"GwaH!" Erandia managed to squeak out as the man with wings fell on top of her unsuspecting back. The red-headed bodyguard muttered a quick stream of apologies as he tries to let the fallen summoner up. The other red-head glared at the perpetrator before being stunned at the sight of his wings.
"Another Laguz? What are you doing here-- hold up, did Tibarn set you up for this?" Sighing in irritation, the summoner scratched the back of her head before complaining at the confused tengu. "Really, you get assassinated one time and suddenly everyone is high-strung as heck. Never mind that I'm perfectly pseudo-immortal unless it's a douche from this Zenith."
"E-Excuse me?"
"Listen, I know you're just following orders from that Hawk King of yours but there has got to be a line drawn here somewhere! It's bad enough Reyson and Leanne have been stuck with me through out the week, now I got that big guy to worry about sending his followers to babysit me!" Erandia huffs in indignation as a wicked idea forms into her head.
"You know what? Sorry for being collateral but you're the perfect proof I need to make him stop this!"
"W-Wait a sec--"
"Alright, onwards to your king!" The girl happily skips forward while her other hand clutches onto Cherval in a death grip. The bodyguard followed along, mostly because he has no idea what's going on and possibly to get some answers out of this mess. The two of them stopped when a group of bird-like ("are they also Tengu?" Cherval whispers) beings laughing along. One of them seemed to have spotted the girl as he paused in confusion and smiled.
"Tibarnnnnn! I found one of your followers babysitting me again!"
A chorus of groans and laughter filled the area as the man known as Tibarn shushed them. Gold eyes pierced the Tengu's own blue ones as sweat started to crawl an his back, feeling as if he's being searched throughly.
'I should have tried to stop this girl harder...'
"Lady Erandia, you misunderstand." the hawk Laguz smiled wryly, seemingly apologizing but cautious towards the red-headed man. "He is not one of my own. In fact, I believe he's not even a Laguz."
"W-Wait, you aren't?" Erandia blinks at Cherval, a blush slowly forming at what seemed to be a misunderstanding. "W-Why didn't you say anything!?"
"I tried! You wouldn't listen!"
"O-Oh Naga above, I'm so sorry!"
The other Laguz seemed to laugh harder at the admission with Tibarn guffawing the loudest. Cherval dusted the grime off his clothes, trying to keep everything in order (or what he could keep in order anyway) Having had enough entertainment, Tibarn stepped forward and apologized firmly at what his summoner had done, offering the other man a drink or two.
"I need to get back, my task hasn't been completed yet." Cherval states before adding, "And for the record, I am a Tengu, not a Lagus or whatever."
"Ah, like folklore Tengu? Youkai?" Erandia's eyes lit up, remembering fondly the folktales of Earth she once loved.
"Are you strong?"
"Yes on both accounts."
"That settles it then." Tibarn nods before staring at the confused Tengu. "As apologies and gratitude for this incident, I would like to challenge you to a fight. Our Hawk Laguz against your Tengu."
"But--"
"Hey now," Erandia starts off, a twinkle of mischief present in her brown eyes, "not accepting a formal invitation to a duel against the King of the Bird Clans himself is kinda insulting, you know?"
Cherval stares in disbelief before sighing in defeat.
He'll just have to make this (hopefully) quick.