Rehny observed Ishar. Saw the blood smeared upon his mouth, his elbow was bent awkwardly and a knee seemed to be of more importance to him than the rest of his injuries judging from the way he lay unconscious.
A Kolotian, the hunted. "They are bugs to be squashed beneath foot, the realm must be cleansed of stains. ." Those were the words Selarch Vigon had used to justify his purpose for genocide. All his words had been recorded for 'His deeds should never be lost to time.' As the Red priests say. Selarch fought the war and did the impossible to prove he had been blessed by a Goddess. Of course some rose to oppose him, claiming his way to be too barbaric, too far from what was acceptable. To them Selarch had said. "The Goddess of order has journeyed to a place beyond the Rankf sea and has taken the breath of Sin, burn Kolotian fingers, gaze into the flame as the stain of Love disappears, see it rise for Love cannot die, it will rise as a vision of the future so it may dwell within you. Worship Meena as the flame burns, worship Meena and gaze into the flame."
It wasn't long before fingers got burned and people with the gift of sight were able to see beyond the present time. Gamblers and people who couldn't bear uncertainty started kidnapping Kolotians for their fingers and killing them after harvesting. Coin started being distributed for every finger, and thus the hunt began but with murder in mind, save for those who raised Kolotian children till they are of the perfect harvesting age. The perfect time when the future shown was of the greatest importance.
Selarch's prophesy and its fulfillment as the future was accurately predicted sparked a light that justified his purpose for genocide further, and thus the war for harvest started. A war aimed at annihilation.
Yet one still fights back even though the Kolotians have long since given up on the unwinnable fight and sought to hide in the furthest reaches of the desert instead. Rehny thought as his magenta eyes stayed glued on the Kolotian boy in mismatched broken armor. And here I am fighting beside him, a Binorian. He wanted Ishar to rest, to drag him off the battlefield for he had done enough. He was too young, too young to hold the burden of vengeance for his race, too young to carry the scars of war. Yet the Goddess who spoke to him wanted the Kolotian to bear one more scar, an addition to those he already carried.
"I fucked her on the same day I saw her." Vayin Vigon spoke, causing Rehny's gaze to shift to him. "I told her to go to my chambers, to strip off her garments and spread her legs. That once I was done with her the garments she'll wear would be laced with jewels and of the finest silk, and a crown shall be upon her head." Vayin smiled, a bloody toothed smile. "You should have seen Lamical run to my chamber, you should have heard her moan my name after leading me into her." He continued.
Lamictal. He hadn't thought about her since awakening. Vayin's words served to wound, a Form of Empathy that worked to drive an opponent to make a mistake. The Binorian King had chosen the exact words to drive him to action. Yet. Rehny found no force behind Vayin's words, nothing to blow upon the embers of rage within him and light a blaze that would make him engage.
Lamical.
He was suppose to feel a tightening upon his chest at her name, turmoil of emotions fighting to push him to despair. But he felt no such thing.
Vayin's narration of him having her should have brought to Rehny the memory of his time with Lamical, the fullness of her breasts as they went up and down as she rode him, the parting of her lips and the passion behind her kiss, the beauty of intimacy, the physical declaration of love. No such thoughts came to mind and in so doing the thoughts that should follow of Lamical with Vayin that served to scratch at his wound with images of betrayal did not occur, the pain of loss did not blaze into fruition for the flame that fed it wasn't there. Love wasn't there.
I don't love her? Rehny wondered as he watched Vayin's smile continuously stretch under the sight of his discomfort. Rehny tried to bringing forth a memory that would in turn stir the pain that served as proof that he had loved. No memory came to mind, she was of less importance to him as the desert was to a Rankf Sea Leviathan.
What have you done to me? Rehny thought and closed his eyes, seeking out that presence that dwelt where Lamical should have been.
You have given your love to me. You will never feel love again, it is the price for my salvation, it is what you gave.
He opened his eyes. No, please. Rehny shook his head from side to side. It won't be worth living! It won't be worth living without love.
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I will teach you how to find worth in a life without love. Awaken the Kolotian.
Rehny observed Ishar, his eyes were drawn to a purple rope that had suddenly appeared tied to the Kolotian's foot, the other end of the rope disappeared beneath the feet of the crowding Legions who spectated for now while awaiting a command from their King to engage. I can face him, the Kolotian has done enough. Rehny thought.
"You are a disgrace to Binoria, a betrayer of all we've built and the history that speaks of our greatness. And for what? A Kolotian?" Vayin said and laughed, several chuckles erupted from the edges of the clearing where they stood. Rehny clenched his fists.
