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Ross hoped that it could be a misunderstanding involving maybe a little shove, a push, or something of that nature, but...Adam HIT Aura!? "...You did...WHAT?" Was all that Ross could say, angrily rising his voice as it was clear that it took him by surprise. "Crow, right? I thank you for your honesty. Please, go to the Inn with Aura, and take care of her. DON'T let her go out." He said, yet his eyes were focused on Adam. Thankfully, the reinforcements had arrived, and Lady Delacroix, with them.

She was tall, with knee lenght blonde hair, and a crimson red ellegant dress with silver ornaments, along with low, armored heels, a spear being carried ellegantly by her right hand while she stepped closer. "What is the situation, Caster Laforette?" Formally asked the woman with a severe tone. "I've separated the groups, Ma'am. Please, take care of the civilians." Informed Ross. "What about this individual?" "He's mine." "But that's not the--" "I said he's MINE." Suddenly said Ross, breaking the cold stare to turn back and glare at the woman, who clearly felt offended, and went back with the rest of the officers to control and spread the bunch of bound people. "Listen to me carefully." Began Ross, tightly, almost roughly holding Adam by his neck, and push him to sit at the edge of the fountain. "I had hoped that Aurora had been hit in the confusion of the crowd...but...You? Oh wait! let me guess...you weren't being rough, right?" He laughed, mocking the man, suddenly leaning forward until his face was really close to Adam's. "...Listen, and listen carefully, because I will only say this once. Touch Aurora once again, and I promise no one will recognize you after I'm done with you." Murmured he, grithing his teeth, and showing unvoluntarily those sharp, oversized canines he had! "I don't care if she's 'your' girl. If you really loved her, you wouldn't treat her as you do." He kept ranting, until a palm laid on his shoulder. Ross turned around to shout at whomever dared to interrupt him...until he noticed that it was the barkeep, a mature man of roughly six feet in height, quite round but surely packing quite the muscle, and a small, grayish mustache over his upper lip. "...Enough kid." Was all that he said, and Ross dropped his attitude instantly! "...Get out of my sight." Ross murmured, yet this time he wasn't looking at Adam.

Aurora went with Crow to the inn. Crow made sure she didn't leave. Adam scowled at Ross as he was talked to. When he was released, he just walked off. He went to the inn, though. He was going to see Crow, and Aurora. With the barkeep with Ross, it would only be moments before a scream was her. And then a shout. And then Crow and Aurora were running out of the inn as fast as they could.

Crow was muttering to Aurora, "Damnit Aura, you could have blown your--" And then they ran up to Ross. Aurora was out of breath. "Ross...Ross, he almost...killed...Crow!" She was holding tightly to Crow's hand, tears in her eyes. "He..he.." She sniffled. "Just keep him away from us...please. Please, I'm begging you..." Adam was coming out of the inn now, obviously ready for a fight. Or to just take Aurora away forever. Crow looked at Ross. "Please, officer. We just want Aura safe. He'll kill anyone who gets in his way. Anyone who poses a threat to his twisted relationship with her. We need your help. Come on...for her. She's too proud to ask for it herself. Anything to help her friends instead of her. But she needs the help too." Aurora just looked away.

At last...peace, and silence. That was his thought, until the conmotion coming from the Inn could be heard. Ross turned aroud in time to catch sights with Crow and Aura, not believing what had just taken place. Even Ross had just threatened the man to death, he had the...guts, to do it at the next second? Just once someone had managed to get him this angry...and the barkeep knew him well enough to know what he was up to. "Ross! Stop right there!" Ordered the man, instinctively pulling Crow and Aurora behind him. "But...I...Just...Keep them safe, father!" Shouted the Southern Codex, cracking his knuckles and turning around, ready to face this...fool.

"...It's just you and me, pretty boy." Murmured Ross to himself, the townspeople quickly sprinting out of the way, until a wide ring of witnesses were staring at them, closing any way of escape, just as Ross simply stood on his grounds, lifting one finger and pointing it to Adam. "...I warned you." Was all he said, waiting for him to make the first move.

Aurora blinked in surprise. 'Father'? She stayed back with Crow, watching carefully.

