Heavy footfalls carried his weary frame through the forest in a false hope of scaping his persuers. Cluthing tightly to the wound of his right, he tried his best to cut its blood flow. He knew he was on the clock and it was a matter of time if he didn't do something quickly. Weakness began its onset as the loss became too much for his body to stabalize and replace. Slowing to a dead halt, he slowly turned to face his persuers, “I grow weary of these games, so if it satisfies you. You can have me, I have no more fight let to give. I mean look at me I'm a bloody wreck, what can I possibly do?” However, that's exactly what he wanted them to think; that he was giving up and far too tired to even so much as lift a finger against them. Sure enough they bought it; hook, line, and sinker.

Without breaking stride they made their way towards him, drawing their swords as they neared him. Studying the five men for a few moments, his mind began to pace frantically across the numerous thoughts that crossed his mind. So far he had been acting on instinct and instinct alone, he never really put too much thought into his next moves, but now he would have to play it smart and make sure everything fell into place, because one wrong move or choice would put him in the grave he so greatly feared.

There seemed to be little hope of doing anything physically against them seeing as he had been hindered so greatly. He was unarmed and injured, surely not the greatest things to have against you while entering a fight; however, it seemed that there was no way to avoid it. If he ran, they would either catch him or it would continue to rapidly speed up his bleeding, neither would prove beneficial to him. If he fought, he stood a chance of takin each down long enough to make his escape, but with his hinderances, it proved to be a bad idea.

Without bringing another thought to the manner, his eyes shifted down to the branch that laid upon the ground. It's thick nature and nimble size seemed formidable against the blades, surely able to deflect a few strikes. Cautiously he scooted his way over to the stick, trying not to draw much attention to his movements. As he reached the stick, his eyes glanced up to the men making sure that they hadn't noticed him move, but he was sue they had. Digging his foot under the stick, he brought his leg swiftly upwards tossing the stick into the air and off his boot. Catching it with his left hand he brought it out in front of him and to a parallel base with the ground. Placing his foot back onto the ground, he slid his right slightly back, trying to acquire a spacious stance should he have to move.

The leader shook his head slowly and drew his sword before him with both of his hands, “Marius, you're a desperate fool. Do you actually expect to win this....? With a stick no less.” Laughing heavily, he dropped his arms back to his sides allowing the sword to sway for a short while, “Like father like son I suppose.” Marius's eyes narrowed upon the figure, “Enough of your belligerant talk, lets finish this!”

Silently humming to himself, Ethstar made his merry way through the forest. Carefully stepping over a fallen branch in his immediate path, he took a glance up to see where the object had come from. Blinking, he craned his next as far back as it would go and stared straight up. He couldn't see the tops of any of these massive objects. Quite surprised at this, he remained in his somewhat strange position, simply gawking up at something he found was quite astonishing. Even some of the buildings in the Celestial plane couldn't compare to this pinnacle of wonder. Shaking his head and tearing his eyes down from a leafy top that he could not see, he started on his path again.

And that is when he heard the voices.

Pausing in midstep, he craned his neck to the side a little, eyeing the direction he thought they were coming from. One sounded quite angry, while the other... he couldnt tell the tone. His heightened senses were of some help, allowing him to hear a little farther then most... but he couldn't quite make out any words. They must be a good distance away. Considering his options, he stood there, a thoughtful look crossing his beautiful features. Bandits were rampade through this forest, he had met them several times. Best to avoid them if he could, but if someone was in trouble...

Letting loose a sigh, he started a brisk trot through the wood, heading toward what he thought may be the right direction. Lightly hopping over more fallen twigs, and moving quite gracefully, he made good time. He wasn't worried about someone finding out his race, like he normally did. His wings were shape-shifted into his back, formed to look like a normal human body. His cloak would be in danger of snagging on brush as he ran, but miraculasly, it managed not to get in that kind of trouble. He ran at full speed for the first few moments, then slowed as he neared his destination. In just less then a minute, Ethstar would burst onto the scene, suddenly appearing behind everyone except the one with the stick. Blinking, he would simply stand there, not so sure what to do at the moment.

His glance would take in the one with the stick, and the one with the sword in a mere instant. It was obvious who was the bandits, and who was the one trying to defend himself. In a blur, Ethstar had drawn his sword from where it rested on his hip, flinging back the left side of his cloak to get to the object. With a loud ringing sound, it would be out and in the open, Ethstar holding it vertically. The sharp two sided blade would be held at a point so it was in the middle of his body, two hands supporting the sword at the hilt. He had grown to dislike the bandits within this forest, and he knew they would attack him. So he had no real qualms in drawing his blade and preparing to fight. "Five agaisnt one...?"

With a snarl, his eyes and face would snap to a different emotion. The eyes would change drastically, the pupils thinning to a pinprick, the faded blue color thinning to a mere line around the pupil. The eyes radiated intensity, while the face would twist with a cold look. The serene and baffled man of before was completely gone, replaced by this intimidating man of coldness. "HARDLY a fair fight." With those words, he set himself in his stance. He didn't really care who the man was at the moment, he only cared about fighting. His feet went slightly spread, his knees bending slightly. Whatever stance it was, he looked quite comfortable in it.

Crimson hues drifted along the figures before him until intially landing upon the man behind them. As the man ushered a few words the rogues turned in suprise to see what and who was behind them. Taking that split second into his own hands, he shuffled forward a few paces, bringing his frame to face the men sideways as he drew his left arm across his body, holding its position there for a moment. He sat waiting, watching intently as this new man entered the fray. Countless thoughts seemed to flood his mind, trying to calculate what would be the best way to escape this with everything intact.

