~A70 Ch25~
The First Year...
Two blades of celestial bronze clashed against one another, one struggling to match the other's power, and the other calm and steady, as if the first blade was but a pittance to its own strength. Disengaging, the two blade clashed again, the second blade barely matching the first blade. A third clash resulted in the disarming of the second sword.
Perseus fell on his back to the floor of the small arena, gasping heavily for air. His sword had clattered to floor once he had begun his fall. After a few minutes, he attempted to rise only for a bare foot to land on his chest, forcing him to the dirt once more. The foot was swiftly removed voluntarily only for it to placed on a new location- his neck. His esophagus began constricting and closing and he began choking as the foot placed pressure on his neck.
"My, my," the feminine voice commented, ignoring the gasping coming from below her, "you've been a naughty boy, little demigod, using your powers all the time to take on all the big, bad beasties Greece has to offer. But when it comes to an actual fight, you're severely lacking."
Perseus, had at this point, begun struggling and thrashing about, trying to throw the goddess off him but to no avail. Enyo had somehow managed to seal his powers for the while. When Enyo had mentioned a spar between the two without utilizing any powers, he hadn't expected to face off against a sadistic woman. Then again, she was a Goddess of War, Destruction, and Devastation. She loved war in all its incarnations, the tension in the air that precedes the battle of two warring armies, the potent bloodlust that filled the battlefield, causing men to fight harder, and the rivers of blood that flowed from the wounds sustained by men in battle.
"Poor little demigod. You've only lasted this long against the gods and Titans simply because they underestimated you and the power you possess. But I, I know differently. With your powers, you are capable of standing up to the weaker gods but without them, you cannot defeat even my brother, Ares. Truly, you have been relying on your powers too much. Brute strength is not a substitute for skill. Intelligence is not a substitute for practice. How pitiful your base form truly is, how laughably weak." By this point, Perseus had stopped thrashing about. He could not compete against the superior strength, speed, and natural skill that even the weakest gods possessed, at least not with all his powers sealed.
As Perseus laid on the ground, resting from the all-out spar and recovering from having his throat nearly pulverized, he began to reflect on all the battles he had participated in since coming to this land called Greece.
His first true battle in Greece had been with the Greek King, Leonidas. It was difficult, at first, but once the two had engaged the other in a battle of divine power, he had simply overwhelmed his opponent, an opponent that was not a direct descendant from the loins of a god. He had not even half the power his ancestor, the mighty Heracles, a warrior known even to his own lands that possessed the strength that rivaled even another well-known Hero-King from times long-forgotten, the legendary hero, Gilgamesh, the man one part man and two parts divine, and yet, Leonidas had forced Perseus to utilize his own powers to win. And perhaps that was when Perseus was first enthralled with the might he possessed though he had not yet known it to be so.
His battle with Ares was similarly one-sided though that was mostly because Ares had underestimated him. Even after his death and resurrection, he had continued to employ his powers simply because he could, even against weaker and common monsters simply because they were pesky ants compared to his might. Lamia, Ares, Heracles, and even his most recent battles with the Two Titans, Perses and Aura. These beings had all used their powers to battle whether they employed magic, wind, or strength, it still made no difference. They had all lost in the end simply because they had never honed their skill simply because they had believed their powers sufficient to deal with whatever threats obstructed their way to achieve their goals.
The question was, did he really want to do the same only to eventually fall in the end?
The answer was, quite obviously, a resounding and definitive no.
With a sigh, Perseus began to sit up only to be pushed down to the floor once more, this time because Enyo, the seductive, destructive goddess decided to straddle his waist and hold a dagger to his cheek. Her voice husky, breath warm on his cheek, and her forehead touching his, and she asked, "Well, do you surrender and accept my...offer of honing your natural skills?"
There's not really a way I could refuse this without being harmed.
"Fine," he muttered, resignedly.
Enyo suddenly jerked her hand, the dagger creating a shallow yet deep enough cut down his cheek to leave a scar once the cut healed. A rivulet of crimson ran down the moderate cut, staining the dirt with color. Enyo moved her ruby lips to the cut she had inflicted on the demigod and with a flick of her tongue, lapped up the crimson liquid like a cat to milk.
"You're mine...for now," she murmured to his cheek before suddenly rose from her seated position and began to walk away.
A thought struck the war goddess and so she turned her head back to address her new victim- apprentice. "By the way, I like what I felt."
This time she walked away with a sway in her hips.
Perseus simply groaned as he brought the back of his hand to his cheek to wipe away the blood and saliva mixture before sitting up.
What have I gotten myself into this time?
The Second Year...
"Let's make a bet!" Enyo had one day spontaneously shouted to Perseus after repelling a small hellhound invasion.
Perseus raised an eyebrow. "And exactly what would this bet entail?"
