The God Wars

Chapter Thirty-One:

Decisions

By Dwayne MacInnes

Hephaestus never ceased tormenting the scientist shackled in his lair. For over a month, the god of the anvil tortured Reno day and night with hardly a break. Hephaestus always made sure that Apollo was nearby to heal the mortal in case the torture went too far.

Apollo had long sickened of Hephaestus' disgusting game. The poor man was no longer coherent. Even though Apollo could heal the poor wretch's body, he could not do anything for his mind. Reno succumbed to madness weeks before, and yet, Hephaestus continued his cruel game.

That was not all. Apollo could not regenerate limbs and organs so now Reno had only one eye that looked around the room unfocused. All of his fingers were gone as were his toes and one entire foot. Hephaestus always made sure that Reno's tongue remained intact. He relished the hellish screams that issued from the victims throat.

The incoherent ramblings also brought the god of the anvil great mirth. Hephaestus laughed whenever he could issue a particularly loud and anguished screech from Reno. The god of the anvil was becoming extremely good at rubbing salt, vinegar, and alcohol in open wounds. Or, just laying bare a nerve so that he could poke and prod it with one the of delicate instruments laid out next to the knives on the anvil near Reno.

"I think I could do this forever!" laughed Hephaestus. "I sure hope Ares spares some humans for me to toy with. It will easily make up for him sleeping with my whore of a wife."

Apollo turned his head away one more time as Hephaestus exposed Reno's ribs on his right side. The resulting scream echoed again through the huge dark cavern in which the god of the anvil worked. After screaming Reno again fainted and his breathing started to slow.

"You better fix him up again," Hephaestus ordered.

"Don't you think you have done enough?"

"NO!" roared Hephaestus. The god picked up a huge hammer threateningly staring at Apollo.

Apollo walked toward the shackled mortal and laid his hands on Reno's side. The skin started to recover the open wound and heal. The residual pain still flashed across Reno's face. Apollo fought back the tears again. He really wanted out of this. He really wanted to end the suffering.

Reno's breathing began to stabilize again. The comatose scientist returned to consciousness. His one good eye flickered open and focused on Apollo. The god of healing could see a glimpse of sanity behind the tormented orb.

"Please," was all that Reno whispered in a pleading tone. The look that the mortal gave the god held no blame -- just a simple request.

"Ha!" boomed Hephaestus' voice from behind Apollo. "It looks like I get to play with you some more."

Something inside Apollo snapped. Without further thought, Apollo grabbed the nearest knife from the anvil next to Reno. The god spun and thrust the long blade deep into Hephaestus' chest until it protruded out the back of the god.

Hephaestus' eyes looked at Apollo in surprise and disbelief. The god of the anvil coughed up foamy blood before his weak legs crumpled under his weight. Holding his chest with one hand, he held out the other towards Apollo.

"What? Why?" was all the stricken god could utter before he collapsed onto the ground dead.

Apollo turned back towards Reno. However, the scientist had also expired. But, the look of peace and pleasure on Reno's face told the god that at least the scientist got to witness the demise of his torturer.

"Forgive me," Apollo whispered to the dead mortal as he unshackled Reno's digitless hands. The god then dumped his body into one of the great pits of fire. The great inferno instantly consumed the body.

Apollo exited Hephaestus' lair with the blood of the dead god still splashed upon his blue tunic. Aphrodite watched the god silently and grim-faced storm out of the lair and across the hall. She knew something was not right.

Aphrodite ran down the long stone steps to the lair. She rarely visited it, but she felt compelled to now. There on the basalt floor with the hellish lights of the burning pits flickering around him, the body of Hephaestus lay with his dead eyes staring at the rough ceiling.

The goddess of love experienced a feeling she never had before, the sense of loss and shame. Aphrodite dropped to her knees next to her dead husband and let her grief completely consumer her.

Zeus was near the end of his stamina. Even a god had limits and he had spent the last reserves of his strength on conjuring great winds and rain. His lightning bolts, once a thing feared, were impotent against the metal rods protruding from the tops of the buildings in Zakrostas and at Fort Knopso.

The king of the gods had to content himself with the toppled structures and flooded fields. The great mass of mud would hinder the movement over the roads so that much of his mission he accomplished. Zeus lightly kicked Pegasus' side and headed south towards Ares' army. He hoped to be of some help against the more primitive Kingdom of Atlantis.

The rage and fury of the army around Fort Knopso also dissipated. The combined army of man and beast was now a remnant of what it was before. They had fruitlessly assaulted the concrete walls suffering great losses while never inflicting a single casualty.

Defeated, exhausted and demoralized the various beasts and men separated and returned to their caves and camps near the base of Mount Olympus. It would take a number of generations for their numbers to replenish what they had lost over the year.

Reunited...

Chapter Six

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Once Prince William saw the lights shining in the night, he lost the ability to sleep. His curiosity kept him awake. His mind would not let it go. He just sat and wondered. It was odd to see evidence of life in a so-called lifeless zone. The possibilities raced in his mind. He just could not figure it out.

As the dawn broke, the distant lights faded. It was only in the darkness that the illumination was visible that far off. Furthermore, Prince William's curiosity overrode his quest. After all, it appeared that the ancient road led directly towards the lights. Further, he did not have a trail to follow the Princess. Thus, he was going to investigate where the lights originated.

He put out his fire and gathered his things. He got in his suncar and headed off on the old road. He no longer worried about the trail; he just went as fast as his car could go. Although it was the cool part of the day, it was still hot. Nonetheless, he turned off the car's cooling system to increase his speed.

As he sped along, he saw some barricades along the side of the road. It appeared that there were still roadblocks along this road. However, they were moved to the side. Thus, he raced on past. Someone else had come this way. Perhaps, he thought, it was the Princess and her suncar.

The heat began putting its mirages upon the surface of the road he was traveling. After a short distance, there were still no signs of a city up ahead. It was a flat and desolate road. The Prince began to wonder if what he had seen during the night was a mirage. Did he dream it? Was he following shadows? Was it just his mind playing tricks upon him?

The doubts crept into his mind, but he kept going. He had no leads to the Princess, so this gave him a task to complete. He had a purpose. On the other hand, it could be leading him away from his quarry. However, his curiosity had to be satisfied. He could make it back to his camp, and only lose the time he wasted on this particular adventure.

As fast as the suncar could go, Prince William drove along the road to the southwest. There were more warnings moved away from the road. Someone had definitely come this way recently and moved the roadblocks. The signs read Danger and Keep Out, but onward the Prince drove. After all, these signs no longer blocked the road. Thus, perhaps they no longer applied.

After about an hour and a half of driving, a few rather tall buildings appeared in front of him. These were surprisingly in good shape for an ancient city. Most of the ancient cities in the area did not survive intact during the water wars. Also, most of the tall buildings were destroyed in the fighting. From this distance, this city appeared to have escaped from the much of the destruction.

Prince William thought that perhaps the once great city was abandoned, but it still had access to power. Thus, it would illuminate because no one shut off the electricity to the buildings. With it being in the forbidden zone, no one had rectified the situation. It would also explain the reflecting panels in the desert. They could power such a city.

In his car, the Prince was getting quite warm. Thus, he slowed his car down and enabled the interior cooling system. After a brief drive, he pulled over to get a good drink from his water reserves. He could see the city clearly from his vantage point. It was an ancient metropolitan area in the midst of a very foreboding desert.

The old city had many opulent buildings. There were several high-rise buildings. Each uniquely and elaborately constructed. These structures showed amazing architecture. It was different than most of the ancient cities that Prince William had encountered. This was clearly a town of wealth.

As he got closer, he could see that the city was likely the source of the lights. Many of the buildings were still lit in the height of the morning. At the height of this city's life, this city was likely resplendent in the night. It could have been a city of lights.

Just off the ancient road, there were more and more opulent buildings. However, there were no exits. All of the ancient intersections were blocked. Prince William was funneled into the depths of the ancient city. There was no way off the ancient road except the way he had come, or some place deeper in the city. He drove on.

