Trojian Horse

“You will be stopped!” shouted Roue still holding up Hethios who looked as if he would not be able to take another step forward. Hethios shoulder was bleeding, his skin had been split open by the battle axe dangling dangerously in Reeger’s hand.

“And who will stop me? You?” Reeger asked his smile barely suppressing a mischievous giggle. “That declaration is an acceptance of what you know is coming. You cannot stop me. Others may try but your time is up.”

“You don’t have to do this Reeger, we can find another way to end this,” Hethios said softly. The arena was deathly quiet which allowed his voice to carry across the distance despite the softness in his voice. The swirling of the lake water against the banks and the distant sound of gun fire and fighters exploding in the air was all that could be heard.

“When you surrender you will call me lord,” Reeger said with a snicker. “I think I may just keep you alive Hethios, only so you can see me slaughter the rest of your kind.”

Roue raised his laser gun to shoot but Reeger was too quick for him, swinging his axe and knocking the gun out of his hand before he had barely lifted the gun to point it in Reeger’s direction.

“I was thinking of affording Hethios some company. Not anymore. You will be one of the first to die.”

“You will be stopped. Your reign cannot last forever. Even if we are knocked down another shall rise in our place to fight against the evils by your kind.”

Reeger laughed boisterously.

“Perhaps, but none of you will be there to witness that day,” Reeger added taking a few steps toward them. Even without a weapon nobody dared to move to challenge him. Reeger was now standing right above Reinon’s body when he knelt and dipped one of his four fingers into the blood flowing from the torso then proceeded to lick it, closing his eyes to savour it. “She was not worthy. I can taste it.”

He opened his eyes then stood up and walked towards Hethios and Roue who were rooted to the spot shocked by what they had just seen. Taking back his battle axe from the outstretched arm of a Dracien soldier, he stood with his face barely an inch from Hethios’ face. The same soldier, who was standing a mere step away from where Roue and Hethios stood relieved Roue of his weapon then proceeded to take his place in the arena circle. The same look of disgust was on the faces of the Vulpeculae who had seen Reeger taste Reinon’s blood. Turo, Mato-Rayo and Elia-bi stood silently in the background among the other Vulpeculae trying their best to blend in. Many of the Vulpeculae had been disarmed by the time the fighting between Hethios and Reeger began and the few who still had weapons in their hands had lost all hope that they could win this battle when they saw Hethios and Reinon so easily succumb to defeat.

“This is the end. Now you can join your champion,” Reeger said, opening his eyes and stepping back raising his axe slowly above his head.

“His name was Arien,” Hethios said defiantly.

“I knew him by a different name, Zibulo if I remember correctly.” Reeger noticed the momentary look of surprise on Hethios face at his statement. “Oh, you did not know. The story of Zibulo and I was written a long time before this day it seems. I was always destined to win. There was a time his existence threatened my own but now that time is gone. Now it is my time.”

“You monster,” Hethios said, whispering the words as if he was suffocating with the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.

“Once I am done with you I will parade your Queen’s head before her people while they bow and pledge their allegiance to me. Then I will kill them all,” Reeger said smiling.

Hethios could only glare at Reeger in response. Roue quickly bent down and tossed a handful of sand in Reeger’s eyes before yanking Hethios and they both dashed away from the scene into the crowd. Reeger took his time wiping the grains of sand from his eyes then watched them run for a few moments. In a monstrously quick take-off he began pursuing them running along the bank pushing through the myriad of bodies between him and them. A wide grin was on his lips as he ran, dashing so quickly past the onlookers that he appeared as if he were a haze and before they knew it Reeger knocked them to the ground.

“As much as I enjoy this, there are things I need to do. This ends here for you Roue,” Reeger said. He turned toward the crowds proclaiming his intention to them yet again. His voice resonated loudly throughout the arena, audible over the sounds of battle overhead. Reeger to turned to one frightened Vulpecula who was standing close to where they now stood and began addressing her.

“Today you will watch your leaders die. Tomorrow you will call me master and maybe if you amuse me you may live out the rest of your days in servitude to me until such a time when I deem your life worthless to me. Kneel before me now and beg for your life.”

The Vulpecula stood rooted to the spot, the joints in her legs creaking loudly. She bent her legs slightly as if to get on the ground before Hethios shouted for her to stay on her feet.

“No matter what he says or does, we don’t give him the satisfaction. We stay true to ourselves and we die Vulpeculae!” Hethios screamed at all who could hear him.

Clearly incensed Reeger kicked the Vulpecula soldier in the chest sending him flying into the crowds before turning back to face Roue and Hethios who were still on the ground. He raised his axe over Roue whose body went limp in anticipation of the death blow. He looked directly into Reeger’s blood-thirsty red eyes.

Mato, Turo and Elia tore through the crowds screaming for Reeger to stop as they ran toward him. Reeger brought the axe down with devastating force.