by Brandon Chen
“They claim that the boy has incredible physical strength and is able to summon a gigantic rock elemental at will. He also has some type of enchanted spear that he can control without even having to wield it. Such magical strength and precision would require decades of training for an ordinary Magus to perfect such a skill. Perhaps even a lifetime,” Zahir said. “There is another catch, though. They say that he looks identical to the prince, Darien, just before he was cast into the Lost Sands to perish.”
“Darien?”
The queen yawned, drowsily cracking her eyes open. “Mm? Cambyses, what are you doing up?”
“Nothing, my love,” Cambyses reassured her. “Go back to sleep.”
Zahir clicked his fingers and immediately the queen fell into a deep slumber. “It is quite possible that the prince is still alive then. Though, I am not sure if that boy is him. After all, I examined Darien and saw that he didn’t have any magical prowess at his young age. There was no potential for him to ever become a Magus. And yet this Ares has an incredible pool of magical power and destructive capabilities. Besides, it’s impossible for Darien to look the exact same age as he was five years ago. He was a growing boy; he’d be a man by now.”
Cambyses exhaled, relieved. “You’re right.”
“Ramses has also sighted Ares at Yuusus. If our army is going to push into eastern Dastia as planned, we’re going to have to go through the God of War,” Zahir said.
“What does Ramses believe is the best course of action?”
“He believes it best if we test this God of War to see just how strong he is.”
Cambyses raised an eyebrow. “So use Shazir’s army as bait, then?”
“Meanwhile, we can send in our armies into the Lost Sands to locate the lost artifact, as originally planned many years ago,” Zahir said. “Without Ares guarding the Lost Sands we can push deeper into the desert and perhaps find it. Of course, the desert is very dangerous and we are bound to have heavy casualties. But we will manage much better with Ares out of the way.”
Cambyses nodded. “I see. Then use Shazir’s army as you see fit.”
“I must speak against that, milord,” a voice spoke from the shadows. A young man with flowing hair the color of pure snow stepped out from the darkness, wearing heavy metallic armor that clanked as he walked. His hands were covered by black gloves and his turquoise eyes flitted from Zahir to Cambyses. A white cloak wrapped itself around his armor but was left unbuttoned, revealing an iron chest plate inscribed with a red insignia of a lion. “Sacrificing the lives of that many men is not worth petty information on our target.”
“My apprentice,” Zahir said with an amused smile. “I was not aware that you had followed me. You are much stealthier than I thought. I’ve taught you well, Yuu.”
Yuu said nothing, nor did his apathetic expression change.
“What is this Magus doing here?” Cambyses grumbled. “My family is sleeping! We will talk about this another time. Zahir, continue with the plans. Yuu, we have plenty of men to spare. If those soldiers can stall Ares long enough so that we can get troops into the Lost Sands to begin searching for the artifact, then it is worth it ten times over.” He dismissed the two Magi with a wave and wearily returned to his bed, plopping himself into the soft mattress.
Ares. There were many gods worshipped by different cultures. But in all of western Dastia, Cambyses had never heard of a god named Ares before five years ago when he had proclaimed his name to the world. A god of war that had simply appeared out of nowhere and was one of the first to interact with the mortal world. But what culture worshipped this god? It was not Persia.
Cambyses sighed and closed his eyes, trying not to think of it too much. Soon enough he would have the power to bring down anyone, human or god.
***
Yuu walked on the dust-covered walkway outside of Persepolis’s royal castle, overlooking the city as he followed his mentor, Zahir. He had heard that this God of War, Ares, looked similar, if not identical, to Darien. The old memories that he had of Darien made him tingle with nostalgia, but he could not forget the fact that he had gone mad and murdered his own parents in cold blood. When Yuu had been woken after being slashed across the back, five years before, he had awoken to shocking news of Tetsu and Darien’s banishments. The two of them, he knew, would not last a week in the Lost Sands.
