Elayra’s threat went unnoticed by Drust, but not Ghent. He lifted his head to stare at her, mentally recoiling at the sight of the dagger. He could have sworn the flames grew larger and more menacing, reacting to her movement. 
	Discretely as he could, -- which wasn't discrete at all -- Ghent scooted closer to Drust, turning their former seating formation to one of an acute triangle. Better to be safe than sorry.
	"Combat, huh?" Ghent dusted leftover grass from his palms, hoping Drust wouldn’t notice he was suddenly half a foot closer. “Y’know, I think I’ve noticed that before,” he poked at nonexistent muscle on his forearm. “Back on Earth, I…”
	Drust hadn't finished. As he added onto his original statement, Ghent’s voice faltered. He squinted at Elayra, daring her to comment. She did, but not in the way he anticipated. She stood up for him, though Ghent suspected her only intention was to keep Drust calm.  
	[i][b]Three[/b] fighters, princess,[/i] Ghent growled in his head. No way was he going to sit by and allow a girl pass him up in combat. If Elayra could learn to fight, he could too. He was determined to try, even if the thought of training made his body ache worse than it already was.
	"My...[i]what?[/i]" Ghent's competitive thoughts were put on hold. He stared at Drust, unsure what to do with the information. It wasn't the worst news in the world, but it was definitely weird. Would aging slower stunt his growth? He didn't dare ask, but at least that would explain why his height hadn't changed in the past year. He sat up straighter at the thought, squaring his shoulders. He didn't want to let Elayra sit taller than him.
	The fact that Drust traveled worlds beyond Earth was interesting enough in itself, but when he brought Hatter and Elayra's mother into the mix, half a dozen questions sprang into Ghent’s mind.
	“Whoa, really?” Ghent leaned in like a kid waiting to hear a bedtime story. He longed to hear more, but something began nibbling at his conscious. Something that presented itself as a harsh, depressing reminder. 
	The White Queen was dead.
	"I bet you guys had some pretty cool adventures,” Ghent chose his next words carefully, forcing himself to leave it at that. His mind buzzed with unanswered questions, but he decided to save them for later. It felt wrong to pursue the topic in front of Elayra.
	In the uncomfortable silence that followed, Ghent’s stomach growled to remind him it was empty. Aside from a bag of Skittles, he hadn’t eaten anything the entire day. That was definitely a personal record. 
	“For now, I have two more questions..." Ghent took a deep breath, pausing for effect. “Can I keep a tichari as a pet? And what’s she eating?” he jerked his head in Elayra’s direction. “Because I’m starving, and her crazy bag swallowed my backpack.”