Unraveling like thread, becoming part of the endless darkness.
Merging with it-
No
Devoured by it.
Resembling nothingness, becoming nothingness.
It had been a lie. Tabrimas was a lie.
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There was no tactical approach to Ishar's fight. Onlookers would later liken him to a ferocious animal that had ascended to become the God of its kind. The two champions rolled on the ground, digging up dust as they tumbled about, close to the ring of Talisi soldiers around their dead King, close to where Edda stood.
The madness that ate at the Talisi had subsided somewhat, enough to allow their attention to be held by the two figures who moved with inhuman swiftness and fought with an otherworldly strength. A Legionnaire, whose only mistake was to be in the path of Vayin and Ishar as they rolled was crushed to paste. His armor seeped blood and minced flesh in the wake of the rolling fighters.
Edda could see Vayin Vigon struggling to gain his footing, seeking a stance that would enable him to counter Ishar's ferocity but the young Kolotian did not give the Binorian King room to breath. Ishar pounded on Vayin with closed fists, the latter rolled to evade the flurry of blows but Ishar dove after him, pouncing and hitting with his gauntlets until they broke off to reveal curled knuckles. Vayin Vigon was systematic in his defense, moving his arms to block his head so as to negate any Forms of Pride, though it seemed Ishar's Form involved hitting wherever he saw and hit he did. The King of Binoria lessened the impact of hits to his breastplate but the rest of him suffered as bits of gold metal plates fell off as Ishar tore into him.
Seeing no other alternative that would enable him to shake off Ishar, Vayin reached out with a gauntleted hand and locked it around Ishar's neck, risking a blow to his face. The King took the hit and blood dripped down his nose but his grip on Ishar was solid. Still, Ishar pounded on, even as thick throbbing veins formed around his face, his fists continued to hammer into the King until they slackened in intensity as Vayin's continued hold to Ishar's neck took effect. Ishar pounded weakly on the King beneath him who held on with one hand to Ishar's neck and blocked hits to the head with the other arm.
Ishar abandoned his pursuit of hits, he clawed at the hand around his neck. His eyes fading from amber to violet.
Vayin Vigon laughed, his eyes fading back to grey as he choked Ishar. "That's the problem with madness, Kolotian, an insane mind cannot comprehend tactic."
Ishar's grip on the hand around his neck slackened, the whites of his eyes turned bloodshot. His grip weakened until eventually it fell free. Vayin laughed once more.
And the laugh was cut short when Ishar abruptly leaned forward and slammed a fist into Vayin's face. The King's head bounced off the ground to be met by another punch but before the second bounce Ishar pulled himself back and off the King, knowing Vayin's choke hold will remain in place. The King followed Ishar's rise, both coming to their feet. But the Kolotian launched himself into the air, bent his knees and straightened them, planting twin kicks on Vayin's breastplate. The force of the kicks unclenched Vayin's hold on Ishar's neck as the Binorian King got flung away.
Ishar landed on the ground, inhaled air that seemed sweet to his lungs and let out a laugh that curdled the blood in the veins of everyone who bore witness to it. The Kolotian stood up, rubbed his neck twice then ran in the direction he'd kicked the unbeatable King of Binoria.
Edda turned her head to the Legionnaire who'd witnessed Vayin and Ishar with her under an unspoken parley that seemed to cover even the Legions around the Talisi circling their King. As he watched the Kolotian run off to Vayin Vigon, the Legionnaire turned to Edda, shook his head twice then raised his sword. Edda answered with a similar shrug before raising her own sword and engaging.
XXXXXXXXXXXX Who am I? No one.
What am I? Nothing.
Where am I? Nowhere.
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The forward push had halted for some reason but Binoria's Legions pressed the sides of the Talisi Green Army. Swarming around them like ants on a dead bug, and indeed Mairek felt there would soon be little difference between the Army and a dead bug.
