PM to join Pulling Rank (Thane)

[Azira]

x

50th Fall 514AV

It had been a fruitless hunt, the areas around Water Reach not willing to yield any game. The huntress wasn't happy but she was resigned to the fact. She couldn't do anything to change it after all but she could secretly hope that nobody else had fared any better than her. It was a selfish desire of course. If nobody else got any food then it could be what pushed them into Famine conditions again come winter. Not ideal and not something that the teen actually wanted. She wasn't thinking ahead though so she didn't really care. The girl had to know if anyone had succeeded where she had failed though so she'd been driven towards Thunder Bay's Processing Centre. Endal could bring in bigger kills of course, including sea creatures but she didn't care about them. Azira was only interested in the other Avora that might be hanging around the place.

The huntress was immediately on the lookout as she drew near to the Centre. She might want to spy on the other hunters but that didn't mean that she wanted to interact with them, or be spotted by them for that matter. Just because they were her colleagues didn't mean that she had to like them. Not that she'd ever really bothered to get to know them. Some habits were too deeply ingrained to get out of. There were a number of hunters that hung around the area but they weren't the only Avora about the place. Judging by their pack of equipment and their relaxed demeanours, there were others on their days off. Not many but enough for them to gather in little knots of conversation. They were watching something though, something within the Processing Centre it seemed and many of them were pointing inwards as they conversed. Something of interest must be happening to catch the attention of a dozen or so individuals so of course the huntress was curious.

Skirting the nearest group, she peered inside catching sight of a group within, pushing and jostling one another. Her eyes narrowed, the girl looking more intently at the action that seemed to be unfurling before her eyes. The workers were fighting. She watched as fists flew and heads butted. The young woman stood agape, unable to believe what she was seeing. She wondered where the overseer was, why nobody seemed bothered to intervene. The other Avora simply looked on, apparently seeing the fighting of the Chiet and Dek as some sort of entertainment. There was food in there that needed to be processed and there was nobody willing to knock some sense into these lot? The girl's feet carried her inwards, marching right into the fray. If there was nobody else then she would do it. She would do what clearly had to be done.

She made a move to separate two men who looked ready to kill one another. "All right, break it up! You have work to be doing. I'm an A-" Her orders were cut off with a shriek as a fist came flying at her face. She ducked to the side, knuckles glancing off her right ear leaving it stinging. He'd taken a swing at her! One of the men she'd tried to separate had taken a swing at her! He didn't stop with one punch though but aimed another, fist slamming into the side of her head. Her vision became spotted as pain shot through the side of her head. She staggered backwards, dizzy and reeling from the blow. Another one didn't come. The man had gone back to fighting his previous opponent. As she watched her attacker succeeded in felling his adversary and went looking for more blood.

The huntress had retreated far enough away from the conflict to be out of harm's way but she wanted to make that man suffer, wanted to bring this fighting to a halt and punish the brawlers. Other workers hung back so she assumed that a single quarrel had ignited things and a hit in the wrong places had pulled others into the fight. She had no idea though and there would be no way to get any sense out of them until they stopped trying to beat each other to pulps. There was no way that she could break this up on her own.

Clutching the side of her head, she turned anger upon the watching Avora. "Don't mind me! Let them get away with hitting an Avora, go on! Let there be a repeat of the riots! Cowards!" Her scream set her head ringing, increasing the pain as well. It was unlucky that anyone would come to her aid but she rejoined the fray anyway, hounding the man who had had the audacity to hit her.

x

[Thane]

uggggghhh

There had been times when Thane was left without a choice but to agree on what was being agreed upon, and those times unluckily transitioned into what he was currently facing. It wasn't a fair game. Thane always believed that a free will exists not only to have himself validate with choices but to also establish a conviction to live his life freely. Although it doesn't mean that he was often blundered with a mountain of obligations, sometimes the freedom to do something he wanted was often taken away without any understandable reason to support it. Free will shouldn't be taken away from the person who possessed it, otherwise, it wouldn't be called as 'free will' at all. Ironically, it was his free will that brought him to his current situation. Looking thoroughly, he could still make his own choices. In fact, he could easily decline the request which he forced himself to take part of. The only problem was, his erratic way of thinking often produces involuntary decisions that couldn't be comprehended by his mind without taking a hundred turns back. For whatever purpose his unexpected actions could possibly signify, Thane hoped that it wouldn't end up hurting anyone and especially, himself.

