[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/mi4iRsN.png[/img]
[color=FIREBRICK][b][h3]MALAKAUS FIREBELLY[/h3][/b][/color][/center]

Familiarity breeds contempt. Those big words reminded Malakaus why he tends to live like a transient murder hobo. Outside of their regalia and status, beyond the ideals and honeyed words, there are some knights who aren't truly deserving of their position. Malakaus remembers this once, when he was but a mere squire. He remembered his own knight mentioning that they could not save a village from a bandit attack, not for the lack of trying, but because the village was independent. It had it's own militia and wished to be outside of the kingdom's rules or laws. And for it, the village was easy pickings for a large band of marauders. Or when Malakaus wished to have taken a squire himself during his early years of knighthood. While he remembered the time spent learning about the world and gaining an education, Malakaus wished to put him squire to work as quickly as possible. Teaching him how to fight, how to stand in armor, to understand the people and their woes. But no, instead much of his time was spent on politics and economics. Perhaps things a community leader would need to learn. But a knight? A knight's duty was to protect it's people.

Malakaus sometimes forgets that not many knights are actually capable of doing that.

Death was waiting for him but Malakaus was in no hurry. He had hoped that after his lethal stabbing that the scene around him would grow quieter, so that he may peacefully pass on. But Alas, Malakaus could quite easily hear Atisha's frantic screams, as well as Maria's proclamations. His mind was growing ever dimmer as he walked closer to death. But there was still one more thing to do. [color=firebrick]"I will..."[/color] Malakaus's hands raised up. At this point he was effectively blind, but he knew what he was going to do. The only thing that [i]really[/i] mattered in all of this chaos, all of this nonsense. [color=firebrick]"Return..."[/color] Malakaus's hands grasped the blade in his chest, holding it tight. Maria would have no hopes of getting blade out of his chest or his hands, least of all if he was struggling against her. But wasn't.

[color=firebrick]"From death!"[/color] With the last ounce of strength he had, a considerable amount all things considered, Malakaus created a crack, then shattered the golden sword inside his own body. He thought he had gone numb from the pain before, but this feeling was unlike any death he had has before. Suddenly, his lives flashed before his eyes. All his lives, all his deaths. Memories of being torn apart, disembowel and tortured, emasculated, decapitated, and impaled on pikes. People may remember him as the unstoppable warrior who has defied death, but Malakaus remembers all too well that defying death was the last thing he's ever did.

But there was more than one madman in these streets. There are more than one people in this world who can stand at death's door and still make a difference. Even if the gods had commanded this fate for him, he would not go into the night quietly. And while he may not be able to defy his fate and his visits to death, he will at least go on his terms, and remind everyone that it is he, not the gods, who control his fate. And certainly not some ornate pigsticker whispering threats.

The Golden Sword was shattered from the base of the hilt and into Malakaus's body. He fell onto his back, pushing the blade through his chest, but also holding it inside his own body. He had no idea what he was doing but he remembered one thing: That he will be back. And that so long as he would, he would contain these pieces of the cursed sword inside of himself. He knew nothing of the madman who was the inadvertent cause of his death, but if this sword sought out the insane, then it would find a potential host in Malakaus. But he was no weak willed murderer. He was not like Maria, who's skilled hands was still innocent of blood, or some other commoner who would deny the powers the golden sword would give out of fear. If this weapon wanted him to kill, then he shall kill. But he shall kill whom he feels is worthy of his blade, for he is a knight. A warrior who strives to use his weapon for the good of others. 

It was not as if Maria was wrong, that a sword is used to defend it's people. But if Malakaus sees her again, he wanted to remind her that a sword is merely a tool to defend the people. And a tool, while evil in it's intent, can be turned to good with a righteous heart. Malakaus would have to see it himself if he could pass this self-imposed challenge of his as the sheer trauma of shattering the sword tore his insides to ribbons, finishing off what Tani had started. But it didn't matter to him. Maria, though without the full blade, at least had part of the shattered sword. Even if she couldn't use it, neither could the enemy. Hopefully by breaking it the effects of the blade is lesser and would allow her to be more capable of resisting it's hostile intent. As he died, Malakaus stared into the skies wondering what he'll be doing tomorrow.

