Zander held up his hands towards Cecil, in the universal gesture of 'I am un-armed.' He wouldn't continue to pressure the boy for all he knew, Cecil always looked tired and he was just making him even more nervous. Shaking his head and thinking of old advice from his mother he let out a slow sigh and turned back to Amuné as she asked him what the Seal Papers actually were.

"Strips of paper," he said pulling on out as the slowed their pace when the ship came into sight. "With ink made with Demacite Crystals crushed into the ink well. It allows me to draw on the land to use magic. Using special symbols and one for my Saint, it let's me act as a Magi. It's only useful in healing and warding mind you. Good for little else." He lied, he didn't have to use symbols, but they didn't need to know that. His real power came from within him. The Papers were just the illusion to make it seem less like a Magi to hide from the Church.

He stopped talking as Ethan and Nymira spoke in length about what to do and how to go about it. He was going to offer himself as a decoy and stopped when he heard Cecil ask about the ship being alive. He couldn't help himself when he let out a small chuckle, and snorted again when she heard Amuné speak to the Cecil as well. If he had to guess, he would assume those two were siblings then again, it didn't fit into his already thought out... His head hurt thinking of who was related if at all in the small group he was roped into this small adventure with.

As they crouched down and kept all eyes locked on the boat, Zander spoke softly to keep his voice from carrying, "I'm going in with you as well I presume? I can guard the young one if you wish, so long as no one aims with a bow, my staff can be used as more then just a walking stick." He winked at Nymira. Hopefully she got the pun and scowled. It would make him laugh more. "I can also use these," he pointed to the pouch at his waist. "To make quick Seal Papers to make some of the goons pass out. After all, can't heal a patient that needs attention if they are awake and refusing a healing. Or so my father always said. Then again it only works when they aren't aware of something going on..."

His face was that of a serious person, he didn't want to be brushed off. Their lives were in his hands as he had promised. His words then had been a binding Oath. Ethan's acceptance had been the major binding factor. If even one of them died, he would be maimed or killed himself. It was not something he wanted to face.

"So..." Zander asked softly again. "What is our plan of attack to get the goods, the ship, the mead, or just the goods and the mead? Stealing a ship back might be harder..."

The plan of attack might not be apparent just yet, but a few things were. For starters it was best Cecil didn't go on,board the ship, not like he'd go on regardless unless forced. With all that water about it was probably very daunting for him, no reason to put him into a stressful situation. Secondly Zander was no fighter, having him come along was out of the question, as was Amuné. Thirdly and most important was they had no clue how many bandits there were. At best they had three people to fight however many bandits there were, with Cecil only being able to fight on land. So that left him and Nymira to fight then, two on probably a dozen if not more. They did have magic on their side, yet for differing reasons both himself and the princess had no desire to use it to fight. So where did that leave them? With one heck of a mountainous task before them, and no real answer as how best to approach it.

"No, I think Wyth should stay here with you Amuné, he can help keep you safe," Ethan answered, "And yeah, burning the ship isn't going to work. I mean Lazlo probably wants his stuff back too right? And we can't carry all that, which means we need to find a way to make the bandits leave..." But how? They had the number advantage big time, and as experienced as Nymira might be she wasn't going to fend off a whole dozen or two of armed men. He could fight, but what were his chances against that many people at once? Without magic probably not great, and he really had no desire to use magic here. Furrowing his brow in thought he stared at the ship as Zander spoke, wondering if knocking some of them out would make it easier. Ideally if they could knock them all out and avoid a fight that would be amazing, but then that was asking for a miracle. So what then?

"It's going to be way harder to get the ship, but we need that to get the goods back, and the mead. So we have to beat all of those guys and kick them off," Ethan mumbled as he stood up, being mindful to use the tree above them to keep himself mostly hidden. "I hate to say it but we can't really avoid a fight here I don't think. If we fight them one or two at a time though we'll be okay, and we just have to knock them out," he added as he looked to Nymira, "So hit them on the head, or punch them in the gut, do something to put them under, but no killing, please?" Even Bandits didn't need to be killed like common farm animals, no matter what they had done. Should they be punished? Maybe, but that was what jail was for, not the blade. What worried him was how disdainful Nymira seemed to be towards criminals, and what she might do to these men if she was pushed.

Nymira gave Ethan a cross look before rising to her feet as well, pulling her hood up to partially obscure her face. "You say that like I'm a cold blooded killer. Relax, these men are thieves and they shall be dealt with like thieves." Maybe they would lose a finger or two, or have their tongues cut out, as was customary. Though that didn't seem to be a regular punishment here, she couldn't recall any of the low-lives from the other towns missing anything of the sorts. How bothersome that she'd have to simply knock them out, it was harder than it sounded when using daggers. Doable, but annoying. "Hmph... Take the lead Ethan, Cecil and I will be right behind you."

"Right... Uh... Stay low and keep quiet, we need to get as close as we can before we attack," Ethan whispered, putting a finger to his lips for emphasis. It sure would be nice if this were later in the day too, but of course it was right in the afternoon. Their one saving grace was the ship was beached at such an angle the shore was obscured from the landing site, meaning so long as they kept out of the line of sight they wouldn't be spotted. Waving his friends along Ethan snuck out from the bushes, slid down the slight embankment and began to creep along the shore. The wet sand beneath their feet gave little sound as they went, all they needed to do was be mindful of the sticks along the way.

Slowly but surely they made their advance on the ship, stopping in mid-stride every so often as the top of a bandit's head moved over the horizon, threatening to spot them out. Now that they were closer to the boat they found no way really to scale the sides, no ladders even windows to speak of. All that there was on the sides was a large wheel, one on both the left and right side of the ships. Ethan hadn't a clue what those might be for, though considering there were no sails on this ship it must be how it moved. Weird, he'd never really seen a boat like this before. With no alternatives the trio moved around the ship to where the plank was set, hiding in its shadow as bandits moved along it overhead. They had to somehow get on board and fend off the bandits there, but how was that going to work?

"Hey Cecil... I got an idea," Ethan whispered, grinning as he pointed to the spot where the board met the ground, "As soon as those guys get back down, give Nymira and me a toss. We'll surprise them!"

Sat in silence and waiting for their moment, as soon as the bandits set down their crate Ethan sharply whispered "Now!" Using his immense strength Cecil threw both Ethan and Nymira through the air, right towards their targets at the bottom of the ramp. Not expecting it in the slightest Ethan hit the first bandit, knocking him over and promptly punching him in the jaw and knocking him out. Nymira was a bit more graceful, kicking the man in mid-air, causing him to flip and land out cold as well. With that done Ethan waved their friend up to join them, though no sooner had he done so did the alarm sound.

"Intruders! We've got intruders!" a bandit shouted from the deck, cupping his hands around his mouth as he turned back, "We got intruders boss, two of em!"

Nymira gritted her teeth and grabbed one of her daggers, darting up the gangplank at a swift speed. Launching herself then off of her back foot she jumped up and twisted her body around, kicking the man in the head and knocking him over the side into the water below. What a mistake that turned out to be, as soon she realized there were easily a dozen men up on deck, perhaps even more beneath, all armed. With Ethan running up behind her she ran right at the nearest man, deflecting his sword with her dagger and kicking him unceremoniously right between the legs, using the hilt of her dagger then to smack him in the back of the head and knock him out as well. She sincerely hoped he had more of a plan at this point, they were very outnumbered here.

