37. Showdown

With a grain of Irish mythology to spice up the story... A/N

When Helikaon and I stepped out in the clearing adjoining the old dilapidated building, I realized it was actually fire burning inside of those dirty windows. Apparently this had once been something of a lovely little Chinese garden house or tea house, complete with a three story pagoda standing to its side. I could well imagine it had been delightful once. Now most of the colouring had faded and the wooden balustrades and stairs were broken in several places. Still, the place look perfectly habitable - if you didn't have that high demands of course. Naturally I wondered if this was good enough a hiding place for this Toshinari Minamoto who was the next on our suspects list. Yet Helikaon seemed certain of his goal, he crossed the grass like he had done it a million times before and ascended one of those wooden staircases in disrepair, skipping two of the steps, as if he knew they were not in the shape to thread upon. Thus I did the same, and then I followed Athena's son as he opened up a somewhat jammed wooden door and entered the old house. When he did, shards of broken glass fell down from one of the door windows and hit the floor with a clashing sound.

The reek that hit my nostrils was notable. It smelled of dust, mold, decay, garbage and dirty being. Not human, the smell was a bit more salty and acrid for that. Kakodeamon, no doubt. Making a face I followed Helikaon up two steps and we entered a kind of living room. There we found a potbellied Asian asleep among some cushions on the floor. Toshinari Minamoto no doubt. Helikaon seemed so certain of the fact that he walked over to the sleeping being and kicked him in the side with a brutal foot.
"Wake up, Kako!" he bellowed in Japanese with an intimating look upon his handsome face.

In response the sleeping Asian began to cough and then lids fluttered open, revealing a strange set of yellow eyes. Not slanted as with most Asians, but almond as a westerner.
"Huh? Aoo!" said the being and Helikaon stared him down. The next moment the roles became reversed as the kako leaped up with an unexpected agility for his rounded form and attacked the Olympian, claws emitting from his fingers as if he was Wolverine of the X-men. He lashed out at Helikaon who backed off with moderate and nimble steps. Yes, Helikaon had done this before I could tell.
"Minamoto-san!" he called out as he skipped aside, barely avoiding one of those slashing talons. "I wish just to talk!"
"No shit, Greek! You don't kick someone in the side if you 'just want to talk'," the Kako's voice was a husky baritone.
"Shut it, I don't have much time," Helikaon replied, making it no big deal that he had dropped the honorary form of addressing the other one.

In return the kako called Toshinari Minamoto attacked again, and this time Helikaon had him pinned down with a judo wrestling grip in no time, and as the kako fell down on the wooden floor, landing in the thick layer of dust, his Greek adversary leaning over him and snarling into his ear:
"Who wants Barak Obama dead?"
"Fuck you!" the Kakodaemon replied, speech contorted since his jaw was pressed to the floor. The next time he sneezed, no doubt caused by the dust.
"If you don't mind the cliché we can do this the easy way or the hard way," Helikaon went on.
"Well the easy reply to this is - No one could have saved him," the Kako spat and then he coughed and made a grim face.
"Helikaon!" I said as dread took its hold of my chest and gave me a kind of tunnel vision, "Heli, it's him!"

0O0O0

"Yes, Toshinari Minamoto is working for someone who wants the American president dead," Helikaon said over the phone. He was standing up, looking out over Manhattan as he spoke, the pale, wintry sun shining off his blond and wavy hair. "Yeah Aidra is certain, you can talk to her yourself, mum... No, perhaps not, but... Perhaps the motif is good old money. After all none of these Kakos are exactly loaded, save for that Indian fatto Gunda. And they are all more or less holed up in outback corners of the multiverse, in places forgotten and discarded..."

"Was it scary?" Saxa asked and shifted in her seat.
"Sort of," I confessed. "But it was more like... sad. That place, Samargia, it was as if nobody had cared for it in centuries. The whole place felt - unloved!"
"I can imagine," Saxa nodded her head. Behind her Helikaon continued discussing with his mother and Oreiro was browsing through a year old crime magazine I for some reason had forgotten to put in the recycle bin.
"Yes and you know the strangest thing?"
"No?" Saxa said and Oreiro looked up at me.

