THE BIPOLAR APPRENTINCE

Master Talya's presence pressed deeply onto the opposing group ruthlessly. The Hungry Three who already had a near full body ruddy brown flush now were sprawled on their knees under the pressure. The other guy had also lost his cool and unbothered attitude as he struggled to stay standing with a frown

He shot the Hungry Three a look as if saying I told you so before stumbling forward from the group and bowing respectfully toward Master Talya.

"Lady Talya forgive us we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. May we please discuss some matters civilly?"

The strangers speech was humbled and much more agreeable then his shorter companions untactful speech. Clearly he was the diplomat of the group.

Master Talya snorted but let her pressure lessen enough for the four to stand normally however she kept it pressed against them making it clear their presence was tolerated but not welcome. Meanwhile on their side Azaire, Titania, and Jared didn't experience any of the pressure as Master Talya was much too skilled to be unable of utilizing her power selectively.

Master Talya looked towards Azaire and he was clear what this meant. These people were not customers or associates of Master Talya and she didn't need him to hold back or be respectful for her sake. Azaire's cold bearing seemed to double as he stepped forward and spoke with his voice like ice.

"What right do you have to speak with my master? Who are you? I'll be the one to 'discuss' with you today."

There was no anger or disdain in Azaire's voice just cold indifference. As if he saw the four before him as less then an ant, but he would honestly give more respect to an ant.

The four stranger's weren't the only ones surprised at Azaire's cold proclamation. Titania shot him a curious look while Jared stared at him with confusion and worry. This was definitely a new side of Azaire he hadn't seen before but it didn't make him like the other any less. What could? No, Jared got a strange impression that this cold dispassionate bearing seemed as if Azaire was in pain.

The diplomatic stranger seemed to be at a loss of words for a moment looking from Azaire to Master Talya and back again for a while before realizing Master Talya did not stop her apprentice and seemed to approve of his actions. In a surprising show of flexibility the other immediately began to discuss with the cold youth before him.

"Honored Apprentice?" This half-question greeting was given a bland nod from Azaire before the man continued.

"As your master is probably is aware we are the keeper's of this place, The Lost Desert. We oversee it and protect it especially during certain times where we keep certain influences out....Like now is such a time.....the time for the Illusion Games of our Sand Wyrm tribe..."

At these last few words Azaire's Icy disposition seemed to crack a bit and some of his warmth returned.

"You all are sand wyrm's?" There was a gleam in his eye as he asked the question.

The sand wyrm man seemed a bit taken aback at the sudden shift in attitude but nodded replying, "Indeed we are and I assure you our tribe is no less intelligent then a humanoid tribe despite being a beast tribe!"

Azaire's seemed to completely thaw at the words as he laughed indulgently. "Of course not most animals are way smarter then humans! I don't know why you appeared to us in that form your beast form would obviously be much more majestic!

The young man before him was much warmer even laughing joyfully and speaking amiably, how could the sand wyrm man handle such a 360 shift. He wasn't the only one who looked to be too shocked at the situation. Everyone besides Master Talya was looking at the young man as if he had another head at this point. Only she and Roran who was still sitting comfortably in Azaire's ring would be unbothered by Azaire's very bipolar attitude shift.

This guy. He was still completely disdainful of humanity!

Azaire had quite a few bad situations with some form of humanoid at the core when he was younger, and ever since he's grown to scorn humanity in favor of animals! Animals were much more trustworthy and reliable in his opinion as they thrived on instinct and community normally without all the messy conflicting emotions, plots, and schemes of the human-like races. The only reason he hasn't been wildly known as an ice prince was his masters training so that anyone she considered customers or acquaintances to play nice around would get the sunny side of Azaire. On his own if you weren't family or a few rare exceptions he acknowledged as a friend then you'd likely get the cold shoulder.

Another exception to this rule were ancient cultivators over 400, as at that point Azaire believed they could be at least somewhat "Mature" and before that another human could only be trash or children. This attitude had gotten him in trouble on more then one occasion so Master Talya and his family kept him isolated from anyone who couldn't enter his circle of trust.

"My name is Ponos Zemeljski Pohod, you may refer to me as Po if it's easier. Might I ask you for your Master's consideration in this matter? We really can't have the Illusion Games interrupted or this place may fall into chaos. Her presence upsets this place alone already and the spell she's casting only makes it worse! Please consider it?"

Po was very respectful still and continued to address Azaire as he was instructed. The Hungry Three seemed disgusted with both the situation and Po but they wisely kept their mouths shut.

Azaire cocked his head in confusion as he considered things. He had no clue what spell Po was talking about nor what these Illusion Games might be or how they were interrupting them.

"Can you explain? What exactly are we interrupting and how? Why must we surrender to your tribe exactly?"

Azaire's words were gentle and reasonable and gave Po a very good opinion of the originally tyrannical seeming apprentice, but considering who his master appeared to be Po would not blame him if he had such an attitude. However this type of sensible behavior seemed much more becoming.

Just as he prepared to answer everyone there felt a presence that seemed to appear from nowhere. It seemed gentle and assuming at first, but if you stopped and looked deeper into it there was an extremely deadly presence like a silent death. What more the presence seemed on par with Master Talya!

Then a voice attached to the presence spoke in a smooth silk like voice.

"I would be happy to explain that to you young man...but I believe perhaps I should step in at this point. Right Tally?"

A tall figure obscured in a sudden swirl of sand had appeared behind the four sand wyrm's and his silhouette looked toward Master Talya s the sand slowly dissipated.....