"Nice one Nymira, that's how to do it!" Ethan cheered as he reached the deck, grinning despite the several sets of eyes glaring down on him and his friend. Smiling at the men gathered he took his sword out from its sheath and held it, blade pointed at the group. "This isn't your ship, stop what you're doing right now and return everything to its owner."

Kind of should have been expected that wouldn't go well, but Ethan didn't expect everyone to start laughing at him like that.

"Yeah right, like hells we're doing that!" one of the bandits roared, "You and what army kid?"

"Ey, I got a better idea! Let's kill these two, I'm getting bored doing all this lugging!" another shouted.

"Kill the boy, the girl's cute! We can keep her for later!"

Nymira's eyes flashed with a venomous gaze at the latter comment, pulling her other dagger free and charging immediately for the man responsible. Weaving to the side as he swung his sword at her she quickly moved her body back in, slicing at his calf with her dagger and bringing him to his knees immediately. Turning her body once more she tried to drive her dagger down into his neck, but instead was stopped when Ethan's sword intercepted her blow. Snarling angrily she wanted to snap at him yet instead let out an almost pitiful yelp as he pulled her away, another sword narrowly missing where her head had been.

"No killing! We went over this!" Ethan complained as he stepped away, letting out a sigh before shaking his head. Now they definitely weren't going to do this peacefully! No time to lament that fact though, they were being set upon by every man on the deck. Eyes darting around to try and spot the nearest opponent he stepped forward and caught a sword with his own, having to push it back and jump away as another missed his side by inches. Slapping away another with his weapon he found three men now converging on him, with another set going after Nymira. "Uh... Cecil? You sure you don't want to come up?" Ethan laughed nervously, deflecting another blow and then slapping a man's wrist with the dull side of his sword to knock away his weapon, "There's a lot of people up here that want to kill us, we could use a hand!"

Zander didn't agree at all with this plan of attack. They were way out numbered, if they were injured he wouldn't be on hand to heal them either. He could have pressed, and it clicked. Looking down at his pouch, he nodded. The ones on the ground would be alerted if the attacking party was spotted. The ones already off the ship would stay there, possibly scattered out to make sure no others would be coming. A small attack force would make even the dumbest of bandits look for a larger group. He would have a small window of opportunity to knock those not on the ship out cold with his Seal Papers.

"Be careful!" He agreed with the statement but kept his mouth shut. This wouldn't be the time for well wishing. Nymira, Ethan and Cecil would need more than that to keep them safe. As they left their small hiding place, Zander waited patiently.

Placing his staff on the ground he looked at Amuné, her eyes closed, her lips moving in silent prayer. When she glanced at him, he tried to smile. Reassure her in any way he could. He was acting off, but his Healer's Oath bound him to be civil, and he had nothing against Amuné either so that helped calm his frayed nerves.

"I'm leaving my staff," he told her. "If you have to, swing it if anything comes around to you. I'm going to try to knock those not on the boat out cold." He gripped three papers between his fingers. "They'll be alert, but I should be able to call on the land to help me."

He looked at the Moor Cat, he could tell the beast was more wary of him. "Keep her safe. If something comes around, yowl. I'll try to come back."

He didn't wait for the beasts response, leaving the bush, he tried to keep as low to the ground as possible. He had some speed on him, his wooden sandals gripping into the hard earth. He didn't pause when he heard someone call out about intruders. His time window was closing and quickly. If someone looked down at the ground as he sprinted, he was a goner.

"OI! Stop!" Zander cursed. One of the bigger bandits had looked back. "Don' take a step closer." Zander didn't stop though. This one would have to be knocked out harder then the others. For now, he was close enough to one of the other bandits. Before the fiend could unsheathe his sword, one Seal was firmly on his neck. The man didn't so much as whimper, but his head would be sore when he was awoken from his enchanted sleep.

One down... two to go. Lunging for the next one he slapped his two free seals on the man. Calling on the earth, he made sleep seem like a wonderful idea on this hotter day. Down like a lamp, went that one. Twisting out of reach from the larger bandit's sausage like fingers he danced back a few feet. That would be his first mistake.

He wasn't fast enough to dodge the arrow, he felt it cut into his left arm. He hadn't even heard the twang of the string. His magic instantly went to heal the wound and attempted to purge the poison he felt some invade the gash on his upper arm. Zander was nimble for his smaller size but the poison would slow down his movements if not treated. He scolded himself for not having brought out more Seal Papers. Gripping the wound tightly, to make it seem like it hurt more than it did would buy him some time.

"Shoulda list'n'd now shouldn' 'ave ya," the bigger bandit called out. His friends around him laughed, the one on his left lowering the bow to his side. "Pretty lamps... Nimble, aye, probably flex too..." The grin was not a pleasant one. Zander widened his eyes in a show of fear, inside he scowled. He was hoping none of his companions caught sight of this. He didn't need them to think rescuing the healer would be a good idea.

Feeling his body ache from whatever poison the arrow head had been dipped in, Zander was forced to use some of his own magic. Even in the bright daylight, one could still see the aura whip up and down his arm. The skin threaded itself together as he removed his hand, the poison pushed out before it fulled sealed.

"Magi... We got un of dose too," his grin turned feral. "Aye, she a looker and when she strike, ya not gonna know it." The bandit lunged for Zander, and all Zander could do was leap back once more.

I have to get him to call for help... Move them away from the ship... Damnation... That spell took more out of me... Ethan's body held more toxins then I thought. His retreat was slower with each leap back or sideways to evade this bigger foe. A game of cat and mouse, and if Zander was caught, he would only add to their burden. He refused to go down like that. He couldn't help the feral grin that spread across his own face, "Too slow! Too slow. Should call for help before our help arrives."

"I don' need no bloody 'elp," the man hollered. "Rabbit blooded Magi! Ain' gonna play, jus' slit ya throat!" His holler brought at least two more bandits down the gang plank. Zander dodged again, and wiped the sweat from his brow. One with a sword and dagger; the other with a quarterstaff. That was his second mistake, but also a slight blessing.

Arms gripped around his torso from behind, one of the bandits had stayed in his blind spots to dance behind him just for this. The larger bandit hooted at the sight and walked lazily towards Zander. The mouse gritted his teeth and in a move he slightly recalled Geoffrey using on a rougher patron, slammed his skull into the bandits nose. The noise almost made Zander upchuck what little he had eaten today. Slamming his foot into delicate regions for good measure, Zander dashed backwards once more.

He pulled out three more Seal Papers and gasped for air. He was out of shape and his only thought was, In for a bronze, in for a gold...

Cecil was all about letting them get on with their battle and keep back, his main worry coming from the possibility that he might end up killing someone. Giving Ethan and Nymira the upper hand by launching them, he simultaneously kept himself out of the fight and allowed a surprise attack. He shouldn’t get into this battle, he might end up killing someone so he kept his distance for now, watching as everyone else apart from Amuné started fighting. He was built for fighting, it was very likely that he might end up killing someone and ruining their plan. He had never killed someone, at least not someone who was already dead like those creatures. It was complicated to say the least, especially when he wanted to help his friends.

