"Stop," Lazaro said.
He cleaned the short streak of blood on his nose. and silently stared at both women . Larissa with her frigid cold eyes and Lila with her gnashing teeth.
"Form a circle around the firepit. while we eat, I'll lay down our plan and formation." His stern voice commanded.
He stared right into Larissa's cold eyes. She was angry, because of the fear of death he made her feel. But even more so because she knew her anger wasn't directed at him, but the act. And she felt even more rage that she felt a sliver of good feeling as it indeed made her stronger, she felt the difference as soon as she calmed down, she reckoned she could do the same exercises as the special forces experts without effort.
Remembering the panic she went on thinking she might explode, her tone grew a notch icier "This dept, I'll repay with double interest;" She promised him.
Lia's eyebrows locked together and her mouth twisted a sneer at Lazaro "Are you with that woman!?" her voice dry and biting, while she held her waist.
There was no smile on his calm and stern eyes.
"S-So? A-Are you?" Her will waved.
*slap*
"Ah-!"
The crisp feeling came to his palm and he relished without showing it outwards, while Lila held her bottom with surprise on her huge green eyes.
"Be good, sit tight"
"I-I'm not a little girl! Y-you promised to sleep besi- AH"
He patted it again, he begged her to give him a chance to do it again, it was too addicting.
He smiled "Be good?"
She stomped on the ground and looked at him with injustice on her eyes. But the fluster on her chest and her burning buttcheek forced her to calm down, she went on and sat directly beside Larissa.
(Feels good to spank little girls in the morning?)
'I don't even need breakfast. I'm satisfied.'
(Disgusting.)
*****
"First, the objective: Get near the Academy's boundaries slowly and steady."
Lazaro looked at them "We'll go slow and steady, but will only stop to sleep. that is around seven in the night."
"But shouldn't we go fast? I mean, the ultimate reason for moving is avoiding danger isn't it?" Avilá said.
"The people here cannot withstand a fast pace." Lazaro looked at Silver, the long-haired young man with a hair the same color as his name.
"Silver's body is too weak, Gerold is an old man, and Boar has lung disease."
"Lung disease?" Lucas asked
"Asthma."
"Why should they be our concern? We should do like that Ricon and go ourselves." Lila butted in brusquely.
He looked at Lila in the eyes. "When you're afraid, you should be calm and not hurry. At first thought, anybody will come to that conclusion you just said, but the truth is otherwise. I've come to know everybody's ability here, and although weak, if we manage the formation we'll have more chance than if only the slightly stronger separated."
His sudden talk about fear bothered her as though it was an accusation but looking this eyes, it wasn't he was just stating it as a fact; she was afraid. The urge to scream that wasn't the case came to he, but before she could react she looked at him talking to Silver the thing long-haired youth and became calm enough to halt her reaction. 'time's short.' she concluded.
But his eyes came back to her
"Death will come eventually. But if you fear it every second, then you're no longer living."
He said and she became restless. 'It's so obvious that I'm afraid?' She thought and looked a the expressions around they all seem to laugh at her for a second. 'No, no, I need it to keep these away, I need it. maybe I can buy it on the market? No NO! I WON"T DO IT AGAIN!' She yelled inside herself.
She clenched her arms as imperceptibly as possible. She already lost her family's care now she only has her sister's. 'If that meteor rain hadn't come I should be in the rehabilitation center.' She cursed the heavens on her mind.
Beside her, Larissa stared straight at Lazaro but Lila's mood and subtle movement did not escape her eyes. Neither scaped Lazaro's as he explained the formation.
(Telling people to stop being scared is the same as asking angry people to not calm down)
'When people are ashamed of being afraid, it works as a trigger for self-awareness, as long as she knows it's fear controlling her then maybe she can find a way to the next step to evolve.'
(quite knowledgeable for someone who didn't know there were worlds besides yours.)
'And that's quite some dumb questions coming from a goddess'
"ugh!" Lazaro suddenly flinched visibly. startling others.
He endured the shock that Hyera sent through him and kept a straight face, he had to lead these people. Alone he would survive, but since he was bringing them along, there's a chance of death for him too. And, although unwilling to accept it, his obsession for this world increased with every step he walked and every new word he heard.
"We have one hour, let's practice our formation." He finished the distribution of people to the formation.
They were all silent. But Lila was looking at him with a contorted face filled with disbelief, she showed her gnashed teeth with heaving chest of rage.
The sigh escaped his mouth as he looked at her, "although a little different than you expected, I'll protect you." She had talked about her innate ability on their night and with he learned from each one plus his own expertise, she was a vital asset against beasts. If not the most important.
Larissa looked at him. 'So you did as you said in the end...' Then she turned to the fuming Lila.
'The girl tried to travel without risking anything, only to be put on the vanguard as the main attacker.' Larissa couldn't hold it and chukled.
Lila froze and looked at her, from the way Larissa did it, it was obvious she was laughing at her, and this time it wasn't just her issues doing tricks on her mind.
"What are you laughing at!?" Her body acted fast and she was ready for the fight.
Larissa walked two steps close to her, with a smile and cold eyes. For some reason, Lila felt like running away but her body did not move. She threw a punch out of instinct.
Larissa moved and gently caught Lila on her arms. She was around 10 centimeters taller and with a more curvaceous body, so she looked down at Lila's eyes, like an elder sister, and lightly kissed her forehead with care. but her healer energy entered the black-haired slim girl making the warmth spread inside. Lila felt it moving all the while staring at Larissa calm eyes. then she felt the warm and positive essence envelope around her heart, lungs, and other organs.
She did not dare to move.
Larissa smiled gently. "Will you be friends with this big sister?"
Cold crawled up her spine. Lila's spine she "S-Sure." She didn't even think before stuttering those words out.
"Good!"
*Pat*
Larissa gently slapped Lila's bottom, ignored the latter's burning cheeks and turned the same smile to everyone else.
"Let's start practicing?" She said.
"Y-Yes!" Avilá said.
"Let's go!" Lucas laughed.
"Elder sister is cool!" Sophia, Gerald's granddaughter said.
"Good, you should follow her example." Gerald, he spoke to Sophia.
They moved and Larissa threw him a disdainful smirk that said 'This elder sister just tamed your little girl.'
He scoffed inside.
But kept his face straight as Lila was still peering into his face.
He smiled calmly like Larissa "Will you be friends with this elder brother?"
"YOU PUT ME ON THE VANGUARD YOU BASTARD!"
He froze with twitching eyes.