An Honorable Death Amidst Clashing Steel

If this is to end in FIRE then I will BURN

for the sake of


OTHERS

Normally, taking a job was some level of exciting. After all, the prospect of cash was usually enough to motivate someone to work through whatever mundane task they were doing. It normally wasn't anything too crazy at low ranks. Oh, was today different. Today, the air itself hung heavy as Felix stepped onto the ground of the railway station. There were several jobs he had taken that were sending him across the country. Today was the first job. And the goal..it sat poorly in his stomach. He was here not to help..but to kill. It seemed that someone had gone through the various hoops and oceans of red tape that allowed them to legally request that they face death by combat. Admittedly, the prospect hadn't sat well with the young man who had arrived to be the arbiter of said job. His expression was rather dour. And yet, when he stepped out of the railway, he had come face to face with one person, rather than a crowd. The man's skin was incredibly dark..but the signs of age were all too easy to see. The wrinkles across his face. The bright silver creeping into his beard. The silver streaking through his long hair. Before Felix could even open his mouth, however, the man spoke first.

"It's not of-ten dat we get people coming here dis early in da mornin'. Ya wouldn't 'appen ta be da mahje that accepted mah request, would ya?" The accent caught him off guard. It sounded all too familiar to that of some of the scattered tribes he had encountered in his first trip to The Ace of Spades, in his attempt to join Sabertooth. And his surprise must have been visible, for the old man before him chuckled.

"No need ta be so surprised, boy. Jus' because mah request talked about what I believe in doesn't mean dat I come from da same place as most people dat believe." He said, seemingly amused. Still, Felix nodded, pulling off the glove on his left hand to reveal the silver guild symbol imprinted on the back of it.

"Well..for what it's worth. Yes. I am the mage that took on your job." He said, trying his best to keep his own apprehensions out of his voice. This man looked so spry still. Why ask to embrace death now? Why not simply wait a few more years, get a little more enjoyment out of life? These were the thoughts that plagued Felix's mind as he spoke.

"My my, mah boy. No need ta be so cold! I'm not about ta spring on ya right now. I may still be spry, but Im not as young as I once was. Come, follow me." He said as he turned around, looking over his shoulder and gesturing. This man kept throwing Felix off. Still, he followed silently as he put the glove he wore back on.

"Where I come from, dere's a custom that we follah when it comes time ta pass on, ya see. No matter da faith we follow, my people have always held a conviction within our hearts. We face death head on, welcome it as an old friend, rather than try ta run an' hide from it outta fear. And in my fai-"

"Those who die in combat go to one of two places. Valhalla or Fólkvangr." Felix said, cutting off the old man as he came up to his left side, earning the young mage a bit of a smirk as the old man looked at him.

"Not jus' one, but both places. Interestin'. Knowin' one of dem was expected of ya, Mahje. After all, Valhalla was what I wrote in mah request. But knowin' both? Das someting I've only seen in those of da faith." He said, probing the young man next to him.

"You'd be half right. I don't personally believe the same things as you do, but I've heard plenty of the oldest members of the guild taking wagers on where the Valkyries will take them." That seemed to amuse Ior as the pair walked into a tavern, and took a seat.

"Ah see. An' yet, you are bein' so cold, dear boy. Humor an old man. Speak yer mind." He said as he ordered the each of them a..surprisingly simple meal. Though admittedly, Felix didn't like the idea of drinking a beer in the middle of the day. Still, he found himself staring in silence at Ior, and the man stared back. He tried his best to read him..but it didn't work. The man was a blank slate. If this were poker, Felix would have been intimidated into folding. And perhaps in a similar way, it managed to break him.

"I just..I don't get it. You obviously still have plenty of years ahead of you. And yet, you took the time to cross the rivers of bureaucracy in order to usher your own death to you faster. You have effectively requested that someone be sent to murder you, when you still have plenty of time to enjoy life before you would really need to worry about death..it just. It doesn't sit right with me...I only took this job because I thought I might be able to talk you down." He admitted, sighing softly as he leaned back into his seat.

Before, he had only gotten chuckles out of Ior. This time, the man had broken out into full blown laughter. Quite a hearty one at that. A laugh that sounded like it had come right out of ancient times. It was..odd, to say the least. "Ah, is that all das botherin' ya, boy? It shouldn. I've lived a good, long life. Eighty years of 'ard work, and 'arder fighting. Many people that get this far stop bein' able to even lift their sword, let alone fight." He explained as he took a sip of his drink.

"I'm not rushin' to mah death. I've lived a long, fruitful life. I just want to make sure that it ends 'fore I become too weak to face death standin'."

It was..oddly poetic, in a way. Sure, this was a distasteful job. But this man..he seemed to genuinely understand his own wants and desires. He clearly wasn't afraid. He knew what he wanted. An honorable duel, one that would allow him to pass on to where he desired to go. And..well..perhaps there really was such a place. After all..he knew better than anyone that the Yggdrasil existed. It was home to the hall of the very guild he had joined.