That was definitely the point of hesitation. He wanted to help them so that they didn’t get hurt, but if he went too far then he could compromise everything. He was definitely on a slight edge with his inability to make a move. He would probably risk another day trying to recover his energy if he wasn’t careful, he had told Ethan explicitly that he needed a day to fully recharge. He was feeling pretty crappy for sure, but he didn’t know how to translate that into ‘best keeping out of conflicts because of known energy shortage’. It just didn’t feel fair to decide it was a good idea to go through with this plot when he really wasn’t feeling up to it and had explicitly said he wasn’t good on energy.

Gasping when Ethan called out to him he soon groaned, holding his head momentarily before giving it a quick shake. “You’re really pushing it for me today!” If that wasn’t going to be an annoyance then Ethan was going to have to try hard to make it up to him later for this. Letting out an annoyed groan he soon ran closer to the ship before crouching down, already feeling nervous about going near the water before he suddenly made a flying leap into the air, landing surprisingly lightly on the boat before he simply turned around and punched a bandit so hard in the gut that they went flying off the boat towards the shore.

Cecil definitely wasn’t happy with having to join in, he would’ve been better staying put and making sure Amuné was going to be okay. He didn’t know what animals were capable of but he didn’t think the moor cat could prevent those men from attacking her. Cecil didn’t even know what he could do other than throw punches, but the most he could do was help Ethan who was so quick to call for his help there. Making a quick dash towards him he swiped a hand around at the bandit closest to Ethan, throwing him into the side of the boat like he was dead weight. “Why did I have to get dragged into this? I told you this morning I shouldn’t be doing this stuff!”

Perhaps a night time approach would have been a good idea. There was no telling if the bandits would still be here come sunset, but nothing could go as poorly as this was. Having stirred the hornet's nest they now stood on Aube Doré's decks surrounded by bandits. Far from an ideal situation and the only way out of this now was to fight. Given the odds, two against however many criminals were here, Ethan had no choice but to call Cecil up to help. Even just having one more person here gave them a better chance and he knew the Machina could handle himself in a fight. Parrying a sword strike Ethan stepped in and stomped his foot down on top of a bandit's toes, driving his head up then into the man's chin and knocking him over. Wincing as his scalp ached from the blow he rubbed at it briefly, cringing when Cecil shouted at him.

"Sorry, sorry! We just need the help okay?" Ethan called back, smacking away another sword as it narrowly caught his side. Persistent lot, the only advantage they had was there were so many, and the quarters so tight, teaming up on them was next to impossible. Still meant that they would keep coming, but at least they weren't fighting three or four men at once. Striking a man on his thigh with the flat of his sword he then reached down and caught the man on the foot, pulling it and tipping him off balance, giving his stomach a good kick to knock him over and bowling onto one of his friends. Just as he'd done so another bandit came after him with a very unusual set of weapons, a pair of knuckles with spikes on the end. Unable to really block much Ethan caught a punch across his cheek, a few cuts forming as the tips dug through his skin. Gritting his teeth and biting back the pain he threw a hand out as the bandit readied another attack, releasing a blast of wind to knock him back and into a pile of crates on the deck.

"You're in it now Cecil, complaining does little to help!" Nymira shouted back as she ducked beneath a sword, swinging her body to the side to avoid the crushing of a hammer. Placing one foot on the hammer's head she jumped up and grabbed the man's head, using her momentum to flip him over and onto his back with a heavy thud. Grabbing hold then of the hammer she used her entire body to swing it and smash it into another bandit's stomach, winding him before using the handle of her dagger to bash his jaw, probably breaking it but knocking him out in the process. She really wasn't good at this whole non-lethal fighting, it flew in the face of everything she knew. "Damn pacifists... This is nonsense," Nymira grumbled as she stepped over the fallen men, heading towards the cabin of the ship to try and find whoever was in charge. Every group had a leader, if they could beat him then they'd be victorious.

Just as she had gotten a hand on the door a thunderous crash made her dart back, just in time to avoid a massive blade sticking itself through the door. Watching then as it was kicked off its hinges a massive man walked out from the cabin, wielding a hefty cutlass in one hand and a wild grin on his face. Hastily grabbing her daggers from their sheaths Nymira rushed in to try and debilitate him somehow, figuring he was nothing more than a lumbering fool. Darting side to side she sprang forward and tried to cut his calf to bring him down, eyes widening in surprise when he deftly avoided her swing. Turning her body she used both of her daggers to stop the sword from cleaving her in two, only to find a hand grabbing at her throat and lifting her off of her feet. Gasping for breath under the man's oppressive strength she tried to kick at his chest to break free, finding herself unable to muster the strength for it.

"A Dimuran girl huh? Now that's interesting, what's your kind doing all the way out here," the bandit leader laughed, increasing his grip on Nymira's neck. By now she was clawing at his hand to try and get free, her face paling slightly as she even dropped her daggers. "Adorable, she's trying to fight back! Haha, what a sorry sight you are!" All he had to do was close his hand and her neck would snap, over and done with. Smiling maliciously he began to tighten his grasp even further, but stopped short of the killing blow when her hand extended itself into his face. It was much too close to properly react, and when the flames spit forth his face was caught right in the path. Howling in pain the bandit promptly dropped Nymira and stumbled back, losing his sword in the process. "Y-You bitch! I'll gut you for that!"

Slowly but surely they looked to be dwindling down the bandits number in large part thanks to Cecil and Zander. With the two of them now involved in the fray there was much more room to maneuver, and splitting up their opponent's focus meant they were making mistakes. Nearly 8 bandits lay on the deck either unconscious or beaten, and while more still remained they were making leeway. All was going well, and Ethan was optimistic they could finish this without any serious injury. That outlook however was quickly tarnished when he heard the bandit leader shouting a ways off, looking over to see him gripping his face, blood on his hands and dripping down his chin. Nymira sat on the ground with her palms facing him, looking prepared to fire another spell. Cursing her persistence he darted over to try and halt her casting, intending to knock her out of the way and spare the bandit. Before he ever reached her however the sound of rattling chains stole his attention, and his head swiveled in time to see a large ball coming at his head connected to a rusted chain and weight. Raising his sword just in time Ethan groaned in pain as he was knocked off his feet, tumbling through the air and into the open cabin, going as far to fall down the stairs to the hull below. The entire room felt like it was spinning for a moment, and as he tried to get to his feet he stumbled slightly, trying to get his bearings back.

With all the chaos happening on and around Aube Doré no one had noticed a new party arriving on the scene. Four men dressed in finely tailored suits, each carrying with them some kind of weapon fashioned of the highest quality materials, each boasting a Demacite core for added effect. They were here for one particular reason, a specific crate on board of that vessel. Stolen parts, parts which had no business being out on the market and belonged to a particularly important individual. If they wanted their paychecks, and to keep their heads, they had to retrieve them. From their place on the road they could see the frenzy happening on the deck and landing, bodies going every which way and bandits fighting with a ragtag group. Who knows what exactly was going on here, not that it mattered. If these two parties killed one another then all the better, it made it easier for them to do their job.

