod his head at her request, and then squint a bit at her, “What exactly am I trying to sense and pull in then, would be step one I suppose?”

Imagination was never his strongest suit- at least not in the sense of whimsically summoning up such thoughts. He had found when he was reading or writing, such things came easily enough, however. The idea of “spirit particles” was odd to him- were they like atoms? Cells? The medic in him wanted to say that cells were likely a more accurate representation of them- but what exactly would that lead to? Rubbing the back of his neck he let out a sigh before he lowered his hands and made them so as to cup the air.

She’d said to try and make a ball- but the “out of what” was what he was having some difficulty with. His brow furrowed a bit before he examined the air between his hands- particles in the air, made of spiritual energy, apparently. Perhaps the thing holding him back was the fact he was labeling them as “Supernatural” when that clearly didn’t exist anymore. It was all real, though he still doubted the existence of “gods”.

Powerful spirits, perhaps, but he doubted any of them fit into any specific religion that was followed nowadays. Letting out a slow breath, he would raise his hands and focus. They weren’t “Spirit Particles” they were just energy particles, energy surroundings him that he had to envision- and pull. Just like the sensation he had felt that time when he had summoned that blade. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at the air as his already sharp features seemed to harden even further.

It was faint, but there was a single brief flicker of energy between his palms, causing him to blink- and it instantly dissipated, causing him to suck his teeth a bit in annoyance. Still, he’d felt it, it was exactly like the sensation then. As if he was pulling fire toward him, but without the heat- raw energy from the air itself around him. Slowly his gaze lifted, curiously looking toward Frey, “Sadly that didn’t last long, but I believe I managed the base level of it?” he wasn't entirely certain if that even qualified, honestly. But he supposed it was a good first step?

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She chuckled in response to her being Icelandic and her ancestors taking up mushrooms and donning on animal skins to strike fear in their foes even while being brave enough to go buck naked.

“You gather spiritual energy from the nature around you,” she replied. “Earth doesn’t have high concentration of reishi so you can most likely find it closer to nature itself - think of it as the spirits giving up their energy.” it was most likely a pagan thing he would not understand but it was most likely the truth that the dead and nature had an abundance of this spiritual energy latent around Earth.

From the fluctuance change of his energy she could tell he was having some difficulty understanding the concept of pulling something from nothing; after all, he had to envision what he believed in and focus on it.

There it was! She noticed the spark of energy between his hands and smiled at the small accomplishment then gave a firm nod. “Yes, it’s a good start.” she said opening her eyes.

The little creature hiding behind the curtains peeked out its head before dissipating away into blue particles and faded away to whence it came from. It already took so much energy to puppeteer the elf with all the complex movements and maintaining its size.

“Practice pulling in energy like that and you’ll be able to use your Blut more effectively,” she smiled faintly before rubbing her tired eyes. “If you like I can tell you the other energy sources? The spiritual beings called Hollow and the black robed ones called the Shinigami. Or we can get right into getting you into the Order officially, your call.”

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282/3216=3498

Erek would contemplate this- if the energy came from life itself, that was a far easier concept to grasp. Life gave off energy naturally, it was how they existed, so these “Spirit Particles” were less a concept of spirit, but instead just a natural energy of life. That made far more sense, and proved his initial thought correct- nodding his head as she confirmed it was a good start he lowered his hands slowly. “What exactly is this “Blut”, to start? I assume it has something to do with my blood, and this energy- but I’m uncertain how it would have anything to do with my survival. If it’s effectively a form of supernatural doping, then it would allow me to ignore wounds, and increase my physical abilities similar to adrenaline, no?”

At least, the medicine major in him thought so- taking this energy and instead approaching it from a logical and scientific standpoint was definitely helping him get a grasp on the concept far more effectively. He glanced over at the small elf would disappear into particles, much like the single small spark he had managed to summon- but multiplied a hundredfold. It certainly proved how much better than him she was at it if nothing else.

Nodding his head he showed he understood her comment about blut- even if the concept of what exactly this “Blut” did was still a bit uncertain to him- he at least had a basic grasp on the ability if nothing else. Instead, he would move on as she spoke of the other spiritual entities, this concept of “Shinigami” making him blink, and then his brow arched slowly. “Death Gods?” he asked, obviously skeptical- he doubted that there were actually multiple being that held such tremendous power as the mythology and folklore based on the deities of death, or reapers in more western lore. That said, he supposed it was entirely possible that there were spiritual entities that were claiming the name?

