Cha'Kwe'Tza sat on his haunches looking down at the smouldering remains of the corpse at his feet. It seemed that the strange behaviour of fire in this land was getting worse. The previous week, anything that he lit would come alive and completely ruin the few things that he tried to cook. He would be more than happy eating his kill right away like his feral side wanted, but the smell of cooking meat was a luxury that Cha'Kwe'Tza had grown to enjoy a little since landing on the shores of Canelux. It now seemed that whatever possessed fire in this land had grown from wanting to destroy meals to consuming those that were cooking. Standing, Cha'Kwe'Tza looked around the rest of the small encampment. There were a few other bodies laying amongst some destroyed gear that were still smoking slightly. Turning to leave the destruction and smell of ash behind, Cha'Kwe'Tza observed hoof prints leading towards a group of low hills. Figuring that they belonged to the horses of the natives, Cha'Kwe'Tza decided that he would go another way so that they wouldn't mistake him for the cause of the deaths here.

Casting his gaze out over the lands, Cha'Kwe'Tza spied the looking mass of mountains far off in the distance. He had been told that if he kept them to his front and left, he would be travelling north. He was also told that civilisation would soon stop, and that there would be all manner of strange beasts before coming to the rainforest. He had heard rumours of some of the items that he was looking for residing there, but nothing that was a guarantee. So, for several days Cha'Kwe'Tza walked across the plains, passing several small groups of the natives, but their meetings were always short since the horses were skittish around him and the riders had difficulty understanding anything that he said. They did, however, keep pointing him northward.

It was now the late morning of the fourth day since leaving the burned out camp behind him, as he was pondering the meaning of the falling stars of the previous night, that Cha'Kwe'Tza heard the sounds of a small skirmish ahead of him. Growling lowly in his throat, Cha'Kwe'Tza hunched over slightly as he approached the crest of the hill in front of him. Peering over the top, he saw a merchant train of three covered wagons being attacked by a band of about ten marauders. Yellow eyes following the fighting, Cha'Kwe'Tza watched as a pair of the caravan guards were cut down near the head of the column while at the rear, a guard with a short bow killed one attacker, and severely wounded a second. There must've been a few more fighters somewhere amongst the wagons where Cha'Kwe'Tza couldn't see because moments after watching another marauder go down with an arrow in his throat, there was a shrill cry and they started to disengage from the combat while the guards rallied to regain composure.

The problem was that the few retreating marauders were coming straight up the hill towards Cha'Kwe'Tza. With a powerful roar that sent birds tearing up from a nearby stand of trees Cha'Kwe'Tza stood and let his spear drop to the ground so he could draw his sword from its place at his left hip. Three of the retreating men immediately turned and ran another direction at the appearance of such a large figure directly in their path. The other three went as pale as sun bleached bone on a beach as Cha'Kwe'Tza charged the ten yards to them. The first in line fell as Cha'Kwe'Tza's stone sword smashed through his shield and the arm behind it before carrying on through his ribcage, the blood seeping into the runes on sword, causing them to glow from within. The second attacker was also felled with almost no effort as Cha'Kwe'Tza's backhanded blow took most of his head off, sending then body slumping sideways to the ground heavily.

The third attacker was only slightly luckier as he managed to land a blow, albeit a weak one against Cha'Kwe'Tza's open side. However, his thick scales turned the small sword away as if it were a splinter. Turning to stare down into the now cowering man's eyes, Cha'Kwe'Tza slammed the edge of his small shield into the man's face, snapping his head back with enough force that there was an audible cracking sound as the spine broke from the blow's force. As everything started to go quiet, Cha'Kwe'Tza looked towards the guards from the merchant train. They were all approaching and fanning out in a semi-circle. Looking at each in turn, Cha'Kwe'Tza said in his broken common tongue, "Cha'Kwe'Tza not harm you. Cha'Kwe'Tza be friend."  With astonished looks on their faces, the guards all looked from one to another before they erupted in laughter. Shortly afterwards, Cha'Kwe'Tza found himself marching alongside the caravan as a fearsome addition to the guard company.

Living outside of society, no matter how ideal it might seem in romanticized literature, is not without its disadvantages. One may escape the trappings of society and avoid the negative aspects of human-made bureaucracy, but the price of these benefits often comes at the expense of security. Those living in the wilderness must be self-sufficient, able to survive without the comforts of markets or centers of industry. They often do not have currency to trade for capital, and rely completely on coincidence of wants whenever trading with other parties. It is not a life that many can survive.
 
