AND ALL THE HEAVENS FELL AS HELLS MIGHT ROSE
Somewhere in the dark depths of Saqqara in Egypt.
Ra turned the corner sharply he shook his head of white feathers feeling his hawk like beak grind together, what he wouldn't give to have teeth right now. He didn't think as he shoved the two guards aside with violent force ignoring there cries of pain as he smashed his weight in to the huge golden doors causing them to be forced open. He looked up in disgust watching as Anubis looked up from the over sized bed. The jackal god groaned putting a heavy clawed hand on his long wolf like black snout as he sat up painfully. He wrapped the sheet around his naked lower half while twitching his clawed feet as he lowered his ears shaking his mane as he tried to wake up fully. "Go away."
Ra eyed the jackal god his gaze drifted to the empty goblets lying around obviously he'd been drinking again. He folded his arms as he came to a stand at the foot of his bed. "Wake up you lazy dog!" Anubis yawned as he scratched his long tail before lying back on the pillows. "Technically I'm a jackal or to any stupid Greek god a big werewolf." Ra narrowed his gaze. "You are an irritation you have always been an irritation! What have I told you about your underworld and your elite army?" Anubis shook his mane as he raised his clawed finger. "Let me think, oh wait yes it was something about not opening my underworld on your lands and not letting my elite armies raise cities to the ground?"
Ra felt his hand form a fist. "Yes I did, so you can start by telling me why you're under world is wide open and spewing out thousands of walking corpses and why your elite warriors are attacking the city of Edfu as we speak!?" Anubis eyed him for a long moment. "Edfu well that's fighting at the bottom of the ladder that place has got about enough to plunder as you have in your crappy lesser temples." Ra didn't think as he grabbed him by the throat ignoring his surprise. "This is not a joke! Your army is on a rampage why did you send them to Edfu?!" Anubis roared in anger as he shoved the other god of with violent force. "I have not sent my army to Edfu nor have I opened up my underworld!"
Ra turned moving his hand to the two huge mirrors opposite watching as the image of the gapping white stone cavern which was flowing out red and yellow light came in to view, hundreds of un-dead were spilling out in to the dark of the night. The other mirrors image changed showing thousands of un-dead black werewolf warriors fully armoured poured through the main gate of Edfu, smashing everything apart causing mortal screams to echo through the air. Ra turned back grabbing hold of the Jackal god's ear. "You will stop this now I will not have you using your army to bring terror to Egypt again!" Anubis ignored the stinging pain in his ear as he pulled back his lips back showing of his gums as his roar of anger hit the air. "I didn't do this I didn't send them to Edfu! I don't understand why the underworld is open ether!"
Ra narrowed his dark blue gaze. "Do not lie to me, close the underworld and stop your army now!" Anubis snarled aloud he raised his hand feeling the power move through his clawed fingers. He eyed the images feeling the shock and confusion hit home. "What in the Osiris's name?" He tried again feeling his frustration hit home as nothing happened. Ra let go off his ear. "What's wrong? I said stop it!" Anubis moved his hand only to see nothing happen he blinked in confusion. "My powers aren't working!" Ra eyed him for a long moment. "You're lying!" Anubis roared in anger as he stood up coming face to face with Ra who blinked in surprise. "This is no lie you conceited fool my powers aren't working, I can't stop my un-dead armies or close the underworld!"
Four leagues from the city of Athens in Greece.
Hercules walked forward feeling his dark brown boots push deeper in to the red blood stained mud which was flowing across the field. He took a deep breath keeping an eye on Iolaus who was walking behind him. The younger man adjusted his red and brown woven shirt before turning his brown eyes filled with concern. "What is this Hercules?" Hercules adjusted his orange shirt as carried on moving. "If it's what I think it is, it's bad." He carried on moving see more blood run past his boots it was moving in vein like streams. He adjusted his brown and silver plated gauntlets as he leaned down moving his fingers through it. He stood up slowly moving the red liquid between his fingers it was blood there was no denying it.
He pulled a cloth from his dark woven cloth pocket wiping his hand with it. "This is blood, which can mean only one thing." He moved faster running to the top of the ridge watching as his friend following him. He felt his body tense as he caught sight of the horrific sight in front of him, which was chilling. Thousands of moving human bones were spewing out blood from there skulls mouths these bones had been pushed to surface of a huge opening which encompassed the whole of the field in front of them. Green and white light was pouring out in steams merging and unmerging as screams echoed through the air. It was still morning yet all around them the sky was getting darker.
He watched as Iolaus's dark brown eyes wandered over the sight in front of them. He breathed in deeply this was the worst thing that could have happen. Tartarus was wide open in every sense of the word and it was spewing out its horrors on to the mortal world. There was something much worse though he could feel it. May be it was the merging of the two lights it seemed strange he turned eyeing his friend. "This is the underworld." Iolaus turned sharply. "You mean Tartarus?" Hercules nodded folding his arms taking in the site. "Yes." Iolaus eyed him for a long moment. "I thought that you closed the underworld the last time this happened?" Hercules narrowed his light blue gaze. "I did, this time is different though the opening isn't the same the lights different. There was only one kind of light last time not two." Iolaus paused for a long moment. "Can we close it?" Hercules turned to him shaking his head. "We need to find Hades this probably Ares's doing."
