Bab 67: Battle for information
The glories of being in an actual castle was the many rooms devoted solely to military training, and Russ found himself in one such area. He watched as the gigantic man across from him pulled his hoodie over his head, bringing with it the thin band tee he was wearing under it. Russ's eyes widened as he took in the massive clusters of muscles covered in a daunting mix of tattoos and scars. {HOLY SHIT! Now I don't feel so bad for losing every fight to him so far.} Russ arched his brows studying the scars and tattoos across Orion's broad back.
Orion chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder toward Russ. "What's wrong pup, never seen the body of an actual warrior before?" He laughed as he turned, seeing Russ's eyes widen farther. "Or you just in love with me too?" He shrugged, "I wouldn't mind, ya know." He sent Russ a devilish grin, "I'm sure you've heard the stories."
Russ snarled his nose in distasted, "No, I just…" He continued letting his eyes roam freely over the other man's upper body in confusion and fascination. "I… well I thought demigods healed… Are you different?"
Orion frowned, "Not always kid." He bent and picked up a roll of tape to wrap his wrist and knuckles talking as he worked. "You and I aren't all that different. It's very similar to the way you heal when you transform, I do when I transform… Unlike you my form is harder to achieve. I have to be in saltwater." He glanced up at Russ as he continued with the tape. "I figured you would have already known that. What damage I sustain in this form remains if I can't transform within the first twelve hours after an injury… Just like other demigods."
Russ frowned, "I didn't realize…"
Orion sent him a questioning look, "Ready kid?"
Russ cracked his knuckles together, "As ready as I'll ever be…" He met stride with Orion as they both walked toward the center of the ring.
Orion tapped Russ's chest with his fist gently, "Remember what I taught you. Use the power of the wolf to increase power and heal isolated areas, by doing so it will keep you from fatiguing as quickly. I'm not going to hold back this time, kid. If you truly what information from me then you'll need to work for it. Pull on all I've taught you."
Russ arched a brow, "Um... Ok..."
Orion laughed as he shrugged, "Won't make a difference." He held both fists up. He didn't have to wait long as Russ quickly tapped them and took the first swing. Orion was caught off guard but still easily blocked it. He continued to hold back blocking one jab after another, not attempting to hit back.
Russ took a few steps back, circling his opponent, "I thought you said you wouldn't hold back?"
Orion smiled widely, "Are you in that big of a hurry to get your ass kicked?"
Russ didn't react, instead he just continued circling Orion. {The man is up to something that much is obvious. He's forcing me into the offensive that much is obvious…} "So kick it already… do something."
Orion only smiled as he continued to wait on Russ's next punch.
{Fuck… This is going to make it harder.} Russ cracked his neck and bounded forward. He threw a left jab followed quickly by a right hook which was both blocked as expected. Russ continued a combination of rapid-fire hooks and jabs until Orion had lifted his arms away from his body enough to leave his lower ribs vulnerable. Russ quickly swung his leg up in a well-aimed kick to Orion's open ribs, but to his surprise Orion took the kick, using it as his opening to throw his first hit. It hit Russ square in the face. He wobbled backwards, forcing the bridge of his nose to partially shift. "Good to see you finally decided to join the fight, but did you really have to break my nose?"
He laughed, but then expression feel to a stoic scowl as he made his move. He rushed Russ, faking a hook with the right fist and landed a left jab to Russ's sternum. Orion didn't give him time to recover his breath as he threw two rapid jabs to his face and an uppercut his ribs before spinning in a roundhouse kick directed toward Russ's head.
Russ struggled to breath but still managed to catch the foot flying toward his face. He grabbed Orion's calf with one hand and drove the hilt of the other into his knee cap. He shifted the arm still gripping Orion's calf as he flung it away from him knocking Orion off balance. Russ shifted his standing leg as he kicked off the ground to landing a knee kick an unstable Orion, but to his surprise Orion ducked last minute and landed a jab to his ribs. Russ gritted his teeth as he hit the ground. Russ spun around still on the ground with another kick knocking Orion's feet out from under him. Russ stayed low to the ground as the large man came down, darting toward him as he fell. He caught him around the waist throwing the weight of his body into the fall to increase impact.
