[Flashback] Insult to Injury [Conrad]

[Azeran]

Timestamp: 33rd-34th of Fall, AV 508 Location: Kulkukan Tavern & Gideon Arena

Azeran was a very large Akalak man, even by Akalak standards he was taller than most, as intimidating as any of them. "I told the little bastard that if I so much as caught him staring at any of our women again, I'd personally see to it that his neck was broken and his body thrown from the highest point in Riverfall. Haven't seen that little prick since." Azeran chuckled in a loud violent voice as he told his little story (in Tukant) to the other blue giants in the room. There were mostly Akalak in the room, with the exception of Chell, working behind the bar, and a few other unimportant patrons around the room. It wasn't uncommon to see a good number of humans in the tavern, there were quite a few in Riverfall, and they tended to hang out together to be as strong as possible. The men though, Azeran was not typically kind to them. True, he befriended one to two on occasion, but it was only th battle hardy, the strong and bold he could even stand. The weaklings, the cowards, they sickened him to the point where he wanted to just go on one large massacre. Cleansing of his beautiful from these pathetic creatures. He would tolerate them though, they did benefit the city in some way, as nauseating as admitting that might have been. "I do hope I see that man again though." Whether the story was true or not, Azeran was enjoying himself, picturing the violence he could administer to some coward. Perhaps it was an unhealthy thought, it teased his more aggressive, unstable half, but he enjoyed it. As long as he didn't kill anybody, he was fine, right?

[Conrad]

Conrad just sat alone at a table, his parrot sitting on the table drinking out of a small scale of water. Conrad himself was nursing his 5th pint of ale, a goofy smile on his face as he did so. "Well cheers little buddy, On good fortune for both of us and that many years may still come! He raised his glass to nobody in particular and downed it in one gulp. He sat it down, licking his lips.
"Aah that hits the spot." Conrad sighed, "well I gotta go and order a new beer right now. you stay here little buddy I'll be right back."
Conrad pushed himself up from his chair and walked towards the bar. Frowning as he picked up a piece of conversation in tukant.
"I told the little bastard that if I so much as caught him staring at any of our women again, I'd personally see to it that his neck was broken and his body thrown from the highest point in Riverfall. Have seen that little prick since."
Conrad turned his head towards the table interestid in the story, seeing a bunch of blue giants. THough his frienldy glance changed into a glare as he saw the big bald one. Remembering his face of him, that was the guy that almost ripped his father's head of a few weeks ago and if he wasn't stopped by one of his friends he probably would have done it.

Conrad walked towards the table. glaring at the big akalak the entire time.Normally he would have thought doing that would be suicide but alcohol wasn't called liquid courage because of its taste.
"Ey," Conrad called out pointing towards azeran trying to draw his attention.
" baldy! Conrad didn't really care that it was a rather childish insult. "Who the heck do you think you are, you asshole!"

[Azeran]

Azeran himself had been drinking very little, his own mind was far from even being foggy or blurred, yet even the slightest confrontation from a mere human man was enough to kindle the flame in his body. A strong grin lit up on his face as he merely smirked and waved the short man way. His voice spilled out again in his Tukant tongue. He knew common a little, but he didn't even bother trying to master it, let alone please some bar rat that was obviously drenched to the core in alcohol."Go away little man. Your appetite for drink is not compensation for you being pathetic as you are. You should leave if you value your life." Azeran and his friends chuckled heartily as Conrads expense. He did not care that he was drunk, he just wouldn't take such a poor insult. He actually liked his head shaved. Azeran pulled his attention away from Conrad, no longer interested in the drunkard except to talk behind his back, though Conrad hadn't even had time to turn it towards them. "He's upset that his father isn't an Akalak of course. He knows his family is pathetic. He drinks because of it." It wasn't true, probably, and to be honest, Azeran didn't even know the connection of the drunk and that human he nearly killed several days ago. Why would he consider such a connection anyhow? Keeping track of humans was a pain. They all looked exactly the same. Azeran chuckled to himself as he lifted his mug to his lips.

