by James Hunter
The Warden shrugged. “If you insist, Jacob Merely. But for me, for them”—she waved a hand at her sister—“we are nothing. We are disposable. You will recreate Hippolyta and life will carry on. Only you matter in this fight.”
“I refuse to believe that,” I replied, folding my arms, trying to ignore my hunger. “You and I, we know each other—I trust you with my life, not because I created you, but because you’ve proven yourself trustworthy and capable time and time again. That means a lot to me. If you died, I couldn’t get that back. And yes, maybe I can recreate Hippolyta, but she won’t be the same. And if you, Phoebe, or Asteria died? You’re irreplaceable.”
Myrina stared into my face as if she were searching for something. She opened her mouth, then faltered, unable to find the words she was looking for.
I let her off the hook, switching topics before the moment became awkward. “I want to fix the north gate. We have the Thymos Crystals to do it now. We can talk about the south gate, but I think we should just seal it at this point. It’s all pretty much blocked anyway, so let’s just close it up. No muss, no fuss. After that, I can get busy building the guard towers on the north and south hills.”
“It is a good start,” she offered. “But even good defenses won’t be enough. Praxidike is coming, and she has already proven her forces are more powerful than we anticipated. If we are to be victorious in the battle to come, you must be stronger. You have made great gains, War God, but not great enough, I fear.” She frowned, worry lines creasing her face.
“Yeah, you’re right, but I’ve been thinking about that, too. I’ve got a plan, one that could change things drastically for us.”
Myrina nodded, stealing a sidelong glance at me. “I am pleased to hear you speak with such determination, Jacob Merely. It fits you well. Perhaps you really were meant to wear the mantle of the war god after all.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I replied with a wink and a lopsided grin. “But before I try my hand at power leveling, I need to iron out things with Asteria. I need her here with me.”
Myrina shook her head, planting her hands on her hips. “Asteria does not wish to see you. The situation with her is volatile. Although you have known her as the rather silly shape-shifter who is smitten with you, she has another side. A side that is wild, bestial, and full of chaos and fury. When in such a state, she can be dangerous and unpredictable—it is simply a part of her nature. If you press her too hard, Asteria might do Praxidike’s work for her.”
That put cold fear in my belly. I’d seen just how bloodthirsty Asteria could be in combat. What if she turned her many claws, fangs, stingers, and poison on me?
I was getting a lot better in personal combat, but I wouldn’t last five seconds against Asteria in berserker mode. And even if I did have a shot at winning—which was doubtful—I’d have to beat the crap out of her to do it, and that was almost as bad.
Despite my fear, I needed Asteria for a very specific purpose. “Tell me where she is, Myrina.”
“I will do better than that, War God,” the Warden replied. “I will take you to her. Best for me to be nearby in case things do turn bloody. But, defenses first.”
TWENTY-NINE
Temple of Apollos
My stomach growled like a hungry bear, so before we left, I snagged a tin plate and loaded it up with food—a generous heaping of chicken, some flatbread, some grilled eggplant. I also filled my canteen up with Mountain Dew, because Mountain Dew, dammit. Then we were off, heading first to the southern gate with a pack full of Thymos Crystals in tow. Myrina seemed somber and uninterested in small talk, so I busied myself instead with stuffing my pie-hole and distributing two levels worth of points.
After almost dying, I decided I could stand to add five points to Strength—the extra boost in Health was a must—then two into Fortune since I was in desperate need of extra luck. The remaining thirteen points went into Intelligence and Willpower, boosting both my Divine Essence and my Amazon Control Limit.
I also knew exactly what I wanted to do with my two Ability Points. Now that several of my Amazons had hit the current level cap, it was time to up their potential. I invested the first point into Artemis’ Blood.
