The Sister and the Lion[Maria Woodsworth]

Admittedly, Albrecht was a bit nervous, the extent of his knowledge about the local church was very limited, he knew his role there, he'd be working with a division called the Black Scriptures and that there was another one like him among them, though any other information on this individual was withheld from him. He was also very aware of the reputation the Black Lions had among the other divisions, thanks to their battle rage and attempts to emulate the King of Beasts most people frown upon them as nothing but bloodthirsty barbarians. No, he shouldn't be thinking like that, he should be proud as one of the Lord's avenging angels and one the best melee combatants his division ever trained, letting himself be intimidated by a bunch of milk drinkers was humiliating and a disservice to what the Black Lions stand for, pride and ferocity.

Albrecht eventually found himself at the doors of the Black Scripture's church, he grasped the belt holding the weapon case on his back and took a deep breath before stepping. Each step he took inside the cathedral echoed loudly, the sunlight perpetrated the glass at the other end of the room giving the building a dim illumination. The knight stopped before the altar and started to look for any other people inside the building. Everything was oddly quiet, though surely, there should be someone around, had he missed someone when he entered the place?

Maria was back in the Church, after having attended the meeting. She knew what was waiting for her by the time she returned. Last night's report led to her being notified by the newcomer. The postulant was curious and yet at the same time, expectant. She wasn't sure where this Knight came from, but evidently the Cadet would have to deal with him in place for her superiors. The doors creaked open behind Albrecht, revealing Maria's stoic form and the massive sealed coffin on her back.

Her footsteps resounded on each step of the marbled floor of the nave. She was silently examining the Knight's appearance. He was tall, yet formidable appearing. There was a kind of martial dignity i his countenance that the postulant came to expect in the Knight divisions from the Church. She had little doubt that his body was built for melee combat, similar to hers. It was hard to tell what exactly his potential was, especially at this time of day. But perhaps she would have to wait until later. Though she had little doubt that he was capable, all members of the Church Militancy had to in order to combat demons and heretics after all.

When she finally was face to face to him, Maria bowed her head in greeting and offered her hand to shake.


She waited for his name, to address himself as "Sir so-and-so". There were ways to address a Knight of their organization, being 'sir', 'brother', or so on. And at the same time, she was expectant to hear what division he came from. Being set inside a division already spoke volumes of what you were capable of, at least for the most part, it provided a crucial general idea. After the introductions have passed Maria would continue, "My apologies for the lacking reception here. My superiors are busy at work as we speak, I am the only one to serve as your guide for this day. How was your journey to here, Brother?"

When the sound of the door opening reached his ears the Forgotten quickly turned around to see who approached. He was greeted by a blue haired nun, she wouldn't have made much of an impression on the knight if wasn't for the coffin she carried on her back, she was quite tall for a woman too but that's not nearly as eye catching. Perhaps the nun's clothes were hiding her physique, if it was  a deliberate attempt to make her look harmless or not he could not tell.


He would reply as he accepted the handshake. Unlike other orders, the Black Lions would grant deed names rather than referring  to each others as sir, though brother was common between the younger members a matter of personal choice and proximity rather than a formality. "I imagine there's a lot to be done around here." He commented before actually replying the Sister's question. "Surprisingly peaceful, though the bureaucracy and unpacking was a pain... If you don't mind, what's inside the coffin?" Albrecht gestured at the object, the curiosity was noticeable in his voice and expression.

Black Lions Order.

Maria had once heard of them, a Knight division of sorts. But while she heard of the name, she couldn't quite remember what they were about. Most Knights while filling in the massive manpower of the Church, usually were put there to protect the cathedrals around the world just as they were expected to fight against demons and the heathens. If anything, she was working with a professional and that was heartening to hear.

She nodded, taking note of his address. It was a name to remember. Maria gripped the straps over her shoulder and gave it a tug, causing it to shift behind her. Her eyes darted at the jutting weapon case over his shoulder. "A tool that functions the same reason as yours, to serve our Lord. And to be of service to this city's Queen."

It didn't mean that Maria knew that was a Demon Weapon inside his. In fact, it was just a mere reference that they both held weapons that they relied on for the job. She then turned while gesturing her colleague to the right of the chapel, "Please follow me, I will show you to your room, Brother Frost."

