Through the open door to the setting of the interview is a dim-lit study. Musty bookshelves line the stone walls of the room, stuffed to bursting with a mess of scrolls, leather-bound tomes, and endless rows of small black journals. Before the empty fireplace sit two armchairs, one of which is occupied by the character.
Den Marsyl is a young man in his twenties. Tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired, and black-eyed with light brown skin and an athlete’s build, he is dressed in red clothing of a vaguely medieval style. What looks to be a silver-bound globe of bluish sea-glass hangs from a cord at his belt, along with a sheathed knife.
The character drums his fingers on the arm of the chair as he waits, not bothering to conceal his impatience.
Den Marsyl
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“Hello!” June said, bounding into the room. “What a place you’ve got here!” She exclaimed excitedly, looking around in aw at the bookshelf’s. “Do you like to read? Clearly you do.” June said happily. “So do I! Oh right,” she said, catching herself. “May I ask your name? I’m June by the way.”
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The man blinks.
"I'm to be interviewed by a-?"
He stifles a sigh, then seems to resign himself to it, leaning back in his chair to scrutinize the girl through narrowed eyes.
"Den Marsyl. A pleasure." -
June stops, blinking at the man, not quite sure what just happened. “Right.” She said, “Anyway, your name is Den? Where are you from?”
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"Here," he says, gesturing to their surroundings. "Idenrya, capital city of Idria."
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“Right, right.” She said, taking out a pen. “And what exactly do you do?”
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"I'm-" A pause. He frowns slightly, then smooths it away with an expression of cold composure.
"I'm a Hunter, and the head of House Marsyl. I serve the Council and carry out their will. When summoned, I fight." -
“Uh huh.” She said, taking a few more notes. “Interesting. Have you ever not wanted to fight? Or disagreed with an order from this Council? And what exactly is a Hunter?”
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Den's expression becomes stony. "Orders are orders. I've never shirked my duty."
"Hunters are those born to any House bloodline. Traditionally, we're trained from an early age to hunt down and dispel rogue spirits, working with a team of other Hunters from the same House.
He cocks his head, as if thinking. "There used to be more of us. These days, we number in the hundreds." -
June coughed, surprised. “I-I see. And what exactly is a ‘House bloodline’?”
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A flash of irritation crosses Den's face at having to explain what would be common knowledge in his world. "Even children know these things. Where do you come from, to be so ignorant?"
Before June can answer, he launches into swift explanation. "The Houses are families that have been Hunters for generations, going back hundreds of years. Only children from these bloodlines are born with the latent ability- called a Gift- that allows them to kill spirits."
He pauses. "Our Gift is something we inherit from our parents, along with a blessing, a curse, and all of a Hunters' duties and obligations. It's something you're born to- not something you choose."
"That's what it means to be part of a House bloodline." -
June took a few notes, lips pursed. She must say, this one was a prickly one. “Neat!” She said, pasting on a smile. “Other than being a hunter, what do you like to do?”
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"What do I... like to do?" For the first time, the man seems caught by surprise, as if hobbies are a foreign concept to him.
His gaze slips to the floor as he thinks. "I don't get much free time to myself, especially since I became the head of my House. Most of my time is spent on missions or gatherings. I spend the rest of my time training and preparing for the next mission.. There's always a next mission."
"When I was younger, I went with friends around the city. We sparred together, and played games of skill. It's been years since then." -
“Sounds nice.” June responded, pitying him a little. “Any interesting stories from your time as a hunter?” She asked, genuinely interested.
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A rare grin flickers over his face. "Once, when I was still an apprentice, we went up against a shapeshifter. My father was head of House then, and he was training us. It was only my second or third mission."
"Well, the shapeshifter starting giving us orders in his voice, and we ended up splitting up and running off all in different directions. We chased each other around for over an hour.. It was infuriating."
"Eventually, my sister was able to find the source of the voice using her Gift. She killed the spirit. My father laughed at us so hard he cried."
Den's smile fades. "I'm not a storyteller. They could have told it better."
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