Anastasia stared at the Confused Valeo who was still quirking his eyebrow, no words was said as the morning song of the forest echoed around them.
"Seriously, how are you the most wanted and yet still be this clueless?"
Anastasia said starting to rub her again with a grimaced expression, the silence that followed after was heavy and awkward.
"Wait...HOW IS YOUR JAW INTACT?"
The question Anastasia shouted making Valeo flinch and reached for his ear.
"Your role-"
"-Mitosis, I'm very excited for"
Valeo replayed the words of that man and remembered his arms and legs growing back.
The slow and agonizing pain was not what happened when his jaw reformed nor when his arms were chopped off and grew back, Valeo was about to answer until Anastasia held her hand up.
"Forget it, I don't have time to deal with this."
Anastasia began to walk away, swinging her lute to her back, She turned when footsteps behind her became evident. When she saw Valeo's staggering stature Anastasia's expression went from confusion to on guard then finally resting on both.
"What are you doing?"
"Walking."
Valeo said standing next to Anastasia leaning his head down just to meet eyes.
"No your following me, why?"
Anastasia glared at Valeo who quirked an eyebrow in response.
"We're curious."
"We're? who's the another person?"
Anastasia reader her lute, her gaze darting at everything and anything.
"Us."
Valeo jabbed a thumb to his chest, this made Anastasia stare at him like he said something absurd.
"So you refer to yourself in plural, great just great. Not only your dumber than a woodbite, your also insane."
Anastasia chuckled with a dead look in her eyes while holding her hand to her forehead.
"You still haven't answered my question, well, not properly at least."
Anastasia said her gaze rolling up and down his body trying to get a read on him.
"Which one? You asked a lot."
Valeo shot back crossing his lower arms.
"Why did you save me, and also how did you break the contract. It was supposed to kill me when the scumbag was killed or if he commanded it."
Valeo blinked, then he titled his head up slightly.
"We said it already, your a hero to your sister, whatever that is."
Anastasia quirked an eyebrow at the end.
"And that guy was hurting you, so we did what we thought was right."
Valeo said making Anastasia sigh.
"What you're saying isn't making any sense, there's got to be an ulterior motive."
Anastasia looked at Valeo with an guarded expression, confusing him.
"Everyone, and I mean everyone is out for themselves in the Vile Lands and since your the most wanted man currently, that makes you the most untrustworthy of all."
"We don't know what that 'eans."
Anastasia closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"Please, don't follow me. I'm paying my debt for you saving me."
Anastasia said, the hostility that was once there was now gone.
Her eyes demanding.
"Your what?"
Anastasia sighed again.
Before Valeo can get another word in Anastasia walked away her back turned to him, His words dying in his throat.
"What just happened?"
* * *
Leaves and twigs crunch beneath his boots as his shadow glided with him in the forest, his eyes observing every little detail.
Valeo was walking in a random direction once more, it was all he could do, with no idea where the map could be Valeo was practically a blind person in a moving maze.
The sound of rushing water caught his attention making him check it out. The sound was loud when Valeo approached the river bed but yet the river itself was smooth and calm.
His reflection staring back him.
His matted hair that ended in curls made Valeo grimaced a bit, the dirt and leaves in-between the strands gave him a wild but gross look.
But something else caught his eye, leaves and twigs on the surface was moving very slow but yet the objects below the surface were significantly faster.
"What the-"
When Valeo stuck his hand the river it was immediately met with something that made his eyes widen.
It was...
a man?
Valeo never seen a person this...short before, his head was larger than the rest of his body, his brown casual clothes damp as water drops fell to the dirt. Blinking rapidly Valeo leaned in closer to the grey haired man.
"AUUUUUUGH!"
Valeo shot his head back from unexpected nosie.
"Ah shite, where am I now?"
The man said his accent unfamiliar to Valeo but somehow it fit the mysterious person. Noticing he was being lifted the man looked at Valeo from the corner of his eye and grinned.
"OI did ya save me, thank you very much boyo but uh, could ya put me down. Not a big fan of being held you know." Valeo quickly placed the man down and backed up a bit.
