CHAPTER IV

AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry for the long wait, I've just been so busy with the work I have to do, but I hope you all enjoy this next part :)

Athena's eyes fluttered open, blood spilling from her forehead and onto her lids.

Just moments ago she was enjoying the sunset in Olympus, the sun bathing the hills and mountains with a warm gold glow. At that moment a servant walked in and anxiously informed her of a Cyclops attack taking place in the High Mountains of Olympus, just south of Hephaestus' lair.

'Then why isn't Hephaestus taking care of it?' she asked, marching towards her Obsidian steed. The horse snorted to life upon her approach.

'He is making a … a house call, your Greatness.' The servant said timidly, scurrying at her side.

'Ah, of course. Aphrodite.' Athena mounted her steed, her sword swinging at her hip.

'The Great King Zeus suggested you take a fleet of reinforcements with you.'

'Tell the Great King Zeus that I can handle this myself.' She said, and with a tug of the reins she was off, leaving only a trail of dust behind her.

Her hair whipped before her face as she rode hard across the plain of Olympus and into the High Mountains. Her steed battled up the hard terrain before coming to an abrupt halt. Something big was nearby.

A roar bellowed from the pits of the inner mountains sending Athena's steed into a frenzy. She patted its neck gently, stroking the cold rock. She sometimes wished Hephaestus had not given it such realistic characteristics.

Athena rode forward into the dark mountains with sword in hand now. She could see the beast up ahead and smell the foul odour of its rotting animal pelt apparel. A giant arm rose into the sky, separating the clouds as it went.

Athena held her steed steady with one hand preparing both it and herself for the jump.

One…Two…Three–

The horse kicked its hind legs up sent Athena flying into the air, sword in hand. As she left the saddle, the horse broke into small Obsidian pieces, suspended in air. Athena's feet touched the ground and the pieces of Obsidian hurtled at her, covering her body, forming the perfect armour. Only her head was left unprotected, and that would be her inevitable downfall.

Now she was in lying in the side of the mountain, watching with blurred vision, the Cyclops destroy the mountains around her.

Athena shook off the dizziness and stood up waiting for the Cyclops to come her way. She whistled, drawing the giant beast's attention. It turned to her and lugged its huge mass towards her with a bellow. Waiting for it to draw nearer, she held her ground before launching herself into the air.

The Cyclops' one eye followed her as she landed on its shoulder, driving her sword into the muddy, sweaty flesh. It roared and swung around and Athena clutched the swords handle, shutting her eyes from the rush of wind. Athena steadied herself and drew her word from the flesh. Like a hot spring, blood squirted from the monsters flesh onto Athena's face and armour.

The Cyclops swiped at its shoulder angrily and Athena ducked and dodged each blow before swiftly jumping onto its back and grabbing a hold of its animal skin rags. The smell, now so close, was tenfold worse, and had it not been for her experiences in battle and with many other beasts, she may not have been able to stomach it.

Once again Athena drove her sword into the beasts back, this time, pulling it down with all her strength to cause a deep gash. The beats cried out and staggered backward, slamming its back – and Athena – against a mountain. Athena slid from the beasts back and onto the mountains ledge, her head spinning again.

So this was actually far more difficult that she thought.

Now on the mountain she would have to draw the beasts' attention again, but her sword was still deep in its back and she had brought no others with her. They were all with Hephaestus for an upgrade.

Steadying herself again, she stood up and whistled. The Cyclops, now enraged, charged for her. She prepared herself for the jump, but before she could launch herself the Cyclops staggered backwards with a yelp of pain. Athena watched perplexed as it swiped around at its shoulder blades, its face contorting with agony.

Then it all made sense. Appearing, laden with blood, gold buttons gleaming in the last dying rays of the sun was Ares. He stood with both his sword and hers in his hands. The Cyclops turned its head to see its assailant, but Ares took the chance to swipe at its rotting cheek twice, sending putrid blood cascading down its sloppy jaw. He leaped into the air as the Cyclops swung around, and landed gracefully on rocky landing before her.

Athena felt pathetic looking up at him, the sun sinking below his broad shoulders. She watched speechless as hot blood, still steaming, dripped from his neck, down to his military jacket and onto the floor about his feet.

Ares held out her sword, its handle a few inches before her face. He smirked.

'You look like you need a little help.' He winked.

'I don't.' Athena snatched the sword from him too viciously, creating a small cut in his palm, 'how did you find out about the Cyclops, or were you just following me?' a small laugh emitted from his throat.