Contrary to all expectations, however, the outcast, Natsumi, had done just that. In only a few short months, the strange girl had overcome the initial obstacles associated with an "off-grid" lifestyle. She had established a camp in Virens Forest, and acquired the necessary supplies, whether through theft or salvage, to live off the land without regular, human interaction.
 
Yet after experiencing her unexpected bout of illness, even she realized the advantages of having at least some contact with society. With no crescents to her name, Yamauchi possessed no means through which to purchase anything from human merchants, let alone a doctor. She was completely dependent on charity or theft for everything she could not find in the wilds, and that circumstance, as she was quick to admit, was not sustainable for the foreseeable future. Despite her reservations, she needed a job; something to bring in income for emergency situations.
 
Unfortunately, the idea of finding employment was not without its own barriers for Natsumi. The young druid's newest "acquisitions" made it difficult for her to actually work in society. Her fox tail and ears marked her as an aberration, an outcast that people were not likely to hire over a normal human. This cultural attitude of Canelux limited her options, but, luckily for the girl, her old professor had provided at least one opportunity before his death: the University of Wyllmochvar.
 
With Professor White gone and a lack of successors to take his place, the university would be scrambling to fill his position soon. Officially, he was still declared missing, and the establishment would wait a year before classifying him as deceased. Once that deadline passed, applications would begin for a replacement, and any one applicant with the blessings of the former artifact hunter would be considered highly in the hiring process. Natsumi had a leg up over the competition in that respect, having proof that White had chosen her before passing on; but she needed more than that.
 
Even though the professor had personally chosen her, the young woman was completely unknown in the artifact hunter field. She had no qualifications other than a recommendation from a highly experienced, dead man.  To be considered seriously, she would need an artifact to bring to the department head as proof of her ability: something rare that White hadn't already shown him.
 
As it happened, the professor did leave a map detailing such finds in Natsumi's possession, and the site nearest the inn that had allowed her shelter on that marked, piece of parchment was in the northern Plains of Bohar. Given her current goal, that location became her next destination, and so she hurried off in the dead of night at her first chance, barely escaping the matron's attempt at debt peonage.
 
It took days of skulking about on the plains to get anywhere close to her destination, but, eventually, Natsumi found a merchant caravan moving along the nearest route. They had been unwilling to provide her passage for the remainder of her trek - due, in no small part, to her lack of funds - but that hadn't stopped the young woman from following them. Even when they were waylaid by bandits, she wasn't far away, always keeping a watchful eye on where they stepped or looked. Rauru was there as well, circling over the caravan like a vulture, waiting for a chance to screech if he saw the ruins his friend searched for.
 
Not long after the strange, humanoid lizard joined the caravan did that chance finally come. Hidden behind a large collection of hills and just out of sight of the caravan, the Ruins of Tinashe loomed. Once the capital of a proud empire, Tinashe now languished amidst the plains: a mere shell of its former glory. Rauru's screech pierced the air as the caravan neared this husk, causing some of the guards to pause and look up. Although they were aware the bird had been following them, he had been dead silent the whole time. This sudden behavior change puzzled them, enough to draw a fleeting amount of attention and allow Natsumi to slip by. 
 
Garbed in a robe to hide her features, she quickly removed herself from hiding and scrambled over the nearby hills at her harpy eagle's signal. She was noticed by some of the rear guards during this action, but was swift enough to get out of view before they could notify their comrades. While the few who did observe her movements shouted to the rest of the caravan, she was already safely on her way to Tinashe. Even if they were annoyed at her for using them as free protection, the merchant train would not pursue; because, if ever there was a rule that their kind followed in the northern plains, it was, "Stay on the path."  

Cha'Kwe'Tza kept his eyes searching is side of the path. The remaining guards seemed thankful for having his take up a spot near the front. Normally the frontman was the first to die, but Cha'Kwe'Tza had spent hundreds of years on the front line of battle back home when his lands were racked by a demonic incursion. There was the usual banter from the guards, and he assumed that they were trying to joke around with him, but a lack of understanding the language in addition to their quick speech rendered any jokes or witty banter useless with Cha'Kwe'Tza for the time being. He hadn't been with the column long when there was a screech from above. Turning to face the source of the sound, Cha'Kwe'Tza was already bring his shield and spear up to meet an airborne attack. The few guards at the front laughed and explained it was just an eagle. Shaking his head, Cha'Kwe'Tza though back to the various winged predators back home that had similar screeches that they used before attacking unsuspecting prey.