The second Ability Point, I dropped into Healing Touch. So far, that had been my most useful skill—ironic since I almost never played a Healer in any campaign—and by bumping it up to level two, I’d be able to heal my troops at a distance. Doing so basically doubled the Essence required, but it would be worth it in the long term. Honestly, if I’d had that skill, maybe Hippolyta would’ve made it. I’d fucked up with her, fucked up with the city defense in general, but I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
By the time we’d made it to the southern wall, I’d finished dishing out skills, and I’d killed the last of my on-the-go meal. I was feeling crazy-better.
We arrived to find several of the now healed Wardens already back at work, piling debris and stones in front of the south gate, adding to the blockade created by the towering cyclops statues. I cracked my knuckles and got down to business, helping to get everything into place while Myrina tracked Loxo down and sent her ahead to warn Asteria I was coming. I was sweating in minutes, but it turned out permanently sealing the southern entrance was significantly easier than repairing the gate. Especially since we had so much raw material to work with.
The petrified statues made great resources, and with just a little effort I was able to repurpose the figures, turning them into a flawless wall. It was also cool to know that I’d built my southern wall from the literal corpses of my enemies. That felt like a very war god sort of thing to do.
With that done, Myrina and I headed back up north—time to get crafty and finally get the gate repaired up nice and proper.
The trek took a good twenty minutes, but I was grateful for the break and frankly needed the time to recover Essence. As before, I pulled up the MANAGE ISLAND tab in my interface and selected the repair option as Myrina handed me a raw Thymos Crystal, easily the size of my head. Power rushed out of me in a torrent as I went about fixing the damage from the assault and forcing the ancient, decrepit gate back into place. The task left me feeling drained, sure, but not like the first time I’d done this.
The extra points I’d dropped into Intellect were paying off like a champ.
After inspecting the workmanship, Myrina grunted in satisfaction, then ushered me out of the city via the newly formed north entrance. Beyond were green hills, dotted with tree cover that was less Southeast Asia and more Mediterranean. A mixture of oaks and cypress trees intermingled with dense shrubbery. The area would’ve been beautiful if not for the rotting corpses of underworld creatures littering the ground. The smell was horrendous, like a hot Porta-John in Twentynine Palms. I scrunched my nose, trying to ignore the stench as I surveyed the bodies.
I recognized the spider pigs, the snake men, and the harpies, but I noticed also huge wolf-like creatures wearing what appeared to be chainmail.
I went over to one and nudged the lupine head with my combat boot. “Werewolves? I didn’t know there were werewolves in Greece.”
“Aye,” Myrina said matter-of-factly. “Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, tried to trick Zeus by feeding the god human flesh. Lycaon butchered and roasted his own son. When the great god realized what the king had done, he turned him into a wolf, along with all of his kin. They were the first, but they were prolific breeders.”
“I’d call that a terrible family dinner.” I waited for her to laugh. Then I realized it was Myrina, and she never laughed. Ever. For any reason. “Get it. Family dinner? The king cooked up his own son. Never mind,” I muttered.
Something bothered me about the werewolves, though. “Okay, werewolves I can accept, but chainmail? Could be I’m wrong, but I don’t think that was around in ancient Greece. The Romans did have an early plate mail armor called lorica segmentata, but not heavy chain. What the hell is Praxidike doing? And more importantly, how is she doing it?”
“I do not know,” Myrina replied, eyes distant.
I wondered what kind of magic was creating the creatures we were fighting, and if they had access to modern knowledge of warfare. If we had to go up against a Gorgon with a rocket launcher, we could be in serious trouble. But that was a thought for later. I needed to keep focused on the mission at hand: fixing things with Asteria.
Myrina ushered me up a steep hill. We followed a winding trail, which connected to a set of time-worn steps, crumbled and treacherous. It wasn’t long until we had a view of Lycastia City’s walls, the temple, and even the statue of Ares presiding over the fountain there. As I stood there, the sun warming my skin, I could envision how truly beautiful Lycastia could be. It would take work, but it would be work worth doing.
“Maybe after I finish the sigil and seal the gates of the underworld, I’ll give our little town a makeover. I can see the tourist posters claiming it’s the jewel of the Mediterranean. The last stronghold of ancient Greece left in the world. We could make a fortune.”
