Gregory takes a seat, letting the scents of the forest surround him in the undisturbed air. Ben has come over to the defeated bandit camp, bringing most of their supplies with him. Zircon speaks with the strange merchant named Richard, asking about nearby towns and populations. Their group left home rather suddenly, with nothing to know by except food if their camp was ever found unattended. Richard also offered to bring them to the closest town on his cart, which runs off some sort of magic. Things are starting to piece together, after their rather unprofessional start to their lives. The fire the bandits have made is nothing more than a pit of embers now.
Gregory looks around, at the mess of the battlefield they made. Besides the two he took down, and one Zircon knocked out, the rest are frozen in place, stuck as if they were carved from shining marble. Ben checked their pule with his electric magic, but with a small shake of his head, he pronounced them dead, killed almost immediately after being struck. He takes a glance at Zircon, who has his back turned. He still feels a brotherly sort of love for him, but it still rubs him wrong. His swords from his equip magic do cut, but the human body has natural ether nano barriers, mostly causing fatigue or loss of consciousness if hit by any sort of magic attack.
Very few have magic that bypasses those barriers, almost all of them are criminals. Magic that doesn't defeat, but magic that kills.
Zircon grins, laughing at something Richard said. Gregory shakes his worries away. Of course Zircon is a good person, I of all people would know that.
Zircon raises his voice, his canine like teeth glitter in the afternoon sunlight.
"Alright, let's get going!"
Gregory stokes the heated embers with a stick, before helping Ben pack their supplies onto the cart.
"Wait, are you just going to leave us here!?"
The cry comes from three very heartbroken bandits, who are tied together with the ropes used to hang Richard up earlier. Gregory looks them over, before eyeing Ben. Zircon saunters up, looking at the one he knocked out in the eye.
"You three are going to stay here, play a game of charades or something."
"But."
Says the one with a bulge on his forehead.
"But our arms are tied."
Zircon puts on a smug expression, which looks very wrong with reptilian like eyes.
"Be creative!"
He turns and leaves, pretending not to notice the comments of outbursts behind him. Ben and Gregory board, with Richard jumping on last. He spins a little knob, the wheels shudder alive, before leaving the scene behind.
Nobody speaks for a while, their eyes turned toward the sky, watching the clouds roll by.
"So."
Ben says halfhazardly, shifting his weight around,
"What were you doing in this forest?"
A few seconds go by, Richard watches the ground pan by with a solemn face. He perks up.
"Oh!" "Sorry."
Gregory gets interested, Zircon messes with his winter coat.
"I'm actually on my way to the next town over, I was traveling with a group of three others."
A small strike goes through the group, Gregory is the first to speak.
"I'm so sorry."
Richard shakes off a feeling dawning over him.
"Its fine, I didn't know any of them."
Zircon looks like he wants to say something, but he keeps his mouth shut. Richard waves a hand in the air.
"Nothing interesting about me, what about you guys?"
"Huh?"
"What's three powerful mages doing out in the woods."
"We're nowhere near powerful, we just happen to be better than a clan of misfits."
Ben says, whirling his finger.
"If we fought a real mage, even frosty would get pummeled."
"Would not!"
Zircon shouts, feeling his newfound purpose get in jeopardy. Gregory laughs, feeling a calming sense wash over him, this feels more normal.
"Would too!"
Ben shouts back, butting heads with Zircon.
"You don't even know how to fight!"
"Yeah I do!"
Zircon shouts back, gritting his teeth.
"I slayed a dragon!"
Ben cocks his head.
"Yeah, where's the proof?"
Zircon immediately points a finger at Starboard Mountain, which towers over them. It closer than it would usually be back at town, they are on the other side of it. Ben makes a show of watching the mountain worryingly, before making a mocking shrug at Zircon.
"That a bunch of snow."
Zircon throws a small lump of ice at Ben's head, making a knocking noise when it collides with his face.
"Why you!"
Richard watches the whole thing with a worried look, Gregory gives him a "this is normal" expression.
A full day later
Galard flicks the frozen bandit's corpse, listening to the ticking noise it makes. He studies their expression, stuck in fear.
"Hmm."
Halard walks up next to him, looking over his shoulder.
"That makes ten deaths, just what type of mage is this?"
Galard inspects the rest of the area, staying in his hunched position.
"Don't know, but this mage is quite terrible at covering his tracks."
Halard strokes her chin thoughtfully.
"Then this will be easier than we would have hoped."
Galard nods in agreement, taking out the wanted poster from his pocket. Etched onto the hardened parchment, is a character with slit eyes, shaggy blonde hair, a serious yet joking face, and slightly slouched posture. The reward is 15 million jewel, a true golden goose. Though, from what is easily suspected, Galard's party isn't the only one on this mage's trail, that's why he plans to get to him first. He stands up, looking past Halard, toward some shade in a nearby tree. A silhouette rests in the afternoon sun, playing with a daisy in her fingers.
"Ok lady, you were expensive to hire, so you better succeed."
The woman gets up, walking out into the sunlight. Her blazing blue hair reflects in the sun, and her face looks contempt, but still has something hidden underneath. One would call her beautiful, if they looked at first glance. But she's an assassin, killing is her job.
"Don't worry, you big brute."
She says in honey coated words, looking over the carnage around them.
"I'm never late for a job."
"Besides."
She walks up, taking the wanted poster from Galard's hands. She looks over her target, patting Galard on the shoulder.
"I'm dying it meet this Ice mage."
