Sky High | Tia Haiku & Ezra Aurence | Private

It was a quiet night in Oahu, as Tia and Chai were searching the job board in Golden Phoenix to find a certain job to keep their week busy. "Tia, I believeth I has't hath found a local job that would beest quite simple to doth, especially the two of us." Chai began to tell, as she ripped a piece of paper off the wall. It was a job to escort two people to the other side of the mountains, from North to South. "This should be fairly simple, but it seems like it will last a few days. We should get going now if we want to start the trip by sunrise." Tia exclaimed, as she packed her bag with a few bottles of water and books. They began to walk out the guild hall and through the portal to the phoenix mountains, which would lead them to where they first met one of the Guild Masters, Summer. They were going to begin the voyage at the small town in the outskirts of the mountain range, which they could glide to from that height of the plateau. Tia hopped off the side of the plateau and her crescent moon-pin began to glow as she gripped onto her hat, which puffed up into a giant bubble. Chai flew behind her, and the wind made them glide to the location faster.

As they landed in the center of the village, they were greeted by two travelers: a husband and a wife. They seemed to be the people that sent out this request, as they looked as if they were preparing to scale mountains with their gear. "Hello, I am Tia Haiku of Golden Phoenix, and this is Chai. We are here to assist you in crossing the mountain."

WC: 298 / 2500 ♥

The Phoenix Mountains!
Rocks! Trees! More rocks! Mountains!

Quite a few events happened recently from what Ezra was paying attention to. He became an Ace of his own guild, Fairy Tail, established stable relationships with guildmates and would have new stories to tell about his adventures on various dangerous jobs that threatened the fate of entire towns! If that wasn't enough, he went under a massive change in appearance as well. His usual blazing, red hair was no more, descending to an ugly black. His spotless, white skin? Now decorated in tattoos. One wouldn't be able to recognize this man if they knew him beforehand, but his drinking problem and jolly nature made it clear to friends that this was indeed the one and only Ezra Aurence.

The wizard lived a dangerous life, the act of quelling evil and wrongdoing becoming as natural to him as breathing. Every now and then, wizards with this lifestyle needs a break. And how to take a break from work? More work!

This would be Ezra's first time to the Phoenix Mountains, and didn't know else to expect besides a mountain. If anything, he saw it more as a camping trip than an escort mission. Many would call him arrogant for treating it as such, but the young man was certain he could guarantee his clients' safety in his presence judging by the ranked difficulty of the mission.

Ezra left early in the morning, arriving later the same day. He brought nothing but a handbag, two bottles of Magnolian Whiskey, a compass, and a the latest release of Earthland Today! magazine. It was all the man ever needed. Alcohol, a tool, and some entertainment.

By the time Ezra arrived at the nearest village, he could spot his clients right away. One older man and woman, both with one giant backpack latched to their shoulders. Which such old bodies, he reckoned their spines would snap. They must be stronger than he anticipated.

With one toothy grin and a hand wave, Ezra greeted the two from afar. "Hidy do,
fellers!" Ezra would shout, but as he approached his clients, he would soon realize that the pair had been a trio.

Ezra's mind came to a pause as he processed the situation. Aye, forgot that these jobs accepted multiple mages 'n all. He assessed, jollier than before.

The raven haired man came to a halt as he was in talking distance with his group. "Ezra Aurence, 'ere to escort y'all. From good ol' Fairy Tail, heh-heh." Ezra would scratch his nose as he introduced himself in his usual deep, country accent, his golden eyes wandering over to the other wizard, dipping his head in greetings.

WC: 446/2,500
Note: Sorry for the rush. xD

The village seemed quite quiet, from what Ezra could tell. The black haired man spent most of his days in his hometown and Magnolia, all very loud and busy places. Where there was always chit chat or some sort of incident occurring. If anything, this would be a nice change of pace.

After Ezra had introduced himself, his eyes had seem to wander about the village. Places to go, things to try, maybe find a nice lady to drink with. But from what he could tell, seemed more like a village of old men and women, maybe find one in their middle ages here and there. Though despite his divided attention, he could hear most everything of what the girl and her familiar were talking about. The superhuman hearing inherited by generations of werewolves combined with the enhanced hearing of being a dragonslayer, little to nothing to could top his sense of smell and hearing.

Not to say that would've preferred not to hear the two gossip about him and his guild, but it certainly made a first impression.

