The Duel(Orgoth)

As Armagand walked from the arena to a mixture of cheers and boos from the crowd, he spotted the insufferably smug face of Julianus Hargen standing near the gate of the arena. Armagand sneered at the Divum of the Sky Guard. "What are you looking at?!" Hargen mocked him for being taken to his limit, sarcastically congratulating him on his victory before warning Armagand to stay away from his Riders or Armagand would have to face Hargen instead. Armagand was about to respond, when the colossal warrior looked over Hargen's shoulder and spotted Nylara waiting for him outside. Instead Armagand simply huffed in response before marching past Hargen and out of the arena.


Eliza knelt beside Octavia as Kora arrived and began to check on the fallen Rider, while arena officials and medical staff approached quickly. Kora moved Octavia into a recovery position before squeezing Eliza's hand reassuringly and informing her that Octavia would be alright. A voice from nearby drew Eliza's attention as Divum Hargen arrived to the scene. Eliza jumped to her feet and saluted the head of the Sky Guard. Hargen thanked Kora and Eliza for interveneing when they did, in particular commending Eliza calmness when dealing with her father. Eliza bowed her head. "I couldn't have done it without Kora, sir. But I simply fulfilled my duty." The medical team carefully leveraged Octavia onto a stretcher, and hoisted her away, and Hargen asked Eliza if she wanted to go with her or just wait for a message. Eliza took a deep breath and composed herself. "I will go with her. It is my fault she ended up getting hurt, and it is my responsibility to make sure she is alright." Eliza turned and put a hand on Kora's shoulder. "Thank you. I knew I could count on you." She then saluted Hargen. "Thank you, sir."


Eliza watched patiently as medics worked to patch up her friend. Her friend. Eliza desperately tried to work out what that meant, why it resulted in Octavia putting herself in so much danger for her. Eliza had looked up the definition of a friend, and saw that it was someone you look out for, that you protect. Eliza had tried to protect Octavia by hiding her life from the Rider, knowing that she would not understand why Eliza was the way she was, why she was so loyal to her father and her family. Armagand had been ruthless and cruel in the arena, but Eliza had expected that. Eliza had tried to build her own reputation to follow his, but with a more tactful approach. However, she did not anticipate Octavia giving everything to try and make a statement against Armagand, a renowned and fearsome foe. Eliza questioned how things came this far, whether she had made a mistake in connecting with Octavia on that fateful day in the Eyrie. She got lost in her thoughts as a combination of emotional strain and lack of sleep finally exacted their toll, and Eliza passed into dreams at Octavia's bedside.

Kora nodded formally. "You are most welcome, cousin. Let me know how Octavia is as soon as you know. And feel free to call over for tea sometime." She said with a smile. She Liked Eliza very much, it was a pity they never got to see each other often. She gave Hargen a bow. "be seeing you both, take care." Kora said, before turning and walking away.


Octavia opened her eyes, which was something of a surprise because she was sure she had shut them for the last time. She was in a room, and from the look of the walls that room was in the Eerie's fort, medical floor. Well, if she was there, she must not be hurt to badly, even though as she attempted to move her body protested. She pulled back bedsheet that covered her, to find her torso wrapped in bandages. She felt like she'd broken ribs, which was a strong possibility given that she'd taken a number of punches from a divinium gauntlet to the chest. She groaned as she tried to sit up but soon gave up on the attempt with a groan. Octavia looked herself over, noticing that the cut on her shoulder had been half healed. She guessed that she had only been partially healed, and would have to do the rest naturally. Most likely, this was a punishment doled out by Hargen for her insabordination, and honestly she didn't blame him for it. But she would do it again, even if it meant another beating, because she knew that she'd gotten her message across, even if Kor was no longer going to be punished for attacking Eliza. People would be watching him allot more closely.

Octavia heard a noise, and finally noticed she was not alone in the room. Eliza was sitting in a chair at the side of the bed, asleep. She found herself surpised, considering she assumed Eliza hated her for getting involved in family business, even if she was well within her right to stick up for her... friend. She snorted, surprised by the word. Octavia had never been much for other people. Her last real friend had been Darius, but they were more than just friends and also less. She didn't think she felt like that about Eliza, but she still felt close to her. Even if they had spent most of their time together in silence, or training, it had been enjoyable to be around her.

The door opened before Octavia could think more on it, and a woman walked in. "Ah, Rider Valerius good to see you're awake. Are you to hot?" The woman asked, and Octavia covered herself with the bedsheet. "Just surveying the damage." She replied. "Damage indeed. I'm surprised you didn't have more broken bones. Honestly, what were you thinking, fighting a brute like that?" She shook her head. "Still, I heard you fought very well. Good girl." Octavia frowned at the womans tone, but said nothing. "Now, treatment wise, your bones are mostly healed. I was told to make sure nothing was out of place and that nothing would heal bad, and let nature do the rest. But I've got a pain tonic for you, and you'll have to stay here to rest for a few days. No riding, Wyvern or otherwise." The woman laughed, and handed her a mug. "Down the hatch now, that'll make you ache less." Octavia did as she was told, and then asked for a glass of water to wash the taste out of her mouth.

