Rehny admired the beauty with which the Talisi King moved. Gans's legs were positioned one before the other, a stance he'd already put into place without even Rehny taking notice. He rolled his weight from his left leg, leaning into his right and extended his weight with guided force onto the shaft of his short axe within his right hand's grip. The upward swipe at Vayin Vigon's chin was almost musical in its movement, a dance played out by the Talisi King countless times with this exact moment in mind. His left hand was already bringing forth the other axe with a follow through slash that was certain to part Vayin Vigon's face in half. A Form of Pride layered into two with a touch of Sleight. No normal man could survive it.

But Vayin Vigon was not a normal man.

Vayin leaned back and the right handed attack at his chin missed by a hair's breath, Gans's swipe met empty air. The hand with which the Binorian King held his helm in was raised simultaneously as he leaned back and the left handed swipe of Gans's axe lodged into the helm. The two Kings locked eyes. "You have doomed you-" Vayin started.

King Gans rolled his head to the side and onto his right shoulder just as an arrow whipped past where his head had been and almost hit Vayin's face if the Binorian King hadn't tilted his head at the same time Gans did. The arrow flew past both Kings and struck the Telinete rhino's head where it fell off without piercing skin, a mild disturbance to the beast. Rehny turned around and was alarmed to see a Talisi soldier in their trademark leather armor approach out of his Regiment's rank while notching and releasing arrows from the quiver strapped to his back.

The Talisi soldier's eyes were locked on Vayin Vigon, a tranquil mask upon his dark face as he released arrow after arrow with the speed and precision of a master archer. King Gans danced before Vayin Vigon, taking a step back with his twin axes in hand and turning his body in random shifts, every move he made had an arrow pass in its wake to land its mark on the Binorian King. It was a Form of Sleight Rehny had never seen before, a coordination between King and archer, the slightest slip from Gans would have an arrow sink into him yet the slip never came as King Gans danced before Vayin Vigon, blocking his sight of the enclosing archer and occasionally taking a swing with his axe. A normal man would not have been able to survive the onslaught but then again, Vayin Vigon wasn't a normal man.

It was as if Vayin Vigon knew every direction the arrows would come from despite Gans blocking his view of the archer. He could see the pattern beneath the Form of Sleight and used it to map out the course of his every action. He too danced, twisting his gold plated body from side to side, slightly mirroring Gans's movement but with a fluidity the Talisi King could only pray to match. Gans saw openings in Vayin's movements and in those times he attacked with his axes followed by quick retreats but it was as if the openings were just used to bait him. At the fifth such attack as the arrows flew Vayin let go of his helm and gripped Gans's arm, turning the Talisi King around and pulling him close with his hand twisted behind his back. He held King Gans between himself and the shooter, both Kings staring at the master archer.

The two Kings stood between their armies. Silence engulfed the Ganidan Plain save for the distant yet approaching Telinete Rhino carrying Ishar.

"Impressive, Gans." Vayin Vigon said. He hadn't even broken a sweat neither did he pant as hard as Gans was doing. The archer paused, arrow notched yet incapable of release lest it hit his King. "Very Impressive." Vayin Vigon raised his free hand to Gans's neck. "But I am the chosen one of the Gods, I do as I wish, take what I want. I will spare the life of your archer, he has impressed me and I wish to make use of his talent. But as for you-"