Orion could feel claws digging deep into his spin as he crashed to the grown with the force of Russ���s full body hit. He smiled up into the boy's face as he sat up to no doubt throw a punch or two from his new vantage point. With one easy move he quickly shifted the position and attempted to pin Russ, but the kid quickly wrapped his legs around his arm and held him as he landed a quick jab to Orion's jaw. Just as he thought the boy was releasing his arm a clawed foot slammed into his chest, giving Russ the leverage, he needed to get back onto his feet.
Russ didn't miss the chance, within seconds of getting to his feet he kicked out several times, making contact with his ribs, arms, and with a final kick to Orion's left ear. Russ grabbed the back of Orion's head as he wobbled from the temporary disruption of his equilibrium and drove his knee hard into his nose. Russ waited to see if Orion would get up or stay down in defeat.
Orion wiped the blood from his nose, "Nice try son, but it will take more than that to bring me down…" He pushed up off the floor, "You should have finished me while you had a chance." He said as he launched himself at Russ full force.
Rin watched in the shadows as Russ and Orion fought like he had never seen before. There always seemed to be at least one part of Russ's body shifted into a strange hybrid wolf form as he battled against Orion's godly strength and superhuman speed. He had materialized into the training room shortly before the fight started interested in seeing what kind of training the two were doing, but after he realized they meant an actual fight where neither held back he realized this was no longer training… this was Russ fighting for something he wanted, something he cared for more than his own wellbeing… Joslyn… Rin couldn't take his eyes off as he watched the two continued to land punches and kicks from countless positions including mid-air. Rin gripped the edge of the small chair he had found as he watched Russ take a full-on Hollywood werewolf form that seemed to double his strength and endurance. He caught Orion in mid-air by the throat and slammed him into the ground, following the large man's face down with a punch that caused a gruesome crunch to sound throughout the room. Orion coughed up blood but didn't tap out of the fight instead he kicked upwards with both feet catching Russ under the arms and flipped onto him. He punched Russ's face in a frenzy of lightening quick hits as Russ sank his claws into the tender flesh of Orion's sides struggling to fling the man off. Blood trailed down Orion's sides and Russ's face as they continued fighting, neither showing any signs of giving up. Russ managed to get his legs around Orion's upper body and was about to flip him off when Orion finally stopped whaling on Russ's face lifting one hand and flick his wrist. With that movement Russ began struggling more to get out from under his capture. He flipped Orion off and stood but wasn't able to move away in time. A trident materialized in Orion's grip, and he heaved it through the air landing it directly into Russ's upper shoulder. The force of the trident lifted Russ's body off the ground and flung him through the air pinning him to the far wall of the room.
Orion was struggling to breath. His words were heaved out between rasps of air. "I win." He said as he walked slowly toward Russ. He flipped his wrist again and the trident turned into water, splashing down over Russ's body as he crumpled to the ground.
Rin stood up and walked toward the two men. "I would say it was a pretty even match until you turned him into a human shish-kabob."
Orion shrugged, "I said I wouldn't hold back…" I trained his gaze on Russ. "But I did anyways… Imagine if I hadn't." He knelt down in front of Russ. "It's been quite a while since I've had a good fight." He wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. "I'll tell you the story… get cleaned up." Orion stood and walked toward the main door a slight limp with every step.
Rin looked down at Russ, "Are you ok?"
Russ nodded. He carefully lifted himself off the ground and slowly walked toward the shower room at the rear. "He'll still tell me what I want to know so it's still a win in the end."
Rin shrugged, "I guess…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Have you learned his weakness?" Rin asked.
Russ let out a sarcastic laugh, "Does it look like it?"
Rin frowned, "So no, then?" Rin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I watched pretty closely. I'll think it over and see if I can figure out anything that might help."
Russ Stood in front of the mirror with his towel wrapped around his waist, staring at the three holes the trident had left. He ran his fingers across the area. {A little farther down and this could have been deadly…} Russ sighed.
"I know what you're thinking but believe me you're worth more to me alive than dead." Orion said as he leaned against the frame of the locker room arms folded across his chest. "I figured this would be a better place for us to talk." He walked over to a bench and flopped down, resting his elbows on his knees.