The Forthcoming of Winter bares the traditional preparation held by numerous citizens of Wind Reach. Of course, it was quite understandable to know that Wind Reach wasn't the only place heaving these certain practices. Fall might be the busiest season yet but to Thane, it was a time to let himself feel at complete ease, unless he didn't force himself on a certain task. A task which he eventually regretted once he realized that it wasn't necessary for him to do so.

Thane was very well known by the Chiets working at the Yasi center and still up to his current state of adulthood. Perhaps it was his great adaptability to learn that caught most of the teachers' attention. Some of the teachers he knew were now puckered with wrinkles and some ascended from their ranks and became Endals. Thane somehow made an obligation to visit them at least once in a week but due to his schedule at the Arms Gallery and a few complicated circumstances, those obligations dwindled into broken promises. However, on the current season where most of his time were driven away from his busy state, Thane made a necessity out of the times where he neglected his visits. So much for his relief of doing so, Thane unfortunately met a peaceful request from his fellow artisans---mostly ranging from chefs, cooks, etc.---to watch over the Processing Center and see whatever progress the workers were making for winter's preparation.

Sadly, it messed up his intentions for the season and though it was easy to go back and decline the request, it was already a bit difficult for him to possibly to do it.

The short trip to Thunder Bay felt like a voyage. Although this wasn't the first time of him journeying through the workplace of Chiets and Deks, the rocky terrains and the steep hills along with the endless crowd of towering tress somehow made Thane confused as a lost mouse. Within a few huffs and some short pauses to gasp for comfort, Thane finally arrived, though just a few meters away from the entrance. However, after hauling a few steps forward, Thane's ears registered a thud of cries giving way to a multitude of clattering objects. He quickly pulled himself towards the scene where the noises streamed about.

As he entered his way inside the facility, an object was immediately hurled to his direction. Luckily, Thane reacted perfectly and stooped his head down to deflect the flying projectile. After that, his eyes unraveled the chaotic state that took an indescribable invasion inside the center. Thane just watched idly, unable to speak up. Occasionally, he'd let himself out of harms way and dodged a fray of men rumbling along the way. Most of his time was just spent on turning himself aside from any flying objects that could possibly hit him. It was just too sudden to think about it, Thane didn't even bother on mulling for a reason behind it all. He just continued on watching until his eyes would turn sore.

A few ticks has passed while the brawl still strengthened time after time, there was a voice that gave Thane an immediate notice. He quickly gathered his attention to where it was coming from. Short, quick glances and turns were vibrantly twitched to find the voice. It was somehow familiar, like a female's voice--which Thane knew wouldn't be existing in a place bundled by beastly males.

"Don't mind me! Let them get away with hitting an Avora, go on! Let there be a repeat of the riots! Cowards!" Suddenly, he thought what the voice just said was directed to him. After another attempt to search, Thane finally caught the sight of a female Inarta being unexpectedly involved along the brawl.

"How the..." Thane spent no time worrying about the chaos. His watching session would most likely be over once something desperate flashed in a grave situation.

He sprinted towards the female Inarta, tossing aside anyone who would be blocking his way. He then spotted a man shamelessly attempting to rattle up a punch which he thought to be directly inappropriate to do in so many ways. Once Thane reached the female Inarta, he placed a hand on her right shoulder, grasping a good grip. "What happened here?!" Thane raised his voice as he knew speaking in a moderate tone would be pointless in the midst of a loud chaotic clash. "Also, this isn't a place for someone like you! Get away from here, now!" Thane commanded, abandoning an answer for his question as he desperately attempted to bring her away from any of the angry beasts' clutches.

