Secrets and duels (Tags: Yeoun & Swift)

The time that passed since Yeoun was sent to the outskirts of civilization went by quickly for Sorcha, so much so that she was a little surprised when her father came to tell her they would be establishing a time and place to meet. She would need to deliver the message to Yeoun. This would be difficult. He was much in the company of his friends of the Blood Moon Squad. Especially the bowman. She had not really taken the trouble to find out the other boy's names in the squad. Since it wouldn't matter just yet and she had plenty of other things to worry about.

All morning she waited. They were training of course so she had to wait longer than she wanted especially as the weather was complete crap. Rain upon rain upon more rain, making theroads impossibly muddy and giving her a much easier time getting around. She was wearing an uncustomary outfit. Tight, legging type pants, black boots that ran up to her knees, a thick dark gray cloak and a long warm sweater.

They took a break for lunch and Yeoun went off on his own. She knew he would do so eventually since he was very much the loner among his group of companions. He needed time to assess things, to think, away from the hustle and bustle of those around him. She was glad however that he had not waited till the end of the day, she was already drenched through.

She followed him closely until he was out of earshot of his friends, then bumped into him from behind as if she had been shoved into his back. She proceeded to feed a piece of parchment into his left hand. The Guards saw the altercation of course, as she figured they would. She stood up quickly and apologized, masking her voice to sound more like a boy, "Sorry 'bout that. Ground is slippery..." As she said it, she turned around, ready to disappear into the rain. She needed to get to her rooms and have a nice bath and nap to warm up.

Meanwhile she figured Yeoun would understand the note and be where he was expected.

"41 Alshire Rd. 6 pm. Answers."

---

Kevarre had spent his lunchtime inside. All of this rain was depressing, he thought, lying on his cot in the barracks. It was with this in mind that he had fallen asleep. He was weary, not just from training today but from all the traveling. After all, traveling was very hard on him emotionally. His brother too seemed tired and had fallen asleep. Neither one would have noticed how long Yeoun might have been out or where he may have gone. Such was not the case later that evening.

The rain had died down at least enough to walk around and not be completely drenched. Kevarre forgoing his brother's company went in search of Yeoun. "Where you headed? The pub?" He could do with an ale and a brawl. They were back in civilized territory, might as well do something entertaining now that they were. The trip had given him plenty of time to think about how much he hated being isolated from places and things. He had been so isolated when his mother left that now he associated it with negatives.

Now though, things could go back to normal. They could be given real posts. They'd served their time on menial border duty. They deserved a real task. It was something he wanted to discuss with Yeoun.

Yeoun was quick, and the months the Blood Moon boys had spent at the lonesome outpost of Telgar's southernmost border had given him plenty of time to hone his skills even further. Of course, he would have to keep working at it, but he was nearly as fast and effective in his reactions as the Captain Toshiro. It was doubtful he'd match that level of skill any time soon however. Nevertheless, being approached from behind as Sorcha had, had nearly elicited an undesirable response, simply from training which had become instinct; the feeling of paper within his grasp however, averted his attention just long enough to give pause, wondering at the cloaked stranger who'd placed it in his hand.

Ducking his head out of courtesy when the cloaked figure apologized and then continued walking, Yeoun refrained from following after. The small, folded parchment within his possession now, did not arrive there by accident, and the messenger had made it obvious that he didn't want their interaction to become publicly known. In that case, Yeoun didn't so much as hesitate, but continued on his way, until he came to an overhang nearby where he could escape from the downpour of rain for long enough to read the message delivered to him.

Finding somewhere out of sight, Yeoun tried to dry his hands before unfolding the small bit of paper.



Thinking back on the messenger, Yeoun contemplated if he'd ever met the person before. The man's voice seemed a little unnatural, perhaps altered..and his stature was even smaller than he. It must have been a woman under that cloak; and the only woman he knew who might approach him in such a way, was the pillowcrafter he'd run across after graduation from the Guard Exams. Wasn't Sorcha her name?