He could use this distraction in a chance to bail, but that would show cowardice and he'd rather die instead. Setting his mind on one single thought, he threw it into action as his left arm snapped outwards in an arc. As his arm nearly reached a full extension, he released the stick from his hand, throwing it into a slight rotation through the air as it careened towards one of the rogues head. With a heavy thunk the bandit instantly grabbed his head where the stick had made contact.

Without the least bit of hesitation the bandit took off in his direction drawing its blade high into the air, before bringing it crashing down towards him. Slipping off to the side of the blade, he threw his frame forward as he brought his right arm upwards, bringing the elbow out to the face of the man. Feeling a sharp pain reign through his arm as his elbow connected, a satisfying grin crossed his lips as the figure laid sprawled beneath him. Slowly he bent down to the man and grabbed the blade from his hand, wielding it in his left.

Slowly he strode towards the group of men, his sights set on the one in the back, the leader. Calling out in a deep gravely voice, “It seems its down to you four.” A smug grin crossed his slender lips as he slowed to a halt, shifting his stance into a wide base, “How about we wrap this up, because I'd really like to show you how like my father I am by wiping your existance from these lands.” The leader turned to face him and laughed lightly, “As you say.” The figure turned his attention from Marius and back to his men before speaking in a dry tone, “Take care of the other fool, this one's mine.”

As he finished talking the three of them broke off into a sprint towards the new opposition, their formation soon breaking into a tri-form. The middle figure lept into the air, flipping as he had, drawing his blade over his head and brought it careening down to Ethstar, while the figure on the left brought his blade arcing out towards the right side of Ethstar. The figure on the right mimicked the left to make a complete unison attack, which in their case would hopefully work to perfection.

Slowly the figure turned back to face Marius, a grin plastered across his features as he withdrew a second blade. Inhaling deeply, Marius stood waiting as the figure pushed forward and headed in his direction. He wasn't particularily an excellent fighter with the sword, especially with his left arm, but seeing as his right arm was already injured he knew he couldn't handle the strain. This certainly was not a fight he was looking forward to, but he had a lot riding on this; his life, his honor, his pride, and his father's name. Those were things that NO ONE could ever take away from him and he wasn't going to let anyone sully them.

Ethstar stood lightly in his cocky stance, a smirk planted firmly on his face. He was simply waiting for one or the other to make a move, or for someone to finally FIGHT. And in a burst of action, two of them did just that. One of the bandits made a hasty attack toward the lone man, and paid dearly for his move. In a flash of speed, the youth had his opponent down on the ground, and a new blade fresh in his left hand. Sparing a small nod of approval in the young man's direction, he returned his attention to the four remaining men. He remained silent as Marius did his walk toward the group, who now had their attentions divided between both Marius and Ethstar. He kept the smirk printed on his face, yet his mind raced with calculations and plans. They were still outnumbered, and Ethstar always had to make it a point to tone his abilities down to human standards. He still was wary about being discovered by any humans.

Sighing slightly as he watched Marius get into a familar stance, he took his own. In a smooth and fluid motion, he snapped a hand up to let loose the cloak at the clasp, letting the cumbersome object fall to the ground. With it, he quickly removed the scabberd of his blade from its rest on his hip, and let it fall as well. Might as well go about this in the most comfortable way. As soon as all the excess equipment was off, he flexed, tightly defined muscles easily seen agaisnt his black undershirt and britches.

He blinked as he heard the apparent leader give out the command, and blinked once again as the three bandits made a rush in his direction. Standing calmly and keeping his muscles loose, he closely watched their advance and waited for the opening. Every single advance had a flaw, and these untrained bandits probably had more then simply one. Yet he was wrong. His eyes widened in suprise as instead of a straggled and unplanned rush, the three actually formed into some kind of formation. Unconsciously tightening his grip on the hilt of his blade, his eyes darted to each figure in turn as two came at his sides, and one charged straight for him. Of all the plans flowing through his mind at the moment, a single one managed to solidify, and become his main plan of action as soon as the middle attacker took flight. Holding his right hand out straight, and holding the blade out straight as well so it would not get in the way, he went down and tucked himself into a roll. The acrobatic manuever was planned quite well, the smooth and graceful roll taking him underneath the middle attacker at about the same time the man went into a flip. They missed each other by mere inches, but it was enough. With this movement, he would force the two on the sides to come back at him, and the middle one was helpless. In one movement, he had took all three backs.

In one motion with his roll, he was up and ready. Not even pausing, he took a random guess at assuming the middle bandit was still behind him. In fact, the bandit WAS behind him, and had just landed. With a spin aimed so he would turn himself to face the three, and in a blur of speed, Ethstar pulled his right arm back and to his chest and then flung out that arm in an arc. The longsword was released, and sent spinning viciously to the middle bandit, aimed directly at the neck. His aim was slightly off though, the actual true path being a tad bit high. Oh well. He could only hope that his unlikely ally would keep the other bandit distracted, because he was paying no attention to that one at all.

Soon as the figure neared him, it brought itself into a clockwise spin, bringing each of the blades arcing outwards and towards him. Instinctively, his left arm shifted across his torso and to the right side, drawing the point of the blade down to the ground. Moving his right hand down to the point, he placed the palm flat against the blunt edge to add extra support to hold the weapon still so he could withstand the strikes. Two loud clangs reigned out loudly as swords struck the first time, sending shockwaves throughout the length of the blade, almost threatening to rattle it from his grasp.

