Despite turning her back to Bastian, the robed woman casually approached the gate, with arms swaying in stride by her sides. His own heartbeat pounded like a drum. Butterflies fluttering in the pit of his stomach, feeling stalked, like the woman had eyes in the back of her head, equally analyzing every movement he made plodding along. Bastian sharply inhaled and exhaled slowly through his nose. [color=0072bc][i]“I don’t know why I’m so intimidated by someone with such a fragile frame…”[/i][/color] Bastian thought.

She leaned forward and pulled her robe up, revealing her right leg and promptly releasing the long leather strap attached to her leg. She spinned around before Bastian could even notice what she pulled from the strap, until eyeing a small crossbow aimed squarely at his neck. He noticed her posture drastically changed, giving him a bothered glare.

[color=a187be]“Peddler was right, there's not much going on upstairs is there?”[/color] She spoke raising the crossbow towards his head, in a completely different tone that was coherent. Bastian blinked, letting out a bewildered stammer.

[color=0072bc]“Excuse you? I figured you were armed, I just didn’t sense hostility...”[/color] Bastian uttered in defense, only receiving a further irritated look in response, before she dropped the crossbow to the ground. She stepped even closer and propped herself up on her tippy toes, raising her hand and delivered a swift smack across Bastian’s cheek. The dull sting lingering in his cheek was nowhere near as sharply damaged as his pride.

[color=a187be]“And why couldn’t you defend yourself against clear hostility?”[/color] She chided. Bastian clenched his teeth, unable to answer. [color=a187be]“Is it because you’re carrying a woman, whom I’m fairly certain isn’t injured and is completely capable of walking herself. Leaving yourself unnecessarily defenseless. Did she even ask for you to carry her?”[/color]

Bastian looked at Elizabeth, his cheeks flushing, just realizing that he hadn’t asked. [color=0072bc]“D-did you want to walk yourself? You seemed tired…”[/color]
 
She clicked her tongue and spun around again, revealing her bare leg which had intricate skull carved in his skin, like a tattoo, resembling Bastian’s necklace. He watched the skull on her leg shimmering crimson, unleashing a sense of unrestrained power. Bastian could feel the necklace getting uncomfortably warmer around his neck, feeling like he basking in the summer’s heat. Subsequently, the edges of the gate mimicked her glow, the doors swung open. [color=a187be]“Why should I even be surprised? You didn’t have enough forethought to question your sense of hearing being suppressed the moment the exit closed behind you, that only powerful magic could manipulate so effectively, even for a second, if anything else was being suppressed, like someone’s hostile aura for instance?”[/color] She said in an increasingly derogatory tone. Bastian briefly grinded his teeth, shrugging off her words and criticism, until she turned her head back with a piercing stare.

[color=a187be]“Your father would be so disappointed in you…”[/color] She uttered, shifting her gaze to Elizabeth. [color=a187be]“So if I would’ve penetrated dum-dum’s skull with my crossbow, after you finished tumbling down the stairs. Assuming you didn’t break anything-how would you have managed to fend for yourself?”[/color] Her question for Elizabeth was equally sharply laced with condemnation.