<blockquote><div><cite>Sillyness wrote:</cite>“I suppose you are right” a emotionless tone upon her lips “Better to be in good spirits then without” The weight of being a slave for creatures who constantly pushed the fact that she was little more then food becoming quite the burden. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.</div></blockquote><br/><br/>The change in Vendra’s tone immediately caught Alexei’s attention, causing his ears to perk up curiously even as he stood militantly before Leon. Always on the lookout for cues to a person’s character, he had been waiting for the moment when her fears would come to the surface, a moment that now seemed to be just around the corner. Would she cope with it well? She had been controlling herself better than he thought she would, but he knew so uncomfortably little about her he couldn’t tell. Letting out a huff, he shifted his weight uncomfortably and kept his alert ears trained upon the human for a few more moments.<br/><br/>For the next few minutes, he kept his eyes focused on the superior officers as they discussed their matters with each other, but his real attention was soon captured by Xali’s words towards Vendra. A flicker of apprehension crossed his face in the form of a wry frown, his gaze again trailing from Leon to his travelling companions. He had a hard time understanding the leopardess. She was no fool, that much was apparent from the games and methods she employed. Yet the way she taunted and played with Vendra’s nerves seemed like an exceedingly self-defeating endeavor. To the lupine, if a conflict had to arise, he knew it would be because of his opponent’s antagonizing, not his own. In such cases, the combatant would’ve brought his demise upon himself, and he’d have little to taint his consciousness. Xali’s doings, however, complicated things, and he found his sympathy towards Vendra mingling with the cold survival that normally filled is mind…<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Sillyness wrote:</cite>“As for fairness…I don’t believe those the nobles had in captivity were forced to watch as their masters digested another and flaunted the fact to the them. I don’t know what your intent is leopardess. Why do you speak to me as if we were friends after ensuring my fears of you?”</div></blockquote><br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Kitts wrote:</cite>'You'd be surprized at what humans make you do. You should be happy It's me who's care you are under, rather than someone who'd mistreat you. I, at least, will treat you with some measure of respect. I just ask you treat those I travel with the same way."<br/><br/>"And I'd ask that Vendra get treated with a bit of respect as well. For the moment, she's not the enemy. She's our traveling companion. Treat her as such! As long as she keeps true to her word, I say she deserves the respect that comes from it."</div></blockquote><br/><br/>Upon catching Vendra’s words, Alexei found himself unable to maintain his militant demeanor, whirling around to face the girl brashly. It had been the moment Alexei  had been waiting for, the moment she wouldn’t be able to hold in her emotions. Even so, he found himself taken aback at how direct her statement was, especially with the timid demeanor she had worn the entire time, and it quickly put Alexei on guard. Taking on a defensive posture in the event her anger extended to more than words, the wolf stood back and eyed the scene warily.<br/><br/>However, he was soon dissuaded when his gaze fell on the suddenly shadowed kitsune, the callousness of his words resonating in Alexei’s mind. The look on his face… Part of Alexei’s mind wanted to say ‘I knew it’, that the big jocular kitsune really did have some darkness behind his bright eyes. However, that thought was easily overshadowed by the chill that had fallen over the wolf’s conscience, the realization that one of the chords in a large powerful creature had been struck. By the time Kahmori gave them his request, the wolf could only remain still and blank for a few seconds before giving a meek little nod. More… he needed to know more about the kitsune….<br/><br/>With the situation diffused, Alexei found his poise coming over him once again, and with a few deep breaths he was soon able to take on his respectful stance. Before long, Leon’s request that they head to Helix reached his ears, and with his usual promptness he heaved up his belongings and trailed after the group. Soon, they were making their way through the grand fort, and Alexei quickly found himself engrossed by the bustling city around him.<br/><br/>Even without the story of Lakehaven’s reformation fresh in his mind, he was amazed at how well everyday life managed to persist even during the rough times of war. None of the militant protocol he expected could be detected, with the city dwellers purchasing their wares from merchants as if the threat of conflict didn’t even loom over them. Amongst the elegant houses and clean streams, people worked and played like they would anywhere else, refusing to let war interrupt the schema of their daily existence. It was amazingly refreshing to Alexei, seeming like a celebration of the kinship of his kind…<br/><br/>…yet it was a celebration not all of them could enjoy. Again, Alexei found himself drawn to the human girl, his focus grasped by the storm of conflicting emotions inside her. It was ridiculous, him starting to worry for her so much. She had initiated the battle that had ended in her servitude. He had no reason to care about her wellbeing. Yet… something about her situation grated against him, about others pushing her to do things beyond what she would normally do. Maybe that was why he could sympathize with her… He couldn’t let himself stand to the side any longer, lest his conscience begin to irk him during more dire situations. Spotting the kitsune stop to fill his waterskin, Alexei took a moment to sidle up next to Vendra, and with hands jammed deep into his pockets he tried his best to offer her some comforting words.<br/><br/>“I have read about human cities,” he spoke in an almost musing tone. “I would imagine it to be much like this, people flowing and working together in a way that allows us to live and thrive amazingly. I believe we learned to live like this from your people, to go beyond our species to exist together peacefully. There is a lot to appreciate about human culture… It’s a pity we are in a war. Otherwise, we’d be more inclined to see the things about us we share instead of the things that terrify us.”<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Upon reaching the keep</span><br/><br/>Stepping gently into the large halls of the keep, Alexei felt his breath escape him a few moments as he followed his companions. Books and archives had told him much about such places, yet he still found his fascination taken away by the sights he now saw. He made few attempts to hide his enthrallment, taking in the glittering colored light that poured through the intricate windows and spilled lavishly onto the fine tapestries. The wolf barely regained his composure just before stepping into Helix’s chamber.<br/><br/>The first of Helix’s traits that caught Alexei’s eye was his size. Drir and Kahmori had already surpassed his usual expectations of height, but the sight of nine feet of chiseled tiger quickly elicited an impressed gaze from the wolf. The feline’s well-groomed form and pleasant tone only added to Alexei’s surprise, stunned to find such elegance amongst the armies of Lakehaven. With a body like that, he could only imagine what sort of presence he could carry in the heat of battle…<br/><br/>Kahmori’s introduction quickly pulled Alexei out of his reverie, causing him to straighten up once again. The wolf couldn’t help but smirk at the kitsune’s jocularly overblown greeting, grinning softly at his ability to inject humor into everything he did. Nonetheless, he took Helix’s rather large paw in his own and shook it firmly as he bowed his head. “The pleasure is all mine, general. It is an honor to be allowed to meet one of your stature.”