The Beast That was Promised ✔

EIGHT: On The Horizon

But he couldn't stop the feeling in his gut that Askarune was telling the truth. He hadn't seen Ishin, didn't know anything about him, but logic told him that Ishin's return couldn't be anything good. Askarune had seemed panicked, worried, meaning that Ishin had disappeared for a good reason. If he was working with Harudan, which his little theory about the crystal predicted, then Ziya and the rest of Minisia had no chance.

How would he even stop something like Ishin? Meeting Askrune for the first time, he seemed eternal, intimidating, something that could never die. The only good thing about seeing him the second time was that he knew that he could kill Ishin, which was something he didn't want to do. He'd worshipped Ishin his entire life, his name was based on his, so how could he kill him, even if he wasn't a peaceful man?

The thought of it made him sick to his stomach and he had to stop and lean against a tree to catch his breath. Rina didn't notice for a moment, taking a few more steps before she turned and looked back at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

He shook his head. "I don't know what I'm doing," he whispered, hating how weak he sounded.

He hadn't known what he was doing from the moment he broke open the secret passage in Ishmar's throne room. Ever since then, nothing had gone as he had expected and he didn't know what he was supposed to do about it. All he'd expected was that he would find a way to stop Harudan and the realm would go back to the way it was.

"About Ishin?" Rina asked as if she had been reading his mind.

"About everything," he replied. "I still don't know how I'm supposed to defeat Harudan and keep him off the throne."

She sighed and grabbed his wrist. "We can walk and talk at the same time. We have to keep moving," she said and tugged him towards the east again. "If it comes down to it, I'll kill him for you."

"Rina..." he said and ran his other hand through his hair. It touched his neck, longer than it had ever been. "There has to be something I need to do. I'm the Beast, I'm supposed to stop this war, but I don't know how."

"Well, I don't think peace talks are going to work. You can't let Harudan keep the throne. It has to go to Nerin," she replied.

"I know!" he yelled before he could stop himself, letting out a quiet groan. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Harudan needs to go, but I can't kill him. Then there's Ishin, I can't kill him either."

Her eyes were wide with anger. "So you're going to let something like him live?" she asked, letting go of his wrist and crossing her arms over her chest. "He could destroy everything, Isiah! You can't just let him run free!"

"I can do what I want!" he yelled, hating how childish he sounded. "There has to be a peaceful solution to all of this. I will not sink to the level of violence again, Rina! I can't do it. I would rather end my own life than kill another person."

He hadn't realised how strong his feelings on the matter were until the words burst from him, silencing not just them, but the forest around them too. He took a deep breath, running his hands down his face and trying to calm his mind down. There was too much going on, too much for him to register.

"Look, Ishin is one of my Gods, one of the beings who created me. If it was Sol or Lune, would you be able to destroy a being you had worshipped your entire life? Would you know how to?" he asked, stopping and pulling Rina to look at him.

She looked torn, as if she wanted to act high and mighty and tell him what she thought, but knew that anything she said would be a lie. "No, I suppose not," she muttered and let out a loud sigh. "I hadn't even thought about it like that. How do you even kill a God? How do you sever that connection with them?"