Russ nodded, "Let me transform really quick, then I'm all yours."
Orion laughed shaking his head, "If only…" He watched as Russ dropped the towel and quickly shifted in and out of wolf form. He followed the young man with his eyes as he walked over to the bag, he'd brought in with him earlier. "The truth is, I'd become bored with life and feeling sorry for myself, and when I was contacted, I thought, 'Well here's someone who may actually have it worse than me'." He shrugged. "Pathetic, I know… but it is what it is." He met Russ's eyes with an intense gaze. "How much do you know of her story? Her childhood?"
Russ shrugged. "Not a lot. I know her mom was devastated by her father leaving and went kinda crazy."
Orion arched a brow. "Kinda crazy? She went batshit! They say she stood on the shore watching his departing boat, cursing the child of his she carried." His eyes fell to the ground as he continued the tell. "They said the sight of the child discussed her so much at birth that she asked the midwife to get it out of sight and never speak of the child again." He sighed. "Joslyn was left to fend for herself from a young age. She learned to get what she needed by any means possible… one particular method of survival was seducing men… travelers mostly. She was taught to lure them to deserted areas…" He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sure you get the idea. I watched her for some time…" He smiled, "I just couldn't believe that such a small, frail looking girl could be the one I was sent after. I let her lead me off one night and after dealing with her adopted family captured her. It took a total of three years to fully rehabilitate her and teach her what it was to be… human… I gave her a name…" He smiled fondly at the floor as memories flooded his mind before a heavy scowl overtook it. "She fell in love with me though…" He shook his head. "I couldn't see her as anything but a helpless child… I couldn't…" He tightened his eyes as he continued, "My twin brother came to visit me, claiming to be jealous of whatever had taken so much of my attention lately. I told him all about Jos and suggested he deal with her training for a while… I needed some space from her…" He went quiet.
"And???" Russ urged him on. Orion gazed up into Russ's eyes. For the first time Russ was able to see real emotion swirling about within their hazel depths.
Orion's voice grew husky. "He and I had gone out drinking on the island… Areion had left early, going back to my cottage and I stayed behind with some beauties I'd met." He looked back down to the floor. "Areion told me later that he'd passed out and thought he was dreaming at first… She had snuck into my cottage and climbed into bed with him. She… seduced him… The next morning when he woke up with her tiny body still wrapped up in his arm's he was ecstatic… apparently he had taken a liking to her instantly."
Russ flopped down on the bench beside him, "I believe I know where this is going, but continue anyways."
Orion sighed, "Areion said they had the most perfect day. He didn't even consider that she had mixed us up… Late that night I came busting in with my newfound 'friends' ready for a party… When she saw me… she was so upset…" He ran his hand through his short hair, "I left that night, I couldn't handle the thought of her… my dear little girl… being hurt like that… Areion tried reasoning with her but she wouldn't listen at all… He finally gave up and left as well."
Russ growled, "And that's it? That's all?"
Orion shrugged, "More or less… Isn't it bad enough?"
Russ snarled, "Then why have you let on like it was you who slept with her?"
Orion let out a heavy sigh, "Because I knew it would piss you off. Truth is, I loved her like a daughter… I could never see her as a lover… My brother on the other hand…"
Realization hit Russ square in the face like a ton of bricks, "Wait is he the same brother you sent to Florida?!"
Orion sighed, "Yes…"
Russ stood in a flash and ran his fist through the locker directly in front of him. "Fuck!" He turned angry eyes back on Orion. "How the fuck is that supposed to be better than that piece of shit vampire?!"
Orion shrugged. "Well at least you should know she's safe. He is as powerful as me and would do anything to keep her safe…"
Russ's eyes flared with rage and snarled his lips, "If you would have told me this story before our fight, I promise you I'd have won." Russ stomped off angerly toward the door.
Orion hung his head thinking back over the conversation he'd had with his brother… "I wish I could tell you, you have nothing to worry about… but I'd be lying."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Jacquia_comics
Jacquia_comics edited 8/8/20
I can't wait to turn this chapter into art! That fight is going to be money!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone