Lethe sighed at Gil’s chastisement, her hands tightening around her arms even as her smile wavered.  So what if she was like a child with a new toy?  She had just received something very precious from people she loved.  Was that a bad reason to be happy?  But she was a ‘Seraph’ and had an image to uphold and apparently grinning to herself in glee, acting<span style="font-style: italic">childlike</span>, was inappropriate.  She peeked at the pensive Gil beside her, wondering when he had become so, well,<span style="font-style: italic">more</span>serious.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“The Divine Light does not ask more of its followers than they can bear“</span>No, it wouldn’t, but what it asked would certainly make its followers change.  She sighed in melancholy as Gil stepped away to the front of the room, her grip loosening before her hands fell away to her sides.  She firmly pressed her feet into the floor as if to physically ground herself.  Another deep inhale and she gathered her dignity around her like an armor.  When her eyes reopened, her previous joy was hidden behind a mask of serenity.<br/><br/>The Knights started filtering down the stairs and out of the Golden Sun.  She fell into place beside a stoic Adair.  It was no doubt hard for him to leave his brothers behind.  Next time they’d meet elsewhere so he could say his farewells in private first.<span style="color: Silver"> “Adair.”</span>She murmured from the side of her mouth, lips apparently motionless.<span style="color: Silver">“Chin up.”</span>She could only give him the comfort of duty right now while maintaining her image.<br/><br/>Her Vice Captain straightened, face plastered with his normal audience smile.  He held up a hand sharply and her squad obliged the command, falling into their standard marching formation.  They had all done this enough times to know what was expected.  Her Knights chatted softly behind her while maintaining their pleasant facades.  The unofficial requirement to joining her squad was the ability to speak from motionless mouths, given how often they were forced to parade in public.  One either learned the skill quickly or learned to enjoy silence.<br/><br/>She led her group through the gossiping streets of Lindela.  She was thankful her squad was no longer required to smile and wave at anyone who glanced their way.  After being late (or almost late) to way too many events, the Council had quickly recanted that decision.  (Her team all having to take medical leave due to strain from excessive waving, smiling, and being mobbed by civilians may have also played into that decision.)  Instead, they paraded like solemn, diligent Pristine Knights should and wound their way to the docks.  The Wyervia always astounded her; how odd to think that there was no magic powering these contraptions of metal!  If she hadn’t taken to the skies so many times on her own wings during battle, she wasn’t sure she’d feel comfortable even stepping on one of these things.<br/><br/>Captain Kobayashi awaited her and Gil’s squads at the docks, his fist snapping to his chest in a salute.  Lethe returned the gesture, the ringing of flesh on metal informing her that her squad had mimicked the greeting.<span style="color: Silver"> “Captain Kobayashi. Permission to enter?”</span>It was overly courteous to observe squad boundaries in such a public place, but after Gil’s earlier reprimand, Lethe was making sure she maintained all proper decorum.  The older Knight voiced his assent, the second half to the formal interchange: “Captain Lethe, Captain Guilford.  Permission granted.  Welcome to the docks.”<br/><br/>She waited two beats of her heart and then stepped forward.  These formalities had been drilled into her upon being assigned the title Seraph.  Gil had been spared such lessons to her knowledge, probably because she was just some orphan from who knew where while Gil came from a respectable Immaculate family.  When they were finally in speaking distance, Captain Kobayashi started to lead the way to the Wyervias.<br/><br/>“We have seven planes going out simultaneously to try to hide your departure a bit.”  He shrugged a shoulder; at most, such a move would hide them only until they landed.  But what the High Council wanted, they got.  “Some are headed to Gless, some to another port on Lindela, and three to Palaugrim, though two different ports.  We’ve decided to split your group into two different cargo Wyervias as the official Wyervia” he nodded to a gleaming, heavily decorated ship as explanation, “will be headed elsewhere.”  It was another pointless decoy in his opinion, but he wasn’t paid for his opinions.  “Would you prefer to rush out first and try to get to Palaugrim before the gossip or wait till later to throw off any hostile welcomers’ timing?”<br/><br/><span style="color: Silver"> “I’ll leave the decision to Master Guilford.”</span>Lethe demurred,<span style="color: Silver"> “My team will wait aboard the ship.  Thank you for your help, Captain Kobayashi.  I shall try to be back in time to fill the reinforcement squad position.”</span>She flashed a smile, the mirage of solemnity breaking for a moment, before she took Adair’s arm and the two strode onto the Wyervia.