Brotherly Feud

The night was peacefully silent, not but the sound of the crickets singing in the nearby swamp area and the array of nocturnal animals could be heard. They rustled in the woods, branches cracked where they stepped.

The wind blew serenely, making the branches of the trees dance in a symphonious beauty and elegance. The full moon glared down upon mother earth like a small child eyeing the candies behind the glass at the candy store, appraising its marvels from high above.

Suddenly the stillness and serenity was broken, a scarred emerged out of the tree line separating the house from the large forest. It walked quietly, the impact of its small paws upon the dewy grass barely making any noise.

Sniffing the ground it stopped right in the midst of taking another step, looking up with supernatural speed. Looking over the house with its psychotic yellow eyes, a look of blood lust could be seen on its face.

Its ears went up as a slight snap came from the forest, hardly enough noise to even deserve attention. However the wolf heard much more, it could hear the slow paced breaths of a person nearby. Hearing the heartbeat drum at a calm rhythm.

Suddenly it began to change, changing forms all together its four legs were replaced by two very human legs. Ares stood in his natural form, the presence Ares sensed possessed great power. And only one person Ares knew of could possess such power.

" Tyro, still watching over this family, a little obsessive of you isn’t it? I mean, you been watching these kids since before they were even alive."

Turning to face Tyronis, eyes meeting his with a stronger lust for blood he had possessed for the house. The wind blew gently in Tyronis’ silver hair, making the blow in the wind joining the synchronous dance of the branches and the grass.

" But I suppose you are making up for botching things up with me eh Tyro? I mean I was your little bro, but because I had the curse you..."

Tyronis looked at him not with blood lust but with sympathy, not letting him finish he said, " I remember what I did Ares, and I thoroughly regret it. You know that better than I do, but bringing you back I regret even more."

" Your are no longer you, time has indeed been cruel with you; I fear you are losing the ounce of humanity still residing within that weapon you call a body. Surrender and maybe the curse can be reversed, maybe you can be you once more and we can be brothers again."

Ares laughed at this, not a jovial laugh or the typical evil laugh Tyronis always heard. But it was a laugh so sardonic it chilled the blood just the same, " And whatever gave you the preposterous idea I wanted my humanity back at all."

" That ounce of humanity still residing within me gives me a bit of a weakness, like dad’s bad knee. Remember how he always had that limp. I will rid myself of this limp that is my humanity..." Pulling his falcata blades out quickly, he swirled them in intricate motions faster than the naked eye could see.

As they stopped moving Ares stood in a battle stance, swords glowing yellow with pure energy. " Just as I will rid you of your weakness, of your humanity. It is unfortunate you will never be alive to thank me."

With that he swung his swords to the ground, releasing the energy, sending a large wave of pure power toward Tyronis. In retaliation to this fearsome attack Tyronis quickly formed a light ball within his palms and fired to stop the oncoming wave.

The two attacks collided together with the epic impact of two large armies. The light ball trying with all its might to cut through the wave of pure dark energy and failing utterly. Absorbing the light attack and swallowing it up into non-existence it quickly hit Tyronis.

The wave came into impact with his shield, shining blue under the quick and sudden flash wave of dark energy. The force of the wave sending Tyronis flying to the ground, landing hard on his back, sending dust and grass fly into the air.

Groaning in pain and discomfort, his vision quickly ceasing to spin Tyronis came to the sudden realisation Ares was nowhere to be seen. Rising quickly to his feet he looked around, looking into the forest for any trace.

He did not know how Ares had become so powerful, but he had a feeling his new mirror like skin had something to do with it. It somewhat reminded him of that moon mask Ares had been wearing 18 years ago.

Then, thinking a little clearer he felt strongly Ares was going for the house, or was already inside. Walking to the house, shield powered by what little magic Tyronis still possessed protecting him.

Suddenly he felt something inside his head, a very familiar presence and yet so very alien. Noises began to fill his mind, high pitched noises screeching in his mind. Tyronis fell to the ground, holding his head in pain. Suddenly the noise stopped and Ares’ voice emerged using an old satanic language.

Tyronis tried to block the voice, forcing a decent wall of red bricks within his mind. Refocusing all his power on the wall, he hoped it would hold. The last resort if the wall should collapse would be to erase his memory, but he could not risk forgetting what he knew yet.

Ares appeared in his mind, feeling the wall with his sharp claws he smiled to himself. " Tyro, did you really think such a flimsy wall weaker than a writer’s block wold be able to stop me?"

His hand transforming into a large spiked mace he swung it with all his might, smashing the wall into oblivion with incredible ease. Already on his knees Tyronis fell to the ground in a fetal position, the pain of the mind probe far too great for him to bear.

