Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife
Chapter eight
A/N: Okay, this is where the story gets a little confusing because its linked to "Divinity: A Question of Honor" if you have read it, you will know what I mean, if you haven't no worries, you will get it right away. I hope you like it, thank you for your reviews, I hope I can read more and keep the good vibes flowing. Have a lovely weekend.
The stars from the entire universe drifted across the heavens like diamonds glittering against a black velvet sky. From traveling stars to those who were born and died, they all came from and returned to the same place. It was a magical place known for its millions of beautiful lights contrasting in the dark. Everybody knew it was a place to be respected, everybody knew it was a resting place and a place that has witnessed the fall of many divine creatures but it was also, famous for what was kept inside the deepest part of the alpha galaxy.
Below the wonders of peaceful fields and fountains with clear water, sound and light didn't reach to every soul resting there. Those who lived in pain and misery, it was like an echo never heard and a scream for help never attended. The underworld was not a place with scents, sensations or a place where emotions were invited. It was no secret that Hades' realm was like a dark Pandora box, once someone entered, their soul was no longer theirs and it would be judged by the faiths and sent to where the Lord of the Dead decides it belongs. The underworld was beautifully haunting, alluring a dream as it slowly traps you in its mythical environment until you realize you have gone in too deep and there is no way out, but it is the myth locked in its depths what has caused commotion for what it felt a lifetime.
For centuries, the tale of a family who was famous for their ancient descending had permuted every talk and life of every living deity in the universe since there were only few that were born from Titans. It was known and respected for being strong and enigmatic, politically involved, influential and powerful. But what differenced their legacy from others, was the sacred treasure they were chosen and obliged to protect; a stone with pure and sacred energy that could either bring life or destruction if fallen into wrong hands.
But with time, the same legacy and duties that once made them shine and distinguish themselves from other dynasties soon turned into their own curse, pulling them into an abyss of ambition, destruction, and fear. As time went by, ambition and malice slowly bloomed in one of that family that eventually washed the universe with war and tragedy, t was then, when those known as the Higher Gods of Olympus summoned the God of War to call for his army of warriors known as Polemarchos to create a seal to isolate the dark and evil spirited descendant in its own misery and anger in the depths of Tartarus.
As years passed by, the story of the once strong family descendent from Helios was soon washed to a mere tale that future generations would ignore, leaving the traces of war and tragedy of those days behind or at least that is that it was thought.
O—O—O—O—O—O
A blonde and beated man walked inside a field of infinite gardens crowded with lost souls wandering without direction and far away from where the highest ranked and honorable deities who lost their lives in battle rested in peace. He stood in the middle of two worlds, Lethe's deep river of the forgotten and Mnemosyne's fountain of the remembered.
Beyond exhausted and troubled, he fell to the cold, stone ground. A woman with long dark hair and stars tangled between her silky locks walked over to him and placed her hand over his head, "Stranger soul, I can see you have lost your way in Hades' realm, for that soul is still attached to that body of yours..."
The blonde tried to look up but his gaze was clouded, all he could see was what appeared to be a beautiful woman wearing a deep blue gown that flowed like a nebula in bloom with every move she made. Her hand was surprisingly warm and soothed his aching face; the kind goddess of the remembered, Mnemosyne, who was known for being compassionate of those with a burden, kneeled before him and looked into his eyes "You are not supposed to be here—who has allowed you to be on these grounds?"
"I—I... don't..." the man breathed, still confused. Mnemosyne stood up and grabbed a golden chalice and poured some water from the fountain and helped the man drink the cool and soothing water.
As soon as he swallowed the first sip of blessed water, the blonde man's eyes widened with remorse and fright making of every blink a torturous and haunting flashback from his past. "No..." he mumbled, tired and defeated. His hands trembled and his legs felt like they could no longer hold the weight of his own body anymore when a sudden strong jolt soon energized him once again, pulling him back to his senses as he looked up at the goddess with determinant eyes, "Quod posse sigillum altero omittente rumpatur testamentum de genere regali super tetigit per lumen solis."
