His abyssal double-axe propped in position against his shoulder, Kaehlin made quick progress through town. He was a swift mover; there was no point in taking his time. The tiefling moved with a hood pulled up over his head to hide the horns that betrayed his heritage. His crimson eyes however glowed through the darkness like twin flashlights, cold and piercing, and matching the glow that emanated from the blades of his weapon. Kaehlin was making his exit from the town, having purchased the potions and scrolls he required for relatively low prices; Skylos seemed to have been most generous to the six-foot six fiend-touched.

The first dire spider made an incredible mess against the tree as its spindly torso was hacked in two. The blood flowed thick and green from the head and leg of the second two. Kaehlin snorted; the spiders were stupid, they just kept coming and he just kept killing. It would take more than a few arachnids to bring the axe-wielding tiefling down. The web caught Kaehlin thickly around the legs, crawling up them as it was produced. His eyes flashed as he glanced down, finding the sticky white thread clinging to his armor from the waist down. His legs wouldn�t budge a single step. The spiders ceased their chance on the entangled fighter. But like a wyrmling from its egg, the tiefling forced the web to break from his body, a loud growl leaving his cracked lips. The spiders realized only two late, as twin axe blades cleaved through their rounded bodies.

Kaehlin took but a moment to catch his breath. Fucking pests. This was hardly a workout. This was like taking candy from a baby� a human baby at that. He brushed the canopy out of his way as he made his way hastily through the Mystical Forest in search of prey a little more taxing of his efforts. He was sure he wouldn�t find such a thing in this part of the forest, but perhaps he would find something closer to Dragon Valley. With no further resistance, the tiefling found his way into the jungle, his crimson eyes guiding him through the darkness with ease. Kaehlin took a glance around him, taking in the vastness of the area. The trees were huge, with no exceptions, vines with the width of a human body hanging down from them. It would take a mighty weapon to bring such plantation to the ground. Kaehlin took a step forward and instantly felt his armored foot sink into the marshy ground. He grunted under his breath, glaring at his foot as though it had insulted him. Rolling his eyes back to his path ahead, the tiefling continued his search.

He dispatched of a pair of jaguars with three hefty swings of his weapon, the fire that was empowered into the blades scorching their spotted skin off their bones. Falling to one knee, Kaehlin removed one of the big cat�s legs with his bare hand, and began to chew the flesh from it as he moved on. One end of his axe made his path for him, dropping the vines like flies as he whirred it lazily. Kaehlin was becoming bored.

With the jaguar leg stripped of flesh, the tiefling tossed the bone over his shoulder and licked the blood from his teeth. He had tasted better. Perhaps he had relaxed too much, because when the tiger hit him from behind he had not been expecting it. The heavily armored fighter fell to the soft ground with a crash that took the air from his lungs. He managed to see the dire tiger glowering over him out of the corner of his eye. Kaehlin managed to roll himself onto his front at a bad time, suddenly feeling the huge cat�s claws cut into his face, drawing an agonized hiss from his fanged lips. The tiger had enormous, glaring yellow eyes, darkened with hunger and lust for the kill. But the tiefling was not going to be its victim if he could help it. The handle that joined the blades of Kaehlin�s axe blocked the cat�s next swing almost instantaneously from the last, causing the tiger to growl at its prey angrily. It wanted a clean kill. Both combatants pushed against the other, engaging in a test of strength, which somehow Kaehlin won.

The tiger was pushed back onto its hind legs and Kaehlin was up to his feet at a speed surprising of one wearing full plate. Tasting his own blood dripping from his scratched face, a fire ignited in Kaehlin�s eyes that hadn�t been there moments ago. The tiger growled in pain and surprise, a growl that echoed around the jungle, as the twin axe blades struck its head once� twice� three times. The cat�s blood flowed down its face and it swung frantically at its attacker. The huge paw sent Kaehlin staggering backwards to the ground again, but he was quick to his feet this time, using a vine to help tug himself up. The tiefling had to think fast as the dire tiger came leaping at him. His reflexes were fast enough; stepping swiftly aside, the tiger crashed into the tree behind Kaehlin, shuddering the entire plant. The tiefling did not waste an opportunity, his axe blade slicing the tiger�s back leg almost clean off. The wounded creature slumped against the tree, growling in an enraged agony. The growls however were permanently silenced as Kaehlin�s weapon hewed through the creature�s throat. The tree became a bloodstained mess as the tiger slid forward off its feet, dying almost instantly against the tree�s base.

