Another day, another job. (O)

[Jorungar]

"Three."

Jorungar quickly raise both his hands, and with a hideous sizzling and rumbling noise, something emerged from the two-hundred meter field that separated him and the boys. Towers. Around thirty pitch-black monolithic towers with a girth like children's waist emerged from the black sludge-like magical energy on the ground.

But the towering monoliths weren't monotonous. From the sides of each towers, numerous chains of moderate sizes slithers out, as if they were living, sentient snakes. Half of the entire amount are visibly dripping with black, reddish liquid, which sizzles when a few droplets hits the ground. The formerly empty grassy fields are no longer empty, as if replaced by a nest of numerous clinking, dripping black snakes.

The entire time, Jorungar's fingers were wiggling softly, controlling the chains. He lowered his arms to a more relaxing position. "Get past this is all you need to do. When both of you are caught by the chains, it's a game over and I'll stop the course." He grinned. "Oh. Almost forgot. Some of them are barbed, and some coated with paralyzing poison, so be careful."

[Azik Farenfir]

Paralysis poisons huh? Well, that's one less thing to worry about. Thank god I'm immune to poisons. Azik watched the movements of the chains. He was searching for that inevitable blind spot to appear. Their behaviour was erratic to say the least. After a few seconds, Azik saw it.

"There." he whispered. Azik dashed into the field of slithering chains and towers. The chains started snapping at Azik. All seemed to want to wrap around any part they could grab. Can't fight them off with close combat... Gives too many chances for them to grab on... A chain lashed towards Azik's legs. He jumped back out of its reach, only to be in range of a barbed chain. Cursing, Azik threw a dagger. It landed in the hole of a link. The chain tried to pull itself free, but to no avail.

Azik continued running towards Jory. He enhanced his speed to the first phase. With his nimble reflexes, heightened speed and some effort, Azik was dodging the wild chains. He wasn't heading directly towards Jory. The chains saw to that. When he thought he had an opening, the chains would intercept and cut him off. He needed to either distract the chains or freeze them. There was too many to freeze, so distraction it was.

As Azik was thinking, a chain dripping a red solution lashed at Azik. Azik noticed it and attempted to get out of its striking zone. But before Azik was safe, the dripping chain whipped across Azik's left arm with a loud crack. Azik stifled back the urge to scream as he held his arm elevated whilst dodging. He couldn't tell what was wrong, but he was fairly sure that his arm was fractured. He could see the red liquid absorb into his skin. He felt a slight numbing sensation spread through the entire arm.

Shit... This isn't good. Jorungar's poison is strong... If I try, I should... Focusing while he manoeuvred, Azik tried to resist the poison's effects. It didn't work for a moment, but the numbing started to fade. Though Azik didn't count on the pain of the injury returning too. The numbing had blocked out the pain, but Azik needed to endure. He needed both his arms even if one was damaged...

Azik leaped over a few chains homing on to his legs and kept on running.

[Ray]

Ray stayed back as Azik dived head first into the wave of chains.He managed to pin a chain to the ground, but haven't been advancing since then. Just when he turned to the chain towers, thinking of heading in, he heard a loud sound of metal on flesh. He snapped his head back toward Azik's direction.

Seems like one of the chains caught his arm. Ray winced inwardly at the painful sight, and refocused on the chains. He started runing towards them as the chains closest to him lash out, and went limp.

He's in front of them before they strike again. Dashing through it, he found another one lashing out at his head. He ducked his head, only to noticed one more heading towards his ankle.

He flipped towards, and got up just in time for a chain to brush over hood of his sweatshirt. He imagine that if it was his head, and shuddered at the thought.

[Azik Farenfir]

Two runic circles, one above and one below Azik's arm. Both had a purple hue and glowed brightly as he worked. It was taking longer to reverse the injury when one is busy trying to dodge a seemingly endless stream of sentient chains. Eventually his magic started to take effect and the relief from the pain was instantaneous. Sidestepping some advances from the chains, Azik finished healing himself.

"Much better." Azik looked about. He saw that Jory was a little closer now. Azik had most likely made it through a quarter of the course. Looking over his shoulder, He saw Ray weaving through the chains. He was quite agile. Turning his attention back to the course, Azik decided that another boost was needed. Activating the second phase, Azik sped past chains all trying to latch on. Azik hoped to get through with limited magic use, but better he finished quickly rather than risk another injury.

