Chapter 39

Ishar's eyes faded back to their usual violet hue and Desan passed the previous color change in the Kolotian's eyes to be a trick of light. Desan set his feet back into a solid Rage stance and charged Ishar with the hilt of his sword gripped in both hands beside his face and its sharp tip aimed at Ishar. Desan's Rage form was a difficult technique to master without the necessary emotions to fuel it. But he had been humiliated by getting kicked across the Ganidan plain, his plan to behead King Gans had been interrupted and his honor had been spat on by someone beneath his status. Anger burned within him and fueled his attack.

A downward swipe of Desan's sword at where Ishar stood was enough to finish the job but at the last minute Ishar stepped to the side and the swipe completely missed him. Desan followed Ishar with three thrusts of his blade all aimed at his mid section but Ishar was like a blade of grass gently pushed by the wind, every thrust came short of hitting the target and only propelled Ishar further to the side and out of Desan's line of vision. Desan howled and followed Ishar, clutching the sword in both hands and throwing caution to the wind with wave after wave of attack.

They moved in a circle with Desan swiping and lunging and Ishar dancing on barefooted tiptoes and hopping about like a rabbit before the jaws of a Yendw wolf. "Coward! Stand and face me." Desan said as Ishar once more jumped to the left of his peripheral vision as Desan thrust his sword at Ishar's head, forcing Desan to turn and give chase.

"Can I offer assistance in-" Rehny started.

"SHUT UP COMMANDER!" Desan shouted. "This is my fight, stay out of it. The coward's head is mine."

 "Coward!" Desan repeated as Ishar's pace carried him past Desan's plunge at his chest. Desan took in a deep breath, blinked thrice in quick succession and switched stance. He stood with his right foot before his left with both legs gently bent at the knee and the sword held before him. The Kolotian wasn't in his direct line of sight but he was close and the Rage stance he'd put into effect did not require sight. Desan bent his head and waited in silent anticipation. The dam that held Desan's rage was brimming, the slightest sound from the Kolotian would break the dam and send the flood in his direction.

Ishar yawned from behind the Prince and Desan twisted his feet and shifted his entire weight onto his left foot. He let go of his sword with his left hand and gathered all his strength in an extended right handed thrust towards the direction Ishar's yawn had come from while entirely balancing on one foot with his right foot parallel to his leaning body. The sword moved fast towards Ishar's chest, a single layer of red robes the only barrier between him and the point of the blade. A smile started to spread upon Desan's face brought about by the certainty of spilt blood.

Rehny let out a sigh of relief as he saw Desan lunge. The Kolotian has most certainly met his end. Rehny thought. The evasive maneuvers the Kolotian had brought into play were effective and impressive but couldn't have carried him for long.

Orgeeg felt like clapping his hands in glee, he'd been worried about Prince Desan especially after the kick he'd witnessed from the Kolotian but it appeared the mbengo did not carry with him the mind of a warrior. All he had was brute strength and quick feet that had guided him to the position he was now, right between him and Desan's blade that was moving too fast to be evaded. Orgeeg using the Form of Intent saw the Kolotian impaled upon the blade and the thought pleased him just as it would to meet the lips of Dahli with his own.

Ishar watched as the blade made its way to his chest, at the end of the blade the wielder's blood stained smile also caught his attention. It was the smile of a man who knew he'd succeeded, of someone whose entire life never knew sorrow but was a cause for it wherever he went. Ishar wanted to put an end to that smile, he wanted to dip Desan's face in Rankf Leviathan oil and set it alight. He wanted to breath in the smoke as Desan's face burnt. No, Desan had no reason to smile for he had yet to succeed.

Ishar leaned back to lengthen the time it'd take for the blade to hit and as the blade approached he brought up his right hand and slapped the flat of the blade that was facing the ground. The force of Desan's lunge plus the diverted force of Ishar's slap upon the flat of the blade sent the sword flying out of Desan's grasp. Desan had overextended himself in his effort to nail Ishar and found himself falling to the ground after his missed attempt but Ishar moved with incredible speed and connected his knee to Desan's chin before he fell.

Desan hit the ground, with his teeth rattling from the impact of Ishar's knee. "REHN-" He opened his mouth to speak as he saw Ishar pounce on his chest but his words died in his throat as Ishar's fist met with his gaping mouth. Desan spat out two molars and a canine onto a Centala flower beside his face. "REHN-" Ishar's first connected with Desan's right cheekbone, breaking it and sending the Prince into wails. "REH-" Ishar punched the Prince on the mouth and Desan spat out more teeth.

Rehny unsheathed his sword and made as if to move. "Commander, I believe the Prince's orders for you to stay out of this were very clear." Dahli said, turning her eyes to Rehny. Rehny held the sword in his hand and watched as Desan tried to block his face from the Kolotian's heavy punches. The Kolotian started laughing and took a hold of Desan's gauntleted right hand and ripped off the gauntlet. Desan tried to pull his hand away but the Kolotian latched onto his exposed fingers and bent them until loud snaps could be heard as Desan's fingers broke. The Prince screamed.

"Gods Dammit! He is your brother!" Rehny said to Dahli with his eyes still fixed on the laughing Kolotian. Desan's right hand fell limply to his side, he tried to block Ishar with his left hand but the Kolotian grabbed it and ripped off the vambrace protecting Desan from the elbow to the wrist. The Kolotian straightened Desan's exposed arm and broke it at the elbow over his bent knee. Desan screamed some more, his cries of agony carried across the Ganidan plain.

Ishar watched as Desan's face that was once a mask of rage, arrogance and self-entitlement transformed into a bloody, snot covered and swollen mess. Ishar laughed, a loud belly laugh emerging from his core. Ishar felt joy so profound that he wondered if such an emotion was even possible. Tears streamed down Desan's face. "REH-" He tried to say something in a gurgling voice from his blood filled mouth but Ishar's fist to his nose killed the words and shattered the bridge of his nose at the same time.

"MAKE A CHAIN OUT OF MY FINGERS!" Ishar screamed while punching Desan repeatedly on the face until the Prince's wails receded to silence, the only sound heard was the repeated crunch of Ishar's bloody fists pounding into Desan's unconscious body. "LET ME SEE YOU MAKE A CHAIN OUT OF MY FINGERS!" Ishar's eyes flickered amber then violet as he ripped off Desan's breastplate . "LET ME SEE YOU DO SO BINORIAN!" Ishar stood up and walked to where Desan's sword lay.

Ishar picked up the sword and tested its weight. The whole Ganidan plain was silent as everyone observed the Kolotian approach the unconscious Prince with a sword in hand. "Screw this!" Rehny said and rushed towards Ishar. At the same time Orgeeg burst free of the shocked cohort of the Thirty Seventh Legion who had just watched their leader get pulverized by a half naked Kolotian. Orgeeg rushed towards Ishar while drawing his blade with his heavy boots thumping on the Centala flowers.

 King Gans pushed Tari further away with his body between her and the bloody form of the unconscious Prince and the Kolotian standing over him wielding the fallen Prince's sword. The Kolotian had a murderous smile upon his face as he watched the two men charge him.

Tari's eyes were glued on Prince Desan even as she backed away. She took in his left arm that was bent at an unnatural angle at the elbow. She observed his right hand and its twisted and broken fingers. She saw the blood drip down The Prince of Binoria's face and stain the floor of the Ganidan plain where the Centala flowers were all too eager to soak it all up. "A day will come when the Ganidan plain will be filled with blood but it won't be that of the Talisi, Princess!" The Kolotian's words echoed in her mind.

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