Yeoun wondered if he remembered correctly. The information she'd assaulted him with concerning his relationship to the man who organized the Chorong Rebels -who were supposed to be his sworn enemy- was enough to overrule any memory of anything else spoken on that night. But he did remember the woman's face distinctly. Unfortunately, the messenger he'd just now run into, had disappeared too quickly for him to get a look at the face.

Softly sighing, Yeoun read the note scrawled onto the parchment one last time, committing it to memory. Glancing side to side, making certain no one was around to see, he wadded up the bit of paper and put it in his mouth. There, he let it start to dissolve, chewing it and then swallowing it to destroy the evidence.

Taking off from the wall against which he leaned, Yeoun put his arms over his head to shield his eyes from the rain. He made his way in the direction of the location given him, leap-frogging from one protective building overhang to the next, doing his best to avoid being soaked all the way through. 6 p.m. would come soon enough, and he didn't figure there was enough time to change -not if he wanted to keep his destination a secret anyway. If he returned to the barracks, Kevarre or the others would wonder why he was changing to leave again. So, he took his time making his way to the district of town where Alshire was located.


It was more than once that Yeoun needed to stop to ask for direction. Having arrived in Southern Telgar Hold recently, he was not fully familiar with its roads yet, though he understood this particular district to have been still fairly run down, home to Southern Telgar Hold's degenerate population and of course, sometimes illicit activities.

Before he got there however, now that he knew exactly where he was headed, Yeoun decided to stop for a few minutes to see if he could wait out the rain while drying himself a little bit. Indeed, after a while, the rain began to subside, so he continued on his way. Apparently however, he hadn't moved fast enough, because Kevarre caught up to him; and when Kevarre asked about his destination, Yeoun managed a weak smile, meeting the other boy's eyes for only a short moment. Though he answered Kevarre truthfully, it was an intriguing choice of words to avoid further question. "It was kind of a last minute decision. I didn't think you'd want to join me."

And certainly Yeoun would rather Kevarre not have tagged along at all. Now he'd have to find a way to keep his best friend occupied while he managed to meet in private with whomever it was he was meeting. Yeoun wasn't certain who exactly to expect when he arrived at the place of meeting, but whatever happened, he'd rather Kevarre not end up involved. Anyway, this was all because of his own father; it had nothing to do with Kevarre. It was none of Kevarre's business.


When they neared the establishment, the noise from within could be heard from outside. Light came from cracked windows and a front door that opened frequently, admitting and excusing patrons from all walks of life, either shaking their heads in discouragement after having lost their money on bets, or smiling and sharing with friends the sum they had won, now carried in hand. Whatever the place was, it was certainly lively.

Yeoun led the way, stepping up to the door. Being admitted by the gate keeper, Yeoun glanced all around, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. The eatery and draft house was also a fight club apparently, offering late night entertainment. With no curfew in Telgar, it didn't matter how long it went on for, patrons could stay all night if they wanted.

Checking to see that Kevarre was still beside him, Yeoun also looked about for any sign of the cloaked figure or the pillowcrafter he remembered. Eyes dancing up to the balcony, there appeared to be only one man seated there (which happened to be Galedon), but there was no sign yet of the messenger/woman. That being the case, Yeoun thought perhaps he was a few minutes early and stepped up to the edge of the fight ring with Kevarre to watch the combatants battle out the next round while spectators cheered them on.

"Why wouldn't I?" He asked, quirking a curious brow but then letting things go. Yeoun had become a little detached since the trip. Kevarre wasn't exactly an expert on people but he would know or at least should know when something was bothering his friends. Something weighed heavily on Yeoun's mind and Kevarre wasn't about to let him go wandering about South Telgar without a friend in case he should need one.

