Rehny's brown steed spun in the same spot. Normally Rehny would have tried to comfort the horse but he found himself understanding its reluctance to trod forth. Before them was the fortress of the Highlord of the North Local, Cebru. It should have been a towering building with a town growing around it that bustled with activity but now some buildings lay in ruin and not a soul could be seen save one guard dressed in dirty red leather with a bloody bandage tied around his head.

Rehny could spot bloodstains upon the ground where more than one person had been probably trampled. There was also something that appeared to be an innard laying next to a wall and the two gates leading into the fortress and onto the Ganidan plain had been torn off their hinges. It was as if a beast had rampaged through here and Rehny knew how accurate that assessment was. "Calm down my sweet." Rehny said as he ran a hand upon the horse's neck. The steed neighed reluctance to comply before eventually putting an end to its circling as the singular Local guard approached.

"Commander Rehny? Of the hundred legions?" The rat faced Local guard asked. He trembled as he held a spear before himself, his fingers gripped the shaft loosely and his stance was lacking. Rehny had a grey cloak over his head that ran the entire length of his body, he was surprised to have been recognized but he concluded that he could easily disarm and kill the Local guard within two seconds even upon his horse. Rehny shook his head from side to side, trying to free himself of the thought. He'd been on the run for days and he'd killed whoever had come in his way. Rehny should have felt remorse regarding the Binorian lives he'd taken but instead he felt meh. Still, he knew the dangers of bloodlust and he was not one to lose himself to it.

"Status report, soldier." Rehny said to the man. After taking down three Royal Black Guards while taking his horse from the stables, Rehny had galloped for the Outer-gates before word of his insurrection spread, he'd thought he'd have to use his authority to exit the Outer-gates but they'd let him pass without any qualm, they didn't even seem to recognize him. The City guard were husks of their former selves, the shame of their blatant failure at containing the Telinete and the Kolotian plus the death of their chief had crippled their zeal for duty. He'd then ridden hard after the Kolotian and his Telinete Rhino for days. He was certain word of him hadn't reached the North Local so his authority could still be used even though it hadn't been necessary to use it at the Outer-gate of Binoria.

The Guard dropped his spear and did the best salute he could master by pounding his chest with a fist after Rehny addressed him. It seemed Rehny had awoken a forgotten aspect of himself that had been discarded in the wake of whatever it was the Telinete Rhino had done. "Sir!" The Local guard started. "Cebru.. Uhh.. Highlord Cebru had left us in charge of his Local upon his absence as he'd traveled to the Capital to witness a ceremony by order of the King. He'd left strict orders that none was allowed to pass through the North Local upon his absence."

Rehny understood that the four Locals acted more as a border where trade with the neighboring Kingdoms took place. It wasn't unheard of of a foreigner making their way to the Capital of Binoria but them doing so required the intervention of a Highlord so as to offer them a pass which they pay for and also to collect said pass and an extra exit fee when the foreigner departed the Kingdom. Majority of merchants and traders prefer to trade at the Locals rather than pay for the pass to travel to the capital and Highlords take a portion of all trade carried out at the Local, making them almost as wealthy as the Royals and placing the Highlords at the epitome of the nobility. It wasn't a surprise that Cebru would lock down the North Local upon his absence, the Highlord trusted none but himself to foresee the activities of the Local.

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"Then a Kolotian came." The Local guard continued. His salute faltered, his weight shifted from foot to foot and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Rehny understood the reaction, he'd seen it with the Red priests of the previous villages he'd passed on his way here. There was one village where a Red priest in a yellow thigh high dress had begged him to plead with 'Selarch' on his behalf to take the curse of famine away from his requirement to wear a dress at all times. The man cried as he narrated how he bathes in the yellow dress and does everything while still wearing it for fear of the villagers stoning him lest he took it off.

In another village Rehny had come across a Red priest with a goat. He went everywhere with the goat and talked to it as one did a lover. Rehny had observed the man feed the goat while issuing compliments about its 'beautiful' hooves and large 'mesmerizing' eyes. The goat had just bleated and chewed cud, oblivious to the man's sentiments for it was just a fucking goat. In another village the Red priest was but a boy and in the distance a man tied to a tree yelled for help. Rehny had come to the conclusion that wherever the Kolotian went madness followed. The Local guard's eyes resembled those of the Red priests who'd met the brunt end of the Kolotian's whims. There was disbelief in them mingled with fear of Ishar's return.

"Soldier! Compose yourself!" Rehny commanded the Local guard. The man had been twisting his head in all directions, peering about for a glimpse of the one who'd stripped him of whatever confidence he'd once had. The Local guard saluted once more and met Rehny's eyes.

"The Kolotian came, we thought it was the same guy who'd taken the Highlord's eye. We wanted to stop him and the woman he was with, but... But.. The Telinete... Numerous Local guards were either injured, killed or by the Gods' luck managed to escape and nobody blames them for doing so, sir. My friend was torn in half before my eyes.. I saw a man's head burst under the limb of the Telinete.. I.. Sir!" The Local guard saluted once more.

Rehny nodded, the man had been through quite the ordeal. He didn't seem like one with the experience to stomach what had happened and sure enough the Local guard hunched over and emptied his stomach before Rehny's horse. "You have to stop him sir." The Local guard said as he wiped at his mouth with his sleeve.

Rehny didn't answer. As he'd traveled he'd asked himself why he was heading in Ishar's direction? What he sought to do once he met Ishar? Why he'd thrown away all that he was just for the Kolotian? Rehny wasn't certain of the answer to all that but for the longest time he'd had nothing to live for, but now he had a purpose. Rehny stirred his horse past the Local guard, heading for the gate leading to the Ganidan plain.

"You have to stop him Sir!" The Local guard repeated from behind him but Rehny paid him no thought.