Ghost of Sparta part 2
The vision of her father's past set Calliope in search of answers, together with her lover, Alecto. Answers that lay in the temple of Poseidon, deep within the city of Atlantis.
Calliope and Alecto had assembled a fleet of 12 Spartan ships, with a small force of 500 Spartan warriors, to set sail for the ancient city, Atlantis. Calliope felt that she needed all the help that she could get to find answers to the vision she had in her nightmare. When she asked the Spartan king, Tyndareus for help, he happily gave a force of his best Spartan warriors to use, and a small fleet. After a few days at sea, the city of Atlantis appeared on the horizon but the fleet entered a major storm that became worse as they approached Atlantis further. Calliope frowned as she felt that this was the work of the Gods, wanting to prevent her from finding answers.
Just then, Athena's statue glowed and the Goddess spoke to Lady Death and the Ex-Fury Queen. "This is not a wise course of action, Calliope. It was a dream, nothing more."
Calliope became angry as she faced Athena's statue. "You say that it was a dream, but it isn't Athena! This is a vision... that I can change."
"Perhaps it is a vision best left unchanged. There is more to this than you both know. Please." Athena begged Calliope and Alecto by not going to Atlantis.
The Ghost of Sparta turned her back to Athena, as she had enough of her riddles and of her trying to convince her to reconsider going to Atlantis. Alecto then spoke to Athena with the same anger as her lover. "You and the Gods have promised my Calliope so much, and you always broke those promises! We are going to Atlantis, Athena, and that's final!"
Athena sighed as she was unable to convince Calliope nor Alecto. Her statue glowed no more and let them be. But just then, from out of the sea, several Triton soldiers climbed on Calliope and Alecto's ship. Both women drew their blades, as Calliope was now more angry than before, as these Triton soldiers could only have been sent by Poseidon himself, to try to stop Calliope and Alecto from reaching Atlantis.
"Foul beasts! NOTHING WILL STOP US!" The Ghost of Sparta yelled as she and Alecto started attacking the Triton soldiers. And this time, they were not alone, as many Spartan warriors came to their aid, making it easier for them to kill the warriors.
When the Triton soldiers were all dealt with, the ship's captain saw something emerging from the sea, grabbing one of the ships with its large tentacles. His eyes went wide as he called out to Calliope Alecto. "Lady Calliope! Lady Alecto! A sea monster is destroying the fleet!" He yelled as he pointed to the beast that was ripping another ship to pieces and dragged it down the ocean floor. Alecto and Calliope knew that it was none other than Scylla, the legendary sea monster. While more Triton soldiers climbed on the ship, and on the other ones, Calliope called to the captain to stay on course. "Hold course, captain!"
He nodded as he grabbed the rudder. "Yes, milady!"
As the two lovers fought the Triton soldiers, Alecto then said. "I'll take care of that sea monster!"
Calliope nodded as she decapitated a Triton soldier with her blades, knowing her lover's Kraken form would be an easier way to deal with the sea monster. "Be careful, baby!"
"I will!" Alecto called as she jumped off the ship and dived into the sea, while transforming into her Kraken form.
As the Kraken form of Alecto fought the sea monster Scylla, while trying to save some Spartan warriors from drowning, a Spartan captain called to Calliope that they needed her help. "Lady Calliope! More of those demons are slaughtering our men! Hurry, to the bow!"
Calliope nodded and quickly went to the bow of the ship, kicking in the door and killing some tritan warriors with her blades before opening 2 chests and heading to the bow of the ship where 2 of Scylla's tentacles blocked her path. While killing some tritan warriors, she cut through the tentacles, making Scylla remove them before she killed some sea creatures and cut off the head of 1 of Scylla's monster tentacles before the sea monster destroyed the ship, washing Calliope to the shore with some surviving Spartan warriors, who are being slaughtered by Scylla. Then, while Calliope fought against Scylla with her blades, causing it some pain, Alecto's Kraken form grabbed Scylla and beat the crap out of her, making the monster flee in terror!
As Alecto changed back to her normal form, she embraced Calliope while they passionately kissed. After a minute, Calliope broke the kiss as the remaining ships docked at the port before Calliope and Alecto met with the admiral. "Thank you, Lady Calliope and Lady Alecto. If it weren't for you two, we would all be dead."
Alecto nodded, but Calliope asked with concern. "How many Spartans do we have left?"
The Admiral shook his head as he answered. "Less than 100, I'm afraid and we lost more than half of the fleet." He then pointed to the remaining ships. "I have only 5 left, but my own ship is so damaged that she's incapable to sail anywhere. So that makes 4 ships."