Ezra would turn back to his group as the young woman would speak again, this time, directly to him. "Eh? D'aw, come on now, lassie. So many sights t'see, smells t'smell, things to touch.
Ain't you ever been 'campin? This is a perfect opportunity, eh?" Ezra jested, laughing a heart laugh. "Course, this is a job 'n all.. so I reckon it ain't a vacation, is it? Heh-heh."

It wasn't unusual for Ezra to be so friendly. One wouldn't be able to tell that this man had a temper that snaps as easily as a twig on the ground. Ezra rubbed the nape of his neck and pointed towards the mountains, "Lead the way, lassie!"

WC: 740/2,500

As the group began to walk out of the village and into the mountain range, Tia sighed due to the fact that she had to also balance another wizard with her. However, he did have magical power, which could prove useful to them in some aspects. Also, he was quite charming, especially in Tia's eyes. "So, Ezra, tell me more about yourself... How is life in Magnolia, especially Fairy Tail? I would expect someone as jolly as you to go legal and not independent, but I respect your choice." she told him, as she ducked under a small break of rock that blocked the path. She was curious about the setup of independent guilds, and how they functioned. If they were really good, she would think they would register as legal, but she had no authority to question the system of their guild. The only guild she should be worrying about is Golden Phoenix, the guild in which she is currently in.

"We wilt taketh a breaketh in two hours, but until then, we wilt needeth to keepeth going straight until we arrive at a breaketh in the road. After that, we wilt needeth to taketh a right, and squeeze through various holes and canyons madeth of rock. After that standeth a large tree with a field of grass, whither we can cease and fix food for lunch." Chai told the party, as she stared straight into the screen of her iLac. Chai always seemed to be the one to assist the party with directions, especially in escort missions like this. "Thank you, Chai."

WC: 953 / 2500 ♥

The group would hurry off into the depths of the Phoenix Mountains, in hopes that they would arrive sooner the next day, if not today. Ordinary things may or may not occur when in the presence of a mage.

For the most part of the trip, Ezra remained silent but his demeanor unchanged. With or without the group's noticing, he would stop an observe areas, gather strange nuts and berries, and even collected cool looking rocks. It was as if he revealed his inner child and his love for the outdoors. Though, really, he had no idea what kind of nuts and berries they were and was hesitant to eat them. Though in the event that they were edible, he would boast about it later on when they took a break. Until then, he stashed it in his handbag.

Everything went smoothly before his partner created conversation with him. Which was a surprise to Ezra, he didn't take her to be the talking type.

"Curious, ey? 'Prolly one of the most troublesome towns, I reckon. Ain't ever a moment of peace, if you know what I mean, lassie." Ezra snickered as he would scratch the tip of his nose. "Fairy Tail? Well, I ain't ever really gave a thought 'bout what the Council thinks we are. I know what Fairy Tail aspires to do and what it means to me. Hell, if the poor guild disbanded today, I reckon nothing would change, heh-heh. We'd still be out there 'helpin folks. As if I'd... or as if we'd let a silly guild label define us. Legal, Independent, Dark, it ain't mean a damn thing, does it?" He would end with his usual, silly grin and a gentle stroke of his beard.

As the group would continue their progress, his teammate's familiar would notify the group of upcoming breaks. It didn't seem all that necessary to Ezra, but for his clients and his teammate (who had been doing the bulk of the work), it seemed most essential.

Ezra would focus his gaze on Tia, leaning down in on her with his imposing height. "Well then, can't let this man not have 'er share, right? Whadda' bout you,
lassie? What's your story?"
WC: 1,109/2,500

As Ezra began to respond to her question, Tia blushed at his morals. "That is a very good cause. I also stand for those morals, being a legal guild mage and all." she told him, as she looked up into his eyes. He was a lot taller than her, despite her being one of the taller ones of her guild. His eyes shone pure energy in the sun, as well as the sweat forming across his body. "Well, my story is a bit strange, so I expect you to get confused after I tell you all the details." Tia told him, as they walked farther down the path. "Don't forget about me, Tia! I wanteth to beest hath included in the story!" Chai exclaimed, as she flew next to her. "Don't worry about it, Chai. I will include every detail." she told her, as a smile produced from Chai's face.

