Jin left the village of the elves behind but the land was still filled with strife. The light mage kept to the forest and moved along the brush and trees. The ground rumbled. Jin crotched, his body pressed against a tree. Deer charged through the wilds, leaping over the land.

Squirrelsraced down branches and flocks of birds filled the sky above all headed past Jin. A deer rushed by the light mage, the stink of the wild lingered in the air as it darted into the depths of the woods.

A whiff of burnt fur trailed behind. Smoke rose above the trees in the distance. Gunshots rang out over the cries of the animals. Jin's eyes narrowed. The corners of his mouth tightened. He raced toward the smoke, sidestepping deer left and right. Snapped branches and leaves cascaded to the ground from the rush of tree-running animals. Jin stumbled over a rabbit and small animals as he drove onward toward the threat. More gunshots followed.

All was silent as smoke began to fill the area. Jin covered his mouth as he closed the distance. Outlines of armed men paced back and forth, guns in their hands. A fire burned the length of two trees. leaves glowed crimson in the flames, turned black, and disintegrated into ash.

Jin slid the spear from his back and held it to the side. Ash fell along the shaft as he approached the fire, his mouth still covered with his sleeve.

Blood poured out of the bullet wounds of a deer. A wood elf hid behind a tree that was yet to catch on fire. So far it hadn't spread far but they were moving in. The wood elf's eyes fell on Jin who shook his head and with a quick nod, signaled for the elf to fall back.

"Fucking finally!"

Odin's exclamation was as loud as the roaring fire that had began burning through one of the many forests within Bosco. Of course, it wasn't good that the forest was on fire, as Hildegard of the Boscosi throne -the heir to whom Odin had pledged himself- was dedicated to protecting the environment of the country, as well as protecting the demi humans and elves of the land. She knew how it felt to be persecuted based on race, and that was why she had gained Odin's favour.

However, he had been bored until now. Many of her tasks involved protection: building houses for displaced elves, freeing dinosaurs in and around Stella, and generally be a friendly neighbour to the people in the area. As fulfilling as it was, it wasn't Odin's true line of work. This, putting out fires and killing those who dared set them, this was what Odin lived for. Well, 'lived' in the figurative sense anyway.

He reached the source of the flames to see two figures. An elf hiding behind a tree and a man, spear raised, ready to combat whoever had started the fire. With a bellowing voice, Odin shouted to them, "If you're unable to fight, get out of the area. If you are, get ready." First of all, they needed to put out this first fire, then came the fun part.

The elf began to step back , with a hesitant foot fall. His eyes held fire, but loic told the elf he should listen. JIn waited for the wood elf to step away when another voice boomed through the forest and the flickering flames. The light mage squinted his eyes to see who it was and gripped his spear when it was clear that a lich stood near.

But the being spoke as if he was on their side. Jin lowered his weapon to his side. The elf's eyes glanced between the two mages and ducked into the bushes. With a light step, the elf moved back away from the fire. The animals were already scattered and all that was left were the enemies and the two mages.

JIn rose his spear back up and faced their enemiers, "Let's uh...Let's get to work then."He spoke with a slight stutter in his voice at teaming up with the being. Not that he was necessarily distrustful of the dark race being, but that his power was something unknown but he carried himself in a way that radiated power.

A flaming branch crashed to the ground. Embers smoldered on the ground and crackled on Jin's boat. The light mage slid to the side and shook off the ember only to see more flamming limbs falling from the trees. The fire had to be stopped but he didn't know how he could accomplish it. What skills did he have that would help? The rebels began striding away from the inferno.

"Any ideas about this fire? Jin asked.  as one of the trees snapped at the base. The wood splintered and sheared apart. The tree toppled slowly toward stretch of dry bushes. Jin darted over and cast a shield of light. The tree battered against the barrier of yellow light. Jin's feet dug into the ground. Luckily the tree was barely wider than the small shield. One of the few smaller ones in the forest. Jin winced and heaved as best he could to roll the tree off to the side, defelcting it from the bushes.

Wc 350

As could be expected, Odin's partner wasn't going to be completely trusting at the onset of their relationship. His almost reactive grasp on his spear and the stutter in his voice betrayed that well enough, but he seemed to accept that the Lich was on his side. Honestly, it didn't really matter to Odin as long as he didn't start actively trying to attack him. Infighting was not something he wanted to create within Hildegard's group regardless of how many people in the group wanted to take him down. They were in Bosco, no need to keep something like this going in a new country. They could deal with that in Fiore, not here.

With the wood elf having escaped the flames, all that was left now was for the two men to do their job. Odin would begin by unstrapping his shield from his back and placing it against one of the nearby, specifically not-on-fire, trees. He wanted to have some fun and it would be better to have a lighter load. He planned on dropping his staff as well, but he had a fun idea for dealing with the fire. After all, he could change the element of his spells. Holding the staff out towards the fire a single, yet devastating, bullet made of water would shot out from the tip of the weapon, blasting through a lot of the flames and dispersing them. Unfortunately, it would not be enough to completely remove the fire, but it was a start to help the spread. The second use of the staff would be in coating Odin's body with a blue, metallic sheen. Greed magic was Earth-based usually, but perhaps a coating based in water would allow him to deal with the fire better, and even possibly put it out.

