Private Tales Take up the tainted mantle

[Zana]

A single drop of rain landed on her nose and Zana looked up at the gathering grey clouds from beneath her hood and sighed.

"Why does it always have to rain?"

Of course she was seeking ways to distract herself from the journey ahead of her. This mission sat uncomfortably on her shoulders. Going and slaughtering a regiment of elves? No problem. Patrol? Boring, but fine. Protecting and escorting the Heir of Luana on his business? An honour, if, also dull. But this? Going and collecting a child and delivering them to the Academy? She hesitated like she wouldn't have before. Since that meeting with Kol, Zana had begun to question certain aspects of Vel Anir, and one of the most glaring things was the way in which the city treated its children. This time it was a young girl from a small town a good two days ride North who had begun demonstrating an unusual ability to control animals. She had just accidentally set a pack of the towns hunting dogs on a boy who was bullying her.

Of course, they would know the Dreadlords were coming. They always came.

Zana's horse skittered sideways impatiently and she glanced again to the church tower. It hadn't rung yet so it was not yet 10 which was their agreed meeting time but she was impatient to get going. To keep the process neutral it was customary for Dreadlords of different houses to go and collect a child. It was safety for the Dreadlords that more than one went - it was often unpredictable how quickly a child's magic would develop and spiral out of control once it began to show and there had been cases in the past where Dreadlords had died trying to bring a new recruit into the Academy. As such she had been told a fellow from House Virak would be joining her.

Another thing to unsettle her.

Luana and Virak did not see eye to eye on many things and it was often the case that Dreadlords adopted the feud and, in some cases, made it worse. Zana prayed that this wasn't going to be the case with this Ademar Acero. She had decided to wear something neutral to try and ease those tensions from the offset straight away. So instead of the angelic armour she had worn on the Battlefield of Vel Istra, instead she wore simple riding clothing. White waist-high riding breeches, polished black riding boots, and a military style hooded coat. It buttoned from her chest down to her waist, ending where the high waisted trousers started and fit her form snugly to keep the warmth in. It was a deep royal blue colour with gold braiding and detailing. It tapered from the waist and covered her horse much like a cloak might, indicating it would brush her ankles when on the ground. Her hood, which was lined with soft golden fur was pulled up and over her hair, which was braided into a single braid that fell forward over one shoulder.

The bell toiled indicating it was now 10 and Zana sighed, casting her gaze around for the man she vaguely remembered from their recent battle. If he took much longer she would leave without him.

 

[Ademar Acero]

With pride Ademar dressed in armor with the colors and insignia of House Virak to display. How insulting it was for a Dreadlord like him to be tasked in bringing in this child to the Academy. He was not an errand boy, he was a warrior with goals of conquest and pillaging settlements with only blood and corpses left behind as a monument of his victory.

This would be an easy assignment compared to the other missions he had taken before. He’d still have to take precautions as the magic of this child was untamed; a single mistake in letting his guard down could lead to death. Magic that did not know discipline was dangerous to the user and to the people around them.

If the child proved too much of a bother, he wouldn’t hesitate in killing it.

Him or them, and he certainly was going to save himself before letting some child kill him.

To make things worse, a Dreadlord from House Luana will accompany him. He had the feeling House Luana did this just to spite him. Ten in the morning was the agreed time to meet Zana; and so he would meet her. There was discontent and upset on his face, probably from the fact he would have to share this mission with this woman.

“Zana, right?”

 

[Zana]

Another drop of rain. Her hands tightened slightly on the reigns of her horse in irritation before she heard the voice to her side. Glancing across she kept her face blank but internally she groaned a little at the full House regalia display. So he was one of them. Excellent. Or perhaps he had thought she would be one and had opted to match her. Zana let the thoughts slide; it didn't matter either way. They had a job to do and petty squabbling wouldn't do them any good. Judging by the look on his face he would prefer to get the whole affair over with as quickly as possible.

A feeling Zana wholeheartedly supported.

She pushed the hood back from her face so that he could properly see her features rather than a shadow before inclining her head.

"Well met, Ademar. A pleasure to meet you," now she had seen his face vague memories came back to her of the battle in Vel Istra - primarily his rather impressive break down of the cities walls single-handedly. Of course she would have been able to do the same but she always enjoyed seeing the way other Dreadlords powers worked. It might come in handy if she ever met Kol again.