Kaehlin panted, his fangs gritted tightly together. He had searched for a challenging kill and the dire tiger had offered it. Slightly. He was unsatisfied though. Compared to the fights he was used to, and the fight he was searching for, the dire tiger again had been child�s play. Catching his breath and wiping at his cheek, inadvertently smearing his blood over his pale gray skin, Kaehlin straightened up and began to trudge on through the jungle.

�Not bad for a kid.�

Kaehlin heard the voice and stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly he began to let his eyes scan the foliage for the owner of the voice, but he saw nobody. A low hiss left his insipid lips� big cats did not speak. He could have sworn he heard something behind him, but when he turned around there was nobody and nothing there, either.

�How is she?�

He whirled again and this time the scene before him was not empty. Kaehlin�s crimson eyes widened at the sight of the tiefling stood before him. He knew the man was a tiefling simply from the glowing scarlet eyes and the small pointed horns sticking out from beneath the gray hood that concealed the man�s face in shadow. His form was huge, almost as wide as Kaehlin�s, but certainly taller. The robe to which the hood belonged, matching in color flowed down the figure�s firm body, tied loosely about his waist by a black sash. Stamped on the middle of this sash was an artistically accurate image of a cage. Kaehlin knew that sash.

�Dahlel.�

The figure nodded his hidden head in response; he had noticed the lack of questioning in Kaehlin�s tone. The figure said nothing, but stood completely still, staring at the other tiefling before him. Kaehlin on the other hand had no intention of silence.

�Bastard.�

A soft snigger came from the figure, as he now reached up, completely calmly and removed his hood. The shadow of the cover now gone, Kaehlin could finally set his eyes on Dahlel�s face. The familiar skin; dark black almost to the point of being similar to a drow�s, shining under the moonlight pouring down on them through the canopy overhead. The familiar eyes, glowing red, as Kaehlin�s own did, just watching in silence. The familiar lips, curled into an almost pleasant smirk, which showed off his fangs, sharpened to a precise point as they always had been. The sight of the face of his old trainer made Kaehlin sick to the stomach, but something inside him made him unable to attack or even to turn and walk away.

�Yes, it has been a while Kaehlin� you still go by that name, I have noticed.�

Kaehlin grunted. Every word that left the older tiefling�s mouth only angered him. The comment didn�t even deserve a response, but a burning question was on Kaehlin�s mind� a question that was perhaps more of an accusation.

�You�ve been following me.�

Dahlel simply chuckled, the expression twisting his lips in a most unpleasant way. Kaehlin did not join in on the laughter. Dahlel fell suddenly silent again, returning to regarding his former pupil in a somewhat scrutinizing way. He could not help but cast a fleeting glance at the double axe resting now on Kaehlin�s shoulder.

�I have. I heard of your whereabouts. I got curious. But it seems you have become weak, Kaehlin.�

Kaehlin had always resented having his strength challenged. His eyes gave a telltale flash, his glare cold and hard, and slowly he lifted his axe into combat position. Dahlel seemed unmoved.

�You wanna test that, hm?�

Again Dahlel chuckled. He was mocking Kaehlin, and the tiefling warrior did not like it. But his former trainer held up a finger; bidding him to hold his ground.

�And there is that temper of yours. Good. There is strength in you yet. If only you would get rid of that whore, Kaehlin, you could be a champion again��

With those words spoken, Kaehlin suddenly remembered. His eyes widened and he snorted with rage.

�You fucked Am!�

This time Dahlel did not laugh, instead giving his former student a wicked grin that showed his fangs.

�She seemed to like it. I must admit it surprised me how willing she was.�

�Fuck you!�

Seemingly, Kaehlin had heard enough. He charged at Dahlel with his axe held forward ready to do battle. But instead of meeting the roaring tiefling, Dahlel fled. This shocked Kaehlin for a moment; he had always been taught by this very man never to flea a challenge. It was bad for business. And after all, one could not flea from The Cage. But here he was now, chasing his former mentor through the jungle, a raging flare alight in his eyes. They reached the edge of the jungle in a surprisingly short amount of time; Kaehlin had wandered further into the area than he had realized.

He could see Dahlel�s trick though, as he ground to a halt at the edge of the jungle, standing on the cliff edge. The vast drop below would kill any man for sure; and that was exactly what Dahlel had planned for his former pupil. Kaehlin sneered. Clearly Dahlel knew he could not win a straight fight with the larger tiefling, and was relying on overbalancing him to kill him. Kaehlin also stopped, just a couple of meters in front of Dahlel and the cliff edge.