With his skin completely coated, the red slits that could only be his eyes looked towards his partner, as he cracked his neck to either side, something only possible with the 'skin'-like coating he now possessed.

"Do you have a preference of fire or bandits?"

Spells Cast:

Jin stepped away from the fallen tree in time to see the lich drop his shield. The undead held a mystical staff outward and water burst forth from the tip. Jin ducked even though it was not close to him, the sheer magnitude of the spell could still be felt. He was certainly glad now that the lich was on his side.

The main fierce focal point of the fire was washed away along with some parts of the trees. "Oh. I'm pretty surprised you had such an effective way to deal with that. Never would have guessed water magic," He spoke with more familiarity now, not seeing the Lich as a threat to him, at least for now. He took a step closer to the lich but stopped and slid one step away as the being's body coated with water.

Jin half-looked away at the cracking neck and piercing eyes of the lich, more uneasy about the many unknown elements of the lich's abilities and the odd pseudo skin now formed around his body.

With the Lich's words, Jin looked down at the bandits that were ready to set fire to more trees and rekindle their inferno. "I'm no good with the fire. And I suspect you can fight the fire and those bandits at the same time. I'll go ahead and get a jump on them. Let's make 'em pay. Jin said and darted through the path of steam from the extinguished flames.

Two bandits whirled around to face the mage. One rose their torch high and the other brandished a sword. Jin clapped his hands in prayer and created a magic circle at his feet.

"They sent a healer," the bandit with the sword snickered. He rushed Jin and held the sword high. The blade flashed downward. Blood sprayed the air. Jin's hands caught the blade and it dug through his flesh. As the blade connected, a flash of light radiated from the light mage. The bandit glared with wide eyes at Jin struggling to hold the blade. His hand bleeding out around it. The light encaptured the two bandits. The one with the torch groaned and fell first. Jin watched the vigor fade in the sword wielder's eyes as he collapsed to the ground. The light sapped their life and Jin's wound stopped dripping, leaving behind nothing but a faint scar.

Partially due to the actual strength of the spell, Odin had deal some of the fire and accidentally created a deep hole through some of the trees. Luckily it was most of the trees that were already dead from charring, so it wasn't really like he was hurting the forest. It also surprised the man who had joined forces with the Lich, who hadn't suspected the water magic. It prompted a little chuckle from Odin, as that reaction was exactly the reason he had created the combination that he possessed. Through his eye, he could copy any spell and, through his staff, he could change their element. No one would ever truly know what his magic was, or what he could do. "All thanks to the staff. I figured water magic would be the most useful here." He held it up slightly, before the two turned their attentions to the remaining fire and the bandits.

The man was proactive, something Odin appreciated in a compatriot. He knew what his role was, as did the Lich, and they both knew the best way to execute their task in the most effective way. It had only taken a glance at his magic, and yet Odin's new friend had worked out so much. His battle sense was incredible, as he moved to take the bandits by surprise.

Odin was a little later to the battle: taking the time as he passed the fires to touch the trees. His magic flowed into the fire and put it out with a slight touch, allowing him to run at his maximum speed towards the ensuing fight, arriving to see Jin... catch a blade with his hands? While the skull could never change its facial expression, inside the grin was real. Whoever this guy was, he had earned Odin's respect, even admiration.

As the two bandits were focused on his new friend, Odin appeared in front of the others. There weren't many of them, perhaps they had been tasked by a rival heir to cause this fire. Two of them fell at the use of his Fear aura, while two more came to attack him. They struck him with their weapons, and Odin let them. "Hey, this guy isn't that tough. Let's get him." The Lich said nothing as the now-reinvigorated bandits struck him again and again, slowly tiring and only after a few minutes realising their folly. Standing tall, the maniacal grin etched upon his skull, Odin grabbed the first by the hair and, using his superior strength, slammed the man's head into his knee, bringing the knee up to completely burst the man's head. He had been aiming for a broken nose, but there was little left of the man from the neck up, causing terrified screams from the remaining bandits.

Oh it felt good to do this again.

Jin eyed the mysterious staff from the stranger. He could almost feel the power radiating from it. "That is some piece of work you have." He turned to face the bandits but gave a quick look back to Odin and the staff, hanging on the simple use of words the being spoke. "Figured it would be more useful?" He questioned thinking that Odin was implying it was not his only element to choose. The light mage had rarely heard of anything like that.

The two then charged forth into battle. The blade sliced through Jin's hand as the bandit fell to the ground. The light mage recoiled his hand and shook it, "Ouch... Crap," he still felt the sting of the blade and rubbed the scar, counting himself lucky it didn't slice all the way through, but he wasn't fast enough to evade it and the only thing he had going for him was his healing ability.

Blades clanged in the background as Odin accepted an onslaught of attacks. Jin took a step forward and saw the motionless posture of the Lich. The bandits yelled for easy prey but Jin knew better. He planted his feet to the ground and shook his head. They were fools not to see what was happening. Not to feel the fear and power that the Lich possessed. Jin knew it was best not to get in the man's way and was relieved knowing they shared a team and moved in with lethal efficiency.