Coiling his digits tighter around the hilt, he prepared himself for the next rotation, as another couple clangs reigned out again, sending the same shockwaves through the sword. As soon as the last blade struck, the figure immediately stopped his rotation, allowing his arms to continue the swing, before sharply snapping them down and up towards Marius's chest in a diagnal fashion. Unable to react that quickly, Marius found himself in a bad position, as he did his best to move from the oncoming blades, but to little avail as they shred through his shirt and ripping across his chest, leaving their marks across his flesh.

Marius clenched his teeth as he backed up, his right arm instinctively moving to his chest, placing the forearm across the wounds as if trying to protect them. The figure followed through, lifting the blades high into the air, before gracefully lowering them back to his sides as he straightened out his stance, “You stand no chance, you're out of your league.” Marius's eyes slid closed, as he lowered both of his arms down to his sides, trying to calm himself and do his best to block out the pain. Nodding firmly his eyes snapped open, as he lurched forward, drawing his knee up to the gut of the figure. Without the slightest of resistance he felt his knee sink into the stomach of the man and kick him back from him. Lowering his leg, he widened his stance, drawing the sword up in front of him.

The figure hunched over, trying his best to gather himself again. Marius would not allow him such as he pushed forward, his left arm moved up across his chest, drawing the blade over his right shoulder. Suddenly he snapped the blade down to the man's head, but no avail as the man crossed his blades together and caught his blade between them. A grin slid across his features, as his right leg snapped upwards, thrusted out to the stomache of the man. As his foot connected, the man stumbled backwards, thrown off balance. Following up the successful attack, he brought his right foot back down to the ground and then snapped it up quickly, moving it out to the head man as he gained his balance once more.

Having no time to react, the man was rocked again, but this time toppling to the ground in a heap. Slowly he lowered the leg back to the ground, turning his attention down to the fallen figure, “A sad excuse...” Raising his arms into the air they joined around the blade's hilt, holding it percuriously above the figure, it's piercing aim locked on the killzone.

~Three rogues~
The plan was executed to perfection, but there was one slip, keeping the enemy contained and it cost them one of their men. There was no explaination for their slip up, besides simple miscalculation, but with the two of them, it would be a little easier game to keep the man negated. Gradually they rose from their crouches and rose to an erect stance. They turned to face Ethstar, before breaking out into another rush, one getting ahead of the other. As soon as the front rogue reached the man, his blade swung low and in a horizontal motion to his thighs. The back rogue only mere seconds after the other, stepped onto his back and onto his shoulders, as he micked the same attack, only going the opposite direction and aimed for the upper section of the torso instead.

Ethstar cursed as the one bandit fell, the Fallen angel's blade firmly imbedded in the skull of the unlucky bandit. It was fine that he had killed one of the annoying men, but it was NOT okay that he was now without a weapon. Pulling his gaze from the dead one, he snapped his eyes back and forth between the two approaching him. Preparing himself, he readied for the next attack, which was likely going to be the one who was leading the charge. A little bit more of confidence grew within Ethstar as he realized the two had thrown their formations to the wind, and were now probably just trying to get a blade in him. He was almost sure he could deal with that better then he could handle coordinated attacks and stances.

As the first came and went low with his attack, Ethstar went into a high jump, his mind automatically labeling it as the best defense. The leap was quite high and acrobatic, aimed so that it would bring him straight up and back down in front the man, ready to strike with a kick or such. Then the next attack came into play. Blinking in contained surprise as he saw the second attacker, his jump brought him to eye level, and then higher then the top bandit. The attacking sword lashed out with a vengeance, and caught him violently across the legs, right below his waist line. Gritting his teeth against the pain, the talented strike negated the one plan Ethstar had. Kicking.

The bandits were a little more trained then he had originally thought. They had proven twice now that they could handle themselves, and his cockiness was slowly starting to get in the way. He needed to start considering them as equal opponents, and not as simple humans that didn’t even know how to swing a blade. The strange attack the two had pulled off also proved that the men had been trained to fight together, or so it had seemed. He might as well count his blessings, and consider himself lucky he had managed to kill at least one. Although, he was inclined not to believe in blessings.

And so higher he went. With the blade passing through his skin, he continued upwards, the jump something most humans would never be able to do. Gritting his teeth even harder to prevent himself from crying out, he did his best to ignore the extra pain his movement had brought forth. Without even thinking about it, he formed a rough and desperate attack, not even really thinking about the attacking action. Clasping both hands together to form one large and deadly club, he brought both fists down with all his strength. The attack was aimed for the skull of the top bandit, hopefully stunning both attackers long enough for Ethstar to manage and pull off a dash for his blade. The leg cuts weren't too bad, but they hurt and were bleeding. This would definitely slow him down, which he wasn't looking forward to.

Without wasting another minute, his arms thrusted downwards, bringing the blade swiftly down and through the figures chest. A slight grin passed his lips as he listened to the gurgled cries of his enemy as his body convulsed violently before falling still. Rising back to an erect stance, his gaze peeled itself from the fallen figure and then to the fallen angel, watching eagerly. Slowly he moved forward and towards the three figures before him, his right again moving to his chest to hide the wounds, knowing very well if he were to be attacked again that would be the spot to go for.

