Tomilcar stood in the doorway quivering with rage, "That...that...that THING stole my sash!" he sputtered. Eyes narrowing, he added, "That sash was a gift to me from the Queen of China! Okay, Sank! The Empress of China! Whatever."

Blithely unaware of the malevolent gaze being directed at his back, the ostrich continued happily slurping Lotus's kash. Tomi went outside to retrieve his sword and belt from the ground, but was back in an instant straightening his cloak and sizing up the ostrich. Hm-m-m, easily nine feet tall, it had a few inches on him — well, okay, a few feet — but with that clumsy body it couldn't be very fast. And just look at that little tiny head! All beak and eyes and not a very sharp beak at that. Not a very sharp expression in the eyes, either. Of course, at the rate it was guzzling kash, it was going to be under the table quicker than Jonus. He could just wait and take his sash back after it passed out.

But no! The thing had impuned his dignity. The bird must die! With an expression he had never used outside of the battlefield Tomi stalked up to the bird, determined to retrieve his beloved sash and exact vengeance for the humiliation he had suffered at the bird's ... wings.

Apil's ostrich sensed something moving behind it and cocked its head around to the side to better watch the human approaching. Instinct told it that the man's intentions were anything but healthy for its own survival. So, in a move so quick no one really saw it happen, the bird kicked backward with one leg, landing a solid blow to his chest.

Thankfully, Tomi was still wearing his armor and the breastplate absorbed most of the actual blow. The percussion, however, lifted him three feet off the ground and threw him backward throught the door to the Kash Bowl. There was a loud THUMP!! and then nothing. The patrons of the bar waited breathlessly, straining in a futile effort to witness Tomi's return. In a moment, they heard a very quiet voice say,

"Ouch!"