"To begin, I was found at the doorstep of a library when I was five years old. I had forgotten everything, and was educated there. The librarians were my new parents, as I was a mere orphan. Years into my stay, I was taught a special type of magic from a book. Skipping to a few years back, I decided to leave the library to experience all the things I read in books first-hand. I packed up all of my belongings and left, seeking to roam the world. That day, I found Chai's egg in a purple grotto. She eventually hatched, and became my companion. I was reading up on guilds, and I felt as though Golden Phoenix was the guild for me. That is when I joined, which was not that long ago, surprisingly. And now, we are here!" she told him, blushing as she did so. This was one of her few friends outside of her guild, and she was happy to make a new acquaintance.

WC: 1272 / 2500 ♥

The conversation went smoothly. His partner, Tia, had went on about her past and what events had happened up until this point. It wasn't too far-fetched, to say the least. A young girl, mysteriously showing up at a library with no memories before arriving. Raised in a library, and in said library, learned the art of magic. Later in her lifetime, seeking adventure and journeying out of her comfort zone, discovering her little friend along the way. It seemed like any young wizard's story. Or perhaps bizarre events were just the norm for the wizard community?

"Strange? Aye, strange for any normal person. Seems like a normal childhood to me,
heh-heh!" Ezra chuckled, sending a playful nudge with his shoulder over to Tia's.

"Golden Phoenix, eh? Last I heard of it, they were treasure hunters or 'somethin of the sort. Ain't ever click with me, is all. What drew 'ya to it? Treasures?" He questioned. Ezra had most guilds' names memorized, but had never really looked into them as a guild. Sure, he's seen articles of them here and there in the magazines, and has even cooperated with some of their mages on jobs that demanded some magic power. But otherwise, he remained completely ignorant to the doings and whereabouts the guilds were. But that always left for pleasant surprises.

WC: 1,229/2,500

"I agree, it can be seen as sort of cliche." she responded to him, as he seemed to mention how her life seemed normal for a wizard. She did not feel as though it was normal at all, especially in the real world. Sure, it was in many different types of books, but her life was like a never-ending book itself. As she was speaking to him about this, two large centipedes began to scuttle toward them. "ReQuip: Eternity of Burns~!" she exclaimed, as a book ablaze appeared in her hands. She swiped her nails across the cover, which sent a cone of fire toward the centipedes. This seared their bodies, causing them to erupt into dust. "I'm sorry.." she said under her breath to the dust that had emitted from the centipedes, and kept walking as she sent the book off into her pocket-dimension.

"As I was saying, yes, I am a part of Golden Phoenix. We are a legal guild, and while they used to be extremely focused on treasure hunting, we are beginning to gear toward performance arts. However, we still love to find treasure." she told him, as she scooted past another rock that was in the way. "Tia, look hither." Chai pointed in-front of them, as they approached a giant canyon which looked to have rocks blocking most of the path. "We need to climb, then." Tia ordered, as the man and woman nodded in approval. They looked like they could scale mountains with their gear, so she was confident in them. "ReQuip: Angel's Book." she stated, as wings sprouted from her back. She boosted into the air, levitating above Ezra with Chai flying behind her. "Since they can climb themselves, we will be flying over them to ensure they are safe. Hold onto my hands." she told Ezra, as she reached her hands out to the ace. Her wings were flapping through the air, causing the wind to flutter around them.

WC: 1600 / 2500 ♥
MP: 75%

Listening to others’ life stories was rather relaxing for the black-haired brute. He never truly realized how different yet so similar he was to others.

Ezra’s history, to say the least, was unique. Even among mages. He and his people grew separated from the general public, monitored by the Magic Council and the secrets within his own society they wanted to remain hidden. The boy and his people lived amongst themselves and themselves alone, deep within the East Forest. So deep that it was rarely ever ventured by anyone but brave merchants. But even they were scared off.

His heritage didn’t necessarily involve magic, but a curse bestowed by wicked demons. It was through that misfortune that generations of modern-day werewolves would be born. A spectacular and fascinating event, indeed. But it was bore many different circumstances that would and could threaten Fiore. It was for that reason that Ezra and his people lived away, isolated from the rest of society.

But most, on first glance, would not be able to tell that this man was a werewolf or a dragon slayer. Really, the dragon slaying was purely coincidence. If not for the spontaneous formation of the lacrima deep within him, he would’ve just been a normal human being that had the superhuman characteristics of a werewolf.

It was surely an interesting tale to tell, but certainly not as interesting or unique compared to other mages’ stories. Death, abandonment, isolation, greed, hatred, sadness, emotions all too common within a story of a mage. A mage’s life is truly, most surely, a sad tale. They are doomed to be bestowed these emotions, but it also further shapes their path as a mage. How fascinating.