~The Two Rogues~
The tops rogue seemed to have caught the man, exactly as he had planned; however, they had not been expecting the man they were fighting to have more than human abilities, which took them slightly off guard. The top rogue saw the man leap into the air again, simply flipping off the bottom figures back and onto the ground behind him, looking up at the man noticing that he now had an attack instore, but it was much too late for the other figure to escape now. He watched in shock as his only ally now became a floor mat, motionless as it laid there. Shaking his head quickly, he turned to the right and took off running, not even noticing the man standing there.

Marius's eyes darted to the fleeing rogue heading his way, his right hand instinctively moved out to its throat. Grabbing the rogue by the throat, his eyes locked onto his, “Where do you think you're going? Do you bastards honestly think you can get away with what you've done to me?” His grip tightened as his anger began to rise, his hatred for these men were far too great to even come close to ignoring. Grunting slightly he thrusted his right arm into the air, lifting the rogue from the ground, allowing him to dangle, before sharply drawing his right arm forward and down to the ground. Listening to the sickening thud as the figure hit the ground, another malevolent grin plagued his lips. Slowly his right hand slipped from its throat, as he pushed himself back to his feet and to an erect stance, as he shot his gaze over to Ethstar who seemed to be nearly as beat up as himself.

~The last figure~
Gradually his arms slid across the dirt covered ground, spanning off to his sides, before coming to a halt. Planting both of his hands firmly upon the ground, trying his best to push himself up and onto his knees to but to no avail, as he fell back upon his chest. Again the rogue tried, this time reaching a little more progress than before and got himself to his hands and knees. Still shaking off the effects of the blow he sat there a moment. His eyes were fuzzy in their vision, his neck felt as though a blunt axe tried to hack his head clean from his body with little success. Mustering the last of his strength he pushed himself back to his feet, standing in a slumped form as he was unable to gather the last strength to stand fully.

Ethstar winced as he hit the ground, going into a quick crouch to absorb as much impact from his landing as he possibly could. Even then however, the two cuts on his legs throbbed painfully, a little bit more of blood leaking out because of the landing. Crouching, he smirked victoriously at the fallen rogue, his face not revealing the pain he was really in. Slowly but surely, his intense eyes slid up to regard the other rogue. Who was now running away. With a growl of anger and a scowl quickly crossing his face, Ethstar quickly rose from his position, ready to take off after the annoying and cowardly bandit.

That was when his unlikely ally managed to chokeslam the idiot. The smirk reappeared on the Fallen Angel's face as the last bandit was dealt with. Pulling his eyes from that fallen body to the impaled one, he quietly studied the bandit. The sword had been placed quite effeciently through the chest of the bandit, keeping him pinned to the ground. With that in mind, Ethstar turned to regard the one he had clubbed across the skull. With a blink, he was somewhat surprised to find the man staggering to his feet. He looked completely stunned, and completely out of it, but he was managing to stand anyway. With a slight sigh of annoyance, Ethstar slowly took the one step needed to bring him in front of the man.

Then he noticed movement over to his right, where the two fallen bandits were along with the stranger. The impaled one had magically managed to get to his feet, and was now holding the bloodied blade that had once held him. Without a word, a snarl crossed the bandit's face, and he hefted the blade with his right hand. Setting it over his shoulder, he silently started to stalk forward, obviously quite intent on putting a hasty end to the stranger's life. With yet another sigh of annoyance, he shouted out a warning, his voice seemingly cold. "Behind you!" His eyes were drilling into the stranger, so he assumed the man would guess who he was talking about.

Pulling his attention from the two, he returned his gaze to the staggering bandit. At the moment he let his eyes rest upon the staggering body, the two orbs seemed to flicker with morbid amusement. Kneeling down on both knees, he brought himself within eye level of the rogue. The pain in his legs flared at this movement, and he slightly winced. Yet in a mere moment, he seemed to forget about the pain. With a sadistic smile crossing his face, he uttered one word. "Die." With that single opening of his lips, his left fist flashed out. With all of his strength, he would slam the knuckles into the throat of the man, completely intent on crushing the throat of the being.

Taking heed to the warning, he swiftly turned to face the oncoming figure, a look of suprise taking place on his coutenance. His eyes narrowed, as he waited for the figure to close a little more distance. Dropping down to a low base, his right arm brought itself behind him, before bringing itself forward as his frame lurched upwards, drawing his fist up to the jaw of the figure. Feeling his knuckles crack against the man's jaw, he watched intently as the figure's head was thrown back violently and taken from the ground a few feet before dropping lifelessly to the ground once more.

Holding his position, his crimson hues studied the fallen figure hoping that it would not attempt to move again, but he would have to make sure of it this time. Slowly he lowered his arm back to his side as he straightened out of his stance once more, his gaze still locked upon the figure. Pushing off of his right foot he made his way forward and towards the figure, his eyes never moving. Stopping along side of it his right foot lifted into the air, before dropping sharply down upon its chest, feeling it give way underneath the force of the blow, ensuring him that the deed was finally done.

Lifting his foot from the body, he planted it back on the ground before turning to face Ethstar, watching as he disposed of the last rogue. His right hand clenched spasmodically as his eyes were now locked fully upon the man, unsure of what to think of him. He had seemed to be his ally for the moment, but that was the problem. Perhaps this was for the joy of the fight and not just to lend a hand, which would make him next in the man's hitlist. Like hell he would sit by and let that happen, he refused to suffer that humilliation again. Though he had seemed like he was of good intentions, he had taken his side afterall and not that of the rogues.

Sighing heavily he decided to at least give the man a chance to explain himself and should he refuse...Well, that was to be decided. Clearing his throat he called out in a deep gravely voice, “Why did you help me?” His mind raced over the thoughts that plagued his subconscience, unsure of where to go from here. He had been down this alley before, but this was different somehow, this time he could prevent such treachery. Though at a cost and to what cost would it be?

