"I know a waste of flesh when I see one," the miner said. "This is a job. You don't get to glide through here."
Olmed stepped toward him.
About that time, a green tail wrapped around the other miner.
"Be calm, Holok."
Erzo, a Charro with green skin and a long tail pulled Holok away from Olmed.
"Let go of me," Holok snapped back at Erzo. "This doesn't concern you."
"Well, if it's in my mine, then yes, it concerns me," Erzo said. Shifting his tale, he slammed Holok into the wall before he released him.
Holok stood, shaking his head. "What did you--"
"Enough," Erzo said. "Fight is over."
“You don’t tell me what to do, Charro,” Holok snapped, even though he was still rubbing his head. “I’ll report you for abuse! Miner Needs will hear about this!”
“You do that,” Erzo said. “Be sure they bring up the recordings too and see how you purposely shoved yourself into the Kantenan, here, just to get a rise out of him.”
Olmed gritted his teeth.
"I did no such thing!" Holok fired back.
"Shall I bring up the recordings?" Erzo asked, his tail sort of weaving back and forth behind him.
"You don't know," Holok said and turned to point at Olmed. "You haven't seen the last of me. I know all about you."
Olmed blinked. "Evidently not."
Erzo glanced at Olmed. "You okay?"
"He is runt. I would have handled it."
"He is," Erzo said. "But he can make a lot of noise." He looked up at him, being a half-a-head shorter than Olmed. "You don't need noise, or so I've heard."
So that was how it would be. At least that, Olmed understood.
"I take care of myself."
Erzo nodded. “Never hurts to know others.”
Olmed nodded.
He turned to pick up an empty catcher when from nowhere, he was hit by a chunk of ore.
The pain hit.
Then the fury. His spinal bones extended, creating ridges on his shoulders and back, and ripping through his working tunics.
Olmed spun around.
Holok and three friends laughed. For a moment. Then they saw the boning sticking out.
Olmed launched at them.
The other miners in the area gave them as wide a berth as possible, but it didn’t take long.
