<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff00ff">“I’m Raida of Inias, this is Ry'kanos and we mean you no harm we seek your help.” </span>Ry'kanos swayed his spear back and forth as he remained at a crouch, holding spear in front of him. If they didn't listen he would dive for the one on the right, the one on the edge of his periphery. They numbered around a dozen and most of them were well armed, bows made of yew and crafted by their hands. Elvish archers were incredibly deadly; it had been them that had been able to turn the tide of battle on those rare occasions when the elves had been able to win a battle against the overwhelming numerical foe. He had once seen an archer, the elf P'anderas, place an arrow in the eye of a human a hundred feet away in a thick forest. The fact that they had not him had been no accident.<br/><br/>A growl peeled from Slayer and Ry'kanos frowned. The Wolf presented a problem and he saw some of the elves shift nervously about as they had to focus most of their arrows on Slayer. If a melee struck out, they would try to bring down Slayer first and spare a few arrows for the soon-to-be-corpses of Ry'kanos and Raida. He could not fault them. In their position he very well might have done the same. The only chance in at least taking down one of them with him was in the element of surprise. His body practically hummed with energy as he prepared himself for one final defiant act against fate, only waiting for the slightest twinge from the elves to react.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff00ff"> “We come seeking your help in freeing the elves from the castle near the forest.”</span>Blunt and without preamble, that was all Raida. As he watched the elf, with bow pointed not two feet away towards Ry'kanos, eyes widened as it slowly dawned on who Ry'kanos was. Ry'kanos saw the look and frowned deeply, some of the tension in his body easing in acceptance of what was about to come. The elf in front of him released the tension from his bow and eased backwards to a serious elf with the glowing blue eyes famous in the Clan of Shar'tahl. Ry'kanos knew that Clan well for they had once been quite a martial Clan.<i>This must be one of the last few alive</i>, Ry'kanos thought. The Clan of Shar'tahl had mostly all died at the Battle of B'al Fy'erra.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff00ff">“You wouldn’t kill your own kin would you, especially the last living healer of the Inais Clan?”</span>Her words were met with silence as the elf whispered something in the Shar'tahl elf's ear. However, some of the tension was released as a few of the elves recognized the name of Inais.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff00ff">"You have to believe us, we aren't here to harm any of you."</span><br/><br/><div class="bbm_float fright" style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 10px">
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</div>Ry'kanos sighed as he saw the Shar'tahl elf look at him with dawning recognition and fury. He stepped forward, walking with an innate silver spear in his hand and he reeked authority. Ry'kanos rose to his height and gripped his own spear lightly, putting pommel against ground as the Shar'tahl elf stopped right in front of Ry'kanos, a sneer forming on his face.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00ff80">"It is not you Raida Inais'kin that we believe would harm us."</span>He almost spat out the next words,<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00ff80">"But this.. thing.. kinslayer.."</span>He growled the last word and Ry'kanos and Raida heard a lot of muttering issue forth from the surrounding elves. The tension that had faded was ratcheted up once more as several of the elves turned their bows on Ry'kanos.<br/><br/>The Shar'tahl elf's next words were directed entirely at Ry'kanos,<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00ff80">"Tell me something Ry'kanos. How does an elf go from hero of the Battles of Ko'as B'enach and Wal'ew X'an and Commander of the Swords of Kal'this to slaying your own kin in the Arena?"</span>The Shar'tahl's elf's words were true, but something about the elf in front of Ry'kanos was familiar... it suddenly dawned on him who was in front of him and his next words were spoken in resignation,<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">" Heston, I am sorry..," </span>shock and pain broke the wrathful visage of Heston and he stepped back as if struck.<br/><br/>His next words to Ry'kanos were spoken in a whisper, but a cold fury spat venom through he words nonetheless<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00ff00">,</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00ff80">"You're sorry? You should have died with your Company, kinslayer. Maybe my brother would still be alive!" </span>Heston gripped his spear in two hands and seemed on the verge of running his spear through Ry'kanos. Ry'kanos stood patiently and slowly gripped his spear with both hands as well. If he had not met Raida before, he would have allowed the elf to run him through. He deserved it. In the Arena he had killed many of his own kind for the amusement of the crowd and if anyone had a right to vengeance, it was the man in front of him.<br/><br/>However, he had made an oath to Raida, and the oath took precedence.<br/><br/>Heston did not look away from Ry'kanos, but he spoke to Raida next,<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#00ff80">"Raida Inais'kin, we will allow you to leave but for this.. kinslayer here, he dies tonight by my blade.<br/>
<br/>
Ry'kanos Au'valo. I challenge you."</span>