But when Cambyses had told him of Darien’s betrayal of the kingdom, Yuu couldn’t believe his ears. Unfortunately, the noble was forced to believe it. Just before Yuu had passed out from his injury, he recalled seeing Darien’s expression reflecting bloodlust as he relentlessly stabbed the corpse of one of the Persians. The sadistic look in his eyes had made Yuu question whether or not he truly knew Darien. The irate prince had gone mad from his untamable rage.
Yuu had passed out afterward, and later found himself slowly believing what Cambyses had told him. Accepting that Darien and Tetsu were gone from his life, Yuu had continued his studies so that he could make his noble family proud by becoming a powerful figure in the Persian government. However, several months after the banishment of Darien and Tetsu, Zahir approached Yuu and offered the boy an apprenticeship. He offered to make Yuu a Magus.
Becoming a Magus would grant the young boy, who had always been powerless, newfound strength. Humans in Dastia were either born with hidden magic, or they were simply ordinary mortals. In order to unlock that sealed magic one had to inscribe an ancient symbol onto their body, similar to a tattoo. That marking was their proof of becoming a mage. But in order to become a Magus, the mage would have to train vigorously to unlock their maximum capabilities and utilize their magic to its full potential.
Each Magus specialized in a type of magic that was determined when they were born. Many people who were born with magic were never actually able to use their magic, though, because they never received an ancient marking. Thus their secret power lay dormant for their entire lives. When Yuu discovered that he had been born with suppressed magic, he leapt at the opportunity to become one of the Magi, frightened of constantly being powerless and leaving his magic dormant forever. He had wanted to make a difference to the empire through becoming a strong political figure. But now with magic, he could change the world with a different approach.
“Do you truly think that Ares could be Prince Darien?” Yuu asked his mentor as they walked along the stone pathway, overlooking the gigantic city of Persepolis. Could Darien really be alive?
“The chances are highly unlikely,” Zahir admitted. “I’d say that the two of them crossed paths somewhere in the Lost Sands. While Ares is an unknown deity to us, he is still a god. Thus he can change his physical appearance to his liking and he must have chosen Darien for some mysterious reason. That’s my theory. Though, that means that Prince Darien could still be very much alive, given the fact that he has some type of a connection with Ares. It will be up to us Persian Magi to exterminate his existence, do you understand?” The Magus looked at Yuu over his shoulder with his glowing purple eyes. “You cannot let your past with him jeopardize the safety of our empire.”
“I won’t,” Yuu reassured his mentor. “I would never spare a traitor to Persia.”
***
The morning air was crisp and still, typical of the weather in northern Dastia. In the afternoon it would grow hot and humid, but for now, Ares enjoyed the cool temperatures. The god had slept on the floor between Aleysha and Tetsu, on blue mats, while Aleysha’s mother took the bed.
The sounds of shouting merchants and bargaining shoppers soon echoed through the silent household as Yuusus awoke from its daily slumber.
Ares groaned, cracking his eyes open, and saw that everyone was already awake and moving about the house. He figured that it was time he got up too.
Everyone in the household seemed to have to contribute in some way. Aleysha’s mother asked if Aleysha and Ares could deliver a heavy chest to a buyer from across the city. Ares didn’t mind doing some chores to help out Aleysha’s family. After all, it w
as the least he could do after her mother had cooked such a gigantic meal.
Ares picked up the one-hundred-pound package with one hand easily, lifting it over his head. Aleysha and her mother stared at him with shock. The blonde mercenary jabbed Ares in the ribs with her elbow and whispered hotly, “At least make it look like you’re struggling with that! You look like you’re only fifteen years old, and even grown men can’t lift packages like that over their head!”
“Oh, got it. Wow, this package is really heavy!” the boy exclaimed loud enough so Aleysha’s mother could hear. Aleysha smacked her forehead. Ares would never be an actor, that was for sure. This was horrible.
Tetsu burst out laughing, unable to control himself anymore.
Ares turned to look at his friend and accidently tripped, landing on the ground face-first with the heavy package slamming down onto his back. Aleysha’s mother screamed as she rushed forward. Aleysha and Tetsu heaved the chest off of the boy’s body. Aleysha’s mother helped Ares to his feet. “A-Are you okay?” She was talking frantically, brushing dust off of Ares and checking him all over to see if he had any injuries.
