Beauty and His Beast [MxM] (UNEDITED)

Ares POV

The sounds of early birds chirping, the breeze gently brushing against my bare skin, the sounds of leaves rustling in the wind, tiny animals scurrying about all surrounded me as I smiled in my sleep. My hand stretching out slightly, seeking that warmth I had become so accustomed to feeling every morning.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion when my hand came into contact with the grassy ground instead of that feeling of pure raw muscle. I opened my eyes slightly, blinking a few times at the strong ray of sunlight and turned to my side. Narrowing my eyes at the empty space beside me. The space that Fortis usually occupied.

I sat up slowly, grimacing at the pain in my lower back, a pain that caused a smile to spread across my face as memories of the night before flashed through my mind. I stretched my arms out, yawning as I looked around, finding no sign of him at all.

I looked around further, finding my clothes and draped them over my body. I pulled my hair into a tie and rubbed my hands over my face, trying to rid myself of the sleep I so desperately wanted to get back to and looked at the river.

I walked slightly towards it and bent down, splashing water across my face which succeeded in waking me up completely. I drank a few gulps of water before I stood and shook my hands out, looking around the forest with my eyes narrowed..

Just where was he?

I shrugged as I looked at my reflection in the water, knowing he probably went on a run of his. He tended to wake in the early hours of the morning and run until the sun was fully risen. I lifted my head up and gazed at brightly shinning sun, raising my eyebrow.

I turned my direction and headed for the forest, towards the direction I had come from last night. Occasionally stopping to greet the numerous plants who had come to be my only source of social acquaintances.

I smiled as I looked down at a squirrel who looked to be carrying an apricot in his tiny hands as though it weighed the entire world. He stopped and held it out to me with great difficulty. My smile widened as I bent down and took the apricot from him thanking him as I watched him scurry away shyly.

I shook my head and bit into the apricot, the sweet taste of its juices filling my mouth as I walked further into the forest which had become eerily quiet. Not even the sounds of the forest animals could be heard. I turned to look for the squirrel and he too had disappeared from sight. I turned around and narrowed my eyes further, closing them and listening closely, furrowing my eyebrows when couldn't hear anything at all.

Something was wrong..

I could feel it in every fiber of my being as I opened my eyes and looked around. The sound of birds screeching above me as they flew from the trees and fled, causing me to gasp in shock as I looked above me seeing them fly away.

I could feel my heart hammering in my chest as everything inside me told me that something bad was going to happen. That I should definitely not be standing there waiting for it happen and yet, there I stood.

I closed my eyes once more, feeling myself connect with nature around me, listening closely for it to show me what my eyes could not see. I listened attentively and widened my eyes in shock when I heard it.

Heartbeats.

I gasped and broke out into a run with absolutely no direction at all. Running straight ahead when I heard the sounds of voices behind me, shouting as though they knew I'd run. I did not look back for even a second out of fear of losing my footing.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, hearing them catch up behind me on the horses they rode. I felt my panic arise further in my chest, knowing that the orcs didn't use horses due to their size, the fear of not knowing who was chasing me through this forest taking over me as I tried to jump over a massive tree root, losing my footing in the process.

I grunted as my body smacked down onto the ground hearing the horses surround me. Men talking all the same time making it difficult to make out what they were saying nor could I recognize any of them, since they wore a uniform that was completely unknown to me.

"Your Majesty, we urge you to remain calm." One of them said, removing his helmet to reveal a human face, save for his pointy ears like mine.

I looked back him breathing heavily, unable to form any coherent words with the way my heart was beating within my chest, and could only stare back at him.

"We're not here to hurt you." Another said, too removing his helmet.

One by one, they each removed their helmets as a sign of harmlessness. Something that would be done in a time of surrender. Each dismounting his horse and kneeling before me. I narrowed my eyes in confusion, still flat on the ground wondering just who these men were when another horse rode its way towards me.

Its rider, dawned in a uniform of complete black save for his helmet that looked as though it was made of pure gold. Gold ribbings covered his arms and thighs, on his chest was the marking of a raven with a golden crown above its head.

The sign of a royal.

I narrowed my eyes further, wondering just who he was. I had never heard of a royal before who wore the crest of a raven nor had I ever heard of a kingdom of such. I looked at him as he dismounted his horse and walked towards me, stopping when he stood in front of me. He bent down and removed his helmet slowly, making me widen my eyes at those silver eyes that looked at me.

"Urion"

I stared at him wide eyed. Unable to formulate any words further than that. My body went completely still as I sat there on the ground, surrounded by what I assumed was his men.

"Ares. My dear Ares" he said as he leaned towards me and for some reason, I found myself shrinking back away from his touch.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you. It's me. Remember " he spoke in a gentle voice as he reached for me once more and placed his hand on my cheek.

Even then, I could not word anything as I looked back at him, who hadn't changed at all since the last time I had seen him. He still looked like the twenty year old boy I had an obsession over, and yet, something in his eyes told me he had aged far beyond. Even as he bent down and picked me up, did I not feel anything.

"Your Grace, I fear we have alerted them. We have a few heading our way." One of his men said. I looked at Urion who looked back at me, a smile spreading across his face as he searched my face.

"I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered as he leaned towards me and pressed a kiss against my forehead and for some reason, I wanted nothing more than for him to set me down on the ground and move ten feet away from me.

"Our priority right now is getting Ares out of here. Do not engage unless they do. Understood?" He asked as turned to look at them who all bowed and placed their helmets back on before they turned their horses.

"Wait. Where are you taking me?" I asked as I felt that panic arise within my chest again.

"Home Ares. I'm taking you home" he said as he lifted me up onto his horse and held me as he turned his horse to head towards the forest.

Home? But I'm already home..

I turned my head, about to voice my thoughts when an arrow flew past the side of my face, almost taking my eye out with it if it hadn't been for Urion moving my head aside.

I looked ahead and saw the orcs emerging from the forest, Kronar leading them with Zenair at his side who didn't look pleased in the slightest. I felt my entire being go into shock when I witnessed Urion's men attacking ahead.

Fortis? Where is he? Is he okay?

I looked around in panic, looking for those green orbs which seemed so difficult with the speed Urion's horse was galloping at. I gripped on it's reins as my eyes searched the swarm of men fighting around me, when I spotted that head of black hair.

He had been thrown to the ground, two of Urion's men both holding a sword of above his head about to lower it. I felt my heart beating in my chest and it was like something inside me snapped. It felt like some kind of warmth deep within my core that had exploded.

"No! Stop!" I screamed as I held my hand out in their direction.

I watched in utter horror as a massive root broke its way out of the ground and pushed them away from him, sending them flying across the ground and hitting a tree. I pulled my hand back and at the same time the root recoiled and wedged its way back into the ground.

I widened my eyes as Fortis's green eyes found their way to my blue ones. His locking on mine as a smile spread across his features. I narrowed my eyes in confusion at why he was smiling when there was clearly war going on around us when I looked around and saw that almost all the orcs were tied up in roots and planted against the trees, leaving Urion's men with no need to fight them.

Had I done that? Had I unlocked my powers?

I turned to see Urion looking straight ahead as he rode his horse,looking ahead myself to see what had made him so focused, only to stare in horror at the portal that had opened up in front of us.

I looked back at Fortis who had been holding his hand against a wound on his stomach and widened my eyes when I saw him becoming smaller and smaller as Urion rode into the portal. Fortis becoming no more as it finally closed behind us.

Leaving him and everything we had behind us.