The Consequences of My Dearest Beliefs

[Titania]

"He insults me in this way?"

"He dares name a champion without my permission, without informing me until the day of?"

"I cast no aspersions upon your honor, Shevaun, Imperfect-Slayer, noble warrior of Aegis. You answer where you were asked, and that I cannot begrudge you for. Where I cast aspersions towards is to Bartholomew Wilkins."

"The absolute gall of this man. 'Ualdir grant me victory'. 'We will meet in war'. 'It is I who will shine brighter'. And then he proceeds to name a champion without even bothering to tell me he was? Because he's busy, is that it? He chose the bloody date! Busy my orichalcum-forged arse."

"To give a little bit of context for you, Shevaun, for this is not your fight, and I regret that you have been dragged unto what should have been a meeting of two spirits, that we may better understand each other, and that I may decide if the path I am on is righteous-- Bartholomew Wilkins is someone I have feuded with and held some rivalry towards throughout most of my time on Meranthe. When Jokul marched on Unreality, I asked him to stand for his beliefs. When he insulted my competence, I challenged him to prove his words true. When he sought to intervene in the life of another, to stop them from making a decision that was rightfully theirs, I stopped him."

"When I forged the weapon Defiance, on Jokul's own anvil, swearing that I would follow the will of Athelios, no matter where it may lead, Bartholomew Wilkins was there. He paid attendance. He heard my vow."

"He does me the dishonor of calling a CHAMPION? I challenged him to this duel that he may show me the true mettle of his beliefs. I chose him to open my heart to, to give the opportunity to convince me of his views in the way we have for all of our time knowing each other. He answered with a letter clearly proclaiming he would be fighting me himself, and I have been preparing myself to reach out to Athelios, to listen to him and to my God, and decide based on our spat if the path I walk is righteous, or if there are truly better avenues for me."

"I suppose if he hasn't even the time for me, he's made clear enough that there was never any path for me but the one I walk. That my offer, my desire, the fullness of my heart being laid bare for him that he may show me the strength of spirit and the mettle of the Inheritor of Jokul, has gone unanswered. To that, Shevaun, I am sorry to inform you that there will be no bout."

"To Bartholomew Wilkins, however..."

"I hope that your descendants forget your name, you turgid mongrel. I hope that your gravestone is pissed on by a demon. I hope that you remember the day you fled the field against me every time you dare call yourself inheritor of Jokul. You are not even a sliver of the man who marched on Unreality because of a disagreement. You can't bring yourself to face ONE MAGE, who is OPENLY OFFERING to let you prove her wrong. I spit on your honor. I spit on your lineage. I spit on your every breath. You are a worm, unfit for the very equipment you bare, you yellow coward. You sit on a throne you do not deserve, and you have no right to call yourself anything more than a middling carpenter. You are an embarassment to giantkind, your honor is a joke, and any respect I had for you is now gone. May your name be used as an insult for generations to come. May your legacy be drowned."

"You insult the pantheon by daring to imply that you represent them. May Ualdir bring you destruction. May Nemea grant you no succor. May Athelios cast his judgement upon you. May Vdali render your name from history's weave that no other may ever need to know of the coward known as Bartholomew Wilkins."

"Athelios guide, Shevaun. May the righteous prevail in this war, for we will not meet in arms today."