If you face him, you will lose for Meena is stronger, she has more worship. Belief in her gives her power.
The Kolotian can't face her either. Only Meena is worshipped upon the realm and I am certain nobody worships Ishar's God.
The perception of the Kolotian's God on what worship is conflicts with reason. He does not need worship, he sees worshipers simply as an audience to witness him. If you face Vayin, Meena will have reason to wage war against me. I am not enough to overcome her at the moment for my essence is scattered.
Rehny unclenched his fists. "What do I do?" He spoke aloud.
"What do you do?" Vayin asked while cocking an eyebrow at Rehny. "What do you do to earn my mercy? Kneel. Kneel and beg for it and your death shall be swift. Let whoever you channel witness your servitude."
Grab the rope.
Rehny went down on his knees next to Ishar and Vayin nodded his head with a gleeful smile dancing upon his face. Behind Rehny, Edda gasped.
The former Commander reached out a hand and grabbed the purple rope tied to Ishar's ankle that only he saw. The rope had pink lights dancing upon its length and with his touch they burned brighter.
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Everything of significance was nonexistent to Ishar. He did not have control of his limbs for he did not have them. Where he was form lacked meaning. He knew he would awaken, but what awakening entailed was lost to him. All that he was, his identity, his purpose, his history, all of it lacked definition and in this place, this moment before awakening, he ceased to be.
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Do you feel their bond? Do you see it? Nyawe asked.
Yes. Rehny could, it was like touching a hot stream, a sweet burn that spoke of comfort and joy, of unity, transformation and desire.. And more.. Much more. The longer he held on the hotter the rope became as the full scope of what was shared between Ishar and Niada became known to him.
Vayin Vigon started a slow walk towards where he knelt.
Tell him Vayin Vigon has killed Niada.
What?
Conjure the emotion and feed it to what you touch.
But-
Do it, there is no way to unleash chaos at its finest without severing the tether.
I will not bring such pain upon the boy.
Relief of her not being dead will mend the rope, it will make it even stronger.
But-
Vayin Vigon raised Rehny's head with two slender fingers pressed to his forehead, forcing him to meet his grey eyes from where he knelt.
"Beg." The King commanded, seemingly unaware of the rope Rehny clutched in his hand.
Rehny imagined Niada, dead with Vayin Vigon's foot on her motionless chest, sightless eyes locked on him with blood dripping down her open mouth and he was surprised at how easy it was to conjure the required emotion Ishar would feel upon witnessing the image of his dead lover. The rope abruptly became cold to the touch, pain making its presence known.
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Ovek saw Nyawe's influence on his champion and smiled as he felt Ishar draw from the God's chore in a frenzy, seeking an escape from the pain that was tearing everything apart, a pain that was suddenly with meaning, an image of the highest order of lost love. Ishar needed a way free of this pain, he knew of the place with no significance where he'd just been, a place away from this cold pain whose freezing touch brought endless agony. Ishar struggled to escape it, driving back harder into the place of no significance where he'd just been only to find Chaos in its stead. And there he drunk of Ovek's power in its purest form, choosing whatever escape offered. And the God of Chaos tilted his head back and laughed.
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Vayin Vigon raised his foot to kick the naked man kneeling before him. But then the Kolotian suddenly sat up laughing, his eyes open wide with an amber glow that sent sparks of amber lightning dancing around them. The laugh was wretched and unhinged, it scratched at the throat until the flesh was raw and further still until it bled. The Kolotian raised his arms while still laughing and Vayin watched the dangling broken limb suddenly straighten and darken with black dust at its place of fracture.
The King of Binoria took a step back as the black hair falling over Ishar's forehead suddenly parted as his manic laugh echoed on. Two horns grew from the Kolotian's head, black as onyx with tips as sharp as a sword.
RUN! The Goddess Meena suddenly screamed in Vayin's mind.
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Mairek abruptly turned to the Talisi soldiers surrounding him, breaking the long gaze he'd held at the ground while he perceived all that was happening around him. "You have to get out of here." They turned to face him, quizzical expressions on their faces. He could no longer see the flow of time, no longer understand it. All around him the pattern became malformed, hideous and distorted. The touch of chaos.
Retreat? But Aren't we prevailing? Their expressions said it all but they did not understand. It was not Binoria that they were retreating from.
"YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! ALL OF YOU! RUN FOR THE HILLS! GO!" Mairek shouted, his voice accompanied by the sound of Ishar's distant laughter.