[center][h1][color=6ecff6]Valishin Elias[/color][/h1] [h2]"This is Bandit Country"[/h2] Interaction/s: [@Hitman], [@pkken], [@Raijinslayer] & [@Quincy][/center] [hr] "I'd like to respectfully disagree, Sir Dame." Vali's voice echoed softly near them as the sniper vanished underneath an illusion brought on by the cloak before getting out of the vehicle. "Argus is right. This is too convenient. If this is indeed a trap, we have the advantage of them not knowing how many we exactly are as well as what we can do. It's best if we keep this advantage since we also do not know how many of them there are sneaking about." Under the cover of illusions, Valishin made his way to the top of Sara's vehicle as silent as a lion on a prowl. The cloak proved larger than what the sniper expected, and as such, he was able to aim down the barrel and scope of his rifle while maintaining his cover. His scopes lined up with the robed men who stood near the still carriages. He adjusted the magnification, allowing him to observe the men better as he watched for unusual twitches or errant movements. "Sir Damian," Vali spoke into the ring which allowed his voice to somehow hover near the ears of his comrades, his inexperience with the tool causing his voice to shift from his normal baritone to a shrill tenor. "You are the most skilled in our group. If ever an ambush has been set, you have the highest chance of repelling it with your power and experience. However, just in case it proves too much, Trixie and Argus should accompany you to watch your back. As people adept in close-combat, they can rapidly come to your aid if the need arises." The sniper breathed out, noting the oddity of the lack of any noticeable movement from the robed individuals. They seemed quite stiff, as if they were planning something. "Sara and I are ill-suited for close combat. As such, I recommend our resident celestial mage to prepare a spirit who is well-versed in close-combat to function as a frontliner should the ambush extend to the backline." Vali suggested as he removed his eye from the scope, gazing at his surroundings before speaking into the ring again. "I'll provide cover fire from my vantage point, and I'll drop 'em if they swarm. I count ten heads, but mind the shadows." The sniper looked through his scopes again, checking the surroundings which were marred by walls upon walls of withering crops and wheat. This was the perfect area for an ambush, and it was almost uncanny how poorly hidden this plot was if ever their suspicions were right. "Do not provoke them or anything, though, as you approach them. Keep your fingers steady on your weapons, but do not give them a reason to attack. The Magic Council might get on our rears if we indeed attacked a group of innocent civilians who just happened to be conglomerating in dark robes. We have no concrete proof aside from our paranoia, so, we must play it safe." The bullet encased in the rifle glowed green as he prepared himself to create a blanket of poison fog to shroud their enemies' line of sight should things turn sour. "We aren't gonna start anything, but, by the gods," Valishin smirked, his voice scoffing at the idea of an ambush this obvious. "We're gonna end it." --- As he trained his eyes on the group of robed men, a slight rustling some meters ahead caught the sniper's keen eyes. A lone glint of sunlight reflected upon the blades of grass swaying with the winds, and a disturbing sight greeted the marksman. For the briefest of eternities, he glimpsed at some figures hiding amongst the crops. They seemed too far for any of his comrades to notice with their normal eyesight, but a foreboding sense of grim gripped at Valishin's heart as the figures vanished without a trace. Whoever these people were, they knew what they were doing. "Twenty-meters northwest of the robed men-- spotted possible figures hiding in the shadows." Valishin reported. "Proceed with caution." His finger eased at the trigger, breath steadying as his sights stabilized on the field surrounding the robed men. "Weapons ready. Let's dance."