Dost Thou be Noble [Cyrus, Alastair]

"Ah, do not even feel as though you have let me down, Alastair. I have had a great deal to handle, as well, and I doubt that I would have had the time to accept even if you had been in a position to make the offer. Think nothing of it. But, of course, I would be all too willing to study under you at any time. I may in better shape than I have been, but that does not mean I ought to simply accept where I am."

There was a firmness to that final sentence that made it fairly clear Cyrus had not simply been sitting around doing typical paperwork. Indeed, the last months had been so remarkably unpleasant that he was still quite surprised he had survived them at all. But, he supposed, he was here now. Even if he was not yet able to willingly look back, he could certainly acknowledge it.

"I ought to thank you again for your efforts in Anaconda, as well. I know that it was hardly an easy assignment, that it proved to be a rather unfortunate failing in our intelligence. If there is anything that I may do as Grandmaster to make up for that, please do not hesitate to tell me."

"Of course, I would not wish to impose on your schedule. There will be time for us to advance again in the future, it is simply a matter of waiting and I can be as patient as you need me to be."

Cyrus' passion was not lost on Alastair, certainly, and he wished only to reflect it, but equally important was a show of willingness to serve in the manner that best suited the Grandmaster. It would be easy to simply ask him to resolve some of his problems, to lift him up by the bootstraps, but that was not how he operated. Nor did he think Cyrus would be impressed by such.

"There are always troubles for you to deal with, I am sure, so it should not be on me to ask more of you when you do so much. Rather I would ask what more I can do for you, now that I am returned to active duty. As a Coordinator or whatever role you require."

"I think you will find that I am quite impatient with myself. If anything, you will have to keep me from pushing myself too hard."

Ah. That had been said rather casually, but it was more true than Cyrus even originally intended. He'd not quite thought about his earliest days of traning in a long while, but his inclination toward such effort had been rather damning, hadn't it? It would be best if someone else could keep a handle on him, and he supposed that, for once, it would not be hard to do so.

"Beyond assisting me in my training, the only thing I would ask is that you continue your work. It would be quite unbecoming of me to ask you to work ever more, when you are already committing yourself to the Vandenreich beyond your duties, hm?"

"Then there is precious little I could ask of you. We have both devoted ourselves to the Vandenreich wholeheartedly, yet still, my contributions and my sacrifices no doubt pale in comparison to your own."

A wistful statement, and a rather self-deprecating one at that, but Alastair did not seem fazed by the remark. What had he lost in comparison to the Grandmaster? How many men had he led to their deaths in the hope of building a better tomorrow? Of course, there was more still that the younger man did not quite know about nor comprehend. Those more intimate sacrifices that were not spoken of amongst even the officer's circles.

"So forgive me, but when last we spoke we conversed about my mission to Vastime. I do not wish to retread that path in detail, but I have been contemplating upon something and perhaps you might be able to give me the clarity I have been searching for."

They had been walking for a short while now, but only at that moment did Alastair grow as tense as he had when Cyrus had first approached him. It had been a tough sell to himself, let alone considering his peers, but this was a unique opportunity to pick the Grandmaster's mind without anything needing to be set in stone.

"Whilst on mission, I was able to strike up something of an accord with Lady Duvalier. Then one of Lady Duvalier's close associates came to visit me whilst I was recovering from the Anaconda incident, and now I cannot help but feel like I am in a unique position to further strengthen our organisation's relationship with the Duvalier Group. It would certainly be a change from my current duties with the Sternritter, but between myself and Ms Ovide I believe we could accomplish some real good."

Cyrus was not one to compare accomplishments, and was even less inclined to compare sacrifices. But, really, how much had Cyrus even truly sacrificed? It seemed that much of what he had given up was the happiness and goodwill of others. Rarely did he ever make much of a sacrifice that was truly his own to make.

"I believe the Duvalier Group is something that we ought keep an eye on, but that is true of a great many groups in the world at present. If you believe that you can strengthen ties with them, particularly during these troubled times when their resources are invaluable, then I would of course give my blessing for you to do so."

He might have left it at that, normally, but Cyrus knew he could not continue to be the idle, passive Grandmaster that he had been for so long now. Action was necessary, strength of will and a presence among the people.

