Kvothe Algaterra vs Krae Svar {Unscored}

[Rugs]

{As I noted in the challenge thread, this will be an unscored bout. We'll be good kids, I promise :3}

Aaaand, since this is an unscored thing, I'm not going through all the usual jank I do with the set up.

It's an outpost in a forest by a river. Yep.

Kvothe Algaterra vs Krae Svar
Stellar Mythic vs Mandolorian Warrior
Will run until it's done

Kvothe walked warily along the soggy ground next to the small creek that flowed through the forests of Naboo. He'd come here at the behest of a man he'd come into contact with during his journey through the Galaxy. Apparently there was some artifact or something of the sort hidden away near the base of the mountains, and the man wanted it. Kvothe wanted it as well. Knowledge was what the Mythics searched for more than anything else, and Kvothe, though his priorities were more geared to cleansing Aiaru of heretics, was a Mythic. It's not like he could fight the Unum from the other side of the Galaxy, anyway. So for now, he was after ancient artifacts to see what could be gleamed from them.

He'd been told that dangerous types sometimes resided in the forest, and so for once, Kvothe was in his full set of armor, or as full as the set was, anyway. It didn't cover all of him, but it provided enough protection to the parts that needed protecting to be effective. Orcus, his sword, was stuck through the dark green sash that was around his waist so that it hung behind him. He even had the feather-looking weapon that came with his armor sitting atop his head. Did it look a bit silly? Perhaps, but it was very sharp, and was useful as a dagger in a pinch. "Not that I've run into anyone," he muttered to himself. Out of habit, he looked down to his right, where Fas normally followed, but Fas was not there this day. He'd fallen ill, and Kvothe left him in the care of an acquaintance back where he'd landed.

He rounded a bend in the river and came to a stop, and his eyes, which were their natural hazel for the time being, looked out to take in the scene that was spread out before him. There was a small outpost of some sort on one of the banks of the creek, and he could see the mountains he was heading to in the distance. Thoughts ran through his mind as he pondered, absentmindedly running a finger along the side of one of the blades on the head of his staff. It might not be the wisest idea to look into that outpost, but his curiosity pulled him to look. If there was someone hostile within, it'd be best to not be caught unawares, and if there wasn't then he'd carry on. Do I really want to, though? Kvothe stood still as he pondered his options for a few more moments, and a cool breeze blew down the creek, rustling his auburn hair and the short, tattered cloak that hung down behind him. I guess if someone's in there, they'd see me as I passed by, so I might as well.

So with that in mind, he went to investigate. He was alert though, and his grip tightened a little bit on his staff as he prepared to jump into action, if need be. Time would tell.

{A bit short >.<}

[Deleted]

Sunlight filtered through the leaves casting a green tint over the face of the man who rested amongst the trees branches. What had brought him to this place was the rumor of Republic activity but after a thorough search of the compound and the surrounding areas he had found the rumors to be just that.
the next step was to radio for pickup but he was in no hurry to get back just yet.

Hard gray eyes gazed outwards through a gap in the leaves swaying in the wind above him. emerald shadows played across his pale skin and waves of heat from the star above washed over his exposed face. For a moment his soul was at piece. His mind was blissfully empty and he was momentarily free.

Krae Svar reclined against a tree as he rested one one if it's thick branches. His suit of Beskar in place minus his helmet which rested at his side. How nice it would have been to visit this place with Ray he thought to himself. With that thought his blissful notions of relaxation were washed away. He continue to gaze off into space but in his mind all he could see was the scrap pile that had been his wife's ship.

He sat amongst the branches of the tree no longer enjoying himself. A few seconds of stillness and painful memories before in a single fluid motion he replaced his helmet and leapt from one branch to the next on his way to the ground. It was as he landed that he caught site of someone. It was the first time Krae has seen anyone since arriving here. his hand snapped to the side of his helmet and the visor zoomed in.

One thing was for sure. The newcomer wasn't Republic, In fact Krae had never seen anyone quite like him. This alone intrigued Krae enough to approach. He made no secret of it. No attempts to hide or sneak. He simply moved closer. Absentmindedly his hand snaked it's way to the handle of the sword strapped across the back of his waist. Krae spoke loud enough to be heard but to himself rather then the man he was following. "Republic? No, the armor is all wrong. Alternatives? None. Reasoning. He bears no markings of any; clan, group, organization or faction that I am familiar with. Hypothesis? Judging from the Unorthodox clothing and weapons" at this Kraes eyes lingered on the staff in the Mans hand.

"He is likely part of some sort of cult or other type of religious faction." Krae paused at this point and gave the Rillian a look over before finally speaking to the man himself "Are you a warrior? If so... Are you strong?" Krae glanced pointedly at the weapons in the Mans possession forgetting that his eyes were concealed behind his Blacked out T-visor so likely the look would be lost on the other man. Regardless the point remained. Only Warriors carried weapons.

{Rough I know, First posts are always like that for me}

[Rugs]

Kvothe moved on, looking at the area around the little outpost. It looked abandoned enough, now that he was closer to it. There were the tell-tale signs of abandonment all over it, with the small spots of rust on the walls, and plants that were starting to climb up the bottom of the walls. He walked up to a door--one that looked to be the main entrance into the building--and shook his head slightly at the sight of it. The moving parts were rusted over, and from the looks of it, it hadn't been opened in a good long while. Of course, all of this was only fueling Kvothe's interest in the place. "Why would someone just abandon this outpost," he muttered to himself as he ran his left hand over the old, rough surface of the door. Again, he shook his head, and looked down at the ends of his fingers which now had a reddish residue from the rust on them. He wiped it off before turning his attention once again to the door.

If he'd been wary about going into the building before, he was set on it now. He pressed a button on the small control panel next to the door, and heard the faint whirring of the mechanism that should have opened it. But it was too old, and the door too rusted in place, and it did not move. Kvothe grunted at that. Well, that could be solved easily enough; he could wield Mythos. His people, the Rilans, called the energy the Winds. A great many knew it as the Force. But, as a Mythic, Kvothe called the holy energies Mythos, and now he drew deeply from them. A faint wind arose around him in a reflection of the raw power he had in the arts of telekinesis, and he held his hand up to rest his palm on the door's flat surface. A moment later, a powerful blast exploded out from his hand, sending the door flying out of its place to go crashing into the building. Well that was simple enough, he thought as he nodded in satisfaction and released his hold on the Mythos.

