S a l e t é I V

XXXVIII - Nichoir - Six

Cassia was able to contain her anger as the crowd was forced to move, her focus shifting to keeping close to Spears, the boy keeping a hold of her hand no matter how people pushed and shoved. 

As those that made up the group were directed out through the gates, the officers on guard there now alert and on the defensive as they made way for those being made to leave, it became grossly apparent that she'd been right about things coming to an abrupt conclusion.

They'd come all that way, just to be told that Sabre, in all their grandeur, couldn't locate a handful of people - not even one of them. The sensible side of her tried to insist that there were difficulties, and that the search must have been a difficult one, but that frustration had already beaten that side of her into submission.

At least she wasn't shouting insults like many of those around them were. Some were just trying to get out and away from the sudden commotion, others were insistent upon staying, some were calling for reason and calm, all of it blurring together in nothing more than an assault on the ears.

The officers stationed by the gate would have been prime targets for the agitation now blooming so loudly, had they not been brandishing what at first looked like handguns, the sight of them enough to ensure that nobody tried anything bold. Cassia's own irritation was dashed sharply in favour of great caution, the girl huddling closer to her friend's side as he guided her along. 

As they passed by the woman in the pair on their way out, the lady herself remaining entirely calm as she refrained from pointing the weapon at anyone, she got a closer look at it.

It was too bulky to be a conventional gun, like Cassia would have expected to see in movies. Instead of a barrel, four small, square indentations existed where it should have been, creating an unusual appearance. 

She didn't have time to gawk, as they were unable to stop the flow they were now caught in.

Once they'd made it through the gates, Spears quickly set about pulling her away from the rest of the tide, making sure that no one else could bump her around. The officers may have succeeded in getting the majority of people who'd shown up back outside of the courtyard like space, but the crowd hadn't suddenly ceased to exist, and now they had a cluttered street on their hands instead.

"You alright sweetheart?" Spears asked Cassie once they were clear, the girl letting go of him once she'd decided that they were safe. At the same time, she couldn't exactly reply with a yes, as it would have been a blatant lie.

"Where are the others?" She asked, managing to deflect his question for now as he glanced around, quickly alert again as he realised that they weren't together.

"Let's get outta the way before we get trampled. Don't worry, we'll find them."

He proceeded to lead her again, this time over to the opposite side of the street where they could avoid the vast majority of the unruly congregation whilst getting a half decent look at those forming it. Finally, as she stood with him on the sidelines, she began to calm down.

Anger, much like Sabre, wasn't going to solve anything right now. It was just so difficult to get it to shift...

"What a waste of time that was." Spears growled as he kept an eye out for the rest of their party, Cassia getting the distinct impression that he had needed to try in order to hold back some more colourful language, knowing that she wasn't alone in her resentment a small consolation if nothing else.

"Who would win? Merveille's finest, or a bunch of nut jobs living in a cave?" He mocked, the sarcastic question making her laugh out of a gentle disbelief, if only because it sounded even more ludicrous as he framed it in such a way.