The other two on the forest floor had now closed the gap with incredible speed. They were too quick to make out, but Gale could have sworn they were flying, not running. Gale parried both but started to take steps backward into the wheat as the men split up to try and pressure him from either side. Puffrel, who was now slowly orbiting around Gale was coming dangerously close to one of their swings. Although when he entered her vision, she was smiling condescendingly in his direction. There was a flicker of nervousness in his eyes, but he swung at her regardless. Quickly, Gale blocked a two-handed swing from the other so hard it bent his blade and pushed his arms out from his body so that his guard was wide open. Gale landed a solid but quick kick into his chest, sending him flying back before spinning to face the other. Puffrel, who’s orbit was seemingly affected relative to Gale’s movement was once again yanked out from the cutlass’s reach. With the cutlass now at the end of its swing and facing away from them, Gale’s arm shot out and grabbed hold of the man’s face. He threw him towards the ground almost like he was skipping a stone across a lake but after bouncing off the ground twice the man flipped in air and dragged his sword through the ground to slow himself down. Wheat plumed into the air and a few tiny surface scratches appeared on Puffrel’s face, but her expression stayed the same.

The other two had now walked back out from the forest from where they were thrown back and were slowly approaching. The man who was skipped like a stone painfully pulled himself up too, and the man with the bent blade threw it away and pulled out a dagger at his waist.

            “Release” Puff ordered casually. Gale released the orbit and she walked around to his side to lean on him in a relaxed pose. She did not look at the men slowly approaching, instead choosing to look off to the side at the wheat fields.

The men looked strange to Gale. They were young, but old enough to have a layer of stubble, a strong tan, and the faint pink blush of a few recent drinks. They were adorned in gold and silver trinkets and dressed in loose white and beige linen clothes with a blue sash around their waists. What was strangest though was the many sails and flags that seemed to organically sprout from their bodies. The flags seemed decorative, but each of the sails were all affixed on at least two points on their bodies and seemed as if they could fill with the wind. One of them, the oldest of the four stepped forward, slicing up the wheat around him and brandishing his blade at the princess. A few more tiny scratches appeared on Puffrel.

            “Here be us thinkin’ we lucked out. One slice across your soft little throat and we’d be sittin’ pretty. But you saw us comin’. What gives girl?” He said in a gruff voice, his words slightly slurred. Puffrel ignored him at first, but he just shouted instead.

            “Oi, girl! You scared? Cat got ya’ tongue?”

Puffrel sighed and rolled her eyes. She cocked her head towards Gale, still refusing to look at them.

“Gale, tell them they’re not the only eyes in that forest” she said dismissively. Gale blinked but repeated it.
            “Uhh, she says you’re not the only eyes in the forest… Think she means the owls.” he added, pointing behind them. All but the oldest looked behind, clearly cautious to take his eyes away from a foe. But it wasn’t a distraction, the three younger ones looked above them to see what must have been 20 owls perched in the trees, their big eyes looming down on them.

            “Aye, so you were watchin’ us. Big deal.” Piped up one of them.
            “Gale, tell them to hurry up.” Puffrel said casually.
            “Uhh, she wants you to hurry it up.” repeated Gale, still confused.
            “…Oi why’s she doing that? Tell her to look at us when we’re talkin’.” Piped up another of the cutlass wielders. Gale shrugged while Puffrel continued to look away.

            “Alright, drop the tough act girl, ya pissing me off." Said the oldest. It looked like anger was boiling up in him now, but when she still didn’t respond he scoffed.
            “Guess the stupid brat froze. Who did she think she was fooling?” He laughed to the others.
            “Yeah. Haha! Why else would be she be talking through the big guy?” said another. Puff rolled her eyes and sighed again.

            “Gale… Please inform them I don’t address peasants” she said pompously. Anger flashed through the oldest one.

            “She says she doesn’t add-” Gale repeated before being cut off.
            “Yeah I heard!” He shouted angrily before turning to the others. “Gut her!” he spat.

The men lowered their bodies into a stronger stance and then seemingly out of nowhere, the sails on their bodies began to fill with air. The two on the outside of their formation held their outside arm up and the sails on them expanded larger than any of the others on their body. They leaned in the opposite direction as the pull from the sail became harder to bear and with a small hop, they lifted their feet off the ground and were suddenly pulled through the air as quick as birds. The two in the middle did the same but held their arms and the sails on it over their heads and were whisked into the sky.

            “They… they can fly.” said Gale, his serious expression suddenly painted with whimsical distraction. The men began to fly around them dizzyingly. Puffrel maintained her cool disposition until they started to close in, and she realised Gale wasn’t completely paying attention.

