by Brandon Chen
Ares plunged down towards the Persian army, the blistering wind rushing through his hair. I’ll make you pay for what you’ve done!
***
General Shazir stood tall as he gazed over the prosperous city of Yuusus, clearly worthy of its title of one of the richest cities in Dastia. It had taken the Persian army months to travel around the Lost Sands to reach this city. The general was finally ready to seize the glory he had been promised and dominate this settlement. He was surprised, though. He had heard that this was a city of mercenaries, yet he saw absolutely no resistance. Then again, who could build up the courage to combat against a force over fifty thousand soldiers strong? After all, this was a small city. There were probably less than fifty thousand inhabitants in Yuusus. Only a percentage of that population could actually take up arms and fight. The general grinned, victory already in his sights. The riches of this land would become his and Cambyses would praise him for his effortless triumph.
“Milord, above!” a soldier yelled.
Shazir glanced up into the sky, and his eyes widened when he spotted a figure flying through the open air towards the Persian army. “How in the gods…?”
The figure smashed down into the front line of Persian warriors. An explosion of dust erupted into the air and swept outwards, sending soldiers scattering in all directions. A silhouette arose from the thick smokescreen, taking the dark shape of a young boy. As the cloud of dust dispersed, Shazir saw that a boy who looked identical to the deceased Persian prince, Darien, was standing there on top of a pile of corpses.
“Who are you?” Shazir demanded, the Persian troops all unsheathing their weapons and pointing them at the lone boy. “Do you know who you’re standing against? We are warriors of the Persian Empire! And—”
“I don’t care,” the boy replied, brushing his blonde hair from his enraged eyes. “I’m Ares, and I’ve come to tell you that this city is underneath my protection. Turn back now or I won’t be responsible for what happens next.”
“A-Ares?” Words filled with terror began to radiate through the Persian ranks, causing some soldiers to tremble with fear. “The god who slays all in his path? How do we stand a chance against someone like that?”
“Under your protection?” Shazir scoffed. “I thought that gods were not allowed to meddle in mortal affairs. So how is it that you are unbound by the natural laws that control the gods?”
Ares gripped his spear in his hand and twirled it through the air, pointing the tip at the Persian army. “I guess I’m not an ordinary god then. You didn’t offer quarter to the citizens of this city; instead, you attacked without warning. Why? That is a simple rule of war.”
“A rule?” General Shazir guffawed, holding his belly. “Made by whom?”
“Me.” Ares exploded forward, smashing through the Persian lines effortlessly as he soared towards Shazir, who stood in absolute shock. The boy had easily swatted aside the Persian warriors as if they were nothing. His spear was just about to strike Shazir’s throat when a giant, meaty fist sank into Ares’ stomach. The god flipped backwards wildly through the air, flying off of the hill, bouncing like a skipping stone until he landed at the bottom. Ares slowly pushed himself to his feet, spitting some sand from his mouth and glaring up at a burly man that now towered at the peak of the hill.
The shirtless man was wearing a tiger-skin cape and shorts. He was huge, a hulk of untamed muscle. He smacked his hardened fist against his palm and grinned brashly at Ares. “Why, if it isn’t the infamous God of War himself!” The large man laughed, striking his bare chest with a hard fist. “I’ve been waiting years to test my limits against someone like you. I will show you why they call me the strongest man in the world! My name is Amam the Destroyer! Remember that name, boy!”
A black-cloaked man stepped up from beside the bulky man, his face covered by the cowl of his cloak. He reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing a young face. He had black, spiky hair that was pricked straight up. “We’ve been waiting to see how strong you are, God of War.”
Ares clenched his teeth. So these guys had targeted Yuusus with that volley because they knew that he was there? He had jeopardized the lives of everyone in the city. He was the reason that Aleysha’s mother was dead. But why were these people after him in the first place? “Who are you guys?”
“My name is Ramses,” the cloaked man introduced himself. “We are Magi of Persia. We’ve come to put an end to your existence, god.” He extended his hand and suddenly his palm began to glow an ominous golden color. A cannon of bright light burst from his hand and whistled towards Ares.