Calliope understood and then spoke to the remaining Spartan warriors. "We can mourn for the dead later, but now we need to keep moving. 20 of you will stay, to keep guarding the ships, while the rest will come with me and Alecto. Let's go!"
"YES MA'AM!" All the Spartans said loudly as most followed her and Alecto, while the Admiral's men stayed behind to guard the ships.
After opening the chests around the area, they went forth and climbed up the walls before rope sliding into water, where Calliope found another chest and opened it before continuing to the top of the walls, battling several monsters before they saw a Minotaur. Calliope told everyone to stay put while she fought the half bull creature, avoiding its attacks before Scylla appeared and grabbed Calliope! But fortunately, Alecto saved her lover by cutting off the tentacle holding her, making the sea monster flee again before Calliope finished off the Minotaur by stabbing it in its mouth! Once the beast was dead, Calliope singled her men to follow and they continued to the top after the Ghost of Sparta opened the gate above with the mechanism. They battled with more monsters before they were getting near the city.
Not far from where Calliope, Alecto and their men were
Many innocent people fled in terror of the increasing monsters. Among the people, a man and his family were hiding in an alley. He held his redhead wife close to him as she was so scared. "What are we going to do? There monsters everywhere?"
The husband shook his head as he didn't know what to do. "I don't know, my love. We need to pray... that Poseidon will save us."
"No! We need to get to the harbor and get away from Atlantis!" Their 13 year old daughter said.
Her father however immediately said that that was impossible. "How, Sophie?! The whole city is full of these monsters. There's no place we can go too."
Then, as Sophie wanted to tell her parents that they need to have some more courage, they heard other soldiers coming into the streets. Her father was relieved that finally the soldiers of Atlantis were taking a counter offensive on the monsters. "Praise Poseidon! Our soldiers are finally fighting back!"
But as Sophie looked a bit closer, she saw that they weren't Atlantian soldiers, but a few dozen Spartan warriors that fought the monsters. "Those aren't our soldiers, dad. They are Spartans!" Sophie said overjoyed.
"Spartans?" Her father asked. As he and his wife looked, they indeed saw Spartan warriors, saving the people of Atlantis.
"You're right, Sophie." Her mother said with surprise and happiness. "the Gods have sent Spartans to save us!"
But not much later, the Spartans were attacked by 2 cyclops and a big centaur. Sophie saw how the Spartans were no match against these monsters and knew that she had to do something as she ran out of the alley and headed to the Spartans.
Her father tried to grab her but was too late to stop his daughter. "Sophie! Come back here! SOPHIE!"
Sophie grabbed a spear from a killed Atlantian soldier, and kept running to the Spartans.
As the Spartans were no match for the 3 large monsters, they were all cornered back to a large wall. Their captain yelled to his men "Stand your ground men! YOU ARE SPARTANS AND WE FEAR NOTHING, NOT EVEN DEATH!"
All Spartan warriors roared in anger, as they were ready to face death. One cyclops was ready to smash the Spartans. But then, Sophie threw her spear, right into the cyclops' eye, blinding him! The Spartans took their change to finish the cyclops, while the other cyclops charged at them, killing 12 of them. Sophie took another spear and threw it to the other cyclops, but missed it's target. The centaur noticed the redhead girl was throwing those spears and marched onto Sophie to kill her.
Sophie saw it and took a dead Spartan's sword, ready to defend herself. She narrowly avoided a strike from the centaur's clawed hand, and tried to strike him with her sword, but the centaur grabbed Sophie and threw her hard to the ground! She grunted in pain as she tried to get up. The centaur smirked as he was about to deliver the finishing blow on the teenage redhead, but was then stopped... by Calliope's blades. The centaur roared in pain, but was then killed by Alecto, who ripped his head off!
While the remaining Spartans finished the last cyclops, Calliope checked on Sophie, who couldn't believe that she saw the legendary 'Ghost of Sparta', the Goddess of War, Calliope with her own eyes. Calliope smiled to her as she healed her with the amulet "That was a brave thing you did there, kid. You sure got the talent to be a warrior." Calliope said as she raised Sophie up.
Sophie had lost for words, as the Ghost of Sparta saw potential in her. "R..really?"
Calliope nodded. "You sure do."
Then, her parents ran to Sophie and embraced her. "Oh, Sophie! Don't do that again, please!" Her mother yelled as tears fell from her eyes, as her daughter got herself nearly killed. "What were you thinking?! You could have been killed just now!?"
