[center][h1][b][color=c4df9b]Tayla[/color][/b][/h1][/center] [@13org] [@JerkChicken] [@fetzen] [@Typical] [@HokumPocus] [hr] [color=c4df9b][b]"NO!"[/b][/color] Tayla cried out in frustration. Little Miss princess had managed to avoid the bell before it crushed her. Tayla made to unsheathe her blades when Smit's cries of alarm snapped Tayla out of her rage. She blinked, looking towards his falling form. Her heart went cold. Her eyes went wide. [color=c4df9b][b]"Smit-"[/b][/color] she mouthed. Without a second thought she dived down from her post. [color=c4df9b][b][i]What am I doing?[/i][/b][/color] The words flashed through her head as she went into free fall. Her ears filled with the roar air rush by as the ground rushed up before her. [color=c4df9b][b][i]Why am I risking my life for this man?![/i] [/b][/color] Tayla clenched her fists. Her knuckles whitened. She wasn’t catching up to Smit. [color=c4df9b][b][i]I almost had her![/i][/b][/color] The thought raged in her min. [color=c4df9b][b][i]I ALMOST HAD HER![/i][/b][/color] Smit’s terrified eyes locked with hers. His arm outstretched helplessly. [color=c4df9b][b]“Damn it all!”[/b][/color] She cried. Gritting her teeth, she placed her hand to her belt and focused on the tingly taste of sour that coated her tongue. Tayla’s waist lurched downwards from the sudden velocity applied to her belt. The uneven force caused her body to flip mid-air. Disorientated, Tayla’s vision swam. For a moment she panicked. She was facing up, right? Smit’s cries caught her ear from below. His screams growing louder. Tayla looked down in time to see his blurry form shooting up past her knees. She flung her arms out wildly, catching the man in an embrace. Closing her eyes she focused. She needed to slow their fall. Up... that was the direction they needed to go… The taste of sour lingered on her tongue. The downwards pull of her belt relinquished. Instead, she replaced it by an upwards pull from her pants. Carefully, she applied the same force to Smit’s clothes. The pull was small at first, but it quickly increased. Their body jerked downwards from the intense change in velocity. A final loud clang rang beneath their feet. The sound of the bell smashing to the ground… [hr] Tayla firmly griped the hilt of her swords. Her hands shook with frustration as she gazed upwards at the hole in the floor above. Beside her, Smit knelt on his knees with his hands to the ground. Smit’s breath came heavily. His eyes wide with shock. A bead of sweat dripped from his face. [color=c4df9b][b]“She’s still alive…”[/b][/color] Tayla growled through gritted teeth. “She’s still alive?!” Smit said between labored breaths. “No, I’m still alive…” Tayla frowned, unsure of what to say. She turned her gaze downwards.[color=c4df9b][b] “You’re… welcome?”[/b][/color] She said awkwardly. “Welcome?” Smit said as he barked a laugh. He gave her an incredulous look. “I’m welcome, am I?” Tayla’s frown deepened at his sarcastic tone. Smit waved an arm to the ruined bell beside him. “Tayla… Are you Crazed in the head? You almost killed me!” He said exasperatedly. [color=c4df9b][b]“Almost killed you?”[/b][/color] Tayla said. [color=c4df9b][b]“Smit, I just risked my life to save you.”[/b][/color] “Risked your life?!” He scoffed. “Yeah… After nearly killing me with that damn bell.” [color=c4df9b][b]“Are you dense?”[/b][/color] Tayla protested. [color=a2d39c][b]“She would have killed you if it wasn’t for me! You’re still alive because of me!”[/b][/color] “I’m still alive,” He agreed, “but they sure aren’t.” Smit nodded over to three corpses that had been crushed beneath the bell. Tex was among the bodies. Tayla took a step back. She looked to the surviving clan members. All of them beaten up and bloodied. [color=c4df9b][b]“I-“[/b][/color] She stuttered. Tayla blinked and shook her head before looking back to Smit defiantly. [color=c4df9b][b]“If you hadn’t gotten in the way-” [/b][/color]she started. “Then, you would have died!” Smit finished. “She had you on your knees with a blade to your throat.” [color=c4df9b][b]“I didn’t need your help!”[/b][/color] She yelled. “Oh?” He said. “Well, perhaps you didn’t. The rest of us, though,” Smit gestured to the remaining clan members, “we needed your help.” [color=c4df9b][b]“Don’t act like I did nothing here! I risked my life keeping those two at bay! Meanwhile, the rest of you-”[/b][/color] “Enough!” Smit yelled. Taken aback, Tayla shut her mouth. She had never heard the man yell before. Smit slowly got to his feet and stared her down. The look he gave her was unnerving. Reminiscent of how her father looked before he- “You intended to kill her from the start, didn’t you?” Tayla said nothing. Smit shook his head disapprovingly and turned his back her. “Where’s the target?” Smit asked the nearest clan member. The man simply pointed up. [color=c4df9b][b]“Smit-”[/b][/color] Tayla said. Smit ignored her. “You,” He said, pointing to one of the clan members, “Our leader’s actions has likely place the rest of the clan on alert. Warn them of the Pact Makers. Explain to them that the Pact Makers came here and attacked us first. Tell them of the comrades they’ve slain.” The man nodded and took off. Tayla gave Smit a cold glare. [color=c4df9b][b]“Smit…”[/b][/color] She growled. [color=c4df9b][b]“This is my team.”[/b][/color] “As for the rest of you-“ He continued. [color=c4df9b][b]“I’m in charge here!”[/b][/color] Tayla yelled. Within a second, she whipped out her blade and put it to the man’s throat. [color=fdc68a]“Is that so?”[/color] Came a dry voice from behind Tayla. Tayla paled. She knew the owner of that voice. Sheathing her sword, she whipped herself around to face the looming figure of Sightless Nieffar. [color=fdc68a]“And pray tell me child,”[/color] He said calmly. His voice a deep contrast to the displeasure written across his face. [color=fdc68a]“what exactly are you in charge of?”[/color]