From the moment he could pick up a wooden sword, Tyrnellius "Trine" Wynthrox always got his ass handed to him by his older brother Arzanium. Despite the 6-year gap between them, the siblings had always gotten along like bread and butter. Born at a quaint and remote farm, Trine learned about the world most by following his brother in his footsteps. When Arzanium was taught the basics of gardening, so did Trine, even if he was playing in mud at the time. When Arzanium started aiding their parents on the fields, so did Trine, eventually. When Arzanium complained about plucking carrots, so did Trine about cabbages. When Arzanium wanted to do something greater with his life, so did Trine.

It all started when their uncle Achilles had been knighted. His life flourished, and Trine's family would gain a taste of it as he sent gifts to their doorstep. Eventually that taste would turn into a whole meal, and the family expanded their farm, having more than a few coins to spare. Arzanium would soon pick up a wooden sword to train with it, with Trine happy to watch for the time being. Mother said he was too young still, after all. Trine was approximately 7 years when he was gifted his own tool, excitedly running up to his brother, yelling that he could finally join him. It was clear that their uncle was Arzanium's role model, but soon the older sibling would fulfil the same role to the younger one.

While their mother supported their dreams, their father was more hesitant. Their farm and lives alongside it were improving after generations- They couldn't leave that all behind now, surely? Trine would take the blame, whenever Arzanium was scolded for dragging them both further away from home. It was his choice to go after his brother! It was his choice to regard him as a role model! And above all, it was his choice to want something grander than greasy dirt-covered hands, too!

Least to say, it drifted his brother further away, and taking Trine with it didn't sink the ship. It didn't feel that way to Trine, but it sure did to Arzanium. While Trine maintained a good relationship with both their parents, Arzanium would only listen to reason whenever it was mother's wishes- Though at most, she told them both to be safe, wary and to be home around supper. Their mother had always had a soft spot for the kids, a quality that would be a turning tide in the near future.

Once Arzanium was old enough to ran errands for the local folk, so did Trine. The siblings would aid anyone in need- Little critters, children, old ladies and so on. The two would gleam with pride, whenever another request was done successfully. Over the years, hundreds upon hundreds of folk were helped, and the Wynthrox brothers were beloved in the neighbourhood. It was also during this time, the siblings became truly inseparable- Trine swore he'd follow his brother into the depths of hell no matter what.

The younger one was roughly 16 years old when Arzanium wanted to flee the nest. Insistent on going with him, it was clear Trine had grown so attached. Their father forbid him from doing so, as he was too young- Barely left schooling, with no preparation for the world out there yet! Ridiculous! Ludicrous! Foolish! Insane!

It was eventually their mother that cooled down the explosive argument. Trine had always followed Arzanium, and neither of them would be anywhere without the other. It was clear they were happy following their ambitions- With reluctance, albeit a promise to visit, the siblings were both let go. Their eyes settled on an old castle's ruins, which was renovated in a year's time with the aid of their parents and uncle Achilles. From then on, it was just the two of them, and neither of them had complaints about it.

— SQUADRON OF KNIGHTS —

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The first guild the brothers signed up for, was Haevirndawn, as it was the one their uncle worked at. Achilles allowed them both a little sip of wine, as Arzanium cheered and declared the two of them officially a duo- Certified to take quests and go on real adventures! The world was waiting out there, and both wouldn't give it a second to slip away. The brothers would travel further than a mere few towns, seeing more of the region and its folk- Never managing to lay even close to death. The majority of quests were relatively tame, but despite that, the Wynthrox knights would slowly go up the guild ranks.

It was roughly two years later, when they stumbled upon a strange knight seemingly lost in the wilderness. Clad in dark grey armour and in possession of very real feather-y wings, the figure was found at the saddest rendition of a campsite. As if a lost stray, he remembered only his name, introducing himself as Raptor. The siblings brought the shivering knight back to their base, hoping Raptor would gain back memories in the following weeks.

And when he didn't, Trine looked questioningly at Arzanium- Asking whether he could stay. Once proving he had a range of combat skills, Raptor was welcome to stay. The Wynthrox duo had to change their name to fit its newest recruit- From then on, it was the Wynthrox's Knight Squadron, or shortly Knight Squad, solely intended to be cheesy. With Arzanium as their leader, Trine followed him happily in his shadow once again, though now accompanied by Raptor- With whom he became best friends soon enough.

— MISSING REMAINS —

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The three knights would eventually take on more difficult quests, ones that involved the supernatural. However, during one mission it all went so, so, so wrong. Traversing a mansion plagued with undead spirits, the group was in for a surprise after entering the main hall. A culmination of wraiths, seemingly the culprit of the curse- Arzanium rushed onto the scene, sword tightly gripped without hesitation. A few seconds later, the atmosphere felt plenty a times lighter- But it took way longer for Trine to process that it was only Arzanium's sword that clanged onto the stone flooring. Upon a closer look, a strange power hung around the weapon. Trine shrieked and yanked his hand away immediately after attempting to touch it- So did everyone else who tried it.

