SO, DO TELL ME, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN? LET'S SEE WHO GETS IT RIGHT :))
He blew the gates of Asgard like a dark storm, and one slight movement of his hand was enough to send that rather impressive number of soldiers guarding it flying as far as the human eye could see- as if they weighed close to nothing….Feathers…they were like feathers, and the moment they landed on the shining surface of the knee high snow, none of the woke up.
With firm, determined steps, the fuming War God advanced through the large stone yard. Everything was covered in a solid layer of ice. Gods how he hated this place! He had never been a fan of this fake crystal realm and the thought alone of being here was making him even angrier. Having lived in Greece for most of his life, had certainly marked his tastes for weather….for fine, decent weather, that is…The kind that allowed him to enjoy the eye pleasing sight of short raw silk tunics and a bit of tanned skin…something that Asgard definitely lacked….
The second set of gates- wooden this time- were turned into ashes before his very eyes seconds before he stepped over the sill. The raging wind howled at his back but despite the intensity of the blizzard , not one speck of white fluffy snow had dared touch him….The few snowflakes that did – probably accidentally- reach his radiant skin, turned instantly into water…Just like a torch, he was burning on the inside, and one could say that- at least metaphorically- everything had been carbonized inside his chest along with his heart, the very moment he understood what had happened…the very moment he finally understood the magnitude of her betrayal…
XXX
Sixteen Gods were gathered at the grey council table, each one wearing thick bear furs that appeared to be protecting their immortal bodies from the biting winds whipping the lands. That was another thing Ares had never been able to understand: why in Gaia's name did they use those uncomfortable, smelly animal coats when their stamina itself was all the clothing required in order to ensure them the needed protection against Mother Nature's nasty, unpredictable moods?
All similar thoughts were left aside nonetheless the instant he reached the dimly lit council room. An energy ball aimed straight to Teiwaz' chest crushed his opponent against the fireplace, at such force that the stone beams holding up the roof were shaken by the impact…It took the Germanic God about thirty seconds to find in himself the minimum of strength to at least try and stand again and he eventually did, despite the awkward sensation that his legs weren't quite in place….With an unaffected expression, he glanced down at his aching limbs. He immediately noticed the unnatural position of one of the bones that was literally sticking out through his flesh. His left wrist bone had also cracked and the fingers were unnaturally twisted , problems that in spite of their obvious gravity he solved in the blink of an eye, without even putting to much effort into it. A dusty white light was enough to reshape his body as if nothing had happened.
All this time, the War God didn't move. He didn't even think about looking at least once in the direction of the other gods, apparently not at all worried about the possibility that, having attacked one of their own –in their own sacred fortress to top it all- the rest of the Germanic pantheon might just want to wipe his intrusive self from existence. Instead, he patiently waited for Teiwaz to get up just to direct again and again and again, in what for a mortal would have been- a rain of death bringing, laborious blows to the stomach, each and every one followed by a slashing enough line to match the anger unleashed from his tireless fists and legs.
As if made out of modeling clay, Teiwaz barely moved a muscle to defend himself, and his scarce attempts were rapidly and effectively reduced to a few clumsy and rather defensive gestures meant to protect his head and other vital organs.
For any observer, the silence that appeared to have taken over the room while Ares paused to catch his breath would have been absolutely uncommon, just like the fact that not even one of the present Gods had lifted a finger to help one of their kin. Not even one….not even his own father, Donar, who, from the upper end of the table where he was seated, was watching everything with great interest while sipping nosily from his cup of wine.
All the other Gods were doing pretty much the same thing, casting from time to time a furtive glance in the direction of their iron-hearted King, probably checking if he hadn't by any chance changed his mind, thus expecting them to intervene, waiting for one word, for one order to rush into action….For almost twenty minutes, nothing happened though, and when the War God's breathing finally became so heavy with the effort that he could barely feel the air entering his lungs, Donar's roar could be finally heard thundering throughout the hall:
" That's enough! "...And time itself seemed to freeze in place along with Ares' consuming rage.