Ares grunted, leaping into the air as the energy bashed into the sand beneath him, sending the earth scattering in all directions. “Awaken, Amon!” he yelled and his giant friend tore itself from the ground beneath him. The god landed on Amon’s head and exhaled as the rock golem towered to his full height over the Persian army, covering the soldiers in its gigantic shadow. “Sorry,” Ares said, crossing his arms over his chest, “but I don’t intend to die any time soon.”
A New Resolve
Tetsu sprinted through the gruesome streets of Yuusus. The once-thriving city’s roads and alleys were blanketed with corpses. Rivers of blood soaked into the dirt, creating an incredibly potent miasma that made the man feel like he were about to vomit. He slid into the street of his house, bolting for his home. But to his shock, he saw that Aleysha was kneeling outside their home. And she was kneeling right beside their deceased mother.
Tetsu’s heart sank, and tears found their way down his cheeks as he staggered forward, feeling himself becoming dizzy. Earlier in the day he had left to go shopping at his mother’s request. He had kissed her goodbye and promised that he would return promptly. He didn’t expect that would be their last interaction.
His weakened hands dropped the groceries to the ground, causing the fruit that he had bought to roll around on the bloody streets. He lowered his head, clenching his teeth in unbelievable rage. How dare these Persians…? Tetsu suddenly felt Aleysha wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace as she sobbed, trying to comfort him. But he shoved her back. His sister gave him a look of surprise, tears drying on her cheeks as she stared, shocked. Tetsu’s fists were trembling at his side and he released his anger by bashing a hole directly through the wall of his own home. Pain exploded through his knuckles and he felt warm blood trickling down his hand as he slowly pulled his arm from the fractured wall. “Every time I get close to someone, something happens,” he muttered as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a small blue cloth that looked like a handkerchief. He flapped the handkerchief and suddenly the cloth transformed into a long, expensive-looking, carpet. “Aleysha, take care of Mom,” he said as he stepped onto the carpet.
The carpet whistled to life and took off into the air at Tetsu’s command. Aleysha rushed forward, about to stop her brother, but saw that he was already out of reach. Her lips were trembling and she reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She turned and rested her weary eyes onto her sword and shield, which gleamed in the destroyed interior of her home.
Her mother was gone and there was nothing that she could do about that. Aleysha picked up her mother’s body and walked into her house, gently placing her lifeless parent onto her bed. The sheets became soaked with her mother’s blood but Aleysha paid it no attention as she walked away, snatching her sword and shield off of the wall. “Mom, I’m going out for a bit,” Aleysha called, her blue eyes gleaming with fiery determination. “I’ll be back, I promise.”
***
Ares grunted as he battled against the two Magi on his own. Amon was holding off the Persian army, forcing the frightened men to flee as the enormous rock golem crushed their ranks. Bronze arrows glanced harmlessly off of Amon’s tough armor-like body, and the Guardian roared, creating even more fear amongst the quivering Persian soldiers. It wouldn’t be long before the whole army turned tail and began to flee for their lives.
However, Ares was having trouble with h
is battle. The brute, Amam, was slow but ridiculously powerful. Every punch that he struck Ares with sent agonizing pain exploding through his body. The god also had to keep his eye on Ramses, who was constantly hurling magical golden light at him. Fighting the two of them at the same time was near impossible. To eliminate the main threat, Ares would have to focus on Ramses. But he couldn’t get close because Amam was applying so much pressure by constantly throwing punches that were strong enough to reduce a small mountain to a pile of rocks. He had no idea that Magi were this powerful.
“What’s wrong, little boy?” Amam bellowed, striking Ares in the chin. The god’s head snapped back as he flipped backwards and crashed hard onto his back, rolling back in the sand. “I thought gods were supposed to crush us mortals. But it looks like you’re getting knocked around!”
“Back off,” a voice snarled. A blurry figure flashed through the air and appeared behind Amam. The stranger had ripped his sword up along the Magus’s forearm, down his chest, and finally across his torso, carving Amam’s body with a lightning-fast, elegant stroke. Blood spurted from Amam’s wounds and splattered onto the sand as a look of pain registered on the hulk’s face.