Kvothe looked into the building and his features contorted in a scowl as he smelled the air that leaked out of it. It was stale. This place is definitely abandoned, then he mused as he waved his free hand in front of him to try to get the odor away. For a moment, he thought to leave the place and continue on to where he'd been going, but his eyes shifted from hazel to the brilliant gold of resolution as he shook that thought away. He'd come this far, and the place was clearly empty. It would hurt to go look around.

But, before he could move into the base, he heard a thud behind him and turned his head slightly, so that he could see what made the noise out of one of his eyes. There was a figure moving toward him, covered in armor from head to toe. Threads of the orange of irritation ran through Kvothe's golden eyes as he took in the stranger. He did not want to be bothered at the moment, especially not by some petty raider or bandit, if that's what the man was. No, he's more than that, he thought as he looked the armored man over more, noting the T-visor on his helmet. If Kvothe was remembering his lessons from his schooling back at the Tower correctly, T-visors were a favored design in the helmet designs of Mandalorians. Is that what this man is?

Kvothe turned around completely at the man's question, bringing the dark green tattoos and the scar on his face fully into the man's vision. He was silent for a moment as he pondered the question. Were the man a Mandalorian, that would certainly fit with what little Kvothe knew of them. "I am," he said slowly, "though my strength is something you would have to decide for yourself." He looked over the man for a moment longer before adding "I am called Kvothe." Of course, that wasn't his true name. There was only one other living person in the Galaxy that knew what that was: his brother, and they weren't on the best of terms. But everyone else knew him as Kvothe.

"Who are you? I can see that you are a warrior of some sort," he said with a nod to the man's swords. "But are you really a son of Mandalore? Or are you one of those who are little more than impostors, seeking to scare others into thinking that you are?

[Deleted]

Krae made it a point to stop just out of range of Kvothe's staff. He once more took in the mans appearance and did a quick count of weapons. His eyes lingered on the sword at Kvothe's hip and he had to admit he was impressed. Only on occasion had he seen a weapon of such high quality. Somewhat distracted it took a moment to process the mans final words. Was he really a son of Mandalore? In his younger years he might have overreacted and lashed out. Now no such urge took hold. Behind his helmet a small smile took form. "Am I a son of Mandalore? well... that will be something you have to find out for yourself, but I will tell you this. My name is Krae Svar"

the small smile turned to something of a smirk as Krae spoke the words. With that Krae took a step back and surveyed the man all the while recounting what he knew of the layout of the area nearby. "Now you say you are strong? Are you skilled enough to kill me?" Despite the mans unorthodox clothing Krae had rarely seen one so young who carried himself in such a way. There was little doubt in his mind that Kvothe was dangerous although how much so remained to be seen. "I've fought and killed many men who claimed to be strong... perhaps you can break the chain?"

A slight hope was brewing in Kraes chest. It had been a long time since he had faced anyone who he thought might actually be able to kill him but this man...
Krae stood in silence considering it, He could simply walk away and let this Man go about his business. Kvothe would live but... so would Krae. If he turned away now he would always look back and wonder if this could have been the end of it. If Kvothe was the one meant to end all of it.

Kraes thumb traced back and forth across the handle of Retribution still pondering the situation. Slowly a strategy was coming into mind although he already knew that after the first step the entire thing would have to be adapted. Even fighting an enemy you actually knew was tricky. Devising a plan to fight someone you knew nothing about was Impossible. A series of opening shot's were considered and rejected in less then a second. "If you still doubt I am a son of Mandalore you will soon be convinced" Krae whispered just loud enough to be heard. As fast as he muscles would carry him he moved forward while drawing Retribution.

This was what he lived for. The blur of colors as he moved, and the rise of adrenaline as he stepped forward to engage. Anything could happen in a fight. skill played it's part but luck was there. He'd seen many incredible soldiers killed on accident. Suddenly he halted his forward momentum stopping with his right foot forward. His muscles coiled and he flew through a practiced motion letting all the kinetic energy exit through the arm in which he held Retribution. The the length stretched out along his forearm and past in a reverse grip. tilting his wrist he created some distance and torqued his body keeping his center of gravity low. The Blade flashed forward in Kvothes direction.

[Rugs]

{Alright, just a note. I've Hax's permission to control Krae a little bit in my posts, and he has my permission to do the same with Kvothe. So no, we ain't godmodding, it's just for making things flow more smoothly.}

Kvothe eyed this stranger warily. Krae, was it? Fair enough, he thought at Krae's answer to his question; the man had simply turned Kvothe's own answer back at him. But Kvothe's eyes narrowed dangerously at Krae's next question. Am I strong enough to kill him? What kind of question was that? Of course Kvothe probably was strong enough to kill this Krae person, but why would Krae ask for such a thing, and why did he seem so eager for a fight?

Kvothe's grip shifted on his staff so that he could move quickly if needed as Krae continued to talk. Those threads of orange that were running through the gold in his eyes continued to grow until his eyes were more orange than gold. Why was Krae bothering him. The man wanted a fight, that much was obvious. Perhaps truly is a Mandalorian, then, Kvothe thought. They certainly seemed to be fond of fighting. There was a moment of silence as the two looked at each other, each one pondering their options or weighing the other.

Krae was a warrior, that much wass apparent; and not some thug who could fight and claimed himself to be a warrior. No, Krae had the look of a true warrior to him. Kvothe had grown up in the Tower around men who'd fought for their entire lives, and had trained under many of those same men. He knew the signs of one who'd come to know battle, and they were there in the man that stood facing him. They were there in the way he stood, calm and self assured, or in the way he wore his swords, rather than the swords wearing him as they did some other, lesser fighters. Truth be told, Krae's stance remind Kvothe of Vorian, his older brother. And if he fights like Vorian, I'm gonna be in for some trouble, he thought wryly. But, if this man wanted a fight, he'd get one. Kvothe was not some coward who would run away in fear.

And a fight was apparently exactly what Krae was looking for. Kvothe barely heard Krae's whispered threat before the man was in motion, rushing toward Kvothe with his sword drawn. Kvothe's eyes widened in shock at Krae's speed as he instinctively took a quick hop back, and even that didn't get him away in time. The tip of Krae's blade scratched into Kvothe's cheek, and a brief shot of pain came and went as Kvothe's skin was cut open. By the six moons, he's fast! Kvothe thought with a scowl as his eyes once again became the deep, brilliant gold of determination. He quickly held a hand up to his right cheek, and wasn't surprised to see his fingers come away with the faint damp redness of blood from the little cut. Krae was very fast. I can't let this one push me onto the defensive, he thought. I have to act. But before he could, Krae was on him again, with three more swipes that forced Kvothe back into the doorway. He caught the last one on his staff, and held it, so that the weapons of the two were locked between them as Kvothe stared into the visor of Krae's helmet. "So be it then, Krae Svar," he said as he struggled to push the man's blade back, though the two seemed to be roughly equal in strength, so he didn't really gain any ground, "I don't know why you are so eager to die, but I'll grant you what you're looking for."

