Thread: ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ʟᴏsᴛ, ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ғɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ [ ɢᴇᴍ x ᴡᴏʟᴢᴇʀᴇx ]

Something about the way he coined their troupe as a 'business' did not sit right with her. In fact, everything -- from the nauseating gleam in his eyes, to the domineering air about him -- had her nearly disregarding anything else that came from his sniveling mouth. Nonetheless, she listened to his 'innocent' proposal with a soured expression as the rest of her party gasped. Had she not been raised as a nomad the past several years, 50 pieces of gold would have seemed like an insignificant amount. It wasn't selfishness as much as it was ignorance. Despite the circumstances that led her to them, she was deeply grateful for the lessons in humility that they imparted with her. The troupe, given their success throughout their travels, was no stranger to a fair amount of coin. However, much of their past year's profit had gone into both the journey to and the preparations needed to settle in their new home. They were still plenty well-off for the time being, but to ask 50 gold coins a month from even the most successful of stage shows was criminal. At this point in the conversation, that sentiment came of no surprise. Eli's lips parted, fully prepared to give him a piece of her mind when Agnor, always the pacifist he was, cut her off with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Catching his glance of caution, the dark elf backed down, lips forming into a tight line as Agnor sputtered out, Well, that is an awfully kind proposal, er, Jack. But, my troupe and I have come back to Mekken for no other reason than to finally settle down. So, thank you, but-- The gentle grip on her shoulder tightened protectively at Jack's follow-up. Much like Korm had caught them, Agnor also was more than wise to the implications behind the sleazy man's words. It had been a long time since Eli had seen her adoptive father's face grow so red so quickly. Those who knew the jolly man knew it took a great deal to cause him a stir. There were always exceptions to every rule, though -- Family. The troupe's bond ran much deeper than flesh and blood, that became apparent to Eli quite quickly upon joining them. This man, Jack, had no idea the storm that was already coming from this one man alone. And, that was just one of them. Frida snarled from her spot behind her father, trying so desperately to push herself past him, but to no avail as he held her back with the other powerful arm. Eli watched, eyes wide in sheer disbelief that the man before her could give such a heavy threat so casually to her. That, and the fact she had not seen the mountainous man on the verge of eruption since Milo drew on his face in enchanted ink that only went away with the passing of a full moon. Even then, this was on an entirely different scale. Perhaps if he wasn't seething himself, Milo would've laughed at the sight. Just as the shock finally began to morph into fury, her eyes caught an unmistakable figure approaching from the corner of her eye. Her heart simultaneously sank and kick-started in one in a single breath -- One which she found herself holding in anticipation as he squared up to the tyrant. Eli wanted to speak up, to tell him this was none of her concern, but this was not about her. This man and his so-called 'boss' had stirred up trouble in the place that he, too, called home. While he his outward appearance had changed, Eli was wholeheartedly sure that his sense of nobility had not. Most of her kind would call him a tyrant, but she knew better. He was a protector...He was her protector, or so he always told her. She had simply laughed every time, dismissing him with a tease despite the undeniable warmth that pooled in her stomach with every word. The thought had her heart lurching and she quickly shook the thought away, wishing he too would become out of sight and mind. But, all such thoughts were instantly propelled from her mind at the Jack's slander. Eli felt her rage boil over, hands pulsating with energy as she hissed, Half- what ...? Seething was an understatement. Even with Frida, there was little to no comment about her split family origins. Some believed she was simply a rather tall dwarf upon first seeing her, but her facial features were not as round as that of her mother's and grandmother's. Any jokes made were toward Agnor, inquiring how in the world he courted a dwarf with his stature. Her mind was transported back to the days where her dear friend arrived at their hideaway bloodied and bruised for no reason other than simply being . As she cleaned his wounds, he told her of the painful his brethren would say, demeaning him and denying his place in their world. Those were the times when all she wanted was to protect him. He needed it much more than she did. It was clear those sentiments still lingered despite the conflict in her heart. I highly urge you to watch your--! Before she could finish, Korm's fist had already come into hard contact with Jack's head. Despite the words still hanging on the tip of her tongue, she found herself quickly moving to roll up her billowing sleeves the best she could. Freya may have sewn her gown with the best fire resistant fabric in the land...but, there was no guarantee it could hold up against her this heated. In an instant, her hands were set