The Empire of Galtia had once started off as a smaller kingdom, threatened on all sides by conflict and desire for the rich land at its center, several smaller kingdoms ont heir borders started forming pacts, launching offensives one after another. Bloody war spread across the land until the Last King of Galtia uncovered a secret that gave its people an unprecedented power. In an ancient ruin within their land, the traces of an advanced civilization long dead, he found amulets of power, that soon became known as Scepters.

These Scepters were holders of knowledge and, when activated, turned even an unskilled peasant into a worthy soldier. These Scepters were passed out amongst volunteers, giving the Kingdom's ranks a much needed boost as the untrained masses became a fighting force to be reckoned with in every village and small town. The Scepters were produced en-massé, until a vast army of these scepter wielders were raised.

Galtia finally started to fight back in earnest. The considerable power of the Scepters allowed them to concentrate more on tactics rather than spending time training, they could spend more resources on arming their soldiers or using the knowledge of more advanced Scepters to better their technology. Among the scepters there was even knowledge of magic. As a result, Galtia evolved even more rapidly, spreading their forces across the smaller kingdoms and one by one eliminated them, taking control of their lands and the people.

After long, bloody wars the Empire of Galtia was finally established, the surrounding kingdoms finally contained, leaving behind only their names before they were absorbed into the mighty Galtian war machine. As the battles came to a close, they turned to technology and began developing it further. From their work, machines began to spring forward, trains to run between the towns and past villages, all leading to Galtia at the center. Weapons technology continued to evolve until they created firearms, the use of magic for warfare seemed to decline, the Mages instead becoming part of the Imperial Guard.



Then came the discovery of a larger kingdom, larger than any that had ever been absorbed by Galtia, so grand in fact that it stood as a large threat at their border. Galtian citizens referred to it as the Kingdom of Glades, since it seemed to be separated into five, but the closest glade was that of the Air Glade. Friction between the Empire and the Five Glades resulted in many small skirmishes, but the Empire was being tentative. They didn't know the full extent of their new opponents power, after all unlike the kingdoms they had absorbed; the Five Glades had an advantage they didn't. They had full control of magic and incredible combat skill.

Eventually, the third Emperor Halvard made an unusual decision, he sent an emissary to the glades, a message to their royals, containing a brief hope, that of peace. He denounced the idea of war with the people of the Glades, claiming that the Empire had its fill of bloodshed in establishing itself and no longer wanted to build its foundations on slaughter. He invited them to the Empire on the promise of safe passage to the Capital of Galtia itself.
The people of Galtia seemed rather fascinated with those of the Glade, even the emperor himself, although aged and a little worn, gave them a warm reception. The peace talks seemed to go well enough, he suggested a non-aggression pact, and allowed them time to think it over, sending them on their way back to the Glades.

But it was there that things would soon go wrong once more. Whether it was by the Emperor's will, or something more sinister, the visitors from the Glade were attacked..



Some ways away from the conflict, a man was walking through the forest at a slow pace, a long black duster sweeping the long grass around his feet. Two guns holstered at his hips. The custom-built models made them unidentifiable to any discerning Galtian. He kept his hat tipped relatively low, so that his eyes could barely be seen, a pair of black-rimmed glasses gleaning at the bridge of his nose.

He could hear the sounds of battle, but he didn't want to get dragged into it. Yet perhaps one could say he was looking for trouble, at least for the direction he was going in. After all, he was walking towards the Glades, himself. People from Galtia likely weren't very welcome there right now, although he'd heard there was some supposed peace treaty being signed.

But then, who was fighting? And why? The fighters instinct in him made him want to go and see for himself, his left hand hovered over the amulet strapped to his belt, his own Scepter. He had a strange gut feeling, as if something truly was wrong. He lifted his head a moment, staring up at the clouds. They seemed to be moving quickly, and there was a chill on the wind.

He could smell blood as the scent of the battle drifted his way, blown through the trees with the wind. Every instinct told him to investigate, but instead he simply lowered his head, making sure to adjust his hat and turn towards the border again, lips pursed and drawn in a look of slight anger. If the battle came his way, he knew he would have to get involved, but until he knew what was going on, he would have to hold back.

The Kingdom of the Five Glades stretched as far as the eye could see and as far as the mind could imagine. For centuries it had existed in relative peace and while not as technologically advanced as some of the kingdoms around it, the Glades prided itself on it's magic and it's connections with the elements. When asked about it's layout, many would describe the Five Glades as a flower.

The Omni Glade stood tall and proud at the very center of the Kingdom. It was here that the Royals made their home and disputes between the different Glades were settled as peacefully as possible, usually show of magical powers. Queen Harmonia was a just and fair leader of the people, she treated everyone fairly and was adored in return. Unlike her subjects, however, Harmonia had been blessed by each of the elemental lords as a child and was able to use all sorts of magic.

The Water Glade was the west 'petal' and sprawled across the ocean. Most of the water people lived on or around water, the ocean being the most populated part of the Glade. The people of the floating towns rarely saw a bad day, even when a storm began to brew, they knew their beloved water spirit would protect them and sure enough, it did.

The Earth Glade was the north 'petal' and covered in dense forest. The Earth people generally chose to live in tree houses or wooden huts and were the most untrusting and yet steadfast of the Glades. They affectionatly call their elemental spirit the Earth Mother and tend to the forests to keep her appeased.

The Fire Glade was the southern 'petal' and at its very center was a large volcano where the fire spirit was said to sleep. It was customary every year to hold a festival and sing a lullaby to the volcano to keep the fiery spirit asleep. The fire people were hot headed and of a fiery disposition. They were not easy to get on with and when a dispute was brought to the Queen, it was usually a member of the Fire Glade involved.

The Air Glade was the final petal on the eatern side of Omni and all the people lived either high in the mountains or in other, generally hard to reach places. Able to glide through the air and see everything from above made the people of the Air Glade more curious and open to talking to strangers. These were the people that first knew of the Galtian people approaching their land.


A peace treaty with a blood thirsty empire? It sounded like a good idea at the time, the Five Glades were not warmongers but they would stand and defend their land if the need arose. But the Queen believed her new neighbours and of course, liked the idea of them both getting along. However when the Galtian emissary arrived with the message, Queen Harmonia had been, thankfully, unable to attend herself. The elderly Queen mother was dying and her daughter sat at her beside comforting her.

That's why Nahele was currently in this bloody mess.. quite literally. The crown princess of Omni, recognisable by the royal 'markings' on her face, stood behind a wall of bodyguards that had accompanied her to see Emperor Halvard. A liar and a warmonger, it turns out. While returning home to present her mother with the peace treaty, they were ambushed by soldiers. There was something different about these soldiers, they seemed.. immune to the barrage of magic attacks coming from her body guards.

The last of the body guards, realising the futility of the situation, began backing away from the soldiers and one uttered something under his breath and as the others began to turn, he clicked his fingers and a flash of bright light would hopefully give them the extra seconds they needed to put a bit of distance between them. The eldest of the bodyguards had Nahele by the hand, ensuring they wouldn't get seperated and though out of breath, kept telling her that everything would be fine as long as they got into the forest.