[i][color=firebrick]"Ah, that's right... I have to go to that village tomorrow. They need my help..."[/color][/i]

[@Seirei No Hai][@ADamnFiddle][@liferusher][@FamishedPants][@Zelosse]

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[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/ivrDE41.png[/img]
[color=FORESTGREEN][b][h3]ATISHA ELUVIAN[/h3][/b][/color][/center]

This couldn't be happening.

Atisha remembers, she could see, her blades tearing this man apart. And yet this stranger... How did she arrive here without Atisha's noticing? Could it be the aura slowing her senses down? It couldn't be... There shouldn't be anything that powerful. It wasn't fair. For 73 years she has worked and toiled to hone her mind, body, and spirit to defend herself and those she wishes to protect. Yet here was a monster. Someone who, despite any sense of logic or reason, was simply existing. She could barely comprehend it. Why now, why here? As she thought more about it, she grew worried. Atisha beleived herself to be the only one capable of dealing with this threat. And if she couldn't, what hopes could the others? Malakaus, who is a mere brute, or Maria, who probably only earned her position out of ceremony rather than deeds? Where was the hero who was suppose to stop these villains?

It had to be Atisha. There was no one else. [i][color=forestgreen]"No... No no no! Impossible! I'll kill you! YOU WILL ALL DIE!"[/color][/i] Atisha screamed and shouted, yet no voice came from her mouth. All she could see was this stranger, this madman known as Chasity, impale her through the heart and kill her. She was no strange to stabbing one through the heart and they usually died pretty quickly. Atisha was no different. [color=forestgreen]"Hu... Huma..."[/color] The last thing Atisha could think of was trying to command her swords to kill the madman and this Chasity, but frankly she didn't know what would happen to her spell after she died. Having not expected this sudden and untimely death, Atisha stumbled back into a wall and slumped down.

Somehow, Atisha couldn't help but blame everyone except her for this happening. In the last few moments of her life, it wasn't as if she was alone. She could see Malakaus, who had already fallen. Tani on the ground, who was too slow and too weak willed to not have been possessed by the blade. Maria, who effectively just stood around and watched the whole time. And a few other strangers who just gawked. [i][color=forestgreen]"Ah. That's right. It's just like back then."[/color][/i] A memory flashed. Atisha remembered the brutal scene. An elf boy, orphaned, in a village looking for help. A lost little boy who just wanted his mother and father. Before Atisha could have heard his cries, she heard his screams. She ran over and saw that he was being attacked by a dog. But he wasn't alone. Ten, twenty, possibly more people stood by and watched as this boy was being tore apart by the mutt. Atisha acted quickly and killed the dog but it was too late. The creature had gotten to the boy's neck and tore his throat out. She tried to use her magic on him but to no avail. Try as she might, she could not raise the dead.

What was more tragic that day wasn't that the elf child had died. It was that no one had saved him. Bystander Syndrome. Atisha hated it, people who were too cowardly or believed themselves as too weak to defend themselves, or to lend a hand. It was one thing that Malakaus and Atisha agreed on. They wouldn't bother helping others who couldn't even put the efforts to stop it themselves. If people had already given up, then there was no saving them. Perhaps it was unfair for Atisha to think that these people here wasn't trying to help. Maybe they did and simply failed. But as far as she could see, she and Malakaus had died because they chose to fight the madman, his evil sword, and this random stranger who will no doubt continue to kill everyone now that they've died. Atisha wanted to fight. But now all she could do was die. 

[@ADamnFiddle][@liferusher][@Zelosse][@GamerXZ]