Killian's face was expressionless. He might have to get Magnus in on the conversation, but he figured he would try at least once more for diplomacy. Damien was not welcome in the city. Not by a long shot, and neither was this spirit elemental. Not when they were skewed and violent. Not when the smallest provocation set them off.
Yfrelo was a progressive city - save for the mages in the college who called the shots - and was relatively nonviolent despite some small groups of spellslingers gaining traction in the poorer districts. That was another issue for another day however. He took a deep breath, hands up, palms facing Damien and Belial. He was so close to outright attacking, it was burning the edges of his moral compass.
He had every reason to attack without warning. Damien walks into the city, feels attacked because he has a spirit elemental attached to him. Claims innocence, but as soon as Killian approached, became hostile and irrational. Clearly there was another issue going on here. Clearly Damien was unhinged, though maybe not Damien specifically. Maybe it was Belial having some sort of control over the other.
A parasitic elemental perhaps?
"I don't know what kinds of conversations you have been having on your travels," Killian started, voice level. "I've been following you for a while. Nobody has raised a hand against you, and nobody has been verbally harassing you. Asking questions is hardly cause for such a contemptuous response especially when you say you've been attempting to find shelter.
"Deplorable and lazy attempts at trying to intimidate me are not going to work. When you create a disturbance by having a spirit elemental attached to you and you respond so unfavorably to people who want little more than to ask questions, you create a hostile environment. The fact that I have to explain a concept so simple to you is a waste of my time."
The more he thought about it, more his chest tightened. Every day he had to deal with this type of bullshit. He was doing his job and suddenly he is the bad guy instigating the innocent so they had no choice but to retaliate with aggression. Killian had done nothing but keep track of the disturbance and follow it around. He didn't attack first and then ask questions; he didn't threaten on first contact; he didn't show any aggressive behavior.
And yet, here they were. If Belial wanted to allude to his intense destructive power, that was fine. Cocky and arrogant creatures of all kinds did similar things. Bolster and posture like a dangerous peacock. Killian would face a challenge head on if he had to. He'd spent dozens of years practicing and applying magic in increasingly efficient ways.
Though diplomacy was always supposed to be the first answer. The first response to aggression because...that's just how he had to be.
"I followed you because you appear dangerous. You have proven to be dangerous by pointing a weapon at me as opposed to standing your ground diplomatically. Instead of de-escalating the situation, you continued to threaten me as well as allow this spirit elemental to not only show how indecent it is, but to threaten an entire city. Call me what you want, but I have been transparent with you.
"I told you who I am, what I am doing here, what I expect from you, and you not only spit it back in my face, but also try to tell me that you could raze the city? As if that will put me at ease? As if that will force me to retract my statements, Damien? How dare you insult my intelligence and then expect me to extend respect towards you and your creature."
Killian hadn't moved. His hands were still in the air, palms facing Damien, and his expression was still unreadable. He was annoyed if not inconvenienced. Had he been the impatient sort, he would have put Damien back out into the blistering cold. There was no place for someone like this in Yfrelo, but he wasn't the one who could make those decisions.
"If you want to destroy the city, then do it." He blinked and flexed his fingers, channeling his magic into his hands, just in case Damien decided to actually strike. "But if not, don't posture like some scared animal in an effort to drive me away. I'm not going anywhere. It's my job to take care of people like you. And whether you feel hostility or not is your problem. You're in the middle of the city. If you were honestly so turned off by our culture, then you should have turned around or rampaged a long time ago.
"Put. Your. Weapon. Down."
Yfrelo was a progressive city - save for the mages in the college who called the shots - and was relatively nonviolent despite some small groups of spellslingers gaining traction in the poorer districts. That was another issue for another day however. He took a deep breath, hands up, palms facing Damien and Belial. He was so close to outright attacking, it was burning the edges of his moral compass.
He had every reason to attack without warning. Damien walks into the city, feels attacked because he has a spirit elemental attached to him. Claims innocence, but as soon as Killian approached, became hostile and irrational. Clearly there was another issue going on here. Clearly Damien was unhinged, though maybe not Damien specifically. Maybe it was Belial having some sort of control over the other.
A parasitic elemental perhaps?
"I don't know what kinds of conversations you have been having on your travels," Killian started, voice level. "I've been following you for a while. Nobody has raised a hand against you, and nobody has been verbally harassing you. Asking questions is hardly cause for such a contemptuous response especially when you say you've been attempting to find shelter.
"Deplorable and lazy attempts at trying to intimidate me are not going to work. When you create a disturbance by having a spirit elemental attached to you and you respond so unfavorably to people who want little more than to ask questions, you create a hostile environment. The fact that I have to explain a concept so simple to you is a waste of my time."
The more he thought about it, more his chest tightened. Every day he had to deal with this type of bullshit. He was doing his job and suddenly he is the bad guy instigating the innocent so they had no choice but to retaliate with aggression. Killian had done nothing but keep track of the disturbance and follow it around. He didn't attack first and then ask questions; he didn't threaten on first contact; he didn't show any aggressive behavior.
And yet, here they were. If Belial wanted to allude to his intense destructive power, that was fine. Cocky and arrogant creatures of all kinds did similar things. Bolster and posture like a dangerous peacock. Killian would face a challenge head on if he had to. He'd spent dozens of years practicing and applying magic in increasingly efficient ways.
Though diplomacy was always supposed to be the first answer. The first response to aggression because...that's just how he had to be.
"I followed you because you appear dangerous. You have proven to be dangerous by pointing a weapon at me as opposed to standing your ground diplomatically. Instead of de-escalating the situation, you continued to threaten me as well as allow this spirit elemental to not only show how indecent it is, but to threaten an entire city. Call me what you want, but I have been transparent with you.
"I told you who I am, what I am doing here, what I expect from you, and you not only spit it back in my face, but also try to tell me that you could raze the city? As if that will put me at ease? As if that will force me to retract my statements, Damien? How dare you insult my intelligence and then expect me to extend respect towards you and your creature."
Killian hadn't moved. His hands were still in the air, palms facing Damien, and his expression was still unreadable. He was annoyed if not inconvenienced. Had he been the impatient sort, he would have put Damien back out into the blistering cold. There was no place for someone like this in Yfrelo, but he wasn't the one who could make those decisions.
"If you want to destroy the city, then do it." He blinked and flexed his fingers, channeling his magic into his hands, just in case Damien decided to actually strike. "But if not, don't posture like some scared animal in an effort to drive me away. I'm not going anywhere. It's my job to take care of people like you. And whether you feel hostility or not is your problem. You're in the middle of the city. If you were honestly so turned off by our culture, then you should have turned around or rampaged a long time ago.
"Put. Your. Weapon. Down."