Mnemosyne's amethyst eyes widened, summoned for her spare of stars and pointed at the man before her, "You tainted soul! I condemn your betrayal! I will sentence your soul!"
The blonde looked at the goddess with a crooked smile and extended his hand, "Verba inferiores non movebor." (Words of those inferior beings baffles me...) He looked at her choked with the strong energy emanating from his hands until she fell unconscious on the ground, "O, Mnemosyne esse ... quod semper debilis est cor tuum in interitum abire tui."
(Oh, Mnemosyne... that weak heart of yours has always been your perdition.)
He looked down at her and kicked her unconscious body with his boot to make his way into the deeper halls of the underworld. His mind slowly clouded again, drifting from one memory to another as he slowly walked to what appeared to be the entrance to a place he unwillingly had searched for what felt like an eternity. A broken soldier, trapped in his own memories with his once formal uniform blooded and torn still tried to find a way to escape his own madness that seemed to sprint from reality to insanity in a matter of seconds.
He moved slowly and with caution, not sure of what was really motivating him to go deeper inside but aware that those grounds he was trespassing were against any law and if someone saw him, he would be another trapped soul in hell. How he managed to cross realms, gates and death valleys without being noticed by any guardian from the underworld was still a mystery to him, but it felt like a purpose, like if his body didn't respond to his commands but to something else, something bigger than himself. Confused and yet fascinated by his immunity a familiar voice slowly resonated loud and clear, making him stop in front of an enormous stone gate.
His hand ached to touch the intricate and detailed engraving as his eyes carefully admired its design in silence. It looked like it was telling him a story and a warning at the same time. Surprised for his own renewed energy, he felt his body was being controlled again by that same an invisible force and urged him to press his dirty hands against the doors that without much effort, slowly opened for him. His green eyes widened as he looked around, gasping at the horrible sight sprawled before him. His body froze as he realized he had indeed had crossed to another world, another darker and evil world.
Compared to the silent hallways and beautiful gardens he had managed to cross for so long, all he could see now were corpses and half-alive bodies scattered all over a long, dark valley that seemed to be infinite. A long, cold, chill ran down his spine as he remembered hearing many tales and stories about a place built of pure dementia, strong enough to break any spirit and that has ever returned any soul that has crossed its cursed gates. Hazed in confusion, he noticed how all the bodies on the ground were brought there like him, unwillingly and obliged to give in to whatever was living in its depths.
His body began to feel the struggle and the heaviness of the dimension he was now in, his body felt weak and unresponsive; whatever this place was it was starting to claim his body and the remains of his sanity and energy as its own. Slowly and now with a lost stare, the man tried to take a gasp of air and fell on his knees to the ground made of carcasses and bone and covered his face with his weak, dirty hands. The feeling of losing control over his body was too overwhelming to bear as he started to feel like his blood was burning his veins like acid and his mind was just about to collapse to be left to be consumed by anxiety and despair.
The malice in Tartarus was too powerful for him to bear, to an extent that he could not take it anymore and slowly began to succumb to the heavy and poisonous environment when the same voice in his head slowly echoed in his mind, again. Frightened, the man looked at his hands and began screaming like a mad man losing the last string of sanity left in him and began to scratch and peel the skin off his hands with his sharp and dirty nails.
The blonde looked down at his now bloodied hands and then up at the nothingness "Why am I here?!" he asked to the voice in his head with pain and looked around to find nothing that could ever give him a straight answer. He was sure he heard that same voice calling for him, he was sure someone was there with him, he could feel its presence and he didn't want to accept that he was going insane. With wide eyes, he noticed many symbols carved on stone walls and almost as if they were calling to him; his blood-stained fingers touched the embossments when again, that same voice that haunted his mind finally came out from his lips.
"Quod posse sigillum altero omittente rumpatur testamentum de genere regali super tetigit per lumen solis."
"The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun."