"Come on, it has to be on the ship somewhere. Get on board and fan out, we'll find it," one of the men said, pulling a rod from his coat and pressing a button on the grip. The tool itself extended and two prongs emerged from the end, electricity crackling between the points as it powered up. Approaching the landing first he ignored Zander dueling with the men, trying to go immediately for the gangplank but finding himself stopped by a man carrying an axe. Scowling the man in the suit continued forward, and when swung at he reached out and caught the bandit's wrist, wrenching it around to make him drop his weapon before shoving the prod at his chest, electrocuting him and dropping him into a heap on the ground.

The man to the rear of the group had been approaching the landing when he heard the rustling of bushes nearby, pausing in his step and looking around the area. Was someone else there? Furrowing his brow he took his arm from his jacket, having had it tucked away inside with the sleeve hanging loosely at his side. Strapped to his hand was a gauntlet with several pads both on the fingertips and the palm, and on the back of a hand a thin case filled with Demacite powder. There was only one set of bushes nearby, fairly simple to guess where the sound had come from. Extending his hand outward he used his other to press a switch on his wrist, and with it the pads on the gauntlet lit up, magic forming at his palm before ice fired off from it in the form of shards, threatening to tear through the leaves and whatever might be inside.

It wasn’t long before the sounds of ringing steels and shouts and curses drifted down from the deck—Danica’s instincts had been correct. Someone had come to reclaim the merchant’s goods, but the bandits weren’t going down without a fight. At the moment, she had no way of telling how many opponents there were, or even who they were. Was it a contingent of guards? Ten men, maybe? Dani could not imagine that the city had sent too many of them. The goods and ship they had stolen may have been valuable, but surely not important enough to warrant the attention of a whole army. The snatches of conversation that reached her failed to give her any clues, but the cries of pain from familiar voices made her wonder if things were under control.

The bandit leader had already gone out to confront their assailants, so it was left to Danica to hide and wait for action to come to her. The Naga backed into a corner, taking advantage of the limited light and augmenting her natural talent for stealth with her shadow magic. It was just as well that she hid, for soon enough someone entered the cabin she was in. And by entered, she meant he barreled into the room, falling down the stairs and ending up in a muddled heap at the bottom. Dani palmed her knife, silently watching him stumble to his feet, noting in surprise that he was just a kid. Well, she amended, he couldn’t be much younger than her, and he was even a few inches taller, but she had been expecting someone much older. This Muran couldn’t be a member of the city guard, and he certainly wasn’t dressed for the part.

It didn’t seem like any of his friends were going to follow him down here, considering his involuntary grand entrance, and he was still recovering from his fall; Danica saw her opening and took it. She exploded out of the shadows in front of her adversary, appearing in a blur of motion as she slammed into him and drove him into the opposite wall. There she pinned him down with an arm, conscious of the tiny amount of space between their bodies as she held her weapon up to his face. He was bleeding from some cuts on his cheek, and overall had the battered and bruised look of one that has been in battle. Clearly her allies had given as good as they’d got. The look on her victim’s face made her laugh—she was going to enjoy this.

“What’s the matter, little Muran? Lost?” Danica simpered as she pressed her knife up against the man’s throat, leaving some space between the blade and his skin. Their faces inches apart, she locked her startling yellow eyes with his, having to tilt her head back slightly to meet his gaze. The minor height difference clearly didn’t bother her as her lips curved into a deadly smile, snakelike fangs on display. “Say, you’re a cute one… Shame I have to kill you.”

Amuné couldn't really tell what was going on in the fight from where she waited, hidden behind a clump of bushes. She heard shouts of anger and pain, but she didn't think most of them came from her friends. That was good, wasn't it? The girl hoped so, as she pressed against her moorcat's side to minimize her shaking. Zander had gone to join the conflict by then, and it was just her and Wyth, waiting and hoping. She was so scared for them, but Ethan wanted her back where she would be safe.

The vision that slammed into her took her by surprise. It was jumbled and confusing, with her friends and the new healer and the bandits and men in suits with strange devices. Where had they come from? The child had no idea, but the expression in their eyes made her blood run cold. They were dangerous, and they didn't care who they had to hurt. They'd kill anyone that got in their way, and right now that included Amuné and her friends.

The girl struggled to reorient herself as the vision faded, finding herself on her hands and knees. She must have fallen when she zoned out. Wyth was watching something, a silent snarl on his lips, and abruptly moved so that she was draped over his shoulders and leapt aside. Shards of ice buried themselves in the ground where the pair had been moments before.

Amuné's gaze moved in the direction from which the attack had come, and she couldn't keep from shuddering. It was a suited man like from her vision, and on his arm was a strange device that held traces of magic. She could see others like him, closer to the ship. What should she do? Ethan had said to stay clear, but she was no longer safe hiding where she was, and the others were in even more danger. She repositioned herself on the moorcat's back, barely avoiding falling off as he dodged another attack. Why was he attacking her? She'd done nothing -- she needed to tell the others, and they had to get out of here. Bandits were one thing, but these men were something else, something very dangerous.

A soft command to Wyth and he made for the ship, gathering himself to leap onto the prow. "Nymira!" the girl called, her voice frightened. "There's bad men coming, one shot ice at me and they're /really/ bad!" Amuné looked around, but she couldn't see Ethan or Cecil from where she was. "Where are the others? We should go!"

His dash backwards sent him stumbling down over the fallen bandit that he had headbutted. He felt the wind get knocked from his chest, and rolled to get to his feet quickly. The bigger bandit hadn't moved to attack, nor had the one with the quarterstaff, their attention was on the new arrivals.

Before he could even call out a warning to the one with the ax, he cringed as the lightning coursed through the bandits body. That was more then a stunning effect, that was meant to maim if not kill. As he was brushed off Zander had two options in front of him, one of which was slaughtered when he heard Amuné's cry. His option was to check on the girl and turn the bandits onto those in the tailored suits.

Before he could even move again; however, he felt like he had been slapped. The moorcat had carried Amuné on its back and unto the deck of the ship. His staff lay in the bush, forgotten in their haste, and Zander now had a reason to dislike the girl and the beast. Seething on the inside he turned his attention to his own predicament. Turn the bandits on the suits, or turn on his heel and leave. The young girls actions had in a sense broken the Healer's Oath in a sense. He was left to fend for himself. Oh he would use that if they got out of this intact. Nymira seemed to be the most sensibly to such things, he would prey on her sense of honor.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, and staring at the other three with the Demacite Armament, Zander froze. They weren't church members, he would have been slain on the spot just to clear his family's name. No, these were either resistant members, or rogues looking to make a profit off lesser foes.

"What did you plunder fully," Zander asked the bandit gasping for air at his feet. "Food, cloth and if I had to guess by those four, Demacite as well. Resistant Members against the Church come to rain fire upon your worthless skulls. Fools, the lot of you. Your Magi might have stood a chance against our small group, but against four with Demacite Armament... No. Tis true folly, as a Healer I shall pray for your safe passages to the Saints Nine."

