Airyos was on his toes, and he made sure to hold his guard high.
This was a life-or-death battle, and he had to win.
As he eyed the suspicious-looking knight, his grip on his sword tightened, and he could feel the air around him suddenly grow cold.
As he looked into the face of the challenging man, he could tell that the sudden change had to have something to do with him, and to his dismay, he was right..
"I take it you can feel that cold chill?"
Arkamis said with a hint of sinister intention in his voice.
"At this rate, I give you about ten minutes before you're frozen solid!"
He laughed to himself.
"You'd better have your Elven brothers leave now, unless you plan on taking my head before I claim yours!"
With that said, Arkamis was on the attack, wielding his blade with such skill that Airyos hadn't faced in a long time. It took him a little time to realize that it would take him more than just wit to take down this man.
"You heard the man."
Airyos said calmly between breaths and attacks.
"Get going. You must get him...IT back to Pikia. Make haste!"
Aramin, Hypernnia, and Jadec wasted little time with that order, and before Airyos could repeat himself, they had the wounded, unconscious Yatsimoto on their shoulders and were bounding through the wood towards their destination as fast as their load would allow them to.
Now, with little distraction to hold him back, Airyos was sure he could handle Arkamis without having to overuse his abilities.
"They can handle him if he wakes."
He told himself in his mind.
"After all, Aramin is with them...he's the best I've got."
At that time, Airyos was in no position to think of anything other than his current battle, so he cleared his mind and focused on his objective: Kill or be killed.
As Arkamis threw attack after attack, Airyos noticed that he always left his left side open when he swung his sword, and if he was quick enough, he could land a good blow to the man's ribs.
But it wouldn't be that easy.
He first had to turn the tables around, and that's just what he planned on doing.
Slowly but surely, Arkamis began to grow more and more aggravated. He hadn't expected such a challenge from a single Elvin warrior after he had taken out several of the same stature just around an hour ago.
"I don't want to underestimate this one."
He thought to himself.
"If I do, he could be my downfall!"
As the battle progressed, neither man gained nor lost any footing, yet Airyos never for a moment took his eye off of the knights' rather foolish opening.
"This may just be easier than I thought."
He said to himself as he ducked under an attack that would have otherwise taken his head off.
"That was a little too close!"
He told himself.
"I'm tired of holding the defense!"
In an instant, Airyos had taken the mantel and turned the attack back on his formidable foe, the Messimune, although horribly damaged, seemed to be able to hold its own against Arkamis' sword, and Airyos knew that if he got the chance to unleash even a small amount of its power, he could do a lot of collateral damage.
"Well, it's worth a try."
He said to himself as he formulated his next new moves in his head. He knew he'd have to be quick and accurate in order to pull it all together, but he had confidence in his plan.
As Arkamis blocked and dodged attack after attack, he couldn't have realized the trap that Airyos was setting up for him, for at the moment, even Airyos didn't know if he could pull it off.
"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE PEST!"
Arkamis shouted at Airyos as he dodged the Messimune's blade as it came within an inch of his neck.
"YOU'LL DIE FOR YOUR OPPOSITION!"
Once again, Arkamis was on the attack, and within seconds, he had Airyos right where he thought he wanted him. Right with his back to a wall of seemingly untraversable trees.
"This ends here."
He thought to himself.
"He has nowhere to go but up, and once he does, I'll bring down the trees around him! HA! THIS IS IT!"
Just as Arkamis had predicted, Airyos was greatly at a disadvantage on the ground, so he swiftly took to the branches of the huge tree that was at his back.
"Crap! his is gonna have to work, or I'm as good as dead!"
He said to himself as he landed lightly on the closest branch. To his left and right were nothing but trees, so whatever he had in mind would have to get the job done. He sprang into action.
Leaping high into the air, he braced his broken sword and prepared for the worst as he fell freely toward his target.
On the opposing side, Arkamis had his own plan, but little did he know that it would play right into that of the strategic Elf.
Just as Airyos leaped into the trees, Arkamis began to chop them down haphazardly with his long, glowing sword, in hopes that the falling trees would crush his adversary and end the fight, but his tactics were all but reversed once he noticed Airyos dropping toward him rapidly.
He let out one last string of curses.
"SON OF A BI-!"
And with that, the battle was over...or at least Airyos thought.
"DIE, YOU FIEND!
Airyos shouted.
As he came crashing down on Arkamis, he swung his sword with all his might.
"Runjin Astun!"
He chanted, causing the Messimune to magically increase in weight by close to 1000 pounds, its well-known special ability.
Arkamis knew about this ability from his first encounter with its true owner, and did his best to defend against it, but his attempt didn't go too well.
In an instant, he was crushed, and his broken body lay dead under his prized turquoise armor.
Airyos shifted his blade back to its normal weight and landed lightly, making sure to double-check his footing around the now non-living being.
"It is finished."
He said, making sure to add extra emphasis on the word "finished"
"I hope Aramin is faring as well as I this day."
He thought aloud as he turned in the direction of home.
"If not for the sake of himself...for Elwood."