As he got deeper into the city, he began seeing evidence of activity. He would see things move out of the corner of his eyes. He was not sure if they were people or vehicles or something else. Nevertheless, the farther he got into the city the more he observed such movements.

Eventually, he was forced to stop. The way forward was completely blocked. When he came to a complete stop, a gate closed behind him. He was trapped. Some people in masks and black jumpsuits jump out and surround his car.

With their weapons drawn, they told the prince to get out of his car.

"I am Prince William Thorbjornson of Lakeland," the Prince explained as he exited his car with his hands in the air.

"What part of Forbidden Zone did you not understand?" asked one of the armed individuals.

"I demand to be taken to see the ambassador," Prince William stated firmly.

"You are not even heir to the throne," laughed the black clan man. "The king might not even pay to get you back."

"The ambassador..."

"Forbidden Zone..."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"As far as anyone is concerned, the moment you entered this restricted area, you died. Thus, your claims of royalty and honor and privilege mean absolutely nothing here."

"But..."

"Come with me and keep quiet," demanded the man as he brandished his weapon.

The Prince complied.

The God Wars

Chapter Thirty:

Hopes and Frustrations

By Dwayne MacInnes

Zeus studied the terrain below him as he sat astride Pegasus his winged steed. The white horse born from the gorgon's decapitated body tirelessly beat its wings to hold the king of the gods aloft high above the earth. Zeus in his wrath unleashed a storm of the likes he had never released before. For days on end, the skies from Fort Knopso to the Skalandos River about a thousand miles south, Zeus darkened with heavy clouds. Rain poured to the ground in torrents swelling rivers and flooding fields.

Occasionally Zeus would try to strike down a building either in Zakrostas or in Fort Knopso with a lightning bolt. However, the electrical charges always changed course and would expel themselves on the metal rods attached to the rooftops of the largest buildings. The god had to satisfy himself with the odd farmhouse or animal running through the wet fields.

Zeus also had hopes of the rivers overflowing their banks and washing away the human dwellings. Again, the mortals who had already built up levees and were now reinforcing them with sandbags foiled his plans. Zeus's anger grew and as result, the fury of the storm grew. Tall trees that had withstood centuries of wind and rain were up heaved and tossed into the air.

The army of beasts and mercenaries assaulted the thick concrete walls of Fort Knopso. The defenders easily repelled attack after attack; the forces of Ares could not force a breach and suffered heavy losses. The thick mud and lakes of rainwater also hindered the attack. Many a man and beast died drowning in the ubiquitous mud.

Theena watched the assaults. She was secure inside the concrete walls. She marveled at the wonder of the lightning rods the Otherworlders had constructed around the fort. The steel rods attracted the great blasts of static electricity and then dispersed the energy harmlessly to the ground.

Inside the fortification of Fort Knopso long tunnels ran from room to room so that the defenders could move about without exposing themselves to the enemy. There were pillboxes housing teams of machine gunners; as well as large rooms, where the artillery could open up on the exposed attackers. Many of the walls housed embrasures allowing the infantry to fire their rifles into the assaulting army below.

Fort Knopso had plenty of food, water, ammunition, and even fuel for the generators. Fortunately, the telegraph line to Zakrostas was still intact. General Crist would sometimes send off a message asking if the fort was still withstanding the assault. He alerted Theena that because of the storm, he would not be able to send reinforcements and that she had to hold the fort at all costs.

Theena reassured the general that everything was going well. It was just a diversionary force and that he should keep and eye on Ares' main army marching southward. This is exactly what General Crist was doing.

General Crist did not like what was going on. The remnant forces from Ares first two armies tied down the troops inside Fort Knopso. Even if the assaulting forces did not attack, the weather prevented Theena from sending any troops southward to help garrison Zakrostas.

The Alamo also alerted Crist that they had lost contact with their scout outside of Kalos in the Kingdom of Atlantis. The scout's last message warned that the army was massing outside the town and preparing to march. However, no one knew if Ares was aiming the attack at the city of Atlantis or Zakrostas itself.

Nonetheless, Crist ordered ten tanks onto the LST, all his forces save the garrison of Zakrostas into the RMS Olympus, and all ships to sea. They only awaited orders to steam south or to return to port and begin offloading again.

Hunter staggered along the dirt road. His shirt was torn and deep bloody gashes covered his torso underneath filthy bandages. The Indian had successfully killed the griffin with his hunting knife. A few of the terrible beast's claws and feathers Hunter had stuffed in his pockets as trophies.

Hunter had to resist the urge to scratch his wounds. He knew that gangrene very well could be setting in. He was lucky to find an old rotted log. The Indian used his native skills to break apart the fibrous remains of a long dead tree and extract some maggots. These he put on his wounds, they could keep him from dying so that he could communicate to headquarters about the direction of Ares' assault.

The scout had also hoped that he would have been able to catch up to his horse. However, the beast was either long gone or eaten for he could not locate it. The only things that Hunter did come across were the broken remnants of personal belongings that the fleeing refugees tossed aside along the road.

He passed a few broken and abandoned wagons and carts. There were more than a few dead bodies of horses, cattle, sheep, and humans littering the sides of the dirt road. The latter Hunter tried to burn from his memory. He could not take the time to give them the proper funeral rites. There was a more important task at hand.

The scout moved from the thick black columns of smoke rising into the heavens in the south marking the presence and success of Ares' march, towards the thick black columns of rain pouring down in the north noting Zeus's success with tying down the army in Zakrostas. Hunter was tired and he was hungry, he was in pain and ran a fever. However, he never gave up the effort to continue his march.

The Indian was not surprised that he did not see a single living human on his journey north. Sheer fear had propelled the refugees northward and they would clog and prevent anyone from moving south.

Hunter placed one footsore boot in front of the other. Hunter kept telling himself that he had to keep moving or he would die. He used the pain to his advantage, using it to focus his mind on his task. He hobbled along the debris-strewn road using a broken broom handle as a staff to steady him.

The sunlight was starting to fade as the Cherokee proceeded northward. His reserves of strength were nearly exhausted. But, he could not risk stopping even to rest for fear that he would not be able to regain his momentum. Hunter kept pressing on, gasping for breath, and dying of thirst. He had emptied his canteen long ago. However, he reasoned that if he could reach the Skalandos River he would have plenty to drink.

Hunter looked up the road ahead of him. The sunlight was rapidly fading and the progress northward would become even more daunting. A small shack sat on one side of the road, great piles of long squared wood sat stacked next to it. The Indian only gave it a cursory glance. He had passed many a farm structure on his way north.

Suddenly, Hunter stopped. There next to the shack stood a tall pole. A pole that had lines connecting it to the shack. This was no farm building; this was the outpost for surveying out the new railroad line. The pile of wood was railroad ties and the line from the pole meant that the shack contained a telegraph.

Hunter's heart leaped in his chest. New hope grew as he realized that with luck, the telegraph line could still be intact and he would be able to reach Zakrostas.

Reunited...

Chapter Five

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William stood there looking at the foreboding road ahead. The trail he was following was gone. He hoped he could pick it up again, but it did not appear too likely. The fierce sandstorm, while it did not last long, had wide-ranging effects. There was no for him to know where the princess was without being able to follow her trail.

The prince decided to follow the ancient road slowly. If there were signs, he did not wish to miss them. Whoever was driving the princess's suncar could have left the old road at any time, but the road was all the prince had. Thus, he pushed on.

With the slow going, Prince William could see how someone could get lost out here. The sand storm he had just experienced was small, he could imagine them being much larger and burying a suncar in sand. Further, there was the heat and the dryness. The thought of it made him thirsty, so he stopped and drank from his water reserves.

He took a moment to look closely for signs, but there were none. However, he did notice something odd. He got out to investigate. Out of a sand dune, there was a large flat reflecting panel. He looked around and he saw dozens. Looking some more there were hundreds. They were semi-concealed in the dunes.

The wind picked up a little bit and he rushed back to his suncar. He took another drink, and continued forward on the ancient road. The sand raced across his car, but he managed to keep going. There was not the same amount of sand in this round. However, if there was a track to follow here, it would have been enough to erase it.

