Solebello

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

Ignoring the captain's initial remark, he asked his question then crossed his arms over his chest as he awaited an answer. Sky guessed it probably was rather obvious that he'd stayed behind to interrogate the scum that attacked them, why else would he have stayed back since his drink had been finished? He wanted to chuckle at the shithead comment, but kept it inside and rolled his eyes instead. At least Ruce got serious right afterwards, looking over the datapad to see if there was anything he recognized. Unfortunately there wasn't any direct leads that his friend knew of, besides that maybe it had to deal with the last shipment he made. When he mentioned spending four times as much as expected, Sky nodded and closed his eyes. Just like Kazura had said, the connection was real then.

"Sounds like it's one of them, from what I learned. Good reason to want you dead at least," Sky teased him, then opened his eyes and followed Ruce towards the dock where his ship was located. The blond kept his eyes peeled on their surroundings, trying to see if any of the mercenaries around them had their eyes on the two of them. After all depending how bad they wanted the pilot dead it was more than reasonable to expect there to be back up somewhere. When his eyes fell upon an insectoid that seemed to have its gaze on the two of them, the blond reached up and grasped the handle of his sword which made the thing scurry away. Whether or not it was a coincidence he didn't know... But better to stay on their toes than risk another run in again.

The one thing that bothered Sky was that while Ruce had initially said he didn't know why someone would want to kill him besides maybe the pay he mentioned the bad feeling and other details in his explanation. He should know better, getting involved in illegal activities like that. Sure he was involved in it too somewhat, but due to him being a mercenary potential foes would be more hesitant to attack. The blond also had the thing he'd done in the past as further incentive to be left alone, while the couple would be viewed as nothing more than disposable couriers. Live and learn though, Ruce was too stubborn to die.

Joining the captain in the elevator, Sky set his gaze upon the crowd as he turned around. Sure enough, before the doors closed he saw the insectoid squatting as he walked trying to keep out of sight. Sighing, he shook his head then bowed it with a sigh. He hated being right about this, but at least he was here to watch his friend's back until he left. Side stepping towards him, the blond leaned in to whisper the warning in case he'd missed it.

"Bug seems to be the backup, if it comes let it shoot first to avoid charges, like you did in the bar," with that said, he too grasped the rail and waited for the lift to reach its destination. Ruce continued on about the Grannok, and Sky nodded in recognition of his words. He was right, they needed to just be careful on their way out and make sure they laid low for a while. Chances were that the mercenaries would be killed for their failures, if they were anything like he knew, and that would prevent most other mercenaries from taking the job. There was that measure of safety at least, he hoped. He didn't have long to ponder it though, for the lift's speed brought them to the Valkyrie in no time. The Royale was elsewhere, so if something happened in here he wouldn't have to worry about her getting hurt. That was a relief at least. The captain's actions though... They earned a sigh as Sky followed him, stopping a couple meters behind Ruce with his arms crossed over his chest with a head shake and a sigh.

"You're as ridiculous as ever, you know that?" he taunted, then turned his side towards the captain so he could watch both him and the door in case the bug was indeed coming to get them. Better safe than sorry.

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

Edited my post, doesn't directly effect anyone except Ruce a little bit, but I think you'll like it

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

Indeed, killing an entire room full of innocent people wasn't exactly something that would look good on a mercenary's resume. It was a very difficult business to be in, you couldn't be seen outright killing someone for the obvious reason of it being murder and a punishable offense. Couldn't show your face in public if there was proof of your transgressions after all. That's partly why Sky wasn't going to just walk over and cut the man in half without what was considered just cause, after all he could just be looking at Ruce for some other reason. Unlikely, but enough for reasonable doubt at least and Sky didn't want that kind of trouble. Only reason his own fight later wouldn't land him in prison was because the emperor would sanction it, the sadistic fool did love to get under the blond's skin. He wouldn't likely get out of it alive, but he'd worry about that then. For now though, he had his friend to relax with.

