White Rage

Adonis groaned in pain as he slowly woke up, all he could remember was realising Ares had deceived him and then lost all recollection of anything else. He could hear the sound of orcs grumbling outside, parrying and shouting orders in their gruff tones.

Slowly getting to his feet he found himself facing a wizard he had never seen before. And yet he seemed so familiar, " Good morning Adonis, I see you got quite a knock on the noggins there. I’ve come to warn you we are leaving."

Adonis frowned at this, walking past the wizard he walked out of the cabin to see Kulos forming a legion of his own. The wizard said from behind him, " It is always preferable to travel with a legion, not too big but just the right size to survive if your smart about it."

The wizard left him, as Adonis ran to meet up with Jacob and Mal. Walking past all the orcs without fear Tyronis walked into the main fortress where he was to meet with Dominic, and resolve a few issues.

He knew what Dominic would ask, and he was surprised an elf of his age did not know the answer. He knew one elf that would have known that, or that had once been an elf. The interior of the fortress was no marvel to behold.

The walls were made of black steel, dark gothic chandeliers illuminating the hallways a bit. There were no paintings, no statues or antiques to marvel at, nothing but a military headquarters.

Walking into the large meeting room he found Dominic sitting at the end of the table, feet in a relaxed position extended on the table, " Your placing your feet where people eat, do you always act like such an orc."

Dominic looked up, " Only when I’m trying to look good, have a seat at the other end of the table far from me will you. You seem like a trustworthy guy but I just don’t trust trustworthy people without a bit of proving. Explain to me how you and your brother, both mortals, can still be alive knowing you were born two centuries before myself."

Tyronis sat at the opposite end of the table, " I could easily strike you from this distance using multiple combinations of dangerous potent attacks. All I can say for now to answer your question is we began as mortals but we both became something else."

Kulos pushed the doors open, " We are going, you can train Adonis when we get to the secondary base location, lets head out."

Following Kulos out of the fortress they surveyed the army Kulos was bringing with him. He had three thousand of his strongest orcs clad in the finest of armour and armed with none but the best weaponry. Along with the orcs stood five of the ten cave trolls, for supplies there were five carriages full of disgusting food that would never go bad and one carriage for Adonis to remain in.

Without further adieu they left the stronghold to meet Celestria. The marched fifty leagues heading straight north. And finally they were leaving behind the scorching winds of the deadly and yet at times beautiful desert. Leaving the Lokranian desert they entered the fields of Numrito.

The beauty of this field was spectacular, long green blades of grass blowing in the wind, creating a synchronised dance that filled the entire field. The orcs, however, were far too busy chopping wood from the nearby woods, constructing the secondary base.

They began construction in the morning and worked with ravenous determination from dusk until dawn. Orcs cut the trees as the cave trolls wrapped five logs with long chains and pulled them to the base. They worked late into the night, the majestic yellow sun replaced by the luminous full moon.

Within the mighty walls of wood were tents that would be used for shelter, the material in which the tents were made was the hide of all the vanquished in Kulos’ ravenous war campaign.

As they proceeded with all the work Tyronis had brought Adonis away from the secondary base, past the bushes into a large swamped area. Of all swamps Adonis had seen in his life this was the strangest of them all. Sticking out of its dark green mucky water were multiple poles of different lengths all going across the swamp, creating a very risky path that crossed the entire swamp.

Sitting cross legged on a tree stump Tyronis asked calmly, " You must be curious as to what I am going to teach you?"

Adonis was much more than curious; he was overflowing with anticipation, building up within him like lava trying to break out of a sealed volcano. " I am indeed very curious sir. I wish to become a powerful fighter and kill Ares, exact revenge on the foul fiend."

Tyronis got to his feet and turning to face the swamp said, " You must cross the swamp using the poles, once you reach the other side I will tell you inform you with the information you demand." Without waiting the wizard simply jumped casually onto a pole and walked without even looking at his feet to the other side.

Adonis was already sweating, this was going to be very difficult. Focussing on the nearest pole, he estimated the swamp water was probably deep enough to drown in if he should happen to miss a step and fall in. To verify his theory he found a large rock on the ground, lifting it with enough ease he lugged it into the water resulting in a giant splash.

Adonis tried to focus on the poles alone, the wind blew gently leaving a pleasant feel to his skin and although it was night the full moon acted as a nocturnal sun. Looking up Adonis was relieved the sun was sharing its light with its nemesis the moon this night.

