The Fight Continues

Fiona shook as the news came in, Sinatra breathing heavily on the other side of the line. Something was wrong with Gwyn, something very wrong. She turned to Rheba, who had heard everything relayed across the tablet, and the tall warrior nodded.

“We need to take him down,” Rheba said, “He is a threat to the city.” She crossed her arms, and the blue princess couldn’t tell if her face was stern or if there was a difference between races that she couldn’t recognize.

“But, but….” Fiona began. She wanted to say they should try to reason with him, try to get Gwyn to calm down on his own, but the report was clear. The nonpareil was out of his mind, and there was no telling what would be required to stop him. With Donn and the majority of his personal guard out along with Hermina, she was now the royal child with the most authority. And calls from Sinatra across the line meant she needed to decide immediately. There was no telling what meeting her mother was currently held up in; Fiona didn’t have that precious time to go and hunt her down either. “I… I’’’ she stammered.

Kerra shook her head, and Blenda laughed, “What a pathetic nation! Can’t we just go and take care of this rabid nonpareil?”

Rheba gave her underling a stern look, severe enough that the giant seemed to shrink under her superior’s gaze. The golden warrior looked down and apologized, and Rheba sighed in response.

“She probably is correct; in some small way, we can assist you while we are here.”

Fiona shook her head, but her words didn’t match.

“Alright, just don’t hurt him too much.”

“Hah, he’ll only get hurt as much as he has coming to him!” Blenda laughed. She shrunk again as Rheba gave her another glare.

***

Rheba sighed as she and her two subordinates squeezed into the back of an Aqueenian transport and sped into the city. Fiona stayed behind, running away at the last minute to make a call. Her blue face looked disgusted just before she shuffled away like she had made some hard choice, so Rheba said nothing and let her go. It was probably nothing to worry about. Hopefully, it would end up being something helpful.

What she was worried about was Gwyn, who, after being locked away—by his own will—apparently the whole time since they returned home, was now causing havoc around the city. She silently cursed herself for not visiting sooner. Fiona had expressed concern across the messages they shared, but Rheba figured it wasn’t that bad, or Gwyn would be fine. She didn’t like beating some sense into him, but leaving him to run around wasn’t an option either.

Taking a good look at both her companions, Rheba cleared her throat.

“This may be a tough battle if that fanboy’s report was accurate; leave anything you have a personal affection for in this vehakul, and be prepared for a fistfight. I hope neither of you are shy about brawling naked?”

Kerra squirmed slightly, but neither offered much resistance to the idea.

Blenda beamed

“If I take down a Nonpareil, do I get to become one as well?”

“That’s not how it works….” Kerra replied.

Rheba shook her head and looked out the window.

The seats of the vehakul were uncomfortable, made all the worse by how they were hunched over under the low ceiling. Their Aqueenian driver said nothing until it was time.

“We are here.” The other two peaked their heads out as well. Before them was a long trail of deformed ground, Colton had stopped to wait for Rheba to de-contort out of the vehakul. “Where is he?”

“Just up ahead,” Colton said as he pointed, “I tried shouting, but it was like he couldn’t hear what I had to say.”

Rheba punched her Needaimus bonded fist into a flat hand.

“Then we will use our fists to communicate.” She waited a minute longer for her apprentices to leave any items of care behind, and then the three charged down the path to the enraged Nonpareil.

They spotted Gwyn sitting on the ground, emptying a bottle of water into his mouth. He spat, and the bottle liquefied as soon it was empty.

“Thirsty,” he muttered before turning back to Rheba. Crimson red eyes and a contorted face glared at her; the sight was enough to make the warrior take an unexpected step back. It was like she was looking at a monster and not a man—made all the more concerning considering that she knew what the man was supposed to look like.

“Al Omo, guide me,” Rheba said under her breath.

Blenda laughed. She strolled forward, fists at the ready, to the Nonpareil sitting on the ground.

“I can’t believe this was such a big deal!” she shouted as she towered above Gwyn. Her clothes began to liquify and fall off, but she showed no concern. The mad Nonpareil looked up at her but took no action.

“Be careful,” Rheba warned, but her words were wasted. Blenda grabbed Gwyn by his red hair and lifted him up so their heads were face to face. She thought the golden-furred warrior muttered something but couldn’t make out any words. Gwyn furiously squirmed as she laughed.

Blenda laughed until Gwyn’s flailing hands caught onto her arm. She let out a yelp, and Gwyn dropped to the ground. As the golden-furred warrior held a sagging hand, Gwyn pushed to his feet and drove a fist into her stomach. She let out one gasp of air before crashing to the ground.

Even without looking at her, Rheba could tell Kerra had taken a very large step back.

“Warriors don’t retreat.”

“He’s mad!” she replied.

“Careful!” Colton, having just caught up with them, shouted, ” His strength has become ridiculous….” His voice trailed off as he eyes the now unconscious Blenda.

Gwyn looked at everyone, then began to stumble away. Rheba gritted her teeth and began to run through words and phrases. The number of points it would cost with each choice appeared in her vision next to her current total. Restraining Gwyn would cost far more points than her ability allowed; even knocking him out was pricy. Whatever was wrong with him, her Needaimus was warning that it was more than she could take on. Nevertheless, she charged forward.

Reaching for Gwyn’s arm, Rheba felt the clothes up to her shoulders start to droop off. She grabbed The Nonpareil, but he twisted with enough force to pull the giant warrior off her feet. Surprised, she hit the ground and let go. The red-eyed Gwyn turned and growled before striking her in the stomach hard enough to crack the ground under her. As Rheba’s vision blurred and faded, she saw Gwyn headed off into the distance.