"Pretty much what I figured, just don't know if it's worth it. The shield and cloak settings on her are perfect as is, and besides having to tinker with them if I have weapons she's never been caught so... Don't know if I should or not, maybe later I'll let you look at her and deside. You're better than me at that anyway," it was tough for Sky to admit, but was the truth. He might've come up with the basic plans, but it was engineers that made the ship a reality. The mercenary was an expert at fighting, and though he wasn't smart he lacked the mathmatical prowess to reliably run the needed calculations. Either way, that was hardly a cause for concern at the moment. A different, grace scenario needed his attention first.

While Ruce noticed the waitress, Sky spotted the movement of the mercenary's hands as he reached for the injector. His own hand grasped the handle of his sword and while the foe reached up the blond sprang up while drawing his blade, ready to deflect any projectiles that came their way. Fortunately Ruce had already readied himself, snatching a tray from a passing waitress to deflect the needles instead. Well, at least he wouldn't need to do anything a the moment. So instead of slashing his blade, he held it firmly in front of him while he started walking towards the transgressor in the corner. A dagger from the pilot pinned the alien to the seat, before the tray knocked him out before the blond had a chance to do it himself. Pity, he would've loved to 'accidentally' swing the dull end of the blade too hard in defending his friend and kill the fool. Whatever, his boss whoever he was would probably do the job for him. With a snort, Sky returned the sword to his back, and turned to face the pilot as he retrieved his dagger.

"You alright old man? You're out of your element, should've left it to me," he teased, crossing his arms over his chest. Ruce stole the datapad, probably to figure out who it was that hired the brute. Brilliant move really, something that someone outside of the mercenary profession would hardly think of doing. Heh, wouldn't expect any less of him. While Ruce left however, Sky turned towards the thin alien that had been sitting beside the mercenary. He was sweating bullets, going so far as to gulp while he scooted his chair back against the wall. While the innocent had fled, he was the sole patron to remain inside the bar, a red flag if the blond had ever seen any. Waiting until the pilot left the bar, Sky drew his sword once more and swung it upwards towards the alien who visibly flinched at the motion, though the blade purposely fell just short of his torso. Instead Sky then thrust it forward, letting its tip make the force field sizzle and its edge forming an angle against the wall in a threatening position that threatened to cleave the man's head clean off his shoulders. While Ruce took a route which took some serious time to go through in case the mercenary wasn't sloppy, Sky wanted to make sure to get the answer now. His advantage over the pilot was that he actually knew this duo, and what he could do to make them crack.

"Listen here, Kazura, I know that you and Chussin down there aren't afraid of death, but let me give you one piece of advice..." his eyes narrowed, and what followed would come as a harsh whisper so only the two of them could hear. "You know as well as I do that I know where every member of your family lives, and that my ship is more than capable of getting there and retrieving them undetected before you'd even have a chance to warn them I was coming. Velle and Vexion aren't they? The twinkle in your eyes, and Marias... The witch that birthed them both. I want you to tell me everything you know about who hired you, and if you don't..." while keeping the blade at the man's throat, Sky knelt down and grabbed the injector with his free hand, before smirking darkly as he rose to his feet.

"I'll leave your wife naked and smothered in honey, tied up in the deserts of Kinich, next to a starved nest of Supay ants... Who you know thanks to that sweet substance will eat her dry... With the only two able to save her, you and Chussin, tied up at her sides with damp leather on your heads that will certainly crush your skulls as it dries... The only way to save your wife being to somehow smother all of the honey off of her and onto the two of you... While your children are slowly dissolved from the toes up in this deliciously painful poison you've concocted..." he warned as he lifted the injector, frowning now, "Easily within earshot of their parents..."

