Brothers.

14

"You save him?"
Nikita spat out the words filled with his laughter. He continued to laugh that after a while tears streamed down his cheeks and he almost dropped his axe.

Later Josh realised he could have killed Nikita right there and be done with and he probably would have been saved of what this fight did to him, but at that moment Josh was too amused and stunned by this warrior's reaction. He didn't even know who Josh was!

"Why do you laugh, Nikita? Do you think that this man will not be able to best you or your lackeys?" Vlad demanded from behind Josh.
Yet his voice betrayed his confident words. Vlad sounded scared.
But Josh did not share his emotions, he knew what he could do.

Nikita finally ceased to laugh and then he cleared his throat and said with all the confidence of the four worlds,
"Dear Vlad, I do not think so, I know so! Look at this man," he gestured towards Josh dressed in old furs and much thinner than he had once been, "He is a sack of bones and I don't think he could even kill a deer if he wanted to. This cannot be the champion of Rusk?!"

Now Josh could usually stand idly by when men insulted his appearance, his personality and even his lack of friends, but no man offended his honour as a warrior and fighter.

No one.

Josh's golden eyes darkened a tad more and he balled his fists, but Nikita didn't even seem to notice his rage. It was as if Nikita had already decided that Josh posed no threat to him or his men. That infuriated Josh even more and he could feel the hair on his neck lift up as his powers became harder to control by the second.

He turned back to Vlad. The man paled when he saw Josh's expression and for a moment Josh almost enjoyed his fear. He could smell it rolling off Vlad in massive waves, it was a sweet, alluring scent that scared Josh to his bones. He cannot feel like this, like he had felt all those years ago.

"Go back into your hut, Vlad, because if you get in my way in what is to follow I may not stop myself from killing you as well." Josh said to him with a concerned tone.

"I cannot, Joshua, this is my village, my people. It is my duty to protect them even at the cost of my life. You must leave. You have not lived here a year, this village does not play a role in your life. Go to Dimka and Margeau. Keep them safe!"

Glavnyy Vlad pulled an axe from the leather belt around his hips and started advancing towards Nikita who stood with his axe resting on his shoulder and the other hand on the hip, amused by the show in front of him.

"I ask you this last time, please allow me to fight this fight for you. I have to - I have to save Dimka from the pain that had befallen me. Do this for your son if not for me!" Josh begged him and his voice broke on the last word, making him sound desperate. He was desparate though, desperate to save Vlad and protect Margeau and Dimka.

"What are you ranting on about? Just...get out of my way," he pushed Josh to the side in order to walk to Nikita, "I have a village to save."

Josh closed his eyes and breathed in while he ran his fingers through his hair. He really didn't want to do this, but Vlad left no choice.

He crouched and placed both his hands on the ground. Josh looked at Vlad a few inches in front of him and then his eyes darted to Vlad's feet. Black particles flowed from his hands over the white snow and then covered Vlad's feet. As soon as his feet was shrouded, Vlad stopped moving. He looked down at his feet and tried to lift them up, but was unable to. He cried out in annoyance and was about to bash the blackness around his feet with the axe, but Josh caught his hand in time.

"I would not do that if I were you. I am sorry that I had to do that and put beautiful Rusk in angelic danger, but I couldn't allow you to throw your life away to save your pride!"