The man covered his mouth in shock when he realized his lips moved against his will, "The seal…" he muttered and felt his throat going dry "How did I… get here?" he looked up and saw a big symbol at the center of a stone wall "A circle with a cross…" his eyes narrowed, "What does it mean?" his hands followed the simple lines of the pattern carved and widened his eyes as it all came back to him like a burning flash in his head.
Flashback
His eyes watched the vicious rampage developing in front of him, people fighting against each other and taking each other's lives like beasts. It was a pleasure to him, he couldn't deny the pleasant feeling of seeing such majestic place coming to its end because that only meant one thing: his enemy was dead and everything he owned was falling to pieces. With his sword in one hand, he walked towards the crumbling palace and shook his head faking shame, "What a pity, it looked like a nice place to live."
A very loud sound caught his attention when he was about to go inside the now ruins of a palace, it was an explosion—shards of glass, wood, and burnt fabrics flew from a large balcony several feet above from him. His eyes could even see what appeared to be a person falling from the balcony to its imminent death. The loud cry from a man a few feet away from him made him turn, his lips curved in a devilish smile when he recognized him.
"The seal can be broken…"
As he walked closer, his once emerald green eyes turned pitch black, "Sigillum queat..." he muttered. The Terran king lifted his tear-stained face and observed the destroyed side of his palace and watched how the home he built with the love of his life slowly burned down to ashes and crumbled down to just rubble. For the second time, his heart mourned for the loss of his family; he didn't have to imagine where his mother could be, he was certain she was gone as well.
Eros tried to stand up, his defeated spirit still had some will to fight for the memory of his wife, his mother, his friends and his son. He leaned down and grabbed his sword from the ground and prepared to attack again when he felt an eerie energy behind him that made him turn his head to look and widened his eyes in shock at the soldier with silver armor looking back at him with a deadly glare and creepy, distorted smile. The man in silver tilted his head and pointed his sword at him, "At last—something worthy in this world to bring back with me,"
"What? I demand you to reveal your identity to me!" the king asked, his blue eyes tried to find reason in the man's pitch-black ones but soon noted he had no color or irises, everything was void and infinite like a black hole "Who are you?!" he hissed at the man threatening him with his blade.
The blonde slowly tilted his head to the other side and let out a chuckle, "Stultus Chronos, ut diceret, ... In die vos cognoscetis ..."
(As stupid Chronos would say, in time you will know…)
He extended his hand and wrapped his fingers around Eros' neck making him choke "I..." he gasped for air with a petrified expression, "I cannot breathe…" he gasped as he tried to break free from the blonde's strong grasp. "Aren't you a feisty one? No wonder why she laid eyes on you…" the soldier's hand tightened around the king's neck and saw him squirm and fight for his life until the color of his face drained and his strength had left his body and lost all consciousness.
With the same disturbing smile, he moved his hand away and let him fall to the ground "You will be the one." his deep demonic-like voice echoed softly in the wind as it took the king's body with him. He fled Earth and roamed in silence for hours, dragging the unconscious body with him until they reached for a dark hole far deep in the heart of the Alpha Galaxy. The blonde stood there without saying another word, just looking into the depths that were clearly the entrance to the underworld with vacant eyes, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun." he mumbled and without a single thought or care, he threw the king's unconscious body into the massive dark hole and waited for it to be sucked into the darkness.
"The seal can be broken…" the blonde muttered again, "…It can be broken…"
End of Flashback
The blonde's green eyes widened when he came back to his senses and felt his blood freeze in his body when he realized what he had done. With a shock expression he looked around and licked his chapped lips "Those words…" he mumbled and shook his head in disbelief, "That man…"
He stood up slowly and made his way back to the sea of corpses and weak bodies scattered around the cold and majestic tomb-like place; panicked and scared, his eyes looked desperately as flashes of his actions slowly began returning to his mind like pictures taken, one after the other. He remembered being at the top of that hill, he remembered himself standing close to the pit that would lead him to the underworld gates and also remembered tossing the almost lifeless body to the nothingness without any remorse or regret and made his way back to the palace without a care for his actions, to later meet with his right-handed soldier with a satisfying feeling in his chest as he poured himself a glass of liquor and listened to the news about his enemy falling in battle.
