Lorn sat down wearily as the sounds of pursuit faded into the distance. He had expected Mirk's people to be capable, but he had not expected to be run ragged as he was. Even for the Kahin, the dash from the estate had been a test of his stamina. Three days out and he had barely anything to drink and eat, not daring to stop long at any watering hole or stream in case the men were there.

He jumped as a rustle came from the undergrowth, then relaxed again once he realized it was a hare. He would have liked to kill it, but he dared not move until he was certain his pursuers were far away. Then maybe he could head somewhere downwind and away. If he could put some distance between himself and them he could get some rest and hunt for food.

Lorn checked gear carefully, there was an abysmal amount of it. He had his sword, the only thing he managed to find of his own before his escape. He fingered the collar at his neck nervously and licked his lips. Then rose to go.

A single raven soared into the canopy of the forest, singing a wail of surprise.

Irnfried was walking down a worn meadow pass down the seemingly endless filed surrounded by forest. He had a cloak over his body, his face was hooded up, and he stared down at the ground to avoid any eye contact. He was in another country now as he hide from the Gloatmores. And as of now…he was in a extremely bad mood. The rage built up inside of him from just being in Kahin. It was a complete magi infested land. Most of it’s citizens knew how perform some of the evil forbidden arts. It was a land that did not care about the demons they allowed to enter from the Nexer lands because of their uncontrolled perversion of magic. Any time magic was used a rip was made in the Nexer realms that can be transverse into either world. Most of the time this was in an area void of life that closed quickly. Other times the dreaded demons came through bringing chaos and death with them.

As he walked deep in thought he came close a fellow traveler upon the road. He glanced up quickly and judged him quickly. He looked hungry and tired as well as abused. He had a collar on his neck and seemed to be in a cautious state. An escapee perhaps? Maybe those that questioned him earlier up the road (the ones who now laid in a bloody heap as a message not to cross a Gloatmore and threaten them for information). That is all he needed right now. An escape prisoner carelessly  using magic to help in his evil deeds. Anyone else would probably have step out of the way not wanting to be apart of it. He just wanted an excuse to kill again. Take his mind off things. When he got close he purposely step in front of him. He said nothing, and continue looking at the ground.

Lorn had relaxed a little when he reached the road and there was no pursuit. He could travel faster on smooth ground, and he decided he was now far enough away from pursuit to take a chance. The night provided some cover too, and although the woodland had offered more hiding spots, it also gifted him with tangled roots and snapping twigs he was too tired to negate.

He only realized his mistake when a figure came down the road towards him, he tried to get by without drawing attention but was thwarted when the stranger stepped into his path. Lorn's blade came up instantly, though his arm barely had the strength to wield it. It was bloody, and like him, it had seen better days. The once polished metal was grimy and lackluster.

"I seek no troubles with you, stranger. Please, away from my path." Lorn gave his voice more confidence than he felt. He knew he had advantages over the humane breeds, but his current state was not one to fight in. The sword wavered then burst into flame in his grasp. The magic burned up more of his precious energy, but he needed to make this stand properly.

Irnfried looked up at him from his cloak. There was deep hatred in his stare. It was so strong it radiated off him like an aura. But deep in the corners of his eyes there was something else something besides the hatred. It was confusion. In an instant it was gone as Irnfried removed his hood and gave Lorn a grin. “You grow weary. It must take all you have to set that blade ablaze. Tsk tsk. I was hoping you be more fun then the corrupt guards that were searching for you marzio.” Marzio was a derogative term for any magic user. It was developed by the Gloatmores centuries ago before they had any true power. It referrers to Marzio de Constalla, who was a notorious mage who started out his life as a male prostitute. Now it’s use to call any magic user a whore. Irnfried pulled out his lustrous blade decorated with Gloatmore symbols and enchanted text running down the middle of both sides. He simply touched his blade and the fire was extinguished. The Gloatmores weren’t as feared in this country like they were in Hazerist but all knew there name. They just never traveled out of Hazerist often, with Hazerist being so big itself. All magic circles knew what they were capable of. “Now…how bout you be a good Marzio and bend over to give me a clean swing to your neck.” He said and moved his sword aside to point it at his neck.

