Born in Landing to a tradesman and a soldier, he was destined for knighthood. His childhood was full of training, combat, drills, and lessons. When he got time off, he spent time with his gentler father. He helped his father with his work, and picked up some general working knowledge of how to put computers together. His father also read to him, romance stories, fantasy tales, and poetry. He had few friends as a child, as his training cut into play time. The few friends he did have, were mostly female but never anything romantic.
His mother served in a company under a Sir Corbin, a tough female knight who liked his mother as a trusted friend. She offered to take on Michael, because of the promise he showed when demonstrating what basic techniques his mother had taught him. His training was intense, Sir Corbin went harder on him because of his mother. He was forced through wilderness and survival training much to his distaste. He excelled in weapons training though, and picked up swords and knives easily, also slightly favoring polearms. He was taught to ride horses, and handle animals. When not learning about combat, Sir Corbin also taught him about the court, and how to behave around nobles. This piqued Michael's interests and he spent time also learning to sing, waltz, and dance otherwise.
Just before graduation, Sir Corbin was rushed to a hospital for a massive stroke, and was pronounced dead on arrival. Michael took the death of his mentor very hard, and did not request knighthood from another despite his skill and experience, and completion of his training. Michael was then unknighted and graduated as a squire. As a result, Michael took up working in a store for a few years. He became a shift manager close to the end of his time there. He quit working at the store to once again persue his dream of being a Knight.
Update
After an chaotic start to his return, his depression he'd been wallowing in for years created difficulty and strife. A lady knight, and heir to a vassal house, that he'd met had made the offer to squire him. He leaped at the chance but being her squire was difficult for reasons other than training. In fact, Michael's emotional and personal issues flooded into his daily life. Things he'd repressed for six years he was being forced to deal with in days only and at times along the way he failed.
Months into his training under the lady knight he protected two citizens from a couple hostile scouts that had managed to slip past patrol and get very close to the city he now lived in. In that same day he met the woman who eventually became his wife and will soon be the mother of his first child. Not long after a major battle to expel hostile forces that were starting to threaten the peace of this city, Michael's knight put him into the care of another. A cousin to the mainline of a paramount, and a friend of Michael's as well a the only male knight he looked up to, took him on and put him through a new type of hell.
Emotions were no longer okay to 'deal' with, they had to be dealt with. Michael's training intensified from the mainly self-imposed routine under his former, to a now three times harder routine under his current. This training paid off however, numerous patrols on various moons around Oculus along with many accounts of heroically pulling through almost fatal wounds taken in battle, several battles under his belt, and then to do something well that he wasn't entirely trained to do in harsh conditions lead to his new knight making the call.
Michael was knighted in January, and sworn into the house of his original knight where he'll continue to serve the crown as she did.
Xandre Avydan Athyros was born June 5th 3014, healthy and handsome as his father. His mother survived the birth, and both have returned home with Michael. While taking care of his duties of knighthood, Michael still finds time to be a father and loves doing so. Wholesomely in support of his wife's goals of further her education and dedicated to his family, Michael now uses some of his past tabloid 'fame' to occasionally poster child knighthood and support of the war.
Michael stands at roughly six feet tall, a picture of young in roughly his early to mid twenties. He has dark blond-brown hair cut inbetween medium and short, it naturally curls slightly in at the ends. He has grey-blue eyes set gently into an angular face, framed by normal brows. His nose is neither short, nor jutting and sits comfortably between his evenly spaced eyes. His physique is toned, very well defined with straight cut chest and abs, but it doesn't portray any of the features that are standard with great strength. The straight cut of his abs follows through to his waist and down to his legs. His well toned arms are possibly the only indication of his strength, with medium-thick biceps, well defined forearms, and large hands with long fingers.
He is dressed casually, in a light spun charcoal grey-blue titanium doublet over a simple cotton undershirt. He is wearing comfortable spun titanium pants of matching color that tuck into tall black leather boots. He has a belt of imbricated stainless steel plates from which hangs a short scabbard and sword within. He has also the tell tale hilt and impression of a boot dagger on his left.
Thunder
Thunder is a large riding horse bred on the Quellton Ranch and sold to Michael by Da Quellton via Lorelei. The unofficial name Loree had given to him struck a chord with Michael when he and Thunder met, and he's kept the name for his horse. Thunder is impressive in size for a non-destrier, as well as being fast even when Michael is in his combat armor. The two share a special bond that's still growing, Thunder and Michael are like old pals even though they've only known each other for a few weeks. Like Michael, Thunder is stubborn and headstrong, he makes quick decisions and is a 'cross that bridge when we get to it' horse. (The photo is in the gallery)
Buddy is Thunder's new friend. A chipmunk who's taken a liking to the large horse, most likely because Thunder is so tall and Buddy is so small. The little guy likes to just watch things happen, and seems rather intelligent for a rodent. In battle charges he'll hide in a small compartment Michael had made for him the day after he met Buddy. The chipmunk takes care of his own food and water, and otherwise has no real interactions with Michael save for returning Michael's silent message looks with ones of his own, usually no help to the squire.
Has a thing for Lady Knights
Romantic when it's called for
A bit of a flatterer, at times.
Gentle otherwise