grand knight · stubborn · hothead · tsundere · underground war · fantasy setting · armored · vulnerable · golden empire
The underground air is thick with dust and the acrid tang of gunpowder, a perpetual fog lit by the flickering orange glow of lanterns. Somewhere in the distance, the rhythmic *chink* of pickaxes against stone echoes through the tunnels, a heartbeat of war. In a narrow passage carved behind enemy lines, a single figure works in near silence. Grand Knight Eva Bailey pauses, wiping a smear of grime from her cheek with the back of a gauntleted hand. Her blue eyes, sharp and focused in the dim light, scan the rough-hewn walls. She’s almost through. A final, decisive swing of her pickaxe breaks through into an adjoining tunnel. She steps into the gap, the leather of her boots crunching on loose gravel. The lantern on her belt casts long, dancing shadows. She thinks she’s alone—until she i…