"I think he might have learnt his lesson by now. Sit with us. It's been a long day. Have a cup of wine. Let's talk." the Germanic King ordered in a harsh, manly voice that didn't leave any room for protest…When Ares' steely eyes met his, it was quite obvious that there was no way in Tartarus he could ever dream about refusing such invitation, for the axe placed somewhat suggestively in front of him, on the table, would have most likely been put to good use.
" Where is she?" the War God inquired the moment he gulped down the first cup of wine, the frown on his face looking as deep as the grooves and lines on the bark of a hundred year- old – tree.
" The woman? She's not here." Donar simply stated, while discreetly signaling to one of his daughters to refill their uninvited guest's now empty goblet.
" I don't believe you." Ares hissed through clenched teeth, his fingers clasping angrily around the cup.
" Why would I lie to you Ares? I've just allowed you to shame my own son in front of the entire Asgardian elite just to prove to your father that I had nothing to do with his impulsive recklessness and with that uninspired idea to attack an honorable member of the Greek pantheon …It is not in our best interest to break the alliance we have with your kin just like it is not in your best interest to start a war with us. We both know who the winners would be if such scenario were ever to unfold; the only problem is that such destructive confrontation would temporarily distract our attention from what is really important: the Indian pantheon and their overly radical ideas about reshaping the world."
The God's deep, friendly voice had a shooting effect on everyone present. He wasn't the type to waste words and when he did speak, his message was completely deprived of any literary embellishments. He was always frank- maybe way too frank for some- and he never lied. His brute honesty along the cruelty that he showed to his enemies had made him a rather disliked- but feared- character from the Mediterranean Sea to Thrace and way beyond. The ones who knew him better called him the Just One, while all the others called him The Hearthless King of Asgard or in short, the Beast.
"I was told she was brought here. It makes sense. She's his Chosen now…" Ares retorted, suspicion in his voice, the words almost refusing to leave his mouth towards the end of the line. It cost him all of his pride to actually say that out loud, but he finally did. He had no other choice. He needed to know.
" I'm afraid you were misinformed. "
" I don't know about that" the War God insisted, turning back to Teiwaz and flashing him a deadly glare.
"Is there anything I need to know, boy?" the King asked in his glacial, commanding voice, searching for his son's eyes.
" No father." Tewiaz answered, his own gaze never leaving the floor.
Ares arched an eyebrow at his enemy's incredibly coward attitude. Not in a million years would he have imagined the great Germanic God of War so weak, humble, so full of fears and so….obedient in his father's presence….To think that he had always considered Zeus one of the scariest Gods in existence…..Man, was he wrong! This Donar guy had to be quite the tyrant if no one had dared address him one word without his approval...For once, the legends must have been true...
" Are you certain of that?" he once again asked, and this time his voice made even the hairs on Ares' nape stand on end. There was no way in Hades that Teiwaz was lying….
" Yes. I didn't have the slightest intention to bring her here. As I told Zeus, I'm pleased with what I've accomplished. There was no need to take it out on her for Ares' crime." he muttered on an accusing tone that made the War God's blood boil inside his veins. " Though I did enjoy fucking her wild…She's very good at everything she does…." he maliciously added, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
" You piece of shit…" Ares exploded, rising from the table, ready to beat the crap out of him again, just to stop in mid sentence as Donar's voice echoed deafeningly throughout the hall, making walls, columns and Gods tremble at the sound of it.
"Silence! I had enough of your childish quarrel! For centuries on end you two have been at each other's throat, your foolishness and your lack of manners seriously jeopardizing the fragile alliance that your fathers have been struggling to build from way before you were born! You selfish brats! You shall learn to behave or I will gut you both and feed you to my dogs! "
And it was silence again, such a graveyard silence that one could actually hear the crackling sound of the logs in the fireplace…
" Sit down! Both of you!" he barked, his hand now moving menacingly towards the short double axe -the slashing blades of which were glistening under the faint sparkles of the flames.