He disengaged from the lock before sweeping out with the end of his staff that had a lone, sharp blade on it. Krae ducked underneath it, but Kvothe slammed out with a blast of telekinesis and threw him back and away from the building before he could counter. Kvothe was on Krae as he rolled to his feet, and knew that now, their fight would begin in earnest.

[Deleted]

Krae followed up his first strike with three more forcing Kvothe back into the doorway of the base. He couldn't help but be impressed. the fact Kvothe had managed to dodge his first attack spoke volumes about the mans skill relative to Kraes own. Still, Krae was faster. This he knew and for a moment his hopes of being defeated began to die. He evaded the staff and it's blades, and thought that he was going in for what would be the killing blow.

Quite suddenly the Air before him seemed to compress into a solid wall. what the.. the thought began but stopped there as he flew backwards. He curled on instinct and hit the ground rolling. as his should made contact he pushed hard arching his back so that he returned briefly to the air and as the rotation finished he landed on his feet. A huge smile in place. Although he wasn't allowed any time to breathe. barley had he got himself grounded when Kvothe was on him again.

Even as Krae evaded and blocked he smiled. Kvothe had earned the upper hand, Now if only he could get past Kraes guard. Behind his helmet Kraes face was that a man who was close to having his lifelong wish fulfilled. Even as he continued to fight he Smiled like an Idiot. Today had been a good day. Kvothe continued to force him back, his strike were relentless. Still Krae puzzled over what had thrown him away from Kvothe. The Man didn't look like an Jedi he had ever seen, nor their Dark counterparts.

"Interesting trick that was, If the circumstances were different I'd ask you to show me how to do it" Krae said half laughing. he batted away Kvothes staff and Rolled to the right. When he popped back unto his feet he held his second blade in his left hand. "Still, best to stop playing around, We're busy people" With that Krae lunged once more this time with both Swords. he wasn't surprised to find that they didn't connect and this left an almost giddy feeling in his stomach. "It's been too long since I fought anyone as good as you"

Perhaps talking was his mistake. Taking the time to speak to ones enemy was ill advised but it had been one of Kraes practices in recent years. In the end it didn't matter. The attack came from the side and Krae barley caught sight of it out of his peripheral's. Instinctively he leapt into the air activating his Jets as he did so. A quick flick was enough to get him some height. He he let the moment carry him into a slow flip until he was vertical above Kvothe. Probably over the top but that was another of Kraes less then practical methods. Once more this proved to be a mistake while fighting Kvothe however.

Almost out of nowhere the Other mans staff slammed into the side of Kraes head. This didn't hurt him but if threw of his maneuver. Never Jump he heard his fathers voice in his head You commit yourself to a trajectory you can't change Instead of the graceful landing he had planned on Krae hit the ground on his side. What he hadn't known was that the Blades on the end of the staff had caught under the lip of his helmet. As Krae had fallen through the air his helmet had torn free exposing his pale face and jet black hair.

Pain bounded back and forth along is rib cage from the impact. but it was nothing that would slow him down. Back on his feet in almost an instant Krae stood at the ready both swords still in hand, A wicked smile carved across his face and his Gray eyes glowing with delight. "My mistake... I'm impressed you were even able to take advantage of it though" with that Krae laughed

this is going to be interesting

[Rugs]

The rhythmic thunk, thunk, thunk of their weapons crossing sounded loudly in the relative silence of the forest near the creek. Kvothe and Krae fought on, and Kvothe struggled to find a way through this man's defenses. He struck out with his staff, feeling, prodding, searching for any weakness that he might be able to exploit and turn against the Mandalorian swordsman, but Krae's skill was solid, and he was not going to make things easy for Kvothe. Instead, Krae knocked Kvothe's strikes aside, or dodged them outright with that devilish speed he had. Kvothe could feel a tinge of frustration building in the back of his mind, but he forced it away; he'd had a feeling coming into this that Krae would be competent, and he knew that the similarity of their skills was such that Krae would make him pay dearly if he started to make stupid mistakes. He'd have to be patient if he was going to walk away from this fight. Of course, he could have taken the easy route, and bound Krae up in a trap of air to keep him from moving and gone about his business, but the prideful side of Kvothe felt that'd be little more than admitting he couldn't take Krae's swordsmanship skill head on, and he wouldn't give in so easily. Was it foolish? Perhaps, but Kvothe was young, and youth is often filled with foolishness.

Krae commended Kvothe on his attack with Mythos a few moments earlier, and commented--perhaps jokingly, Kvothe wasn't sure--that if the times were different, he'd ask Kvothe to teach him how to do it. Kvothe snorted a short laugh. "I do not think you can learn that if you do not know what it was, Krae," he said as he struck out again, looking to hit Krae in the side with the head of his staff. But the other man was ready, and easily knocked the blow out of the way before rolling to the side and standing again. Kvothe cursed mentally when he saw that Krae had two swords in his hands, rather than one. Things would get a good deal more difficult now.

Instead of attacking, as Kvothe had expected him to do, Krae spoke once again. The compliment caught the Rilan a bit off guard, and he nodded curtly to Krae in thanks, but then he was in motion again. He swing out with a wide stroke, holding the staff towards one end with both hands and swinging hard at Krae. His foe almost got hit, but recognized the attack that was coming and jumped up into the air, using the jets on his boots to propel him up and over Kvothe. Kvothe snarled in irritation, and flowed from his horizontal sweep to a vertical one, and was pleased to see that it connected. One of the blades on the head of the staff caught Krae's helmet and it came free as the Mandalorian tumbled down to the ground.

To his credit, Krae was on his feet quickly, with both blades at the ready once more. Kvothe's eyes widened for an instant in shock when he finally got a look at the man's face. His skin was too pale, and he looked older, but the features of his face and that black hair tied back in a ponytail made him look remarkably similar to Vorian. Kvothe's fist tightened instinctively, and then he realized he was glaring at Krae before he shook his head and returned to regarding the man more calmly, as he had been before. It was then that he noted that Krae looked happy, strange as that was. And again, he complimented Kvothe.

A look of confusion passed over Kvothe's face as he looked at the man. Then the words that Krae spoke earlier came back to him. "Now you say you are strong? Are you skilled enough to kill me?" That made a bit more sense, now that he thought about it: Krae coming to fight Kvothe for no reason and asking if he'd be able to kill him, or the way he kept complimenting him. He wants me to kill him.

