[RPG] [FEI][LoA] The Challenge

[bpratt]

 <http://news.battlemaster.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/rpg>Maltheo felt the
need to pace back and forth, but didn't. He was exhausted. The weight of the
world - or at least three realms - had come down on him for, it seemed,
infantile reasons at best, and mindless barbarism as well.

He'd written his letters, explaining to Valius just exactly what was wrong
with walking into a region occupied by three enemy armies and at least
several infiltrators. Infiltrators who wouldn't give a damn about letting
Valius have a fair fight, soldiers who'd imprison or attack him just because
Valius had declared war.

It was Alpha who came to him and suggested they meet in a 'neutral' region,
and Maltheo accepted, knowing full well that betrayal was still likely given
the dubious nature of his enemies. But what could he do? Sit in Anacan and
wait for the vultures to start feasting? Wait for cowards to assault a
nigh-inassailable city? Of course not.

But whether Valius would accept reasonable terms of a *fair* fight was still
an unknown. He found himself caring a great deal. He was elected by a vast
majority of the nobles of Anacan, and the tens of thousands of people of the
League depended on him to act in their best interests. It disgusted him.
Grown men, rulers even, allowing their petty egos to drag entire realms to
fight, to die. He once expected so much more from Valius... even from Conan,
long ago.

The worst part of it was discovering just how little honor there really was
among nobles. It did more than threaten everything that he believed to be
good and virtuous, it ... offended him. It made him feel dirty. He'd
assisted Conan, and applauded when Valius had slew Nobdy. He'd trusted
Corey.

So he didn't get much sleep, always ready to move to meet Valius, writing
letters after letters. He no longer feared death, and welcomed it - at least
it would end this burden, perhaps even end the war. He knew well what would
be said if he lost, or if his realm was exterminated. Lies would become
known as truth; betrayers known as honourable; everything Olwe of Toren and
he had fought to build would die.
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