Rehny knew he didn't have time to draw his sword as he plummeted into the Arena, but when had he ever needed a sword? There was a reason men made way for him as he passed and children lowered their eyes in his presence. He'd been to over fifty battles and had survived them all, a feat that very few could claim. He was more than adept in all Forms of combat and as he fell with the large man beneath him and the ground he immediately implemented a Form of Pride.
Rehny curled his gauntleted hand into a fist and stretched his arm, placing his metal fist adjacent to the Rank Three's throat. As they hit the ground he leaned his entire weight onto the larger man's upper half and could feel as the man's throat caved. The Black Guard became squeamish, rolling on the ground and clawing at his neck while croaking in an effort to take in breath. Rehny stood up, aware of everyone's attention on him.
He turned his eyes to the wall he'd fallen from to see Lamical and Dahli standing where he once stood, Leba was nowhere to be seen. He pointed at them, "You dare defy the rule of the King?" He shouted loud enough to ensure all the Black Guards enclosing around the marble throne where the unconscious King had been placed could hear. "He," Rehny pointed at the Kolotian beside the beast, the Telinete
Rhino loomed over the boy with its amber eyes glued on his unconscious form, it completely ignored Rehny. "He has tamed the beast, the King according to what is required of him during the Nula Anyl is to grant their boons for Meena's will is that they live."
"Nonsense." Dahli replied. "I will not kiss that imbecile."
"The King's last order is that the Kolotian dies." A slender woman said while stepping up to the wall, she was dressed in the linen green shirt of the Royal Black Guard and Rehny recognized her as the new Rank One, he wondered who the previous Rank One had been. Probably died with Desan. He decided. "However, the King did also agree to grant them freedom if they survived the Nula Anyl of which they have, what say you Princess? We are in quite the conundrum seeing that the King is unconscious and you are the highest immediate Royal in attendance." The Rank one said while gesturing at the empty spot Leba once stood.
Rehny looked at the Princess Dahli with the thin golden crown upon her head and her purple dress stained with specks of blood. The Princess returned his gaze. "I will not kiss the Kolotian." Dahli declared.
"You don't have to, all you have to do is let them go as is required." Rehny said. Shuffling from behind him made him turn expecting the Rank three only to find the Remu woman scuttle over to stand at his side with her large brown eyes fixed on the Princess. The Rank three lay still on the ground, Rehny wondered if he was dead and quickly brushed the thought aside after realizing he didn't care.
"You once pleaded with me, from one woman to another. I do the same now with our roles reversed. Let Ishar and I leave, we have succeeded in the Nula Anyl as was the will of the Goddess." The Remu woman said.
"It was not Meena who intervened today but another deity!" Dahli said. "This puts a whole new perspective on the matter."
"The Gods are not dead and neither have they forsaken us, Dahli, this is good news. Who knows why another God has decided to play their hand. Maybe the realm needs this!" Rehny said while stretching his hand in Ishar's direction. His eyes turned to Lamical and the look on her face made him hold his breath, he knew that look. The Queen stood in her magnificent black gown that insinuated flowing rivers of black water upon her curves. She leaned down to her daughter's ear and whispered.
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"Kill the Kolotian and the Remu woman, kill whoever gets in your way too." Dahli said to the Rank One. Rehny's eyes stayed on Lamical, he took in her delighted smirk and the anger that it brought him. He remembered another time when he would have bet his soul against a rat's tail that she would never harm him, he took the pain from that too. He channeled all that he felt and fueled his body to spring into action as the Rank One gave an order and numerous Royal Black Guards descended into the Arena.
Rehny rushed towards the Kolotian and the beast huffed and solidified its stance upon the boy. Rehny spread his hands before the Telinete Rhino. "Easy, easy." He said, recalling how the Kolotian had talked to it. He was aware of his fear of the beast but he had no time to act on said fear. He was more than willing to meet his end if the beast turned on him, after all, what was there to live for? "I need to help your friend or he will die." The beast huffed again at his words and stepped back from over Ishar. Rehny fought down the surprise at the Telinete's sentience, he had no time to be flabbergasted. He grabbed the Kolotian who was surprisingly light and rushed towards the beast's flank. He wanted to fling the Kolotian over the beast's back but worried that its carapace might injure the boy.
Rehny turned to the Remu woman who stood with The Rank Three's sword in hand. She faced the Royal Black Guards who were forming a crescent around her, about to implement a Form of Sleight. "Remu woman!" Rehny shouted. "Climb up the Rhino and hold onto the boy." The Remu woman turned to him, she glanced once at the Telinete Rhino and Rehny took note of her fright at the sight of the beast. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you." He added while his eyes surveyed the enclosing Royal Black Guards.
The Remu woman turned her head back to the Royal Black Guards. Her shoulders slumped as more of the Black Guards dropped into the Arena. The only reason they hadn't gone on a full on charging assault was because of the Telinete Rhino whose presence there evened the odds. The Remu woman made up her mind, she dropped the sword and ran in the direction of Rehny and the beast. She jumped and clutched at the edge of the creature's carapace upon its flank and hauled herself onto its back. "Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me." She said to the beast that had stood still as she scaled it onto its back. She then leaned down to take Ishar's body from Rehny.
"What.. What... do we do now?" The Remu woman asked Rehny as she held Ishar to her bosom and over her lap while hunching to ensure they maintained balance upon the beast's back.
Rehny spared a glance at the incoming Black Guard and rushed to the Telinete Rhino's front. "You need to get out of here." He said to the beast while pointing at the large gap in the wall where the beast had emerged from. The Telinete Rhino did nothing but stare into Rehny's eyes. Rehny scratched his scalp. "They," he pointed at the incoming Royal Black Guard. "They are coming to kill your friend, you have to run away with him." Still, the Telinete did nothing to indicate it had heard let alone understood him. Rehny let out an exasperated sigh and turned to the Royal Black Guard. He unsheathed his black sword that made several of them flinch. So much for sentience. He thought as he prepared to fight.
"Maybe you're doing it wrong." The Remu woman said, causing Rehny to turn to her. She took Ishar's hand, leaned forward and placed it on the beast's head. "Carrot," She said and Rehny remembered the Kolotian's first words when he'd channeled a God. "Save your master by fleeing from this place." The Telinete Rhino let out a bellow that made Rehny jump. It turned around and started barreling towards the open gap in the wall in an unbelievable speed for one its size. The Remu woman had to lie flat on top of the Kolotian while clutching the carapace at either of her sides to avoid being hurled off the beast.
Rehny shook himself of the awe induced by what he'd seen and ran in the wake of the beast towards the entrance in the wall where the beast plunged into. The Royal Black Guards fell in close behind his sprint but stopped when he turned around at the opening in the wall where the beast had gone into. He held his sword in a tight grip and watched as over one hundred of the Royal Black Guard did the same. They didn't bother to form a crescent around him, their bulk form stood ready to just charge right over him in their quest to reach the beast he obscured them from. Rehny turned his eyes to where Lamical stood in the distance, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. I'm going to die. He thought. I'm going to die. He opened his eyes. I'm going to die. He smiled and clutched the hilt of his sword in both hands as the Royal Black Guard charged.