“What are you doing?” N'aix growled, angered about the creatures in front of him. But they were his allies and he wasn’t supposed to eat them. Not yet at least. When their alliance was over maybe he could take a bite or two.
“I’m trying to take a nap, please take it down a notch, your snarling is annoying.” The Pangolier curled together on the ground until he resembled a ball. A ball with clothes and a hat.
“I just want to eat one snack, I’m starving.” The Grand Magus rummaged through the pockets of his robes.
“I thought, since everyone stopped, I could do some exercises.” The Juggernaut didn’t bother to look at N’aix while he was doing push-ups. Then sit-ups. Then jumping jacks.
“Talking to the trees instead of you lot is a nice change, it is less straining.” The Treant Protector had his feet buried in the ground and his eyes closed. The leaves growing on his arms and head rustled softly.
“We are not taking a break. We have a task, we can’t sleep, or eat, or whatever.” Nai’x voice had dropped, he was too angry about this to try to sound calm.
No one reacted, though. No one was afraid of him. Not even when his growl rolled through the forest around them.
“Calm down”, the Grand Magus said, then held something out for Nai’x that looked suspiciously like fruit. “Eat something, maybe you are hungry and that’s why you are in such a bad mood.”
Without answering, at least not in words (he did growl again), N’aix turned and left. After a few steppes he stopped, though. He had heard something, something suspicious.
He had a split second advance warning before he was attacked. Attacked by the enemies he and his allies had been out to search and take down. They obviously wanted to use N’aix being on his own to their advantage and kill him while he was alone.
N’aix allies were not that far away but he had no hope that they would be of any help. They were occupied with themselves so he prepared to die. He’d take as many enemies with him as possible but he had no chance of surviving this.
But just when the first enemy was about to hit N’aix, four creatures burst out of the woods. They were neither sleepy nor slow, nothing showing that they had been lounging around a few moments ago.
They were glorious and N’aix growl was one of appreciation this time. After they had defeated the enemy, everyone headed back to where they had been sitting before they had come to N’aix help. The Pangolier curled together again, the Grand Magus sat down and pulled some fruit out of his pocket, the Juggernaut continued his workout and the Treant Protector buried his feet into the ground like a real tree.
Disbelieving, N’aix stared at them. But no matter how annoying they were, they had just saved his arse so he swallowed the growl that was sticking in his throat. Instead he sat down and waited.