The temperature outside the suncar was soaring. Prince William fiddled with the interior cooling system. The power demand of the suncar was at its maximum. This would limit his speed, but more importantly, another sand storm could stop him. The Forbidden Zone was becoming clear to him. It was clearly a very dangerous place. Any number of things could mean life and death. He was grateful he brought water, but began wondering if it were enough.

Slowly, he continued following the ancient road. It was a desolate area, yet strangely beautiful. There were colorful mesas in the distance. However, he had gone most of the day without seeing anything move. It was as if the land were a void of life. He thought that perhaps that changed at night out of the heat of the day.

The mesas soon gave way to flat desert. He passed the ruins of some small towns that once existed in the desert -- victims of the water wars. He noticed bridges over now dry river beds. Water once flowed in the stretch of desert. The prince wondered how long ago the water flowed.

He continued driving looking for the trail. He did not see any trace of the suncar's tracks. It could have come this way, but it might not have. Slowly he went, and it was getting late in the day. It was clear that he would have to spend the night in the desert. Thus, he began looking for a place to stop. Once the sun went down, his suncar would stop. Hence, he looked for a place protected from the wind.

There was an intersecting road where it appeared to be a spot where some people had lived long ago. He pulled onto a frontage road and drove a short distance. There was an ancient concrete building still standing there. He parked close to it to protect his car from the wind and sand. It looked like an long deserted saloon.

Prince William got out of his car and looked around. A short distance away, there was a small trickle of a very muddy river. It appeared that it would dry up at the peak of the dry season. In fact, there was a wash that would flow into this small river during storms. Nonetheless, there was enough water around to support a few scraggly trees. The rest of the terrain was scrub brush and tumbleweeds.

It was closing in on dusk, and it was still hot. The prince had a decision to make. He had gone quite a distance with no sign of the Princess's trail. Should he continue following the ancient road? Should he give up? How well his night went was going to determine his course of action. If he feared for his life, he would turn back. However, if the night passed with little incident, he decided he would follow the road further.

The prince gathered some brush to build a fire. The material he gathered was so dry he thought it might catch fire in his hands. He dug a small pit in the sand and placed some of the material into it. He gathered enough material to have the fire go all night because he did not want to wander off in the dark to obtain more.

While gather the material for the fire, Prince William noticed more of the reflecting panels. He thought there must be thousands of them scattered throughout the desert. He wondered who had put them there. Did they belong to the ancients? Were they remnants of a once great society? Did they survive the water wars? What did they do?

These fleeting thoughts went through his head, but his thoughts turned to food and survival. He thought the fire would keep away any dangerous night visitors. He thought he might hunt for some food, but he then thought better of it. He had enough provisions to last a few days. There was no need to take any risks at this point in his journey.

Just as the last bit of sun sank below the horizon, he lit his fire. He was amazed at the number of stars he could see. It was a dark clear night. He was sure his fire could be visible for miles, and he heard some howling animals in the distance. At night, the desert did come alive.

He settled down and got some sleep. It was not a restful sleep as he wanted to keep the fire alight. He was about to put some more fuel on the fire, but he marveled at the sky and the darkness. It is then that he saw the lights in the distance. Something was going on in the Forbidden Zone. Was there a city off in the distance? The area was supposed to be dead. What were the source of those lights? He would investigate when the sun came up.

The God Wars

Chapter Twenty-nine:

March of the Dead

By Dwayne MacInnes

The residents of Kalos fled the town as the army of Ares approached. The refugees either turned north towards Zakrostas or south towards the city of Atlantis. The terrified populace burdened with carts and/or animals carrying their meager possessions moved as quickly as they could. Children cried and women screamed in terror, grim faced men tried their best to keep their families together as they continued their flight from danger.

Just outside the western outskirts of town, Ares halted his army. The endless columns of undead and bronze giants began to form up into an arc running roughly northwest to southeast. Ares supervised the arrangement of his troops riding his black chariot down the line. The army formed a half-circle that was miles long. The Necro-lords anchored both ends with Hades in the center.

Above in the sky circling menacing was the second arm consisting of Hermes and the Draco-lords and the wild griffins. When Ares pulled up next to Hades' black chariot, Hermes, with his ability to fly, soared down and landed lightly on his feet by the god of war's chariot. The two vehicles were similar in color and design. Even the animals pulling the chariots resembled each other. The only difference was that Ares' animals snorted fire.

"Is everything to your liking?" Hermes asked the god of war.

Ares smiled and raised his knife-hand into the air. The serrated blade reflected the sunlight as Ares studied his new appendage. "Yes," Ares responded never taking his eyes off the blade.

"That is good," Hades added. "My dead are ready to fight."

The half-rotted bodies of the decaying warriors from previous battles stretched across the horizon behind the gods. The stench was unbearable and flies buzzed constantly around the decaying soldiers.

Ares reached inside of his chariot and produced a long bull's horn. The black and white horn was five-feet long and had long leather strap that attached to each end. On the tip, a silver mouthpiece had been skillfully prepared which Ares now put to his lips.

As the god of war began to blow his deafening command, he swung it right to left so that all could hear. The call issuing from the instrument consisted of such a low bass that it shook the earth as it rent the air.

Animals hiding in the nearby hills and woods flew as fast as their feet could carry them in utter fear. Birds took to the air and beat wings away from the blast from the horn and any humans still around needed no further reason to take to their heels and run for their life.

In a copse on a hill outside of Kalos, Hunter observed the ordering of the army. He was thankful the wind did not blow the undead warriors' scent his way. The few times it did in the past it took everything for the Cherokee not to vomit and pass-out. The stench was so overpowering that animals fled long before the dead were within sight.

The scout noticed that Ares was positioning his army in such a way as to drive everything before to the southwest. This would put the city of Atlantis in the undead army's path. This was the key information that Hunter needed.

The Indian headed towards his horse on the far side of the hill when the unholy horn's call blasted through the air. The trees shook and the ground quaked. Hunter could even feel the horn's blast reverberate through his chest. Fear instantly welled-up in his soul and his first instinct was to flee.

However, military training took over and Hunter pushed the fear aside. He needed to get in touch with headquarters and tell them his discovery. Unfortunately, his horse did not have the ability to ignore its fear. The beast bolted like every other animal and fled in wild-eye terror as fast it could.

Hunter cursed. The horse carried the radio he needed to contact HQ. It also carried his carbine rifle still strapped beside the saddle. Now, the soldier abandoned just outside the arms of Ares forces did not even have a weapon save only his hunting knife to protect him.

Hunter realizing his situation was not good also started to run northward. He needed to get the message back to the army as soon as possible before Ares crushed the Kingdom of Atlantis.

High in the sky a single eagle-eyed griffin spotted the lone man running from the wooded hill. It gave cry before diving towards its prey. Hunter looked over his shoulder to see the half-eagle half-lion beast driving down towards him with its front talons extended in anticipation of rending his flesh.

The gods below paid the actions of the lone griffin little attention. They focused entirely on getting the army moving. In one motion, the entire semi-circle started to march. From the air, the black-scaled dragons swooped down upon the deserted town and spat fire upon the wooden structures. The griffins also circled in the air looking for prey on which to dive on.

The thundering advance of the undead army flushed all living life forms in front of it. The semi-circle nature of the formation corralled all the fleeing humans and animals funneling them. The ravenous griffins occasionally would dive upon a frightened animal or human, tearing the poor victim apart with its sharp beak and talons.

The Draco-lords introduced all fields and buildings to fiery breath of their mounts. As the army marched on into the night, the flames of the numerous abandoned farms and villages lighted the path of where the army had recently passed.

Ares did not have to worry about scorched earth policies working against him this time. He did not need to forage for his troops. The dragons and griffins could fly off in any direction for many miles and hunt for their prey and return within minutes. The gods did not need to concern themselves with mortal foods nor did their unnatural mounts. The automotive statues Hephaestus constructed did not subsist on food nor did the reanimated warriors.

In fact, if the fleeing humans torched their property in the face of the approaching army they only saved Ares from having his troops do it. From every angle that Ares studied the problem it was win for him. The god of war smiled, the pain of his latest defeat had passed. All Ares could feel was the anticipation of combat and the slaughter on the battleground as the gods annihilated the humans in their realm.