Kvothe took a few steps back to put himself out of the range of either of their weapons for a moment. His eyes flicked up to look down the river to the mountains at a flash of light, which was followed a few moments later by the deep roll of thunder. Lightning. He glanced up at the sky, which had grown dark and cloudy. He hadn't even noticed earlier. There's a storm coming. His golden eyes returned to look into Krae's grey ones, but he made no move to attack. Not yet. He had something he wanted ask the other man first. "Krae Svar," he said slowly, "why are you so eager to die?"

[Deleted]

The smile slowly faded from Kraes face as he considered Kvothes question. He stood in silence his face carefully blank as he remembered those he loved being lost to him one by one. The hollow place in his soul suddenly filled with the pain of loss, So intense it can only be compared to being burnt alive but still Krae stood in silence. He forced the memories back for he knew they would consume him and he would lay down right here and never rise again. He would simply fall and let himself die.

Krae's gray eyes had lost their delight to be once more replaced by the hard cold stare. Eyes of steel met those of Gold. Have you ever been truly alone Kvothe? To have no one is the most painful thing I've ever felt. I watched my friends and family pass from this life... all of them. There is no reason for me to exist anymore. Do you know that pain? Can you understand even a little?" Krae's face remained blank as he spoke but his words pulled everyone of his demons screaming into the light.

"I seek the strong so that I may pass from this life. to enter the void and rejoin my family with honor. Do you understand? No one here needs me. I remain here because I AM a son of Mandalore. Respect for those who carry the name Mandolorian. That is why I seek death in this fashion." Krae stopped here and observed his adversary. Did this man understand those feelings? Perhaps... but Krae doubted it. To have lost everyone at his age would have overwhelmed even Kraes sense of honor.

"The pain is unendurable, Every minute of existence is agony. Death is the only escape" His wife's smiling face swam before his eyes for a moment and Krae smiled back at her. Then she was gone once more and the pain continued. "To ask you to gamble your life for the sake of my Honor is selfish, this I know but I can't end this myself. After what I've seen, you can kill me but only if you push you to it". Krae slowly began to smile. Death was close, so close that he almost felt he could hear it whispering in his ear. One way or another he would not walk away from this fight.

"Fight me Kvothe, Fight me and Win. I'm done with this place. I do not wish to walk any further along my path... I know I'm asking a lot and I once more wish I was a lesser man. One who could not stand against one such as you but that is not the shape of things." A slight smile grew on his face as clouds began to blot out out the sun casting everything in a shades of gray. Once more he thought he could feel deaths presence closing in around him but if it was death he was to mete out to Kvothe or receive himself he did not know. His smile grew slightly wider and he met Kvothes eyes once more "You are one of the finest warriors I have ever had the honor to fight against... In time you will be one of the best. I want you to live past this day so that you may carry on and attain that future." Now for the first time in a long time Krae's smile became real "Now... take that first step to greatness, and kill me"

Almost on cue as Krae finished speak, a flash of light he caught only out of the corner of his eye and then the thunder rolled. Krae's smile grew wider. He liked storms, nothing was so impressive as the raw power of lightning. thing's were about get a lot more difficult for the pair of them.

[Rugs]

Krae's eyes suddenly grew hard as the joy that had been in them only a moment earlier left. Those hard grey eyes met Kvothe's, and Krae gave his answer. As the man spoke, Kvothe felt sorrow welling up within him, and it was reflected with hints of blue that played around the edge of his gold irises. The man was hurting. That much was apparent. The pain of losing so many loved ones, Kvothe thought as he closed his eyes and thunder rolled through the valley once again, it's a pain I know well.

He sighed heavily as his eyes opened again, and once again looked to meet Krae's eyes. "I think that I can understand how you feel," he said just loudly enough for the Mandalorian to hear. "My mother died when I was very young. My best friend is dead because I was hasty and a fool." Kvothe's voice started to waver as his mind flashed back to watching Fides be slaughtered by Vorian, all while he was too weak to do anything to help. But he pressed on, and as he continued, the subtle heat of hanger started to creep into is voice. "I was ripped away from my order, and for a year left with no one to depend upon but myself as my own brother tried to break my mind. The ones that were sent to save me were all killed, while I lived on." Kvothe's fists were shaking in anger now; not at Krae, but at those who had done the things to cause him and his companions so much suffering. His the blue had been replaced by red, and for a few moments, there was more red in his eyes than gold as that anger within him threatened to break free and come pouring out. "My father was assassinated for no other reason than sharing the same blood as me. And I've killed more of those who were at one point my friends than I care to count."

Another bolt of lightning struck, closer this time, and the thunder rolled in, louder than before. Kvothe didn't hear it though, as his mind was so focused on the events that had led him to where he was. "Perhaps life is cruel and filled with pain," he said with a sigh as the anger faded and his eyes returned to the solid gold they'd held previously, "but I am not yet ready to end it. There are things that need doing, people that must be made to pay for their actions." There was a resounding silence between the two combatants as Kvothe stared at Krae before another wave of thunder came. "But if it is death you seek, then I will give it to you, Krae Svar," he said as he hefted his staff to prepare to attack. "I do not think that you would allow me to refuse to fight you, anyway."

Kvothe looked at Krae for a few moments more, weighing what options he had with the man. Krae was good with his weapons. Very good. And Kvothe had yet to be able to find away to slip past the man's defense, barring when Krae made the mistake of jumping into the air with his jets. That was with one blade. Now Krae had two, and something about the way he stood led Kvothe to believe that he was getting serious now. This fight would be hard. Kvothe had heard of the type of man Krae seemed to be. Though he sought his death, he would not make it easy for Kvothe; no, he was after an honorable death at the hands of a worthy foe. And if I'm not careful, I'll be the one who ends up dead here.

"Ready yourself then, Krae Svar" he called with a salute with his staff to Krae, and then he was in motion, moving in to attack as the first drops of rain started to fall from the cloudy skies.

[Deleted]

Krae listened to Kvothe speak in silence. so he does understand then. Krae wasn't surprised at his reasons for continuing on despite his losses. Krae was denied the possibility of Vengeance every time unless he wanted to take on the entire city of Iziz but mass slaughter of those who could not defends themselves wasn't how he wanted things to end. Only those who had a hand in the deaths of his family would pay... and anyone who got in my way. he added. Still it mattered not. He could not find the ones responsible so he was left to seek death against a strong opponent. What he would give to get his hands on the pirates that had shot down his wife's ship. Krae considered all this in silence while Kvothe spoke. At the end of of his tail Krae nodded to the other man. Kill me if you can... but I will not spare your life if you fail." After that Krae knew no more words were to be exchanged. It was time for the fight to begin once more. As the rain began to splatter against the ground Kvothe made his charge.