"Do tell me more of what you believe that you might accomplish with Ms. Ovide. I am quite interested in your vision of this plan."

Alastair was quick to imagine Cyrus' merits because that was the image of the man that he had built up in his head. He knew the man was certainly different to the myth, but it still did not stop him from feeding into the illusion. It was most certainly unhealthy as a basis for a relationship, but it needed to be picked away at slowly. Simply shattering it with a series of hard truths would probably have a drastic effect upon him.

"I would be lying if I said that anything concrete had been established, but Ms. Ovide and I seem to be of a similar mindset. If we could coordinate Vandenreich and Duvalier assets together I genuinely think we could expedite the peacemaking mission in America and then onwards to the other problematic areas around the world."

"I can understand your concerns about the wider Duvalier Group, I would be lying if I did not say they were worthy of monitoring, but I want to believe that she is being forthright with me. If matters prove initially successful then it could also put me in such a position as to achieve further monitoring too. If there is a chance at changing the status quo for the better then is it worth the risk of exposing ourselves just a little?"

"I think you are certainly correct. But, bear in mind, Alastair, that the Vandenreich is not simply a military operation. At its core, the City of Lights is a place of refugees, of people who have been displaced by war and who have nowhere else to go. I am not opposed to opening ourselves a touch if it means bettering things elsewhere, but I think that there are many who forget the nature of this place."

There was a faintly chiding tone to Cyrus' voice, though it was not intended to outright dissuade Alastair from this path. After all, he felt it was a fairly good approach, and he certainly was willing to have an in of their own into the operations of the Duvalier Group. And, besides that, he was impressed by the young man's initiative, even beyond that he'd already displayed in the past.

"I trust your judgement, however. If you believe that this is something to pursue, then you have my full support as Grandmaster."

"Of course, you are most certainly correct, but could it not be said that - by bringing some stability to the world - we could spread that goodness from the City of Lights and give more of those refugees a home of their own again?"

It was true that his exposure to most of the work of the Vandenreich had been through its military arm but that did not mean he did not believe in the vast network of support staff and noncombatants that kept everything running behind the scenes. He could recall some aspects of that life from his time with Sophie, but that was why he was bringing in Arlette and the Duvaliers. They had the experience with people, with infrastructure, that could fill in the gaps that his teams could create.

"But thank you, your support means a lot, Cyrus. Both personally and as the Grandmaster. I will speak with Ms Ovide and see about moving this plan into action."

Alastair would have been lying if he had thought that this would have been met with the same level of support that Cyrus had given it, but perhaps that was because he had refused to believe that it could be a good idea in his heart. How exactly his dealings would go moving forwards did remain to be seen, but this was more than a few words spoken between friends now. The sails were up and the ship was leaving port.

"I am glad to be able to talk to you like this. I might never have broached that topic formally, but so few others have enough knowledge of the situation to offer genuine advice."

"Certainly. I do not wish for the world to forever seem a frightening place, out of the reach of those in our care. It should be a home to all who live in it."

Cyrus needed to stop after having walked this long, still ultimately recovering after the loss of his strength. Even after a year, it was something that had yet to fully pass. The pain in the core of his being was more faint than it had been, but it was enough to remind him of his own weakness, to give him pause.

"I suppose to give that guidance to others is the most that I can do, as I am now. Though even my words are not always with complete merit."

That much was something he felt he ought to convey, if only for Alastair's sake.

Alastair could see Cyrus beginning to slow, that weariness slowly kicking in as they walked together, and was happy to stop of his own volition so that the Grandmaster might save just a little face. He did not expect to be asked to stop, of course, but equally did he not wish to put Cyrus in the position where he might feel he needed to. It was not like he pitied him, that could not be further from the truth, but the last thing he wanted to do was overexert the still-fractured man.

"There is always more you can do. With words, with smiles, with your presence alone if that is all you can offer. You are our Grandmaster, and that alone is worth more than any other guidance you might have. There is pressure, certainly, and I cannot imagine the burden, but you should never be limited in your reach."

A genuine smile spread across his lips at that last comment, a mark of his assurance as much as his agreement in the matter. It was hardly an exaggerated expression, as Alastair was nigh incapable of offering such a thing, but that he was smiling alone spoke enough about where his heart was at.