When Albrecht took her up on the offer, Maria would begin to stroll on ahead to guide him. Their excursion to behind-the-scenes would lead them through the hallways and corridors, even passing through some of the carefully tended gardens. There were some worshippers kneeling near the cluster of candles lit and surrounding a portrait of the Queen as the duo passed by them.

Soon, the only thing that was present between them was the sound of their footsteps. Until... "If you don't mind me asking, Brother, what does your potential manifest as?"

She wondered what power he had. Was it like many of the Militancy that relied solely on the miraculous Rites and their martial prowess? Or were they the gifted few given Weapons, awakened Personas, or summoned the Servants of the Lord? She had to know for various of reasons, but mostly of curiosity.

Maria's explanation was received with a raised eyebrow, a coffin was an odd place to keep your weapon, perhaps a choice purely based on the aesthetic? Or did serve some purpose he wasn't aware of? Either way he'd simply nod in response before following her quietly. Like himself she was a warrior of Christ and that already told him everything him what he had to know.

The cathedral was like he expected, and that is not much different from any other... Save for the people praying for Isla. The visage of people praying to the queen made Albrecht raise both of his eyebrows, brought surprise to his eyes and his mouth would even open a bit. While he quickly understood she was being treated as some sort of Saint in the church it was still a surprise, he expected to be told something like that. Yet again he remained silent, saving this question for later.

"My potential? I have a Demon Weapon, it's called Lamina Sanctus. They claim it was created from an angel." The knight shrugged, there was no way he could know the origins of Lamina Sanctus himself but he felt comfort in believing it was indeed an angel. "Since i talked about mine, could you tell me yours?"

Maria noticed his reactions to the surroundings. Perhaps he wasn't used to seeing the policy of adopting this kind of worship to cater to the Endymion citizens. Or was it that the higher-ups didn't bother to debrief him on why he was here in Endymion? She would have to ask.

"An Angel, huh...?" Maria repeated as if pondering. There was a slight look of maybe jealousy, but she remained in her emotionless visage nevetheless. "Demon Weapon Andraste. I am not familiar with her origins either."

She wasn't, truthfully. All she needed to know was that she had a weapon to use and rely on. That's all that mattered.

Eventually they made another turn in the corridor, finding themselves in front of a door. The Cadet grasped the door knob and opened. In it was just a simple desk and chair in the corner of a simple and spartan room. Near it was a bed complete with sheets and duvet. She allowed the Knight inside, to allow him a better look of the area. Near the entrance of the door was a closet that was clearly closed.

Maria waited near the door, waiting for Albrecht to comprehend and examine the room. But she spoke, "Earlier you seem perturbed when we were walking. Do you have any concerns, Brother?"

"I suppose the origin doesn't matter now. They have become tools of God now." The Knight shrugged, he said mostly as form to comfort the nun but he didn't completely disagree with the thought either as displeasing as it might be to have a servant of chaos bound to you. "Did you already got to fight one of the beasts, battle Sister?" He was very curious to know if the Nun had any experience in combat, he was also a bit curious to know how it is to work with the cadets.

Even though he knew he'd have a room just for his own, but he still expressed discomfort after entering the room, ever since childhood he shared a room with someone, be it with his sister or his battle brothers. When asked about his early reaction to the images of Isla, Albrecht widened in surprise, snapping him from his introspection and vaguely melancholic expression.

"I wasn't debriefed on the sanctification of Queen, that's all." The Lion replied in a calm tone, there wasn't really much to it, honestly. "I also wondered what are the reasons behind such choice."

She had to crack a small smile at his assurance. Perhaps he was trying to cheer her up or he was just more realistic than she was. Maria put a hand on her hip, turning to him to answer, "I have. Work as a Cadet in the Endymion government allowed me some experience. But I could use some more. I've grown more familiar with my... deficiencies."

There was still a lot to do and more to learn how to be a better Cadet. And not just that, she needed to learn how to be a better Executor. While a nun-in-training, she was also still trying to graduate as someone that was part of the Inquisition. Nevertheless, she still had her unique condition to worry about. It was a constant debilitation that was going to hinder her. Despite that, she was a Cadet and an Agent of the Church. That wasn't going to stop her.