[Conrad]

Conrad seethed a bit in anger at the grin on the mans face, balling his fists in anger as the akalak just motioned him to get lost.
"Go away little man. Your appetite for drink is not compensation for you being pathetic as you are. You should leave if you value your life." Conrad gritted his teeth as the akalaks friends chuckled at him, seeing no threat in him.
For the first time in his entire life Conrad ignored the teachings and warnings of his teacher and commanded his djed to morph his hand. The flesh and bone slowly twisting and stretching and began to form a rather dangerous looking claw.
"He's upset that his father isn't an Akalak of course. He knows his family is pathetic. He drinks because of it."
Conrad snarled at that sentence and jumped on the table using a unused chair as leverage. He kicked the mug that the giant had in his hand causing the ale to splash in the akalaks face. "Why the heck would I want to have an akalak father! Take you for example you came to my father to get a wound patched up a few days ago and nearly ripped his head off! If some of your friends weren't there you probably would have done it to!" He pointed at azeran with his almost finished morphing hand, the flesh still shifting around a bit.
"Besides my family would never be as pathetic as you would ever be! You need herbs to get it up and needed to buy a kelvic to get some tail!" Conrad yelled, getting red in the face from anger and letting. Not really knowing that he did it or not, not that he cared in this state, the alcohol was freely flowing through his veins letting him go loose.

[Azeran]

Azeran went from a sadistic jovial mood to a sudden shift to that of a raging monster. With the ale dripping from his face, his arms swept out almost instantly, not in attempt to block the mug or drink from himself, but and instant grabbing at the younger, smaller, and more fragile man's leg. Pulling the appendage out from under him, Azeran would stand up, pinning the boy down onto the table he so foolishly leaped onto to confront this blue monster. There was the look of violence practically pouring from his eyes as he was fighting the urge to rip his arms off right then and there. "Yes, this is right. Teach the little worm what it means to know respect. Teach him the lessons his race has obviously failed to do. Show him that only the strong survive and the weak are better left to cower in the shadows. Hit him, beat him, kill him! Islena's honor is at stake!" Azeran just stood there for a long time, his hands holding Conrad down by the shoulders, keeping him thoroughly trapped by the Akalak's strength, and even part of his weight, neither of which was easily moved. "Silence, you are the one that nearly tore that old man's life away. Foolish as he is, he is defending his father's honor." "And it is time to defend Islena's. What would your son think if he heard you walked away from a mere human. Pathetic, he might disown you! A thing never before heard of. All of Riverfall will shun you." "I said silence. I do not need you to tell me what I can and cannot do." Azeran lowered his head, placing their faces only inches apart, close enough that Azeran could literally smell the number of drinks this man had consumed. "You have made the wrong move Human. If you respect your family and honor your father, you'll defend that honor. Tomorrow, at dawn, meet me in the Gideon Arena. We'll settle this as true Akalak. I assume that you and your father know what that means, since you choose to live here. Tomorrow, Dawn, be there or accept dishonor on your family." Azeran gave a scowl, an groan of anger, then pulled his hand off of Conrad's shoulders, allowing the drunk boy to stand. Azeran himself wasted no time in leaving, knowing full well that he could snap and kill the kid. - - - - - Day 34 of Fall, AV 508 - Dawn - - - - - The next day Azeran was already waiting in the Gideon Arena, he had checked to schedule to ensure that fights were to take place at this time, and he was lucky that there was none. Down in the arena floor itself he sat on the ground, his body both shirtless and shoeless. Pants were the only present clothing on his body. His weaponry was against the wall, the axes, the crossbow, the net, but he did not expect the use of any of them, they were only to make sure the human did not come armed, and planned to attack him so. Azeran sat in complete silence. It was the reason he came so early. His eyes closed, his ears open. His breathing was slow, steady, controlled. His mind was focused, clear, it was a complete necessity for an Akalak to prepare his mind for such an occasion. If he was going to defend his own family's honor, but not kill the one who threatened it, it would take all the mental strength he could manage. In and out, slow and steady, Azeran continued his breathing, his mental preparation, his patient waiting. He could spend all day like this if he had to, it would only be when the sound of someone's arrival was heard that he would pull himself from his meditation. It wouldn't be long now, if the human decided to show up at all that is.

