(ROUGH DRAFT) Endless Sky ~Elemental Chaos~

Chapter Twenty

Avaro's chest flipped over. Did Zeru finally catch on? That quick? Did someone overhear or did Toothache actually contact him?
The large leader was not pleased in the slightest. Despite his calm cold voice along with smooth fur, his face looked bright with rage.
"A talk? Why? We were just visiting Renny's parents," Avaro lied, trying to fabricate a quick story on why they left.
"You'll find out during the talk," Zeru meowed, almost hissing. "Blaze can go find Ember, she's near the prey drop off,"
"But I want to stay!" The young cat immediately protested, snarling at the beast well over double her size.
"You do as I say, go to Ember," Zeru growled, Blaze's fur quickly flattening as she recoiled. Accepting defeat and scurrying off to find her friend.
"Hey that was uncalled for!" Avaro snapped. "She's still technically a kit!"
"A kit that needs to learn she can't always have what she wants," Zeru said simply. "Now follow me," he added before padding off. But the remaining three stayed where they were.
Zeru noticed this and stopped.
"I instructed you to follow me, I expect you to listen," he hissed quietly, his patience clearly thinning.
"You're not our leader though," Avaro pointed out. "So why do we have to listen to you?"
Zeru whirled around, hackles raised. "Because you are living in my village! If I wasn't as kind as I was I would've already kicked you lot out!" He snarled.
Avaro bit his tongue, not wanting to snap back. Maybe this wasn't about the plan, maybe it was something else entirely.
"Sorry," he choked out, glancing at Lucerne and hoping he would catch on.
"Just lead us," the celestial said calmly, passing on the glance to Renny. Had Zeru noticed her? Surely he had to at this point, simply just ignoring her presence.
The leader seemed to calm down a bit as he straightened up. "Alright, let us go now," he huffed, turning around and continuing onward.
Fighting hesitation, Avaro started walking first. Lucerne and Renny quick to do the same.
They kept their distance from Zeru as he slipped out of the village, wondering where exactly they were going.
Avaro wouldn't hesitate to fight back if Zeru tried an ambush, he wouldn't even hesitate to start a forest fire.
"Try it old man, I already have a dozen ways I can end your life," Avaro silently threatened.
A familiar clearing opened up, a nearby fallen log still bearing the dent from when Avaro sat on it. But no mass of blue insects now.
"Are we stopping now?" The dragon asked, watching as Zeru turned around and sat. Basically giving his answer right there without saying a word.
Lucerne and Renny stayed slightly behind Avaro as waited, expecting the leader to say something first.
Silence, Zeru was just staring. Staring through slightly narrowed eyes.
Avaro felt uncomfortable, he knew his friends most likely did too. "Well? What is it that you need?" He asked, irritation starting to grow once more.
"I'd just like to know, how's it been here?" Zeru finally answered after another few long seconds of silence.
"Eh? How it's been?" Avaro frowned, confused. Zeru acted really pissed when meeting them, he'd expect more of an confrontation.
"Yes. A lot has happened recently with Mystic's passing, Sunset's return, and Cinder's escape," Zeru explained, looking both calm and silently menacing. "I hope it hasn't caused too much issues,"
Avaro couldn't find his voice. He was taken too off guard. Zeru still held some kind of hidden fury, as if he was angry at something. But wouldn't show it. Was it just stress? Had he really not figured anything out yet?
"He has to have, he's trying to manipulate us somehow," Avaro guessed, trying to not to let his suspicion or irritation spill out onto his face.
"It's been alright," Lucerne spoke, voice slightly quavering. "We're just trying to stay out of your way and not bother you," Renny nodded in agreement.
Zeru didn't react, he was still, like a statue. Possibly silently judging the three of them.
Avaro wished he could read minds.
"You all smell dirty, go take a bath by the waterfalls," Zeru meowed as he scrunched up his nose and padded off. Leaving the trio shrouded in confusion.
They remained silent for awhile, allowing Zeru to get well out of ear-shot.
"What was that?" Renny finally broke the silence.
"I have no idea," Avaro responded.
"He called us stinky," Lucerne pouted.
"I thought we were done for," Renny continued, disregarding the celestial.
"Me too, he was so angry when we came back," Avaro pondered, assuming it was indeed just stress.
"Well, at least we're not being executed right?" The potion maker laughed nervously. "Unless he plans on drowning us," Avaro said, making her go silent.
"We should listen to him still, I don't know why I would be stinky, but you would be," Lucerne pointed to Avaro, making him scowl.
"But I had a shower last night!" Renny protested. "I don't want to bathe in river water! Or with two men I just met a day or so ago!"
"I don't want to bathe with a random woman either," Avaro admitted, shivering before walking off.
Renny frowned, clearly uncomfortable.
"I'm sure we'll figure something out," Lucerne reassured her before following his friend. The potion maker hesitating before following as well.
"I've never been to the waterfalls before," Avaro told Lucerne, knowing he's never been to it either.
"We never needed to, this is the longest we've ever stayed in this world," his friend responded with a small glance at Renny behind them.
"Well now we need to, I'm sure all we need to do is follow the river upstream,"
"We?" Lucerne huffed. "Do you mean you?"
"I'M NOT STINKY!" Avaro yelled, walking ahead. "YOU'RE STINKY!"
"What a mature response," the celestial chuckled, Renny catching up and appearing beside him.
"Does he really smell?" She asked.
"Not really, he smells more like wood and leaves," he replied, watching the dragon storm ahead to the village.
"Ohh... You know I can lend you guys some extra clothes and wash your current ones," Renny offered. "That would be nice, I don't think Avaro wants to go home anytime soon," Lucerne sighed. "So we don't really have access to any other clothes or means of washing them properly,"
"Why doesn't he want to go home?"
"It's... A long story..."