Fancy a Bout to the Death? }{Silvarn and Talwyn

[Talwyn]

Talwyn nearly exploded. "Would you just give up already?!" He seethed as he jumped back once more and sheathed his blade. Adjusting his stance, he held his left hand as if holding a bow. "Undine, fountain of all water..." As he started chanting, the magical energy flowed to his hands. "Give into my hands, an arrow clear as glass..." From the energy, a bow made of ice appeared in his left hand.

Moving his right hand as if nocking and drawing back an arrow, he finished the chant. "And let it freeze those it pierces." The magical energy formed a string and arrow. The arrow made of ice so clear it looked like glass. Taking aim at Kaleidyns thigh, he let go of the string and let his arrow fly. Letting go of the bow, it fell apart in millions of little ice crystals. Each of them melting and evaporating before they even touched the ground.

Placing his left hand on the scabbard, he unsheathed his blade once more and eyed his opponent carefully...

[Silvarn]

Kaleidyn's vision still swam in a sea of bursting stars, but he could finally see his surroundings, albeit partially. The ringing in his ears faded, and he caught his opponent saying, "...it pierces.," then a crystalline twang! He knew something was amiss. Then he detected an eerie, sharp whistle coming from somewhere in front of him, below his belt-line. His temperance resonated within him. He swung his blade in a large, sweeping circle, catching the arrow just before it burrowed into his thigh. They collided in an echoing chang! and the angle of the blade deflected it into the nearby wall. A frigid, biting pain ran up Kaleidyn's arm, further pushing his senses to accommodate all sensations.

He started to win the fight against the forces overloading his senses, so he resumed his pose of chafing arrogance. "Keep your gods, sirrah," he said in a silky voice, "this is a fight between men."

[Talwyn]

Tal was about to reply when he heard the sound of collapsing stone. Raising his cowl once more, he glanced at the source of the sound and noticed the city guard had succeeded in tearing down a section of the wall he had created. With a sigh, he sheathed his blade and motioned Kaleidyn to do the same while scanning around their "arena". His eyes widened as he spotted something interesting.

Turning around to face the guards Kaleidyn could once more see the magical energy gathering around him. "Sylpheed, warden of air, director of fair breezes and all-devouring storms alike. I ask of thee a gale, that will sweep away everything in it's path!" Finishing the chant, he thrust out his arms and a blast of wind knocked the guards back several feet. Tal however, did not stop there, he immediately started yet another chant. "Undine fountain of all water! This humble servant pleads to thee! Enshroud me in a covering mist, so that I may go unnoticed!"

The moment this next spell finished, a thick and heavy fog appeared in the market square. He rushed over to Kaleidyn, but purposefully stayed back far enough to dodge an incoming attack. Most likely, only his silhouette was barely visible to the man. "Follow me if you want to finish our fight, or stay here and try to come up with an explanation that would satisfy the guards, your choice." His voice was barely more then a whisper.

He rushed over to the sewer entrance he had spotted during his scan of the area. As he Opened it, he pushed Kaleidyn in. "Hurry up, this mist won't last forever." As he followed the man, he quickly closed the entrance again. A quick chant later a globe of white light appeared in Tal's hand. Looking around to get his bearings, he suddenly pointed at one of the tunnels. "This way, hurry!" He said as hurried into the tunnel.

[Silvarn]

As Talwyn finished his incantations, Kaleidyn felt the burning valor within him subsiding. He knew it was not because of Talwyn; rather, Edin's hold on his virtues began to slip. He could think rationally now -- in fact, overly so. Without his valor to drive him forward, his temperance held him in check. It took some coaxing, but Talwyn finally convinced him to take slow. careful steps toward the sewer entrance. Even then, he descended with calculated caution.

He watched Talwyn bolt into a tunnel, and followed after him with lethargic steps. His body twisted back and forth slowly, his eyes constantly in search of danger, his sword always at the ready to defend him. His breathing was slow and steady, his thoughts smooth and rational. He knew he was taking his dear sweet time, but nothing could tell him to do otherwise.

[Talwyn]

Talwyn turned to see if Kaleidyn was keeping up and halted. Placing his hand on his forehead he sighed heavily. "Come on, hurry up slow poke. We don't have all day, those guards are going to figure out were we went sooner or later, and I'd rather they can't hear our footsteps anymore when they do!" Moving once more, he noticed Kaleidyn still wasn't quickening his pace.