Calliope then stepped in and said calmly "Your daughter just saved my men. You should be proud of her."
Both Sophie's parents didn't even notice that the Goddess of War was here, but bowed immediately after realizing that they were talking to one of the Gods of Olympus. "Oh... of course, Lady Calliope. My apologies." The father said humbly.
Calliope shook her head that it was all right but then became very serious. "You need to get your family out of here! We've slain most of the monsters, so the path down to the harbor is safe. Now go!"
The man nodded and took his wife's hand. "Come on, my love! Let's go!"
She nodded and called Sophie to them. "Sophie!"
Sophie nodded and ran after her parents, but not before Calliope called her back. "Hey, kiddo!" After Sophie turned herself, Calliope threw the Spartan sword that the redhead girl held before back to her and catched it. "You're gonna need that. Trust me." Calliope gave her a wink and ran together with her lover and Spartan warriors further into the City of Atlantis.
Sophie looked at the sword that Calliope gave to her and then smiled as she watched Calliope leaving in the distance before she then ran to her parents.
And from that day forward, the teenage girl named Sophie had become part of a destiny that would change her life forever. And becoming part of a moment in history, that would decide the fate of the entire world.
Calliope and Alecto got to a gap and the ex Fury Queen flew her lover to the other side after killing several monsters and ordering their men to head back to the ships, which they did as they knew that they could not go any further. After killing a few monsters, they climbed down a wall and Calliope found 2 chests before they went through a hallway that had the temple of Thanatos on the other side of it.
The Temple of Thanatos, the God of Death, a vestige of a long forgotten time. Erected before the rule of the Oylmpians, this temple had not been placed here by mortal hands. And within its walls lay a passage to the domain of Death.
"So this is the legendary Temple of Thanatos. Of all the places I could be right now, this isn't 1 of them." Calliope said with distaste for the temple, as she had long wished never to see it in her lifetime, mortal and goddess.
"Myself as well, baby. But unfortunately, I have a feeling that our quest will bring us back here regardless of whether we want to or not." Alecto said with the same tone of voice before they embraced each other.
"Then, here's something to give each other for good luck when we do." Calliope said before she gave Alecto a passionate tongue-filled kiss before the ex Fury Queen kissed her back while rubbing her lover's ass, making her moan loudly before Calliope did the same thing as their tongues danced with each other in and out of their mouths.
"Damn baby, that's what I call lustful kissing. And I really love it when I rub your sexy firm ass. But this is only a preview of the sexy, passionate fucking we're going to do after this is over." Alecto said seductively after they broke their kiss with a trail of saliva connecting them.
"I'll be looking forward to that, baby. And if we just happen to run into some other sexy women on this quest, let's take a little break and have fun giving them a passionate fuck." Calliope said seductively before kissing Alecto again.
"It's a deal, baby." Alecto said with eagerness before they continued on. The 2 lovers went to the middle platform, which was the Death Gate but found that they couldn't open it as they read how to use it.
THE TEMPLE OF THANATOS, GOD OF DEATH. WITHIN ITS WALLS LIES THE ENTRANCE TO A WORLD THAT NO MORTAL DARES TO ENTER. HE WHO POSSESSES THE KEY THE SKULL OF KERES WILL BE GRANTED SAFE PASSAGE THROUGH THE DEATH GATE.
"It's never that easy for us, isn't it baby?" Alecto asked her lover.
"No it isn't, baby. But I wouldn't have it any other way." Calliope answered with a smirk, as she had always loved challenges.
The 2 lovers then ran to the right and entered an elevator and Calliope pulled the lever, making the elevator go up as more monsters appeared, which Calliope and Alecto easily killed before the elevator stopped and they ran through rushing water filled with blood and saw that they'd reached the city of Atlantis and jumped across the water flow to the city.
After 2 soldiers were killed by a cyclops, Calliope and Alecto quickly killed the beast by cutting it with their blades, banging its head against the floor, stunning enough to allow Calliope to use 1 of her blades to pull out its eye, killing it before they saw Scylla destroy the big aquaculture far across from them before it roared at them and moved on.
"That beast is only going to cause more destruction and death in the city as long as it breaths, baby." Calliope said with hatred for the sea monster.
"Not for long, baby. Today that monster will die. But let her come to us. It clearly wants us dead, so when it comes to us, we'll be ready to kill it." Alecto told her lover before they continued on through the city, swimming through an underground entrance and opening up some chests along the way.
