Around the worlds 3 - Golems & bears

"Well, yeah, we didn't have much choice," Neos said as he winced. Then he looked at Maverick. "Wait. Is that wrong ?"

Maverick wobbled on his feet, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Well... I can't assure you'll find it all, when you'll get back up there", he murmured then, sounding strangely ashamed. "People... well, some of the inhabitants on this region don't really like foreigners. For some reason."

Neos frowned. "What do you mean, they might have destroyed it ?" He let go of Michela and Karl, walking towards Maverick.

"Well, either destroyed or stolen. Both things happen, usually", Maverick said, instinctively taking a step back when Neos walked towards him. "I... it's not rare that the people occupying tents got beaten up too", he added then, biting his lip nervously. "You even forgot your fire on tonight. That was a great risk. Thankfully I could put it out..."

Neos frowned deeper. "Who is doing this? Are they human? Something else ? Just spill it !"

Maverick took another step back. "They- they are shapeshifters. From... from my tribe", he added a bit regretfully. He looked very ashamed, his eyes darting all around, looking everywhere but to any of them.

"You mean you knew it all along, and didn't stop us when we left our camp ?! Were you planning that too ?!" Neos shouted as he moved yet closer to Maverick, to grab him by the collar.

Maverick shrieked, scrambling to escape Neos' grip unsuccessfully. "Of course not! I wouldn't even have told you anything if that was the case!", he said, his voice high with fear. "And- and you wanted to look for your friend, and then Athorn came out, I didn't have TIME! I'm sorry!"

Neos huffed, and pushed Maverick to the side as he turned to Michela and Karl. "I don't know about you, but I have magic relics I need to FETCH BACK." That being said, he rushed to the place where they came from.

"Neos, wait up...! Damn it, he is gone already", Michela had listened to that whole exchange with a very worried expression on her face. She didn't have anything valuable, but still, some of those things were quite dear to her. She looked at Karl. "It's better we go before he puts himself in danger", she said then. Maverick fidgeted, still not moving from his spot. He felt kind of terrible in that moment, so he preferred not to lift his gaze from the ground.

Karl nodded, and almost rushed behind Neos. But he stopped to lay his hand on Maverick's shoulder. "Please come with us. I'll calm him down, I promise."

Maverick lifted his eyes from the floor just for a second, looking at Karl. Then he averted his gaze again to the side. "Alright...", he mumbled, preparing himself to follow them.
Michela nodded to them, and after thanking the golems for all they had done for Karl, she rushed to the exit.
The camp wasn't actually that distant from the entrance of the underground city, and Neos had probably already reached it. The tents had been roughly tore apart; their sleeping bags were gone, just like a lot of their things. At least the ones that seemed to have some value. Some papers were scattered all around the leftovers of their fireplace.

Neos cursed, again and again, as he picked up a few of his notes. Tears of anger were actually forming at the corner of his eyes when he noticed that no respect had been shown to his notebooks, and more than that, when it became clear that his magical artefacts had gone missing.

Michela arrived shortly after him. She looked at that disaster, discouragement making her shoulders drop. She observed silently as Neos picked up his notes. She noticed he was trembling slightly, undoubtfully with anger. She stepped to him, and kneeled, picking up one of the papers. "I'm sorry", she said softly, her hand on his arm.

"We need to find them", he snarled behind gritted teeth. "I need to find them and get my gems back," he told her, his expression unusually cold.

Michela flinched, hearing how cold he sounded. She pulled her hand away from him, handing him the paper she was holding. "We will take everything back. Promise." Then she turned around to enter in the tore tent they shared. She rummaged around a bit and came out, holding something that apparently hadn't been noticed. "Look! One of your notebooks, you had it yesterday. This is safe", she said with half a smile. She seemed sad, though. Her bag was gone too, of course. All of her things...

Neos took the notebook, flicked a few pages, then put it in the inner pocket of his travelling coat. "Thanks. But we should really go, now," he said, as his gaze wandered around, before he set his eyes on Maverick. Frowning, he walked towards him.
"Where can I find those bastards," he asked him as he gestured to their thrashed out camp.

Maverick took a step back out of instinct, again, as Neos walked towards him. "I, I can guide you to the village, if you want", he murmured. He didn't seem to fond of the thought. He looked around when Neos gestured to the destroyed camp, his shoulders dropping.

Neos nodded. "Lead the way. You don't have to accompany us all of the way there. I'll simply... talk to your relatives," he said, still cold.

"I'm not related to...!" Maverick raised his voice in a sudden fit of anger. Then he closed his mouth, glaring hatefully around and turned, starting to walk in a precise direction. "I'm not related to those- those barbarians, I am NOT like them. Not good enough, apparently. I am NOT related to THAT", he was grumbling, more to himself than to anyone else, gesturing back at the camp. He continued with his low growling, guiding them.
Michela walked behind him, hands in pockets, silent. "I already got it. I will have to prepare myself to fight, won't I." She sighed, wondering what was wrong between Maverick and his tribe. He didn't seem to like them that much.

Neos snorted. "I'll help you, don't worry. Those idiots don't know what trouble they got themselves into. Just be careful if you start to smell fire."

Karl didn't hear either Neos or Michela, since he had caught up with Maverick, and was now glancing curiously at him. "Why are you helping us ?"

Michela half smiled at him. "I'll be careful. You know, actually I never saw you fighting, so I am quite curious. Do you mostly use fire?", she asked.
Maverick was still mumbling when Karl caught up with him and he abruptly stopped when he spoke to him, startled. "Why notl?" He said first, then sighed a bit. "I... I don't approve of how foreigners are treated. Especially when things like this happen", he said sadly. "You saw how your friends reacted when I told you it was my community's doing."

"I am a fire mage, yeah", Neos replied with a bit of a huff. Then he looked at her. "Which means I am very precise with my magic, unless I get super angry. Fire magic is difficult to chanel."

Karl tilted his head. "If you don't like it, why are you staying in the area ?"

Michela smirked. "I'm looking forward to see you using it then. I bet it's very hot. Literally." She snickered to her own stupid pun.
"I- ... you know, that's actually a very good question." Maverick sighed, nervously playing with his hair. "I guess it is because I want to help. Usually, if I feel someone is going in this direction, I just transform and that's enough to scare them away. I like to think I am a bit more decent than my fellow shapeshifters, when I do this."

Neos snorted, and shook his head before he looked at her. Then he gave her a smug smile. "Eh. Actually, I look really hot in my fire mage attire. I should take you to my world for that."

Karl smiled softly. "That's quite nice of you," he told him. And since he had been a robot for so long, he kept looking at him, not knowing this could be perceived as awkward.