At first it seemed to him that Yeoun was hesitant not just to have his company but perhaps unsure of the direction they should be headed in. It was probably only his imagination though, thought Kevarre as he walked next to his friend. When they walked up to the building and were admitted, Kevarre realized a bit more slowly than perhaps Yeoun did, this was a fight club of sorts. There were already people fighitng and drinking and having a fairly good time. Now this was what he was talking about. Finally something fun to distract him.

Kevarre walked to where he could better observe the fighting, not really noticing where Yeoun was in proportion.

---

Sorcha had her hood down as she approached Yeoun. "I see you made it." She said smiling. Her face revealing nothing of the killer she was. "Come with me, you will have your answers." Before he could give even a hint of protest or concern for his comrade,"Your friend is well distracted..." She commented as Kevarre seemed entranced by the fighting. Something though was a bit familiar about the other man, though she couldn't put her finger on why or how exactly she might know him. It went further back than her acquaintance with Yeoun.

She made sure Yeoun was prepared to follow her as she led him to the stair that led to the balcony where her father was waiting. Much more patiently than she was. With a nod she was allowed up the steps along with Yeoun though others would find it difficult to come up this way.

"Lord General, this is Yeoun, son of Chorong." She said with a slight almost playful curtsy before taking a few steps away from them, she leaned on the edge of the balcony to watch the fighting and distract herself from the coming conversation, though she would hear very little either way.

Galedon was dressed in a dark , fur lined cloak, rugged looking boots. His hair was cropped short in the way of a Guard or a rider but there was a dark edge in his blue eyes. "Thank you Sorcha." He said, standing from the seat he had taken on the balcony which looked out a window so that he could see the people coming and going. There was a second chair nearby. Extending his arm to indicate that Yeoun should sit there, Galedon allowed a sad smile to cross his face.

"You look so very much like your father, Yeoun." After pausing a moment, he sat down, waiting for Yeoun to do the same. "Sorcha tells me you wanted to talk, that you wanted answers." He made no apologies though for her appearance or her actions since. It wasn't that she had no faults but he thought she had handled the situation with Yeoun well for one so young.

As Sorcha approached Yeoun, Swift moved past her to the man who'd come in beside him. Working in unison with Sorcha, Swift had immediately recognized Kevarre as a possible interference and so, without a need for asking, moved past Galedon's daughter toward the ring where he could keep an eye on Kevarre. Hopefully, the other young man would let himself be distracted.

Shoving through the spectators to the edge of the ring where Kevarre now stood to watch the ongoing fight, Swift came up next to him, feigning great interest in what went on there. Swift's hands were on the banner around the ring, stepping up on it momentarily to shout in a ludicrously loud voice over everyone else, at the combatants. Pumping a fist into the air, he shouted again, cheering before he finally shouldered up against Kevarre in a lean, to get his attention, "I've got all my marks on that guy. You here for bets?"

Swift motioned with a thumb over one shoulder behind them, "If you haven't yet, table's over there to place them." The look he pinned on Kevarre after that, was half expecting that Kevarre should have already placed his wagers. In fact, he seemed a little in disdain to consider that Kevarre might not be here to wager on the fight at all.

---

At the mention of his companion, Yeoun's eyes cast a glance sidelong to check on his friend. He did not miss Sorcha's companion sidling up next to him, but figured that Kevarre would be safe and left unaware.

Nodding, Yeoun followed Sorcha up the stairs to the balcony, glancing only once more behind them to make certain Kevarre had not seen where he'd run off to. He would have to come up with a fine excuse later as to where he'd been.


As they came to the top of the stairs, Yeoun paused to consider the man waiting for them. As always, the young man's gaze was steady, expression much unchanged as he considered who it was he now faced.

Lord General, eh? This must be Sorcha's father; the man who now sat at the head of the Chorong Rebels.


"You look so very much like your father, Yeoun."

It wasn't to be rude, but Yeoun did not immediately move for the chair indicated for him. It would probably be more polite to wait until he'd been seated first anyway.