Myrina listened to me chatter but didn’t respond.
“I’ll put you in charge of all the parties, Myrina. You’ll love dealing with the drunk Australian rugby dudes and the English soccer hooligans. Oh, and American honeymooners who want everything perfect? Yeah, you’ll have a wonderful time with them. Guest services … Myrina, you were born for it.”
She turned to me. Wind blew back her blonde hair from her sharp features. Those blue eyes couldn’t have been more frosty. Or troubled.
“After you seal the sigil, our work will be done. I do not know what you will do, God of War, but I expect to return to the clay from whence I was born. My task will be finished, and I will rest forever. Perhaps I will join Hippolyta in the Elysian Fields and enjoy paradise. I was born for war and nothing else. Except for one small, trifling thing. I was born to love you, Jacob Merely, however difficult and silly you are.”
“I’m sorry for that,” I murmured, suddenly uncomfortable.
We moved on, and I idly wondered what would happen to me once I leveled up high enough to repair the sigil and end the war with the underworld. Would I find Mount Olympus? Maybe take my seat next to the gods if there were any of them still kicking around? Or would I go back to Rockford? I’d have quite the trial with the Marine Corps, but if I were twenty feet tall with a magic gem in my chest and skin impervious to .50 caliber bullets, I could probably manage to convince them that I’d been busy saving the world.
We followed the crumbling path toward to a steep cliff face, then snaked away from the drop-off, climbing partway up a gentle rise. At the top of the rise was another Grecian temple, nearly identical to the ruins we’d battled Praxidike at. Marble slabs with fluted columns supported a sprawling peaked roof. As I surveyed the layout, I realized this place was actually less like a temple and more like an ancient spa. Although there were several finely chiseled statues decorating the grounds, the real eyecatcher was a series of marble pools, filled to the brim with burbling water.
Some sort of natural hot springs, if I had to guess.
But in order to get to the building, we needed to go through Loxo, who stood guard at the entrance with her arms crossed. “I have spoken to Asteria, and she does not want to speak to you,” my Huntress said, an apology in her voice. “She is ashamed at herself and wishes to be alone.” She paused and glanced back over one shoulder at the building. “I would not go in there, War God.”
“We already talked about this, Loxo,” I said, mildly annoyed at having to rehash the conversation. “I don’t blame you and I don’t blame her. We all messed up. But now it’s time to get over it and get our heads back in the game.”
“It is not me you need to convince, War God.” She reached out and tapped my chest. “I know your heart, but Asteria was your personal guard. You almost died under her watch. That is a grave failure in her eyes. She is emotional, and so she is dangerous. I stand here for your sake, not hers.”
“I appreciate that. I do. But I’m going to see her,” I said, tone unwavering.
Loxo sighed, shot an uneasy look at Myrina, then reluctantly stepped aside.
“I will wait,” Myrina said, stealing glances between me and the bathhouse. “Just in case you need assistance.”
“Nope,” I said with a shake of my head. “We’ve got a lot to do. I need you back in the city making sure everything is getting done. Besides, I trust Asteria with my life. She’s not going to hurt me,” I said confidently, though deep down I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced.
Myrina dithered for a moment, weighing my words. “Very well, I will leave, but I insist Loxo remain behind. We have already allowed you to be ambushed once—we cannot afford for Praxidike to ambush you again. You must have a lookout, but she can remain here, outside the temple.”
“Fine. Whatever. I suppose that’s fair,” I replied.
“Take care of him,” Myrina said, offering the Huntress a tight smile before turning on her heel and heading back the way we’d come from. She didn’t look back. Not once.
Silently, I watched her until she disappeared from view. Once she was gone, I turned and went to move past Loxo, but she stopped me. “Apologies, War God, but this temple has been sanctified to the god of the sun, Phoebus Apollo, a paragon of masculine perfection. Clothing is not permitted. If you go in to speak to Asteria, you will go nude, without clothes and without weapons. It is the only way.”