[Azira]

x

The man she was after was in her sights although getting to him was going to be easier said than done. There were fighting bodies everywhere, forming a barrier between her and her target. There was adrenaline pounding through her now, her entire body screaming at her to fight and she was more than willing to oblige its wishes. Every part of her body was used to deal out pain as she headed for the man who had dared to hit an Avora. A lowly piece of scum that wouldn't be fit to lick shyke off her boots and he'd hit her as if her a right to, as if they were somehow equal. That rage was channelled into her elbows as she drove them into stomachs and backs as she made her way forwards. Her shoulders were used to shove others out of the way, her short stature meaning that she managed to catch people in the chest or side rather than knocking shoulders with them, hard bone to hard bone. A woman appeared in front of her, shoving back as Azira tried to shove through and the huntress dealt with her by driving her fist into the woman's stomach, leaving her knuckles stinging from the impact.

She was almost through, battling her way forward slowly but gradually when a hand landed upon her shoulder. Her head turned, body jerking beneath the firm grip but not coming free. Her hand was balled into a fist that would have flown towards the man's face if his words hadn't gotten through to her first. He wasn't part of the madness, the blood lust. No doubt he was an Avora come to help her at last. He would aid her in controlling this insanity and she would ensure that she got her revenge on the man who had struck her. The side of her head still throbbed from where the Chiet's fist had made contact.

"I don't know and I don't care! We need to break them up!" she told him, making a move to turn back into the fray, to hunt the Chiet. His hand was still on her shoulder, holding her in place and preventing her from doing what she wanted. It was his words that held her though, that froze her in place. She was sure that that whack to the head had disturbed something because she was certain that he hadn't just said what she thought he had. He'd commanded her, his tone suggesting that he didn't expect any disagreement. He didn't think that she belonged here, didn't think that she belonged here, didn't want her in the fray, why? She wasn't some useless, fragile, little chick. She could take care of herself and how dare he act as if she shouldn't be here.

She turned, clenched fingers driving down on top of his hand to make him relinquish his grip. She felt the impact through her shoulder, shockwaves moving through the bones from the hit. If he didn't let go, she'd hit him again, she'd kick and elbow and claw until he let go. Once free, a hand lashed out, palm aimed to smack across his face. "How dare you! I'm an Avora, I have just as much authority of these lot as you have. Think I'll get hurt because I'm a girl is that it?" Her words were spat at him, the wildness in the young woman's eyes and her manner currently nearer to a zynx than a human. "I'm staying. If you want to stop me then go ahead and try. I'm more than happy to smash someone's head in and if I have to start with yours, I will." The teen was being perfectly serious. He was more than welcome to help her but if he wanted to insult her, make out that she couldn't look out for herself then she wouldn't stand for it. It was the man's choice.

As she glared at the man, daring him to try and stop her, the fray came to them. Someone grabbed her from behind, arms wrapping around her throat. Her air supply became significantly reduced, the girl clawing at the man's arms to make him release. His bare chest could be felt behind her, hard muscle pressed against her neck from behind. The clawing didn't work well so the teen swung her leg forward, bending it at the knee and swung it backwards with all her strength. The splutter came from above--surprising the huntress that she'd actually managed to hit her target--the hold on her neck weakening as the man was left dealing with the pain that might result in him never siring children. Air was drawn into her lungs before the man could begin to recover and she sunk her teeth into his forearm. Her mouth was filled with an unpleasant taste that was soon overwhelmed with blood as she tore into flesh.

He released her then and she turned on him, knife drawn and pressed against what seemed to be his stomach as he made to move forward to retaliate. She pressed the point until she felt the flesh beneath it begin to yield. Her eyes locked with the Chiet. She'd killed people before and she could do it again. Her hard eyed glare must have conveyed that because raising his hands, the man retreated back a few steps before turning around and running. Her gaze returned to the stranger who had come to her "rescue". "Still think this isn't a place for me?"

x

[Thane]

uggggghhh

The fray continued to run rampant with each passing minute transitioning into a worse scenario than the previous. Sadly, with Thane looking back to his own capabilities, there was barely a chance of him stopping the muddled outburst. He haven't tried anything which would convince an entire crowd to do a certain action and even if he assumed that he does, it won't be effective by executing the first few tries. Still, numerous heated brawls scattered from every segment of the facility. Some teeth, although not visible enough for Thane to see, was hurled in the air while the sound of fists thudding against desired opponents were an almost common sound for one's ear to register.