As he was about to turn back to face the front, he caught a quick glimpse of a figure dashing away from the rear of the column. Stepping between two wagons to the other side of the road, a guard asked where he was going. As he pointed towards the low hills, there was a shout from the back of the column. Looking from the shout to the hills, then back at the guard, Cha'Kwe'Tza said, "I go hunt. Will find group later." Shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, the guard turned back and kept the merchants going as Cha'Kwe'Tza left the road and started up the base of the first low hill. Once at the peak of the hill, he noticed the small figure just disappearing over another small hill. Hefting his spear and adjusting his grip on his shield, Cha'Kwe'Tza started his pursuit at an easy run that he could carry for days.

Reaching the base of a hill, Cha'Kwe'Tza dug in to keep pace on the next upslope, clawed feet tearing small chunks of earth from the ground, equipment making small clicking sounds as the stone and bone of his weapons and jewellery bounced around. Cresting the hill, Cha'Kwe'Tza saw that he was gaining, and increased his speed. He wasn't quite sure why it was that he was pursuing the figure in front of him, but it seemed like something he should do. Soon enough, he was within shouting distance, and called out, "You! Fleet foot! Halt now!" The figure looked over their shoulder just long enough for Cha'Kwe'Tza to spot a bit of orange mixed in with long, brownish hair. Calling again, Cha'Kwe'Tza added, "Why running? Cha'Kwe'Tza help."

[OOC: Couldn't find a spot to put in Natsumi's intro, but I will in my next post.]
 
A merchant's rule is not a lizardman's rule. Natsumi realized this might be the case when she fled, but had hoped the creature in question would be more interested in keeping his oath to the merchant caravan than pursuing a lone wanderer that just happened to spook the guards. She was wrong and rather annoyed when she heard the creature's rough clawing of the ground behind her.
 
Annoyance was quick to turn to curiosity, though, when that same being did not attack from afar. It offered help in the absence of facts: truly strange for any outsider. Strange enough, it seemed, to require a response.
 
"Help?" the young woman said after stopping halfway to her destination. She turned to face the outsider, using the ruins of Tinashe as a looming, melancholy background. "Why would a stranger help me when they know nothing about me, and especially without promise of crescents?"
 
Gusts of wind began to pick up on the plains at that moment, removing Natsumi's hood and exposing the anomalous ears to the sun. She stared at the lizardman known as Cha'Kwe'Tza, puzzling how to pronounce his name. His speech reminded her of lizards native to Revaliir, but only distantly. The phonetics were similar, yet different enough to pose problems during initial pronunciation attempts. Even so, she tried.
 
"Cha'Kwe," she began in an awkward attempt, "I ran because I used that caravan as a distraction against their wishes. The city behind me is where I'm headed, and I didn't have the silver to pay for passage. Merchants don't take kindly to others sticking around them in that situation, especially out here. However, they also don't divert from the paths. Put enough distance between yourself and them at a fast enough pace and they leave you alone."
 
Rauru descended from the skies following this explanation, landing on the druid's shoulder with grace. If it hadn't been clear the two were working together before, it most certainly was now.
 
"That is one ugly…" he began to coo in Natsumi's ear following the descent, but the girl quickly silenced him with her own bird speak.
 
"Shush. You don't know if he can speak with animals like I, and I don't want you antagonizing a rather large creature that I don't have the luxury of flying away from."

Cha'Kwe'Tza watched as the eagle that had screeched earlier circled down to land on the shoulder of what he now knew to be a young human woman. He was also noticing the ruined city behind her, and noted that it had an old feeling, even from this distance, and that there may be dangers ahead they were running into. Taking a few steps closer, Cha'Kwe'Tza said, "I no need shiny money. I help because High Priest say so." Although not one hundred percent true, it was close enough to the words that had been spoken to him regarding assisting in the recovery of magical relics. Now that he was about double arms length from the girl, Cha'Kwe'Tza really took notice in the girl's appearance. She had the ears of a fox in addition to those of a normal human.