Shifting her weight in the saddle slightly she listed her head towards the open road.

"Shall we?"

 

[Ademar Acero]

Truly today would be a cursed day with the rain coming down from the heavens. Maybe it was to spite Ademar as he would be on this mission with a Dreadlord of House Luana. Truly a waste of his time, why couldn't they get Vittorio on this assignment? The man disgraced the title of "Dreadlord"; rather spent his time fiddling with flower petals and being a complete sloth.

"Fuck off," he said aggressively as Zana gave her own pleasantries when Ademar approached her. If she had any suspicions he was one of the most loyal warriors to House Virak, then that would be confirmed thanks to his demeanor. Some Dreadlords, like most others, were involved in Virak because of power and knowing that was the way to their ultimate goals. Unlike them Ademar had no need for power nor was interested in it. Loyalty had its own reward, and that reward meant carnage for the warrior.

"Let's get on with it, then. I have more important manners than to be accompanied by filth," again being unfriendly towards Zana.

"And I'm sure you know that I am superior in rank," and superior in other aspects between the two of them. She was older than him, but he outranked her. Something that upset many Dreadlords older than him that were either the Third or Second Rank.

 

[Zana]

Zana let out a quiet long suffering sigh under her breath but kept her face entirely blank as he swore. Half of her wouldn't have been surprised if he had spat on her the way he acted but it seemed some bad manners were beneath even him. She hated the arrogance that seemed to run amock amongst so many of her people. Another thing - another taint she wouldn't have noticed before. The snide remark about rank was grating though. Her foresight was more advanced than any magic she had seen him wield and that wasn't even taking into account the other Second Level Dreadlord she had drained a few weeks ago of his power. But she was not like him, preferred to slide under the radar and keep things to herself.

"Of course, Sir," her voice was as smooth as silk as if she had barely heard the anger to his earlier words and she spurred her horse into a trot so they could leave the city and 'get this over with'. "As you are obviously a busy man I will just mention what I was told in my briefing - that rooms have been booked for us at a half way point. Hopefully we can complete the mission in no more than four, maybe even three days. Then you won't have to look at such filth again," there was steel in her last sentence but it was masked in a pleasant way. She wouldn't have such a high position for a Third Level in her House if she wasn't good at speaking to people like him. But she quickly moved the conversation on. "As you are the superior, do you require anymore summaries of the mission ahead?" A standard and professional thing to ask as a lowly, lowly third level, of course.

 

[Ademar Acero]

His eyebrows raised for a quick moment as Zana replied back to him. It wasn’t the response he was anticipating, he was expecting words that insulted him and proudly stand up to him as Zana belonged to Luana. None of that. She held composure and remained calm with her words. Calm, yet strong; professional as well.

There were people who were strong in physique and there were others who were strong in mind.

Anyone who was strong and able to stand up for themselves earned themselves admiration from Ademar. Zana’s response earned her a degree of that. If she wasn’t affiliated with House Luana, a different atmosphere would be shared between the two.

“No, you can shut up about the details. If I need to know more about them, I’ll ask,” and let out an annoyed sigh. The two Dreadlords began their trek North, a painful ride for the two of them.

“Does it annoy you that someone younger than you outranks you?” he wanted to get a reaction out of her, see how far her limits are.

 

[Zana]

Zana quietly went to her happy place as they rode. She had spent rides with insufferable people before and the key she had learnt was to let them talk, nod every now and then and otherwise remain quiet. That was fine with her. For a while it seemed she would be able to wile away the time by keeping her own company, but then he asked a question. Her pale eyes slowly slid to him and regarded him cooly. What kind of a question was that? Her eyes returned to the road. The most obvious reason for asking was that he wanted her to be angry about it. Or perhaps he was genuinely curious.

"No," her answer hummed with truth for it was true. Her lower rank kept her safe and out of the limelight. "It is an honour to train young Dreadlords and see them rise as they need to. My rank does not stop me from having respect or loyalty or standing - that has been earned by my experience. Even though many Second Ranks are younger than me they still often seek my advice and they do not feel threatened by doing so because I'm a Third. I can do my job the best where I am right now." Another honest answer. Though she worried that soon that would be gone.