Thane feared that the disaster might not stop and seeing one joining along proved it was bound to happen. However, there was an exception which drove himself on desperate actions. A girl couldn't possibly afford herself rattling along but seeing that she was reluctant to follow his command, it clearly signified that she wasn't practically afraid of getting involved. It wasn't an excuse, however, and Thane had to get her out before the worst possible incident could happen.

He'd let her struggle on letting go of his hand which was strongly held towards her shoulder. As he was about to drag her along to where he would escape, a man who ran at a violent momentum came crashing down between them. The man grabbed the girl from behind, immediately shackling his hands around her neck. Thane was pushed back and fell down on the ground as he lost his balance after losing his group from the shoulder. Afterwards, his eyes took an unpleasant sight of what seemed to be in grave situation. The girl was struggling to gasp for air as the man continued wrapping his hands around her neck. Thane quickly gathered himself up, shuffling towards the man after gaining balance on his standing. He grunted, clenching his fist while aligning with his right shoulder for an aim.

Before he could take further actions, The girl began to struggle from the man recklessly. For the next following seconds, the girl who seemed to be in distress had instantly turned the tide. She fought back! Thane took a shocking note inside his mind. It was quite fast and quite impossible to comprehend knowing that Thane didn't expect her to have such skills in self-defense.

"Still think this isn't a place for me?"

Thane pondered about it carefully even in the midst of a rowdy crowd. Perhaps he would consider a female to help stop the fight. However, he would still follow what the moral standards imply--even if he has no idea of what those things were. A girl would still be a girl regardless of how fearsome she could be in facing a disastrous situation.

He then held the girl's arm, this time with a much stronger grip since he worried that she might erupt anytime if forced. "Yes, this is certainly not a place for you! and if you're not willing to follow me for the sake of your own safety then I'll just have to force you out myse----ARGH!....." Suddenly, Thane lost his words. His balance was rapidly depleting as he eventually fell down. His arms lost the girl again. Eyes spun with confusion as Thane saw nothing but blurry images running around. After a moment, he realized that he was violently hit by a flying object in the head. His sights slowly regained but he still remained lying on the floor. Abruptly, his anger rose into the highest level. He felt the fire gushing out from his ill-tempered eyes.

All of a sudden he stood up, ignoring the girl for a second. A quirk of his sight aimed at the unyielding brawl. Slowly, his movements shook from complete anger with his teeth gnashing.

"Everybody!," He paused as he held his breath deeply before attempting his second word "STOOOOOP!" Thane screamed on top of his lungs. He didn't care what would happen afterwards though he had no idea what he just did once he was done saying it. Was he infuriated just for the reason of being hit by a flying object? Nevertheless, the fighting had slowed down, some of the Deks and Chiets manged to turn their attention towards Thane while a few others continued their own brawling business. He didn't care still but he was quite unprepared to whatever was awaiting him.

[Azira]

x

A smug look was sent in the stranger's direction as the girl caught her breath, rubbing her aching neck. Nobody would have been able to sneak up on her if this idiot in front of her hadn't distracted her, deciding that having a conversation in the midst of this mess was a good course of action to take. Of all the potential allies she could have attracted, she'd managed to draw the stupidest of the lot it seemed, that or a pacifist as he seemed intent on leaving the fray and dragging her away in the process. His grip was renewed upon her arm, the strength of it greater than it had been before. There was no getting free of it and it was clear that he had no intention of letting her stay.

"Let go! You aren't forcing me anywhere!" she screamed at him, fighting against his hold on her. With a yell, he released her to her great surprise but a quick assessment showed that something must have struck him in the head. It could have been an errant fist or elbow, or it could just have easily been what appeared to be the weights used on the scales that were flying about the place. Goodness knew what they were throwing. The teen didn't choose to hep the man. He'd been more of a hindrance than a help, instead opting to escape from his clutches now that she had the chance. The huntress continued her ploughing through the crush of bodies but had only been moving for a few ticks when the yell erupted from behind her.

