Jack's gaze never wavered, staring the elf down as Elaine walked around and put her hands on her hips. While there was a group of the warriors, the others did not seem as hostile as the one in front of him; they seemed more like they wanted to witness something than jump him. The warrior held his gaze and began speaking in Falvelen, Elaine furrowing her brow as she heard his words.
"What is he saying?" Jack asked, frowning and growing irked; he suddenly didn't like not knowing what someone was saying about him, and now he wanted to learn the language. Elaine looked over at him, her frustration clear to see in her emerald eyes.
"He says you killed his brother."
Jack said nothing, having no idea; in the heat of battle, he never bothered to remember each elf he had slain. Elaine began speaking back in Falvelen, the elf only growing angrier and raising his voice more. He looked over at the table for a second, seeing Midnight roll her eyes and Drake shrug, before looking back at the elven warrior, hearing Elaine grow quiet and look up at him.
"He...demands you face him in battle, so that he may avenge his brother. You don't have to do anything, and if you ignore him-"
"Ask him how he knows I killed his brother." Jack said, interrupting Elaine. While he was not afraid to fight this elf, it would be a waste of time if the elf was accusing him just because he was a vampire.
Elaine hesitated before asking the elven warrior, his voice lowering as he explained. She turned back to Jack, looking unsure of herself.
"He says...the vampire had the same armor and thin sword you have."
Jack nodded, accepting his reasoning. His armor was not common in the vampiric army, being armor that only a Night Stalker could wear, but his sword was even less common. He was the only Night Stalker that wielded an estoc, and it was difficult to mistake him for another. He turned to Elaine, who was already beginning to speak again.
"You don't have to do this, Jack. You are no longer part of the army, and-"
"Tell him I accept, on the condition that if I deal a significant blow to him, he must surrender." Jack said, stopping her again as he turned and walked away, not wanting anyone else to get caught up in this. He turned back around when he was far enough, seeing Elaine finish explaining and the elven warrior grinning as he walked over to Jack, one of the other warriors handing him a spear.
Jack cracked his neck, almost bored as he stretched his arms and slowly pulled his estoc from its sheath. Years ago, his blood would have been pumping as his heart beat like a drum, his hands shaking from excitement. He had been in the army for many years now, and a fight with one elf was not enough to even interest him anymore. He would play with the elf a bit before stabbing him, then get on with his night.
Elaine walked over, looking concerned as she lifted her arm, getting ready to tell them to start. The elven warrior took his stance, his pride and arrogance written on his face like the cover of a book. Jack simply waited, sword at his side, and the instant Elaine closed her eyes and swung her hand down, the elf roared in his language and charged forward, thrusting the spear at Jack's face.
The warrior's form was good, and his attack was strong and accurate. Jack watched the spear slowly go towards his face, moving his head to the side at the last second, the spear hitting nothing but air as Jack began to move. The first ability he ever stole from another vampire was his superior speed, and it was the ability he knew and used the most.
With his speed, his eyes had changed as well, and he could change how fast his brain processed images. He could control this at will, and to him, the elf was moving slowly, allowing him to easily move out of the way of the attack. He was able to think faster as well, and his body was stronger than a normal vampire's, so that he could use his speed without hurting himself.
The other elves, including Elaine, were all gawking as they watched, Jack always waiting until the last second and just moving enough to evade the attack, making it look like the elf's attacks were just missing. The elven warrior grew frustrated, his attacks hitting nothing but air, and raised his left hand to use magic, the hand already glowing green.
The warrior would not get the chance, as before he could blink, Jack had stabbed his hand, the sword easily piercing the elf's flesh and sliding through his hand. Jack smirked as the warrior grunted in pain, jumping back and trying to stab at Jack from a greater distance. Jack easily avoided these attacks as well, and both of his friends knew that he was showing off.
He only evaded until the warrior began to tire, sweating and panting as his attacks got slower and less accurate. Jack decided he was done playing around, and as the warrior went to attack again, Jack thrusted his sword into the elf's gut, making sure to avoid anything that would kill him quickly.
The elven warrior blinked, his eyes not able to keep up, and slowly looked down as Jack pulled his sword out. What happened finally caught up to the warrior as Jack was cleaning the blood off of his sword, the elf clutching his gut and falling to one knee, his blood already staining his clothes and falling onto the grass. Elaine walked over, her hand glowing as she bent over and healed his wound. Jack sheathed his sword, watching this as Elaine finished and walked over to him, looking him over and not finding a single injury.
"I have seen you fight before, but that was different." Elaine said, placing her hands on her hips and giving him a look. "You were playing with him, like a cat does a mouse."
He said nothing at first, looking away. He saw the other two getting ready to join them, the group of elven warriors glaring daggers at him as they fled the area. Jack sighed, slowly looking over at Elaine and deciding to be honest with her before his friends got there and killed his mood.
"I was irked...because he interrupted our dance."