Excerpt: Winds Of Change

You?" he said, uncertainity creeping into his voice. "You invoke the saftey of the Barakai? You mean to enter?" Vydor nodded simply.
"And as such you are bound by the Lord of War not to harm me until the fesitval is over, unless we meet upon the festival's field." He said, smirking. "I no longer need my uncle's protection. I can survive upon my own."

Oriath managed to recover enough to laugh.
"You? Enter the Barakai? You plan to challenge for the throne? You will die in the first round!"
"We shall see." Vydor said tightly. "And yet until then I am safe from any of your plans and schemes. You have purpose here you may carry out."
"You are only adding to my anger by delaying the inevitable." Oriath said warningly. "You walk on dangerous ground boy."
"I walked on dangerous ground already, if I remember correctly. There is not much more you can do to make your plans for even more cruel. I believe Skandros himself could take lessons in revenge from you." Vydor growled.

Ruin snorted with amusement even as Oriath grew pink with anger. Vydor wondered if he had overstepped the mark. Such an insult could not go unpunished in the long run he knew, but what honestly could the man do more? He waited for Oriath to retort, but when it came it was aimed not at him, but at Ruin.

"What do you think of this, boy?" Oriath asked, his face contorted into a sneer. "You brother announces his attempts for the throne for no thought of you. Are you really content to let such an oppotunity to pass you by?" Vydor blinked in suprise, suprised by the question. Of course, he hadn't considered what his orders would do for Ruin. Only one member from each family could enter the Barakai, and Vydor had effectively stolen it for himself without his elder brother's permission when it was his by birthright. Vydor couldn't look Ruin in the eye as his brother straightened, his eyes blank as he stared at Oriath.

"If you believe my greatest desire in life is to be King then you know nothing of me." Ruin said, disgust dripping from his voice. "I have no time for politician play and power struggles. I will serve from where I can make a difference. In the front line of battle always."

Vydor felt pride for his brother well up instantly as Oriath glared at them both.
"A pair of fools." He snapped. Vydor didn't disagree.
"We may be, but we are not the ones wasting our breath on petty insults. There is nothing for you here now. Go and pray to whichever God you put your faith in that all your rotten schemes and cruel machinations work out, but go from here. I do not want you in my sight any longer."