Disclaimer

I do not own Smite

Title

Hammer of the Gods

Summary

For many years, the Olympian Gods ruled over the lands with an iron fist. However, a change has been foretold, and now a threat from the northern lands threatens their rule. Rumours of Ragnarok have spread far, but in order to combat this threat, the kingdoms must set aside their differences and work as one.

This is an AU so not everything is going to be lore accurate. I've kinda adapted a little to suit an original plot line I was working on many years ago but never finished.

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Prologue

Athena sprinted through the bloodied streets, her shield and lance raised, protecting herself from the arrow fire. She had to reach the main bulk of her forces and give the order to retreat. The enemy was far too great, and her people were unprepared. The Spartans had arrived under their commander, her brother, Ares.

Years ago Zeus had banished Ares from the kingdom having grown sick of the sight of his son. Ares represented everything the Olympians despised – war, blood and violence. Upset at his banishment, Ares challenged Zeus to a fight to prove his worth and right to stay, but Zeus refused and chose Athena to fight in his place.

Her brother was twisted, but he wasn't evil, however she did as was asked of her father and fought Ares in the arena. The fight had been evenly matched, but her wisdom and sense of strategy had helped her obtain victory. Humiliated, Ares left without a word. There hadn't been a sighting of him in years – many believed he had died of shame until scouts reported their enemy, the Spartans, had become organized.

"Captain Athena!" a soldier called, running towards her. Dried blood coated his armour.

Athena came to a halt. "Retreat at once! Return to the walls!"

The ground shook. Athena held her arms out to the sides to steady himself as she waited for the vibrations to pass. Glancing up, he noticed that one of the fortifications had been struck by a boulder. Parts of rubble crashed down to the ground. One of her soldiers cried out in pain as he was buried alive beneath the debris. Another soul lost.

Athena gave her soldier a push. "Go! Warn the others! If we're going to die today then we're going to take as many Spartans down as possible, and we can't do that on the ground!" she ordered. The man nodded and sprinted towards the eastern wall. Athena glanced over her shoulder. She could see the Spartans advancing through the streets. But it wasn't just men they faced – the Spartans had allies. Bull Demons. They were lumbering creatures standing at a height of ten feet, wielding magical maces that could cause the ground around them to shake. With a skin tone of a pale brown and the face of a pit bull, they were anything but attractive.

Another boulder sailed through the air, colliding into the western part of the wall, taking another chunk out of their defence. Someone screamed. Athena looked to the right. One of the bull demons had picked up a soldier and was now holding him in its hand, crushing the man's bones with little effort. The man screamed again. The screams came to an abrupt halt when the giant threw the frail body against a wall. Athena winced upon the impact. How many more men were going to die in this pointless war?

Any sane man would leave whilst they had the chance. You'd have to be an outright fool to believe this war could be won. But Athena was a faithful servant of her father, and she was no coward. Better to die fighting for something you believed in than die with your back turned to your kingdom. Whatever the result here today, it would be remembered for future generations to come. Maybe future lords would learn something from this.

Another soldier approached her. There were blotches of blood splatter on his helm. "Captain Athena! The northern wall has fallen! The giants are pouring in! The men are beginning to panic! They believe that all hope has been lost!"

Athena swore, spitting at the ground. They were trapped in here like animals, and still there was no sign of the allies. Perhaps they had heard word of their troubles and decided to retreat condemning them to their fates. "Listen to me," Athena said, placing her shield on the ground, to grab the man's right shoulder. "As long as we are still breathing then there is still hope that we can emerge from this victorious! Rally up the men and head to the eastern wall. Load up the ballistae. Tell the archers to get into position and have the remaining men standing near the openings!"

"At once, captain!" The man turned away and hurried off to inform the remaining men.

Though she did not feel hope in her heart, she could not allow the men to lose hope. Their confidence would be shattered, and they'd allow the bull demons and Spartans to enter without a fight. Better to give the men some belief even if she did not believe himself. She sprinted towards the ladder on the wall. Her run was cut short when a boulder smashed into it, creating a big dent in the fortification. The ladder toppled to the soil.

