Vayin Vigon ignored the Talisi King's chattering beneath his Rhino. It clearly irked him that King Gans was indifferent to the presence of the Telinete. Rehny owed the indifference to Ishar, once you see the Kolotian laughing and treating the murderous beast as a pet some fear of it seeps away. Rehny closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side once more, trying to clear it of the annoying insistent whistle that threatened to take away his sanity. He wondered whether it was a side effect of seeing Vayin Vigon, he wondered what it meant.
He avoided looking beside him where he was certain Edda was looking up at him with her large eyes that were the hue of a puddle of muddy water. He wondered if she would find the analogy annoying and fought against asking her opinion on it. Rehny fixed his eyes ahead, taking note of the fact that no steed stood beside Vayin's Telinete. No soldier wore full body black armor with a black cape. The Legions were without a Commander, he'd expected a new one to have been appointed since Ishar had killed the last one but it appeared Vayin held other ideas.
Vayin turned in his direction from upon the Telinete and Rehny fought against every urge in his body to start picturing red. He also denied himself the release that came with focusing on the whistling pitch in his mind, the last time he'd paid any attention to it he'd ended up assaulting Vayin Vigon within his throne room. A similar occurrence here would spell the death sentence for the outnumbered Talisi.
Vayin Vigon took off his helm, freeing it of his head and shook his grey hair about. His lips moved and King Gans turned to Rehny's direction. The former Commander knew that that was his cue, he marched out of the protective mass of the Regiment that formed the apex of the Talisi Green Army, Edda reached out for him before hesitating and lowering her hand. Rehny wondered at what she'd meant to say as his steps took him closer to the two Kings.
To his surprise, fear did not blanket him. He felt a warmth despite the whirling breeze that seemed to accompany his every step and with the warmth came the feeling of contentment, not fear. It was as if his destiny had been to stand at the opposite of where he'd stood for the majority of his life during campaigns and with every step his destiny came closer to being fulfilled. Rehny came to a stop beside King Gans of the Talisi. He realized the Telinete Rhino was larger than Ishar's but it did little to unnerve him. He looked up and met Vayin's grey gaze.
"Traitor." Vayin Vigon started.
"Aye, that I am." Rehny answered with ease. "Yet you wear our armor." Vayin said.
"Aye, the Talisi's armor is too heavy for me."
"There is a helm for you amongst the Binorians, I see yours lacks one. It does wonders against an arrow to the head as my last Commander should have known." Rehny did not miss the message behind the King's words though the arrow to the head thing went over his head. Vayin's unspoken words were that all his mishaps would be forgiven if he were to switch sides one more time, that they could play his betrayal out as an undercover mission that Vayin had only trusted Rehny with. That he was being given a chance to march back with the Legions at their lead beside Vayin Vigon under the banner raised after carrying out successful genocide. He would be welcomed by the Legions of course and Binoria as a whole would gobble up and believe whatever Vayin said. He would be deemed a hero and Queen Lamical.... The whistling increased its pitch, forcing Rehny to shake his head from side to side with his eyes tightly shut.
"I prefer fighting without a helm, it muffles the cries of battle that I require so as to increase my awareness and hinders the full scope of sight." Rehny replied after a moment. "Thank you for your offer though."
Vayin Vigon scoffed. "So be it."
King Gans started saying something but the two Binorian men heeded little to the short bulky King's words. Their eyes remained fixed on each other and murderous intent was unmistakable in them.
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The Centala flowers waved in either direction as a small whirlwind picked its path upon the Ganidan Plain, past the entire length of the Talisi Green Army where soldiers stood with their spears shaking in their grips, down the tail of the soldiers' truncated mass and towards the almost empty Talisi camp. The whirlwind grew with its momentum only to break upon the singular characters who were the reason why the camp wasn't truly empty. One stood with his arms outstretched, his eyes fixed on the distant red mass that was the reason a God had chosen and taken a piece of him. The other fussed about and around the former, fitting and strapping on armor pieces onto him and discarding those that seemed to be too large or too small.
Mairek fitted a gauntlet onto Ishar's left hand, cursed and dropped it to the ground after finding it to be too large. Around the pair were scattered numerous bits of discarded armor and open trunks containing more of the metal were scattered about. Sifting through the different pieces for worthy placements had Ishar looking like a mismatched tapestry rather than a valiant warrior. His vambraces were two different colors, one a rusty hue and the other grey. One leg greave was an odd red and the other a light shade of green. His breast plate was faded on one side and the other part was sky blue. The gauntlet on his ax wielding arm was green and as Mairek peered into another trunk he located a silver gauntlet that just might fit.
"What are they saying now?" Ishar asked. His dark hair blowing in the wind.
Mairek paused while fitting the gauntlet and focused on one particular sound among the sea of voices all over the realm, he limited his scope to the Ganidan Plain and sharpened his focus to King Gans's voice. "Gans is telling Vayin Vigon that he kept to their deal and had delivered during the Gift Giving. He is claiming that Binoria's invasion isn't justified and that the Remu will hear of it and know the extent of Vayin's bloodlust over good faith."
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"Such a boring conversation." Ishar answered.
Mairek took a step back from Ishar. "I am done. You can stop holding your hands out like a scarecrow."
Ishar continued holding his arms out and turned around in a slow circle. "How do I look?" He asked while flashing Mairek a smile.
"You look like a court jester and the Gods know once the sun is out you'll look even dumber." If you won't be dead by then.
Ishar's arms dropped. "Jester? What's is that? What is that word oh you who is so wise in all matters of the realm?"