"Ug E'mm dy-"

"Don't test me," Sky spat, his eyes fierce as ever. Kazura mumbled incoherently in his native tongue, tears streaming down his face as he took deep breaths and tried to form the words. He knew he only had moments to respond, because Sky was rumored to have committed such atrocities in the past to someone who marked his wife for murder.

"O-o-og kay, E talg. Twas Fal'tokg, wanteg cargho paig ten shousang for kill. Very important stuff, upcharge much ang disrespectful tung. Dunno how Fal'tog know, some shink pirate, others Expanse, but seem like pirate to Kazura," wincing, he closed his eyes and started to beg. "Please, no harm chilgrin, no part in this, shey-" starting to continue in incoherent babble, he then found himself with the blade closer to his neck.

"How can I know you're not lying?" Sky growled, and Kazura balled.

"On pag, please let Kazura show Sgy, please for Marias ang chilgrin..."

"Fine," placing the injector into his belts, he then held out his hand to the mercenary. "Give me yours, hands off the trigger, then log into your account to prove it to me."

"Yes yes," Kazura whimpered, following the instructions carefully. With the second injector in Sky's belts, his clawed fingers danced across his pad until he got to the screen with the information the blond wanted. Taking it, his sapphire eyes danced across the screen as he inwardly sighed. Unfortunately it was mostly in the man's native tongue, though the transactions were in the common dialect. Sure enough there was Fal'tok's name, and Sky nodded as he looked back up to Kazura.

"You'll understand that I'll keep this for now, to follow up on this. Remember, if you so much as look at Ruce wrong again I'll treat it the same as if it was my wife's life, understand?" Sky snapped coolly, earning a wary nod from the mercenary. With that answer he then withdrew his sword from the neck of his foe, returning it to his back before turning and walking towards the door. With a nod to the barkeep, he looked over his shoulder to see the mercenary on his hands and knees beside his brother sobbing. Still though, he called out to the poor guy.

"Oh, by the way... E ghuf fryd oui cyet." Truth was Sky only knew the one line, but Kazura didn't need to know that. He was just being an ass anyway, putting an exclamation point on the interrogation he'd just put the man through. It was only then that he made his way down the steps to exit the bar, his eyes immediately scanned the area for any sign of the emperor yet. None yet... Damn. Oh well, at least Ruce wasn't too far ahead of him. Making his way to the pilot, he held out Kazura's pad as he returned to his usual self.

"So who'd you piss of this time? Someone named Kal'tok?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow as he handed the device to Ruce.. It was the obvious question with what had happened, and might give him an idea of who else to look for in case there truly were others out to get him. Maybe his friend had a better idea of how to read this lead than he did, and the two of them could put a lid on it before they went their separate ways again.

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

"I'll be sure to remember that next time she sees you, let you back up your bravado with some action," Sky told the pilot about his claim of having the balls to tell Alexia know. He didn't know what the question would be, but the blond was sure that he and his wife could come up with something for her to smack him upside the head with. His whole intimidating show was wasted on his friend, who knew better than to worry about him. With his focus on the empty glass in front of him, he was just thinking about what was going to happen and let his eyes scan the bar again. For the most part it looked normal, outside of a handful of mercenaries (which would be expected anyway) no one seemed particularly interested in anyone else or even dangerous. Just here to relax before or after work, going about their routines. One of the mercenaries though seemed to have his eyes towards them, specifically at Ruce, and Sky left a mental note about him before turning his gaze back towards the pilot when he started speaking aloud about his ship. Nothing Sky didn't already know about its capable firepower, but when he started speaking about the academy the blond nodded. There was give and take for everything on your ships, from weight to the advantages and disadvantages of different types of equipment. Not everyone knew the nuances of them like Ruce did though, he had to give him that. He really was proud of his ship too, and loved space weapons in a way Sky never could, he really only wanted to do it face to face. Not that it wasn't practical to invest in them though.