Although lost in thought, it wasn’t Tia’s words that snapped him back to the now, but the unwelcomed guests that would appear in moments to come. Two abnormally large insects were destroyed as quickly as they came. Once juicy beasts, now piles of ash and dust. And all by Tia’s doing.

Ezra smiled and turned to face Tia as they approached the landform that they would need to scale, ”Fancy ‘lil spell ‘ya got there, lassie. Heh-heh.” He cackled. Though, a small amount of guilt had struck him knowing that Ezra was doing effectively nothing. But, he supposed he didn’t actually need to lest the situation demanded his efforts.

Golden Phoenix going to performance arts, eh? Not the most exciting change, I reckon. But makes’em stand out, I’ll tell you that. Don’t ‘cha wonder what else besides treasure is out there, though?” Ezra would add as he would wrap his fingers around Tia’s wrist, confirming a tight grip that would be sufficient enough to lift him steadily.

”Ain’t I the one who should be carrying you? I could lift everyone here, ya know!” He snickered. What he said was true, but didn’t mind a lift every now and then!
WC: 1,712/2,500

Tia smirked at his comment that he should be carrying Tia, but she felt like it should definitely be the other way around. She flew up, and twirled right toward Ezra in the sky. She grabbed his hands and interlocked them with hers, noticing that they were a lot larger than hers. She began to fly overhead with him hanging from her hands, and the wind began to blow. This wind made her wings and hair flutter with it, as well as revealing a better sight of Ezra's body and tattoos. He was magnificently in shape, which made Tia gawk at the sight. "Well, it's apparent who works out the most in this pairing." she said to the boy, as she looked closer at his tattoos.

As they passed over the rocks that blocked their path, she began to think of what they could talk about. She had only paired up with other females, so going on jobs with men were different for her. Now that she thought about it, she realized that she didn't quite grow up with any male presence. After all, the librarians were all female, as well as her companion. "Your tattoos look magnificent, Ezra. When did you acquire them, and do they have a story?" she asked the man she was carrying in her arms, as she began to descend. The large tree with the field of grass around it was right in-front of them, therefore it signaled that they would take a break to eat.

Tia and Chai began to build a fire, as the man and woman unloaded their packs and pulled out a pot that they could hang over it. They told her she could use any of the food she wanted that they had carried to fix a meal, which she happily did so. She had poured in cheese, noodles, and chicken, as well as a variety of different spices and other essential ingredients to make it more flavorful. In the meantime, Chai spread a large picnic blanket across the flat-grass and sat on it. "All finished! Cheap Man's Chicken Alfredo Pasta." she told them, as she scooped large amounts of the food into five separate foods. She had sorted out the utensils, and sat down on the blanket with the rest of the party.

WC: 1984 / 2500 ♥

The two would ascend and fly about in the atmosphere, Ezra being able to see things from different heights. Of course, he had the ability to achieve these heights through multiple ways, but it felt different than riding a dragon or a wave of ice. It was far more relaxing.

As the wind would kiss their cheeks and blow through their locks, Tia and Ezra's figures became much more revealing than they were before. Tia's long hair tickled the tip of his nose, making him sneeze quietly, followed by a confidant smirk by her teasing remark. "Course, lassie! Being fit keeps 'ya healthy n' all, after all."

A moment of silence had settled, but never seemed to lift for the longest of times. The two just enjoyed the flight together, before Tia would speak again. This time, asking a question he did not expect.

"Magnificent? Well, that's one way to describe'em, eh-heh..." Ezra smiled a rather sad smile, as a rosiness flushed his cheeks, rather embarrassed and surprised by her compliment. "Why don't we land, first? Getting a bit nauseous up here, aye?"

The group would land by a large tree, making it clear that it was time for a break. Although the walk hadn't been hard on his body, his feet certainly ached from scaling such rough and rocky terrain. A nap would be nice, but knowing the nature of the job, there was no time for a nap. Ezra leaned against the trunk of the tree, sliding down onto his rear with his arms crossed.

While the group settled down, Tia would work a magic different from spells and weapons, but magic inside the cooking pot. A magnificent aroma filled the air, leaving Ezra's mouth watering. But in a matter of minutes, several dishes more spectacular than the aroma itself had been born from Tia's magic. Ezra had instantly snatched a plate, licking his lips. "I'll be damned, lassie!
If this ain't the best Alfredo I've ever seen...! You'd make a good wife, aye? Haha!" Ezra praised before stuffing his mouth with the noodles of goodness.

