Gods of War (War of the Gods Series) (21 page)

“I would be afraid of her as well,” the Sgt. Major replied. “After what you said about her, and how she volunteered to go after the Kraken, with Athena behind her staring him down, I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side either.”

Amadi smiled as he watched the battles take place. He was issuing orders through his mind and watched his men carry them out perfectly. “I wish they would just give up. We already have them defeated.” Amadi said.

“You know they are not going to give up. They are trying to perform a counter attack,” he said pointing where the heaviest fighting is coming from.

“Of course why would the fates want to make it easy for us? When the third gets here, we will point them that way. Then we will go after the nuke. We will unleash hell on those beasts.”

“With pleasure, Sir. Perhaps when this is over, we can get that god who made our weapons to make other weapons for us.”

“Like what?”

“You know, drones, mortars, tanks, the whole nine yards.” He started admiring his rifle. “Just think we can take over this whole world if we had things like that made from him.”

“Of course, but I will have to talk with Athena about that. I am sure she can persuade him to do that for us.” Amadi said. He then straightened up tall in his uniform. “The third battalion is on their way. Let’s get ready and show these beasts how to properly kill.”

Jessica watched as Amadi’s battalion set the boat up for the bomb to be loaded.
Then the fun part will begin,
she thought.
Why did I volunteer for this assignment?

Jessica knew each of them had their own agenda and none of them concerned helping the people. Not even Terry.
Somehow he thinks he is doing this to save me
. Jessica continued with her thoughts.
None of them actually care about defending the people of earth. Even Zeus with his talk of saving the humans didn’t mean it.

A messenger ran up to Jessica from the main command post. “The colonel says that we have report of possible enemy combatants coming inland. The scouts said they look like men, but are not exactly men.”

“They are dragon men,” Athena said from behind. She had just walked up from the boat where she was helping with the preparation of the boat. “They are born from a tooth of a dragon, ready to fight and ready to kill. Tell your commander he is to pull his men to the first hill.”

“There are only a hundred of them. We are thirty times their number,” the runner said confidently.

“Yes and there will be three thousand bodies on the ground. You will pull your men back. Jessica and I will handle them.”

The runner acknowledged her orders and ran to his commander.

“What do you mean ‘Jessica and I’?” Jessica asked when the runner left hearing distance.

“Just like I said. You and I will take the dragon men,” Athena said as she started checking her weapons. “They move too fast for these humans. You and I can take them. You have had enough training. If you can’t handle this, what makes you think you can handle the Kraken?”

“Fine, let’s go,” Jessica said as she drew her weapons.

Jessica and Athena ran towards where the dragon men were advancing from. In front of them, they saw Amadi’s troops starting to pull out of their positions. When they reached the second set of hills they saw the dragon men. The runner’s report was correct. They did look like men, but with some differences.

The enemy army came in two sections, each containing fifty dragon men. They were a foot taller and thicker than any man Jessica had ever seen. The armor they had on was in the same fashion that Athena wore, but there was more to it. Their armor covered them from head to toe. The thing Jessica noticed above all else was their eyes. Their eyes were pure black, which when she stared into them, they seemed to suck out her soul. Jessica felt a slap across her face. After recovering, she stared down Athena.

“Don’t look into their eyes. It will leave you paralyzed. When you shoot at them, aim dead center at their chest. You have to pierce the heart to kill them. Anywhere else the body part will fall off and two more will grow from it.”

“Is that is why you told them to fall back,” Jessica asked. When Athena nodded, Jessica continued. “How do I know I actually killed it and not add to our misery?”

“They will explode. So when you do kill one, make sure you leave at least three feet of space between it and other dragon men. This way the explosion doesn’t damage its friends and create more.”

“You’re kidding me. We will never get this done,” Jessica said.

“If you are balking at this, then you will never be able to face the Kraken. Besides, it has been done before.” Athena gave Jessica a wink and ran into the oncoming army.

