Duncan's eyes met Valerie's and his smile faded. He circled around idly, walking with his sword hand facing the duo. His eyes never leaving the undead's for to do so meant certain death. He had met many night walkers in his long life and one in particular had befriended him for almost 50 years before his thirst for blood had brought them face to face one night as enemies.<br/><br/>Duncan had looked into those un blinking eyes of Arcanos as the Vampire smiled and licked his bloody lips.<br/><br/>"Five decades, Mon Ami, back to back, fighting those who came to bury us... and now here we stand face to face... one will bury the other."<br/><br/>Duncan's eyes were glazed in regret but he looked the other square in the eyes.<br/><br/>"Aye, back to back my friend until you stabbed me in the back. She didn't have to die Arcanos. You could have fought the thirst."<br/><br/>Arcanos laughed. "To fight the thirst is to fight myself, Mon Ami. Ah but it was worth it, I tell you!"<br/><br/>Dragon's Bane twisted as Duncan stepped back, pulling the sword out from where the Vampire's heart had been, now only a miserable pile of arteries, oozing out of the gaping wound left behind by the blade.<br/><br/>Arcanos winced as he felt the blade leave his body, his face twisted in pain but not as piercing as the guilt he felt. Duncan's face became a haze, the light of dawn racing over the hilltops behind the Highlander. The Vampire closed his eyes, arms outstretched as his knees gave way. He knelt defiantly as the first rays of sunlight kissed his body and that was thankfully the last he felt before the rays ignited his skin completely and engulfed him in a fiery death.<br/><br/>Duncan watched, his mouth tight, his hands restling on the sword's hilt, as the blade lay pointing down at the ground. His fingers traced the Dragon's tail carving that decorated the hilt as he watched his friend die.<br/><br/>Sighing, he turned around and sheathed his sword. Kneeling down to picked up the pale body of a young girl. He walked back down the long road that lead to the farm house, trying find the right words to tell the old couple that their daughter had been bled to death...<br/><br/>Duncan snapped back to the present. Arcano's face seem to peer over the Maid's shoulder before it changed to that of Valerie. The resemblance was strong and the regret he felt was stronger. But the sadness he felt was the hardest to bare. He knew that one day she'd come. But he had hoped she would have come for him, rather than for the one he protected. Perhaps she will not remember. Perhaps she would have forgotten her father's friend...<br/><br/><em>"Arck Tzarkan Mei Min ret Linin!"</em>he greeted her as he stopped pacing and faced her. Her eyes lit up with anger as she heard those words... "May you walk in the light!"<br/><br/><br/><br/>