Chapter 40: Tension

Huey felt... complicated. 

Some hours into after the meeting with the council, Huey found himself in...no longer a crude waiting room under strict surveillance...a small well furnished chamber or guest room prepared just for him.

The room wasn't large or small, it was a humble and cozy environment, decorated with the obvious taste of the natives. The small enclosed room featured a colorful prayer mat, brightly colored wall papers to add a sense of warmth to the environment, a few smaller furnitures and a decent sized matress placed in the middle.

What resembled a single led light hung from the jagged cave ceiling, and carved vents could be spotted at different corners of the walls.

At the moment, Huey was sitting cross-legged against the prayer mat. His arms were equally crossed, his eyes were closed, and his brows were knitted into a frown. To his left side was his black Blade.

The reason for his discomfort was obvious.

'Why give me a room at this time??'

Huey was intent on uncovering the Ntuli Council's plot this time. It was weird.

No, it was strange.

Since he arrived, Huey had been treated so coldly by the natives, enough so there were actual talks about decapitating him. The Elders from the Council sought out the slightest chance to get rid of him, and only out of pure begrudging courtsey (Huey's threats) was he giving a waiting room, if put politely.

If put politely. 

And even then, he had almost literal holes bore through his body by the venomous glares of the people assigned to 'keep him company. ' 

If glares could kill, Huey would have killed the guards before he could be killed instead.

But all of a sudden, they had a hundred and eighty change in attitude concerning him. The peevish old men and women were uncharacteristically docile the next time he returned, and the Village Head himself was behaving strangely. He didn't have to go that far to congratulate him, or even congratulate him at all.

Huey had a deal with the natives, and as long as both parties kept to their sides, no other formalities were needed. It was a simple and well balanced business.

'Well balanced my old man's ass... '

So maybe he had to kill hundreds of abomination just to get directions...

Little did Huey know, the reason for his hosts' sudden change in attitude was as a result of the reports they received from the survivors if the expedition.

Huey's feats hadn't gone on accounted for, perhaps maybe a little exaggerated even.

Each and every survivor emphasized greatly the immense abilities and overwhelming power the strange swordsman from the surface displayed; and how he went toe to toe against an Evolved Elder God, and utterly decimated the creature without a spec of his blodd shed.

The Ntuli Tribe were an aggressive civilization. Since the descent of Rifts and after the remnants of humanity fled behind the 'Walls', those left behind were forced to blood and survive in the treacherous territories of the corrupted Earth.

Their ancestors had braved the radiation with their bear flesh, and no core; they had survived by feeding off the flesh of their invaders, and off the deep hatred they felt for the rest of humanity who abandoned them.

If there was one thing mankind as a race we're notorious for, it was adaptability and holding grudges.

The Outsiders, like the Ntuli Tribes thought of themselves as the True humans.

They were the ones who survived. They were abandoned, left to die , and conquered indeed the apocalypse. The "Mana" radiation worked in so many ways, and the lifestyle adopted by these human outcasts forced them to evolve.

Seventy years later, the the Outsiders remain one of the most strongest human forces. Except that they never saw eye to eye with those of the 'Walls'.

The Ntuli Tribe respected strength and power before all others, enough so to nearly disregard half a century worth of hatred and grudges.

After understanding a glimpse of the extent of their guests capabilities, begrudgingly, the Elders were forced to change their stance over this individual. They were a civilization forged from blood and battle, they held honor and pride in strength and Huey Blade possessed an immense power. 

Also the survivors seemed to have taken a misunderstanding into some of Huey's actions.

He was so insistent on them staying away, that they now perceived it to be of his good will and sincere concern.

Yes, it was utter bullshit.

And if there's one thing the Ntuli people as a tribe recognized wholesomely almost as much as power, it was looking out for their kin and tribe as a whole. 

Ultimately Huey's strength was respected besides him being an apparent Surface dweller, and after a few moments of contemplating, the Village Head had taking a liking and wishes to keep such an individual within his good grace. After all, Huey had constantly insisted against being from the Walls.

So that meant, Hue was currently unaffiliated.

What happens if they had someone like him as a future ally?

Well at least that much was clear to Huey himself. He wasn't aware of his overly exaggerated feats by the survivors, but he wasn't dumb enough to not recognize when someone was sucking up to him.

It felt strange and uncomfortable, but Huey wasn't going to pick a fight with it. He also understood this could work in his favor in the future, especially after hearing and understanding the history of the Outsiders and their capabilities.

But they were in for a whole other thing if they thought they could get him to do their bidding.

"Ahh, whatever. I just need to get what I need an I'm out of here," whinning like so, Huey fell against his back and stared at the jagged cave ceiling.

He was finally going to get the directions he needed, and finally going to find his old neighborhood.

This was why Huey truly felt complicated.

-KNOCK -KNOCK

While he he was sorting out his unsettled feelings, Huey heard a knock from other side of the door.

He sat up, frowning, then said, not hiding his dissatisfaction in his tone. 

"Who is it?"