One by one the bodyguards were caught and fought until their very last breath. By the time Nahele looked over her shoulder though, there were only soldiers. Everything was going far too quickly to make any rational thoughts and all she wanted to do was get home to her mother. Thoughts changed from her mother to the lone bodyguard now pushing her into the forest and telling her to run as fast as the wind would carry her. He then turned to face the soldiers, drawing his blades to make his final stand and give the princess time to escape.

Afraid and out of breath, Nahele turned and ran deeper into the forest, pausing only for a brief moment as she looked over her shoulder at the sound of steel hitting steel. This was ridiculous, she shouldn't be running! Father would turn in his grave if he knew she'd taken the cowards way out.. No. This wasn't the cowards way out and the more she weaved through the trees, the more her mind cleared and she realised just why she'd been dragged to the forest. The Air Glade bordered Galtia and surely someone was in the air and would have seen the fighting, right? At the moment, it was the only hope she had left.

The soldiers were still following her, she could hear them shouting to one another and their heavy footsteps. Was this really going to be the end? Nahele didn't know how much longer she could run, her legs were starting to feel like lead and her magic would have no affect on these soldiers. Not directly, anyway. A thought hit her, her magic wouldn't have any direct effect on them but that didn't mean she couldn't hinder them. It took a lot of concentration, which didn't come easy, but soon enough, with every footstep she made, the ground beneath her feet began to freeze and spread. They may be super soldiers but they weren't wearing ice skates, right? That was what she was hoping, anyway.

Not looking back, afraid of what she might see, Nahele then remembered an old bit of magic she used as a child to outrun her father. Closing her eyes and inhaling, the air around her began to stir. As she opened her eyes and exhaled, the air around her turned into wind and gave her the extra momentum she needed to keep going. All she had to do was keep going.. keep going and keep hoping.. Oh, mother!

It was like the eyes of a hawk, two golden-brown irises gleamed under his hat as he stared int he direction of the sounds of battle. He stared through the trees, catching glimpses of everything as it progressed his way. It had taken practically his lifetime in training to see the way he did, even the slightest sight was enough to discern even a little something, the more he caught the bits and pieces, the more the story unfolded. Those on the run were people of the Glade, and those chasing them were Galtian soldiers. Except something didn't quite fit in this picture. The closer they got, the smaller the people of the Glade's numbers became until it looked like there were only two left. Yet there were still so many of those soldiers.

There was a reason the remaining Mages stayed within the capital. They were among the most powerful of the Empire's soldiers. magic was feared and respected, so why was it that these people were losing to Galtian foot soldiers? No. Something still wasn't right, whether the magic was working or not, the soldiers were moving in a different way. But then, this was still a detail he had to overlook, for the situation was quickly becoming one he would have to get involved in. Another issue was the story that peace was supposed to be struck between the two sides. So why were these people being attacked? Was it a play by the Emperor?

The tall man clenched his jaw tight, the idea of betrayal angered him, it was a dirty move, but something still felt wrong about it all. Most of the time, this gut instinct was right. Perhaps he moved out of instinct, or a self of justice that over-rode his body, but he reached to his right side, hand gripping one of his guns, the large gun sliding out and being lifted. He didn't raise it right away, waiting until the lone remaining target had drawn closer, until she was practically no more than ten meters in front of him.

He waited for her to pass, cool golden eyes staring at her, as he stepped aside slightly, motioning with his left hand for her to move behind him as he raised the weapon full, pointing it at the evident leader of the soldiers. The soldiers began to slow down, he almost wanted to call them amateurs for not having noticed him sooner, but he remembered that they probably weren't like him. Their confidence in capturing a single person of the glade was suddenly faltering although he could still see arrogance in their eyes as they moved to surround the gunslinger and the young woman,
"Who are you? And what business do you have here?!" The leader of the soldiers called, these were redundant question. If the man could tell anything, it was that they would try to kill him anyway, to silence him about this matter, or perhaps just because he was pointing a gun at them. The gunslinger continued to quietly observe them, he could see the waning confidence, the raising nervousness. This alone was very telling. Whatever advantage they had over magic users, it wasn't something they had confidence with regarding a stranger.

Perhaps they were smart to not blindly rush in. At least they were trying to gather information, not that he would give them anything. They could probably tell he was from the Empire, given how he was dressed, not as a soldier but most of his clothing seemed to match some civilian standards, although his long black duster and the hat with the cross branding on it didn't match anything they were familiar with, nor did they recognize his guns. It probably didn't help their confidence that he was remarkably tall, an intimidation factor played in quite nicely, and the weapon in hand was much larger than any standard side-arm they were familiar with,
"I asked you a question! What-"
"I have no obligation to answer that." Came a calm, confident grumble from the gunslinger, "If any of you have families, you should go home, right now. If any of you have a girlfriend, leave. I don't feel like making any widows or breaking any hearts today, but I will kill you if you chase this woman any further."
"You arrogant bastard!" The leader yelled, stepping forward. It was a fatal mistake. With but a squeeze of the trigger, the gunman's weapon fired. The sound was like a thunderous shout, the bullet struck the man in the skull and he fell back sharply, hitting the ground before he could even realize he'd been shot.

The remaining men were too stunned to move at first, however they watched as the gunman holstered his weapon quickly and shifted his hand over the Scepter at his hip. It flashed beneath his palm and a streak of white seemed to run down his body,
"He has a Scepter!" One of the soldiers yelled, they started to deliberate among themselves about what kind of model it was, perhaps it was what gave him his skills as a gunslinger, but then why would he activate it after firing? Whilst they cautiously prepared to attack, the man looked over his shoulder for the woman they had been chasing,
"I can almost guarantee they'll attack any second, there's no time to waste. If you have the energy for it, I need you to test something for me. If you know any attack spells; try your magic on them," He ordered sharply, placing his hand on the same gun as before, his eyes could catch what others might not.

With all her attention focused on the magic she was using and where she was going, she failed to notice the stranger in the woods with them until she passed him. Glancing over her shoulder to him, she noticed him motioning for her to get behind him and she did just that. Well, sort of. The stranger had stolen her attention from where it was needed and the wind she'd created to give her extra momentum was pushing her along faster than her legs could cope with. Trying to slow herself down, Nahele found herself landing awkwardly on her left foot and her ankle twisted, causing her to land in an undignified heap on the forest floor a good few feet behind the man that had caused the accident.

Quickly sitting herself up and untangling her weary legs from beneath her, the female's emerald gaze fell upon the stranger and the soldier speaking to him. Why were these soldiers not attacking this man as they had her people? Was it because he was one of them? The clothes were nothing like anything she'd seen in the Glades before but had seen similar on the civilians of Galtia. Soldiers of the empire were afraid of a civilian with a gun? No, there was something different about this man and the fact that he hadn't intentionally tried to hurt her as the others did allowed Nahele to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

Not only did he not seem to want to harm her, he sounded as though he didn't really want to harm these soldiers either. Didn't want to but soon proved he would if necessary. At the sound of the gunshot, Nahele had covered her ears and closed her eyes, unaware of what had just made the noise and what the noise meant. Hearing the sound of something hitting the ground, she opened her eyes to see what had happened and gasped at the sight of the lifeless body. Thankfully because of her seated position she couldn't see the cause of death, but whatever had happened seemed to have stuned the rest of the soldiers. Then came the shouting about a Scepter and Nahele really had no idea what was going on.

