The pyre burned and upon it was his son. Beside him his wife looked on, tears welling in her eyes but unable to drop lest she showed weakness. There was no room for weakness, Binoria is not weak. Behind him was his son, the son who should have been on the pyre if he'd had any say on the matter. He didn't need to turn in order to see the look on the child's face, he could feel it. He could see the pattern as Leba shifted his weight forward and back. Desan's death hadn't affected Leba, instead the child took satisfaction in seeing his father's grief. Foolish boy, the touch of grief does not linger upon the chosen of the Gods.
Next to Leba was Dahli, as always, she reveled in his presence. Many understood the honor of being in his vicinity but Dahli was among the few who truly worshipped the opportunity. Her thoughts were all centered on him, a symphony of admiration, servitude, awe and ambition. Vayin let his daughter's thoughts flood him, he focused on them for they were reminders of what he stood for and they played a role in sinking the grief of loss in the depths of his soul.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown. His father had told him once. He hadn't quite fully grasped the meaning of the words but seeing the flames lick at his son's lifeless body finally enabled him to understand. Thoughts flooded him from where he stood, wave upon wave of intentions, sorrow and anger but it was the shame that unnerved him. The whole of Binoria stood behind the Royal family and the impressions they curved upon the realm with every movement of their limbs and every rugged intake of breath was noted by King Vayin Vigon. The order of the realm, the patterns that he could grasp, they made him the closest thing to omniscient within the realm but still, the shame unnerved him. There was no hiding from it.
Binoria shouldn't suffer shame yet the congregated Royal Black Guard radiated the thought and its emotion for their failure had led to Desan's death. The few City guard present contributed too for their failure to hold the Kolotian and the Red priests showed fright for another had succeeded in Selarch's trial. Vayin flexed his gold studded fingers, behind him he could feel the attention shift to him. Half a million soldiers , the whole hundred Legions waited on him, their singular thought screaming at him from within their hardened faces."WAR." Behind the Legions for as far as the eye could see outside the Outer-wall were Binorians who've traveled from far and wide to honor the dead Prince. The stage was perfect, he motioned with one finger and Highlord Cebru scuttled forward from his fellow Highlords and threw himself down on his knees.
"Is it confirmed?" Vayin asked.
"Yes my liege. Message has arrived, the Telinete passed by my Local days ago, he is heading to the Talisi camp and so is the Commander Rehny." Cebru replied. Rehny, the Commander's punch upon his chin hadn't affected him much but it had surprised him that he'd never seen it coming. When it was all said and done the Commander will hang from the gates of Binoria after having been whipped and flayed as a reminder to all who dared follow his path.
The Highlord had lost an eye to the Kolotian, not that Vayin cared but the boy was a scourge upon the land that took where none dared to venture, he had to be dealt with immediately. Still, the Kolotian offered a good excuse to double the weight of his crown by obliterating the Talisi and consuming their Kingdom. How dare they cater for the one who spat on Binoria!
"Is it ready?" Vayin asked.
Cebru was frightened but he nodded. Vayin already knew what the man was going to say, he wore his emotions openly and his thoughts were loud, so loud. "My King," his fright displeased Vayin, fear was a weakness. Perhaps he'd made a mistake by choosing him as a Highlord. "With respect my King, but we see no need to endanger your life! We can still field the entire Hundred Legions and be guaranteed victory."
Vayin smiled. The Highlord thought victory was his purpose, how narrow his view. The aim was to send a message that would remind Binoria of its strength, of its purpose and its capabilities under his rule. Leba's thoughts transformed into a whirl of curiosity, shock then disdain as a Telinete's bellow sounded from within the Outer-wall. Vayin's smile widened. All those congregated outside the city to witness Desan's funeral turned their attention to the Outer-gate, fearful thoughts mingled with curiosity washed over Vayin, he took it all in and fed what drove him.
There was a reason he hadn't pursued the Kolotian. For weeks a better part of the Legion and City guard had hunted for a Telinete Rhino, taking days to drug it upon encountering it while it wandered the ranges to the south, and even more days to transport it to the Juckwa Arena. It was female and larger than the male the Kolotian had taken. Vayin had organized the funeral to be held outside the City walls so that all could be present to witness it and also to see what he was about to do next.
"Sire, many have lost their lives while bringing this creature here, letting it loose inside the city is-" Cebru paused. Vayin already knew what he was about to say but he neglected the man's pathetic fright, he would be renewed in faith after only a moment.
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The pyre burnt before the Outer-gates. From within the walls the bulk of the City Guards ushered the Telinete towards the Outer-gates from the Juckwa Arena, baiting themselves in an effort to lure the beast to the gates. A command from him would have the gates opened and the beast shall step fourth.
"My King?" Lamical asked. Confusion warring with fright upon her face.