—Flashback—
"And? Where is he?"
"Down there,"
"My orders were not followed properly then, I asked you to bring me his head or better yet, bring him here alive so I could kill him myself."
"He was already dead when we got there Athamas," Kilmakos said defending himself, "His body was all charred by this thing that burned everything in its way. It was nearly impossible to move the cadaver."
—End of Flashback—
"I captured the Terran King…" the blonde muttered with wide eyes, "I threw that man here and then returned to the Lunar Palace… it all happened that night."
Athamas remembered the voices that haunted his head ever since he joined the army back in Andromeda, there was something in his spirit that soon turned him into a soldier and a man with power and ambition. It all finally made sense, his constant blackouts and the many side missions he later learned he had when he saw himself with bloodied hands or waking up in his study when he was sure he went to his chambers to sleep the night before.
Even now, after two thousand years living with the vivid image of the moon princess taking her own life and the alliance he once protected falling to its own disgrace, there was still something controlling his body and follow him like a shadow. Athamas realized now, that the many blackouts he had during that time were somehow controlled by whatever was behind those carved stone gates and that his presence in that place had a meaning without him being aware of anything.
Whoever was trying to tell him something, it urged him to find out about the truth. With renewed energy, he moved countless of suffering bodies out of his way as he searched for the face he now remembered well; a feeling of triumph took over his body as his eyes spotted his target. Athamas walked faster, pushing the other pleading corpses aside and widened his eyes when he indeed found the man he condemned to this place centuries ago. The man's body was weak and fragile, his face pale and thin, Athamas was surprised to see him alive and breathing after all this time of being trapped in a land suspended between life and death.
Tartarus was a black hole where time or light never reached a limit, it was made to hold the most vicious and tortured souls in the universe, it went beyond darkness, making it an evil place where no divine being would go in and no soul could ever find its way out.
Athamas pulled the Terran king's body closer to him and held tight his blood-stained face, immediately noticing how this place had taken its toll on his body. He had a long beard and didn't look like the man he once met all those years ago; time did keep going for him despite his mortality but one could see the fright and the insanity clouding the remains of reason in his mind. His lips and skin were chapped and bloodied and the once broad king's body was now reduced to skin and bones. But what caught Athamas' attention, even more, were his blue eyes filled with so much pain, sorrow, regret and also fear—too much fear.
"You've been here for two thousand years… I cannot imagine how that must be like." Athamas mumbled as he grabbed him from his now ragged clothes, the same that reminded him he was once a king from a place far away from him, buried in the solitude of his mind. Athamas dragged the king back to the stone gates where another symbol was carved on the floor, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun." he repeated the fates words again and kneeled next to the man, "I did not remember I brought you here… but in case you were asking why, your blood is the reason." he said dryly as he unshed his sword.
The weak man tried to lift his head as if he was reacting to the blonde's voice and looked at him with a confused stare as he tried to focus his sight on the man next to him who for a moment thought was there to save him. "My son…" he mumbled very softly before feeling his wrists go wet with his own blood that now was slowly pooling from him to the symbol on the floor and for the first time in so many years, he felt tears rolling down his cheeks.
Athamas stood and watched the crimson liquid run slowly into every carved line in the stone and waited until the ground began shaking and all the corpses and spirits trapped inside howl in anguish and pain. The ground beneath his feet felt like if it was going to crack open but stopped just seconds later, "What?!" he frowned, feeling certain this sudden silence was definitely not the answer he was looking for. He looked up at the carvings on the wall still intact and traced his fingers again through them, "The seal can be broken by one of royal blood, touched by the light of the sun." he muttered dryly, trying to make sense and put the pieces together as many flashes of the events that happened during the Silver Millenium slowly began to nurture his hatred towards the gods and the mortals and cursed under his breath for failing once again.