Not before long, the plate was licked clean, resting it on his lap with a satisfied smile. "Where were we? My tattoos? Aye, aye. Weeeelll..." Ezra scratched his scratchy beard, can't say I'm proud of'em, I'll tell you that much. I don't tell folks 'less they ask, but this runs in my family, ya see. A long while back, some demon, I reckon, cursed my folks. Destined to turn into beasts, they say. Modern day werewolves. Guess some folks think it sounds cool on paper, aye? But lots of my people have passed away because of these tattoos, this black hair,
and these eyes. I'd like to turn these tattoos into anything besides a burden, but..." Ezra spoke quietly, somberly. His eyes were filled with that of regret, anger, frustration, pure sadness. But as he lifted his head, a bright smile spread from ear to ear. He thrusted his arm out, a plate between his thumb and fingers. "Got any seconds, lassie?"
WC: 2,222/2,500

As Ezra began to explain his story of his tattoos, Tia began to think about it to herself. "A beast, well that certainly is interesting. I wouldn't have expected that to result from his story, let alone the fact that he is a descendant of werewolves." she thought, as her pointer-finger began to slip through the clear strands of hair that covered her shoulders. "I have read about werewolves before, but they must be the fictional kind. I never thought I would actually meet a descendant of one. Hell, I didn't even know they truly existed." she told him, as his blank face turned to a smile. "Sure, we have plenty more to go around." Tia told the man, as she grabbed his bowl and walked back toward the area she had fixed the dinner in the beginning. "It sure is hot outside, one moment." she told him, as she unbuttoned her cardigan and slipped it off. She then removed her hat, positioned her crescent-moon pin, and threw the bundle of excess clothing toward Chai. While Chai folded these clothes to slip into her bag, Tia began to tie her hair up into a ponytail. She was now wearing a short, skimpy purple dress with stripes, as well as long white socks that reached from her thighs to her toes. Her ponytail was high and tight, but left two large strands dangling in the front of her face.

"Here you go, Ezra. We should be going soon, as I would like this mission to end as quickly as possible." she said, so she could return home to read more. "Also, thank you for complimenting my food earlier. I learned this recipe where I grew up, it is actually pretty simple to make." she told him, blushing as she began to pack up their surroundings. As she began to walk to return the blanket to the woman that was also packing, she tripped on a root of a tree and fell directly in-front of Ezra. "Th... That was embarrassing.." she told him, as she brushed herself off and picked up the blanket again. Her cheeks began to turn the color of beautiful roses, as she did not want to embarrass herself in-front of another mage, especially a man with much greater power then her. "Well, Chai will once again lead the way. I do not believe we have much more of the adventure left." she told the travelers, as they began to pick up their packs. "As for you Ezra, I hope we can become even more acquainted then we already are." she told him, as her soft hands brushed against his face and through his black hair. "Let's." she told him, as she extended her hand out to meet his.  

WC: 2445 / 2500 ♥

A long story, his was. But he couldn't help but leave out the little details when we would narrate this story to friends and guildmates. Within this tale were feelings from all over the spectrum: hatred, regret, sadness, and a bitter pinch of joy and nostalgia. Coming from a man who grew up in a such a place where executions were just everyday doings, and where only the strong and clever could rise to power, his early views on the world were so black and white. But he and his people weren't so savage as his tale made them out to be. It was a place filled with compassion, love, and great care for each other and their habitat. He and his people lived in a blissful, intoxicating, cloud of ignorance.

Ezra, however, wanted more than that. What lie beyond the East Forest? Who else is out there? What else is out there? It was like a child's story, Rapunzel, forever locked away in a tower, dreaming of seeing what else is out there.

But as merchants and special traders would come about every other week, they would bring magazines with them. They were filled with articles addressing the every doings of the world beyond his own. Growing up, as he learned more about his child heroes, like Heero Reyold, he aspired to be like them. He aspired to be a mage!

True, he did become a mage, but it wasn't quite like how he imagined it to be. It was much more dangerous, and you didn't get as much praise as the magazine made it out to be. It certainly wasn't as glorious. He's watched people die, people kill, people cry, people suffer. It wasn't a happy job. But it's a job that shaped him into the man he is now, and will further shape him into a man he wants to be. One of justice, compassion, and bravery. He wants to exemplify all of those things, but first, in order to do that, he must first escort this man and woman!