Many around her stopped their fighting to stare back towards the source of the sound and Azira was one of them. Her would be ally had brought some semblance of order with just two thundered words. The stopping power of it left the girl gobsmacked. True, not everyone had stopped their fighting but the majority had, reacting to the voice of authority. The teen scrutinised the man as a near silence fell around her. Had she been wrong to assume that he was an Avora? Could he be Endal? She certainly hoped not. It hadn't just been her words that might cause offence but also her actions. An Endal would be more likely to act out of a sense of duty, or failing that her accusation of the onlookers being cowards would have spurred an arrogant Endal into action. Oh she real hoed that he wasn't an Endal.

The Avora tried not to look too startled by the man's behaviour, turning her gaze away to see if there was anything that she could do to bring the situation into hand. An insult was flung their way from one of the continuing brawlers, followed by a missile of some sort aimed towards the man who had tried to bring the fighting under control. She acted on instinct, the dislike that was developing towards the man not being taken into account as she closed the gap between them. "Watch out!" The warning would reach him just before she did, the huntress slamming her form into the place where she'd last seen him in an effort to shove him from harm's way.

x

[Thane]

uggggghhh

It was traveling fast, and within a few seconds of it hovering down from the air, it would certainly give a second smack on Thane's head. However, the force applied was much stronger and once the impact is smeared, Thane might actually be ending up at the Infirmary. If he could manage to observe the traveled angle, he could easily deflect it with a few sidesteps. The problem was, his thoughts wasn't directly set on the sight of it. Thane wandered aimlessly about the thunderous roar he recently delivered. Even to himself, it was unexpected. He sincerely didn't believe that something as powerful as that was in his capabilities. And to his own surprise, it calmed a large fraction of the chaos.

"Watch out!" Alarmed by the sudden warning, Thane's eyes quivered to the unknown, desperately seeking the source of the warning in the shortest time possible. Then a turn after, he met the sight of a tossed weighing scale, rocketing past his distance from the Deks and Chiets with an absurd momentum. The origin was an obvious issue but there wasn't enough time left to ponder through it. Instead of reacting, he froze. Thane couldn't describe his sudden behavior nor could he control it. He wanted to urge a movement but going through the process was just difficult.

It was then that the sight of the girl who escaped from Thane's clutches shivered his frozen state. She was dashing to his rescue, or so as he believed, and as fast as the object was traveling towards Thane, the girl's pace somehow caught up but Thane's mind worked faster than the two the moment when time began to slow down.

What is she thinking? she could just take the opportunity and flee away from this chaos. Are all girls like this nowadays? Somehow, he found the attention of the girl to be worth aiming for rather than what was falling to his harm. Time remained to slow down in his mind until he stooped down to position himself for an evasive move.

Once the weighing scale was at an almost close gap, Thane flung his body to his left, taking rapid steps backwards then trotted away continuously. The object clasped the ground, banging off a loud clatter upon impact. Some of its parts broke and rolled away from their own assemblies. It was a close call, or perhaps a lucky turn thanks to the warning. Thane glanced at the female Inarta, striking a baffled stare. After that, his gaze followed to the Chiets and Deks lining up for what seemed to be a second brawl. It wasn't over yet and judging by the looks on their faces, it looked like they found a new target to bash their clubs upon.

There was a menacing glare struck on most of their eyes. Thane wanted to know the cause of the workers behavior but by simply asking wouldn't help at all. All of a sudden, one pudgy individual emerged from the crowd. He ran towards where Thane was at a speed of what a stout person was capable of. His hands gripped a wooden club which was being flailed endlessly in the air while roaring his voice out for violence. Thane didn't want to let the fight continue further, thus thinking that escaping would be the best solution for it all. Certainly, he would go back and call for help.

Thane glanced back to the girl, giving a loud hiss in exchange for her attention. "Don't fight him." He warned, his expression was filled with complete caution as he gestured towards the running man. "Don't even dare touching him. If you do, the rest of them will come following by and you do not want that, right?" Thane took another series of steps away but was expecting the girl to follow. "Get out of here, now! Unless you want to take a visit to the infirmary." Thane's words sounded less convincing but he hoped that the girl would obey him at his second attempt.