"Ugh... Come on, either hurry up or I'll leave you here! Good luck in finding your own way out when you lose your only source of light." This seemed to prod the man to move quicker, though not by much. From the way Talwyn was confidently navigating his way through the tunnels, it was obvious he was no stranger to them.

After what seemed like hours, it was pretty hard to keep track of time in these tunnels, Talwyn suddenly stopped at a little niche in the wall. His eyes scanned the wall and with his right hand he started touching the wall. Suddenly, one of the bricks was pushed into the wall and Tal let out a sigh of relief. Whatever he had done, it must have started some mechanism as with a loud, rumbling sound, part of the wall seemed to slide back.

Beckoning to his companion to follow him, the door closed again after Kaleidyn. They walked through a narrow passage with a slight upward inclination untill they reached a circular, wooden door, resembling the rear of a wine barrel. After Tal opened it and they crawled through it, it turned out it actually was a fake wine barrel, used to hide this entrance.

A sour and burly man looked at them with surprise. "What the...? Tal? What are you doing here? And how on earth did you find this entrance?" A grin appeared on the warriors face. "Oh come now Baden, you honestly thought I didn't know about your smuggling?" The burly man didn't look too pleased, but Talwyn seemed to ignore it. "Anyway, is the tavern empty? I need my stuff and prefer it if no one saw me come in or out." Before the man could even reply, Tal was already out of the wine cellar.

He returned within minutes and the innkeeper stopped him. "What's going on Tal?" With a sigh, Tal explained the situation. "WHAT? The city guard is after you and you dare to use my secret entrance? Are you nuts Tal?"
"don't worry, they didn't follow us. But it'd be best if I left Tamasha for a bit. Keep the money I already gave you for my room as compensation." And with that, he pushed Kaleidyn back into the passage back to the sewers.

After walking for what seemed like hours once more, he suddenly stopped and climbed a ladder. Carefully he lifted the cover of the entrance and checked around. Dropping back down, he looked at Kaleidyn. "Okay, you have been slowing us down a lot. I tolerated it thus far but no more. I'll get us out of Tamasha but if you keep going as slow as you have been for the past hour or so then by the gods, I'll leave you behind and let you figure it out on your own."

[Silvarn]

"I would be most appreciative if you were to desist manhandling me and allow me to follow you of my own accord. Indeed, I would prefer it if you would discontinue making physical contact with me altogether. I had every desire to kill you only hours ago, and that feeling creates within me a distrust towards you, one you have done little to alter.

"Furthermore, I have a perfectly legitimate reason why I did not keep up with you -- several reasons, know that I think upon it -- but, none of which I desire to disclose to you if you insist on maintaining such a curt demeanor towards me. Regardless, those reasons have passed, and I will be able to keep pace, I assure you."

He paused, taking in a deep breath and exhaling it slowly, "There, I have said my piece. Pray, answer me but one inquiry: Where are you taking us?"

[Talwyn]

Tal looked at the other man with surprise. "Right... thank you for getting me out of that tight spot... oh no problem you're welcome..." He muttered sarcastically. It was obvious he wanted to say more but he quickly swallowed his words. This wasn't exactly the time for arguments. Eying Kaleidyn he finally sighed.

"I don't know..." He answered carefully. "I hadn't thought that far ahead yet to be quite honest. Figured getting out of the city was more then enough to worry myself with for now. Worrying about where to go can wait until after we get out of the gates. Now either you follow me or you find your own way out, but I'm getting out of here."

And with that, he quickly scaled the ladder once more, emerging into a back-ally. He looked around and bolted off after getting his bearings. As he stopped he looked back to see if Kaleidyn was following him or not, before quickly picking the lock on the warehouse door. Quickly heading for the second level, he opened a window and with a mighty leap, he landed on the city wall, from where he quickly made yet another leap towards a big, sturdy oak tree.

After climbing down, he looked up to the wall and waited for Kaleidyn.