"My son... why?"
Athamas looked down at his feet and turned to the delirious man on the floor and narrowed his eyes, "Son..." he whispered, his eyes widened with realization, "The one of royal blood..." he shook his head and growled with anger, "It cannot be!" His green eyes slowly turned pitch black again, feeling a blow in the pit of his stomach as he grabbed the delirious man by his hair, "I AM NOT YOUR DAMN SON! HE IS DEAD AND HIS SOUL BELONGS TO ME!"
A sharp pain in his head made him lose control over the man in his hands and fell to the ground with many flashes of the young prince fighting and protecting the white princess, "NOO NOOO NOOOOO!" he growled in anger "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" his once confused gaze turned one with deep hatred and in one motion he stood up and kicked the man on the ground, "I will find his damn soul and I will make sure to bring him here to keep you company in this dark hole. I will finish what I started." Athamas' voice sounded corrupted, his eyes were no longer emerald green but black and his pale skin turned paler that it was before. With a creepy smirk, he turned on his heel very secure of himself, too different from how he stepped in there for the first time.
On the bloodied floor, the once Terran king opened his clouded eyes and turned to the heavy gates in front of him "You will never have his soul..." he muttered with all the strength he had left and let his tears pool from his eyes again as he learned his son was probably wandering in a similar dark place as he was now, "My son..." he breathed before he lost his brief moment of sanity.
O.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.O
The sound of heavy footsteps crashing against the ground echoed in the solitude of this place. With a heavy heart, his once determined gray eyes looked around with melancholy and searched for the young face he last saw before everything was declared a total loss and that hardly was ever going to regain its previous glory.
As he walked by the debris under his armored feet and the strong smell of sulfur reminded him the time he held a weapon in his hands to fight the evil force attacking the lives of his dear ones. "This must be the place..." he muttered and stopped close to what looked like a cavern. A ball of energy sparked from his hand and used it as a torch as he kept walking until he was facing a dead end he immediately realized it was a façade to keep intruders away and pushed the heavy stone aside.
His eyes softened when he saw her there, sitting on a poorly made bed curled in a fetus position. It was like if she knew somebody was coming for her as she slowly turned her head and widened her eyes in both, surprise and fright. "I finally found you…" Ares said and sighed with relief. The girl, still surprised by his presence, could not say or mutter a single word but thankfully her eyes could speak for herself. Her hands started to shake, her lips to tremble and now, heavy tears pooled down from her hazel eyes.
Ares walked towards her and kneeled in front of her, his stoic face relaxed giving her a soft, sympathetic smile "How long I have searched for you. I am glad and relieved to know that you are alright after all this time—Terran girl."
—Flashback—
"Polemarchos God of War and Ruler of Mars, Ares, has arrived." said one of the men guarding the doors to the audience room. At the moment, Zeus and the other high gods were discussing many issues from Olympus and its surrounding reigns. At the mention of his brother, Zeus immediately looked at the doors and saw the man in golden armor walk towards them, "Ares." he said in his usual authoritative tone. The man in gold stopped in front of him without saluting anybody else and frowned, "As we were suspecting, there is activity in his realm," he looked at Hades, who was sitting next to his brother at the long table.
"The Underworld is not a place where somebody can go in and out as one pleases..." Hades stood up from his seat and walked around the long, marble table to meet Ares face to face. The dark-haired man narrowed his gray eyes and nodded, "But it is only logical to have constant activity from there, it is, after all, the place where everyone ends up going for all eternity to pay for their sins."
"What have you found, Ares?" Zeus asked, ignoring his brother's dry tone towards the god of war. Ares turned to the lightning god and shook his head, "It is a fact that strange happenings have been happening in this realm. Without an explanation, many gods have witnessed disturbances around their kingdoms and many have risen against their own kingdoms. There is a wave of malice clouding deity's minds and causing tragedies."
"Should we worry?" The attention was soon fixed on Poseidon, god of the sea. "Should we worry about this?"