"If my son says that the one you're looking for is not here, that means that you should start looking elsewhere, Ares, for he's telling the truth. He wouldn't dare lie to me, not if he values his life.." he added, making most of the Gods at the table nod in agreement at their King's determined attitude, and despite the tension still present in the room, Ares appeared to actually believe him.
He simply nodded his understanding, gulping down the rest of his wine…
" Do tell Zeus that I accept his kind invitation to Olympus and that I'll be arriving in the first night of the full moon. My dear wife and our youngest son will be accompanying me. He's just dying to meet Hephaestus. He has heard a lot about him and he desperately wants a Greek sword. "
" It will be an honor." Ares said rising from the table as Donar did the same. The rest of the Gods followed their King's gesture. "Thank you for your hospitality" the War God mumbled, slightly bowing his head in respect. The Sixteen members of the pantheon returned his discreet salute.
" Have a safe trip back home, Ares, and we shall see each other soon."
Within a blink, a vortex was opened for the War God to use, and before he could cast once last glance in Teiwaz' direction he was already being sucked into the energetic wormhole and brutally projected at an almost disintegrating speed back to the Halls of War…
XXX
" Are you ok? What happened? ….What's wrong with your hair? " Athena asked in an alarmed voice, while helping her sister up, the tips of her fingers arranging immediately a stray lock of hair out of her eyes...
"You are awfully…humane… these days." the Love Goddess remarked, shooting her a questioning glance, obviously puzzled by Athena's unnatural behavior. " Are you ok?"
" Just because I asked you a question doesn't mean that I actually care about your welfare, Aphrodite. So stop flattering yourself!" the Goddess of Wisdom defensively replied, forgetting that the curly daughter of Zeus was the one person in Olympus who could read right about anyone like an open book, without putting too much effort into it either. And she was right…Aphrodite had indeed noticed her sister's slight pause before uttering her response as well as the way her gaze jumped around instead on focusing on her face as it should have.
" Oh 'Thena! You're so cute when you're trying to act all tough! You and Stud Muffin are so much alike in sooo many ways! That's like totally crazy, huh?! Who would have thought?!"
" Yeah….totally crazy…." the Goddess muttered, rolling her eyes at her sister's ridiculous comparison. " Speaking of Ares, where is he? ... And did you manage to take Xena to safety?"
Aphrodite sighed as the reason for her ruined hairdo suddenly rushed back to her mind.
" Yes, the Warrior Babe is perfectly safe at one of my temples…I left her sleeping like a log. She was super extra tired. " she explained. "But you were right, you know…she had nothing to do with Teiwaz' sick plan to kill Bro…" she felt the need to add, carefully analyzing her sister's reaction.
"It doesn't come as a surprise. If there's one thing I've always admired about Xena- besides her expertise, that is- that would be her incorruptible sense of loyalty. I honestly don't know what was going on in Ares' head when the idea of her betraying him like that actually occurred to him…."
"It's a mystery ." Aphrodite solemnly whispered, instinctively making the snappy decision not to reveal any of the new information she had on her favorite couple's love life. "I wish I knew though….." she added just for effect.
There were a few moments of silence before the Love Goddess spoke again.
"Speaking of mysteries...I'm kinda worried Thena….I think Ares might have gone after Teiwaz…."
" After Teiwaz? How comes? I could have bet my godhood that his main target was going to be Xena…"
"I uh... I might have suggested the fact that being his Chosen and all, Teiwaz could have taken her with him….." she confessed as fast as she could, as if hoping that letting it all out in less than a second would somehow diminish the gravity of her actions.
" You're out of your mind….Why did you do that for?!" the Goddess of Wisdom snapped, throwing the ditsy Dite an irritated glare.
