She half expected him to say as much. Naturally, no one arrived anywhere to lose. Nonetheless, she remained silent after in continuous observation. Xaih watched him calm the wolf down, but the threat, and need for her precaution, was not in the growl.

Another man entered the room, offering a lighter tone to the growing tension. His booming laughter and hearty voice seemed almost grandfatherly. Xaih reminisced on a lesson from his simple attitude, which best described the theme of the moment: to live in the present, the now, and enjoy it. It could easily be a disguise. After all, he did come practically as unprepared as she in regards to wearing any protective gear, and that usually garnered suspicion. Regardless, she never minded reflecting on the positive memories of her past. She had so few shining dimly in the gloom that loomed over her. Her lips curved into a small smile.

A voice interrupted her thoughts back to the reality at hand. He spoke through a microphone, though they couldn't see him, and welcomed the entrants to the tournament. She stood from her chair, the strands of her hair sliding off her shoulder to behind her, freely hanging from her ponytail. She took a few steps away from the chair to stand closer in the center, listening closely. She wasn't aware of a cash prize to be awarded to the winner, which was a delight to hear.

To her right, she heard the unmistakable pitter-patter of footsteps in water after the announcement. Quickly turning her head, she spotted a redheaded woman nearing her with a somber face. Her thoughts returned back to home once she looked in her eyes. A touch of death crossed this woman's eyes, although Xaih didn't believe her to be dead. She had those eyes engraved in her memories, empty and cold, where they could rip the soul right from your being if they wanted. The woman seemed animated enough, but then again...

Xaih turned to her as the woman finally stopped beside her. She knew her name immediately and offered assistance in the tournament, of which she would hardly turn down, especially in her condition. The dripping water, and the woman's apathy towards it, also suggested that this woman may be of help in other aspects. She offered a smile to the woman's dismal tone. "I would appreciate that, thank you. And you are...?" She trailed off, but she was trying to be polite. Being able to have a mentor was wonderful, but she felt it would be disrespectful to not know their name.

[@Melonhead]