And that's the moment when I saw a side to Christophel that frightened and intrigued me. I saw Christophel lower his eyes to the ground in contemplation as his sword wavered the slightest bit. I tried to make eye contact with him, but his expression was distant, pensive. Evans held strong in a defensive stance, unsure and mistrustful. Evans knew it and I knew it: Christophel was tapping something inside that made him unpredictable. At that moment, the clouds seemed to cease their movement in the sky above us. The air grew still and I could hear my own breath catch in my throat as I saw Christophel lunge forward that final time. Eyes sharpened into points, spine rigid as a spoon, a stream of blackened blood slid thickly down the blade in Christohpel's grasp. The victorious sneer turned darker as he'd realized the man on the end of his blade was limp with death. But it wasn't his sneer that had me paralyzed with fear. While the crowd watched the life drain from the hole in Evans's midsection, I was close enough to hear the man's last words: "Hell... Fires of hell in those eyes." Something unnatural was alight inside my friend, my mate Christophel and while he stood there reeling in shock of what'd he done, I was acutely aware of what would become of him if I didn't help him. From those around me, I had heard the mumblings of accusations. "Murder" and "superior officer" were words floating above the whispers. The crowd looked uncertain of what was happening, so before the situation became more apparent, I pushed to the front and took my moment. "Mate, what's happened to you?" I boomed theatrically as I grasped Christophel's arm. "You're bleeding, man!" Christophel resisted, looking confused until he started to hear the whispers as well. "Oh the pain!" he cried while grasping at an imaginary injury under his ribs. The crowd parted as I tugged him along with me through the crowd. "Let me get you to a surgeon!" Being taller than me, it wasn't too difficult to make him appear injured. As I yanked him to my height, Christophel stumbled and shuffled at my side.