SERIOUS: Reconnaisance Unit, Chapter 2: Broken Bonds and the Mysterious Predator of the Valens Mountain Range (OPEN to Shad0w and Cryptic Terror)

Meanwhile, after some time of course, the others had too arrived on that crossroad. Jade was no longer visible anywhere, so Hawks naturally assumed that she was going to go to the destination point first and just get the job done herself. He sighs in slight irritation; that was making him and the idiot's next to him whole process of trekking all the way over the mountain region, the "Valens mountain range", as Ginji earlier on was explaining, and annoying, the poor man, completely pointless. But, then again, they already left the ship, and at the end of the day, who knows, maybe they'd find something else along the way.

His thoughts are interrupted by Ginji, who notices the fact that those fade letters on that frozen piece of rotten wood would do them no favors as to decide on where to go. He was given a map, thankfully, a rough sketch it was, really, that was by the way copied and given to each of the group members, but such minor details as a sigh were obviously not going to be included in there.

"So, shall we lovely split?~" Ginji says, and claps his hands, getting himself hyped up in the assumption that an adventure shall soon begin.
"I disagree. I saw Jade's figure going towards the east, so we follow the east path." Hawks comments, to which Ginji responds with a rather loud farting sound made with his mouth, probably to show his annoyance. This weirdo was actually interested more in just trolling around! Nodding towards Ginji, with narrow eyes that showed irritation, Hawks begins to walk towards the road he decided would be the better choice, with Ginji following, humming around various, really perverted, hums, which only made Hawks face shiver more and more, his eyes closed and twitching in irritation and anger.



(OOC: Be sure that later on, I will have someone comment that Hawks red sash, in an all-white vastness, is really "retarded as an idea" )

[RECON UNIT]

Jade wandered down the path at a decent pace through a forested patch of everygreens. The armor looked cumbersome but it was not very head, nor was it warm - but the slight weight combined with her pace kept her body temperature up just enough to not freeze. She paused to look back and only saw emptiness behind her. While she did appreciate the solitude, it annoyed her that those two were so damn inefficient and slow. Where were the least stealthy people in the crew on the recon team anyway? At least Jade had experience tracking and hunting - being partially feline was also helpful.
More time passes and no sign of those two. They are either napping or they got lost and went down the wrong path - doubtlessly walking into the obvious trap. She didn't have the patience to go back and look for them - she was not a babysitter and was in no mood for their nonsense and creepery. What the hell happened to Hawks - he used to be such a docile little victim. Could what Ginji said really be true? It certainly would not explain what got into him before and what nearly got into her.

[Chimera]

From a high perch the movements of a mysterious armor clad stranger is observed. A low growl rumbles behind saber like teeth of the lion, golden feral eyes following every step. "An intruder approaches with movements like a hunter and a ... suit of armor? - he must be after master's pelt ... the guild has sent another gallant idiot on a suicide mission. That's fine - we haven't had a good meal in a while - armor won't help him."
The goat opens his mouth and a small bouncing ball falls out and rolls down the cliff side and intothe woods. "Mwuf! I wonder if he will play fetch with me! Helloooooo - could you throw that ball back up here?!"
A snapping snarl emerges and the lion's neck nearly snaps, trying to reach the goat hea emerging from his back. "NO ONE wants to play with you! Stop giving away our position, idiot! ...and WHERE DID YOU GET THAT BALL?! You don't have any hands!!!!
The snake headed tail lashes this way and that before coiling along the side of the lions body. "Perhaps the ball will cause a landside and it will crush him. If we do not eat we will starve and die too - perhaps something else will eat us first. "
The lion shakes at though he's trying to remove his tail. "MUST YOU ALWAYS BE SO GRIM?!"
The goat is now seen with a stick inexplicably in his mouth.

"Naaaah, look at this thing by the way. She doesn't look like she's got enough meat! But ..." The goat head then adds, snapping the stick on accident as it begun talking again. "I LIKE LEAVES ANYWAY!-Oh no, my stick is broken, it's HER FAULT!!!" the goat head then adds, the last part, literally he screamed it out with all his might, his eyes were almost popping out, wide open, and his tongue, inexplicably long even by .. goat standards, is actually rolling around like a harmonica, a horribly stupid and retarded face fault, and, the scream was so loud, it would probably be hard for anyone around the entire area, not to hear him. Well, Jade was there, so it would probably be only her that heard, but anyway!