[Silvarn]

Kaleidyn kept up with him quite easily. In fact, he frequently had to slow his own pace so Talwyn could stay in front. Though, once he saw the path Talwyn intended to take, he cared little for staying behind. As soon as Talwyn opened the window and leaped through it, Kaleidyn was right behind. No sooner than he had one foot planted on the wall, he jumped again, landing on the tree branch with the other foot and leaping lightly off it to the ground. He waited impatiently as Talwyn clambered down. The blue one stared at the wall, as if he expected Kaleidyn to be so far behind. He tapped Talwyn on the shoulder, saying "Looking for me?"

His hand reflexively went to the hilt of Edin, "So, we are without the city walls. What do you intend to do now?"

[Talwyn]

Almost letting out a sigh at the assumed tardiness of his... companion, Tal whirled around as Kaleidyn tapped his shoulder, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword. It was odd though, this man seemed like a different person than the one he had fought earlier in the market square...

"What I intend to do, my mood swinging partner in crime, largely depends on you. After all, it was you who insisted on starting that little brawl in the market place. We can can continue with that little scuffle if you so desire." Eying the man closely, Tal slowly relaxed the grip on his sword. "Personally however, I think I caused enough commotion for a single day."

Turning his back to Kaleidyn, he remained wary and careful. "There is an abandoned farm about thirty minutes from here." Taking a few steps, he stopped and gestured to the travel sack he had retrieved while at the inn. "If you think things can remain civil between us, you might be able to persuade me to share some of my supplies."

[Silvarn]

Kaleidyn looked back at Tamasha. There was his home, the only place he had really ever known. He had grown up in its streets, using every skill he had to survive. Then, fortune graced him with a mixed blessing, and now he presided as Lord Rae'Vin, a fallen but still influential noble House. Why spend their time in a barn when they could relax in the comfort of the Manse? But, then again, the guardsmen would be looking for them, and they had only just escaped the city, much to Talwyn's help.

He then realized how fortunate he had been to run into Talwyn, and not someone else. If he, Kaleidyn, had encountered some poor villager, he would have innocent blood on his hands now.

"I am in agreement with you -- enough is enough, at least for this day. And, if it indeed means anything, I must apologize for my previous vehemence. If you will but provide me with the opportunity, I shall make matters clear to you. If you have nothing more to say, good sir, then lead on."

[Talwyn]

"Ha!" Talwyn snorted as he started walking once more. "Make matters clear? That'd be a first. The way I look is all the reason most people need." He said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. Growing silent, he thought back to how this all started. He remained slightly cautious, but for some reason, just like during his duel with the man, he just knew this man could be trusted. And perhaps, even become a friend?

With a sigh, he shook his head. A friend? With him? Surely he was kidding himself. This man looked like a rather upstanding citizen. His stance, his walk, his weapon of choice... all showed this was not a common adventurer. There was no way a man like that would ever willingly associate with him longer then was absolutely needed.

Reaching the farm, Tal pulled pieces of the fence out of the ground and took them with him. An odd look of surprise crossed his face as he suddenly noticed there were logs next to the fireplace. Seems like someone else had been using the farm for shelter recently...

Tossing the planks to the floor, he grabbed his sword and motioned to Kal to remain silent. "We should check if there is anyone else here." He whispered as he pulled his cowl down and walked off to check if there was anyone besides the two of them.

[Silvarn]

His courtier's eyes, which he had inherited from his father, told him his companion was having an internal dilemma. Stoic as the blue man might be, he could not suppress the telltale grimace on his face, as if he had swallowed something sour. Moreover, he avoided looking at Kaleidyn, almost ostentatiously so. Either this was his nature, Kaleidyn surmised, or he was having conflicting thoughts concerning him.

They reached the farm in good time, the dilapidated structure and the equally-decrepit buildings surrounding it gave Kaleidyn a very uneasy feeling in the back of his spine. Still, he followed Talwyn into the area, his hand naturally gripping Edin's hilt. He had spent the better part of his life living in terror of ambushes -- he was not going to be caught off-guard, not this time.

"We should check if there is anyone else here." said his companion, slipping off to investigate the area.

Kaleidyn drew Edin from her sheath, keeping her lethal point at the ground, ready to jab up and under a ribcage, should anyone try to attack him. He crept around the facility, keeping close to the walls and scanning every inch of the area with his hawk-like eyes.

Scritch, scritch.

There, something. A sound, nothing else. His quick feet and curiosity drove him toward it.

Pit, pat. Pit pat.