The vicious punch slammed into the unguarded throat of the rogue, and a loud snap issued across the small clearing. Without another noise, the man silently slumped to the dirty forest floor, his eyes glazed over with the look of complete and utter death held within. Ethstar's own intense eyes stared down at the man for a few more short moments, a look of strange sadisticness held with the dilated pupils. After simply matching intense gaze with dead gaze, the Fallen angel looked up at the stranger's question. A small and sudden smile, that wasn't at all humorous, would cross the Celestial's face. With exaggerated slowness, his eyes would slowly go down to regard the cut the man was hiding, then back up to hold his gaze. It was as if he was mentally saying: "Why do you THINK."

But with that small motion of his old self, the eyes would suddenly snap back to normal. Big, beautiful orbs of blue, holding the center of complete gentleness within their grasp. The taunting smile would change to one of happiness, and calm words would flow from between the lips of the Angel. "I am not fond of bandits, especially ones who are cowardly enough to send five men after one."

With that, his gaze would slowly go to each fallen bandit, not a flicker of pity within the observant gaze. It was more as if he was studying a experiment, locking away the specific details about each failure within his mind. One thing that stood out about the men was that they had fought quite well, strangely enough. Actual formations and combined attacks, not just random slashes and blows. Pondering this over in his mind, he slowly walked over to the man who had Ethstar's longsword imbedded in his skull.

Firmly grabbing the hilt, he jerked the blade up and out, inducing a short spurt of crimson blood. Taking a short step backwards so the liquid would not get on his cloak, he let out a short sigh and returned to facing the stranger. Silently studying the man, he retained his gaze while kneeling to the ground. Once there, he slowly but effeciently wiped the steel of his blade on the grass, cleaning it of all the blood. After he had accomplished this task, he stood once again, and sheathed the blade to his left hip. A light "shinging" sound would be proof of this, both hand and hilt vanishing as the cloak did it's work. “Although… they were quite organized for mere bandits.” After that, he would simply wait for an answer from the man, his gaze as calm and gentle as ever, his beautiful features unwavering from the untrusting eyes of the man across from him.

Stern was his gaze as it never broke from the man. He didn't trust the man in the least, even if he said he meant him no harm. He learned from years and years of experience that no one could be trusted, that they were full of lies and deceit. He had once had a lot of friends, but when they were bribed by the King it seemed far too easy for them to turn against them. However, they fell one by one, friend or not he had too much to live for, he had his dreams, his ideals and his life to live for and that was all he needed.

Clearing his throat, he began in a deep tone, “They weren't bandits...They were rogue assassins sent after me by my former king. It seems the only way he figures he can beat me is through numbers. He thinks I'm as strong as my father, but thing is....I'm stronger than my Father, I'm still alive.” A malicious grin slid across his slender lips as his eyes strayed from the man and towards the fallen rogues scattered about them, “These fools were not mere fools. They weren't ordinary assassins either, I guess....I'm not quite sure on what to classify them as seeing as assassins are mere cowards that strike when the back is turned. These seemed convicted to follow me even when I noticed them.”

Shrugging his shoulders, he made his way towards one of the fallen rogues, dropping to one knee. Slowly his right arm lowered from his chest and down to the blade, his digits coiling around the hilt of the katana. Slowly he rose to an erect stance, sheathing the blade within the sheath at the left of his waist, “Though, I suppose it makes no difference...They're dead it's all that matters, I should savour this victory as should I the rest of them. You never know when the end comes and when it does, it snares you deep within its trenches, thrusting you within the heart of the grand abyss. It's something that everyone fears; for most of us still have something to live for.”

Pushing off of his right foot, he made his way forward and towards the man, but in a slow steady pace. His dark crimson hues drifted up to meet Ethstar's as he slowed to a stop mere feet before him. Lifting his right hand out to the man, offering for him to shake it, “The name's Marius Ashounen. And yours?” Meanwhile his left hand lifted to his chest, planting itself flat across the wounds, applying pressure to them in hopes of easing the pain and hindering the blood loss further.

Watching the man with calm and gentle eyes, his lips would twitch downwards in a hidden frown as the man simply pulled his katana from one of the dead bodies and sheathed. He himself had always been taught that it was proper and respectful to clean the blade of the blood from the dead. But this was the material plane after all, and the customs here could very well be much different then the ones used in his own little corner of the dimensions. And also listening to his words, the man reminded him of a simple rogue more then anything else. However, these private thoughts were quite well hidden, the polite smile sticking calmly to the face of the Fallen Angel.

However, at the flaming words directed towards assassians, the face of the Angel would twitch. The smile would remain however, but the words that were soon to come out would be slightly cold. "Battle isn't a matter of honor my friend. It is a matter of life or death. Never label a man with a sword as a coward, for if he uses it to kill... then that is an act of bravery in itself." After those words were spoken, the slightly cold tone would vanish, replaced by a strange warmth as the next few words came flowing from the soft lips of the beautiful face. "I am Ethstar. Nice to meet you." His own right hand would come out from the cloak, the smile on the Angel's face suddenly much more stunning as he firmly shook the extended hand. He had to adjust his strength slightly, for fear of hurting the mans hand, but the impressive physical strength still might be felt. Giving a sharp nod, Ethstar released the hand quickly, taking one step back to give the man his space.

