Survive As The Brute's Wife-Chapter 174: The Confrontation

Arioch felt the ground beneath his feet shaking and he heard a booming sound that was musical. He saw the vast dune that was spanning as far as the eyes could see, shaking.

Arioch gulped and took a step back unconsciously. He could get an estimate of how big the monster is and his heart melted with fear. The Rephelim is bigger than any beast he has seen. And just a little spatter of his saliva has woken up the beast from its slumber.

The sand around the two caves, which Arioch assumed as the nostrils of the beast, fell down. Arioch didn’t fail to notice the sand displaced was the one creating the low humming noise that was melancholic and sweet at the same time.

The booming, melodious sound was heard from a farther distance. He saw the sun that was orange as it rose, turning white as the noon sun. There was not even a single cloud within a seven-mile radius of where they are at.

The hide of the beast got revealed. The legends they heard were not wrong. The bright light of the sun reflected on the uneven scales of the beast that shone like bronze. They were arranged so tightly that not even air would get past those scales to get to its skin. And the edges of the scales glinted like the sharp edge of a carefully forged sword.

Arioch’s heart started to beat in his throat. If this is just a part of the beast’s face, how terrifying woulf be the beast in its entirety? There was no one to describe it in its whole because no one lived after seeing the beast.

But he will have to use this beast to release Inanis. This is his chance. He carefully walked closer to the beast. He thought that by getting closer to its belly, he would avoid its eyes, and maybe if he is lucky, he can get the beast to whip the orb with its tail; thus freeing Inanis.

That is if the beast has a tail.

He was terrified, but he was feeling hopeful. His good foot sank into the sand as he was balancing on one foot. He lost his other foot and he didn’t even have the time to pity himself. Bending his other foot, which is half his leg that is stuck from his knee, he hopped with his other leg, to take a step to the front.

As he moved forward, the sand made a booming sound as it got splashed away.

<No way... Is this the singing sand of Samah Arav? And I am trapped here? Will the beast notice?>

Arioch got scared, but he figured with the other sound from the beast rising to devour, he figured that the little noises he makes will go unnoticed.

Arioch hopped and hopped holding the Orb for his dear life. He wanted to reach closer to the tail as quickly as possible.

But dust rose as the sand started to slide faster. As Arioch got closer to the beast, the sun got covered and he felt like the night was approaching. But he knew it is just the shadow cast by the beast and he knew he had time to reach for the tail.

As everyone knows, the bigger the beast is, the slower it will move.

By his estimate, he almost reached the shoulder of the beast. Along with the booming sound created by the displacement of sand, Arioch could hear the clanking of metal plates brushing against each other. He knew that is the sound of the scales of the beast as it stands up.

Along with the terrifying noise, came a smell of pungent sulfur and rotting flesh. That is the smell of every monster they have encountered. It was as if those beasts were risen from the deepest part of the sea of burning sulfur.

"Nén... Nén... Nén...nol... Nén"

The loud rumble of the beast sent shivers through his spine. The beast is speaking the ancient Alash language. The beast just repeats that it is smelling water.

The beast is yet to stand and Arioch increased his speed. If the beast gets to him, it will suck the blood out of him and leave him for husk. But if he released Inanis before that, Inanis would kill the beast and save him. He might get a new foot out of Inanis for serving him better.

With the thoughts of his new foot, Arioch tried to forget about the enormous pain in his leg, and the will to survive helped him forget about the dehydration brought forth by his blood loss. He grumbled in his heart about the loss of his water pouch, but he figured that the raven must have taken his pouch from him so that he will not provoke the beast. But just a little droplet of his saliva had provoked the beast anyway.

<Why didn’t the raven brief me properly? I was left here with no clue!>

With sheer willpower, he got closer to the beast’s belly. He could see light seeping in through the bottom. And that means the beast is standing up from the ground.

He wondered if he should just throw the Orb at the beast and check if the impact would break the Orb like an egg would be shattered upon impact. That is the visual he imagined. When he throws the orb, the orb will break and the contents will spill into the world of the living.

And after that, he will be the King of all!

He held his chest which was burning after the strenuous efforts he put forward to hop this far. He took in a deep breath to catch his breath. He deserves it.

But he cannot wait too long. He will have to see if his plan works. He sucked in a deep breath and focused on one of the strong scales on the belly of the beast. The Orb has to land there.

"Arioch!!!"

Hearing the familiar roar of the man he despised, Arioch almost dropped the Orb.

"Maximus!!!" he turned, gritting his teeth. "What are you doing here?" he asked. There is no way Maximus would have found him here by accident. If Alexandra is the one who is sending messages to him, where is she?

"Greetings, old enemy," Maximus smirked, sitting on his high horse that had the wings of an eagle.

His dark hair had a golden glow as he hovered above the height of the beast, his molten gold eyes were sharply fixed on Arioch. And although his face was covered with hair, it didn’t hide the despise he had for Arioch.

With the snow-white feathers of Ithildin waving away the floating dirt, his form was clear as if he was a god descending on earth.

"Let’s end this here, once and for all!"

Arioch could only grit his teeth. His good leg was trembling out of the arduous burden it bore for this long. It has been a while since he has replenished his energy, and his hatred drained his energy faster than his blood loss.

"Do what you can, Maximus!" Arioch raised his hands. He dropped the Orb on the ground, hoping that Maximus didn’t see it. And seeing how focused Maximus appeared, he was sure he was not looking at anything else, but only at him.

"End me! Make everyone know that the heir of the Great King vanquished the evil leader of the resistance! Make sure they all sing my praises once more!" he shouted.

Maximus, still at the distance, raised his lips to a mocking smirk.

"Your praises?" he asked sneering. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Yes, My praises!" Arioch repeated. "Have you ever looked at your face in the mirror, Maximillian? I think you can afford one. I, as your ancestor, did earn you a lot of wealth that you could enjoy," he sneered.

He sat on the ground and lowered himself to appear as little as possible. He could see the beast smelling the presence of humans and turning to look at them. Maximus is not even looked around to have a sense of his surroundings and is only focusing on himself. He liked to continue it that way.

He is on the ground, and Maximus is at an elevation. He knew who will be the target of the beast.

"You earned it?" Maximus gritted his teeth and drew out his sword. "Ithildin, get closer!" he ordered the summoned beast and it followed his orders.

"You earned nothing, Adonis, you loafer! Everything you had is what my Alexandra threw at you! She pitied you and left everything for you. The land, the loots, the respect...Which one is yours? Everything is my Alexandra’s!"

"But that is not what everyone thinks, is that right?" Arioch smirked. He covered the Orb under the sand so that Maximus cannot get it. The Orb is his way to the throne. He cannot lose it.

Maximus sneered at Arioch. He was here to put an end to it. He wanted to ask a lot of embarrassing questions to him to make him repent. But this one has no shame, does he?