Fortunately, there was still another way to gain access to the upper wall. She changed directions, and headed towards one of the undamaged buildings, dashing through an open door. She found a few of her men inside. Some of them were on the ground, wounded. One was missing a leg. Another without his right arm. "Captain Athena," one of the healthy soldiers said, acknowledging her with a bow. "Our forces are divided. There's a bull demon separating our men. The wounded can't access the help they need."

"I'll deal with him. Just take care of the men here then report to the eastern wall when you're ready."

"But Captain, the giants are too strong."

"I'll figure out a way." She moved on past the men heading towards the opposite opening. Green grass awaited on the other side. It was the last patch of grass untouched by the bull demons that lay before the river which now served as dumping site for bloodied and battered bodies. Corpses floated down the river, many of them missing various limbs. The water itself had turned red.

Stepping out onto the grassy patch, she turned to her left. There was a flight of stairs leading up to the upper level. Cautiously, she made her way up, keeping her eyes peeled. You never knew when a boulder or a fireball could come your way. She walked up the flight of stairs then turned right. That's when she saw it. Through the narrow alleyway, she spotted the unmistakable bulk of a bull demon. Behind the creature, she saw ash clouds. The smell of burning straw reached her nostrils.

Once again the ground shook. The bull demon swung his club. Some soldiers ducked, whilst those who failed were struck. The sounds of bones being shattered would forever remain in her head. She kept charging forward. Bull demons could be defeated. There had to be a way to bring down something so large. Maybe if she used the creature's own bulk against it, she'd gain the upper hand. She charged down the street. Every so often she'd be knocked aside as the ground vibrated. Cracks appeared in the walls surrounding her. With each quake, the cracks deepened. It wouldn't be much longer before the buildings crumbled.

Tightening her hands around the hilt of her weapo, Athena charged. She ran for as long as her legs could carry her, heading directly for the space beneath the demon's legs. Demons were slow. There was always a bit of a delay between each swing of the mace. That was the perfect time to set up an attack. "Captain!" a man screamed.

The giant raised a leg and brought it crashing down. Again, the ground shook, and Athena almost lost her footing. Fortunately, she now had enough practice to retain his balance. Throwing down her shield on the floor, she two-handed her weapon and swung her weapon with all her might, the steel clashing with the rock hard skin of the demon's leg. She hit with enough force that she was thrown backwards. Scrambling to her feet, she glanced at the spot she had struck. Nothing but a scratch, but it was something. It showed the demon had a vulnerable spot.

"They might be large and powerful, but even something so big can be brought down!" Athena called over the sounds of battle. She slashed at the leg again. Another scratch, but deeper. With enough strikes the demon would eventually fall to the soil. "Strike at its legs! When the demon falls, it'll be unable to defend itself!"

"Understood, captain!"

A soldier rushed forwards and slashed at the demont's leg. Uttering a monstrous roar, the demon lifted its leg again. "Move out of the way!" Athena bellowed, throwing her body to the side to avoid the stomp. She glanced to his right to check if the other soldier was fortunate. The man lay on the ground about a metre away, uninjured.

"Fire your arrows!" another man cried.

Two archers raised their bows and released. Two arrows flew forwards striking the demon's leg. "Move now!" Athena ordered, just as the demon roared. Mace raised, it made a horizontal swing. Thanks to her warning, the soldiers were able to evade the demon's attack, taking a few steps back so they were out of range.

She slashed at the leg again. Each swing of the sword deepened the cuts. Eventually, she'd break through the thick layer of skin and make the demon bleed. Again and again she struck, every so often rolling to the side to avoid being crushed beneath the foot. Each roll drained her of energy, but motivation spurred her on.

"I think it's weakening, captain!" the soldier said. A few more charged forward and slashed at its legs. "Look! I see blood!" At least, that's what she assumed it was. Green liquid seeped through the cuts, trailing down its legs. The demon raised its legs again and stomped the ground, but by now the soldiers had understood its pattern of attack.

The battle seemed to be turning in their favour when a fireball exploded nearby. A bale of hay became consumed in fire. In the near distance, Athena spotted one of the bull demons approaching. This one had its mace fused with fire. She grit her teeth. Just what they needed when they were so close to defeating the bull demon. "Captain, what do we do now?"

"We move out of harm's way," Athena replied, backing away. The demon swung its mace once again, this time smashing it into the nearby wall. Bits of rubble fell to the ground, the impact throwing a few soldiers off their feet. The fire-weapon wielding demon smashed its weapon on the floor, causing flames to burst up from the ground.

