“About?” Gladius huffed, folding his arms. “If you haven’t noticed, it’s the dead of night.”
“About the fact that her friends desperately searched for her for three years.” Athena exagerated. “And I helped them for the past month, not thinking that I would meet you again, Gladius.” She continued, confident that the one she was talking to was her former fellow adventurer.
Tohi sits down. I should probably rest, it’s getting late. I wonder how far the city is from here…
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“You… You… We believe we recognize your voice…” The collected muttered as he listened to the two. Looming closer to Athena with a quizzical look in his eyes, both visible below his hood, glowing with a soft, green glow as he hummed in thought.
Athena looked disgusted at the Collected.
“Yeah. The feeling is not mutual buddy.” She said, making a few steps back with be spear.
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“I cannot allow anyone to compromise Ekimu’s request for us to fulfill, including you.” He coldly replied, making it evident Ekimu’s order was a serious one. “If you have been searching for a month you can afford to wait another day, preferably somewhere less infested.” He gestured at the Collected’s snack.
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“Why can’t I just tell her what I have to say and then leave?”
“No… No… We are thinking of another. Nevermind, our interest is lost.” The Collected continued, turning from Athena with a dismissive wave before he began fiddling about with his ‘snack’.
An oddly… crunchy sound emanating from him soon after.
Athena looked at the being as he left, before shacking her head and rolling her eyes.
“Because I say it.” Gladius glared sharply at her in the darkness. “You want to challenge her with leaving, antagonize her by questioning her motives, beg her to return, tell her what will happen if she doesn’t, remind her how hurt everyone is, et cetera. Statements which could drive her out of the present party and statements that can wait until a later date.”
“Our offer to remove the… irritant is still open if she proves to be large enough of one. We find that even something as them, while not a threat, may still require removal at times.” The Collected called out, turning his head to view the two before turning back to what was most likely his… insectile based snack.
Crunching sounds emanating from him again soon after.
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“No, it can’t until a later date.” Athena said, slowly approaching her. “Even if what would I have to tell her would be meant to make her leave the party, I would still have to say it now.”
“Approach any of the Ancient One’s chosen party any further and we will be forced to deal with you, by our leader’s request or not. We can not risk failing the Ancient One’s request reasons as foolish as yours.” The Collected suddenly growled out, his form still turned away from the two, but the sounds of his… ‘snacking’ suddenly quieted, and his form stilled. Near disturbingly so.
Gladius nodded to the collected.
“Last warning.” He said to Athena, suddenly calm.
Athena slowly turned to the Collected, an unphased look on her face.
“OK, now I know why I don’t remember you.”
“And what if she prefers to listen to me instead of you two escorting me, afraid of not ruining your little camping?”
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“What do you mean…” His hand grabbed the hilt of his sword. “‘Escorting’?”
“Oh, you’re going to kill me instead? Nice.” Athena said, nodding and having a mockingly impressed look.
"It does not matter. She is not the leader, Gladius is. You may not approach any without their explicit permission, of which the leader may still overwrite as needed. And as you cannot receive that at this point, you require his permission, and he has made his stance clear." The Collected growled, still not moving to face the two.
“Now begone by either your own power, or ours.”
Gladius glared with a dead look at Athena for a few seconds. He returned his blade.
“Collected, get rid of her.” He turned to stalk back to the camp. “Make sure she still has all her limbs.”
“So let me see: a member of a team cannot even leave the team, or at least express he feelings towards an outside message, without the leader’s permission.” Athena said, not moving her eyes from Gladius. “Nice democracy.”
“It would not be necessary.” she said, taking her spear from the ground and leaving.