"Six!" Kyros took a stand pace forward. He had taken before in like manner, as had the mercenary he was currently dueling with in the other direction. between them stood the royal guardsman from the palace, counting to ten as the officiator for the duel. "Seven!" The mercenary had already drawn his axe and was consistently gripping the hilt with tense hands, chomping at the bit. "Eight!" Kyros had yet to draw a weapon, instead  twiddling his fingers at his side like a gunslinger. "Nine!"

"Duel!"

Kyros swivelled and dart forward, keeping his head low and forward and drawing on a butcher knife with his right hand. Kyros held the blade invertedly in his hand and made a rising hay-maker swing just as he got started, he realised that there was a shadow looming over him. Looking up, Kyros understood the axe wielding already had his weapon lowering on his head flat-first to swat Kyrus like a bug. The axe came down with a swoosh onto the grass, but with no Kyros underneath. Instead, a moment later Kyros came crashing down on the chest of the mercenary, pinning him on his back to the floor and holding his blades at the man's neck. The mercenary was surprised, then angry. They were there for a moment longer as Kyros edged the blades up to the man's neck. 

[color=ed1c24]"Grass eating thiefworm. That's what you said, right?"[/color] recalled Kyros vengefully the guards began to march towards Kryos, but were called to a halt by the leader who raised his hand. Kyros's hand shook as he pontificated over what he would do next. To the relief of the mercenary and the guardsmen, he relinquished his blades and stood up walking away. [color=ed1c24]"When you go home and you tell them you weren't good enough to earn the Queen's seal, remember to tell them that a grass-eating theifworm was... but [i]you[/i] weren't."[/color] he mocked. 

[hr]

Kyros was the last to arrive at the stables. As he approached what he assumed was his horse, the animal whinnied and raised it's head, putting Kyros on guard. He flinched back reach at his butcher knife. He wondered whether it was even worth it. Where they were going might even be within walking distance.