Ariel grabbed onto her weapon as she watched for the witch that was harming Aries with her powers instead of physically beating him.
Narrowing her eyes she concentrated on a dark-skinned woman who stood from afar as she conducted the show from behind the curtains.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as Ariel turned to face the witch. Her hair was sprawled over her face, so she flipped it off and then settled the arrow in place. Hyper zooming her vision onto the witch, she launched an arrow into her throat causing her to fall dead in a matter of seconds as she bled out.
Her focused senses caught sound of movement behind her, so she turned seamlessly and fleetly only to launch another into the chest of a blond witch trying to decapitate her.
She turned once more to face another witch, but Hecate thrashed her to the ground with her telekinetic powers, deflecting her weapons to the opposite side. “Enough!” She yelled furiously, twisting her wrist awkwardly with an intense force that broke Ariel’s left arm.
Ariel grunted, prodding herself to conceal the contorted look of distress and pain that filled the agonized creases of her forehead.
Squinting her eyes that bore excruciating pain, she unleashed the monster inside that she tried so long to tame and disguise.
Prolonged fangs erupted through her gums, as she gritted her incisors, baring her choppers. She scrunched up her nose as her face morphed into one with vengeance and savagery.
She carried a diabolical look in her eyes, a look that one can only describe as madness.
She hissed at Hecate before she sped to her like a whirlwind on a rampage, dealing her a powerful unexpected blow that knocked the air out of her.
Hecate spluttered as she gathered herself momentarily, but Ariel lunged at her once more. She grabbed her by the throat, squeezing it tightly to hear her labored breaths as she wheezed to catch her breath. But Ariel didn’t stop there, at this very moment, Ariel was gone, and she punched her one thwack after the other until she heard the satisfying crack of Hecate’s jaw as blood smeared her face, falling into the earth.
A flash of reality caught Ariel off guard as she came to her senses momentarily, and Hecate took that opportunity to surge her into the air and pummel her into the ground.
Hecate awkwardly adjusted her jaw, putting it into place as she allowed it to heal. “Enough child’s play.” She spat, “Time for you to bite some dust.” She sneered.
Hecate approached her, so fleet of foot that it was now obvious to Ariel that she was butting heads with a Goddess of witchcraft, and that she was no match. She grabbed Ariel by the throat and strangled her.
Ariel’s face reddened as she clawed at her clenching hands but she nonetheless struggled in her chokehold. Although at this moment of weakness she remembered the necklace Aries gave her and snuck a free hand underneath Hecate’s suffocating grip to grab the vile and pluck it off the cork cap to release an earsplitting shriek. Hecate wavered and cringed backing off as she blocked her ears with her palms.
Ariel’s ears almost exploded and she covered them as soon as she got the chance.
The witches within a five-meter radius of the screeching mandrake dropped like flies.
There were thousands, a never-ending wave of witches that came their way.
“Ariel!” Aries called out.
Ariel looked at him in seconds flat. His eyes looked towards her then redirected to the sky.
She followed his trail of vision and saw the sky flash purple as it rumbled and something translucent seemed to have exploded.
Aries gave her a faint smile, “Paint the town red.” He said lowly, and she heard it. She would hear his voice miles away if she had to.
She smiled at him vindictively, and nodded, knowing that Hades destroyed the witch purgatory.
Meanwhile, Aries shifted into his wolf, bringing death to all the witches that came his way along with Jake.
Hecate gathered herself after the mandrake died out, and returned, but with a frenzied look in her eyes as she radiated anger.
Ariel noticed she looked different though. She looked paler, weaker, her face seeming drained. And she connected the dots.
Hecate was a goddess, she gained her strength from her believers, and that’s why she was weakened.
Ariel knew what she had to do.
She had to kill all the witches as quickly as possible in order to weaken Hecate enough to destroy her once and for all. She shut her eyes for two seconds, summoning the powers she possessed. Then peeled her eyes open again and scanned the scene before her slowly, targeting a witch and speeding to her unexpectedly before snapping her neck.
She targeted the next witch and rushed towards her, her own legs carrying her as swift as they can go before plunging her hand through her chest and ripping her heart out.
Marking her next prey she zipped through the field, killing them one by one as they began to huddle up on her.
As the numbers around her increased, she began killing them, sloppily. Ripping off an arm once, snapping a neck twice, tearing a heart thrice. Ariel was killing mercilessly and she liked it. She was avenging her people and protecting her land. This is what her father trained her for.
She felt heat radiate from her eyes, as they shone through, the devil within seeping through the cracks of her heart, a ruthless version of herself unleashing.
Her fangs elongated as she began ripping through their throats as the blood-smeared her face and dripped onto her chin.