The light mage winced and looked away as a bandit's head shattered. The rest of the bandits screamed and turned to flee. Jin stepped forward and the bandits skidded to a stop now trapped between the two mages.

"You set fire to the forest. I don't know who sent you. But I'm afraid loose ends are too risky," Some of the men turned but only saw the menacing image of a lich behind them. With a gulp, they rushed the light mage and another darted to the side trying to escape and leave his comrades behind. Jin pressed his hands together once more and let out another wave of healing light, that caused the men to grasp their stomachs in pain.

Morrigan's staff was indeed an incredibly powerful item, and Odin was glad to see someone giving it the respect it was owed. A lot of the Lich's ability stemmed from how he utilised the staff, but credit was definitely to be given to Morrigan, whoever she once was. She clearly knew her magical items, and Odin was more than happy to use it in conjunction with his copy eye. Every spell and every element at his disposal, what a combination.

The relief Odin felt from crushing his foe was palpable, and likely part of the reason for the loss of morale around him. They had thrown so many attacks at the Lich, and yet nothing had come of them. Literally no damage had been dealt, and instead one of their own had just been brutally murdered. That really affected them, not that it would have any long terms effects on their lives. Long term was not really a phrase one would associate with these men at this moment.

As it looked like the remaining bandits were poised to run away, Odin's ally said something surprisingly menacing for what the Lich had expected. In many of these scenarios, he had worked with light mages or people with slightly kinder temperaments. He usually knew most of the dark mages worth knowing. But no one who mentioned cutting loose ends was going to be entirely law abiding, and that was something Odin could definitely look into. Maybe this man could be more than a one-time ally in the fight for the Bosco throne. Maybe he could be more...

Regardless, that was a consideration for another time. For now there was more work to be done. Not least of all was for Odin to catch the man who dashed to the side trying to escape. It was a silly move, as Odin channelled Wind magic to his feet, thanking the former Rune Knight Kazimir for helping the Lich deal with his natural, physical slowness. Being propelled forward at breakneck speeds, Odin shot forward and collided straight with the man, both of them careening into a nearby tree as Odin forgot just how fast he could move. He laughed for a moment before cracking the man's head against the tree they had both just hit, killing him instantly. If Jin hadn't yet taken out the other two, Odin would rather casual approach them. If they started to run, he'd be there to catch.

Jin lifted his spear as the two men dropped to knee with gut wrenching pain. The once healing light was filling them with injury and bleeding their life force into the mage. The spear rose high and reflected the flames that flickered away in the once blazing forest fire.

A rush of wind drug the flames to the west as a burst flew by. The Lich soared almost imperceptibly fast. Too fast for an undead, or so Jin thought. A crunch echoed as the escaping man was battered into a tree. The Lich...laughed. An amusing sight that put a small lopsided grin on Jin's face at the crash and brief jovialness of something he thought to be a staunch villain of serious demeanor.

The ground rustled as one of the men shot to their feet with the healing light gone. Jin's focus snapped back and he brough the spear down atop the man's shoulder. Blood sprayed and his eyes went dark. Jin dropped to one knee, following the force of the spear.

The final bandit staggered back and saw an opening to close in on Jin, who was wearing down from the constant flow of battle since coming here. Despite his magic he was still physically weak in many regards. The bandit lunged forward. Jin had no time to pull his spear from the deadman's shoulder to shield himself from the attack.

If Odin intervened to finish of the final man, Jin would stand and face the Lich, "Thanks," he breathed heavily. "You know....maybe lich's aren't so bad afterall. Terrifying...yeah. But I never expected to be on the same side of the battlefield as one." He looked around at the fire that was nothing more than embers waiting for time to wisk them safely into nothingness.

"Seems we're done here. I hope we get to work together in the future. I'm Jin by the way," he said and holstered the spear against his back. "So....do Lich's drink?" He said and would make his way back to the land of the elves for wine.

-Exit-

It turned out to be a good thing that Odin was standing and ready in case his partner needed him, as it seemed like the previous sword catching had done a fair amount of damage to him. He was looking tired and, in the process of killing one of the bandits with his spear, had fallen to one knee on the ground. It was there that the final bandit saw his chance, dashing towards the healing mage in an attempt to finish him off and avenge his fallen comrades. Such a shame that Odin was there.

Another dash from the Lich went off, this one at a much shorter range than the previous one to stop from falling over again. He propelled himself forwards and stopped directly in front of the man's blade, which collided nicely with Odin's cloak. It scratched the material, and in that moment the man knew there was nothing he could do to stop his death. He just let go as Odin killed him, using methods too extreme to ever mention again in detail.

The man, who would introduce himself as Jin, thanked Odin for his help and even suggested that Liches weren't inherently evil as he had been led to believe. It was a good thing that he didn't actually recognise Odin, but that might have been about to change as the two began walking back to the elven settlement.

"It has been my pleasure, Jin. My name is Odin, and I look forward to any future partnerships. And, to answer your question, I'll never say no to a bottle of wine or two."

-Exit-