The boy stared at the woman as if she were an alien and then smiled, a warm feeling rising in his chest. It had been a while since he had felt this way. Even his mother hadn’t been this worried and affectionate. But Aleysha’s mother genuinely cared for her guests. She truly was a kind soul.
Ares and Aleysha said goodbye as they left the house, and carried the chest through Yuusus. As promised, Aleysha showed Ares around the city as they made their way across Yuusus to deliver the package. The city had tons of shops and its restaurants were culturally diverse, bringing together a variety of different foods to this one central hub of the continent. People from all over Dastia came to Yuusus to offer new styles for making food and it simply fascinated Ares. He had always just had Hussan to cook for him back when he was a prince, and in the Lost Sands he would eat whatever he could get his hands on. But in Yuusus it was all about the difference in style and taste. They weren’t just eating to survive like Ares did in the Lost Sands.
Aleysha led the young god to a large neighborhood of mansions, all of which were massive and made of expensive materials, like marble and gold, which made them stand out from the homes made of stone, wood, and mud. The two companions stopped at one particular manor, the largest of them all. The front door was made of a fine wood that was a dark hue of brown and had a golden knocker that took the shape of a malicious demon’s face. Giant marble pillars supported the building’s slanted orange-tiled rooftop, and several acres of verdant grass surrounded the mansion, which was surprising. Ares didn’t see much grass in western Dastia, but this house seemed to have plenty of it.
Aleysha grabbed the golden knocker and gently rapped it against the demon’s face on the wooden door. It only took a second before the door swung open and the mercenary found herself face to face with a dainty young girl.
The stranger’s long brunette hair was tied up in a ponytail that blew in the gentle breeze that gusted through the area. Her eyes were the color of emeralds, glistening with life. She looked as if she was twenty, and she was absolutely the definition of beauty, even Aleysha had to admit to that. She wore a long, dark blue skirt that went just past her thighs and long white stockings that covered most of her exposed legs. The girl wore a tight blue shirt with a line of buttons running through the center of her clothing. Her skirt and shirt came together with a thick leather belt that wrapped around her waist, secured by a golden buckle. In her hand she gripped a carved staff made of some type of rare wood that Ares and Aleysha didn’t recognize. The light brown stick was curved at the end and almost looked more like a cane than a staff. A necklace hung down from her neck and rested a small, cerulean-blue, circular trinket on her chest. The girl had forgone shoes and was walking on bare feet.
“Oh, hey Aleysha!” The girl scanned the area around the mercenary as if she were looking for someone. “Is Tetsu here?”
“Hey, Kira. Uh, no. He’s helping my mother do some errands.”
“But he’s in town!”
“Yeah, he is.” Aleysha laughed. “It’s quite rare to see the two of you here at the same time.”
“It is! I really miss him,” Kira exclaimed, her eyes lit up like fireworks when she found out that Tetsu was in Yuusus. She turned her attention to Ares and smiled. “And who are….” She frowned suddenly, tilting her head. “Huh? I don’t feel anything from you.”
“What do you mean?” Aleysha asked.
“Normally with any mortals I can see the aura that they give off. But with him I don’t see anything. That’s really strange.” Kira frowned. “Aleysha, introduce us.”
“Uh, right.” Aleysha indicated to Kira. “Darien, this is Kira. She’s the Magus of an eastern empire called Luxas. Kira, this is Darien.” She cleared her throat. “Is your king here? I believe that he was the one who ordered this package.”
“Yeah, he is,” Kira said, not taking her eyes off of Ares for a moment. “I’ll make sure that the package gets to him.” She tapped her staff on the ground and the package levitated into the air and drifted slowly into the house. “Darien, right? Well, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Ares said and suddenly his eyes widened. He jerked his head around and watched as an ominous shadow blanketed over the land. He could feel bloodlust in the air and an unforgettable violent aura permeated through the area. The boy grunted, grabbing Aleysha and shoving her into Kira’s arms, forcing the two girls into the house. “Get down!” he boomed and slammed the door shut behind him, looking up at the sky.