"What do you mean?" Hades asked, confused. Poseidon looked at him "Your realm is where every soul finds its eternal rest, redemption or punishment. Where good meets evil."
"I have been taking extreme measures to guard every gate against every realm inside the underworld." Hades pointed out, "Especially Tartarus."
"It feels the same way as all those many years ago, something or someone is causing these disturbances." Poseidon lowered his head and sighed heavily, "If only Chronos was here…"
"Chronos is not going to return!" Hades raised his voice with annoyance, "He disappeared like a coward and never came back, he kept us with riddles and questions with no answers!"
"And you still granted his wish…" Hades widened his eyes and turn to a furious Ares, "You listened to him and did what he asked you to do."
"I did not know he was not going to return!" Hades raised his voice, "You better than anyone knows how Chronos plays with your mind."
"You knew something was about to happen," Ares turned to look at all three men present with a judgmental gaze, "All of you knew something was going to happen and did not do anything to prevent it."
"It is true that Chronos asked us to do some things as a favor." Zeus said, "He came to me days before the attack on the Moon. Chronos was a wise man, he was a great advisor to all of us in Olympus but he lived ahead of our time, he is a Titan and he had the answers to everything. That was his burden. He acted like he normally did, that is why I never imagined he had something planned and disappeared the way he did."
"My attention will not be taken from this matter. I am starting to believe that we are fighting the same enemy we fought a thousand years ago." Ares said with determination, "The poison that engulfed this realm still lingers and it is infecting our lives…"
"We are very much aware of what Serenity did when she fought that worthless being," Hades said, "She confessed it to me when she was entering the realm of the dead. She used her Silver Crystal to give them a new life—one of our main issues is still out there, alive."
"If you listened to Chronos and let that tragedy happen, you should have listened to what he said about that matter as well." Ares hissed, "You still need to give me some explanations. I haven't forgotten."
Hades narrowed his gray eyes and walked towards Ares, "Explaining, to you? I do not have to give any explanations that you haven't heard already. She died Ares, like the lowly human she reduced herself to be and her soul should be wandering in the underworld, her disappearance and insolence shall never be forgiven, I will find her and condemn her to stay forever in Lethe's' river longing for her once pitiful mortal life." Hades let out a chuckle, "It is amazing how after all these years you still think of her, even when knowing she married an inferior being. She is a sin Ares and her offspring is a damn curse." without much patience left, Ares punched Hades in the face "You son of a..."
"Ares!" Zeus raised his voice, stopping him, "This is not the time to be discussing this matter! We have bigger issues in our hands right now—we do not have time to talk about the past and those who have gone before us."
"It is easy for you to say, brother." Hades hissed, "That past is still tormenting us until this day... the moment that damn hybrid finds his way back to this realm I will make sure to rip his soul off his body and finally put an end to that damned dynasty. Titans are a damn curse and that is why they were all hunted down like animals." he felt his blood run from his swollen lip and wiped it with his thumb carelessly.
"Ah, so you bleed." Ares looked at Hades with a deadly stare, "I do not know how do you manage to sleep at night." he growled and turned to leave "She was always kind to you, Serenity maintained an alliance all by herself to keep you all safe and still you all betrayed her."
"What do you want Ares?!" Hades snapped with anger.
"I want to see her Hades. I need answers." Ares looked him in the eyes, "I need to talk to Serenity."
"You cannot enter the underworld as if it was your little playground. There are rules that have been set for millions of years. You are not to disturb the resting souls of those who have fallen. She has broken the laws of Olympus by aiding those traitors." The lord of the dead walked close to Ares and narrowed his eyes, "Enough mess has already been made. Enough blood has already been shed. Stop meddling into the past. That is not your jurisdiction."
"Justice is."
