"Do you think that the solution'll work?" Kayi asked Bruno. Now that she knew he was blind, she had a much, much greater respect. When she related to Carlos what Layla told her, she could tell that now the two knew that Bruno was much more than the cranky, insane old Alchemist that worked underground all day.
"Maybe." Bruno, if one looked hard enough, showed signs that he couldn't see more than a few dim inches away from his nose- an occasional none-blinking stare straight at a light, walking straight over a patch of ivy (poisonous, as they soon found out) or even, once, running straight into branches.
Kayi slowed down to Carlos. "Hey Carlos!"
"Kupo! Heya Kayi!" he chirruped. Lief was beside him, showing off his gun.
"Kupo, Lady Kayi! Carlos told me all about you! Did Starkin ever tell you anything about the old Glory Days?" Lief asked.
"Not much, nothing that you haven't already heard. But hey, Layla told me all about-"Kayi whispered softly the story that the older Assassin related to her. "And so then Starkin proposed-" suddenly, all three flinched. Thing, crosshatching red welts appeared over Carlos's whole face, the top of Lief's head, and all over Kayi's ears, her face, as well as her neck. They stopped and turned around.
A very, very, very, very, very, very angry-looking Starkin stood behind them. His staff was resting calmly, but it was clear where the welts had come from.
"I THOUGHT," he bellowed, flames licking from his mouth, "I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THE COUTESSSY-" More welts and a few actual wacks- "TO KEEP OTHER'SSSS VERY PERSSSONAL RELATIONSSS-" -hard whacks- "CONFIDENTIAL!" Starkin's whole body gave off a reddish tinge, and flames starting licking from his mouth. The ground beneath the three started to tremble as everyone else stopped to see what was the matter.
Layla came first, picking Kayi up and yelling straight into her face. "YOU WERE GOSSIPING ABOUT ME AND STARKIN?!?"Layla bellowed, the wind of her breath blowing Kayi's hair back. "YOU WHAT? TOLD THEM-"
"Well, no, I didn't tell them what you refused."
Layla's face burned red. It was a wonder she didn't transform into a Firedrake right then right there. "I thought that little vieras kept secret things-" (Big Breath) "SECRET!"
Bruno suddenly grew alarmed. Starkin was rapidly glowing red, and there was a fiery haze shrouding him like a misty, floating veil.
"Let's get outta here before It happens!" Bruno bellowed, waving his hands towards a group of trees yards away.
"Why-" Marie began to say when the ground started to crack/
"Explain later, run now!" Dasmon replied quickly, running away too.