The shadows that had stretched across the land were caused by a tsunami of arrows that were raining from the sky, slamming down and digging into the earth. Ares extended his hand outward, a brisk wind conjuring his spear into his hand. “Aegis.” A giant, oval, shield materialized in front of Ares, halting all of the projectiles that were coming down on the mansion. The arrows froze as they struck the blue magical barrier, and they hovered in the air, unmoving.
Ares snapped his fingers and the arrows exploded backwards, returning back to their origins with blinding speed. The god gritted his teeth, turning to the mansion. It looked as if thousands of pricks were poking out of the grass, though the building was untouched because of Ares’ conjured shield. He walked to one of the arrows that was lodged deep into the dirt and grabbed the projectile by its shaft, pulling the bronze weapon from the earth. He recognized the arrow’s texture and closed his eyes, distraught. These arrows were made by Persians. It was common for Persian armies to begin an incursion with a volley of deadly arrows. They had enough archers to make it rain death upon Yuusus. Surely there were going to be many casualties.
Aleysha threw the door of the mansion open and staggered outside. “What happened?” she panted, scanning the area.
“Persians,” Ares said. “They’ve come to invade Yuusus.”
“How did you stop all the arrows like that? Are you a Magus yourself?” Kira asked, surprised.
“Something like that,” Ares said. “You’re going to need to get your king to somewhere secure. This place is going to turn into a battlefield once those Persians start to advance. I’ll try to make them turn back.”
“Oh my gods, what about Mom?” Aleysha exclaimed, covering her mouth with shock.
Ares reached out and grabbed Aleysha, sweeping her off her feet, holding the mercenary in his arms. “Hold on!” He grunted and kicked off of the ground, propelling himself hundreds of feet into the air as he soared over Yuusus, his eyes scanning for Aleysha’s home. The mercenary’s fearful screams echoed in his ears but he ignored them as he descended towards the city. He smashed down onto the ground, squatting as the earth cracked beneath his feet. Ares lowered Aleysha, who was trembling, to the street and scanned the area around him.
Every living creature that had been in the streets during the time of the volley had been killed. Arrows protruded from the bloody wounds of corpses that lay sprawl
ed across the city streets. Camels, monkeys, snakes, and other animals also lay dead, penetrated by the deadly projectiles. Ares bit his lip and heard Aleysha’s shrill scream. He turned and rushed through the open doorway into her house.
Arrows had torn their way through the roof in their home and buried themselves into the dirt floor. The windows were shattered and glass was scattered all over the floor in a chaotic display. Beside a broken vase was a bloody, unmoving body. Aleysha’s mother.
Ares stared, watching as Aleysha cradled her mother’s corpse in her arms. He felt a chilling sensation shiver through his spine and he winced. The image of his slain parents flashed through his mind and he staggered sideways, leaning himself against the wall of Aleysha’s home. He closed his eyes and shook his head, feeling dizzy. Aleysha’s mother hadn’t deserved this horrible fate. She’d done nothing wrong. Yet the unfairness of the universe brought her this brutal end.
The Persians had attacked without warning. They released hell upon Yuusus with no care for the lives of the innocent people in this city. They were scum. No, they were worse than that. All of them deserved what was coming.
Boiling ire surged through Ares’ veins as he mashed his teeth, storming out of the house. He couldn’t listen to Aleysha’s wailing cries anymore. He knew where he had to be. Ares jammed his feet hard into the ground and sent himself rocketing upwards into the air even higher than before. Flying through the sky from his incredible jump, the boy’s arms flailed as he scanned his surroundings.
In the nearby distance, over the hills of sand outside of Yuusus, was a gigantic army of black-clothed Persians. The front line of soldiers had black turbans on their heads with scarves covering their mouths from the whipping wind. They had metallic chain vests that protected their upper bodies and wore white, thick pants. The front line was wielding sharpened scimitars and carrying a combination of spiral wooden shields that were coated with a layer of iron, making them gleam in the sunlight. The archers, however, were cowering behind the warriors and nocking their bows with bronze arrows. Clearly they were prepared to attack the defenseless city of Yuusus once more.