Honestly, as he stood there, it surprised Yeoun to see the sadness that washed over the Lord General's face as he remembered back. It also made Yeoun's heart jump to know that here stood a man who actually knew his father; the father Yeoun had always wanted to meet and get to know, but who had unfairly been murdered before that time.

"You knew my father." Softly spoken words of wonderment sounded almost in question, but in reality, were spoken more out of disbelief at the realization. Yeoun's eyes averted and then his attention went to the floorboards under foot briefly as he considered the man before him.

After a moment, he stepped forward, taking the seat that had been left to him. Yeoun nodded his thanks.

"Since you were a friend of my father's, I should like to know your name....Anything you can tell me about him." Maybe that was too eager of him; but it would be understandable for one who had no memory of his own father. It was only natural for him to wonder.

"Sorcha tells me that you were one of the last to have contact with him. You worked very closely with him. I have no memory of him, and all I've known of him, is that he was murdered. I was told that his killer was someone on high. Whatever you can tell me to help me find his killer...I will avenge his death." Turning his head to look on the Lord General, both of Yeoun's hands rested on the armrests of his chair.

A little taken back by the approach of the other young man. He didn't seem to realize that Yeoun was out of sight. "I hadn't thought of betting. Who is it exactly that you are betting on?" He wasn't asking because he wanted to place the bet. Actually he was more interested in having the chance to fight. He had told Yeoun he wanted a good brawl.

"Where do you sign up to fight?" He asked, thinking he would have more luck fighting than betting. Besides he never had enough marks to do anything like bet. He had been poor for so much of his life, any marks he earned he saved. No one knew why he saved all his marks but he was hoping to use them to take care of his brother and sister, if they ever found her. It weighed more and more heavily on him with every passing Turn that she was gone. As much as he distrusted and despised women, he remembered how sweet and trusting his sister had been before she had been taken from him.

Still he could maybe earn some marks if people would take a chance on him fighting. He was fairly certain he could make a fight entertaining.

---

Galedon nodded, "I knew him better than most." He wasn't sure if Yeoun appreciated the trouble he went through to come here, against the advice of everyone in the group. Sorcha had been adamant that Yeoun would not join them until he had a chance to speak with him and he could see now her instinct on this was correct. Yeoun was having some trouble grasping the idea that someone here knew his father and knew about his life.

"It is natural to wonder." He said quietly, "Galedon, my name is Galedon. I met your father in the Telgar Guard we were both young men then, not much older than you are now. I knew your father for seven turns before we both decided to defect from the Guard. I would not have done so without his support but he was so passionate about what he believed. He was right of course, Lord Holders are greedy and misuse their power more than they contribute to the well being of their people. We had political views that did not coincide with those in power so when we defected, your father sent you to a place so you and your sister would be safe from the violence. And no matter how much he pleaded with your mother to stay with you she had made up her mind to go with your father. Really when your mother decided something there was no going against her, even your father knew that."

Galedon smiled at the memory before sobering up. What he had to say next would surely distress Yeoun a little. "While you and your sister were safe, your mother and father were caught and your mother was killed. Your father escaped with his life, just barely and met up with me and some of the others near the Igen border where we began what we now call the Chorong Rebels for your father was our leader and his loss weighed heavily on us."

"I'm not sure who killed your father, I have a hunch but I think your memories of the night he died might confirm my suspicions."

"You must know your father would never want you to be raised by the very people he fought against. When he learned of your whereabouts, after many months of searching for you, he went feral, wild. He was going on a suicide mission, I told him so, but he wouldn't listen. He went after you alone. Not allowing any of us to risk ourselves." His eyes conveyed the depth of sadness he felt. "Yeoun do you recall a night where there may have been a breach in security? This would have been the night he came to find you, what do you remember?"

Swift smirked, "Him? Oh, that's The Beast. He's been coming in for the last couple sevendays. No one beats him!"