Three chains made a desperate reach for Azik as he was nearing their towers. Brandishing three daggers, Azik threw the blades and pinned the chains the ground. I'm not underestimating you guys again.

[Jorungar]

The basilisk's fingers never stopped moving, as the chains inside the field keeps dancing, lashing and attacking. Although he kept his fingers' movements slowed down quite a bit when he realized his chains were whipping around too fast. "No, no, that won't do... Could risk chopping their heads off... Ah."

Smiling to himself as he'd gotten an idea, he opened his lips and whispered. His voice came out as hisses to the ears of the non-reptiles.

"Bubble and boil, blood of the night fae."

Black bubbles formed inside the area. There are hundreds, hundreds of them.

"Let their eyes and wake be cast away."

The bubbles began to drift in all directions between the openings of the towers, each bubble engorged to the size of a volley ball. Some of them were popped by the chains themselves and made sizzling noise when they evaporated into thin air.

"New rule, kids!" Jorungar said in an almost playful tone. "Slower chains, but added sleeping poison bubbles. Whoever fells asleep, fails!"

[Azik Farenfir]

Azik slowed down when he noticed the chains wern't reacting with the same vigor they had moments ago. He then stepped back slightly when a black ball started floating towards him. What the...? "New rule, Kids!" Jory's voice shouted. Though Azik could swear that he sounded like he was having fun...

"Slower chains, but added sleeping poison bubbles. Whoever fells asleep, fails" Azik looked between a few towers. There are dozens of the little bastards! Though it's a nice change from the chains... Azik decided to revert back to phase one speed. A misstep will cause him the challenge and could lead to his skills being called into question...

At least the chains left more openings. Azik darted and weaved past chains. He would leap or duck when he encountered the bubbles. Azik was starting to build some confidence. I'm getting the hang of this! Azik came to a halt when he noticed a wall of bubbles blocking his path. He tried to turn when he noticed the same for the other directions. Cursing, Azik fell back to try a different path.

[Ray]

"New rule, kids!" Jorungar's voice boomed as Ray stepped on a chain to stop its attack, and using it as a stepping stone to jump foward. "Slower chains, but added sleeping poison bubbles. Whoever fells asleep, fails!"

It sure seems like the snake is having a lot of fun out this.

At least the chains is slower. The feline thought impassively while dodging the chains, which did slow down noticeably, but the floating bubbles are not making this any easier.

For instance, a wall of bubbles are blocking his way towards the basilisk, and he can't seem to be able to change his course because the chains are preventing him from doing so. He stopped for a second, planning his next move, and one of the chains took the moment of hesitance to wrap tightly around his wrist.

Surprised, he try to pull his arm free, but the chain is too tight. The bubbles closed in. Another chain swiping at his feet with intimidating speed, not enough to break, but enough to ensure it'll hurt. A lot.

Ray hold out his gun and aimed it at the chain holding his arm, and shot it to free himself. Few other shots deflected the assaulting chain and broke the bubbles near the ground, and seconds later, the snow leopard is on his back, sliding through the small opening he made.

[Azik Farenfir]

An intense blast of noise swept over the course. It sounded like gunfire. Halting in the centre of four towers, Azik gazed in the direction of the sound. Several shots followed. Must be Ray... Azik felt somewhat guilty, but he couldn't go help. Azik kept turning corners, hoping to find a clear path whilst eluding chains left and right.

A stray chain snagged his foot and caused Azik to tumble. He became aware of the chain twisting itself around his leg. Thrusting a hand out, Azik made spry gestures with his fingers. A circle formed beneath the chain, and started to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. The chain began unwinding itself. Azik looked about and noticed a barbed chain primed to strike. Slipping a dagger from his belt, Azik threw it and pined it to the tower.

When the chain had unwound, Azik got up and noticed that he was surrounded by bubbles. The direction he came was cut off. Azik reached to his belt. He had one Dagger left. Better keep this one. Azik looked about at the bubbles and chains closing in. "Guess I have no choice..." Azik held his arms forward and started forming intricate gestures. He combined this with his mental abilities. A circle formed around Azik. Twenty paces beyond the bubbles, a second circle formed.

