Spartan and Enzo

Spartan stood in the middle of a wide open warehouse. Old and run down, probably should be condemned but it was still standing. Spartan stood next to a brazer that had cold ashes in it. Spartan waited for the arrival of Enzo.

Enzo arrives, wearing what he had become to think of as his 'combat gear', his leather jacket fitting tight but not restrictively, his pool-cue case slung near to his back with arrows inside, and Cupids Lament sitting in his pocket. Slightly baggy jeans, with a studded belt, and black steel-toe boots complete his outfit. In his hands he carries the sword that Spartan had gifted him. "Hey brother, ready to whip my ass into combat shape?" He says with a smile to his helmeted friend.

Spartan looked at the Elven Lost, "yes something like that" Spartan looked to the Brazer and then back to the Elf, "Are you ready for this? There will be no turning back once we start."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be I think." Enzo says, nodding in the affirmative. He wasn't sure what the brazer was for, but he wasn't too worried about it. "Let's do this."

Spartan reached out and took the sword out of the hand of the Dancer. "Run, Go, Now." Spartan said pointing to a ring that was drawn around the inside of the warehouse.

Enzo hands over the sword without question and begins running around the ring drawn out around the warehouse. He doesn't bolt full tilt, instead keeping himself paced but he runs fast enough that he soon breaks a light sweat on his brow.

Spartan began picking up stray pieces of wood and lit a fire in the brazer. Spartan stoked the fire as he watched the dancer run. "Faster..." He said loud enough for the dancer to hear. As the dancer increased his speed Spartan says again "Faster, Push yourself, get moving Enzo."

Enzo grunts but does as Spartan says, pumping his legs at a faster rate, picking up speed until his muscles begin to feel the burn from his exertions. He concentrates his wrath, thinking angrily of how betrayed he had felt with Alice and the burn in his legs spreads to his chest, as he times his breathing. His Mantle begins to simmer more hotly as his angry thoughts cause him to push himself harder.

"You know when I was training, they sicked dogs on us, First Dogs, then tigers, then Lions." Spartan said. "Fell lucky the Zoo is closed." Spartan said as he stirred the fire. After what seemed an eternity Spartan yells, "Stop"

As Enzo walked over to the Spartan, who stood by now rolling fire. "Look into the Brazer and tell me what you see..."

Enzo thinks about it a moment, wondering what it would be like to run for your life like that but quickly dismisses the thought. His breathing is heavy as he walks over, legs burning from the running, and he stares at the flames dancing in the brazer. His eyes drift out of focus as he contemplates his answer before finally he speaks. "I see purity, unchained, unadulterated. What burns in the heart of all of us, a rage that can either be harnessed, if you have the constitution to handle it, or set aside if you're too weak. I see pure raging passion." He says, and his Mantle simmers a little hotter.

Spartan looks to an old 4 wheeled dolly cart that was up against the wall, "Go get that" Spartan said as he pointed to the cart. Once Enzo brought the cart over Spartan instructed Enzo to help him lift the burning brazer into the cart. Spartan grabbed a long piece of rope and tied it to the end of the cart. He tossed the end to Enzo and said. "Run when the fire goes out you may stop."

Enzo looks at Spartan like he is crazy for a moment, giving him a cocked eyebrow and a half-smile. "You're gonna kill me." He says with a small laugh, but as instructed, he begins his run, legs still burning and now the fire in them only growing more intense, but he focuses on his anger once again, letting it fuel him and push him past the pain as he runs, time ticking by until the brazer finally cools and the fire dies out after what seems like forever.

What Enzo may not realize as the trance of running took over him is that Spartan ran behind the cart. His hands on the back of the cart. The heat from the Fire bathed over him as they ran together as a unit. As one single entity. There legs running in tune like an animal. When the fire burns out Spartan looks to Enzo, "Good, Very good little brother. Now Pick up your sword."

Enzo breaths hard, legs feeling as if on fire, but he moves to grab his sword. He holds the weapon more comfortably than before, in a loose-tight grip, his style of stance being a more flowing one, fitting his Dancer nature. He remembers the lessons taught to him by Spartan the first time they trained, and he keeps those memories fresh in his mind as he prepares for whatever Spartan has in store for him next.

"Look to the Blade" Spartan said, "What do you see..."

Enzo looks at the blade in his hands. "A weapon to protect those I care for. Something that lets me harm or hinder those that would hurt those I care about and a tool that lets me focus the fire in my heart to use it righteously." Enzo says, his tone serious.

"Good Answer but wrong..." Spartan said. "Look again." Spartan said and he turned the blade in Enzo's hand so Enzo could see the flat. The blade was like a Mirror.

to be continued ...

Enzo stared at his reflection in the blade, noting how different he had become in his time since the Wyrd had shifted his Courtly calling, the hardness, that despite his gorgeous looks, was still noticeable. He looks at Spartan and then back down at the blade, back down at himself. "I see someone who has failed at much. I see someone who finally opened his eyes and realized that life isn't all happiness and games to be played, someone who woke up with the Wrath inside, with a purpose."

Spartan looks to Enzo and doesn't really know what to say, "I think you are being to dramatic. But you then again you were spring..."

"How does this blade make you feel? Are you comfortable with it in your hand? Is it an extension of yourself?"

