Fallen Gods II

by Nick S. Thomas

  “Where are you going?”

  “Exactly where I need to go.”

  “We’re on the eve of war, and you are running?”

  “Running!” Aaron yelled angrily.

  “Then what? Where could you possibly be going, alone and unarmed?”

  “You want me to be a champion. You want me to be something I am not. You want me to be what you thought Thanatos could be.”

  She didn’t know how to respond.

  “I’m not those things. I’m a fighter. I’ll stand and fight wherever I am needed, but I’m not what you need me to be. I’m not good enough, and not strong enough.”

  “Then where are you going?”

  “To find someone who can teach me.”

  “Are you not one of the best swordsmen in this country?”

  He laughed. “I’m pretty good, yeah.”

  “So where are you going?”

  “Far away, to find someone I don’t even know if exists.”

  “And yet you are going?”

  “Yep, you can call it a leap of faith. I didn’t believe he existed, but I didn’t believe in the Greek gods either, and here you are, gatecrashing the party. So, I’m going to see what I can really be.”

  “A trial?”

  “Something like that.” He rushed for the door.

  “And if you don’t come back?”

  He stopped in the doorway.

  “If I don’t come back, well I was never good enough to get the job done, was I?” He turned and left her in his home once again.

  He’d left with nothing more than a few clothes, his passport, and a pocket full of cash. He’d never felt more alone, but this was something he had to do on his own. He was terrified of where he was going and what he might find, and yet equally terrified of facing Hades once more without at least a chance against him. He’d never felt more powerless than against Hades, and he knew the others felt it, too. Even Thanatos, for all his carefree attitude, Aaron knew he felt it, too. He was hiding behind a façade, while he had to be torn up inside.

  He reached his truck and climbed in, stopping when he noticed a leaflet on the dashboard. It was one he’d seen a thousand times before, as it was for his own club. He, Luca, and Ava adorned the cover with smiling faces. They looked so happy back then, a time when he could leave all his worries at work, and dedicate all his free time to the joy of swordsmanship. Not because he had to, or because he needed to because his life depended on it, but as a sport. He missed those days, and he missed Luca. He was used to having people around him he could depend on. But in this he had to go it alone.

  It wasn’t long before he reached the airport and booked and paid for a ticket in cash. His truck was laid up in long stay parking for an undetermined amount of time. He took a seat at the bar in the departures while he waited.

  The uncertainty was killing him, but he looked fondly at a beer as it was placed on the bar before him. He was glad to down a few before the flight and sleep most of the way. It was going to be a long journey. He lifted his glass, but just as it touched his lips, a voice beside him called out, “Cheers.”

  He held up his glass to salute whoever the cheerful stranger was, only to find it was no stranger at all, but Ava.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “You honestly think I was going to let you do this alone?”

  “You have to.”

  “Why? Because it’s dangerous?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you think you’re the only one allowed to take risks?”

  “It’s not like that, Ava.”

  “Damn right it isn’t.”

  “You have no idea what this is, and where I’m going.”

  “The hell I do.”

  But he wasn’t convinced and waited for her to go on to prove it.

  “You’re going to go looking for a master. Someone none us even believed existed. You’re going to find Aldred, the last teacher alive to have a lineage all the way back to Fiore and Lichtenauer.”

  He recoiled in surprise.

  “You think I don’t know these things, but I do.”

  “But how could you know I was doing this?”

  “Because I know how desperate you are. How much you need to become better than you ever could be if you stayed here. You need something beyond what any of us are capable of.”

  “We don’t even know if Aldred really exists. He could have just been made up, like any character of myth.”

  “But you think there’s a chance, don’t you?”

  “With the things we now know, yes. It doesn’t seem so farfetched anymore.”

  “But things are bad enough you’re willing to go looking?”

  “I have to. I have to be the best I can possibly be, and I cannot do that on my own.”

  “Then you won’t have to. We’re doing this together.”

  “You can’t…” he began.

  “I wasn’t asking,” she snapped as she cut him off.

  He sighed, taking a sip of his beer as he tried to think of a way to talk her out of it.

  “Do you have any idea how dangerous this could be? If he really does exist, he might just be the most dangerous man on Earth. And if he is real, he’s kept himself to himself, I can’t imagine he’ll be too keen on anyone making contact.”

  “It’s dangerous all over. I’ll take looking for a legendary swordsman over fighting Hades himself. I know you want to protect me, and to protect all of us. But we’re in this together. If you’re willing to take these risks, so are we. That ain’t on you.”

  “And the club?”

  “Plenty of people can handle it. I asked Mikey to fill in for a while. They’re more than capable of handling themselves.”

  “And when Zhang comes back?”

  “I’ve asked Theo to keep an eye out, but it’s time you started trusting the rest of us. You trained us, and you know what we can do. Let us do it.”

  He groaned as he wasn’t happy about it at all, but he was glad of the company.

