"Right here!" Nahshon tells him, back on the path where he leads Ezek to show him the spot he found the mysterious stranger. "I saw her a-and this lady straight up took my sword...and freaking my apple!"

"So, you made a naked girl scare you into having her steal your stuff?" Ezek questions, enjoying a biscuit as he looks around the scene.

"Uh, well, she didn't scare me per se...I just got surprised. And she was naked...are you telling me to fight a naked girl??"

"Ah, boy," Ezek chuckles, scratching his chin, pondering as he looks at the boy. "That's the reason, isn't it? You're a virgin, aren't you?"

"W-What?" Nahshon laughs, hiding his shame. "...So??"

"Yeah. Look, I ain't judging you for it," He affirms. "I already know you're the shy type, but sheesh, you really gotta know when to grow some balls, alright?"

Nahshon goes speechless, his mouth folded as he knows what Ezek is saying is half true, their conversation breaking up as a group of ladies have come to enjoy their time in the lake, leaving the premise to give them some privacy with going back onto the path to the village.

"I think she might be close by," Nahshon figures. "I'll try to find her before we leave. I'm gonna try looking around"

"It's just a sword, man. You could always just buy a new one," Ezek suggests/

"Nope...I got that from a king. I don't think I could face him if he finds out how I lost it," Nahshon states, cringing at imaging King Horik being disappointed as soldiers also laugh at him.

"Well...Knock yourself out," Ezek cheers him on in his own way, reaching into the village where he bumps shoulders with a man on accident, seeing as the fellow spits on the ground after he tells him sorry, ignored as the man walks away without returning an apology. "Well, pardon me"

And to the column of his hotel he goes to lean on, with the whistling of a song that comes to head, and there he notices some strange movements from people he observes after a while; the man that bumped into him atop a balcony as he keenly eyes down a jewellery store just across from Ezek, and some more just near, all seeming to be giving each other signals, bringing to Ezek a strange tingling in his gut, as he begins to sense that something is off. And as predicted, after a couple more minutes, popping out of the jewellery store is the shaken owner who worries the bystanders with his face of distress that makes them uncomfortable.

"H-Help! Somebody, get the soldiers!!" The man yells, suddenly grabbed by the nape by the one who catches him, the robber who exits the store with a couple of bags, having bystanders rush away in the sight of his gun.

"God damn it..." Ezek exhales, jumping down to cover where most of the robbers can't see him, summoning dual pistols as his weapon of choice.

"Ah! You better drop those guns before I blast his brain out, boy!!" The robber threatens, holding his gun to the hostage's head with his grip tight upon him.

"Look, man! I'm sure you have gotten what you came for," Ezek states, looking into a nearby sign to see the reflection of another who begins creeping towards him. "And tell your buddy to don't come near me either!"

He stops the man in his tracks, having him kneel by a crate of boxes as he's been found out. And hearing many dialogues between the crooks, appear a handful of soldiers who push their way up, stopped by a gun pulled by one of the robbers, having them retaliate with equal force, both sides suffering casualties.

"Shit!! You pigs stay right there for me," The hostage holder says, pushing his gun to the side of the man's head as he snickers with his associates getting near him. "Now, my friends will be collecting this loot! Then, we're gonna get on our horses and ride off! If any of you pigs choose to trouble us, we're gonna have ourselves some big trouble!"

"Fuck..." Ezek sounds, as commencing is their second phase of the robbery, waiting and thinking of the right time to blast them with his guns as he grows impatient with every passing second they laugh among their pack.

***

And in another part of the village, is one of the robbers who have decided on fleeing, anxious after being in that gunfight, quickly finding himself in the village's clinic, kneeling as he shakingly reloads his gun. He rubs his bald head out of stress now as he has finished his reload, into pausing his act in the sound that firstly startles him, slowly looking up to the direction of the cooing he hears, to meeting his eyes to the ones of a frozen elven woman breastfeeding a human baby in her nursing outfit, her pink nipple attracting his eyes, and the roundness of her breast putting a grin on his face as he stands up, both his hands to his side as he slowly nods.

"Aren't you a little young to be a mother already?" He questions, his eyes seeming to gaze at her chest with no restriction. "Oh, you one of them wet nurses, aren't ya?"

And to the window he looks to for any passing soldiers, his grin wider as he comprehends that he is indeed alone with the woman and the baby, licking his bottom lip as he faces her once again with slowly pacing towards her with laughter that threatens her, his voice gritty and disturbing to her agitated heart.

"Well, if I'm gonna go to prison or die soon, might as well go out with a bang, don't ya think?" He charges to the lady, and so she puts herself in a curdle upstate, her breathing gone heavy as he clutches her with his dirtied hands, the baby crying as she tries to resist his assault, throwing weak punches at him as they both grapple, his attack halting at the sound of crackling that startles him, turning his attention to who has caught him in his act, Nahshon who've just come out of the bathroom after taking a leak, with fingers pointing at him like a gun, lightning zapping off them.