When Calliope and Alecto neared the Temple of Poseidon, they were greeted by a few dozen Atlantean soldiers who managed to survive for this long. Their leader was happy to see the Goddess of War and the Ex-Fury Queen. "Lady Calliope. Praise Poseidon for sending the Ghost of Sparta and the Fury Queen to aid us!"
Calliope shook her head as she wasn't sent by Poseidon or any of the Gods. "We weren't sent by Poseidon, or the other Gods."
This surprised the Atlantean soldiers a bit, so the leader just said. "Well, for whatever reason you came to Atlantis, you sure picked the right time to arrive. Monsters are swarming the lands of Atlantis. For days, we have prayed to the Sea God to come and help us... but he never came... These monsters, they are looking for you, Lady Death."
Calliope frowned. No matter which God was trying to stop her, nothing will convince her to stop from getting answers about her vision of her grandmother in the temple of Poseidon. She looked at the soldiers and said. "You all go and help your people."
"But what about you, milady?"
Calliope was in no mood for answering the soldier, but before she could dismiss them, Alecto told them. "That's none of your business! Now leave."
The soldiers knew that questioning an Olympian God would be disrespectful and did what they were told and left to help other Atlanteans in danger as Calliope read a text that was close to the path to the Temple of Poseidon.
AS POSEIDON TOOK DOMINION OVER THE SEAS, HE ERECTED A MONUMENT FIT TO HIS GLORY. SO WAS BORN THE GREAT CITY OF ATLANTIS. WITH LORD POSEIDON AS THEIR GUARDIAN, THE ATLANTEANS THRIVED BEYOND ALL OTHER SOCIETIES. THESE DEVOUT AND PEACEFUL CITIZENS STAND AS A TESTAMENT TO MANKIND'S FUTURE
Even though it was great to know how peaceful the Atlanteans are, Calliope became very angry that Poseidon wasn't there to protect his people. "Damn you, Poseidon! You are supposed to protect your people! DAMN YOU!"
Alecto tried to calm her lover down. "Calm down, baby. We'll confront Poseidon about this later, but let's first see what lies in his Temple, to make sense of your vision." Alecto's words made Calliope calm down before Lady Death and her lover nodded and headed with her up to the Temple.
In the distance stood the temple of Poseidon. A monument erected by the Atlanteans to the greatness of their protector, the God of the Seas
When Calliope and Alecto neared the entrance to the Temple, the gate that was in the shape of Poseidon's face spoke. "Know thyself and your path will be revealed."
Calliope opened the gate and entered the Temple together with Alecto. But as they entered, they were surprised to find themselves in Sparta, while the gate closed behind them. Calliope didn't recognize this part of Sparta, as she had never been to this part before.
Both she and Alecto could hear two boys fighting each other. As they went further to the noises, they saw a Spartan home. Calliope's eyes went wide, as she could recognize one of the boys. "Wait... is that... my father?"
Alecto nodded, as the boy looked exactly like a young version of Kratos, but wondered who that other boy was. "And the other boy? Is that... you're father's brother?" Alecto asked, as Calliope had told her before that her father had a brother once.
Calliope nodded. "Yes... that's, Deimos."
The boys couldn't see Calliope or Alecto approaching, as they were shapes from the past. Then a woman came outside, calling to the boys. "Come brave Spartans, the battle is done. Kratos, bring Deimos inside." Kratos nodded and came with his brother inside the house. But as the shapes went inside, they vanished.
Inside the house, was not like any Spartan home, but rather a strange place, to hold something or someone inside. Calliope and Alecto entered, and saw an elderly woman, lying on a bed in the middle of the room. Calliope came closer to the women 'Could it be? Is she... Callisto? my grandmother?!' Calliope mentally asked herself.
Callisto looked at Calliope and thought because of the large tattoo on her, that she was her son, finally coming to save her. "How I have missed you, Kratos..." But realizing that it was another woman and not her son, Kratos, she became confused. "Wait, you're not... you're not my son."
Calliope shook her head as she sat next to Callisto. "No, I'm his daughter, Calliope."
"Ca... Calliope?"
Calliope nodded. "Yes, grandmother... it's me."
Callisto then remembered Calliope, but only when she was still a baby, born with a skin decease, but was spared from being thrown into a canyon thanks to her father for completing set forth to cure her. Callisto reached her hand to Calliope and stroked her cheek. "It... it is you." She said before she began to smile. "Calliope... Oh, little Calliope... you've grown so beautiful. You look so much like your father... the same eyes... the same determination."