  “You really want this?” Aaron asked wearily.

  “Hell, no, but neither do you. We do what we must. We’re there for each other when it matters most. It doesn’t matter whether we want to or not. We’re with you on this, we all are. This war, it’s not something you walk away from. We’re in it till the end now, for better or worse. But let’s have a little fun while we still can, huh?”

  She lifted her beer. He smiled and clashed his against it.

  “Cheers.”

  He took a sip, and it sure tasted good. He looked around at the dozens of other people going about their lives as if it were any normal day. He smiled to himself.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m sitting here thinking, none of these people have any idea the things we have seen, and the things we know.”

  “Right?”

  “It’s funny, because we don’t know any more about the things they’ve seen and done. For all we know, any one of these people could be a god, or anything else for that matter. It kind of changes your perspective when you realize there’s a whole other world out there you never knew existed. That you didn’t even believe could exist.”

  “You see; things can’t be all bad if you can still spring a smile.”

  “Bottoms up. We’ve got to get a few in us if we’re gonna ride out the redeye,” he said with a grin and pointed to the barman for another beer.

  Chapter 8

  Theodosia anxiously paced back and forth. Behind her was all the info they had on Vulcan’s disappearance and those that had attacked them. It wasn’t much to go on, and that was winding her up.

  “Jeez, will you just sit down for a minute,” complained Carter.

  He was still bandaged and patched up from the incident, but he was acting as if it had never happened.

  “Whoever these people are, they came into your house. They stole from you, tried to kill you, and took Vulcan. How can you be okay with that?”

  “I’m not. I’m gonna find those
bastards, and when I do, I’m gonna nail the sons of bitches. But one step at a time. Right now, we don’t know jack shit, so what’s the point in worrying about it? Make sure we’re ready next time, and keep looking. No point in getting all twisted up over it. It is what it is.”

  “But you don’t even seem angry about it?”

  “Oh, I’m angry.” He shot up from his chair, “Don’t be under any illusions about that. I’m just not gonna vent till I got something to vent against. We have to stay coolheaded, be smart about this. And anyway, something tells me whoever came for those weapons, they’ll be back.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they knew all about ‘em. They must know a whole lot about you and this whole thing.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “A thief is never content. They’ll be back for more.”

  “They already got the stash of weapons, and with Vulcan they can make more.”

  “If he’s alive, and if he complies. Either way, there’s plenty more to pick over here.”

  “Like what?”

  He pointed at the blade on her side.

  “Those weapons sure are special, how many you think you got between your people?”

  “Ten, twelve maybe.”

  “Exactly, every one of those is priceless, and if Vulcan is unwilling or unable to make more, the supply is limited. They’ll come back for more. Trust me. It’s not like we could do much to stop them, is it?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “We got our asses kicked.”

  She knew it was true, and she was worried.

  “Who could have known about these weapons? Who else did know?”

  “Before we took on Hades the whole lot of us gathered at my place. That’s a few dozen that knew. Who knows who they could have told? I kept that place quiet, but with the amount of activity with that many people, it could have got noticed.”

  “The ones that attacked you were no common thieves. It wasn’t an opportunistic attack. They were skilled and trained, and they carried weapons that were quite special. I’ve never seen their kind before.”

  “I know this may come as a surprise to you, but people around here don’t use swords for real. Sure, they do it for fun, but nobody brings a sword to a gunfight. Nobody but you, and them.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “That maybe whoever they are, they came from where you did, because they sure aren’t regular folk.”

  “Their clothing, their weapons, even the way they fought, it’s not like anything I have experienced.”

  “The world’s a big place. Maybe they were there all along, and you didn’t know it. They seem to lurk in the shadows like goddamn ninjas.”

  “Ninjas?”

  “Assassins and spies that used disguises and crept about at night. They could get in and out without anybody ever knowing, till they saw the results of their handiwork.”

  “These ninjas, who were they, and why did they do it?”

  “For money mostly. They were real good at it till someone got pissed off enough to butcher them. Nobody likes a thief and a killer sneaking in and out of their lives.”

  “And you think it was these ninjas that attacked you?”

  Carter was silenced for a moment, but he soon began to chuckle until he exploded into a fully blown deep laugh as his entire stomach shook.

  “What? What is so funny?” Theo asked angrily.

  “No, they aren’t ninja. I was just drawing a parallel.”

  “But they are like ninja?”

  “Sure, I bet you had something similar where you came from, maybe they came down here with you?”

  “We don’t have people who slink about in the night stealing and killing.”

  “Really? So, everyone where you were was honest? Good folk doing honest things only?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s funny, because I read the myths years ago, and I remember a trail of death and deception, and it all ended in a bitter civil war.”

  She frowned, knowing it to be true.

  “Maybe your paradise wasn’t a paradise after all, just another place. Different people, but same shit everywhere you go.”