It seemed to perk Swift's attention when Kevarre mentioned wanting to join the fight instead of make bets on it. Now there was the best idea he'd heard in a while! His grin spreading, Swift pointed a thumb back over his shoulder again toward the table of bets. "Back there. They'll put you on the list. If you hurry, you might get bumped up to the next match. I think one of the competitors was injured and won't be able to compete again t'nite. Might be able to fill his place."

---

At first, all that Yeoun could focus on was the fact that Galedon confirmed that his father had been a traitor. It didn't matter the reason, whether the principle they followed were right or wrong; he'd been a traitor! Someone hunted by the hold during the rebellion -and they had every right to. His entire upbringing had enforced those ideas, that no mercy be shown a man who knowingly and willingly chose to commit treasonous acts. For that moment, his mouth must have hung open, but as Galedon went on, Yeoun's eyes shifted and then refocused, trying to take in everything that he said.


"You must know your father would never want you to be raised by the very people he fought against. When he learned of your whereabouts, after many months of searching for you, he went feral, wild. He was going on a suicide mission, I told him so, but he wouldn't listen. He went after you alone. Not allowing any of us to risk ourselves." His eyes conveyed the depth of sadness he felt. "Yeoun do you recall a night where there may have been a breach in security? This would have been the night he came to find you, what do you remember?"

There was no sadness comparable to that which Yeoun felt just then. The young man's eyes turned back to the General, seeming in disbelief.  "He went there? He went to the camp where they raised me?"

With that realization, all of the blood must have drained from his face. Yeoun stood from his seat abruptly, eyes searching inwardly for those memories as he whispered, "A man on high. It wasn't the Lord Holder, after all? On high...It was in the mountains." He seemed to gasp for that next breath, unable to stop the silvery lining of tears that came to his eyes.

Struggling with the new-found knowledge, the connection between his father's death and that night at the camp was finally made. Yeoun's head reeled in a dizzying way, at which point he managed to make it about half way around his chair toward the back of the balcony before he collapsed to one knee, holding himself upright with the opposite hand. Squeezing his eyes closed as he thought back to that night,...he could finally remember it.

Hadn't he been only 15 turns in age when it happened? That night was the same night that he'd killed for the first time.

It had been his doing.

His father had trespassed into the camp to try to save him...

and Yeoun had been the one...

to take the final breath of life from him.

The Captains knew. The ones who'd brought him up and trained him, they all knew! They'd told him half truths to placate him so that he would never find out!

After such a traumatic event, his mind must have blocked out everything, refusing to let those memories survive in him. But now, everything started to flood back in. His father's face, he could finally connect with that name, Chorong; even if that final memory was of his father dropping his sword into the mud in order to place his hands on either side of his son's face to admire him, looking upon Yeoun as the boy pierced his heart with a blade.


On his hands and knees now, Yeoun's eyes overflowed with the tears of his grief. From between gritted teeth, he managed to admit out loud, so that Galedon knew what he struggled with, "I...I did it. Chorong's killer was me. That's why he couldn't raise his sword to save himself. Because it was me."

Before his body became too weak, succumbing to the terrible pain of sorrow that squeezed at his heart, Yeoun reached for his sword. Turning on his knees to face Galedon, he sat back on his heels, drawing the blade so that he could press it's tip into his own stomach. Hands quivering from emotional stress, both held tightly onto the hilt of his blade, as if they sought the courage for what he was about to do.

"I promised that I would take the life of my father's killer. I can fulfill that promise here and now. Would you also accept this life in repayment? Though my life is not worth as much, it is all I can give."

Yeoun's arms tensed, ready to plunge the sword through his body, eyes becoming distant as he prepared himself to carry through with his fate.

"Please accept it."

"No one?" He smirked. He loved a good challenge although he suspected this "beast" was more of a brawns over brains sort of guy, one could never be too sure. "Well I better get my name down then." Kevarre said smiling back at Swift, a glint of mischief in his eyes. It was perhaps a look the other man had seen before in eyes very similar to Kevarre's.