"How do we stop it? We can't get close!"

A good question. She thought hard, examining his surroundings. The bull demon was struggling to stand properly now, often staggering to either side each time it took a step. Perhaps if he could get the demon to attack one of the buildings near the fire bull demon and cause it to crumble… "I have a plan. I need you men to stay back in case this does not work properly."

Drawing in a deep breath, she uttered a silent prayer. Here goes nothing, she thought. She dashed forwards heading towards the fire demon, making sure to sprint through its legs. The beast roared. As expected, it pursued her, and swung its mace. Athena willed her legs to move faster. She lunged forward just to be safe, narrowly missing the tip of the blunt weapon.

The fire demon released a cry of pain as it was struck in the head. It staggered backwards, emitting a low groan as it collapsed in a heap. The flame in its right hand faded. Dead? It was hard to tell with the demons. Panting, Athena rose to his feet. It was still standing, but weakening fast.

It took a step forward and raised its club above its head to make a vertical swing. However, the demon's legs gave way, and it collapsed on the spot, club rolling out of its hands. It emitted a low groan. Athena drew in a deep breath. Victory. So the brutes could be defeated after all. Perhaps there was hope.

"We defeated the giant!" the men cheered.

"There is hope after all!"

Athena straightened, a smile spreading across her face. It was the first time he had spared a grin since this bloody war had started. But there was no time to celebrate yet – there were still other demons to defeat. "That's one defeated, but there are many more to be found." She picked up her shield and raised it high to inspire the men.

The men rallied together behind her, their swords drawn, and their shields raised. Together, they marched through the streets, keeping an eye out for more demons. As they searched the streets, Athena took note of the devastation surrounding them - damaged walls, burning straw roofs, broken fortifications, and hundreds of wounded bodies and corpses on the streets. It would take years to repair the defences, but would anyone want to live here knowing how much blood had been shed?

That's when she saw it. It wasn't a bull demon, but a man. He was standing at the base of a hill, his sword tip resting on the ground, his shield in his other hand. She couldn't see his face as it was hidden behind a helm, but she didn't need to see it to know whom it was. Her brother, Ares. When he had served under Zeus's rule, he had worn his golden armour and red cape. Now he wore silver armour and a blue cape.

One of the soldiers snarled. "You should've killed him when you had the chance, Athena."

"He's still my brother."

"And he betrayed us by siding with the Spartans!"

If she had driven her weapon through his heart then this war could've been averted, but despite his crimes, she could not find it within herself to deal the killing blow. "I believe he can be saved if only he could quell his rage. Head back to Mount Olympus and tell Zeus we have to sound the retreat. We have to live to fight another day."

"But Captain-"

Athena raised a hand. "Just head home." She looked to the other men. "Find survivors. Pull them back. Now go – carry out your duties that you swore upon when you picked up your swords." The men didn't argue. They did share worried glances, but none were brave enough to argue with their captain. Turning their backs, they left, leaving Athena alone.

Once they were out of sight, Athena headed towards Ares. He turned his head towards her. "Here on father's orders I suppose? Don't you ever get tired of being the obedient daughter?"

"I'm protecting my family."

He snorted. "I used to think like you, Athena, but then I saw the light. Family means nothing in the end. It certainly doesn't mean anything to Zeus considering his history and his… numerous affairs. Not to mention, he was happy to be rid of me." He threw his shield on the ground. "My crime? Being born. Don't try to deny it, sister. I've seen how he looks at you then at me."

"And so you chose to side with the Spartans."

"They despise the Olympians and our father. They love war and violence. We have several things in common so it only made sense to join forces." He chuckled, a deep unnerving sound. "Mount Olympus will fall. Zeus will fall. A change is coming and I'm a part of it. You may have defeated me before, sister, but I've become wiser since our last meeting. The next time you and I meet on the battlefield, only one of us will be walking away and that is going to be me. Today I allow you to leave so you can report to father – tell him the Spartans are coming and they will be staying."

Before Athena could protest, Ares turned his back and walked away. She watched him retreat. A change was coming, but not one that would suit her brother's desires.

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Well, first attempt at writing a Smite fanfiction with my original plot. Hopefully, you'll like it enough to want to read more. Reviews are much appreciated, as always!