Seeing Calliope reunited with her grandmother made her form tears in her eyes. She let them have their moment. But then, Callisto wanted to know why she was here and not her son. "But... where is my son? Calliope, why did you come and not your father?"
Calliope then felt that her grandmother didn't even know that Kratos was dead for years. She became sad, as the memory of her killing her father when she was just a child was so painful. A tear came from her eye as she said. "I'm sorry, grandmother... he's dead. He died when I was just a child. I'm sorry."
Callisto's heart broke after hearing that her son had been dead for years. "My son... dead? No... oh, no no no... my sweet Kratos..." A tear came from her eye as she couched. She looked at her granddaughter and spoke. "We do not have much time, Calliope. Your... uncle does not have much time."
This made Calliope shocked. Was Deimos still alive? "Deimos?" She asked.
Callisto nodded. "He lives. Trapped in torment deep in Death's Domain."
This didn't make any sense to Calliope. For she thought that Deimos was dead, as how her father had told her. "But... he's dead. My father told me that he was..."
Saddened, Callisto explained to her granddaughter. "I'm sorry, my sweet grandchild. I had no choice but to lie to your father. You must listen now. The temple of Ares in Sparta... holds the secret that will lead to your uncle. The road will not be easy… but you must help him. Please, Calliope... I don't want to... lose Deimos too."
This revelation was nearly too much for Calliope. The uncle that she thought all her life was dead, was still alive and had been all this time. "This... cannot be." But then she became nearly angry and demanded to know why she had lied to her father. "Why? Why did you lie to my father, making me believe that lie all my life?!"
Callisto started to explain why she had to lie to Kratos, and making Calliope believe it. "Your... grandfather forbid me to tell your father."
"My grandfather?"
Callisto nodded. "Yes. Kratos' father. He brought me here years ago, kept me imprisoned."
Calliope nearly lost her temper after hearing how cruel her 'grandfather' could be, to imprison her grandmother like this, but then wanted to know who he is, as her father failed to figure it out. "But.. who? Who is my grandfather?! Tell me!"
But as Callisto was about to tell her granddaughter, she began thrashing in pain as she began to transform into a hideous monster! Calliope dodged her attacks and used her speed to her advantage while Alecto helped her lover by slashing through her before the monster picked Calliope up and smashed her into a wall and tried to eat her mindlessly before Alecto saved Calliope by slashing through the monster, making her let go before Calliope banged her grandmother's head against the wall repeatedly until she threw her into the middle of the room.
With Callisto badly weakened by the attacks on her, Calliope finished the monster form of Callisto, by stabbing into her heart with her blade. As he pulled the blade out, Callisto changed back into her human form. She was terribly wounded, more dead then alive Calliope dropped her blades and fell on her knees as she held her grandmother close to her.
Alecto quickly grabbed the amulet and attempted to heal Calliope's grandmother, but the amulet didn't work. "But...? What's happening? Why won't it work?!"
Callisto held her hand on Calliope's cheek as she explained. "The Amulet... doesn't work... in the temple of Poseidon." She said before she then coughed some blood out.
Calliope didn't want to lose her grandmother. Not like this, as tears formed in her eyes, she begged. "No! Just hang on, grandmother! We'll get you-"
"It's... alright, Calliope... Please... find your uncle... Go to... Sparta... Find Deimos... I... beg... of... you..." She said before she then breathed out her last breath, showing that she was dead.
Tears flowed down from Calliope's cheeks. "No... What have I done?" She cried before Callisto's body vanished.
Alecto embraced Calliope, trying to comfort her. "I'm so sorry for you, Calliope."
Calliope sobbed on her lover's shoulder for some time as the pain of killing her own grandmother was nearly too great to bare, feeling it was killing her father, Kratos years ago, all over again. But slowly, her sadness started to lessen as she vowed to find her uncle, Deimos. 'Grandmother. I swear, I'll find Deimos, and free him'. Calliope let go of Alecto, as she felt that her sadness was starting to be replaced by rage. "Whoever my grandfather is... one day... HE'S GONNA PAY FOR THIS!"
Alecto nodded, as she also felt the same rage for the cruelty that was done to Callisto. "And he will, with my help, baby. I promised you that." She said before they passionately kissed.
With her last breath, Callisto released the weight of her burden and finally found the peace she had long sought. But for Calliope, the rage was almost palpable. Fate had almost again pushed her to the brink of madness.
There you go, my friends, part 2 of Ghost of Sparta is complete. Part 3 will come after I'm done posting 1 chapter each for my DBZ and Voltron story. Until then, rate and review, and I will see you all soon, my friends.