He put his name down on the parchment and walked back over to Swift. "Are there any rules I should know about before I go in there?"

---

The Lord General watched as Yeoun took in what was said. There was a sadness there that would never go away and when Yeoun realized he killed his own father, Galedon said nothing. He wanted Yeoun's self discovery to be just that. The less he said the better because the boy could choose not to trust him.

He shook his head, "No."

"I will not accept that. Your father gave his life to you to save you. For you to grow up into the man I see now before me. His wish would be aligned with my own. He would want you to join us and become leader in time."

Galedon may not be crying but he understood the devastation of Yeoun's realization. "I'm going to need an answer very soon Yeoun. I can give you a sevenday to think about it but we need to make progress and I cannot do that without your support. The people that are on the fence will join when you do because they believed in your father. If you have further questions, Sorcha is your contact. I'm off the grid most of the time as I'm a wanted man here in Telgar."

He sighed, "One more thing Yeoun, I've been trying to keep an eye and an ear open to find your sister but thus far, we have been unable to locate her. If I hear anything you will be the first to know." He said, understanding how important what little family Yeoun might have left would influence him. If Galedon could find his sister and she decided to join the rebels it would only be that much easier for Yeoun to do so. Which reminded him, he needed to have a word with his daughter.

"Excuse me for a moment, I must ask Sorcha something. But please, think about this and tell no one, not even your friend what has transpired here."

Sorcha heard her father come up from behind her and she turned to face him. "Do you think my dear, you might find one of our girls who would suit his fancy? Hmm? Might make him a little more inclined to join us."

"I'm not a matchmaker father. But I can have him meet at my house. Maybe one of them will catch his eye..." She was thinking of the girls who worked with her. After Sorcha had killed the man who had taken her and raised her to be the monster she had become, she had taken over his business and had become quite wealthy. The other girls in her employ were truly free and only payed a small amount in rent and quite often what Sorcha required as payment was information and not marks.

She walked away from her father, feeling a little irritated about the whole thing. The other girls were important to her, she felt the need to protect them because no one else had their whole lives. To get them involved with someone like Yeoun made her nervous. Still she did tell Galedon she would help, she would be Yeoun's contact in the group. So she had very little choice now.

With her father looking down at the fighting now, she walked over to the chair he had previously occupied and spoke to Yeoun in a quiet almost caring voice, "I'll leave you the address where you can find me when you have decided." She paused, "I am sorry, about what happened." Sorcha knew how it felt. "To become the monster you once hated, is very difficult to accept."

Sorcha did not say more but had been brought a quill and parchment, where she wrote the address he could find her at using the chair for a writing desk. "No one will be there in the evenings so its better if you come during the day. It will be less suspicious... oh and I suggest you wear something...nicer. Maybe a dress uniform..."

Swift's brow quirked curiously, "Rules? Don't waste your time."

He was leaning over the bannister again, hollaring at the contestants. The man that The Beast was beating on slammed against the railing next to them and slumped to the ground, face bloodied. Swift backed away an inch so that he wasn't in the way, but the fight was about to be over anyway.

The Beast was declared the winner, and everyone went to rake in their winnings from bets. Soon after, Kevarre's name was called by the announcer in the ring. Swift's eyes lit with excitement, immediately shoving back through the crowd to place his bet on the next event. Kevarre would have to wait to find out who he was wagering on winning.

---

If it had been the Lord of Telgar who killed his father, would he have had the guts to carry out his revenge? He'd been working up that courage for turns, and when he finally crossed paths with one of them, with Lord Rihan, he'd stayed his own hand. Now, even having the courage to do it, Yeoun was too weak to carry through with that promised action. Hearing Galedon's words had given him reason for pause to think things through in a different light; to consider that his father would rather him live and fulfill a greater purpose.