"Boy, must that stupid head of yours always babble around and scream? .. And where did you got that stick, anyway? There are no tress in dozens of miles." A husky, deep voice is heard, and a very tall figure emerges from next of a long, sharp and snowy rock, some distance behind the place where this weird creature with the multiple heads, was "hiding" and "stalking" what seemed to be new prey. "What do we have today? .. It's gotten tiresome to get the answer "snow!" too, goat, so don't scream that out again." the figure adds, a long arm extents and wipes away the figure's forehead. Was he sweating? Who would sweat on a place like this?!
"... WE HAVE A PAIR OF BREASTS!" The goat yells again, ignoring the desperate attempts of the others heads to, apparently, try to chomp him down into oblivion and end his outrage of stupidity that he seemed to be regularly letting out upon them.
The half-shadowed figure remains solemn and non-moving however. "... Did you said .. breasts?" he then slowly says, and from within the shadows, there's only one thing visible. A pair of small blushes on where the cheeks are probably located at!

(OOC: Was I good? )

Jade had been making her way along the path, at a fairly slow pace so her nakama could catch up. She stayed fully aware of her surroundings but also enjoyed the time alone to think - until her thoughts became unwelcome and haunting memories. What the hell really got into Hawks that day? - and what was he trying to say to her shortly before Ginji began another brutal attack upon her ship? 'Jade, I ...' ... I what? I remember? I regret it? What was it? She though about that creature too much and it annoyed her. To further bother her, a gentle breeze stirred the scent he left on the shirt she was wearing beneath her armor.

There was still no sign of those two - then she remembered her helmet hindered her hearing slightly. She removed her helmet so she could possibly hear them approaching, also allowing her long hair to tumble out. She shook her hair slightly to smooth it out of her face as the light danced across its surface. She started to go back down the path to find those two when a shout caught her attention. It sounded a lot like an ... idiot.

Her eyes snap to the direction of the disturbance and there she sees the single most confusing creature she has ever viewed, looking back at her. What ever it was had spotted her - she couldn't tell if a goat was riding a lion or it it was attached? She had watched Ginji closely but she couldn't be sure he didn't put the powder of hallucinogenic mushrooms in her pillow ... again. The last time it made her see mice that weren't there. In her cat form she would run the length of the ship, chasing things no one else could see. ... but this creature was something more horrifying. She silently cursed that troublesome bastard as she tried to figure out if the creature was real.

She narrows here eyes for a closer look. There was someone else there that she couldn't quite make out. it rather looked human but she couldn't be sure. Why were they watching her? She tossed her hair to one side so the glint of her sword hilt could be seen over her shoulder. As if wearing armor weren't enough, these creatures, which may or may not be real, needed to know she wasn't going to be annoyed with out a fight - and if they turned out to not be real, she would save all of her fight for Ginji.

The Lion's fluffy mane is gently combed by the breeze, giving a dramatic effect as he stares down at the armored figure from higher ground. "IDIOT - now the hunter has seen us because of your loud, stupid bazoo!" The goat currently had a metal bucket on his head that had not been there moments before - so now when he spoke, his obnoxiously loud voice echoed inside the bucked. "GOOD! MAYBE it will bring us some FOOD! I would like a MOP for dinner - they are in SEASON - soon they will SWIM TO THE SEA!"

(OOC: ROFL ... Good job, bad boy.)

By chance, the mysterious figure pulled off a pair of binoculars to better examine that new specimen that had arrived over what was apparently their territory, or something. Well, that person did mentioned that this goat head was using some really cheesy snow jokes for quite a long time, so that would make sense. And, as he looked towards her again, it was that moment where Jade removed her helmet, which was then followed by a shake of her head, which made her hair move around for a moment. To the lion .. goat .. snake thing, that was just a casual, uninteresting shake of the head, but the other creature seemed to freeze. "T-this is...!!"

In a speed that was slower than normal, he could see her hair, perfectly witness them slowly but elegantly and beautifully dance around, the light coming down from the sun, reflecting on that beautiful, silky hair, it made sparkles fly all over the place. Her closed eyes, that gentle, poetic event, sent a surge of some weird energy, it felt like electricity. Slowly, and really over dramatically, the binoculars fall off the creature's hands, while the heads are watching him, confused.

