What happened in that time, not even Aimee was sure of. When the man had slashed through her attackers, it looked like she saw their souls, screaming in agony, forcibly ejected from their bodies, and rocketed skyward. After that, the circle seemed to engulf their bodies and reduce them to nothing.

Literally nothing. Not even ashes or cinders remained.

The man then sheathed his sword, and walked over towards Aimee.

"...well then." he said.

"They certainly did not hold their grudge back." he commented, holding up an orb of mana in his hand.

"This will hurt." he told her.

"But endure it and you'll be healed. Mostly."

The man was silent, before looking around.

"Quite frankly, I'm amazed nobody came to investigate after this long." he muttered.

"Your mana seems out of whack." he told her.

"..." he was then silent as he saw the feather in her hair, before shaking his head.

"I know where you live." he said.

"Want me to bring you home?" he asked.

Once she had all her things, he waited until she was close to him. Once she was almost touching him, he took his blade out and jammed it down into the ground beneath then. They then both disappeared in a bolt of lightning, appearing in her den.

In the blink of an eye, essentially.

"We're here." he said.

"You might want to sit for a minute." he told her.

He then removed his blade from... what was now their floor.

"Indeed." he replied.

He then looked around, before sheathing his sword again, and causing his wings to disappear.

"Mortals usually can't handle that." he said.

"You're taking it far better than most would." he then commented.

"Probably because of what you are, and what your mana is." he went on.

"Mmhmm." he responded.

"You're the perfect combination to deal with this sort of thing." he told her.

"But still. Sit for a minute." he said further.

"Wait until the world stops spinning." he suggested.

"Regardless, are you all right?" he asked.

"Seems like I intervened just in time."

"......" he was silent for a moment, before sighing quietly.

"You're right." he said. "I don't." he confirmed.

"And I know better than to argue with someone about this." he muttered. "Especially seeing as I can tell you are set on this." he went on.

"So I will indulge your curiosity." he continued.

"Maple." he said. "I have a soft spot for maple flavour." he informed her.

"So anything incorporating that is fine."

He was silent as he looked at the brownies. He gingerly picked on up and examined it... before cautiously putting it in his mouth. He chewed a couple of times, paused, and then swallowed.

He said nothing, but cleared his throat.

"Yes, well." he said.

"They're certainly not bad-" he started to say, before sighing heavily.

"Oh, to Hell with it." he then said, before grabbing two more and tossing one in his mouth.

Aimee'd hit it home, it seemed.

He sighed once more, and shook his head slightly.

"You are a kind soul." he told her.

"Too kind to have to deal with the likes of those you encountered earlier." he reasoned.

"Tell me, is that common?" he asked.

"Do people attack you often?" he asked further.

"...you are a selfless soul, as well." he commented.

"Truly, you stand out as a diamond in the rough in this miserable world." he told her.

"Not many waive their own concerns for others." he continued.

"A shame you live in this turbulent and chaotic time." he lamented.

"Your mana makes you quite special." he went on.

"....as is evidenced by your... unique... hair accessory."

He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Naivety doesn't work on me." he told her.

"It might work on someone else, but not me." he said.

"ESPECIALLY me." he then added.

"After all, if there's one that knows that feather, it'd be the brother of the one it came from." he reasoned.