Krae dashed forward to meet him both swords in hand. The seconds that followed were more a dance then a fight. The opponents swirled around each other flowing from once stance to the next with the ease of True warriors. For a few moments the fought to decide who would have supremacy. Krae did not hold back, The steel swords thunked against Kvothes staff. Krae's greater skill and speed slowly giving him the upper hand. Still they moved in tandem with one another Kvothe managing to catch every blow although unable to mount a counter-attack of his own. Krae would not simply let him slip through despite how much he wanted too.
It started slowly, One step forward and then another as Kvothe was forced to give ground. Kraes hopes slowly sank but his movements did not falter. Blow after blow he rained down on the man.

Rain was pounding down around them and the ground quickly became wet and slippery. Almost without a thought Krae lowered his center of gravity by relaxing his knees a little and took slower steps to assure his footing. Still he forced Kvothe back although the other warrior proved he was someone to take seriously by taking caution with his own footing as he was slowly forced to retreat. A fall right now would spell the end of the one who fell. Krae would not hesitate despite what fondness he was feeling for Kvothe now. If he made a mistake Krae would kill him and Krae knew the favor would returned in kind although it would be more appreciated. Both swords lashed out so quickly that Kvothe was forced to twirl his staff to knock both blows aside. As the fight began to lean more and more into his favor Krae was able to demonstrate how he had sought death so recklessly and still managed to survive as long as he had.

His Swords seemed to become many more as he struck out at Kvothe with increasing speed. The smack of wood on steal grew increasing frequent as did Kvothes steps backwards. Krae unwillingly pressed his advantage. His hopes of being defeated sank but did not die, Still he could feel the presence of Death swirling around them like a cyclone of wind with them at it's center. Lightning flash, Thunder roared and the struggle of for life and death continued on it's heart.

(it's a bit rough I know, I did a proof read but I'm tired so I probably didn't catch everything. Lemme know what you think)

[Rugs]

{Yeah, it's good. No worries, man (y)}

Kvothe snarled in frustration as he was forced back by Krae's onslaught. The wind was blowing rain into his face, and he had to squint a bit to keep it out of his eyes, which was not at all a help in his current situation. Normally, he would have tried to change his facing, but Krae was undoubtedly in control of the fight at the moment, and Kvothe had to focus to just keep his attacks away. His staff whirled around him as he desperately worked to fend off the swordsman's blows, and even then, he knew that he had to do something to change the dynamic of the fight. If he didn't, and things kept on as they were, then Krae would maintain his upper hand, and Kvothe would surely lose. And if he lost to this man, he would die.

But what do I do? He'd not fought many people that dual-wielded swords before, and none of them ever displayed the skill that Krae was showing. Kvothe's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden series of strong attacks, one high, that he managed to duck under, and a low one that was parried, followed by a strike at his side that he just barely caught with his staff. Krae then carried on in the fashion he had been going, and Kvothe continued to give ground. If I let things go on like this for too long, I'm through. He was forced to take a risky hop backwards to avoid a strike at his neck that he'd failed to block with his staff. Luckily, he held onto his footing, though he was immediately made to defend himself again. Kvothe's scowl deepened as he began to give ground once more, and orange started to seep into his eyes. Either his defenses were starting to slip, or Krae was starting to figure him out. Neither of those was a good thing. For a moment, Kvothe saw what he thought was a hint of disappointment in the Mandalorian's face, though it was hard to tell with the rain, and he didn't have the luxury of being able to focus on Krae, lest the man's swords bring him an early death. Again, he had to duck as another attack slipped past his staff; it passed so near to the top of his head that he could feel the faint wind Krae's blade left in its passing.

For the time being, he'd have to hang back and wait for an opening to attack. And therein lied the rub. Krae's assault was perhaps a bit reckless, but the man had the skill to make it work. And, his unrelenting press gave Kvothe no chance to effectively launch a counter-offensive. That's where what some of Kvothe's trainers had warned was one of his greatest faults started to creep in: he started to get frustrated. He knew that he could probably turn the tide of the fight if he could just find a place to attack, but he wasn't getting a chance to. That irritated him, and as his ire started to grow, so did the mistakes he made. It was a trait that had nearly cost him his life a number of times, and his brother had used it against him many times with terrible efficiency. Another attack slipped through and closed in on his right arm, though his luck was such that it was just barely out of reach. Mere seconds later, Krae broke through again, and his strike connected, though it hit Kvothe's armor, rather than his flesh. The blade scratched against part of Kvothe's chest piece, sending up a brief flare of sparks and leaving a silver scratch in the ruddy red coating. Kvothe didn't really want to think about what would've happened if he didn't have his armor.

Instead, he fought on, waiting, hoping to see some hole that he could use to halt Krae's offensive and launch his own. After a few moments, he saw it: a momentary hesitation on Krae's part. Perhaps someone of lesser skill wouldn't have noticed, but Kvothe saw it, and launched an attack without hesitation. And he realized a half-second too late that it wasn't a hole that had been presented to him, but he was already committed to the attack, and couldn't turn back from it. It was a trap, and in his desperation, he'd fallen for it like a fool. Krae punished him for it. Krae easily sidestepped his strike and riposted. Kvothe couldn't defend himself, and his attempt to get away from the strike was too little, too late. Krae's sword bit into his left forearm, and Kvothe winced and grunted softly as a line of fire came alive from the new wound in his arm.

He jumped back, using his Mythos abilities to push him further, so that he could have a bit of breathing room to examine the damage that had been done. The cream-colored fabric of his sleeve below the wound was turning red as blood ran down his arm, and he could see the gash through the cut in the clothing. It hurt, but some quick movements let him know that he could still use his arm well enough. The sound of footfalls made him look up, and he just barely got his staff up over his head to block a downward strike from Krae with both blades that would have ended him if it connected. He held the his staff up as Krae continued to try to force it down, and for a moment, the two combatants were locked in a contest of strength as they pushed their weapons against each other. Kvothe could feel the warmth of blood running up his arm as his eyes met Krae's and thunder sounded through the valley once more.