Quickly thinking over what the man had said, Ethstar made a few mental questions up, and quickly presented them to the man in order. He hoped the warrior wouldn't think he was too prying or anything, but he was naturally curious, and always would be. "So, you said your former... king... came after you?" Trying to pretend like he knew what exactly a king was, he feigned wisdom and continued on. "Why? What have you ever done to him?"

After he had finished posing those two questions, he halted, suddenly remembering the man was wounded. Focusing his gaze away from the eyes of Marius, and down to the hidden wound, his tone suddenly became much more concerned. "I can heal that a little if you want, I have a bit of healing magic." Almost absentmindedly, he would raise his hands up to give the man a clear look, and let his magic pulse through. It was almost as if he was trying to prove he had the magics, for some strange and unknown reason. The skin from the wrist up would glow a light blue, the color slightly pulsing in brightness.

He listened to the man speak as a brash anger began rising inside of him. As soon as the man released his grip, he abruptly pulled his hand away and back to his side before speaking in a deep forceful tone, “If the man has a sword and his opponent doesn't, does that make the man with the sword brave for attacking an unarmed man? Are you blind to what lies before you or do you just go along believing your own false assumptions? I was unarmed and avoiding the fight, I did not call upon this, I did not want this. They ARE cowards they are not in the least honorable or brave, end of the story!” His eyes flashed a red glow as they stared undaunted at the angel, before fading off into their white and crimson colors.

Exhaling deeply, his aggitation subsided and his mind began to collectively wander once more. For a few moments he remained in silence, listening to what further the man had inquired of him. Slowly, his left hand lifted to the hilt of his blade and placed the palm upon it as if showing the angel he wasn't afraid to draw swords should it come to it. He wasn't a man who was afraid of a fight, no less if the man had been stronger than him or had thought to be at least. A malicious grin slid across his lips as he spoke, “Countless ages ago...My father went against King Valdez and wiped the lands with the blood of his followers for the betrayal agaisnt his people and his homeland.”

Pausing for a moment he exhaled deeply, the grin soon fading from his face as he contiued, “Though, that is all I will allow myself to inform you. I still can't trust you...Perhaps I may never be able to, who knows? All I know is that I've had enough deceit, lies, and false pre-tenses. I refuse to listen to someone who tells me how to run myself, how to talk about things I know much more about. I've experienced hell and I've experienced it a second time, there's nothing you can say that will change how I feel. So save your healing for someone who really needs it and get out of my way if you decide to oppose me.”

Pushing off from his right foot, he made his way towards the angel, before veering towards his left flank, halting instantly along side of him. Staring straight ahead, he spoke in a soft tone, “I understand you have your ideals and I have mine, Ethstar. Though, I have to warn you, if you wish to make powerful allies going against their views is not a good way to start an alliance. However, I will forgive you and let it pass, why should two understanding men waste a friendship over a petty quarrel?”

Taking a few moments, his mind wandered across the thoughts that drifted throughout his mind, before finally drawing one from the depths of his subconscience, “So....I ask you now. Tell me something about your past and depending on how much you reveal, I will reveal my fair share. That way we can build at least some bridge of trust and who knows maybe build some common ground as well. What do you think, sound fair?”

He was a man that hated being contested, a man who would not back down even if pushed to a wall. He proved both to him and those around him that he wasn't a force to be taken lightly and the fact that he was still standing was a sure sign of it. Slowly he brought his right hand back up to the wounds, placing itself over them. He didn't mind help once in a while, but he wanted to rely on it as little as possible. He felt as though he was taken pity upon everytime he was offered help, which is mostly why he never accepted.

At the snap of anger directed toward him, Ethstar's eyes would widen slightly, as if he was shocked or hurt by the emotions being displayed. He simply listened to all the words the man had to speak though, not daring to interrupt until Marius had his words completed and out. The flash of red in the enraged human's eyes would provide even more suprise, Ethstar having to fight the urge to take a step back out of pure unease. His eyes remained locked on those of the human's though, either out of pure stubborness, or out of the fact that he wasn't able to pull his eyes away. The flash soon faded though, and a slight tremor of relief was left to flow through Ethstar.

When the man stood beside of him and spoke though, a drastic change would take place in the personality of the Fallen one. At the mention of describing his past, Ethstar's eyes changed. Dilated pupils, and a barely seeable ring of color. The orbs slid to his right, focusing directly on Marius's cheek with the intimidating stare. "My past? Very well then, I will tell you a little bit of it." As he continued on with the words, his tone of voice would grow slightly humored, even if it was a somewhat sadistic humor. He wouldn't move an inch from where he was standing, it wouldn't even seem as if he was taking the movement needed to let loose a single breath of air.

"I was once an Assassian, the cowards you speak of. I have slit many a throat, and I have done it when I came up behind them. They never drew a breath of air again, nor did they ever find out who had killed the light of their life." As that particular sentence ended, the light of sadisticness in the voice would fade, soon to be replaced with a cold sort of tone. "Yes, I have my own ideals, as you have yours. But when they collide, do not be so quick to assume you are in the right. That is the exact emotion and way of life that created what I was, and it is the exact way of life that created those men that we just killed." He would stop for a short second as if to let you speak, but then continue on, perhaps just taking a breath. "Although, that doesn't mean you shouldn't stand up for your view. Perhaps your's IS right, and I am in the wrong. But when the time comes that I would want to make allies, if either strong or not... I will never back down from what I believe in. No matter what the cost." Pausing for a moment, these words would be considered, then once again, he would hurry on. "Although, by the tone of you, that could be your exact ideals. So who am I to consider you a bad person for that?" After that somewhat deep sentence, he would take a few steps forward, walking over to one of the fallen bodies.

