Snippet #2246892

With himself and the Elven woman saved, and once his retaliation had died down and the threat had been neutralized, Talazar took just enough time to survey the damage he'd dealt. Those closest to the man received the worst, obviously, especially the ones directly in front of him; the fire at that point being enough to cook a man on the spot. Luckily though, for those that were his enemies, not many were within such a radius, but instead just past it to the point where the worst they received, though still bad, were exterior burns that left their skin a brilliant pink and blistered, singed hair, and fire engulfed clothes. Beyond the point of about twenty feet was where safety lay, the flames there lacking the of the wielder's jewel to allow them to maintain their integrity, having simply dissipated and been left to be blown away on the dying shock wave that had carried them out with such tremendous force until then.

Talazar's gaze drifting over those before him. No one was within the immediate vicinity of the man anymore, the massive burst of air having made certain that everything around him and the woman be sent hurdling away like a ragdoll. Aelianus himself was one of those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast, but at this point, he was simply collateral, lying sprawled out on his back, unconscious and having reached a point where the man questioned his life. Raiyn was in much the same state, though he had the Princess to accompany him as he lay in her lap. As for the others within Alterair's group, they hadn't even seen the attack, and so death overtook them with a silent fiery wrath. Or so the man assumed.

To the side, a sudden laugh drew the man's attention from the Princess and her friends. Though she was the target originally, Talazar had just acquired a new one that took priority over all else, and he wouldn't cease until the man who'd survived was dead once and for all.

Inquisitively, Talazar's gaze shifted from where the man stood now, to his previous position on the ground. He still bore the wound in his stomach, but already it looked healed. With one look, the reaper knew exactly what had happened.

"You really don't care much for the lives of your men, do you, Alterair?" Talazar questioned, his voice low and ominous. Where the man once stood were five of his soldiers, statues that embodied the people they once were, turned into bubbling red masses of dehydrated flesh over bones, stained a crisp black in some spots, their grips still clinging tightly to the massive round shields they carried. Placed into the center of each were jewels of wind and water. Obviously the combination was something that had allowed for their leader to be sparred, but not the men themselves. The shields looked like they were bronze, but Talazar couldn't tell.

"What, and you do?" The man mocked back. "Please, you'd of done the same. I'm surprised actually that that woman there is alive... Sheltering behind you, we know how that turned out for Ki--"

"Shut up!" Talazar spat. The man had turned, his grip on the shaft of his weapon tightening to the point where he could probably bend it. Stepping just to the side, the reaper better faced the man while at the same time obscuring Nira from his view. Best to not give him more ammunition for his silver tongue.

"Oh, struck a nerve have I?" Alterair questioned sarcastically. "You're pathetic. A new love affair, hmm?" At that the man was laughing, seemingly as if no damage had been taken from Aelianus' sword. "Please... Woman, you could do better."

"Alterair," Talazar interrupted.

"No, I've had enough of you." Alterair retorted quickly. "Oh how I'd wished for that boy to have massacred you, but alas it seems I must do it myself. It's a real pity these days, when you can't rely on anyone to do what they're supposed to. But I'm sure you're well aware of that." He then paused, waiting, a cruel grin masking his face. When no response came, he continued, drawing the sword that rested at his side. "Very well. I'd only wished to capture the Princess so that the shades would deliver you to me, but seeing as they've run away and you're left standing before me, having brought yourself, I suppose for now the first phase is complete." As he spoke, his men were forming up around him. There weren't many left, maybe ten, but even so they were all gruesome in their own ways, most, if not all, looking like they'd tear a horse in half.

"Are you suggesting you wish to combat me?" Talazar questioned, his voice suddenly dropping the hatred and acid it once harbored. It was now deathly quiet, just above a whisper. Nothing but a sick malicious content was present, his tone weighing heavy around him as his face was completely obscured in his hood, the shadows overtaking his features. A sinister grin crept up onto the outer most of the man's lips, curling them up to reveal teeth that were too perfectly white. "You? ... Alterair?" With that, the man was shaking, not with fear, but laughter. No sound came out as he simply stood there, his head down, chuckling silently to himself.

Alterair frowned, his brows coming together, a scowl forming on his face. At first he was hoping that perhaps the man was afraid, but now it seemed he was mocking him and his skill, testing him. With a growl, the man screamed towards the cloaked figure. "And would you be insinuating that perhaps I'm not good enough?!"

Talazar's head shot up, now finally letting his laughter erupt all around him. Half of his hood was fallen over one side of his face as suddenly his scythe fell backwards, both blades hitting the earth and impaling it. The outburst didn't laugh for long, as soon the man settled, but he still failed to be able to remain still, finding that waves of his elation still rattled him. Alterair was simply glaring at him, the man taking his turn to become infuriated with the others mocking demeanor.

"Very well... Very well," the reaper said finally, his one visible eye blinking towards the man. "Here I come."

With that Talazar suddenly shot forward, propelled by a gust of wind that erupted from his weapon, sending him hurling towards Alterair and his group, the man lifting off the ground just slightly as he flipped through the air, rotating the scythe completely around his person until it was coming down like a massive hammer. The group made fast to vacant his landing zone, no one even daring to cross paths with the blades on their downward descend. Upon impacting the earth, another massive shock wave erupted out, though this time it came from within the ground, a crater forming around the reaper, his cloak flapping up all around him before falling to a rest, wrapping around his body.

Immediately several men had moved forward, but they were quickly fallen as the man stood, not even taking a moment to give them a chance to defend as he swept his scythe far out to one side, dragging the blades through the entirety of their bodies, truncating them and sending their upper halves toppling to the ground.

"Back fools!" Alterair ordered, waving his hands at his men. "He's mine!"

At that, Talazar stood and brought back his scythe, turning to face the man as his tongue dragging across the blood-stained metal of the blades came up to meet his lips. With a quick flick of the wrist, the entire weapon had then rotated around again, the action throwing whatever residue that was on the nonadhesive metals off to the side. "Come!" he taunted.