Editing Alexandra Etapaq (section)

===the final steps down===

Hirem comes up to Shaz and Alex, he is out of armor, having just swam, in a loose arming shirt, and boots. His belt hangs two daggers. He drops into a camp chair, a hand of burbon in his hand. "Long bloody day." 

Alex raises.an eyebrow. "Yes they are, but what makes it especially long or bloody today?"

"We lost the CCC people. They marched out en mass led by Sir Hannah. You know that of course. We also are loosing the Chad forces. Arin was at the lake. He and Tarooos informed me that they are done. They are packing at the moment. 70,000. Sir Cantor is staying with the centaur banded pairs and the beserkers, and a few of the crazy ones. . 

Shaz says, Good Riddence."

Hirem looks at him with scorn

Alex shrugs. "They should, if they don't want to stay. Let them go. They appointed me general. But if they don't like it anymore, good riddance. We can deal without. " Alex looks between Shaz and Hirem and shakes her head.

Hirem says, "Deal with who? How? Why? This place is pointless. Its a trap. These people are not resiliant. We are not accomplishing anything here. I think this place may be a shadowtrap. Killing these people does no good. We are running around this land and i think the dead resurrect someplace other places on this tier. What ever the deal is here we are not conquering. Our dead are not ressurecting. That why we lost the CCC people and CHAD."

Alex starts to laugh loudly, almost a tone of mocking in it. "They realize this now. And now the CHAD is leaving. It was their damn idea to go fight here. " She stands and takes ip a new bottle "And newsflash. Anything we do in shadow is freaking pointless. "

Shaz smiles, "You tell him, Kitten. We fight for the fun of bloodshed. Benedict taught me that."

Hirem scowls at Shaz," Alexandra, this place is a trap. The only way to win here is not to play.
Leave this place. Pull up stakes and sett everyone loose. Your Amber forces will do thier duty to the last one. Do your duty to them and lead them out to the Jeweled Road and back to Amber."

Alex frowns "Again they are welcome to leave, you know what. You are right. I'll fullfil my duty to them, they are dismissed. Let them fuck off. Go. Don't need them and don't need any sense of duty to them. From the Jeweled Road they can find their way. And yes this is a game. And it's fun. It's the most fun i had in ages. Burn shit down kill some folks, keep on moving. " She lights a cigarette "Heh. Duty.... talking about an unbeatable game "

He stands, coming close. "Alex... Come with me. Lets leave this play behind and find someplace less steeped in blood. "

Shaz steps in, pushing Hirem back, "You leave if you have no taste for war. This is a place of violence and the people here know it. They are sheep and we are the slaughter. " 

Hirem straightens, looking at Shaz, whose hand remains on Hirem's chest. Hirem looks at him and says lowly, "Remove your hand from me or we will see who is the sheep." 

Shaz laughs, " I've wondered if you had stones. Maybe now iss a good time to see if you are a stalion or a gelding."

Alex pulls herself away from Hirem and takes a few steps.away. giving Hirem and Shaz space. "Hirem. Leave if you can stand it here. I am not done yet." She doesn't get in between the two men and stands to the side, smoking and drinking

Hirem says, "Its not a matter of done. Its a matter of futility. Thats the trap. This place plays on the mind. Ive felt it too. Hopeless Futility. just bloodshed. If you don't go back to Amber at least get out of here! " He steps to face her, shaz steps in front, driving his Rasak blade deep into Hirem's belly.

Hirem turns and and slices down with the bottle, breaking it on Shaz's wrist, and gripping the wrist and blade. his other hand around, his war blade in his hand slashing shaz across the face, opening a deep scar exposing teeth and ripping open both cheeks.
Shaz tumbles back in shock. Unleashing the dagger, his wrist still in Hirem's grip.He summons his maudu in the form of a shortsword. Sliginging it at Hirem's arm.

Hirem twists from the path of the blade enough to recieve a deep scar across his chest. But his blade had fallen below shaz's and cleaves the right hand from his wrist.

Hirem backs away acrobatically. as Shaz stars in shock at the worst wound he had ever recieved. The stump of his wrist bleeding.
Hirem stands, sword in one hand, severed hand in the other. A dagger sticking from his belly.

Alex sits down on a chair watching the two men fight. "Are you two done? Hirem. Hypocrite. Acting with disdain around the bloodshed yet you fight so viciously and brilliantly bloody. Are you continuing until one is dead? Talk about futility."

Shaz howls, pulling his maudu as a short sword up to advance. Hirem says, "This was his choice....And yours it seems. " He backs away defensive, whistling for his Afkir horse. Shaz moves in on Hirem, who stops, raising the Sign of the Pattern before him. Shaz falters, uncertain how to advance.

The horse trots up at a gallop and Hiram, the consummate horseman leaps into the saddle. "I fight when there is a cause. There isn't one here. Leave this place Alexandra of Amber." He turns his horse and gallops. Shaz drops his blade, raising his sign of the Logrus. but looses time to shape into his chaos form.
Shaz howls

Alex shakes her head. Takes up a big cloth and walks up to Shaz. She doesn't speak she wraps his stump thightly. Silently she gets into her tent to grab her medical kit. Assuming Shaz has lowered himself to sit, if not she pushes him down. "Sit still. I'll help you until your shapeshifting starts to work."
Her voice is cold and commanding

"I'll have his head! The bastard...I'll hang him in the Black Forest of the Abyss!"

Alex nods "Yes, yes, in time that sounds good. Now stop talking and let me stitch your face." 
She takes up needle and thread offers Shaz a big drink before she goes to work.

Alex works calmly and precisly pulling the tissue of his face carefully together to stitch it. 

"Why did you attack Hirem? He didn't convince me to go back. I was going to stay. And Hirem just wants someone to introduce him in Amber. Told him Arlo was a better option. "

She pushes the face of Shaz up and to the side inspecting her work. As if positioning a mannequin.