Will felt the rage inherent to his orcish heritage begin to well up. Anytime he was walking into a fight, he felt it, and more often than not, he had to suppress it, but this time he knew it would be needed. While Will doubted there was much the mages could do to directly harm him, there was plenty they could do to harm everyone else, so Will decided to fall into the rage.

Orcish blood magic forced a blood rage, but Will had learned to do it naturally after sealing his magic. He fell into the trance of rage, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as if it was a drum of war calling to him. He strolled through the city. Grenga guards, civilians, and others took one look at the massive slab of meat coated in runes with eyes that pierced the heavens, bathed in the typical red flush of Orcish blood rage, and got out of his way. 

The first enemy Will encountered was a wood elf magi with a long flowing staff. Upon seeing Will, the wood elf cursed him in elvish for being a ‘half-blood bastard’ and threw a fireball at Will. Will smiled and moved, seeming to disappear and reappear right behind the magi. Will clapped, his arms swinging with enough speed that a faint whistle could be heard from his fingernails. The Elf died with a half-crushed head. 

Will washed through the city like a cleansing fire. Slaying Magi, man, and monsters alike. When he reached the city gates, the city was oddly quiet. He stepped out and immediately felt a web of magic fall over him. He felt it slip from his body, but he guessed it was a web of paralysis, so he froze, letting whoever had cast it think it was successful.

“My…My…My…What do we have here?” a voice said from above Will.

“I do not know, brother.” a second voice said as Will watched three robe hems descend from the sky. 

“He looks like an orc.” The third said.

“Wait a moment. Look at his face. Look beyond the runes, beyond the blood rage.” The second said.

“He is the son of the other-worlder!” The first said. 

“Well, what a lucky day.” The third said, and the three of them circled in the air slowly. “We must take him to the master.”

“Yes, master Viltar will be quite pleased with this one.” the second said and floated down to look Will in the face. “You will be a good little slave, aren’t you?” 

The next moment was one of fear for the second. Faster than he could react, Will grabbed his throat and crushed it. At this point, the other two realized he was not detained as they thought. Quickly they began to float up and away but not quick enough. 

Seemingly from nowhere, Will pulled two knives and sent them flying with extreme force. The first knife pierced the neck of the third brother, and the second knife caught the first brother in the eye. Letting out howls of pain, both brothers dropped to the ground. The knife in the throat of the third brother caused his breathing to come raggedly before ceasing a few moments later.

With a knife still protruding from his eye, the first brother rose to his knees from where he had fallen, only to feel Will’s massive hand close around his head. He began to whimper as Will lifted him to his feet. 

“You know healing magic, I assume?” Will asked through gritted teeth in a voice that was little more than a growl. The first brother nodded. “Good, now heal it before I decide to send you on your way after your brothers.”

Quickly the first brother cast a healing spell that ejected the knife and restored basic health to his eye. Will spoke again. “Now, you will deliver a message. You will return to your master Viltar and tell him I am coming. Tell him he will pay for the traitorous acts he committed against my father. Tell him the only salvation he will have is death.”

Will stared at the brother until he was merely a dot in the sky. Will then spent another hour sweeping the city once more, killing any remaining enemy troops. In total, Will had been fighting for more than five hours. When he finished and slowly made his way back to where he had last seen Ilicia, he let the rage drain from him and felt his body begin to slow down. He stumbled through the last door into the rooms he had shared with the Princess, finding her there with Halfax and two other Grenga. 

Will stumbled over to the bed he had slept in the night before, noting a scrying dish between the four of them. Will knew what was coming and knew he only had a moment or two. He sat on the bed, exhaustion seeming to radiate from his body. “Your orders are carried out, Princess.” Will said.

“Thank you, Will. I…” She cut off as Will continued to speak.

“I am about to pass out. Forgive me, Princess, but I must trust your safety to Halfax until I wake.” Will said, using sheer willpower to ensure he heard her answer. 

“Of course, Will, you did an immense job just now. Sleep, please.” Ilicia said with a smile to him.

Just as Will’s eyes closed and his head hit his pillow, Will heard Halfax speak. “Rest well, Will. When you wake, Ilicia will be safe. I swear it.” 

Ilicia watched as Will, normally a bastion of strength and power, collapsed into what could only be described as sheer exhaustion. She smiled at the giant man and gently slipped the ring onto his finger. As she watched, the illusion cast on the ring began to once more feed on Will’s sealed magic and washed over him, changing him back into the man she knew and cared for. 

When Will came to, his head was resting on something soft. He opened his eyes and found Ilicia’s head over his. “Good morning, Will.” She said with a smile.

Will smiled at her and had to admit this was a good way to wake up. “How long was I out, Ilicia?” He asked, sitting up and taking a drink from a glass of water that awaited him.

