The sun is finally rising over the top of the trees. The orange glow of the sun slowly filling the sky with its beautiful rays. The grass shines with dew from the late night shower. Smoke still rising from the large areas that the fire has spread. The sound of a very slow sizzle can be heard among the chirping of the bird's morning songs. Now there was more foot traffic in the area as more support finally arrived.
Roth sits on the muddy ground leaning against a medium size boulder staring at the busy group packing everything and getting ready to depart. Two tricorns and a large six wheel wagon with steel bars covering like a cage waited patiently as they munched on the clean unburnt grass. He can spot several men in dark green robes and knights with their swords at the ready. The green robes appear to be mages for the city that was close by. Then the knights grabbed the three restrained prisoners one at a time.
The first one was Dante the heavy brute that was enormous, which made sense they brought the heavy wagon meant for twenty people. They had five men restraining him with chains and long rods attached to a metal collar around his neck to keep him from moving too much. He thrashed and pulled until he was finally pushed into the metal wagon. The next person was the teen boy as his hands were chained and fists capped off to prevent him from using magic. He was roughed up and had dry blood coming from his nose and look annoyed. And the last one was the young woman with the missing arm. They chained her intact arm and connected it to her neck. She wore a face muzzle that shut her mouth close preventing her from using any magic.
She wailed in anger and frustration as she refused to get into the wagon. After a couple of attempts they finally got her inside with her still muffling in anger. She banged her head against the thick steel bars demanding to be released. Once the banging stopped, she looked directly in the direction of Roth. Her eyes were blistering red out of pure anger from being defeated by a mere little girl. She could not look away from Roth and Roth just merely looked back. He looked down to his right side to see a deep asleep Mina resting as she is holding his arm tightly.
Not caring for the disheveled state they are both in. They both are damped and muddy from this crazy night. Suddenly a familiar face with glasses and an amazonian women stand right Infront of them, " Hey Roth do you... have a moment?" said a shameful Sillo.
"Sure, what's up? Not like I'm doing anything heh."
"Aha yea... I just wanted to say... you know... I'm grateful you saved my life. I shouldn't deserve it, but you saved me anyways after the way I treated you. For that I am truly sorry." He bows and begs for forgiveness.
"Don't worry about it, it's quite alright. I only regret not saving as many lives as I can. So raise your head, It's the past now." Looking at Sillo's face, Sillo gets teary eye but doesn't shed a tear.
"Thank you again. I hope one day we can team up again in the future. I got your back no matter what." He smiles and gives a thumbs up before walking away.
Sillo walks off but Shiana stays until Sillo is out of hearing range, " I also wanted to thank you Roth, especially saving my little brothers life."
Now Roth was taken back, he is her brother?
"I didn't know that, since... you know..."
She closes her eyes and giggles. This is the first time he has seen her smiling, " Because I'm extremely tall and darker than him? I get that a lot. Though we are related we don't come from the same mother you see. I care for my little brother with all my life, and you gave him a second chance at life, thank you. Do not hesitate to call upon us if you are ever in need of assistance." She bows and excuses herself. Roth sits in silence for a moment wondering to himself.
"Log out..."
-X-UNAUTHORIZED ACTION-X-
"Ughhh, figures..."
"mmm... what's... wrong...?"
He looks down and sees Mina slowly waking up from her deep slumber.
"Oh it's nothing, just a little tired is all."
She sits up and rubs her eyes trying to wake herself up.
"How are you holding up big brother? I was afraid something happened to you if there were people like that woman in the mansion where you were."
"Don't you worry, it was a short lived fight but he really caught me off guard though."
He checked his status quickly to see a new perk after defeating Connery.
[PERK UNLOCKED: MIRAGE]
"But enough about me, I heard of a certain someone who healed many injured and was able to defeat a strong enemy while only being a porcelain rank hmmm?" he poked her side with his elbow teasing her. Her boasting attitude of confidence before this ordeal was quickly replaced with a flustered panic of realization, " It was scary! She look like she came out straight from hell! I thought I was a gonner!" She pouts making her cheeks look like chipmunk cheeks.
"But... thanks to you from all those hard and... gruesome training. It was because of you I was able to fight back. I'm nowhere near the level of strength you posses. So I will train even harder to keep you safe!" She flexes show the nonexistence of muscle from her tiny arm.
"Haha then I guess I got to make my training regimen even harder from now on. You said you vow you'll train no matter what riiiiiight?"
Mina still in her arm flexing pose only opens her eyes and starts sweating realizing what she had just said. Only a small sound can be heard already feeling the pain of the training she's going to endure. Just then they were interrupted by a familiar monotonic voice, " I see you two are in good spirits as always." It was Aufnier and Tobias. Roth got to his feet as well as Mina following right behind.
"Thanks to you kid we were able to apprehend those criminals. Sad to say we couldn't get the original target alive." Tobias looks back and sees the bodies of the fallen men on the ground. They are covered with a blanket, but blood has seeped through and at the last row that was not covered was Connerey.
"But it was an expected outcome that he would not turn himself willingly. The others though, we may have some use for them still." As Aufnier said conjuring a devious plan against the Fidelity.
"I'm just glad this mission was a success at least. By the way, where are the other three?"
"Oh Ganzo and Ifani are going to be okay thanks to your healing. They're recovering back in town and Jeune went with them. They were pretty exhausted after last night hehe." Said Tobias as he is gripping his side still hurting from being tossed like a ragdoll.
"Well I'm glad to hear that they are safe. Are you alright sir? I heard you got cut up really badly."
"Indeed I was, but it was your sister that was able to heal my wounds from severity."
Aufiner showed the slashed of his shirt to reveal that there was no scar or mark of any kind.
"She in fact is a great and wonderful healer just like her brother." Aufnier smiles at her giving her a boost of confidence.
"Awwww I was just doing what my big brother taught me. I don't think I'm all that good hehe~." She tries to be humble but can obviously see she's enjoying being praised for her skills that are comparable to Roth. She sways back and forth from heel to toe trying to hide her prideful emotion.
"We will need time to get some information of those criminals but in the meantime, Mr. Malvikun, I have a favor to ask of you once more."
Roth's eyes were attentive to him, awaiting to hear what kind of task he has for him. Another infiltration? Ambush against a Fidelity convoy? Fighting another blood thirsty psycho?
"Would you be so kind as to help train the newest coming of adventurers here in the city of Ezhine?" Giving the two filthy muddy adventures a smile.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
As both Roth and Mina said simultaneously. Afunier giggles, " It seems you too are identical in reactions, and in mannerisms of appearance's as well haha." Aufnier chuckled more than usual. Both Roth and Mina were confused and looked at each other and slowly as they looked down and up at each other, they realized they were still filthy in mud. Forgetting that they were resting on the floor. They both chuckled nervously at each other.