"Boss, are you..?!"
"What's the matter, bossz?"
"Snails are not very tasty." The last one was the goat, who was, for whatever reason, eating snails, with their shell on them, and, more outrageously, they were also cooked! Where on earth did he found those now?!

"Does my hair look good like this?"
Holding a long, black brush, the creature, well, he was now perfectly visible, and was actually a human, asks. His hair was a rather pathetic and really lousy teacup-like haircut, and was black and abnormally shiny and slick. He had a somewhat big and wide nose, unbelievably beautiful blue eyes that literally were not matching the rest of his appearance at all, and was also .. half-naked! He was topless, however, it probably didn't mattered because he was really hairy, it looked as if he was wearing an open shirt at first glance! He was also apparently quite tall, he seemed to be at least half a meter taller than Hawks. Below, he was wearing standard blue jeans and .. again, his feet were also naked. His hairs were also a really bizarre light-purple color. That really didn't made much sense, what kind of a human being was like that?
Back to his question however, the heads were actually applauding and commenting on how amazing and cool this guy looked. Well, the goat was more interested in eating a french bagel, which mysteriously appeared from hammer's space as well!
"Boss, you look fantastic!"
"You think I got a shot with her?"
"Even if she refuses .. just lock her in and make her yours!"
"Oh, how sinister, Snake."
"I WANT LEAVES!"

Pressing his feet on the ground mightfully, and placing his broad, massive hands on the floor, he seems to lock his eyes towards the direction where Jade was. "Alright guys, go prepare .. the Caveman's .. Cave!"
And then, he just suddenly leaps, high into the sky, at an incredibly fast speed. He actually left out a small crater! And mere seconds later, oh how insane and powerful, the "man" had landed just a few feet in front of Jade! All that time, a confident grin on his face but then ...
"H-hello ... y-you look beautiful.." He says, looking down, blushing. WHAT WAS THAT?!

Jade narrows her eyes at the strange band of creatures.  If they were clever they would leave her alone.  Attacking an armed creature clad in armor wasn't the smartest thing, particularly this child of blood with demon eyes.  There was no fear left in her - not after what happened with Hawks - that experience pushed her beyond the point of feeling anything ever again. Unconcerned with the strangers, she pulls her hair in front of her shoulder so she can tug the tangles from it.

As the strange figure lands in front of her, she casually pulls the last tangle from her hair before bothering to slowly look up from her hair. She levels a gaze from under lush eyelashes as she pushes her hair back behind her shoulders. Of course these idiots weren't smart enough to leave her alone, she was an idiot magnet - Although, perhaps a good bit of violence would do her some good - she had plenty of frustration to release ... in blood.  Full lips gently part without a word as she brings the blade still in her hand out in front of her. The corner of her mouth tugs a slight smirk of amusement as she readies herself for the delightful act of battle.

With such a violent arrival this creature looked like he may offer an amusing challenge.  She glazed over the details of his appearance as she focused on her blade, his position, size, and movements. The electricity of approaching battle was so thick in the air that she could taste it.  Her eyes flicker with bloodlust as she readies her blade.  ..and then, within a single moment, all of her expectations were shattered.  Her eyes go wide as the creature turns into a doting babbling idiot. A giant sweatdrop forms behind her head as she watches him.  She tilts her head, processing the information ... this idiot greeted her to mock her? Narrowing her eyes, she suddenly smacks the back of the creature's head.  "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!  Beauty has NO PLACE in battle ... there is only such a thing as a beautiful DEATH ... now FIGHT ME!" The breeze gently tosses her hair to one side, a few tresses dancing around her eyes as she awaited battle.

For the first time, she notices how odd looking this ... thing was.  In addition to the single worst hair decision she had ever seen, he seemed to be wearing a jumpsuit made of purple ... fur?!  Content to blame him for every odd thing she encountered, she wondered if Ginji was experimenting on the wildlife again or did he just allow this odd fellow to raid his bizarre closet? Hilarious or not, this idiot was destined to taste her steel.  Somewhere in the back of her mind, without recognizing it herself, it made her angry that he dared use a shy demeanor ... that trait was reserved for someone else someone who...

