Somewhere along the way, Ozzy had acquired a keg of ale,and was shouldering it. The troop had marched their way to the main road and toward the north gate. In doing so they garnered a great amount of attention. All of them had a measure in defending the town and defeating the great lizard. Out of all of them, Kenan had the most tales about him. Now, he was being dragged around town beaten and ragged. The citizens couldn’t help but gossip.

As they neared the town exit. Kenan smelled an old leather and bitter scent throughout the various overlapping senses of the town. His world started to become vertical once more as the Goliath released his hold of Noctis. His uncle took control of his body telekinetically.

Hovering above the ground, Kenan saw two wagons behind Doco. One filled with supplies and foodstuff. The other had a few boxes of charcoal and training dummies. Ozzy placed the keg on the former and proceeded to take the reins. Oz placed Dion on the back of the latter and took his place as pilot. Noctis focused his gaze back onto Doco. “What's happening?”

“For the remaining time you have to prepare, you're going to train in the woods.” Doco smiled. A countenance with the intent on showing he was purposely withholding information. Kenan’s eyes thinned. His uncle shrugged the scrutiny off. “You need to focus on fine tuning your spells. It’s too unsafe for you to do that near the city. And after what has happened, we don’t need anymore disturbances here. Not for a while. The brothers are going to oversee your training, and add some flavor of their own. Oz will be going to teach you about orc society, their rankings, history and more. Any questions?”

“How long has this been planned, and what else are you not telling me?” Doco’s smile widened. Kenan huffed in frustration. “Does Jorun know?” His uncle nodded. “Will I be back after or before I take down Shell?”

“After.” His smile lessened. Noctis thought for a moment, then let go whatever thread of thought he was about to start.

“Can you write to Hernie for me? Let her know what's been going on? Not everything of course.” Doco nodded as a response. “I’m going to need my books too, flask also”

“Everything is in the second wagon. You're all ready to go.”

“Why do I feel like I’m walking into an extremely well coordinated trap?”

Doco started to laugh. He continued to do so while telekinetically pushing his nephew next to the now sleeping Dion in the back of the second wagon. Kenan continued to hear the diabolical chuckle through the releasing of his conscience as the steady thump of horse hooves started.

***

The smell of ash and burnt wood filled his nose. The entirety of his left side felt hot. The temperature reached a burning pain. So much heat it started to make him scream. Like a thousand knives tearing into his side. Each with a purpose. Then suddenly the pain subsided. Replaced with the numbness of loss. Of complete loneliness with the combination effect of hope being disintegrated in the flame.

A body. Broken, bloody, and beaten to the point of nearly becoming unrecognizable. The once invincible became nothing more than a stepping stone. Another person. Left to rot on the edge of death. For death was too much of a mercy. Yet, they were taken away as soon as they became in reach.

As the dead festered, so did his anger. The previous fire that marred him became his source of power. A rage filled fire that had a will to consume.

Kenan's eyes snapped open as a large hand shook his shoulder. “You alright, you were screamin’?” The words were ignored. The green, giant monster in front of him needed to have its head off, and as fast as possible. Quickly he unsheathed his blade and swung. A blur of fur. Dion bumped the green-skin away and chomped down on Kenan's sword, he tugged and ripped the blade out of Noctis’ hand.

“What are you doing?!” As he took a step forward, Kenan glanced at the green-skin. He shook his head in confusion. Pain throbbed in his forehead. Rapidly the green pigment morphed into gray, with large black and vertical lines. “Oh.” Noctis stumbled backwards, with his hand he felt a tree. Kenan proceeded to slide down its rough terrain. “Right.”

The dirus placed the sword on his master’s lap, who clutched it, while he placed his body to Kenan’s side and head on his leg. Noctis took a deep breath and observed the area. They were in a manufactured clearing of a wooded forest. A large bonfire roared in the middle. The wagons were parked nearby with their horses unhitched and grazing. The sun had fallen and was overtaken by the moon.

The now recognized Oz sat on the opposite side of the flame. Confusion and worry on his face. “Are you alright?”

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“Uhh yeah. Where is Ozzy?”

“He is setting up a perimeter and hunting.”

“Does he need to hunt? We have plenty of food. And isn’t there a scarcity in animals already?”

Oz chuckled, as if getting a joke only he could hear. “It’s a tradition. After a competition, there is a feast. Normally the loser gathers the meat. With the condition we left you in.” Oz’s smile brightened. “ And one less beast wouldn’t hurt the forest. Besides, oftentimes, when nature is repressed, it comes back quicker and in greater strength.” The words brought an image of a large quisie-dragon to Kenan's mind.

Silence took hold, only broken by the cackle of fire. The howls and screeches of nightly beasts were noticeably gone. A large predator had entered the area, and Kenan was sure who it was.

