Conclusion

[Skoll]

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Either of you can feel free to reply past this point, but I think I'll start posting back and forth soon. Skoll saw the grey blur shoot past, saw the wolf he recognized as Lubomir diving for the larger male, a trained killer like himself, an impossible gambit with no chance of success, but enormous potential for tragic slaughter. "DON'T KILL HIM!" Skoll yelled out, his words the only thing that could reach Asmodai before Lubomir did. A fast claw, a wrong twist, a drawn weapon, any of these could kill his friend before he had the time to run the distance and pull him away. It was over in an instant, but the gray wolf heeded him, thankfully, and his defense was not lethal. Skoll winced as Lubomir's body was slammed brutally into the sand, a modest plume of grit rising into the air at the brave wolf's impact, in the instant before he rolled clear of Asmodai, the violent result of his forward-sprint being turned back on itself. Another familiar voice rang out, and Skoll quickly looked beyond Asmodai to see the form of Iskata running forward to meet them. Hadn't she just seen what happened to Lubomir?! Why was she doing this, she was going to get hurt...Asmodai was going to think this a setup, kill his friends or turn and flee, abandoning their honorable confrontation for one without rules, one in which anyone could be hurt. But as the gray wolf's head turned back to see the owner of the voice, he returned his gaze to Skoll. He didn't fear her, in fact he seemed to have chosen not to acknowledge her. He reached backward into the pack hanging from his shoulders, and Skoll held up his hand at Iskata, the sternness in his eyes frightening. "Stay back!" he warned. "This is between the two of us. I don't want any one else getting hurt." His warning had been automatic, said quickly to get her to stop before getting within the gray wolf's range, but as it began to dawn on him that his enemy was not going to attack her, her question returned to his mind, and he answered more directly. "This is a duel, Iskata. He and I want each other dead, and have come here to settle it honorably, one-on-one and without interference. I have no idea what Lubomir thought he was doing, coming after me." Asmodai's gaze never wavered, nor did he give any indications that he had heard their words. He paid the she-wolf no mind as he tightened his grip around something beneath the top flap of his backpack. Skoll hoped he would wait for Iskata to acquiesce to his request formally before beginning. If nothing else, he had to hope she would have the good sense to stay out of a fight between the two of them. A wolf like Asmodai could kill her quickly, and would if he thought she was compromising his chances of victory, or so Skoll suspected. ~The lyrics are from the best song ever written.

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