"A..." he began breathlessly. Even someone as tall and strong as him seemed just a boy when contemplating what paced around the front of his home. He'd heard the word before. Myrrdrall were the stuff of legends, over a thousand years ago. They were from tales that Gleemen sometimes spun of far away places like the Borderlands. Ali shook his head, looking to Mave to see if she was joking. "No, t-they're just a myth." 

Her look of regretful truth spoke volumes when she gazed back at him. A Fade? Here? For him? He didn't know what to think of that, but it made a morbid amount of sense. How he became scared every time he felt the mere presence of the rider, feeling a stare of pure hatred and a cold breeze slithering down the base of his spine as it passed. 

How did Mave know? Briefly he considered that the people of the Arad Doman were more accustomed to stuff such as this, but he knew it was more than that. She had been wonderful ever since she had arrived. He had been glad she had kissed him rather than Evelyn, and was still glad. But she was hiding something, and he needed to tell himself yet again that he had only met her the day before. 

"What are you doing?" Mave asked as Ali went to grab his staff. 

He began unlacing sections of his vest to give him more freedom of movement, a hard determination in his eyes. No, it was a curious mixture of emotions. The fear of death battling with the stubborn anger of a young fighter that had seen enough. "I believe you." he told her truthfully. "And you're probably right. I can't beat this thing. But I have no other ideas. It wants me, not you or anyone else. If I beat him, then it's solved. If he beats me..." 

Ali tossed his staff into his other hand as he looked out the window at the abyssal [i]thing[/i] that waited to claim his life. "At least my family will be safe." he said to himself softly. What's more, it would likely leave Mave alone too. He realized now he was [i]very[/i] glad she had kissed him. It was a good memory before he died. 
[@Penny]