Looking to the eagle then back to the girl, Cha'Kwe'Tza asked, "You are Shaman, yes?" The apparent affinity the girl had for nature with the bird on her shoulder, and the extra ears said this was a certainty to Cha'Kwe'Tza, but he had quickly learned that nothing was certain with humans, and they could be quick to anger on differences sometimes. A few moments of conversation went by between the two as the girl answered before Cha'Kwe'Tza looked back to the ruined city in the distance. Taking a step in that direction, he looked to the young lady that now stood at his side, and gesturing forward with his spear asked, "So we go there now? Hunt for relics, yes?" Cha'Kwe'Tza didn't know if there would be anything there for sure, but the mission was to search, and search he would. Even if it took him centuries to do so.

Cha'Kwe'Tza was truly an interesting character to Natsumi, especially given the combination of traits that composed his nature. Equal parts bestiality and humanity ruled this creature, just as they now ruled the young woman. He spoke of shamans with an accent not native to any land in Revaliir, and yet carried his being with the certainty of a civilized seeker. Asking for no money in return meant he was part of a society ruled by an honor code, much like Natsumi's birth home. Certainly, that made this lizardman a unique creature, one worthy of respect as well as pity.
 
"The animals of this world call me Natsumi," the druid replied as she eyed the reptile's advance. "I have no official title beyond a name; certainly not "Shaman." You may call me that if you wish, though." She wanted to tell Cha'Kwe'Tza more than that; to reveal more of her past and the titles she once had. However, she knew that, despite her desire to relate, her past actions might offend or confuse the creature. Any member from an honorable society adhering to a strict code, like Cha'Kwe, would have a hard time imagining someone casting off a similar code. That person who had run away would be seen as weak, unworthy of company. Natsumi couldn't allow that, given that this strong creature was offering free help that was so hard to come by lately.
 
"If you desire to come along, I have no complaint of that. There will probably be more than the artifact I seek within the ruins of Tinashe, along with guards. The only one I hold claim to is known as K.A.T. and will be ornately decorated with moons and trees. Other than it, everything is fair game for you." That was the bare truth. The young woman could only carry so much, and she only needed K.A.T. to pass her entrance exam. Any other relics in Tinashe might be nice to have, but they would just be dead weight during the long trip to Wyllmochvar. Also, since Cha'Kwe'Tza wasn't the type to apply for a position in a foreign institution, allowing him to have more artifacts did not directly endanger Natsumi's chances of being hired.
 
With that calculated risk in mind, the young druid prepared to depart. Turning to Rauru, she signaled for the harpy eagle to return to the sky. He readily accepted the command, and took off to resume his aerial patrol without a word. Now free of burden, and with a quick glance toward her newfound, odd partner, Natsumi was able to sprint off toward the ruined city. It wouldn't be long before her group arrived.
 

---

 
Tinashe, in the ancient language of its inhabitants, was a name that meant "God is With Us." The citizens had named their capital city thus out of pride, and the perimeter of the ruins reflected their hubris. Even centuries after their construction, the stone walls inscribed with ancient religious text stood relatively unweathered and intact. A single entrance lay open toward the current trade route, guarded by two, crumbling statues of soldiers. Between their bases lay the remains of the former, main road leading out of the city, now completely overgrown by grass and weeds. It was an image that proved man's vigor in his fight against nature's laws, but also the futility of that conflict.
 
The whole city, despite its bustling nature of ages long past, lay silent on approach: a ghost town on the foothills. Only the sounds of rodents scurrying about remains could be heard by the keenest of ears, and even they seemed strangled. Regardless of its outward, physical appearance, the capital of defiance was sorely beaten and subdued.
 
"They called it Tinashe as a way to say 'God is With Us,'" began Natsumi once she slowed her gait near the guardian statues. "And the gods rewarded their hubris with plague." Temporarily pulling her right arm back inside her robe, Natsumi retrieved a rough, leather bound journal filled with Wyllmochvaran text. It contained all of the professor's notes on the artifact locations he had given her before death, and the page on Tinashe was already earmarked. Opening to that section, the druid finally addressed her reptilian partner directly. "We should look for the capital building. This civilization was a monarchy, and the last king made several attempts to consolidate the country's wealth in the palace. As one of his last acts, he banned all banks, and moved everything extremely valuable to a vault in his palace. We find that vault; we find any riches this place still has to offer."
 