[Azira]

x

Azira's shoulder hit nothing and she was left moving onwards until she managed to bring herself to a sudden stop. The abrupt cessation of movement unbalanced her, the girl wobbling on the spot until feet found the places that set her right again. The missile hit the ground before she could regain her balance and so by the time she turned she expected the worse. The man had moved out of the line of fire without her help and remained unscathed although the weighing scales that had been flung in pieces on the ground not far from either of them. Their gazes met, the other seemingly bewildered by what had happened. If it was in reaction to her trying to come to her rescue then she couldn't blame him but if he was confused about why he'd suddenly become a target, she'd class him as stupid. He did seem aware of the mood of the crowd though, his gaze scanning the faces of the gathered Chiet and Dek. It was like the riots all over again. It was something that was never to happen again, that had been made very clear by the Valintar. If any act of rebellion appeared again it was to be put down with deadly force. One of them had just tried to knock the head off an upper caste man. There was certainly reason for them to be put down.

Her eyes moved to where the watching Avora had stood and found that their numbers were growing, Endals beginning to join their ranks. It'd only be a matter of time now before the eagles swept in through the ceiling and the situation was dealt with. Most of those that had been involved in the fighting would be killed outright whereas those who had hung back, too frightened or indifferent to deal with a fight that had arisen between fellows would most likely be whipped. Punishment would be given as it was due, an example would be set and it would be back to work as usual. The disruption to work shouldn't have been allowed to take place in the first place but it would be remedied. It also meant that those Dek and Chiet who were to meet their end had nothing to lose. Their eyes were murderous, clearly the will was there to take some higher caste members with them. Azira wasn't staying to be beaten to a pulp or stabbed to death, or have other things done to her before she even got to the stage of being killed. No, this was the Endals' problem now. As if in answer of her thoughts a Wind Eagle flew into the building and the huntress knew that now was the time to go.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do!" A snap to show that she wouldn't be ordered about by this idiot. She could look after herself, think for herself too. "I've no intention of staying anyway. It's for the Endal to sort out now." A nod in the direction of the new feathered arrival and his rider before the teen set about retreating, her eyes staying on the press of workers as she did so. She wasn't going to turn her back on them that was for sure. The steps backwards were careful but not slow, the girl making her retreat at a reasonable pace. If anyone was standing behind her they'd have the sense to move she hoped. The stranger seemed eager to get away from here anyway so there was no doubt that he'd follow. As long as he didn't go back to trying to protect her, she wasn't going to have to knock his teeth out. The teen didn't understand the reason for the gallantry but it irritated her. Better to knock it out of him if he went back to it. There'd be none of that silly business where she was concerned.

A bowstring hummed and an arrow was loosed into the workers. More arrows came from the behind the huntress, from Endal and Avora who'd assembled there. As the arrows began to rain, the mob broke apart many of the Chiet and Dek screaming and calling for mercy, pleading that they be spared. Not all of them though. Some of them, the most rebellious and violent of the group, tried to get to the shooters and were quickly downed. There was no reason to fear the workers now that the mob mentality had shattered, broken into individuals now. The huntress retreated into the ranks of the archers, the bow men and woman parting to let her pass and doing likewise for her companion or saviour, or whatever he was. Amber eyes - ridicule within them -would turn to him when they were further away from the chaos. "Thanks for nothing, I guess. Maybe you should stay on the sidelines in future if you're going to be a hindrance rather than a help."

x

[Thane]

uggggghhh

It didn't come to Thane's expectations that the chaos would end so soon but then again, he wouldn't certainly want it to last for a longer period of time. As the eagle riders arrived, the situation was quickly placed on their hands as the workers were handled either harshly or with complete restraints. It seemed to be much more of a relief rather than a surprise to see it all happen in a nick of time. Thane couldn't be more thankful now that he wouldn't have to worry anymore on being in harm's clutches. Still, there were still things that left unanswered. Like first and foremost, how did the fighting started or what was its origin? Of course, he wouldn't acquire answers from the Endals since they just arrived and no doubt any of them knew the situation before it all happened. It would be the same from the workers and since they were currently ensnared from doing anything, it would be slightly impossible to get some answers from them. Either curious or just wanted to take down some information, it would've been best for him to stay away from the issue for now. Perhaps it was just a small uproar brought by the busiest of seasons. It might be understandable if he would ponder through it more but Thane concluded that it could be placed on-hold for the time being.