The older brother reported as missing, it was beyond anyone's understanding what happened. With no trail left behind, Trine and Raptor could do nothing but wail. Supported by his uncle and parents, Trine felt utterly empty on the inside, in denial that Arzanium could possibly be gone for good. Throughout the next few months, Trine and his buddy put questing on hold, trying to find anything on the case- Even a smidge of nearly nothing would've sufficed.

It was to no avail.

Trine felt hopeless, as if he had nothing left.

Least to say, the two knights cried waterfalls of tears when Arzanium somehow returned as if nothing had happened- Though, with him came two others. Introducing themselves as Excalibur and Pallas, these folk looked nothing like anything seen before. After hours of stories told and questions asked, Trine could somewhat understand the idea of folk coming from beyond the skies. Though he didn't have much to complain, as they integrated with the knights' group almost seamlessly. Excalibur wedged himself in-between Trine and Raptor, the trio becoming idiotic best pals. As if the gods had answered his pleas, all was well again for Trine.

— SQUAD'S SUCCESSOR —

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Over the next three years, Trine would witness Arzanium going beyond his capabilities. It was as if his brother had been blessed, wielding his old sword renewed, with the ability to cast magic as well. Whenever the squad would go on quests, it was soon clear that Arzanium, Pallas and Excalibur were in a different league. Causing more harm than good with the current quests they did, the trio would climb guild ranks faster than Trine and Raptor. Eventually, the trio was recommended another guild with more tasking quests- And the younger brother and his friend weren't able to come with. A thin line started to form in the group, slowly- A line that wouldn't be addressed for another five years.

Arzanium recommended Trine to find another member to join, so it wouldn't be just him and Raptor on missions. Within a year, Guntram joined, a warrior equipped with potions and poisons in combat. It made questing easier for Trine and Raptor, especially in the middle guild ranks. While Trine could find it well with Guntram, he was least to say disappointed when he got on miles better with Arzanium. The thin line would further increase in weight, as the Wynthrox's squad would get more known within the region, though it was mostly credited to Arzanium's half.

A few years later, quests turned to Trine and Raptor again, as Guntram was rendered unable due to a severe injury. This coincidentally occurred around the time that Arzanium mentioned the extremely visible line. Arzanium, Excalibur and Pallas performed duties in a whole other place, less present at base than Trine and Raptor were. The last time they'd gone on a mission together was years ago. It was as if the Knight Squad was split in two, which was against the close-knit ideal Arzanium had in mind. Thus, Trine accepted the leadership passing to him, on the promise he could rely on his brother whenever needed. The older sibling laughed as it was a dumb question, ensuring that he always could, no matter the time and place.

— RISE IN RANKS —

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The first to join after the shifted leadership was Syrinq, a relatively unknown mercenary and smith. The base workshop was finally utilised, repairs available practically whenever. Trine was relieved when the new addition got on splendidly with him and Raptor- In turn she was like the younger sister he never had. It refreshed the group with a new close-knitness that Trine missed. This trio would climb guild ranks further over the next year- Not without its hurdles, but at that point Trine expected them anyway.

Trine and his group were known of, or at least heard of, throughout the entire country. The Knight Squad started to traverse borders to aid others within the region, which spread word further. Savoi, a knight skilled with nature magic, joined the group a year later this way. It was then that it got more and more clear that Trine, lightly put, missed leadership qualities his brother had. Handling a trio was fine, as it was akin to a friend group- But when Savoi was added into the mix, it felt more as an actual squad- Especially when Savoi was one to butt heads with others.

Prior to this, Trine would occassionally ask Arzanium for advice- As he had experience, and the little brother could use all the tips and tricks where possible. These visits increased nearly tenfold, some months after its most recent addition. The knight was stressed out to say the least, unable to deal with miscommunications, misalignments and whatever misthought possible. It was here that Trine occassionally wished Arzanium had stayed leader, even if his duties were elsewhere. The knight could vent his frustrations for hours, so often that eventually Arzanium did get tired of it- Resulting in a spilled secret that made Trine explode in anger.

"I WAS SECOND CHOICE?!" echoed loudly throughout the knights' base. Any attempt to call it a fuss, were thrown out immediately. To say it crumbled Trine's little self-confidence he had as leader, was putting it lightly. He found himself lucky with allies and friends however, as none had ever left him behind- Unlike his brother, a grudge he never quite let go of. It strained the brothers' bond for some months, Trine refusing to lean on Arzanium any further. The knight didn't need his brother, who was pretty much the only rock in his life! The knight could forget about all this nonsense! The knight was more than capable to be on his own!

