Angra Mainyu shook the realm violently.
Not controlled tremor, but a spasm of rage fueled by rejection of what it witnessed. Cracks erupted underfoot, bone bridges fracturing in dozens of places, and the sea below surged higher, waves reaching toward those standing above.
"No! No!"
The voice lost all pretense of control. "You do not choose them, and they will not follow you. They will-"
"Help me." Reinhard said it simply before he held out his hand. "Please?"
There was no hesitation.
The first warrior, one with a jagged walking stick, a half-charred face, and a single bright eye, stepped forward immediately. Her boot moved onto the cracking bone bridge without pause for consideration.
"I'm with you." She said it as a statement of fact.
Another raised his hand, which trembled from exhaustion but lifted nonetheless. "Me too."
