Blackfeather Woods glowing like prey in the forest of death

There is something that Kahlil finds intensely interesting about the fact that the oldest of the boys chooses him to zero his plight upon seemingly rather unconcerned by Neo. Perhaps it is because Kahlil is the youngest but there is a nagging suspicion that says that plays little to no part. The older boy’s speech seems to be, for the most part, directed at him despite how Neo swaggers about with exaggerated dominance… that is enough to cause the viper to roll his eyes. “No,” Kahlil replies with a soft, throaty chuckle and a wicked smirk across his muzzle as glacial gaze slides to Vaati (though he is yet unnamed to the Speaker’s boys). Such challenges do not scare Kahlil, the press of Neo’s dominance and Vaati’s superiority complex — both to rival his own as unfortunate as that is — is not a burden to spinesplitter. If anything it only furthers his drive. Though there are numerous words in his vocabulary all eloquent and artfully crafted, that they can charm, beguile and deceive he knows that they can remain hollow and empty. When Kahlil speaks his actions will back up his words and he has every intention of turning his tenacity towards what he can become here. He is tundrian and he will twist these beginnings of rivalries — and oh how he itches for them! — to his advantage; sure as he is that such is not the desired effect the other boys were, perhaps, hoping for.

They do not know him. They cannot know that attempting to push him into the dirt (metaphorically or literally speaking) will simply cause him to rise, to fight stronger and harder. And he will succeed here. He will become a son of Blackfeather Woods through tenacity, hard work and devotion. He will make the eldest boy eat his words, of this Kahlil is incorrigibly determined.

“Whether you like it or not I’m here,” For Kahlil will not speak for Neo. “and I’m not going anywhere. Perhaps I don’t belong here yet,” Kahlil acknowledges with a small rise of his muzzle, offering a slight pause in words as he glances from boy to boy, sizing them both up. “but I will.” At all and any cost. As for the experiment comment Kahlil does not ignore it for it is not in his nature to ignore a threat but he does not let it rile him because he would like to see the boy try; thus he chooses silence as his response, narrowing his eyes at the other boys.