Kneeling next to it, the deadly eyes would observe the blood of the dead, his mind quite far away. He was wondering if it had been wise to say he had once been an assassian, although he wasn't one anymore, so it might not matter that much. It was somewhat comforting to know that assassians were in existance in this plane however, perhaps he could find a job as one. With a short and cold chuckle, that idea was considered insane. It would be stupid to go around asking as a job for an assassian, that was an extremely quick way to draw all kinds of unwanted attention to his being.

A malevolent grin slid across his lips as the man continued to argue his side, which was exactly what he had wanted. He hated weaklings who held no self standards and backed down to anyone who tried to tell them otherwise. He knew very well in the back of his mind that this man was not amongst them for he stood steadfast to what he believed in no matter who or what told him otherwise. He admired a man like that, one who was just like himself and was not afraid to stand against another man no matter what his views were.

Slowly he turned to face the man, watching as he began to walk over to one of the bodies and hovered over it as if in some sort of trance. He was a strange man to say the least, his behaviour was far different than that of others he had faced, but for some reason it didn't seem to bother Marius in the least. Clearing his throat, his eyes slid closed as he spoke in a soft tone, “To be truthful with you...You passed my test, your views are just as accepted as anyone's. I never proclaimed to be correct, as I had said it was a mere test to see if you would stand by your ideals no matter what. I've learned to choose allies wisely and enemies wiser. It's the only thing that's kept me alive this long, I never had the comfort of one hour of safety, I was always on the run. Those dogs that lie before you, that's the product of my damnation. I was banned from my kingdom over a petty king's quarrel to acquire more strength. He had an obsession with wanting my father out of the picture and he went to great lengths to accomplish it and I suppose he succeeded, but it was short lived when I came of age to stand against him and everything he wanted. I was known throughout the lands as the Enigmatic Destroyer. My people were turned against me within a few days after my Father's death...”

His voice trailed off as his eyes dropped from Ethstar and to the ground, watching as the wind kicked up small whirlwinds of dirt, tussling it about before falling still, “Men who hunger power...At times prove to be the weakest, their selfishness always seems to get in the way of their ideals and they become corrupt. Corruption takes place at the soul and works its way out until the man becomes blind to all that is true, which soon leads to death.” Lifting his hand from his chest, he brushed away a few strands of crimson hair that crowded in front of his eyes, “Though...Most who seek power can attain it if they remain cool of mind and soul. It's something I've wanted for quite some time, but not for ruling others as most would.”

Sighing exasperatedly, his eyes shifted up to the tree tops, studying the thick foliage contently as cracks of light seeped through the partings between each individual leaf, and cascading across the forest floor in small beams, “It's hard to explain....It's something you probably wouldn't understand or agree with, though I couldn't care less if you agreed or not. I've never cared what others thought of me, why should I start now?” Languidly his hues drifted down from the canopy and to him before dropping down to the hand on his chest. Staring blankly at the blood that coated the gloved hand, he simply shook his head, his eyes shifting back up to Ethstar again. Blinking a few times, his eyes drifted slowly down his frame, as if inspecting him cautiously before noticing the droplets of blood at his feet, knowing very well that they were from him and not the rogues.

A soft smile crossed his lips as he realized he was not the only one injured throughout the affair, which made him feel that much better about being wounded. Though, the man had seemed to pay little mind to his wounds and moreso over Marius's. Chuckling lightly, his head simply shook as he noticed how alike the two of them were. They seemed to stand by their views, had ignored human frailities, and also shared troubling pasts.

Closing his eyes again, he spoke this time in a more deep manner, trying to make himself heard over the sharp wind that pushed through the forest, “Ethstar....What say you to an alliance of sorts? I'm not suggesting friendship, but mere allies. If you're in trouble and I happen to be around consider yourself having someone at your back and the same for I. How does that sound to you? Unless you wish to accept friendship instead, or perhaps neither...It's all up to you.”

Ethstar silently observed the empty death gaze of the man lying before him, letting his own intense eyes stare steadily at those of the dead. This was the one he had used a crushing blow on, and the deep crevice in the human's throat was evidence. Letting his eyes slide down to the area, he steadily regarded it, memories racing through his head at the sight of an injured neck. Memories were something that had plagued him while he was running from the Celestial plane, and even now, when he thought all the hunting had slowed down... the memories still ransacked his mind, paining him day after day with the agonizing past.

It was so bright. He had been told assasians were to work in the night, but that would be impossible here. A cold and grim look on his face, he slowly entered the house, longsword held firmly in one hand. Every motion was completely quite, and every motion went un-noticed by the turned Celestial. The poor traitor didn't even know he had been found out, didn't even know that Ethstar was ready to pounce with the hand of death. With a movement that could best be described not as a "move", but as a "sway", Ethstar was behind the Celestial and bringing his longsword up with one hand. The blade neatly came up from the left side to enter the Angel's throat diagonally, and continue upwards until it was stopped by his jaw bone. The unlucky traitor didn't have time to blink, didn't have time to figure out that he was going to die. Most strikes to the neck were deadly. This one was vital.

