Nash flew backwards winded.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">Here you will learn to trust your instincts more than thought</span><br/>The screams of others was drawing nearer. He needed to leave.<br/>The image of himself, being thrown like a ragdoll by the knights shield,<span style="font-style: italic">and left alive</span>irked him.<br/>Another Slayer, a youngling, by the look of his stricken face, leaned over him and whimpered.<br/>Nash's arm snaked out and seized him by the throat, "You can fight or run, but don't you dare break the Law. No crying, no screaming, in the midst of combat."<br/>Yome choked out the words, "My prince we need to leave. Danger. The flashflare didn't go through-"<br/>Nash leaped to his feet, nimble as a cat, his recent injury marked by the slightest of stumbles.<br/>"We run out of range, wait for it to dissipate, then we end this."<br/>The other paled, "But, Frax, we have to catch the rendezvous, to return for more weapons. My own were destroyed."<br/>Nash gave him a rather scathing look.<br/>"My Prince, I am sorry, but I am trained as a Marksman! You are used to having no weapons, but without my crossbow I am merely a meat-shield with good eyesight!"<br/>Nash turned to the knight, who was stalwartly attempting to help the others as the acidic mist settled over the lands. "I will finish this. Since you're so useless you can go send word."<br/>Yome grabbed his Prince's arm, "I am no Runner!"<br/>Nash's hand whipped back and cracked the Slayer across the face. "Then you will die with me. Come on...meatshield."<br/>The marksman reluctantly followed his leader, who had salvaged his knife handle and was loading another blade into it.<br/>Nash's eyes were narrowed with anger, but he retreated away from the gas, marksman in tow, keeping close nonetheless. Their backs were to the Coast now, and the Marksman kept glancing longingly back to the East, where no doubt the Slayer vessel was already on it's way home, where it would bring both reinforcements, and enough weaponry to destroy any opposition.<br/>The Prince had disobeyed orders to return on that boat. He'd dragged a younger Slayer with him. He'd been beaten down by another, primitive native. Denied his fun in a fight that ended prematurely, and now forced to retreat due to interference from a high tech, but all too savage society,<br/>The blond watched his Prince's narrowed eyes, which had changed from a baby blue to an icy, frozen glare. He'd never seen the Prince so angry.<br/>The war had begun.