Lorn stared at the stranger, not moving an inch even as the man saw through his weary state. He did not lift his gaze even when the insult was thrown at him. It grated on his nerves certainly, having escaped the degradation of one sort, he only stumbled into another less fortunate circumstance. His eyes narrowed at the sword being drawn. It had writing that any magic user would recognize, even should they not be from Hazerist. "Gloatmore," he muttered darkly, but again did not back down.

He watched the magic in his sword fade wordlessly, and did not make any motion to stop the other swordsman. Instead, the Kahin tilted his head to one side and dropped his weapon. Ducking beneath the traveler's arm, he spun in for a quick swipe at his torso with his claws. Swords were not the only weapon at a Kahin's disposal, nor was magic their first choice in a fight.

Irnfried was a bit taken aback at the Kahins moves. He was overconfident. Security was the greatest flaw among mortals. Kahins were quick even if this one was starving. The claws penetrated his chest followed by a “ohmmphh” but they did not penatrate deep. “Surprise?” He asked and smiled down. A demonic look came upon his face as he gleamed. He grabbed his arm  and twisted it off his chest with his blood trickling down and then kicked the Kahin in the chest hard knocking him out the ground. “All Gloatmores must degrade our bodies with your vile enchantments. Otherwise we would not survive long against you marzios would we? My skin is as hard as stone at my will. It will take more then an angry kittens claws to kill me.” He mocked and picked his sword back up. He raised it over his head when “Ho there!” was shouted. He turned and stared darkly at a group of fully armored soldiers approached them. He growled in his throat. ‘These are true Kahin soldiers. Not some hired goons like those I killed. This must be a political prisoner.’ He thought to himself. He stared down at him. “Sleep with someone you shouldn’t have?” He joked not thinking he could have been anything more then a corrupt soldier who did some laud act. “I guess he yours.” He said to the soldiers as they surrounded him and seethed his enchanted blade. “Surrender your weapon!” The captain of these men shouted and pointed his spear at Irnfried. He did not flinch. “Surrender yours first. I have no quarrel with you. Move.” He ordered. “You do not, but as of now you do. We can recognize you. Your Irnfried Gloatmore. They really want you dead human. They have wanted posters even up in the capitol of Kahin.” One snood, slimy solider said. Irnfried crused his fate. He wasn’t safe from his kin here either. “This one went wakco and killed his own father. Apparently couldn’t handle seeing the slaughter of some pitiful mage kids.” The same soldier added and laugh. “They want you alive, but your also worth some dead. You won’t take us if you draw your weapon. We are to close. Surrender it now.” Irnfried stared down at the ground but did not budge. They were in to close proximity for him to do any successful round about attack. That spear would do more damage to his body even in rock solid form. Truth be told he couldn’t hold that ability for long. Possibly only 3 minutes a day if he concentrated. It was a last ditch move and now he was in a dire situation. He reached for his blade. “Today I shall fall with the wicket’s blood floating beneath me.” He said. It was a chant use by the Gloatmores   when they knew there time had come. HE was going to die and take as many with him as he could.

Lorn felt the resistance grow, but before he could pull his hand back, he was grabbed then kicked solidly in the ribs. Thanks to his naturally resilient body as well as more flexible bone-structure, Lorn barely scraped away from getting broken ribs. He flipped back a couple of feet then dropped to one knee, his tail lashing back and forth behind him in anger.

The appearance of the soldiers had almost no effect on Lorn. He was already half-way to the grave, and here there were no options for open flight. Coming onto the road was a miscalculation, meeting the Gloatmore was just another misfortune piled upon the list. The guards ... well, they would be tbe nail in the coffin.

