Redemption
Why did I have to get him! What did I do in my life to deserve this punishment?
These were the thoughts running through the middle aged man as he slowly ascended a golden stairway. The strange man could have appeared further up the path but he had his reason for walking. He was garbed in a layer of white robes that concealed his appearance but being identified was the least of his concerns. He was the unlucky one. There were some names on the list of competitors that were truly terrifying. Usually, Sir or Lady would handle them directly but occasionally a few names would be filtered down to their assistants. So the assistants would sometimes draw straws to see who got stuck with recruiting them. Some took these tasks gracefully without the slightest hint of worry. Others performed well enough outwardly, but were inwardly frightened.
So here he was, an assistant given the task to convince a blood-thirsty god to join in a tournament made up mostly of mortals. Just stay calm…don't let him intimidate you. The moment he smells fear, he'll not agree to anything. Besides…there are worse ways to die then being sliced to bits… He knew that failure in this matter was not an option and this thought gave him the confidence to press onward. The assistant reached the top of the stairs much sooner than he would have liked and found himself gazing upon a massive temple. With a renewed determination, he pushed the solid gold doors open. Nothing would stop him from reaching the Hall of the War God, Kratos. Whether or not, he'd survive the encounter was another story.
Inside the temple, the walls were adorned with various weapons from almost every age of human existence in this world. From small fighting daggers to massive blades that only a handful of people could wield, no weapon was overlooked. Despite the presence of several pillars, the hallway was large and fairly open. This design probably suited the owner just fine. At the far end of the hall was another set of stairs leading up to a throne. On either side of the staircase was a stuffed and mounted body, one of a giant Minotaur and the former god of war, Ares. Reluctantly, the assistant stepped forward into the hollowed halls. His footsteps upon the marble floor easily made his presence known. As soon as he was well inside a booming voice from the throne made him stop in his tracks, "You have until I stand and walk into beheading range to explain just why you trespass in my hall." In an instant, the doors shut behind the assistant and locked themselves. The sound of shifting cloth was defining as the tattooed deity stood up. He instantly summoned his Athena Blades and slowly descended the steps.
The assistant nervously chuckled, "S-straight forward, I see…I-I can appreciate that." As soon as he noticed Kratos increase his walking pace slightly, the assistant decided to skip the small talk. He spoke quickly as he continued to back away from the ever approaching god, "You have been invited to participate in a fighting tournament, Mr. Kratos. Assuming that you win, you wi-AH!" The assistant barely jumped to his right as a bolt of lightning struck his previous position hard. Kratos growled as his feet finally touched down on the marble floor, "You climbed up Mount Olympus to invite me to a tournament! I am a god! Worse still, you make it sound like I would actually lose if I participated!" The assistant quickly added, "I-if you would just let m-" Kratos shouted over him, "You are a fool. Fools like you deserve to be removed from this world." The warrior turned deity swung his Athena Blades up into the air before forcing them to descend upon his hapless victim, "Your pathetic, ill conceived bloodline will be freed from your idiocy." Kratos felt that this would be enough to deal with this man.
In the final moments before the blades arched their way down, something snapped in the mind of the assistant. Kratos last comment hit a nerve within the assistant. It was one thing to call him a coward or a fool. He could accept any verbal abuse just fine. However, Kratos did something more. He insulted his entire family. God or not, what right did he have to make such a claim. A boiling rage filled the assistant as he watched the blades descend. His once fearful face darkened with a quiet rage. With precision timing, he spun his right leg upwards and kicked the flat side of Kratos's leading blade. It tangled itself up with the chain from the other blade and both weapons crashed hard into the ground just to the left of the assistant.
Kratos was visibly surprised that the man before him was still alive. While the war god pulled his blades back and untangled them, the assistant stood firm. He repeated Kratos' words with a quiet hatred, "…'pathetic'…'ill-conceived'…" The man laughed darkly, "That is amusing…a man who murdered his own family denouncing the linage of someone else. I wonder what they would think of it? Do you want to ask them?" A slightly growl came from Kratos as he charged twisted his blades in the air again, "I will enjoy seeing a delusional man like you die slowly." This time, the blade descended in a horizontal line towards the assistant's chest.
The assistant ducked underneath the powerful swing and grasped the chained hilt of Kratos' blades. He continued on as if he hadn't just been attacked, "I am not some weak willed peon from your world. I work for a larger organization that has powers beyond your own. How else do you think a 'fool' like me could appear on Mount Olympus without breaking a sweat. Furthermore…" He paused briefly once he felt Kratos pulling on the weapons to get them back. The assistant let go causing the god of war to stumble back a few paces. The assistant resumed his speech, "Bringing back the dead wouldn't be out of our abilities. All you have to do is win our tournament and we will grant you anything you desire…even the revival of your dead family. So now you have two choices, participate and try to win back your family…or refuse and forget any hope of seeing them again."
Kratos glared at the assistant with a hatred that would unnerve most men. Despite the intensive gaze, the assistant showed no fear inside or out. Slowly, logic gave way to rage in the mind of Kratos. If this really was a chance to regain his family, he would be a fool not to accept it. The conditions were simple, win a tournament. How hard could it be for the God of War? Eventually, Kratos spoke up, "Once I win, you had better deliver on your end of this deal…or else I will personally rip apart every last member of your organization." The assistant smirked slightly, "My superiors will be happy to know about your co-operation."
A sudden flash of light engulfed the hall and when it finally dimmed, both the God of War and the assistant had left the world.
By Cahb42584 (Guest)