"He can't help you son."
He turned watching as Zeus came in to view his father was standing behind him his imposing robes stood out in the darkness along with his white beard. Zeus raised a ringed hand looking at the underworld in front of them. "Hades has lost his power over the un-dead, both Tartarus and the Elysian Fields have opened up and it's created this." Hercules looked in to his father eyes for a long moment. "You're saying that you can't close it?" Zeus looked up slightly. "Yes son that's just what I'm saying, it's beyond my power." Hercules blinked feeling the shock hit home. "You must be able to stop this? There must be someone else who can help you?"
Zeus shook his head sadly. "You must understand son there are some things that even gods as powerful as us can not control. The power that has made this happen is far off in another land, the land that is the birth place of the first gods." He stepped closer to the opening. "We can not stop it we have to wait it out and hope that the elder god shows us all mercy." He shook his head. "Soon all the dead of Greece will come pouring out of this opening the good and the evil and we will not be able to control there actions." Hercules eyed his father he could see the fear in the king of the gods eyes this was no ruse it was very real he could sense it in his fathers voice. "Who is the elder god?"
Zeus turned slowly to him. "I will explain everything to you later son, right now I want to go to your mother and protect her. Cupid will be coming down in his Chariot I want you and Iolaus and your mother in it. He will take you all to a safe place on Olympus." Hercules eyed him feeling his anger burn. "We are not running away from this battle!" Zeus turned sharply to him. "Son this isn't going to be a battle it's going to a massacre and every god on Olympus will be coming to earth to stop these un-dead legions and the demons that will come to surface with them! We will do everything possible to keep humanity in this land alive no matter what it takes. Dahak may also use this event to take control of the demons of Tartarus."
Hercules eyed him for a long moment. "Since when does Olympus fight for humanity I thought you didn't care about us?" Zeus raised a ringed finger. "Son this is a matter of humanities survival if we don't force our hand now we will have no one to rule! What is happening here is much bigger than we are and we have no control over it." He stroked his white beard. "We have no choice but to fight for what's ours. Now do as I say and go and get your mother Hara has agreed that this is necessary." Hercules stepped in front of him. "I will get my mother and put her on the Chariot but I will not walk away from this battle I will fight by your side or not at all." Iolaus stepped forward. "We both want to fight for our land against Dahak if that's what it takes."
In the Roman ruled city of Serdica
Autolycus smiled as he walked out of the temple he eyed the Roman guards as he passed them by. He could see the temple behind him he felt his smile widened. It was some new temple dedicated to the one god which was obviously some new religion. Not that he cared he smirked as he pulled out the fish golden symbol which was covered in green and red jewels eyeing it in the sun light. Ah but they did have nice treasure he eyed the fish symbol again it was apparently called an Ichthys. He shrugged stupid really calling a symbol that since in his language it meant fish. Why did they have a symbol for a fish anyway? He slowly put the heavy symbol back in to velvet bag, no matter it was a job done and the buyer who had asked for it would be very happy.
He carried on moving through the streets somehow he'd be glad to get out of this Roman province. Xena was right Rome just wasn't pleasant far too many guards. He turned as a well dressed wealthy woman passed him by, he smiled back on the other hand it had plenty of very beautiful women. There were also a lot of places a man could go and chat with a beautiful woman for the right price so it really wasn't all that bad. His thoughts were cut off as around him everything started to shake violently. In an instant everything turned to utter chaos as people started to scream and scatter in the streets pushing and shoving as the earth carried on shaking.
He turned looking up in shock as he leaned against a pillar trying to stay upright. The morning sky above changed as it descended in to darkness. He turned helping a young woman back on to her feet who had fallen over close by, he moved her under a buildings close by as the tiles began to fall all around them as the buildings roof above cracked. He kept hold of her as he looked up again he could see a huge white light forming in the sky above which was increasing in size. He blinked in shock as a huge mass of white stone with a downward spire thrust through this white opening. Its stone point smashing in to one of the temples tops in the distance shattering it to piece causing more screams and cries, as it came to a stop.
White light blasted down becoming brighter, he tried to hold on as fire suddenly blasted up close by the setting the houses on fire. A huge black bloody marble spire smashed through the ground destroying a number of buildings including the temple as its barded spire smashed in to the white one causing fire to swirl around the white light as the both locked together. The ground stopped shaking as the white opening pulsed as a huge floating symbol came out of it. It floated in the air swirling and twisting and then suddenly broke apart revealing thousands of human like beings with eagle wings. Some had black wings while other had white all were dressed in armour and holding weapons, they flew through the air filling the sky above.
It was a beautiful sight and unlike anything he'd ever seen before yet it was cut short as a screeching sound hit the air. It sounded like vultures and it filled the air causing all the people around him to cover their ears. He breathed in feeling the fear hit home as the fire blasted upwards from the other opening bellow as thousands of terrifying human like creatures with huge bat wings and hoofed foot came out of the flames. They had glowing eyes and leathery skin as well as horns on there heads. There was a moment of complete silence and then the screams and cries of both sets of beings hit the air. They collided fighting in the skies smashing swords violently. He felt the young woman he had saved hug him in fear as the fighting above became more intense.