Determining to jump on one of the shorter poles to begin he calculated how hard he would have to jump, he was hesitant but he took a chance and jumped on the first pole. He nearly lost his balance as he landed but putting his arms out he managed to balance himself out. He was grateful Tyronis had not given him a time to accomplish this because it would take a while.

He slowly went from one pole to another, taking a minute to completely balance himself out before looking ahead and determining the next pole in which it would be safer to step on. As he made his slow progress he heard a deep growl in the swamp, he dared look and wished he hadn’t.

A large swamp shark was swimming right for him, it had somehow caught his scent and was determined to kill him now. Its dark green hide flashed in the moonlight as it tackled the pole violently that Adonis had just been standing on, it snapped from the base falling in the water.

He now ran quickly, letting his instincts take over his feet he took but a second to calculate and then hoping not to slip jumped to the next pole. He kept the speed up, poles behind him snapping into twine as the blood thirsting shark, leaving him only one direction to go, forward.

As he landed on the next pole he lost his footing, nearly falling into the water he managed to grab onto the pole. He knew he would not have enough time to get back to the top so he kicked himself off the pole and flew to the next, hoisting himself to his feet on the next one.

Less than a second after his move the pole he’d been hanging off of snapped, the shark’s eyes glowing with fury looking right at him. He was almost there, and yet the last fifty metres seemed to stretch to fifty leagues in his eyes. Adrenaline pumping savagely he ignored the aches in his legs and kept on going.

Finally managing to cross the swamp; Tyronis sat cross legged once more on a tree stump waiting patiently. "You managed to survive, that is always a good thing. Once you realised your life was in peril you changed from the precaution taking slow to the risk taking fast. However, you failed this task."

Adonis was shocked and angry to hear this, he’d nearly been killed by the swamp shark and when he finally made it back he got a back handed compliment and was told he failed. Before he could protest Tyronis explained, " If you had not thrown that rock in the water the shark would never have know there was a scent to track, and if you had done things properly you would have calculated everything beforehand."

" But it is not for that reason you fail, you fail because of your answer to my initial question, you answered wrongly. Your first lesson shall be when to use violence and to what extent."

There was a splashing noise of something emerging from the water, Adonis turned quickly pulling his sword out anticipating the shark. However, rather than the shark coming for another round it was Dominic, soaked and stinking from head to toe from swimming in the swamp; behind him he dragged the shark’s corpse.

He laughed and imitated mockingly, " Your first lesson shall be when to use violence and to what extent." Tyronis looked at him cooly, " Dominic does not agree with this, what do you believe dark elf?"

Dominic dropped the shark making a sploshing noise of wet leathery skin against hard dirt, " I believe in preservation, to eliminate one’s threat before it becomes a threat. Protect assets before they become assets. If you knew who was going to kill you how you were going to die, would you not kill your death dealer and avoid the situation to survive?"

Tyronis replied solemnly, " I believe the world is like a river, and to do as you say would be to obstruct the river’s path. As does my brother, although he is not looking at the whole picture, merely at the part that benefits him the best."

" Destiny must not be obstructed; If I am to die I will die willingly, for my death is accomplishing a task I could not even fathom accomplishing as a corporeal being with earthbound limitations. This ensure that the river flows and everything works."

Dominic was taken off guard by his directness; he emanated power but it was not the same as the hybrids. Not even hiding his contempt Dominic said, " Not that I am not a fan of half baked metaphors but you can’t do much if your dead. Let’s talk in private for a minute."

They both looked at Adonis who was still getting his breath back and walked further away. " Listen old man, we have our differences but tell me how to get Adonis in that berserk mode, the one that made him willing to kill his sister."

Tyronis looked at him gravely, " You mean you want me to help you purposely drive him into the legendary rage mode that only one per century are born with? Why? You want to challenge him don’t you?"

Dominic shrugged, " He needs training, if he could harness that rage and control it he would be mighty indeed. But to do that he needs to get familiar with it, so how do I get him in that rage mode? Get him angry, can it be that simple?"

As Tyronis began to walk back he said, " He will come in that mode again, but it cannot be forced, it must just come" As they both faced Adonis he stood in attention, " What were you talking about? Talking about me?"

A smile flickered on Tyronis’ face, " I promised you training and you will get exactly that. You shall engage in combat with Dominic, the first one to knock his opponent in the water wins. No magic or weapons of metal permitted, but you can improvise if you want."

