CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 76

At the same time when the Kegi began marching into the island.

"We better start heading back." Dreycen said to Zeenare who was squatting by Tia and Luke side assessing their condition.

"Before that, we have to destroy this place. I don’t want another one finding shelter here." Zeenare moved to where Athaliah’s body once was, now just a bloody smear on the ground.

"Hmm." Dreycen moved Tia and Luke outside, while Zeenare stood before the cave entrance. With the wave of his hand, a loud cracking sound echoed through the forest, following by the sickening swell of dust as the cave crumbled to nothing.

"So what are we doing with these two." Dreycen asked gesturing to Tia and Luke.

"They are coming with us." Zeenare simply stated.

"To your island?" Dreycen enquired his eyes protruding from their sockets. "You?"

"Rhea would want to see them. And they are unconscious anyway." Zeenare explained.

Dreycen was in disbelief because Zeenare doesn’t like people in his space, not even his friends.

"Let’s leave this place." Zeenare voiced sharply.

The moment Zeenare and Dreycen stepped through the portal onto the island, a cold terror gripped Zeenare. His home had been painted red. His people lay scattered like dead fish on his porch. His eyes turned bloodshot red, his veins pulsing with fury and a cold fear.

What is this? He questioned.

He turned to Dreycen, his voice low and dangerous. "Take them out of here. Now."

But what about...." Dreycen’s eyes trailed to the chaos.

"Don’t worry about it, this battle is mine. So take them to safety away from here because if anything should happen to them Rhea would get my head for it." His gaze moved back to the mansion, a storm gathering in his eyes.

Dreycen walked back through the portal, while Zeenare shot straight for the mansion, bursting through the window into the room.

"I just went out and I am met with some miscreant in my house," he snarled. His eyes locked on the Kegi’s tight grip on Rhea’s throat. And with just a blinding speed, the Kegi’s hand exploded.

The Kegi let out a loud cry, clutching its arm as the searing pain of its missing fist radiated through it. It roared in pain. Before it could make another sound, Zeenare’s hand reached out, and the Kegi’s head exploded. Blood sprinkled from its neck as its body fidgeted.

Zeenare strode towards Rhea, held her close, and trailed his finger over her neck. "Are you okay?" He asked as he watched the make disappear from her neck.

She was regenerating again.

"Yes, she answered soft, her eyes shifted to the still twitching Kegi. With a swift movement, Zeenare drove a blade into its chest, causing it to immediately fall.

Though the Kegi Zeenare just killed lay twitching on the floor, more were already coming.

"We have to leave this place it’s not safe for us." He said pulling Rhea up.

They crawled from the shadows, their gaunt bodies multiplying with impossible speed. One, then two, then a dozen, their jagged teeth chattering, their eyes glowing.

Zeenare let out a furious roar and charging, just as his silver blade was a blur so did he moved with a speed that was a pure, brutal efficiency.

A Kegi lunged, its claws out. Zeenare parried, then spun, the blade tearing through its neck with a sickening whoosh. The severed head hit the ground. Another came from his blind side, a blur of muscle. Zeenare drove his elbow into its ribs. The bones caved in with a crunch, then his fist followed, smashing its face.

Black, viscous blood splattered his skin, but he ignored it. Zeenare’s only focus was a single point: Protect her.

He kicked one Kegi away, sending it skittering across the wall, then turned, plunging his blade into the chest of another. Its death scream was a high-pitched shriek that echoed off the walls. He ripped the blade free and swung it wide, cutting through two more in a single, fast move.

The floor was slick with the remains of the Kegi. The air was thick with their dying cries. But for every one he killed, it felt like two more appeared. They pressed in from all sides, a suffocating overwhelming swarm.

As he fought their claws scrape his back, their teeth graze his arm, but his reserve was tougher, he was going to lose the woman he cherished in tho hordes of these sardines.

Then he saw it. A flicker of death in his vision.

Seven Kegi, faster and leaner than the others, had split from the main group. They moved with a chilling, focused intent, slinking past the main fight. Their glowing eyes were not on him; they were fixed on Rhea.

A cold rage ripped through Zeenare’s throat. His blood ran cold. He had been so focused on killing, he he didn’t pay close attention to her.

"RHEA!"

He sprinted, his eyes locked on the seven Kegi closing in.

He heard the snarls behind him, followed by the whoosh of claws drove into his back.

A chilling pain erupted in his left side threatened to make him fall, as another raked deep, cutting him open.

But he didn’t. He launched himself forward, a desperate burst of power. His arms were out, ready to take every hit, ready to be a living shield. He saw the Kegi’s claws, sharp as razors, coming down on Rhea’s throat. He knew he was too late. Still, he charged. He gave everything to get between her and the fatal blow meant for her.