Her though was shattered when a very stupid voice rings out.  "CAN I EAT THAT ARMOR WHEN YOU'RE DONE?  I like to eat it with yarn!"  The goat was then seen happily chewing on a pinwheel and a cactus.  The lion had decided to lie down with twin streams of endless tears flowing from his eyes.  He loved the concept of standing proud and making a "good impression" of intimidating bravery on new enemies.  Again, the goat ruined his chances of impressing his enemy.  The day was destroyed. The snake perked up for once, raising her head ever higher to get a better view of the conflict below.  "Did someone say beautiful death?"

Holding the back of his head, the peculiar hairy man was with his legs bended, his body close to the ground, holding the back of his head, with his eyes popping out from the pain, but mostly, the shock. He was looking down, so he didn't noticed her move around him and smashing him. But, it wasn't really that painful. That really, really weird and stupid facial expression on his face, it looked more like a grin that sprout out off a lake of awkwardness. *S-she hit me? .. her hands are so firm but .. soft!*

Some moments pass, and as she speaks, clearly preparing to combat that person, who was acting so weird and was still actually there, in that position, it looked as if the man froze. It was surely very weird to look at. Suddenly, he just gets up fast, placing his hands parallel to his torso, and with his chest broadly on the front, looking as if he's trying to stay in line of an army unit, the guy faces the opposite direction of where Jade was standing.
"My apologies, I lost track of my thoughts and forgot I was there!" He just blurts out, his glare fixed towards the white vastness of nothingness up ahead. He then reaches for something that was in his pocket, and then turns, but not completely, still facing away from where Jade was, and extents his arm, again, at the wrong direction. "Would you like to .. marry me?" In his hand, a ring. A ring with a beautiful black-colored diamond attached on. WHAT?!

Jade's face was twisted in confusion as she slowly watched a nightmare unfold. Usually someone could be easily provoked into battle if they received something so humiliating as a smack across their head. That was her hope - but this idiot had the worst possible reaction. Why did he turn away. Her honer held her back from running a sword through his back. Was he trying to insult her but turning away and denying her battle?

She moves her blade back up as she sees him reach for something - a weapon! This was it - he was finally going to battle her. Her hunger for blood was getting worse by the moment. What? Why was he apologizing? The next thing that happened was so horrifying and unexpected that she stood there for a moment with her mouth open. A ring? Marry? Who the hell was he talking to? Annoyed by his nonsense, her heavy boot is planted flatly and rapidly against his exposed back with such force that his bones could be in danger, hoping to send him headlong into the snow. "NO! IDIOT - WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Her eyes were now glowing with annoyance. "DAMNIT - I get away with one batch of insane idiots only to encounter another! WHY am I cursed to be such a weirdo-magnet?! If you will not fight me GO AWAY or I will eat your throat, you bothersome purple bastard from the okama division of hell." Fuming, goes to retrace her way back down the path, her sensitive ears covering her back in case that idiot chased her down for a fight. Maybe she would run into her slow and inefficient nakama. At least they were a brand of weird that she had grown accustomed to.

*All those thing she says .. I don't understand a thing but .. what a beautiful, marvelous voice this is... could this be .. heaven?!* Is what the man is thinking, as he is, in slow motion, getting kicked on the ribs, and then, just as slowly as before, sent flying, with a really stupid, smiling/shocked facial expression. Only when he reached right in front of a rocky surface was that, slow motion was replaced with normal speed, and he just smacked onto the rocks, breaking through some of the loose material, and getting somewhat buried in cracked boulders and snow.

He just stays there, his face is visible, not covered by anything, as he just stares into the white sky. Then, a snowflake lands upon his nose. His eyes, all that time seeing some really weird, messed up and random images such as millions of colorful butterflies and birds flying around, the latter of which were also humming, a random rainbow crossing through the, for whatever reason, reddish horizon, and those heads that were apparently his subordinates with what seemed to be tuxedos, he suddenly "wakes up".

The next second, a rumbling sound is heard, and, if Jade had turned, she'd see a very tall, about 5 meters tall to be exact, being, it looked like an ape had taken a looooot of height, and then decided to dye its hairs with a white color all over his chest and all the places where his previous form had no hairs, while the rest was the same color, just, more bushy and wild. "So, a fight you seek to see if I am worthy to be your mate? Fair enough!" the creature says, grinning sinisterly.
Again, WHAT?!

