Wrath of Ares

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the piano changed how music reached the souls of its listeners." Alistar finished his lecture about the piano, most of the class zoning out by this point, a few taking down notes. As Alistar scanned the room, he noticed one of the students, a female gazelle, leaning forward, her elbows resting on the desk as she used her hands to hold her head up, staring at him with a look in her eyes he recognized all too well. Catching this out of the corner of his eye, he smiled slightly, his tail tip flicking in anticipation.

Just then, the bell rang for the end of the class, everyone gathering their things and heading to their next class. Alistar raised one of his hands. "Remember everyone. Next week we will be covering the differences of the guitars." As the students left one by one, the gazelle seemed to take her time, bitting her lip anxiously as the students left. As the last few walked out, leaving just the gazelle, Alistar walked towards the door, making sure no one was looking as he closed it, loosening his tie before the door closed and locked.

As the rest of the students went their way, Abby and Ares walked down the hall. Curious, Ares looked towards Abby. "So there is only one class a day, followed by outside exercise, then students are to head to their dorms?"

Abby nodded, her hands behind her back as she walked next to Ares, looking up slightly. "That's right! That's why classes are so long. Plus the exercise is crucial to get any tension out, like with Lady Vampirium."

As they turned the corner to head towards the end of the hall that lead to the field, Abby noticed Ares kept looking back slightly, but kept his head forward. Before she could ask what was wrong, Ares stopped in place. "Pardon me miss Abigail, but I need to use the restroom." He gave her a slight bow; "I'll meet you outside after I'm done. If you'll excuse me." Then he stood up and headed towards the restroom, Abby shrugging and heading towards the field.

As Ares noticed Abby was out of sight, he headed down another hallway towards one of the restrooms. By this time, most of the students were outside, except Ares, and the 6 students that were following him and Abby. Judging by the scents he was getting, Ares knew they were Mythicals. A Phoenix, 2 gryphons, a Jackelope and 2 dragons. He walked into the restroom, finding it empty. Ares took in a deep breath, then started washing his hands.

A few moments later, the group walked into the restroom, seeing Ares drying his hands, all of them chuckling as they started cracking their knuckles. Ares looked towards them, a look of disappointment on his face. "Well you certainly have the whole 'thuggish brutes' look down, but you really must learn how to follow someone without being detected."

One of the dragons stepped forward. He was a small red dragon, barely even 5 feet tall, red scales, and had a grey t-shirt on under a black jacket. "Heh. Tryin' to act tough, eh freak show?" He reached into his pocket, pulling his hand out to reveal a pair of brass knuckles, flashing a wicked grin as he chuckled more; "Well let's see how tough you are when we beat ya within an inch of ya life!"

As the rest of the group started laughing at this, their laughter slowly died down as Ares closed his eyes and looked down, letting out a soft chuckle. The Dragon with the brass knuckles looked towards the group, then back at Ares, slightly confused. "The fuck do you find funny? You think we're playin' around here?!"

Ares kept chuckling, slowly raising his head as he stared at the group. "Sorry about that. It's just…this is so poetic that I can't help but laugh." He slowly started unbuttoning the top of his suit; "You see…All. Day. Long. I have been dealing with one headache after another." After he undoes the last button, he slowly started taking off the jacket, revealing a white business shirt, tossing the jacket aside; "First, it was that irritating 'Ceremony'."

The group slowly started moving closer, trying to surround Ares as he undoes the shirt's cuffs. "Then, that damned dog's excessive advances." He slowly rolled up his sleeves as the group started pulling out knives and brass knuckles, Ares' silver mane turning a feint reddish hue; "And to top it off, that uppity Dragon harlet working my last nerve!" Ares then slowly raised his hands up, crossing his arms in front of his face, his hands facing the group; "And now you pathetic weaklings think you can follow me around and threaten me?!"

Hearing this, the Phoenix takes his knife and charges at Ares. "Just shut up and Die, you Freak!!" The Phoenix yells, swinging his blade.