"Aye, I reckon the werewolves in books 'prolly look a dozen times more vicious,
or cool. But I think I'm pretty cool, eh? Heh-heh." Ezra slapped his knee as he would chuckle, he would always find a way to make himself laugh. Such a jolly spirit, none would suspect that this man had the temper of bull.

Quickly, Ezra received yet another full plate of food. "Get 'goin, you say? I'd need a nap after all this, I'm as fat as a tick. But duty calls..." he would slap his belly, gesturing his satisfaction. It made a rather rough sound, seeing as he was chiseled from top to bottom. It didn't have the same effect as a chubby man slapping his round and popped belly.

"I used to cook, aye. Can't say I was any good at it... heh. Me and my Pa would do most of the 'farmin, and we'd bring in our veggs 'n and meats from the butcher back to my Ma,
and she'd cook use a glorious meal. I tell ya', those were the good days! My folks and I were as happy as pigs in mud." Ezra grinned as he would slurp up noodles from his plate until it was, again, licked clean.

Ezra would rest the plate on the ground next to him, and leaned back against the tree trunk. It certainly was a beautiful day, and a perfect day to sleep. But before he could drift away into a nap, something else happened.

Fwoosh!

In a matter of seconds, a smaller body had fallen just in front of him, no, on top of him. Ezra widened his eyes and processed the incident for just a moment before his face cracked into a playful grin, and his cheeks lit up into a flush-pink. "You okay, lassie? Clumsy, aye? Heh-heh!" he cackled as she would lift herself off of him, Ezra following her movements and standing up with her.

Tia would recollect herself and address the clients as Ezra would put his dirty dishes away. But his attention would soon be requested when Tia would once again turn towards him.  "More? Aye! 'Course, lassie! I'm always down for another friend, he-heh." Ezra nodded, but the mood didn't seem to match his attitude. Tia's hands ran through his raven black hair, off his cheeks.

Ezra's cheeks flushed a rosy red, and his lips quivered. He became as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs. "A-Aye... I'll be damned if we don't take an afternoon or two to get to know each other, eh? Heh..." Ezra felled silent and tapped his foot awkwardly, before clearing his throat. "A-Ahem, lets get a move on it, eh? These mountains won't move themselves, aye?"

WC: 3,027/2,500 (WC COMPLETE)

"Well, let's get going then!" Tia exclaimed, as Chai pulled up the map on her iLac and began to walk in-front of the party. "I'd love to spend more time with you after this job, Ezra. Perhaps we could fly around on my blimp, or have a nice time watching classic films while enjoying warm glasses of tea?" Tia asked the boy, as she began to slightly blush. "I'm sorry for falling on-top of you earlier, I hope it didn't hurt..." she began to say softly, as she watched her steps ever so gracefully so she would make sure she would not fall once again. "Oh no Tia, don't gain feelings for him! He's of a different guild, a far-away one at that!" her mind began to say to her, where only she could hear. "But he's so dreamy! Not to mention how beautiful he iss~!" the other side of her mind began to debate, causing her face to turn a bright red. However, her thoughts were interrupted by a slap across her face from her floating exceed, Chai. "Behold ahead, thee love flustered mistress! Thither art enemies! And a city that those gents art blocking! The city in which we art escorting the couple to!" she exclaimed, as she pointed ahead.

A bit of a ways away into the distance, there could be seen a city which looked to be on the edge of the mountain-range. However, there were five men dressed in dark robes and three beasts, which looked to be commanded by these men. "I'll attack from behind, Ezra, you can attack from the front. As for the two of you, please hide behind the rock we are behind right now. I do not want anything to happen to you, as well as you Chai." Tia told them, as she began to slowly walk behind the rock formations to not get their attention."ReQuip, Eternity of Burns.." she said in a voice quieter than a whisper, as the same book from earlier formed in her hands. Immediately, she hopped atop a rock behind the group of three vulcans, and began to jump above them. She swiped the cover, causing a jet of flames to develop their bodies in fire. Two burst into flames, as one still stood guard with flames jetting its fur. "ReQuip, Aspects of the Crusades!" she exclaimed, as a second book appeared over the first. She swiped the cover, which caused a long, silver sword to fly out of it and impale the vulcan on fire. This caused this one to finally puff into smoke, leaving Tia relieved that the beasts had been taken care of. However, Tia shuttered in fear since the five men's eyes laid upon her defenseless body. "Ezra, I need you right about now.." she thought to herself, as they began to walk closer to her.

