"I'm somewhat of a leader of this banner," Leynel revealed with a small smirk. He then shook his head to get rid of the long hair that fell down on his face and covered his eyes. "And now that I introduced myself..." he said in a suggestive manner, openly implying that now it was Leon's turn to do so.
"I'm Leon," the bloodmancer replied in a relaxed tone. He then leaned his head to the side, looking at the small unit of soldiers with a small, mocking smile.
Smile, which hid the desperate rush of Leon's thoughts caused by nothing else but the presence of the man he was speaking with.
'A predator can recognize another predator,' he thought, analyzing all the tiny details that combined into what could only be described as the aura of the man.
His step was perfectly even and his back was perfectly straight as if the huge, two-handed sword strapped to the man's back didn't bother him at all. There was also an air of strange confidence around him, something that no regular tough impostor could exude.
And worst of all, Leon could smell the taste of blood in the man's aura, an attribute that only those who faced death over and over again could develop.
"I introduced myself both from the name and from my position." Leynel's smile twitched a little, the intensity hidden deeply at the bottom of his eyes suggesting that just like Leon seized him down, he was doing the same regarding the bloodmancer. "Is it too much to ask you to do the same?"
"I'm Leon, a traveler," the bloodmancer replied, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.
This man was dangerous. Leon didn't need to see him fight to be able to tell that. And yet, rather than Leynel's presence putting him on edge... It somewhat calmed Leon down.
After all, it was the peace that Leon wasn't accustomed to. Living with danger all around was what Leon's life was all about ever since he could remember.
"You really like cutting to the chase," Leynel commented, shaking his head a little. Then, the kindness that initially brimmed on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by a more stern, serious look. "Look, I didn't come here to pick a fight with you or with the villagers. But I can tell that you are no mere peasant," he stated the obvious while taking a step forward, closing the distance between the two of them by a tiny little bit.
"You are right," Leon admitted. "I'm not some sort of peasant. And to be fair, describing myself as a mere traveler is a simplification of a degree that makes it hardly different from a lie," he stated.
Leon then lowered his head, not in a bow but in an expression of some dark memories resurfacing in his mind.
"I understand why my presence is out of place here," he announced only to raise his head back up and look straight into Leynel's eyes. "But I've sworn off the use of my family name. As such, unless you are on the list of people for whom I carry the last whisper," he stated, taking a step forward just like the officer did only for a fire of wrath to explode in his eyes, "you are not privy to learn it."
All Leon did was take a step forward and use a higher level of language to communicate. Yet, that alone was enough for the soldiers standing by behind Leynel's back to ready the lanced in their hands.
'They have good reactions,' Leon thought, glancing over at the soldiers before moving his eyes back to the officer.
"Are you going to tell me what brings you here or are we going to continue this silly standoff?" Leon then asked, cutting down the burning emotions that he allowed to surface and bringing back the smirk on his face.
"Oh, that's right," Leynel smiled as well, "I didn't come here to chat, after all," he admitted.
The man then stood at attention before performing a salute by resting his right palm on his left shoulder for but a second.
"I, Leynel, the bannerlord of the Galaria banner," he announced himself in a cold, official tone, "came here to investigate the reports of a lone warrior going on a rampage and cutting down scores of recruits resting within the Gleenwood village."
Leon's disposition didn't change at all. Instead, he appeared to be listening to the man's words with full, undivided attention and curiosity.
"As I said before, you don't strike me as a regular man," Leynel then spoke again, dropping the official tone from before although not returning to the cheerful one he introduced himself with. "Did you have anything to do with the massacre I mentioned?"
"That's strange," Leon smiled, ready to play for the long game. "I could swear that the gleenwood is the name of the village that the locals shared with me, but they never mentioned any of the events that you spoke of," he said only to reveal a big smile. Leon then crossed his arms over his chest as he stared right into Leynel's eyes as if he was prey that just fell into the bloodmancer's trap.
"All I could recall is a sight of a group of whoresons burning the said village down, raping and killing its residents, and then fleeing like the cowards they were when I came to the villagers' rescue," he stated, only to turn his eyes away from the officer and rest them on the one face that he was familiar with. "And seeing how you have one of those whom I was too tired to cut down by your side," Leon muttered, only to move his eyes back on Leynel and smile even wider, "I naturally assumed you received a proper report of what happened."