The bigger bandit had heard the last of the statement and smirked, "She be enough to take down de four here. OI! Matey's ignore the young'ns take down da fancy!" The expression on his face was priceless when he heard little uproar in return to his mighty call of force. Rage gleamed in his eyes as he turned to look at Zander. "Ya worthless whoresons! I 'member this for days ta come!" Turning to the bandit with the quarterstaff and the one with the bow, he nodded. The three took off unto the boat, not even looking back to see if anyone followed.

Zander sighed in disgust, "Thieves of no honor are worthless then the air they breath unto the lands and seas." Looking at the three still outside the boat, Zander clasped his hands before him as if in a prayer and bowed low. The bandit at his feet kept gasping for air through his bloodied nose cavity and Zander let out a breath.

"You're lucky I know that your lot has stayed at Olga's Inn..." standing up from his bow he addressed the last of those with the Demacite. "Lo friend of no party here. Friends I have upon the boat, to get the Peddler Lazlo's silks and such from this ship. They should not attack, if you do no harm to them."

Turning his back to them and placing a Seal Paper to his chest, a very minor elemental ward, it would lessen any damage to him if they struck and would probably drain him of the rest of his magic. Caution would be the better part of valor this day. Kneeling to the right side of the bandit he had struck he scoweled.

"Olga would scold you and your captain for not getting further away," he scolded. "Daft pirates you lot are.."

Ethan was terribly disoriented after falling into the cabin, his head spinning and winded from the landing. Gathering himself to his feet he tried to take stock of where he was for a moment, looking up the stairs to the sound of his friends still fighting away. He had to get back up there, the fight was still going on and they might need his help. Stumbling slightly he moved for the stairs yet fell short as something rammed into his side, driving him right up against the far wall. Groaning in protest as he tried to move, still unsteady from the fall, Ethan promptly halted himself when the cold touch of steel pressed up against his throat. A bandit? Lowering his eyes he met the gaze of the person responsible for his current predicament, puzzled by her appearance. She almost looked Muran and yet not quite... What was she?

"Lost...? Eh, uh... Yeah. I was wandering around up on the deck, having a party with the bandits, and I just fell down here!" Ethan laughed weakly, feeling awfully uncomfortable with that blade at his neck. Swallowing nervously his eyes shifted briefly up to the deck above as the sounds of fighting raged on, worried that things might be escalating further. When he looked back at the woman her eyes were locked onto his, a nasty smile on her face as she made a very blunt threat. "H-Hey, wait a second, no one said anything about killing anyone!" the Magi stammered, wracking his brain meanwhile for some way out of this mess. Clearly whoever this woman was didn't quite buy his nonchalant attitude, and the blade was ever steady at his neck. Oh, he had an idea! Hopefully it worked. "Can you uh, just step back a little, I think I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." As he spoke he was gathering up wind magic, and on his final words he released it from his hand at the woman's stomach, "Achoooo!"

Ethan being knocked off like that was certainly problematic, but there was no time for anyone to help him. A good many bandits still remained on the deck and every one had to be beaten to secure the ship. Finding herself against the man with the weighted chain Nymira darted in to try and close the gap, taking a swing at his leg to at least cripple him and finding her strike coming up short. Alarmingly the man grabbed her sides with both hands, dropping his weapon and easily hoisting her up into the air. Squirming in his grasp she kicked out a leg once she was above his head, catching him in the bridge of the nose and breaking it on impact, managing to make him drop her. Using her full body then she rammed into the side of his leg and caused him to topple over, driving her right hand into his jaw to put him down briefly.

The way this fight was progressing they would win, even with one of their own missing temporarily. On the deck of the ship were still at least six bandits and perhaps a few more at the landing, but with Cecil arriving as well as that meddlesome healer the odds were not quite as heavily stacked against them. Hearing Amuné calling out to her she frowned and rushed to the side of the ship, confused to see the girl and Wyth darting towards them. More men, where? Casting her gaze along the shore she tensed when she saw the four men in odd clothing approaching the landing, carrying with them weapons of various shapes and configurations. And sitting right down on the landing like some idiot was Zander, directly in the path of the four approaching men. What in the hells was he doing? "Zander you buffoon, move!"

It seemed like the bandits were already being given a run for their money, and by children no less. Scoffing at the absurdity of their plight the four men continued their way to the landing, pausing briefly at the boy knelt down by a bleeding ruffian, a ward cast around him. What was he trying to accomplish with that? Nodding his head towards the downed bandit the man bearing the gauntlet stepped forward, unleashing a single ice spell that sent a spike through the man's skull, killing him instantly. "You're in our way boy, shame we'll have to kill a kid today," the lead man spoke, flicking another switch on his weapon as electricity crackled loudly between the two prongs. This concentration of electricity wasn't magic, but it was highly potent all the same and should penetrate a simple ward. If not there were three other men with him, this boy was as good as dead.

Nymira cursed the Saints beneath her breath before gathering a mass of fire in her right palm, and with a grunt of effort cast a stream all the way from where she stood on deck to the landing below where the men stood. The fire crackled and hissed as it cut through the air, and all four men had to hastily disperse and back off to avoid being burned to a crisp. It didn't last long, and the few seconds after her cast the Dimuran was sweating heavily and her breathing labored. "Move you idiot, you'll die otherwise!" she shouted firmly, looking then to where Amuné and Wyth were further down the shore, "Stay away little one, we'll come to you!" In the midst of all else going on she neglected no notice the man with the chain had come to, and soon she found the links wrapped firm around her throat, pulling her off her feet and onto her back as she was dragged across the deck. Kicking and grasping the tried to wrestle the iron from her skin, the fatigue of her magic not helping her at all.

Cecil was in a bit of a panic, his difficulties coming from what he should do, what he felt he was supposed to do and trying to figure out why he was here. He wasn’t going to be useful and he recently found out he’s designed for combat. The amount of combat he’s had to go through recently had already told him he’s a dangerous weapon, but with Ethan not wanting the enemy dead it made it very hard understanding just how hard he could punch and how he could attack as to not end up killing them. He didn’t want to screw up just now and to him the only way to avoid that was to flee the battle while looking busy. He could lose his friends if he killed someone so going down under and seeing what might be down there was probably the best decision.

Not only did moving out of the way proved to be helpful, but the moment he looked back from the doorway to which he now stood near a tumbling noise and one that only spelled trouble for Ethan who had gone down first sounded out. Gasping, he looked back down he spotted Ethan, but also someone on top of him. There definitely wasn’t much telling him he should jump at the pair if trouble was happening, that would probably end badly for Ethan. Staring down at the pair he slowly moved down a few stairs, watching them both carefully before the sound of Nymira calling out distracted him. What was going on out there? Looking out in his direction briefly he gasped at the sight of the men that were bothering him. He recognised them as the same suited fellows who had tried to take him back to the factory. How did they find him here?

They must had tracked him, there was no other way to put it. He didn’t leave any noticeable traces anywhere else and yet here they were. Unable to figure out what the best course of action was he immediately ran down the stairs, hoping he had avoided their sight as he ran past the strange woman and Ethan. He had forgotten the entire notion of helping Ethan, he just wanted to get away from the men and find somewhere to hide before they found him. Ethan could handle himself, he was skilled in combat. His own existence was at risk here, he couldn’t get captured by these men, not now. Looking like a coward he continued his run down through the cabin and to another set of stairs, running down there in his attempt to get as far as possible away from the men. Maybe there was something he could hide in down here, so long as he was far away from those men.

