[center][h2][b][color=20B2AA] Jandar Varan [/color][/b][/h2][h3][b][color=778899]&[/color][/b][/h3][h2][color=SlateBlue][b]Faeril Ashkevron[/b][/color][/h2][h3][color=778899]Cliff staircase, Askavi
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Jandar huffed and re-sheathed the knife he’d pointed at Jassen. No, he didn’t think the man wanted to bring the harm to Fatima, but his preconceptions and reckless actions might just do so, no matter how well-intentioned he might be. Instead of saying that, however, he simply hissed out a low [color=20B2AA]“Fine.”[/color] He focused fully on the three opponents, assessing their strength. This might be a theoretical three-on-three, but Faeril was exhausted (and not a warrior, as she’d pointed out), and Jassen certainly couldn’t be counted on to act. [color=20B2AA]“Either help or don’t get in our way, then,”[/color] Jandar added to the older male, dismissing his presence for the moment.

The Kaeleeran Warlord readied his Red jewel, waiting for Faeril’s sign on how to act…but then the Black Widow turned to him to answer, and Jandar’s eyes widened as he saw the Sapphire Warlord Prince lunge for Faeril. Though ready to counter-act, the Warlord Prince was faster, manifesting a sapphire shield between the kidnapped Faeril and the two wingless males on the other side, and Jandar barely prevented himself from slamming face-first into the shield. He growled, summoning his sabre as he watched the goings on in frustrated horror. Faeril poisoned the Sapphire Warlord Prince, which was good, but that didn’t prevent his maniacal rambling as the other two men pinned down the Black Widow.

Jandar drew on the power of his Red, wrapping a tight coil of his power around the sabre, making it shine and buzz with power. He slammed the weapon forcefully into the shield with both arms, one palm wrapped around the hilt and the other helping by pushing onto its pommel. The physical force combined with his craft managed not only to crack the shield, but shattered it entirely. The Warlord thought his success may have been helped by how hasty the Sapphire Warlord Prince had been with placing the shield. Snarling, Jandar lunged at the male who was positioned over Faeril and threatening to mutilate her. His sabre was poised to slash at the male’s arm, intending to disarm him – in either meaning of the word.

Haelendar had cut the bitch's finger quite deeply as he felt the shield shatter. He had expected the two men to fight, but had not realized one of them wore the Red. Turning away from the witch, he swung his dagger up and with a show of skill vanished it and called in the deadly Eryien warblade to knock aside Jandar's attack. Swinging a punch that collided with the Dhemlan's head in a glancing blow. The Opal who was pinning Faeril's wings called in his own blade, intent on damaging the witch's wings. He managed to slice a nasty cut down the leathery membrane of one before Jassen tackled the man. The two tumbled onto the stairs in a tangle. With her wings free and bleeding, Faeril jerked and fought to run as the Blood Opal Warlord Prince held fast.

Jandar hissed at the blow to his head, but retaliated with a sweep of his legs, attempting to unbalance his opponent. Though he was concentrated on his own fight, he did notice peripherally that Jassen had joined the fight to help Faeril. He was honestly surprised; he’d have to re-evaluate his opinion of the male. He didn’t expect the old man to stand up for the Black Widow whom he’d not long ago attempted killing, the Eyrien female who was practical enough to suggest killing or wiping the drunk’s memories. If they all got through this, he’d certainly have to thank him for the back-up if nothing else. Inhaling with a flare of his nostrils, Jandar summoned his heather shield for extra protection against the Warlord Prince’s warblade. Recognizing the other as a skilled warrior, he approached cautiously, and yet attacked with no hesitation as he tested for the Eyrien’s weaknesses.

The leg sweep against the larger male did nothing as Haelendar snarled and brought the warblade down on the heather shield and he would have cleaved it if not for the Red shield that spun the attack to the side, courtesy of Faeril. [color=SlateBlue]"It will cut bone as well as flesh with ease! Do not be fooled!"[/color] The woman warned as she flung the Warlord Prince she was dealing with off the stairs and into open sky with her own Blood Opal. Sagging against the wall the woman staggered up the steps. Fighting was not an option for her at the moment. So her next option was flight by foot. The bastards had cut her wing and she didn't feel like risking more damage by trying to fly. Already tired from the the walk and the drain on her jewels, the witch scrambled up the steps desperate to escape the slaughter. For it would be a slaughter. 

Jassen and his opponent were in a tangle. He had not joined the fight for the Black Widow. In truth, he had not considered the poisonous woman at all. Rather he was more intent on not letting news of his Queen reach the wrong ears and theses men were a threat to that. He would say it was to protect his Queen, but that was only a partial truth. Fatima's mother had been his Queen. He would have and had done anything for her. For Fatima he would protect the girl per the wishes of his Queen, but also to save his own skin. The First Circle would bear a brutal punishment for hiding a witch of such great power. So he fought. It was a ugly and brutal struggle. It did not end until there was a sickening crack, then the Eyrien rose from the ground and left the broken form of a member of Fatima's Court on the ground, his head at an odd angle.

Jandar frowned at having to be saved by Faeril, but coated his wooden shield with a double layer of Red shielding of his own in response. So, he would have to rely more on evasion and the power of his jewel against the warblade. He circled the Eyrien carefully, poking at slashing at various points of his body at various angles, his eyes primarily focused on his opponent’s eyes and only peripherally on his warblade. Glancing at the direction one moved or attacked in was rather involuntary, so if he could predict or perceive the Warlord Prince’s attack path, he could take advantage with a swift counter-attack. Of course, Jandar himself also had to keep an eye on the terrain and where he aimed with his sabre, so it might take him a bit to learn enough of the enemy’s patterns.
 
And while theoretically the Sapphire-wielding Eyrien would get weaker over time due to the Black Widow’s poison, he did not have the luxury of prolonging the time – mainly because just then a crunch and a swift glance to the source of the noise alerted him to the fact that Jassen had been killed off already. Faeril might distract one of the trio for a short while, but she was in no state to fight, so he'd soon have to face three Eyriens by himself. Grimly determined not to be spooked or distracted, Jandar baited the Sapphire Warlord Prince by pretending to freeze for half-a-second or less upon seeing the Blood Opal Prince killing Jassen. It was a believable reaction, and yet also risky. Jandar was prepared to side-step if his enemy decided to take the opening and strike at him, but it was a gamble. Even if he evaded swiftly and successfully, he'd still have to kill in one counter-strike to reduce the number of enemies. [i]He had to.[/i] He did not know if he could, but wasted no time on hesitation or worry. He was simply...decisive. Putting it all on this chance to dispose of one enemy before the other two were able to attack him as well.