 

[Ademar Acero]

Pride and reputation meant everything for a Dreadlord, or for most at least. It certainly did for Ademar. Something that they all grew up in the Academy. The Proctors didn’t exactly teach them through classes, but some of the Apprentices were favored slightly above the others. Ademar remembered a time when another Apprentice questioned him, insulted him. Something that occurred in his early days. A time he was somewhat kind and approachable. Of course, the other Apprentices joined in the mockery. It continued until Ademar was given a private lesson on how to deal with it.

Violence and blood.

Needless to say Ademar beat the Apprentice to a pulp and left him dead; asserting his dominance over the others and would remind others what happened when mocking him.

It’s why he was surprised to see Zana act calm against his insult. He was expecting some sort of fire from her.

“Then they are pathetic Dreadlords that don’t deserve that rank. Any Dreadlord asking someone below their rank are weak, the Fourth Rank suits them more than being a Second Rank,” giving his own thoughts on what Zana said. He never dared to ask advice from someone below his rank. That was a sign of weakness; he only came to advice to those at his rank or higher.

The strong will prevail and take what they want, and the weak will suffer what they must.

 

[Zana]

Zana spared him another look but this time there was a very slight upturn of her lip almost into a smile - there was even a tiny hint of amusement in her gaze. She had had an apprentice very similar to this man one time. Full of hate and rage. It was understandable given the amount that everyone went through in the Academy. It was a shame, if he could get past this weakness then he might even be able to improve his powers and his way of command so they were actually effective. Of course it would be a waste of breath to even attempt to explain that to this luggerhead. She let the blank mask fall once more.

"As you say Sir. I clearly do not know what I'm talking about if I cannot progress myself to a higher rank anyway," Zana returned her gaze to the road and nudged her horse into a faster trot. Were most Dreadlords this dumb, she wondered quietly to herself. Another problem. Another failure in the training the Academy gave. Making the mages so arrogant was a glaring weakness in her mind. It was easy to exploit. For example, here he was asking questions and talking to her when despite his initial wants was for her to remain quiet. He wanted to know more because she frustrated him.

So easily undone.

 

[Ademar Acero]

There was a satisfaction of being called "sir" and being addressed as someone else's superior, especially when they are a Dreadlord from the House of Luana. Zana knew her place, but what made that satisfaction a bit...odd was how willingly she accepted it and didn't insult him back. Was this some sort of trick she was conjuring? She was being gentle and kind in her responses. It was curious to him, and also agitating.

Agitating because it gave little ammunition for him to fire back at the woman.

"Clearly you do not. Perhaps if you spent more time with Dreadlords who have achieved many great accolades, you would be a First Level Dreadlord."

That last bit of dialogue was unusual from what Ademar usually said to Dreadlords belonging to the Luanas. Did Zana have potential? He hated to admit it, but yes. She was older than him which meant she had faced a lot of missions and acquired different kinds of experiences.

He was looking for something else to say to her. Something insulting, but found none.

"You are different from the other Luana Dreadlords," how so different? In a lot of aspects. He was a bit grateful he had her as a companion that someone else from House Luana. Of course, he'd try to make her feel inferior as much as he could.

 

[Zana]

Was that a compliment?

In fact... two compliments? He believed her capable of being a First Level and he called her different from the rest of her House. Considering she believed his opinion to be that of most Virak Dreadlords, that Luana were weak and pathetic, then perhaps being considered different to that was indeed a compliment. It actually startled a small laugh out of her and she raised a hand to her mouth to hide the smile. This was not the first Dreadlord recently who had accused her of such. Perhaps she was in the wrong House.

"It is kind of you to think me capable of being a First Level Dreadlord," Zana tilted her head to acknowledge the compliment. "Perhaps my time with you on this mission will rub off on me. I am curious though, what Luana Dreadlords have you met that have given you the impression I am so different from them?" she turned her head now to properly look at him, laying the full weight of her gaze on his. She would be the first to admit she lacked the arrogance and drive to climb the greasy pole that most Dreadlords eagerly flung themselves at, but when she thought of those she had drinks with or carried out missions with or trained with she did not think them that much different really. Not deep down below all the arrogance and scarring the Academy had left on them.

 

[Ademar Acero]

Ademar being kind? A trait he wished to rid of, but he always found moments where showed compassion and sympathy. Rare moments, however, as most of the time he was full of rage that could only be soothed with blood and violence. She laughed at his comments and he did not smile. Sarcasm and jests were something he didn’t know to detect. Did she think what he said a joke?