            “Ahem!” She passive aggressively coughed.

            “Orbit!” Said Gale coming back to reality and bringing Puffrel back onto his axis.

The sailed men flew over their heads and through the wheat, around and around they went, trying to find a blind spot to strike at the princess. Gale tried to keep track of all of them as they spun around him, but eventually one took the chance and plunged towards Puffrel. Barely Gale managed to turn in time to deflect the blow, but one attack was quickly followed by another from the opposite side, he tried to keep up but was eventually thrown off balance. Seeing their opportunity, the men synchronised their attacks. They all flew across the ground from different angles and readied a swing but just before the moment of impact Gale’s powerful leg muscles propelled him high into the air. He spun backwards at the height of his so jump so his head was facing down and he had a bird’s eye view of the ground. There, he watched as the sailed men filled their sails again before launching into the air up towards him. But Gale knew that even if they synchronised their attack again, he could now move Puffrel out of danger. On the ground he could spin to move her to safety, but only on one axis. This was problem if they attacked from four sides all at once. But now that he was in the air, he could spin to face the ground or the sky and move Puffrel to safety above or below him as well. Gale began to fend off the constant barrage of attacks while in the air. Gale kept spinning in the air to react to the angle of attack from each one. When gravity took him, and he fell back to the ground he’d immediately launch himself back into the air again before they could synchronise an attack on him from each side. The sail men darted in every which way to break through his guard. The sails on their body filling and un-filling with air to change direction, evade counter strikes and keep within his blind spots. Gale was stronger and had such force behind his swings that he could break their weapons or their bones in a single swing, but they were cautious and quick enough to not commit too hard to any one strike, they would have had to been stupid not to, even Gale’s glancing blows were strong enough to spin them off track and blow enough air into their sails to push them away. One glancing kick to one of their chins was enough to knock one out for long enough that he would have died from the fall had he not come to a second before hitting the ground. All the while, Puffrel stared down the men with a condescending smile every time she orbited into their vision. Eventually this got on the eldest’s nerves.

            “I thought we were above looking at, brat!” He chided, coming at her with another slash.
            “Gale tell the peasants that they’re ruining the view” She said.
            “Would you quit it!? And let me use my other hand already!” Shouted Gale as he suddenly spun again and switched places with Puff.
            “Ohohoh, you realised, did you?” Puff laughed.
Gale swung his sword to block but it went wide, missing the incoming cutlass, instead he blocked the blow by hitting the flat end of the sword with the back of his hand, bending the sword completely.
            “Finally!” Said Gale frustrated.
The sail man’s eyes opened wide, realising Gale had been fighting with only one hand until this point. He tried to get away by flying off to the side, but nothing happened, he was suddenly stranded in mid-air. He looked over and saw the sail on his other arm had a slice through it. Gale hadn’t missed before, he had aimed for the sail instead. The man gasped as Gale plunged the sword into his chest. The glass bulb on the pommel illuminating a splatter of blood now around his chest and on Gale’s face.
            “Damn it!” shouted one of the other sail men from afar.
He pulled it out quickly to block another attack, splattering a third sail man with the blood from the sword. Gale looked serious but traumatised. The princess on the other hand poked her head over Gale’s shoulder, she smiled playfully as the man fell away from the scenery she was watching.
            “Such a beautiful picture.” she said. But when she peered at Gale’s face, she looked surprised.
            “Oh my, you’re really not enjoying this are you?” She said surprised.
            “No, as a matter of fact, I’m not!” Gale said exasperated.
            “Hang on, let me get off.” she said focusing on the ground that was quickly coming up to reach them.

Gale hit the ground nearby to where the sail man had fallen, he was grimacing in pain and not moving much. The other sail men landed around nearby, seemingly taking the moment to catch their breath.

            “I must admit I’m a little surprised. You realise they’re trying to kill you right?” She said as she comically orbited him.

            “So I’m ‘spose to enjoy killing them?” Questioned Gale.

            “I mean… I suppose not necessarily” She emphasised. She thought for a moment before she sighed.
            “I order you to stand down.” She said placing a hand on him. Gales eyes glossed over for a second and the orbit was released again. “Apologies. I ordered you before as a matter of haste. I didn’t think you were that against it.”

Gale looked on in surprise as Puffrel turned around to face the three men now slowly stepping towards them.

            “Hold on… what are you doing?” Gale said concerned. Puffrel looked back.

            “I’m going to kill them.” She said coldly as a gust of wind swept over the wheat and through her hair.