With a blink, Ethstar looked up from the crushed throat, staring off into the distance. He faintly recalled hearing the tone of Marius's voice, and with some effort, he reached back into his brain to try and remember what it was the human had said. In a rush of flowing words, it all came back to him as if the man had repeated the words to him all over again. Closing his eyes agaisnt the sudden brush of the wind, he let his own reply flow out, putting no thought into the matter. Simply let the answers come, and everything will work out for the better good. That was the hope he was putting his trust in at the moment, and he was praying that it would do nothing to let him down. "Damnation, you say. Whatever case you have caught yourself within, you have certianly proved that you can choose your alliances, as well as your deathblows... so I am in no position to argue with you on that." Letting a small sigh flow through his lips, he fought down the urge to speak his views on the subject of power. He hungered for it, only for the cause to destroy every Angel that he faced. Which in that regard, may put him on different terms then the human, or the same terms. Whatever the case, he was not in the mood to discuss it. Slowly letting his eyes open as the breeze died down, he gracefully stood from his position, turning to face the human behind him. At disconnecting his eyes from the picture of death, once again, he went through a dramatic change. It was like he had two completely different personalities, triggered by what only the God's knew. The eyes went back to beautiful and innocent, and when his words came out, they were calm and polite.

"Power is a fickle thing. But friends or allies, milord?" The 'milord' term would be another noteworthy change. This particular set of mind seemed to be cool and calm, something of a knight or such. The other one was more random, usually some everchanging mixture of sarcasm and coldness. "One is never a true ally, unless he is a friend. So if it falls within my reach, new friends it is, milord." A gorgeous smile accompanied this, the simple display of emotion seeming to brighten Ethstar's handsome face by tenfold. He set himself in a small bow, letting his muscles flow in and out of the humble posture quite fluidedly. One would gather just that by looking at him that he had done the motion several times over through the years, bringing him to this point in his life where he could perform it almost perfectly.

As he straightened though, a slight twitching of the smile would show that the movement had pained him. Fresh drops of blood streamed down the skin under his britches, about just as the smile would straighten itself. Yes, he was one to ignore the physical uncomforts of battle. Quite alike the two were, even if they had just met.

Marius's eyes fluttered open before shifting off to the left. For a long while he stared in that direction as if uneasy about something. A look of discontent washed across his countenance as he spotted movement again. It didn't suprise him to see the movement, but it really ticked him off to know that they wouldn't just die and leave it at that. Almost lifelessly he turned to face the rising bandit, knowing very well that he would have to put an end to that one's life as well. Jeeringly he made his way over towards the bandit, his mind wandering across countless thoughts both sadistic and non. At first he pondered letting him get away to serve as a warning for Valdez not to mess with him here, but perhaps it wasn't a good idea to let any of them get away for it may enrage the man far more than killing each and every one of them. Besides, there was no guarentee's of the man's life as soon as he would return, he found that out from what Valdez had done to his father.

Coming to one and only one conclusion, he decided to end the bandits life quick and decisive. Suddenly he broke off from a walk and into a run towards the unaware and dazed bandit. No more than the bandit got to his feet and looked up to see the oncoming attack, it was all but too late. Planting his right foot firmly upon the ground just to the right and behind the bandit, his left hand lifted to the man's face and grasping it within the wide span of his hand. Just as soon as his left hand grabbed the bandit's head, his right moved up to join it where they would both sharply force the bandit backwards. At the same instant, his right knee rose sharply up to the mid-point of the bandit's back. As his knee collided with the bandit's spine, he felt it crumble and snap beneath the sheer force of the blow.

Releasing the man and drawing his knee from his back, he allowed him to drop lifelessly to the ground. Slowly he dropped to a knee along side the motionless figure, his digits spanning outwards as his hands moved together over the bandit. As his hands joined, the tips of his index fingers would touch together and as would his thumbs to create a triangle. Gradually his hands spanned outwards from each other and directly over the body as he uttered a string of words that were not among the common tongue. As his arms reached the full span, he clapped them together and rose to an erect stance. His crimson hues traced the figure before bowing his head and turning his attention back to Ethstar.

Taking a few moments to collect everything again, he spoke in a dry tone, “I cannot let them escape, neither of them and now that they're all finally dealt with, I can rest easy at least for now. Considering Valdez hasn't already sent more of them after me that is.” Shaking off the thought, his mind turned to the next matter at hand, “Power is....Corrupt, but I will accept its corruption if I find a way of achieving it. Until then, I will wait for there's only power in knowledge and patience, both of which I posess.” Falling silent he allowed his mind to wander, before registering that the man had spoke of friendship. Clearing his throat, his crimson hues latched themselves upon Ethstar's, never moving and never blinking.

Marius had an odd habit of using eye contact to test those he ran into, he used it to gauge tollerabillity to stand ground and to see how well he kept his eye on things ally or not. A soft smile slid across his countenance as he spoke, “You have a point and I am a man who sticks by my word Ethstar...If you find yourself in a jam, you know one man you can turn to and don't hesitate to do so.” Nodding firmly, he peeled his gaze from Ethstar and off to the clearing in the distance, “Alas I must keep moving, they have my number and with the shape I'm in....Well, to put it plainly, I'm better off if I don't risk another run in with them.”

Pushing forward again he made his way towards the clearing, “Though in their case they better hope they don't find me, if they wish to keep their lives.” He laughed maniacally at the thought of their next run in with him when he was finally at his full stength and for once armed. Soon the laughter subsided as he reached the clearing, coming to a dead halt, “Ethstar, I don't often say things like this, so consider yourself fortunate. I think you're a great fighter and a man of strong will. As you said before, I know how to pick my allies and I think I've found my best yet, so keep that in mind the next time you find yourself in a hard spot.” Gesturing a wave he stepped through the clearing and into the blinding light, allowing it to consume him entirely.