THE TRIALS

Becoming a Knight is not a task for the faint of heart. There are three different methods, though none is pleasant. In the beginning, Acacia tried seeking out people to join her cause. This proved troublesome, as it was difficult to judge someone's usefulness in this manner and even more difficult to find people who could trust enough to approach and convince to give up their lives and join her. Finally, she came up with what seemed to her the obvious solution:

A tournament.

She began spreading rumours of her recruitment, saying that she was going to create the greatest fighting team Actavia had ever seen, was looking for individuals who could still use magic and had a hatred for Empire Corp, and, as a final incentive, claimed the winner of each of these tournaments would receive a handsome sum in cash, even if he were not subsequently selected to join the team. She was sure these rumours spread far and wide but only in the "underground" sense – they were always too vague to be easily confirmed, usually spread in dingy taverns and areas Empire dared not poke its nose, and the exact time and location for the tournament was always kept absolutely secret until the last possible moment. So far, though she has had to cancel several times for fear word has spread too far, this system seems to be quite effective. Everyone who shows up is pitted against each other in pairs until only one individual is left. Acacia has adequate time to survey this individual in combat, try to get to know them a little, and make a tentative decision. No one is offered a place on the spot – she's sure to do her homework a bit before leading a potential spy into her nest. Still, the tournaments have become immensely popular, and mumblings of Acacia's plan and the creation of "Actavia's Greatest Fighting Team" can be heard in many out of the way areas of Actavia.

The third method is even more difficult: a one-on-one challenge. First you have to locate her, and that is quite a task in and of itself; then you have to fight her. If you can hold your own and she's impressed, you're in. If not, she might give you a courtesy scar to remember her by and send you off in shame. If you have a problem with that, she's not afraid to face you in earnest. In some instances, she may decide to hang around a person and do a little "preview" of their training. This both helps her determine your worth (and evaluate your loyalty) as well as enabling her to scare you off early if you just won't cut it.

To those individuals deemed worthy she grants one egg, with the understanding that the dragon is to be raised and trained to the best of the human's abilities. Acacia usually plays no part in this process – the new recruit is instructed in the basics of dragon care, told to kick up their own training in magic or fighting, and left to their own devices for some period of time, which can be anywhere from a few months to a year. (Though some suspect that there may be, after all, someone watching over them.) At the end of this period, Acacia mysteriously appears again, and it is understood that the dragon and human will now accompany her on her journey. Only at this point do the two officially become initiated into her "order," which she has (rather vainly) dubbed the Knights of Acacia. In some cases, especially when leaving someone may be impractical (or she thinks their training will get underway better under her guidance), the trainee is taken directly to Ayrton where they begin their real training. Only after Acacia is satisfied will they be formally initiated and granted the title of Knight.

Each Knight is given during his "initiation ceremony" a silver medallion, upon which is the emblem of the Knights of Acacia. On the reverse of the medallion is engraved the name of the knight, his dragon, and the phrase "KNIGHT OF ACACIA."

The emblem of the Knights is a dragon, curled around in a circle, with the tip of its tail touching its nose. Clutched in its back talons is a sword; its front legs are bound together. In the center is a heart ensnared by the same rope as the dragon. The emblem serves to remind the knights that they, like their steeds, are tied to the heart of the nation they vowed to protect; the sword is a symbol of their strength. The position of the dragon is meant to symbolize the eternal nature of this promise.

The ceremony is generally short and sweet, and the other knights look on. The knight is instructed to wear the medallion – hidden, of course, if outside Ayrton – at all times, are given the Rules of living in Ayrton and are made to swear a vow of allegiance to the Order. Acacia may or may not then grant the new Knight a weapon. If she thinks his or her current weaponry/armour/supplies are not adequate, she will be inclined to give them what she thinks they are lacking, within reason, or direct the village's smithy to prepare something for them. (She will NOT be giving anyone massive gifts of ten-foot-swords or full body armour, but she may give a knight something small and simple if she feels they need it.) Otherwise, the ceremony's over with, and its left up to the others to direct the new Knight to his room (if he doesn't have one already) and start to accustom himself to life in Ayrton.