*THWACK*
All of the sudden, what looked to be a long red pole seemed to materialize out of thin air and strike the eager guard right on the top of his head.
"How many times have I told you not to make passes on people on the job?" The man behind the pole, a maroon staff about the height of a fully grown man, inquired to his victim. "Report to central after your shift to day. You there, make sure he goes to receive punishment."
He was pointing to the man who had been recently slapped upside the head.
"With pleasure sir!" The man saluted before giving a revenge elbow to the ribs of his reeling assailant.
"My sincerest apologies for the conduct of my subordinates. I had only left them momentarily to find a lieutenant supervisor. To think they would cause someone trouble in the 15 minutes I was absent."
Breda couldn't help but feel awed by this man's presence. He stood a good head taller than Jamie, one of the tallest people she knew, and he was built like a log. His muscles might not be bulging through the loose silk clothing, but she had enough experience in the cultivation world to tell this man would easily be capable of crushing her arm with the grip of his hands.
But she did not feel threatened by his presence.
"It is no issue mister...?"
"I go by Ezer Ji. I am a martial General of the Zen Gin Peninsula." His baritone voice carried a refined and sincere tone, something Breda very much appreciated given her current situation.
"General Ji then. I was simply asking for assistance as I appear to have lost my way. Please forgive him. He was only trying to help."
"It would appear that I was mistaken in my assumption of lecherous intentions then good miss. However the fact remains that he volunteered to abandon his post."
Breda sensed that this would likely be the end of that particular topic. "Very well. Then may I ask you for assistance?"
"Should I be capable then it would be my pleasure."
"I am trying to get to the Gillian House in the Market Center, but I am not familiar with this city nor am I confident in my ability to navigate this traffic. Would it be too much to ask of you to escort me?" Despite the cordiality with which she was being treated, even Breda felt that this was asking too much of what was no doubt a busy man.
"The Gillian House you say... Why you certainly are hopelessly lost. Seeing as I have business with the house today, I see no problem in escorting you there. Perhaps it is fortune my subordinate acted out of turn, it seems I have a shred of company for my transit today!" General Ji could not help but to laugh at the coincidence.
As the green haired giant turned to lead Breda to her destination, staff in hand, Breda could slightly overhear the scolding the volunteer was being given. "I can't believe you would even try to hit on a married woman!"
"She's MARRIED?!?!"
*thwack*
"Of course she is you dumbass! How could you have possibly missed the silver pendant?"
"I didn't see it!"
"Yeah, because you were too focused on her waist! Do you only think with your dick or something?!?!"
Once more the red staff made an assault. *whap thwap* "It is unbelievable to me that members of my guard would be so uncouth and rouge in their language in the presence of a lady. Fix that."
""YES SIR!""
While outwardly Breda did show discomfort at this rather vulgar display, she still did feel good deep inside about it. To her, this was affirmation that she still had some sex appeal. It is not to be mistaken that she is old, in fact by any objective metric she is still very young, especially for her level of cultivation, but in her mind giving birth to four children and the stress from raising them might have diminished her already somewhat lackluster figure somewhat. A pass on her by another man, and such a young one at that, made her feel like she was still young.
'Perhaps another child is in order...' She couldn't help but think to herself.
"I once again offer my apologies madam. I will make sure to discipline them at a later date."
"Oh! No no no. It's fine! But I really must get going!"
"Then allow me to lead the way. If you wouldn't mind some conversation along the way, I would love to hear about the woes and thoughts of someone of a different status. It always helps me better understand the world and the people I protect." One might be able to say a plethora of things about Ezer Ji, but none would claim he was not a charming and calming man. "Though, if you do not mind my asking, may I learn your name?"
Breda all of the sudden realized how rude she had been. She had asked for the name of this man without offering her own in turn! A man who clearly occupied a position of relative power as well. This might be okay for him, but etiquette still dictated she should have introduced herself first. "My apologies General Ji! How could I have forgotten? My humble name is Breda, wife of Nofafi. It is a great pleasure to meet you."
Ezer Ji waved his hand in dismissal. "Please Breda, if you do not mind my calling you, dispense with the pleasantries. I find them unbefitting for proper social interaction. In the end we will both be naught but corpses no? Instead I feel we should address each other in a way that will make conversation much easier and comfortable unless the situation calls for it. If you feel so inclined, you may call me by Ezer Ji or even just Ezer."
Once again turning to escort Breda to the Gillian House, Breda could not help but look upon his figure and think of him as possibly the most noble person she had ever had the pleasure of meeting.