It took a moment for the strangers words to register but when they did, she slowly looked up and over to him, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. This was all miles outside of her comfort zone and obviously the first time she'd been exposed to such brutality and death. "..." Her mouth opened though no words formed. But the order did slowly seem to register and closing her mouth, she rose to her feet (or good foot) and hobbled forward a few steps. If what he said was true, there was little point in questioning the motives behind his order, regaining her composure she used the easiest attack spell she could think of. Lifting her left hand and cupping her palm, a small flame erupted and began to glow brightly. 'Throwing' the flame between left and right palm, it grew in size and heat until it was the size of a tennis ball and without warning, she hurled it towards the soldier directly in front of her.

The hesitation of the soldiers was just enough, after all he'd just struck them a rather nasty blow without even flinching, he was surrounded yet he casually killed their leader. This made him far more dangerous than them on principle alone, they had a specific job, but he was doing this with apparently no regard for his own life. This was more than enough time for the girl to cast her spell. He watched intently over his shoulder as she tossed, it, half turning to see it thrown at the closest soldier. The intended target reacted pretty quickly, raising his left arm in front of him.

The fireball seemed to impact against a previously invisible wall. There seemed to be a turquoise domelike barrier, it covered a reasonable portion in front of him, however the fireball seemed ot spread across it, licking across the surface before turning sharply at a certain point, spreading naturally once again before it was entirely absorbed and the turquoise shield faded. Before the man could lower his arm another shot rang out. The gunslinger had drawn his second pistol and aimed it at the man. The shot phased through the shield unchecked, digging into the soldier's chest and throwing him clear off his feet,
"I've given you my warning." He started returning to a neutral stance, "And I've figured out your shields. They only cover the direction you hold that arm. And they don't stop physical attacks or solid projectiles, those things were designed for fighting people of the Glade, weren't they?" He shifted his stance, "However a shield that doesn't cover your backs, your left or right sides, or even above or below, you can only do so much against magic. Not everything will be a direct attack," He announced this simply, the more he spoke, the more nervous the soldiers got, he'd figured out the flaws to their shields with a single test.

All they had left now was their resolve to get this done by any means, but in terms of experience, they were outclassed by this man, the first to rush him came form behind, but he simply placed one of his guns beneath his other arm and fired behind him, pulling the trigger twice for good measure, the soldier dodged the first round but the second found its home in his gut, and he fell back, stunned, gripping the grapefruit sized hole that appeared there.
Truth be told, the man hoped he'd given the girl some clues as to how to use her magic effectively against these men, fighting them all off would still be a task and he wasn't sure he could protect her if they all rushed at once.

Nahele watched as the soldier raised his arm just in time and her spell seemed to spread across the turquoise shield and was eventually absorbed without any harm whatsoever to the soldier. At least now she knew that these soldiers weren't superhuman, they were just well protected.. if only her bodyguards had known this. Then again came that loud bang and she jumped, watching the soldier fall to the ground as the previous had, though this time she was able to see just what the cause was. The stranger beside her was now holding some sort of metal weapon. Such an unnatural looking weapon.

As the man spoke to the soldiers, she turned her gaze back to them, watching to see just what their next move would be. The more he spoke the more she took in. These soldiers had been fitted with shields designed for the purpose of fighting her people? When she'd first set out she knew that the people of this kingdom loved bloodshed, but to ambush a peaceful party returning home with a peace treaty? A terrible thought dawned on her.. what if her mother had been able to attend the meeting afterall? She'd have faced the soldiers and tried talking to them, she'd have ended up like her bodyguards. No, now was not the time to dwell on this, her saviour had just pointed out the flaws in the soldiers defence and she was going to teach them not to mess with anyone from the Glades.

So she had a choice of behind, either side, above or below? Physical or solid projectile? Right, but did she really want to kill them as they had so callously killed her own? Another shot pierced the air and again she jumped, glancing over her shoulder as she heard another body hitting the ground. It was as this body hit the ground that she noticed something and came up with an idea. Standing completely still, the air pressure around her began to change, it began to swirl around her and after a few seconds, she simply stepped backwards through it and 'pushed' it forward towards the soldiers in front of her.

Though it passed behind the soldiers without harming them, this was part of the plan. Behind the soldiers it started picking up stones and branches in it's path, adding them to it's body and it seemed to make it 'angry' , it started to whistle and move faster around the outside of the soldiers. Nahele's gaze didn't move from the whirlwind she'd created and without warning, it started to spit out the stones and branches at great speed at the soldiers it passed.

When had the situation turned on them? The soldiers were losing their control of the situation quite quickly. They finally gained their focus by the time the girl had prepared her magic and once more they put up their shields. Foolishly enough they ignored the whirlwind, two of them preparing their guns as they ran forward, firing wildly at the pair. At this range, they should have hit the man and the girl both at once, but the tall gunman seemed to stand directly between Nahele and them. He fired at them with the right gun, sparks appearing in the air, the bullets danced off one another, scattering past him. Several more shots from the same gun saw the two attackers getting flattened like their companions.

He watched as the small-scale tornado began to hurl sticks and stones rapidly at the soldiers. Interesting, some hard turned towards the whirlwind, but their shields failed to protect them, after all, the projectiles being tossed at them weren't magically controlled or induced, spraying them with debris and forcing them to retreat,
"Very clever.." He commented calmly, His focus shifting, those men being pelted were too busy trying to get to cover to attack, those who weren't close to whirlwind, however, were preparing to attack. They rushed, swords drawn, thinking they could get into the gunman's blind spot, but being behind him didn't mean he was blind, nor did it give them the advantage. Unlike them he didn't need to rush toward them, he needed only change his stance as he half turned to his left, his lesser used gun being raised as he fired two rounds at them, solidly catching them.

Both men stumbled back, clutching bleeding shoulders, their weapons dropped, but the man wasn't done, he whirled around, practically stepping around the young woman to guard her back as he once more raised the left arm, firing at the men once more, this time shooting one in the heart, the other taking a direct hit to the skull. Their bodies crumpled tot he floor as the man swept both his arms in a wide arc, this time pulling the triggers repeatedly. The sheer power of his guns being displayed as not only did it topple these men like paper targets, they pierced tree's and still found their home in soldiers hiding behind them for cover. Not fatal wounds, but they were forced out intot he open, only to be taken out by second, maybe third shots, depending on how lucky or unlucky they were about surviving the first two.