Reunited...

Chapter Four

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William had spoken to most of King Jonathan's staff. They were fairly evenly split on whether Princess Angelina ran away or whether she was abducted. However, they were almost unanimous on their belief that no one would go purposely into the Forbidden Zone.

Nonetheless, Prince William would follow the trail where it led. Thus, if it went into this foreboding area, he would need to be prepared for it. Therefore, he put several water containers into his suncar as he set off following Princess Angelina's trail.

The ancient roadway was quite a bit west of the castle complex. It was once a busy north/south road for travelers; however, now it was just an little used trail. Prince William double checked the track he was following. Both he and King Jonathan's trackers concluded that the suncar headed south. He checked the trail and was certain that is the direction to go.

This ancient road south led to the ruins of a city. It was once a major metropolitan area, but it was now little more than rubble. The many conflicts hit this mountain city hard. What made it an excellent place for a city also made it a place where people fought. This was the way of many of the old cities.

Because of its location, there were several roads which the ancients had constructed that led into and out of this major metropolitan area. These roads went off in all directions. Anyone going this direction would be difficult to track. Once again, it was an excellent choice to hide the destination of any traveling vehicle.

While this ancient city was about an hour from King Jonathan's residential complex by suncar, it was going to take Prince William a while to determine the exact path. Prince William's suncar had little difficulty traveling over the ancient roads. That is, until it got nearer to the ruined city. The battles had taken their toll on these roads.

Nonetheless, it made it somewhat easier to track. There were places where there was debris in the roads where tire tracks could be seen. There were broken plants. There were many clues to follow. However, it was a time consuming task for Prince William. There could be other vehicles traveling along this route.

As he suspected, the trail led to the west. This did not mean that they were headed directly into the Forbidden Zone. The ancient road headed to the west through the mountains and towards the Monoran desert. However, the ancient road had a split where a suncar could head north, continue west, or even loop back. It was clear to Prince William that the route chosen was very good one for concealing the final destination.

However, now that Prince William knew that the trail headed west, it would be easier to track. With the mountainous terrain, there were few options until the next split. Thus, once he left the ruined city, he could make pretty good time.

The tracking took its toll on Prince William, and he camped at one of the few intersections in the mountains for the night. He felt he was making good time, and hoped to reach the next major intersection of the ancient roadway by midday. Nevertheless, it was still going to take him a while to catch up with Princess Angelina at this rate. Although, it would take even longer if he missed her trail. Thus, he was being very methodical.

In any event, if King Jonathan's trackers were to be believed, they would have the Princess back before he reached the next split in the road. It would be at this point when Prince William would know for certain if the suncar went into the forbidden area. If it did, then the Princess could be in great distress.

With first light, Prince William was back on the trail. He could tell he was getting closer to the desert as it was becoming increasingly dry. He did cross a minor trickle of a river, and he wondered if there were more like it.

The sun was hot and high in the sky when he reached the crossroads. A blockade had been constructed to prevent southward travel. However, it had been removed. Thus, it was clear to Prince William that the Princess was in the Forbidden Zone.

He double and triple checked the trail, but it was unmistakable. The suncar clearly entered the forbidden area. Thus, the prince had no choice but to follow the track. He turned his suncar south and headed into the hot desert.

The road was rough. Sections of the road had seen great battles. Some of the ancient attack vehicles still sat there slowly being covered in sand. They were once great metal beasts, but now just hunks of scrap. Sand slowly wearing them smooth in places and rough in others.

The track he was following was clear in the sand. He could easily follow it as it led into the desert. So few had come this way, that the track looked fresh even though it could have been days or even weeks old. He thought he would catch up to the Princess in no time.

Suddenly, a huge cloud of sand blew across his path. The sand storm blocked out the sun, and his suncar lost power. The sand blasted against the side of his car. He could almost feel the sand tearing the solar panels off the car. His car sat there motionless as the sand ripped across his path. The roar of the sand and wind was almost deafening.

Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The roar ceased and all was silent again. The sun returned. Prince William let out a huge sigh. He took a small drink of water from his stores and stepped out of his car.

Some of the panels were damaged, but he quickly repaired them. His car had survived with little damage. Then he realized it. The trail he was following was gone. The wind had erased the easy trail that had led him to this spot. What was he going to do next? The Forbidden Zone was beginning to live up to its name.

The God Wars

Chapter Twenty-eight:

Observations

By Dwayne MacInnes

Ares was on the march again. This time he had a more formidable army. Hades in his chariot drawn by two jet-black horses joined the god of war. His Necro-lords were at the head of a long line of undead warriors. There was Charon the boatman holding the leash belonging to the three-headed dog Cerebus whose jaws snapped and drooled in anticipation of the coming fight. There also was Thanatos, or as many referred to him as Death. The skeletal Necro-lord rode an emaciated black horse and carried a scythe ready for his grim reaping.

The large army also contained Hephaestus' ten-foot tall bronze warriors the Talos. As their legs moved, their metal joints groaned and creaked. The god of the anvil did not march south with the army for he was intent on extracting more information from the abducted scientist.

Ares scanned the skies near the Dragonspine Mountains. He was still waiting for Hermes and his Draco-lords to join the army. The long serpentine dragons and their riders would join Ares as they neared the Skalandos River. The wild and terrible griffins would also be available. No one else could control the part eagle and part lion monstrosity except Hermes. He could speak to the untamed animals and more importantly, they would listen.

From the seclusion of a wooded hillside, Hunter Running-Deer observed the latest army marching south towards the Skalandos River. They were near the headwaters and many fords across the wild river were available for the huge army to cross.

Hunter was a Cherokee Indian who grew up on a reservation in Oklahoma. His family raised him to learn their traditional ways such as hunting and tracking. Naturally, he also was versed in their native language and other customs. Hunter learned English when he went to school and joined the military like many of his tribal brothers when the war broke out.

Right now, his skills, like those of the other few dozen American Indian soldiers, were in high demand. His commanding officers sent him ahead of Ares' latest army in order to observe the huge army without them noticing him

Even though there were small hamlets and villages around the area, Hunter‘s instructions were to bypass them. He would need to scout out the land without even friendly citizens knowing of his existence just in case Ares decided to interrogate a local. He could live off the land and move quickly and quietly with his horse that the Atlantean army issued him.

Hunter put the field glasses to his eyes again. He was careful not to let the sunlight reflect off the lenses. Even if Ares and his army did not know someone was observing them, a flash of light could still tell them that there was something or someone out there they may want to investigate.

When Hunter first started watching the army, he was shocked at its makeup. The giant metal statues moving across the land was one thing, and the shambling dead warriors were another. However, something about the Necro-lords really made shivers run up Hunter's spine.

Hunter had faithfully followed and observed the army for days. He made one report with his field radio each day. Even a tenderfoot back at the Alamo could tell that Ares latest army contained thousands and thousands of troops. However, what Ares' game was no one knew and that was where Hunter came in.

Hunter found it strange how it took the transportation to a strange world for people to treat him and the other minorities like equals. The Atlanteans did not seem to find that skin color mattered to one's status, as the white man did on earth. Even the Negro troops the Atlanteans regarded as equals despite the lingering racism still found amongst some of the Americans.

Hunter watched the army cross the river and was about to pack up and make his daily report when he saw a speck in the sky above the jagged tops of the Dragonspine Mountains grow into a large swarm as it neared Ares' army. Hunter took in a deep breath when he trained his glasses upon the flying horde.

Black scaled dragons with men in black armor flew towards the army. A strange half eagle/half lion beast flew alongside. Hunter remembered them from a textbook in one of his childhood schools as griffins. By the way the beast flew circles around the army below Hunter realized that Ares just added a new element to his forces.

Colonel Farnsworth at the Alamo listened as his scout reported in. On another world in another time, Colonel Farnsworth would have had the man brought up on report for drinking. However, nothing surprised the colonel anymore. Therefore, when Hunter reported in about the addition of dragons and griffins to Ares' forces Farnsworth merely wrote it down and passed it on back to headquarters back in Zakrostas.