"Because this place felt so heartbreakingly sad and desolate it somehow stopped being scary. It's as if this dream I had in DC somehow became smoothed over by going to Samargia in real life. Oh - well almost - in that crystal of virtual reality at least." My eyes darted over to the Biocrys, now lying pale and idle on the low table in front of me.
"I know what you mean," Oreiro said. "It becomes a kind of catharsis. We grow to be able to handle our nightmares when we confront them. It's a well-known phenomenon."
"Really?" I raised a brow at Helikaon's dark-skinned brother.
"Really." Oreiro nodded and Saxa made a tittering sound. At the same time Helikaon finished his phone conversation, folded the phone and put it in one of his pant pockets. Then he turned to us three in the sofa:

"We're going after Minamoto now for real. Thanks for your help, Aidra, it's been inestimable!"
"Where do you think he's now?" Oreiro asked.
"Why in Samargia of course," Saxa huffed.
"Certainly not," Helikaon replied. "The real confrontation I had with this bastard was more than two months ago. So I hardly figure he's going to sit around waiting for us to come and bust him! That's simply not his style, or he wouldn't have last for some 300+ years."
"I actually found some interesting things which can be applied on our quest in this periodical!" Oreiro commented and held up my 'American Crime' magazine, showing a washing machine filled with dollar bills. It was that old theme issue about money laundering. I did remember that it held some articles about tracing crooks which might seem impossible to find.

"Mind if I take it?" Oreiro went on, now addressing me.
"Certainly not."
"I'll get it back..."
"No no, keep it! I've already read it and I had just forgotten throwing it out."
"There was probably some good reason to forget that then," Saxa grinned.
"Now, let's have lunch!" I suggested.

0O0O0

Next followed a couple of laid back weeks when I did almost nothing. I took the time to visit my family, I cleaned out my flat, that old 'American Crime' issue was not the only old trash in need of removal. There were for instance a whole pile of old Rolling Stones mags which Apollo had left behind. I did some shopping and I hung with Saxa and Nemain and get to know the latter a bit better. She was an old Irish war goddess who had ended up with the Greeks after meeting and falling in love with Ares' son Polemos.
"Long story..." she said as we lounged at my place, in the very same sofa where I had done my kako identification."I was the goddess of the frenzied havoc of war. A bit like Enyo. And I sure kicked ass as such," she laughed without irony. "I was out there all the time, delighting in bloodlust and killing, the sound of crashing armors and the adrenaline gushes it gave. Along the way I forgot what it meant to love. I even drove my husband Neit away. And he was the god of battle - but even he thought me sick in my head. Go figure, girls!"
"But you aren't."
"Yes I was, Saxa, I was. You know that, you fought me after all."

"Fought you and wounded you. And you sure were hard to defeat, no matter that I had pierced you with a sword of Adamantine, you kept coming at me - until you fell."
"And that would've been the end of me if not Bean the messenger had arrived and told us that the war was over. Well, not over but a cease-fire had been called for. An armistice for negotiations. Then Bean had healed me and we were both ordered to come to Laudanum - today's London. And I was so itching with revenge against you, Saxa. I couldn't wait to take up my blade again!"
"And I'd finished what I started probably," Saxa replied and looked down in her empty espresso cup. I handed her the brewer and she gladly took it and poured more of the beverage.
"Darn Saxa, you probably have coffee where we others have ichor," I laughed and my friend giggled back.
"But you can really make it good, Aidra."

"What had happened? Why did you stop fighting?" I asked as I refilled my coffee cup as well. Nemain made a declining gesture; she hadn't finished her first cup.
"There was another enemy coming," she told and shifted position in the sofa, pulling her feet up underneath her.
"Let me guess, the Titans?"
"No, not them." Nemain shook her head. "It was a German. Votan. Votan and his crazy hunt coming for our islands. This Votan had almost defeated our Belenos. Now we had to bury the hatched because we had a common enemy. To cut a long story short we were not up to defending our islands from the darn Germans. So Saxa and some more people get off to plead to the Greeks for help. They were after all - well they were already back then a notch above the rest of the gods in Europe. And Saxa returned with a handful of war gods. Including Pol. And he sure was something. Turned my legs into boiled spaghetti. Yet back then I was still together with Neit and I thought that the Greek with the flaming red hair was nothing but an infatuation out of reach. I was convinced I wasn't good enough for any of those who came to our aid."

