Chapter 56

Orgeeg didn't care about the Ranks of other Royal Black Guards. He was at the top of them all, the best there is and probably the best there ever has been. Never mind the fact that a Kolotian had bested him on the Ganidan Plain, the kid they called Ishar had what was coming to him. Orgeeg had already organized with several City guards regarding the disposal of Ishar's body once the Nula Anyl concluded. He'd also taken upon himself to stand guard over the Royals, a position within the Juckwa Arena that offered him the best view of the Kolotian's death.

He didn't care about the other Royal Black Guards, his entire routine involved avoiding them mostly because of his shy persona and the undeniable fact that he worked better alone. But the Kolotian had done something to him when he'd incapacitated him with a kick to the groin. He found himself with the need to know what his fellow Black Guards thought of him. Did they know it was him who'd been outmatched at the Ganidan plain? Do they know of his clandestine dealings with the King? He didn't care but he had to know, for propriety sake he had to know.

Orgeeg reached a door behind the South wing of the palace where two walls of the massive edifice of the wing almost met. Behind the door was a narrow room that housed one of the Royal Black Guards, one with Rank enough to merit her own dwelling close to those she protected. Orgeeg knocked on the door thrice then took a step back with his hands clasped behind his back. The door opened with a creak to reveal a cleanly shaved petite woman dressed in a brown shirt and black breeches.

She wore men's clothing, talked like a man, fought like a man and this earned her the respect of men. How else could she have attained The Rank directly beneath him? Yet as she stood there with her grey eyes on him he could all but touch her feminine allure. The way her thin lips curled up in a smile as she regarded him, the way her heavy lids rose ever so slightly as she looked him up and down. All the women within the Royal Black Guard held the lowest Ranks but she held the second highest Rank and despite her efforts to be different from her fellow women nothing could negate who she was. Orgeeg found himself amazed by her, she was the only person he acknowledged within the Royal Black Guard.

"Rank one." Masutap said, nodding at him.

"Rank two." Orgeeg replied, returning the nod.

"Have you come to fuck me?" Masutap asked, her smile widened and showed teeth. Orgeeg blushed, he found it so difficult to talk to her. She had an uncanny grasp of the form of Intent, higher than even he could master. She'd always taken it upon herself to make him uncomfortable since she'd figured out how he was within. "Look at you, blushing like an infant girl." Masutap said and laughed. She leaned away from the door and motioned him in.

Orgeeg entered, he was familiar with the room's lay out for it was the same as his. A single candle burned to offer light to the windowless room, there was a bed, a table and a chair. Ostentation was frowned upon within the circle of Black Guards, their priority was the well being of the Royal family and everything else didn't matter. The minimalist lifestyle they led was necessary if they were to put others above themselves. Orgeeg sat on the lone chair and Masutap sat on the bed.

"I see you're back in black." Masutap said, pointing at his black leather attire. Orgeeg nodded and watched the candlelight cast his shadow upon the grey wall of he room. Was a minimalist lifestyle truly necessary? Or was it just a way to remind them that they were property. Dogs to be commanded and placed in kennels when there was no further need of them. "Heard you wore red armor." She said, causing him to glare at her.

"How many know?" Orgeeg asked.

"Second to sixth Rank."

"Do you know about...?"

"How you got your balls smashed by the Kolotian?" Masutap asked. She couldn't hide the humor in her voice. Orgeeg lowered his head, he felt ashamed. He'd come to seek knowledge of whether he still held the respect of those beneath him and now his embarrassing ordeal was known. How long will it take until all the Ranks knew? He wondered Maybe a part of me does indeed cares about how they see me.

"There's quite a lot of talk about the Kolotian," Masutap said. "Prince Desan is comatose in his chambers, attended to by the Royal medics. They say it will be years before he is capable of holding a sword let alone charge into battle." Orgeeg remembered how the Kolotian had taken down one of the most prominent Rage Form fighters within the realm. Ishar had done so without armor and without a sword. He shivered as he recalled Desan's screams. "They say he made the King bleed." Masutap continued.

Orgeeg looked up sharply. "What?"

Masutap nodded. "My exact reaction when I heard the news from those present at the throne room during their confrontation."

"Impossible, no King of Binoria has ever bled." Orgeeg said. His mind churned with incomplete thoughts, he was incapable of coming to a valid conclusion regarding what he'd just heard. "There must be a logical explanation."

"The Royal medics attended the King and proclaimed it as a simple nosebleed brought about by atmospheric pressure." Masutap said.

"That's probably it."

"Atmospheric pressure? Orgeeg? Do you honestly believe that bullshit?"

"Kings of Binoria do not bleed." Orgeeg said and immediately sought to change the subject other than continue to trod on that blasphemous path. "So, Desan's unlikely to inherit the blessing of the Goddess now incase anything happens to his father before he recovers, that makes Leba next in line." Orgeeg thought over his words for a moment. "Binorian Kings Die of old age of course, so Desan will most likely be back to full health before his father passes."

"We can only pray so." Masutap responded. She leaned back in bed until her head bumped the wall. "I'd rather Desan be King than Leba."

"I don't know, Desan is quite ignorant. Leba is loved by all throughout the Kingdom and his deeds speak of how good a person he is." Orgeeg replied. "He has built over two dozen orphanages."

Desan was most likely to enter Tabrimas compared to his younger brother due to his participation in various battles but that didn't prevent Orgeeg from admiring Leba. The younger Prince wasn't battle experienced but his heart was pure for his deeds touched many within Binoria and even beyond the kingdom.

"Something about Leba doesn't sit well with me." Masutap said.

"What? The man is as generous as any Royal has ever been."

"The orphanages for example. Did you know that he takes in thousands of children in those shelters but the dwellings are never expanded to house the new children neither does the amount of food reserved for each orphanage exceed its usual quota?" Masutap shook her head from side to side. "I just find it all very odd."

"You're overthinking things." Orgeeg said while standing up. It was time to depart, he'd gotten the information he'd come for. He paused as he headed to the door, a thought occurred to him. "Do you think they'll lower my Rank?" He asked with his back turned to Masutap.

"Because of the Kolotian?" Masutap asked. He nodded without turning to her. "I doubt they will. You heard about the Inquisitors?"

"Yeah, the Kolotian killed one and disfigured the other." Orgeeg replied.

"The Kolotian was a threat level eleven and the Inquisitors had passed him off as a one, everyone fell victim to ignorance and paid for it, including the King himself," Masutap replied. "Though if they lowered your rank it'll favor me as I will take your place."

Orgeeg smiled at her words and reached out to open the door, his smile faded to a thin line as he retreated from Masutap's chamber with her words echoing in his mind.. .. Including the King himself. He shook his head from side to side. There was no way he could believe that Vayin Vigon had bled by the hand of the Kolotian. "It was definitely atmospheric pressure induced." He concluded as he walked on with confident strides. Orgeeg, however, couldn't quite shake off the feeling of ignorance his conclusion brought him.

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