aflame, the element dancing wildly upon them as she strode past Korm. ...You always did love throwing yourself into the fray, hmm? Eli found herself joking quietly despite herself, fighting the urge to smirk in the process. She hadn't intended on him hearing her in all the chaos. What Korm didn't know about her was that she could also hold her own. Traveling in a group did not guarantee safety. There had been several instances across their journey where the troupe were forced to take up arms against bandits and other ruffians. It was a part of life, and it was unfortunate even Milo and Kai had to take part in self-defense. On top of being completely fed-up and on the verge of boiling over, there was a desire to help him beneath all of her scorn. But, she refused to acknowledge that. Instead, she chose to concentrate on the fact she was fighting for her troupe and city. Eli moved and dodged in a manner similar to her dancing -- In fact, it was a dance all its own. Her body appeared to move with the fluidity of water as she leaned, ducked, and even spun herself out of the way. She could tell he was holding back, simply reaching out to punch or grab her rather than reach for his knife. But, it took little time for him to grow more frustrated. If she were fully channeling Phoenix, perhaps she would have teased him longer. However, seeing him reach for his knife told her it would be best not to dawdle. Still, she couldn't help the smirk that graced her features before she quickly moved back. Allowing herself the extra space, she began preparing herself .With a deep, steadying breath, she channeled thoughts and feelings that never failed to keep her balance. Giving too much into her contempt would leave him seriously wounded. As much as he and his lot deserved it, she did not have it in her to cause pure agony. Time felt as if it were passing slowly from behind her closed eyes, but as she opened them, everything sprang back into action. Eli rushed forward and he moved to swing at her. His blade catching the light of her flames as she too a flying leap, flipping over him and sending a purple blaze in her wake. It enveloped him, but only clung to his clothes. To him, the flames would feel just hot enough to elicit high levels of discomfort, if not the instill fear at the idea of it devouring him. In reality, it was only burning away at his clothes...at quite a rapid rate. The dark elf watched in silence as he scrambled toward the fountain in the plaza, throwing himself in an attempt to put out the flames and protect whatever bit of dignity he had left. She strode over to him, bending down and meeting his gaze with her own unwavering. Next time, it will be more than just your garments. She promised lowly, reaching out and pushing him back into the water. Suddenly, she remembered everyone else. Her form quickly turned from the fountain and her concerned eyes automatically found themselves locking in on Korm. Only one thought crossed her mind-- Was he alright? In her father's stupor, Frida swooped under his arm, quickly jumping into the fray with a mad grin. Her short, but burly form rushed one of the four at an amazing speed despite her shorter legs just before he reached Korm. The half-dwarf woman side-stepped out of his way, her leg just long enough to trip him as he came to a tumble. Sprawled out upon the stone, she placed her foot gently upon his chest, impish green eyes scanning his face. Hmm. You're kinda cute up close. It's a shame you and your friends had to get on our bad side. We could have had some fun. The goon's eyes popped open in shock, absolutely stunned by her forwardness before coming to his senses. He attempted to reach for his knife only to have her dig into his chest harder, his bones nearly breaking under her inhuman strength. He howled in pain, earning a sing-song, Nuh-uh-uh, you don't get to get away after pulling a stunt like that. Reaching down, she gripped the collar of his shirt, pulling him forward with her face mere inches from his. Frida flashed him a sultry smile and a wink before landing a hard clobber to the side of his face. Good night, handsome! She chuckled lowly, rubbing her palm and surveying her work -- The man completely knocked out before her. The boys in their younger ages easily took down their target with their teamwork. Kai stayed behind Agnor, hands moving every-which-way as several images of his brother manifested before the man. What the older lacked in magical power, he made up in agility and quick-thinking. The goon's eyes couldn't seem to keep up with the constant movement, his own, trying to swing at each illusion, becoming more erratic as he grew increasingly dizzy. In a moment of weakness, he hunched over, hands upon his knees as he quickly caught his breath. Milo did not skip a beat, fishing out his slingshot from his baggy, brown pants and aiming it dead at his wide-forehead the moment he attempted to spring back into action. -- He didn't even know what hit him. A hefty-sized stone hit the stone, only to be followed by the third goon a moment later. Milo returned to his brother, the two sharing a high-five before joining Freya in taking out the last of them. Meanwhile, Agnor stayed behind, holding Kai in his arms with a wary look on his face. He couldn't condone his children fighting against men with weapons, but was also confident they could hold their own. They all had been through so much...Their wills were strong.