"Oh, you think so? As I remember, I tried to speak to you about your obviously lacking tactical ability- as a high ranking field officer, remember- only for you to start contradicting yourself, asserting that yours was some sort of untouchable superior race and that this made their military somehow better, and just generally making an idiot of yourself. When I disputed every one of your points you lost your temper and threatened to kill me, at which point I put you on the ground to try and knock some of the arrogance out of you. Having lost the... fight, you took it out on the chair. The way I see it, it was your attitude problems that made you burn it." As Laguna fought the arena's plumbing and heating systems, James glanced over at the door, trying to see what he was up to.
"Hey Laguna! Try not to break anything important!" He called out, grinning.
As Aethion closed on Cas'Va, the latter suddenly cancelled his spell and drew a knife from his sleeve, sweeping it in a broad arc in front of him. It struck the rim of Aethion's visorless helmet with a clang and the Elf sprang back, bringing a hand to his face. Lowering it, he glared at Cas'Va, revealing a gash across the side of his slender nose and the opposite cheek.