“GAH!” Amam screamed in agony, grasping at his bleeding body as he crumpled to his knees. The action had happened so quickly and unexpectedly that the Magus had no time to react. He glanced at his assailant from the corner of his eye and saw that it was a black-cloaked figure with spiky hair riding upon a flying carpet. “You…!”
Ramses gritted his teeth. “Who are you? Another Magus?” There was no way that any ordinary human could’ve moved with such blinding speed. Even with that enchanted carpet that he was riding on, the two Magi should’ve seen him coming from a mile away. But the man had just appeared behind Amam as if he had teleported. This stranger couldn’t have accomplished such a speedy assault without magic.
“My name is Tetsu Hayashi,” the man announced angrily, swinging his long sword and splattering blood on the ground. “You Persians have really pissed me off.” He was holding a diamond hourglass that glowed brightly in the sun. Ares couldn’t help but marvel at the object’s magnificence.
Ramses knitted his eyebrows. The Hayashi clan. Ah, yes, he remembered that this was the man who had been sitting beside Ares by the ocean last night. So this man has come to aid his friend. How gallant of him.
The Hayashi clan was widely renowned for their perfected swordsmanship and expertise in battle. Their unique ability to change the color of their eyes from their average dark brown to a gleaming red was what gave them an edge in battle. The visual prowess allowed them to act with heightened reflexes and enhanced vision. They were pronounced demons and were considered unfit to live amongst ordinary humans. All of the Hayashi clansmen were supposed to have been exterminated in the genocide five years ago. Persia had participated in the genocide and massacred dozens of members of the Hayashi clan.
Ramses pointed his index finger at Tetsu. “A demon from the Hayashi clan, huh? It makes sense that a savage like you managed to injure Amam. I guess I’ll just have to eradicate one more piece of garbage from the face of this earth.”
“Don’t talk to him like that!” Ares boomed, rushing at Ramses. The boy pounded the Magus’s stomach with a heavy punch, sinking his fist into Ramses’ flesh. The mage’s eyes bulged as he lurched forward, the air choked from his lungs. He shot backwards with an explosion of speed, smashing hard against the sand. Ramses rolled several meters before staggering onto his feet, sputtering salty blood from his mouth as a sharp pain erupted from his aching diaphragm. “Keep your eyes on me.”
Ramses coughed, grabbing his stomach in anguish. A forced smile cracked across his chapped lips. “So that’s what a god’s punch feels like….” He extended his other hand out to Ares and released a charged beam of golden light that roared through the air towards him. “God of War, Ares, show me more of your incredible power!”
Ares’ expression suddenly became stern as he extended his hand to Ramses. His spear spurred to life, diving straight into the beam of light. The magic dispersed around the weapon’s tip as the spear dove through the cannon of energy, until finally it buried itself into Ramses’ shoulder. The Magus was forced backward and slammed hard onto his back, lying motionless in the bloody sand. Ares raised his arm and the spear tore itself from Ramses’ body and returned to his hand. The god looked at the defeated Magi pitifully. “There you go.”
Meanwhile Tetsu battled Amam, who was greatly wounded. The giant was suffering at least a dozen grievous wounds that were proving fatal. The hemorrhaging cuts in his body were spewing out blood like fountains, making the muscular man look like he had painted himself red. But the monster didn’t seem to want to give up anytime soon, for he kept swinging punches wearily at Tetsu.
The Hayashi clansman could sense that victory against this Magus was approaching. His eyes, without his knowing, were glowing red. Immediately, he could feel his senses heightened tenfold. It was an odd feeling. He could see individual beads of sweat as they rolled down Amam’s stressed face. He could see his opponent’s bones moving and tendons contracting, allowing Tetsu to read Amam’s actions before he moved. With the Sands of Time, Tetsu was able to slow down time, making the whole fight like battling Amam in slow motion, with a sign over the hulk’s head saying what action he was going to perform next. This was too easy. Tetsu whipped his sword in a downward slash after toying with Amam and finally ended the Magus’s life, tearing his blade across the man’s heart. The giant groaned as he collapsed backward, smacking hard against the sand. His corpse began to slide down the slope of the hill, blood soaking into the dirt. The victorious mercenary was gasping for breath as he wiped his brow. He reached to his belt and pulled out a clean white handkerchief and used it to wipe the blood off of his steel sword.
