For many moons Alekxander and Tasa had been two sides of the same coin. Alek was a midlander man, a damn good swordsman as well, and was the charismatic foil to Tasa's gruff ways. While the pair had never called each other anymore than friends, it wasn't uncommon for them to share a bed nor was it often they weren't seen without the other.
Alek was much like Tasa, a person who had been tempted under the thumb of Sarune Tarune and was trapped in the vicious underworld that the lalafellen man ran with an iron fist. The two were amongst Sarune's most powerful and skilled fighters, and their friendship made the man uneasy. They alone would be able to easily take on the rest of his company if they wanted, and so something had to be done.
Parties of Sarune were quite often an indulgence of sinful sensations. Beautiful women, fine ales, and blood sports were common, tonight was no difference. An arena had been made before Sarune and his guests, the man having various fighters pair off in meaningless duels to the death. At the twelfth gong of the clock Sarune clicked his fork against his cup to get his guest's attention.
"Ladies and Gentlemen... Thank you all for coming to yet another wonderful party. Tonight, I have something fantastic to show you all. As you may know... Recently, my right hand has been killed in the line of duty, a fine man he was. Tonight, I am selecting another from my two best fighters." He said, throwing his hand towards the right door. "First.. We have Alekxander Rhyzul, one of the finest swordsman I've ever met." The man emerged wearing simple steel armor with a longsword and shield in his grasp.
He was a tall man with a rugged sort of handsomeness to him, naturally tanned skin accenting his dark hair and striking blue eyes. He would have been a terrible lady killer if it wasn't for the jagged scar that ran across his left side and marred the eye enough to warrant him wearing an eyepatch.
Sarune moved his hand towards the left door, "And then, my personal favorite, Tasa the Mountain Breaker. A name she earned in her last round in my little arena, so she's no stranger to fighting here."
With the introduction Tasa pushed forward, wearing her traditional garb of leather, fur, and steel with her massive axe settled onto her shoulder. Alek was already hyping up the crowd as Tasa entered, her expression far more serious than her companion's.
"Now... I'd say I want a good clean fight... But that's just boring. So please... Murder each other with as much blood as you can manage." the man muttered as he settled back into his seat, which consisted of the lap of a particularly scantily clad highlander woman. The words made both of them recoil for a moment.
"You aren't serious, are you Sarune Tarune?" Alek asked with his head tilted to one side, "After all... We're your best. It's just to the defeat, yeah?" Sarune looked over towards his guests.
"What do you say boys? Shall we spare them?" he asked.
"Nah! Kill each other!" A particularly rowdy Roegadyn man shouted.
"You heard the man, Alek." Sarune replied.
The pair of friends looked grimly towards one another, Sarune ringing a little bell to signal them to start. Neither of them moved.
"No hard feelings Tasa?" Alek asked.
"None... S'jus' 'ow things are lad." She replied, pulling her axe up into her grasp. "C'mon... Les'give em a show."
"Tch.. Me come to you? Tasa, please... You insult me." he said with a chuckle. She shrugged.
"Suit yerself." she said before charging forward. Tasa was far slower than Alek, but she still covered distance well enough to force Alek to engage her. Their arena wasn't exactly large, after all, made to maximize the amount of time the combatants were swinging at each other.
Both hands slipped towards the base of her axe, letting the weight of it carry it through the air as she swung it hard at her friend. Alek blocked it, stumbling a little with the force but quickly regained his stance enough to deliver a quick one two slash along Tasa's leg and stomach. The majority of her armor was leather or fur, not quite made to stop a sword. Tasa preferred it that way.
With two small wounds bleeding Tasa dropped her axe to the ground and quickly let loose a vicious left hook. Alek ducked it only for Tasa's pommel to come and crash against his chin. The force sent Alek stumbling back while Tasa lifted her axe up above her head.
A gleam shone in the woman's eyes, a look Alek knew well. Tasa respected Alek above all others and as such even the smallest amount of her blood had awakened the beast within. Alek's gameplan shifted quickly from trying to end his friend to waiting her out. It was easier said than done, especially when a swing like Tasa's was coming down towards him.
He raised his shield again, uttering a desperate prayer to the Twelve before the axe cut deep into the shield. The sheer force of the blow caused him to grunt, eyes opening to see the axe practically chop the metal bulwark in two. Already Tasa was jerking the stuck axe back and forth, trying to rip it free only for Alek to pull free the straps that bound it to his arm.
Tasa ripped the shield off her axe, throwing the ruined scrap to the floor and turning towards her friend.
"Told ye ta stop usin' them useless things. Ain't gunna save ye lad." she growled out.
"We both know the real fight starts now, Tasa." he replied, pushing himself to his feet and adopting a more free, bouncy stance. The elezen grinned, feet spreading a little on the ground as she adjusted her own posture a little.
The man rushed forward, weaving back and forth towards Tasa with his sword held low. Tasa swung wide, the axe hitting nothing but air before sliding across the ground as the weight kept it going even if Tasa wanted it to stop. With her guard nonexistent Alek took the opportunity. Of the two, Tasa wasn't known for her speed, that was Alek's forte. Before Tasa could even react streaks of her blood splattered to the ground as he cut across her torso thrice before stabbing his sword straight into her chest.
A moment of stillness passed between the two fighters, Tasa's ragged breaths filling the silence before she reached out a hand to settle onto his shoulder. He didn't move, nor even look her in the face while he just stared at the sword piercing her flesh.
"Ye missed." she said slowly, Alek quickly looking up to see a terrifying sight. Tasa's eyes burned with a seething fury as she turned her hand to grip him by the throat and slam him into the nearby wall. The force knocked the wind from his lungs, staggering him just enough so that Tasa could grab up her axe properly. She sent the thing flying upwards, tearing across his body in a spray of blood. She mirrored it, sending it up the opposite way before the final strike sent it horizontal in a swing that almost bisected the man.
Alek slumped to the ground, barely clinging to life as he coughed up blood onto the ground. Tasa fell to her knees before him, reaching out to take one of his hands into her own.
"I... Always knew... If anyone killed me, it'd be you Tasa." he managed to sputter out between his heavy breaths. Tasa reached up to draw out the bloodied sword from her chest, presenting it to her fallen friend who barely managed the strength to hold it again.
"It wasn't supposed ta end like this." She said softly, gently pulling him against her body, holding him in his final moments.
"Life... Ain't fair... For people..." he coughed again, staining Tasa's armor with more of his blood. "You know... I... Tasa... I always..." Tasa shushed him with a breath, clutching him tighter against her body.
"I know lad... Dun say it... I always 'ad too." she replied softly. Alek let out a weak chuckle, barely more than another cough as he looked up at her. There was a strange calmness to his face, Tasa leaning down to draw his face closer to her own. She gently pressed her lips against his blood stained own, breathing in his final breath as he went limp in her arms.
She held him for awhile, only for her silent mourning to be interrupted by her employer.
"Well well, good show Tasa. I knew you would win. Alek never struck me as-"
"Dun ye say a damn word 'bout 'im." she barked quickly, cutting him off. The lalafell raised his hands, ending the statement as he turned towards his guests.
"Well I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. If you'll excuse me, I have some cleaning up to be overseeing." he said before bowing to the group and walking over towards Tasa.
Alek was the only man in the company to receive a burial, Tasa having brought him to La Noscea to do the honors herself. They never spoke of him again.