"Maybe I'll finally put weapons on the Royale sometime, if I can find any that won't take away from its' cloaks and stealth capabilities," he thought aloud, then left Ruce to his thinking and pad as his own eyes scanned the bar again. He wasn't particularly paranoid that the emperor would send someone after him, since he'd rather deal with Sky himself, but he was hoping to see someone from the empire arrive to show that indeed the scum himself had arrived. It was a waiting game though, one which probably wouldn't be over until after he walked his friend back to his ship. Maybe he'd say hi to Tes if she was willing, but otherwise he wasn't going to worry about it too much. Just wanted to spend time with Ruce while he could, and provide extra firepower should anyone try to give the captain any trouble. Speaking of which, Ruce asked him under his breath about one of the mercenaries Sky had noticed, and while keeping his voice low he answered in a whisper out of one side of his mouth so that his lips couldn't be read.

"Just a mercenary, a little chubby and not known to have much skill in physical combat or shooting, he prefers to work with things such as poisons or gases,"

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

@Jintaru

Seriously, no worries. I'm the one who was slow before in the other RP (which if you ever wanna continue I'm all for it) so I couldn't ever be upset at you about that. Ultimately this is for fun, to do when we have time, I'm not going to stress about it. Do what you can when you can, never have to apologize to me ^^

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

Rolling his eyes at the rant about the supposed pricelessness of the Valkyrie, though it was more just to tease and mock the pilot than it was a lack of understanding. He felt very much the same about his own ship, the Royale, named after Alexia's father for his part in the attempt to save the blond's home world. From a financial stand point Sky would likely get a lot more for his ship than Ruce would, but there were far more expensive ships out there and he wouldn't trade it for anything. The basic outline of the starship he'd taken from the designs of an ancient aircraft from Earth, it was even the same size at a mere 23.74 meters in length. Outside of its cockpit was a hallway that led to the huge engines that consumed most of the mass and volume of the ship. It was defenseless outside of its shields and cloaking devices, with minimal shielding and no weapons to speak of. This was done to favor stealth and speed over the ability to participate in combat, Sky preferred to handle that on his own on a more personal level. Might not be the best there was, but he prized it more than anything second only to Alexia and Ruce.

"Uh huh, soon as it breaks the record make sure to sign a copy of the book for me," Sky ordered, then glanced to him again. He was right on the money with his prediction, heh he knew the mercenary far too well. The blond then nodded at the next comment, taking another sip of his drink. Didn't matter where in the line you were, the one ordering receiving or committing the job, everyone was involved in the business of death one way or another. Even ordinary citizens were, targets of the oppressors and guarded by the protectors. Unfortunately the galaxy was far from perfect, and the only power that it would take to make it so would ultimately corrupt those involved and lead to the cycle starting all over again. Life was selfish, there was no getting around that. Everything done by anyone was to benefit themselves in some way, hell even so called heroes only followed through with their work because it made them feel good to do it. Pessimistic a view of things that this was, it was the truth.

The blond's daze was broken by Ruce's complaining, snapping him out of his thoughts and back into reality. Apparently Tes was ragging on him through their communicator for taking so long, no doubt he was here instead of shopping for what they needed like he usually was. The two of them acted like an old married couple, constantly getting onto one another about things. Come to think of it, he had the same relationship with the captain, and the thought made him chuckle while shaking his head. In a way Sky was thankful not to have that kind of relationship with his wife, sure they teased each other a lot and she got what she wanted but he was happy to give it to her. Neither of them truly ordered the other around, they were equals through and through and from his experience that kind of thing was rare.

"Not really, she calls the shots most times but usually it's for things she wants specifically from me. You know her, has to do everything herself," he admitted, smirking back at Ruce with a cocked eyebrow. "Why don't you ask her yourself? The longer you take to speak to her again the more bruises you're gonna have when you finally do see her."

