You find yourself in my realm, uninvited, and still in the attempt of making demands? How very … presumptuous. - a mere self-thought that remained unvoiced. Tongue clicking disapprovingly, taking in her tense posture and wary eyes. There was a fire in her; he could see that much. Under normal circumstances, he would wipe off insolence by swing of finger, the situation, however, stirred uncertainty of the unknown, especially the appearance of weapon triggered his cautiousness.
" Is that so? " he drawled, taking a measured step forward; almost allowing the contact with the blade would she chose to raise it a tad higher against his jugular.
" I'm afraid leaving isn't quite so simple. This is no ordinary place. " - and I am no ordinary host. The tension hung thick in the air between them, the panorama of serene beauty a stark contrast to the intensity of their encounter. " You are an enigma, my dear. A tantalizing puzzle that I find myself compelled to unravel, but your identity is of major importance. ''
'I do not belong here, nor do I wish to stay.'
She met his gaze unflinchingly, determined to find a way out of this beautiful nightmare. The traveler knew she would have to keep her wits about her if she hoped to escape and maintain resolve under the weight of Phobos' intense scrutiny.
" You claim you do not belong here, " he said slowly, his rich, hypnotic voice echoing through the ethereal garden, " and yet here you stand. Surely, you did not arrive by mere chance. This is a place where the impossible becomes reality and is carefully guarded. One does not simply stumble into such a realm unwittingly. " - although even that wasn't excluded. His eyes flashed as a thought occurred to him, twin pools of liquid threatening to pull her under. He could practically taste her conflicting mind - the primal pull to engage in conversation warring with the instinctive warning bells clanging in her mind. He himself however, encouraged the chance to let her speak.
" Unless, of course, you were sent here deliberately. Perhaps by the very guardians you seem so reluctant to speak of, " he paused, letting the implication hang in the air between them, " then I'll ask you differently, intruder. Are you associated with the Kandrakar? "
If she was in league with the guardians, he would need to be on his guard and plan his next move carefully. But if not… then perhaps this unexpected visitor could prove useful to his ambitions in ways not yet foreseen. Either way, he needed to hear it from her for the answer would determine everything - whether this stranger would become an ally, a pawn in his schemes, or an enemy to be vanquished. He waited with bated breath, ready to react to her reply with either magnanimous charm or ruthless cunning, depending on where her allegiances lay.