"Who came?" I asked.
"Besides Pol? Well I'm not sure I remember correctly. Kyknos, Nerio, Romulus and Anaxymenos. Penthesileia, right?"
"She came later," Saxa told. "But there were Zelos and Kydoimos as well. And young Aventinius."
"Yes he was but a babe back then. Just past his teens and so full of himself it was laughable." Then Saxa and Nemain had told a long story about the battle with Votan and his sons Cotan and Beldaeg and the daughter Wecta. In the end only Cotan had survived and he had fled and ended up in China where he had sired some demigod children before disappearing, probably killed by the Asian Titans when they rose 200 years later. After that Nemain arrived at the 'interesting parts', told about how Neit had left her for a woman called Badb.
"Just the name is sick!" Nemain rolled her eyes before telling how she had left Ireland all in tears, and went trying to find Romulus' daughter Nerio whom she had had some report with. But when arriving in Rome, Polemos had been there instead.

"And the rest I think you can guess, Aidra."
"No, tell! I want to hear!" I replied and Nemain giggled and blushed and then told about how she and Pol had romanced around for almost a decade before eventually hitting off for real. And how she had become pregnant with Alala and finally had come to understand that there was other things in life than just war.
"Yeah and you begotten screaming Alala. She sure have to learn that herself as well!" Saxa grinned.

0O0O0

"The attack will be directed at Washington DC," Aristides informed. "According to Elaos, there are some 450 Titans heading for the American capital the day after tomorrow."
"I think that calls for reinforcements," Enyalios guessed.
"True," Ares replied. "I'll see who's available. First of all, Aidra, Saxa, Polemos, Nemain, Proioxis, Palioxis, Kydoimos and Enyalios, you'll go there with me for the battle. As will Alala, Penthesileia and Deimos, I'll inform them when they return from patrolling. Palaistra, Kyknos and Hekate, you remain in New York just in case. Xantos, Nerio and perhaps two or three more will be called here from the west. There rest will be held at stand-by. I imagine that I'll call Phobos, Androkles and Bia back to the US as well and assign at least two of them to you in Manhattan and take the third one with me."

"What's Hercules' gang up to at the moment?" Kyknos asked.
"More Russian problems," his father answered. "The Titans do still believe there are nukes to be found in the Murmansk area and if Herc hadn't had at least five gods stationed there more or less permanently the Titans would sure have turned the place upside down at the moment. Same goes for Iran. Lorenata and Lynara are apparently on some wild goose chase over there. For every Titan they bust there seems to be two new, Hercules told me."
"Tell me about it," Palaistra rolled her eyes. "We had the same problem in Alaska in the 80ies."

0O0O0

Once again I found myself over the sea outside the American capital. A heavy rain was falling from a lead gray sky and my mood was foul. It was hardly the first time I wondered what the point actually was with those endless battles and once again I regretted that I hadn't quit this drudgery job and accepted Apollo's offer instead. If I'd done that I might be sitting inside, in some warm and cozy office studio and listen to some music instead. Perhaps in a plushy seat and with a nice cup of coffee in front of me. But the stupid Aidra had turned down that propose so now I was here instead, together with one amazing group of assembled Olympian power, and if I had been a Titan I would have turned and fled with my tail between my legs.

But no, once again I was reminded that the Titans didn't work that way. They were too aggressively focused at going after what they considered and believed was theirs and which the humans had taken from them. Therefore they came at us relentlessly, for what time in order, I did not know. Nonetheless, who was I to complain? I had done this for about a year while all the rest had centuries of experience with dealing with Titans. They had hurled themselves against these gray cadres for an endless amount of times. They ought to be sick of it if any. Not little rookie Aidra!
"The guys we took said 400 to 500," said Elaos below to the right of me.
"This seems to be a bit more," Nerio replied and wound her large battle axe in her hands. With that dark hood she wore over her face she looked more like an executioner than a warrior. I guessed that with her angelic face you had a hard time looking intimidating otherwise.
"Oh, well, when have Titans been any geniuses at math?" Proioxis scorned, her silver piercings gleaming in the dull light.