Before any of the group could tell what happened, the sound of the knife hitting the floor echoed in the restroom. The Phoenix's arm was twisted and bent the wrong way, and his head was looking at the group, yet his body was still facing Ares. In the blink of an eye, Ares broke the Phoenix's arm and snapped his neck, his body slowly dropping to its knees, then falling to the ground.

The group looked at the body of the Phoenix, then slowly up at Ares, his eyes looking like that of an enraged predator, his mane slowly flowing in the air, looking like silvery-red flames. "I apologize for this…" Ares' voice cut through the silence of the room, his voice more of a deep growl; "But I'm afraid you've pissed me off." Hearing this, and seeing the fury in his eyes, the group slowly tried backing away from Ares, who suddenly charged towards the would-be attackers, their screams echoing down the halls.

Outside at the field, Abby found her friends talking, Kip spying Abby walking towards them. "Oh there she is! Hey there Abby!" Kip looked around curiously; "And where is our stud Ares?"

Sadie and Rachel moved over to make room for Abby to sit with them, leaning towards her. "I heard Ares told off not only a mythical, but Lady Vampirium! Is that true??" Rachel asked.

Sadie pawed at Abby's arm playfully, her tail flicking slightly. "You were right there in the class, did you see it happen??"

Abby looked down, remembering the look in Ares' eyes, her instincts making her shiver slightly. "Y-Yeah I saw it. He did tell Lady Vampirium off, because she tried taking my seat. Then she…she said she would…"Abby gripped her skirt as she replayed the events in her head; "She would…D-Devour him."

The whole group sat up hearing this. Kip standing up in disgust. "She said What?? No wonder Ares told that hussy off! Hell, I would have too if some overgrown lizard said that to me!"

Sadie noticed Abby was still shaken, sensing she wasn't telling everything. "What happened Abby? Did something else happen?"

Abby nodded slowly, still looking at the ground. "Ares…he said 'if she tried, she would die'." She looked up at Sadie; "And the look in his eyes…I think he meant it. His eyes made my instincts scream to run away. For a brief moment…he had the eyes of a predator."

Back in the restroom, all but one of the Mythicals were on the floor, bloodied, beaten and barely breathing. The red dragon was also on the ground with Ares holding his top half up by the collar of his shirt. The dragon's snout was broken and bloodied, tears streaming from his eyes. "P-Please! I-I'm sorry! We was just following orders!"

Ares glared at the dragon, his free hand balled into a fist, dripping with blood. "So you thought it all well and good to cross me? For following Orders?!" With that, he brought down his fist to the dragon's face, releasing the collar of his shirt to let his head slam onto the ground, knocking him out cold.

Ares stood up slowly, looking at the beaten bodies of his would-be attackers. He took a slow deep breath, the smell of blood in the air making his nostrils tingle. He then slowly exhaled, calming himself as he went to wash his hands again. After cleaning up, he put his jacket back on and turned to leave the restroom, until he heard a phone going off from the dragon's pocket. Curious, Ares fished for the phone, answering it.

"It's me." An all too familiar voice said over the phone; "Did you deliver our message yet?"

"Apologies, Miss Vampirium." Ares answered; "But I'm afraid I didn't quite get the message. Why don't we have a chat face to face?"

"Wha-How are-" Vampirium's voice was clearly shaking, trying to process how Ares answered the phone.

"Oh, and I'm afraid your 'colleagues' are a bit indisposed at the moment. But not to worry, they'll live." He looked towards the body of the Phoenix, raising an eyebrow; "As long as the story of Phoenixes holds true about the whole rebirth thing." Ares slowly buttons up his jacket with his free hand; "Now then, later tonight, preferably after 9:30, you will come to my dorm, number 437 according to the teachers. And we shall discuss the meaning behind this little…irritation. Understood?"

Vampirium growled, realizing Ares wasn't giving her any other choice. "Why you little…tch…fine."

