“Elise, you pathetic pile of vomit!” a voice yelled, echoing off rocky cave walls along with the echo of dripping water.

“Excuse you?” was the response given with a slight bark to it, also echoing off the walls as a number of footsteps came to a halt.

Elise looked ahead, eyes locked with the individual who yelled and his scowling face, anger seeping through his expression like oil through a paper towel. Hers, a cold brittle stare with eyes absolutely locked and her body tensed. All around bodies stood with eyes locked on both, a stand off.

“I just heard that Vulper let you skip out on another hunt to go get your stupid made up tinker blinking bullshit. You should be cleaning and food prepping and gathering.”

“Since when does my involvement in a hunt matter to you? Last I checked I’m just a good for nothing woman who can only clean. And what does it matter if I have more books to pass the time? We live in a damn cave, I can’t make it shinier than a diamond jackass. Not like it’ll matter what I do.”

His jaw hung a tad, his face growing a tint of red as his eyes lit ablaze with more inferno, “Not like it’ll matter? Not matter?” came the growl back, “Damn straight it doesn’t matter because you don’t matter you worthless broad.”

“And that’s why I said my presence doesn’t matter.”

“Pft, just burn her damn books Rusty,” came the voice of another.

“Kick her ass!”

Around the two a crowd had begun to gather, heads poking themselves up and other poking down. Some shoved way to the front with grins, others blank or with darting eyes.

“Yeah, do it, she should be doing work the little freeloader,” called another.

“Beat her ass straight, no way in hell can she fight back,” laughed a third.

“God, your sister sucks,” a fourth concluded.

“Pft, whatever,” Elise grumbled with a glance away, eyes looking down towards the ground.

“Submissive like the woman that you are. Pathetic,” Rusty growled, “I’m disgusted that we’re blood.”

“Hey you said it not me,” she murmured raising her right hand to grab her left shoulder with a slight shrug.

“Useless hack, you’re submissive as all living hell and no one likes you. You should do us a favor and get the hell out of here. Go drop dead somewhere, I don’t freakin’ care.”

“No because all you care about is fighting. Why should you care about anyone or anything else?” Elise grumbled, her eyes dancing back towards him.

“Are you talking back to me? Do you want me to beat the crap out of you again?”

“Rusty, that’s enough of that,” came a call from the other end of the cavern.

All eyes, even those of Elise and Rusty, shifted to the source to see two figures emerge, “Hmph, Sacho and Nora, what a surprise,” Rusty muttered.

Both figures stepped forward to the center of the crowd which in turn parted around. The male crossed his arms, the female placing her hands to her sides, both looking directly at Rusty with fire in their own eyes. The male in particular looked with a spit of disgust, “Rusty, for someone who thinks your sister isn’t worth a damn thing, you sure seem to like bugging her. You could be using your free time to get stronger, right?”

“Well pardon me for trying to take out the trash. She doesn’t even gather crap right. She has no skill to hone, she has no worth with chores, she’s slow and utter crap,” Rusty growled in response.

Once more Elise’s eyes glanced away, her body shifting off from Rusty. The crowd parted as she moved, all letting her move on as their fixations on the three before them grew stronger. Rusty stepped forward, a knife sliding from his right sleeve, “You should know your place Sacho. I am an heir to the Clan of Vulfax. Screw with me and I’ll make your life a living hell just as it is for the girl.”

“Big talk from a runt who can’t even beat a Zaherian,” Nora growled sharply.

“You stay out of this,” Rusty hissed.

“You’re a bloody arrogant disgrace to Drachen everywhere, you so often act like a vulgar Zaherian Wulfn on the hunt. You honestly think that Lord Azala will choose you over Britt? Ha! You barely have half the brains of him. And for that matter, though she’s ignorant to fighting, your sister is smarter than both of you put together. A smarter choice would be to label Britt as leader, Elise as his tactician, and you as a mindless enforcer. Oh hell or even pick her for her brains, that would be classy, so priceless. Sure we might all burn by the end of her reign but it would so be worth it to see you put in your place for once in your life.”

“Did- did you just compare me to that loser sister of mine? I’ll have your bloody head Sacho!” Rusty spat.

“You underestimate your father’s insight and it comes off as stupid.”

“You want stupid? Really now, oh, I’ve got you bro. Sacho, how about you and I go at it eh? I’d love to take you down a peg or two and show you why I am the best.”

“Rusty, stop it,” came a loud call, the call of a not-so deep commanding voice, rather silky smooth.

Elise’s head poked up, her eyes meeting the torso of another before her. Eyes turned again to see a figure approaching from the nearby crowd, a figure to which Rusty scoffed with his head shaking, “Oh hell no Britt, I’m not dismissing this again. Sacho has to run his mouth and now I’m going to kick his pretty face in.”

The newcomer stepped forward, more eyes turning to him as he moved up near Elise in a few steps. His feet stopped behind her, to which she slowly turned to look at him. With a sigh he raised his right hand to his head and mixed it in with his lengthy brown hair, “My my, you never learn brother.”

“Neither of you learn and your father needs to be aware of this. Elise might be a weak piece of trash but at least she’s smarter than the both of you when it comes to knowing her place.”

“I’m getting real sick of your mouth Sacho so come on, let’s get on with it,” Rusty called out.

Nora stepped aside, letting Sacho proceed towards Rusty, “Bring it on then little brat.”

“B-Britt, are you going to?” Elise murmured watching the scene unfold.

“Step in? No. He’ll have to learn the hard way,” Britt grumbled crossing his arms, “Now then, how long will Rusty last I wonder?”

Elise gradually looked back ahead, eyes glancing away after so long with both arms crossed relatively low, “I’ll watch this for now, then I have to go gather things. Vulper said he might come and watch me work for a spell.”