  “That is rather cynical.”

  “Yeah? Live long enough, and you’ll understand.”

  “Don’t let this face fool you. I have lived a great many of your lifetimes.”

  “And you haven’t got tired of this shit yet? What gives you the energy to keep going?”

  “Duty.”

  He laughed.

  “Duty? Sure. I had the call of duty once. It meant everything to me, but what did I get back for it? A tiny pension. Once you’re no longer useful, they don’t give a damn.”

  “Not with Zeus, the Allfather provided a perfect existence for us.”

  “So long as you did exactly what he wanted?”

  “He was the Allfather, so yes.”

  “And you were okay with that?”

  “Why would I not be?”

  “You never wanted to just be free? Be out there to do and be whatever you wanted to?”

  It was clear the idea had never occurred to her.

  “I’m sure your old life seemed good and all, but you know, a slave who has only ever known one life may never realize how much better things can be.”

  “We were not slaves.”

  “Maybe not entirely, but you weren’t free. I’ve been fighting my whole life to be free. Aside from the taxes I gotta pay, I have it. You being down here with us now, you could have it, too. You don’t need to do what anyone tells you. Hell, you could probably run this place if you wanted to.”

  “Don’t tempt me. We weren’t made to hold such power.”

  “Really? If not you, then who is?”

  “We shouldn’t interfere here, not unless it is the Allfather’s will.”

  “And where is he now?”

  She looked sad, but also angry he even had to ask, as she knew perfectly well he had the answer.

  “You know I like to complain about this life. It’s sort of a hobby of mine. Grumpy old bastard is a state of mind I enjoy, but the truth is we have it pretty good. Of all the places and times you could have arrived it, you did pretty well. Greatest country on Earth.”

  “It’s not bad,” she admitted.

  “Only one obstacle stands in our way, if Hades really is going to leave us alone.”

  “If? You know he won’t. How could he? He’s hungry for power.”

  “But peace for even a short while can be enough for us gather our strength. This could be good for us. I’m not saying a fight isn’t coming with Hades, but he’s not in the game right now. We only have one major concern.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Whoever knocked us over, took our weapons, and took Vulcan. We need those weapons back, and we need our master smith back. A war is brewing, it always is. If you want peace, prepare for war.”

  She smiled, clearly very familiar with the saying.

  “One thing we agree on, we must find Vulcan. What I don’t understand is how he was taken. Who could overpower Vulcan so easily, if not Hades?”

  “There have to be others in this world as powerful as you.”

  “Maybe. There are many beings in existence that are not of Olympus. Most we would never cross paths with.”

  “Like who?”

  “Honestly, I don’t entirely know. I never spent much time on Earth. I was just a soldier, and I did as ordered. I went and did as Zeus wanted. I didn’t need to know anything more.”

  “If you don’t know who and what you’re fighting, and what else is out there, how do you know if you’re doing the right thing?”

  “Because the Allfather commanded it.”

  He laughed at how absurd it was, especially to his libertarian beliefs.

  “You went to war, how did you know?”

  “Oh, sure, I was sent to fight the yellow man on the other side of the world.”

  “Yellow?”

 
; “The Vietnamese.”

  “And you knew it was the right thing to fight them?”

  “Hell, no, I knew it wasn’t. They never intended us any harm. It wasn’t our fight. We should never have been there.”

  “And still you went?”

  “I didn’t have a choice. It was that or go to prison.”

  “And you’d rather kill your fellow man than suffer incarceration?”

  “Sure, but it wasn’t just that. I was young and dumb, and I didn’t know any better. I kind of knew it wasn’t right, but I didn’t know much about the world. I did what I was told, just like you did. But you know what? With experience, you realize it’s all bullshit. We weren’t fighting for our freedom or for any good reason. We were fighting because some assholes back home wanted us to.”

  “Do you wish you could take it back?”

  “There’s no point worrying about it too much now. Can’t go back and change it, but we can change what we do in the future. If some asshole from the government came looking for me to fight again, I’d tell him where to stick it, unless it was a genuine fight. A fight for our country and our people.”

  “You fought with us?”

  “Because this is a battle worth fighting. Can’t be said about many wars.”

  “How can you know what war is right or wrong without some leader to show you the way?”

  “Hell, I don’t need no one to tell me. I make up my own mind. You know what is right and wrong. You don’t need to be told.”

  She looked dumbfounded.

  “If Zeus had never existed, you’d still know Hades was bad news, wouldn’t you?”

  “I…I think so.”

  “Right, you’ve spent too long under someone’s thumb. You need to trust in yourself to do the right thing, and the people who stand beside you, not those who’d try and command from afar. Brothers and sisters in arms, you get me?”

  She nodded along, but it was clearly still such an alien concept.

  “We’re going to win this fight.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because good triumphs over evil, eventually. I don’t know why or how, but it has to, or this world would have been consumed a long time ago.”