Chapter 4 Escape and Oath breaking.
Calliope, the Ghost of Sparta, also known as Lady Death was finally defeated. Tortured and driven almost mad, she had been captured like a fly in the web of the Furies, but she will not succumb so easily.
Calliope had been imprisoned for 3 weeks in the great prison of Hecatonchires. She'd heard legend of this place during her childhood and still did as the Anti-Heroine she was now. After the Great War, Aegaeon pledged a blood oath to Zeus, only to later betray him. Making the king of the Gods send The Furies to hunt him down, to torture him without end, which they did without hesitation because they also weren't pleased with the betrayal. When they finally captured him, they knew death would be too merciful for such a crime and instead used him as an example to all, and tortured him without mercy and made a prison out of his body for those who followed his example of breaking a blood oath of the gods. And now Calliope found herself in this vile place as the latest prisoner of the Furies. The Fury Queen Alecto had been surprisingly gentle and kind to her during her imprisonment, never hurting her but by speaking gently to her while occasionally rubbing her checks and playing with her hair, unknowingly bringing out feelings for the Ghost of Sparta. Her 2 sisters however had tortured her mercifully for 3 weeks. But being the brave warrior she was, she braved all pain while waiting for the right moment to escape. And now, that time had finally come.
Currently Calliope was waiting for that insect-leged bitch to get here. The last time she'd been torturing Calliope, she tried to rape her and would have if Alecto hadn't interrupted and forced her to leave. The false vision Fury Tisiphone tortured her with false visions of her parents, all of Sparta and even the little girl she once was, all to spite and taunt her relentlessly, which she hated as she didn't like being reminded of her past and since then, she'd vowed to kill those 2 while thinking about sparring Alecto...as long as she didn't try anything similar to what her bitch sisters had done to her.
"Hello, Calliope." The voice of Megaera said with contempt as Calliope saw her insect parasites before the Fury herself appeared. "What's wrong? Having trouble remembering our 'special' time together?"
"Oh I ain't forgotten a second of you tryin' to rape me, bitch!" Calliope said with anger, having not forgotten about how the insect-legged Fury tried to rape her, something she had never done to the women she'd had 1 night stands with as it was one of the many things that disgusted her.
"That's good. Because during that time, Alecto rudely interrupted us before we could get to the fun. Alecto never was 1 for manners." Megeara said as she forehanded and backhanded the Ghost of Sparta before clawing her and breaking her neck chains in the process. "Oh but don't worry, because this time she isn't here to save you!" She yelled as she turned her insect legs to attack Lady Death. "For what you did to me, I owe you the same thing." Megaera tried using her left legs to attack Calliope but she dodged before wrapping her left and right top legs in her right chain before pulling her right blade out with amazing strength and yanking it into her hand before slashing the insect-legged Fury a few times, stunning her long enough to free her other blade while also cutting a deep wound into Megaera's midsection before leap diving off the platform and making Megaera take the hit from the fall. "I will not be ruined by a mortal!"
Calliope gave chase as Megaera taunted her while also killing several of her parasites along the way until she got inside a jail building. After opening the chest, she continued to follow Megaera until she got to a jail room where several of her parasites infected the prisoners and began to attack the Ghost of Sparta. Calliope easily killed them all before causing a piece of the ramp to fall to the floor and she got to the upper level. She continued forward and climbed up a ladder before getting to the 3rd level and opening the door, getting outside again and following Megaera until she got to a door that would take her to Alecto's Chamber.
Calliope dealt with several infected men and several parasites before Megaera jumped on the arm closest to the chamber? "Let us see how you fare against the Hecatonchires!" She said with anger as a few parasites came out of her and went inside the arm, infecting it and causing it to mutate and grow into a grotesque monster with white blade like class that seperated Calliope from the Chamber and moved the whole area away. The got monster tried to attack Lady Death with its class but Calliope dodged every attack and countered by slicing it with her blades until it was stunned, allowing her to use her blades to smash the ugly freak into the wall, cut off its right armor and stab it in its head, making the area tip. The grotesque freak tried attacking Calliope again but she used the corners as cover before slicing through the monster every chance she got until it was critically stunned, allowing Calliope to bring it down and stab through the right claw with her blades before using her blades to make the ugly freak slit its throat with it's own claw, killing it and making the area turn back around as the Ghost of Sparta saw Megaera make a run for it. Calliope jumped from the dying monster and slid down the area before sliding down into the sewer of the prison.
