Storyboards: Kient

Kient joins the Circus | Kient joins the Academy

Kient joins the Circus
He had hated it in Arendia, always had, probably always would. His parents didn't care about him - their posh attitude had always rubbed him the wrong way, and the rest of the Asturian 'nobility' as well - and of course, the Mimbrates treated him like crap. Whenever Kient didn't want to do all of his rhetoric lessons, go to a prim little party, or practice his archery, his mother would always tell him, 'Well you need to learn these things if you're going to be in this family. Unless of course, you would like to go join the circus!' Well, one day... he did.
He was a great fan of the Circus. It had come to town one day and he laughed and cried and lost some money, which all enthralled him. The acrobats, the clowns, they all seemed to love life so much, instead of bandying hate about all day like those folks at home. Their emotions were so much more 'noble' than those with their petty feuds in Arendia. At first when found a carnie, he asked him if he could join and was laughed at. The dexterity which he showed to the acrobats, however, made them eager to accept him as a protégé, and into the circus he went.
He travelled with the circus all over the Western continent. He eventually became one of the star acrobats and was applauded. He never talked to his family again, as they'd likely already disowned him, but he was alright with that. He loved his newly adopted family, and they treated him like a son. Nights with the circus women let him have some fun, as well as nights with the guys to play cards.

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Kient joins the Academy
A blaze of fire mixed with the screams of his fellows woke up Kient from his sleep suddenly, and when he heard it he bolted out of his tent. The show in Algaria near the Thullish border, had gone quite well, a smash hit, but this event dulled it. Upon leaving his tent, he saw fires all about the campsite, and people were running, yelling, screaming. In the dark, he could make out sabers. Someone shouted out "Murgos! They're Murgos!!" As he saw three of them heading towards him, he had no choice but to run, unarmed as he was.
Kient weaved a zigzag through the camp until he came to a deep chasm in the foothills, the Murgos behind him. Standing on the edge, looking below him and behind him alternatively, a root draped down the side of the cliff face opposite him caught his attention. Seeing no choice, the acrobat breathed in and jumped. To the chagrin of his pursuers, Kient caught the root and swung up to place where he could stand. With monkey like ability, he scaled his way quickly up the cliff face and into a hiding place, the frustrations of the Murgo pursuers going unheard, but the screams of his adopted family ringing perfectly in his ears.
Looking out from his hidout among the foliage, he suddenly saw the Murgo's torches running rapidly away from his former campsite... pursued by a band of other torches, not far behind. He heard the sounds of clashing metal, and then after some time the noises of battle fell and he saw just one solitary band of torches remain. When he heard the battle hymn that was then sung, he knew it was safe to come out, for the hymn was a Cherek one. Slowly he made his way back across the chasm, scraped and bruised, he was greeted by a patrol party. They brought him to their General, Erepitus of the Guardians of the West.
'Are... are there any other survivors, do you know?' Erepitus shook his head sadly, and told Kient, 'Only you. We found no others.' Kient, instead of crying, surprised Erepitus when by babbling out, 'Look, I’m an acrobat. I’m dexterous, and can wield a knife. I threw them back and forth all the time, and I swear to you that I could hit a Murgo right between the eyes from -'
Erepitus interrupted, 'Boy! Slow down! Do you even know what you're talking about? War is nothing to think lightly of. What would your family think if you died, for instance?' A solid stare met Erepitus' question. 'I have none anymore, sir, so I don't really care.' Erepitus continued, 'Very well then. I think I know someone who may be able to use your services. How well do you like Drasnia?'
Kient soon thereafter became a new student at the Academy.

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