WC: 2921 / 2500 ♥ achieved~!

The group began moving again at their usual walking pace. However, walking was not a sufficient amount of movement to work off this drowsiness and full stomach. Ezra walked with both hands in his pants' pockets with his back hunched over, and took big, clumsy steps. He seemed more like a slob than an adapt mage when he was tired.

Ezra yawned, holding his hand across from his stretched mouth before Tia would speak to him again. "Films, eh? Haven't seen one of those in years, I tell 'ya... where I come from, we didn't have none of the technology that y'all grew up with. Just books, each other, and whatever you could find outside. Last one I saw was about a superhero saving a town from a great evil.
Years ago!" He grinned whilst scratching his beard. The man wasn't as savvy as others were with technology, he was quite late on the parade. But not many people who nag him about it. Compared to other nations, Fiore doesn't use that much technology. They embrace magic more. - Then what came to mind next was the use of the word blimp. Ezra wasn't quite sure what a blimp was, but knew the word was associated was some massive aircraft.

Ezra paused and stroked his chin, Am I speaking to a rich girl? Oh dear... he thought to himself. He was less a person who judges a person by their wealth, and more the type who compares himself with those people as opposed to judging them. That being said, despite speaking in a broken English and slang, his family was actually relatively wealthy. Well, his Mother at least. He certainly didn't live like a man who was wealthy, his Mother kept all of it to herself for "parental reasons". She, apparently, didn't want to spoil him. Whether or not she gave his siblings something was unknown to him, but he certainly didn't see a jewel of his family wealth since childhood. Not that he was complaining. He was always a man of hard work, and he and his Mother still had a very good relationship. But, they haven't talked in a while. . .

"Hey now," Ezra joked, "it happens, don't it? 'Fallin 'n stuff.
Besides, you were as light as a chicken feather. If I weren't awake, I wouldn't be able to tell if you fell on me 'er not! Heh-heh." he insisted in response to Tia.

Ezra would cackle, Tia would flush up a rosy red for no apparent reason, the couple behind them smiled warmly. It was a warm group in high spirits. But that warmness would soon be greeted with malice and contempt. The raven haired man was completely aware of this, but continued to smile gleefully, and kept walking. Of course, he would none lay a hand on his clients, but he didn't feel a need to engage unless they engaged first. That is exactly how he felt and that is exactly what he'd do.

However, that didn't seem to be the case for Tia. Chai had stopped her, and spewed out a whole jumble of Old English, which took Ezra a while to translate. He counted on his fingers how many words he didn't understand, as it began to pile up on his entire hand. Ezra sulked before ignoring the speech and focusing his attention on the situation.

He sighed and stretched his back, smelling the air, Mmm... five... no, eight enemies. All of which are below my power levels. Hm. I guess I'll do what she doesn't. Ezra concluded. He did want to do as little as possible, but also guaranteeing the safety of his clients. Perhaps that was selfish, or perhaps he just wanted to observe Tia and her combative behavior. Time would answer this question soon enough.

Tia was quick to get rid of the three beasts, Ezra watching in awe, but found herself surrounded by mischievous crooks. Ezra sharpened his gaze and frowned, clearly very upset with the men and women who would attempt to rob or harm them.

"Y'all have some nerves to come up these mountains and shamelessly attempt to harm little girls and older men and women. Scum ain't above thievery, but I'd hope that you'd have some standards of who you rob..." Ezra scowled, an icy mist covering the area as a gigantic magic circle appeared behind him. The ground shook, and rising from the circle was a seventy-five meter tall knight, covered in icy armor, and within it's helmet and in between plates was nothing but darkness. It would kneel on one knee, but slowly begin to rise with it's great sword in hand, raising it and wielding it as if it were about to swing. "But if that's how we're doing things, you'd 'ought to pick on someone 'er own size, aye lads?" Ezra grumbled. Although his words were jolly, his expression and eyes were not. There was a look of intense disgust in his eyes, an intense anger. "Tear'em a new one, Black Knight!"

Under those words, the knight stood on both feet, at full height, and lifted his sword high up into the air. By this point, the bandits already took off running. But soon after they began to run, the summon had smashed their blade down into the earth, cracking and shattering it in such a way where it projected forward, directly in the retreating bandits' paths, but also in such it way where it avoided Tia and the group.