�Afraid?�

Slowly the robed tiefling shook his head and produced from his back a dire mace. Kaehlin had seen this weapon before and how Dahlel could wield it, and he frowned. The mace was made of solid adamantium, except for the ends, which were rounded balls of darang. Many a foe had fallen to the weapon, partly for what it was but mostly for how its owner used it.

�What do you take me for, Kaehlin? A rookie?�

Dahlel moved at a speed Kaehlin could only have hoped to move at, speeding away from the cliff edge, his mace held out in front of him. Kaehlin spun at ninety degrees to avoid the blow, but as his opponent passed him he too spun. One hundred and eighty degrees on the spot, the mace collided with the side of Kaehlin�s head and he was immediately floored. Kaehlin could feel the throbbing in his head, the pulsating of his temples. Damn it. Slowly he struggled to his feet. Dahlel had not continued his attack; he was satisfied with how vulnerable Kaehlin seemed before him. Kaehlin straightened his back and the mace end collided with his stomach. But he did not budge even an inch this time. Dahlel blinked and followed Kaehlin�s eyes slowly to the mace end resting, vibrating, against the coal black full plate. Kaehlin sniggered and shook his head slowly.

�Darang.�

As he spoke the explanation to his foe, Kaehlin grabbed the mace end off his chest and gave it a hard tug. Dahlel, his grip on his weapon always vice-like, flew towards Kaehlin and received a hefty fist to the face. He dropped like lead to the mossy ground with a low-pitched moan. Kaehlin looked down on his former mentor now� and images of him having his way with Am�naelihn flashed through his mind. Images of Dahlel giving her the baby he had been forced to kill. Bastard.

Kaehlin�s foot slammed down mercilessly on Dahlel�s head and the floored tiefling began to groan and squirm in pain. Kaehlin shook his head and spat blood, and one of his teeth, from his mouth onto his former trainer. Reaching down now, Kaehlin grabbed Dahlel and lifted him from the ground. He could see the damage his fist and foot had done to the tiefling�s face, but it was not enough. Nowhere near.

�Kaehlin��

Kaehlin simply laughed at the pitiful voice. He was begging for mercy already?

�Fool.�

A sudden stinging in them caused Kaehlin to close his eyes, bringing both hands to rub at them. He could smell the liquid dripping down his face and recognized the unexpected scent of vinegar. Damn him. He had forgotten that trick; it had been so long. The mace shot was perfectly on target, breaking the stunned tiefling�s nose on impact. Kaehlin hit the grass for the fourth time that day, and this time there was little will in him to get up. His double axe lay across his armored chest, the damp moss agitating the back of his head and neck.

�Stupid, Kaehlin, really stupid.�

Dahlel stood admiring the mess he had made of his former pupil, at the same time trying to clean his face of blood. Reaching up behind him, he let his long black hair free of its band to flow over his shoulders.

�Getting yourself killed all for a celestial whore� you have grown weak, Kaehlin.�

Kaehlin began to rise, taking his axe up into his hands as he did. He had difficulty standing; the jungle seemed to be revolving around him and he could see lights. Where was Dahlel? He needed to get a focus on him. He did not see the mace coming, but his reflexes saved him from a fatal blow. The double axe lifted up, blocking the weapon before it hit him. Both tieflings eyes locked on the other�s, a heated stare down between trainer and pupil engaging.

�You can�t win, kid.�

Dahlel�s confidence only made Kaehlin more determined. He wouldn�t lose this. This was the �man� that had trained him, made money off him and abandoned him. This was the �man� that had raped his love and impregnated her. Kaehlin�s foot lifted off the ground, placing itself flat on Dahlel�s gut. The tiefling realized just in time, his eyes casting a glance at the foot as it flexed and forced him backwards; backwards off the edge of the cliff. The robe swirled around him as he fell. Kaehlin dropped to his knees as the mace left his axe to follow its owner over the cliff side.

Kaehlin�s broken nose leaked blood like a rain cloud did rain. So many thoughts were flooding his head; the main one on his mind at the moment was falling unconscious there and then. Only now, when the fight was over and Dahlel dead did Kaehlin realize he could feel her. She was close. Very close. He wondered if she�d felt him. He wondered if she�d even care. And he blacked out with a jumble of such thoughts on his mind.