All the while, he watched them, their movements didn't match standard methods, they were trained differently, but they were still trained. At least for dealing with other groups of opponents, clearly they weren't trained for dealing with an opponent on his level or a magic user that actually knew how to bypass their shields. His focus turned forward again, once more shifting stance so he could put himself mostly between the woman and the remaining soldiers. Two more had rushed, hoping to take the woman while the gunman was busy with the rear, they swung their swords, taking the opportunity to try and attack him while he was still setting up.

True he didn't have enough time to fire his guns, so instead he used his guns to block their broadswords, he strained against them momentarily whilst they tried the bear the swords down on him, the edges of their keen blades sparking against the pistols but he soon pushed them off, forcing them to stagger before he stepped forward swiftly. His left leg lifted and he shoved his boot into the first man's gut. The second man swung his sword again, butt his time the gunman had enough time to swing his gun, catching the blade and knocking it back before he stepped in, smashing his elbow into the soldier's face. His head snapped backwards sharply and he hit the ground, the force of the blow alone had broken his neck.

In less than a minute, the soldiers numbers had been thinned to but a handful, they were already too scared to approach anymore, but they couldn't retreat either. The gunslinger stared at the remaining numbers still being buffeted by the whirlwind, they were desperately keeping to cover, but they were exposed. They already knew how hopeless their situation had become. But it was their own fault. He warned them. He told them to leave, they could pay the price for their swiftly-mounting stupidity. Their overconfidence, their murderous intent, their inability to tell they were outclassed before they started a fight with a total stranger.

Nahele had been taught to never use magic for violence, they were blessed to have been gifted these magical powers by the elements and to dirty them would incite the wrath of the elements. But self defense wasn't an act of violence, was it? Even after the terrible atrocities these soldiers had committed on her bodyguards, she couldn't bring herself to end their lives, revenge would not bring them back. The strange man in the strange hat didn't seem to have any qualms about killing his own though, nor about putting his body in line of fire to protect a complete stranger. Strange in appearance, word and mind.

Shots continued to fire and bodies continued to hit the forest floor, she adjusted and stopped jumping after each shot was fired. The bodies on the floor.. well, it was either them or her, right? If she died here like the others, who would warn the Glades? Who would warn mother? The whirlwind continued to hurl stones and everything else it had picked up off the ground at the soldiers, it seemed to be doing the job it intended. This stranger didn't need more than a few seconds to end a life with that weapon of his, the forest debris breaking through shields and unguarded flanks would give him that.

The man moved, changing his stance with each shot, no soldier in any direction seemed safe from his gaze. Or so she thought. Two soldiers lurched forward towards her, swords drawn and with intent. At that moment she thought that would be it, she expected to feel the cold steel against her flesh but.. with reflexes like she'd never seen, the stranger put himself between her and the soldiers once more and blocked the attack with his guns. The man kept his promise to both soldiers, their bodies soon joined their companions on the floor.

Then there were only a handful left, all too scared to attack or even retreat it would seem. There had been far too much death today, she couldn't stand by and let this stranger kill them as he had the others, but she hadn't the heart or want to end their lives either. Nahele looked up at the stranger protecting her, then to the men she could see cowering behind whatever cover they could find. She could see them all and so could the whirlwind. No longer spinning to distract, the whirlwind moved with purpose towards the closest soldier, nothing could stand in the way of mother nature. She directed the wind between the remaining soldier with the intention of knocking the wind or consciousness out of them, perhaps even hurling those that tried to move into nearby trees or the air.

He watched quietly as she began to direct the whirlwind at the men. The man looked over his shoulder silently,it could almost have been like he was glaring, the tired eyes of a killer judging her in silence, the look softened only slightly as he turned away from her again, raising the weapons once more. He couldn't see a fellow killer in her eyes, this wasn't her duty. The golden eyes watched the chaos of the wind enveloping the soldiers make their life even more of a misery, patiently, quietly, he aimed, looking for the opportune moments before firing into the wind. Even into the high winds he was capable of pegging the men directly, he didn't have to aim directly. As the wind churned and changed the directions of the bullets he allowed them to be practically guided by the force of the magical vortex.

As one man was hurled up into the air he reacted quickly, firing into his path, allowing the body to fall past him as he continued to fire at the remaining soldiers. He didn't relent, there was no sign of mercy, just the calm, cold, calculating rhythm of shot after shot until he finally stopped. The muzzles of both guns smoked, the very tips glowing a faint orange. He lifted them rolling them on his fingers, the cool breeze making the glow of the heat vanish before he holstered them at his hips once more. They were empty, but he had spare magazines to use. The gunfighter didn't turn to look at the young woman though, stepping towards one of the fallen soldiers, there were at least two still alive.

The one he had kicked in the gut was curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach, and there was one behind him, bleeding out slowly. As he approached the soldier, the man looked up at the looming figure, he was looking at his own death for certain, but no matter how much he tried to shift and crawl away, he couldn't escape. The gunman reached down with one hand, grasping the Soldier by his coat, and kneeling quickly, pulling one of his arms back whilst pinning the other to the ground,
"You attacked people of the Glade, why?" He questioned simply, but the man stared defiantly up at him, "I wont ask again, I had heard we were supposed to be signing a peace treaty. What did you have to gain from this? Where's your sense of honor?!" He demanded,, but the man didn't respond, instead keeping his mouth shut.

He wouldn't be getting anything out of him, at the very least this man had strong enough convictions that he wouldn't tell his enemy something so vital. The man took in a deep breath and let go of his victim's arms, wrapping his arm around the man's neck and placing the other across his brow before, with a single twist, he snapped the man's neck, letting the body drop before he stood straight and turned, this time proceeding towards the final wounded man, his hands balled up into fists. There was a definitive look of anger plastered across his face as he walked, not even glancing at the woman, not yet. She wasn't in danger for the time being, though he was still aware of her damaged ankle. It wouldn't be long before a second party was sent to finish what the first failed to do.

It looked like her idea had failed, the stranger started to use her whirlwind as a means to kill the remaining few with an exhale of breath, the wind stopped and span on the spot for a few seconds, before dispersing, the debris it had been carrying dropped lifelessly to the ground once more. This man that had saved her.. her opinion of him was changing as each lifeless body fell to the ground. There was nothing to be gained from killing scared cowards, from the empire or not, she wasn't going to stand around and watch him slaughter anymore, it was making her feel sick to her stomach.

Of the two that still seemed to show signs of life, the one that had tried to attack her with a sword was the first the stranger tried to interrogate. Questions were asked but no answers given, Nahele turned and limped towards the nearest tree, choosing to sit behind it with her back to what was going on. Less than a second after she'd sat amongst the dead leaves to check her ankle did she hear a sickening snap that sent her stomach churning. This left the soldier with the bullet wound, he had probably seen what had happened and knew he wouldn't recover from his injury, but would he tell this man what he needed to know? If only to be put out of his misery?

