He stumbles back and pulls out his own staff, one that actually fits his age. Compared to Aspras, the staff might even be taller than her, something an adult would use.

"I uh... i dont think we should be fighting, you were hurt just a minute ago..." he speaks slowly, pointing his staff at her.

She chuckles while jumping forward, trying to smash his head in with her staff, not using any magic for whatever reason.

He panics trying to dodge the unexpected assault. But he quickly fights back, his staff meeting hers, knocking it out of her hands. "Hey!" She jumps after it, falling to the ground and holding onto it.

He moves above her thinking she's done, but then he's met with the sight of her staff pointed directly at his face. "Fell for it." She whispers, charging up an attack and firing, black flames rushing out of her staff like a flamethrower.

He narrowily dodges getting his head dislocated by the mere force of the fire, but his right shoulder is completely charred, the sleeves burnt right into ashes.

Falling to the ground, he clutches his shoulders, looking up at her.

"Haha! I've done it! You're done for!" She exclaims excitedly. "I'll have my life back! I'll walk back home proudly!"

He winces slightly at what she's saying, it sounds like she's troubled by something, he feels as if he's taking something away from her by living.

"...Sorry. Not today."

Falu points his staff up at the sky, he closes his eyes and focuses. "Sanar."

His staff lets out a small wave of white fire that surrounds him, before it all condenses down into a small, angel like creature. It clings onto his shoulder as he stands up.

Aspra looks afraid and steps back, looking angry or perhaps envious.

"H-how! You're already using spells! This isn't fair!"

He groans slightly in pain and steps back once more. "There's a village to the north that'll take you in... but i'm done with you. I'll be going south."

"Y-you can't just say that! I have to kill you!"

"You're not the first to try... i'll heal any wounds you put on me."

She grumbled in frustration, her eyes widening maniacally.

"W-who are you to act so high and mighty against me!" She digs her hand onto a nearby tree, trying to contain herself as he walks off.

"Damnit... damnit!" She whispers to herself. "You come back here!" She yells out to no avail.

The air around her goes silent; till she grumbles something to herself and stands up. Looking around, Falu is long gone, even with his injury, he had outsmarted her.

Though she knew she had to let him go, if he had one spell developed already, she would not be able to keep up with raw magic, on top of that, he could have more than that little angel.

"A village up north that'll take me in... hell does that even mean?! Does he know i ran away or something?!" She mutters to herself.

She kicks a rock in frustration but comes to regret it. Groaning as she holds her foot.

"...His fault." She whispers.

She holds onto her staff as a makeshift crutch and begins walking away on one leg, determined to find her way to the village suggested. She's not eager to do what he told her, but its either that or starvation.

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She looks back south where she knows he was headed, but snaps her head around north to go on her own path.

Aspra questions why he'd chosen to go south, that region of the empire is far worse economically and filled with crime. The people there had been neglected by generations of rulers, still, she doesn't wanna dwindle on this thought for much longer.

There's plenty of creatures that could stir trouble for her, but one look at her flames is enough to drive a small threat away without a fight, still, she stays hyperaware of her surroundings, ready for any random confontation.

Hours pass until signs of life makes itself known, luckily, she hasn't had any problems up until now, though her hunger is evident.

Glancing from tree to tree, she could see small engravings in each of them, a common tactic used by villagefolk to mark territory. These trees were clearly planted here, not native to this forest, these "Willrrow" trees are especially good at absorbing magic from nature, so they are used to protect against natural disasters.

She stares silently at the trees as she navigates deeper, the markings are more charred the closer she gets to the village, indicating that an incident had happend from the inside, the cause presumably being the villagers themselves.

Eventually, she reaches a sign that reads "Valar village". While it's in northern territory, it's not considered to be apart of it, but rather it makes up part of the border with the western sector alongside some other villages.

Looking at the charred sign, she lifts her hood back on and continues onwards to find the village itself. It should be small enough for her to rest for a few days before starting up her journey up north again.

"Their squabble must have been recent if no one has bothered cleaning up..."

She looks around herself as she walks.

"But then why would there be signs of fighting all the way out here?" She ponders.

Continuing on her way, she stumbles upon the village, empty and barren, the houses all have dark marks on them, as if hit by lightning magic. The surrounding area is devoid of plant life, just ashes and dust with the occasional call of birds.

Hurrying inside, there's no one else around, as if everyone had gone up and left this place behind. Bandit raids arent unheard of, but they never cause this much destruction or drive an entire village away.

Aspra makes her way to the village's well, and she finally finds another person. A young girl her age with pink-ish hair, she's sitting by the well, arms cradled around her knees, close to her body.

She approaches her to get a better look. Theres a certain lack of light in her eyes, and she hasn't even noticed Aspra approaching yet.

"Excuse me." Aspra says calmly, afraid she'll startle her.

"Are you from here?"

The girl looks up at Aspra, her expression still empty.

"...Yes."

"What's your name?" Aspra squats down infront of her, hands on her staff for support.

"...I'm Rouge."

"What happend here Rouge?"

Rouge looks back at Aspra hauntingly, as if she's staring past her.

"Man with black lightning came and... my friends are gone..." She says melancholically.

Aspra stiffens up at the mention of black lightning, the exact magic her father, King Ble, also happens to use.

"He was... big and strong... we couldn't stop him. It's only me here now."

"You're always on my tail father..." Aspra thinks to herself.

Aspra straightens back up and offers a hand to Rouge.

"I'm heading north. You're free to come along. You shouldn't stay here. There's no one else around."

She looks suprised at the offer but then nods and takes her hand, sitting back up herself, looking conflicted for a second.

"Home... my stuff." She says, letting go and running towards a small hut.

Aspra follows suit. She takes a look around, not understanding how anybody could live in such a tiny place. However, she knows not to say anything rude, unless she wants to make an enemy of her.

Rouge rammages through a room that she probably called hers at one point, though its cramped and riggid, theres mold on the walls that suggests that this place was down and out long before it was attacked.

She comes back out with a wand, holding it up to the air for a few seconds, pink lightning sparking lightly from the top, then she nods and pockets it. Aspra takes note of the colour but doesn't say anything, just nods back.

"Do you need anything else?"

Rouge looks around upset at having to leave, but sighs and doesn't fight it, walking out of the hut without looking back. Aspra follows suit outside, walking behind her.

"Talking a little more wouldnt hurt you." She tells her.

Rouge looks back slightly, smiling a little.

"Sorry... i think i'll be better once we are out of this place."

Aspra nods and moves ahead of her, not looking back but expecting her to follow.

"Can you fight at all Rouge?"

"A-a little... my cousin used to train me a little whenever she'd pass by."

Rouge's face lights up slightly as she remembers this. "N-north! We are going north right? Roz- i mean my cousin, she lives there! She'll take us in!" She says excitedly.

"She doesn't know me though. Why would she take me in?" Aspra asks curiously.

"She wouldn't turn family down, and if you're with me, she'll have no choice!"

Aspra nods and looks around the remaining homes, taking in the mere destruction left around them. Her father didn't even leave a single body behind. Yet behind her is now a girl who managed to outwit him.

"I dont like owing people, so lets say me leading you out of here makes us even if your cousin takes me in."

Rouge nods, seeming a little more content as they make the way out of the village from the northern entry.