According to General Crist, another army was currently attacking Fort Knopso and a heavy rainstorm was keeping Crist from sending reinforcements. The latter, Farnsworth had figured out himself. The dark thunderclouds to the west were visible even to those at the Alamo. The ground would instantly turn to a mire of mud and anyone or anything moving through it would become stuck.

The worst thing was that the heavy rains also kept the Hercules fighters grounded. Even though the USS Kiska with its compliment of aircraft headed for the open sea, the aircraft onboard still would not be able to penetrate the storm.

Therefore, Hunter was the best hope Farnsworth and Crist had of learning what Ares intended to do with his force.

Hunter rode his horse hard, it was night and the large silver half-moon provided the only light the Indian needed to navigate the landscape. He was surprised that Ares had turned his army southwest after crossing the Skalandos River. Hunter figured either that Ares was going to try to circle around and hit Zakrostas from the south in a surprise move, or that he may have another target in mind.

From the local map given him, Hunter knew that the only other object worth Ares' time and effort was the city of Atlantis. The god of war was already in the Kingdom of Atlantis so attacking the weaker and more primitive city would be a hard object to resist.

The only way Hunter could determine Ares' next move was for him to again race ahead of the army and try to ascertain what Ares had in mind. It was a decision that Hunter would have to make shortly so that General Crist could make the correct decision as to where to send the army. However, if Hunter guessed wrong the army would be in the wrong place and it would mean the destruction of both the Republic and Kingdom of Atlantis.

Reunited...

Chapter Three

By Douglas E. Gogerty

King Jonathan was called the "Cattle King" by the neighboring kingdoms. His lands were very dry, but they were highly suited to raising livestock. He had vast herds of bison grazing his lands. Deer, moose, and wild cow also thrived there. Much of the wild game on his lands was hunted for sport in his kingdom. He got his power and influence from the wealth he obtained in the meat trade.

After the water wars of Calmondak's southern neighbors, King Jonathan's father expanded the kingdom farther south. This land was also arid, but it too was suitable to livestock grazing. The people working these lands fit right in to how their neighbors to the north ran things.

However, there was a large desert in the southwestern portion of these southern kingdoms. With the irrigation practices of the former kingdoms -- and before -- the Great Monoran Desert had grown substantially. The aquifer had nearly vanished allowing the desert to expand.

This desert was a dangerous and foreboding place where numerous explorers had never returned. It was hot and dry. Very little could survive there. After an exploratory party entered the desert and did not return, King Jonathan forbade anyone from entering. It was labeled the "Forbidden Zone."

When King Jonathan was a fairly young man, he wed Princess Marcellina. With the marriage and its arrangements, the Calmondak kingdom gained some timberland and some orchards in the northwest. There were also some fine vineyards that complemented the ones in Calmondak. Thus, King Jonathan could slightly diversify where his wealth was being generated.

Other than from the vines and from fruit trees, very little food could be grown in Calmondak without irrigation. It was this aridness that resulted in the water wars of these southern kingdoms. The lack of water had caused destruction of the previous civilization living on the land as well. It was simply not something with which King Jonathan wanted to get involved. Thus, he would continue to import most of his required grains from Lakeland.

The acquisition of the treaty land would not change this. However, it would extend Calmondak's border to the Misery River to the west. This would be more preferable to the current border with the Lakeland Kingdom. This border was determined more arbitrarily when one of the southern kingdom negotiated for it. With the river as the border, it would prevent any disputes over land rights. In this way, friendly trade would continue between the neighbors.

Furthermore, the land of this treaty was mostly similar to the much of the southern lands that were already part of Calmondak. There was a small mountain range and some swamps, but a majority of the land was similar. Most of it could be used as grazing lands. The big difference was that it also gave Calmondak access to an oceanic gulf which could also open up trade with more eastern kingdoms.

Nonetheless, all of this was for not with Princess Angelina's disappearance. A new treaty was discussed giving Prince William and Princess Angelina control over the land should they marry. However, it would likely revert to Lakeland should anything happen to the pair. Further, there was the prophecy proclaimed by King Thorbjorn.

While King Jonathan was completely willing to allow Prince William to search for his daughter, the marriage of the pair would be considered at another time. The benefits of this union would be far less than the previous arrangement. Further, he did not particularly believe in prophecies, so anyone looking for his daughter would be welcome.

Princess Angelina was not an only child. She had an older brother, Prince James. He was the heir to the Calmondak throne. He was a tall statuesque young man. He was also quite striking in appearance. However, like Princess Angelina, he took after his mother more than his father. Thus, many thought him a bit effeminate. Of this, Princess Angelina took much offense.

There was talk in some circles that Princess Angelina was the much stronger of the pair. She was much more suited to be heir to the throne than the -- in their opinion -- much weaker prince. While the princess would agree that she was stronger, again she took offense to the sentiment.

The two children were educated along side each other. While there was a few years difference in their ages, Angelina did act much more mature for her age. Further, she had a voracious appetite for learning. She just did not seem to be able to get enough.

Perhaps this was the big difference between the two. Prince James accepted his role in the scheme of things, but Princess Angelina felt that there was always something that could be done. She was not afraid to take action. She was not afraid to step outside her role as princess and see the world differently. This made her appear strong and made James appear weak.

The two siblings were quite close due to their situation. In fact, they had spent many hours discussing the upcoming wedding. However, Prince James did not know what the princess could or would do about stopping the upcoming nuptials.

She had asked Prince James about driving the suncars. He gave her a few pointers and lessons, but he did not think she would be able to drive away by herself. He felt that she would need assistance. Thus, he was under the impression that she had been abducted.

He had been questioned thoroughly. It was apparent that despite his confession of teacher her the rudiments of the sun car, he did not know where she was. In fact, because they were very close, if she had run away, she may have wanted him to not know where she was going. Thus, he was in the dark about the events of the day of her disappearance.

Prince William of Lakeland asked Prince James some questions about the Forbidden Zone and if she knew anything about it. Prince James told him what he told everyone.

"It is the most dangerous place in Calmondak, and no one would go there on purpose. Certainly my sister knows that! If she ran away, she certainly would not head there!"

Twilight Zone

A Halloween Story

By Dwayne MacInnes

The moon hung high in the night sky its soft glow competing with the various city lights reflecting off the wet slick concrete of the city below. Tall buildings thrust proudly into the night air with their multitude of lights dampening out the low flicker of the stars above. The sounds of traffic and sirens floated through the atmosphere. It was just another night in New York City.

Maciste slunk down a dark lonely alley. Mist and trash obscured the rough surface of the dead-end that housed overflowing dumpsters filled with the every day debris a city like this discards. The lithe man pulled the hood of his black hoodie jacket over his pale bald head.

A casual observer would notice that Maciste was very slim, maybe even claim he was emaciated. His eyes were like dead pools of darkness, reflecting no life set in a cadaver gray face. His nose was long and hooked much like his fingers that ended in long stiletto-like nails. Even his ears were long and pointed, as one would expect to see on some fairytale elf.

Maciste, however would never lower himself to help some cobbler. No, Maciste was a vampire. A damned soul doomed to roam earth eternally hungry for blood. Most people in the 21st century did not believe in vampires. Movies and books distorted and romanticized what for thousands of years even an uneducated peasant would know and could take the proper precautions.

Maciste stooped down and picked up a scrap of the front page of a local newspaper. Its black and white headline emblazoned the words: Twilight Killer Strikes Again. The nosferatu chuckled to himself. The police were helpless in their pursuit of the "Twilight Killer" as the newspapers had dubbed Maciste. They did not know they were up against a vampire.

Nicodemus, an old friend, had bestowed this gift upon Maciste some time past. Nicodemus claimed that the famous Mordecai (at least famous in the vampire circle) in turn transformed him. The rumor ran that Mordecai was careful in his selections only choosing those that would be cautious. For another rumor stated that there were still a dedicated few mortals out there that acted as vampire hunters.

However, Maciste and Nicodemus were friends when they were still mortal. Both were outcasts even amongst the fringe groups of young adults. They used to challenge each other on vampire lore and fiction. They both started to adopt vampire customs like the drinking of blood.