Ares walked over the mental barrier, walking freely in the hallways of Tyronis’ mind. It was a long hallway, many entrances and yet no doors. Ares learnt all he could from his brother’s mind, about the powerful dark arts of magic.

He did not stop there, why would anyone stop when they had access to an entire undefended mind. He learnt every one of Tyronis’ darkest secrets, but most importantly, the only memory with a bit of defence was regarding Tyronis and Jolene.

Having devoured all his knowledge within his mind, Ares exited his mind leaving behind one little memory to torment him. Jumping in front of Tyronis he was slowly gaining his composure and yet not strong enough to even look up.

Flexing his right arm he grinned his malicious pearly white grin as his arm morphed into a dark energy tendril. Pointing at Tyronis with his new arm the dark tendril stretched out and stabbed into his side, lifting him ten feet in the air.

Without losing his malicious grin he said, " Telepornikus" and snapped his fingers, making them both instantly disappear in a grim and ancient graveyard.

The air was corrupt with death and decays, as though death had finally found a home and had since remained and stunk up the place with its deathly scent like no other place. The scent flooded their senses like heavy current water breaking through a frail log dam.

Pulling the tendril out and returning it to its normal state, Ares breathed in the toxic air that death left in its wake. Transfixed on this newfound sense Ares ignored Tyronis giving him time to recharge from the barrage of attacks he had taken.

Returning his attention Ares with a new glee of psycho mania, " As I recollect, this is where you buried me alive all those years ago. How very long ago that was."

He pointed his clawed index finger at a vacant hole, an old broken down cross with the words, Ares, dead with no curse is better than alive with a curse. " Cute speech Tyro, has a good ring to it. You always were the melodramatic one. Cozy little hole you dropped me in."

Tyronis felt the power coming back to him but needed to buy more time. If he did it right he could launch an attack. " You know why Ares, you probed my mind yourself. Why don’t you look at your gatherings and see I had no alternative, you had the curse."

Ares hissed and retorted while singing mockingly, " Liar, liar, robe on fire! If you don’t stop lying I will kill you now!"

Laughing crazily at himself, he looked at him a little more seriously and continued, " You always did insist on lying didn’t you? You could have sacrificed your precious little mission rather than your own brother."

" I would have done anything for you Tyro, I would have dived into the river of Styx. I seen you as a hero, a person to look up to. When young we can be so naive."

Tyronis replied sternly, " I do not lie! Why would I lie when in such a weak state? Not only did I think I was saving you life of misery, but the whole damn world depends on them, you get that!?"

The four elements flashed in his eyes, raw power filled Tyronis. He lifted high in the air raised by powerful winds, wind blowing hard against Ares. He looked up with a playful look concealing his slight fear.

A storm began to form, lightning and thunder descending upon the earth. Ares laughed loudly, barely being heard over the wind, " Get down from there and we’ll handle this mano to mano."

Among all the lighting suddenly they all came together forming a super bolt. It flew faster than the eye could see, before Ares could dodge it hit him square in the chest. However the super bolt simply rebounded off his extremely powerful shield and rebounded back toward Tyronis.

The impact of the super bolt against Tyronis’ moderate shields sent him flying hard to the ground. Smiling in contempt Ares said, " everything has to end someday, your life must find its end just as the world must."

Tyronis was on his knees, the extreme pain soaring through Tyronis was very evident by his facial expressions. Ares lifted his right palm to face up in a over dramatized theatrical way.

First a fire ball appeared in his hand, looking a small sun in his palm it soon changed dramatically. Disappearing into his palm, his whole arm transformed into a pillar of fire. Arm blazing Ares asked in a non sincere voice, " Any last words before I burn you to a crisp dear brother?"

Tyronis, looking up, his tortured eyes looking into the cold blooded yellow eyes of Ares he said, " I have lost you brother, I fear you may have now have truly lost your humanity. But I still love you Ares, you will always be my little brother."

Ares snarled at these words, unable to hide his anger behind playfulness or sarcasm. He hated such emotions, they plagued him like locusts to the crops. " Good riddance that will be, may you burn in hell brother!"

Ares fired a intense and continual beam of fire from his arm, Tyronis did not even try to defend himself but screamed in pain as his skin burnt to a crisp. Turning black he was all dried up, falling to the ground Ares kicked him into the vacant grave that had once been his.

All that remained of his corpse was his flowing silver hair that had somehow managed to survive the barrage of fire. Not even bothering to bury him Ares spit on his brother’s corpse and said in his usual sardonic voice, " Tallyho Tyro, as I said. All things must end someday."

A twinge of remorse came into Ares, sneaking into his heart like a thief in the night. Ares hated such petty feelings and quickly stowed it away very deep within himself. Content with the feeling now gone, Ares had a soon to be legend to kill.