[color=goldenrod][i][h2][center]Gerard Segremors[/center][/h2][/i][/color]
[@ERode][@VitaVitaAR][@Raineh Daze][@Rune_Alchemist]

From the rear, as ordered, a hand fell upon the lion's broad shoulder as the amber-eyed wolf leaned in behind it, speaking in tight, but measured undertone. 

[color=goldenrod]"You gonna play along?"[/color]

A question of intent, at the very least [i]trying[/i] to couch little else behind its timbre. It was all he meant to ask.

In his opposite side and held low at the hip, he rolled his wrist and tested again the weight of [i]Dawn's Break[/i], the blessed morningstar's brilliant sheen already hidden beneath a banquet of the formerly-reanimated, old blood's burgundy blackened by the low light. Knowing her... she [i]would[/i], normally, happily oblige such a duel— a perfect instance to prove merit in the skill she prided herself upon to the point of battlefield asceticism. A formal challenge like this would be the perfect venue to stand out...

And yet.

His eyes narrowed in quiet suspicion as they regarded this "Damon Cazt", cockily waving the rest of them along as though a herd of armored sheep. His ears were pointed, curving up into knifelike tips. His skin was pallid, as though he'd not steeped out of this crypt and into the light for years. His strength was eminent in the single hand that managed his hefty crossbow, far broader and more robust than normal variants and already drawn taut.

Finally, and most obviously, his eyes. They were a [i]searing[/i] red, far brighter than any should be even beneath torchlight— they almost seemed to glow. Gerard had seen that before, exactly once— upon the face that so disappointed their new obstacle to not behold among the raiding party's number. Blood rubies by any other name.

A duel with a [i]vampire[/i] was far, far more lopsided than those between scions of noble houses. With his blessed armament and uncompromisingly aggressive tactics, Gerard knew that he could serve as enough of a stand-in for a Reonite Justiciar to be a key equalizer here. If it were him in her shoes, he'd likely appreciate such support. 

Yet, it wasn't him. It was her. Whatever choice she made, he intended to follow. Dame Serenity of House Arcedeen [i]was[/i] a singular knight, that much was clear in everything she did. A "challenging foe" alone wouldn't be the reason she might balk, and step away from the cliff's edge she made a point of walking along with her methods. If the First and Youngest was what they had to manage vampiric expectations, even knowing she was likely exceptional among them... this would eclipse "challenging" by a good margin.

So he wanted to know—

Was this, too, within the reach of her pride?