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The Vrean Sun Guard was an order of knights specializing in the glaive or a type of polearm (or spear) designed for hand-to-hand combat.

Often they could pair a shield with their weapon arts due to magic that bonded the shield to their bracer and allowed both hands to be free for the spear.

Goleil walked down a row of spears lined up along the wall, inspecting them for their weight, quality, and practicality. They were made of various materials ranging from bronze to steel.

Tyria cleared her throat. "Redvale will cover the cost of your weapon, Goleil. Get the best one you can; steel should work best. It's rare, but we've got our methods." She said and cast a look at Erikson.

As the resident metal expert, the man nodded.

Goleil looked at the wide selection of weapons and remarked, "You have a very impressive stockpile of steel. How do you even produce such a fantastic material on this scale?"

The blacksmith smiled and said, "That is between myself and my ancestors!" He said and chuckled at his joke, though no one else in the room understood.

Goleil decided not to question it and returned to studying the spears in front of him.

Ty'Bral suddenly rose from the shadows on the floor and pointed to a certain glaive.

"This one, choose this one." He said seriously.

Goleil walked towards it and weighed it in his hands, testing how it felt and the quality of the metal.

'This is a good glaive; is there something special about it?' He thought.

"No, I'm just tired of waiting for you to make up your mind." He said as he yawned and disappeared into the floor in a flash of tentacles.

Goleil threw him a dirty look as he disappeared and turned to Erikson. "I'll choose this one." He said.

"You've got a good eye, Vrean. That is one of my favorite works! It's slim but incredibly dense. Look along the blade; you can see how many times I folded the metal in the blade. You didn't strike me as a man who enjoyed frivolous accessories, and I'm glad I was right."

Erikson was right. The glaive in Goleil's hands was a single long shaft with almost a sword blade mounted firmly on the end of the haft. Together they looked incredibly simple compared to the other glaives with larger blades or hooks on the back.

Goleil placed the butt-end on the ground and looked closer at the blade. Upon close inspection, he could see dark lines that twisted and swirled on the metal's surface, indicating how many times the metal had been folded and strengthened.

As he marveled at the blade, Erikson leaned closer to the other three.

"He looks like a true knight now, doesn't he?" He whispered.

They could only stare and nod. It was easy to forget that the man in front of them was once a member of a legendary order of knights.

His torn and ragged golden cloak that just an hour before looked like nothing more than a travel-worn garment now reminded them of the epic history that lay within its fabric. His golden eyes now hinted at a royal allure instead of the danger they used to represent.

Goleil looked around at the cramped space and wondered if he could maneuver here.

Erikson saw him and said, "Getting the itch? I recommend you go to the Colosseo. You'll be able to move freely and reacquaint yourself with your skills."

Mord and Gwen's eyes widened, but a look from Tyria was all that they needed before their faces returned to impassiveness.

Even so, the effect was somewhat broken by Mord hopping from one foot to the other in excitement.

Goleil didn't care, though. He felt a deep longing to get out on the battlefield once more, to fight his troubles away. Things were simple in battle, it was kill or be killed, and that was all that mattered.

He nodded and walked out of the shop in a hurry.

The three hurried after him, and Tyria shouted, "Wait! You don't know where it is!"

After a moment, Erikson followed after putting on a thick woolen cloak. He had a big grin as he followed the four towards the Colosseo.

...

Near the city center and the keep, the Colosseo lay in wait. It was a large building shaped like an oval, like a stadium. The top was covered, and inside, large magical lights provided light to the fields that lay inside.

The Colosseo was the home of tournaments, where most of Redvale's knights spent most of their time.

Ever since the incident at the Praetorian Training Grounds, the knights of Redvale had been itching to test their might against the mysterious newcomer. Apparently, he had taken on the whole city guard and lived.

The details had been vague, and rumors rampant. It hadn't helped things that Mord liked to spread misinformation. Rick had done his best to quell the worst rumors, but he hadn't been quick enough.

As Goleil arrived, he realized he'd been had. The expansive fields were full of tests of strength, combat, and training. The stadium seats were almost half full, with the spectators for the day's events. He watched as more than a few pairs of knights competed in a race on horseback or jousted.

He sighed as he glanced at Erikson, who shrugged.

Goleil decided to make the most of it. He wanted a battle and a battle he would have. The tournament fields were full of potential challengers, and he just needed to draw them to him.

He looked around and saw that an exercise field had opened up, and he made his way towards it quickly. After stepping into the enclosed space, he began to run through the weapon arts he was familiar with.

Quickly, his movements drew the eyes of many. Wielding a spear was uncommon for knights; they usually preferred a sword or another weapon like a mace or, rarely, the ax. Most saw the spear as a weapon for infantry, unfit for a knight to wield.

They were wrong.

The glaive made sharp whistling sounds that could be heard clearly throughout the stadium, and many knights couldn't help but look over.

One man was educating his squire about the importance of keeping one's weapon oiled when he saw the golden knight showing off his moves. He was an average-looking knight, with the dark brown hair characteristic of Redvale and the border regions. His chestnut eyes stared seriously at the glaive that seemed to rip through the air.

He was nervous when he saw it.

The knight grinned and put on his great helm as he walked towards Goleil.

The man wore a suit of full plate armor and wielded a long sword and shield. He wore no tabard, but the shield carried his family's coat of arms, which was an oakleaf. However, he left his shield behind.

He didn't quite know what to think when he looked at Goleil. His armor was clearly brand new, but the tabard he wore signaled to him that the man he wanted to challenge was a battle-hardened veteran.

His quick but dangerous movements further reinforced his opinion of him. The man he was about to face was no newbie and might even be the man they'd heard so much about.

He was giddy just thinking about the battle they'd have.