When the link between the circles was set, Azik unleashed his spell. He vanished as the bubbles converged on where he was standing. He reappeared instantly in the second circle. They faded as Azik felt the cost of exhaustion sweep over him. He sidestepped a chain and ran past. If he wasn't more careful, he will be reaching his limit soon.

[Jorungar]

Jorungar chuckled. Those boys are really trying hard to get pass this simple course. He had planned something a little bit harder if it was only Azik who's doing this course, but he's afraid Ray would not be able to handle chainsaws and electrocution vices.

"Come on kids, I'm getting bored here!" Jorungar said, rocking his hands up and down. The towers followed the motion. Shuffling up and down, the chains' movements followed the rocking of both the towers and Jorungar's hands, whipping around even more and filling the space.

[Azik Farenfir]

"Come on kids, I'm getting bored here!" Jory's voice resonated over the course. Azik was sprinting past the towers when they started to move up and down. Another feature he's thrown in, huh? The chains followed the motion of the towers along with their already erratic movements. A quick glance over the shoulder, Azik saw that he was quite far from the start. He had at least covered a third of the course. He wasn't sure where Ray was, but he had a feeling that he was close.

Ahead of Azik, the chains of two parallel towers started to reach for each other. They're trying to cut me off again! Ducking under a bubble, Azik activated the second phase of his enhanced speed and made a mad dash towards the towers. The chains started to link together, but there was a hole where the chains didn't yet connect. Azik dove for the gap and landed on the other side. Not skipping a beat, he continued to run while dodging wayward bubbles and snapping chains.

Looking around, Azik saw Jorungar. He was much closer now. Almost there...

[Ray]

Ray was flipping himself up into the air horizontally to avoid the approaching chains, one above him and the other below, when it happened.

"Come on kids, I'm getting bored here!" The chain tower started moving up and down, dragging the chains with it, changing their direction abruptly and make them come at him again.

He managed to dodge one of them by lowering his head, but the other one caught his leg and dragged him down. He shot it to free himself, and landed dangerously close to the bubbles. He stepped away from it immediately.

One look around told the feline he's trapped between bubbles and slithering chains. Now with the towers moving along with the chains, their movement seems more random, more unpredictable. He looked closer, searching for a way out.

His whiskers twitched at the movement behind him, and he turn to find a chain lashing out at him. An idea flickered to to life, and Ray acted instinctively. He sidestepped the chain, grabbed it by the end and jumped, using the momentum to bring him up over the obstacles and towards the waiting basilisk.

[Jorungar]

"Whoa", He thought. "These boys are all right." He grinned now, seeing and feeling both Azik and Ray managed to handle all the chains and bubbles. Handling them well.

Too well. They got closer. Had Jorungar did not remember that this is just practice and not an actual fight, he would unleash a hell of pain right there and then. Thankfully he remembered that before hissing out more poison and torture spells.

Instead he quickly raised both his arms in a swinging motion, and all the bubbles, and some more, returned to him. Some popped, but a few good hundreds managed to form a thin, poppable wall of frothy black bubbles in front of him, the width and height extending to five meters in a near-perfect square shape.

"Last one!" He shouted, sounding excited. "Can you get past this!?"

[Azik Farenfir]

"Holy sh-" Azik exclaimed as the bubbles scattered about the course started to dart towards Jorungar. "What are you up to now you old snake?" He whispered. The bubbles started to arrange themselves to create a wall that cut off access to Jory's throat.

"Last one!" Jorungar shouted. "Can you get past this!?" Azik chuckled. Sounds like he is really starting to enjoy this... He knew that he didn't have enough strength to "shift" to Jory, so he needed to get creative. He still had enough magic to use telekinesis, heat vision and maintain his speed, so that was all he had to work with.

Looking over his shoulder into the sky, Azik's eyes squinted as the rays from the sun dazzled him. His hand slipped to his belt and fingered his last dagger. I've got one shot at this...

Azik dashed at a tower whilst eluding the chains. With the tower only a step away, Azik lifted his leg up and using his momentum, he threw himself into the air and hurled the dagger directly at the sun. Hopefully the speed and being in the path of the sunlight would keep it invisible from Jorungar's sight.

When the dagger met its apex, Azik caught it with a telekinetic hand. Activating his heat vision while evading the coiling chains, Azik guided the cold blade and positioned it above Jory. Azik then dashed towards the wall of bubbles. Focusing, Azik sharpened a bolt of telekinetic force and sent it flying towards the wall. It pierced bubbles, and immediately a black mist dispersed into the air.