Now that things had quietened down, she began to think back over the days events and up until they approaching the forest, everything had gone smoothly. But then the images of her bodyguards being slaughtered came to mind and she wrapped both arms tightly around her stomach. "Why do you think they attacked us?" Finally she spoke, unaware of what was going on behind her. "We knew about your kingdoms bloody reputation and advanced technology before we agreed to the treaty. There was always the possibility this would happen, so twice as many bodyguards were sent." She paused for only a few seconds. "Your emporer must have known about our magic and created shields to make our only means of attacks useless. Attacking the party sent for the purpose of peace.. he's trying to start another war, isn't he?"

The man loomed over the last man. With that gaping wound in his stomach, he would bleed out before long. he was already coughing up blood, but the gunman simply stared at him for a time before kneeling by the man. He was in his mid-thirties perhaps now that his face could be seen more directly. He reached up with a bloodied hand to his jacket, slowly digging for something, the other man's hand twitched, but soon he pulled something out, a white sheet. When he turned it over it was revealed to be a photograph. The man, a woman and a child, a daughter, probably no more than five years old.

There was a pause, a long silence, probably the longest it had ever been before the gunfighter sighed,
"You idiot.." He muttered, reaching behind himself calmly and pulling out a small satchel. It jingled softly, clearly full of something metal. Once he snapped it open he pulled out a single gold coin, offering it to the man. He took it, rather graciously, placing it on the picture on top of his chest and covering both with his hand before he laid his head back. He soon went cold as the last of his life faded away. The gunman stood up slowly, shifted his head and listening to the young woman.

Bloody reputation. He grimaced, she wasn't wrong, but he still hated it. The man began to circle the battlefield quietly, reaching into the satchel with a soft jingle each time, then the tiny ping of a small golden coin being flicked from his thumb, they landed on each body in plain view, Your emperor must have known about our magic and created shields. Was it fair to assume it all on the Emperor alone..? In the end though, he would be help responsible for it until it was somehow proven otherwise, but even then. This entire assault alone had already sewn the seeds of despair.

To her final question, he shook his head. He didn't know for certain, he didn't know without clear concise information, assuming too much could lead to mistakes, but they were still fair assumptions, given the situation, he supposed. He lumbered in the direction of where the girl was, turned his back to the tree and sat down with his back to it similar to how she had, though he was turned away partially. In his left hand, he had the satchel he'd been dealing the coins out with, in the right was a metallic item that looked like a bracelet, he'd taken it from one of the fallen. The apparent magic ward these men had been wearing to fight off magic.

He would have been studying it in more detail but he looked almost worn, leaning on his knees and lowering his head,
"Bringer, more souls are being returned to you, they each carry a coin for passage, their families will join them one day. Forgive them their foolishness," He prayed calmly, raising his head. A gleaming silver streak had rolled down the side of his face, but he chuckled to himself, "I didn't think it would rain today." He stated, staring at the rather clear sky from behind his glasses.

Though she had her back to the main part of the battlefield, there were a few bodies she could see in the corner of her eye but she refused to look at them. These men had killed her friends and tried to kill her and yet.. she couldn't help but feel sorry for them, they had just been following orders afterall, right to the end.

In the corner of her eye she saw something move and approach one of the bodies, reluctantly she turned her green gaze from the forest ahead of them to the body in question. This strange man kept getting stranger. Why was he giving a corpse a gold coin? Curious, she watched as he finished his sweep of the battlefield, checking the bodies and flicking a gold coin onto each. Was this some sort of Galtian tradition for the dead? But what was the point of it?

Gaze remained on the man as he approached and sat beneath the tree with her, though turned away enough so as she couldn't see his face. What he did next did take her by surprise, after everything he'd just done she never expected him to pray for them afterwards. The prayer did answer her curiosity about the coins, but only raised more questions about him.

Pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, she looked upto the sky as he mentioned rain and though it took her a minute, she came to understand what he meant. "'Rain' shows we're human." Nahele stated simply, leaning forward enough to rest her chin on top of her knees at an angle so as she was looking at the man beside her. "I was starting to wonder just what you were."

He didn't look her way but at least he was thankful that she didn't ultimately fear him and his ways. In the end would have come down to this, regardless of how they felt about it. The man sat forward a little, moving the strange armlet device and clipping it onto his belt, he could examine it in full detail later. Next he put the satchel behind his other hip, making sure it was secure before he drew his guns. The black steel reflected light with a soft glow, they seemed almost flawless except for some scratch marks here or there.

He placed one on the ground, concentrating on the first, with a flick of his thumb over a small switch, the underside of the weapon ejected, popping up into the air. He caught it with his other hand, pocketing the long magazine and replacing it with another magazine. The process was repeated for the other weapon then he calmly slid them back into their holsters. What had she said? She wondered just what he was? To be honest, perhaps it was safe to keep wondering that, he wasn't so sure what he was anymore either.

He glanced over at her quietly, the monster on his face was gone, there was no more rage, just that sad emptiness, he was trying to discern a little more about her features, they were pleasant to look at. Perhaps most interesting of all were those markings on her face, he was curious about it, but didn't ask, no he had a different question in mind, looking forward again,
"Do you have a family? Any loved ones to go back to?" The man questioned, pushing himself up to his feet again. He patted off his coat and turned to look at her once more, she was probably going to have difficulty walking until tht ankle was treated, but they had no time yet, once they were somewhere safe he could tend to it.

When he started messing around with those guns, she lifted her head to get a better view of just what he was doing with them. That thing he'd just popped out and repaced with another, did that hold whatever was responsible for the holes in bodies and trees? They were such strange looking weapons too, in almost perfect condition apart from the scratch she'd seen on one of them. It took him no time at all to change the bits that he'd changed and then slipped them back into their holsters, he must have done that a hundred times over.

Feeling his gaze on her, she didn't look away from him. "Yes, I do. My mother will be worried sick if I don't get home soon." There didn't seem to be anymore anger on the mans face, just sadness and though she was aware of what he'd just done, the fear she had of him originally wasn't as great. "I have to deliver this to the Queen too." She said, reaching into her cloak and retrieving the peace treaty from a hidden pocket. The parchment was rolled and tied shut with a piece of red ribbon, she began to wonder what her mother would do with it when he learnt of what had happened. As for mother and queen being one in the same, this man didn't need to know that at the minute, did he?

Slipping the treaty back into the hidden pocket, Nahele stretched her legs out in front of her and reached forward, rubbing her sore ankle in the hopes of relieving some of the pain to allow her to move without too much awkwardness. With the aid of the tree, she managed to get to her feet and put a bit of weight on the injured ankle. There was nothing she could do about it now, she'd have to soldier on and wait until she was in familiar territory, she wasn't going to stop until then.

A mother, that was a good thing to have. It was a familial tie and it wasn't one he was going to sever, he adjusted his gloves calmly, listening to her speak of getting the letter to the queen. He could see the Imperial Seal on the tip of the ribbon, he was very familiar with that symbol. Was that the peace treaty? Was there even any point to bringing that back, knowing what news she also had to bear? It made that paper as worthless as the ink printed upon it. It almost seemed like an act of pointless futility to even consider it worth carrying, but he supposed it was her choice to do so. He wanted to say he didn't care what happened, but that was wrong, it was because of what was happening in Galtia that he'd turned into what he was.