Adam smirked. "You have no right to tell me what to do with my woman. She is mine. So if you try to do anything to her, I'll kill YOU. So let's get this over with." He took a fighting stance, and grinned. He didn't wait, instead he ran over and swung a fast, solid punch right at Ross. Aurora clung to Crow and turned her head away. She didn't want to see the fight.

There was nothing else to say, and therefore, Ross had no need to listen to the foul mouthed man.

Even so, he had a little trouble at evading said punch, but it was nothing he couldn't take care of. Once the fist had been raised, Ross tool the wrist of that arm, and roughly slammed his open free palm against Adam's shoulder, attempting to break it. Normally, Ross would simply punch the lights out of the man...but this was not the case. He was sure now that Aurora had endured too much pain...and he was going to make Adam pay for it. Once the gruesome 'CRACK' was heard, the Caster quickly acted, and made a spin as he rose his left leg, attempting to side kick him over his ribs. Ross wanted to imprint the pain he had made Aurora feel in his own mind. He wanted to make Adam remember it.

Adam brought his other hand over to meet palm-to-palm with Ross, avoiding the breaking of his shoulder. The spin that was sent to him made him aim to grab that leg and yank it. He was going to fight, and fight hard. It was time for the wild punches then, sudden and unexpected, to try and surprise and confuse him. THe best kind of attack was one that couldn't be anticipated, after all.

Aurora could not help but look now, and watch the fight in fear.

The Southern Codex, one of the best hand to hand fighters of Tanosia, was taken by surprise by the quick reaction from Adam, not even having time to predict those blows, and fully take them.

After the first three direct punches, the Caster took the oportunity of having his leg grabbed to use it gor leverage, and jump to wrap and slam the free one around Adam's neck, in a clear attempt to throw him to the ground. The rest of the Officers didn't know what to do. They wanted to help their superior, but as soon as one too ka single step closer, they would be greeted by a stare from Lady Delacroix, freezing them on the spot and stopping them from doing anything.

By now, if Ross's move was effective, he would hold him there, and try to cut his breath.

Adam was yanked down as his neck was caught, but he would pull at that leg with one hand and hit Ross in the stomach with his other. Adam had plenty of strength to match his burly physique. He would roll with Ross to try and dislodge him. Aurora watched anxiously, feeling nothing but guilty, that things would come to this. (short sorry xD)

In all the years of experience, he hadn't met a single person with so much will to fight. That, or Ross simply hadn't met anyone with the will to kill, such as Adam. That was, when he remembered that he was just not a mere citizen. He could end that battle at any second. For example, he could scorch Adam to ashes, but...that would break the promise he made to Aurora...and he wouldn't do that.

Even so, the Elite Caster was being ashamed in front of everyone, being pinned down against the floor and violently punched over his stomach, easily driving the air out of his lungs, unvoluntarily releasing his grip around Adam's neck, but quickly roll on the floor to stand up, and take the chance to aim a swift kick against his cheek, while the violent bard would be still trying to stand up.

(Don't worry xD)

Aurora was two seconds from jumping in the fight herself. Crow had his arms around her firmly, holding her back while she watched in horror as Ross was pinned and punched. Adam was indeed violent. Once he was released, Adam started to get to his feet. He was hit by the kick and sent to the ground again. But this time, he was even more pissed off.

Adam got to his feet quickly and charged for Ross. Reckless, angry, and deadly. His intention? To pound on Ross, then choke him to death.

It was hard for Ross to figure out why Adam was so agressive right now. Sure, jealously could drive a man mad...but this much? The Caster was not only fighting Adam because he wanted, but he was also trying to understand the motives behind it. Even so, he had to put his thoughts to an stop when he caught the intentions of that rage blinded man.

It was time to finish that fight...and it didn't seem like just pinning Adam against the floor would do, so...it was time to try something new. Playing dumb, Ross let Adam wrap his hands around his neck, tensing his muscles instantly to not get choked instantly as...Heck, he had to admit that Adam was definitely strong. He almost regretted doing such a dumb thing, but it was all part of his plan. Once Ross was roughly pushed and pinned against the floor, he would still play the deffenseless victim...until one of his hands rose, just to grab a hold of Adam's face, and tighten his grip around it. It may have seemed like a desperate, weak move, but if anyone in the crowd was cautious enough, they would notice that the runes of his bicep began to spin! Not for nothing he was named the Southern Codex, for the runes slowly stopped and formed a code, wich let his arm fire an enormous load of pure, concentrated Ether, aimed directly at Adam's brain. It was not aimed to kill the bard...but actually to leave him comatose. If that didn't work, then Ross was in some serious trouble.

