The beast-kin sees the wisdom in my words.

For a long moment, Balthor simply looks up at you and at your outstretched hand from his place on the ground. He looks at you with incredulity, apparently finding your words difficult to swallow. Perhaps it is because he has lived out here in the wilds for so long and cannot comprehend one who does not finish off a weaker opponent. Perhaps it is because he cannot fathom the idea of a goblin besting him and then reaching out a hand in alliance. Perhaps it is a combination of the two, but it is clear that he does not believe your words...until he looks up and meets your eyes.

Your eyes burn with the same glowing red power that your master's eyes do, you know, but what you perhaps didn't know is that they also shared a clear and pure determination and intensity that your master possessed. When one looked into the eyes of the Dark Lord when he made a decree, they could see the truth and weight of his words in his eyes. There was no way to doubt his words when you met his gaze, that much was certain, and your eyes, eyes that were so much like your master's, also shared that trait.

And so, when Balthor met your gaze, he could see the truth of your words in your burning red gaze. Moreover, when he looked into your eyes, he could also see in you that trace of your master's power and spirit. You were, after all, made from the very essence of the Dark Lord and that fact made all who pledged fealty to the Dark Lord feel the same sense of awe they felt for him when they looked at you. It was lessened, obviously, but it was there and it was clear, as Balthor finally looked away from you, that that trace of your master's spirit within you had effected the beast-kin leader deeply.

"...Never would have thought it'd be a goblin that bested me both in combat and in foresight.", he said and reached up to take your offered hand, his own hand larger than yours by quite a bit even though your physical strength was comparable.

He used your hand's hold to lift himself up (though it was really only useful enough to get him up to his knees before his height made your support superfluous) and then, when he was on his feet, he met your gaze once more. He looked to you ad then he smiled toothily as he shifted his hold on you so that he was grasping your forearm and you were grasping his in turn. It was a warrior's show of respect and greetings, you knew from the knowledge implanted in you from your creation, and you nod to him as he does to you.

"Fine, goblin...no...Minion. Your words are wise and, more than that, you have bested me in combat. As such, I will accept your offer of friendship as the one defeated cannot go against the victor.", he said and then chuckled softly, "Besides, I have a feeling that fighting on your side will go better than fighting against you."

"Balthor is not wrong when saying that.", you reply with a toothy grin of your own and the Beast-kin laughs boisterously before releasing your arm and looking around at the beast-kin around the clearing who had been watching the proceedings.

"All right, you lot! You've witnessed what happened here! This goblin and his kin are strong! And now they're our allies! So they're free to pass through our territory without trouble, eh?", he said and then bared his teeth as he glared around the clearing, "And anybody who decides to give 'em trouble anyway will be feelin' my spear up their arse if they do! You got it!?"

The beast-kin all, as a whole, seem to wince back from Balthor and give sounds of assent, apparently not doubting their leader's strength despite his loss to you. You thought there'd be the chance that one of the other beast-kin would try and make a move on Balthor's seat of power after his loss, given the animalistic way the Beast-kin lived, but it seemed that such a thing hadn't crossed their minds...or not yet, anyway. That was good. You wouldn't have wanted to be thrown into another fight so soon after the one you'd just engaged in. Beating Balthor had been enough of a feat for now, you'd say, and you think you could do with a rest before having to fight like that again.

Balthor, almost as if sensing this, turns to you after having made his decree to the other Beast-kin and gives you a nod. "All right then, my new friend, come back with us to our camp. We'll have a feast to celebrate this new alliance of ours and it'll give you a chance to rest and resupply before you move on. Not to mention I could probably give you better directions through the forest than you have right now, eh?"

He makes a good point there and you could do with some rest and a meal, as probably could your followers after the stressful ordeal of being surrounded by enemies and not knowing whether or not they'd live through all of this during your duel. But you'd already wasted some time with this duel in the first place. Could you afford to use up more time with the detour to the Beast-kin camp?