Take what I want?*

The kick to Vayin's side shocked everyone. One second the Binorian King was standing behind King Gans and in the next he was rolling on the ground five feet away. The Binorian Legions together with the Talisi Green Army collectively gasped. Rehny stood where the Binorian King had been, his gauntleted hands curled into fists, his mind blank save for the whistling tune that had become too loud to resist. A tune that teared at his being and threatened to wipe clean all that he was. Gans's Archer pulled at the string of his bow, arrow pointed at the sprawled Vayin. The archer's chance at the inconvenienced King was God sent but five archers erupted from the Binorian cohorts, locked their arrows on the archer and released at the same time the Talisi did. The Talisi archer had five arrows sticking out of him as he watched his arrow fly towards Vayin. The Binorian King raised an arm from where he lay and the arrow bounced free of his vambrace, missing the target that was his head. The archer let out a disappointed sigh and dropped to his knees, chin resting on his chest as he breathed his last. The first Talisi casualty of the night.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Lad approached me three nights ago with his captain, talked of his plan, convinced me of it. His name is Torciv, from one of the smallest Regiments." Gans looked away from the dying archer, turning to Rehny and gave him a childish grin while twirling the axes in both his hands. "You have landed a hit on the prick." He turned his head to the side and spat before rolling the shoulder of the arm that had been twisted. "It appears you and I were to serve as some sort of example for the Binorian Legions to take home and feed their populace with."

"I guess so." Rehny said. The Binorian archers had only acted when they were certain their King was incapable of doing so. Otherwise, the Legions served no purpose other than to witness and to act incase the Talisi charged or their King was rendered incapable of action. The Binorians were simply a cat toying with its meal.

Rehny watched as Vayin Vigon raised himself off the ground and unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, the black blade was a reminder of the weight Rehny had carried for the better part of his life. Vayin's eyes glowed red briefly in the moonlight as he pointed the tip of the black blade in Rehny's direction before turning back to grey. "I was to take only your life and that of the Talisi King's together with the Kolotian's, but for this," Vayin swept his blade to the side, raised it again then swept it to the side once more, a signal that had horns blowing along the first cohorts of the Legions. Thousands of arrows released from Binorian Legion Archers blocked out the moon as they flew towards the Talisi Green Army. "For this you will all die." The King of Binoria concluded.

Rehny charged the King of Binoria, in his wake was the King of Talisi. Vayin Vigon stood with his sword pointed to the side, a twisted grin on his face. The tremble of a Telinete Rhino's charge grew closer and Rehny hoped Ishar won't be too late, he also hoped the Kolotian was free of the range of the numerous arrows arching in the sky towards the Green Army. Hope. That was the only other thing he had. He focused on it, choosing it over the whistling tune that terribly numbed him and sent him to a dark place. Rehny drew his sword from its scabbard, its gleam silver in the moonlight. Behind him King Gans let out a war cry. In the distance the arrows hit the Green Army, pattering onto its middle and tail where Rehny was certain shields had been raised.

Rehny lunged while flinging himself into the air, a downward thrust aimed at Vayin's head

complimented by King Gans digging low with both his axes. A simultaneous assault that was a mixture of the Forms of Pride and Grind. Vayin Vigon danced away from Rehny's assault to come to stand at Gans's side, his position in the air prevented the former Commander from following through with another attack and the most he could do was land and turn just in time to see the shafts of King Gans's axes get hit by edge of Vayin's sword. Three silver gauntleted fingers fell to the ground and Gans let out a grunt of pain as he rolled.. Rolled not far enough from Vayin's reach.

The black blade swiped horizontally and cut into Gans's neck. Severing his head from the body. The Talisi King's head rolled further away to come to a stop behind Rehny as his body followed in its headless tumble to land beside him. Rehny turned his head to stare at Gans's slit eyes that faced the night sky but could no longer behold it.

Rehny turned to face Vayin but found the King directly in front of him with his blade posed, a coy smile on his face. Rehny raised his blade but he knew it was too late.. It was too late.. Vayin Vigon's black blade dug into Rehny's armor, cutting through diagonally and piercing his midriff, his lower lung, scraping his spine and emerging from his back. Rehny coughed blood, dropped his sword and fell on his knees. Vayin let go of the blade that had sunk to its hilt, gave a laugh and uttered words that seemed to be coming from so far away to Rehny's ears... "You have your blade back, Commander, I meant to give it to you. Now, the Kolotian..." He couldn't hear anything else, the words had become too distant. A chilling cold encased him and with it an eternal darkness.