"I got a certain feeling," Palioxis was saying, "that this is a turn point. This battle is going to change something."
"As if the headless hen is finally going to stop running, you mean," Penthesileia replied, hinting at the common knowledge that the Titans were still without a leader ever since we terminated their Troika in the Atlas orb.
"Yes, perhaps." Palioxis replied. "Perhaps this is the showdown we have been waiting for."
"Let's hope you're right, Palioxis. I'm so over this whole war business," Aristides said.
"Well if it is," Penthesileia said with a no-nonsense voice, "the aftermath might only be peace for so long. Until the next assholes turn up. Perhaps it'll be some daemons or another. Helikaon told me that Ge-Henna is full of them these days."

Ge-Henna! I shuddered. That was where we had met Kevin Bretley, the old Nazi Kako. Was there more of his ilk? I for sure would gladly take some kins of his and send them across Styx. But first of all there were those Titans who came at us with lethal speed and fierce war cries. Ares turned to us for a fraction of a moment:
"Olympians, Attack!" the god of war called. He sure didn't have to say that twice. Many more than I were annoyed, sick and tired of this and couldn't wait to direct that frustration at the ones responsible - the enemies. Without hesitating I threw myself at the Titans, machine-guns blazing - until I were close enough to pull out my swords and attack with cold steel. Or Adamantine when needed. With the mood I was in, those close to close killings felt more rewarding than just shooting bullets in beings too far away for me to really see their eyes widen with fear, before the lights went out in them. At the same time as I killed I was yelling, calling out from the bottom of my lungs all the unprintable derogative I knew.

Cutting, slashing and parrying, skipping, jumping and spinning. Repeat! Hacking, blocking, reposting, slicing and kicking. Repeat! Wax on wax off! Sometimes catching the eyes of a comrade and flashing off a smile in consent. Sometimes helping someone who became attacked from behind. Below me I spied Ishiro, Keiko, Akheloios and Narion working with those power net which caught the Titans en masse and strangled them before they electrocuted them. To the right of me Enyo was creating odd oily black balls out of thin air and then throwing them against the Titan masses. I wrinkled my brow; it didn't seem to have any effect at all save for distracting and annoying the Titans for a few seconds. Then Diamanda dived in next to Enyo and started hitting fire balls at the same Titans. Those seemed to catch better than any fire balls I had ever seen before. The Titans were literally going up in torches, regardless of the tormenting rainfall. At that moment I understood that it was petrol Enyo had lobbed at the Titans and thus making them extremely combustible.

Suddenly a large part of the Titan force split up and started to head towards my left, going after Ares and a lot of others, but as they reached this group the Olympians simply disappeared. They had been nothing but a fata morgana. All dirty tricks were allowed here today.

The next second I heard someone calling out:
"You!"

Well lo and behold, wasn't it my old enemy from the City Hall of Meknat? The gray-eyed and shaved Titanesse, although she wasn't shaven anymore, but had grown a kind of mohawk running from ear to ear instead of the generic forehead to back one.
"Yes, and there's you," I called back. "And you're if possible even uglier than back in Meknat." She looked upon me with confusion in her pale eyes, I wasn't sure she had understood what I said. We came to a short standstill, regarding each other. Measuring each other. Then she called out in a very strange, broken English:
"Ye tistrayed mi city."
"Not to mention how many cities you guys have destroyed for us," I spat back.

The next second we were clashing, fencing and ducking, skipping around in the air like maddened butterflies. She was harder than most Titans, but I sure wanted to take her. Apparently my comrades grasped as much because they left us alone with our dueling. All for the best, I needed that kind of challenge. Still, I didn't need to get injured, but the gray eyed cut into my right tight with her Adamantine blade, after having disrupted my shielding.
"Aich!" I called out involuntarily; I was so unused to pain these days.
"Haha, having enough?" the gray-eyed called over the mayhem of the battle.
"Not a chance," I replied and somersaulted beneath her as she lashed out for her next attack. When she missed me she was taken off balance and I managed to push my blade through her left side instead. I had aimed for her spine, but she had sensed it coming and managed to duck just a little. Still her wound made her cry out loud. One - one, I smiled.

