A Dead Sons RYSE

In the blackness of the void a voice speaks out. A voice so calm and but also sensual and pluckish "In time the world heals. Her civilizations grow, flourish, and fall with time. The people who are always saved by a champion who is always forgotten. Their cities would stand for thousands of years." An open plain forms upon the void light from some unseen force."And they would fall all over again in the games played by the GODS." Rage was filled in this voice at the single mention of gods. Flowers, grass, and trees rise from this plain, sprouting from the ground as though time itself has simply forgotten itself and brought these plants fully grown and vivacious with color. "The mortals play their own games and would endure from the truest of beginnings to the last days of man…. But those days are soon to end my love. For what difference is a god and a mortal but from which they are born. For the greatest to ever bear the name, I call upon you, from the end I swore to give unto you. Rise. Rise Marius Titus! Rise Damocles! Rise Son of Rome!"

From a plain of flowers and trees a single individual rose from the ground with a silent but startled gasp. "What? Where… Where am I?" questioned this man as he inspected himself.

He was in a simple white tunic and leather sandals, the attire any man of Rome would wear. For that is what he was. A man who gave his very life and soul for Rome to live.

Upon fully rising he looked all around himself to find any semblance as to where he was. "It is not where you are, Son of Rome." said a voice from behind him. At the first syllable to be uttered he turned with a speed he had never possessed. This caused him to go in a full circle three times before falling back to the ground he had risen from. "But whose company you find yourself in." That voice. He has heard it before but from where. "You have heard me since I chose your fate." Stated that voice again but this time it was as if it was right in front of his face. But this could not be for as he sat up all he could see were the very same plains he found himself in. Not a single soul to be seen for miles. "Who is there? Show yourself." stated the man all the while standing and turning to and fro as to gain some inkling of information as to who was speaking to him.

A giggle can be heard from all around before a voice speaks directly in front of this man. "Do you truly wish to see me? Marius Titus son of Leontius and Septima." Asks the voice playfully almost impishly but at the end factual and to the point. All the while Marius turns constantly in a combative stance "What are you…" he finally mutters out in fear. "I am a god, was a god, am I a god? It all gets so tiring trying to keep track with time." Said the voice before a bright light shines right in front of Marius. So bright he has to shield his eyes with his arms forcing him to drop his stance.

When the light finally faded there stood ahead of him, surrounded by trees not there before, a woman whose looks could not be described by his courteous mind. To him she was breathtaking, simple as that. She was dressed in a fine purple silk robe with gold trimmings cut just above her lower thighs that hung over one shoulder. A head full of long gold locks of hair and eyes as blue as the sky with skin fairer than snow. To Marius she was the most beautiful and terrifying sight he had ever seen. "You are a goddess?" Marius states with trepidation. "Of course I'm a god silly. And you are my…. Servant? Slave? Champion! That's the one." she states while approaching him with a seductive strut. Upon hearing these words Marius becomes as pale and straight as a Scutum.

Slave, Servant, Champion! Never in all his life had Marius been any such thing and yet here, a god before his very eyes, telling him otherwise. "What do you mean? Who are you? Where am I?" asked Marius all while slowly edging away from this being in front of him only to walk right into a tree he knew wasn't there before. The woman finally got within arms reach and leaned against Marius spreading his arms to wrap around her waist. "Where should I start? I mean you are mine just as I am yours. I have many names but you'll definitely know me as Discordia, I've also gone by Summer, ooh definitely Nemesis but she hates it when I act in her place. And as for where you are, you're in one of my many home" she says getting off him and opening her arms and spinning in a circle. "Discord." states Marius in fear and awe.

Before him stood the very god that gave man his mission to be better than his neighbor. This has caused uncountable acts for both sides of Justitia's scales. And here before him was that very god. "Jupiter preserve me." muttered Marius.

Upon saying those words the very light darkened and the plant life started to wilt all around Discordia. "...never… Ever… SPEAK HIS NAME… IN MY HOME!" Discord shouts and screams causing the very realm to shake! "Who saved humanity? Me! Who fought for man when he wronged? Me! Who brought Aeneas to Rome? I Did! Who brought down the Greeks with a single phrase? ME! And who thinks they can just waltz right on in and make himself king again?! FUCKING ZUES THAT"S WHO!" Discordia ranted.

All the while Marius witnessed the power she possessed with the very destruction and creation of the world around them from destroying the trees and plains to the creation of grand structures of limestone and marble. When her rant finally ended it was as if Rome itself surrounded them. "Who is Zeus?" asked Marius. "He is Jupiter. The one who always fucks. The one who can't see passed his own dick to realize how stupid he is." she states with so much venom the walls near them erode with every word. "Rome was meant to be safe. Free from both Gods and Greeks. But nooooo, the second something bigger and better comes up he jumps ship while his wives continue to feud." she said finally done and releasing all the pent up rage she held at the moment.