"Father?" Dahli mirrored her mother while Leba said nothing. He didn't need to, Vayin knew what his son wished for.
"My King?" Masutap asked as well. Her eyes resembled his own, something that he found odd. He understood her concern, his safety was her priority yet here he was about to mock that very notion.
"Join the Legions, all of you." Vayin Vigon commanded and his family obeyed. The Highlords joined the
Royals as they stepped from the podium leading to the pyre and merged with the first row of
Legionnaires. Masutap joined the Royal Black Guard. The Legions backed further away from the podium where King Vayin stood alone between them and the Outer-gates. The bulk of Binorian civilians was pushed further back by the Legions and they were all too eager to be as far away as possible from the bellow emanating from inside the walls. It was a shame, the Telinete had been a symbol of pride within Binoria now it stirred fright because of the Kolotian. Not to worry, Vayin thought. I'm about to change that.
Vayin descended the podium and went around the pyre, sparing one glance to his son's body that was slowly turning to ash. "I wish you were here to see this Des." Vayin said while walking towards the gate. He signaled to the City guard upon the wall with his hand, raising his index finger that was adorned with the golden signet ring with a Telinete emblem. The City guard shouted orders and the Outer-gates opened.
The Telinete was upon the Bronze path, tearing a City guard apart as more men tried to pile behind it to prevent it from heading to the Palace or drifting to the market. When the gates opened the Telinete turned its attention to the promise of freedom, freedom from the confines of walls. Only one man stood in its way slightly outside the gates, the man was dressed in black robes with a golden crown upon his head. The Telinete snorted and dragged a foot upon the stone floor, it bellowed a challenge to the singular man obscuring its way to freedom and charged.
Fear. The thought was loud. So loud. But it wasn't his fear. Behind his son's pyre was the Royal family, his family stood at the front of the Legions and the other factions. Behind the factions for as far as the eye could see were Binorians and all of them had the same thoughts fueled by the same emotion as they watched their beloved King face a charging Telinete Rhino, a ghastly beast that shook the very ground with every step. Fear. Vayin didn't understand the word, it was as foreign a concept to him just as cowardice is.
Vayin stood with his hands behind his back, watching as the barreling beast inched closer. Its carapace shook as its limbs pushed it forward, its largest horn was posed to strike at his midriff and its exhale as it ran could be heard by even those behind him. Vayin took note of the mangled bodies sprawled upon the Bronze path, some of the City guard had indeed lost their lives for this endeavor. Only more reason to honor their deaths by succeeding.
"I'm tired of holding back, Meena." Vayin whispered as the Telinete reduced the distance between them. "I'm tired of treating everything like paper, too unwilling to show your true might so as not to tear everything around me." The Telinete bellowed as it passed the gates, only a few feet away now. "LET ME SHOW THEM WHAT WE ARE TRULY CAPABLE OF." He shouted as the Telinete Rhino was a foot away. Show them. A female voice commanded.
Vayin reached out with his right hand and grabbed the Telinete's longest horn right before it plunged into him and with his left he grabbed its middle horn. The beast's momentum came to an abrupt halt as if having run into a wall. It's hind legs lifted off the ground and its snout dug into the ground before Vayin Vigon and the King didn't even take a step back. Dust rose from the collusion. The Telinete Rhino lifted itself on shaky limbs and tried to push against the man who held it by its horns but it was to no avail, it was as if it were pushing against a mountain.
"Yield." Vayin Vigon commanded.
The Telinete bellowed and tried to shake free of Vayin's iron grip upon its horns but its body only twisted around with its head locked in place from where Vayin Vigon held.
"Yield." Vayin Vigon commanded.
The Telinete Rhino tried to raise its head, it was bigger and taller than Vayin, clearly capable of lifting the man but it was as if Vayin Vigon weighed as much as a Palace. The Telinete strained until it could feel the muscles upon its neck begin to tear. Still, the King did not budge an inch.
"Yield." Vayin said in a soothing female voice. The Telinete complied and went down on its front limbs, bowing before Vayin Vigon. The King of Binoria stepped upon its snout and launched himself onto the beast's back. He placed his right hand on its head and the beast raised itself off the ground.
Silence met Vayin Vigon. There was no sound, there was no thought and there was no emotion. People stood like statues behind his son's pyre, staring at him with wide eyes and opened mouths. It was blissful to finally witness silence once more after having gone years without ever encountering it. But it was not the time for silence. Vayin raised his head to the sky and let out a cry that threatened to obliterate the clouds. Emotions hit him like a hurricane as Binorians comprehended what they'd just witnessed. Thoughts bombarded him, thoughts of praise, of awe, of adoration and of shock. The Hundred Legions echoed his cry and the very ground shook as the civilians took it up too. It was a cry with order, a cry of war directed to the North where the Talisi are.