The next moment she turned and was over me again. Chaos, this woman was skilled, better than expected. It felt like she knew what I was thinking as she avoided every stroke I made, dodged and spun and then the next moment lashed out in attacks I had hard to avoid. I understood I had to finish it soon. I sensed Saxa staring at me from somewhere, offering me help through telepathy. But no, I was going to terminate this bitch and I was going to do it on my own. Thus I figured out a little plan. Feigning more harm than I actually felt in my bleeding left arm, I sheeted away the blade I held there. Not unexpectedly my gray eyed adversary was leering when she saw my gesture and my look of distress. Now she came at me with renewed strength, her right arm with that huge Adamantine scimitar lashing out in a wide swing.

Just as anticipated!

The very same moment I pulled out my machinegun and sent a shower of bullets right into her blade, which splintered in a thousand pieces. Prepared for the impact, I retracted my levitating, letting gravity pull me out of harm's way. While falling I tucked my gun away and heard the gray eyed call out in rage and pain as countless of small shrapnel of Adamantine buried themselves into her body. Yes! Balling my fist in a gesture of victory I launched myself upwards again, until I was at level with my adversary.

Now she was obviously mad as hell, coming at me and yelling like a real nutcase. Smirking back I dodged her lashes and waited... waited... waited... There! Ignoring the pain in my left arm I pushed my Adamantine sword right into her exposed belly and forced it in until the tip was poking out from the other side. As I twisted the weapon around her guts began to fall out. With a cry out of dismay and horror she tried to pull my blade away, only to hurt her hands as they cut into the shining blue sword metal. The next moment the light went out in her eyes and I put my foot into her chest and pushed her backwards, pulling my sword free and she was falling down into the water and the waiting sharks.

Sheeting my blade, I also dived down towards the water and used some of it to wash off my bleeding shoulder. I rested for a few moments while the shoulder healed before I returned to the fight, which had now more or less changed direction. The Titan adversaries had begun to diminish and some of us went after the fleeing ones, finishing them off one by one. Attackers and defenders were now spread over a wider area than before.

Bellona came dawn to me, covered in blood and with her outfit in tatters.
"You know... do you know what it was you really just defeated, Aidra?"
"Eh... an old bitch I first met in Meknat." I answered and regarded my friend who was trying to wipe off Titan blood from her face with a shirt which didn't exactly look clean.
"An old bitch?" Bellona grinned.
"Yes, she was one of those Titans defending the city hall we demolished." I shrugged.
"I'm not surprised nobody told you, I guess there are so few left of them these days."

"What?" I looked at Bellona.
"She's... I mean, she was a Gilded. They used to be the immortal elite troops of the Titans, directly descending from the ancestors of Kronos himself. Which means that this lady was at least 2500 years old. We've been taking them out one by one over the years, and at the moment we have no clue how many there are left."
"Bella, how did you recognize her? By that ugly hairdo?"
"Correct, the semi-halo. Their hairs used to be coloured with gold to resemble real halos, and thus they received their nickname - Gilded."
"Interesting. Were they all hard to kill?"
"Yes, they were, I'm impressed that you managed on your own, Aidra. But the stunt with the gun was clever."
"Thanks, but she hurt my shoulder."
Shit happens. I got a few fingers sliced off, and they're still not back in working order. However, it's not the first time that happens and it'll be better comes tomorrow. Let kick some more asses!"

Together Bella and I flew right into the largest group of enemies we could see nearby and where Nerio, Deimos, Enyalios and Romulus were fighting like mad. They smiled when we arrived, reinforcement were welcome. So I forgot my gray-eyed adversary for new enemies and their art of war. This time it didn't take long until this crowd had dispersed and we were six Olympians looking at each other for a few moments before we too split, seeking out new enemies to destroy.

The battle lasted for perhaps ten minutes more, then most of the Titans were either shark food or had fled. Now Ares called us all together. And were we a sight for sore eyes? A few of us were wounded but healing and all were more or less dirty, bloody and in ragged clothes, not to mention soaked in rain water.
"Good work, all of you!" the God of War called out. "I'm sure you all want to go home, freshen up and trade stories and eat spare ribs. Nevertheless I hate to say it but it's far from over yet. Athena's group has encountered an even larger group of Titans outside the horn of Africa and they are still fighting like mad. They have had some injured fighters who had to withdraw, and have signaled that they need help now. I've already sent Paradox, Palaistra, Kyknos and Theosoris over there. Now, who has the strength left to follow me over to Athena and help them? Don't feel you are obliged! If you are too tired, it's probably better to return home and rest."

