A one on one chat

Clyde's fist came in fast but I had already expected it, bringing my own palm to meet. Once I caught I twisted his arm while dragging him towards me kneeing him in the gut.

He let out a forced breath as I sweeped his feet and flipped him over on his back, pinning him down with my right knee.

"Are you willing to talk now?"

He struggled to break free making me add more weight on the knee.

"What the hell are you doing Ian, help me out!" he yelled over to the other guy.

Ian hesitated before finally sighing and moving in on me. I was forced to break away from Clyde and put some distance between me and Ian's charge.

He swung his fist at me aiming for my face. I instinctively crossed my arms over it to block. Before I could withdraw he kicked me in the gut forcing me back a few steps. He grabbed my collar and yanked me towards him trying to get a shot in with his knee but I placed my palms forward and blocked before striking his chest.

Before he could take a clear breath I lifted my arms up and hit his away breaking his hold on me and swiftly jabbed the bridge of his nose. He took a quick step back so that I could only hit his cheek.

"You're good," I didn't mind his compliment except it didn't matter if they were just going to fight me.

"You just got lucky kid. Now I won't have to hold back on you," Clyde walked over, recovered from his earlier state.

"If you think so then come at me," I beckoned him and he blindly rushed in swinging wildly. With his crazy furious swings I'm surprised he didn't manage to land a single blow. When his last swing missed I spun and back heeled his jaw hard he crumpled to the ground.

"Now that he's out of the way will you listen to me?" I looked over at Ian who had yet to move.

"I don't know, it's really the miss' call," he gestured over behind him and I noticed those blue eyes staring at me intently.

"Well?" I asked her.

"To be honest, I don't know if I can believe you. You were caught with my money..." her lips curved into a smile.

"Tell you what, to you can keep it, and make some more too if you're interested..." I already smelt a trap, but I was dead broke now so I might as well hear her out.

"What is it?"

"I want you to be my personal guard. I have to say I admire your skills and I hold no prejudice of what happened in the Secret Elixir, so I hope you will accept," her eyes seemed to tell me it wouldn't be as simple as that. I could turn her down but she's probably not going to let this go now that I've been caught with the money and this large crowd of witnesses. Plus I could be charged with assault on her guards, it wouldn't take much to convince the judge to convict if there would even be a trial.

"It's a very good offer for you, a chance to redeem yourself for this unfortunate turn of events," she added.

I sighed, "Do I really have any other choice?"

She mouthed the word 'no' and I gave in. I agreed to her offer. At least I'll have somewhere to stay for the night.

"Good, now pick up that fool on the ground and let's get going. It's getting late," she turned and began to walk away leaving me and Ian to help up the idiot.

*****

"This place is huge!" I was shocked standing outside the Rosewood manor. The gates behind us shut while Autumn, as I'd come to learn her name, ushered us through the neatly designed marble path to the huge mansion.

What really made my mind explode was the inside. White pristine walls, polished oak wood floors so smooth you could see your reflection. A wide hall with well sculpted statues and paintings which must have served as the party area for huge functions.

"Ian you can take Clyde to his room. I'll handle this one," Ian bowed and dragged away Clyde.

"It's Eden by the way," I told her stretching out my hand. She took it in a handshake a smile stretching on her face.

"You must be tired Eden, I'll have a maid prepare your room and bath for now I'll call for a meal while you tell me more about yourself," she led me to the spacious living room and called two maids in and gave them their jobs. She took a seat on the comfy couch and gestured for me to take the one opposite to her. We sat like that for a while, just gauging each other.

"If you're done staring at me maybe you'd like to tell me who you are?" She's really full of herself.

"You were the one staring, I didn't wanna interrupt," I smiled making sure to annoy her.

"I was merely observing," she answered.

"Good, I thought you had a thing for me and I would have totally turned you down," I gave her my honest opinion.

"Well that was rude. Am I not to your liking?" She faked a pout.

"Practically yes. It's not that you aren't beautiful but your attitude, I don't like it. You're really bossy and I just wanted to live my own easy life, until today."

"It seems so. I also don't like the way you talk to me withholding who I am but I know it probably won't change. I still won't change my mind," the maid finally came back with a tray holding tea and some pastries. She set the cups and poured in the tea and took her leave.

Autumn gingerly sipped her tea while I snagged most of the pastries and stuffed them in one after another till I heard a choking sound. I looked over at her, "What?"

"Does it not bother you how much you stuff your face like an animal?"

"Back off, I'm hungry," I ignored her and finished off the pastries and tea.

"I just want to say that was really disturbing," she added. I just shrugged. It didn't matter to me, that was I prime opportunity to get a taste of some of the best sweets I would ever have had.

"Your weapons are quite peculiar," she'd been eyeing them for sometime now since I set them on the floor next to me.

"Oh that, it was my idea. I liked the way scythes looked but I'm more of a double handed wielder and I can't carry two of them at once, so I had a smith fashion them to the size of a pick axe, just about the same length as a sword."

"How old are you?" she asked.

"I just turned twenty, what of you?"

"If you must know, I'll be turning nineteen in a month."

"I won't say more on that but I have to ask, are you an element wielder as well?" She arched forward from her seat.

"Huh?"