"A magician...!" The robber states, his hands trembling at the eyes that threaten him. "Just hold on now-"

"...Move," Nahshon gestures, to the man who still remains in place, continuing in biting his bottom lip as he enters a contest of stare with the boy, into a long staredown where he tries his luck, quickly stunned by a charge from Nahshon's fingers, to the tile where he drops before he could reach to his holster.

"Hm, that actually worked..." Nahshon says, looking through the window as he had heard the gunshots from before.

"Someone said there's a robbery going on," The lady informs him, at ease from the rescuing of the boy.

"Really...? damn it. I hope Ezek isn't in trouble," He says as he begins pushing some of his luck onto his.partner, nodding as he has decided to check it out for himself. "Stay here and hide somewhere"

"What should I tell her if you don't return in time?" She asks him.

"Oh," Nahshon is reminded, sighing as he takes the legs of the man in his hands. "You don't have to say anything. I'll be sure to come back someway or another...If I don't die. Goodbye, for now"

And so he begins dragging the man out the clinic, all the way to a stable where he stashes him on the inside with the resting horses he pets, then onto the narrow streets to where he sneakily heads down as h hears another set of gunshots, his progress stopped at the sound of two men he hears conversing, both with guns loaded to harm anybody who opposes them.

"Where we going after we rob this place??" The lizardman asks, eager to get his catch.

"We're going down to the south, in Strongcastle," The orc with the top hat says, Nahshon now knowing there going into the southern province. "When we get there, we take our cuts and split up. I'm going to find myself some fancy clothes, and take some time off"

"You can say that again. And after this, wanna go to one of the brothels? I need me some relaxation if you know what I'm saying"

"Well said, mate...well said," The orc nods, agreeing to his offer as he too earns for some relaxation.

And out comes the radio of the lizardman, as he's responding to one of his other buddies, finishing his chat with the orc as he's told to move to another spot. With him now gone, comes another setup. the orc who is distracted by a little puppy that strolls up to him, creating a chance of which Nahshon takes, zapping across the alleyway in quick succession, leaving the orc to think it was just the breeze that had passed. And so the boy continues his progress, hoping Ezek and others are all alright, making his best bet to go to the hotel. Dodging many encounters with both soldiers and the robbers alike, by the hotel he almost reaches, and there he sees Ezek planted at a wall with his revolvers out, quickly reacting in seeing some robbers coming his way, by climbing into a pub. Dropping himself in, he crouches as he sees as people are kneeling to hide until it's over, gesturing to them to keep calm as he's not one of the robbers. And through the semi-transparent mirror of the pub, he can still see Ezek down the road, crouching with his head peeking out every few seconds, being glad that he's alright. And so he once again sets his leg onto the window, stopped by the sound of the door that frightens the people of the pub as it opens with force, a man who enters with his face twisted with anger, with a knife tightly gripped in his hand.

"What are you doing sneaking around, kid?" The scarred-face robber questions the boy, Nahshon turning to him to see the weapon in his hand.

"...I'm looking for my friend," Nahshon answers, his eyes fearless as he gawks at the robber.

"Don't play dumb with me!!" The scarred-face robber flashes his knife, scaring the people as more gunshots go off. "I saw you dragging my buddy this whole time, and I followed you here. Now, let me hear you beg for your life!! you little runt!!"

And fiercely he begins waving his blade around, but compose Nahshon remains, dodging his every attempt of slashing his skin, through many heavy swings that even destroy objects in their path, some being obstacles for the man as well, as Nahshon tries his best to lead him away from the people near them, kicked down with quickly getting up, back into the action. And one swing of a punch Nahshon set across the robber's face, his strike busting the man's lip, a little proud at his success of landing a hit. But so his strike angers the man, receiving his knife in an overhead strike, perfectly halting it with his small hand. Using his other big hand to grab the boy's shirt, wanting to throw him around, the robber tries to break free, but barely moved is Nahshon with his stance that resists him from going unbalanced, as even with his two rough hands and bigger body against this frail-looking kid, he still has trouble winning as they wrestle around the tables.

And now Nahshon sees it, the strength he feels as well as the other feats that have improved in the last few weeks, giving to him newfound confidence which he grips the robber's wrists with, slowly releasing his grasp upon himself, also dropping his knife. And to his grind, is a knee from Nahshon, having the man squeal in pain, into a series of punches that he bloodies his face with, turning him into a red sponge. The robber braced against the door, his head woozy from his beating, out he goes, straight onto the road where his buddies are, drop kicked to the stomach by the victor, Nahshon who has defeated him. Before anybody could ask, rolling down the road is trouble they see coming their way, gas canisters that have been set off by the man's tumble out the door. And into cover they all go for, shouting to their allies below to watch for incoming tanks, the hostage holder looking to see the rain that is coming down on them at full speed.

