Ishar turned his face in the direction of the sun that had been left unobscured after Veste had torn through the tent from his punch. It looked pretty, that's all he could fathom regarding the giant orb of light that hang in the horizon right above the tents. Ishar flexed his blue tipped fingers and sighed. How long until beauty becomes incomprehensible? At first he'd thought his flamboyant attitude was a perk of Ovek's blessing....Curse? But as time edged on he found it to be less of flamboyance and more of incomprehensibility. The things others feared amused him for he no longer understood fear. The things others hated tickled him for the difference between hate and amity was a blur to him. Deep down, beneath that dullness that made it difficult to grasp meaning a part of him lay, a part that knew he was on a slow walk upon a ledge towards complete madness. Heck! He might be at the edge already.

"What have I done?" Mairek repeated to himself from his position upon his bed. He repeated the words after every half a minute or so. A crowd had formed around their tent. Talisi women peered at him together with Talisi men forming a sea of black faces and green eyes whose expressions mattered not to him. What facial expression showed fear? What was the facial expression of sadness? Of anger?.. Of joy?

Across from the crowd in another tent lay Veste, the man who'd raised him for the sole purpose of harvesting his fingers. The old man was dead, his back oddly bent from where he'd slammed into the pole that had been dug a foot into the ground in order to support the tent. His chest had also caved in from Ishar's punch and his lips were stained red with blood. Ishar flexed his fingers again and wondered where the old man had left his sheep. Thinking about sheep reminded him of Mairek, Ishar chuckled and whirled to face his friend.

"Mairek, your eyes were glowing blue." Ishar said and sat on the bed adjacent to his friend. Mairek's glowing blue eyes had faded back to green, he lay staring up at the tent's roof. He looked at peace, a man resigned to death. Or so Ishar thought. Outside someone amongst the crowd that had formed cleared their throat, Mairek turned to face Ishar.

"Ishar, we're going to die. Everyone here is going to die, everyone within the realm is going to die." Mairek said. His voice had a finality to it, he was certain of his words. "I should never have tried to tamper with fate, I should never.."

"Does Carrot live?" Ishar asked. He knew everybody in the realm would die, he'd known that since he'd watched Veste gut a sheep. Death was the end of the line for everything that breathed but he recalled that Telinetes lived for long, longer than most anyway.

"What?" Mairek asked. Ishar repeated his question. "I don't.." Mairek's eyes turned back to blue, his glowing irises moved as he scanned something imperceptible to all those around him. Outside, those seeing Mairek's change in eye color gasped, some ran away. "It's unclear. It keeps changing with every second. Everything tied to you shifts."

"Well that settles it then, we'll gather the most important people in the realm and have them ride Carrot's back forever to ensure they don't die. We can also tie some of them to me, with a sturdy enough rope anything is possible." Ishar said with a satisfied smile. Sometimes my ingenuity, it surprises even me. Behind him, Ishar could hear Dhiliaf and Nohj address the gathered crowd, asking them to depart and give the recovering patients time to rest.

"Ishar." Mairek started as his eyes faded back to green. Ishar noticed a stubble of white hair upon Mairek's chin, the beginning of a beard. It would help him hide his weak chin and give him a better shot at the ladies. Ishar thought. That's if he can grow it. He absent mindedly raised his hand to his chin, the smoothness irked him. He wanted a beard too, a long one that he could a hide a turkey's leg in. "Ishar, what was Ovek's gift to you?"

"Gift?" Ishar wondered again whether what Ovek did to him was a blessing or a curse.

"What did he give you?"

"He didn't give. He took."

"What did he take?"

Ishar remembered the amber glow emanating from the the Yendw wolves surrounding a bonfire within a clearing. He remembered himself, screaming at the God Ovek to take it, to take it if it would mean her life won't be forfeit.. Her.. It was always about her.. And.. Binoria? He pondered, things weren't as clear as they once were. It didn't matter though, what's clarity but a distraction from the unknown? "My sanity." Ishar's voice was a whisper.

Mairek's eyes widened, he was about to speak but closed his mouth. He got up on his two feet and bowed and for a brief moment Ishar thought he was bowing to him until he turned around and saw the Princess Tari standing in a radiant gold gown within the tent with everyone around her bowing in her direction and the sun highlighting the outline of her curves. Ishar didn't bow.

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"Your highness." Dhiliaf and Nohj said in unison.

Tari had eyes only for Ishar, her narrow eyes were fixed on him and a smile played upon her lips as she took him in. "Ishar, are you well? You had me worried when you collapsed at the bonfire." The Princess said.

"Mairek also collapsed, did he worry you too?" Ishar asked. He didn't know why it was those specific words that came out of him but he was curious to know of the answer now that the query was out.

"Forgive him, your highness, we have just awakened and haven't quite regained full lucidity." Mairek spoke while still maintaining his bow as did all the Talisi surrounding the tent.