It was only a half truth, they both knew how busy Ruce was and understood the gaps in communication were necessary in order for him to make a living. Not everyone was as lucky as the two of them after all. Truth was though she'd give him an earful it'd be all in good fun like their conversation here, though she'd make sure to hug him tighter than he did her while spinning in a circle to further humiliate his masculinity. Not maliciously of course, but still you really had to have confidence in yourself while dealing with a dominant woman like her. Speaking of which, she was going to beat him once she figured out what he was really here for. Alexia wanted a piece of the emperor too, and there was no doubt in his mind that no matter the outcome of the altercation he wasn't going to come out of it unscathed. Still, he'd rather put himself in danger than let her anywhere near it. Sky was a protector at heart after all, and just as self reliant as she was. If he could handle something alone he'd do it over the safer route of working on a team, if only to make sure that they wouldn't endure the suffering he'd put himself through to get it done.

Again it took the captain to snap Sky out of his thoughts. He really needed to stop getting lost in them, it was just letting the emperor get in his head instead of taking charge of the situation himself. It took a few seconds for him to register just what it was that Ruce had said, then he scratched the back of his head. The marriage was kind of sudden come to think of it, but he knew he loved her so why would he delay it if it's what she wanted? It wasn't like he had eyes out for anyone else, he wasn't exactly the flirtatious type when it came to people he didn't know or care about. He probably wouldn't have been looking for someone at all even if she didn't come into his life, it was her forwardness and their working together in training that drew them closer. Sky still didn't know what she ever saw in him, he wasn't the best in class or the brightest. Hell he was surprised that things even panned out and he'd gotten into that school, much less completed it, his track record for things going right hadn't exactly been the best. Whatever it was didn't matter though, so long as she loved him and he loved her the whys didn't exactly matter so long as the feelings were true.

"You don't exactly say no to someone like her," Sky answered, taking note of the frown that came from his friend. What was wrong, did he worry about something? Sure the blond was a mercenary, but due to his situation he could cherry pick which jobs he took or left behind. Truth was, if anyone put a price on Ruce or Alexia's head they'd be the one whose skull he'd claim free of charge. No one could ever offer enough, to him the two of them were what were truly priceless in the universe. Even if it cost him his ship to protect them, so be it he could always get another one built. It was a material thing, but them... Once a life was lost, it was gone forever. Besides having something to do and trying to do what was right to make a small difference, his main goal was to become strong enough to kill that damn emperor. Anyway it was best not to bring it up, didn't want to bring up any unnecessary questions or seem like he was trying to cover anything up. When Ruce laughed, Sky finished his shot then set down the glass to shudder then cock an eyebrow at him.

"You're the one that asked. Alexia's just a guard but... Yeah, you're right. One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. We live in a galaxy of gray, very rarely are things black and white,"

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

Before Ruce even saw the blond he already recognized him, and Sky chuckled at his reactions. He was still the foul mouthed angry pilot he remembered, that much was for sure. When the man pointed the mercenary just cocked an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms as he watched his old friend get up and dust himself off. Man was taking care of himself at least, that much he was sure of. When he finally got to retorting and mentioned supposed videos he's seen, Sky just shook his head. Ruce really could work a little on his come backs.

"Please, your ship isn't worth half as much as you'd need to see one of the videos. Besides, with her you'd let control be taken from you too," he retorted, fighting to keep a straight face and neutral tone despite wanting to laugh at the antics. Apparently he got a message, but it wasn't important enough to interrupt their reunion. Outwardly his reaction to the continued "verbal assault" was just closing his eyes and visibly shrugging so even the armor moved from the exaggerated movement. This is how they usually talked, others might fight it strange but they enjoyed picking on and fighting with each other like this. Was fun.

