"Oh, is that Elara? Who's your friend?" A lanky middle-aged man approached their table.
"Oh great, why did he have to be here?" she muttered under her breath, loud enough for Kael to hear, that much told him that this guy was not one of Elara's favourite people.
Kael shifted his gaze to the approaching man.
He had the eyes of a hawk and a commanding presence that stemmed from the blatant, constant display and release of his aura.
'It's like he's compensating for something.' Kael thought, not that it bothered him in any way. But it was just pitiful, how badly the man wanted to be seen
"Captain Bones, what a 'pleasant' surprise, seeing you here. The young man over here is a newly appointed member of Draven's squad 7, ascended. Kael, meet Captain Bones, a tier 3 ascender and Captain of Squad 5. Captain Bones meet Kael."
"It's a pleasure," Kael reached out for a handshake, though he did so without standing up, on purpose.
Bones stared at Kael's hand for a moment.
Snort...
"... Young ones these days, they have no manners whatsoever. Is that a proper way to greet your superior?"
Kael did not answer; he just held out his hand for Bones to shake.
"Why so uptight Bones, just shake the lad's damn hand!" Elara interjected.
"Tch! Fine, but I'm still far from pleased. I can clearly see people have lost their way." He reluctantly shook Kael's hand and looked over to Elara lecherously a moment later.
But it seemed Kael was not done speaking to the man.
"I beg to differ," Kael replied, "I just so happen to think that respect must be earned, not given, and I don't think we know each other nearly enough for me to show that kind of respect, and I don't think you have done anything to warrant that kind of respect from me."
Bones looked back at Kael, his eyes wide with surprise. He had not expected Kael to talk down to him like that...
"Furthermore, I think it would be a poor showing on my part to show that kind of respect to someone I have never heard of, nor seem much of."
At this point, Bones' face was red with fury, like he was about to blow up in spectacular fashion.
"What did you just say, brat!? Are you calling me insignificant, huh? Is that it?"
"Take it however you will, I'm only stating facts here. I don't care if you feel offended or something..." He spoke as a matter of fact.
Elara suddenly burst into laughter, nearly choking on her drink.
"Pfff, HAHAHA! Kael, stop, you're killing me! Hahaha! Oh my stars, did you call him an insect?"Bones turned a darker, almost purple-red.
"That's it, I won't stand for this! Get up, boy, I'm going to show you who is an insect." He shouted, "Get up! To the training rooms, NOW!"
Kael picked up his drink, took a sip, and calmly set it down.
"Uhm, no thanks, I'm kind of in the middle of something over here. You are ruining my meal," Kael looked bones over from top to bottom, as if he was looking for something, "And my view."
It was obvious as to what Kael was referring to over here.
Bones' lanky, sharp-boned frame and odd, angular features weren't easy on the eyes. Wherever he went, people did a double-take, and not in a good way.
"That's it, brat, you asked for it, prepare to bear the consequences." Elara was still laughing hard, her tears at the corners of her eyes, and she was struggling to breathe.
Kael didn't need words to know the moment danger crept into the air.
He felt it immediately, the feeling of danger, his spine tingling as if in anticipation, and his hair stood on end, and the subtle visible effect of Dream energy being drawn in towards Bones.
He didn't waste a second.
He flipped the table in one swift motion, startling the other patrons. The commotion silenced the surrounding room.
Bang!
Just in time.
No sooner than he had moved, a dark green blob tore through the air where he'd been sitting, hissing and trailing a caustic mist that melted the air around it.
The acidic attack struck the upturned table, burning straight through with a sickening sizzle.
They were so very close together.
Bones smiled, a crooked, deprived smile. He was sure that his attack would leave Kael incapacity at least, and most likely crippled for life, if not dead.
'Serves you right,' Bones thought. 'You should know to keep your hands off what's mine.'
"Hahaha!" he laughed, maniacally, even before the dust settled.
The smoke cleared.
Bones' grin faltered.
Kael stood upright behind the overturned table, completely unharmed, brushing a few splinters from his shoulder like one would flick off dust. His expression was calm. Almost bored.
Bones blinked. Once. Twice.
"Impossible!!!" Bones shouted.
He had launched that attack from near point-blank range. His corrosive mist should have melted through any defensive layer.
But there Kael stood, not a burn, not a scratch, not even a wrinkle in his shirt.
It was definitely not just the table that had blocked that attack. But Bones was second-guessing himself.
'How'!? He thought inwardly.
Kael tilted his head."That was it?" he asked, voice level. "I thought you were going to show me something more than that."
"You little—!"
"Enough!"Elara's voice cracked through the air like a whip.
Bones froze.
She stepped forward, eyes like polished steel, no trace of the earlier laughter in her tone now. Her presence radiated cold authority.
"You attacked a fellow Ascender over petty pride? In public? In a restaurant full of people?" She jabbed a finger toward the scorched floor and sizzling table. "What exactly were you thinking, Bones? Have you gone mad!?"
He stammered, but Elara cut him off.
"You weren't thinking. That much is obvious." Her voice dropped to a dangerous murmur. "You realize the Master will hear about this, don't you?"
Bones clenched his jaw. "Tch."
"You don't get to act like some wounded teen just because a boy bruised your ego. You're a Tier 3 ascended, a squad captain, act like it."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "To be fair, I've seen teens throw better tantrums." Kael was not even the least bit winded or flustered, like all this had nothing to do with him.
That just served to annoy Bones even more.
Bones' eye twitched. He gave Kael a look that promised blood. Like he would attack again there and then...
"You've made an enemy today, brat." He spoke, his tone venomous.
Kael met the stare without flinching."If I had a coin for every time I heard that, I'd be rich enough to buy you some grace and self-respect."
A vein pulsed in Bones' temple. He turned abruptly, cloak fluttering behind him as he stormed off.
But not before throwing one final warning over his shoulder.
"This isn't over. You'll hear from me again, Kael."
Kael smiled calmly at the man, waving his hand to him, and sat back down. "Looking forward to it."