At least that was the plan.

Cha'Kwe'Tza had remained quite silent as the odd partners started towards the ruins together. The young girl that named herself as Natsumi claimed that she was not a Shaman, but obviously displayed the talents of one. Perhaps she was an apprentice and had not undergone the correct tests to earn the title. This was something that he understood since no one in his home lands gained title without first spilling the necessary blood to earn it. He also thought for a few moments on the possibility of the eagle being her instructor, as he had heard rumours of people being able to change their form to that of an animal, although he had never seen it for himself.

Ahead of them, the ruins stood silent. Flanking the gate was a pair of carved stone soldiers, keeping to their eternal duty of watching over the city. Scanning some of the surroundings, Cha'Kwe'Tza's yellow eyes took in the walls. They were still in relatively good shape, as were the markings all along them in a language entirely foreign to him. Some of the symbols did seem to bear some slight resemblance to the way that the scribes in his native land recorded things though. Passing through the gate, Cha'Kwe'Tza half listened as Natsumi explained the name of the ruins as Tinashe and the meaning behind it. Stopping as his new found partner spoke to him, Cha'Kwe'Tza nodded and grunted his agreement at the mention of the capital building.

Figuring that this city would be like most others before, the ruler's house would be either in the centre, or at the highest point. Heading off in that direction, Cha'Kwe'Tza's claws clicked lightly on the stone street as his spear beat a soft slow march every other step. After a moment or two of walking, Cha'kwe'Tza turned to look at Natsumi. "Nat…Sumi. What is this h…hub…hubris you say? I have not heard this word." Turning the corner part way through the explanation, Cha'Kwe'Tza spotted another figure standing in the middle of a small square that looked like it may have been used for a market at one point. Lowering his spear with a growl, he placed himself ahead of Natsumi to intercept an attack if the figure turned out to be hostile.

Blue stopped to take in the great view of the once magnificent city. He stood in a small square, most likely used for trading of goods. All the walls surrounding both the square and the streets around it were covered with runes of a language different to the one in they used in Andeluna. However, it did not matter to the mage as he was not from this world, and still illiterate in the all languages of Revaliir. The once busy streets of the ancient city were mostely covered in wildgrass. Still, some stone bricks remained. The sound of people rushing through their day had been replaced by the sound of grass crunching beneath his feet. 

He was far from his newfound home in Andeluna. It felt like it was only yesterday he fell from the sky, into the ocean between Adeluna and Duchy of Egjora. There, Blue had been picked up by a fisherfamily. The mage had since lived with them, slowly becoming a part of their household. However, not too long ago, he had left to scout this new, mysterius world for clues to what could have caused these portals apearing in the sky. Lately, Blue had learned of a powerful wizzard living in the the golden city of Mamlak, to the north. Ever since, the mage had been journeying towards the Harena Wastelands.

Blue flinched, startled by the sound of something clicking against stone. He was not alone. He felt his heart beating in a rapid increasing pace. He grabbed his magical staff with both hands, and focused on the direction of the sound. He determined that the clicking was coming from the south. By the pace of the creature made, Blue understood that it probably could outrun him. He waited in silence for the creature to appear. When it did, the mage took a step back in horror. 

The scaly figure in front of him looked like a monster straight from tales of yore. But it was neither the sharp teeth nor the size of the beast that scared Blue. It was that he had seen the creature before. When the mage traveled the Moritius swamp, he had watched as the monstrosity kill a giant crocodile . The reptilian had elegantly pierced the other reptiles brain through its mouth, using the very spear it now lowered with a growl. In the swamp, he had avoided the scaly brute, but there were no way around it this time. " Im not afraid of you!" Blue lied, pointing his staff towards the beast. 

[OOC: I'm struggling through flu right now, so sorry about the delay and/or quality for this post.]

'A soldier's duty lies with defending his home until his dying breath, with such valor and ferocity that his deeds live on to inspire - or terrify - those left behind.'
 
Natsumi had heard this phrase somewhere in her past, and, while she couldn't remember who said it, she began to recall its elegant symbolism when observing the stone colossi. Tinashe was an unsettling place. It was so quiet, and yet so intact. If anyone had had a mind to, they could have taken a group of settlers and re-established a colony in its walls. The question then became, "Why didn't they?"
 