Calliope climbed up until she got to the upper tunnel where Megaera crawled onto the outside bars. Lady Death kicked the bars down and sidestepped through the wall and climbed up until she got on the ledge before opening the chests in the area. She then pulled a lever, making the cage that blocked the chain lower and the cage that held more infected men open, which Calliope easily killed before yanking the chain and making the cage beside it open. Calliope walked through the prison hallway where prisoners were talking about her next to another cell of infected before huge chunk of the hallway was grabbed by more of the hands. Calliope dealt with several enemies that tried to attack her while also jumping when the hands turned the chunk around until one of them destroyed the top of it, allowing Calliope to swing on one of the fingers to the Guardhouse.
As soon as she did, a Cyclops appeared but Calliope easily stunned it and climbed up on its back and used it to kill some infected men before slicing deep into the cyclops, making its intestines fall out as it fell to the floor dead. Lady Death then went to the left and opened a chest before pulling the lever and climbing up to the next ledge before swinging into a cell of 1 of the prisoners, who was overjoyed at the thought of finally being free until a similar grotesque freak with 2 ugly hands killed him, grabbed Calliope and smashed her through 3 walls before she used 1 of her blades to slice through its hand, leaving a bleeding scar on it. Calliope avoided the grotesque monster's attacks while slicing through it until it was stunned, allowing the Ghost of Sparta to bring down the right wall on it, but it just broke out and continued to attack but Calliope easily stunned it again and brought the left wall down on it, making it angry before it broke from the destroyed wall and shot out several parasites, which Calliope easily killed before attacking the monster hand again before jumping on the freak and using her blades to impale its hands on the tower spikes before she used her blades to impale its chest on a 3rd spike, finally finishing it off by forcing it upside down and snapping its neck before one of the uninfected hands grabbed the infected one and crashed it and Calliope into a small corridor. Once Calliope recovered, she went down the hallway in front of her to find 2 chests and a lever, which she pulled, making a gate that was in the place she crashed into open. She went back the way she came and went through it and into a room with a platform, which Megaera quickly went up as several infected dog like creatures appeared. Calliope quickly killed them all before getting on the platform and using her blades to operate a giant sideways cylinder, making the platform go up. Suddenly, 2 clamps stopped the platform, much to the Ghost of Sparta's annoyance before she quickly killed another wave of infected dog creatures. She then unclamped the platform to make it continue going up. After a few seconds, Megaera threw boulders at Lady Death, causing the platform to stop again another wave of dog enemies appeared, which she quickly killed before the platform broke off and Calliope hurriedly climbed up on the wall to avoid getting crushed by the still moving gear. Fortunately she got to the top, opened the chest there and climbed up on the ladder, getting the very head of the Hecatonchires.
Calliope went down the walkway all the way to a door and opened it, revealing a room with lustful women, who were surprised at seeing the Ghost of Sparta. "Is that Calliope, the Ghost of Sparta? One of them said with a sexy voice.
"Oh how wonderful. The gods have given us a real woman." Another one said with seductiveness in her voice as they walked up to her and began groping Calliope's body until a 3rd woman walked up to her.
"They are nothing, my dear. Come with me, and I'll show you how to really have sex with a woman." She said seductively as she took Calliope's hand and walked forward with her.
But Calliope knew exactly what was going on and easily dissolved the false vision. "Nice try, vision bitch, but I already know how to fuck other women!" She said as she looked to her right and saw the real Tisiphone.