As she was going, Jade caught a glimpse of the lion-goat creature, which for some reason was mysteriously wearing formal clothing. What in hell ... was she on drugs?! Damnit, Ginji ... everything she saw something that was too bizarre to even exist, she suspected Ginji was behind it with his witches brew of injections, carefully made with your confusion and suffering in mind.

A heavy rumbling caught her attention ... as she turned, her hair whipped around with her, completely air born for a moment as her eyes locked upon he twisted terror, the freakish oddity had become. "What? Mate?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" She looks at the sky, as though pleading for answers - why me? Why can't I have a normal day -- just once? Why can't I even have a good battle without a threat of molestation and amorous weirdos? -- No one answered her silent inquiries -- suddenly she very much missed the dark fellow from Water 7 who called her an ugly kitty.

"You have chosen a violent vintage of death..." She puts her helmet back on as her green eyes glow every brighter behind the metal. Her body begins to twist and grow - the armor unfolding, sliding and shifting to strategically cover bits of her feline frame with imposingly sharp edges, making her look like a sphinx wrapped in a black, metallic dragon. The helmet, which had shifted into a protective headdress left a spot for her triangular ears and offering a point of center for the single emerald stone set into the metal. She was now slightly taller than the beast when her cat ears were included. He eyes bore the lust for blood and death and she approached, blade in hand. "I just sharpened this ... so I can quickly remove your chances of plaguing the world further with your kind ..." It wasn't the first castration she performed in battle, and with her current streak of bad luck, it probably wouldn't be the last ...

Looking at her as she transforms, he remain still, watching over the process, always maintaining a bit of a grin. When she was done, he was still standing like that. And then she talked, but he was still not moving. His grin however was getting wider and wider, but so did the amount of his eyes being opened. Sweat was also going down his sides, like small rivers. They both stand there, for more time than the acceptable for such a situations where a fight is to begin. It was taking forever, to put it in simple words!

*She looks so...* He suddenly bends his legs like he did back then, and places his hands over his head, looking onto the snowy floor, with eyes creepily wide open. "Y-you .. are even more beautiful like this, h-hmmm .. was your father a .. a baker?" he finishes, and glances towards the direction of the odd creature, which, for whatever weird reason, not only was able to hear despite the distance, it was also .. how could it thumb up?! *So, I said it well, huh, guys?*

The sheer awkwardness and stupidity of this, once again weird, moment was about to be cut short, however, as, just as suddenly, the large creature moved, at a dazzling and deceptively fast speed, and, due to his towering size, was looking like a bit of a giant, as his large, long and thick arm had formed a fist, which was already diving down towards Jade. His expression has changed to that of a warrior, someone like her would be able to tell. "Let's dance."

Her lips curled back in confusion and disgust as she watched the single worst reaction to her transformation that she had ever witnessed. Ever. The cherished the fear, the acknowledgement of a challenge, or even disdain - but not this lecherous, creepy gaze. It made her stomach turn. she made a mental note to take her sharpest blade to her face after this battle. It had brought her nothing but trouble and never the one thing she wanted.

This obnoxious creature was not worth her time. She would end this quickly so she could go find those idiots who clearly HAD to be lost - unless they somehow destroyed her bloody ship again. Jerks. Her attention was then captured as the creature's demeanor suddenly changed. His movements were fluid and elegant from well practiced combat. Flickers of blood danced her her eyes as she saw the first. "At last ..." She leaped backward into a back flip, her wings, catching a draft of air before she hits the ground.

A blue sheen ran across the edge of her black blade with hypnotic luster. It hummed through the air with a smooth elegance and no air resistance. Her eyes were focused and had turned to icy stone. The cruel arc of the blade's trajectory silently approached its target with an effortless precision. The soft tissue of the creature's throat would be severed in one swift motion if his blade met its mark. She was in no mood for a prolonged production. He was on her bad side and now he would know her ugly side.

