If, even as he gave deference, the Baron was skeptical about Zayda's stated Order, that was quickly tempered when she let show her pressure enough to back up her claims and keep the respect consistent.
The Baron managed to take his eyes off her and her billowing pressure to have them fall on the five she had called her 'Squad'. His eyes roamed them all, giving every one of them fleeting looks but lingering just a bit on the grey-haired 'pretty boy' standing close to the redhead as his face demanded extra attention- Pleasingly striking as it was.
"Are there more on the way?" The Baron eventually asked, looking over at the food they had come in through and then at the Lead-worker who had led them in, and finally at Zayda who shook her head with a smile,
"No, this is it," she said, "We are it."
"Oh," the Baron said, "Well, I should have known we would not be a priority for the Temple. We pay our Tributes but clearly, they are not enough."
"This is not about Tributes," Zayda said taking a single step forward, "We are just enough for the job."
"No, no you're not," The Baron said shaking his head.
Zayda's brows furrowed,
"That seems a bit disrespectful," she said, "Do I have to remind you of my Order?"
As Zayda let out her pressure to caution the Baron's words, Evian let his eyes roam. He had never actually been a passively sensitive person to presence or Energy but he found it hard to shake a feeling he was getting- A feeling of ease and just a bit of familiarity. It was ebbing... Appearing to fade only to appear again.
"Curious," he mumbled, calling the attention of the Crew to himself before more important and considerably louder voices between Zayda and the Baron pulled the attention away.
"Dame Zayda, apart from you, are there perhaps other Sixth Order knights in your Squad?" The Baron asked with hope.
"Well, No," Zayda said.
"Okay, what are their Orders?" the Baron asked, and although his question seemed posed to Zayda, his eyes went to the Crew.
"They are Capable," Zayda said, "That should be enough?"
"Dame..." the Baron insisted and Evian stepped forward gesturing a hand toward Gillert,
"After Zayda, he's the strongest at the Fourth Order," he said, "The rest of us are still at the Third."
"Insulting!" the Baron said angrily, "Do you think so low of us that we didn't already have such capabilities in our ranks?"
As he spoke, the Baron let out the Pressure of his Cultivation to show it was at the Fifth Order, albeit only at the Second step,
"I have Captains well in the Fourth Order and multiple Knights at the Third. We have lost so many to this infestation and you come to help, when we most need it, with such meager numbers with such unassuming strength...
... Again, we are clearly not valued by the Martial Temple."
"We have Reinforcements coming," Ember said in location as she took a step forward as the only one who had been against their Six coming alone.
"And we will not need them," Evian said and everyone glared at him.
"Evian, what are you doing?" Zayda asked. She had recognized Ember's words as an attempt to put the Baron at ease and Evian was throwing it all away with impulsiveness.
Evian gestured to Zayda for calm before looking squarely at the Baron,
"Carleine."
"Gryon Meyser."
"Ember Lockheart."
"Evian Stygian."
"No Titles?" Baron Angus asked with a raised brow.
"They are newly conferred Temple Knights," Zayda said.
"Of course they are," The Baron said with an exasperated sigh. The little faith he had gained slumped a few notches.
Meanwhile, his Baroness stepped forward, giving them all polite and nevertheless sexy smiles before her eyes fell on Evian again,
"Stygian, you said?" she asked.
Evian nodded with a light smile, her closeness causing her scent to waft enticingly into his nose,
"Yes," he said, "You've heard of it?"
Karenssa shook her head,
"No."
She raised a hand and placed it on his chest before trailing upward towards his face where she placed her palm against his cheek while staring hard into his eyes.
Evian met the intensity of Karenssa's gaze before looking past her at the seated Baron who still had a smile on his face like he could see nothing out of the ordinary,
"Good bone structure," Karenssa said quietly as she took a step back, her hand still on his face and her eyes now roaming all over his body before ending at a sultry and suggestive lick of her lips.
That caused the brow raising of not only Evian but every other member of the Crew as well as the Lead-Worker who made a pointed look at his Baron and became exasperated when Angus apparently did not catch the hint.
"Make yourself at home, Evian Stygian," Karenssa said before finally taking her hand off Evian's face, "The last thing we would want is to make you feel unwelcome. Isn't that right, Angus Dear?"
Angus cleared his throat with a relaxed smile,
"Yes, My Love. You are very right," he said before addressing the Squad at large, "You should rest. Once the moon is up, we must be at arms."
"Alright, Baron," Zayda said as leader and then they all watched as Karenssa winked at Evian so clearly without shame of being caught before turning around to return to her husband's side.
She swayed her hips all the way and the keen-eyed (which was every single member of the Squad) could look past her flimsy sash of a gown and behold her smooth and enticing asscheeks.
Her antics were enough to cause a man to swoon but Evian just furrowed his brows at such blatant seduction.
His first sexual conquest right out of Verdelen City could not be so easy...
... Could it?