Tyronis: The Rebellion - Book 2

Prologue

10 Months Earlier

"Tyronis stop! It's me Kayleena! Please stop!" Kayleena begged as she moved her head just in time to avoid a knife being thrust at her head, by the man who physically was the love of her life. However, due to two years of intense torture, Tyronis was then forced to spend another two years as the Acolyte. The Acolyte was a mindless slave assassin of the Shoronax, and the best hunter of Agency operatives.

"Kill her already!"

"Death to the snake!" 

"Rip her heart out!" 

The shouts were coming from a small crowd of nearly a dozen men who were spread throughout a small makeshift arena with ten foot tall metal walls, and a sandy floor. The men were looking down into the arena, standing on a boardwalk that allowed them to watch the ancient Shoronax custom, called a Ronek Vaskar. Bloodlust was obvious in their eyes and voices, as they continued to shout and jeer. She dodged yet another thrust from the Acolytes dagger, this time he was aiming for her stomach, but this time she used the flowing skirt of the full-length,  white dress to catch the knife, causing the Acolyte to lose his grip on the blade, which she then tossed to the side. One of the truly horrible things that had changed when Tyronis's mind had been wiped was that he now enjoyed playing with his victims, as he was doing now. Whereas, when he had been himself, he killed his targets quickly and as painlessly as possible. 

"Please, my love!" She cried, as tears began to run down her face as she dodged a right hook by dropping low and kicking him hard in the chest, causing him to stumble back a few feet. "This isn't you!"

He dropped low and charged her, wrapping his arms around her waist as they collided, and he slammed her against the wall. She elbowed him just below his neck, directly on his spine with enough force that she was able to actually lift herself out of his crushing grip. She grabbed a handful of his shirt and used it to pull herself forward, rolling off his back, and landing on the ground just in time to be struck by a roundhouse kick to her head that sent her flying. She hit the wall on the far side of the circular arena, bouncing off it and falling to the ground. Acolyte had walked over to where the knife had been tossed and picked it up. She got to her feet just as Acolyte rammed into her with his right shoulder, causing her to hit the wall, only to bounce off it again. As she bounced off the wall, Acolyte gabbed her neck with his left hand and slammed her against the wall. His right hand held the dagger, and he again thrust it toward her stomach. She caught his hand with both of hers. 

"My Tyronis," she gasped, as she struggled to breathe and stop the knife, "please."

But he said nothing, his eyes showed no sign of any emotion, and despite her being strong, he was stronger. The knife had not yet punctured her skin, but it was pressed up against her abdomen, and the pressure was increasing. 

So, she thought, this is how I die?

What she did next, sealed her fate.

She let go of the man's hand, which resulted with the dagger being thrust into her stomach. He then gripped the blade itself, carefully so as to not cut himself, and broke the blade. She laced her fingers behind the back of Tyronis's head, and she kissed him for what she thought would be the last time.

Acolyte stepped back after having been kissed by the Half-Blood. He had never been kissed before, and what he felt was overwhelming and unnatural. Something was happening to him. 

"Tyronis." A whisper came from the woman, who had slid to the ground. Her hands were pressed against her stomach, as she tried to stem the flow of blood.

"Ty-ron-is." He said softly to himself. Something about that word was familiar.

"What are you waiting for half-breed? Finish her!"

What did that word mean? He thought to himself.

"Kill the wretch!"

Is it a name?

"Torture her!"

Is it my name? 

The big man fell to his knees, and violently grabbed his head with his hands, his nails cutting into his head, which he bent forward. The onlookers watched with disgust as they began to file out.

My name is Tyronis, he thought, this woman's name is Kayleena. She is a friend, no she is more than that.

He brought his hands in front of his face, everything was coming back to him, including what he had just done. 

I killed Kayleena, his blood covered hands bore witness to the atrocity that had just been committed.

At that moment a door that lead onto the arena floor opened, and half a dozen of the dozen onlookers walked onto the floor. They began to circle around Kayleena, taunting, and jeering at the poor woman who was in immense pain. He stood slowly, a seething anger beginning to consume him.

"If what I've been told, this witch was once a harlot," one of the men proclaimed loudly, not seeing Acolyte coming up from behind him, "what say you to helping her remember what that-"

Tyronis grabbed the forehead of the man, his fingers digging into the Shoronax's eyes, and yanked the head back violently breaking the mans neck, preventing him from finishing that vile thought. 

"No one will lay a hand on Kayleena!" Acolyte roared, as he swiftly unsheathed a large knife from the man that he had just killed, and slit the throat of the next nearest Shoronax. He had caught these monsters by surprise. After slitting the mans throat, he almost fluid like elbowed another man right in the temple with so much force that the mans temple literally exploded. The three other men, quickly recovered, and the six others had rushed into the arena upon hearing and seeing the commotion.

Tyronis stepped back into a combat ready stance, his knife held in front of him, a murderous glare on his face.

"What is with you Acolyte?" One of the Shoronax sneered,.

"The name is Tyronis!" He roared as he charged.

A short while later, the ground was littered with blood and bodies, and a seriously injured Tyronis stumbled over to where Kayleena was. He was covered in blood, from a variety of gashes on his arms, across his chest, and his legs. 

He grunted from pain as he got down on his knees and lifted the red haired woman that had captivated him all those years ago into his arms.

"Hi Kay." He whispered as he gently pressed his forehead against hers.

"Is it really you?" She whispered, as he stood, hissing softly in pain, "are you really back?"

"It's me." His voice shook with emotion.

She smiled softly as she leaned in and gave him a tender kiss. Her smile was radiant as she pulled back, and gazed into his eyes.

"Welcome back my love."

"It's great to be back," he said as he began to walk, "but we need to get out of here before other Shoronax show."

With that he painfully ran out the door, and away from the arena. However, there was one of the Shoronax who was barely alive. This survivor grabbed a device from his pocket, pressed a button and just before he died, whispered three words.

"Tyronis has returned."