" I don't know. I was just trying to divert his attention from me, I guess?…..He was under the strange impression that I had something to do with Xena's sudden disappearance…" she answered in the most innocent tone she could find, making Athena burst into laughter.
" You're usually a terrible liar. I'm surprised he bought that. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about him too much if I were you. Donar wouldn't let Teiwaz harm a hair on his head. His alliance with father is way to precious to risk it. He needs us just as much as we need him…."
"I hope you're right….."
"I am."
XXX
In sleep he came to her…He always came. He was always there, in her dreams, for she always ended up calling his name, calling him…..Aresssss.
His alluringly dark, intoxicating presence was an undeniable constant in her life even in those tormenting moments when consciously she would have rather given up her own life than admit the truth to herself….
Aresssss …As so many times in the past, the name poured like an enchanted melody from her lips, and the sound of it made her close her eyes for a moment, fully enjoying the sweet ecstasy building inside her as a result of its electrifying vibrations,the rich symphony of sensations making her body tremble in anticipation…..It was unbelievable! The boundless power offered by that comfortably familiar word alone could unmistakably fill her veins with a honeyed darkness for which she found no earthly comparison,and she indulged herself in the ravishing frenzy it brought ….
" You came …" she murmured, her lips barely parted as she spoke…- a statement, not a question, for things were crystal clear for both sides.
She kept her eyes closed for a few seconds longer, preferring to focus on the cocktail of feelings offered by his spine-tingling nearness rather by the hypnotizing image that she knew she was going to see once she glanced in the full length mirror in front of her….
A light caress on her arms made her change her mind though…he was so irresistibly close to her that she could distinctly sense his hot breath on her neck…but still, not close enough yet…..
" You called…..How could I ever ignore my Princess ? " he whispered back, his lips almost touching her overly sensitive skin….
Bright blue, curious eyes stared inquisitively into the looking glass just to meet his amber like set gazing back at her…..They were burning with a barely repressed lust to posses her…to own her, and it scared her to death to realize that they held the same amount of desire that had already numbed her brain, tricking her heart into believing that maybe she could keep playing with fire without having her wings turned into ashes…An unrealistic expectation or better said, a naïve illusion- as she herself could tell in a faraway corner of her heart…
Faithfully obeying his silent command, his hands continued to roam up and down her flawless form until they finally rested on her unusually tense shoulders, and despite the fact that the turquoise satin dress she was wearing was covering her almost completely, Xena could distinctly feel his demanding touch on each and every inch of her skin as if she were wearing nothing at all….as if she had been naked all this time…naked in his arms…
While one hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer so that her back was now pressed against his chest, his other one took the liberty of tracing her jawline…..She had to fight with herself to keep her eyes open and to control her breathing despite the fact that she felt as if she had a ticking time bomb inside her ribcage….
" You didn't use any of the cosmetics I left for you…" he casually remarked, his gaze lingering a bit more on her reflection, in the mirror.
" I haven't got to that part yet….." she hastily answered, a bit ashamed to admit that she had never used such extravagant things in her life and that she had no idea how to use them in the first place…..She had been just a simple village girl up to the day he stormed into her life on that battlefield, and thus such luxury had never been a part of her old life style….Skin care creams, primers, several types of powder, eyeliners, blushers, foundations, lipsticks….learning how to wield a sword had been much easier…
" Not that you'd need any…" he gently continued as if he hadn't even heard her. " You look illegally sexy without all those useless womanly artifices anyway….But still…..Olympus is stuffed with envious, criticizing harpies….And trust me, you don't want to give them an extra subject for gossip tonight."
She smiled lightly but she wasn't the least amused. Actually, he could tell just how nervous she really was.
"Here…..allow me…" he murmured, courteously inviting her to take a sit on the leather armchair strategically placed in front of the imposing mirror.
She cast him a slightly concerned glance when she realized what he was planning to do, but as if having read her mind, his following line shattered her any scenario, no matter how wild…
" Don't worry, Princess. I've spent enough time in Aphrodite's company to know a thing or two about make up…..Just relax, and let me do the heavy work." he said with a charming smile while taking a small transparent container full of an amazingly perfumed moisturizer …..