Yeoun took his sword then and stabbed it into the floorboards, half way supporting himself on it as his body continued to quiver, doing everything he could to hold himself together. In a whisper, Yeoun hung his head, feeling defeated, but at the same time, as though he had new purpose, "I cannot even control my own death?"

The young man's shoulders seemed heavy, as this burden weighed on him. General Galedon's words regarding his sister were of little consolation. Yeoun felt utterly betrayed by himself. By the world. Had he always been filled with murderous rage? Even from such a young age? He'd murdered his own father.

Yeoun felt sick, and he began to hate himself. There were so many things that he could feel right then, and so many feelings that he would have to work through to keep his focus on track, not allowing himself to break down. His entire life, his focus had been on tracking down his father's killer; now that that goal had been achieved, what was his purpose going to be? Galedon had been a friend of his father's and was offering to help him locate his sister. Galedon seemed willing to offer anything in order to have Yeoun at his side so that one day, he could fulfill the wishes of his father.

Galedon must have been a very good friend of Chorong's. Maybe their friendship had been similar to that between he and Kevarre.

Catching his breath, Yeoun blotted dry his face, raising his head and then standing, taking his sword to resheathe it. He did not hear what Galedon had spoken quietly to his daughter, and he waited until they were done speaking to move any closer -but Sorcha came to him next. Yeoun accepted Sorcha's words and the address of her location.

When she'd finished speaking, he stepped forward to Galedon's side. There, he bent to one knee, bowing his head before the man, "Lord General Galedon. If you cannot accept my life by death, then accept my life as your pupil until I am ready to fill my father's position. I will fulfill your every command."

No rules? Kevarre figured that meant he could do anything at all, well except lose. He had no intention of losing. "Great." He said with a cocky smile. When the other man had to be carried out of the center, he felt even better instead of feeling worse. It seemed to him they were expecting he would back out. "Archer you're up." The man in charge of organizing fights said loudly. Kevarre wasn't a fool enough to use his real name. After all this would be highly frowned upon by the Guard.

"Alright." He said, standing where the last man had when the previous fight had begun. He watched the beast get ready to face him. He seemed pretty sure that Kevarre was about to be his next victim. Heh, it was almost wrong to beat him now that he had won so much. All good things came to an end at some point or another.

He kept a straight face before the fight began though his eyes belied the excitement he was feeling. Perhaps this had been a bad idea, after all people were going to want to know how he beat this man. He'd be better off steering clear of well-known techniques.

When the signal was given for the fight to begin, Kevarre let the larger man get close enough to hit him. He used some fancy footwork to keep from out of the man's reach though and made it look as though he were only going to try to stay out of the man's reach. It was frustrating for the other guy and the audience... they had come to see a fight.

Suddenly Kevarre's demeanor changed and a grin exploded onto his face. He was toying with the big guy on purpose. Now he was actually not going to allow the other man to hit him but he was going to knock him over. He was using some techniques taught to him and the other blood moon boys but very few if any here would have seen it performed.

Kevarre knew better than to leave himself exposed. A bigger man would be able to easily take advantage. He stayed compact and used quick attacks to areas of the other man that were easy to reach. Finally one blow made the other man lose his footing, at which point Kevarre took advantage and began relentless combinations of attack until the other man was completely and utterly knocked out.

----

Sorcha walked off before her father and Yeoun could finish, she had places to be, people to spy on...

Galedon however listened to Yeoun's answer and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "For now I think it best you act as if nothing has changed. You can learn much about the atmosphere among the Telgar Guardsmen and learn some things about the leadership of Telgar. I'll continue to use Sorcha to contact you for now. You will be given tasks, like any other who wishes to join."

"You complete these tasks and you will be accepted as an initiate. We will then go from there. The more you do for the Rebels the higher the rank you can achieve, in general. However we already know that you will be leader. So you will, after completing your initiation, become apprenticed to me in a way. So that you can learn the ins and outs of the Rebels and what is required of you."