When Marius brought his eyes back to The Literal Goddess in a ten foot radius of him he finally noticed she was weeping. "I tried so hard but every time I do something the fucker takes the credit leaving me in the shadows." She was standing before a small building. No bigger than a room for a slave's cell. "This was my first ever church. And in five days… Five FUCKING Days it was torn down and replaced with a statue of his Bitches fucking face." She spat with bitterness. Marius approached the building and realized it was exactly what it looked like. It was an old slaves cell repurposed to be an equipment locker for gladiators. He looked to Discordia only to see her back turned to the building. He opened the door to see crouched before an altar was a gladiator frozen in time. He looked bare aside from a leather loin cover and an iron helmet. He looked to be crouched before an altar with a figure that looked exactly like the goddess behind him. "He was my first worshiper, my only really. He was to be my true champion" whispered Discord behind Marius causing him to jump at her sudden movement without any noise to indicate such. When Marius looked at her she looked saddened but also something else, something he knows all too well. Indignation, at the hand that has been dealt at the events that have happened. Marius looked back at the Gladiator to see he was not armed. This confused Marius, who to his knowledge, kept their weapons on their person whenever they were to pray.

He looked around the room to see why. Then he saw it. Paintings, trophies, coins and flowers all over the room. The paintings revolved around one general theme. Two warriors with nothing but Gladius and Scutum fighting hordes of opponents in the arena. It was then it dawned on him. "The Brothers Arms." He spoke aloud, he knew this gladiator, he had seen some of their fights before but from where. His memory was foggy. Things came in and out of focus but never solid. But one thing was for certain the man in front of him is a warrior. And now he knows why he was her only worshiper. He dies. He can't remember when or how but he dies.

"He openly called my name during a solo event in the arena. Some would call for Jupiter, Some Bellona or Mars, Maybe even Mercury or Janus. But He Called My Name. And he was winning big ever since nearly got me a following too. I had never had a worshiper and when he called you bet your sweet ass I answered." she stated with a voice full of so much love it made the flowers of the room seem pale in comparison. "He made this dinky little hut all for me. Every solo event he won, he spent on making this." she said dreamily. "And then five days later he died in the arena. A dual event with his brother. A Britannian got behind him and stabbed him in the back. I could do nothing but watch him fall to the ground. And he called my name." She was openly sobbing at this point. "He got back up and kept fighting, killed ten more before another tore his shield from his arm. All the while shouting my name…. Saying all kinds of wonderful and hurtful things."

"IF MY DEATH IS THE WILL OF THE MY LADY THEN I FACE IT WILLINGLY!" The very voice reverberated through the room.

"I never wanted him to perish. His brother was on the other side of the arena forced back by those whores. It was obvious they were forcing him away to get to his brother. I couldn't do a thing. And then one of them got behind him..an...and…." she was openly weeping now unable to hold it back now. Through this whole tale bruises and cuts appeared upon the crouched Brother. It was there Marius saw the final wound.

"He was cut through the heart." Marius stated with both sadness and recognition.

To some of the barbarians it was thought that by destroying the heart one's soul was cut off from their god and could never fully go on to them. "They took him from you." he said. *Sniff* "Yes. They did." And apparently it was true.

"Those bitches I tricked so long ago finally got their heads out of their collective asses and made a plan. A plan to make me be forgotten." she said with rage. "You see up to this point everyone only knew me as the god of chaos. No good, only bad." she started waltzing out of the room. With no idea what was to happen Marius followed close behind. "They thought by killing my 'champion' *air quotes* so publicly they would make me feared and hated forcing me to be forgotten." she had finally stopped when she got to the stairs to the Colosseum.

"But they didn't think about me." she states walking up the steps, and Marius followed.

"What do you mean 'they didn't think about you'?" questioned Marius. "Well I am the god of chaos after all. And when they killed him, ooh you can swear by Janus's doors I let chaos reign." she stated before coming to a stop and opening the door to show the stage of the arena. Marius looked around for a brief moment to realize the Colosseum was packed to the brim. Not a single seat left open. And while not a single person moved cheering could be heard as though time itself could not hold back the people's voice.

And there frozen in time where the Brothers' final moments. And to Marius they were glorious. The first brother on the edge of the arena looked to be in some kind of rage forcing and killing anything in his path to get to his brother. And the second brother seemed to be nearing his final moments. Yes this was sad but what was so great was the fact that in one hand he had decapitated two barbarians with one swing and with the other he held above his head a single golden apple. It was shining so bright it was causing five or six (it was difficult to tell from here) of the bastards to fall. And when Marius spotted the apple time started again. And all that Discordia had stated about chaos happened.