Lorn glared at the comment from the mage killer and shook his head slightly. "I was set up. I must go home before my Queen's life is put in danger."

He didn't get to finish what he was saying though, as the troops surrounded them and one spear jabbed into the small of his back, just painful enough to let him know it's there. He sighed, he was too tired for this. He just had to hope he was hard to recognize in this state. The revelation about the traveler's true identity did not surprise him, though the detail about him sparing the lives of children did.

The Kahin rolled away from the spear pointed at his kidneys and grabbed his own fallen sword. Then he ducked under one charging soldier, slicing the blade neatly between the armor plates of another, until he stood within the circle that surrounded Irnfried. Just because Lorn used magic did not mean he wasn't first an accomplished fighter.

The captain of the guards smirked, his feline ears twitching a little. Kahin rarely wore armor on their heads. If you were stupid enough to get hit in the head, that was your bad luck. "Lorn," he said, his voice low but mocking. "We had orders to take you back alive, my General."

"Take them both," he ordered. "Do your best to keep their hearts beating."

The soldiers rushed in, Lorn knew a few of them, some of them were youths he had trained before he was betrayed. Yet they came at them with almost fanatical zeal. Something must have happened at home. Lorn ducked under the first wild jab aimed at his head, then sliced neatly through the soldier's kneecaps.

Two guards rushed Irnfried at once, the disadvantage of weapons such as the spear was their difficulty being used in close proximity as a surrounding weapon. It limited the number that could come at them at once, but Kahin were fast learners too. A couple had already dropped their spears and were reaching for their swords.

The captain knew the death prayer saying of the Gloatmores. He pulled back and thrusted the spear straight at his heart. Irnfried took it with his harden skin but the spear still penetrated deeply. The captain looked scared and started into Irnfried’s eyes. Irnfried stared back with cold desperate bravery, grabbed the spear, and pulled him close. His sword thrust his armor and chest without difficulty. He kicked his body aside and pulled out the spear with blood spurting out of his chest. He could no longer hold the harden enchantment. When the first of the two who charged him afterwards he knock him to the ground with the spears shaft then uppercuted through the seconds jaw and face with his sword. He turned and used both hands and impaled the first on the ground giving him no chance to stand back up. He pulled out the sword and yelled into the air as a sword pierce through his back. He stumbled to his knees then stood up with the sole desire to kill his attackers and turned around with the sword still sticking out of his back. The unarmored man then slashed at his throat but Irnfried blocked his claws with his sword slicing a few fingers off in the process. The soldier backed up in pain but then charged back at him. “What!?!” Irnfried exclaimed before slicing the top of his head off. He knew Kahins could not be taken likely but he never herd of soldiers with this type of tenacity. There was something wrong about them. As if they were being controlled by some curse. Possibly. He wouldn’t put it pass marzios to  enchant their own men so they would not stop fighting until death. He looked over to see the marzio he was fighting holding his own. He knocked the sword from out of his back and charged in; slicing the first person he came close to clean in two. He yelled a loud war cry and charged the last three with one being occupied with the marzio. He struck down the first then took claws to the legs and a sword through his abdominal. He coughed up blood over the Kahin then smiled and head butted him off. He thrusted his sword through his neck but did not have enough strength to pull it back out. As the soldier dropped he pulled out the short sword from his body and stabbed down but miss the Kahin. The Kahin got many strikes on him before jumping kicking him to the ground. At this point Irnfried had nothing left from his deep and mortal wounds. The Kahin pulled out a dagger and aimed down to finish off the Gloatmore.

Lorn was too tired to care much at this point, but he still went through the motions of battle to keep his neck safe. The soldiers fought with a frenzy he knew he had not taught them, and he dodged more than struck, trying to spare the life of any that he could. He knew though that the Gloatmore had no such options now and would take every one of his kinsman down.

When the fight was at a close, he was faced with an impossible decision. His sword swung out and thrust at the soldier from behind even as the dagger fell towards its target.

(Leaving it for you to decide what happens XD)