Mairek was helpless as he watched the spine of the army teeter on breaking under the press of Legion swords, the much preferred weapon of Binoria. The Talisi favored spears and the weapon was the only reason they hadn't died yet. The Talisi formed a solid line, backs to each other with the tips of their spears culling the pressing Binorian Legions. The defense held but the inevitable was soon to come. The range the spears allowed kept the Binorians at bay but here and there shafts broke or were cut and the Binorians spilled into the compromised defenses. Soon it would be every Talisi for himself, waging a futile fight to delay the inevitable embrace of death. Mairek hoped the Gods bore witness and saw the valiance portrayed today. The Talisi are worthy of Tabrimas.
A Legionnaire threw a dagger at Dhiliaf but the big man leaned back, raised his shield strapped to his arm that intercepted the dagger, then thrust forward with his spear, a fierce grin on his face as the steel tip cut beneath the Legionnaire's eye. The Binorian withdrew out of Dhiliaf's range and the big man laughed even as another Legionnaire lunged at him.
"This is what I was born to do!" Dhiliaf said, earning him a laugh and a howl from Nohj who stood on the other side of Mairek, thrusting vigorously with his spear at the piling Binorians. Mairek mirrored Nohj's frequent stabbing motion with his own spear seeing that it was very effective at keeping the Binorians away.
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An overly courageous Binorian standing several paces behind Binoria's nearest attacking line let out a shout to be let through so he can ran head first into the Talisi, directly at Mairek. It appeared the Talisi defensive line held no power over Binorians who were as suicidal as them. The Binorian who was offered a path as his fellow legionnaires parted to allow his charge, did not hear or feel the aligning of time to serve a purpose approaching at a terrifying speed, incoming and crushing all in its path. But Mairek heard.
The Binorian let out a war cry and died where he stood as a gold plated body slammed into him and came to lie beside him. The unfortunate Legionnaire was the last body in a string of bodies that had finally managed to halt the flying Binorian King. Vayin Vigon lay sprawled before both the Talisi and the Binorians. The fighting lessened as all observed the King lying face down on Centala flowers.
"What the fuck?" Nohj asked.
Vayin Vigon curled his hands into fists, the gauntlets creaked and broke, his arms shook and he raised a face smeared with blood, dripping out of his nose and from split lips. He placed a fist on the Legionnaire he'd smashed into and pushed himself off the ground, denting where the fist had met armor.
Vayin Vigon rose and pulled off his breastplate, flinging it to the side. Mairek could make out the dented imprint of two soles on the gold metal. The King's chest rose and fell, his eyes fixed from whence he'd come flying from. The links of chainmail upon his chest had shattered and parted, Vayin ripped it off too and flung it away together with the under padding. Bare chested he stood and all froze as they regarded him.
"Meena, I will not hold back now. They've witnessed the madness and its taint on humanity. Enough to spread word of its vile nature. The God will not have worshippers. It is time I put an end to his champion." Vayin Vigon said. He turned his head and spat out phlegm thick with blood, he rolled his shoulders twice as Mairek heard thumping sounds of approaching feet that run unimpeded. After a moment Ishar appeared, the Legions parting for him.
Soldiers on both sides watched the King of Binorian and the Kolotian shepherd stare across at each other.
"Damn, that kick really sent you stripping huh." Ishar said while pointing at Vayin's bruised chest with ribs lining the sides with each heave. Vayin did not answer.
Ishar charged.
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There are no images that accompany my words. The words lack purpose. What is meaning? There is no meaning. There is nothing.
A whistle sounded.
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Ishar's sprint at Vayin Vigon dug Centala flowers off the ground, flinging them into the air. He roared as he approached and threw himself into the air while curling a naked fist since he'd discarded his shattered gauntlets. Vayin stood unmoving. The fist neared the King's face and Vayin raised a hand and caught Ishar's punch with an open palm.
"Witness, the power of Meena." Vayin said.