As the poison began to fade, Azik held his breath and dove through the small hole he created. However, he inhaled just as the poison of a rouge bubble began to fade. It burst when it clashed into him as he passed through the opening. Azik only inhaled a small amount, but the effects hit him like a brick wall. He strained to resist the poison as he stood up beside the basilisk.

"Finally... reached you." Azik said between breaths.

[Ray]

Ray landed a few yards away from Azik, and he saw the human burst through the wall of poisonous bubble. He quickly followed, trying to break through the hole Azik made before it close up.

Break through he did, and as he steadied himself besides Azik, he tried to study Jorungar's stance, trying to see if there's anything in his posture that he can use for his advantage. So far he found nothing.

He didn't dare to make any reckless attack against the serpent, but Azik didn't seem too eager to start anything. So reluctantly, he dash towards Jorungar and flip the gun in his hand, grabbing it by the barrel, and jumped towards the basilisk, aiming the butt of the gun at his neck.

[Jorungar]

With a knife and the butt of a gun pointed at his neck, Jorungar is trying really hard to keep himself calm, albeit his steps moved and positioned himself in a battle-ready posture. "Why did I say 'aim for my neck'?" He mentally cursed himself as his fingers twitched, trying to hold himself from unleashing tentacles of barbed wires out of instinct.

"O.... Okay guys, you're all good." He chuckled slowly and put his hands in front of his face, a simple gesture replacing the function of white flags. As he eased down, the forest of towers, chains and bubbles began to crumble and fall, leaving only evaporating black splatters on the ground. "Now please, weapons down before you gave me any more jitters."

It's been decades, but weapons in such close proximity still alerted him unlike any other. Or not exactly. Surgeons with scalpels freaks him out all the same.

"Fine, I won't talk to Shep about your solo hits. And go get some coffee." he turned to Azik. "You inhaled my sleeping mixture. Unless you wanted to sleep for the next six hours, I'd suggest you drink some really strong caffeine. And you..." He turned to the other side and leaned down, leveling his head down to the feline's. "... How old are you?"

[Ray]

"O.... Okay guys, you're all good." The snake actually backed off and hold his hands up, which was an action Ray didn't expect. Maybe he just trying NOT to hurt them. The feline would certainly like to think so.

"Fine, I won't talk to Shep about your solo hits. And go get some coffee." The basilisk turned to Azik. "You inhaled my sleeping mixture. Unless you wanted to sleep for the next six hours, I'd suggest you drink some really strong caffeine. And you...... How old are you?"

"I'm fifteen." Ray looked up and perked his ears while answering.

[Azik Farenfir]

"O.... Okay guys, you're all good." Jorungar chuckled as he held his hands up in submission. Azik withdrew his dagger then sheathed it. Still fighting the effects of the poison, he leaned on his knees and looked down while panting. "Fine, I won't talk to Shep about your solo hits. And go get some coffee." He was exhausted due to the peculiar gas, though he managed to look up and give a weak smile.

The Basilisk turned towards him. "You inhaled my sleeping mixture. Unless you wanted to sleep for the next six hours, I'd suggest you drink some really strong caffeine." Azik stood up straight and waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine. I'm very resistant to most poisons..." He then teetered slightly as he reached up to his head. "... Though coffee does sound good..." Azik said while smiling meekly.

"And you..." Jorungar was leaning so he was eye-level with Ray. "... How old are you?" Huh... I never thought to ask for his age... "Fifteen" Ray answered. Azik's eye's widened. Fifteen and already so nimble!? What did he do before he was recruited? Azik coughed. "That's... really impressive or someone your age Ray... Do you mind if I ask how you became so skilled?"

[Ray]

"That's... really impressive or someone your age Ray... Do you mind if I ask how you became so skilled?" Azik asked with his sleep laden voice.

The feline shook his head slowly, showing that he didn't mind. "I was in the Ruthenia military. Mountain Division. It comes naturally with being in rough terrain for a few years." He explained, decocking his gun and put his back where it was, behind his back, under the shirt. "You're not bad yourself," he commented, "I'd never see someone who use their knives half as good as you are."