The idiots plummeted screaming. The first brother was slaughtering his way through the barbarians at a centurion's speed and efficiency only to be held back by two hulking barbarians. There were screams all around the stadium, be it from the people or the fighters in the arena. But the true spectacle was the second brother. His shield gone, his form battered, his life fading. But to every spectator in the arena he looked like Hercules himself. He was bleeding from front to back. Not a single movement wasted.

A stab here, a parry there, a kick to a brutes jewels. And upon finishing he held up a single golden apple. An apple so mesmerizing everything stopped. The cheering, the combat, the very atmosphere of the whole Colosseum stopped.

There they see it, the one who kills the Brother. No Britannian, no man, no mortal, but a woman basked in the light of the apple, a goddess known to all, Venus. The brutes holding off the first brother forms shimmer and shatter. Revealing two more women. Two goddesses who are two symbols of life and order, Minerva and Juno. And time froze again but with a pale silence. Not for the fact time had frozen but for the fact that there stood in front of every denizen currently occupying this grand arena were the very goddesses they worshiped.

"Those bitches saw fit to conduct the act themselves. But they forgot one crucial, itty bitty, superficial little detail." Discordia started with a tone that brokered not questions. "I made sure the people of Rome knew the story of the apple. The apple held a single phrase, it said kallisti." Marius then remembered the truth of that apple.

"For the fairest," Marius stated. "You tricked them. He held the apple. And every roman knows that no one was ever truly chosen for that title."

"Ooh yes. I mean there was one chosen but that was only because she cheated. Annnnd I never let any roman know that but still. Promising a mortal the one thing any mortal would die for is basically cheating."

"And what is that lady Discordia?"

"Love." And with that phrase everything fell apart. The entirety of the spectators screamed and ran in fear. Only the young, old, and foolish stayed to watch. The Britannians dropped to their knees in prostration.

The first brother dropped his blade in shock and absolute dismay. Before him stood the wife of the very god he pledged and swore himself to. And he had been fighting to kill her. Looking beyond, past Juno and Minerva he saw his brother falling. And a rage took him, a rage that if Marius was to describe it, was as if the ghost had risen to spill the gods blood once more. And he charged, only to freeze in place.

He could still be heard of course, but only that. From the grill of his helm curses and insults could be heard, but he simply could not move. The goddesses merely looked at the man like a lion stares at a mouse, no more than insignificant and not worth their time.

The second brother had simply looked at Venus. One could not tell what he looked like under that helm but just by his body language any one left could easily see what he felt. Unfiltered hate.

"And so the whore herself shows her true form at last. Not some lovely maiden, not some giver of life. But a wretch who still looks to claim...Her...ap⁓ple." stated the brother.

The face of Venus shifted from the shock of being found to pure rage not becoming of the goddess of love. And with a roar of anger she plunged a sword right into his heart.

"I hoped I served you justly Lady Discord, The true god of Rome." and with that statement he fell to the ground in a heap. "And with my end so starts yours." and with that his body fell still.

Marius had seen many things in his life but never had he seen someone live for so long with a wound like that.

"What did he mean by that?" questioned Marius. And with that question the world around them fell apart. The people, the structures shrunk until they stood upon a map. A map of Rome but colored. With borders and lines he had never seen before.

"He meant that she just signed the end of the mortals faith in the 'Roman' gods." said Discordia as she walked around the map. "To everyone in that stadium they saw that apple and knew he was the 'fairest' in the sense that the apple chose him."

"Did it?" questioned Marius with a look that basically said 'I know that's a lie, what's the truth'.

"Wha… It did. I swear. I hid *cough* stole *cough* the apple while little Aphrodite stole some virgin in an library in Athens." said Discord with some anger at not being trusted by Her champion. "It disappeared on me one day and I just thought they figured out and took it back. Apparently it thought that 'the fairest' was one of my worshipers. Granted I never had any up to that point."

"Besides that's not what is important. This is." She said gesturing to the map and once she did it showed all the territories progressively shrank or grew duller. Some of them disappeared in general. "It was the best time of my life. So much hate, so much chaos, so much discord." she seemed to glow with radiance fit for a goddess of beauty not chaos.

"Is this what happened after Nero, after me?" Muttered Marius with what could be barely contained anguish. But none could blame him, to his eyes he saw the end of Rome. Not from the battlefield, not from the heavens, but on a map.