Aurora watched in horror as he was choked by the angry man, trying to hold herself back. Though, curiosity grew as the runes started moving and the concentrated ether was blasted into Adam. The man stared blankly for a moment, then his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the ground, to the side of Ross.

Aurora ducked out of Crow's arms and ran for Ross, bending and offering a hand to him. "Are you alright? Are you hurt or bleeding anywhere?" She was so worried about him. It was obvious in her face, her entire expression, even her eyes, full of concern for the man who had fought for her safety. She couldn't believe he had done this for her.

Once the man rolled his eyes, Ross knew that it had worked. Truth be told...it was the first time he tried that move. He pretty much could have blasted Adam's head open in front of everyone, but hey, it went acording to the plan! Sighing, the Caster was just about to stand up, until he heard a couple of steps running closer, and then a hand offered for him to stand up. A smile formed on his lips, and he gladily took that hand.

"Hey, calm down, I'm fine! See? No blood, no nothing!" He said with a little chuckle, acting like if nothing had happened, while he looked around to meet the gaze of Lady Delacroix, not needing words to tell her that the unconcious man had to be put behind bars. "But...what about you? Are you okay?" He then said, not helping himself but to rise a hand and delicately, almost as if afraid to hurt her, rub his thumb against the bruised spot over her cheek.

Aurora helped him to his feet and looked him over for a moment, then nodded. "Alright...good." When he turned the question on her, she was about to answer. But then he touched her cheek, and she flinched slightly, involuntarily. She would gently brush his hand away and smile. "I'm alright. It's just a bruise. Don't let it worry you, it'll be gone before you know it." Crow walked over and put his hand on Ross' shoulder. "Thank you." he said sincerely.

"Listen," Crow said, "Why don't you come get something to eat with us? I'm sure you've got a lot of questions you want answered." He glanced to Aurora, who gave a soft sigh and glanced at Adam, then looked at Ross and nodded. "I agree with Crow. You were pulled into our situation, you deserve to know about it."

Pulled into their situation? Adam was just a man with a severe case of jealously, nothing else....unless...there was something else behind it, that is. When Aurora swatted his hand away, he simply couldn't blame her. "..Oh...Sure." Was all that he could say, while he watched how a couple of fellow Officers lifted the unconcious bard by his arms, and dragged him towards the Temple, obviously going to put him behind bars. Not only he had disturbed the citizens peace, but he had also threatened the life of his partners, and dared to lift his hand in ager against the Southern Codex nonetheless!

"You!" Suddenly yelled a deep, angry voice, making Ross's head to turn and see what was going on...just to meet the back of the palm of the big man from the tavern, hitting his head in an scolding fashion. "Ow! Hey!! What was that for!?" Whined him, trying to not fall on the floor. "What the heck were you doing!? Son, if your mother heard of this...Heck, she better not!" The older man kept ranting, crossing his arms and looking down on the younger male; They definitely were relatives. The older one had shaggy black hair, with some grayish spots at the sides, the struture of his face, yet he ovbiously had a rugged, square jaw, thing that Ross didn't had by the lack of age. "Ugh...yeah, yeah...Uhm...Aurora, Crow...This is my dad, Herman." The ashamed Caster said, clearly embarrassed of being scolded like a child.

"Pleased to meet you, young ones! Please, do come by the Inn if you need a warm bed, and rich food for an empty stomach!" Said he with a hearty laugh, placing one hand over the right shoulder of his son. "I need to take care of the business. Please, try to not scare your mother when you get the chance to talk to her. Take care, guys." Said he before leaving, and dissapearing behind the corner of the street. "...So! Uhm...Funny stuff, right?" He coughed, trying to change the subject.

Aurora watched as he got scolded by his father, stifling a giggle. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Herman. Thank you for the offer, we'll keep that in mind." She would watch as he left, Crow grinning from ear to ear. Then, he cleared his throat a little and nodded. "Alright, know anywhere with good food? We can go there and then we'll explain. Right, Aura?" She nodded slightly.