As soon as he said so, the steel door slid open, revealing his unexpected visitor and Huey furrowed his brows a little more.

"What are you doing here?" Quite frankly he was expecting to see Barak the one at the door.

Every since they returned the big man had been pestering him over and over, despite his wounds, for a second fight. Of course Hue had been disregarding him, but he knew not for how long.

He was slowly getting irritated and was this close to actually accepting, just so to beat the crap out of him and vent all of his accumulated frustrations — turns out, a few hundred stampeding packs of Elder Gods and an Evolved weren't entirely enough for him in the end. 

The one, however, at the door was a young silver haired lady with charming features.

"May I come in?" Tyla, disregarding Huey's question, instead said.

"Huh?" Huey gaped, and taking the reaction as a sign of affirmation, Tyla stepped into the room, the steel door sliding shot behind her.

In her hands were a folded bunch of what resembled clothes, placing them down in front of her, Tyla took a sit before Huey.

"..."

"..."

Like that, the two remained for a long stretch of seconds, a strange silence permeating the cozy room.

Tyla's gaze were deep and sharp, her face was still and motionless and her azure eyes remained unmoving against Huey's figure.

Sensing the young lady had absolutely no intentions of moving first, Huey suppressed a twitch in his eye and said first with a deeper frown

"You... I'll ask you again, why are you here? What do you want from me?"

Tyla finally moved and inched her face closer, for a whisper.

"I believe the real question is...what do you want from me? "

A little slow, Huey blinked.

" What are you say..." He began then suddenly stopped.

Backing off a little, Huey face palmed.

"That fucking Head...!" He grumbled then looked back at Tyla — "he sent you, didn't he?"

"I am here on behalf of my Tribe, " unperturbed, Tyla said and Huey instantly rebutted.

"Same difference! Isn't the Head, like, literally the head of your tribe?!" He threw a finger forward and persecuted.

Tyla frowned a little then backed off, clicking her tongue. A hint of displeasure making it into her motionless expression for the first time she walked into the room.

"Tsk. Let's just get this over with," saying so, the fair lady began to slowly take off her clothes.

Feeling a twitch in his head, Huey rebutted again.

"Oi! Don't ignore me and just start stripping urself!"

"Yes, you're right. We should take each other's clothes off ourselves, " saying so, Tyla stopped what she was doing and leaned forward for Huey. Her hands tenderly fell against his exposed chest, and caressing it softly, she felt the touch of the small almost imperceptible scales that spread sparsely against his skin.

"It helps that you're half naked. We'll be done quickly then," her hands dangerously slid downwards...and Huey's hands sharply flashed faster than her eyes could follow and grabbed Tyla's hands before it was too late.

"What do you think you're doing?" He said with a twitching smile.

"I am trying to perform my duties to my Tribe, now stop struggling and let me do my work...!" Tyla's other hand flashed equally as fast for his lower half, only to be met and caught by Huey's left hand as well.

Tyla clicked get tongue, expressing her utmost displeasure at the development.

"Fine." She said threateningly, and her azure eyes glowed sharply.

Pulling free her hands, Tyla's hands moved at amazing speed, and Huey feeling his chastity threatened, moved to deflect her approaches as well.

-VWOOSH -VWOOSH -VWOOSH

Their hands moved like a flurry of blurs as their eyes burned with frightening determination; Tyla's azure eyes burned with the intensity of her duty and will, while Huey's red eyes vibrantly glowed feverishly.

The battle drew longer, either parties refusing to give up momentum. 

From tightly gritted teeth, Tyla growled without breaking concentration from evading Huey's blocks.

"Why. Are you. Re-sisting...? It'll be 'in and out' and we're done! Easy!"

"Cut it out already...!" 

A thud resounded as Huey, capitalizing on an opening, pushed Tyla backwards and pinned her against the ground underneath him.

Huey's body was bent over her, their faces mere centimeters, and their chest heaving. Their breaths had quickened, the tension was high

Amidst the silence, the sounds of eachother's breath were like loud echo, stretching over long expanses of seconds into minutes.

Huey's blood red eye stared deeply into Tyla's deep azures. Then his gaze involuntarily shifted to her lips, and slowly down her exposed neck to her partially exposed heaving chest and blossom. 

Feeling his deep gaze prowling against her body, Tyla gulped. 

Her breath quickened by two seconds, and trying to hide the tension in her mind, she feigned indifference and said almost feverishly.

"...why are you resisting?" 

Tyla no longer fought against him, her hands were pinned and held down against the ground by Huey, his long hair fell partially forward over her, creating a small focused world where all she could see were the vibrant red eyes, and glowing orange pupils filled burning desire.

Under Huey's soul deep scrutiny, the young lady felt...exposed. She felt a strange sense of fear and excitement., tension abuzz.

The silence stretched, the longer the seconds, the deeper and quicker her breaths drew. 

Huey remained silent, his face hung dangerously closely over her, his eyes burning with unbridled intensity, and his grip on her arms grew tighter.

Seconds turned to minutes, and Huey lowered his head in a solemn response. 

"Because it's your duty."