Vayin curled his fingers around the fist, clenching Ishar's hand tight. Vayin's eyes flashed red and the King spun once and launched Ishar into the air. The Kolotian went flying above the Legions, shock evident on everyone's face at his passing. Before Ishar reached the zenith of his arc through the air something slammed into his midriff with a force that knocked all the air out of him. Ishar's decent was propelled and his landing dug a ditch into the Ganidan Plain.
Pain flooded his body. The metallic taste of blood stained his mouth. Ishar focused his eyes until the pale blurry spinning form stopped spinning and solidified into Vayin Vigon standing above him with his Legions all around the crater he lay in. It was the King who'd slammed into him midair and brought him down.
How- such power!
Ishar raised his head, then slowly, raised himself half off the ground. The King watched him with his hands behind his back, upper body armor fully shed to reveal a lanky build. Ishar's slow rise morphed into a lunge at the King's midriff but Vayin casually raised a leg and kicked Ishar to the side where the impact sent him tumbling out of the ditch he'd dug to lay sprawled on the ground. Legionnaires laughed in a large circle all around him as their King made a spectacle of him.
Ishar stared at the moon above him, every breath sent pain to his side where the kick had landed. It appeared he'd underestimated Vayin Vigon and doing so may have just cost him his life and those of the Talisi. If only there wasA fist to the face.
Ishar turned and spat out a bloody tooth. Fresh blood filled his mouth and dizziness threatened to drown him. With shaky hands he struggled to raise himself off the ground.
"Where is that pride of yours?" A slap to the face that set half his head on fire. "Where is that zeal you hold when it comes to the absurd?" A punch to the gut that sent him reeling and coughing up bile. "Where is the madness? Answer me mbengo!" Vayin Vigon stepped back and raised both arms to his sides, turning around while regarding his Legions. "Isn't the Goddess glorious?" Cheers answered his question.
The Legionnaires all around were a red blur as Ishar forced himself off the ground. They laughed at him. In the distance he could hear the fighting continue, the Binorian army was so large that it could afford to spectate and fight at the same time. A kick to the arm pressed to his gut shattered his vambrace. Ishar let out a cry of pain as the kick sent him arcing through the air once more before landing and tumbling several feet before coming to a stop next to a wall of Legionnaires who spat at him.
Carrot. He needed to call his Rhino for help but he didn't have the breath to do so from where he lay on his stomach. Ishar raised himself slowly as he heard footsteps approach, in the distance the fighting grew more one sided as Binoria renewed its vigor.
"You have lost, Kolotian. I allowed you a few hits so that all may think of you as powerful." Vayin Vigon said, arms still behind his back. "Your God has lost for now all shall know where true power lies." A pale face looked down at him, grey hair pasted with blood sticking in some places to the scalp.
Ishar chuckled as he drew himself to his knees.
"Yes, laughter is the only escape you can afford. Run little mbengo. Run into the endless dream madness offers. Don't be weary of the illusion." Vayin said.
Ishar planted a foot on the ground , pressed both arms on his knee and prepared to raise himself as he spoke. "You don't know how to taunt." He coughed, spittle red with blood stained his chin. "Meena's a piece of shit-" Vayin struck a kick at Ishar's knee, the impact broke bone and armor alike. The tendon at the knee tore and the blinding pain had Ishar curled around his knee on the ground. "Yes.. now that's how.. you taunt." He said amidst gasps of pain.
Vayin Vigon approached to deliver the final blow and Ishar, with closed eyes, pictured Niada. Forcing her to be the last thing he saw.
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The whistling. The tune. I recall it.. I.. Know it?*He focused on it
Suddenly, the darkness receded partially and a naked figure was revealed, kneeling on a white spot of marble ground amongst a sea of darkness. He had his limbs again, his skin, his mind. He knew who he was. He could see his naked lap, he could feel the air in his lungs as his chest rose and fell. He twisted his neck around to see more but flinched at the sight of darkness and returned his eyes to the white marble floor beneath him.
A touch against the nape of his neck that was cold and warm at the same time made him flinch once more. A voice spoke, a voice that was both male and female, the two tones overlapping each other. "Rehny, Rehny, Rehny..."