"You wont be able to walk fast enough with an injured ankle." He stated calmly, "If another group comes, they'll catch up to you." The man added, stepping in closer to her, he didn't give her much time or choice int he matter as he half squatted, sweeping one arm behind her legs, the other moving behind her back, cradling it whilst the hand reached up to her shoulder. He lifted her quite easily off her feet and turned towards the border, determination on his face as he began to walk,
"Put your arm around my neck." He instructed, at this range and with his arms busy, he more or less was exposing himself to being killed, though he wondered if she could realize that fact, he could still remember that look on her face, she didn't have the eyes of a killer, not like him.

Each stride he took was long, but soft, he didn't jolt too much with the steps he took, trying to keep his movement smooth and calm, he didn't bother to look behind him, only forward, what mattered for now was getting to safety,
"Once we are far enough away from here, we'll dress your ankle, I don't have any restorative magic stored in my Scepter but I know some recipes for salves using herbs that will take the pain away and heal it up quickly, just bear with being carried for a while," he explained however briefly looked aside to her,
"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Levantes, formerly of the Galtian Military." Sure that last bit of information might unsettle her, but he simply looked forward again, may as well let her know rather than let it be a surprise later, "If you aren't the type to kill, you can just tell them that I killed your people. They're welcome to get rid of me once I get you over the border."

Nahele was caught unaware, too busy looking down to the ankle in question and only noticing the arm when it was too late. Her reflexes weren't as quick as the strangers, at least not in current circumstances anyway. It felt strange to be carried at such an age, the last time anyone had done so had been in her youth and for completely different reasons. Strange and awkward, actually, they'd only met a short while ago and weren't even on first name terms. Putting her arm around his shoulder wasn't something she felt comfortable with either, but she did so, leaving it where it was was going to be uncomfortable in the long run.

Being silent in such close quarters felt wrong and she was relieved when he broke the silence, if only to tell her his plans for the immediate future. "What is this Scepter? I've never heard of magic being stored before." Though if it truly was capable of storing magic, then this man wasn't able to create his own naturally. The introduction followed and while it was nice to know his name, to learn he was from the Galtian Military? It should have surprised her but the way he moved and so easily took those mens lives..

Nothing else was said for a moment, her gaze watching the scenery around them change with each step taken. Formerly of was the key part of that sentence and once she'd given it some thought she turned her head and looked to the man carrying her. "I am not the type to kill, nor am I the type to lie, Levantes." She spoke, her expression softer than it had previously been. "You saved the Queens emissary where her bodyguards failed, why should you suffer when you should be praised? The treaty is all but worthless now, but at least it will make it to it's intended destination like planned." She managed a brief but genuine smile. "I'm Nahele."

"That's not quite how they work." Levantes responded, making sure the girl in his arms was comfortable while he walked. He was rather careful about where he walked, short grass was more favorable but more importantly finding solid ground so he didn't leave as many foot prints would be important, the less leads he left trackers, the better,
"Scepters store knowledge, knowledge of how to fight, how to use magic, how to invent, we learned how to create more and copy the stored knowledge, you'll find that the vast majority of Galtian soldiers will carry a Scepter on them." He tried to explain it in a simple manner, knowing how strange and complicated it might seem to some-one unaware of these things, he was raised with the knowledge of Scepters though, "I only know a handful of people who don't actually need them."

Did he need his? The truth was; not really, the man pondered what to say about it exactly, how to be precise without giving too much about it away, his Scepter was not a crutch for an unskilled warrior,
"Mine is a little.. Special.." He stated simply. He wasn't lying, the device at his hip differed from regular Scepters because it didn't teach him anything new at all.

He paused for a moment, thinking about what she'd said, but he didn't look her way, still focused on where he was walking. He managed to find a rocky area, taking soft bounds form rock to rock until they passed over a small brook,
"No-one ever said you would be lying." He added grimly, making sure to watch his footing. He paused, looking over his shoulder for a moment, nothing there, but he wasn't quite confident that they'd gotten far enough away. Once more he continued to walk,
"I have killed people of the Glade, but I didnt need a cheap trick like a magic shield to do it. When there were skirmishes at the border before that Peace Treaty proclamation came up, I did kill your people. I was no more considerate to them than I was to those men I just killed." He confessed it calmly, "I didn't know if it was even right to give your people a coin each for the Bringer, our customs likely differ in that regard,"

Her name was interesting, at least in his mind the thought came up that it was interesting, it seemed soft, almost like running ones hand across fine cotton. Levantes stopped briefly, finding his balance on a rock awkward, but managed to keep it enough before hopping to another, sliding softly off the stone and slipping onto the forest floor once again.
Once more he checked over his shoulder, eyes glancing through the trees. He couldn't see the bodies, they were far behind them now, but he could still smell the drifting scent of his gunpowder and the blood of battle. The wind was favorable, any trackers wouldn't be able to use hounds to follow them just yet,
"I like your name." He stated, almost abruptly, looking forward again and continuing to walk, "It's the first one I've ever heard from your people."

Nahele did not understand, why did they need to store knowledge of battle, magic and invention? Surely the human brain was capable of storing this information quite easily? Why did they need this 'Scepter' to store the information for them? The more she learnt about the Galtian ways, the more it baffled her. "This handful of people that don't require them, are they capable of using their own minds?" how fortunate she was to have been born in the Glades, everything around her seemed considerably more simpler. "I'd ask why yours was special, but I'm afraid I wouldn't understand. We don't have technology such as yours in the Glade, ours is a more natural approach to life."

Mulling over what he said about the skirmishes before the mention of the peace treaty, she said nothing more until they'd crossed the brook, not wanting to distract him and end up in the water. "We are a large kingdom, each of the Glades reaches far and onto the borders of another kingdom, we've had more than our fair share of skirmishes over the years. Before the Glades were united under one rule, there was endless fighting over territory and rule." She had heard about the skirmishes and the lives lost, her mother had sent more of her soldiers to the border between the Air Glade and Galtia, soldiers trained in physical combat as well as magic.

Hearing about the gold coin ritual, Nahele shook her head ever so slightly. "When we die our souls are freed and guided into the next world by our ruling element. Our bodies are cremated and returned to nature." Noticing him check over his shoulder more than once, she turned her head to the right, her view over his shoulder considerably better than his own. "You do?" She looked at him, a brow arched at the suddeness of his statement. "I'd like to say the same about yours, but I'm afraid your emporer beat you to it." Resting her chin on his shoulder, she began to watch their backs, it was the least she could do at the minute. "Is Levantes a family name?"

"It's not so much that they cant use their own mind. It's become part of our culture to use Scepters over learning combat skills naturally. A Scepter can turn a willing individual from a civilian to a capable Soldier in an instant, so they spend more time conditioning their bodies or practicing the skills and techniques found within the device," he tried to explain this as he slipped around a tree, being careful not to stumble on its outstretched roots, "The only thing we have trouble learning without Scepters is magic. Models of Scepter containing magic are uncommon and difficult to replicate, so compatible Mages become members of the Imperial Guard. Without them; Galtia would have been a dead Kingdom a long time ago, instead it became an Empire."

