[i]“I don’t need protecting.”[/i] That statement made Taunie roll her eyes. He obviously has never been with a group, much less a guild. There was so much more to ‘protecting’ then he was even aware of. He should know; he’s the one who looked exhausted as if he was running for his whole life and never once received a break. He wouldn’t have to run any more, he wouldn’t have to worry (at least not that much) and he could afford a place that wasn’t a forest.

They walked in silence, the blondes fingers interlinked behind her head as they walked, her blue eyes scanning the scenery around them. Maybe if she ran away she could hide out in a forest like this. Then again she probably wouldn’t get away with calling herself a ‘spirit’ like he could. Control of the earth really did give him an advantage compared to most. Maybe he could give the fire and iron dragon slayers a run for their money. She was getting sick of their bickering.

When the men jumped out with evil grins on their face; Taunie let out a small sigh as her hands fell from behind her head to her side. “Friends of yours?” She asked gesturing to the men in the robes before the exchange begin. 

A smirk moved across her face when she was asked if she could handle them by herself. “Hey the master’s paying me to deliver you there so he can talk to you. Be a pointless take if you don’t come back with me or if I’m dragging a corpse. Besides, my last fight was a rather sad one. I had to use tactic and bribery.” She shot him a look, the smirk still on her face before she stepped forward in front of Ansel. “Sorry fellas, he’s with me. Step on your merry way before you get hurt.” 

The group of eight men let out a laugh, some of them actually holding their stomachs. “Yeah right”, “Boy she’s funny”, “Best joke I’ve heard all week”, and the like were said from the men. This only made Taunie smirk wider. It only took a moment before she leapt from the ground and flew through the air towards the men. Her arms spread out and magic circles formed around her hands. Bringing her arms back, four chains flew out of each circle and the blonde flung them down, the men were so surprised by her reaction and how quickly she created the chains only a few had time to get away before she locked down a few men almost instantly. 

Her head turned, the sound of a magic circle being created drew her attention to the left. A man was creating a magic circle which launched a blast of fire at her, and from her right was a blast of water. Just before they connected with her, she kicked off the ground once again and did a backflip dodging the blasts. The clash of elements launched the two wizards back on their butts, the expectation being that the intensity would have shattered Taunie but instead it shattered one another. Taunie landed on the ground and tied up the two men who were rolling in pain on the ground. 

Her intensity turned, the smirk never leaving her face as she turned to the last person. He stared at her in confusion and shock as she made a chain in each hand and cracked the chains against the ground. “Who are you? You crazy girl!” He yelled as he cracked a magic circle under his feet and hand his hands up into the air. 

Taunie threw a chain at the man’s wrists, wrapping the chain around each of them and giving them a pull, tying them together and stopping the magic circle from forming. “Who I am is none of your concern, all you need to know is that this guy is under my protection until my master says otherwise. Now, it’s time for you to go!” With that her chains wrapped around his body and she gave a strong pull, throwing the man into the air and sending him off into the distance leaving nothing but a star. The other men knocked out and tied up. 

Sighing she lowered her hands and her magic circles vanished before she turned her attention back to Ansel. “Shall we get going?”