Suddenly one day Nicodemus vanished. His house was vacant. His few friends knew nothing of his disappearance. Even his blog had shutdown. Of course, there was the standard police search but after awhile they gave up filing Nicodemus's vanishing to the cold case unit.

It was shortly after all the excitement finally died down that Maciste awoke one dark night to see a slim bald man sitting at the foot of his bed. The smell of decay and freshly turned earth hung on the apparition's breath. Before Maciste could scream, a slender boney hand shot out and covered Maciste's mouth.

"Quiet," the man said in a familiar voice, "it is I, Nicodemus and I have finally become what we have always desired."

Maciste's eyes opened wide in recognition of Nicodemus's voice. Even though he wanted to, Maciste could not respond through the strong fingers squeezing his mouth.

"I have chosen you to enjoy this gift if you desire," the vampire said hoarsely. "However, you will find it does not bring the benefits we thought."

Maciste struggled to speak, but was only finally able to nod his head. His pleading eyes were enough to convince Nicodemus to release his grip.

"Good," Nicodemus smiled exposing his sharp and deadly teeth that glittered in the moonlight filtering through the bedroom's window.

The two had roamed the country together for some time. However, they soon parted ways. Maciste figured he could do better in a large city like New York. Nicodemus did not share his companion's enthusiasm.

Maciste's plan was simple. He used to be quite an avid blogger himself before the transformation. He also, like many mortals, believed more in the modern rendition of vampires than the old folklores. He soon learned that the reverse was true. So using these pieces of knowledge Maciste would charm and lure unsuspecting teens, mostly girls, to their doom.

It was too easy. Especially, with vampires being such a romantic figure to young teenage girls. The books and movies always got it wrong. Vampires could not expose themselves to sunlight. They did not merely "sparkle" in the sun's rays but would actually burn down to a fine ash to be scattered by any passing breeze. Nor did they desire the affections of a mortal. The mortal's blood was the only thing a vampire desired. However, the wooden stake in the heart would kill a vampire, which most books and movies kept in their stories unaltered.

Maciste in his hoodie disguise could enter any cybercafé and correspond to some mortal online. The building's cameras could never capture Maciste's image. This was one of the gifts of being undead. In addition, a slim man witnesses describe wearing a black hoodie nearly matched the description of about a few thousand users in a cybercafé late at night.

Maciste now awaited his latest victim. They were always so eager to meet with him. Even if that meeting was to take place late at night in some secluded area in New York City! One would think the headlines warning of a killer using the trend of teenage romantic vampire literature as a lure would alert people. Well, teenagers rarely paid attention to the news.

The soft click of woman's heels echoed from the sidewalk leading to the alley. Maciste pulled himself back further into the shadows. Shortly a small woman cautiously entered the alley.

"Hello?" a timid voice said softly. "Is there anyone down here?"

"Yes," Maciste stepped out into the dim light.

"Are you.the..." the girl stammered.

"Vampire?" Maciste smiled, his teeth reflecting the pale light. "Yes, it is I."

"Are you going to make me...you know?" the girl stammered some more.

Yes," Maciste replied stepping closer to his victim. It was all too easy he thought to himself.

As the vampire's arms reached out towards the girl, a hiss punctuated the night from behind the vampire. Maciste's sensitive ears picked up the new sound and as he spun to see the source of the noise, a fiery pain shot through his chest. A wooden arrow protruded from his torso. Maciste looked up in time to see the silhouette of a figure on the fire escape of a nearby building armed with a bow before the second arrow penetrated his lifeless heart.

Before Maciste could react, he fell forward onto the ground dead, truly dead.

The man jumped down from the fire escape and stood over the body of the vampire. The shy girl cautiously walked forward.

"Did you get him?" she said her voice no longer timid but now strong.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Cathy," the man said as he rummaged through a satchel slung over his shoulder. "I couldn't see too well and barely missed his heart with the first shot."

"Thank God you got him with the second, Father Theo," the girl replied as she pulled a vial out of her purse. "Let me do the honors."

She uncorked the small crystal bottle and started to sprinkle some water onto the vampire's body. Wherever the drops landed on the vampire a small fire started, soon a conflagration consumed the whole body in flames that burned high for a second before it finally died down revealing only a fine pile of ash.

"Holy water," Father Theo smiled as he pulled his vial from the satchel. "Never leave home without it."

"At least if you are a vampire hunter," Cathy laughed.

The God Wars

Chapter Twenty-seven:

Feint

By Dwayne MacInnes

Lt. Rogers marched down the corridor towards General Theena’s office. Fort Knopso was complete and fully manned. There were soldiers from the United States Army as well as from the new Republic of Atlantis.

Things were finally looking like they should. After months of waiting for production to begin the fort was finally beginning to get some newly manufactured M1 Garands, artillery and ammunition. It appeared that the production plants around Zakrostas were finally working.

The muzzle-loading rifles once used to train the recruits were now part of the Kingdom of Atlantis’s arsenal. The new president Greer was sharing some vital secrets to their southern neighbors so that they could defend themselves. However, he was cautious never to give them the top of the line goods, just in case the kingdom wanted its lands back.

Rogers knocked on the general’s door. The comely woman inside promptly bid the lieutenant to enter. Rogers started to hand Theena some of the latest reports when a great thunderous boom exploded over the fort.

Greer instinctively reached for his sidearm before realizing it was only a thunderclap followed by the relentless torrent of a cloudburst.

"The weather certainly changes around here pretty quickly," Rogers observed.

However, Theena had jumped from her desk and was running towards the door. "Sound the alarm!" she ordered to the stunned officer. "We are under attack!"

* * * * *

Corporal Daniels was in the one of the concrete pillboxes lining the fort’s wall. The rain reminded the corporal of being under a waterfall by the sheer volume falling from the heavens. It would not be long before the parade ground was flooded and the soil turned to the clinging clay-like mud that tended to steal your boots when walked through.

"Hey, corporal?" a private sharing the defensive redoubt asked. "Do you see what I see?"

Daniels looked out through the embrasure to see dark silhouettes moving through the watery veil. He quickly grabbed a pair of nearby field glasses and put them to his eyes. After a couple of seconds of focusing, Daniels could make out an army of beasts marching towards the fort.

"Private!" Daniels ordered. "Alert the fort we are under attack!"

However, before the private could reach the phone to call headquarters, the alarms around the fort started to blare into the soggy air.

* * * * *

Weeks had passed and still there was no sign of Reno. No one had seen the scientist leave the city and many speculated that he either was at the bottom of the harbor or abducted by one of the gods. The mere thought that a god could walk into the city and collect a person without being notice bothered Crist very much.

The general watched as the rain poured heavily down around the city. Lightning danced across the skies and thunder boomed in the air. He was grateful he had the foresight of having the carrier planes returned to the Kiska.

The seven new Hercules fighters should be enough to protect the city from any invaders. Moreover, if they could not the Kiska was at anchor in the harbor. All it had to do was build up steam and turn into the wind to launch the carrier planes.

Before Crist could muse much further on this, his phone started to ring. Crist walked over to his desk and picked up the black telephone.

"This is General Crist," the general said in an official voice.

"Sir!" the anxious voice of a soldier quivered on the other end. By the sound of the accent, Crist could tell it was an Atlantean. "Fort Knopso is under attack!"

"Damn," Crist burst out. He had hoped that after his latest victory Ares and the other gods would leave them alone. "How bad is it?"

"Reports say it may be those minotaurs and the cyclopes again. There is also a report that there are some men mixed in," the youth reported.

"How is the fort holding out?" the general pressed.

"They are doing well so far," agitated young man reported. "However, reports state that they are outnumbered."

Crist cursed mildly to himself before hanging up. The only roads outside the city so far were only dirt and that meant mud right now. The railroad had just laid some tracks but they did not extend very far. Therefore, he would not be able to send any tanks to support nor could he send up his planes.

Crist quickly dialed some numbers and started to give orders, "Send the Kiska out to sea and get ten tanks loaded on the LST immediately!"

