One never asked to be what he was; the other was paid to become what he was. One is a profession that a parent would be proud of their child for, the other is a profession a parent would fear their child could become. One fights injustice and the other could be injustice for the right price. So is the difference between hero and mercenary.
These thoughts passed Sei’s mind several times during the Cell. In the massive brawl, the mute had engaged the infamous Teric ‘Bloodrose’ Barton one on one until several interruptions tore them from their fight. Sei had suffered several disadvantages during the fight, the primary one being that he had but one arm. While the mute was capable at only using one appendage to fight (Due to three years of not having his right arm available), it was rather hard to block without the use of both limbs. Especially when it came to someone as powerful and skillful as the Bloodrose.
The Cell ended in Sei dying twice, once involuntarily and the next time to make a legend out of a no-name mage. Sei had managed to learn a lot from the massive onslaught, and met up with some powerful people. The mute had found a couple of his warriors that he had been searching for, and also learned that the great Max Dirks feared the winged mystic. Yet the unfinished fight with Teric Barton ate away at the telepath. He found himself without a real challenge, and had even lashed out at his girls a couple of times. It seemed as though the mute would require some closure, some way to prove who the better warrior was between the Hero of Radasanth and the old veteran warrior.
Then inspiration hit in the form of Dajas Pagoda.
It had been a year or two since anybody had fought in the Pagoda. The once admirable fighting arena now stood abandoned in the middle of Scara Brae. The Pagoda itself held the same healing capabilities of the Citadel, but was used for a much more noble use than the blood sport building. The Pagoda taught newer warriors how to use the blade, how to parry a blow. It was a school much more so than a fighting arena, and it was the whole reason Sei had agreed many years ago to be an instructor for the institution. Sei smiled as he walked into the large building, his mind going down a massive road of nostalgia as he did so. So many lessons were taught during Sei’s stint as a Pagoda Master. He wondered just how many people had learned from Teric Barton as much as they had learned from the mystic himself.
Much like Sei had returned to one of his original ‘homes’, he knew Teric would probably be here soon as well. Old warriors had the tendency to walk down memory lane far more than they would like to admit. Teric would come at least into the vicinity of Dajas Pagoda. Once he got close enough, Sei knew the warrior could feel his blood boiling, the adrenaline from the Cell pumping once more. Teric’s body would tell the old warrior that a worthy challenger was waiting inside for him. Sei just knew it.
Looking around at the dusty first floor of the establishment, Sei smiled. He was sure the magic of the building still worked, but he did not want to choose an arena. This was a straight up fight between two battle hardened warriors. It was a way for two wanting fighters to finish what they had started in the Cell. It was closure, it was an out, it was to prove which profession was better.
Hero Or Mercenary?