Estinien has to pause to breathe after that, and it allows him to see Binghe crash into the stone wall. As his opponent spits up blood, he finds himself in two minds. One is to simply leave it at that and carry on to another opponent, the other is to keep going until the threat has been eliminated completely. Looking at things strategically, he seems dangerous enough that it may be for the best to take him down here and now.

He hesitates, however. As much as he feels hatred in return, he remembers the moment on the transport ship where this young man had seemed genuinely wounded by the way the world had treated him. It's a feeling Estinien is all too familiar with.

He can feel the burn on his own arms from where Binghe's energy had struck, broken skin sending drips of blood down his arms. He growls softly.

"Stand down," he says.