Dennis
Noctis watched her wings appear and he could admit they were quite the display. As impressive as the Angels he'd come face to face with had been. The cousin conflict had shown him many things, he'd walked the lines between life and death too many times to count. Her curious expression sealed the deal for him- the age of demigods had truly come and gone. How many of his cousins were now less than memory on this world, how much of the legacy Scipio and the others had tried so hard to build was still left. The Eternal Empire still stood- at least in name. So many questions- no real answers. 

The moment she became distracted from him, his danger sense alerted. *"Total Enhancement."* Activating the magic was like dunking his body into an ice cold river, it sent riveting signals through his body as his senses became acutely aware of everything around him. It was as if he grew roots into the very Aether of the world stood as its nucleus. He could smell them now, others- a quick survey showed the glint of arrows and eyes trained on him from the dark. Well hidden, quiet, these were not just some hunters or marauders. They were trained, well trained. 

Did they serve Mazikeen, or was she in danger. She was strong, doubtless, but he doubted she was capable of taking an arrow to the neck. 

Outwardly his appearance did not change. He lazily spun his dark blade in circles, his free hand dangling along his body. 

"To tell you the truth I'm a bit fuzzy on the histories of Aeterna. It's a study I've neglected for some time and I'm aiming to correct that. It's getting late now- I'm sure someone's missing you." He said, and he pulled the satchel from his back and it fumbled from his hand. It hit the ground and what must have been a sack of flour exploded from within. 

Coughing, Noctis stepped out of the cloud and held up the satchel, covered in flour. 

"Oops." He said with a weak chuckle. 

That was the version of events that Mazikeen and her compatriots would see. What had

Truly transpired was that when he dropped the bag, he used illusion magic to make it appear as if flour had exploded and he'd lept up into a tree, wreathing himself in a camouflage illusion. It was not as effective as Mazs invisiblity, but with the sheer speed he moved it was more than adequate. 

The Noctis that came out of the cloud was an intangible illusion, the real bag hidden behind an illusion behind him. 

Noctis was equally as proficient in illusion magic as he was in Enhancement. It had been a dangerous combo even in his own age. 

Now he prowled quietly above them in the trees, counting out the archers and seeing what the intentions of everyone involved were. 

Either they'd all go home hurting tonight, or this woman truly had integrity. It was the moment of truth.
Richard
Mazikeen wasn't too pleased that her sisters of battle were here, but they were doing their job. And part of that job was to protect Mazikeen if she were ever in danger. They were doing their job by scouting the woods, keeping them safe from thieves and bandits, as they should be doing. That's what they trained for, even if it was the wrong time. 

The Angelic Warrior wasn't sure if Noctis was aware of her archers, but she guessed most likely so. This was about to become awkward real fast, the longer she waited. Looking at him, nothing looked out of the ordinary. She folded her wings again and held her sword close, waiting for his reply. Her expression shifted to neutral again, but that hint of suspicion still existed. She was acting as if everything was normal. 

She listened attentively, understanding that the history of Aeterna was a lot of studying—so many years, wars, and things to know. When he reached the end of his sentence, she sighed. He knew, and she might possibly scare him off. They weren't done here. In the next moment, Mazikeen didn't quite understand what she saw, but it was definitely strange. The sack of flour... And him simply walking out of the cloud. She didn't know it was an illusion. Even her archers were confused as they moved closer. Instead of questioning it, she looked around and cleared her throat before speaking in a commandeering tone for all to hear.

— 
"I appreciate your assistance, but it is not needed here. Everything is under control. Continue scouting elsewhere, ladies." 

One of the Archers spoke. "*Are you sure, Maze? We heard the ring of swords and came as soon as possible. Are you in danger?"* 

Mazikeen sighed again, looking at the Archer who spoke specifically. "Lower your bows and go on your way. I'm fine, Arya. It's nothing but a friendly spar."

The Archers looked at each other and eventually lowered their bows, simply nodding and disappearing into the trees. Their faces were never visible, and Mazikeen could tell they were reluctant to leave. After dealing with that, she looked toward where Noctis was and the bag of flour that supposedly spilled. 

"I apologize for that."
Dennis
"It was of no concern." Noctis replied from above her, resting with his back against the trunk of one massive tree. He flicked his earring as the illusion of the flour and the fake Noctis vanished from view, the real satchel sitting on the ground only a few feet away from Mazikeen. 

"It's good to see that you have friends. Reliable comrades are hard to come by. Well my rule was I wouldn't use magic- but I did, so I guess you can keep the bag." 

