Ask did not react at all to the sword tip pointed at his companion - it was more or less the reaction he had expected. Kalai, on the other hand, bit his lower lip and shifted his eyes downwards, and small beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The perceptive onlooker might have taken notice of how the glyphs on the invoker's sleeves had taken on a fierce glow as the chieftain's steel approached their wearer's neck, and of how lithe, ebony fingers swiftly moved to pull a thread from the fabric. Whether this or the scimitar was the reason for Kalai's sudden anxiousness is up to speculation, but he did seem to grow a lot calmer as the glow began to fade. Of course, this was at the same time the chief removed his blade...

Kalai never spoke in return - perhaps he did not trust his temper, or perhaps he feared retribution from the wizened man beside him. At any rate, the invoker found himself pulled aside by the old man's iron grip. Ask gave a weary sigh and mumbled something about men of titles, before speaking up. He did not turn to face Arlix, but let his gaze rest on Al-kin. As the guest finished her speech, he replied without much emotion, "Host if you will, High Chief", unceremoniously accepting the chief's terms, it appeared. There was no telling whether he would care to remember those terms if things did not go as he wished, however.

"Now, you promise to answer my questions", he said to the sword-wielding shifter, "and yet, you answer one of my questions indirectly, and the other not at all. It is clear that you have no idea of what you have done-", the rest of the sentence was drowned out, as Kalai clasped his hands over his face and gave a pained groan. "He cost us this much, and doesn't even know!? Agh, I cannot believe this!". Ask waited patiently for his companion's unintelligible - but, rest assured, highly creative - curses to die down before continuing. "As I said, you obviously do not know what grudge we hold against you. I will explain, in the hopes that we can come to a solution that does not involve too many returns to the Earthmother. I suppose the explanation is rather simple".

"It happened a few days ago. You should be able to recall the exact moment - I have troubles conceiving that anyone would easily forget the fireball volley Kalai sent after you only moments after you ruined our plans. As I mentioned earlier, the two of us have joined together to form a hunting expedition, and we have spent the better part of a year hunting exotic - and oftentimes dangerous - creatures across the world. Our reasons for this hunt are our own, but part are them is what drives most everyone. Money. Now, that day when we had the misfortune of happening upon you, we were moments away from catching one of our most precious quarries yet. Kalai, please explain - this is your area of expertise, after all". Making a sweeping motion toward his companion, Ask took a step aside.

Kalai, who was still wallowing in self-pity, looked up in surprise, but quickly regained his dignified posture and cleared his throat. In but a moment he went from temperamental to calm and professional, as he attempted to explain the situation in his broken speech. "The difference is in the colour. Not gryphon of a normal colour, but red. Different in the flesh, in the blood, in almost everything. Bones and gastroliths are good for the trophy rack, good for the money. Blood, gall, all fluids - mixing them right I would recommend for explosions, or in another way for... different effects. The ancient one could use the feathers, and somehow keeps tendons fresh for my laboratory. There is also the feathers, and fur, and intestine. All useful. All rare. All are expensive! If we catch it we are rich, but you! Augh! You bumbled through the trees like some idiot, it hears and takes off!". With an expression of mile-deep irritation, Kalai began to massage his forehead, as though he were having a headache. Nodding, Ask spoke up again.

"To those who know how and where, a red gryphon can easily be worth more than a dragon", he said, and his voice resembled dry leaves crumbling 'neath a boot. "It only adds to the gravity of the situation that such creatures do not generally inhabit these lands - which means that it must have fled too far to be pursued. Calling what we lost a king's ransom would be taking it lightly, and let me assure you that men have died for fractions of its worth". Locking his ancient eyes with Al-kin's, he asked, "Now. If not with your life, how you will you pay for this slight? And another thing. To answer the question you did not reply to the first time: introduce yourself".