"Can we at least wash usselves off a bit?" Diamanda asked, pointing down at the waves beneath us, where the sharks were still in a feeding frenzy:
"Certainly," Ares replied. "Let's do it a bit on the way, where there's less fish and junk in the sea."
"Why, bless the sharks that take care of all the evidence," Nike replied. She looked oddly neat and fresh.

Diamanda and Ares' nine children where the first to join ranks followed by a baker's dozen more including myself, although I sure felt like I could eat a whale at that time. The rest returned home, since there still needed to be people defending the American coast.

A bit away we dived down among the waves and let the salty Atlantic wash usselves mostly clean before we went straight to our destination outside Africa and began all over again. More Titans to battle and more blood and slimy pulp splattering all over myself. Not unexpected I saw no more of those gilded when we threw usselves into the second battle that day. A battle which lasted almost until the sun began to set. First then did it hit me I didn't have the Gilded one's name. But I felt I couldn't care less.

0O0O0

Athena has a palace worthy of a sultan on a private island just outside South Africa. It reminded me of an airy version of Versailles, if Versailles had been built by an Arab. When the battles were over, Athena invited us there to baths and saunas before we were expected at a grand dinner in one of her halls. Soon I found myself soaking in a semi-outdoor tub of hot water together with Saxa, Bellona, Enyo, Kumiko and Alala. First we were all just resting with our eyes closed, feeling our minds winding down and our tired limbs relaxing while the balmy wind of the southern Atlantic whiffed over us and brought with it the smell of salty sea mixed with the perfume of exotic flowers. Wind chimes were tingling softly and ambient music was playing on a surround system. I almost fell asleep, until Enyo nudged me with her toe.
"Aidra, tell us about that gilded one!"
"Oh well, yes... it wasn't really that remarkable." I yawned until my cheek almost cramped before I told my story about the gray eyed Titanesse, beginning with our first encounter in Meknat.

Soon we were all exchanging war stories until it became time to hit the showers since it was almost dinner time. And no, we didn't have to dress up. Athena had handed out comfortable and soft pastel-coloured terry gowns to everybody instead. Outfitted in those we all trotted off to the dining hall. The meal was set in a generic, Asian way and we sat down on soft cushions on the floor and gladly served usselves from large plates filled with goodies which were passed around together with bottles of wine and other beverages. This was almost too cozy, military discipline was but a memory now, and not even Ares seemed to care.

After about an hour we were all more or less full and lying rather than sitting among those soft and colourful cushions. The talks died down and I leant back, resting my head upon Kumiko's hip and noticing how tipsy I had actually become. Now Athena rose from her place across the room, indicating she aimed to speak.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," she began. "I don't know if any became aware of it, but we did reach a showdown today. This battle was far from the last one, but the rest of them will be more in the way of skirmishes. Cleaning up you might say. Ares, Alexander and I've been doing some calculations based on the number of inhabitants in the Titan cities and settlements, and we've reached the conclusion that the population of Titans at fighting age is almost eradicated now. More or less only old and young ones left, and very few immortals - if any. Therefore the need for fighters will not be as extensive as earlier and those of you want to try other things in life will now get the chance to do so. But first - get a good night's sleep my friends! My home is open to anyone who desire to stay for a sleepover! Just let my head-nymph Veletta know and she'll assign you a guest room."

After Athena's words cheering and applauses broke out. People were whistling and calling out and more wine was carried in. This sure would be a night to remember.

Little did I know it had hardly begun...

0O0O0

Most of us were calling it a night and retreating back to various corners of Athena's place - apparently quite a few had chosen to stay. While trying to find my assigned room, I encountered no other than Ares himself, dressed in a similar terry gown as mine and on his way in the opposite direction, a tired but content look upon his face.

"So, Aidra?" Ares stopped in his tracks.
"Yes," I faced him and stretched slightly.
"Are you one of all those planning to try other things in life?" he asked me and I shrugged.
"Frankly, Ares, I don't know. This morning I would probably have said 'yes'. Since hanging out there in the pouring rain and facing yet another Titan assault made me feel so sick and tired of it that I didn't know what. At that time I regretted not joining Apollo's group when I had the chance."
"The chance might still stand," he smiled.

