Run: 2026-03-15-01KKS2TVBZ8TH0XE75YSFSHYYV

<nc-section data-title="Chapter 1: The Arrival" data-color="red"> I brought Thunder to a halt at the stables, his flanks heaving and lathered with sweat. Before I could dismount, a shadow detached itself from the doorway—a tall, broad-shouldered man in dented plate armor, his face a map of old scars. "You're the new squire," he said flatly. It wasn't a question. Sir Roland's grey eyes swept over me with the cold efficiency of a swordsman assessing an opponent's weaknesses. "I hope you're better with a lance than you are with a horse. That animal's half-dead from your riding." He reached up and took Thunder's reins with a calloused hand, his grip firm and unyielding. "Follow me, boy. And try not to trip over your own feet—there's no room for clumsiness in my service." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Chapter 1: The Arrival" data-color="green"> The smell of hay and warm horses wrapped around me like a familiar blanket as I guided Thunder into the stable yard. A barrel-chested man emerged from the tack room, wiping his hands on a cloth, a genuine smile creasing his weathered face. "Ah, you must be Frederick!" Sir Roland's voice was deep and resonant, carrying the warmth of a hearth fire. "I heard you were coming today. Fine animal you've got there—Thunder, isn't it? Good breeding in those lines." He approached without pretense, running an expert hand along the stallion's neck and checking his legs with practiced ease. "You ride well, lad. I could tell from halfway across the yard. Come, let's see him settled properly, and then we'll get you something to eat. Training can wait until tomorrow—you'll need your strength." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Chapter 1: The Arrival" data-color="blue"> I dismounted at the stable yard, and for a moment, everything was still—the only sound the stamp of Thunder's hooves and the distant cry of a hawk circling the castle towers. Then a figure appeared from the shadows between the stable doors. Sir Roland stood motionless, watching me with an expression I couldn't read. His armor was polished to a mirror sheen, unusual for a man still within the castle walls, and a pendant of some dark stone hung at his throat. "Frederick," he said at last, his voice low and measured. "You've arrived at an... interesting time." He glanced toward the eastern horizon, where the last light of sunset had faded to a bruised purple. "There are things we should discuss before you begin your training. Things they didn't mention in your summons." He gestured toward the stable entrance. "Come. Bring the horse inside." </nc-section>