"No. This is not the fall of Rome my dear centurion. This is the fall of the gods." she says cupping his cheek. "Your Rome still stands. Theirs had fallen well after Nero and his sons."

"What do you mean?" he said, turning to face the goddess.

"I mean… what do I mean? Oh yes, Rome did fall but not yours. For you see humanity holds more power over the gods than the gods over humanity. Yes we are born with great power and we gain more from the worship of mortals. Mortals don't need gods and vice versa, But mortals have one thing gods don't." and then the map changed again. But this time Marius knew the map, battle lines, legion locations, strongholds and cities, but other nations as well. Nations and cities he had never heard of until the map was that of a globe. And above each one stood a statue.

"And what is that?" asked the mortal looking back at the goddess

"The mind. Gods are stuck in their area of expertise you could say. But mortals can expand, learn and grow till the end of your days." stated a voice directly behind Marius.

Marius whirled around to see a man his height and size but in a dress of a scholar, short haired and clean shaven.

"Worry not Marius Titus, I mean no harm. I am merely here to see why Discordia has summoned us." stated this man. He proceeded to walk past Marius, only to seem like he walked towards him when Marius turned to follow his path but this time he seemed old, surprisingly old with a full beard and all.

"Ahh Marius, always the inquisitive type. If you must know I am Janus. And you know what I am."

And again, in who knows how long, Marius grew pale. Another god? Who was to say more were to arrive.

"Oh there will be more my sweet, sweet, Marius." said Discordia running a hand from shoulder to chest until she was leaning against him with a seductive stare.

"Why?" was the only word to leave his mouth.

"Yes, I am fairly certain we would like to know as well." started a voice from behind Marius. And upon turning Marius saw nine more figures next to Janus

"Great the gang's all… wait. . . Where's Mercury?" Asked Discordia flying off Marius with none existent wings going around the group to see where said god was. "Herc I swear if you sat on him again."

"I have done no such thing." said the largest man in the room.

And with a boom similar to thunder a man appeared in full auxiliary kit, minus sword and shield, with a large sack over his shoulder.

"Hey sorry I'm late. Vulcan locked his doors again so had to use the back entrance to get what ya wa...nt...ed." said the man before making eye contact with a mechanical eye. This was obviously Mercury if his mouth was any indication.

"What do you mean back entrance?" asked a man who didn't seem wholly flesh. This god was Vulcan. But wasn't he supposed to be disfigured.

"Peace my friends we are here for a summons by Discordia. Not to bicker and feud." stated a man in a fine white dress. If Marius had to guess then that was Pax.

"Can I throw one punch please?" Asked a woman in armor not unlike that of Mercury but more roman and definitely made for a more feminine figure. This was obviously Bellona. And upon seeing her Marius snapped out of his stupor.

"What is going on? Why am I in the presence of gods? Why am I not at rest with my brothers in the fields of Elysium?" questioned Marius finally breaking down. Everything finally came to him. Rome, Vitallion, Nero and his bastard sons, and his death.

"Now Marius, please calm down. We are here to offer you a… prize? Deal? Uhhh…" said Discordia before falling into a series of mumbles and a quick speech that only the gods were following.

"We are here to offer you a chance at what is essentially godhood." stated one of the men wearing a toga with a walking stick.

"WHAT SANCUS SAID!" shouted Discordia in some form of resignation.

"That's not what we mean Damocles." stated a woman in robes as black as ink with a solid black strip across her eyes.

"Nemesis?" asked Marius with awe and dread.

"Yes. Son of Rome." she stated looking at Discordia with a look of rage all the while she stood there whistling. "You are here because she stopped you from passing to Elysium. You are here because she wants you to be here. What is happening is Discordia wants to make you our hand in a new world made by the humans."

"You see, Marius the great thing about mortals is they can make worlds. Not in the essence of dirt, water, or rock. But on pen and paper. And with enough mortals to believe in these things these worlds become real." stated Janus

"And man do you humans know how to make some amazing worlds." stated a man in a bright orange hair only to be slapped upside the head by a woman with hair as white as snow.

"Watch your tongue Apollo. He knows nothing of the current events of the mortal realm." the woman stated.

"Ow. Hey come on Luna. Anyone can read a book." said Apollo to the now named Goddess.

"And what Nemesis means by our 'hand' is by going to this world and watching over it. And by 'watching' over it we mean kick the crap out of anyone not wanted or that's not supposed to be there in the first place." said Bellona with a look of crazed excitement.

"No, Bellona, just no. We want you to be the great equalizer. When mortals believe in these worlds some who hold great power in these worlds can be transported to these worlds be it dreams, comas, or after their deaths." said a woman in a simple tunic just like Marius but with a cover over her head.