She found herself raising an eyebrow at this. No one ever bothered to debrief him about it? The Church was usually meticulous in its information, unless there was a kind of strategy going on. Or even some insidious politics were at play. Maria wasn't sure whether to be sorry or to be more on guard of him. These uncertainties clearly made it difficult for her to better connect with him. But if anything...

"The City idolizes the Queen as its savior. And for good reason. It's not an unheard practice, to try to integrate native faiths into ours while slowly transitioning them to accept ours in its entirety," Maria explained to him, "It's an old strategy, but it had worked before. It's only a matter of time and future policy that will dictate its success."

"Deficiencies?" Albrecht's head would slightly tilt after hearing that, knowing any limitations your battle siblings had was important, should it ever arise in battle he'd be able to provide support. "What sort of deficiencies?" Albrecht inquired further, he would quietly listen should Maria answer his question before he would speak again. "I should let you know that while in combat, at times i'll be overtaken by a battle rage. As long you don't get too close, i won't be of any danger."

For now he simply lost control under stressful situations, but he was working to channel this anger of his into something productive or helpful in combat. Obviously he wasn't really proud of it, but it was his way of making the best of it with what he is given.

"I thought as much after seeing it, i simply did not expect to see it." He huffed before he continued. "They told me the mission was to investigate the Queen, how she manages to do everything she does." He replied, not bothering to go into much detail about his debriefing.

"Inexperience. It's what I have a lot of. I still need more experience to be more familiar with this side of work," Maria answered before nodding at the Knight's condition, "Understood. I'll keep that in mind, Brother."

A battle rage? Any bit of aggression was good when used properly. But it sounded as if he was going to be some kind of liability as a team member. But, she would have to see how bad his rage was. Hopefully it wasn't that bad, or else why would the Knights bother having someone in the ranks? It was ideal to harness motivation to harm an enemy, but it wasn't so ideal if it hurt others.

"Hm. If that is the case, then it sounds like you will have to be a Cadet just like I am. We serve the Queen's government, hoping to get into her good favor so that we can better expand our network and ability to investigate," Maria replied, "If that is the case, I will be looking forward to working with you, Brother Frost."

"Then i believe i suffer from the same deficiency as you." Albrecht nodded back at her, wearing a calm expression on his face.

He too lacked much experience in actual combat, perhaps the two could aid each other in their journey for improvement. It was also good to know the gap between the two wasn't that big, he'd feel a bit inadequate to be send to help yet be outclassed by the local Inquisitors.

"If my memory doesn't fail me, they have mentioned something among those lines. The Cadets are like elite cops in a way, they also present their powers." He'd say as carefully unpacked his belongings, eventually taking out his sword from the case, if one payed careful attention they would notice it produced a faint glow. "So, when do i get to join their ranks?" He had a smirk on his face, as if he was eager to battle the foul beasts and the enemies of the Queen.

In spite of her blank expression, Maria had to break a genuine smile at him. It was good to have a kindred spirit. It made things feel less lonely in this regards. She nodded to confirm his understanding of the Cadets. "I can set up a meeting tonight with the Prince. That said, I have some duties to attend to. If you have any questions, you can report to the office. They will help you. It was a pleasure meeting you, Brother. I am looking forward to seeing Lamina Sanctus' work tonight. Please come to Class Zero tonight in the Seven Stars Academy. Farewell."

She bowed towards him and began to leave. Maria had noticed the glint from the blade. There was something in there and he wasn't lying. So, there would be another...

[Exit]

It was good to see some reaction from the nun, while he is not very expressive himself, he at least has his perpetual frown and expressed a few times, Maria was just expressionless until this point."It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Battle Sister. I too look forward to see what you are capable of in combat. And thank you for you guidance, i really appreciate it." Once Maria had left the room, Albrecht would start preparing for his initiation, by praying, practicing his sword and preparing his armor for combat.

[Exit]

Albrecht Frost of the Emperor and Maria WoodsWorth of the Chariot have established a social link