Jessica watched as Athena jumped on to one that was in the corner and pierced him with her spear. She held her shield over him so when he exploded, the shrapnel wouldn’t fly anywhere. She then turned to the one on the right and pierced him in the heart while bashing another one backwards five feet. When the first one exploded, she threw her spear in the heart of the one she bashed.

Jessica watched with amazement as Athena continued her killing spree. Athena was actually doing it. She was killing them without causing anymore to be created.

Jessica ran and held out her hand, lifted one up with her powers and shot him like a clay pigeon. Jessica looked over and Athena had pierced one of the monsters, but one close to it tried to jump in the way of the explosion.

Jessica saw that it was out of range of other dragon men, so she lifted her pistol and shot. Athena felt the bullet breeze by her head causing her to look back at Jessica as the monster exploded.
That was a close one,
Jessica thought.
How many more do we have?
Jessica surveyed the battle and saw that they killed more than she thought.
We started with a hundred and now I only count fifty-seven.
Athena came back up the hill, grinning from ear to ear.

“They are withdrawing for now,” Athena said as she watched the enemy retreat. “We did pretty well. Glad one of the other gods couldn’t possess them. Whoever sent them will have the dragon men injure themselves to create more.”

“That is horrible. Who created those things?”

“It was Zeus. Ares was conquering the world and Zeus’ followers needed help, so Zeus gave them an army. Then the other gods took his creation and put their own twist on it. Try fighting Apollo’s men. Those are near invincible when it is day. I had to block the sun out for my followers so they could kill his dragon men. Almost lost my city that day,” Athena stated. She had a burning hatred in her voice.

“What do we do now?” Jessica asked.

“We will go and finish the boat. Then I will help Amadi get that bomb of yours. Finally we will see if your plan works.”

The two women turned around and ran back to the command post. Their timetable had just been pushed up faster than they could handle.

Ares was on his throne filled with anger. In front of Ares slumped Apollo, held up in the air by chains attached to his wrists, with Artemis behind him whipping him recklessly. Ares watched the crowd making sure none of them looked away.

“So you lost Hermes and the human he was with?” Ares said from his throne. “And then you managed to let the other human with Aphrodite steal your playthings? Remind me again why you deserve your position? At least Thantos has a real excuse for why he hasn’t killed his human. You not only failed me once Apollo, but twice.”

Ares waved his hand and Artemis stopped whipping so the sun god could talk.

“They had help. They also have power I didn’t realize possible,” Apollo said between gasps. “They are more powerful than any demi-god ever. They are even more powerful than your brother, Heracles.”

Ares walked up to Apollo and slapped him hard across the face. “You will never say that name in my presence ever again. Besides they are humans. The one with Aphrodite, I understand, but you let Hermes make a fool of you. Hermes!” Ares struck Apollo again, causing him to spit up blood. Turning to Atlanta he asked, “Tell me you know where they ended up.”

“Hermes and the one called Nicholaus went into Poseidon’s domain. The other human, Tereus has entered yours. Aphrodite has taken the humans they saved to Zeus’ domain. One of them is a demi-god. Not powerful, but still a demi-god,” Atlanta responded.

Ares nodded and motioned for Artemis to continue with Apollo’s punishment.

“So we have to figure out what Hermes is doing with Poseidon. Any Ideas?” Ares asked the other gods. He didn’t worry about the other humans; they were going to be taken care of soon. One was in his domain and the other will be facing the Kraken. It was the one that entered Poseidon’s domain that worried him. Poseidon has hated Zeus after that incident with Triton and his daughter Nike,
so what were they trying to do?
Ares thought.
Why would he be helping Zeus after all of these years?

“Dionysus you will go to Poseidon. Find out what is going on.” Ares commanded. “Thantos, those humans better be dead before the Kraken gets to them or you will be fed to it. Atlanta my dear, take Artemis and hunt down the human who has entered my domain.”

Ares, now back in his throne, summoned slaves to bring him drink and food. “The new age has come.” Ares shouted. “You have to prove yourselves to be worthy to rule in this new age. If not, I will create new gods to take your place. Leave!”