The three of them would go, the rest of the bards having gone off to make sure they were all okay and things were alright. Once they got somewhere to eat and were seated, Crow would start talking. "Alright...your first question, go for it. And ask all of them at once, if you want. We'll answer your questions first, then explain anything else that was left out." Aurora just looked out the window, waiting as the two men talked.

There were a bunch of places in wich they could eat...but the best option for the moment was the Inn. Once they were settled inside, Ross simply laid back on his chair, sighed, and began to think about those questions that demmanded answers. "Okay." He began, leaning forward and crossing his arms over the round table, looking at Crow and then at Aura. "First, what's the deal with that guy? If Adam is so agressive, why were you guys traveling with him? Second...After today, how do you plan on keeping secret the undeniable fact that Aurora is a caster? and, most importantly..." He stopped, as if concerned about how to properly spit the words. "...Is there something else I should know? Something I can help you with? Is there a strrong reason to hide such thing? I mean...sure, it's for her safety, but...that much?" The man ended, catching his breath as he gulped down a cold glass of water.

Crow was the one to answer the questions. "Adam brought us all together. He started the whole group. I know he seems really bad, but he didn't used to be like that. He used to be nice, a good guy. But over time, he had a lot of heartbreak. It made him rougher, angrier. He was the one who found Aura, and brought her into our group. She seems to think he was...lonely. So she got together with him. We all tried to warn her, but she thought that if he had someone who wouldn't hurt him like the others, that he would be nice again."

Crow sighed. "But it just made him even more possessive. It got so bad...well, you see how bad it got." When he asked the second question, Crow's face got very serious. "No one knows Aura is a caster. Because we have a tried and true lie so no one will know." When the last thing was spoken, he took in a deep breath and let it out. "...Aura. You wanna take this one?" he said quietly. Aurora finally looked from the window, to Ross.

"...I can use two elements." she said quietly. "I don't know how. I just can. Water and air. But it's kept a secret because I can't be chained like that. I'm a bard, Ross. I'm a dancer. I am supposed to be free. Like a natural animal, like a bird. I need to be free. If it was found out that I was a caster, I wouldn't be free..." She rubbed her neck gently. "I like my life. My family, these bards. If it was found out I was a caster, they would take me away from them."

Honestly speaking, Ross hated Adam, but...after his past was explained, he felt nothing but pity for the poor guy. Given the chance, Ross would be like that too. He simply couldn't blame him. Now...Now he felt bad for beating up the bard, although, if it weren't for the other answers, he would be stuck, and depressed over it. The face of amusement over the Caster's face was not normal. "W-wait...you can?" He stuttered, a sign that he was REALLY surprised. He was about to laugh, thinking that he was being tricked...but it was not a game!

Leaning closer, Ross lowered his tone, now really acting like the matter at hand was serious. "Aura, Crow, you did good at hiding it, but...using your abilities for the show was dangerous. If I could tell that you were a Caster, any other officer could notice it too. I only hope that I was the only one in the square at the moment..." He sighed, thinking hard about it and flopping back on the chair again, making it creak a little.

He already knew that Aura was a Caster, but...two elements? She was a prodigy! There had been two cases of multiple elemental Casters, and that was Beckett, the Shadow of the Tundra, and Ross, the Southern Codex. "...This is bad...really, REALLY bad." He muttered, munching some garlic bread as he looked around. "If you were a 'normal' caster, things would go smoothly, but...now I'm sure they would run a lot of tiring, dangerous trials and tests on you. You need to get out of the city, Aura." He suddenly said, not thinking it twice.

Aurora looked away again. She hated that another person knew she wasn't a normal caster. Crow nodded. "Of course. We never stay long in one place anyways, and it's best we get out anyways. If Adam ever got out of prison, he would come straight for all of us. And not for a dance." Aurora would look at Ross, "He would kill us. He's gotten beyond reason. Blinded by jealousy and rage. If he got out, he would decide that if he couldn't have me, nobody could."

Crow got to his feet. "I'm going to go prep the others to leave. Come join us when you're ready." And with that, he left. Aurora glanced at Ross once more. "...thank you for all your help, Ross." she said softly. "I really appreciate it." She fidgeted slightly in her seat. "You've done so much, especially with Adam. How can I thank you for it?"