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"It seems that way. We have a busy household and I'll admit I'd like more time to just be with you but between you working and me taking care of the kids, there just isn't time like there used to be." She watched his hand brush against his face for what had to be the third time at least and frowned. "Is that bothering you?" Stepping over and gently running her fingers over the indentation of skin where she'd cut out part of his face. She always felt guilty when her fingers swept his face and slipped into that dip. Considering his opinion for a moment, she nodded. "I don't mind being called on but I'll consider it. Maybe instead of a full time position, we'll leave Kel at Twilight as if I was working full time and spend some time together while the older kids are in school."

Nodding in recognition, she took the note and carefully tucked it away then turned to speak to him once again just as he was knocked to his knees and obviously in pain. Crouching down in front of him, she gently removed his hand off his arm and ran her fingers along it. "You hurt it badly. It should be in a sling but I can try to heal it for you." She'd been saving her energy for Mykorian but it didn't look like he was anywhere around. "If you want of course..."

"this elf may be looking to seriously injure him. He's a Tunare follower, devoutly. However, he has other codes and rules to follow. I don't think he'll intentionally try anything crippling. But our son, if those two face off, is going to really be put to a test. That's why I had a sword and shield brought for him. he may need the extra protection."

A lean forward, resting his chin on his hands.

"His wife would never allow the death of a youth in competition. and she'd probably be quite upset at crippling injury. But he is going to try to turn a match with Malikhai into a personal sign. something to show his father that he means buisness."

His eyes narrowed some.

"What I don't yet understand is how they found us here. we've had very little contact on norrath, as most of our dealings is with Andal. I don't know how he found me, or how he even knows I'm not dead in the ground somewhere in Kithcor forest."


Onyx scarfed down the tiny handful, and started sucking on them partially becuase he knew that made an amusing face to small children which would keep him distracted, and because it made them last longer. a child's handful after all wasn't much to a an adult Vah.

She didn't believe him but he'd been downplaying his aches and pains to her years. She'd do a bit of research adn see if she could find anything on skin grafts in the books Malik had. If not, it would be time to send a note to Andal. Kieran would know something about it since Arthur had his surgery done there and she knew without a shadow of a doubt, Kieran had talked to the mage and written a journal on the process. And obviously that idea didn't thrill him so she'd pretend like she'd never said it. "It's not that monotonous, the children bring hom different problems and stories every day. I don't want you going to work if you don't have to. That just makes it seem like I won't let you relax around your own house..."

She blinked at him for a moment and frowned. "How do you know my name?" She didn't know him...she would have remembered a surface elf that she actually knew. Sure it was a little unnerving seeing the hair and eyes of a drow but she wasn't going to judge. "You have a sling and you aren't using it? That doesn't make any sense...." Mykorian had a sling and he'd also hurt that arm but it couldn't be him. "No really, it won't take but five minutes. Just a quick touch, a bit of energy and it'll be as good as new. I sprained my ankle and now it's all better."

"The only thing we can do. we wait, and we watch. I still have pull as the undefeated champion, that if I so choose I can invoke a right to challenge the one that wins here for the real prize. But I trust my son's skill and his judgement. I'm just hoping he uses it if he has to. I'd rather my son fight the good fight and yield, then fight the good fight and be scarred for it."

looking over at his wife with a slight grin.

"If anything, it'll be a decent learning experience for him."


Onyx nodded and ate with the toddler.

"Yeah. I hate that face set too. got anything that will get them a bit more cheered up?"


Her turn again. and this time, against her only other real serious competition. she walked to the field, carrying a staff that ended in a woman with long hair holding a glowing globe, and her robes were flowing and green with gold trim.

Her opponent was dressed as she had been before, staring at the koada'dal with a smirk of superiority. they moved to be ready, and the duel between them began.

and what a duel. color clouds flowed through the arena, bolts of magical energy flew, illusions danced and flung spells, animated shields and axea, swords and daggers, dueled with eachother. gravity seemed to not affect the arena after a while, gravity flux spells and illusion chains and levitation spells in abundance, nightmares and dreams moving to life as the lanscapes flowed and melded and changed. a true battle of illusion by two masters o f the craft.

"I don't like those options." Shaking her head and giving another sigh, this was all horribly frustrating now wasn't it? Much so and it wasn't a happy place to be at all. Frowning she tried to merely let it all slide off and not pay attention to it any of the things that were going on that she didn't like at all. "That's not how learning should occur. We both learned things that way and neither of us enjoyed it."

He shook his head and ate a strawberry piece, licking the sugar off his fingers a moment. "No, not when they both like that. Keely comes." It was simple in his world. When both his parents were upset about something, Keely was usually there to watch him. But a frown then...uh oh, Keely wasn't there with them.

