Ghost Riders in The Sky[Mikhail, Natasha]

"Nah, not entirely so, but ya certainly speak like one, honey."

Experience was a cruel teacher as Natasha recalled her battle with that Vasto Lorde in Africa. At that time, she learned one crucial lesson. That is, to follow her battlefield companions once they determined to launch themselves into the lion's den. As such, when Mikhail shot forward, Natasha was not far behind.

Wherever his blade faltered, an inescapable gale of bullets roared past to slay his wounded foes with maximal accuracy. Each shot fired was executed with an aim so precise that none of them grazed Mikhail in the slightest, though she reckoned that result was accomplished more by his impressive display of steigen.

Beyond his noteworthy speed, those hazel irises observed the thunderous streak of white-hot spearlike arrows bolting through the sky to slay each hollow in turn. Quincy, huh? Natasha had to admit she hardly expected an amusing revelation like that. His superlative technique was equally eye-catching. His righteous battle cry was pretty cute, but that was hardly what held her attention currently. Of all the places to find another one of her kind...

"Ho? Well, I'll be damned. For a fellow Quincy, you're pretty expertly skilled, Mikhail! We've cut down the numbers in a pretty significant fashion. Since ya seem like a pretty capable man, let's head upward to face that large bastard in the distance."

Between the ceaseless gunfire of her spirit weapon and the rain of burning spears, the horde was promptly eliminated in short order. Which meant that the more formidable foe resided further upward in the distance.

Though it hardly resembled or matched the monstrosities found in the wartorn plains of Vastime, it was by no means a foe that ought to be underestimated to any degree.

Resembling a mastodon in both size and appearance, it rushed toward Mikhail and Natasha, generating two orbs around its tusks, firing off consecutive beams of energy that rapidly lanced toward them.

Mikhail's ears were only half on his fellow warrior, for far more of his attention was on the larger hollow they now faced. He lept upward for only a moment, holding his blade upward for a moment as his spirit weapon took on a different form. Fara, the spectral warhorse, manifested beneath him, and as he aimed toward the beast, Mikhail's expression hardened only a touch.

"Down, beast!"

Commanding, yet still earnest and full of proud cheer, Mikhail offered only that single turn of phrase before the mount that was his spirit weapon shot toward the beast. The horse itself was an arrow, and as such, it had no shortage of speed and power both to rocket past the cero which might otherwise have struck him. Though his blade swung down to meet the creature, the true impact came from the steed; its whole body carrying the untold power and scalding heat of Mikhail's spirit weapon.

Compelled by an aggression borne of hunger, the colossal mammoth paid zero heed to the notion it might be charging to its death. The titanic force of its charge created a trail of craters in its wake as it burst forth. Mikhail's errant descent upon the beast was met with resistance at first; the berserker mammoth thought itself capable of overpowering the knight's blade, yet all manner of resolve had promptly burned in the flames of his warhorse.

Gravely wounded, it stumbled back in hopeless futility. Retreating with its life was the only option left to the creature now, but that notion was eliminated under the incessant wave of reishi gunfire as Natasha effortlessly glided through on a platform of reishi from above, filling the hollow's once-mighty core with several bullets of azure.

Of course, Natasha considered herself somethin' of a mannerly woman at heart. She wasn't going to steal the hero's shine. As such, she let that wounded creature double back into Mikhail's direction for the final blow, blowing the smoke away from her barrel.

"All yours, O' Knight of the Dance."

Offering the finishing blow with a tinge of flamboyance to her tone, Natasha reoriented her momentum in the air, soaring through to finish off any lesser hollow that attempted to hide during their conflict.

"Ah, how generous of you, Dame Natasha. I ought show you proper hospitality to thank you for such kindness."

The spirit weapon steed dissipated as Mikhail effortlessly moved into another step with his shimd, and he pointed his sword toward the hollow with a wide smile, a wide array of spears forming behind him before shooting toward the hollow like bolts of lightning. Such a rain of arrows was one adapted from Mikhail's time in the wastes, and while most might have made such a technique swift and sure, he maintained that rain of arrows until there was nothing left but fading spiritual ash.

"You would certainly be well-welcome in the kingdom of Nartia, with such prowess as that. The queen oft speaks highly of foreign knights, and I certainly see why. I would gladly welcome you as a partner in my travels, if you felt so inclined, for one always welcomes boon companions."

Of course, Mikhail made such an offer freely, politely, for any wandering knight would welcome fellows to live and fight alongside.

The final salvo of white-hot arrows mercilessly tore away at the colossal mammoth's wounded frame until it was little more than spiritual ash, fading away into nothingness. Consequently, a few meters in the distance, the trajectory of Natasha's reishi fire had promptly eliminated the remaining horde of hollow that preceded what might well have been their leader.

They were known to act in packs, after all. A warm smile lined Natasha's lips as her spirit weapon dispersed, a bloom of fleeting azure vanishing within the palm of her hand. Turning to face the Mikhail in full, Natasha cocked her head to the side with an upturned eyebrow and a bright grin. It was, all things considered, a compelling offer.

"Lookit at you, makin' a convincin' case for my services? Well now... let me think."

In truth, any adventure that welcomed a fine degree of her talents was a beneficial outcome in her eyes. Additionally, the idea of assisting the esteemed knight on his travels, waging battle against demons and hollow alike, sounded like one hell of an entertaining journey to engage in on the side. If it meant assisting this heroic spirit in restoring his sister to good health, even better. Extending her fist forward, illuminating the battle-worn forest with her radiant aura and infectious smile, Natasha nodded assent.

"Dame Natasha would gladly accompany ya in yer travels whenever time permits it, Mikhail. I do have a duty to uphold in a different part of this country, after all. But..."

With her opposite hand, she offered the knight her phone. This would prove beneficial in future meetings, after all. For indeed, as she promised now, whenever time proved willing enough to bless their travels, Natasha was but a mere call away.

"Sharin' contacts will mightily ensure I'm never more than a call away, Mikhail. That alright with you, sugar?"

"Certainly. I would be quite honored to answer the call whenever you would require aid."

Taking Natasha's phone as she held it out, Mikhail quite quickly shared his contact information with her, an obvious familiarity with modern technology that seemed squarely at odds with his archaic mannerisms. Once it had been finished, the number for Mikhail Dobroshtan neatly filed into Natasha's contacts, he returned it with a polite bow.

"Now then, I said that I ought show you proper hospitality afterward, and I of course am a man who honors my every word. I have my camp established not far from here, if you are currently in need of a meal or a place to spend the night away from the elements."

His familiarity with modern technology certainly left Natasha stunned for a moment. When compared to his archaic mannerisms, it was almost surreal. Even so, it appeared she didn't need to navigate him through the process at all, and that suited her rather nicely. When he presented her with her phone in return, his name neatly recorded in her contacts, his next offer elicited a warm grin from the hazel-eyed sharpshooter. The day was still early. Why not humor the dashing knight and learn even more about her future partner's way of life?

"Well now, as a lady who takes pride in showin' proper hospitality herself, I gladly accept the offer, sugar. I reckon it'd take me a minute to find a hotel nearby, anyway. Lead the way, partner."