Something else. Footsteps. Getting closer. Kaleidyn hid himself behind a wall, bringing Edin up this his face. The footsteps came closer and closer, and they were curiously light.

A thief. Kaleidyn concluded. Then, when the steps were almost right next to him, he swung out, bringing Edin with him in a lethal arc, aiming slightly below eye level to catch the thief in the neck.

But he saw nothing.

He blinked in surprise and glanced around in confusion. Then there was a small sob from his beltline. He looked down.

And the boy looked up at him. He sobbed a little again, his eyes swimming.

"Please, sir." the boy choked out, "Don't hurt me. But please, sir, don't make me go back to Tamasha."

Kaleidyn, hurt that the boy had assumed him a villain, sheathed Edin quickly and knelt before the boy.

"I am not here to hurt you, nor to take you anywhere you do not wish to go. If you are here seeking shelter, then you and I have something in common. My friend and I are also hiding away from the people of Tamasha. May we stay here awhile with you?"

The boy nodded silently. Kaleidyn rose and led the boy back to the fireplace. "Now, lad, wait here awhile while I fetch my companion. I will return shortly."

He bit back the urge to call out to Talwyn. There still might be others about.

[Talwyn]

Kaleidyn didn't have to go very far as Talwyn was just returning, roughly shoving another boy forward, nearly causing him to fall face first on the floor. "I saw another kid, but it ran off." He said gruffly. "Seems I'm not the only one that found something." Nodding to the boy Kaleidyn had found, Talwyn made sure his cowl was properly covering his face.

With a sigh, he shook his head. It was obvious he had no idea what to do. Noticing he still had his sword drawn, he smirked and quickly sheathed the blade. Sitting down on a wooden box he eyed the two boys from underneath his cowl before eying Kaleidyn. "You think we should take them back to Tamasha?"

[Silvarn]

Kaleidyn looked at the blue-skinned man and shook his head, "From what this one told me," he indicated the boy he had stumbled across, "he is very reluctant to return to Tamasha. Family woes, perhaps. An urchin, maybe. In any case, something unpleasant awaits him upon his return; or, at the least, he perceives such."

He turned his attention to the boys, cowering together and shivering from a blend of chill and fright, "Besides, I would be glad of more company this night." In the back of his mind, Kaleidyn admitted he wanted witnesses in case his stony companion tried to tickle his ribs in the night.

"Now, I am assuming that since you two are here and have not been taken hostage, there are no outlaws lurking in the shadows for us. All the same, it would behoove us to make certain of my theory." he made toward the door, indicating for Talwyn to follow him.

Before he exited, he turned to the boys and said, "Ready your best tales, lads, for upon our return I shall ask for them. Nothing cheers my heart more than stories around the fire."

He was lying -- the only thing that truly made him happy was the memory of Athena, and even that carried a bittersweet taste.

[Talwyn]

Talwyn sighed at Kaleidyn's answer. Oh well, these kids were not his problem. Getting up as Kaleidyn motioned him to follow, he muttered under his breath. His tone a mockery of Kaleidyn's upper-class citizen accent, though he made sure Kaleidyn could not hear him of course. "It behooves us to make certain of my theory... pfft... just speak plainly already."

thoroughly checking the place, Talwyn made a discovery in the attic. The kid he had caught running off earlier was hiding there, together with yet another kid. The older one, a boy, was trying to hide a young girl from Tal's sight. Based on what he saw, he assumed the girl to be his younger sister.

"So you weren't just running away, you were gonna make sure she was alright. Guess you're not the little coward I thought you were. Now come on. Both of you." When they weren't moving fast enough, a hint of irritation crept into his voice. "Now!" They looked a bit scared, but at least it got them moving. Besides... Talwyn was used to people being afraid of him.

He shook his head to indicate he found nothing when he saw Kaleidyn and raised his shoulders when the other looked at the kids. "You're the one that wanted to hear their 'best' tales, no doubt they'll tell you all you want to know when you're holding hands and singing songs with them around the fire."

After entering the room where they had left the first two boys, Tal started pacing around one of the edges, the floorboards squeaking loudly with every step. Seeming content, he grabbed the box he had sat on earlier, and placed it in the corner with all the squeaky flooring. Sitting down, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, though it was obvious to all he would be listening to whatever was being said.