"You're mine, you bastard!" Megaera said with anger as she jumped on Calliope from behind and jumped out of the room with her and onto the platform in front of the Hecatonghires head. When they recovered, Megaera quickly got off the platform as enemies appeared to kill Calliope but she easily killed them all with the Souls of Hades until Megaera appeared again on Aegaeon's eye, which was moving, implying that the Titans sized brute was still alive and aware of what was happening to him. "You have caused me pain for the last time, Spartan!" Megaera said as some of her bugs went inside Aegaeon's eye, causing his head to mutate into a hideous insect monster.
"Disgusting! Even more so since Aegaeon can obviously feel what's happening to him. But I bet if I can kill insect bitch, he'll die and finally be able to rest in peace." Calliope thought to herself before the mutated head bit into the platform and broke it off. Several enemies appeared but Calliope easily killed them with the Lightning of Zues while slicing through the bottom teeth until one of them shattered, making the mutated head angry before it threw the platform to an area below the walkway, which Calliope climbed on before a 3rd mutated hand just like the first one she killed appeared and roared at her.
UGH! I'M FUCKING SICK OF THESE GROTESQUE FREAKS!" Calliope yelled out as she avoided its attacks and countered with the Fires of Ares until it was stunned, allowing Calliope to use her blades to bring its head down, climb up on the back of it and use the freak's blade class to her advantage by forcing it to attack the head until it bit hard onto the hand, killing it and allowing Calliope to get to Megaera and stab her fatally in the chest before Calliope jumped down with the insect-legged Fury and stab her again before she fell onto the platform hard, dying from impact and finally ending Aegaeon's torment and suffering once and for all as he finally died.
"Rest in peace, big guy." Calliope said with a small smile before looking at Megaera and seeing the Amulet that she took from the slave owner weeks ago. "I'll take this back, bitch. Don't bother getting up, I'll find my own way." She said with humor before a Cerberus appeared, along with several Satyrs, which Calliope easily killed before using her required Amulet to repair a large area of the prison. "Oh gods, now I've missed this thing." She said as she rubbed the jewel with her finger before going forward while opening a few chests before getting to a door and opening it to reveal the Spartan King, few soldiers and a cheering crowd outside below the balcony.
Calliope knew that this wasn't real but decided to play along as she approached the king, who was really Tisiphone, who wore her mother's ring. "I have watched you over the years. When you were just a girl, I thought you were unworthy of being a Spartan, but your father convinced me otherwise. It was when took interest in becoming a member of the Spartan army that I saw the signs that because right. And even the loss of both of your parents years later did not sway your focus, the tragedy only improved you. You honed your skills and have carried on your father's legacy just as he would have wanted. And now, Calliope, you have fulfilled your promise of revenge against Ares and have achieved your own greatness. You served Sparta and the world with honor, you brought glory to us and all of humanity and today you have earned your place among us as the greatest Anti-Heroine and the greatest Spartan the world has ever known."
Calliope grabbed the false King's hand and smirked. "Nice try, bitch, but the only ambition I have is killin' you and eventually Ares!" She said as she dissolved the vision and kicked Tisiphone off the cliff but the vision Fury just flew back up.
"Rrrrrrhhhhhhh! WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO YOU?!" Tisiphone yelled before she flew off.
"Humh. Nothing you can put into my head can get to me, bitch. Enjoy your last few hours while you can." Calliope thought to herself before opening some more chests. She went through a gate as it closed and sealed her in before an infected lightning witch appeared but Calliope easily killed it, making the spikes go down. Lady Death climbed up to the top of the building and killed several more enemies before she jumped down to the other side, killed more enemies before using her Amulet to repair another large area of the prison. Calliope then swung through a chain and several of the dead hands before getting back up to the top of the structurebeside Aegaeon's head. She went down the stairs and into a cave before sliding down a ladder into Martyr's Chambers.
After looking around for a few minutes, Calliope thought of a way to get out of the Chamber. She opened the torture clamps, making a dead body fall out before going to the hanging body and using her Amulet to decay the Shailesh n his legs before using her chain to hang him back and to the right so the clamps would crush him, but also keeping the crate counterweight out of the way. The Ghost of Sparta picked up the first dead body and went through the cage door before grabbling the cylinder to make the platform go up. Calliope then threw the body on the pressure pad below her to bring the counterweight back up, allowing Calliope to get to the other side, opening the chests and then the door before going in.