She did say he was kind to say that, so it did seem a bit to odd or contradicting to think it was a joke.

“I can’t remember their names, but they all acted the same. You act,” he didn’t want say she was kind and gentle. He had to find alternative words, “you act very calm and...well other things.”

Lost of words to continue his dialogue.

 

[Zana]

Other things, Zana mused on his comment. He almost seemed loathe to put these other things into words or perhaps he struggled to do so. He was so serious. Her eyes flicked to him again, taking in the tense way he held his body. She wondered if he ever went for drinks with his fellow Dreadlords - did Virak do that sort of thing? It sounded like it was a rare thing amongst the other Houses aside from Pirian.

"Yes I can imagine my colleagues are more eager to take up the feud between our Houses," she mused out loud. Was that why Ashur had asked her to attend this mission instead? Three or four days on the road was a lot with just one other person. Maybe he was worried he would have a dead Virak Dreadlord to worry about if it was someone like Flor. "If you don't mind me speaking so bluntly Sir, but I believe we are all here to do a job for Vel Anir and squabbling gets in the way of that. I leaned a long time ago not to lower myself to that. It just reflects badly on all of us, in my very humble opinion of course."

 

[Ademar Acero]

In all honesty, he enjoyed the Luana Dreadlords feeding more to the feud with those of Virak. It gave him something to hate, and sometimes that hate was used in humiliating a Luana Dreadlord in a fight. He didn’t kill them, just dragged them through the mud. Ademar enjoyed it and it was a drive for him; something...happy to be alive for.

Zana was completely polar opposite to hate and anger. She treated him with respect, probably because their difference in rank. He wondered what would’ve happened if their ranks were switched and he had this attitude with her. Would she actually retaliate? Probably.

A job for Vel Anir.

They all swore fealty to Vel Anir and its cities, but Ademar’s loyalties belonged with Lady Elise Virak, the Baroness of House Virak. He believed her and her House to be able to build a righteous path for Vel Anir, and the other Houses served only an obstacle to realize that goal. Did Zana really mean that? Was she looking out for what is best for Vel Anir? And if so, why with Luana?

“It’s why I swore my vows to House Virak. Only the strong will prevail and House Virak is strong and powerful, it’s helped in conquering many foreign places and expand the borders of Vel Anir. I believe only House Virak will serve its full will to Vel Anir.”

Though Ademar didn’t care for its civilians. He only hungered for conflict and battles. Have the citizens of Vel Anir been in great peril? Not in recent times, no.

“The other Houses waste the talents of its Dreadlords. They set them back and not help them realize the pinnacle of their potential.”

Ademar certainly had experience his own magic and poets increasing ever since joining the banners of House Virak, and there were other Dreadlords that experienced that as well.

 

[Zana]

Only the strong will prevail.

It took a lot of effort not to show the dislike on her face for such a thought process. Vel Anir was a powerhouse and being strong served to ensure that their people lived in relative peace but what was the point of all of this hard work if somebody wasn't there to actually... enjoy that? Who were they doing it for? What was the point? Zana just couldn't wrap her head around the fact they did this just for greedy power grabbing individuals. She took a deep breath breath and then lifted her shoulders in a shrug.

"My family are from the slums, my mentors were Luana, most of my trainers and teachers. They really helped me with my powers through the Academy. It just seemed like..." she struggled to find the words. "There just didn't seem to be a question of where I should go after." For a while there was just the sound of their horses hooves on the ground and the hush caused by the light misty rain.

Zana was relieved for the silence. The subject of her loyalties had been questioned quite a bit recently and even she was beginning to doubt the reason why she had picked Luana. Maybe she would be better off in another House but which? A troubled look settled on her face as they continued on their journey until she heard a noise and pulled her horse to an abrupt stop.

"Did you-" she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as a volley of arrows hit them. Zana's horse reared as one landed between its forelegs and she threw up a hand. The new magic always came with the man she had taken it from. His suffering howl echoed in her mind for a split second and then the barrier of energy covered them both in a dome; the arrows began to harmlessly ping off. It was like flexing a new muscle and she clenched her jaw slightly wondering how long it would last.

"Bandits," her eyes were scanning the trees for a glimpse of them.