***

"What in dalmatians??" The hostage holder questions, his legs instinctively moving as he sees them coming, and an opportunity Ezek sees as he views into the reflection of the sign, rolling onto the main street where first wound the distracted hostage holder, then onto the propane tanks, creating onto the street a chain reaction that blasts the robbers nearby, glass shattered, picking off the rest of the robbers in his sight in what seems like a flash of a single second, bringing an opportunity to the soldiers as well, all of them chanting with marching their way through, now as they've seen that Ezek has dealt with most of them, capturing the several robbers who were wounded by the explosion and Ezek's bullets, and seeing this mess, down from the balcony is the robber who bumped into Ezek, onto one of the horses strapped with a portion of the stolen goods.

"Get inside and don't come out until it's over with!" Ezek tells the freed hostage, running up the street to chase the last one.

"Ezek!" Nahshon shouts as Ezek runs up to him.

"Come on! We're going after him" Ezek declares to him, hopping onto one of the horses with detaching the stolen loot from its body.

"What- why?? The soldiers already captured most of them," Nahshon informs him, worried of Ezek being too deep into the chaos as he thinks the soldier will get the man either way.

"He stole a man's work, and he ain't getting away with. You can ride a horse, right? Let's go!"

Off with the borrowed horse Ezek gallops, Nahshon thinking of whether to follow or not, wanting to wait until the lady returned with his sword. But so he makes up his mind, onto following in the pursuit along with his partner outside the village, full pace across the land, into passing other soldiers who join the chase with sirens attached to their horses, as well as travellers who stop by the side of the road to let them pass., as like a pack of wolves, they chase the robber like a sheep who's alone in the wilderness.

"Sir! Pullover the horse! Do not resist!! I repeat, pull over the horse now!!" A soldier tells him through his microphone, shooting around the robber's horse along with the others.

"Shit! This isn't getting us anywhere!! He's gonna pass before we can get him!!" Ezek warns, as in their vision in the distance, is the train they are about to intersect with, tempted to shoot the robber in the head the closer they get.

Behind him the robber looks, grinning that he'll be able to escape seeing that his pursuers are at a pretty good distance away from him. And with this understanding in mind, is Nahshon who goes through his thoughts for a method, looking around the environment but seeing nothing around that may be of use. And so his eyes set on the legs of the horse, as in his mind he imagines a distressing neigh from the animal who's just a victim in all of this mess, thinking it as his ideas as the only way they have left to catch the robber.

"Tch," Nahshon hisses, contemplating whether he should go through with it or not, sighing as he makes his choice. "Forgive me, horsie"

To the legs of the horse he aims his hand with a target in mind, charging his mana as he steadies his aim, and appears a quick blow of lighting that strike its legs, his plan succeeding, causing the horse to crash and stumble, throwing the robber into the air in which he rolls heavily until he tumbles near the passing train, the group catching up just in time, all getting off their horses.

"Damn it!!" The robber yells, pulling out a gun with grabbing onto one of the loot. "I ain't going to prison!"

"Sir! Put down the weapon!!" A soldier demands as they begin to draw closer. "If you open fire, we will have no choice but to return with equal force! Put the gun down, now!!"

And slowly the robber begins to back up, as the train is almost done with passing, his sprained leg limping in his greed to escape with his loot, holding onto his catch dearly, as the soldiers continue with protesting for his surrender, their voices rendered into silence as they lay their eyes upon the view of the passing train, their mouths open to the sight they see as the many carts has fully passed. Hearing as the train had passed, the robber looks at the frozen pursuers as he limps backwards over the train tracks, gladden at only knowing as they move no closer to him, grinning his teeth as he begins running on his limping leg, turning in bouncing into a large obstacle in front, that ruins his joy instantly. And there he quickly understands why they remain still as he ran, his face turning sour to the thing he looks up, as above him, is a beast with an unbearable stench that quickly attaches to his nose, frozen by his fear of what he already knows as a threat to his life.

Its severely scarred body of a lion, with dirtied wings that cover it's back, its face is of a man whose shape is abnormal, overshadowing the man with its massive height, cracking the voice of the man below, as he cannot speak, nor is he able to swallow his spit as the beast growls as it looks down on him, stepping back slowly with his eyes gone red with tears that flow up uncontrollable, its presence having the man murmuring for the gods to save him. And slowly opened is the mouth of the beast with its deep voice that bellows in his ears, that reveals to the man who whimpers the terror within, striking from him a terrifying scream as he aims his gun and shoots at its tough skin, squashing half his body inside its mouth like a simple prey with its teeth. And drowned are the ears of those who stand and listen, the unsettling sound of his body being crushed and torn apart by the monster's large and sharp teeth, his blood oozing across the grass which sets call in their skins an anxious self, all of them taking their time stepping back with the horses getting in a frenzy from the aura they smell from the atrocity in front.

