The Beast That was Promised ✔

TWENTY-FOUR: Satisfaction

There was never a guarantee. Not even the tornado of flames had been enough to stop him. After that, he'd disappeared as if he'd never been there in the first place. How Ishin had spotted him in the first place, he didn't know, but he'd lost him quickly after the tornado disappeared. Somehow, Ishin still knew that he had failed and the Beast was still alive.

"You'd see it," Ishin said when he'd asked. "There would be a great burst of power because the Beast isn't supposed to die. The realm would be in shock."

"If he's not supposed to die, how are you going to kill him?" Harudan had asked. General Juna had been getting the army to prepare for the march towards Ziya.

Ishin had looked at him as if he was stupid. "Just because he's not supposed to die doesn't mean it's not impossible. I will kill him, he's the only thing standing in my way, your way too."

And that was the last thing he had said for hours upon hours. Ishin wasn't the most talkative being, but he always seemed to have something to say. It was strange not to hear him speak for so long. After Liman, there were things they needed to talk about, considering how close they had come to destroying the city the moment the Beast had shown himself.

Ishin hadn't told him about the extent of the Beast's powers. Somehow, he had survived the blows the God dealt him and the creatures that had come racing across the snowy fields towards them not long afterwards. They were illusions, that much had been obvious from the way Ishin's arms had fallen through the beast that had reared up towards them, but there was no way an Askari could cast anything that powerful. It had to be the Beast, but he had never thought he could create anything so strong.

Harudan needed answers and Ishin's silence was getting irritating. He also needed to tell him to not let his anger get the better of him when they finally reached Ziya. The Beast would no doubt be there and that meant there was a chance that something could happen, something that could end with the destruction of the one place that couldn't be destroyed, the place he needed to rule from when he finally took over.

"Ishin," he said and the God looked at him, unimpressed. "There are things that need to be discussed."

His heavy tone made General Juna eye him warily. Speaking so rudely to something like Ishin probably wasn't a good idea but even he needed to learn that his actions had consequences. He'd spent a long time convincing Harudan not to destroy all of Minisia only a few days beforehand and then almost gone back on his own word the first chance he'd gotten.

"Come along then, little King," Ishin said and wandered off to the side. The fact that something like him had any sense of privacy was astounding but he shrugged and followed nonetheless.

Most of the army walked behind them at a steady march, Juna and their most trusted at the front, meaning there weren't too many places they could go where they wouldn't be overheard by someone. Not that it mattered that much in the long run. If people overheard and realised that he was the one in charge of the powerful being, then it would be better for him.

Harudan usually struggled to read the expressions on Ishin's face but in that moment, he could see the irritation in the set of his face. "You're angry," he said and Harudan scoffed, narrowing his eyes at the way to flames at the end of his hair exploded with a bright blue.

"I'm angry? No, but I am disappointed," he answered and raised an eyebrow at him. It was like talking to a child, it was strange. "You were angry."

"What is this, a lovers squabble?" Ishin snapped and Harudan's jaw clenched tightly. He hated that his mind drifted immediately to Jonin when it shouldn't have. He needed to focus on other things.