However, there was one thing which bothered him more than the chaos and it was the young female Inarta. As much as he was well-known at the Yasi center, it seemed ironic that he wasn't actually fond of being with youngsters, especially adolescents. To him, they were painfully annoying and much of a nuisance if ever they were involved around him. But this girl was worse. Not only did she refused his efforts on helping her get away, she even tried several attempts to pose a threat against him, or at least that was what he thought. Thane felt infuriated but showing any signs of it towards the girl wouldn't progress at all. He sighed, showing complete displeasure. He could withstand being insulted as someone useless but being called a hindrance was clearly something he didn't want to hear.

Thane continued to follow the girl, not for the reason of taking care of her anymore but to show how to execute a proper and simple appreciation. His eyes were more of a steaming glare rather than a simple stare. The expression drawn at his face told that he wasn't going to be chummy on his words.

"Listen here, you....." Thane tried but ended up stammering as he didn't want to be overly rude towards anyone. It was as if something was stopping him from going any further. "...that is not the best way to appreciate someone who's just giving his efforts to help." His voice rose its tone for ever phrase spoken.

"Second," He paused again, gathering his breath for one loud attempt. "I am not a hindrance!" He shouted but not as loud as what he did previously.

For a moment, he thought he was going overboard but he felt as if it was necessary to give the girl a proper lecture. Thane never knew what the girl's rank was. If she was a Chiet, then there was no reason for her to be showing that kind of behavior but if she was of the same rank or an Endal, then there could be some exceptions. Thane could only hope she wasn't of higher authority, though he doubted it since she looked younger.

"I can do as much as these people can" He gestured towards the group of Endals "but I know what my capabilities are. That means, I can't do anything by myself to stop this! Do you understand?!" Raising his voice somehow felt unnecessary as he continued speaking towards the girl, but he hoped it wouldn't give him a bad image for an adult.

[Azira]

x

A nerve seemed to have been struck. The man seemed to think that he had a right to give out to her as well. An eyebrow rose as the man let loose although he seemed to be making an effort to still remain civil despite the fact that he was shouting at her. His attempt was almost laughable but she couldn't find any mirth within her as she regarded him. His arguments against her statement were weak at best and ones that the girl thought were easy to counter. He was fighting a losing argument and yet he didn't seem to know it.

Her eyes had hardened as she looked at him, becoming cooler by gradual degrees as he continued his speech. "No, you listen. If that counts as making an effort to 'help' then please don't bother in future. You are a hindrance. You did absolutely nothing of help. You made yourself a target, you made me a perfect target by trying to drag me away. If you'd actually shown more of a willingness to back me up rather than trying to drag me away like I was the idiot then the other Avora might have stepped in rather than waiting on the fence, not sure whether they were coming or going." The teen was confident in what she was saying, the anger caused by the situation placing force behind her words. Her voice raised but she didn't outright scream at him; the huntress still had some control over herself.

Eyes rolled before the young woman continued. "As for what you can or can't do, the only thing that matters is that you did nothing of use. What was the point of trying to drag me out? I wanted to beat that deklicker's head in and you wouldn't let me because of what? You thought I was fragile or something? I'm a huntress and I survived the riots, what more do you need to know to realise that I had no problem being in there. You might have but if you did then you shouldn't have walked into it, should you? Nobody expected you to do anything alone but you could have at least tried to do something. Anything would have been better than nothing." The Avora took a deep breath and exhaled, letting much of her frustration to be expelled with it. She forced a smile, although her eyes remained hard and challenging.

"Do you understand?" she asked sweetly. Azira couldn't help but feel a little smug now that her side of the argument was concluded. She'd like to see him come up with anything to say to that. He'd been trying to lecture her and as far as the huntress was concerned that had backfired upon him. Serve him right for being an idiot, she thought.