"Same thing bringing a cranky old man like you out of his flying nursing home, payment for work I suppose," he answered, then opened his eyes to smirk at the pilot. It was part true at least, one of the reasons he was here was to get paid for the last job he had from a couple whose child captured by a bunch of pirates wanting a ransom. Mission was easy enough, the stealth technology of his ship let him reach his target and infiltrate before they even knew what was going on, and the pirates didn't put up much of a fight. They were all dead now, so at least the galaxy was a little safer for the time being. There was another reason but... He had another comment to retort to. "You know as well as I do if you found out I was here and didn't smack you around I'd never hear the end of it."

The smack on his shoulder earned Ruce one of his own, before Sky took a seat beside his old friend and popped his neck to the left then right. He didn't think anything of the pad, was probably just a way to communicate with his one woman crew and get information for whatever jobs were available. He was a smuggler after all, needed to constantly look for work to make sure he'd have money in the bank. The blond didn't have enough time to order a drink though before the coot took another sip of his drink and offered him some. Eyeing the red liquid, it reminded him of the drink Alexia kept around the house but wasn't quite as crimson in color. Sure, why not what could it hurt? Sky doubted it'd be much stronger than that. The sip earned a shiver from Sky, and a small shake of his head. Was about the same, but damn was he right about it. This is why he didn't drink so much, not because he lacked a tolerance but the taste of strong alcohol just wasn't his cup of tea. His wife could deal with that, he'd have the more "girly" drinks when given the choice. Just not now though, Ruce would have a field day with that knowledge.

"Just a few years, mainly for something to do and to put money aside. Alexia makes enough for the both of us, being captain of the guard, but I'm not exactly the type to relax in luxury," he said quietly, then held up a few fingers to signal to the barkeep he wanted a shot of the same. That way it wasn't a lot of it, but he wasn't just awkwardly sitting there without something in his hand. When it came he took a sip, shiver included, waiting for whatever was going to come out of the captain's mouth after he finished browsing through whatever. His own eyes wandered across the bar, looking for any sign of the target he was looking for on his own, but they quietly settled back on Ruce when his next question came. They then fell to the bar with a sigh, and he took another sip. Well, sooner or later they were going to get tangled in similar situations he guessed, might as well tell him what he knew.

"Their usual M.O., selling to terrorists and dictators. Need to prove they're worth a damn, that kind of pay requires suiting up if you will," he finished, closing his eyes. The man he was looking for was known for his contact with them, using their weapons to help equip his military conquests and expand his empire. Sky's home planet had been a target before, where the man showed he'd rather just destroy a planet then lose a battle to conquer it. That's why he'd been taking jobs here instead of closer to home, to make sure he would he around the next time they met up. He'd also purposely chosen this day to collect payment, the arrival of the Hundu Zephyr was sure to mean that his target was going to be here today... And then he could finally extract his revenge.

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

Posted like Nomi asked, I'll throw together a quick bio thing for him tomorrow so you know the differences in this one ^^;

Valkyrie ~ Science Fiction Adventure ~ (Accepting Applications)

"So how was the job?" a confident female voice asked from the small communicator in the blond's ear. It was his wife Alexia, the most beautiful and possibly most powerful fighter in the galaxy. In his opinion, at least. Thankfully despite their differing lines of work they got to spend several days of the week together, though he labeled himself a mercenary he was probably more accurately described as an assassin. Tracking down to retrieve payment or kill if necessary, sabotage a corrupt government's equipment, breaking innocents out of jail, and the like. Rarely did he actually take part in actual warfare, it took a lot to convince him to invest in such a cause and even then he'd stand on moral ground which eliminated a lot of his potential customers that way. Though the jobs were often tough, they paid well at least which gave him the opportunity to pick and choose both his jobs and schedule. Came with the territory when you were good at your job.

"Not bad, nothing I couldn't handle," Sky answered quietly with a shrug before taking the last sip of his drink and set the glass on his table. All he had to do this time was rescue a princess from an oppressive military's flagship, nothing his stealth tech couldn't handle.