As the Kegi all moved towards Rhea each with their claw pointing at her, Zeenare in an instant was by her side holding her in an embrace, croched over her. His skin began to morph into hard scales, a shield forming around her. But he was too slow.

Zeenare coughed out blood, as each claws went through him, piercing his body before he could finish his transformation.

Everything went dead silent for Rhea, as though time itself had stopped. Her eyes moved down to the hot liquid pouring down onto her skin. It was all blood, but it wasn’t hers.

Her gaze flicked to Zeenare and his face had twisted to a painful grin. She watched him slide from her arms slowly to the ground.

"No. No. No." She muttered, her fingers, hovering over his gashed body, the grass welcomed his blood as the earth drank it greedily.

Rhea pressed on his wounds but her hands weren’t enough to stop the bleeding.

"Please don’t do this to me. Please don’t die," she said, her sight blinded by the magnitude of her tears. "I haven’t even been able to tell you I love you yet."

Zeenare reached for her face, a smile on his lips, blood bathing his teeth and trailing down his mouth. "You just told me. And I’m extremely happy that I get to know you love me too."

If I die like this, it’s worth it. He thought.

"No you can’t be happy now. What about the promises you made. You said you’d be there for me. That I’m yours, that you would never leave my side. Why are you leaving me now." She screamed, hiccuping.

"I’m not going anywhere silly. Even if you don’t see me. I’m always here, by your s-side." A mouth full of cough ripped from his lungs as he coughed.

"No I want to see you. To touch you to feel you. Your heat and your cold." She sobbed, burying her face in his chest.

"Please don’t leave me. I beg you." Rhea said.

"Umm. I w-won’t." He muttered, but before he could finish his hands, weakly slid.down her face to his sides, as his breath became imperceptibly thin.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooo!" She roared breaking into a radical cry.

"No."

"No!"

"No."

That was the single word slipping out of everyone of Zeenare’s workers lips as they watched Rhea clutching onto him in despair.

"Aim for her! Kill her now! We’ll be killing two birds with one stone for our master!" The Kegi leader shrieked, charging towards Rhea.

Rhea head cracked towards the one who spoke, her eyes motionless, then she looked back to Zeenare’s body that was gradually turning pale. Then to Ravira who was by Othimise side.

"Focus on him." She said.

In that instant Ravira saw something in her eyes and she immediately looked away as a terrifying cold ran through her.

Heavy winds began to blow, and Rhea slowly elevated into the air. The ocean roared with hate, clashing against the shoreline. The wind blew without mercy, bending every tree to its will.

Rhea’s fingers extended into claws, her skin turned black, as the moon shone brighter illuminating the bright gold rune stronger on her skin. Her eyes changed shape stretching into a slant with two markings at each side of her eyes, blazing with different hue, her hair flowed out, like the wave, into a beautiful unique strange colour.

Rhea’s eyes flicked downwards, and everything stopped. The ocean was still like ice. The wind disappeared. All creatures in that vicinity went quiet. She gazed towards every Kegi. Even the Sirens who had been looking at her bowed in fright involuntarily.

Rhea clenched her fist, released it and every Kegi explode except from the once whose claws had touched Zeenare.

The Kegi fell to their knees, a force pressing them to the ground as Rhea floated down.

Rhea flickered her finger at one, and it stood before her in a blink. "Which hand did you use to hurt him?" she asked.

But it didn’t speak, her eyes drifted to its hand. With her brow arched she lookef back at it, then wave him off, turning to the rest.

Behind her came the painful groan from the Kegi just spoke to. It’s skin began to fall off, beginning from its hand,its own blood turning into spikes, stabbing him from within its body.

She turned towards the leader, and every Kegi besides it was instantly decapitated at the head, wrist, and ankle.

"You wanted to kill two birds with one stone right?" A stone floated to her hand and she offered it to the Kegi. "Here."

The Kegi trembled, struggling to look up at her, as it body refused to move.

"My hands are still in the air," she said. "Take it." She probted.

The Kegi hand twiched as it tried focusing itself to move, but Rhea grabbed its hand with both her hands instead and pulled it towards, pressed her lips by it’s ears and said. "I don’t know who sent you. But this is the price you pay for touching what is mine."

Blood started running down the Kegi’s body, like a fountain, as it struggled for words. Then the Kegi scattered to the ground in dice shape as she released her hold.

She glide towards Ravira, changing back to herself, then asked. "How is he?"

"He is in bad shape." Ravira answered quickly not even daring to look at her. "No matter what I do, it doesn’t seem to work."