He could see the fear all around him no one knew what was going on, even he had no idea what was going on right now and he couldn't make any sense of it. He considered himself to be reasonably brave man but there was something about this that was truly other worldly and made it even more terrifying. He had no idea what these strange winged human's were and even less of an idea of where they had come from. He could only assume that it was some gods doing. In fact this was the kind of crazy stuff that Xena sometimes talked about over drinks his thoughts were cut off as one of the big demon like beings smashed in to the roof opposite.
Its hoofed feet smashed the stone apart as it hit the floor hard on its back. It groaned as it picked itself up of the floor shaking his human head with its huge high horns. It snarled as it eyed him raising its curved blade a smile spreading across its lips. It came towards him causing everyone to scream. He kept hold of the young woman as he pulled out the symbol. "Now, now what ever you are, you must like shiny things right?" He didn't think as he threw the symbol at it watching as the clawed hand caught it. It eyed the golden symbol only to crush it between its fingers as it screeched throwing it to one side coming closer as its low cold voice hit the air. "You scum bag human, I will see that you die slowly!"
Autolycus looked at it for a long moment gods he hated Latin it wasn't always easy to speak, he eyed the crushed symbol in annoyance. "Hey I just took…I mean brought that!" He stepped even further back watching as the roof tiles it had landed on opposite started to shift. He gave it a smile. "I'd look out if I were you!" The demon turned only to cry out in pain as half of the roof crashed down on top of it before it could get any closer. He ran forward taking the young woman with him. He ignored the heap of heavy marble tiles which had its hoofed feet sticking out. He turned to the young woman who was clinging to his arm. "What is your name?"
The young dark haired woman with blue eyes blinked before looking up seeming surprised by his question. "My name is Amica." Autolycus kept hold of her arm. "Well Amica where are your family?" The young woman shook her head adjusting her simple white robe. "I have no family I'm a slave. My master will kill me if he finds I fled the house hold, I was trying to escape." Autolycus felt his stomach twist he hated slavery and he liked it even less in Rome, no one deserved to be treated like an animal. In Greece laws had been passed in most regions to abolish slavery permanently. He knew what he was about to say was going against his better judgement since people who helped slaves could be punished severely.
Frankly though he didn't care, he could see the fear in her eyes and he considered himself a gentleman who would do the right thing. He took hold of her hand. "Well then there's no point in you staying here Amica, you should come with me instead." He watched as she nodded keeping hold of his arm as he started to run. He had in essence stolen a slave no slave was a vile word which he hated using it she was young frightened woman. He could consider what he'd just done and deal with the consequences at a later time. Right now though they had to get out of this city because what ever was going on here was only going to get worse!
Somewhere in the unfathomable depths of Mexica
The huge cavern dipped down with its enormous ancient chasm its wall of writing were as ancient as time itself. These words vanishing behind the huge body in darkness which encompassed everything, it was a leviathan. The monstrous purple tentacles lay still in the darkness unmoving in the wake of time while the huge nostrils which could breath wind in to the world breathed in deeply. The huge octopus like head was still and the many eyes were closed in a deep sleep as dark as time. They were set to awaken at the end of time so that the world could be started a new. That would not happen though for once more there was a ripple, a ripple which was un-feel able by all the other gods but to this great elder god as feel able as water on his flesh.
C'thulon's great yellow eyes slowly opened as he felt the ripple once more as it moved through him. It was a power emanating from deep with in his own land. A strong power which he knows is from his temple, a power that can only be brought in to being if mortal hands have turned on his device of time. It is an old feeling but as memorable as the first time. The many yellow eyes narrow in the darkness as the nostrils breathe out blowing dust out from around the tentacles which are still. The eyes shift as deep thought takes over, it has been centuries since any little human has attempted this and it brings up a question.
It's a very simple question but a question none the less which is who would dear to turn it on? Who would risk his mighty wraith and eternal damnation? It is true that he could believe that it would be his children the Aztec gods his first creation and first love but something tells him that it is not, not this time at least. As he skirts though his memories and images of time he has to say that it is not his children. Though badly behaved his children are they know about his powers but that is not to say that some may not be involved in turning the device on. One of his markers in time had been shifted while another had been twisted in the future.
An angry feeling takes over as he begins to move his tentacles, he is tired of being awoken up he's already been awoken up once before to change time for another little human, he had hoped that, it would be the last time. Obviously this was something he should have perhaps foreseen this, the truth was he could foreseen it now, which meant he had one thing to do. He had to stop this human thing who dared to disturb his slumber a slumber that no little thing should ever dare to awaken. Those who had felt his wraith always learned there lesson the first time around. None ever dared to mock his power no one ever questioned his word, for he was the one god the first god and the one who ruled over all others.
End of 105
Silvermoonlight
I wasn't going to put this chapter in originally but changed my mind as I felt this would give an interesting view point on all that's going on.
