The brief glimpse of smoke was not a distraction. Drakecleaver slammed to the ground, and scratched a long scar into the earth as Lily moved forward, and then swung it upward! The bandit who had been preparing his bow was immediately sliced open from bottom to top, his body barely held together as it collapsed backwards. The others backed away further, but still held their weapons up to bare. Lily held her sword ahead of her. The silvery blade dripped blood. She was aware of a name her... detractors had given her. Those who prayed upon the weak and innocent. As opposed to calling her simply Dragonslayer, they thought she would mind the name they gave her.

'Manslayer'.

Evil men, perhaps. Like the ones before her. There were many, still laying in wait in the woods... And then, suddenly, another figure appeared, and in the blink of a eye sliced one of the bandits to pieces! There was much commotion in their ranks as they tried to train their weapons on this new target. It was not someone Lily knew, but he certainly knew her. At his assertion of both her reputation, and that the bandits would not be a problem, she nodded. "These men are just as dark as the dragons."

Needless to say, the bandits were wavering. Then, near the back, a gruff voice spoke up. He was a bulky man with a thick black beard, and scars all over his face.

"Get a hold of yourselves, you maggots!" he snarled, "They might be Dragonslayers, but that means the boss'll pay us all the more handsomely for their heads! Cut 'em down!"

He thrust a finger forward, and the bandits seemed re-energized. Lily raised Drakecleaver... and then wolves appeared from the shadows. The blonde warrior was just as surprised as the bandits, who had little chance to defend themselves from the gnashing teeth and gouging claws. Bandits fell, struggling to fend off attackers, many dying from a torn throat or shredded belly. One bandit attempted to draw a bead on a wolf... and fell with an arrow embedded in his skull. And then another fell, axe falling from his hand as an arrow pierced his side. Lily swiftly looked around. An archer had joined the fray? Where had the wolves come from? They had paid not heed to the newly-arrived Dragonslayer or herself...

----

Near Hypatia, a figure stood. She wore not the simple armor of even one of Irontown's highest-born warriors. The highest Knight of such a place still wore simple armor when compared to other settlements. No, this was a figure who had, by the designs on her armor, traveled from far further. The curved metal crest above her helm, which covered her face entirely and allowed only for a thin T-shape for her to see and breath. It was polished armor, ornate designs peppering the surface, curling almost as if they were caressing the knight's body. She could only be a knight of Maison. And yet, to stand in full armor even now... Her frame seemed to be somewhat slender, at least judging by how the armor laid on her body. Armor also made it rather difficult to tell.

"And so you suggest they prepare a trap?" she began, "How certain can you be that a dragon would fall for such a thing so easily?"

Her voice was light, and almost childish, in contrast to the imposing appearance a fully-armored knight would suggest.