As expected of the Persian army, after the loss of several hundred soldiers, they began to flee in terror. Amon stormed after them, raising his arms into the air to make him seem even larger than he already was. He roared loudly and the Persians replied with their frightened shrieks. When the army was clearly out of sight, Amon turned his head to Ares and snorted. How was that?
“Well done, Amon. You sure scared them.” Ares grinned. “Did you capture the general like I wanted?”
Amon reached behind him and plucked a screaming man out of the sand, holding him by his head. It was General Shazir, who was kicking and screeching like a coward. The golem dropped the general at Ares’ feet. Shazir stared at Ares and Tetsu, his body quavering. His gaze flickered from Ramses to Amam and he cried out in fear. “P-P-Please don’t kill me! I’ll give you anything you want! Women, money, jewels, anything!” He was on his knees and slapped his hands together, begging for mercy.
Tetsu’s demonic eyes glared down at General Shazir. “I remember you from many years ago. You own a lot of slaves, don’t you? I recall that I got into a fight with one of your hired overseers over the way he mistreated your lackeys.” He reached down and squeezed the general’s dirty face between his thumb and his other fingers. The mercenary pressed his cold steel blade to the throat of the man and growled, “So give me one reason I shouldn’t slit your damned throat.”
“B-Because I can give you all the treasures that—”
“I don’t want any of that!” Tetsu bellowed, turning the general’s head so that he was forced to look at Yuusus. Even from this far away they could see corpses scattered across the city’s streets. The cries of mourning families echoed into the noon air. “Do you see that? Do you see what you’ve done, you sick bastard! Someone I cared for deeply is among those dead. You claim that you can give me treasures. Can you give her back to me then?”
“I-I….”
“Well, CAN YOU?” Tetsu roared, pressing his face up close to the general, who was now sobbing.
“P-Please….”
Tetsu grabbed the general by a bundle of his hair and stood tall, raising his blade, perfectly ready to hack the man’s head clean off his body. “I have no
mercy for men as guilty as you.”
“Stop,” Ares said, closing his eyes. “I can’t do this.”
“Can’t do what?” Tetsu growled, glancing at the god. “You aren’t doing anything. I’m the one lopping this mongrel’s head off!”
“He’s surrendered to us.”
“And what the hell does that matter?” Tetsu yelled, lowering his sword as he turned to face Ares. He waved his sword as he shouted, pointing the tip at the general, who cringed. “This is justice. Killing this damned bastard will rid the world of one more scumbag that plagues this earth with his existence. The world is better off!”
“Do you know who you sound like?” Ares roared back, pointing to Ramses’ body. “Him! You sound just like the Magus and everyone else who believed that the massacre of your clan was justified! The way you think of this man is how everyone on this planet thinks of you! And now, being a victim, don’t you wish that if you were kneeling down after surrendering that your executioner would spare your life?”
“You’re honestly comparing a slave-owning general of a merciless Persian army that is responsible for the deaths of thousands of lives and probably even more enslaved families, to a person who is guilty of no crime other than the surname they were born with?” Tetsu barked. “Perhaps the Lost Sands has made you lose your sense, Darien.”
“A life is a life,” Ares retorted. “It was your sister who showed me that sparing the life of someone that has surrendered is honorable. I did not believe her until I did it myself. Killing a man who is trying to harm me does not haunt my sleep. But murdering one who has submitted themselves is as bad as slaying an innocent person. Release him; this is surely not what your mother would have wanted.”
“Vengeance,” Tetsu snapped, “you believe that my mother would be satisfied knowing that the man responsible for her death, and the murder of countless others, will just walk away scot-free so that he can commit the crimes again?”