"Form Shift." The creature squeals, and then it actually disappears. Or rather, it didn't disappeared, it turned back into that human-was he really human?-like form. Nevertheless, the size difference was really large, so, effectively that made for a pretty smart and simple means to actually dodge dangerous attacks such as that, with minimal effort. After that, he just whistles, looking up to the blade being swung, having just narrowly escaped getting decapitated. "You are really fast, I didn't had to use that move in years!" the creature comments, with a smart-ass smile across his face, before he aims for another punch in a similar motion, at the same time, his size and structure changing again to that of this massive snow-ape.

Jade's eyes narrow as the creature shrinks again ... annoying.  What a bite-sized tease.  As predicted, it was a means of escape and soon the creature grew to its previous stature, which would ensure a more hearty meal for the hungry sphinx. "Did I ask for your detailed combat history?  I don't care - just shut up and die." She jumps high, spinning rapidly, while holding the blade for a 360 degree saw action, guaranteed to sever the limb of anyone stupid enough to come near. As she comes down, her wings give her a slight lift over the creature's head as she land with her back to him, her blade rapidly arcing around in a cruel black-slice of deadly rotation.

"Fast!.. not!" In a slightly playful manner, the large creature halts his attack, as it's intended target had lifted upon the air, and quickly jumps forward, moving away from the saw-styled assault, before it got to reach down to him. Although, she was quite fast, despite what he said, as, when he turned back to her and grinned, a small gush opens up on his hand, which was enough to make him swift his smirk and trollish nature to a face fault, his eyes popping out as he was watching over his hand. "Wow, how did you do that?!" He comments, mostly surprised and baffled, rather than scared. Well, he was so weird and .. weird, he probably didn't had much of a sense of fear in him, if he was comparable to most other weirdos seen thus far, who were also more or less unfazed by scary things and situations.

The situation then suddenly changes again, as the ape-creature jumps begins jumping around the snowy boulders and rocks around. Was he loosing his mind? Well, did he had a brain?
Grabbing onto a large mass of rocks, he then begins to pull, and, probably much to her surprise, a massive piece of rocky material, at least 10 times the ape's size, is now being held above by the creature's hands. "A gift for you! WOOO!" The creature just tosses the massive mass of debris towards Jade, like it was nothing.

Jade was already bored and rather annoyed. Why was this idiot wasting her time? He didn't act like she was trespassing and there was no way for him to know why they were even here so this conflict seemed to be initiated, specifically with the goal of annoying her in mind. She sighs with exasperation as he examine the cut on his hand. What a bizarre and dull opponent.

She quirked a brow as be began to shift about through the stones. She nearly facepalmed when she saw his plan. All of her training and precision swordplay ... everything she had done to become a well-seasoned warrior that did not have to rely exclusively on the power of her devil fruit ... and the best attack he could come up with was - throwing rocks? Really? "I don't want anything from you." She narrowed her eyes as powerful feline muscles propelled her straight into the hair, many times her own height, as cats a want to do. Gracefully, her wing snap open at the peak of her jump to give her additional airtime. Throwing rocks at cats was rarely a successful endeavor, no matter how big the rock was.

Jade was not impressed - the entire direction of this battle was an insult to every ounce of training she ever completed. If he was going to use such insulting "weaponry", she could play that too. Carefully she removed a most bizarre object from her back. A black bo slashed with red stripes, indicative of the electric eel fruit's skin which the staff had eaten. Spit protrusions fanned upward from the back of a spring loaded trigger mechanism, ready to deliver envenomed projectiles or a nasty shock. Her wings folded, giving her a downward oblique dive as the voltages charged in her staff. She used the momentum of flight and decent to power her slash at the ape creature as she landed, her green eyes flecked with blue, like chips of ice as her lack of amusement was more than apparent. With the voltage her staff could muster, she may soon be dining on cooked ape meat.

Having to resort once again to just jumping out of her attack's range and distance, the creature narrows his eyes, and scans with his glare that new weapon that was revealed. It sure looked suspicious and pretty dangerous, he should keep his distance from this. But, wouldn't that be a problem for what seemed to be a brute force and speed creature? So far, his only even decent-to-alright moves were close combat styled assaults, and even those either failed or were dodged by the sphinx. To just throw around rocks, even if they were bigger than those blasted giants, seemed to be ineffective as well. So, this seemed like he was at a grave situation, in a disadvantage that he just couldn't circumnavigate around. He was going to lose, or resort to running away, right?