Rubbing his chin he would shake his head, “I’m content to postpone the official joining for now unless it’s some complex ceremony- and if it is, I’d like to avoid it. Signing a paper and swearing an oath is just fine for me, I’m a simple man,” explaining this he offered a slight smile before he would motion lightly for her to continue. “I recognise the word, Hollow, it’s what the other men called the beast that I killed, but I have yet to hear anything about these so called “Death Gods”,” as he stated the title he couldn’t hide the slight amusement at such a ridiculous name for what was, apparently, a species.

It was as pompous as calling one’s species a “Lord of Time” or some other nonsense.

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He was finally starting to grasp the concept and she nodded to more of his theories. Drawing in the spiritual energy around her form, Freyleif directed that energy to meld through her clothing and into her skin causing blue lines to be visibly seen crawling along her neck and up along her face giving it a tribal look. Exhaling out, she released the technique and the lines began to fade away.

“That is Blut Vene a defense use in mitigating attacks depending on control, the other is Blut Arterie giving you a boost in physical blows and spiritual weapon attacks.” she explained. This time the fatigue was getting heavier causing her shoulders to slump.

“Death Gods are the ones that bring ‘Balance’ to the cycle; don’t know if that is true enough - honestly don’t bother letting them get in your head about how self-righteous they are.” she sighed and shook her head disappointingly as she continued. “They care more about the soul in your meat bag of a body. There is apparently an order that if any Quincy is attacking a Hollow with a Shinigami’s presences you will be asked to stop or be put down. We have no standing order against the Shinigami, I only ask you learn the difference between a Soul Reaper and an Arrancar. Feel free to engage with the Shinigami but don’t tell them anything they might use against us - our family.” she gave a tired smile and force herself to keep standing there.

“Nothing too ceremonial, you will be given our Quincy uniform; only use in on missions or more formal meetings you honestly don’t have to wear it all the time.” she said chuckling. “Just sign up and please meet with Aodh O'Mongan and Amelia, they are the Sternritters - or captains who will take you under their wing and put you in a specific training area.”

She held out her hand once again and formed a miniature version of a Shinigami with a Zanpakutō on his waist and flashy long hair reaching down his back. He wore the typical Shihakushō composing of: white shitagi (under clothing), black kosode ( small sleeve), black hakama ( "trousers") white tabi ( foot pouch / socks), and waraji ( sandals). The Shinigami figurine poofed into an array of particles once he had a good look of the thing.

“Additionally the Lieutenants will sometimes wear an armband with the division symbol and number. The Captains wear a white overcoat called Haori with their division symbol in a rhombus, the Gotei five symbol. They are also of military origin keen on training up their own men and women and konsoing the plus souls and cleansing the Hollow to pass into Soul Society,” she let out a yawn unable to keep it in any longer. “Hehehe I don’t think I can stay awake much longer...and kinda getting hungry. If you don’t have any more questions you can join me for some, ah - breakfast or lunch.” she forgot what time it was and the sound of her belly rumbles roared out in protest occasionally.

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508/3498=4006

Erek listened to the information quietly, contemplating the information- so basically they were exactly what he had assumed. Spiritual beings that just took the name to be as self-righteous as possible, especially going by the disappointment tinged in her voice and the apparent “order” they had been given. So they had a military of their own, it would appear. In a way it was odd, he would never admit it, but it was a comforting feeling- not because he supported either side just yet, but purely because it felt like for once, he was entering a battlefield once more.

Both sides had their own armies. Their own militaries. Effectively, this meant that they were at a sort of “Cold War”, and that was fine. Because either way, it was familiar ground, something he was able to comprehend and understand. He was a dog, and a dog without a leash soon got out of control- he had felt it, the loss of direction he had suffered without someone above him leading him along. He knew too well what he was- a bloody, tired war hound, covered in scars of past battles, having lost countless packs, treading along like a ghost from one fight to the next.

But he had run out of fights. He’d entered every battle he could- and in doing so he had decided to try to “develop more”, but it was a foolish concept and he had known that. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. He breathed battle, his life was war. There was no changing that fact anymore, it was far too late for him for that- and he was content with that realization.

Letting his would then gaze lift as he offered a slight smile of amusement as the girl's stomach rumbled, “It’s eleven hundred, roughly, so late breakfast I suppose would be the most accurate term,” he would motion for her to lead however she wished. “I’d be glad to join you for a meal, but if you’re feeling exhausted don’t feel as though you have no choice but to lead me along, I can always come back and talk more once you’re in a more rested position,” though looking at her, and having examined her in person he doubted she was ever not exhausted. Perhaps if she wasn’t pregnant, but between being a natural response, heartfelt, emotional leader, a top being a pregnant teenager, he doubted this “Queen” ever got a decent night sleep.

