Somebody charged forward and another shot at the mysterious man. In response, the man whipped his sword around, away from his captive’s throat and toward his new enemies. This created a strong gust of wind that circulated around him, knocking back anyone in the vicinity, including Atalee. The young woman tried to hold her ground at first, but after a couple seconds, her feet slipped and she tumbled backwards. A combination of quick thinking and lightning fast reflexes allowed her to catch herself as she toppled over. She planted her palms flatly on the ground as she flipped around through the air, performing a backwards flip that ricocheted her into a standing position a safe distance away from the large man’s elemental etra.

As the spell died down, the man shoved his captive forward. She dived toward the ground, landing hard. Although suffering a few scraps, she appeared okay and soon pushed herself up into a sitting position. The man, meanwhile, offered a bow, saying goodbye to everybody present, and disappearing in a blinding flash. Atalee wondered to herself who this man what and what he wanted. What about the man he killed? Who was he, and why did the other man kill him? More pressingly, what about the woman that he was about to kill? Who was she, and how did they know each other? Though the sister was curious, she decided that it would be best to focus on the present and see if the woman was okay.

When the man disappeared, Atalee rushed over to the woman and kneeled down beside her. She spoke in her typical thick accent, “Are you okay? You are not hurt badly, are you?”