Galedon released his light grip after realizing he had left his hand placed there. "Forgive me, for a moment there you reminded me of my son, he gave his life to the cause." He explained.

Distracted by the sudden volume increase, he turned to look down at the fighters."Is that your friend?" He asked, hearing the commotion from the fight below. No one could believe that the beast was getting his ass handed to him.

"ARCHER WINS!"The shout was heard as people began to collect their bets although most of them seemed to have bet the other way around.

Swift cheered Kevarre on, the entire time he was in the ring, rooting as wildly as all the others for one man or the other. Of course everyone was bidding on the Beast, so if Kevarre won as Swift had an inkling he would, he would make out with a fortune in marks. And when that was the case, he'd have made a good friend indeed.

The young man cringed and Boo'd as the Beast almost got a solid hit in, but Swift was glad to see Kevarre roll with it, spinning his body in the same direction to weaken the force of the blow and make sure there was no chance of pulling a tendon or muscle. With another clap, Swift raised his voice in chant again.

In all truth, it'd be difficult for anyone to win against the Beast. He had skill and he had size; and for a large man, wasn't exactly lacking in the flexibility it would take to fight well. Of course, as Swift analyzed their fight for the purposes of recruitment, even if Kevarre won, he was giving due credit where credit was due. The Beast was doing well to stand up to Kevarre, too. It was apparent to his eyes that Kevarre was the more skilled of the two. If Beast had been anyone else, Kevarre wouldn't have even been able to have his fun. Any other opponent would have been too easily defeated to have fun with.

As Kevarre toyed with the other man by using fancy footwork, Swift sat back for a moment to grin a sly and knowing grin. The Beasts own size and weight in comparison to Kevarre would tire him more quickly than he'd be able to claim victory. Even before Kevarre really started fighting, the Blood Moon member was already winning.

So that he didn't look to suspicious just staring off as he was then, Swift went back to cheering.

Then, before long, he was back at the table, collecting a large bag of fraction marks which were his winnings!

---

Keeping his head bowed, Yeoun took Galedon's instruction without debate. Even if he desired the power of leadership, none would recognize him until he'd proven himself. Even then, those who did not know him would be reluctant to see a new Lord General at their head so soon. As it stood, Yeoun was certain that others would find ways of challenging his authority all the way to the top. Especially then, at a time when Galedon would trade places with him.

So, in the mean time, Yeoun would make a name for himself within their ranks. He would earn their respect. Or he would force it from them.



In the moment that followed, Yeoun's head lifted just enough that his eyes could seek Galedon. He supposed he felt as though the Lord General had just bestowed a great complement upon him. Yeoun had no idea really, what kind of relationship he should expect between himself and this man but, for that moment, he wanted to imagine what if Galedon were his father? They had both lost someone dear to them...But Yeoun didn't think that such a familial relationship would ever be fostered between the two of them.

Yeoun assured himself... he was going to become the Lord General's apprentice. No matter what. And nothing more.


Rising back to his full height when Galedon returned to watching the brawl below, Yeoun looked over the banister to confirm the newest contestants identity.

"He is." Yeoun smirked to see Kevarre toying with the man, thinking it a little devious that he went straight for the more advanced tactics over simpler ones which Beast could have more easily anticipated. But then again, they were of the Blood Moon Squad and such a thing could only be expected. They were, to say the least, of a higher caliber.

"He is also from the Blood Moon Squad."

Pausing for a moment, Yeoun looked back up to Galedon, knowing what he might next be wondering. Though he did not admit that Kevarre was his closest friend, he did assure him of one thing, "I will make sure he knows nothing. And he will never know of our meeting." Galedon would just have to trust him.

And for Kevarre's sake, Yeoun hoped that he never did learn about any of it. But how long could a man truly keep his secrets? In any case, Yeoun was fearful that if Kevarre were to learn anything...learn too much...that the Lord General might order Kevarre's death. And then what would he do? Whether it be Kevarre, or any of the Blood Moon Squad boys?