Laurenz opened his eyes, his heart rate still pounding from his panic. He thought that the authorities would have caught them, he was sure of it. 

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the blinding sunlight that bathed him in warmth. The air was fresher here, and the area was more open.

The flourishing grass beneath him was swaying in the cool breeze, and all he could see before him was an enormous lake, sparkling in the sunlight. It stretched so far that the body of water met the distant horizon.

He turned around to see behind him, and all he could see in that direction was nature, raw and thriving. Hills, trees, shrubs, and the greenest grass he'd ever seen. Different species of avian wildlife were soaring overhead, casting fleeting shadows onto the prospering land below.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Decius mused, staring out over the gentle water. "Much better than a jail cell, I might add."

Laurenz looked over at him, his common sense returning. "Why did you help me? I tried to kill you, but you still saved me with minimal explanation on my part."

"I saw into your mind."

"You what?" Laurenz shot back, irritation building. How much did he see? He wondered.

"I saw enough." Decius said, before turning to face him. "I know things now. Like why you gave in so easily."

"I didn't give in-"

"Oh you gave in, alright. You were worried that your reputation would be damaged so you ran away with your tail between your legs."

Laurenz was ready to snap back at him when Decius spoke again.

"Not only that... Aha, you have a woman! Against the rules of being a bounty hunter, if I'm not wrong. Don't want to get caught, do you? You want to provide for her and yourself, quit your job when you're wealthy enough and live out the rest of your wretched life with her."

"You leave Seraphina out of this. You're right, it is against the rules, and she's in danger because of it. I could never get caught for the fear that she would be unprotected. Hell, I've never been close to caught, so I was afraid for her, alright? I've only been this far from her twice before, and I don't even know if she's alive or not. I came all this way for you, so you're going to get me out of it." Laurenz lectured.

Decius was silent for a moment.

"She's very beautiful," he finally said, sincere.

Laurenz let a small smile etch itself onto his face, the image of her forming in his mind.

Her skin was always smooth, and a lighter shade of brown than his own. Her black hair was curly and wild, and her eyes were deep and ever-observant.

"So I'm getting you out of this mess, am I? Why should I?" Decius enquired.

"I told you, I came for you, so you're going to help me."

Decius chuckled, before his flash of amusement faded into seriousness. "Oh no, I don't think so. You could have declined the job, but you just had to take it and try and kill me."

"It was the highest paying job I've ever been offered! What would you have done? This could have been my last ever job, I could have provided for her for the rest of our lives. But now we're here, so the least you could do is take me back to Vaneaux."

"You don't even have any right to involve me in your little situation. All you did was try to kill me, so why do I suddenly have to take you home? Realistically, if this wasn't so entertaining, I would have left you here by now." Decius announced, remorseless.

"Alright, Cavlacanti. Go ahead, leave. Maybe next time I find you, I won't miss." Laurenz barked, clenching his fists.

Decius smirked. "You didn't mean that."

Laurenz sighed and chuckled. "No, no I didn't. I need your help to get home."

"There's one small problem with me helping you." Decius said.

"You better be able to get me there, Decius." Laurenz sternly warned.

"I can! I can! It's just that, well, I'm a bit drained from our last teleport, you see. I suggest we begin our journey on foot so I can regain some strength. If you disagree, then you're on your own."

Laurenz begrudgingly nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

"We should head to Azoka. We'll make it there by sunset if we keep a good pace." Decius said, planning aloud.

"Alright. You better know what you're doing."

"Relax, bounty hunter. I'll get you there." Decius assured him, already knowing that they would have many more quarrels in the future, no matter how much they tried to agree.

Decius had to admit that he was somewhat purposefully riling Laurenz up, just for the kick of it. He had always done it with Sascha, and it seemed to be a habit he'd forgotten about until that moment.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" Laurenz said, his tone impatient.

"Nothing. Let's get moving."

After he spoke, the two men fell into silence and began their journey.

Laurenz had badly wanted to ask about the magic that had been used to transport them to this place, and what other powers this man beside him possessed. But the questions would keep for another time he decided. He kept his mind blank, not wanting any stray thoughts to betray him.