Uskir listened intently to Akseli up until Saskia distracted him with the scandalous remark to which he was going to quickly shoot back at her except Akseli also mentioned the man in question.
"Vike-Vikentije is your- I mean, of course he's in the Patrol" Uskir stumbled,
"I doubt that would surprise anyone." Luckily, it seemed to Uskir, Akseli was quick to switch topics.
To Saskia's invitation, he only nodded wondering how much her whole lot would give him torment over the height and the long forgotten childhood crush... though forgotten only by him. He idly played with the kid at Amitola's hip, pinching a cheek or giving him a smile.
"I'm glad things have gone well here for you Akseli. Being in the Village Patrol suits you somehow, even if Saskia might put that into question... but I imagine you get to travel around the land. Even though I left the village I can't say I did much traveling at all." Uskir shifted his weight suddenly thinking of her. She'd always proposed little trips of distraction, but he always thought the request process for leaving the city was not worth the trouble. Now he wished he'd listened to her every now and then...
"Ah, well that was the plan but... now you mention that, I'm not sure I want to run into everyone while I'm bathing haha. I think I'm just going to go back home and have a quick shower. The drums already started. Listen, I'll catch you later yeah? I'll join you if I see you in the crowd." With those parting words Uskir adjusted the tote bag on his shoulder and waved goodbye. He hurried back home, rushing in as his grandma worriedly told him to hurry up and what was he thinking, why didn't he go to the hot springs public bath and oh my heavenly beings is it the time already?
He got out, put on a white t-shirt, dark blue jeans and his brown jacket. His hair somehow a wet and fluffy mess moved in the air as he jogged towards the assembly gathering. His grandma had left early, and he was already late.
His brief encounter with Frey had given Vikentije some distance from that morning meeting with his father. The man was downright obsessed with arranging a good marriage for Vikentije and watching him settle down to 'realize that there are more life fulfilling things in life than work and training.' Unlike Frey, Vikentije was off duty and so they had parted ways promptly, before Vikentije could even show he was more irritable than usual. Now the pale soldier leaned on the wooden stair rails as he watched the people below, walking away towards the assembly gathering. He'd dressed up for the family meeting with the formal Ronan attire - form fitting and all tailored in black - making his standout features all the more noticeable. He didn't like that. He did like the slightly loose fit on the legs that allowed for ease of movement, and the tailoring showed off his well toned upper body. He wore it with pride, if only because it showed the bloodline legacy of strength, that even in formal attire they were ready to fight.
The drums began to echo, waking Vikentije from some meditative trance. He liked high places, from which he could look down on the village and keep watch. Now he had gathered himself, he descended the stairs with ease and confidence. He wasn't an easy person to strike up a conversation with, let alone engage in small talk, so it made for a quick trip to the assembly location.
He stood at the edge at high level seeing that most people had gathered and knowing by the change in the rhythm of the drums that the assembly would soon begin. Suddenly something caught his attention, his sharp eyes quickly turning in the direction. His dark eyes squinted with suspicion and the effort to find the cause, but to no avail. Peyton was much too bundled up and frozen in place to be discovered in the crowd.
Then it happened.
BOOM!
In the middle of the crowd.
Bodies were thrown everywhere, pushed away by the sheer force of the awakening.
Vikentije, though he'd been at the edge, had felt the force push him away but he'd pushed back, moving forward to help the wounded as the crowd panicked around him. Meanwhile, the awakened person in the middle was hardly visible with all the liquid light pulsing around him.The pink liquid-like light whipped here and there, catching a person here and there and mixing their screams with the awakened one's screams. His own power was consuming him as much as it consumed those around him.
"Fuck," Vikentije whispered as he dragged an injured body behind him in one hand and carried an unconscious in the other despite his deceptive stature,
"so much wasted power..."
He set the victims down and ran back into the fray.
"Vikentije!" One of the Guard Patrol called. An armor bloodline. Vikentije ran behind him, daring to get as close as possible to help the living nearest the danger. The pink liquid light flicked nearly knocking Ted away, he grunted with the effort. "Keep going!"
With all the dexterity he could muster, Vikentije sped this way and that, flipping in the air, retreating only to lunge forward, somehow evading the danger as Ted covered the worst of it. Two more of the Patrol joined them, both without abilities, and Ted gave it his all while Maria, Vikentije, and Aurelio carried as many as they could away from the danger. They made it to the sidelines in time to see Ted fall. "Vikentije! Don't!" Yelled Aurelio with both fear and admiration, but mostly with the dread of Vikentije's inevitable demise.