Chapter 38

"Commander Rehny, give me your sword." Desan said once his steps had brought him beside Rehny. Desan's sword that had a falcon fashioned to its hilt lay at the feet of the Kolotian. Desan's words did not register for Rehny's mind was elsewhere as his eyes stayed glued on the Kolotian. There was something odd about the boy, he was younger than Desan and definitely not as strong yet a mere kick had sent Desan flying across the Ganidan plain. 

Rehny had only seen such a thing once before, during a fight against the Remu before their annual quota was pushed from half a million vigons to a million as punishment for their uprising. A soldier clad in the bronze armor customary to the Remu had been part of an ingenious plan to take down King Vayin Vigon on the battlefield. He must have been a Knight of the Remu court for his skill surely ranked him as such. The soldier had approached King Vayin under the cover of twelve other Remu soldiers, a sacrificial play at hand.

The twelve soldiers were to charge Vayin, get his attention and keep his sword and shield hand busy so that the Knight could burst through their midst and impale King Vayin. To reach Vayin while his eyes flickered red as the Jojoh Meena coursed through his veins was something rival kingdoms had attempted many a times and failed just as much. But the Remu had mastered various forms of combat one of them being that of Sleight that was a difficult technique due to its full dependence on dexterity, cooperation and skill that eluded observation.

The twelve soldiers had been reduced to seven as they cut through the Seventh Legion on their way to the King. They were a marvel to watch, moving in perfect synchrony and dancing at the edge of death with their blades forming a network of blurs before the Binorians. They managed to reach King Vayin with the Knight in their wake. Two more of them died by King Vayin's sword despite their brilliance in battle but the rest of them huddled before his vision and engaged either of his hands.

One more died but just then a whistle pitched low, too low that the unsuspecting ear couldn't register it amidst the wails of dying men and the clash of swords. The remaining Remu soldiers dived to either side of King Vayin and Vayin, for a fraction of a moment, was confused as to why the four men had hurled themselves to the ground and just then the Knight emerged through the air directly before the King, no longer obscured from sight by the Remu soldiers with his sword clutched in both hands and tilted towards the King's throat. A yell of rage emanated from the Knight's throat, a bestial sound likened to the bellow of a Telinete Rhino.

King Vayin couldn't bring up his shield in time, but he didn't need it. He could not bring up his sword to block but he didn't need it either. Vayin let go of his weapons and leaned way back, evading the Knight's blade as it passed where his throat was a moment ago. At the same time Vayin thrust with his foot at the descending Knight's breastplate, hitting him hard and sending him flying in the opposite direction for more than ten feet. Just as Desan had been kicked.

"REHNY! YOUR SWORD!" Desan shouted at Rehny and broke his reverie. Rehny grunted and reached for the hilt of his sword but paused as the Kolotian picked up the sword lying on the ground beside him and tossed it at Desan's feet.

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"What are you doing?" Princess Tari asked Ishar, her eyes wide with shock. "You have no weapon to defend yourself with!"

"Nonsense, I have my dazzling good looks." Ishar replied and gave her a wide smile. "You do know that looks can kill right?" Ishar chuckled at his own joke and turned to face the Prince who'd bent down slowly to pick up his sword as if it would kill him the minute he touched it.

"I am Prince Desan! Future King of Binoria and I sentence you to die for what you've done Kolotian!" Desan said after picking up his sword and confirming that there was no hidden trick to it.

Ishar yawned. He yawned and Tari registered in her mind that the Kolotian was either an incredibly brave person who was unperturbed in the face of death or was completely insane. King Gans reached out and touched his daughter's arm, breaking her gaze from Ishar. King Gans shuffled from behind Ishar and dragged his daughter with him to the side where they may not turn out to be collateral damage in the oncoming onslaught.

"You dare kick me? A Prince! During a peaceful proceeding for the betterment of the Talisi?" Desan said. "King Gans you will pay for this insolence together with the Kolotian."

"He is not Talisi, his actions are his own and mirror those of his people." King Gans replied.

"But King, did you not say you were to offer a Kolotian as a gift? Is this not the said Kolotian? Does that not insinuate that he is your property?" The woman in red armor asked. Ishar tilted his head at her, though she spoke to King Gans her eyes never left Ishar. Something danced behind those eyes, something that made Ishar aware of the simple fact that Desan held not an ounce of threat to him as the woman did. Ishar found himself oddly intrigued by this, he wanted to know more than her eyes betrayed.

"The Kolotian is indeed a gift to you, that being said he is now entirely your responsibility." King Gans replied, contradicting his earlier statement. Ishar yawned again, this time loud enough to get everyone's attention. He was getting awfully bored, where was the excitement he thought would come with plunging head first into battle so as to turn the tide and ensure the salvation of the Talisi women? So far all they've been doing is talking and proclaiming titles repeatedly.

Rehny unsheathed his sword and took a step to stand next to Desan. "Prince, your father has tasked me with your safe return. We shall take him on together." The blade of Rehny's sword was dark, as if fashioned from black obsidian and let out little light. He gripped the hilt with as much familiarity as a bard with his lute but he seemed to resent the weight of the sword.

Desan turned to face Rehny, disgust evident on his face. "He is but a single man with no weapon, I command you to stand down. I shall handle him alone."

"But Prince.."

"I SAID STAND DOWN REHNY!" Desan bellowed. Rehny nodded and turned away, clearly frustrated. Desan flexed his hands, whirling his large sword around and clutching the hilt with both hands. He parted his feet and gently bowed his knees then he lifted the sword until the hilt was level with his forehead. A Form of Rage. "When I am done with you Kolotian I shall form a chain out of your fingers and wear them around my neck." Desan said and took a startled step back that broke his fierce stance as the eyes of the Kolotian glowed amber.

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