Mairek turned away from Ishar and faced the back end of the Talisi army where majority of the soldiers had their faces turned in their direction. They observed he who would soon be their savior or their leader towards doom. He started making his way towards them and Ishar followed in his wake. "A jester is someone in the Remu court, a sort of embodiment of a joke. My father used to tell me that it is the only profession I might be good at." Mairek concluded with a sigh, his left ear twitched as he siphoned information, perceiving beyond the limits in accordance to the working of time. Ishar's presence distorted time's working but Vayin enhanced hit, the two canceled each other out when it came to the play of time yet Mairek knew who was indeed stronger.
Seven seconds later a gauntleted hand rested on Mairek's shoulder at the same time Vayin Vigon cut King Gans short and commanded him to kneel. "It's okay Mairek," Ishar said. "You might be a terrible jester for what it's worth, heck! You might even be completely useless when it came to all professions but regardless of it all I consider you a good friend." Ishar squeezed, almost shattering Mairek's shoulder.
Mairek shook the hand off and jumped away, wincing while rubbing at his shoulder. He came to a stop and faced Ishar. "Damn it Ishar! You do more than distort the working of time! You warp reality itself! What is suppose to weigh a certain amount doesn't weigh the same for you for your belief in the impossible is unparalleled and with a God's touch the belief manifests into the physical realm. You're stronger than you know Godsdammit and you almost tore off my shoulder!"
Ishar titled his head back and laughed. "If what you say is true then Vayin Vigon is as good as dead." He remarked while lowering his head to face Mairek. Despite the night's gloom, Mairek found his sight to be sharp. He believed he could see in the dark for even beneath the limited light of the moon he could see the twinkle in Ishar's violet eyes and the ruddy hue of the Binorian armor plates to the south including the dark breastplates of their Captains. Mairek knew his perception was going to be a curse this night for he shall bear witness to everything.
"Vayin Vigon does the same as you but his belief isn't fueled by madness. Reality simply bends to his will, believing it to be as perfect as it could ever be. You both use different routes to arrive to the same place." Mairek turned his face away from Ishar, his eyes on the ground, his ears elsewhere. He could smell the musty sting of sweat brought about by fear. Forty thousand Talisi were watching as their King refused to bow.
"What's going on?" Ishar asked.
"King Gans is not bowing."
Ishar smiled. "And what is Vayin doing now?"
"Descending the Telinete."
"Her name is Cabby."
"What?"
"Short for cabbage. We arrived at it together, Carrot and I. It was a long debate provided the big oaf won't let go of the name 'Cabbietta'"
Mairek shook his head. "Ishar, have you no fear?" He had to ask the question, his heart was beating louder as King Vayin approached King Gans, the shorter man looking up at the King dressed in gold. Time branched out into all directions within three seconds, a million possibilities emerging and in all of them death reigned.
Ishar turned full circle. "Speaking of the oaf, where is he? I'll have to call him."
Two seconds. Vayin placed his hand on the pommel of his sword. while looking down at King Gans who stood with his hands posed on either axe strapped to his sides.
Three seconds. Ishar inhaled and let out a bellow, his face directed to the sky. The Talisi at the back of the army, closest to camp, inhaled in unison too and let out a shout of their own, mirroring Ishar's bellow. The shout spread and was carried out by the rest of the Talisi Green Army.
Vayin Vigon raised his head in the direction of the Talisi Green Army and away from King Gans as the
Army unleashed its defiant war cry at the face of overwhelming odds. A cry that had been born from Ishar's simple beckoning for his Rhino. Mairek wondered whether Ishar knew the extent of his effects upon the fabric of time.
"Damn, do you hear that? They are all calling Carrot. They'll confuse the poor guy." Ishar said with his arms akimbo while turning around in search of Carrot. The axe in his hand protruding from where it lay pressed to his waist.
"Ishar, do you feel no fear?" Mairek asked once more. He held his breath as he listened to Vayin Vigon, as he felt the shift of King Gans's feet, steadily solidifying a stance for a Form.
"Fear? I am afraid of not seeing Niada again." Ishar said.
Ah, she keeps us from fully losing you, the girl is your blessing Ishar, your blessing.
"Do you feel fear? You shouldn't, you are Nielda's champion plus you're not in a relationship with anyone save some sheep who are too dumb to know love, so there's no reason to fear." Ishar said with a smile.
"His blessing doesn't allow me to be anything more than a witness." Mairek answered, ignoring the rest of Ishar's statement. Mairek felt the ground shake, something large was coming.
Ishar smiled and turned to face the camp, he shifted the short double edged axe from one hand to the other several times before outstretching his left arm with his palm open. "Don't be silly Mairek, there are no limits to a God's blessing." Carrot emerged from the camp at full sprint, taking several tents down with it. The Telinete didn't lessen its speed as it came to where they were. Mairek stumbled several steps back before the beast rammed into them but Ishar remained standing where he was with his hand outstretched, face in Mairek's direction.
"I need you tonight, Mairek." Ishar said just as he clutched the passing Telinete's forefront horn and swung himself onto its snout. Carrot lifted its neck and raised Ishar high from where he stood upon its snout without slowing down its momentum. The Telinete Rhino let out a bellow and Ishar mirrored it while his other hand raised the axe. The Talisi Green Army shouted their war cry as Carrot sped past the Army's flank with its rider bearing a manic smile.
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Vayin Vigon stood staring above King Gans's head at a distant approaching speck running along the Green Army's flank. Behind him the Telinete Rhino's ears bent forward and the beast snorted once as another Telinete Rhino let out a bellow.
Rehny turned to face King Gans and found the short King smiling in his silver armor, Gans turned to Rehny and gave him a green eyed wink before unstrapping the twin axes at his sides and attacking King Vayin Vigon.