Even if she'd asked him about his Scepter, he would have remained rather tight-lipped about it, it wasn't something he wanted to explain to anyone. Her explanation of the Glades' history actually reminded him greatly of how Galtia turned from a Kingdom into an Empire, as different as they could claim to be, they were still similar. All that really separated them was technology and culture.
Levantes stopped at a cliff-face, staring down over the edge, it was mostly a steep slope, he stared down it, however looked at Nahele again, she'd been keeping an eye over his shoulder, acting like a sentinel. Her question about Levantes being a family name made him pause briefly as if he'd been stunned by the question, but he simply stared down the cliff once more,
"At one time."


He took a calm breath then hopped off the edge, turning to his left and sliding down the slope sideways, the sound of the dirt slope being ground up under his boots continued for a few seconds as a light breeze rushed up past them, a trail of dust following in their wake.
Once he reached the bottom he allowed his legs to bend partly, using the motion to soften the landing at the bottom. No sane man would casually try that, certainly no tracker, but Levantes had a certain level of confidence in his balance that allowed him to do it almost flawlessly.

He stood straight once more and continued to walk, raising his head to the sky a moment, the sun was moving towards the horizon, discoloration painting the blue with streaks of a soft pink.
Hearing of their own belief in death had him thinking a little, it sounded rather pleasant compared to the Bringer. At one time any offering would do, but after a while coins became the favored item to give the Bringer. If no such offering was given, he was said to relentlessly punish them for every wicked deed both great and small before allowing them to pass.

He wondered if perhaps he even deserved an offering to give the Bringer. The man was looking to keep walking, at least until the sun were closer to falling behind the horizon,
"What are your eating habits? There are plenty of unusual stories in Galtia about what your people eat but I would rather hear from the source. We tend towards farm-raised animals, deer, fish, vegetables and fruits, mostly apples though."

The more he explained the more she began to wonder about the true strength of the Galtian Empire. Those soldiers that had attacked her were probably only on the bottom rung of the military ladder, she dreaded to think what waited for them on the top, especially if Levantes was a former member. "Magic is a fickle mistress, but it is still a living entity and if treated right it can create peace and if tainted will spread despair." She spoke the words her mother had so often used herself.

At one time? Family was an important part of life and it was held highly in the Glades, each generation looked after each other and nobody had to worry about being alone. In sickness and in health, your family was always there for you. Though her eyes lay on the path behind them, her mind had just started to drift back to her own family when once again, she was caught unawares. This made how many times in one day? Today really hadn't turned out to be the best of days.

The forest suddenly disappeared behind them and was replaced with a trail of dirt, dust and a falling sensation. Not a big fan of all three, Nahele was quick to bury her face in the mans shoulder and grasp at the shoulder of his duster with the hand that she'd placed over his shoulder not too long ago. What the hell was going on? Had Levantes really just jumped off a cliff whilst carrying someone? What sort of person would do something so reckless? Though it was over as quickly as it had started, her face remained hidden until he spoke to her once more.

Questioning her about her people ate after jumping off a cliff? Lifting her head to reveal her face, it wore a look of disbolief about the whole thing. Though of course, Levantes didn't seem to have batted an eye lid at what he'd just done. He was just.. It was just.. With an exhale, the look of disbolief faded and a more calmer expression returned. "Unusual stories? Each of the Glades live on different types of food. There is a food market in Omni each day, so we're never short on something to eat. We live off the land mainly, the people of the Earth Glade prefer game meat and wild berries. I live in Omni and visit the markets each day, I dislike meat but I do adore wild fruits, berries and mushrooms." There was nothing she'd consider unusual in her peoples diets. Although..

"I suppose our blessed foods would be considered unusual to the outside world. Food and magic combined."

Levantes looked briefly aside to the young woman, he'd felt the squeezing of his shoulder and for a moment, he smiled faintly, as though he'd been teasing her by doing something seemingly dangerous, however his face straightened again. Maybe that was a little sudden, but in the interest of an efficient getaway he was going to do whatever suited best, carefully walking close to the trees but not brushing directly against them. He listened to her as she spoke about food, it definitely didn't match the wild rumors but what garnered the most curiosity was the idea of blessed magic food,
"We don't have any blessed food, so to speak, but when we have a dry season and poor produce, our magi go to farms throughout the Empire and help the fields to grow."

The man came to a sudden stop, for only a brief few seconds, there was a rustle ahead of them in the bushes. A deer jumped out onto the grass-path in front of them, paused to look at the two of them before bounding off again, once it was far enough away he continued to walk, his pace slightly quicker, if only to make up for the seconds after the sudden stop.

His focus returned to the sky once or twice, still trying to discern where the sun was, sure he'd walked a good distance, but he still didn't feel entirely safe. or rather, that it was safe to stop, were he only looking out for himself, he would not have cared as much, anyone who caught up to him would have been just as dead, but now he had someone to protect,
"Bear with this a little longer," He commented out loud, continuing to walk forward. He climbed up and over a rock formation, carefully maneuvering his way down the other side and moving across several more, this would certainly make for difficult tracking, so few tracks, they would have to keep searching wide for traces.

The sky was beginning to turn orange, the sun beginning to blaze int he distance, thankfully it wasn't in his eyes, even though he was walking toward the west, the forest was thick enough and the distant mountains were doing the rest, after a good ten more minutes of walking her finally slowed down by a small riverside, looking around for a good spot to set the girl down. Riverbanks were a great place to find healthy herbs, especially in a forested area.

There was a particularly large oak leaning over the river itself and he stood still a moment, staring up at it with slight wonder, eyes widening just slightly, he was actually admiring the old tree. The roots at its base were extraordinarily large, some curling around to provide rather comfortable little nooks. He walked towards just such an area and lowered Nahele to the ground, placing her by one of its large roots so she could lean on it,
"Rest here," Levantes stated simply, "I'll be right back, there should be something usable around here." With that he turned away, beginning to search around the tree base and along the riverbank, stopping occasionally to pick up herbs.

Just how much further were they going to be going? Would the Empire really track them this far, down a cliff face, over running water and numerous rock formations? "Of all the things a mage can do, I'd never thought of them becoming farmers for a day." Though she supposed using them on a farm was no different to her own people tending to the wild crops and animals in their care. "Blessed food has any number of different properties, it all depends on which element has touched it. I have some in my cloak that has been blessed by water, eating a single piece will keep your stomach full for longer." It came in handy while travelling, it meant having to carry less so they could move quicker.

No longer looking over his shoulder so as to be caught off guard once more, she kept her attention on where they were going and could only smile as they paused to watch a deer appear and disappear. "I think you've invented a new sport, running an obstacle course while carrying someone. There aren't many I know that would make it this far." How was he doing all this climbing with such ease with her in his arms? She could spend days pondering on the subject of Levantes, but came to the conclusion it would be considerably simpler to just say it was the way he was.