 

[Ademar Acero]

So she came from the slums. Ademar assumed her parents or at least one of them were abusive, and found it a great opportunity to sell her off for money that wouldn’t be invested well. Why else would she be here unless she was caught using her powers by accident and was ratted out. A life in the slums wasn’t an easy one, or so he thought it wouldn’t be; and yet here she was with a positive attitude despite whatever trials and tribulations she endured. It did made him think about his own attitude; probably not in general, but at least towards her. Ademar could at least tolerate her compared to her other compatriots.

“Glory and fame are worthwhile things to pursue.” So as power. He was a warrior through and through. Of course he found happiness in wanting that much like knights and other soldiers. He also wanted power, but to have it serve a worthy ruler. He had no interest in being a noble ruler.

Serenity creeped in between them, and it was somewhat appreciated. As much he hungered for combat, a warrior always enjoyed whatever small peace they could find. He didn’t understand why, but he enjoyed it. Only for it to be abruptly ruined when they were attacked with a volley of arrows aimed for them. The familiar emotions of anger and rage filled within him mixed in with surprise. They wouldn’t suffer the salvo of the attack as Zana produced a barrier around them from her magic.

Bandits or whatever rogue element that sought to have them dead. It could be the Underground or a squad of elves. Did it matter? Not really as he’d see them dead with skulls bashed in. They camouflaged well within their surroundings, using the forest and mist to their advantage. They had some options: try to make a run for it, stand their ground together, or split up and cleave the bandits.

“I will provide a distraction, hopefully they’ll be focused on me than you. We will slaughter them here and make this their grave. If there’s an elf among them, I want their ears.”

Ademar then touched the earth below him absorbing its properties, converting that as a layer of skin. Armor and his magic? A frightening foe to combat in close quarters. Without his horse he stepped outside of the barrier and, just as he predicted, volleys of arrows rained at him. An attack that would be shrugged off as he went to the nearest assailant. Hopefully Zana would be less of a target.

 

[Zana]

I want their ears.

Was he joking? From his tone Zana doubted it. She decided that if he wanted to mutilate corpses he could do that himself. No, what was more interesting was the fact he offered himself as a diversion to get the attention off of her. That sounded dangerously like a Luana thing - to care - about another person enough to put yourself in danger. The shield began to crack. Quietly she cursed her lack of time to train more fully in the new skill but she grabbed the reigns of Ademar's horse and led them both to the safety of the trees and tied them off there. It would do no good to them to have their mounts killed.

There were 10 of them in total, a mix of humans and elves who had seen their chance to take revenge for the recent obliteration of their home by some Anirian noble who thought humans and elves shouldn't mix. They were kitted out in a combination of weapons but the first to meet Ademar was armed with a nasty looking axe. She met him with a scream and a downward swing with the blade. Hatred burned in her eyes.

The attack was definitely more focused on Ademar allowing Zana time to try and pick out the figures in the trees whilst she removed her own bow and arrows. If she could kill one of them she might be able to garner some sort of vision from his corpse. Taking aim she fired at one that had been about to drop onto Ademar's back.

 

[Ademar Acero]

Good. Not just an elf was in this mixed group, but elves. He carried a deep resentment for elves in general. He treated them all the same; like an ant below his boot. They were a stain on this world and humanity would be better off without them. The only use elves had were their ears, for Ademar to rip off and carry as trophies.

The woman, however, was a human and her attack carried with intent to kill. Ademar could parry its attack, but he let it swing without interruption. The axe was aimed for his shoulder and when it made impact it only slid off, though damage was made to his chainmail and leaving a scratch on his flesh. The woman was in surprise, expecting to kill Ademar in that blow. Before she could do anything else a heavy punch landed squarely in her face, breaking a nose and chipping a tooth. Two more consecutive punches were made, leaving her face a pulp.

Was she dead or alive? Hard to tell, but he could check later. He looked back to see another body laying dead, a bandit that wanted to jump on him.

His eyes perked up in interest to see two Elves rushing at him with their weapons. Still arrows flew at him, bouncing off from his person. Ademar only focused on the two elves and nothing else. His claymore was unsheathed out from his back, and ready to coat it with blood from the filth. When he swung it caught one of the elves with surprise who seemed to underestimate Ademar’s strength and his ability to wield the claymore with elegance; that surprise cost the elf his life as the blade cleaved through his shoulder.

The other elf, in rage, made a war cry with intentions to vanquish his mountain foe.