The bandits screamed as the earth crumbled before their feet, and their unconscious bodies were lifted into the airs, then back down onto the rough dirt and stone. Some were unconscious before the earth crumbled before them, really. The blast of wind that struck them when the blade touched the ground knocked the winds out of them.

When silence fell, one could look up and find a pile of dirt, stone, and the unconscious bodies of bandits. Ezra sighed, a chilly mist escaping with each breath. The Black Knight remained motionless, awaiting orders. Ezra looked over to Tia with a rather solemn, tender expression, "You okay,
lassie? Didn't mean to hurt'cha if I did."

WC: 4,060/2,500 (WC COMPLETE)

After Tia had been backed into a corner by the five bandits, she had realized that they began to run from her area in fear. Reaching to them was a series of ice spikes toward their entire group. She noticed that a being of ice had attacked them to cause this, and made them go completely unconscious. "Such power, how amazing.." Tia thought to herself, as she began to blush at the sight of Ezra commanding this attack with nothing but pride in his eyes. As Tia had looked from the area she was in, she had noticed that the two travelers had already made it down the mountain path to their city, and were walking through the gates at this very moment. Standing there was just Tia and Ezra, accompanied with Chai and a soldier made of ice.

"My hero!" Tia exclaimed, as she ran directly into Ezra's arms in joy, hugging him in a tight and warm embrace. She was extremely fortunate to have a wizard with such a high ranking with her on this quest, especially since she did not know how it would end with those bandits facing off on her alone. "I underestimated your power, Ezra... you are very strong.." she said to the man, as she looked him in his eyes. She reached her hand to the back of his head and met her lips with his, as a sign of thanks for assisting her in this job. After a brief few seconds of an even warmer embrace, she pulled away and rustled his hair between her fingers. "I'll write to you sometime, I think we would make a fantastic duo in battle." she told him, as a smile reached across her softly-blushing face.

"ReQuip: Angel's Book." she stated, as a similar book that she had used earlier formed in her hands once again. She slid the cover towards her once again, causing wings to sprout from her back. "Until we meet next time, Ezra. If you need to get in touch, you know where I'll be." she told him, as Chai flew over to their location. They both boosted high into the sky, and began to fly toward the portal which would take them to Oahu.

WC: achieved~!  ♡

Ezra smiled his lazy smile and rubbed the nape of his neck anxiously. Smashing the ground with his summon sounded both epic and effective in theory, but the aftermath looked like a natural disaster. His lazy smiled descended into a worrisome frown, knowing that Ezra would have an earful should villagers come across this mess. The nagging, the scolding, it all depressed him. And so, he made it an objective to take the quickest route back to Magnolia Town without confronting the villagers. As far as they know, it was just an disastrous accident of nature.

With that aside, Ezra had noticed that the couple had made way down to their destination with no problems at all. It would seem that their job had come to an end and he and Tia would depart soon enough. - Well, that was the idea, anyway. Before Ezra could return to the now, Tia had already jumped into a warm, excited embrace, radiating joy and relief. The man felt like a knight in shining armor, from what Tia was making him out to be.

"Hey now, what made'ya think I was any less powerful?" Ezra smiled broadly as he would roll up his right sleeve and flex his bicep, "It ain't just this knight who's tough! I could tussle 'round all day and I wouldn't hurt a finger!" He boasted cheerfully.

But again, the mood had escalated from there. From a warm friendliness to a rather inviting awkwardness. His cheeks lit up in a tint of pink from pure embarrassment and awkwardness, but that pink would ascend into a beet red when her lips would graze his skin. By this point, Ezra was frozen in anxiousness and confusion.

Do girls do that to folks where she comes from?! Maybe I'M the ignorant one, here...? Ezra convinced himself. Surely, it was a cultural thing. Or maybe it was normal in the home she grew up in. She did say she didn't have a normal childhood. That being said, Ezra hasn't ever been kissed by women, besides his Mother, little sister, and old ladies here and there. Ah, the feeling of wrinkly lips never gets old... though he wish it would.

Ezra smiled softly and nodded, "Likewise, lassie. Got some fine moves up 'er sleeve that my eyes have yet to see, I reckon." Ezra rolled his sleeve down again, as Tia began to take flight, "See you around, lassie!" He bid farewell with a friendly wave.

When Tia was gone from sight, and it was just himself, Ezra stroked his beard once more. He couldn't help but feel that her behavior seemed rather exaggerated. Or perhaps too tense.

"Now then. . . which way is Magnolia Town?"

WC: Achieved :3