x

[Thane]

uggggghhh

Thane sighed deeply until he caught himself into the depths of complete irritation. There was just something about the girl which he couldn't handle much. The problem wasn't only her unrestrained tongue but also the revolting behavior struck in front of him. Somehow, as Thane looked towards it, it reminded a part of himself that had been a permanent feature to his own personality, but he immediately refused to believe in that possibility once he shook it off. There was no reason to exert an effort on her anymore. If she would be that way, Thane wouldn't bother, perhaps it was a mistake to try and act like a savior. He would've left the girl in the midst of violence anyway but somehow, something prevented him from doing so. Whatever it was, he couldn't explain it himself, not even if he would think about it profoundly. Perhaps it was his way of treating others younger than him but then again, he wasn't usually fond of their presence. Thane couldn't help thinking, he held his head like it was about to blow up. Whatever was the reason of his chivalry? Was it to show how much he was capable of? To enlighten himself about being heroic? It was unreasonable actually since he doesn't take much of his time around people, but what was the actual reason of it all? For a moment, his mind battled against the unknown. Constantly asking for a reason from his unexplained actions. Sometimes he just couldn't wonder how much he knew himself.

After the girl delivered her blunt speeches, Thane held himself from his anger. It was useless fighting back with more fire but he couldn't let himself stay silent while the little runt took a large grip of her tongue. However, it would be much more useless if he'd ever come back with violent responses so he'd be careful about his actions. Thane observed a smug forming out from the girl's face, perhaps she was claiming her victory over the argument. Although it still wasn't over for Thane, he figured there wasn't a need to continue, saving the fact that he's still not admitting defeat.

A smug on his face was given as an exchanged expression to the girl. A short laugh of satisfaction was uttered silently as he struck a solemn stare. "Alright, I understand perfectly" He admitted, his words were about to tighten up. "Actually, quite perfectly since you've made some point" Thane complimented with a calm, soothing tone though after a moment, a burst of his own laughter was uttered loudly. It amplified as he continued laughing, perhaps his hand lost its grip, but Thane knew there was a reason behind it.

He finally stopped, catching his breath briefly. "...I'm sorry, I just have to take a good laugh." He said, mockingly. "Alright, where were we? Uh....I guess, I'm the hindrance right?" As he much as he didn't like to be called as such, Thane found it somehow hilarious in a strange way. "Little girl," He paused, gaining a sharp look towards the girl. "Is there something wrong? Tell me. I know a group of helpful individuals who can take proper care of your childish attitude." Despite having the desire to let his words strike like a hammer, it was surprisingly delivered calmly.

"From what I've known, children like you have problems on dealing with people. I understand that and I understand why you were telling me that I'm useless....that I'm a hindrance. It gets pretty lonely down there right? especially with that kind of attitude." He held his tongue for a while. He began to think about what he meant, perhaps most of them weren't quite true and were obviously driven from a few of his assumptions. But he had to deliver it directly since he didn't want to let someone younger to get ahead.

Not waiting for a response from the girl, Thane continued. "Well, I guess what you're saying right now is that I don't understand everything perfectly or I am absolutely wrong. But who needs to understand you?" Thane slowly turned himself away from the girl, he couldn't find a reason to go further anymore. It was a tiring day, maybe it would've been a good idea to just decline his friends' request in the first place rather than dealing a nuisance. "Do yourself a favor, kid. Get help while you still can, that mentality of yours won't get you anywhere." He'd let his final words slip out as he started to walk away.

That little prick! If she was a boy, I'd give a nice punch for calling me a hindrance.

While marching aimlessly, an older man suddenly approached Thane from the caused rubble. A hand was placed on his shoulder which immediately caught his attention. Thane then turned to the man, noticing him awfully familiar. "Morgis?" He paused shortly as he tried to confirm the man's appearance. "You're an Endal now?" He asked, quite surprised. Morgis uttered a loud chuckle, seeing his old friend in the midst of an unlikely situation "Nice to see you old friend. What brings you here all of a sudden? I don't expect that you are here to clean this one up, am I right?" Morgis gestured towards the remaining workers who were suspended from running free.

Thane shook his head, then his thoughts wandered to the female Inarta. It was more of a trouble than a few of the violent workers. "Yes, I'm afraid you are." He then turned his head over his shoulders, glancing towards the girl for a moment. "Though there is someone who's been a real pain than this mess." Morgis followed where Thane was looking, a bit puzzled after finding the sight of a young female Inarta.

"Hey kid!" Thane went back to her, seeming to have to have noticed something just now."I think you should come over here, these people might help you." He raised his voice just to let the girl notice, though he still sounded as if he continued to mock her. Morgis looked more puzzled than he was before.