Enzo cant help but laugh a little. "I am kinda laying it on thick, aren't I?" He says with a smile. He turns the blade over a little in his hand, not swinging it but rather just rolling it with his wrist. "Not an extension per se, but yeah, its more comfortable than it once was. I've been getting used to the feel for it."

"When we are done, this blade will be part of yourself. You will feel as if your blood pumps in its veins." Spartan says, "Come" Spartan says gesturing over to a Wooden Piller. The Piller has had four marks made on it. One at head level, one at chest and one for each leg. Spartan takes out his sword, "One," Head "two" Chest "Three" left Leg "Four" Right Leg. "Go"

Enzo watches as Spartan points to the spots on the wooden pillar and nods that he understands. He drops into a comfortable stance and moves quickly to strike, going for the head first with a swing coming from the left, flowing into a stab at the chest and crossing swings to the left leg and then the right. The way he brings the blade to bear is fluid, though there is still some hesitation in his movements, a lack of surety. He moves back a step, preparing to start once more, but waits a moment to see if Spartan will comment.

"Am I looking at a dead man?" Spartan asked

Enzo grunts and goes back to it, striking the wooden pillar over and over in succession, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, savoring the burn in his arm as he continues to attack.

"If You hesitate you will die. There can be no hesitation in your actions." Spartan says as he walks over and picks up a broom handle. Spartan walks back over to Enzo, Seeing his knees begin to weaken spartan gives him a strike in the thigh, nothing hard just enough to feel it. "You are a Tower of strength, if you base is weak you are weak."

Enzo almost growls when Spartan strikes his thigh, not so much from it hurting, but the blow only strengthened the fire that had settled in his legs from the running. "Tower, got it." He says, and his legs lock out, the weakness flowing away as he continues to strike the pillar.

"You will continue until I return." Spartan says and leaves...

Enzo does as Spartan says, striking over and over again, not letting up despite the fire coursing through his arm as he continues on.

Spartan comes back after about an hour. "Stop. Come." Spartan says, "Take the brazer down and light the fire." Spartan says.

Enzo looks at Spartan, setting down the sword and breathing hard. He moves over to the brazer and gets the wood ready for the fire to be set within. He rolls his shoulders, hissing slightly from the soreness building over his entire body, and moves to ignite the flames, stoking them to get the brazer going.

"Go get your sword, You are never to be apart from it." Spartan said as he took two large cuts of meat, set a rack over the brazer and set the meat on the racks. As the meat crackles and sizzles Spartan steps outside and comes back in with a bucket of water. Spartan dumps the water over the Dancer. "How do you feel?" Spartan asked

"Honestly? Like shit that's been stepped on." He says with a strained laugh. "Feels like my whole body is on fire." He says savoring the water as it cools his body. He welcomed the cool temperature compared to the heat that was broiling within him from his exertions. "Its a good fire though."

"You have not done awful." Spartan says as some sort of compliment. "Tell me about your living space?" Spartan says as he flips the meat, using a dagger as a spatula.

"My apartment? Its four bedroom, used to have a bunch of mirrors but I got rid of most of them. Too risky with how the Hedge has been tripping out." He says, wondering why Spartan was asking. "Its a nice place, though I'm not there very often."

"Not surprising..." Spartan says. "You will take one room. remove all of the furnishings. If the floor is carpeted you will remove that too. You may have one blanket. That is to be your room. That is where you will sleep and train when we are not together. Is that understood?"

Enzo nods to Spartan. "Understood." He says, thinking of which room that will get the knife so-to-speak. He decided it would have to be the room he normally set aside to train on his dancing, the tile floor was good, and he needed his actual bedroom for the Long Nights(tm). "I'll begin clearing it when we're done here."

"Eat." Spartan said as he took a stake off the fire and set it on a paper plate. There were no utensils, no forks no knives, Something tells Enzo he is lucky he got a plate. "Do you have a pet?"

Enzo doesn't hesitate with the food, grabbing hold of it with the folded plate and biting into it. In between bites of it he answers Spartan. "I've got one, Pazuzu." He says, before swallowing. "She is a hob, some kinda dragon, pterodactyl looking beast. She has served as a mount for me when I am in the hedge."

"Get a cat." Spartan says rather briskly. Spartan takes a bottle of water out of the bag and throws it to the dancer. "We are done for the day. Finish eating, sit and wait, you are not to leave until the fire is out. Contemplate all we have learned." Spartan stands, "Do you have any questions?"

Enzo doesn't reply to Spartan telling him to get a cat. He'd never really liked cats, too stubborn and arrogant. They reminded him of himself. He leans slightly, munching on another bite of his steak, the juices flowing down his chin. "No questions." He says between bites chews some more.

"I will see you soon, Run for 1 hour after you awake and 1 hour before you go to bed. You will practice with your sword two hours a day. And you will sit with your cat for 1 hour a day. Except for ... Thursdays... you will rest and relax on Thursdays, do whatever you want." Spartan instructs, "Get a girl as well. They are good for the soul, and the Legs" Spartan says that last part with a ... smile?

Enzo nearly spits his steak out as he laughs. "Definitely good for the legs." Enzo says, still smiling. "I will see you soon brother. If you need me for anything, you have my number. Don't hesitate to call." He says, before biting into the steak.

"Good night," Spartan says, "And finish the stake," Spartan says as the door closes behind him.

<<End Scene>>