Meeting other candidates
Someone pushed Xaloc aside. He fell to the ground and the claws of the Laelap ran deeply through Uriel's arms.
Just like when he had used the knife to injure his face back in the cave, Uriel's green eyes were calm as he faced the beast. His hands were bleeding but he still did not hesitate.
One hand held the upper mouth of the peak, the other held the lower one. Uriel pulled, tearing the beast into two. Blood spattered on his clothes and his face.
He turned to face Xaloc. "Maybe you should rest for a while."
He did not seem to be mocking him but was genuinely concerned. Xaloc thought about the thousand terrible things that had gone through his mind about this person and his stomach lurched.
The fact that even right now, he was thinking that Uriel had an ulterior motive unsettled him so much. Xaloc was incredibly perceptive and could always ascertain other people's thoughts.