They eventually came to a stop underneath a large oak tree and Levantes seemed enthralled by it for a moment. Though Nahele couldn't blame him, it was an old gentleman of a tree, wasn't it? The roots seemed to be bigger than she was and had she been a few years younger, this would have been the perfect tree to play on. So many places to hide and branches to climb on.

Leaning back against the root she'd been set down against, she watched the man scour the area looking for whatever he could find for her ankle. There did seem to be a large number of herbs and plants not only around the tree but also along the riverbank. The water ran clear, even from where she was sat she was able to see the river bed and catch the occasional glimpse of a fish breaking the waters surface to breathe. "This is a beautiful spot, I wonder where we are."

Levantes heard her pondering where they were, but he didn't answer right away, he was rather bemused by her original thought about him inventing a new sport, perhaps he would tell her about it.. But the first thought that came to his mind was where they were. He came back, his arm holding up a bunch of herbs of various sorts, in his other hand he had a large stone, he'd originally spotted another next to the root, the one in his hand was only for helping to grind them up. The man sat down by the larger stone, putting the smaller one on top of it and putting the herbs down onto the stone after clearing it as much as he could with his other hand.

The paused for a moment, adjusting his glasses and ten putting a finger to his temple, closing his eyes as he tried to think, "We're a little ways south of what we call Shalnark river. It runs behind our westernmost town. Elanton. This is probably an offshoot of the main river, it leads into the territory of your Glades," He explained, setting aside his hat. He paused briefly to pull off his gloves, placing them on top of the hat before he began grinding the herbs together in a concave part of the stone,
"When I was a boy, I played in the nearby forest all day. I ran back and forth everywhere and I had a scepter, my aunt gave it to me to protect me. I was always finding wild fruits or berries, so I learned to carry them and bring them home. I've been active for a long while."

He kept placing herbs in and grinding them calmly, continuously rubbing them together into a fine green past, the more he added, the thicker the paste became,
"I would sample herbs and plants, sometimes I made myself sick, but I got better every time. My Scepter taught me how to fight off wild animals, it was just the memories of a swordsman but I understood it, even as a child. Though my weapon of choice was a stick," he stopped a moment, dipping his finger in the paste and lifting it to his nose, sniffing it softly, he shook his head and returned to mixing,
"But I figured something out.. Er.. Never mind, maybe later.." He caught himself before he revealed something, it was an interesting bit of knowledge he'd kept to himself because it wasn't common, even in Galtia,
"Show me your ankle, this wont hurt. It will be a little cold at first, then it will get rather warm, but it will ease the pain away if you can bear with it."

Shalnark river was something she'd never heard of, but in the days leading up to that day she had been been given a bit of information about what the Glades knew about Galtia and the town Elanton was a name that had came up several times. It was close to the Air Glade and not only were they on guard, but the Queens honor guard would be waiting for her arrival back. If all had gone to plan they'd estimated she'd be back before nightfall, but it was getting close to that now and they had to be getting worried. "The Air Glade.. I've spent more time there in the past few days than I have the past few years." Not that she was complaining of course, the people of air were such free spirits and at times, she envied that.

"You'd need to have been active to perform the feits you've just completed with me in your arms, I'm larger and heavier than fruits and berries." The childhood he spoke of didn't sound too different to the childhoods of many Glade children, so carefree and one with nature. Watching him work with the herbs and listening to him speak, engrossed with what he had to say. "You fought off wild animals with a stick with techniques you learnt from the memories of a swordsman?" She still didn't fully understand the Scepter, but she'd picked up the general gist of it. "You're aunt must have been proud of you."

Figured something out? Now she was curious about what he'd figured, but he didn't seem ready to tell her just yet, if ever she supposed, it wasn't her business afterall. Still, she was starting to enjoy his company, the more they spoke the more they both learnt about one another. The mixture was soon ready and he asked to see her ankle, of course she'd comply, anything to help her walk on her own two feet again, being carried everywhere wasn't ideal afterall. Carefully she removed the leather boot, biting down on her lip as she did so, and set it down beside her. She then did the same with the woollen sock to reveal a red, swollen ankle and the start of black markings similar to those on her face, only this one disappeared up the leg of her trouser before any real pattern could be seen.

"If it gets rid of the swelling, I'll bear it. I don't want to burden you anymore, it can't have been easy carrying me as far as you did." She said, slowly and carefully trying to lower her foot to the ground without too much pain.

"Well I wasn't just carrying around handfuls.. And sometimes I was carrying back animals." He added, not every animal was willing to back off, so he ended up bringing them home for whatever purpose they could be used for, the antlers of deer were good for mixing into medicines, or the pelts of wolves were good for making coats or hide carpets, or just trophies, not that the latter had any interest for the man. Then there were boars, one of those was always a good meal.

The suggestion that his aunt was proud made the man smile before he chuckled and shook his head,
"Quite the opposite. She would hit me and yell at me for putting myself in danger all the time. If she knew the kind of trouble I was getting myself into now, she probably would have killed me.." he replied, he didn't really think she would kill him, but she'd probably hit him again. She was tough, ornery and probably would have made the Bringer give her an offering instead, or at least he used to joke about her that way. He scooped his fingers into the paste, getting a substantial amount across three of them and shifted closer to Nahele.

He carefully applied the paste over the sprained ankle, it definitely would have been cold to begin with as he worked over the surrounding area, gently massaging it in, he didn't want to cause her any pain, but he knew it wasn't entirely avoidable at this point. Once he'd covered the swollen area entirely and rubbed it in as much as he could he pulled out a white cloth from his pocket, setting her ankle down on it for the moment before he went tot he riverside, washing his hands to clear away the remaining paste. His own fingers were already starting to feel warm, but luckily it wouldn't be harmful.

The man returned reaching into another of his pockets within the coat itself, pulling out a small white roll of bandaging. He sat next to her once more, lifting her ankle again and rolling the bandages around the ankle, below the foot and across the heel until the ankle was all covered,
"Let it rest for a while, the swelling should go down and the paste will numb the remaining pain, but it wont fully recover for at least a day, so don't strain it. It can be easy to forget it's still healing when you cant feel it." He warned simply, returning to where he'd made the paste. The smell of this stuff was going to be too strong to just clean away. If trackers found it, they would be able to pick up on their trail. But by the time they did it would be too late, he'd already put some effort into gaining distance and time.

He picked up his gloves, slipping them back into place then lifted his hat, resting it on his head as he reached behind himself with one hand, pulling out the magic ward and staring at it, discerning eyes going over the craftsmanship. He still wondered who could have come up with something like this. It didn't follow the same fashioning as the Scepters, the inscriptions were all pure Galtian. Scepters at least kept some of the stylization and inscribing of the ancients, but this was definitely a Galtian product, even if it took inspiration from ancient technology. And what an ill purpose it had been revealed for..

But what could he do about it, really..? He couldn't just claim the Galtian's were better than that. Their reputation was already poor. But he couldn't just simply believe this was something his people wanted. Would his countrymen really be satisfied with the idea of war..? He lowered his head, rubbing at his temples softly with his other hand. What could he do? What could he do?