"No, no, dear Ares. Not even justice—War that is. Remember where you stand and realize who you are. You are the God of War, not a Messiah." Hades waved his hand dismissively, "Your jurisdiction is to fight whoever threatens this realm, to kill and that is all. War does not bring justice, it brings satisfaction and power. Your job is to train and lead those chosen as Polemarchos, and those who have the duty of a guardian but... justice?" he shook his head and chuckled with sarcasm, "No my dear brother, you were not created for that purpose. You are just a shield."
Ares felt his blood boil in his veins, he wanted to crush him like an ant under his boot, listen his bones crack as he turned his foot but he had to control himself. From all the things Hades had said, one did stick and made sense, he was right, one of his duties was to train those chosen to be guardians, and to create polemarchos and if that could help him see a better future, get some answers and fulfill the promise he swore to himself and his dear ones, so be it. He tried to calm down and began to walk away. "I will keep investigating but I am positive it is coming from your realm," he turned to look over his shoulder at Hades,"Your security system might be failing and madness could escape right from under your nose. Do not be too self-absorbed, Oh Mighty God of the Underworld."
"Ares!" Zeus yelled, but this time Ares did not want to listen, he did not want to take the measures or follow the decisions made by the high gods again, not with what happened all those years ago with the Moon Kingdom. As he left the room and heard the echoing sound of those heavy doors closing behind him he knew something bigger, more dangerous was going to happen if he not acted in time. Since that fateful night, when he stood in the middle of madness and destruction, he realized it was something caused by a bigger force than just the malicious cloud Metallia was. She longed and had the power to destroy everything on her way that night, yes. She drove a whole planet into madness and went to fight against one of the strongest kingdoms in this realm and even managed to kill everything and everybody around them. His mind was settled. Metallia fought for a reason, she, had a reason and that reason was … "No…" Ares widened his eyes and gasped.
Since then, he began his journey to recollect the pieces of that time, to start making his own conclusions and theories without involving the other gods. He continued as the high god he was and kept sending his reports to Olympus but secretly, he was weaving the past to this present and to do that, he had to find the last person he saw that night.
"You are the only one who can help him now…"
"The future of earth and this galaxy depends on that weapon…"
—End of flashback—
"How did you find me?" Megumi asked in a soft but worried voice.
"I always kept a close eye on you. I could not get closer or otherwise your safety would be compromised but I constantly sent somebody to inform me of your location. After all this time…" he lowered his head "I am sorry. I should not have waited this long."
The girl lowered her face and closed her eyes, "Protect it and find the rightful owner…" she whispered. It came back like it just happened yesterday. The vivid image of this man in front of her telling her to escape from whatever was left in the place she thought could be her new home. The smell of death and decay was still caught up in her nostrils, still present, reminding her of what she had lost, who she had lost and her now uncertain future. "You asked me to run away... until it called for me." she looked down, remembering the feeling of warm blood staining her hands as she desperately tried to wake him up. She opened her eyes when his image came to mind and tears started to fall again. "It has not called for me..."
Ares let out a deep sigh, he wanted to give an explanation that could be still floating in the air. The life of gods was too complicated and full of secrets but he didn't understand why things happened the way it did and the only person who could explain and give him the truth he wanted had gone missing. But the facts were there and so his anger, frustration, and fear. He looked up and shook his head, then directed his gaze at her and without any other explanation, he cupped her face in his hands and looked at her "It is time."
The girl widened her eyes exactly knowing what he meant. But her heart was still confused, what was she going to do now? He was there, after all that time... time she already lost count of she knew he was close by every time she ran away from "The shadows…" she muttered, "They will come after me again... they are close, lurking in the dark and feeding themselves from my endless fear."
The shadows, those disturbing creatures able to morph into distorted human bodies that possessed and sucked the life out of every living creature they came across their path. Ares knew what she was talking about, he had seen them as well and has experienced the chill in his spine every time they were around lurking in the dark. "You must not yield. The time has come, you need to go before it is too late."
"But I do not know where to go." Megumi looked down, her fingers curled tight around her torn long skirt, her brown eyes burned again with fresh tears, "I do not even know where I am right now." Ares looked at her in the eyes, "Do you remember that night?"
