He might have been proud, but he was also wary and not so stupid as to let this stranger with unknown abilities and unknown intentions close to him. He was too familiar with bullies, Hidden and human alike, not to recognize what Nate was doing, but unlike those others he had no idea where the limits were here. Kel took two quick steps back and then planted his bow in the ground, frowning at the encroaching breathless one as Nate continued to mock and huff at him. "Stop," he said, quiet but with more force than he had used before. "Stop getting so close." But the words prickled at him, raising more questions. It almost sounded as if this man was also...
At least he stopped looming, tiredness overtaking his previous spite, but the shift was so sudden that Kel couldn't help but doubt its sincerity and he remained on edge and waiting for the swift shift back to anger once more. "How can one live without breathing?" he asked instead, the explanation not quite like a ghoul but not enough different from one for him to relax his guard. "You have no... no spiritus vitae. Not dead, but you don't really seem alive, either..." At least, not by the Outlander's limited definition of the term. His eyes widened as something else occurred to him a moment later, and his attitude shifted to a little more concern - not for himself, but for the stranger. "Were you cursed?"
At least he stopped looming, tiredness overtaking his previous spite, but the shift was so sudden that Kel couldn't help but doubt its sincerity and he remained on edge and waiting for the swift shift back to anger once more. "How can one live without breathing?" he asked instead, the explanation not quite like a ghoul but not enough different from one for him to relax his guard. "You have no... no spiritus vitae. Not dead, but you don't really seem alive, either..." At least, not by the Outlander's limited definition of the term. His eyes widened as something else occurred to him a moment later, and his attitude shifted to a little more concern - not for himself, but for the stranger. "Were you cursed?"