One by one the gods left, by teleporting or running towards their items that helped them travel, leaving Ares alone with Apollo. Looking at Apollo with disgust, he animated the whip Artemis left behind and watched it continue with Apollo’s punishment.
I am going to have to birth new gods. Gods loyal to me and better than the filth I have following me. Who better to do that than Aphrodite?
Ares started laughing as he noticed how much he had changed when he was first visited by that spirit. He couldn’t fathom how he had lived so differently.

“Alright ladies,” he said summoning his harem in front of him. “Let’s see what you have learned in your lessons so far. Dance!” On cue, the slaves removed their robes and started provocative dance called,
The Sisquani.
Watching the women sway their hips and the blood pouring from Apollo’s back, Ares was finally enjoying himself.

“Hermes!” Zeus yelled “Hermes, where are you?”

“I think he is still gone, Father,” A female voice said from behind.

Turning around Zeus found a young prepubescent girl sprawled on his throne. With dark baggy eyes, stretching repeatedly, and with excessive yawning she had the look of someone who had just woken up.

“Hebe, you have finally awoken. What took you so long?”

“I was enjoying my sleep. I had some great dreams,” Hebe said as she got up and stretched. “Why would I want to be awake? Seeing how I am not powerful enough to have my own domain and earth is off limits, it gets rather boring.” Summoning a drink she asked, “Who is it this time? Ares or Hades?”

“It’s actually Ares, but Hades and many of the younger gods have joined him. The few that have not joined Ares are either with me, staying neutral with Poseidon or are still in the Sleep like you were.” Zeus summoned a chair and sat next to his daughter.

“I believe you have more than you can handle, Father. I don’t like it. I would rather go back to the sleep.” Hebe took a deep breath, already regretting what she was about to say. “What would you like me to do?”

“Thank you for your help daughter. I will appreciate it. First thing, you can help me find the Graeae’s eye. It is the only way they will be cooperative and give me a correct foretelling,” Zeus said after hugging her. Together they got up to look for the eye.

Aphrodite waited in Ares’ chamber to divert Atlanta and Artemis from killing Tereus. The fool had the audacity to send those children to kill Tereus. I am going to have to deal with him when I get the chance.

Aphrodite could hear the door open to Ares’ ante chamber as Atlanta and Artemis walked in discussing how they were going to handle the human. Aphrodite was still amazed with how Ares had managed to manipulate the other gods under his control. He learned much over the years under both the shade’s and her influence. He was doing much better than he normally would have. In the past he would have killed Apollo. ‘Damn Zeus and his edict’ Ares would say.

Even with his new methods, Ares was still making enemies among his followers. Using humans as his generals was both smart and dumb. It freed up his biggest assets, but the gods, being the egotistic maniacs they are, didn’t like it. If her plans came together, which would require the human to stay alive; she wouldn’t need the other gods. She would create a new species that would over power the gods and the Titans.

Aphrodite waited for the pair to enter Ares’ chambers.
Then he had these two
, Aphrodite thought.
They were the only two gods who were truly loyal to him, if you can call being controlled loyalty.
Artemis would kill him if she wasn’t being controlled by that fabulous piece of jewelry, and Atlanta was only being loyal because he was protecting her from the curse.

“What are you doing here?” Atlanta asked as she walked into the room.

“I am here to see my little kitty,” Aphrodite said mockingly. “Where is your cat litter? I don’t see it anywhere.”

Atlanta hissed at Aphrodite and pulled her sword. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t run you through right now.”

“One is easy. How about I give you two? First, Ares has forbidden it. Second, I am going to remove that curse you have. For you, dear Artemis, I can get that necklace removed. Then you can have your revenge on Ares.”

“Didn’t you already make a deal with Ares?” Artemis said.

“Dear Artemis, when you get older, you can come and play with the big girls. That is why I put that curse on you in the first place. It wasn’t personal; it was just another scheme in the game we play.” Walking towards Atlanta, Aphrodite started tracing her curves with her fingers. “What do you say? Do you want to serve me and truly be free or stay with Zeus and be his plaything?”

Cringing from Aphrodite’s touch, Atlanta swallowed her pride and asked, “What do we have to do?”