'I was at the palace when Zeus received the message?'

'So you've smoothed everything over with him?' Athena stood up dusting off her armour. Bits and pieces had chipped off, and she wondered if she would be able to make a full horse with what she had left.

'Well, we've reached,' a thoughtful pause, 'an agreement I should say–' and before Ares could complete his sentence, Athena grabbed him by the collar of his military jacket. She pulled him down onto her just before a cluster of rocks came cascading down on them. The beast was up again and had just slammed its fist into the mountain above their heads.

Ares pushed himself off of Athena, and she stood up after him.

'How do we kill this thing?' Ares asked, glancing at Athena, 'it's far more powerful than I thought it would be.'

'You take the head; I'll take the feet and ankles. Try to distract it whilst I attack its weak points.'

'I deliver the final blow then?' he raised a brow and she nodded, 'You don't want all that glory for yourself?'

'I figure you could use some yourself.' She shrugged. A wide grin spread across Ares face before they were off – Athena diving towards the beast's feet and Ares leaping towards its head.

Dually they quickly managed to weaken the Cyclops, Athena swinging her sword at its ankles and Ares distracting it with his antics. When the beast staggered backward for the last time, Athena called out to the other god.

'Now Ares!'

And with one swift, strong blow, the beast's head was severed clean off. The decapitated carcass fell into the mountains, piles of rock falling up it.

Ares met Athena on ground level, both breathing heavily.

'We make a good team, you and I.' Ares said after some time. Athena glanced up at him and turned away promptly. He was covered in blood again, drenched in the stuff. She felt the inside of her mouth become very wet, and nodded.

'A very good team,' he reiterated and she snorted.

'I had it under control. You weren't doing me any favours.' Athena stood back and the obsidian armour released itself from her body, once again suspending itself in air. The pieces formed her steed. The horse snorted meagrely, part of its body chipped away in battle.

'Seems my armour has done me more harm than good,' Athena said, picking shards of obsidian from her wounds. Where the armour had chipped, it had also caused lacerations in her skin, and left parts of itself lodged in the cuts.

'Excellent invention. Ridiculously stupid execution.' Ares drew one of the larger pieces of obsidian from her wounds and Athena winced, 'You are silly for using it.' Athena rolled her eyes, flicking a shard at the ground.

Nightfall had descended and the moon, so huge and opaque, loomed over the bashed mountains, spilling cold white light on the two. Ares ran his thumb over Athena cuts and bruises gently; his other fingers wrapped her arm. He pulled her towards him and Athena watched him curiously.

'Don't be so soft with me Ares.' Athena pulled away from him firmly, and he smirked.

'So anytime we agree with each other, I'm being soft? I'm proud of us: we managed to resolve a problem twice today without violence. Well…against each other at least.' He looked at the severed Cyclops head, the iris of the eye having rolled back, 'Or maybe you just like it when we fight. Maybe you're afraid we have something in common.'

'Please,' Athena scoffed turning away completely, 'there is nothing you and I have in common.'

'Well then maybe you just like hurting me,' she heard his voice behind her, deep and smooth, 'slashing through me. Cutting my throat, slicing through my skin, watching my blood run.' He placed his hand on her back, his fingers working their way up and in between her shoulder blades, 'maybe you just enjoy the tease before the game,' he grabbed her hair, now so close to her she could feel that heat in his body slowly spilling into hers. His lips brushed her ear, 'I love watching you pretend you're a saint, when I know you're a beast just like me.' He kissed her ear, breathing heavily, nipping at the skin. Athena rammed her elbow into his chest, but Ares merely tugged on her hair, exposing her throat and jaw to the moon. His hand crept from her hair and around her throat, massaging the flesh roughly – intensely. He listened to her swallow intently, and was sure she fought a groan between breaths.

Athena spun around and flung Ares into the side of a rock. She glared at him as he steadied himself, standing up.

'You're just a boy Ares, barely able to control yourself.' She almost laughed as he approached, furious.

'You have no idea what losing control even tastes like.' He spat, the sweet heat leaving his body and another inhabiting him – a dangerous one.

'You are such a child. Constantly playing these senseless games. When will it ever get into your premature skull that no one wants to play with you?' She turned and sauntered over to her steed, mounting it with ease.

'You're just a dry, self-righteous bitch. You'll never know what a pair of hands caressing the inside of your thighs will ever feel like because no one wants an uptight matron like you!'

Those were the last words Athena heard as she rode off back to her palace.