"Y-you...just what are you?" Jared stammered. He ran from the bar, making a break for the exit. He was only a few steps away when he felt the muscles of his body all lock in place, causing him to fall on his face. A second later, his body was able to move again, but just as he had stood up, a pair of red rope-like streaks of magical energy encircled Jared, one trapping his arms against his sides, while the other bound his ankles together.
"Well I guess we're left with plan A," Zepar sneered.
"No, stop him! You can't let him take me!" Jared screamed as he was dragged by Zepar. "The fires! The blood!" He whimpered.
When Zepar touched down in front of Aya's home, he was surprised to hear raised voices coming from inside the cabin. He dragged Jared with him, ignoring the whimpering man's protests as he approached the door.
"Look, it's nothing personal," a smooth voice stated. "I got a job to do here."
"That 'job' has nothing to do with me," Aya shot back. "It's my father you're after, that leech's mistakes aren't mine."
Zepar couldn't help but smile faintly at her words. He could easily relate to her stance. He didn't bother knocking, instead he simply pulled the door open and stepped inside.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, voice low. His eyes immediately narrowed as he took in the scene. Four men stood inside the cabin with Aya, each wearing black tunics and cloaks. Aya was pinned against a wall, her arms held above her head by two of the men, while a third held a knife against her chest, her robes already partially cut. "Release her...now." His voice lashed out with killing intent as he glared at the men.
"Get lost, pretty boy," the man holding the knife sneered. "The lady's just about to pay for her daddy's debts." That was the last he was able to say before his eyes suddenly burst into flame, burning from the inside. The man dropped the knife and collapsed, howling in pain as he clawed at his burning eyes. The other two men instinctively backed away, releasing Aya. Aya, who had been looking fierce and defiant a moment ago, now gazed at Zepar, her breath unsteady as she stared at him with a mixture of fear and awe.
"You're making a big mistake, friend," the fourth man said as he turned to face Zepar. "Our boss will have your head."
"I doubt it," Zepar said coldly. "In any case, I believe you're looking for this sack of shit." He tossed Jared over the threshold like a sack of grain.
"So we're just meant to take him, and ignore what you did to our man?" the fourth man asked sarcastically.
"You have ten seconds," Zepar warned. "After that, I'll make the decision for you. I am trying to be kind at present."
The three men all glanced at their comrade, who was whimpering in pain. The flames had died, but it was clear he'd never see again. They then decided that continuing to antagonize a man who could casually do that while 'trying to be kind' was not in their best interests. Without another word, the fourth man grabbed Jared and dragged him out of the cabin while the other two helped the blinded man to stumble after them.
"Well," Zepar said brightly, once the men had left. "That was interesting."
"Interesting?" Aya scoffed. "You burned a man's eyes out. Are you insane?" Her words were harsh, but something in her tone softened at the end.
"I'll get back to you on that one," Zepar joked. "And from what I saw, he planned to do far worse to you." His face turned serious. "I am not a righteous man, Aya. But there are certain crimes that I will not turn a blind eye to." He looked into her eyes, hoping that she'd understand his point of view. He would never pretend that his actions weren't objectively horrible. But he felt that his actions were the lesser evil.
"Th-thank you," she said quietly after a few minutes had gone by. "I may not approve of your methods, but you saved me from a fate worse than death." Her face softened and her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "Perhaps after your reading, I can thank you properly."
"I told you, my body is a temple," he reminded her softly, struggling to maintain a straight face.
"N-no, I only meant—" she stopped herself, trying to regain her composure even as her face turned beet red. "I meant, that perhaps I could treat you to a drink."
"You're too fun to tease," he said with a chuckle. "Okay, I'll play nice." He sat down at the table and gestured for her to begin the reading. She shook her head helplessly as she retrieved her crystal ball from the cabinet before sitting down across from him. She hadn't expected that she'd meet such an interesting man. He was dangerous, violent, unapologetically crude...but, he was also gallant, charming, and honest. It didn't hurt that he was very easy on the eyes. She blushed again, biting her lip as she forced herself to focus on her crystal ball instead of on his face. After a few minutes, her face was no longer red—it had turned pale.
"Lichspawn," she whispered in horror.