[attr="class","dec1"]There will
be blood
shed

[attr="class","dec2"]
ITS NOT GREAT BUT ITS THERE

Noel took the Warrior’s hand and shook it, nodding to him. If there was awkwardness or hesitation in his agreement, it was either ignored or never seen. The nameless knight merely returned the curt nod, his eyes glancing back to his thief companion. Sauber was a hard one to convince at times, as stubborn as a rock, but he was glad to see the young man finally coming around to the situation at hand. It eased the Warrior’s stress, just a tad, that he would need to do less convincing in the future.

He watched the banter between Noel and Sauber for a moment, letting their words sink in. So, Noel hadn’t been a resident of this world for long either, then. While every little bit helped, each trickle of information, he found himself hoping that the young man may have been here longer than just a few weeks. He appeared to be more focused on finding that friend of his, Serah, than he likely was gaining for information about the world around him. Understandable -- comrades came first.

Yet, the Warrior couldn’t say he would find himself doing the same. Locating comrades could only do so much, if you were unaware of the source for why they’d disappeared in the first place.

The knight wiped a trickle of cold sweat from his brow as Noel turned to address him once more. His hardened gaze spoke volumes. He understood that there was likely to be danger in this forest. How many nights had he and his companions fought for survival in every wild land they’d ever entered. In fact, it would likely be more surprising if these woods were nothing but peaceful. There was always something out there; something to fight, something ready to kill you. It was a kill-or-be-killed world most everywhere he’d ever been. Why would this new world be any different?

“We will remain alert,” the Warrior informed his new companion, stealing a quick, poised look at Sauber for a moment, silently communicating for the young thief to be listening. As they departed, the knight was reminded of how heavy his limbs felt, and in the silence of the woods, how his mind swam with questions, ideas, and emotion. Around them were only the sounds of rustling, dry grass and the occasional chirp of a bird, shuffle of a small animal underfoot.

Though he strained to hear these, apparently, large beasts, the Warrior could not pick them out from the silence. He listened for heavy footfall, for deep intakes of guttural breath, the disturbance of other creatures. But, for the moment, the woods only placed silent, soft songs to his ear. Relative peace.

He had nothing to add to their conversation. Nothing that couldn’t be shared over a more peaceful environment, anyway, with others that had perhaps been ripped from their worlds as well. So, the Warrior lumbered along silently, stuck in the chaotic thoughts of his mind.

It's the only thing I've ever known.