* * * * *

Brian Mills was at the top the latest rig constructed on the oilfields outside Little Houston. The sun blazed down on the oilman born in the real Houston back on earth. He could see a great dark cloud on the western horizon. It stretched hundreds of miles across and would occasionally light up in bright flashes.

"Hell of a storm," Mills said to himself. "A little rain would be welcomed right now."

Mills looked towards the east. He could see the dark and forbidding Dragonspine Mountains forming the backdrop. In front of the jagged slopes another cloud was rising. However, this one originated from the ground up.

Brian Mills quickly scrambled down the oilrig and ran to the wooden shack. Several of his fellow oilmen watched in amazement as Mills ran passed them and rushed into the shack.

Jeb Korsky the foreman stared in dumb silence as Mills grabbed the phone off his desk and started to dial. Before he could ask Mills what he was doing, he heard the oilman yell, "Alamo! There is an army on the move to your east!"

Jeb’s jaw fell open in surprise. If there were an enemy force out there, the incomplete fort they called the Alamo would not be able to withstand it.

Reunited...

Chapter Two

By Douglas E. Gogerty

The monarchs of Lakeland had always been an ambitious bunch. King Thorbjorn's reign had been no exception. He was always looking at ways to increase the size of his kingdom. In fact, in the early part of his reign, he was at war with one of his neighbors. This seemed to be the way it was for them and they thought of no other way to expand their territory.

Lakeland had once been a smallish kingdom with lakes abound. It had a very large lake at its eastern border, and thousands of small lakes throughout the territory. Freshwater fish was an excellent moneymaker for them.

They also had some agricultural trade. However, being a northern territory, their growing season was very short. The farmers had to grow things that would produce quickly or they would not get anything. Needless to say, winters were harsh.

The first of King Thorbjorn's line was bent on expanding the territory. The kingdoms to the south were way too powerful for the small kingdom; thus, they warred with their northern neighbors.

Soon, they conquered all the lands to the northwest that did not belong to the Calmondak kingdom. This gave them access to saltwater fish as they gained access to the western ocean. Lakeland grew even more wealthy on the fish trade.

However, it was not enough. Thus, the kings began gradually pushing southward. They eventually expanded down to the southern gulf. There was lots of rich farmland in this region. Not to mention, there was access to more fishing.

During King Thorbjorn's reign, he attempted to push farther east. However, most of his borders were either lakes or rivers. Thus, there were some natural protections for his neighbors.

Nonetheless, King Thorbjorn was determined to expand his realm. However, he did not wish to upset his neighbor to the west. Thus, to assure King Jonathan that he was not interested in his lands, King Thorbjorn sent his son Prince William to stay in Calmondak. Hence, Prince William and Princess Angelina had played together in their youth.

King Thorbjorn attacked his neighbor in the gap between the great river and one of the large lakes. At first, he had some success. His plan caught his neighbor completely off guard. The army advanced to a river the southern border river of that kingdom.

However, he was in a difficult position, as he could advance no further. He attempted to negotiate a peace, but was unsuccessful. Eventually the easterners rallied and pushed him back. His five years of war came to nothing except strained relations.

Prince William was recalled, and the warring king considered attacking King Jonathan when his army had regained its strength. This would have been foolish with the eastern neighbors looking for a weakness. Hence, King Thorbjorn was forced to strengthen his ties with the west.

When King Thorbjorn's wife died, a new queen was needed. At first, he looked to the east. It would appease his eastern neighbors to wed one of their daughters, but he saw the beauty of Princess Angelina. Therefore, the succession of land idea was declared. This would cement the alliance of Lakeland and Calmondak, and King Thorbjorn could cast his eyes eastward without worry.

With the postponement of the wedding, the Lakeland King would wed a daughter of the east. This would force the king to set his sites elsewhere for land acquisition. It was not an ideal situation, but the king would cope. However, he still wished for a secure western border. Thus, granting Princess Angelina and his son the land was a strategic move.

There is also the prophecy to consider. The Lakeland's residents have always been one for prophecy. There had been a long standing one where a prince would rescue and princess and unite all of Morica. With this, the idea of the treaty lands was even more logical in the mind of the king. It would give an incentive to Prince William and allow King Jonathan to go along. However, the king should not have mentioned the prophecy to his fellow king, but what was done was done.

Early the next morning, Prince William met with King Jonathan's trackers. He looked at the signs the sun car left. It was obvious that the car went west.

"We think they are going northwest into the lands of Princess Angelina's mother," stated one of the trackers.

"Is there any reason to think she was taken by her kinsmen?" asked Prince William.

"The forbidden lands are very dangerous," replied the tracker. "Thus, it seems to reason that they would not head there. Thus, perhaps her kin are involved."

"Are the forbidden lands that treacherous?"

"No one has come back from an exploration of the forbidden lands. That is good enough for me."

"Would that not make an excellent place to hide?"

"Being killed is no way to hide."

"How bad can it be?"

"First off, there is no water to be found there. The fugitives did not steal any water from our stores, nor did they take any water storage vessels. Furthermore, there are the most poisonous insects and snakes living there. It is an awful place."

"If no one has survived a trip there, then how do you know this?"

"I know from the old time reports before the water wars. Do not treat me like some ignorant kid young man. I have been around."

"I was just asking..."

"It looks like they took the ancient trail west," stated the tracker. "We would have to follow the trail to know exactly where they went. Nevertheless, that would be an arduous task. Thus, we have scouts looking out for them in the northwest. We expect to find her soon."

"I think I am going to follow her trail," replied Prince William.

"Good luck," replied the tracker. "It will be a long and hard trail to follow. We'll probably have her before you reach the trail split."

Prince William did not know if the tracker was telling the truth, or trying to lead him astray. It did make sense that whoever took the princess would avoid the Forbidden Zone, but it also made sense to hide there. What dangers did this place have? Was it just a legend to scare away strangers? What secrets did it hide? There were enough questions to keep him going. Besides, being king over all of Morica was very tempting situation.

The God Wars

Chapter Twenty-six:

Harsh Interrogations

By Dwayne MacInnes

Zeus could see that Hermes was very pleased with himself. The god of thieves not only returned with information, but with one of the men responsible for the creation of the machines the Otherworlders loved. Hephaestus was interrogating him now.

"So these iron chariots are called tanks?" Zeus asked.

"Yes," Hermes replied, "and their metal birds they call aircraft, or airplanes, or just planes for short."

"That is all well and good," Ares replied hotly. "But how does this help us out except to put proper names to the vehicles destroying us?"

"Calm, Ares," Hermes said. "These vehicles have limitations."

Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite and Hades all leaned closer to Hermes. Apollo and Hephaestus were busy with the prisoner. Just in case Hephaestus became too zealous, Apollo was on hand to heal any mortal wound Reno received.

"Ha!" laughed Hermes. "I thought that would gain your attention."

"Don't toy with us!" exclaimed Ares. "What are these limitations?"

"It appears that you, oh king are the key," Hermes replied.

"Enough with your games, Hermes," Zeus said with a thunderous voice.

"It has to do with the weather," Hermes smiled. "Their planes cannot operate in bad storms and deep mud will mire down their tanks."

"That is good, brother," Hades replied excitedly. "You can summon a storm the likes never seen and use it to our advantage."

"How will that help out," growled Ares. "Any troops I put in the field will also be adversely affected by such a storm."

"That is true," Hermes admitted. "However, what if we only hoped to keep those machines where they are?"

Zeus leaned even closer and glared at Hermes with a cunning look. "What do you propose?"

"We have attacked Zakrostas twice now with disastrous results," Hermes lectured. "So, if we can't get Zakrostas why not attack the next best target."

"What target would that be?" Hades asked.

"How about a target that does not benefit from all the gifts the Otherworlders brought," Hermes smiled. "What about attacking the city of Atlantis itself?"

Ares roared with laughter, "That will be a surprise! Those Otherworlders would be stuck in Zakrostas while we raze Atlantis. The Atlanteans would see that the Otherworlders cannot protect everyone at once and would begin to turn on them."

"Even if they did come out to attack," Zeus added, "their forces would be thinned out allowing us the choice of when and where to give battle."

The gods began to laugh.