"I'm glad," she said with a smile, twirling her hair around a finger as she looked over the city from their balcony back on Arccus. He could hear the sound of the metropolis on the other side, along with the sweet songs of the birds that perched on their roof. "Nothing to report here really, no one dares cause trouble here anymore. So boring,"

"Well if you didn't beat a whole gang on your own," he chuckled, shaking his head as he picked up his glass and headed back towards the bartop. Seriously, if an unarmed martial artist was able to take down an entire gang on their own for fun would you try to break through that person's security especially when they were armed? As he reached the bartop and slid the glass towards the bartender, his eyes fell upon a familiar figure as said person fell off their chair. "...Uh oh.."

"What is it?" Alexia asked, a tinge of worry in her voice. Sky just chuckled, knowing that her worry was justified but in this case unnecessary. He knew why she worried, he was in a hostile bar after all, but there was no case for concern with the buffoon he was about to talk to.

"I see trouble," he told her. After a few seconds of silence it finally clicked for her, and she laughed.

"Oh it's your boyfriend then?" she teased, "Say hi for me, you know how upset he'd be if he found out you didn't talk to him when you were there. I love you,"

"I know," he couldn't help but smile at her joke. She was too cute. "I love you too,"

After pressing the button on his communicator to silence it, he made his way towards the captain before squatting over him with a small smirk on his face. Familiar as the scene was, at least Ruce wasn't getting his butt kicked this time.

"You know we have to stop meeting like this, people are going to start saying things," he teased, and almost right on cue someone in the background shouted "GAY!" though the blond ignored it. He was confident enough in his sexuality to joke around like this, even if it made his friend want to deck him in the face. Not that he wasn't prepared for it anyway. "...And you do realize that you don't always have to get on your back for me right? I like the bottom too."

The Chaos of Butterflies - Small Group Fantasy RP - *Still Accepting Applications*

Unfortunately it didn't take long for the situation to devolve, and it quickly became evident to the huntsman that just knocking out the guard wasn't going to be an option. Taru quickly killed two of the eight men with relative ease, but the numbers game quickly caught up to him. As soon as he saw the man aim the crossbow Sky fired, knowing it'd be too late to stop the shot but at least he could intercept it before it hit the bald man. As his shot raced across the sky something appeared out of the corner of his eye... A ball of flame? It didn't seem like something made from dust, it was true flames... Was this magic? If it was, that could mean only one thing... The mage was here, but he was protecting the soldier? But... Why, he'd already killed a family right, why was he acting both for good and evil? Was the soldier darker than he'd anticipated, or was this part of something bigger? He didn't know, but he'd get his answers soon enough. Just needed to end this fight, then capture the mage.

The ball of flame, the shot, and the arrow met in a terrifying explosion which a shock wave that could knock the men back, and Sky took advantage of the confusion by shooting at the captain of the group. That way with the leader out of the way it would cause confusion among the guards, and if anyone saw either the mage's magic or his shot's direction it'd divert their attention for the soldier to either do more damage or make his way out of the situation. Either way at least the situation was in their favor, and so long as he could continue his cover fire the soldier would be able to get out of this and he could get a better understanding of what exactly the hell was going on. As long as he kept the mage in the corner of his eye, and kept his attention on the carnage before him this wouldn't take very long... Especially with how skilled of a swordsman the soldier was. Helped Sky realize just how much work he needed to do with his own swordsmanship, he was only just a second year at the academy after all and this was just... Wow. Made him feel a little self conscious too.

The realization also helped him notice that he'd let his hood move back some, revealing a little of his hair and this ruining the disguise in the darkness. Damn, why was he so careless? He pulled the hood back further over his face to help hide himself better, then placed both hands back onto the gun. He needed to focus, and wait... That's all there was too it. Hopefully this move helped keep him out of sight of the archers, but if not... Well, he did have a firepower advantage and the top of the roof to hide behind if he was shot at. Not to mention his aura for indirect hits, so he still felt safe and confident. Too much so perhaps, but that wasn't going to change until mistakes were made.