"Yet, now I'm not so sure anymore. Ares, it's here I have all my friends. It's here I have people who understand me and support me. Whom I can talk to. I probably wouldn't be able to talk to a DJ muse about killing gilded ones."
"I heard about that! It took some bravado, dear."
"Yes, but it's not only that."
"Then what?"
"It's... I dunno really. It just doesn't feel right to switch. After everything that happened."

"Between you and Apollo?"
"Yeah..."
"Did he ever... call you? Since you returned to New York I mean."
"Nah..." I shook my head and stared at my hand resting at the marble staircase railing, the stone cool beneath my palm.
"Honey!" Ares suddenly took me in his arms and held me tight. "Eros told him he had to. If he wanted to still have a chance he had to call you. I overheard them. I overheard Apollo saying he would. But..."
"...he didn't." I finished Ares' sentence, shaking my head.

Then it happened. It was probably a combination of the wine, the atmosphere, the tiredness and the feeling that we shared so much. When I bent my neck to look up at him, Ares leaned down and kissed me. First soft, hesitant and trying and when I replied and met his kiss he gave me more of it. More of himself. Returning the gesture, I touched his lips with mine, tasted them and tasted his tongue. Chased his tongue, withdrew and reached out again, in a playful game. Almost like my dances in the sky with the Titans but with an entirely different aim.

"Aidra," he was whispering. "Your lips are... full of words. Not spoken but I sense them there in spite."
"There's so much I cannot say with words," I replied. After that I just carried on kissing him. Ares was running his large warrior's hands across my back and over my shoulders, finding himself inside my terry. Silently I giggled, wondering what would happen if anyone saw us now. Luckily enough no one did. Letting my hands mimic his, I traced across his hard back, sensing tense muscles and hard tendons there. The next moment Ares hugged me hard and teleported usselves into a room somewhere else in the large palace. The room Ares was obviously staying in. Here certain traces was showing that Ares actually used this room a lot, since it was decorated more or less in his style, complete with a painting of O.A. on the wall - Hoplites fighting Persians. I only glanced at it though, I was definitely occupied with other things.

In unison the war god and I undressed each other and we fell down on the large canopy bed in the middle of the room, Ares gasping and pulling me on top of himself and continued tracing his hands across the small of my back and up towards my neck. Then down across my shoulders which he with tender hands pulled towards himself so he could kiss me anew. I felt his right hand in my hair, while the left one was travelling downwards once again and found my buttocks, squeezing them gently and very sensually. That sure turned me on. In return I let go of his lips and kissed his cheek and chin and then down his neck, tickled it with my tongue and conjuring up a dark, murmuring sound from his troth. An 'O please' almost like an animal as I licked and nibbled him where his collarbones met.
"How could I ever let this go?" he mumbled.
"Shush!" I smiled and then I kissed a bit more before I went on: "We do these mistakes sometimes."

With another grunt, Ares turned me over and became the one who took command and conquered my body, kissing me like I had kissed him before and then tasting my nipples until they became rock-hard and felt like they were going to fire off. And his hands... His hands... having caressed my buttocks earlier, they were now exploring the other side, found the secret places there. Triggering emotions beyond reasons. Yes, this sure was a night to remember. I gasped with ecstasy while I came for the first time in a sparkle of a thousand flares.

"Ares!" I called out. "Ares oh, now now..." I was changing from Ancient Greek to English and then back to Greek again and then there was something else, something that was just sound. The female calling her mate. The animal sounds. The estrus call.

Ares removed his fingers to give room for another part of him, and that one was sure hard as a rock. Unrelenting and promising of pleasures to come. I let him in, I let the God of War conquering me, taking no hostages. I responded by grasping him with my lover part, holding him there as he started to move to the ancient beat of human lovemaking, started to speed up and exalt me even more. All the way... Until he came and brought me with him in a sensation like never before. I knew now - this was what I had wanted all the time. I had wanted Ares taking me like this. Almost like by surprise in a dance of unexpected passion, bordering on madness.

Now if this was madness I never wanted to be sane again.