Well, apparently, that didn't seemed to be the case, nor was the beast's plan. He was actually smirking, almost as if he was enjoying the turn of events. But, his grin changes fast and rapidly, to that of a goofy idiot. But that was weird. Did he not want her to notice him looking serious? He was already pretty weird, so she must already be at the belief that he's an idiot. Was that part of his plan?

He just then raises his hands, and keeps them above his shoulders, almost as if cheering. "Awesome work, you are cool! Not as cool as me, but ... oh, let me introduce myself, my name is ...." he then speaks his name out, but at the same time, the goat, his voice louder, apparently that other creature was drawing closer, is heard, just randomly letting out a deep and very loud bleat. The ape-man is left dumbfounded, and, as he tries again, the goat just screams, this time he screams "I LIKE MY GRANDPA'S COAT!"

Jades face twisted in partial confusion and partial disbelief as he inexplicably stopped fighting and began badly complimenting her and introducing himself.  Did he hit his head while playing with those rocks?  What was wrong with this idiot?  Everything he did was an insult to her years of combat and katana training.  Furious, she removed the electric voltage from her staff, and attempted to bash the creature over the head with it. He can have the insult of being hit with a stick. "LIKE I CARE WHAT YOUR NAME IS!"

Just then the cacophonous sound of that bizarre goat creature approaches. It looked even worse up close.  "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Her fist came out the meet the goat creature's face, partially collapsing it, causing every tooth to fall out one by one.  She turns back to the ape with annoyance in her eyes.  "Keep you and the rest of your zoo from hell away from me!" Just then the lion part of the creature speaks up.  He is standing tall with his mane ruffling majestically in the breeze.  He was clearly trying to impress her.  "My thanks you to, kind lioness of angels - it is about time that bleating bastard got what he deserv-" His words were cut off as the lion received a matching punch from Jade, who was already annoyed and insulted by being surrounded by a circus. "SHUT YOUR HOWLING SCREAMER!" The lion again was reduced to a pathetic puddle of endless tears as a large red knot rose from the side of his face. A crunching sound was then heard and she discovered the goat, who had mysteriously recovered his teeth, was chewing on a wicker basket. There was a look of horror on her face as she planted her foot on the entire creature's chest kicking it several meters away.  "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

"Guys, do not interfere; you are ruining my STYLE!" The creature speaks, raising his right hand in a "stop-this-instant" sort of fashion, which was actually making the whole situation seem even more goofy and pitiful. That was without mentioning the fact that he just blamed them for supposedly ruining his "style". Because obviously he wasn't ruining it himself. (Or rather, there was nothing to ruin to begin with) Then, clearing his voice, seemingly ignoring the beating his subordinate was taking, he closes his eyes, with his hand in frond of his mouth in a classy/corny way, to "emphasize" his "gentleman quality", he speaks once again. "My apologies for this ruckus, my beautiful maid, but, as I was saying, my name is Brosko. Cool Io Brosko. I am a mercenary that often seeks solitude and peace of mind to my beautiful property, this vastness of the mountains called Valens."

So, apparently this guy owned, or, probably, thought he owned, as it's unlikely that anyone could own a vastness of wildlife (or rather, snowy desert in this case), let alone a mercenary, as he described himself. "I must warn you, continue to struggle futilely and your life shall be at stake; I know about these lands better than anyone, you cannot beat me." He then claims, defiant over the fact that up to this point, he was effectively losing, not landing a single hit and resorting to just running away every time she would make a move. But, was there something else over his mind?

Jade was finished with the idiot and his crusty brethren. She had a job to do and being the plaything of the resident lunatic who seemed to have no real reason of fighting her other than having nothing better to do was something she had no time for and no interest in. "Stop introducing yourself like your identity matters to me - I don't. care. who you are. I am here for a job, not a social call. Why, exactly would my life be at stake? - is this island volcanic or are you hiding an army somewhere, perchance? It certainly would not be because of your battle prowess. Can't you find someone else to annoy? - Might I suggest a sea king?"

Rather finished with the conversations and those idiots in general, her wings flutter shortly before powerful feline muscles propel her skyward away from this icy insane asylum. She really didn't have time for their nonsense. She had nakama to find - and since the shit-show she just encountered made her nakama look relatively normal, she was almost eager to see them. They also had a job to do before they could leave this arctic wasteland.