And then, he didn't- Though he found himself lucky with his brother sharing the same notions. Apologies and a heartfelt hug later, it was water under the bridge. The Wynthrox siblings had gone through thick and thin, this was merely another small hurdle on the road. From then on, Trine could and would still visit Arzanium to ask for advice- Outside of that, they made more active efforts to be present in one another's lives again. They'd follow one another into the depths of hell, an undying loyalty that was finally rekindled.

Over the years following this hurdle, Trine would still struggle leading the squad. Even more so when they became known through practically the entire region- And multiple additions arrived. After Savoi, was Parcival, the stoic warrior riding into battle on his triceratops. After Parcival, was Bartholomew, a cookie-stealing jokester and rogue. This did make room for everyone to be regarded as equals and friends, which was a positive if there had to be any- Even if some bickered, argued and at times maybe didn't get along whatsoever.

The state of the Knight Squad then was nice, Trine supposed. They would traverse the lands for adventure almost every single day- Through the country, the region and at times other parts of the world. Trine had seen and experienced quite a bit- He even met a special someone thanks to this group, an elemental of the name Ameris. Though, Trine still wasn't convinced he could become as great as Arzanium once was- Despite that, his allies stuck around regardless, which he cherished. The knight would never lose his spark to aid the innocent and the world- A desire that would always remain priority, thanks to his brother's inspirations.

— END OF DAWN —

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Trine's leadership skills would be tested at their fullest, when everyone's hit by the End Of Dawn. With most running around like headless chickens, the Knight Squad would find themselves split on a foreign planet. Teaming up with Syrinq, Trine set up a safe encampment for everyone. Over the next weeks, multiple folks eventually found their way to this base, with the aid of scouts. Sized like a small town, Trine was quite overwhelmed by the amount. Though with Syrinq's encouragement, Trine eventually got the hang of it, assigning tasks effortlessly. The more days passed, the more Trine would get used to managing such a large group, filled with allies, old enemies and strangers- Passing chores was one thing, keeping the spirits up was another.

Once the first demons were encountered, Trine ensured everyone was prepared and geared up as much as possible. With many listening to his word as it was spoken, the knight's confidence would eventually improve- Even more so, once Arzanium witnessed it and shared his pride.

Though, something was knocking on the door, inevitably waiting to cause chaos. Everything went downhill, exploded and caught flames a million times over, when an archdemon took Arzanium's life during combat- Fuelled with nothing but rage, his wife Pallas ended it swiftly. Trine swore he'd let no one else fall, repeating it once more when the love of his life, Ameris, was nearly slaughtered as well. Everyone had to stay focused, even if Trine was starting to lose it. The world suddenly became a million times more uncertain, once again- It had done it many times before, but actually witnessing Arzanium's death?

It hurt an unfathomable infinite amount.

Arzanium's guidance and brothership had always been a vital part of Trine's life- And with that, it was taken in mere seconds in combat. The knight felt utterly lost, brainlessly following his allies into the depths of whatever these events were. Everything after his brother's death, was barely if at all remembered. Trine would bond more with Pallas as the two grieved mostly together- Finally feeling as if they were close family. Trine was forced to come to terms that he was truly alone. Death was inevitable, but it felt like a curse for his brother, his friend, his guide and his rock to be ripped away so quickly. The younger one had to become all of those himself in an incredibly short amount of time, in order to not crumble and to stay a leader everyone could rely on. If he failed to catch up, he'd perish to the demons, which Trine refused as to not add more grief.

After hectic battles fought throughout the entire universe, Trine was the first to collapse after the mortals got their victory- Needing to sleep for the next millions of years. Once back home, it took months to return to the norm of living. The events had changed something in everyone present, with Trine being no exception. He was amongst the first to attend his brother's funeral and to set up his shrine in remembrance. The last goodbye he shared with his spirit didn't even come close to filling the hole that was left in his soul- Yet Trine couldn't let this stop him dead in his tracks, per his brother's last words. If not for himself, then for his loved ones.

As time would go on, the grief would slowly become easier to deal with- Especially when he was sharing it with Pallas and Raptor especially. Trine knew that Arzanium would always proud of him, reassured he'd changed for the better- Even if he felt lost without him. Taking this to heart, Trine would keep the new self-confidence with him after the End Of Dawn. The Knight Squad's leader would truly become in tune with his role, alongside current and new allies that swore loyalty to one another. If they got any closer, they'd be smushed to atoms.

Just in case though, Trine assigned Syrinq and Raptor to be his right and left hands respectively. You never knew, after all. And he also got serious with Ameris, because Trine finally realised he couldn't live without her after years- A stark contrast compared to his brother getting married after one measly year. Finally fully proud of himself, Trine has since then lead his allies as self-assured, proud and ambitious as Arzanium once did- Honouring his wish to live despite it all. Keeping everyone together with his high spirits and determination, the knight would always wish the best upon his allies, friends and loved ones.