"Pietas is right," stated Hercules "Humans will cross over to a world we made and corrupt it."

"They will cause an imbalance to the world that must be put in check." stated the last one to voice their thoughts. It was one god every roman knew and loved. Justitia, for the second Marius saw the balance he knew who this god was.

"Marius," said Discordia, drawing his attention, "we want you to go to this new world we've made and be our judge, jury, executioner, and grave digger. To become Damocles once again but not out of vengeance but out of duty, honor, chaos, and peace. Bring the mortals up from the dirt we put them in and stop those who would seek to put them back down in it." she finished with an enthusiasm yet unseen by any of the gods seen in this room.

She had not shown this commitment when she approached them with this concept. Nor when they agreed to put their strength together to make it. The only ones not looking the least bit perturbed was Bellona, Hercules, and Mercury.

"Why me, Why some mortal as you put it? What would you all gain from sending me to this world?" asked Marius, stepping away from the gods who looked upon him.

"We choose you, Marius Titus, for you are mortal. You can choose the path this world takes. I gave you the fate to change everything, to Act. You were supposed to marry Boudica and unite Rome and Britannia but Aquilo interfered, And what happened?" said Janus, approaching Marius. "You saved Rome in your world. Ours fell because we did nothing. You have shown us that you Will act when given the opportunity. With Vitallion, with Basillius and Commudus,with Boudica, and with Nero."

Upon those names a feeling of utter enmity and rancor flew through Marius. He knew not why nor how he was to react but only to slump his shoulders. He gave everything from the life of his family to the fate of his soul to save Rome. And now here are the gods he thought mythical and never acting but with fate, telling him they are done watching and never acting. They want to act. Save a world they made instead of leaving it to the dark.

"What happens if I accept?" questioned the only mortal there, approaching Janus.

"We give you our strength," said Hercules.

"Our light," said Apollo and Luna harmoniously.

"My equipment," said Vulcan marching up to Mercury and snatching the sack away from him.

"My speed, which you already have a little by the way," said Mercury catching himself before zipping next to him and whispering the last bit in his ear.

"Our judgement," said Nemesis and Justitia identically.

"My power," said Bellona flexing next to Hercules only for him to roll his eyes and smirk.

"My wisdom," stated Janus walking to Marius and turning for his old side to look upon him with a smile like that of his fathers.

"You will know fact from fiction, truth from lie, and every oath taken must be held," stated Sancus with a tone brokering no argument.

"You will have my voice and know every language, so peace can always stand before war," stated Pax while Bellona stood behind him with utter contempt at the word 'peace'.

"You will have my ears so you may hear all that call for you in their times of need," said Pietas

"And our magic." finished Discordia, gesturing between her and Janus all the while floating on wings made from a fine shining dust.

"And once that is done?" Questioned Marius

"Once that is done we send you to our new world. Before those that believe arrive." stated Janus.

"What should happen to me?" asked Marius, looking more and more convinced.

"Once the transformation has occurred you will be a god. To those in the new world and to us. You will be one of us." said Nemesis, "But you will never see Elysium. You will never die. For you were barred from those gates by Discordia long ago. If you were to fall you would merely reawaken here." she gestured to a building that looked just like his home the day before the barbarians showed.

"But you will not be alone. You will have those that pledge themselves to you just as we have those that pledged themselves to us." said Bellona summoning a ghostly legionnaire who only saluted before walking into the home only for hundreds more spawn from the shadows and start random tasks. "These will be yours now if you accept. They will help you. Those that will come to this new world will bring their own followers though they don't know it."

"How will I know these people are what you say they are?" asked Marius upon realizing and seeing he was just given a legion that he would be going to war with if the look on Bellona's face was any indication.

"You will know." said Janus, turning back to his younger form and smirking.

"God do I love it when you do that," purred Discordia before realizing everyone was looking at her other than Mercury who was on the floor laughing. "Any ways… What do you say Marius? Want to remake Rome?"

"Will this hurt?" asked Marius

"No/Yes." said Hercules and Nemesis at the same time. Both merely looked at each other before shrugging and again saying "No/Yes."

"Very well. How does this work?" asked Marius

"A little like this…" purred Discordia raising a finger and tapping Marius's forehead.

That was the last thing Marius saw before everything went white and a searing pain launched through his body.

AN: No idea what went wrong the first time I put this up but hopefully i fixed it. went through it a few times just to be sure I did it right this time. Thanks to Alex15951, TheGoodDoggo, DarthFii, and Lonely Samuri for the reviews cause I never would have noticed otherwise. Also did an update for this chapter. Pax is a Male from his depictions not a female.