"Very good. Oh, and miss Vampirium?" Ares held the phone in front of him; "Try something like this again, and next time I won't let them live." With that, Ares hung up the phone and put it back into the dragon's pocket. He then walked out of the restroom and headed down the hall towards the doors to the outside field.

Outside, Abby was finally calming down thanks to her friends. "The fact he defended you against a dragon his truly something else!" Kip chirped, his tail wagging; "Like a knight protecting a fair maiden."

Thomas rolled his eyes, looking over and seeing Ares walking and looking around. "Oh! There's Ares." He waved his hand in the air, catching his attention as Ares walked over to them, Thomas looking towards Kip; "And Please keep your thirst under control this time!"

Kip clasped his hands together, raising them to his cheek as he leaned against Thomas, giving him his 'cute puppy' face. "Oh Tommy~ If you're jealous, just say so!"

Just as Ares walked up to the group, Kip and Thomas were tussling with each other. Ares looked towards Abby, giving a slight bow. "Apologies for taking so long. I took a wrong turn after I left the restrooms."

Abby smiled warmly, her eyes closed, waving one of her hands. "Oh no need for apologies! I was just telling everyone how you stood up for me with Lady Vampirium." She looked up at Ares, tilting her head slightly with a smile; "Thank you for that, by the way."

Ares placed a hand to his chest, bowing again. "No trouble at all. After all, you are kind enough to put up with me and show me around. It's the least I could do."

After a few hours of exercise, the bell rang again, signaling the end of the school day. Ares bid farewell to the group and went to his dorm, curious to see where he would be living. He went to Dorm Building 4, and after a bit of searching, he found his room, number 437. He entered the room and was pleasantly surprised by the view.

The room was surprisingly spacious, with a big living room area that had a 3 person couch, 2 recliners, a coffee table and a 58" TV. The living room was connected to the kitchen area with a bar, and plenty of room for cooking in. Past the kitchen area was a hallway that lead to the bathroom that had a stand shower and a jacuzzi style bathtub, as well as a toilet with courtesy curtains and a sink with a huge mirror. At the end of the hall was the bedroom, with a king sized bed, a desk to use for studying, and a massive dresser for clothes.

Ares took his time to get a feel for the place before deciding to take a relaxing soak. He checked the time on the wall clock, taking note it was 8:15. Plenty of time to relax before Vampirium is to arrive. So he readied the bath and removed his clothing, turning the tv on to have some noise in the background while he relaxes.

At around 9:00, Vampirium was walking down the halls of Dorm Building 4, making sure no one noticed she was there. She was dressed in her casual attire of a sleeveless black dress that fit her figure perfectly, the dress reaching just past her knees, checking the room numbers as she passed them. 427…428…429. As the numbers got higher, Vampirium couldn't help but see Ares' glare in her mind, her heart racing as she tried calming herself. 'Knock it off Vamps!' She thought to herself, passing room 432; 'He's just some worthless freak! Why am I getting so worked up over this??'

She passed 435, hearing what sounds like someone raging at video games from inside, along with someone laughing. As she reached the room labeled 437, she could practically hear her heartbeat in her ears. Vampirium took a few slow deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She checked her watch, seeing the time was 9:18. "A little early." She scoffed, reaching for the door handle; "Well he'll just have to make due." She opened the door and walked in.

Inside was Ares, toweling off his mane as he looked towards the door, standing in place as he stopped mid step. Vampirium was shocked to see Ares without his shirt, seeing all of his muscles, as well as multiple scars all over his torso. Her eyes wandered to see his sculpted abs and deep V of his waist. As her eyes wandered further, she suddenly felt her face redden as he wasn't wearing a towel around his waist, giving her an uninterrupted view of his massive…

"Well are you just going to stare, or are you going to say something?" Ares' voice brought her back as she quickly averted her gaze from his waist to his face, which seemed unfazed by her seeing him completely naked as he rested one hand on his waist, the other still drying his mane.

"Wh-wh-wh…WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!?" Vampirium blurted out, her wings outstretched from the shock, her face feeling like it's on fire, pointing towards him as she uses her other hand to cover her eyes.

