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"Gold?!" Marilla exclaimed, before clasping a hand over her mouth. "Um..." She looked down at Sunray with a questioning look. Sunray shrugged, shaking her head as if replying, "I do not know why..."

Marilla wondered, Why is this Shadow Fiend asking for ... gold?! Does it even need gold?! And...why would it go through all this trouble just for gold?! I sure wouldn't!

Sunray seemed to read Marilla's thoughts as the pegasus replied, I am sure...that gold may be important? But honestly, I have no clue.

Marilla smiled as she heard Aurora's reply. Marilla said to Sunray telepathically, Good choice of words!


Sunray nodded her white head enthusiastically in reply.

Paal could feel the thing inviting him to strike. At first, he simply didn't want to; he didn't know who or what it was. It was the being's words that gave him justification. "Gold for your head" was no friendly statement, and Paal wasn't going to stand around and wait for somebody to lose their head.

"No," Paal told it, ignoring any diplomatic potentials. He didn't care what Aurora said; he wasn't going to wait a moment longer.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Something in his posture relaxed; his midsection twisted, and the blade was suddenly a very potent projectile merrily singing its 90 MPH way towards the shadow's head.

He hoped the shadow blocked it; he'd have to work to block the next one, as Paal brought the blade up to the left side of his head, vertical, took a step to the left with only the left leg, then twisted the other way, throwing the blade at the creature's leg. Again the movements worked to his advantage; he took another step, this time to the right, squaring himself against his opponent, then brought the blade up to behind his head, letting it drop, reaching out his arm as though to snap the blade at the back of its head... then letting the blade fall all the way down to its leg, as a snap of his midsection pulled the blade in towards him - and therefore the shadow - much more quickly.

Whatever happened, it was now too late to disengage.

Marilla watched all this, glancing from Aurora to the Fiend and then to Paal. Then, what happened next happened all in a flash. Paal...attacked?! Yes, the soldier started to attack the Shadow Fiend. Sunray reared back for a moment, and then calmed down. Both Marilla and Sunray's eyes were locked on Paal's weapon.

((I'm sorry, I need some clarification. Bayer, how many swords does Paal have? How many did he throw? 2?))

It howled triumphantly as Paal took the bait.

Just because a Shadow Fiend isn't human doesn't mean it cannot lie. He knew that human needed justification to strike. After all, it appeared that Paal was (tragically) a man of high "morality." So Nox had touched the right nerves, and thrown the right switches. The roach was his.

Yet the roach was fast. Very fast. He watched with a sense of fascination as the human's sword whistle through the air at a near superhuman speed. In fact, it was superhuman. What was this creature? Nox mused. His fighting style, as well... it seemed unique. Of course, that was a lie. There was no such thing. Even his own fighting style was a fusion of the martial techniques of several warring nations over many hundreds of years. Yet as of now he could not put a finger on exactly where this humanoid was from, or where it had learned to fight... No matter. The man had a strange fighting style. So did Nox. If Paal thought to best him with that manner of reasoning, then perhaps the insect would drop dead of its own stupidity. He would not waste his effort. They were not worthy to bear witness to his true form.

These thoughts transpired in a single wink of time.

The blade was upon Nox in the matter of a fraction of a second. However, the Shadow Fiend was verily anticipating Paal's attacked. He had, after all, provoked it. He had shifted his "weight" as he had spoken, and kept Paal's focus on his eyes as he had done so.

Now, as the blade lunged towards Nox's neck, Nox's neck sprung away from the blade.

It fell from its feet, mouth still wide in that wicked grin of its. But as it fell, a sort of clucked, reprimanding sound clicked through Nox's razor fangs.

"Tch tch tch..." The Shadow Fiend scolded, as its form fell into the earth and melted in that instant.

As much as Nox would have loved to parlay with Paal, he simply didn't have the motivation for it. His real reasons for spurning the man had been to see what his breaking point was, for Paal is what could be considered a "dangerous" individual for a fellow like Nox. One of those swaggering, confident yet humble hero types who enjoy indulging himself in selflessness and valor. Now he knew.

Within the dark, roiling blackness of the Shadow Walk, the collective conscience that was Nox's made its next move. It chose its next target. As if there was any second thought. He was here for one reason.

The shadows beside Aurora, below Marilla and Sunray, exploded upwards as if a cannonball had been plunged into the sea. There was no force in this eruption, no lethal tricks. It was simply the fanfare for Nox's next entrance.

There was general chaos as the small wall of men that had formed to protect Aurora from a frontal attack caved in on itself as the men stumbled around to see what was going on.