Whipping through the clearing she slaughtered them all with no remorse, and she didn’t stop until Hecate was the last one standing.
Coming to a stop, she sluggishly opened her eyes and wiped her lips with the back of her hand, smirking at Hecate, who looked deathly pale, as if she would drop dead any second. Her skin looked almost translucent, her eyes were pale themselves, and she looked worse than Thanatos himself. Her body looked thinner and there were dark orbs that developed around her eyes. And Ariel felt gleeful. There was a spark in Ariel's eyes, a frenzied look, a look that radiated victory.
Ariel approached her, still cautious, with Aries and Jake stepping to her side.
Hecate gritted her teeth, “Are you done now?”
Ariel shrugged, “How do you like my ethnic cleansing?”
“I would call you sloppy. How would you like a lesson in the art of war, little girl?” She spat back.
“How would you like my fist up your ass you old hag?”
Hecate screeched and rushed towards Ariel, mustering up that last bit of strength she had in her and aimed it all at Ariel.
When she reached halfway there, Hermes, appeared in the middle, out of nowhere.
Hecate stopped in her tracks, her heels digging into the earth beneath her and stood there stunned for a good two seconds before grinding her teeth and clenching her fists, ready to conjure her magic. Before she could do anything, Hermes grabbed her out of nowhere and pulled her to him. Bringing her so close, that she could feel his breath fan her face.
Her eyes were wide and confused.
Ariel could see the gleam of love Hecate still had for Hermes.
Hermes gave her a small, thin, smile and whispered, “I’m sorry.” Before pushing her through a portal that unveiled out of the blue.
Hecate’s face possessed the look of betrayal and hurt as she fell through the portal and she screamed.
As Hermes turned to face Aries and Ariel, Hecate extended a hand grabbing her consort and pulling him along with her into the abyss.
Chapter 50 - The Lucky ones
Third Person
Ariel and Aries stood tethered in place, stunned. They watched as the portal closed swiftly swallowing Hermes and Hecate whole, but the scene played in their minds in slow motion.
It was all over.
They won.
Ariel could feel the pain of her wounds and broken bones seep through after the adrenaline rush slowly faded away. Although it hurt, she was satisfied. Her family and pack were safe, most of them. The witches w
ere defeated, and their purgatory destroyed. Hades had trapped the treacherous deities in the depths of hell. And Aries was alive, victorious, and safe.
Ariel looked down at her wounds, inspecting them as they started to heal. She could hear the vibrations of her skin as they mended themselves and she smiled to herself.
Warm arms wrapped around her pulling her out of her thoughts. Looking over her shoulders she saw Aries as he smiled down at her.
Dark circles covering his eyes from exhaustion, his arms were blood and dirt-clad but she didn’t care. So was she.
“We did it.” He whispered to her softly.
“We did.” She replied gently.
“Yes, we did.” Came Jake’s voice from further away from them.
His voice was distant, but in a second’s flash, he approached from behind a tree through the fog, with baggy shorts hanging lowly on his torso.
His hair was dampened with dried blood, and his body was severely injured covered with blue and black bruises and bloody wounds, but they were slowly healing. His eyes were red-tinted, and he looked like hell.
But he nonetheless cracked a small smile, before it faded away “Too bad we had to lose Landon…” he whispered lowly as he swallowed thickly, grief and anguish lacing his voice.
Aries’ eyes gleamed lightly, nodding, “I felt it, it was pure anguish.” He said, his voice trailing off.
“So did I,” Ariel whispered, acknowledging the connections that were severed during the war. The pain she felt every time someone died. Feeling exactly how and when they died.
“We all did.” Jake said, “But you two would feel it more deeply.” He said informatively. Before sighing, “I need to go.”
“Where?” Ariel asked.
“The White-Fire pack.” He said, “I need to make sure she’s okay. I can’t lose her again.” He explained, his voice breaking slightly.
Ariel nodded.
“So, I have your permission?” He asked, looking from Ariel to Aries, his eyes lingering on him a little longer.
Aries gave him a small smile, “Jake, you’re not my Beta. You’re my little brother. This land is your home, you don’t need permission from me or anyone. You can go and come as you please. My home will always be open to you and anyone you love. You’re always welcome here. I just have one request.”
Jake beamed, his eyes glistening with joy, “Anything.” He replied.
“Come back home safely and in one piece, brother.” He ordered, his voice laced with concern and fortitude.
Jake nodded strictly, then cracked a boyish smile, before shifting again, and sprinting into the forest.
“We need to do a total body count, see who’s left from the pack, and we need to conduct a large pack funeral for everyone to grief over their lost ones,” Aries said.
“I can help with that. After all, death is my specialty.” Hades’ voice sounded out of nowhere.