He didn't want last time's reaction to happen again.
"I appreciate it boyo, ya saved my life."
"I uh."
The mysterious man quirked an eyebrow his grin still shining.
"Not one of a conversation are ya boyo, after someone says thank you, you say, your welcome."
"Your welco'e?"
Valeo said getting a blank look from the stranger.
"Eh close enough, ya lack of lips is a hindrance to your vocabulary though."
The man shrugged as he began to walk in the direction he came from.
Valeo stared at the strange man as he slowly walked away from him, mimicking the man's shrug Valeo was about to walk away also until the man's voice stopped him.
"OI BOYO, WERE DO YA THINK YA GOING?"
Valeo looked at the man confused.
"I NEED TO REPAY MY HERO AFTER ALL!"
"hero?"
* * *
Her heavy breathe was the only thing she could hear at the moment as she ran back to her town, Anastasia dodged low hanging tree branches and uproots, still looking forward.
"He better not lay a finger on her."
Just the thought made her blood boil.
Finally seeing a wall made from logs
Anastasia sprinted faster until she reached a gate, two men in light leather armor guarded the entrance.
"Halt, please stat-... Anastasia?" One guard said looking confused.
Anastasia passed the guards shutting down the conversation that barley started.
"Where in the wither world are you, Rogmir?"
The once bustling but now dead town was an after thought to her as she looked around every corner and street to find her target.
Reaching the center of the town Anastasia slid to a stop as she saw a sight that made her grind her teeth.
In the center was a large wooden gazebo with barrels of various drinks surrounding the structure. Inside the gazebo was a large brown bear wearing a strange Nordic armor.
Painted poorly on the center of his breastplate was odd symbol, some of the people of the crowd surrounding wore the same symbol but in different places on their person.
A triangle with small dots on each corner.
The huge bear noticed Anastasia and grinned making the servants around him jolt.
"ANASTASIA HA HA! I guess Skal's little pet came to deliver the orb herself."
Anastasia glared at the bear which made him grin more until it stopped.
"Speaking of the useless undead brat, where is Skal?"
"Dead."
The answer she gave to the bear didn't seem to faze him one bit.
"Hm."
The bear went to reach for the cup next to it but the sound of a plucked string ringed through the air as something pierced the cup.
"Oh?"
The bear slowly got up and walked towards Anastasia who branding her lute and glaring daggers at the approaching bear.
"Had to get your little errand boy to trick me when I was drunk into signing a binding contract just to subdue me, your scared, aren't you Rogmir?"
Anastasia had an uncharacteristic grin on her face as the bear began to snarl.
"Rogmir, Lord of the vines is not scared of simple musician."
Before she could say anything more, Anastasia had to dodge several vines at exploded from the ground, plucking a few strings she summoned the fish and sent them at Rogmir diverting his attention.
Running towards the bear Anastasia started to play the haunting melody the mushroom from hours ago played, tall lanky mushroom creatures faded in existence as they charged at Rogmir.
Small vines slithered down Rogmir 's paw forming a large axe which he use to engage the mushroom creatures.
Despatch them with ease Rogmir began to charge at Anastasia who was grinning.
"What's with that grin?"
Rogmir didn't notice the fish from earlier using a pincer maneuver.
"Hm, that's why she's grinning, such pathetic tactics."
Rogmir jumped backwards but felt something catch him.
"WHAT THE?"
The mushroom creatures he cut down fused together into a large arm that held Rogmir in place, the fish slammed into his stomach making cough up blood.
Walking towards the trapped bear Anastasia was out right beaming as she got closer.
"Aw what happened little cub?"
She mocked Rogmir who was practically foaming at the mouth.
"BIG SIS!"
Anastasia's heart stopped as she saw a little fox girl being held by a goon who had a knife to her throat.
Taking advantage of the distraction Rogmir sent Vines to Anastasia who didn't react in time and was sent flying.
The summoned creatures vanished as Rogmir began to chuckle. Seeing the lute before his feet the bear stomped on the instrument sending splinters flying.
"Aw what happened little ghoul'lin?"