Noctis dropped lightly from the tree and landed with the grace of a cat, even stretching out his limbs afterwards. His sword sat sheathed on his hip as he tilted his head and gazed at her curiously. 

"Maze, huh? Very cute, a nickname or something? I used to call my commander Skippy." He said, thinking back to the early days of traveling with Scipio. Noctis knew in his heart of hearts he'd never meet a demigod or man or Angel or beast or dragon that could rival the potential of Scipio. 

*"What the hell happened with you and the dragons, Scipio?"* He thought to himself. 

"Perhaps you'll be so kind as to offer a poor, weary traveler some hot food and a good drink before he goes on his way? I get hungry after a tussle. That is of course unless you still wish to fight, I can see you use magic, perhaps you want to test yourself with that too? I'm not much of a mage myself but if you want I'd have to oblige- what you being the authority here... Maze." 

Noctis' voice was a melody of sound, it's light rasp and notes could rival elven instruments played by masters. Despite their fight not a hair on his head was misplaced, no dirt caught his boots or cloak hem and a drop of sweat could not be seen. 

There was something about this Maze woman that made Noctis feel like jesting with her, she felt safe and yet also provided an all too easy target. Her stoic nature, her dedication to good- it was impossible for him to not partake in light ribbing.
Richard
Mazikeen soon looked up, realizing the whole flour act was merely an illusion, a simple distraction; even she had fallen for it. Very clever. She watched the illusion disappear, her expression slightly surprised as the archers ultimately left the area. At least they could follow orders. 

Mazikeen nodded when Noctis spoke of her friends. Yes, they were good comrades to have. She was closer to some than others because the guild was growing, and she spent much of her time training new recruits. It's come far in six months. "They are good companions. And yes, I'll need to have the bag returned to those Elf travelers, but I can give you some supplies to replace it." 

As he dropped from the tree, seeing his sword sheathed, Maze took hers and sheathed it, as well. It was a good duel, better than those she recently participated in. When asked about the nickname that was used, she smiled. "Something like a nickname, one of few. Skippy? Huh, that's an interesting one." 

She had a few nicknames. Maze, of course, Mazi, Elven Angel, and The Angelic Warrior, but those were more of an alias. Maze was the most common to those who knew her. While she was always down to fight, using magic would bring a lot more damage, specifically through wind magic. Perhaps another time.

— 
"Another time, Noctis, but you seem like quite the mage with that illusion. Very good. You are welcome to come back with me, and you can dine with me... At camp. That's the closest," She said formally and politely. Her voice was accented, as her first language was Velarian, then Modern Imperial, but it was very good. His voice, on the other hand, she would say, sounded like a song. It was wonderful. 

Looking at him carefully, she noticed he seemed completely unfazed or tired by their duel, perhaps the perk of being a Demigod. Her armor had some dirt on it, but other than that, she was fine. But, she was ready to go. It wasn't often she met thieves in the woods and invited them to dine with her. This was different.
Dennis
A free meal and hopefully, some information secured, he nodded his head in gratitude and strode alongside her. 

"So, a camp? Are you in some sort of military force or something? Your troops are abnormally well trained- so your force must not be large if you are." He said casually, hands resting behind his back as he thought out loud. 

From his experience the larger the army the worse it's actual synchronicity would become. Oh a great leader could still make the largest armies move with efficiency but smaller forces could focus on the training and teamwork on an entirely different scale. 

He was curious about this woman, her golden armor and angelic descent, swords skill and magical ability. He wondered if she was the rule or the exception in this modern day world.
Richard
Mazikeen began walking toward the direction of the said camp, weaving past trees effortlessly, keeping pace with Noctis. She figured he would have questions and would be happy to answer them. The guild wasn't a secret, but her motivations for it in the first place... Were more personal. It was still a bitter memory, and she had a particular grudge against murderers. 

"Yes. I'm in charge of a guild. We protect the woodlands against any crimes. So far, I have a small group of around fifty members, all given military training by me," She said, glancing at him momentarily. 

As of right now, the members were all women, but she was considering allowing anyone to join. It was a thought she'd had for a long while, but for now, they had to focus on money intake and resource management. Fifty members was a handful. Horses, food, and weapons were in significant demand. It kept her busy... But it was worth it. 

"Tell me. What brung you to Velaris?" 

Maze was curious about this Demigod and his history. She may not know much about them, but they definitely were a rare few. Two things they had in common was their divine blood and they were excellent warriors. She wanted to know more.