“A little over 9 hours. But I think it was rest well earned.” Ilicia said.

“They worked for the traitor.” Will said with venom in his voice.

“I know,” Ilicia said quietly, “I watched you with scrying. That's how we knew to meet you here rather than to stay in the keep. I’m sorry, Will.” 

Will looked up at Ilicia. She seemed unsure, as if she didn’t know how to deal with what was going through her mind. So he did the only thing he could think of, he sat up and pulled her under his arm, encasing her in a cocoon of muscle and warmth. Then he spoke. 

“I know you don’t fully understand my rage. I know you do understand being angry at losing my father, but not the rest of it. And I think you want me to stop pursuing Viltar, don’t you?” Will asked and chuckled at the meek nod he felt from the princess. “And that is fine. You can wish for those things and tell me to calm down, but I need you to know I will hunt Viltar for all my days if that is what it takes. If you can’t understand that, it’s okay. I just ask you to be supportive if you want to be.” Will said, stumbling through the last part, finding his own awkwardness. 

“Thank you.” Ilicia said. “I didn’t know how to phrase it, but I think you understand.”

“Anytime.” Will said, standing up and stretching before turning back to Ilicia. “So, are you ready to head out? If we leave now, we can get back to the village tonight and then take our time getting back to the Gob’Ran.”

“I am,” She said, standing and straightening her skirts. “I am ready to be home.” 

“Verry well, princess.” Will said with a smile. In total, it took them twice as long to get back to the Gob’Ran as it had taken them to get to the Grenga city. The pace they set back was much more leisurely. 

When they returned, they relayed what had happened to Yilan and Got’Ro. Got’Ro laughed. “Already, they call on us for aid. How weak are these people!” He exclaimed.

“Dear,” Yilan said sternly, “What did we discuss about referring to current or future allies as weak?”

“Sorry, my love.” Got’Ro said with a smile and a wink at Ilicia and Will. “I will send a battalion of Orcs and any of our magi that would like to go just in case Viltar strikes again.

“Yes, a good call.” Yilan said thoughtfully, then focused on Will and Ilicia. “Will, Ilicia, you will remain here at least for the next few weeks. We can send your knight back with the news and an escort. Will you will be given training by the shadow guard for your duties as the Princess’s man.” 

Ilicia looked at Will, wondering what he could possibly have to learn still. Yilan caught the look, smiled at Ilicia, then spoke a single word in Elvish. Ilicia was shocked as seven beings of various races seemed to pull themselves into reality from the walls. Ilicia was shocked, and Yilan could see that. “Will is a warrior. He is a blunt weapon who uses raw power and sheer overwhelming force to achieve what he wants. These men and women are weapons of focus. They have only one purpose. To protect us. The training they receive is different than the training Will has already received, and he will not need most of it, so it should only take a month or two.”

Ilicia nodded and noticed Sir Balefor being led in. Ilicia smiled at him as he bowed. “I am glad to see you back in one piece, Princess.” 

“As am I,” Ilicia said, “how does your training?” 

“I realize now how little I knew of combat and would relish the opportunity to come back and train here again.” Sir Balefor said with a smile. “When do we depart to report to the King.” 

“You leave as soon as you are ready, and I have been informed you will have an escort, Will is going to receive some specialized training, and I will be here.” Ilicia said, giving him a quick rundown of the events that took place in the Grenga city. “So I wish you luck, Sir Balefor, and please let my father and mother know I am perfectly fine.”

Sir Balefor knew the tone she had used signaled no argument would be permitted, So he bowed once more and nodded. Clapping Will on the shoulder as he left. Ilicia turned back to Yilan. “So what do you have for me to do? I assume you have something in mind?” Ilicia asked.

“Of course, my dear.” Yilan said with a smile taking Ilicia’s arm and walking to where an Orc woman and an Elf woman stood waiting. “Ilicia, meet Yav’Nara and Elithana. Yav’Nara is one of the Ogdeshi here, and Elithana is a mage I have personally trained. As per our earlier discussion, you will be learning magic, as much as Elithana can teach you, and Yav’Nara will teach you how to fight in concert with Will so that if a dangerous situation arises, you are not simply dead weight to slow him down.” 

Yilan looked back and was relieved to find an excited look on Ilicia’s face. “I must warn you, Ilicia, the next few months will probably be the hardest thing you have ever done. You will end every day tired and sore. Will you accept this, and do you agree not to seek punishment against these two women for striking royalty?” 

“Yes, of course.” Ilicia said, excited, mostly at the fact that she would no longer be a dead weight to Will. 

“Good.” Yilan said and turned to leave.

“Very well, princess.” Yav’Nara said with a smile, “let us begin.” Yav’Nara wound up, and quicker than Ilicia could react, she knocked the princess unconscious.