A SUSPICION
Kratos stood up in a huge, round, wooden tub and stepped outside. Hot water splashed onto the floor made of hewn stone slabs, the scent of Oriental fragrances getting even more intense in the bath chamber.
Such a way of bathing was not particularly popular in Hellas. He saw it during one of his foreign military campaigns and immediately adapted for his own use having found it much more pleasant and convenient than pouring a bucket of cold water over his head or visiting the public baths.
Using hot water was considered effeminate by the Hellenes but he didin't care how others might view his private hygienic routines. Especially it was unlikely that anybody would ever dare question his manliness on such or - in fact - any other basis.
Suddenly, a young handsome soldier walked in. The unexpected sight of Kratos' naked impressive body in the warm light of the oil lamps made him utter an involuntary sigh of admiration.
"You're late," Kratos observed rubbing myrrh oil into his muscular arms and not looking at the man.
"I'm sorry. It's all because of..."
"Whatever. Undress, take a bath, have some wine."
"But... you said your wife wanted to talk over some financial issues with you this evening. Do we still have time?"
"My wife won't be talking over anything with anyone anymore."
"What happened?"
"She's dead. I killed her. With my own hands. And now hurry up. I'll be waiting in the bedroom."
- - -
Two hours of rough, lewd, masculine sex later, both men laid on the bed drinking wine and talking.
"And then you recognized her?"
"Yes. She was there on the ground, right in front of me. Dead, with half of her guts out, in a dark puddle of blood spreading slowly."
"And what did you do?"
Kratos shrugged nonchalantly.
"I fucked her and then burned that damn temple down to save some money on the funeral."
"You fucked your dead, gutted out wife...?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Performing genocide on innocent, defenceless people has always made me horny. And she had nice tits. Generally, I have to admit that she wasn't so bad. As for a woman. My three previous wives were hysterical, two-faced bitches. But this one was more or less okay. In time I might have even started to like her."
"But anyway, fucking a dead, disemboweled woman... even if she is one's wife..."
"Oh, come on! She was still warm when I fucked her so it wasn't necrophilia."
Kratos took a mouthful of wine from his cup.
"Good wives are very rare nowadays," he stated.
"True."
"And it's been fourth time in last five months that I slaughtered my own woman accidentally."
"Tough luck."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"What are you suggesting?"
"I'm starting to suspect that Ares's been setting it all up."
"What makes you think so?"
"Well, the circumstances are somewhat similar each time. He points out a village in which Athena's worrshipped and sends me to obliterate it. I pacify the people and burn the village to the ground leaving the local temple for the finale. Each time there's something... forbidden about the temple and each time all my instincts tell me not to go there. But one has to be a pro and do their job, right?"
"Sure. It'd be unreasonable to put at risk the reputation you've been working on so hard for all those years."
"Exactly. So each time I ignore this gut feeling, kick the door open and kill everybody inside. And somehow there's always my goddamned wife among the victims!"
"This must be annoying."
"Hell yeah. As I curse my inadvertence the image of Ares appeares and he starts babbling that I'm becoming all he's always hoped me to become and other shit like that."
"Every time?"
"Yup."
"Hmmm. But it's pretty natural, don't you think?"
"What do you mean natural?"
"You're his right hand man and killing one's wife means a lot of inconvenience."
"You bet it does."
"I'd say he just wants to be a good superior and tries to support you."
Kratos rubbed his chin.
"Maybe you're right... four wives in five months is not so bad, afterall."
"It's certainly not."
"Maybe I'm oversuspicious."
"No, you're just overworked."
"Yeah, and now apart from regular duties I also have to look for a new wife. Again. Fuck."
"You definitely need a break. I'm sure Ares will give you a permission. How about a few days somewhere outside the city, just the two of us, before you start your wife-search?
"Why not."
"Great! We might..."
"We'll discuss it later. Now shut up and put your mouth to a more adequate use."
Young lover smiled hearing such a direct encouragement and leaned down to kiss Kratos' lips passionately. But his mentor frowned and pushed him away with impatience.
"No, you idiot. Just blow me."