I gulped. Naked. Damn.
THIRTY
Heart-to-Heart
“Can you turn around, please?” I asked Loxo.
She rolled her eyes but did, chuckling as she offered me her back. “You are like no other god I have ever heard of. Most gods parade themselves around like preening peacocks, and from what I hear Ares was the worst. There are many tales of the great orgies he would have, yet you are as modest as a young girl.”
“That’s not super insulting or anything,” I muttered, kicking off my boots, dropping my sword belt, pushing the linen armored kilt down, then unclipping the breastplate. “And for the record, it’s not strictly about modesty, okay? A lot has happened since Greece ruled the known world—casual nudity isn’t a thing anymore. At least not in America.” Since I had my armor off anyway, I took a moment to check my wounds. Thanks to my Rapid Regeneration, most of the lesser injuries were simply gone, while the worst of them had faded to pink scars.
Pretty badass.
I thought to keep on my helmet and red cloak, but Loxo stopped me as I attempted to pass her. “No, War God, not a stitch on you lest we anger Apollo. You do not have the strength to battle another god just yet.”
With another round of muted grumbling, I set my helmet down and unclipped the cloak’s fastener, letting it fall. Loxo’s eyes dropped to my junk, a sly grin stretching across her face. Blood rushed into my cheeks, but I fought my natural instinct to immediately cup my business. I wasn’t going to let her win, dammit. I cleared my throat after a few seconds. “Loxo, my eyes are up here. Now, unless you have any more stupid rules, I have things to do.”
She didn’t answer, but just kept right on grinning. This time I inched past her and made my way toward the temple, though I could feel her eyes on me the whole while.
I padded up a set of marble stairs, the stone cool against my bare feet, and into the temple proper. At the far end of the complex was a huge golden statue of a naked man holding a massive bow. Asteria was in a large wading pool at the base of the figure. Like me, she was naked, and because of the ridiculously clear water I could see every facet of her body in perfect clarity. Her back was to me, and though I was certain she’d heard me enter, she didn’t turn around.
Small miracles.
I slipped along the walkway between the various pools, then paused at the lip of the one the Beastiamancer was lounging in. “Mind if I join you?” I asked when she didn’t speak.
“I want to be alone, Jacob Merely,” she replied, still refusing to turn around.
“Look, I know you feel guilty abo
ut the ambush. But you shouldn’t. Seriously. We all survived. It’s all good. We can go back to the city now.”
“I want to be alone,” she said again, but this time her voice was guttural, bestial. More like the snarl of a hungry wolf. “So go away. Now!” She barked the last word, shooting a look at me over one shoulder. Her eyes burned a deep amber, and her mouth was lined with gleaming fangs. A not so subtle reminder that she was a terrifying monster who could rip my throat out on a whim.
But I wasn’t leaving without her.
I clenched my jaw and stepped down from the lip of the pool, letting scorching water envelop my calves. The marble was smooth on my feet. The mineral smells of the hot springs wafted out. “Asteria, I’m not leaving. You’re gonna have to talk to me.” I slipped deeper into the pool, letting the water rush up past my waist. Slowly, I waded over to her and gently placed a reassuring hand on top of her bare shoulder. “Please. Let’s just talk about this.”
She whirled in an instant, batting my hand away as she half changed into a bear. “You will leave me alone, War God! Don’t make me force you to go.”
“If you want me gone, Asteria, you’re gonna have to do it the hard way. But before it comes to that, just think about this for a moment. You know I’m not a huge fan of being bare-ass naked, but here I am”—I dropped my hands to my sides and stood there—“so that should show you just how important you are to me. What I’m willing to do to get you back.”
Gradually, the fur on Asteria’s back retreated into her skin as her face went from long-nosed bear to Asteria’s cute blue skin and golden eyes. I missed her crooked smile. “I appreciate the effort, but Jacob Merely, please leave.” Her voice was a whisper. “I failed to protect you. I was foolish when I should have been serious, and I should never be near you again. You must loathe me.”
