The man was a giant among men, standing a good six inches or more above Masakoâs head. He laughed at her response. âEtana nobility huh? Wonder why those Vaskaan guys were selling you off.â He put his hands on his hips, subtly unlocking the swords from their sheaths. âAlright girl, Iâm willing to listen to what you got to say, but you got to compromise too.â He held out the cord. âNeither one of us wants to start trouble right now do we? I can see from the look of your body that you likely know how to throw a punch. You let me tie your hands for some security and we can discuss you possibly getting back home.â The look in his cool grey eyes was neutral, and the stern set of his stubble-covered jaw indicated that his words werenât playful or deceitful in any way, they were serious. In fact, everything about the man seemed serious. He had an air about him like one would expect from a door guard at a tavern in the bad part of a big city: intimidating, powerful, and ready for anyone to step out of line at a momentâs notice.