"Yes. This will definitely have to go into the record. Record. Must record." An old man in a cell said insanely before noticing Calliope. "You. You're the Spartan that Orkos talked about, aren't you?"
"Yeah. But what's it to a crazy old man like you? How do you know of Orkos?"
"To know he paid for what he's done. They say that he was the first marked one but his father didn't like how he turned out. I know that I was the first one to be put here by the Furies." He answered as he showed Calliope the extremely long record he made himself, which clearly made him slowly go crazy in the head. "Orkos was born here. Then his mothers, they used to be fair. Harsh but fair. Had something to do with Ares, I imagine. But I've seen that Alecto is... having a sudden change of heart. Rumors spread that she's becoming a sort of...better person than she was before. Says it has something to do with you, Ghost of Sparta. Yes! This will be my record's crowning achievement!"
"I'll leave you and your records alone, you crazy ass old man." Calliope mumbled with annoyance before advancing forward before getting into the same jail room as before when she broke free. Calliope battled with several infected and even a Gorgon, being careful to avoid the stone stare before finally killing it. Lady Death then dragged the broken rubble back to where it was before taking the same path to the door that led to Alecto's Chamber, where Tisiphone was waiting.
"If the pleasure of the flesh or glory won't return you to us, then there's only one thing left." The vision Fury said before her pet bird Daimon appeared and smashed Calliope into a wall but Calliope saw the shade making object inside it, punched through the bird and reclaimed it before Daimon flew back to the vision Fury. "It doesn't matter that you have my son's toy! It is your heart that will betray you!" She threatened before going inside the chamber.
And as she reclaimed the item, Calliope knew she was close. Close to a time when she finally conquer the false visions for good. And close to finally breaking her oath with the God of War forever.
Calliope pulled the grapple chain back and created a clone of herself to keep it in place before swinging on the cage to get to the other side of the gate when several enemies appeared. Calliope easily killed them all with the Fires of Ares before using her Amulet to repair the stairs and walk up to the door before opening it.
But what she saw was a false vision of her old home in Sparta, which was exactly the same as when she last saw it as a child. She knew that this wasn't real but decided to see what was here first before dissolving it. She explored the house and found everything exactly the same but when she entered her parents' room, she saw them in their old years before she went to them and kissed them on their heads before going to her old room and seeing a little girl that was 6 years old. This little girl had the same mark and white skin that she had, along with the same black hair and was very beautiful for her young age. Calliope went to the little girl while she was sleeping and strangely felt the urge to caress her hair and she even kissed her forehead, shocking the Ghost of Sparta as she knew this couldn't be her... unless...this was.
"Is she...my daughter? That's... impossible. This can't be real." Calliope thought to herself before the door creaked open, revealing her mother and father who had woken up.
"Calliope, my child, you're finally home." An elder Kratos said quietly with happiness.
"I'm glad you're finally home, too, my sweet daughter. Your latest campaign against those cold blooded tyrants must have been longer than expected. You certainly had sweet little Sylvia worried." Lysandra said quietly so as not to wake her granddaughter.
"No this- this isn't real. It can't be. But why do I feel this way about this little girl? She's not even real and I don't ever want to let her go or leave her." Calliope said with concern while feeling conflicted.
"Don't worry Calliope, you can see her in the morning. Let us take you to your room to rest. We're sure that you must be exhausted from your journey home." Kratos gently said as he held out his hand, which Calliope reluctantly took before being led out of the room.
But as soon as the door closed, Calliope decided to finally dissolve it. "You almost had me with this one, gotta give you that. But I only want to live in the real world than be stuck in a damn vision." She said before Alecto revealed herself.
"I know Calliope, but even though she wasn't real, you felt something for her, didn't you?" The Fury Queen asked kindly.
"I-i did, but even so I knew that whole thing wasn't real. Even bliss can't last if it's just a lie. But answer this question: why have you been so nice to me from the moment we met? Thought you were head over heels for flame hair." Calliope wondered.