[Azik Farenfir]

He was in the military?! I've heard of kids having a gun pushed into their hands, but that is just cruel... Azik masked his symphony for the feline with a neutral expression. "You're not bad yourself," Ray commented. Azik snapped back to reality at the sudden praise. "I'd never see someone who use their knives half as good as you are." Azik suppressed the blood rushing to his face to stop from blushing.

"Thanks. I've had decades to train. Your incredibly skilled with such a standard gun, can assess your surroundings remarkably fast and turn the tide of battle to your advantage. That's truly something amazing." Azik praised with a smile. Azik then looked up to Jory.

"That was quite a obstacle course Jory. You didn't mention that it would be changing half way through though" Azik smiled slyly at the Basilisk.

[Ray]

"Thanks. I've had decades to train. Your incredibly skilled with such a standard gun, can assess your surroundings remarkably fast and turn the tide of battle to your advantage. That's truly something amazing." The human applaud with a tired smile.

Ray immediately looked away and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He is not used with praises, since he was trained for about three years in the strict "You're doing fine, but you can do better" style. This is new to him, but its not a bad kind of new. To be true, he kinda liked this.

"That was quite a obstacle course Jory. You didn't mention that it would be changing half way through though." The snow leopard looked up in time to see Azik giving Jorungar a praise too. His eyelids seems to be getting heavier, since they're lowering by the second.

"Azik, are you sure you don't want a coffee now?" Ray asked. "You look like you might pass out in a minute."

[Azik Farenfir]

"Azik, are you sure you don't want a coffee now?" Ray questioned. Azik glanced towards the Feline, ready to dismiss his concerns, when his eyes felt heavy, and started to close. Slapping his face, he kept his hands up to his face. Too hard.... "You look like you might pass out in a minute." He's right, unfortunately...

Resting a hand on a knee, He bent over, trying to compose himself, when the gears in his head started to turn, causing his mouth to start opening itself against his will, letting out a lengthy, almighty yawn. Straightening himself best he could, Azik now had to focus to keep his eyes open. With a sigh, he looked towards Ray. Eyes closing now and then.

"I think I'd better. I don't feel like being seen carried into camp, sleeping like a child." Azik chuckled. Azik then coughed into his hand. A common way to cope with uncomfort. "But could you perhaps... Y'know. Escort me? I don't want to take the chance of dozing off on the way and spending the night as a free meal to who knows what." Or be known throughout the camp as foolhardy enough to succumb to sleeping poison, of all things... The others would have a field day with that...

[Ray]

"Of course." Ray answered, his ears flicked with his own voice. "You can lean on me if you want to."

Then he started walking towards the canteen with Azik besides him. He tried not to walk to fast, considering the human's drowsiness. He might actually start swaying left and right if he try to walk to quickly.

He didn't say anything on their way there. The snow leopard is not the kind that would start a conversation, and silence never really bothered him. So he just kept walking, slowly and steadily. Left, right. left, right.

[Azik Farenfir]

The Demi-human fell in beside the young Snow Leopard. Step after drowsy step, he struggled to keep his head from bobbing from the staggering motions of his body. But he continued, keeping pace with Ray, who was not uttering a word. Normally, this would unsettle Azik. But as he is now, he is far too tired to care. His steps degraded to a unbalanced shuffling. Swaying back and forth. With his eyes clouded with dreariness, he didn't notice that rouge stone jutting out of the ground.

His shoe lazily collided with the stone, causing Azik to fall forward. His hands attempted to brake his fall, but only so much as twitched as he landed face first in the grass. He remained motionless for a few seconds. His body starting to recognise that oh so desired limpness it was craving. But that relief was broken as one hand started to rebel, and push against the ground. The other followed suit. After pushing himself up to his knees, the Demi-human spat out the blades of grass that slipped in his mouth, and adjusted his glasses.

"I'll be needing that shoulder, Ray..."

[Ray]

A low thump came from behind, causing Ray's round ears to go straight up before he turn around, and found Azik lying face down on the grass. He wondered for a second that if he'll need to carry the human inside, but Azik's trembling arms that fights to straighten his body tell him otherwise.

"I'll be needing that shoulder, Ray..." Azik said, but not before spitting out the grasses and adjusting his spectacles.

Ray nodded, walking back to the human and pull him up by his arms. After being sure that Azik's on his feet, he drag it over his shoulder to provide the teenage some support. Then he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and hand it over to Azik.