[Conrad]

Conrad yelped as the blue mans hand grabbed his leg and pulled it out from under him, landing hard on the table. Letting out a pained yelp as he did. The akalak stood up and pinned his shoulders to the table, The violence that was coming from the giant could almost be felt, Conrad gulped as the giant leaned closer, sobering up considerably, their faces only a few inches apart.
"You have made the wrong move Human. If you respect your family and honor your father, you'll defend that honor. Tomorrow, at dawn, meet me in the Gideon Arena. We'll settle this as true Akalak. I assume that you and your father know what that means, since you choose to live here. Tomorrow, Dawn, be there or accept dishonor on your family."
Conrad just nodded, nearly pissing his pants as the akalak said it, both from the anger he was radiating and the knowledge of what he was getting in.
The giant scowled and pulled his hands of his shoulders. Conrad just got up as soon as he could almost running towards his table and grabbing his parrot,
"Ack, hoist the sails!" The parrot squawked out not making any sense at all.
Conrad just continued to run home.

Day 34 of Fall, AV 508 - Dawn

Conrad was sitting in the kitchen of his home, head in his hands his parrot standing before him on the table.
"I really don't know what to do little buddy, I really screwed up, If I don't go I'll probably bring shame and dishonor on my family, probably screwing with my dads businesses and causing him to close down. And since dad doesn't want to leave we will probably become beggars as a result, But if I do go I might get so beaten up my dad probably won't even recognize me when he works on me!"
Conrad let out a loud sigh and looked at the parrot, who just looked at him with a blank look. "Sometimes I really hate that you can't talk back you know, It would make situations like these a lot more easier if you could." Conrad groaned as he began to think more about the situation.
"Well you got in trouble son?" He heard a voice say behind him, Conrad quickly turned around seeing his dad stand in the doorframe."Something about bringing dishonor on your family?" Conrad hung his head in shame as his father took a seat next to him. "Something you did on the first night I let you drink?" Conrad just nodded. His father let out a sigh. "I knew something was wrong when you came home not as drunk as you could be and ran towards your room. Well it can't be that bad. What did you do?" Conrad just looked at his father with the expression of a guilty teenager who had been found out. "I saw the akalak who nearly killed you a few days ago and I just flipped a bit. Eventually one thing went to another and He challenged me to a fight in the gideon arena and I accepted."
"Well," His father said, "You better go and get him won't you?" He gave his son a pat on the back, "you brought this trouble onto yourself so I can't help you with that, though I can say one thing, If you don't go to that fight you'll probably regret it, even if you lose those akalak look down more on a person that doesn't even try then somebody that goes down giving all he has. So get out there before I drag you!" He gave a grin and pushed conrad. His face saying that he was serious about it.
"eh ok dad." Conrad said blanching a bit at the prospect of being dragged to the arena and the embarrassment he would have to endure for that.
He got of his chair and patted his parrot on the head. "Stay here little buddy, I'll be back in pieces soon." Before he turned around and left, hoping that there would be enough pieces left of him to bother with a funeral.
..............................................................................
At the gideon arena.

Conrad walked trough the entrance of the arena, shivering in his boots from fright as he saw the akalak standing in the arena, but steeling himself as good as he could and walked towards him, shivering even more as he saw the weaponry resting against the wall.
Still gathering all his courage he had he continued to walk, until he stood right in front of him.
"I'm here." He said Tukant, his voice quivering a bit in fright. "And ready to defend my families honor." He looked towards the akalak trying to gauge his reaction. Trying to push down his fear as good as he could.

[Azeran]