"I thought I was...but then I saw you and watched as you fought off 1 enemy after another and survived every danger this world has thrown at you. And as I got close enough to touch you, I began to feel something that I haven't felt in so many years. But I'm still not sure." Alecto said honestly.
"Oh really? And how can you be so sure about your feelings, Alecto?"
Alecto walked up to the Ghost of Sparta and wrapped her arms around her neck, surprising her. "By kissing you." She whispered before she leaned in and kissed Calliope, shocking her for a few minutes before she closed her eyes and kissed her back. While they were kissing, Alecto put the Eyes of Truth on Calliope and hugged her close before they separated with a trail of saliva connecting them. "Calliope... I-i...love you."
This surprised Calliope as she now knew why Alecto had been so kind and gentle to her. But before she could say anything, Daimon appeared and smashed her into a pillar before Tisiphone appeared. "I should have known you'd do something like this Alecto! But now that I know you've betrayed Ares, we'll see what he thinks about this!" She said with anger before Calliope jumped on her let and shoved the Eyes of Truth into it, finally killing it before advancing on the vision Fury, who was weakened. Calliope punched her hard as Tisiphone turned into the Spartan King. "You were never worthy of being called a Spartan!" This only got another punch from Calliope before the vision Fury turned into the little girl Calliope once was. "I lost my innocence because of you!" She said, getting a hard kick to the stomach before Calliope picked her up by the throat as Tisiphone turned into her father Kratos. "Calliope my child, please don't." But Calliope had enough of these taunts and squeezed harder before she saw the Oracle who turned her into the Ghost of Sparta so many years ago. "You and your mother weren't there that night by chance, Calliope." She said with a sadistic smile.
But Calliope had had enough of these taunts being reminded of her past as she finally ended the vision Fury for good by snapping her neck, killing her forever. "Say hello to your bitch sister in hell, bitch." She said before looking at Alecto, who had teleported away. "Well, looks like my work is done here."
After finding a way off the prison, Calliope traveled back to Sparta and found her old childhood home, which took a few weeks but she finally made it back and saw that her old home was in ruins on the inside. She looked at her mother's necklace and ring before Orkos appeared. "I never would have had the strength you have, Spartan. I would have taken what my mothers offered."
"Where's Alecto?" Calliope asked, wondering where the former lover of Ares was.
"I do not know, but she is probably thinking about what she has done. She now knows that Ares will never take her back. But I think you've done some good for her today. You freed her from herself and Ares. And for that I will always be grateful." Orkos said with a smile.
"I know. That illusion that Alecto showed me was almost temping but I'd rather live in truth…even if I had to give up my parents and my... daughter." Calliope said sadly as she thought of Sylvia, even though she wasn't real.
Orkos turned away with a regretful face. "I fear you may come to regret those words. Ares still holds your bond."
"How's that possible?"
"Well, before you killed them, Megaera and Tisiphone once again made me your oath keeper." He said as he revealed the oath rock inside his black chest where he previously cut it out. "For you to be free, I must die by your hand."
"No. There must be another way." Calliope said with dread, not wanting to be free like this.
"Regretfully there is no other way, Calliope. Destroy the oath, kill Ares, have your long deserved revenge. I was never the warrior my father wanted me to be. All I ask is that you give me an honorable death." Orkos pleaded as he gave Calliope his dagger.
Calliope thought for a few minutes and knew that Orkos was right. She closed her eyes and looked sadly at him. "I'm sorry, Orkos." She said before she reluctantly stabbed him, killing him honorably. After that, she'd worked all day to create a pyre for the dead Fury inside her old home, which she finally did before leaving but was strangely teleported somewhere.
Now free of the Furies madness, but still tortured by her father's memories, Calliope left the home she had once known and set out to begin her quest for revenge but not before a certain former Fury Queen has a few words with her that will bring about a change that will change the Ghost of Sparta's and Alecto's lives... forever.
There you go, my friends, the final part of Ascension is finally complete. Next chapter, Calliope will encounter Alecto again and they will have a night to remember that will change them both forever. Rate and review. See you soon, my friends.