He turned to face the swamp, whispering something in the air the poles raised out of the water and resumed their original places. Adonis being more at ease with traversing across the poles jumped on the nearest pole. Dominic plunged head first to the same pole, spinning himself around until he was going very fast he launched himself forward, up in the sky, landing on the farthest pole with great ease.

As they faced each other on opposite ends Adonis awaited Dominic’s first move. He knew his chances of rising victorious in this challenge were slim considering Dominic’s great power but refused to fail yet another challenge. If he could somehow get Dominic close enough he would be able to use his own tactics.

Suddenly Dominic began to run across the poles with cat like ease, not even hesitating for a second as he circled Adonis. Suddenly he did something unexpected, he slid down the pole and half way down he launched himself toward Adonis. Smashing hard against the pole Adonis was standing on it swung violently back and forth.

As Adonis began to lose his balance he jumped to the next pole, turning quickly Dominic was nowhere to be seen, yet he knew he was not in the water for that would mean he would lose the challenge.

Suddenly he spotted him on the pole inches above the water, Adonis tried to predict his next move. He might plunger at him again, but if he did Adonis would jump down and kick him down into the water, Adonis awaited for the move.

However, Dominic simply climbed up the pole, as he jumped to the next pole he pulled the pole he’d been standing on out of the water, landing on another pole he was now armed with a medium size pole.

His balance and strength was indeed great if he could manage to pull the long pull out of the mucky ground and still balance himself while standing on a slim pole. Before he could do anything Dominic threw the speak like a spear, hitting Adonis square in the chest making him tumble down.

Even as he began to fall Dominic was on the move, Adonis slid down the pole, stopping the decent just above the water. Any lower and he would be immersed in it, that is when Dominic landed on him. Sending him sprawling into the swamp Dominic launched himself into the air using the spare momentum and landed on the next pole.

The water was very deep, fortunately Adonis was accustomed to such swimming conditions, as the slimy grass slithered against his wet skin like worms giving him that queasy sensation he froze in terror as he seen another shark approach him.

He zoned out completely, his consciousness leaving his body it was but a fraction of a second but in that fraction of a second he learnt much. It was the day he’d been hiding in the woods. Julia was working hard in the field, she was talking to her best friend when the attack came.

Swelling with more rage than in the previous war he began to change. Trembling with rage his eyes began to turn white, although it was but a shark he was bent on killing the creature. Not even trying to dodge it he swam quickly toward the shark.

As the shark went to bit him Adonis did a flip in the water, landing on its back with rabid fury, this time even his physical appearance had changed drastically. Long claws had formed, his skin changing to a dark blue he stabbed through the thick shark’s hide.

It began to bleed out severely, it swung its head back thrashing in the water sending blood spreading through the water, Adonis growled and stabbed it in its cold blooded eyes. He stabbed it repeatedly, his arms moving so fast not but a blur could be seen.

Shark now floating dead Adonis lost consciousness, exhausted from the ordeal he returned to normal, water filling his lungs Dominic grabbed him and brought them both out of the water.

Adonis awoke in a jolt, coughing out water the first thing he seen was Dominic looking over him concerned. As he got up Dominic said in a relieved tone, " Lesson of the day, swamp sharks always travel in pairs. Now the feast will be beginning, I came to tell you that but got side tracked, lets join them before they run out of food."

Adonis shuttered at the thought of crossing the poles yet again, " Must I cross those damned poles again? Is there no other way?" Dominic grinned, grabbing him by the collar and belt he whipped him over the swamp, he rolled on the ground across the swamp landing in a bushel of thorns. Tyronis smiled and jumped on a pole, Dominic followed.

Dominic asked as they walked casually, " Did you know that would happen? You confuse me Tyro, it can’t be forced my ass, you manipulated him into that rage. You wanted to see just as bad as I did, enjoy the show?"

Tyronis did not slow his pace as he replied calmly, " This is going to be a friendly warning, the only friendly warning. The only person that has ever called me Tyro was my brother, and it shall stay that way. As for manipulation, if I were manipulating him into showing his rage he would have attacked you, not a shark."

A large coyote suddenly ran toward them, Julia had always been the protector of her friends and had tried to scare it away, " Get lost coyote, go back home!" It looked at her with its unnaturally yellow eyes and jumped on her with lightning speed.

As it dragged her away in the woods, screaming in fear and pain people ran to save her but it was too late. Adonis recognized those yellow eyes, Ares had not only stolen his sister and killed his mother, but had also killed his true love.