"How about we have a little spar? If I win, you'll help me relax. If I lose, then I'll do...whatever...you...say," Enyo said sultrily, placing a hand on his chest, fingers slowly curling, feeling his stomach, and slowly rising until they reached his nipples, where she harshly tweaked them.
Perseus didn't even bother mentioning Enyo's roaming hand. Every time he had faced off against Enyo, and subsequently lost, though he was managing to defend himself longer against her ferocious attacks, she had shown her desire for him by touching him. Everywhere. She certainly had no taboos about anything. Perseus always stopped her before she went too far.
Perseus simply stared at the goddess blankly. "I would lose."
Enyo grinned. "Exactly! So maybe you should do whatever I want already?" Her hand snaked downwards, slowly encroaching upon his groin.
As always, however, Perseus caught her wrist before it touched upon his sensitive organ. "I didn't agree to the bet."
Enyo raced ahead of Perseus, and swiveled, blocking the demigod's way forward, causing him to halt in his tracks. Enyo glared at him before smiling a sickly sweet smile at him. "Accept or I'll rape you in your sleep."
Perseus gaped at her, mouth wide open at the blatant declaration that spewed from her lips. Slowly, he recovered, closing his mouth. He scowled at her. "Don't joke about things like that."
Enyo rolled her eyes but said nothing about his defensive view. "Fine, Perseus. So, how about it? Think you can take me on?" Enyo poked his chest with a finger. "Or, will you simply submit to your master."
Perseus frowned in frustration before challenging and fighting the war goddess.
He lost.
...
Perseus blinked at the situation he found himself in. After losing, Enyo had told him to come to her residence in the Amazonian Village after night had fallen.
"You've never been naked before," Perseus pointed out dumbly, staring at the vision of nude beauty before him laid out comfortably on a bed.
Creamy white skin, smooth, long legs, a supple, ample bosom, and apparently, in this form, a natural brunette, though not even the few pitiful descriptions Perseus could come up with could do the goddess justice.
"Are you going to join me, Perseus?" Enyo asked seductively, turning on her stomach, and showing off her shapely bottom for Perseus to see.
"You want me to...?" Perseus trailed off as Enyo simply smiled at him.
Perseus slowly undressed and walked to Enyo, who had shifted on to her back once more, and had lifted her leg to halt the demigod before grabbing something to her left. It was a bottle of oil.
"I want a massage," Enyo said innocently before slyly asking, "Or were you hoping for something more?"
Enyo continued, "I suppose you could always take what you want but-!"
Perseus needed no further urging. Enyo squealed in delight, though she would never admit doing so afterwards.
It was a long, pleasurable night.
...
Years passed. Thousands of monsters slain. Defeats fewer, victories actually on the rise. Raw, sometimes passionate sex may have also been committed several times...a day.
The couple also had a few romantic nights a year though Enyo's idea of romantic was fighting together on a bloodstained battlefield against almost impossible odds. Perseus simply preferred discovering nearby slices of paradise and showing these natural, beautiful places to Enyo.
But after twenty years with her, Enyo grew bored of Perseus despite his many attractions. Despite his age of almost half a century, he was still physically powerful, a trait he had said he inherited from his father, a strong warrior, more skillful than a man half his age, and of course, his libido was higher than any other man she had ever encountered.
Gods and goddesses were restless beings. Though perhaps for a time, gods and goddesses could and would settle down with mortals for a time, or on most occasions, a single night, they could not settle down with mortals for very long.
Mortals had a short lifespan, at least, in the eyes of immortals. Though perhaps they seemed uncaring, it was merely to shield themselves from the love they felt for their beloved mortals whom would eventually die one day, the gods and goddesses never being able to see them again. And so, to deny their feelings for they lost loved ones, they lost themselves in a night of senseless debauchery until they found another mortal they could love.
And so the cycle continued.
Perseus held a special place in Enyo's heart. He was not her first love or even her hundredth, but he was a special kind of man. Even though she knew he was, or at least claimed have a special type of immortality, she simply could not cope with something she had been through for over a thousand years.
And so, after a last night with her love, she retired as the Queen of the Amazons, allowing another Amazon to take her place, and left the demigod.
Perseus felt slightly hurt that Enyo had not mentioned her leaving him but soon got over it, realizing that the goddess, like most other gods and goddesses of any pantheon, simply, instinctually moved on.
Having said goodbye to the many friends he had made over the years, Perseus left the Village of the Amazons, with little more than what he had arrived with, powers unsealed during the night, walking off into the distant sunrise and onto the next great adventure.
~A70 Ch25~
A/N: What adventure do you believe Perseus will embark on next?
The main romance won't be this short, obviously. My answer to Perseus's overpowering was in there. He'll have over two thousand years to get overpowered...hehe.
Hmm...I think there was something else I was supposed to mention but...I forgot. Oh well, perhaps next chapter. Nothing else to be said but...
Thanks for reading!