{Alright, that ended up going on a bit longer than I expected xD I was gonna do a bit more, but in the interest of not making this stupidly long, I'll save it to see if it'll fit in later.}

[Deleted]

The trap was set, A fake opening in his defenses. Despite his hopes Kvothe went for it. Perhaps Krae had tried to hold back, make the trap less visible but he would never admit it to himself. In a roundabout fashion Krae was impressed that Kvothe had been able to see it all. Still, it wasn't a weak spot and Krae's body reacted accordingly. He felt his blade make contact. Felt the the shiver along the length of steel as it bit into flesh. Then Kvothe was gone. He had leapt backward with such force he had been carried well out of range of any sort of follow up attack. Krae exhaled slightly in relief and then rushed the man. He had Kvothe truly on the run now and so he acted accordingly. He lunged Swords overhead and worried for a moment that this would be the end as Kvothe was busy investigating his wound.

Krae swords smacked into the staff as Kvothe used it to ward of both swords. Once more the two were locked in a battle of strength. Despite how he strove he could not gain ground against Kvothe like this but neither did he lose any. The two stood for a few moments Veins pulsing and muscles screaming as each strove to outlast the other. Finally Krae decided to act. he relaxed his knees letting his upper half drop below the staff. Even as his body lowered he spun and lashed out with a sweeping kick aiming to take Kvothes legs out from under. Kvothe hopped backwards to evade the kick but Krae was on him again and the fight resumed.

The sound of weapons clashing drowned out by the increasingly ferocious storm. Krae twirled and spun around Kvothe with increasing speed. Still the balance of the fight had shifted, now they fought with more even footing then before. Once more it could be said that Krae was holding back but he would never admit it and there was no doubt that had any of his attacks passed Kvothes guard they would have killed the man. Krae was beginning to slow.
He could feel himself beginning to grow weary. His muscles burned from the exertion. He had been in longer fights but never had they been so intense. No doubt Kvothe was beginning to grow tired as well but if that were true he didn't show it. Krae made one last push forcing his body to move as fast it could and launching a barrage of attacks. Kvothe gave ground rather quickly able to parry less then half of the attacks and forced to retreat outright lest he be skewered by Kraes swords.

Still nothing made contact and Krae didn't have enough left to carry on at that speed. perhaps if he had actually wanted to win he would have pushed his limits but not now. Krae was weary now in every way a man possibly could be. He was far from defeated but until he was able to rest he would no longer be able to move quite as fast nor push quite so hard. There was no doubt in his mind, he was getting old. He resented the idea, that he was allowed to age while others more worthy then him were struck down while still young. Krae's held off on his attack and just stood there observing Kvothe. Finally he decided to speak once more but was forced to shout into the storm to be heard.

"I'm sorry that life has pitted us against one another in this place Kvothe, If things were different I would have gladly to called you a friend"

(It's not exactly what I wanted to do but some of my ideas need to be discussed with you first.)

[Rugs]

The battle resumed when Krae broke free, and the two fought onwards, as the storm continued to howl like some angry beast around them. Kvothe still fought desperately, but for the time being he, was holding his own. As they fought on, he noticed that he was starting to hold his own a bit better, and that the ferocity of Krae's attacks seemed to have gone down a notch. Perhaps the man was holding back, but Kvothe didn't think he would be. Maybe he was just starting to tire; Kvothe could certainly feel the familiar burn of exertion starting to grow in his muscles as his breaths came harder. Still, he kept his guard strong, because he knew that one wrong step, even in this state, could spell his end.

Finally, though, Krae relented. Kvothe took the opportunity to lean against his staff for support as he listened to what Krae said. His breaths came hard and slow, and the cut in his arm continued to burn with a dull fire, but he had to push both of those things aside. He reached up to push some strands of his auburn hair that was had been plastered onto his face by the rain away from his eyes as another flash of lightning lit up the sky and thunder boomed above them. "And I think I could say the same for you Krae," he shouted back. "We understand each other, in our own ways. And you're one of the best swordsmen I've ever fought. " In spite of himself, and in spite of the pain that still shot up his arm from his wound, he smiled incredulously . "You're really making me work to kill you, aren't you?"

When he didn't see Krae move to do anything, Kvothe drew upon the Mythos energy, letting it flow into him and a fill his mind. He didn't seek to attack Krae with it, but rather took the opportunity to focus, and let the frustration melt away from his mind. I've been making too many stupid mistakes, he thought as kept his eyes on the warrior that stood a few feet away from him. I can take him, but I've got to stay focused. Kvothe glanced down at the cut on his forearm. Or things like that will keep happening. I'm lucky he only hit my arm.

Kvothe hefted his staff again and took a deep breath in before slowly exhaling. I can do this. I just have to stay focused.Krae's words from earlier returned to Kvothe's mind. "I will not spare your life if you fail." Kvothe didn't plan on failing here. "You will have to forgive me for not yet giving you the fight you deserve," he called, thinking about the number of attacks he'd failed to stop, including the one that hit his armor and the one that cut his arm. "I think you deserve better than what I've been giving you." The proverbial gloves would be off now. Kvothe would fight with every bit of the training with his staff he could remember, and if he didn't have the mental fortitude to go toe-to-toe with this man, then maybe he deserved to be defeated. He sized up Krae one last time before rushing at him, ready for one final effort. "Ready yourself, Krae Svar!"

This time Kvothe pressed the attack from the beginning, refusing to allow himself to be forced back on the defensive by Krae's vicious attacks. The two circled around each other for a moment, Kvothe's staff striking out to hit Krae, but the other man dancing away or knocking the blows aside. Krae stuck out with a counter attack that Kvothe jumped to the side of, and for a moment he feared that the balance would shift back to Krae's favor, but the man was starting to slow. He was still fast--a bit faster than Kvothe--but he wasn't as fast as he had been before, and that was proving to be all Kvothe needed to hold his own for now.

[Deleted]

Krae nodded in response to Kvothe and waited as the man readied himself. Then the fight resumed, Now they fought on equal footing as Kraes age begin to tell. He was by no means slow but he was barley faster then Kvothe now. only his superior technical skill would allow him to win now. So the fought on, Krae continued to dance about evading blow after blow. Once more the Delight of knowing his end could be near took hold. A small smirk etched unto his pale features. Still, Kvothe may not overcome him. He had been in worse spots then this a hundred times over and still he lived. They fought to a stand still blades and staff whirling about. Neither could gain ground and so Krae decided that if this were to end the way it should. He would have to unveil is last trick and if Kvothe was still standing afterward then this was truly where he was supposed to meet his end. Krae pushed forward and forced a third lockup between the staff and swords and made as if to hold it. A momentary increase in pressure, and then Krae released the sword in his right arm and pointed his arm at Kvothes face. Two nozzles extended outwards and without a pause the Cryogen spray was released.