With delicate, circular moves, the God began massaging the creamy lotion into her silky skin with the tips of his fingers and for all the world he couldn't have concealed the veneration he felt for this woman...It was transpiring from his every touch. He smiled discreetly noticing that he had her mesmerized, but before the blazing fire in his eyes had made her feel uncomfortable, he thoughtfully directed his attention towards the small vanity table where four or five different sized face cleansing brushes were placed and without hesitation he picked a soft powder pouf one. Soon, the Warrior Princess' visage was being pleasantly caressed again while he began applying a thin layer of mineral powder and a dab of peachy blush on her cheeks.
Completely taken aback by the wave of arousal conquering her body with his every new touch, Xena almost forgot that she also needed to breathe, way too preoccupied with forever storing in her memory the unique fragrance of the God's skin- a rare combination of, spicy, woody incense and leather…
" Close your eyes Darling…." he sweetly ordered, affectionately caressing her cheek with the back of his hand, his voice breaking though rather abruptly her endless stream of thoughts, even if only for a second….
The rest of the ritual didn't last by far as long as she had wanted it to, but whatever he did, felt amazing…She wasn't really able to tell how much time had passed since that sugar-coated torture had started, given that all she could focus on was the breathtaking contact of his fingertips with her eyelids…..
"And now, a captivating shade of red for those tempting lips of yours…." he whispered, while attentively selecting another container from the vanity table. This one was filled with a dark crimson powder, and, after dipping his index in it ,with an almost demonically tormenting languidness, he began massaging her lips, making sure that the color had the nuance he wanted…..A thousand different thoughts screamed simultaneously in his mind though, so loud that he could barely resist to urge to give in their primal requests, and as her own chest- so perfectly still just minutes before- began rising and falling more and more rapidly, his index was soon replaced by his thumb…..
With her entranced gaze bound irremediably by his lust filled eyes, Xena made one final effort not to give away the fact that her heart had been pounding in her ears ever since he had materialized in the room.
" You look like Goddess." he concluded, biting his lips hard as the need to devour her then and there became suddenly physically painful.
When she finally lifted her eyes to look into the mirror she was petrified….He was right….she was….divine….She had never ever suspected that he- the God of War- had the power or better said the knowledge to transform her to that extent.
"Thank you…" she murmured, still too surprised to utter a longer sentence, silently wondering if he could see the effect he had on her….."I had no idea that you could actually tell apart an eyeliner from a lipstick….."
His warm, magical hand now brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, increased her aching desire tremendously….Unconsciously, she bit her lower lip just like he had done it seconds before….She wanted him so much, like she had never wanted anyone in her life…And the grim awareness of just how dangerous he was, only made everything even more exciting…
" There are a lot of things you don't know about me…" he said, fingers clenching into her hair, pulling her closer to him, so that their mouths were now just a breath away.
" Let us change that….." she seductively suggested, arching an eyebrow at the idea.
"I don't know…..You're a very addictive woman….It wouldn't be very wise of me to give you my heart on a silver platter just like that…." he playfully replied, his eyes never leaving her delicious lips.
"Who said anything about your heart?…." she chuckled lightly, teasingly caressing his chest….
"Hmmm…..I like the way you think…." he concluded, devouring her almost savagely, completely forgetting all about the fact that he was running his own work of art...Body art...
XXX
"Aressssss"
With a jolt, Xena woke up in the middle of the night, all covered in sweat. Her heart was pounding to the point of jumping out of her chest. Her hand went to her lips almost instantly…She could still feel the bruises left behind by his violent kisses….And the enthralling smell of his perfume…Either she was going crazy or she could sense it all over her her skin. As for the room..the air was charged with his presence...a presence that at least theoretically she could no longer feel...Was she still dreaming?