[center][h2]Hyznia[/h2]
[sub]Castle Exterior[/sub][/center]

     [color=lightcoral]"Neither of you seem suited to Arcadia,"[/color] Sulfrax began, pulling his hood back up before letting his arm fall by his side again, staring at the two of them with skeptic curiosity. [color=lightcoral]"And I've little time to waste on escorting some lost peasants wandering through the woods. Find Arcadia of your own accord, unless you have a more interesting motivation."[/color] Sulfrax shifted his weight slightly from side to side as he inspected the two. He didn't appear threatened nor threatening, simply curious about the new company. Seemed as though his venture outside was netting more than just a conversation...

[center][h2]Arcadia[/h2]
[sub]Inside the Z-ATV[/sub][/center]

     Nicolas was leaning back in his seat in the Z-ATV now, the grinning expression on his face staring straight ahead...no, not quite straight. The slightest bit angled towards Jäger now. His hands were behind his head, and he was bouncing his crossed legs. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world anymore, but it was perhaps a little strange that he hadn't started up his own case of small-talk. The mischievous actor was as interested in the monk's answer as the machinist.

     Perhaps it would have been less noticeable if he reacted to the woman he had been nagging all day open her eyes, beckoning Haley over with a hand, a folded piece of crumpled paper in the other. As if the poor lady needed anything else stressing her; the Illon woman hadn't come with any formal paperwork, and wasn't a registered CMAS mage. Superiors had just tacked her on the Initiative team with no questions answered.

[center][h2]Ulimani Crags[/h2]
[sub]En Route to Xena Rock Fields[/sub][/center]

     The swordsman's eyes widened for a moment as he noticed Jenso sprint past him through the smoke. He wasn't expecting him to be so [i]fast.[/i] An immediate red flag went off in his head, and he shouted at the top of his lungs: [b]"The yellow one's not a mage! He's a Ki user! You idiot, Iron, I can't fight that!"[/b] He began coughing after shouting so hard while still in the smoke, but he wanted to be loud enough for his comrades on the cliff to hear. Distracted by the realization of Jenso's actual strength and his shift to warn his team about it, he lost proper focus. Several bullet wounds from Par punctured his back. He barely even screamed as he collapsed on the dirt.

     One down, four to go.

     The problem with the next member though, was the boisterous laughter as the titanic man caught Jenso's flame-doused fist with one hand, a distinct [i]klang[/i] as it impacted with metal, the fire burning away cloth and synthetic flesh covering his right hand, muscles bulging as the man's own Ki-enhanced strength held the attack back, standing firm. "Well now, ain't this more interesting! I thought you were just a little punk, but gotta say, you've got a real powerful left straight here, buddy!" A swift movement of his hand, and he grabbed Jenso by the wrist, flinging him in Par's direction with one swift movement. The man had blocked Jenso's strongest technique.

     "The name's Iron, fire-boy! Two bruisers like us, we should know each other's names before we get down and dirty!" The man was grinning now, settling into a top-heavy stance, ready to clash with a retaliation. He didn't seem to care about what just happened to his ally, or even properly trying to kill the two now.

     His buddies on the cliff though had different ideas. The mage and crossbowman came down from the cliff, and got themselves in a closer position to fire at Jenso and Par. They moved slowly, the mage's raised hands keeping the barrier in-tact no doubt. The crossbowman was half-panicking from a distance, calling out to Iron loud enough to be heard. "Are you serious, Iron?! Stoff is dead! Stop messing around and lets either kill them or leave--" The mage spoke up, features still indiscernible beneath his robe, except for rough boots and thin hands. He seemed like the quiet voice of reason between the two. "Calm down. Let Iron fight the Ki user. Watch for the gunner."

     The two parties were close enough together now that smokescreens wouldn't help either side. Well, most of them. There was definitely a fifth figure on the cliff when they revealed themselves...so where was he now?