Krae wasn't sure what happened, only that Kvothe stood a distance away untouched by the Cryogen. Krae began to Grin until his eye's fell upon Kvothes staff. It appeared the freezing liquid had gotten the staff if not it's owner. Krae stood for a few seconds and watched the freezing solution begin to take affect. Slow at first cracks begin to appear in the thin layer of ice that now coated the center of the staff and suddenly it came apart in Kvothes hands. The staff split into two pieces. Krae frowned, he had not meant to rob the man of his weapon. Simply to do everything possible to win so that when Death came he would have to make no excuses before his fallen comrades.

"That was not meant to happen..." Krae said his hard gray eyes leveled at Kvothe "I mourn the loss of such a beautiful weapon." Krae paused and looked at the sword that had been in his right hand. It now rested upon the ground as he had let it drop to fire the Cryogen. Slowly he walked over and picked it up. He then cast it aside and the hollow feeling his chest grew deeper. It was Retribution he had just thrown away from him. "If you are denied your staff, then I shall forsake one of my swords... always will it rest there. Even if I were to win this fight" He glanced at the symbols etched into the blade of his left hand. Justice it read in Mandoa. Fitting that he should receive his while carrying the sword he had named for it.

Slowly he shifted into a two handed grip and smiled slightly at Kvothe. "Once more I'm sorry about your staff but this must end" With that Krae charged Kvothe sword held ready. "Let it be finished!"

(Shorter then I thought it was >.<)

[Rugs]

Onward they fought, ignoring the howling wind and the stinging rain. Ignoring the pain of fatigue that was starting to set into their muscles. Ignoring the lighting that split the sky open and the thunder that bellowed in rage a few moments later. Ignoring anything else in the world around them, save each other. As far as each of them may have been concerned, they were in a void, and the only other thing within that void was the other combatant. Death was what one of them wanted. A death of honor, a death to end the pain that had plagued his life for so long. And the other sought to grant that wish, and in the process, to prove both to himself and the other man that he could stand up to his foe's skill. In the end, one of them would fall. But who that would be could not yet be said.

Kvothe grunted with exertion as he moved his staff, knocking Krae's blades to the side before he struck out with a counter attack. Krae dodged it--barely--and there was a momentary pause in the fight as the two regained their footing before launching themselves at each other once more.

Kvothe was soaked and he was starting to tire, but he didn't care. He could feel water starting to trickle down into his armor and onto his skin, but he could not afford to pay attention to it. Finally, he was holding up against Krae, and if he held on for just a moment longer, he might be able to find a chance to push the other man onto the defensive and end the fight. The young Rilan's morale had risen a considerable deal, especially after Krae had almost shattered it earlier. Whatever was coming, the fight was finally nearing its end. One of them would lie at the other's feet shortly, and Kvothe was dead set on making sure it wasn't him.

Their exchanges continued, with attacks that were blocked and riposted, before the other combatant returned the favor, and the cycle began anew. For a time, it seemed the would go nowhere, as they each felt for any sign of a weakness in the other to exploit. But none could be found, and their stalemate continued on. It would not be much longer until he chain was broken.

Kvothe frowned as one of his strikes was deftly knocked away, and he just barely caught Krae's counter. However, Krae did not allow him to move his staff, lest he end up with two swords stuck in him, so he once again found his gold eyes locked with Krae's grey as the two struggled against each other. Again, he'd fallen into a trap. The weapons edged closer to Kvothe when Krae suddenly increased the strength that he was pushing with, and Kvothe responded with an increase of his own to compensate. And then the trap sprung. Krae dropped one of his swords and pointed the hand he'd held it in at Kvothe's face. Kvothe saw the nozzles on some thing on his wrist extending. His eyes went wide, and for a moment, the deep gold of his determination turned to the pale yellow of fear.

Kvothe acted on instinct, and that may have been the only thing that saved him. He drew Mythos again, funneling the holy energies into his legs, and pushing off in a jump with more force than he had before. It propelled him back, and after he landed, he did a quick look over of himself and thought that everything was fine. Then he heard it.

Crack

His eyes were drawn down to his stiff, and his breath caught in his throat as he saw that it had been caught in the blast from Krae's weapon. A thin coating of ice covered the mid section of it, and he realized Krae's weapon must have been some sort of cryo weapon. He watched in horror as a thin crack webbed out through the wood, and grew before finally, it shattered. Thunder boomed through the valley, and Kvothe found himself holding two separate halves of his weapon. It was broken. It was ruined. It had been imbued with the Mythos when he made it. It could stand up to much greater things than ordinary wood could, but apparently, the hard freezing of Krae's cryo weapons was too much. The memories of when he constructed the weapon came flooding back, and Krae's words were unheard. He remembered traveling out into the Culsu swamp back on Aiaru with is father to a grove where the holy energies were strong. He remembered meditating for a long while on it while it was still a simple piece of wood. He remembered carving it and shaping it to make it into the beautiful weapon and work of art it had become. And now it was gone.

Kvothe was sad, yes. He'd had that staff for fourteen years, and it had served him well in that time. But as he let the two halves of the broken weapon fall to the ground and looked up at Krae, another emotion came flooding to the surface. Rage. "You," he said, his voice dripping with the anger that burned within him, "you don't know how dear that was to me." His eyes shifted from red seeped into his irises, until the only hint of the gold that had been there was a thin band around the edges. "Save your apologies," he spat as he slowly drew his sword, Orcus, from his side. The dark metal glistened in the rain, calling out to Kvothe for Krae's blood. Kvothe planned on giving it what it wanted. "Yes, Krae Svar, we will end this now," he whispered to himself as the Mandalorian charged him.

Krae was on him an instant later, and the fight picked up again. The dull thunk of Krae's sword on Kvothe's staff had been replaced by the bright ringing of metal-on-metal as their swords met again and again. Kvothe, fueled by his anger, pushed the attack, forcing Krae onto the defensive. He rained blows down onto the swordsman, but Krae's defense held strong, and nothing slipped through. his form slipped a bit as his brash attack continued, and Krae knocked his blade wide to the side with a sweeping parry before his fist slammed into the side of Kvothe's face in a brutal punch that sent the Rilan stumbling back. Krae followed up with a kick to Kvothe's chest that sent him to the ground, and Kvothe cursed mentally as he just barely rolled to the side of a stab that would left him on the ground with Krae's sword through the middle of his throat. Kvothe kicked out at Krae with his feet, pushing the other man back before he rolled to his feet and drew Orcus to his hand with a tug of Mythos.

