The blade stayed close, but the tension eased slightly. "Prove it," she said, not lowering her guard.
Strax surveyed the entire area without turning around; he had much to think about and much to do in his mind...
"Attack her already, she's annoying! Just kill her!" Ouroboros said. Any minimal threat to him made her ready to fight the whole world, especially in this situation where he was completely unprotected. But on the other hand...
"Calm down, say that if you haven't hurt the girl or touched her body, just state what you ca for. Sincerity can win people's hearts, considering we can't sense her, she is a Grand Master or above," Tiamat said, being more rational. After all, she was the rational and fair side, while Ouroboros was the strong and impulsive one.
"You two..." He murmured while still keeping his arms raised, feeling the sword passing close to his head. Its edge was indeed very sharp... A slightest movent and his head would be flying.
He looked back, observing every small detail, trying to find sothing that could serve as proof of his sincerity, following Tiamat's advice. He finally turned to the ordinary girl in front of him. "The girl," he said finally. "If I wanted to hurt her, I would have killed her imdiately. Instead, I'm here, ready to leave if it ensures her safety.
Besides, your soldiers know about , you can ask them what I was doing... Of course, I wanted to know about this cultivator who was sleeping, soone strong let so many die... don't you think that's enough?" He questioned, many things there were true, of course, he exaggerated the story, but it was an easier and simpler exit.
The woman examined him completely; he could feel her scrutinizing him until her gaze fell on the swords he carried at his waist. She had so thoughts about them but only sighed, "A thief wouldn't have sothing like this in their possession." She thought for a mont before finally lowering the sword. "If it's a lie, you won't get a second chance." She said.
"Yes, miss, I'm telling the truth. Call the gray-haired soldier out there; I'm sure he'll confirm I'm not such a big threat. Also, why is this guild after you?" Strax asked, feeling he wouldn't be attacked imdiately.
"Attack that bitch already! Tear her apart!" Strax heard again; it seed that... Ouroboros didn't like this woman very much.
"My na is Strax. I am with a group of three more people. We were recently attacked by this sa guild with these uniforms. I stole the cloak from the leader of the previous convoy, and when we saw it, we hid the carriage and I ca ahead to see what was happening." He began to explain, feeling that the woman still didn't want to talk to him, nor understand him in any way.
He wasn't honest at first, but now he was betting on it.
He carefully chose each word to avoid getting into trouble and finally heard sothing: her steps passing by him, and she finally appeared before his eyes.
She was imposing; her presence showed a certain authoritative air and a strange aura. She wasn't tall, her build was quite average, but her posture was very upright, and the way she held the blade as if she would draw it imdiately conveyed the level of skill she had... Her dark, deep-toned hair fell in loose waves to the middle of her back, with a small part tied up in an elegant bun.
Her face was beautiful but marked by a fierce look as if saying, "Move and you will die." The armor was a dark, almost black shade, with subtle silver symbols indicating her high status.
Over her shoulder, a dark cloak flowed with her, adding a touch of elegance and an air of mystery. The cloak had a red lining, visible only when she moved, adding a vibrant contrast to her predominantly dark appearance.
"I thought I would see a brutish woman, but I ended up with supre delicacy before ," Strax thought, seeing how the woman appeared strong and delicate, like an Obsidian gem.
She moved calmly as she lifted and placed the other unconscious girl into a less... abandoned state? She simply sat her on her lap, laying her down properly. "Is she alive?" Strax asked, seeing that the unconscious girl seed truly dead, despite her cultivation being palpable...
"She has an illness," the woman said, still not revealing her na, and Strax beca curious, finally asking her, "What is your na?"
"Lyana, just Lyana." She said while finishing adjusting the girl on her lap, who slightly moved. "I won't reveal my master's na until she is able to speak." Lyana said, appearing more concerned about her master than about the pseudo-thief in front of her.
"What illness does she have? Her heartbeat... is almost non-existent." He said. His perception of the environnt was much greater since his physique returned to 100%; now he could see much more than just mana in the environnt, and this girl... was on the brink of death.
"We don't know exactly what it is, but whenever she sleeps... Any minor problem could cause her to simply die. She has fainted many tis in the last few months..." Lyana explained, concern evident in her voice.
Strax frowned upon hearing the description of the girl's condition. His mind was filled with questions and possible solutions. "If her condition is so serious, why not seek a specialist? Is there any treatnt you've tried?"
Lyana looked at him with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. "We've tried everything. Many healers have shown interest, but none have been able to diagnose or treat the illness successfully. So said it's a rare disease and only soone with exceptional abilities could help. Others just abandoned the case after a failed attempt."
He considered helping, but he knew his skills were not up to that task. So he decided to just accept it, "I see... that must be complicated..." Strax kept his gaze fixed on Lyana, his mind spinning with questions. "Why are you being attacked? What is so important that the guild is after you?"
Lyana, adjusting the position of the unconscious girl, looked at Strax with a tired expression. "We're heading to Eldoria. There, a divine dicine capable of curing any illness will be auctioned, sothing rare and valuable. The auction has attracted the attention of several factions, and this idiotic guild is among them."
Strax frowned, processing the information. "They wanted to attack those going to Eldoria? They were targeting the wealthy who wanted to go to the auction... It seems our destinies are intertwined; you want to buy so dicine, don't you?"
Lyana sighed, concern visible in every line of her face. "Yes, the dicine is the only hope. Without it, she won't last much longer. What you need to know is that, despite everything, we need to reach Eldoria before the situation becos even more critical. The threats we face are not just from the guild, but from others interested in the dicine."
Strax, now understanding the urgency and importance, took a mont to reflect. "And what is your plan for the auction? Do you have any allies in Eldoria or soone who can ensure safety?"
Lyana looked at Strax with a scrutinizing gaze. "We have a few contacts in Eldoria, but we can't trust everyone. The city is full of intrigue and treacherous alliances. The auction will be a battlefield of conflicting interests. If you truly want to help, your presence could be useful. But again, if you have other plans, I understand.
The priority is my master's safety."
"I never said I would help, just wanted to know the circumstances. I have my own plans. Unless, of course, you want to hire ." He said, looking at her with a smile. "Damn rcenary..." She murmured. "I'm not in the best position to help people for free, especially easy targets. I'm not a bad person, but if I were, do you think you'd still be alive?
Despite being a Grand Master, I imagine you've just advanced." Strax said, analyzing her with his crimson-red eyes.
She rely nodded; she already knew where this conversation was going, and she respected him as he thought. "So, you're willing to negotiate. This could be advantageous for both. But rember, what do you really want in exchange for this help?"
Strax smiled, pleased to have finally reached an understanding. "Sothing simple, really. Money would be good, but since you must have enough of that, ask what your master would offer if she knew... that my subordinate is working to protect the Event." Strax said with a smile, drawing a curious look from Lyana...
"Subordinate? You? You seem just like a thug..." She murmured incredulously. Well, she had her own thods of thinking, and certainly, this guy didn't look like he had the money to have subordinates... It's a sha she didn't know that he didn't pay anything for a subordinate as loyal as Christine...
"Understood. When my master regains consciousness, we'll discuss the details," Lyana agreed. "But know this: if anything happens to my master due to your betrayal or failure, the bill will be collected. I don't leave debts unpaid."
"I don't intend to disappoint you," Strax replied, grinning mischievously.
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