"Why are You early?" Ares asked, finally finishing his mane, nonchalantly wrapping the towel around his waist, though it does nothing to cover him completely; "I'm fairly certain I told you the meeting time was After 9:30, which is why I took the liberty of taking a bath. Besides, why shouldn't I be naked? Last I checked this was My dorm." He then motioned his hand in a 'shoo'ing manner; "Now if you don't mind waiting outside till I get clothed." He then let out a coy chuckle, seeing how she reacted; "Unless you prefer seeing the freak without them?"

With a loud angry growl, Vampirium spun around and walked out, slamming the door behind her. She leaned against the wall of the hallway, covering her face in embarrassment, her wings outstretched as she now had the image burned into her mind. 'I knew the stories about equines and all…but where the hell do they HIDE SOMETHING THAT FUCKING HUGE?!?'

After a few minutes of waiting, Ares called out. "Much to your dismay, I've clothed myself. You may enter now." Vampirium growled, but took in a deep breath, opening the door, this time finding Ares dressed in dress pants and a buttoned shirt, the sleeves rolled up to about half way up his forearms. Ares was in the kitchen area, making something. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable, I'm testing the facilities on a dish."

Vampirium glared towards Ares, who was focused on the food, then moved towards the couch, sitting on the side of it, crossing her legs. "Let's get to the point. You called me here for what reason?" She pretended to act innocent of the hit she put out on Ares to see how much he was aware of.

Ares placed the ingredients he was working on in a pot on the stove, placing the lid on it and setting the timer. "Simple. Because I would like to know why you sent those weaklings after me." He washed his hands and the utensils, grabbing a hand towel to dry his hands; "After all, they were very informative about who hired them." He opened the cupboard, grabbing a bottle of Bourbon Whisky, pouring two glasses; "Do you prefer ice with your drinks or no?"

Vampirium looked back at him, seeing the bottle, her ears flicking slightly. "You have alcohol? How did-" She stopped herself, thinking it better not to ask; "…a little ice."

Ares added a few cubes of ice to one of the cups, walking into the living room and offering her the glass before sitting on the couch on the opposite side. Vamps took a small sip, the warmth of the whiskey traveling down her throat as Ares drank nearly half of his cup.

"I'll get right to it. I'd like to know why you thought it was a smart decision to try and cross me." Ares leaned back onto the couch, resting one of his legs on top of the other, looking towards Vampirium; "All 6 of those buffoons will be hospitalized because of that." Ares took a sip of his glass while Vampirium took a few more sips; "All because I told you off in class? I don't feel that was called for, if I may say so."

Vampirium gripped her glass, staring at the ice. "You have no idea what I have to go through." Ares looked forward, swirling his glass around slightly; "My family is the top of the Royal houses of the Mythicals. Were my father to have heard about some mixed up freak disrespecting a Blackscale? A lot worse than some two-bit thugs would have come after you."

Ares let out a soft chuckle. "So what you did was supposed to be a mercy?" He took another sip, clearing his throat slightly; "Why not act more civil, instead of looking down on other creatures?"

"Because I'm a Blackscale!" Vampirium didn't know why, but she felt like a huge weight was suddenly dropped onto her shoulders; "I'm supposed to be better than everyone else because we Are better. We are the most superior creature to exist." She didn't know why she was telling him this, but she felt like she couldn't hold it back anymore; "And if I don't live up to father's expectations, Solare will-"

Ares saw Vampirium tense up out of the corner of his eye. He knew the best way to get someone to open up was with sharing a glass with them. He finished his glass, standing up. "Would you like a top off, miss Vampirium?"

Vampirium stared at her glass, suddenly taking the rest of the glass in one gulp, offering Ares her glass. "Call me Vamps."

Ares chuckled, taking her glass. "We'll miss Vamps, let's get to know each other, shall we?" He poured them both another glass and offered Vamps her glass, both of them clinking their glasses together and taking a swallow. Ares knew the rest of the night was going to be an interesting one.

To be continued.