The Goliath broke it. “You have rage.” A comment and a question in tandem. Kenan flinched at the words, unsure of Oz’s sudden seriousness.

“I think it’s my power.” Unwilling to give out any more information.

“I know what you are Ken. “ The giant man threw a stick into the fire. It roared in appreciation. “Many will. I cannot properly explain why or how I know. Maybe it's because of the stories. Some of a white dragon. Other about another human, and more. Some heroic, others not. All of the same black eyes. You need not hide in front of me or my brother.”

“Then why weren’t you afraid?”

“Do I have a reason to be?” Kenan shook his head and he shrugged “In my time. Influences, whatever they may be, never give you something. Usually, they take what you already have and bring it into the light.”

Kenan stayed silent.

“I believe it is the right time.” Noctis cocked his head, thrown off. “You wanted to know about Ozzy right?” A faint nod. “Hmpf.” He stared directly into the fire. “Then you need to learn of our past.”

“By the time we came into this world, all of our blood-kin had died. The tribe would raid a nearby human settlement from time to time when things got hard. Life was bad near the Gash. So taking things and killing others was never personal. Just survival. The Village called upon the king's forces and struck back, but didn’t leave room for retaliation. After all that was said and done, the camp was left in ruins and lifeless. A ranger came around by chance. He explored the ruins and saw a pregnant half-giant dead, with two babies trying to birth themselves through the very belly wound that killed her. Our mother of course. The ranger took us in. Barren Stern. Raised us and became our adoptive father.” He smiled, it was doused in sorrow. He continued.

“We grew up rude and obnoxious. Thank the gods we grew up isolated. Who knew what type of havoc we would have caused in a town. All the same, Barren loved us as if we were his own. He actively learned how Goliath society worked and taught us as such. Everyday we chased his affection and to make him proud. When we were old enough, he took us to a tribe willing to take us in. He gave us a choice. We stayed with him. He taught us to fight, to survive, and to use our strength effectively.”

A pause. Him collecting his thoughts.

“Growing up, Ozzy was loud. Angry. Don’t get me wrong, me too. Yet, there was always this… rage. He talked too, back then. When we got our magic. Barren said Ozzy got earth because every time his eyebrows arched the ground trembled and I lighting because everything I did was flashy.” He smiled wide, showing his teeth. It faded. “Ozzy was always stronger than me. Maybe not now, but his strength was something to behold. In my opinion, he was blessed by Vanua to be the earth's greatest tremor.”

“When we became adults, we began to adventure. Sometime later, war started. Between the Goliaths and Orcs of Shrigor. All of us were called upon, regardless of background or tribe. With the stone in our blood, we couldn’t help but rise to the occasion. Before we left, Barren recognized us as fully grown, and out of the nest. That day, we all held back tears. He gave me my ax, and Ozzy his hammer.

“Before we left, he separated me and told the truth. He was a ranger, but he didn’t come after the battle. The blood of my tribe was stained on his hands. He said..” Oz paused. “He was the one who killed our mother. He tried to turn to us. Something made him falter. So he ran from the king’s forces while holding us in his arms. Then started to raise us out of guilt that turned into unfathomable love.” He stopped. Pausing once more.

“Were you angry? Did you blame him?” Kenan asked.

Oz laughed. Not the same as he usually does. It had a different tone. “Of course I was mad, I was so filled with rage I considered lopping his head off. Then I realized what he had done for us, and that he didn’t have to give us his full effort. Besides, It’s not like he was a deciding factor, our tribesmen would’ve died with or without him. Anyway, he didn’t want to tell Ozzy in person, his anger would have gotten the better of him. Barren wanted me to tell him after we left.``

“But..” Kenan continued the story.

“But my brother was listening the entire time. Eavesdropping. He barged into our home already swinging, with red in his eyes. I stopped him. Then we fought. We destroyed the house, its land, and some of the surrounding area. That’s the only time we have ever battled each other for blood. I tried to get him to see, but nothing got through his rage. He beat me. Then went over to Barren, to our father, and…”

“Did you forgive him?” Noctis asked.

Oz didn’t answer for a while. Letting silence ensue and his thoughts collect and calm until they cooled off of emotion. “Immediately. Because when I looked over at him, with Barren limp in his arms. The look in his eyes. I knew he would never forgive himself. Then, we went to war. Ever since that day, he never spoke again. Slowly he became protective. Extremely so. Of me, our war buddies. Of regular people. I know it was something about blaming himself. He found solace in Helm. One of your gods. He became a paladin. Found peace in the protection of others, and maybe atonement for his deed.”

Oz’s eyes moved up and met Kenan's. Accusation in his eyes.“Yet, he still, over all this time. Has rage. Different from before. Now it has a solemn target. Himself.”