"You wear me out on a certain level. Be happy about him." Sevilin sighed in frustration though as apparently she wanted to prod farther into things and go so far as to call him a liar. He wasn't lying, he was just off balance right now but he didn't want to tell her that...then she'd just do that thing where she'd had to try and comfort him like a child...didn't want to go through that. "A lie? I wouldn't lie about this kind of thing. Why do you think I'm lying." Cue defensive face.

He let her doctor his arm some more and then gave her a nod before letting his good arm fish around in his bag, pulling out his medal and showing it to her. Felt good to actually still have it. Years before it always fell into the hands of another so they could pretend they had won. "See? I just...look different because I was in...battle...guise....earlier."

"I don't like it anymore than you do. but short of pulling him out of competition, that's all we can do."

before taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Everything will be fine."


Onyx munched, and then gave a shrug.

"Well. I don't know what do to then. how about we just watch the show then?"

She listened quietly for a moment and then tilted her head. That hadn't been a good time at all. He'd nearly strangled a human earlier that day and then come home and locked himself away. When she'd startled him, he'd nearly killed her too. She put her hand up to her neck briefly in remembrance and took a deep breath. "Those same feelings are back? Do you not want to be here then? Faate's already competed and if you want to go home you can, Sevilin. Piper will help me with the kids." She wasn't scared of him but she was a little leery...

"I could teach you but it would take a long long time to learn. I've been working on it since I was a lot younger." She sniffed as a particular feeling swept through her and she sniffed then rested her finger under her nose, recognizing the blood. That combo had been a little much for her last burst of energy but the nosebleed would go away soon enough. Pulling out the hankie she'd offered earlier, she shook her head. "Surface elves aren't usually as combatant as obsidian-drow. But then again you might be surprised. My aunt is a surface elf and people take her seriously. Of course that could be becasue of my uncle, I just don't know. I wouldn't have laughed at you though." Yes she was both and yes she was proud of both. "Where are your parents?" And which one looked like her?

Magics had come and gone and now it was time for anyone with the guys and a handheld weapon to step into the arena. His boyish boldness and ego had been proving to do him well during his first three rounds or so. Oppoents were unsettled by him...be it his cockiness or who he was, he didn't care; it worked. Worked by either making them hesitant to go at him or make them agressive. Which was hard on him but at the same time, they would get overly so and start to folly so that he could pick through their various defenses. Inbetween his matches his eyes were focused on one elf in gold and silver armor. If anything...be it through history with his family or the sheer skill presents, or the warnings he had gotten...that was the competition. His ambition told him to go for the top position in this thing and do that he had to face him. If he didn't face him, then there would be no victory for him...his pride wouldn't allow him to go untested by the best there, even if he did yield and win by other means of points than perfect victories.

Being smaller than his opponenets was both advantage and disadvantage...as showcased now that he was in the ring again with another opponent whom wanted a go at him. Thus came the engagement of the two in battle that was not quite battle. Blows were calculated only to land and rattle, but not to kill…however if death occurred, there was no blame to place, the competitors’ armor were at fault. But this time is was easy to see his opponent had the upperhand in experience as Malikhai was more or less getting himself handed to himself. But he was holding his own, each striking blows to bump up points, Malikhai working to strike twice as much for being knocked down a few times. A stike of the flat of a bed to his temple sent him back into the dirt, to which he seemed to quickly recover and roll out of the way of another blow, standing back up

He cringed and grunted as the face shield to his helm clattered and slipped, obviously broken from the blow. Which made a nice opening for his opponent who took advantage of the situation. Thusly reaching up he yanked off his helm, throwing it aside and went right into a backstroke with his sword…he knew it was like asking for death to take it off but he was going to get his a** massacred if he couldn’t see. The act only seemed to draw more aggression from his opponent. A sudden down stroke of a sword caught him right in the ankle and tore a shout from his throat as he felt bones snap and he was headed for the dirt again. Malikahi was not going to let someone get the better of him like this and adremaline was his friend. Taking exactly two seconds to recover, he dropped weight to his injured ankle, twitsting it in fashion that one could tell it was broken, and arked his sword up, catching his opponent under the chin and sending him sprawling back to the dirt, where he lay for a moment and not getting up before giving the signal of surrender. Malikhai straightened his posture in proud fashion, only to limp off the field and get his ankle taken care of before next match. Zahara had been tending his injuries and this wasn't the first thing that had gotten broken thus far. So ready for the next one.

She didn't know how to feel. He was so much like his father when he fought...he put everything into it and didn't hold back. Took risks that most even grown men wouldn't. It scared her that she was so like Malik in these ways...Malik had been like that because he knew that if he died he was going to be brought back, and after he had given that ability up he had even calmed a little in those ways, only using them when needed...but her son merely acted like he was indeed invincible which was always the bane of teenagers. "He broke something again..." Turning her a look to Malik from the arena as others had their go and vied for rank among each other to try and get top positions. At least she was at ease some knowing that Zahara was down there keeping her boy in shape...and maybe trying to talk him out of another round. Even if he still got back out there, it made her feel better. "He's so like you, you know that?"