a king walks among us
He knows this game, yes, but seldom does it have so many players.
There are wolves now, and then, and before and after and all at the same time that El Rey attempts to execute his stupid little plan. Stupid, in hindsight, in now-sight, knowing that she has summoned teeth out of dirt and now there are more knives at his throat than he can count. This was a bad idea, he thinks, and he could’ve guessed it before, oh, why hadn’t he? She tensed her form like lioness made from all-consuming blackness and not blood. She laughs and his horn cuts across her neck but it is far from the killing blow.
First, blade.
Second, one two three four wolf or wolf-things.
The blade strikes against the side of his neck as he tries to duck out of its path, or rather, save himself from certain death. The wolves and Eligos come for him and there is little he can do, now their teeth snag on his flesh and tear it away; who could see the blood against his darkness if it had been anything but fresh crimson? He thinks she will kill him, knows it, but he was born for fighting and this is what he will-
His hoof slips against the bank. It falls away. It falls away and he wonders if it will take the wolves with it, if all the mud that falls into the river will stay lupine and tear him apart before the rocks have their share. It is not his to decide, no, if Eligos comes with them all, but he hopes that they all go down if he must. The mud splits away with the sand and cracks like eggshell with the black rot that runs towards them all.
El Rey has no magic to save him. All he thinks is, Let me live, and this is his answer:
His flank slams hard into a stone. His hooves scrabble along the rocks, his hips burn like hellfire - are the wolves here too? Is the black beast? Is the red one? Funny, to think of anything but himself as a black beast.
The river grabs hold of him, at least for now, its waters pink and tainted.
@Thana
”in blood the blade, to its golden hilt, I’ll drown,“
I pledge you now, to death they all are bound,