"It is impossible to forget." the girl muttered softly, "I still do not understand why it happened, why things had to go the way it did... they..." she trailed off and closed her eyes trying to mute everything again, "Everybody…" she made a pause again and bit her lip, "They all died."
"That night, was the beginning of something." Ares said softly, "Strange things have been threatening us and we need help."
"But, the gods… I am trapped in a world away from my reality. A world with strange powers."
"I cannot explain it right now, but the gods… not all of them are good beings, not all of them look out for each other like you witnessed at the White Palace and one of those gods is menacing the entire universe and we need to stop it before it is too late. I know it is selfish of me to appear now and ask you for help. I know it has been a long time but I need you to run away from here before it is too late."
"What?" Megumi asked, frightened.
"I feel somebody coming, you have to..." his command was interrupted by a loud explosion. The young girl widened her eyes when she saw a number of dark beings coming close to them, "The shadows!" she called out in horror. Ares stood and blasted them a beam of energy destroying many in its way, then turned over his shoulder "RUN AWAY! NOW!"
Megumi spotted a person standing behind the many shadows coming their way, she could tell it was a man but she could not see his face with clarity. Her body trembled, soon realizing who that might be, "No..." she turned to where her poorly made bed was and ran towards it, catching the man's attention. Ares knew what she was after and covered for her "HURRY!" he blasted another beam of strong energy at the shadows crawling after her. With shaky hands, she started digging her bed in a hurry, amazed that the God of War protected her with his amazing power. She remember the night he met him and how he helped them until everything came to its tragic end. Her hands kept digging into the ground until they caught the treasure she's been keeping safe all these years "Thank heavens." she exhaled with relief.
"I believe that is mine."
She widened her eyes and looked up at a man with long blonde hair, staring at her with a dark gaze, "So this is where you have been hiding all this time—pitiful mortal."
Megumi held her package close and turned quickly to run away to only find the man standing in front of her, blocking her path again, "Hand it over to me." he demanded, while extending his hand out to her.
"No." she responded the same demanding way and shook her head, "This is not yours to have." her hazel eyes widened when she recognized the man and took a step back "It is you..." she trailed off and pulled her package close to her chest, "You were dead..."
"Who told you I died?" Athamas laughed and frowned, "I will not ask again mortal! Hand me that weapon!"
The girl shook her head in denial and ran in the opposite direction, catching Ares' attention "MEGUMI!" he blasted another ball of energy to the shadows going her way "IT IS TIME! GO!"
"If it hasn't responded to you after all this time, it is because that mission of yours is pointless." Athamas growled, Megumi turned on her heel and ran away. Annoyed by the girl's determination Athamas raised his hand and turned to the shadows crawling next to him, "Kill her and bring me the sword." the shadows raised from the ground and went fast after her much to Ares's and the girl's surprise. Megumi started crying and closed her eyes "Please, Oh Mighty Guardian... listen to my humble prayer and lead me to your presence. Please... save me." her tears started to pool from her eyes as she felt the shadows slowly taking control of her body, "Please, help me! Help me, my Prince!"
The package in her hands began to feel warm and soon it began to shine with a strong golden light burning the malicious dark matter trapping her and blocking her way. Ares stopped amazed at the sight and so Athamas, who in anger ordered more shadows to go after her. Megumi opened her eyes and felt engulfed in a warm golden energy and soon disappeared from both men's eyes.
Ares turned to the man behind him and frowned, soon recognizing his face, "You..." He said with shock and then noticed there was something different about the man. He was not the same soldier he met all those years ago. He looked stronger than he remembered, more menacing and aggressive. Seeing him is was just like seeing a ghost, a man possessed by revenge and his past, with powers he did not know he even had.
This was not him, that Athamas—Ares thought. That soldier that once served in the front of the Andromedian and the Silver Millenium's army. Ares fears and worries only intensified more at the sight of the man before him, who was the spirit of a defeated man now corrupted by a bigger force.