“Do you really trust him?” Arthur asked Tomobi in the stable.

“Uh,” Tomobi was already unsettled with what Arthur told him, and he could feel something important was coming.

“Answer Tomobi,” Arthur stretched his hand to hold Tomobi, but Tomobi reacted. And this time Seeno hadn’t been truly kept in the stall and wasn’t happy to see Tomobi flinch.

The worried calm turned to a stressed storm, Arthur fell and bitten on his metallic hand, Tomobi trying to pulley pack Seeno, Meili had to keep Biscuit and Donut calm, and people nearby had to either calm their own beasts or try to help.

“Seeno stop,” but Tomobi’s cries fell on deaf ears, as it seemed that Seeno wouldn’t let go. Its mind was blank, the closed environment and shouting stressed Seeno further as it bit down harder.

“Come on,” Arthur gripped his free hand around Seeno’s jaw.

“LET GO,” Arthur roared out and shifted his trapped hand, causing Seeno to gag and for Arthur to crank open its maw. Arthur shuffled away from the tension as Tomobi tried his best to hold Seeno.

With other people appearing and Biscuit and Donut getting more and more feral, Seeno's temperament rose higher. Locking eyes at Arthur, who had.

“Seeno calm down,” Tomobi tried to call out as more people came to respond, he too felt confused. Tomobi felt afraid and confused from the riot happening, but the confusion also led to tightening anger clawing his lungs. No one was listening, he wasn’t able to do something, he felt like he could do something, he wanted to do something.

“Seeno that’s enough,” Tomobi called out to Seeno again, with Tomobi’s strokes calming it down. And for a tense moment, Seeno eventually calmed, leaving Tomobi to try and guide Seeno back into its stall again.

“Hey man, you alright?” On guard asked as he helped Arthur up. Arthur didn’t respond and turned to Meili, who showed an unsure look as she eventually calmed down their chickens.

Others meanwhile shot worried and dirty looks towards Tomobi and Seeno.

“Man, that kid’s got no control over that thing, we should go report this,” the guard patted Arthur's shoulder.

“No,” Arthur rejected the idea immediately, surprising him and Meili.

“Buddy that thing tried taking a chunk out of you,” the guard looked confused.

“No, it was my fault. I started it,” Arthur tried to avoid looking at Tomobi, leaving Meili to guide Biscuit and Donut to their own roosts.

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“We’ll just drop it,” Arthur, defeated, left the stables in an awkward manner with Meili looking at him. The other people around didn’t help with the awkward tension, with Tomobi not sure what to do.

***

The inn was far behind them as they continued their trek, Rookie seemed to have adopted Kiorif’s temperament as she seemed lifeless as she sluggishly sludged beside Kiorif.

“Bye warm showers, bye comfy bed, bye privacy,” She kept listing things to pass the time while Kiorif kept an eye on Tomobi, who had to stop Seeno from teething against the bags. Tomobi didn’t know how to feel about Seeno’s violent reaction clashing with its sulking nature now.

“Tomobi, did those hunters talk to you yesterday?” Rookie stopped her grumbling and started paying attention.

“Oh come on Kiorif, we’re moving away from paradise. You really want to start drama now?”

“Yes, I do. So did they tell you anything yesterday?” Tomobi felt relieved to explain what had unfolded but still was unsure how to say it.

“Um, well,” Tomobi tried to explain yesterday's drama. His story left Rookie jaw dropped and even Kiorif had eyebrows raised.

“Holy shit,” Rookie seemed wide awake now.

“I can’t believe he would try to grab you. Thought he was a good dude,”

“I mean I think Seeno might have overreacted,” Tomobi tried defending Arthur, but Rookie and Kiorif seemed unsure.

“Seeno does not normally bite out,” Kiorif scoffed, Tomobi went to object once again.

“But-”

“Especially around strangers Tomobi. It may be a wild thing, but it has shown it is not stupid enough to attack out of nowhere in public,” Rookie nodded at Kiorif’s notice.

“Hm, Kiorif has a point. And I haven’t seen him give Seeno praise,” Rookie gave Kiorif a side eye.

“So when am I gonna get some praise,”

“Pick up the pace,” Kiorif shot Rookie down and sped ahead.

After this, they repeated their repetitive journey of walking and resting, now far from the inn they used a patch of the formerly glowing trees as shade under the sun.

Seeno laid, stretched out, and enjoyed the freedom from the cage, meanwhile, Tomobi and Kiorif kept to themselves and worked. Indeed the only one who didn’t seem to enjoy themselves was Rookie. She looked around to see what she could do, playing with her fingers and occasionally whistling a boring tune.

“Kiorif,” Rookie called out.

“What?” Kiorif didn’t like being asked things when resting, especially when eating.

“I’m bored,”

“Well it is not my problem,” Kiorif sighed and put his food down for a moment, knowing what was coming.

“Well, I’m making it. Is there anythi-”

“No,” Kiorif’s sharp reply left Rookie to pout.

“Fine, be a grouch. Hey, Tomobi,” Rookie now got Tomobi’s attention.

“Do you want to do something?”

“What do you want to do?” Tomobi asked, hoping to do something too.

“Well, what do you want to do?” Rookie’s repetition showed that Rookie was still lost.

“Oh wait, how about trying things with your bubbles,” Rookie’s request got Kiorif’s attention, and not wanting to deal with anything got the gift out and passed it to them.

“Thank you, come on Tomobi,” Rookie got the gift and began to drag Tomobi away. Surprisingly Seeno didn’t join the two of them and continued to rest.

“Didn’t want to join them?” Kiorif asked Seeno once Rookie and Tomobi were out of range, and immediately questioned himself for asking in the first place.

‘But you got aggressive from Arthur,’ While he thought about other things Rookie had nothing going on in her brain once they got some space.

“Right, so, Tomobi. You have a gift, a gift you use, the gift that you use cause you have,” her tangent didn’t help

“Argh, why does nothing dramatic happen when I’m around,” though through a twisted sense of irony the sound of cracking wood and monstrous cries answered her wish.