Snippet #2165860

Talazar smiled contently as the sound of breaking bones met his ears, followed by that of the boy's sword clattering uselessly to the ground. He watched as he continued to struggle in vain, only causing the vines to tighten their grip around his figure which refused to be still. No doubt, he had a great fighting spirit, but that wouldn't save him. However, Talazar was feeling rather generous this fine night. Standing straight, he began forward towards the boy, stopping just in front of him to pick up the sword and examine it.

Fine craftsmanship and a beautiful jewel, one that still glowed a brilliant green. It had yet to be tainted as so many others were. It was pure, warm and most of all, revolting. Utterly disgusting. Talazar stared at the stone for a moment, as if he could cause it to rupture or convert under his gaze, though he knew better. Finally he looked up, his words quiet and calm, yet cold and calculating at the same time.

"It's terrible, isn't it?" he said. "To be helpless and left to the hands of cruel fate without a savior. When you yourself are attempting to be the savior to another in the same predicament... That girl. The Princess, you," he paused for effect, taking a moment to contemplate his next words, pacing now. "Tell me, do you care for her? Or are you simply going to use her like every other person in this world? A man like yourself has to have some sort of reason for joining up with her completely out of the blue... But oh, the way she looked at you then." Smiling, Talazar brought up the moment from their previous encounter, when the Princess had saved this boy from Nira. He wanted to see what sort of reaction he could merit. Simply inflicting pain or fear into his prey wasn't enough. He'd tear apart and dissect their minds, their thoughts. Pull away the layers of their defenses until they had nothing more, target their weak spots. The man was one thing with a weapon, a cold, heart-less killing machine. But his words, they were just as deadly if not more...

"I do believe there was genuine fear," he continued finally. "Fear of losing a handsome man like you. The one who saved her just previously. I do believe, yes... I do..."

Talazar suddenly reeled back with the sword and brought the blade around, the silver gleaming wickedly in the dim-lightning as it cut through the air. The blade swept cleanly through the vines that held his captive in place, severing their hold and letting him drop to the ground. Backing away now, Talazar extended both arms to either side of him, the hammer and sword in each.

"Now then, lover boy... Could you possibly muster enough courage and strength to overcome the inevitable? To be able to pass me and return to the Princess in a vain and frankly hopeless attempt to save her? Once Nira has finished with her, she'll be nothing. A broken piece of meat left for the birds, and where was her knight? Cowering, fallen and destroyed. A failure, a man who it seems is no stranger to letting down those close to him."

Talazar let out a low laugh, his gaze locking with that of the one before him. "This is your chance, your one and only chance... Run."