Hywel marched through the long corridors, pushed the door open, and entered the dining room where Timothy, Elliott, Chiaki, and Shanya awaited.
Timothy appeared bored, and while he sat beside Chiaki, he played with her hair while slanting his back against the chair. She didn't seem to mind but was baffled about his acts.
"That's strange. Was your hair always this smooth, Chiaki?" he continued gently fondling her hair, relishing it. She glanced at him from the hub of her eye, "Why does it matter? You know... I don't understand what you're trying to do with my hair." She sounded as Timothy finally crossed his arm behind his neck, "Give me something to do then. Sitting here without anything going on is boring."
He became unamused, and Elliott appeared curious and wanted to feel it himself. He tried to brush her hair and see if it was actually soft, but she gripped her wrist and stared him down. "Give it a rest..." she hailed as Elliott showed her his tongue, "I just wanted to make sure..." he claimed sarcastically and turned away, disgruntled.
"Yo, Shanya!" Timothy hollered, "Is your hair also velvety?" he inquired, but Shanya showed no care, "None of your concerns..." Her retort caused Timothy to impersonate her in his thoughts. He gazed at the door as Hywel appeared in his eyesight.
He walked down the short stairs, fixing his uniform, "I see everyone's in good spirits and getting along nicely." He seemed followed by some of his troops, that aided him upon assailing Timothy and his crew in the Acropolis.
"The Seraphs' scouts didn't locate your allies just yet, but I'm certain they'll find them eventually." Hywel clarified as he jigged before the stretchy table, "It's virtually nighttime... I thought your 'scouts' were efficient in those terms." Timothy groaned in dismay as he folded his arms.
"It's not their fault. Your crew arrived at the entryway sooner than anticipated, so the scouts and commander Ka'jai had to shut the investigation. They'll continue looking for them, and if they don't locate them before 10 'o clock, they'll return to the village and resume their exploration." Timothy arguably pounded the table with his fist and raised an eyebrow, "Screw that! If your men can't find my crew, then I may as well search for them myself!"
Timothy set his elbow on the table and opened his palm, "I didn't come here to wait because a bunch of your men can't find my crew." While he explained, he moved his palm and fingers in sync, "We were supposed to confront your god, not sit around in silence with a mercenary who doesn't even want to talk to us." He had Shanya on his mind when speaking, "Listen... If *you* can't find them, what's the point of waiting?" Hywel shut his eyes in response, "Precisely! There isn't one. I'm not scared of Scanara people or whatever they anoint themselves. I'll beat them to a pulp if they obstruct my trail."
Chiaki clutched Timothy's arm, pulling it, "Hey, calm down. Kyora and the others wouldn't want you causing a commotion around the forest like a madman. I'm sure they can hold themselves out of trouble." Timothy traded eyes with her, "I know they wouldn't want that, but I can't just model around and do nothing. What if they get lost on their way here or get into greater trouble than you think? I know Yumiko and Ralphie are with them, but who knows what lurks in these woods."
Chiaki placed her palms on her thighs, squeezing her torso closer, "I get that, but you don't need to..." she paused in the middle of her sentence as she observed Timothy stand up from the seat, "I'll go find them." He prepared to stroll past Hywel, but before he could proceed, the Seraphs barricaded his way with spears crossing the doorway.
Timothy looked behind him, "Hey, what the hell? Let me out." Timothy claimed, noticing Hywel glimpse at him, "White-haired pirate Timothy, please trust us. The rainforest is a treacherous road to travel at night. If you're not well equipped, there could be more losses. Let my men do the assignment. They were trained to maintain a secure profile in the timbers."
Timothy's eyes intensified, "Are you saying I should entrust my crew's security to a bunch of men I don't know? Are you acting stupid, or do you not realize they could possibly die if your people aren't robust enough?"
Hywel spun around, keeping his arms behind his rear, "That's exactly what I'm saying. You're foreigners from our land and don't understand the danger that stalks in these woods. If you can't prove to us you're capable of defending yourself, you are better left behind." He explained and gave a brief description, "We do not welcome nonnatives to venture into the woodland if they aren't prepared. In the past, that rule didn't exist, but after an entire zone of troops went missing in one night, we determined that only those brave enough with power to fight the 'fiends' are entitled to route through the dusk."
Timothy and Hywel continued exchanging their grave expressions, "Unless you're willing to prove to us you're strong enough, we won't permit you to go outside and *will* use force if necessary. So, how will you proceed?"
Silence conquered the room, and Timothy tightened his eyes. He didn't say a single word and decided to proceed with a different solution instead.
He lowered his hand to the level of his hip and gradually formed a tight fist. His knuckles crunched, and an ethereal vibration began to pulse through the space.
Hywel's hair and garments rippled, and for a few seconds, it seemed as though the wind was changing direction. Until he noticed a sparkling light at Timothy's fist's point, he kept his eyes steady and didn't blink. Timothy's eyes flitted between red and blue, flashing brightly like the sun, as they grew and erupted into a scorching feeling.
Hywel noticed shockwaves from the building's foundation forming while he maintained his composure. It trembled and pulsed as a result of the earthquakes. He started to notice how Timothy's clothes and hair moved without pausing or missing a beat.
Hywel witnessed Timothy moving his right leg behind him as the orange, sizzling fire rapidly flared up around his fist and started to make him nervous.
Then Timothy raised his arm gradually, bringing it behind him. Elliott, Chiaki, and Shanya were amazed as they watched, and they could even feel their own sweat running down their faces. "Is he really going to punch me?" Hywel wondered as he froze in place. Timothy's muscles were tense and generating a crunching sound, but he was unable to discern Timothy's thoughts or intents.
Chiaki's spirit detected tension and a change in Timothy's strength. She was unable to control Timothy's sudden upsurge in power, which quickened her heartbeat.
But finally, it happened.
Timothy hauled his arm forward, punching Hywel's face as the flames seared aside, speeding behind his head with a burst. However, Timothy didn't deliver a strike to Hywel and stopped the punch before contacting his skin. But that didn't leave behind the air.
The crushing punch Timothy delivered unleashed a catastrophic wind that shattered the windows, lanterns, and glass. The fire didn't accomplish much, but Timothy's onslaught crushed the wooden furnishings and split the concrete walls as the victims of the attack ran beneath the collapsed pillars holding the roof. Many strands of hair from the people's heads floated to the floor as the ceiling crumbled and tore apart.
Hywel was silent, his eyes trembling. He couldn't believe Timothy had given him the chance to live. Knowing that Timothy's fist was only a few inches away from crushing his head, he was horrified.
Chiaki and Elliott silently studied Timothy's stern face as Shanya, in the background, stood still with her eyes and mouth open.
Timothy's eyes lost their radiance. "Is that good enough?" he questioned while taking a step back and placing his arm in his pocket. The troops behind Timothy tumbled to the ground when the roof boards hit their heads.
To be continued...