((These can go simultaneously I'm perfectly willing, don't want to step on anyone's toes))
The chamber that they stopped at is decorated to befit a general; banners, weapon racks, maps, sheaves of paper. But the Imperator is not in it. Michel walks in and picks up a piece of vellum that Stultus recognizes, it's the letter he wrote to Alexei.
"Beg pardon Magister, the Imperator is training in the field now, he asked me to grab this if you were going to see him. Come, I'll take you now."
Michel leads Stultus to the training field where some mock battlements of wood and hay are arranged. Behind one row of hay are some archers and behind a shield wall of five men stands young Helmut, dressed rather awkwardly in wizardly robes. Off to the side is the hobbled old man that trains the men and opposite the fighting men is Alexei in armour leaning on his staff.
"Ah, we're in time. Hold please." Michel says as they walk to the side of the field that should be out of range.
Helmut calls out something to the archers and they quickly draw and fire upon Alexei. He seems unconcerned and takes an unhurried step back from where he was standing; all of the arrows miss him. The men forming the shield wall lock shields and weapons but do not advance as the archers make ready to draw again. A moment later Alexei disappears and reappears behind the shield wall and Helmut calls to his men in a near panic. Alexei looks perturbed though, he's several paces away, if he had been close he could have engaged either Helmut or the men. As the archers loose again he quickly steps aside again, but more than one arrow strikes him, one sticking to him. Michel winces in sympathy at that as Alexei disappears again, this time to reappear behind the archers.
"All halt!" he calls and presents his staff boldly. The archers all freeze as they were about to draw weapons and Alexei disappears again. This time he is behind and slightly to the side of the shield men, but they are prepared and wheel quickly. What follows is a bizarre melee. One minute Alexei is in one spot and then behind them, poking the men with his staff while defending with both his staff and repeated disappearances, any man that takes the staff end to the body acknowledges the hit and falls. Finally when the last one stands still in front of Helmut Alexei grows to the size of a giant and merely reaches over him and picks up Helmut.
"Hold!" calls the grizzled old man as Alexei smiles and puts down the shaken Helmut. Alexei shrinks down to normal size and walks to the man seeming pleased with himself. "Not sure why you're so happy 'Lexi. You would have likely been killed or seriously wounded. You waited to eliminate the archers and were struck by two of them, one was a likely wound. Your first transport was inaccurate, it was pure luck they didn't turn and run you through. You should have stunned the shield men rather than fight them." Alexei seems unperturbed at the criticism as he heads for a wooden table that was set up with some fruits, breads, cheeses and watered down wine.
"Enough old friend. I am happy to have won at all, it's been too long since I've been laid up." he says as he begins to shuck his armour with the help of a grog until he is wearing just his trousers. His torso is still wrapped and his fit body shows old scars and wounds. He gratefully sits down and grabs a piece of fruit as Michel leads Stultus to him and hands him the note. "Ah Stultus. Good of you to come. Please, sit down." he glances at the note again as he mops his brow.