"One question," Aphrodite interrupted the gods who had at this point forgotten that she was in the room. "Why did you not abduct their leader?"

The gods abruptly stopped laughing and stared at Hermes for an answer.

"My plans were not in readiness when the Otherworlders ejected me from Zakrostas," Hermes explained. "I did not even have a chance to meet their famed General Crist. However, I think I did quite well in nabbing the next best thing."

Reno never felt such agony in his life. Not even the electrical jolt he received from the machine compared to the torture the capable hands of Hephaestus administered. The god of the anvil knew his business with hot iron and steely blade.

Twice Reno felt his soul begin to slip away as inky darkness started to envelop him. However, each time the healing touch of Apollo revived him. Unlike Hephaestus, the god of poetry looked with pity upon the tortured man.

"Tell me how you construct your vehicle called tanks!" Hephaestus roared.

"That is not my field of expertise," Reno began to protest before a hot brand again seared itself into Reno's exposed chest. The black smoke curled up and found its way into the nostrils of Reno who struggled briefly between screaming in agony and retching from the overwhelming stench of the sickly sweet smell of his own scorched flesh. The scientist's cries died as he lost consciousness again.

"Don't you think you have learned all you are going to learn?" Apollo asked Hephaestus.

"No, I think I can still persuade him to remember a few more things," Hephaestus grinned evilly.

Apollo again placed his hand upon the still smoldering wound on Reno's chest. Under his touch, the charred flesh disappeared replaced by whole and healthy skin. Reno shortly revived. The scientist could still remember the agony he felt just a moment ago. He did not have to look to see that Apollo had removed all traces of the hot brand's handiwork.

"I think it is time for the blade again," Hephaestus said to Reno when his eyes focused on the blacksmith. The god had several mean looking blades laid out on an anvil next to the scientist. Reno begged again for the gods to spare him when he witnessed the particular vile blade that Hephaestus enjoyed using to flay away the skin of his victims.

"You better start remembering some things," Hephaestus taunted. "Or you may find yourself skinned like a rabbit.

Apollo's stomach for the cruel treatment was full. He only tentatively agreed to the war out of survival. He also refused to believe that the gods should show respect to the mortals. However, after witnessing the endless torturing of a poor soul for what had to be days on end without stop was sickening him. Apollo was beginning to believe that maybe the mortals would be better off without the gods.

Reno cried out in pain as the god of the anvil sliced a huge swath of skin above his stomach. The god tossed it aside where a growing mound of rotting flesh was accumulating. The open wound with the muscle laid bare burned in the open air. Hephaestus laughed in glee as Reno cried again in agony. Reno's blood flowed over the open wound painting his lower body red.

Hephaestus grabbed a goatskin flask at his waist and raised it to his lips. Before he began to take a long pull at the liquid inside, he smiled down at Reno.

"This is such thirsty work, is it not?" the god taunted before he began to drink lustfully from the bottle. Before he swallowed the last of the fluid in his mouth, he spat it over Reno's exposed stomach. A sensation of fire now competed with pain as the alcohol burned the exposed nerve endings.

Apollo turned his eyes away. He could not stand to watch this endless and needless display any further.

Reunited...

Chapter One

By Douglas E. Gogerty

It was a dark and stormy night, and King Jonathan was pacing frantically in his bedchamber. He was waiting impatiently for the return of one of his most trusted subjects. He had been sending him around all day and it was getting quite late. With every passing minute, the king became more restless. He went to the window for another look. The king stifled a frustrated shout.

"Sire?" a voice inquired meekly.

"What news?" asked King Jonathan in a voice attempting to stifle his anxiousness.

"We have looked everywhere -- at least twice. She is no where to be found."

"The wedding is tomorrow!"

"So you have reminded us. However, she did state that should would never marry that man."

"So you think she ran away..."

"Her betrothed is three times her age."

"He is only forty-two. You make him sound ancient."

"You arranged to marry her off to someone who was 7 years older than you -- her father."

"I understand that a fourteen year old girl would be too young to understand the benefits of this union. However, someone was supposed to be watching her."

"Princess Angelina ordered to be left alone when she went to the bathroom. There are no exits, so we did not post double guards at the door. Perhaps that was an oversight on our behalf. She must have simply slipped past her guardian."

"You are being kind to the woman. Should we hire a great detective from England to deduce how she managed to get out of that locked room?"

"No sire. The guardian has been thoroughly interrogated. Bribery is apparent."

"But we do not know who or why?"

"That is correct. The tracks are well covered."

"And it is your contention to make me believe that a teenager of fourteen bribed her guardian to escape, snuck through this entire complex alone and undetected, made her way to the garage, stole a suncar, and just drove away."

"Well..."

"I am flattered that you think my little girl is so resourceful."

"She is very intelligent and wise for her age."

"You forgot headstrong."

"I would never..."

"Of course not. In any event, which suncar is gone?"

"Number 135 sire."

"The newest one. The one we had not put the tracker on yet. Whoever did this is quite smart indeed."

"As you will sire. What are your orders?"

"Have King Thorbjorn meet me in the reception room in half an hour, and have the trackers look for traces on which direction my daughter and her abductors have headed."

"Yes sire."

King Jonathan had spent the entire day in his bed clothes. He directed the search with his subordinates from the early hours of the day, but to no effect. His daughter was not going to be retrieved in time to be wed to King Thorbjorn of Lakeland. The agreement the two men had made would have to wait. Nevertheless, the groom must be informed of the situation. This could only be done by the king and face to face.

However, to meet with his fellow king, he would have to be made presentable. He put on a pair of charcoal-gray pinstriped pants and a dark purple shirt. Over the shirt, he put on a vest and jacket that matched his pants. Over the suit he put on a purple ermine cape. He topped off the ensemble with his jewel encrusted crown.

He went down the 17 floors of the living quarters tower. At the lowest floor, he walked the long and twisting hallways to the back of the reception room. King Thorbjorn was there waiting.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting King Thorbjorn," began King Jonathan with a warm handshake.

"It must be very important to arouse me at this hour," replied the other king.

"It is about my daughter."

"What?" asked King Thorbjorn. "Is everything all right?"

"I wish I could say that it was, but I cannot."

"What happened?"

"My daughter has disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"We are not sure what happened, but we are looking into it."

"That is a convenient excuse to avoid this wedding ceremony."

"I assure you my good friend that this is no game and not an attempt at supplying an excuse for delay. She is gone. A suncar is missing, and we have made a thorough search of the grounds. She has not been found anywhere on the complex grounds."

"Perhaps the lovely thing does not wish to marry an old man like myself."

"There are many things that point to her being abducted rather than her just running away."

"Abducted? Have you received a ransom note?"

"We have not, but there are plenty of individuals who would be happy if this alliance falls through."

"That is certainly true."

"Never fear. We have trackers looking for clues to her whereabouts. This wedding will occur as soon as she is located."

"I am afraid that is not good enough," replied King Thorbjorn with a heavy sigh. "I went through a great deal of trouble to get here on this day, and I shall not wait around for you to track down the runaway bride. I have many things that need my attention."

"But..."

"I am afraid that my mind is made up in this matter. I will follow through with my original wedding plans."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"As am I. Your daughter is by far the most beautiful woman in the land. Needless to say, that is not enough of a reason for me to delay a moment longer. I must return home and attend to my affairs."

"Princess Olivia is a fair maiden in her own right."

"She will be a barer of children which is a fine thing, but the future queen cannot compare to the lovely Angelina. However, I will make an offer that you may find appealing."

"What is it?"

"I will grant the treaty lands, which were to be given to you, as a wedding gift to your daughter if she marries my son Prince William."

"That is a very generous offer."

"I have an ulterior motive. There is a prophesy in my kingdom that claims a young prince who rescues the fairest maiden in the land will unite the kingdoms of Morica. I must let William determine if this is his destiny."

"If the four kingdoms of Morica were united, they would be a very powerful force indeed. I am not sure how I feel about such an outcome."

"Nevertheless, my son will be tasked with finding the princess. It will happen with or without your permission."

"We will do what we can to aid Prince William in his quest."