Eliza heard the voice and immediately went into high alert. Her silver eyes snapped open and she rose quickly, reaching for her spatha that wasn't there. She looked at the healer and then at her spatha, which rested in its scabbard against the wall, before looking distinctly sheepish. "Oh, I'm sorry Doctor." Eliza looked to the bed and saw Octavia looking back at her through a battlefield of blankets and pillows. The silver-haired Asentari took a couple of tentative steps forward as the healer gave Octavia a status report on her medical condition, including the specific instruction to just straighten Octavia out, rather than fully healing her. Eliza looked at Octavia with another sheepish look, answering the unasked question.

"Divum Hargen's orders. He doesn't want you to leave here until you've had time to think about your decision to fight my father." The healer then held out a mug of liquid for Octavia to drink, telling her it was a pain tonic to ease her discomfort. Octavia took the proferred drink and downed the liquid, before asking for water to wash it down. The healer left to fetch the required drink, and Eliza returned to her chair beside the bed and slumped into it, putting her face into her hands. She took a deep breath and shook the cobwebs out from her inadvertent nap, before sitting up straight to look at Octavia for a moment. "Octavia... I..." Eliza trailed off, unsure exactly what to say in that moment.

Eliza woke up when the doctor came in and went straight for the sword that wasn't there, before she sheepishly looked around the room. She explained what Octavia had already guessed. Octavia nodded in reply. The doctor left to get her a drink of water, and Eliza tried to speak. Octavia also started to speak. "I'm sorry if I caused you trouble." She said before both of them fell silent, a very awkward silent. Octavia tried to find something to occupy her hands, which were suddenly restless, and started tugging at her bed sheet, while looking around the room while she tried to think of something to say. The doctor thankfully returned with a glass of water and left without a word, giving Octavia something to do with her hands. She sipped at the water slowly, not quite looking at Eliza as she took a moment to organise her thoughts.

Finally, she decided it would be best to just get it over with. Still, she rather purposefully and put her drink down on the bedside table to stall a little bit more. She sat up straighter, suppressing a groan at the movement. She opened her mouth, considered her words and spoke. "I tried to stay out of things. I just.. I was angry. One moment my grandfather was saying nasty things about my mother, and then I seen that... Bastard.. Hurting you.. I don't normally make a habit of attacking my friends family.." She said. She suddenly felt very vulnerable, like Eliza could destroy her with the next words out of her mouth. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, half hiding her face.

Octavia picked up where Eliza had left off, and the silver-haired Asentari was a little taken aback by the apology that came her way. Octavia apologized for causing Eliza trouble, but Eliza said nothing. That was going to be her line. The doctor returned with the glass of water, giving both young women time to decide what to do next. As the doctor left without a word, Octavia made a decision first. She began to explain exactly how she ended up in the situation she was in, telling Eliza that the vitriol spewed by her grandfather towards her mother had already taken her to the edge, before the sight of Armagand being typically heavy-handed with Eliza sent her over that edge. Octavia tried to explain that she normally doesn't get involved with other families in that manner, before trailing off in the same way Eliza had earlier.

Eliza Kor had a lot to digest in that moment, but the one thing that struck her like lightning was the word 'friend'. Octavia considered Eliza a friend, in the same way Eliza considered Octavia a friend. Eliza looked at Octavia for long moments, before coming to a decision of her own. Her fight with the strange person in the training facility had given her a spark she did not think she possessed before. Slowly, inexorably, Eliza put a trembling hand gently upon one of Octavia's bandaged hands, and looked directly into her eyes. "It is alright. You are my friend. I have learned to accept that friendship is a two-way street. I will give my life to protect you, but I must acknowledge that you will look out for me too." Eliza gently took Octavia's hand in both of hers. "I am honored to be considered your friend, and I promise I will do better in the future."

Eliza was silent for the longest time, or it felt like it, and then she put her hand on Octavia's. She told Octavia that it was alright, and that she had learned that that was how friendship was a two way street. She took Octavia's hand in both of hers then, and told her that she was honored, and would do better in the future. Octavia responded by doing something she did very rarely, she pulled Eliza forward and hugged her. "You don't need to do better." She said. "You just need to forgive me for destroying you're father's pride when I bitch slapped him with my tail." She said with a laugh that turned into a groan. "Saelie's not going to be happy with me for getting hurt." Releasing Eliza she sat back, hand on her ribs. "But just so you know I don't regret a single moment of pain, if it helps you see you deserve better.. And I don't want you to feel bad, either. Its not your fault.." she said, before falling silent.

Eliza paused to let her words sink in for a moment, but she was stunned then when Octavia suddenly lunged forward and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Octavia told Eliza that she didn't have to do better, just to forgive her for slapping Armagand with her tail. Eliza laughed for the first time in what felt like forever and returned the embrace, before a grunt of pain from Octavia brought her back down to Asmir. The Rider noted that her wyvern was not going to be happy about Octavia getting herself hurt, before releasing the hug and sinking back into her sheets with a hand on her torso. Eliza leant forward and helped adjust Octavia's pillows, while Octavia told her that she didn't regret her actions, and she didn't want Eliza to feel bad over it. Eliza simply nodded solemnly. "Understood. I have to report for duty now. Can I get you anything before I go?"