Morgan's plan of attack was to be flawless. It was sudden, alarming, acrobatic - everything needed for to turn this black humored assassin on his head and gain the upper hand. But when Ixion's illusion flew at the vampire, practically appearing from no where, Thrainsson's attack was altered with alarming speed. Just as the vampire's flipping form pulled his legs over his head, peripheral vision warned Morgan of the dark form's foot, causing the sniffer's eyes to widen under his mask and forcing Morgan to go on the defensive.

The staff that had been whirling over head was brought down, as if the vampire were trying to make his weapon a flagstaff, his fully covered body brought to a smashing kneel as the butt of the knobbed wood planting itself firmly at an arm's length in front of Morgan. The red bandaged man would not be in danger of the initial blow, for the moment, for Morgan's speedy assault had abruptly ended, the vampire rising up speedily into a defensive stance, staff brought before Morgan's face, his empty hand spread before him as his legs bounced into a crouching position. The robed sniffer had placed himself at an angle, so that his crimson eyes may watch both assassin and mercenary, though his shuttered eyes were focused on the red hooded man and his stinging words:

[b]"You idiot! This very moment in time is not the time for those stupid actions. Besides, you inserted yourself in my fight. You didn't deserve the right to kill her."[/b]

Morgan's blank face began to turn into a deep frown as the blade-for-hire turned his attention to Morgan's intended victim, continuing his words, "And neither did you. You do what you need to do, but you made it my business when you got yourself involved.”

"Your fight?" Morgan monotone voice called out to the red hooded man, possibly interrupting the red clad assassin, "Your fight became [u]my[/u] fight the moment her magic blinded me." A gloved hand pointed accusingly at Ixion, the vampire's voice now grating behind clenched teeth, the pitch of his lashing words dropping an octave, "I have every right as you to claim her--" Crimson eyes gleamed from behind his mask's concealing shuttered eyes as Morgan's attention refocused on his original target, "--and him as [u]my[/u] kill," Morgan's finished his retort with venom, gaze redirected back at Ixion, "filthy demonspawn."

Morgan's gloved hand tightened around his staff as he prepared to whirl around onto the red assassin, but something tugged on his mind. Yes, this man stole Blue's soul from his delivering hands, but why go to the trouble of burial rights? At least, this is what the vampire could only assume from such a small book. Unless it was something else… Maybe this sellsword was correct in his logic - ask questions now, spill the assassin's blood later? Attentions again redirected at the bloody, smiling mask, Morgan looked at him, and then his book. What secrets lay on its pages? Yes, burial rights was indeed an option, but what if it were a spell of destruction or something else that bid ill for the vampire? [i]'Is it a risk worth taking?'[/i]

Tension was rising, a decision was to be made. But the brief pause between talk and violence was enough for anything to happen...