"You may rise." Tari said and everyone rose from their collective bow. The crowd outside the tent had doubled and countless faces peered into the tent from the open flap and the hole that had been torn into its side. Ishar yawned. What is full lucidity? He shook his head from side to side, trying to awaken the lucidity to its fullness. "Of course I worried about Mairek, your friend and I have exchanged words during your absence. I am familiar with him." The Princess said.

Ishar nodded. An uncomfortable silence ensued where everyone just stared at each other. Ishar enjoyed that part the most but the Princess broke the silence. "On behalf of Talisi, I am deeply grateful for the sacrifice you made for the Talisi Women, Ishar," as the Princess spoke, behind her, a tall armored man pushed his way through the crowd and in his wake a partially obscured girl followed, Ishar could only make out a fraction of her face and one slender limb with skin that looked smooth to the touch but it was all he needed for recognition to hit. Ishar's eyes widened.

"Yes," Tari continued mistaking Ishar's reaction to be based off her words. "We are truly in your debt, Ko-.. Ishar. I personally thank you for saving my father's life upon the Ganidan plain, without you Talisi would be without a King." Several cheers rose from the crowd behind her. The armored man forced his way to the entrance of the tent and went down on his knee before the Princess. Unobscured by the armored man, Ishar could see the girl who'd followed in his wake.

"If there is anything you may desire, even from me. Please, pay visit to my tent where I shall grant you a private audience. You have only ask and anything shall be granted." Tari continued, her smile stretched from ear to ear. Ishar opened his mouth to speak but words escaped him, he tried to swallow but his throat was so dry. Physically he was in the tent but in his mind his belly scraped against pebbles and sticks as he crested a hill to see... Her.

"Yes. you have only to ask." Princess Tari's words were a seductive whisper with syllables pulled and emphasis drenched onto the last word. A gleam that matched her gown danced within her green eyes, indeed she was beautiful and Ishar had only ask and whatever he desired would be granted. He hopped over his bed and stood before the Princess. His face facing forward.

"Please move." Ishar said.

"What?" Tari asked, the gleam in her eyes was replaced by confusion. Ishar reached out a hand and gently shoved the Princess aside. Before him now was the kneeling man in green armor.

"Princess Tari, Kolo-.. Eh, Ishar! The King requests your immediate presence for-" The armored man didn't finish his statement for Ishar reached out and shoved him aside, all gentleness thrown to the wind. The man's armor clanked as he rolled four feet away.

Ishar walked forward, all he could master was the ability to take the next step. Before him at the opening torn into the tent stood Niada with the crowd pilling up behind her. She wore a short dress fashioned from simple cloth and dyed with the Talisi signature green yet the Queen of Binoria herself couldn't match the elegance and beauty before Ishar's eyes. She smiled at him, her teeth showing beneath her full lips. He tried to smile but he was certain he looked more like a constipated mule.

He stood close to her, closer than he'd ever been before. His violet eyes met her almond shaped green, his breath quickened then slowed without rhythm. There was no rhythm, no control, nothing but her. He had to say something, that would be the normal thing to do. The silence was stretching on, she would think him awkward, insane, if he didn't utter a word. But his tongue had forgotten its working. Where has the courage that had charged me to shout at her upon the Ganidan plain gone to? Ishar wondered and the thought disappeared in a sea of other thoughts that couldn't help his current predicament.

"Hey." Niada said.

He had to reply, in a cool way that emphasized what a laid back kind of guy he was.

"Hey." Ishar squealed, his voice sounded like an infant girl's. He cleared his throat. "Hey.. Lo." He grimaced. "Hello."

Niada laughed, tossing her head back. Her white hair was like a wave upon the Rankf sea, flowing with every movement. Ishar could hear Mairek chuckling from behind him. He suddenly wanted to dig a hole and burry himself in it.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Ishar." Niada said, she reached out and took his right hand in hers. Ishar stared down at her dark fingers intertwining with his own blue tipped ones. He made a vow never to wash that hand again lest he washed away the feel of her.

"Princess, the King requests the Kolotian's presence." The man in armor said from somewhere to Ishar's side. Ishar didn't care about the King or the Talisi gawking at him from all directions.

"He will come to the King, I will make sure of it myself, but as of now he requires time." Mairek said from behind him.

"Time for what?" Tari asked. The gentle seductive allure had vanished from her voice.

"Time to break free of the trance." Mairek answered.

"Trance?" Tari asked. She sounded annoyed and on the brink of an outburst.

"It's the best word I could find for it, for I know not whether madness can cater for love." Mairek replied.

Mairek was buying him time, that is all Ishar could garner from his friend's words. Time was suddenly of more value to Ishar than the air he breathed. Time to prolong the experience of his hand in hers with their eyes locked in a... Trance? Ishar's face broke into a full smile and Niada mirrored it. I can still comprehend beauty. He thought.