The Son of War: Ch. 3

The_Woods.png Son of War: Chapter 3: Rhea&nbsp
Rhea knew she was screwed. She'd failed Lupa, the wolf that had taken her in as one of her own. The wolf that had treated her as family. And what had she done to repay her? She'd gone and gotten her butt kicked by a rival wolf clan. Rhea opened her eyes and screamed. The entire top part of her tunic was ripped off, but she was wearing a sports bra so that was good. A rather cute boy with black and red hair was staring at her from across a fire, and she was propped up on a tree, bandadges wrapped on her battle wounds.

"Wait, don't scream-" the boy began. Too late. Rhea sprang into action. She drew her sword out of thin air, magic she'd learned decades ago. Her celestial bronze sword, Leonidas, came into her bruised palm.

"State your name you crude being," she said.

"Crude being?...Wait! No! I haven't done anything to you!"

"Lies. Where's my top then, punk?" she growled.

The boy laughed. "Sorry. I had to rip it off so I could tend to your wounds. I had to stop the bleeding somehow."

Rhea lowered her sword. "Oh. Then I'm sorry for the false accusation." She still didn't trust this kid. Something about him made her just so...angry.

"I'm Tony Pierce," the boy said.

She looked at him. Her name was a secret to strangers but she felt compelled to tell him. After all he was defenesless wasn't he. She could kill him if she wanted too. "I'm Rhea Berns," she said.

"Nice to meet you Rhea. Now tell me, why are you all cut up, in a tunic, and out in the middle of no where?"

"I ask the questions, boy," she said. "And the question is why are you out in the middle of no where tending to a cut up, tunic wearing girl like me, hmmmm?"

"Good question," he replied. "But I think mine has to be answered first before I can answer yours."

Rhea growled. Was this boy challenging her? She looked aroun. It was a dark forest, plenty of willows and mist. She could easily dissapear and assassinate him when he fell asleep.

"You were in a battle weren't you?" Tony said.

Rhea looked at him. "Are you a psychic?"

"Ha, no. It's just, your dressed in a greek tunic and the imprints, dents and creases left on your clothes lead me to assume you'd been wearing battle armor. Plus you had a sword. By the way, were did you get that?"

Rhea was mystified. This boy had very accute senses. How could he have known about her battle armor just by looking at the creases in her tunic.

There was a howl from deep within the woods and suddnely Rhea was on alert.

"What?" Tonysaid. "It's just a wolf. I've been hearing them all night..."

"You have?" Rhea asked. Sweat began to roll down her head. "Oh dear. Crap. We need to leave. Grab your things we leave nothing for them to trace. Put out the fire too."

"What? I just started it!"

Rhea put her sword back in her hand and listened for another howl. Indeed one sounded again.

"That's not a wolf, that's a member of the Lupus Clan."

"The Lupus Clan?"

"This isn't the time to ask questions!" Rhea picked up a burly stick and threw it at him. "Here, arm yourself!"

Tony wacked it aside. Was he crazy? Probably. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a knife.

"That won't do anything to a Lupus," Rhea rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"How about now?" Tony brought the knife up in an arch and it transformed into a tall scythe.

Rhea gasped. "That's a tempered steel scythe with a little bit of celestial bronze! That's a rare artifact from the anicent days. That's the best type of weapon to kill-" Rhea was cut off short. A giant black wolf the size of 14 wheeler came out of the woods and tackled her to the ground. In a flash of light, though, it dissolved into ash.

"Holy crap!" Tony hollared. He put his guard up and bellowed,"Come and get some!"

Another black wolf the size of a 14 wheeler came out of nowhere and slammed itself into Tony. He flew across the forest and crashed into a tree. The tree split in half, splinters of wood flying everywhere. Tony fell to the floor with an oof!

Rhea swung her sword and it caught the side of the wolf's jaw. His entire maw went flying in a bloody heap and he dissolved into ash. Giant black wolves began coming one after the other, bombarding Rhea like bees to honey. Each one was fierce and horrible, but Rhea swatted them down like flies. Finnaly there were about 60 piles of ash on the forest floor. Rhea rushed over to Tony, and felt his pulse. He was still alive, but slowly waking.

Just when she thought the wolves were gone, the biggest and baddest flew out of the trees. He was black like the others, but he was taller than the trees, which were pretty tall to begin with. A long white scar ran across his right eye which was blind. His left eye was blood red and hypnotizing. He bared his fangs, drool and blood dripping from his dirty maw. Unlike the others he was dressed in shimmering red armor, the color of blood. A helmet with a row of 3 horns rested on his head, and guantlets the size of trees ran up his legs. A giant red armor plate was wrapped around his torso and a spike ball was attached to the end of his tail. The wolf and the girl began to circle eachother as they spoke.

"Long time no see, Rhea Berns," the wolf said.

Rhea growled. "Lupus. How dare you hunt outside our grounds. This land does not belong to the Legion."

Lupus chuckled and his laughter echoed throughout the woods. "The laws have already been burned and shredded, Rhea, you should know that. Nothing applies to us anymore. My clan has a new master."

"A new master? You dare betray your queen?"

"Lupa is old. She is no longer fit to rule. A new king shall rise soon to rule us all."

"No wolf can match the power of Lupa," Rhea hissed.

"That is why the new king shall not be a wolf."

"You dare choose a human to rule the Legion? It is impossible. For centuries The House of Wolves has ruled our kingdom."

"Yes, well a new house shall rise. THE HOUSE OF KINGS!"

Lupus lunged, fangs bared. Rhea though fast and lunged too. But she didn't swing her sword, she wouldn't have had time to. Instead she transformed into a wolf. She was a beautiful wolf, or so she'd been told. Being straight from the blood line of Lupa, she could transfrom into a beast of the woods. He coat gleamed white as snow, and her frozen blue eyes stared deep into her enemies' souls. She curse herself. She was too vulnerable, not wearing armor and all. Lupus bit into her collar and flung her through a row of trees. Blood began to spurt from her new and old wounds.

She lunged at Lupus again, pinning him down to the ground and biting his ear off. Blood flew from his head as pain surged through his body.

"You stupid b-" before he could finish, Rhea bit hard into his throat and ripped it out. Blood spewed from his mouth, his pupils began to shrink.

"The new age....is...arriving," he chocked. "You may....have killed...me....I....will....................................return..."

Instead of turning to ash, Lupus burst into flames. Red flames engulfed him and his body began to morph into the body of a teenage boy with black hair. A white scar wa across his left eye and his right one was blood red. The wolf size armor fell off of the boy. Of course, Rhea had almost forgotten. For so long Peter White had lived in wolf form under the name Lupus, she'd almost forgotten he was actually a human.

Though he was corrupted Rhea burried him, as it was the Code of Wolves to never dishoner a soliders death, no matter there alliance. She walked over to Tony and checked his vitals. He was fine, but fast asleep. A knot the size of a pickle was on his forehead, but that would heal.

Another howl arose from the woods. More would be coming and they would have no mercy now that their leader was dead. She picked up Tony and slumped him over her shoulder. Her collar was till bleeding, as well as some of her back gashes. She had to get back home fast- but it was so far away she wouldn't be able to make it.

Three more howls. Rhea cursed. She didn't want to but she knew she had to. It was either go to Romulus's house, or perish in the hands of the Lupus Clan. She would rather have faced the wolves, but she was weak...she had no choice. She picked up thier stuff, minimized her sword, and took of into a run.