"A-A chimaera...?!" A soldier states, her gun shaking in her hands. "We-We're going to die...this isn't something for a simple patrol unit to deal with"

"You gotta be kidding me...!" Ezek says, as the chimaera slowly begins to pace over the tracks, its eyes on the frozen preys with its big red eyes, and blood drooling out its mouth as it growls ever so calmly as it walks, as in the sky above, are the clouds that have now completely block out the evening sun, with the wind tickling their napes, greeting them with the chills of its flow down their spines, and off is the roar of the beast, the chimaera who goes full burst towards them, every living, moving thing out of its way in their strong frenzies, leaving the frozen Nahshon who is struck by an almighty fear as he stares it into its face, his skin covered in cold sweats it draws nearer.

"Nahshon!! Get out of the way!!!" Ezek shouts, waking Nahshon into quickly diving out the way of its bloodlust, from using all the strength he could muster to pass his terror.

"Shoot it!! Shoot it now!!!" A soldier shouts, commanding the others.

Through their absolute instincts, rain upon the beast is their ammo they waste no time to spend, the beast's strong wings forming as its shields to block their fear-filled firing. It leaps into the air, and down with a slash, almost having one of them lose their lives. And through several attacks, the beast tries to take their lives repeatedly, close with each strike it attempts, with one caught by the leg and flung across the field, going into the air once more with its mouth open with the sounds of inhaling that triggers their senses for something critical to come.

"Huh-It's doing something!! Take cover!!" A soldier cracks.

And with a mighty gasp, a blast of flames washes the earth beneath, pushing the ones below into taking cover under rocks they find. But so was one not so lucky, his leg burnt extra badly, screaming in pain as he holds onto his friend. And there the beast lands, to the one who screams in pain, both of tucking themselves under the rock as the beast begins trying its bite against them, reaching in as he tries to catch them. And one starts praying, his opening as he hears the inhaling once more, to the beast who prepares in lighting them a fire where they hide. And to their rescue, the beast's attack is cancelled, saved by Nahshon's lightning assault, the beast lightly struggling as the boy gives it his all, not stopping his current of lightning vastly flowing through his hands, draining his mana quickly, restraining himself from stopping, his eyes twitching for a slight close and his body shaking, ending his assault upon the beast as his mana has completely drained, dropped to his knees and the beast still standing.

"Damn it!" Ezek sounds, going to Nahshon's side where he begins his own assault, automatic rifle in his hand as he grits his teeth. "Die!!! You ugly piece of shit!!"

The beast jumps towards them and so they're lives are flashed before their eyes as the beast's claws reach them, their actions futile in the end, their heart stopping from its rapid beating as it finally ends. But slowly opening, are Ezek's eyes once again, quickly gasping from the holding his breath as he thought it was the end, to the sight of the beast frozen in place with its claws just slightly touching his head, watching as it begins to ease away from them, like fear now driving its actions.

"My, oh my," A voice they hear, looking above them for the sound, then behind them, Nahshon's eyes lighting up as he hears the voice, as this time, she appears in a beautiful white dress, looking down on them from above with a mask over her mouth.

"Leaving for a mere couple of hours, and there has been a robbery, and some kitty trouble," She states, levitating down to the ground as she begins looking around at the scene. "Hmm...and it seems this kitty has been a very naughty one as well"

Firstly she kneels to Nahshon, handing him to him a bottle of mana potion and Ezek a couple of healths to give the others as the beast takes a step back, it’s head low as it sees a stronger predator, sensing the aura that very much threatens it's life, receiving from her a glare of gleaming red, freezing it in place once again.

"What's wrong, kitty? Your roaring was rather powerful when attacking these people. What happened to all that power you showed off? And on top of that, you've harmed my guest," She says, gesturing to Nahshon. "...It's best you leave...before I dirty my hands with your blood. I have a clinic to help run, so they shall remain clean. Now, bug off"

At the words of her command, leaping into the vast sky is the beast who runs away, its wings moving hastily as work to escape her aura. And so she turns around to Nahshon, her hand reaching out for a shake with a smile, one of a confident manner he can see even as she wears the mask, her beautiful eyes captivating him as he gets up.

"Isabella," She states her name. "A pleasure to meet"

"...Nahshon," He replies, accepting her handshake, as around is the wind that blows past them, as if they're meeting is destiny itself.