"So, do you think she's meant to be my bride?" Brosko says to the other creature, which, all of a sudden, was back on it's feet, albeit with several swellings and bruises all over it's .. faces. "She is awesome, almost like LEAVES! .. Now that you mentioned it, I WANT LEAVES!" Brosko's hairy face forms a happy expression with eyes closed, eyebrows raised to accommodate the large wide cheesy grin that was carved on that hair-I mean, face.

As Jade was flying away, a loud "HEY, HONEY!" from her back is heard, and, above her, and hovering in the sky, the large hair brute, holding a rock about as large as Jade herself, smiles down at her. How the heck did he jumped all the way up here, with that large mass over his shoulders?!

(OOC: Never have the goat eat leaves, it's important for the plot later on that he doesn't eat leaves )

Just as she meant to leave this band of idiots behind, she is followed. Again. Did she look lonely? Did she just have one of those please-bother-me faces? Why was he overly obsessed with marrying her? She was a vicious stranger who wanted nothing to do with any of them. How is that desirable? They all clearly had brain damage.
Jade turns just as the largest of the idiots appears behind her with - yet another rock. Great. She quickly depressed the voltage trigger on her staff, sending waves of electricity coursing through its thick length as she swung a high arc toward the creature, hoping he would tumble to the ground, accompanied by his stupid rock. She may take some damage during the decent, but as long as he got crushed it would be worth the risk. "I threw my heart in the sea long ago - There it belongs and there it will remain - salty, cruel, and full of storms. Find someone else to annoy - again, I suggest the fine company of a sea king." There is a dramatic and melodic strumming as goat randomly appears with a lyre in its mouth, while wearing sunglasses.

Brosko is sent smashing on the white rocky ground, also being electrocuted and somewhat left fried. However, once again, his reaction is not normal, well, the normal would be a beaten up, scared creature after all those ordeals, instead, he was left standing on the snow, tall, looking up, but also not looking, in a sort of nirvana state. Small surges of electricity were still zapping here and there around his body. "S-shock... was that .." he mumbles, and then touches his heart, a heart that was racing right now.
"Is this what they call .. struck by love?!" He suddenly yells, fumes coming off his nose as if he was a train loosing out smoke, his eyes becoming hearts. And then, the large snowy ape begins to chase her on foot, remarkably being able to catch up easily.

Her staff hit its mark, knowing this masochistic weirdo from the sky to land in the snow, somewhat cooked for his efforts.  She hoped it would send the message that she very much wanted to be left the hell alone. Although, the poor sphinx did have a lone and unfortunate history of failed or incorrect communication. When the rock made its decent, her vicinity to its carrier had the consequence of a nasty cut across the top of her chest just under her collar bones, slightly sloping downward.  

She would take care of it later, when she was less annoyed. For some reason beyond any twisted comprehension that she would even have the desire to possess, the ape creature seemed to actually enjoy having his ass kicked - quite thoroughly.  She recognized the look on his face before he attempted to chase her.  Too stupid, stubborn, and proud to run from a battle, even a pointless one such as this, she snarled.

She was willing to savagely drain the last drop of blood from this creature, shortly before eating him before she'd let him near her with such a lecherous look on his face. He would not receive the gentle tolerance, sultry protest, and general lack of death she gave to the magician when he had the same look in his eyes - No, this ape was about to see a demon hungry for blood. "I will not hesitate to tear your throat out through your nostrils before I drink your blood."

Brosko continues to chase after her, not stopping as she stopped flying away, apparently she is willing to fight some more. That causes the ape man to actually cheer, literally cheer with his arms up and waving, while at the same time running towards her descending direction. "Wonderful, you are back for more~!" he yells, with a happy fool face, his eyes actually closed!

However, as the distance gap closes more and more, that stupidly cheesy smile is suddenly replaced with a mischievous, shady smirk. "What about reminding you that I'm this land's master?" As they are approaching each other, a pair of boulders seem to create a sort of natural roadway, both for foot as well as avian transportation. And, its when they reach that spot, that Brosko's right arm raises again, and he claps his fingers. Suddenly, a pair of nets just blast off from within the snowy slopes. What was the meaning of this?!