 

[Zana]

Zana loosed another arrow to take out another of the archers in the trees. She screamed as she fell and Zana threw up a small shield as she rushed across the road to her squirming form. It had gone threw her throat so even if she had wanted to save the woman it would have been a fruitless task. Instead Zana carefully removed her leather riding glove from one hand and instead pressed it to the woman's forehead.

Visions were not an exact science. There were limited records of people who were able to channel into the tides of time and none of them ended well. As such she had fumbled through training with her tutors until they had worked out for themselves what methods triggered them the best. For Zana the easiest way was skin contact with an object or a person. The elf looked up at her in fear as the Dreadlord touched her and then horror covered her face as Zana's eyes turned milky white. Images flashed across her mind of the most likely future from this point. It also gave her a little insight into where exactly their camp was. One of them was due to get away.

As the vision faded she glanced around her for that person - he was a young lad. He couldn't have been more than 12. She found him easily enough and as he saw her looking he froze. There was no time to move for the lad as she knocked the bow and fired. He fell like an autumn leaf.

Zana spared a glance for her companion who seemed to be having much more fun dealing with this than the mission that was ahead of them. Five bodies were on the ground so that meant five left, though watching the elf charge at Ademar she rounded it up to six. Of the remaining four, three of them were archers. She stepped into the space between them and Ademar and as the arrows came in a volley she held up a hand.

The arrows froze then slowly they turned and were shooting back the way they came. Three more bodies thudded to the ground. The remaining human had sprung out on Ademar in the meantime.

 

[Ademar Acero]

In all honesty, he was hoping for an encounter like this. Something that made him feel alive and make his blood flowing. At least he didn’t have a reason as to why this trip was boring and agitating.

These bandits fell like flies, not having a chance to even put a dent on him or Zana. How pathetic he expected more from them, especially the elves. Oh, how those scumbags thought them better than humans, and yet they were humbled in the wars against Vel Anir. But even then that wasn’t his main drive in hating the filth of elves.

“I don’t need protection,” he protested at Zana as she used her magic to repel the arrows and have them betray their own archers. She probably expected a thank you from him, and he wouldn’t give it. Ademar did make a mental note of her magical ability with the arrows. Probably telekinesis, a nuisance of a power when dealing with it.

The last assailant sprung on him and, while Ademar was distracted with Zana, she threw one of his daggers at his face. A small cut was on his cheek, blood beginning to escape from his skin. If it wasn’t for his magic, it would have been a more threatening to Ademar. Ademar, in retaliation, picked up the corpse of an elf and threw it at the woman who was another female. The dead body hit her and fell to the ground, but then the woman did not continue her attack as she began caress the corpse’s face with small tears littering on it.

“You...you...YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME.”

Apparently they were close friends or lovers. How appalling. It made his intestines turn.

But then what caught him by surprise was when the earth shook and then, from the woman, a wave of earth was heading for the two Dreadlords.

“Move!” and aggressively shoved Zana out of the way. Before he could move the wave of earth was formed into spikes and collided with Ademar. Some of them shattered on impact against his armor or portions of his body that was still hardened with his magic, and some of them pierced his skin by only an inch or less. Blood began to pour from his thighs and right pec. He winced from the pain and began to touch the earth, wanting to absorb it and weaken it while making his body more impervious. The adrenaline was enough to not let his wounds stagger.

Maybe he’d collect her ears and string them with her elf lover. A matching pair of ears.

 

[Zana]

A tiny bit of irritation crossed her face at his chewed out growl about not needing protecting. It wasn't about ensuring they didn't piece his skin - she had began to guess what his magic involved - it was about getting the job done so they could carry on with the mission. Very slowly she folded her arms over her chest and then waved a hand slightly motioning for him to get on with it in that case. She leaned against a tree and inspected her nails. Even when the dagger the other elf had thrown thudded into the tree a few inches from her face she didn't so much as flinch.

Let him get that pent up rage out by smashing in skulls and cutting off ears then.

What she hadn't been expecting was for him to throw himself at her. His shove sent her off balance but she quickly recovered, twisting at the waist slightly to get her feet back under her before she stumbled. The Earth was still trembling so she jumped, clutched at the branch above her and swung herself up and into it. She could, of course, help, but he had just told her to pretty much stay out of it. From her perch in the tree she swung her legs back and forth.

"Do you need protecting yet, Sir?" there was a hint of amusement in her tone but she wouldn't move unless he told her to. Zana was not one to be bitten twice for doing what she thought was right.

