Derek was a little bit rattled by the atmosphere and was taken aback by the malice he felt coming from Lovell. He was his oldest friend, and as such, he knew him just as well as he knew himself. In Derek's memory, Lovell was always up to some scheme and did not seem like the impulsive type who goes off to fight an unknown enemy just because he was angry or upset.
What was even more striking was that Derek was not able to move as he wished as he stood behind Lovell. His muscles tensed as well, and his breathing became weary. Never before had he seen Lovell wear such an expression. The contrast between the Lovell before him and the one from his memories was startling, but he knew he couldn't allow them to clash. He was sure of one thing at least. His friend was not capable of fighting a Dreadborn.
"Lovell!! Stop this, you can't win. In case you didn't hear me, she is a Dreadborn. I just saw what she can do, and I'm sure you know that winning is not an option we have a hope of achieving. The smart thing to do now is to leave while she is still willing to let us leave."
Lovell stood motionless and offered no response to the warning Derek was providing him.
"..."
"Dammit, you fool!! When did I become the voice of reason between the two of us!? Get your shit together before you do something you can't take back."
Lovell listened to Derek's rant without turning to him or paying him much mind. His attention had been focused on the Dreadborn the entire time. He looked into her eyes and was more suspicious of the events that had transpired that night. He wasn't that much of a fighter himself, but he could tell that she was strong. She was probably the strongest person he had ever met. Even as he knew this, he was determined to try his luck against her.
It wasn't just reckless bravado driving his decision. Ever since he had woken up outside, he felt that something was different about him. Even if pressed for answers, he couldn't say what specifically had changed, but he could more or less feel that his body was different.
He could now somehow control his mind and thoughts more intricately as well as understand others more easily. He wasn't exactly stronger, but he felt more aware of himself. Almost as if he were in control of his mind. His earlier experience outside with the running fool he had stopped also allowed him to somehow understand him with little to no words.
Using that control, he heightened his senses and was fairly confident he could read his opponent should the need arise. Noticing the inquisitive glances that would occasionally wash over her, the Dreadborn was quite displeased by the manners Lovell had shown her since his arrival. Unwilling to be subjected to such a lack of respect, she clenched her jaw and sharpened her gaze.
"How dare you ogle me with those vulgar eyes, you wretch? To think I was thinking of letting such vile things go without punishment. You are the type of cretin who mistakes kindness for weakness. I will correct my folly by taking you in and handing you over to the knights of Gravia. They should also receive a fair bit of chastising for allowing you wicked things to roam around freely."
After those words reached Derek's ears, he found himself standing in the middle of a blizzard, naked to the cruel winds that washed over him. Never before had he felt so powerless and in such dire straits. The fiend he was about to escape from had now drawn her ire and was ready to feed them all she had drawn.
His gaze glanced from her and then to the cause of his now shortened life. He began to walk towards Lovell with a clenched fist and eyes that were raging with a thirst for revenge, as one does when they suffer from an injustice. He slowly progressed until he was standing next to Lovell. His fists loosened, and a heavy sigh escaped from him.
"You better know what you are doing because I sure don't. I'm sure you know that we can't beat her, so what exactly are you hoping to achieve?"
Lovell spared him a glance and did not offer any answers. He then moved his eyes back towards the beauty before him and said to her,
"You seem to be talking a lot, but you are not doing anything. Could it be that you were letting us off because you can't be bothered to or you can't?"
Derek was silenced by this claim and quickly threw a glance at Lovell.
Seeing his friend's demeanor and recollecting all the strange things revolving around the Dreadborn, he was inclined to believe his friend's claim. He then shifted his gaze towards the woman before them and saw that she had no change in expression.
Although this made reading her all the more challenging, it also gave him the false confidence he needed to test and probe her. He then walked one step forward, and she stretched out her hand in response to that action. He was reminded of how she was able to move incredibly quickly and how she had disappeared from his vision entirely without any indications.
He instantly came to a stop, and sweat began to trickle from his forehead. The false confidence that had been fuelling him earlier had now decided to leave him. Lovell instantly was put on alert when he saw her arm. Although he had made the decision abruptly, the part of his mind that governed his reasoning skills was already back at work.
Noticing Derek's expression served to further reinforce his wariness towards the aloof beauty. After a few seconds of silence had passed by, Lovell looked over to the Dreadborn and noticed she was not doing anything. He had already been on his guard around her, but now he had no way of telling what exactly she would do. He felt even more unsettled when he began to hear her laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!! I was fairly sure I would not be noticed. What gave me away, I wonder? To think that the first to learn of my condition would be a couple of thieves from a backwater town at the edge of Gravia. My elder brother would be ecstatic if he were to ever learn about this."
Derek was a little bit puzzled by what
He was hearing and couldn't understand what she was trying to say. He was reminded of Lovell's theory when he saw that blood was beginning to flow from her lower lip. He got a closer look and wondered if he could even call what he saw blood. From her lip, a liquid flowed that was a lot darker than any blood he had ever seen. Like a river of night, the dark liquid had little points of light within that reminded Derek of the stars in a night sky.
She was indeed injured. Finally, all of her actions that night were put into perspective, and he saw that she was trying to perpetrate a bluff. It wasn't that she was letting them go; rather she couldn't catch them all, not all of them. Seeing her vomit a mouthful of blood gave his confidence the spark it needed to reignite within him. Lovell also saw this, and the corners of his mouth made an upwards arc.
"You nearly had me fooled, Miss Dreadborn. I haven't met that convincing of a liar since Lovell here. You truly had me going there for a second. Don't worry, I may be just a 'petty thief', but I am not the kind of person who goes back on his word. We will be leaving and hopefully will never see each other again."
She heard this and continued laughing.
"'Surely you jest. I may not be in the condition required to exercise my full powe, but trust me, I do not require it to deal with you."'
Without the need for any more words, she charged at Lovell, who was closest. Lovell saw her approach and dodged her charge by kicking off the ground and rolling on the floor. Derek was a little fearful of her since he had already seen what she could do. Also, as thieves who were mostly focused on stealing, fighting was not exactly their specialty. Evading her attacks and striking when she least expects it was going to be their approach.
Even without any discussions before engaging her, that was to be the plan, or at least that was the assumption Derek was going with. Reality, however, was very much out of line with his expectations.
Lovell crouched down and launched himself at her. His leg stretched out for her back as if he intended to stomp her down. Her response was simply to stretch her arm and grab his foot mid-air. He then gripped him tightly and threw him into the wall. The wall caved from the force, and Lovell was forcefully removed from the stage.
Derek charged at her when he saw this and screamed out in anger.
"'YYOOOUUUU!!!"'