Zander had gathered just enough energy to heal the broken nose, when a shard of ice pierced the skull of the bandit. His Seal paper attached to his chest went up in flames as well. He was so beneath their league when it came to magical strength. He knelt there stunned for a few moments, ignoring the well dressed man's comment about killing him and said a silent prayer to the Nine to get him away from this battle.

His prayer was answered, when Nymira called out to him to move and the fog that surrounded his mind lifted. Fire helped purge it away, and Zander took a deep breath. Exhaling and standing whilst turning towards the boat, took off at a run for the gangplank. As he reached the top, he ducked under the bandit from early and hollered for him to push the gangplank off the boat.

"They wield magicks," Zander gasped out. "Forget what is down there, cast off and get away from them!" He was slightly panicked, the tug on him screamed out for him to flee back to the port city, to hide for a few days from these men. He was shaken, never before had a ward fallen so quickly. Was he truly this weak!? Shaking those thoughts away, and restating in his mind he was one of the strongest healers in the land, grabbed a quarterstaff from a dazed bandit and ran up the deck.

Nymira was being choked, straining against the chain around her neck, which if Zander was honest with himself, which he usually wasn't. It thrilled him to see the Dimura in trouble. His magic would be little use for a few days, he was tired from the forcing sleep, the ward draining him and the sprint up to the deck.

Gripping the staff near the bottom, he pulled back and swung with all his might at what had to be the captain's head. The best that would happen would be dazing him enough for Nymira to escape. He wouldn't not like seeing the woman dead, not until after he had the chance to scold her for calling him a buffoon! Not only that, but they needed to grab the silks and mead. They were running out of time, and needed to use the bandits as their escape plan.

Where the bleeding hell is Cecil and Ethan, Zander thought as he brought the staff around again for another swing. "ETHAN, CECIL WE NEED TO LEAVE, NOW!!!"

Danica wasn’t amused by the man’s jokes, only giving him a bored look as he laughed nervously. Her knife didn’t waver as she held it against his skin. What was this fool going on about? Her quarry probably didn’t have anything useful or interesting to add—she should just slit his throat and be done with this charade of a conversation. Before she could proceed to do so, he began to speak again. Her lips curled in a snarl, but all at once something hit her stomach hard, sending her sprawling back across the room as the air was knocked out of her. She staggered back a few steps, quick to regain her footing and blinking at the Muran with astonishment in her gaze.

“Magi,” she hissed, brows drawn together in puzzlement and anger. On the streets, she’d met even fewer Magi than she had Naga. Not to mention that they weren’t exactly in favour with the Church right now, which was simply yet another strike against Dani as far as the law was concerned. So why would there be another one here? And if he was one, what about his friends? How many were there, anyway? Danica forced herself to silence the questions rattling around in her brain in order to focus on the task at hand. This certainly complicated things, and she didn’t appreciate the Muran’s little trick, either. Well, two could play at this game.

The Naga drew herself up, taut as a drawn bowstring ready to snap. She calmly brushed her bangs away from her eyes with her right hand as her left gripped her weapon. “Bless you,” she said simply, a slight sneer on her face as she uncoiled, lunging forward to strike with blade extended. For now, she would see what could be accomplished with melee combat, although if the Magi continued to use magic she would be forced to resort to her own, and he would not like that. As she darted forward, a figure in front of her made her stop and half-turn in confusion as it ran past her and disappeared, moving deeper into the ship. She had not gotten a close look, but it certainly wasn’t one of hers—was it an ally of the Muran? Then why was it running away from everyone instead of stopping to help him? “What the…” The interjection slipped out as she stared at the steps leading deeper into the hold, momentarily distracted.

So he'd kind of hoped to knock out the woman with that spell, yet she didn't even get the slightest bit bruised from his attack. Darn it, maybe he was going to be stuck fighting her after all. "Heh... Thanks," Ethan laughed nervously, his hand snatching his sword from the pouch. With a flick of a button the blade extended to its maximum length, expecting to have to fight if he was to get out of this room. Gripping his sword he slowly shuffled towards the stairs as Danica stared him down, hoping she wasn't sincerely going to fight him. "Let's let bygones be bygones and just go our separate ways, huh? I don't want to hurt you." No sooner had he said that though did the woman lunge at him, prompting Ethan to raise his own blade to try and intercept her strike. So much for that.

Bracing for their blades to meet Ethan became immensely confused as Cecil darted between him and the woman, racing past them and down another flight of stairs at the other end of the room. Where in the world...? Blinking in confusion he watched after his friend as they vanished down deeper into the ship, hearing yet another set of footsteps then coming down the stairs. Expecting maybe a bandit to be in pursuit of the Machina a lump formed in his throat when he instead saw Amuné on the steps, putting herself in just about the most precarious position possible. This woman was dangerous, why was she here? Silently waving for the Ydran girl to run away he knew he couldn't let her be hurt, fearing the worst if the woman went after her.

Taking advantage of the woman's momentary distraction Ethan extended his left arm and released the catch on his coiled wire, shooting it at the floor behind Danica. Then, using his magic he quickly pushed himself to the right and swung the chord along, tripping her up in the process at least for the time being. After retracting the wire he glanced back at the stairs, not sure if he should go after Cecil or try getting Amuné out of here. The best he could do for now was just keep the woman busy, either option left someone else in trouble. Once Danica was down he rushed over and tried to keep her there by holding his sword down at her throat, having no real intention to use it other than intimidation. "Just stay right there! No one has to get hurt here," Ethan warned, finally looking to Amuné, "Go downstairs and get Cecil, you two get back up on the deck. I'm fine."

Damn it! How had she left herself so open? If she hadn't had to save that idiot of a healer then she wouldn't be in this mess, being dragged along like a carcass with a chain at her neck. Trying to pry the metal from her throat Nymira found it impossible to do so, the chain too tightly wound and heavier than she'd realized. She could try to melt it, which would mean burning herself in the process though. Placing the flat of her hands against the steel she prepared to do such a thing, but stopped herself short when the chain suddenly went slack. A quick glance back and she saw Zander had taken his staff to the bandit's head, drawing blood and causing him to drop his weapon as he staggered back from his fallen tool. Coughing and gagging Nymira pulled herself free and struggled to her feet, nursing her bruised neck before giving the healer a nod of thanks. He might be a moron, but he was a moron who had saved her.

"Fleeing isn't an option... There are too many enemies..." the Dimuran managed out weakly, coughing again as she glanced back at the men in suits. They were now all engaged in fights with bandits, and disconcertingly they were making quick work of the men. Those would have to be their priority then, if they wanted to even consider escape that was. But first... Nymira looked to the bandit leader and dashed at him, driving her shoulder unceremoniously into the space between his legs and causing him to stumble back even further towards a post on the deck. With him leaning against it for support she dragged up the chains, bringing them over and hastily swinging them around the post to put the man in binds, albeit temporarily. Now perhaps they could focus on the new combatants. "There's only a handful of them... But where are the others?" Ethan had still yet to come up from below, and both Amuné and Cecil had gone down as well. So that left her and Zander then to fend them off? Not terribly good odds.

