Blackout

[Tobias Stalt]

Scritch! Scritch! Ffwsh!

Three strokes gave birth to a weak flame, and Tobias nursed the heat as he brought it to his pipe. Three deep breaths inhaled sooty ash before proper smoke flowed into his throat. A string of light coughs faded as a noxious cloud filled his thoughts with respite. Damn, it feels good to be back.

Pain had shepherded him away from Althanas. Suffering and a lust for life had guided him to worlds beyond. Even on those uncharted horizons, he had not escaped pursuit. Finally, back in the place where he belonged, his amber eyes were haunted by the things he had found both on Althanas and in the world beyond. They sank in their fleshy tombs. His face still carried the charismatic youth that belied his age, but those eyes no longer held the fire that they once had.

The long march toward the Citadel had not taken nearly as much from him as he hoped. The desire for battle and the rush that came with him did not flow away as he grew closer. He felt no less enthralled by the call of violence than he had in his greener days. Something inside of him sighed, but Stalt merely suckled at his pipe with half open eyes.

When he stepped inside, he let out a plume of slate gray. "There a fight for me?" He asked, though the answer was almost always the same. Time rolled past, but nothing changed in the Citadel of Radasanth. Even the pleasantries were false when they happened to occur.

"Ah, Mister Stalt," came the telltale voice of one of the monks. "It has been some time."

"Has it?" He asked, not sounding convinced that the Ai'bron was at all interested in his absence. When a stiff nod was all that returned, Tobias knew his lack of courtesy had struck a cord. "Come, come, you just want to profit from the bloodshed, aye? Let's not stand on ceremony, old friend."

In silence, the monk led him toward the Grand Vestibule, and gestured for Tobias to make ready for combat. The rogue was certainly glad for the abrupt end to the conversation. Monks had little nice to say when one didn't play their game of niceties.

Peeling away his cloak and dismissing it to the floor, the room danced around Tobias and melted into a blur of colors. Reality shifted, waxed, waned, and was reborn. Moments later, the Grand Vestibule of Radasanth's Citadel was an arena of antiquity- dirt and sand on the floor surrounded by the walls of a colosseum. The ratty and torn uniform pants he had once been issued were almost unrecognizable. His shirt was tight, but not uncomfortable. It lent to freedom of mobility. From his left hip, Tobias withdrew one of his long knives and held it loosely.

"Let's see what they have for me today..." With a flick of his wrist, the brown haired youth dismissed his pipe to rest messily in the folds of his cloak. His gaze moved up, and he waited for his opponent to show himself.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

As it had so happened many times before, and for many generations after the two men were destined to expire, the Citadel chamber rippled.

When the ripple effect manifested, it brought with it a simple but very lively world.

The world of the Bradbury district in Corone. Still in Corone, the Bradbury clan had obtained a long-lasting name for themselves even through the remaining portions of the Civil War.

Elthas also smoked, but it was a much stronger herb. The cannibus herb, and smoked from a finely crafted yew smoking pipe. He was one of them Elf folk, tall and proud. He heralded from the Forest Elf variety, and didn't have the arcane knowledge that High Elves often had. He'd managed to survive so long without it. His eyes narrowed, and his face was downcast because of the elegant fedora he wore. He wore a fancy Radasanth cut three piece suit. His cape flowing in the afternoon breeze. It was midday in Bradbury district. The nearby river gurgled it's sound as waves lapped along the shoreline. Elthas turned to acknowledge the river for a moment. Concordia Forest surrounded them all, an old friend, no, a long lost lover. Elthas could hear in the wind, the sounds of the lost claimed by the war. It saddened his heart, and touched his rapidly decaying mind frame.

Elthas adjusted his hat.

He was leader of the Trading Company those days.

He had a reputation to uphold.

His eyes looked at the man before him, Tobias Stalt. He tried to recollect if he'd seen the champion somewhere before. The man was somehow familiar, yet, he had never seen Tobias in his life. Elthas wore gloves around his hand and pulled heavily from his smoking pipe. Then, he put out the lit embers. Elthas had set up a small camp by the river where they would do battle. As was tradition. As it was before them, and so it would be after them. Elthas nodded towards Tobias. He also waved a warm greeting. Despite the physically palpable shadow in Elthas's heart and visible in his eyes, Elthas was the friendly and out going sort. He didn't have a need to be a violent monster. It wasn't the philosophically proper thing to do, unless the situation called for a tyrant's prowess.

"Greetings." Elthas began. "Pleasant day to you, I hope." Elthas continued to spoke. "Name's Elthas Belthasar. I'm one of them Forest Elves." Elthas had a gruff Radasanth accent. It was well tempered from years spent working in Radasanth, and tempering the civilian populace during the Civil War. He also knew Corone was home. "What type of fighting is your flavor? Have any sort of odds you want to duel against?" Elthas was of course, referring to Wager Battles. He always asked of his opponents were into that sort of rush. "If that's your flavor, I can fancy a good gamble before we start." Elthas said. "Always a fancy hour for a good duel I always say." Elthas said. Then he waited for Tobias to respond.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

The man seemed to have a positive demeanor.

Elthas heard the question that was asked, and nodded calmly in response.

He removed the daggers he oft used for combat from their scabbards. They were masterwork delyn daggers and finely crafted. Elthas rotated the enchanted daggers as per habit, and felt their familiar light weight feel. He could use the weapons as if they were extensions of his own body. He stood in a typical combat position, not moving into one of his specialty stances just yet. He wanted to test Tobias Stalt's character as they fought. He wanted to SEE what kind of a man Tobias was. Already, Elthas' mind was analyzing the situation. There was a gathered crowd of observers that made Elthas feel slightly uncomfortable. He still never got used to the idea of blood shed for sport. Elthas looked into Tobias' eyes and studied them. His own stare was analytical, calm and collected. He had a poker face expression that was a mask more than a feature.

Elthas learned to hide his emotions long sense prior.

He noticed the smile on Tobias' face. I wonder if he's sincerely happy to be here...I wonder why I am here...who knows in the end? Elthas thought to himself. He often over thought simple things with his highly analytical mind. At that point, Elthas' eyes narrowed to thin slits. His eyes observed Tobias with the same desire to learn, and thirst for knowledge. Elthas rotated his weapons once more.

A breeze came in from the east.

Elthas looked off in that direction for a brief moment as if acknowledging a friend.

Then he looked at the gathered crowd.

There were easily about fifty or so spectators at that moment.

He sighed. He then adjusted his fedora after a moment passed. He was ready. As leader of the Trading Company, Elthas had to represent his guild with honour and respect. He had to show the world of Althanas what company men were all about. Elthas started to SLOWLY walk towards Tobias. He was standing roughly fifteen paces away from Tobias. His pace was deliberately slow, he didn't want to rush things with Tobias and he wanted to test the very nature of the man. Plus, he found himself pleasantly drawn to Tobias Stalt. The fellow was agreeable, and he was not a monster like so many that passed through the grand vestibule.

Elthas saw a kindness in Stalt's eyes.

It was faded, but the kindness wat there...that was something that Elthas could latch on to.