The God Wars

An old man with wild white hair and a matching beard sat upon his gilded throne. He wore a simple white toga and a gold crown sat upon his head. He looked around the room at the assembly around him. He still had not heard any word yet about the war.

"What can be keeping my brother?" grumbled the old man.

"Relax, oh king," a beautiful woman lying across the lap of a bronzed skin man wearing armor said. "Your brother knows his job and has never failed you yet."

"Yes, father," the man in the armor added. "I am sure Uncle has performed his duties."

"What do you think daughter?" the king asked the woman sitting by herself wearing armor much like her brothers.

"From Olympus over the sea, men in iron boats shall set us free. The coming fight will split heaven, bringing against us the wrath of seven. In the end, those across the Styx will only number a paltry six. I think that you, Zeus might have much to fear," the woman said. "The prophecy will come true and men will rise against us gods.

"Gods!" spat the woman. "Only to the mortals are we gods. Just because we will not die of age or disease does not mean we are gods,"

"Athena, watch your tongue!" snapped Zeus. "We brought the mortals here to our world to worship us. To be our slaves, our breeding stock, our pawns, whatever we want from them."

"You fear a prophecy that men had made," the man in armor added. "We keep no men here on Olympus. So where are the men in iron boats supposed to come from?

"The mortals have not been giving us our due so we naturally need to remind them of who we are. Even now, Poseidon is leading his forces of sea serpents and cyclopes with father's minotaurs as reinforcements against Zakrostas. The city shall fall and the rest of Atlantis will respect and worship us. Plus, the female slaves from the city shall arrive any day now."

"Ares," Zeus said, "you are correct in many things. Nevertheless, Athena speaks wisdom in being concerned with the prophecy. Even Apollo has confirmed it as much as he can. Although he cannot give us anymore answers than we have now."

"I am sorry father," Apollo replied lightly plucking the strings of his lyre. "The vision is not clear. Even I cannot force things that are beyond my power."

The beautiful woman laughed, "You all sound like old women."

"Aphrodite do not mock father," a man wearing leg braces admonished.

"Sorry, husband," Aphrodite said with heavy sarcasm. "Too bad you are not half the man as your brother, Ares."

Ares smiled as he stroked Aphrodite's soft golden hair. "Hephaestus is only half a man," mocked the God of war.

The blacksmith scowled. It was bad enough his wife warmed Ares' bed instead of his, but having the two mock him made things worse.

"Enough!" roared Zeus, his voice rumbled through the hall like thunder.

"Look, husband," Hera, his queen said from her throne. "Even now I see Hermes returning on winged foot.

The messenger of the gods flew into the great hall. He carried a large bundle in his arms and as he landed lightly upon the floor, he gave Zeus a sorrowful look.

"Hermes, what troubles you?" the king asked.

"I do not know how, but Poseidon has been defeated," Hermes said in a dour voice.

"Defeated? How is that possible? What did you see?" Zeus urged excitedly standing up from his throne.

"I saw your army retreating, if you can call a rout -- a retreat in disarray," Hermes said. "Their numbers were only a third of what set out against Zakrostas."

"Surely my brother can still raise the waves and shake the earth against the city. His sea serpents can destroy their fleet," Zeus countered.

"I'm afraid he cannot," Hermes replied. He then opened the bundle in his arms. In the bundle, the mangled remains of Poseidon rolled to the floor. His legs were missing, as was his left arm. His ribs were exposed through the torn flesh in his side. Even half his face was gone, revealing his grinning skull.

"NO!" screamed the king. His sorrow thundered across mount Olympus. "How can this be? He was immortal."

"Father, we are only immortal against age and disease. We are also impervious to any spear, sword, or bow that can be wielded by man," Athena stated. "However, the humans must have discovered some great weapon that can harm us."

Fear spread through the room. The gods looked at each other seeking answers. If the humans could kill the gods, then their days were numbered.

Ares jumped to his feet, nearly dumping Aphrodite to the ground. "Father, I can lead an army against the humans. Give me Hermes' draco-lords, and his griffins, Hades' Necro-lords, and his dead. I will overwhelm the humans."

"I too can create an army of Talos, my bronze giants to march against the humans," Hephaestus added.

"Not so fast brother dear," Athena cautioned. "You need to plan this out."

"We need action and we need it now!" spat Ares.

"It will take time for me to assemble the Necro-lords and the dead," Hades said to Ares. "As I am sure it will take Hermes some time to assemble his Draco-lords and their mounts as well as the griffins."

"How much time?" scowled Zeus, his thirst for revenge growing ever more in his heart.

"I can have everything ready in three months," Hades replied.

"I too can be ready in that amount of time," Hermes stated.

"How long for your Talos to be ready, Hephaestus?" asked Zeus.

"It will take me much longer, father," the blacksmith said.

"We do not have the time, father," Ares cried. "We need action now!"

"If you want to move against the humans and be assured their destruction, you would be wise to wait for all components to be readied," Athena counseled.

"I do not need any help. I have my own army of cutthroats and mercenaries," Ares replied. "I will set out immediately and I will finish the job on Zakrostas that my dear uncle was not able to."

"Maybe you should send out spies and see what they are up to," Athena offered.

"Spies? I do not need spies. Am I not the god of war?" cried Ares.

"I will concede that you are the god of bloodlust and murder," Athena added.

"I have had enough of your words. You sound defeatist, sister," Ares said with scorn. "When action is called for, you want to think about it. Well, we don't have time for your precious thinking." Ares grabbed his spear, and shield, and then marched out of the room. As he left he called out, "Victory and glory shall be mine!"