Sparks flew from the two blades as Kvothe brought his sword up to defend against a vicious strike from Krae that would've cut his head in two if it hit, and then the exchanges resumed. The two combatants fought viciously being forced to defend and forcing the other to defend in turn before finally, Kvothe gained the upper hand. He pushed Krae back with his attacks, and thought that he could finally feel the end of the fight coming. Lightning seared through the evens and thunder shook the trees as he pressed on, crowing more and more confident that his victory was at hand.

And then he saw it.

It was an opening, a real opening, and he went for it. Krae's sword had been knocked just a bit too far out of line to defend against Kvothe's next strike, and Kvothe's hopes soared as he flowed to a thrust that would drive his blade through one of the parts in Krae's chest plating and put an end to things once and for all. The hit landed. Kvothe felt Orcus break through the protective membrane that was in between the plates of beskar and bite into Krae's flesh underneath it. He pushed forward, forcing the blade deeper into Krae's stomach as a feeling of triumph soared within him.

Again though, Krae reminded him of his skill as a swordsman.

A sudden pain exploded in Kvothe's torso, and he cried out as he looked down to see that Krae's sword sticking through one of the two small areas near his sides that weren't covered by plate, but by a protective material similar to what lay in between Krae's armor plates. Then it hit him: Krae hadn't made an effort to block Kvothe's strike, but had instead struck out with a thrust of his own; Kvothe couldn't defend himself while he was attacking, and Krae had taken advantage of that. The red and gold faded to from his eyes be replaced by a pale grey as he looked up to Krae's face. "Well then," he said with a weak laugh, "looks like you get what you were after, huh?"

{And yeah, we this was discussed before I posted it. I didn't kill Krae out of the blue :3}

[Deleted]

Krae could watched Kvothe look over the pieces of his staff, Something akin to Disbelief plain on the younger man's face. The shift was expected. First shock and then anger. The Harsh ring of steel on steel was muffled by the increasingly violent storm. The familiar pressure as the blades connected gave Krae a measure of comfort. Back and forth the dance continued. Sharp lengths of steel whirled about blurring from the speed of motion, and then he saw it. The opening in Kvothes defenses. Perhaps Krae simply ignored the fact his enemy was making an attack against him in favor of not losing his own advantage. Maybe he just pretended not to notice Kvothes stab. Regardless Krae lunged forward. Almost simultaneously each combatant found themselves impaled on the others weapon.

Krae's muscles seized as the pain shot outwards from the injury and sadness mingled with joy creating one of the most strange emotions he had ever felt. He had gotten only half his wish. Finally someone had been able to kill him but it was only now at the end that he would admit that he wished he never gotten into this fight. Not because he secretly wanted to live but because of how it had ended. The goal had been for Kvothe to kill him, not for the pair to kill each other. the two mirrored each other as they sank to their knees. Krae's hard gray eyes met Kvothes pale ones. "This wasn't supposed to happen" The Nagai swordsmen said in a half gasp "You weren't supposed to die to" Blood Trickled out of his and down his chin, the Maroon a shocking contrast against his incredibly pale skin.

"One more thing to muck up my plan" Now the world around him grew blurry and he could feel the last of his strength fading quickly from his limbs. He had mere seconds to live and found one more thing he wanted to say. "Enemies in life... Friends in death. What say you Kvothe?" and with that Krae finally collapsed unto his side and one last thought raced around his mind before the flame that was his life died forever.

It would be nice... to have a friend once more.

[Rugs]

Kvothe struggled to stay on his feet, but it was too hard. The pain rolled through him in fiery waves, and he could already feel the life in his weary body starting to fail. No, no, no! It can't end... Not here... There was a wet thunk as his knees hit the soggy soil beneath him, and for a moment, he simply stared at Krae as the other man spoke.

"This wasn't supposed to happen... You weren't supposed to die too."

Those words hit Kvothe like a hammer, and sudden spasm brought a gasp that turned into him violently coughing up blood. His vision clouded from the pain, but he drew on the Mythos and tried to force it away, though it did very little to help. He noted Krae's last request and nodded weakly to the man. "Aye, Krae Svar. We'll be allies in the next life." But he couldn't say what he was feeling. He couldn't let the last thing his foe, who'd gained his respect through their battle, hear what was running through his mind, futile though he knew it was.

Kvothe didn't intend on dying. Not yet. He could not, he would not die until he'd made his brother pay for the things that he'd done. Kvothe drew on the Mythos as deeply as he could and shakily forced himself to his feet. Krae's blade fell out of the incision it'd made in his armor and torso to clatter dully on the wet ground. Kvothe took a few slow, staggering steps toward the outpost, and fell down to one knee as the pain grew to be too much for him to take. All the while, Krae's words continued to echo in his head. He wasn't the one that was supposed to die. Krae hadn't wanted that. If only Kvothe'd been just a little bit better, he might have won the fight outright, but now...

"That's always been the story with you, Ishar," Vorian's voice whispered in Kvothe's head. "Never quite good enough. Tenacious, if nothing else, but always doomed to failure. Again and again and again."

A quiet rage built inside of Kvothe at that, but he could find no way to tell the voice--which was his own--that it was wrong. Time and time again, Vorian proved the truth in those words personally, and now, Kvothe's foolish pride was going to cost him any chance he might ever have to get his revenge. Again, he tried to push to his feet, but he was too weak now, and fell to the ground instead.

As he lay there, knowing that he'd come to his final moments, his rage turned inward. Why had he been such a fool? If he'd used his powers, he could've ended the fight quickly, and more than likely relatively easily. But no, living in Vorian's shadow for so long had made him long so much for a chance to prove himself that he'd foregone the use of what would have been his greater asset to show that he could defeat Krae on his own grounds. Well, the Nagai was dead now, though Kvothe felt that with the way the other man had seemingly dominated the fight that that was only through some fortunate twist of fate, but at what cost? Kvothe would die here with him, and he would die with the knowledge that ultimately, the words Vorian had spoken to him so long ago would hold true.

Another wave of coughing wracked his body, and blood spattered from his mouth once again. The world started to fade out of focus as the last remnants of strength left him, and Kvothe was barely able to turn so that he lay on his back, rather than his stomach. He lay about six feet away from Krae, who'd already left his life behind and moved to the next one. Strange. It seemed like he'd gone farther than only six feet, but he apparently hadn't.

"You just weren't quite good enough, were you, Ishar," Vorian's voice taunted one final time before falling silent.

I was a fool, Kvothe thought in answer. And it was with that knowledge in mind that his eyes closed and his final breath left his body.


{Aaaaaaaaaaaaand that's a wrap!}