"You got some...grass. On your face." He noted.

[Azik Farenfir]

As the young feline pulled Azik over his shoulder, Azik thanked him. Ray then produced a handkerchief and offered it to the Demi-human.

"You got some... Grass. On your face." He pointed out. Azik accepted the piece of fabric, rubbed his face quickly, then returned it Ray.

"Thanks.... Sorry for putting you out like this..." He muttered. They resumed their walk to the canteen. Well, one of them was walking. Azik was dragging his toes with every step. Every so often, he started to drift off and go limp, only to be awoken by jostling motions of Ray who kept holding him upright.

Eventually, the pair made it back to the camp. Heading straight to the canteen, the feline and the Demi-human did manage to catch the attention of fellow comrades. Some shook their heads, others merely watched. All were sniggering or murmuring. Azik groaned at the burning sensation he felt in his ears. Fantastic... When they reached the canteen, he let go of Ray, and sat down at one if the many folding tables that all were arranged into rows.

A young, human lady with black hair tied back into a braid wearing a plain brown tunic and a apron approached, asking if the two wanted anything.

"Coffee... Strong coffee... Black... Large...." Azik mumbled as looked at the table, thinking how comfortable it would be to lay his head against it for a minute. The waitress went to the back of the tent, and returned shortly after with a mug. She placed it by Azik's hand and gave him a bewildered look.

Azik clasped the mug with both hands, and first started to nurse from the mug. As the caffeine buzz started to kick in, he held the cup higher with one hand, downing the entire brew. The scalding heat lingered, but soon subsided as the Demi-human felt his drowsiness start to melt away. He held his mug up to the young lady.

"Another cup, please." He asked with a grin as the waitress took the cup.

"Certainly." She then looked to Ray, who was still standing. "Would you like anything?"

[Ray]

"A cup of milk will be fine." Ray said as he proceeds to sit down across the table form Azik.

Then he studied the human, who's obviously less drowsy than just now. The coffee here sure is strong enough. Bet its really bitter, too.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

[Azik Farenfir]

Azik watched as Ray seated across from him. The waitress moved to the back of the tent to get their drinks.

"Feeling better?" Ray asked. The Demi-human nodded slightly. "Much. I've never been so grateful for caffeine." Azik chuckled. Now that he was more aware, Azik was starting to get uncomfortable from the awkward silence that decided to visit him again. Ah god dammit, what can I talk to him about? Azik's eyes drifted to Ray's eye patch, but he quickly grab the reins and steered them away.

The waitress returned with another cup of coffee, and Ray's milk. As she set the cups down, Azik cleared his throat.

"Thanks again. For... Y'know. Carrying me." The Demi-human said as he reached for the cup, and sipped it.

[Ray]

"Much. I've never been so grateful for caffeine." He chuckled, and as the silence inevitably sets in again, he eyes started to shift left and right awkwardly as if looking for a subject to talk about. His eyes stayed on Ray's eyepatch momentarily before looking away, and the snow leopard found himself doing the same.

The waitress presence broke the silence as she set down their orders.

"Thanks again. For... Y'know. Carrying me." The human cleared the throat, and Ray turned his head back to see him sipping his coffee.

"Well..." Ray said, pulling the mug closer to him, and start to rub at the edge with his forefingers. "Can't really leave you out there."

[Azik Farenfir]

"No. And I'm glad you didn't." The Demi-Human said with a small grin, before taking another sip of the brew. Using that small moment of respite from the blairing silence, Azik's eyes once again rebelled and he found them trailing towards the feline's eyepatch. Lets keep gawking at the boy's sever injury. Damn it... Think of something. Anything! His eyes drifted from the eye patch and caught sight of an odd earring Ray was wearing.

It was made from beads and a feather. It didn't look professional. Probably made from scratch. Most treasured belongings are. Please don't let this come back to bite me...

Setting the mug down and swallowing, Azik straightened and held his hands on the table. "Say, Ray? That's a very unusual earring you got there. Did you make it yourself?"

[Ray]

"This?" Ray was sipping his milk when Azik asked him, and he put down the mug to run his hand over the feathers of his earring. The beads clinked as he do so.

"A friend back in the military made this for me." He explained. "A kid who was in my care."

"It has sentimental value, so I kept it when I moved here." He said, before going back to sipping his milk.