Ior was a good man. Not some suicidal lunatic. He wanted things to end on his terms, not by some happenstance. Felix only hoped he could be half the man that the one sitting across from him was. As Ior's mug clanked down against the table, Felix lifted his own, using the glass to hide his smile as he took a drink.

"Ah can see it. Yer mind. It's changed. Tell me lad, what is yer name?"

"Felix. Felix Bastien." He said as he placed his glass down. That seemed to catch Ior's attention.

"Bahstien, ya say? Yer granddady wouldn't 'appen ta be named Ehzekiel, would 'e?" He asked, propping his head up in the palm of his hand, elbow resting atop the table. Felix couldn't help but blink at that, and nod.

"Yeah, he was. Did you know him?" He asked as he picked up the lone hunk of bread on his plate, taking a rather large bite out of it. "Aye. He was a good man. Looked a lot like you..save that nick 'cross yer face. Taught me what he knew 'bout his faith..lit a spark in me, back when I was a boy." He said as he chuckled, seemingly reminiscing as the pair fell silent and finished their meals, only for Ior to pick up both plates and take them to the counter.

"It's time." He said, causing the person behind the counter to nod..and produce the very weapons that the job had stated Ior would use. A longsword and a shield. He turned again to face Felix, sword hanging from his waist now, and shield in his other hand. "C'mon, mahje. We'll be headin' off now." He said as the door leading into the staff area opened up, gesturing for the both of them to enter. Felix nodded, and once again followed. The pair walked in silence..for a time. Eventually, they exited the samey hallways..and walked out into a small, grassy lot. It was closed in on all sides by other buildings. Ior walked ahead of Felix, looking up at the cloudless sky with a smile before he turned to face his opponent.

"Well. Since ya seem ta know a bit 'bout mah faith, then you know what the common courtesy is, right?" He asked, causing Felix to chuckle and nod. "You've got my word. I won't be holding back..but I will fight honorably." He said as he raised his left hand in front of him, palm facing downwards. The space around his hand seemed to ripple for a second before light flashed, his fingers wrapping around a shape before his weapon was revealed. Silverlight. His sword of light. Ior whistled a little.

"Das a nice trick ya've got there, Fehlix. Bu' I know what yer family is about. Where's the second blade?" He asked as he raised his shield, causing Felix to chuckle, holding his other hand out to his side. A similar flash of light occurred..and a far larger blade appeared in his other hand. Last Words. A fitting name, given what was about to happen.

"Seems like your age hasn't dulled your edge, then." He said as he took up his own stance. Silverlight was the leading blade, and Last Words was held aside. Of course, the moment he took up his stance, Ior lunged at him, slashing for his neck with his longsword. The man was spry, but Felix had gone through excruciating training to hone his reflexes and speed. Instead of biting into flesh, Ior's weapon clashed against the edge of Silverlight, and Felix slipped away as he used Ior's momentum against him, flicking his sword's edge upwards, causing Ior's leading strike to send his arm careening upwards. "'Course it 'asn't! I'm old, not senile!" He said as he caught his footing with surprising speed, attempting to follow up his initial strike with a bash from his shield. And that was an opening..for Felix, at least. The man didn't take another step. Instead, he swung with his free hand as he brought Silverlight back down. Last Words wasn't heavy..but it was large.

And between its size, Felix's momentum, and the decreasing quality of that obviously old shield, Ior would merely watch as his only true defense split down the middle. However, the force sent both men stumbling backwards. There would be no more words traded. Ior took his weapon up in both hands, seemingly ready to put all of his strength into this fight. Felix took up his stance once again, stepping forward and slashing. First with Silverlight. That blow was deflected. He followed up with a quick slice from Last Words. That blow was dodged.

But Felix was quick. He whirled around, preventing Ior from getting in his blind spot, catching another blow from the sword with Last Words, twisting his blade in such a way that it caught Ior's in the large gap down the middle, twisting that far simpler blade. It was wrenched out of Ior's hands..and Silverlight was thrusted forward. It was a clean strike. Right in the chest. Felix watched as the strength left Ior's legs..as a smile crept upon his face. "Thank ya..Fehlix.." He said as the young man pulled his sword free from his opponent's chest, a thick trail of blood spurting out from the now gaping wound.

However, instead of letting Ior drop down face first, Felix caught the man..and lightly pushed him onto his back. His eyes had already glazed over. The blow to the heart had been a quick death. The amount of blood covering the front of the man's outfit was enough proof of that. Felix had held to his word. He hadn't held back. But he also hadn't used any magic. This was to be a fair duel. He held two swords. Both of them holding the ability to do several magical moves. But Ior..he didn't have magic. To use magic against someone who couldn't do the same in turn? That was dishonorable. Still..Felix held Silverlight downwards, and looked up at the sky. As Silverlight and last words faded back into the space his magic held them in, only one thought remained in Felix's mind. He hoped that Ior did indeed end up in Valhalla. He would be among friends there.

[END]

Spells Used:

Job #1, Complete!