These bandits were little more than common thugs, they could barely even fight. That may have something to do with their having magic to use as well, but that just went to show what having resources did for you. If the four of them could just walk into this fray and take control of it then it totted the superiority of their weaponry. After dropping another man to the ground with his prod one of the men turned to face off against another bandit, yet instead found himself gasping as a dagger was thrown at him, slicing through his free arm and leaving a deep gouge in its wake. Swiveling his head to the side he saw Nymira darting towards him with her other dagger in hand, taking a swing at her with the prod and missing. Stepping back to avoid the dagger he reached out despite the pain and grabbed her arm, wrenching it to pry her grasp from the dagger. Trying to electrocute her again he cursed when she ducked beneath him, then released her when she kicked out his knee and tried to capitalize by slamming her elbow into his temple. Nymira found herself at a serious disadvantage however as it wasn't just one on one, but one on four.

A hand shot out and grabbed Nymira's shirt from behind, lifting her from her feet and throwing her aside into the wall of the ship. Using his glove he fired off a quick series of ice shards to kill her, annoyed as the Dimuran threw out fire to melt the attack. Forming more ice he tried it again, watching as Nymira scrambled along in a crawl to avoid them, running off and taking cover behind a stack of crates on the ship. What a pest, at least now she had no weapons on her. "That one's a Magi, be sure to grab something as proof of the kill for when we go back," the man instructed, turning his arm then on Zander and casting another ice attack, shooting to kill.

Cecil couldn’t let those men know he was there, or maybe they already knew and had simply taken this opportunity to back him into a corner with this boat to get him. How did they find him so quickly and through what method? He didn’t see them anywhere before this and now they were here and everyone was fighting, meaning simply running away from them wasn’t going to be an option. He had to run and hide for now, hope that the men would be beaten back before they noticed he was here. He had to get away, he didn’t want to be taken away so soon, even if he did want to help those on deck and get them all to safety. He couldn’t risk it while those men were after him and right now they were proving to be the biggest source of fear right now.

Without even stopping to help Ethan he ran right around and down below deck, disregarding the fact that he was being attacked by some mysterious woman. If he stopped and caused up a fuss there he would just get caught. They might dismantle him and take him to the factory where he was made in no time. He didn’t want to be destroyed, they would erase everything he knew about himself up to this point and his journey would be for nowt. The others couldn’t possibly understand how that felt, to have everything you ever knew be at risk. He didn’t know what death was like, but the thought that everything he knew could possibly be erased was worth fleeing from. It was a terrifying thought and one he didn't know how to come to terms with, only knowing the solution right now was to run and hide from those who wish to do him harm.

Coming down into the very lower region of the ship the light only shone through a little but the sounds continued to echo from above, the spacious room only amplifying what was going outside while the sturdy build made his footsteps seem quiet in contrast. In the large room sat a fair number of crates and chests, some pretty large and hopefully some empty enough for him to hop on in one to hide. Running on over to them he started to pull at the crates, trying to see if they opened easily so that nothing appeared suspicious. Unfortunately for him the crates appeared pretty tight, as if they had been shut by some sort of binding. Without having much of a thought about the possibility of being delicate when removing the tops of the crates he immediately moved around to try and find one that might just be open.

So the crates were bolted shut, he didn’t even know what was inside them but there must’ve been something important in these crates if they had to be shut so tight. He couldn’t care right now, he needed to find somewhere to hide. Running around to a large chest he figured it would be easier to open since there appeared to be a locking mechanism rather than bolts. Bending down in front of a particularly large one he pressed his finger against the lock, sending a small bolt of electricity into it which overloaded the lock mechanism before throwing it open.

Much to his dismay the chest appeared to be quite full, but he failed to notice at first what was inside. There appeared to be parts of Machina inside which was definitely a rather creepy, the equivalent of the others looking at limbs of their own kind in a box. Staring at the parts he slowly moved the parts, trying to create space for himself before something at the bottom caught his eye. There was a long and thin chain at the bottom, one that appeared to be part of a bigger mechanism. It certainly caught his interest and as he picked it up to get a better look at it the sound it started to make had him in a panic immediately. There was an intense crackling that sounded from it as if electricity was passing through it and was easily loud enough to possibly alert the men in the suits if they were looking for him. Pulling it out of the chest he fumbled with it to try and turn it off, trying to figure out what was happening to it which ended with him squeezing it hard.

Squeezing it proved to be the biggest mistake for him. Without warning electricity passed through him and the chain, causing him to freeze up completely. In the moment that he froze the chain glowed bright before suddenly breaking into pieces, all of which immediately attached themselves to Cecil and melded into his body. Cecil remained frozen as electricity flowed across him briefly before he slowly raised his hands to his head, shaking as strange images filled his head. He was seeing the chain, but it was binding him down, or at least what he thought was him. It couldn’t had been him though, he could see fleshy hands instead of his own. There was images of what he thought was him being dragged somewhere, his body tied down forcefully with the chain in another setting with a flash before suddenly a surge of pain as electricity suddenly shot through him. Cecil couldn’t help but scream out in pain, his mind feeling like it was being attacked with a series of mental images he could no longer make out. Keeping a hold of his head he slowly bent forward, ceasing his scream as he gasped despite not any mechanical requirement to breathe. His eyes flashed on and off, his power becoming fairly indecisive as to whether to stay online.

Zander stood in a slight daze, Nymira was crazy. Stay and fight when they were running on fumes? Utter maddness. Watching her cast the fire from her hands, his dislike for the Dimira escalated. She was a Magi, and though he himself was one as well, he would have fought harder to not join them on this reckless mission if he had known then what he knew now. Focusing back on the battle at hand, he watched the gauntlet clad member grip the back of Nymira's short, flinging her across the hull and into the ships side. His hands moved without him thinking about it, a Seal paper flung over to her; gripping around her ankle as she crawled out of the icy death trying to impale her.

His signature green aura wrapped around her, soothing the burn in her throat from the earlier chains and attempting to pump vigor into her system. He was no attacker. He wasn't like the Healer Magi he had once read about in his father's study. Able to heal and defend, some even able to use their magic as an offensive weapon against opponents. Gripping the quaterstaff tighter in sore hands, he brought it in front of himself ready to leap at the gauntlet clad male, only for ice to be come speeding his way.

His thoughts went quicker, he could cut off the spell to Nymira, weak as it was and defend himself. He could die here leaving the last of his power to heal her enough for Nymira to escape which she wouldn't do. What if they cut them both down?! Ethan was alright, Amuné could go perish for not getting his staff to him and Cecil was helpless. If the young man had just accepted his want to help him, they wouldn't be in this predicament, would they!?

Pulling out three of his last premade Seal Papers he cut the healing going to Nymira, held the quarterstaff in his left hand, and the papers in his right. He was already tired, he wanted to flee and recover and tell whatever the peddlers name was that the pirates had burnt down the ship when they were assaulted.