Ariel and Aries turned around to face Hades, but he wasn’t alone.
Mother Nature herself, accompanied him to meet them.
“Ariel, meet grandmama.” He said all the humor in the world in his eyes.
Ariel was speechless, and with the way Gaia’s cold blue eyes were scanning her, she was downright intimidated.
Her mouth was open wide, a perfect O formed on her soft pale pink lips. She blinked to get herself together before clearing her throat.
"No need to fear me, child." Gaia spoke, authority dripping from her every word like venom, "At least not yet." She continued, a silent threat exchanged between them as she gave her a yellow smile.
Ariel straightened up her back and crossed her arms against her chest, raising an eyebrow at Gaia's not-so-subtle threat, as she returned the fake smile, "I would say the same to you, but I'm not one to gloat." Ariel replied softly, a slight challenge in her voice, sending Gaia the message that she will not be threatened by anyone, especially when her family's life is on the line, along with her own.
Aries frowned at Ariel, not wanting her to get herself into any more danger, while Hades snickered silently, admiring the fire that burned in her eyes.
Gaia hummed trying to analyze Ariel, looking at her top to bottom, sardonically before turning her back to them.
"Children, it's time." She said looking back to Hades and Aries. "I need the blood of the Guardian, the blood of the Damned, and the blood of the Ancestral Mother."
"Hey, why did you have to put it that way? I'm only the ruler of the damned!" Hades protested, rolling his eyes.
Aries snorted, "Yeah, says the one that bleeds black."
"Black is poetic." Hades shot back.
"Enough of this silly back and forth." Gaia snapped.
Ariel wanted to laugh out loud because they were acting so...normal. Like a normal family. Not a family of immortal Gods and monsters who are about to free the rest of the deities from the prison world.
Gaia forged an old golden runic spear from thin air, slitting her left palm open, allowing her blood to seep and drip into the earth beneath her before handing it to Hades.
Doing the same he handed it to Aries to mimic their action before they all held each other's left bloody hand and looked to the sky their eyes glistening then rolling back.
The ground underneath rumbled and shook, as the sky littered in cumulus dark grey clouds stretching over the horizon.
The dark clouds seemed to collide aggressively as the three chanted in greek.
A large thunderbolt raged through the clouds finding its way to the ground creating a large fissure, making them cease their chanting.
"Oh enough with the dramatics brother!" Hades groaned.
Another rumble from the sky and Zeus appeared in a flash, literally.
A large, tall, muscular man, appeared wearing a white cloth around his clad body tied with a golden band. His hair was light brown with dirty blonde streaks intertwined all over, it was at shoulder length, and he had capturing blue kind eyes, and a very heavy beard. His nose was straight and prominent, with average-sized lips.
His chest was broad and well defined, and power was radiating from him like the sun shines.
Ariel now understood why history had portrayed him as a man with many consorts and affairs.
He laughed loudly, "Oh Hades, you've always been a buzzkill." He said, before looking to Gaia, "Mother Gaia." He acknowledged, bowing in respect.
"And you've always been an ass kisser." Hades spat back sarcastically.
Zeus Laughed again, teasing his brother, and completely ignored his remark.
"Where are the rest?" Gaia asked.
"Coming!" A sing-song feminine voice rang from afar.
A beautiful fair white woman with white long straight hair and icy grey eyes approached them, a silver gleam emitting from all around her. She had high cheekbones, pouty pale pink lips, a small thin, straight nose, and round wide eyes.
She wore a long halter neck white sheath dress that came down on her chest, with a bareback and exposed her slender long legs.
Ariel gaped at her beauty in wonder, she felt drawn to her, like they had a certain connection.
"And you must be Ariel." The beautiful woman said, smiling at her latest gift to the werewolves.
Ariel stuttered, "Y-yes." Giving her a warm shy smile.
"My name is Selene." She introduced herself.
Ariel gulped, bowing down to her instantly, getting down on one knee as her wolf howled on the inside in submission and glee.
Selene giggled, getting down to meet the girl halfway, "No need, my child. I'm the one who should be showing you gratitude to thank you, for helping the guardian free us. You are one brave wolf."
Extending a hand, Selene pulled Ariel to hug her.
Ariel's heart was pumping like it was malfunctioning. Her body felt like jelly, she couldn't contain her happiness in meeting the Moon goddess herself. She felt gleeful and starstruck.
Hugging back the deity, although she felt unworthy on the inside, she decided to seize the moment and then exp
ress to her, her profound admiration.
"You don't know how much I prayed to see you one day." Ariel squeaked, "I thought I'd see you in death, but I've been blessed to meet you in the flesh!"
Aries (Gods & Monsters Series Book 1) Page 45