His eyes softened and he made a noise of amusement as he placed his hands behind his back, “I’m afraid I’m not much of a chef, but I’ll be happy to pay for anything that may be made here,” he wasn’t sure if the Quincy used the same monetary system, but since they had to live amongst other mortals he would assume such. At least that would likely remain the same in his life.

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So it was a bit late for breakfast. Drat. It was a good thing she is the Queen to get her favorite made eggs and sausage links made - whoever the chef was here he made some delicious made breakfast. Her mouth began to drool at the thought and could almost smell the bacon.

“Mmm, I would be honored to have you at the table, Erek,” she snapped out of it and lead the way. “Don’t worry I’m always busy and if you want to pay that’s fine too.” she waved the concern off. Being around the castle there was always going to be some kind of work keeping her going and there was no rest when so many Quincy came here looking to join or not. Freyleif wanted to be involved in anything that could help the Quincy grow but she couldn’t be everywhere - which left her ragged and exhausted.

The young Queen found herself yawning every few minutes as she waddled through the long halls, sometimes her eyes were full of alertness then slowly drooping closed and alert again once she caught herself. Many of the guards they passed looked concerned for the Queen and whispered in German how such a young woman over pushes herself. There would always be gossip about her leadership; she just chose to ignore rumors and other nonsense about her leaving the Order briefly.

Thankfully it didn’t take long to get to the lounge area and kitchens. The room was just extravagant with a long mahogany table and twenty chairs, three windows to let the sun shine through, and other sitting areas with a TV over a warm fireplace and bear rug. Freyleif sat in the front most chair being the tallest high chair and waited for the maids lining up to take their order.

“I would like some croissants, Turkey and make sure it’s cut thin, sausage links, and lastly some orange juice for drink.” she then listed off some desserts to be made. While they waited, Freyleif smiled over to Erek and mostly stayed silent unless he wished to speak of a topic.

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351/4006=4357

Erek followed her through the castle, nodding simply at her words as he fell calmly into a seat- it was still difficult for him to adjust to the concept of eating “normal meals”, especially in such lavish decor as the castle. He was used to eating out of a can around a campfire or a travel burner if one was available- if he was lucky- if not it was just cold canned food. Still, he would lean back and blink as the maids lined the wall, resisting the urge to whistle- this was one hell of a place if nothing else.

As Frey ordered her food, Erek would glance toward them and offer a simple smile, “Just a medium rare steak and two over easy egg’s with a black coffee, no sugar, please,” with a bow of their heads he watched them move off with the order- turning and glancing toward Frey he would let out a slow breath and focus on taking in all the information he had been given- which wasn’t a small amount by any means. Releasing a slow breath he would stretch his legs before his eyes turned toward the decor once more- paintings, furnishings, it was all gorgeous really- but sadly, lost on him.

Erek wasn’t very materialistic, perhaps due to his past of sleeping on the dirt or a cramped bunk, but as long as something supported his weight- generally it was good enough for him. The food came in, distracting his line of thought as the food was placed down in front of him- with a word of thanks to the maid, and a sharp smile that caused her to hesitate for a moment before smiling in return and stepping back holding her tray he would focus on his meal. The knife slicing through the meat casually as he considered what Frey had told him.

There was a lot to learn, and he supposed, plenty of time to learn it- but that wasn’t good enough for him. He’d always been the proactive type. Swallowing a bite of the meat, and wiping his mouth he’d address Frey curiously, “Do we have locations we’re stationed in for patrols and such? Or is that up to your captains?” his head tilted a bit as he continued to slice the steak into bites as he talked- simply not eating yet, it was rude to talk with your mouth full.

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With the steamy food placed before her, Freyleif thanked the maid before she joined the others in line waiting to serve them. She took a few bites of the sausage links and a smile spread across her lips - it was just as juicy and yummy as before, the chef knew how to cook it just right without losing too much flavor of the seasoning. Temptation nearly drove her into digging in ravenously but Erek’s voice halted her stomach’s needs before she focused on his question.

“Karakura is the most popular patrol; but yes, you will be placed under a Sternritter of your choice. I would go with Amelia as she oversees all military action. Generally, when you join, you will be placed as a ‘Knight’ a standard rank for all the soldiers,” she replied. Returning to her meal a moment, she had decided to speak once more. “You may also stay around here for some rest; we also have quarters here for the Knights on the first floor.” she gave him a smile and took her time chewing on her meal even if her stomach felt like it hit empty quickly. She chugged down the orange juice in one gulp and a red haired maid stepped up to refill the flowery chiseled glass.

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213/4357=4570