The Boy's words filtered through the still silence of the Gideon Arena. Azeran's eyes slowly opened as they focused inevitably on Conrad, the boy that caused such an outburst from him just the previous night. There was no grin of evil desire, nor the eyes the bled anger and felt of violence, but now there was just, calmness. Azeran would not treat this as a human in combat, but a true Akalak. He has seen his fair share of fighters that were skilled when they appeared not to be so. Azeran did manage to pick up the slight fear in the boy's voice as well. He was frightened to be here, it was more of the alcohol the previous night than Azeran expected. No matter, if an Akalak had to discipline himself to keep something too terrible from arising, then everyone should when around one. It was only fair in his eyes. However, there was a new feeling in the Akalak, for this human boy. He was afraid, but not a coward. He knew his chances of victory were minuscule, yet he showed up nevertheless. The Akalak had to respect that to some degree, even if he did bring this upon himself. Azeran stood up slowly and without hesitation began walking towards Conrad and, probably to Conrad's comfort, away from his weaponry. "I am impressed already by you Human. It takes true courage to stand where you are. Consider your family honored." Azeran spoke, he was completely sincere, but he still intended to brawl. It was already agreed upon, and they would go until either one could not finish, be it unconsciousness or exhaustion or worst of all. Azeran promptly lifted his arms, his hands were bare and balled into fists, and his eyes took on a look of extreme observation and focus, not so much a ferocity, but more of a look that said 'I'm watching your every move.' Azeran was going to take this seriously. Even humans could be dangerous.

[Conrad]

Conrad gulped as the akalak looked at him, expecting to see the same violence radiating form him as yesterday. Though to his surprise he only saw a calm look in his eyes not even a hint of the blood lust and mindless violence he showed last night. He flinched and suppressed the urge to look at his feet as the akalak stood up and slowly walked towards him, though he couldn't help to be grateful about the fact that the weapons weren't in reach of the akalak, he had how much of a danger akalak were with their fists alone, he really didn't want to know how much more dangerous they where when they got weapons to help them.
"I am impressed already by you Human. It takes true courage to stand where you are. Consider your family honored."
Conrad didn't hear any lies in it and since akalak's where so obsessed with honor that lying about things like that would be a dishonor in itself.
He just nodded, it took all his courage just to resists the urge to look at his feet.
Conrad lifted his hands in what he tought would protect him a bit from the akalak's strikes having no illusions about it though, knowing that the akalak would probably Resisting the urge to morph his hands into claws or another weapon of some kind, knowing that the akalak would probably take that as a good excuse to use those weapons lined against the wall against him. And those two waraxes were more then enough reason NOT to do it. He gulped as he saw the look in the akalak's eye's.
"Lets do this." Conrad muttered to himself before taking a deep breath and waited for the akalak to make his first move, Feeling to insecure to try and take the first move himself.

[Azeran]

Conrad barely had the phrase spoken 'Let's do this' when Azeran began to press forward. The tall blue man was, thankfully, barefoot because he started off the entire engagement with a swift straight kick at Conrad's chest. A blow, if hit, would more than likely send the victim stumbling backwards. It was the sort of kick usually design to create a little distance, push the opponent away, or stop a quick closing in, but the strength he was using was not adapted for the smaller human body. In his eyes, Azeran was merely fighting another Akalak in strength and skill. With the kick thrown out, the Akalak would continue to walk forward, his arms still hovering around his head, even though simply reaching that would prove to be very difficult for Conrad. 'Yes, that's it. Hit him again, hit him hard! Break his neck, you know you wish it. Riverfall will not mourn the loss of this rat. It's for your family. You owe it to them to defend their honor from this arrogant little idiot!' Azeran stopped his approach suddenly, a faint look of confusion coming over his face as he heard Koarhal screaming inside his head. Commands, demands for blood, violence, to tear the human apart. Koarhal was the reason that Conrad's father was nearly torn limb from limb, Koarhal, Azeran realized was the one that put him here, where he really did not wish to be.

[Conrad]

Conrad barely got the words out of his mouth and the akalak was already going at him. He just dived to the ground as he saw the kick aimed at his head.
What did I get myself into!
Conrad yelled mentally as he quickly tried to get back on his feet, not wanting to be an easy target for the big akalak. As he got back onto his feet he looked in fear at the akalak that was advancing on him, holding his arms in front of his face mimicking a flimsy guard, he waited for the inevitable closing his eyes so that he at least was spared the fear of knowing that he would be punched out.
He opened his eyes in suprise as the punch never came, he looked at the akalak, He had stopped his approach and was just staring of into space, a slight confused look on his face.
Not really caring what was happening to the akalak conrad took the slight chance that was given to him and he ran towards azeran aiming a fairly awkward punch towards his exposed stomach.
Please let this work!conrad begged in his mind hoping he didn't get flattened because of what he did.