“And why should I accept?”

  "I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?" Ezrl scratched his head and dropped his thoughts down. A hint of anxiety grew amidst the veil of bravado he'd built. Noise from a rumbunctious tavern amplified as more customers arrived. In a way, there was much more noise than before.

Staxius relaxed, '-the ball is in your court, Ezrl. We can fight or we can cut tension.'

  "MASTER EZRL," a messenger drenched in sweat and blood ran into the tavern, "-MASTER EZRL," he cried, breaking the advisor from a tedious question. Footsteps gathered from the hall, two thuds and the door exploded, "-Master, we need you at the castle right away," he gasped, "-I don't have muc-"an arrow stuck out his back, blood dripped, he fell onto his knee and passed away.