"See? This is what happens to you when you want adventure! You get carted
away like an animal." Gabrielle sighed as she stared out the bars of the
wheeled cage she was locked in. Very little time had passed since her
capture, maybe only an hour. the moon was still in the sky, it's single
glowing eye watching her progress down some bumpy dirt road.
Except now it was looking darker somehow. Gabrielle stared up at it, studying it for a long moment. Yes, it definitely had an orange cast to it.
"Great, just great! Soon it'll be turning blood red." She mumbled.
Just then the wagon jolted to a stop.
"We're here." The warlord informed her as he started to unlock the door to the cage, one of his eyes having a fresh dark circle around it.
"You should be more polite to people, you know. Locking people up in cages isn't very nice." Gabrielle informed him as she stepped out of the cage onto the ground. "You'd get a lot less black eyes that way."
The warlord frowned, raising a hand halfway to his sore eye. "I'm only doing my job. Lord Ares wants you, so he's getting you."
With a soldier holding onto each arm, Gabrielle was led into the Ares' temple.
The temple, she noted, was dark and drab. The building itself was made from gray stone. Inside the only light was provided from dozens upon dozens of lit candles and torches. Without ceremony, she was hauled to the very front of the temple. She was shoved up against a huge black stone that someone had left a bloody sword on. After a moment, Gabrielle realized this was the War God's altar.
This is just great, Gabrielle. She thought to herself. That will be your blood on some sword if you don't think of some way to get out of this mess. So you better start thinking!
"Lord Ares, we have the one you desired." The Warlord with the black eye informed the empty temple.
Gabrielle was about to ask him whom did he think he was talking to when a flash of blue light appeared. After the light faded, the handsome man from her dream stood there. Gabrielle gasped in amazement, for she had never seen a real God before or how they could teleport. She knew she should be afraid of him, yet she wasn't. The truth was, even in the bad lighting, she felt attracted to him. And that in turn made her feel ashamed, for surely one shouldn't feel that way towards a God, certainly not towards this God!
And he wanted to kill her, didn't he?
She watched him silently as he walked towards her. His movements reminded her of the cats around the village: smooth, graceful and with a hint of danger. All that black leather he wore only added to it. Nor had he taken his eyes off her since the moment he popped in from the aether. The candlelight reflected off his silver earring, which Gabrielle noted was shaped like a sword. How appropriate for a War God!
What's the matter with you, Gabrielle? She asked herself. He's the God of War, remember? He is NOT a nice guy! You shouldn't be standing there at his altar thinking how good he looks; you should be running the other way! What good is looking good if he has a bad personality? And wanting a blood sacrifice certainly counts as a bad personality.
But there must be more to it. Gabrielle replied to herself. For out of all the young women in Greece, why did he choose me?
Ares chuckled. "A little hard to handle, Struddle?"
"No, Lord Ares!" The Warlord replied, a sheepish expression on his face. "I startled her is all."
Ares laughed. "If an unarmed woman with no fighting experience can give you a black eye, what will happen to you in real combat? I think you better go practice more. NOW!"
"Yes, Lord Ares!" Struddle bowed and left the temple in a rush, his men right behind him.
Gabrielle heard the door of the temple slam and realized she was alone with Ares. Only the altar with the bloody sword was between them. "Why did you have me brought here, Ares? You're not really going to sacrifice me, are you?"
Long moments passed and Ares said nothing. He just smiled at her, which made Gabrielle nervous. She started to shift her weight from one foot to the other as the seconds ticked off. Waves of heat formed in the middle of her back and along the sides of her legs as sweat formed. She wanted to drum her fingers on the altar but didn't dare. This waiting for a reply was killing her!
"Yes, my dear." Ares finally replied. "I do need your blood, you know."
Except now it was looking darker somehow. Gabrielle stared up at it, studying it for a long moment. Yes, it definitely had an orange cast to it.
"Great, just great! Soon it'll be turning blood red." She mumbled.
Just then the wagon jolted to a stop.
"We're here." The warlord informed her as he started to unlock the door to the cage, one of his eyes having a fresh dark circle around it.
"You should be more polite to people, you know. Locking people up in cages isn't very nice." Gabrielle informed him as she stepped out of the cage onto the ground. "You'd get a lot less black eyes that way."
The warlord frowned, raising a hand halfway to his sore eye. "I'm only doing my job. Lord Ares wants you, so he's getting you."
With a soldier holding onto each arm, Gabrielle was led into the Ares' temple.
The temple, she noted, was dark and drab. The building itself was made from gray stone. Inside the only light was provided from dozens upon dozens of lit candles and torches. Without ceremony, she was hauled to the very front of the temple. She was shoved up against a huge black stone that someone had left a bloody sword on. After a moment, Gabrielle realized this was the War God's altar.
This is just great, Gabrielle. She thought to herself. That will be your blood on some sword if you don't think of some way to get out of this mess. So you better start thinking!
"Lord Ares, we have the one you desired." The Warlord with the black eye informed the empty temple.
Gabrielle was about to ask him whom did he think he was talking to when a flash of blue light appeared. After the light faded, the handsome man from her dream stood there. Gabrielle gasped in amazement, for she had never seen a real God before or how they could teleport. She knew she should be afraid of him, yet she wasn't. The truth was, even in the bad lighting, she felt attracted to him. And that in turn made her feel ashamed, for surely one shouldn't feel that way towards a God, certainly not towards this God!
And he wanted to kill her, didn't he?
She watched him silently as he walked towards her. His movements reminded her of the cats around the village: smooth, graceful and with a hint of danger. All that black leather he wore only added to it. Nor had he taken his eyes off her since the moment he popped in from the aether. The candlelight reflected off his silver earring, which Gabrielle noted was shaped like a sword. How appropriate for a War God!
What's the matter with you, Gabrielle? She asked herself. He's the God of War, remember? He is NOT a nice guy! You shouldn't be standing there at his altar thinking how good he looks; you should be running the other way! What good is looking good if he has a bad personality? And wanting a blood sacrifice certainly counts as a bad personality.
But there must be more to it. Gabrielle replied to herself. For out of all the young women in Greece, why did he choose me?
Ares chuckled. "A little hard to handle, Struddle?"
"No, Lord Ares!" The Warlord replied, a sheepish expression on his face. "I startled her is all."
Ares laughed. "If an unarmed woman with no fighting experience can give you a black eye, what will happen to you in real combat? I think you better go practice more. NOW!"
"Yes, Lord Ares!" Struddle bowed and left the temple in a rush, his men right behind him.
Gabrielle heard the door of the temple slam and realized she was alone with Ares. Only the altar with the bloody sword was between them. "Why did you have me brought here, Ares? You're not really going to sacrifice me, are you?"
Long moments passed and Ares said nothing. He just smiled at her, which made Gabrielle nervous. She started to shift her weight from one foot to the other as the seconds ticked off. Waves of heat formed in the middle of her back and along the sides of her legs as sweat formed. She wanted to drum her fingers on the altar but didn't dare. This waiting for a reply was killing her!
"Yes, my dear." Ares finally replied. "I do need your blood, you know."