 

[Ademar Acero]

He was not a boy and he felt being treated like one with Zana’s words and attitude. Did he need protection? Absolutely not. Did he need help? It’s almost like asking a general if he needs help from his soldiers. Zana didn’t need to ask him if he needed help, she needed to act on it.

But it did not matter. He was not going to ask for her help; he was too prideful to ask her, especially with her attitude.

Ademar did not reply back to her sass, punching the weak formation of earth he absorbed. The bandit then ripped a chunk of the earth, the size of a boulder, and shot it at Ademar. What Ademar did next was the next step of magic he specialized in. It was magic that was versatile in a lot of aspects. He learned that when he absorbed, for example, fire he could use an existing fire and manipulate it to his will.

And so he would do for earth, though his time was limited.

In midair the boulder erupted before it could reach Ademar, debris and litter of terrain coming from the boulder. The woman was surprised and before she reacted a hail of small rocks, like bullets, flew at her and effectively killed her. He got rid of that nuisance, and then turned to Zana and approached her.

“What the hell was that?!” he yelled and demanded an answer. “Like hell I need protection. I certainly don’t expect it from a Dreadlord of the Third Rank or from anyone,” trying to belittle her. In truth, he never enjoyed the idea of anyone protecting him no matter House they belonged to. Protection was meant for the weak and he was not weak.

 

[Zana]

Zana was enjoying the show.

It was rare for her to be able to see another Dreadlords powers quite like she was getting to see Acteon's in action right now. She had to admit it was impressive to watch. The ability to manipulate the Earth caught her off guard for a moment before she connected the dots to how his power to absorb strength led to something like that. It would pay to be weary of it. When his anger turned to her however she got a small thrill from the rise she had got out of her words. She was still sat in the branch, one leg either side swinging back and forth.

"Well," Zana's tone was the same calm it had been when they were riding beside one another. "You told me off for stepping in with the arrows, Sir, so I thought I would ask before stepping in a second time," her head tilted to the side slightly and she watched his expression with mild curiosity. He wanted her to shout back or act hurt but there would be no such satisfaction from this woman.

As if nothing happened she gripped the edge of the branch and then rolled herself backwards to swing herself down and off the branch in one elegant move. Once her feet were on the ground she straightened her coat with a sharp tug then threw him a dangerous smile.

"They have a camp with a few more of them a little ways from here. Would you like me to show you or are your orders to continue on with the original mission?"

 

[Ademar Acero]

Damn woman.

She infuriated him more with that calm demeanor she still carries. A nice character, but he found it completely fake of her. Zana probably enjoyed pissing him off and not have to be at his level of aggression. A different kind of warfare.

“You can quit that fake friendly attitude you have going on, Zana. I know what you’re doing, trying to trick me,” or was she? He liked to believe so, but maybe she meant differently than his thoughts.

And then that smile...dangerous and complemented with words of a bandit camp nearby. Why the smile? He didn’t recall Luana Dreadlords being sadists and eager for combat. Maybe she was an exception to her fellow Dreadlords in that house; the black sheep of the herd. So what should they do? Take a quick detour and desist of these pests? Or follow straight and resume their mission.

“As long as we return to our mission, we’re not violating orders,” that was enough to tell her that they could hunt down these bandits.

“Lead the way to this camp. And also, you can call me by my name.” Formality did annoy him.

 

[Zana]

Zana put her hands into her pockets and inclined her head before turning on her heel and leading them into the forest in a seemingly random direction. It was the way she had seen in her vision though she did not doubt there was probably a better way than the scared dash through the forest the young lad would have taken in another stream of time. It gave her time to think about what he had said. They all seemed to contrast one another. First there was anger and blame, then it seemed to simmer down to... friendliness? For the man who had peacocked when she had called him Sir earlier that he now seemed irritated by it was an interesting twist.

"You don't joke around with people very often do you Ademar?" Zana quirked a brow at him as they walked. It wasn't an accusation more an observation. Her comments would have elicited a much different response from other Dreadlords with a sense of humour. She tucked a wispy bit of hair behind her ear. "If you had actually required help I would have stepped in, but I do not appreciate being snapped at for doing my job even if you feel like you do not need protecting. I may just be a Third Level Dreadlord to you but I am a good soldier," and he had failed to command properly by dismissing her actions rather than utilizing them more.