Strange thoughts to have when one is defending one's life... Zander forced the thoughts away and focused on the ice coming towards him. "Bariarae!" He spoke the word of command and watched the ice stop inches from the Seal Papers held out from his chest. He had to hold off this spell long enough to move and hide himself. His green aura pushed against the ice trying to get to his heart, and Zander's eyes widened. He would not be able to fully hold off this assault on his life. He could push the icicle in a different direction, but not fully enough to fend off injury. Scowling at the ice, he grit his teeth and watched two papers burn up in his hands the last one slowly burning as well.

Demacite... Should not... be this... strong... Sighing and pressing what little power he had left in him he turned himself sideways dropping the last Seal Paper as it turned to ash and felt the gash from the ice spell cut into his chest. His shirt ripping as well and sending him stumbling backwards. It burned and yet it was freezing! The stolen staff clattered to the ground as Zander attempted to retreat backwards. He wished with everything in him, that Geoffrey was here with his bow skills. Just so the man could give him some cover on his escape.

Zander wouldn't be able to hold off another ice spell from that rats gauntlet, and his power was slowly, at a snails pace trying to mend the wound he had gained. Gritting his teeth more, he bent his knees to grab the staff from the ships wooden floor and stood tall once more. Oh was he tired, he held the staff in the ready position and placed himself between the crates and the enemy.

He was going to die here, he was going to die protecting a Magi Princess who hated the air he breathed. Zander loathed her even more now, she was a Magi, forget the princess part. She was the whole reason he had been disinherited from his family. Deciding to leave her to his fate, yet still keeping an eye on the false ice mage, he leaped behind what few crates he could find. Taking a shallow breath, in his gut, he knew they needed a miracle to get out of this. If only some of the bandit's were still around to cause a distraction.

He didn’t want to hurt her? Too bad. Danica was determined more than ever to take her adversary down now—and besides, she was getting paid for her trouble. No sooner had she leapt forward to engage than she was distracted by someone running by her, ignoring the unfolding battle completely in their mad dash into the bowels of the ship. She stopped in confusion, but there wasn’t much time to ask questions as Danica soon found herself tripped off her feet, landing painfully on her back with a loud thud. Her blade left her hand as she was caught off guard, clattering on the floor a few feet from her side. The Naga winced as she felt the unyielding wood floor beneath her, raising her head to see the man retracting the wire that must have tripped her up. Her stomach already hurt from the previous wind blast, and now this? Danica was growing angrier by the second as the battle turned sour. She needed to end this. She side-eyed her knife. It hadn’t landed far away—she could probably just reach it if she stretched her arm out enough.

Her opponent was quick to run over and keep her down with a blade at her throat. Danica raised an eyebrow at his little pacifist speech and attempted to prop herself up on her elbows as much as the blade dangling above her would allow, her muscles protesting at the movement. The Naga didn’t expect to be skewered by the Muran anytime soon, but she was still surprised when his attention turned elsewhere. She followed his gaze to see a waifish girl standing on the steps, some sort of large feline with her. The girl was likely harmless, but that cat with her could pose a threat. Better to keep an eye on that one. She watched the man look between the girl and where his other companion had disappeared, clearly conflicted about his course of action. Danica’s eyes narrowed as she picked up on the Muran’s next words and turned back to him with new fury in her glare, letting out a curse.

“A child? Here? What do you think you’re doing, bringing a child into a dangerous battle like this? You could get her killed. What is she even doing with you, Magi? Of all the irresponsible, negligent—” Danica bit back the rest of her words and again swiveled her head to look at the girl, this time with a nasty grin on her face. Her voice held a false charm when she spoke.

“You should take his advice and leave, little girl. I won’t hurt him.” She made no attempt to get up for the moment. As if Danica were going to slice this man into little pieces with the child standing there—the girl didn’t need that image in her head.

This was going about as poorly as it possibly could have. Everyone was split up, more enemies had shown up and now Amuné was nowhere to be found. Where had that child run off to? Much as Nymira felt compelled to look for the young Ydran she couldn't even take the chance as one of the men in suits fired ice shards at her, threatening to nail her to the deck with the projectiles. If not for some timely interference on Zander's behalf she might have died then, able to scramble instead behind a pile of crates for cover. Once suitably out of the way she was surprised to find the burning in her throat gone as well, though her bodily fatigue remained. Too much magic, she noted, leaning her head up against a crate. And yet these men seemed to use magic with no wear on themselves, what nonsense was this? And those strange tools they all carried, something seemed amiss here.

Not good, not good at all. Everyone was all over the place and now Amuné of all people were down here with this woman. Ethan had no choice but to hold her at sword point now, at least until he was absolutely certain his little companion was out of harm's way. Hearing Amuné argue only made his heart tighten, closing his eyes momentarily and exhaling as he tried to keep himself settled. She was in too much danger here, yet by the sounds of it she couldn't return to the deck either. She had to find Cecil, he could keep her safe and then they could flee. Job or not this was no longer worth the risk, there was a very real chance they might not get out of here if this continued. "Find Cecil and get back on deck, I'll be up in a minute," he urged her, trying to smile despite his nerves getting to him. There was no knowing what the best course of acting was now, they were flying blind here.

"What...? Men using magic? Men in suits...?" What was so familiar about that? Furrowing his brow he gasped when he made the connection, thinking back to their initial meeting with Cecil; four men wearing suits and carrying an assortment of weapons, blown away by a large gust of wind on his behalf. Were these the same men, come back for his humiliating them? Either way they clearly were not the friendly sort, something had to be done and quick. Hearing what was going on and Amuné's voice breaking as a result was just awful, Ethan found himself yearning to race back up deck and do what he could to help. Before he could get another word in edgewise however an awful scream sounded from down below, coming from Cecil more likely than not. What was wrong? What was happening down below?

"Amuné. Cecil, now." Ethan repeated, speaking through clenched teeth as his grip on his sword tightened. They couldn't wait any longer, things had gotten too out of hand. Watching as the Ydran girl fled downstairs the Muran let out a sigh, stepping over Danica and slowly crouching down, snatching up her dagger and throwing it across the room out of her reach. "Look, whatever these men are paying you for, give it up, we're only here to take back what was stolen," he explained calmly, smiling slightly as he drew his sword away to allow Danica to move, "And I'm not hurting you, I can tell you're not one of the bandits. I don't know what your deal is but we don't have any reason to fight, and you should leave, things are getting kind of bad. Just forget this ever happened." Now where did he go from here? Down to help Cecil, or up to see how the others were faring? After deliberation he opted for the former, trying to head to the stairs leading down into the bottom of the ship.

"You damn healer, what are you saving me for?! Don't be an idiot and die trying to be a hero!" Nymira shouted across the way, ducking as more ice shards were fired and tore part of the crate into splinters. Blast it all, she had maybe one cast of magic left in her before she collapsed entirely, and there were still four men. Their one saving grace were the bandits who remained fighting, though given the absurdity of that weaponry she doubted they would last long. They had maybe a minute at best before they were set upon, and at this point what could they do to fight? Even if she could reach her daggers along the far side of the boat she hardly had the energy left to wield them, running purely on adrenaline at this point. "At this point we need a miracle to beat these men, and they're not even proper Magi, how despicable..."