Curiosity and caution danced across the young woman's mind in equal measure, but not enough to dissuade her entry into the city. She followed Cha'Kwe'Tza's lead, occasionally glancing back at the stone guardians until her guide spoke up.
 
"Hubris is word meaning 'excessive pride,' or faith in the self beyond reason," she replied in thinly veiled embarrassment. Even though common was not her first language, her level of education allowed her the luxury of speaking it more fluently than most. Her self-conscious tone, in this case, was attributable to the fact that she hadn't yet realized how rude she was being by assuming Cha'Kwe was at her level of understanding."If a soldier says he can take a position without stuttering, we call that confidence. If, however, he says he can take on an army by himself without having any proof to back up that claim, we call that hubris. It's a personality trait that is generally frowned upon in both continents of Revaliir, though more so in Canelux."
 
It wasn't long after this explanation that a new scent caught Natsumi's attention. Cha'Kwe seemed to notice as well, positioning himself between his partner and the source of the stench.
 
"He's a human touched by magic," the druid quietly stated whilst examining the distant, robed figure. She listened intently to the stimuli around her during the initial moments of confrontation, measuring each and every nuance with senses beyond those of a normal human. The result was clear. This man was lying when he said he wasn't afraid. "Pupils dilated," she began reciting to the man while moving into his line of sight, "arms guarding the front to ward away attacks on vital areas, the smell of stress induced sweat, an increased heart rate, and the nervous movement usually indicative of a thinly veiled desire to flee. You'll have to try harder when you lie next time, because I can spot a fearful animal even in the dead of night at this distance."
 
Minor tremors filled Tinashe after Natsumi was finished speaking, but they were so slight as to be barely noticeable. Their cause obscure, the shocks did not distract the girl's attention as they should have; for, had any of the three humanoid figures inside the ruins still been within viewing distance of the gate, they would have known evacuation, not confrontation, was the most prudent course of action at the moment. The stone guardians had moved from their flanking position, and were now peering over the walls looking for the intruders. A soldier's work, it seemed, was never done, even when that soldier was turned to stone.

As Natsumi spoke, calling the robed figure out on his lies, her explanation of hubris sped through Cha'Kwe'Tza's mind. He understood now. He recalled one time when another warrior in his spawning had tried to over extend the battle lines and charge through the demonic hordes by himself. He was consequently ripped to shreds. Bringing his head back into the present, Cha'Kwe'Tza looked from the robed figure ahead of him, then back at Natsumi. Adjusting his grip on both spear and shield, Cha'Kwe'Tza curled the fingers of his left hand into a superstitious gesture. He hated mages. He remembered watching as battle magic tore holes in the lines of his fellow warriors hundreds of feet wide. Despite the fact that this human most likely didn't possess even a fraction of that power, Cha'Kwe'Tza contemplated the idea of sacrificing him, and glanced to Natsumi quickly before speaking, "Magic human…I can eat this one yes? We also sacrifice for Gods yes?"

A few moments of commotion followed these comments, and Cha'Kwe'Tza could feel the spot under his neck taking on a red hue as his level of anger rose, but a tremor in the ground below his claws caused him to look around. He had ignored the previous tremors due to the robed figure being a more potential and immediate threat. Now that the shaking in the ground was noticeable, the Reptilian warrior searched for the source. Within a couple minutes of increased shaking, the sound of large foot steps resounded from the walls of the buildings around them. The stone soldiers that had flanked the city gates had climbed down from their pedestals, and were now looking to destroy those that intruded on their city.

Seeing the two near eight foot tall guardians ahead of him, Cha'Kwe'Tza raised his spear and hurled it with as much strength as he could put into the throw. Had the target been flesh and bone, the spear would've brought them down like a falling boulder. However, the stone bladed spear clattered uselessly from the stone soldier to roll across the ancient paving stones. Stepping back a few paces, Cha'Kwe'Tza pulled his sword from it's place on his side. Looking to the two others behind him, Cha'Kwe'Tza heard a shout. Turning with his shield raised, a gigantic stone fist collided with the centre of it, sending the warrior sailing the ten feet backwards into a nearby wall. Getting up on shaky feet, Cha'Kwe'Tza looked at the other two, "We run fast now, yes?"