War of the Heavens

Coexist

    In the vast green plains of Greece, a village is besieged by Viking raiders. Merciless in their attack they butcher their way through, setting the buildings ablaze once they finish with the poor inhabitants. They laugh as they gather the spoils and make their way to the center of the village where the whole crew gathers. They begin to feast on the plunder from the raid. They grow loud, forming a brawling pit to see who gets the best of the loot, drunkenly singing in merriment, but even as the crew grew lax in merriment, the Captain Bronmir stays sober and vigilant, even though the party drowned out the approaching march. The jeering, brawling, and drinking that ensues would bring the attention of the Greek gods with its volume, but they did not come to avenge their worshipers.

The Spartans did.

    A bloodstained Viking raises his mug in joy as mead spills down his cheeks and through his coarse beard, a spearhead bursts through his chest and pins him to the table, his mead falling as the light leaves his eyes. Bronmir gingerly steps back as the mead rolls towards his feet. He looks at the spear traces with his eyes the path it took, and rests his eyes on a mass of red clad warriors rushing towards them. Bronmir pushes the nearest raider, the men now noticing the Spartans approaching.

    "Get the ship ready. We need to make room for their armor." The raider smiles and rushes to the ship. The Captain grips his great axe tightly with both hands, his raiders readying for the battle. He raises it above his head and roars, they march towards the front of the village and then form a line, Bronmir presses forward alone, one Spartan follows him, his helmet adorned with a large plume. They stop feet apart, glaring at each other. The Spartan removes his helmet and it's a face the Captain recognizes.

Bronmir chuckles. "What did we do to incur the wrath of Palleomaeus 'The Great Sword of Sparta'?"

"I don't have the time to list them all Bronmir Bloodforged. Your raids end here. The God's will it, and their will is my command."

"The Aesir sent me to your coasts, and I don't plan on stopping today, I like this land, plenty of weaklings to s*******r, and then there's your villagers..

    Palleomaeus lowers his gaze, grips his blade tightly. Bronmir grins and takes his chance thinking the Spartan distracted thinking of his dead warriors. With lightning speed Palleomaeus catches the axe with his sword, locking his blade under the axe head and deflecting it past him, it's weight catching the overconfident Viking off guard pulling him past as Palleomaeus kicks him to the ground.

"Your head will be my greatest trophy, 'Sword of Sparta' I'll parade it along the halls for the Aesir to see!" He shouts as he tries to pull his axe from the ground.

"Claim it if you can savage, Ares stands with us, and we don't fear your Aesir."

He spits the last word out with contempt.

    A battle roar and heavy storm of footsteps comes from both sides of the soon to be battlefield. Palleomaeus looks behind him at the approaching raiders and nods to himself, he rolls over Bronmirs back, striking him across the jaw with his shield and takes a defensive stance backing towards his men. Bronmir stands and massages his jaw, blood trickling down and he smiles and rushes at the Spartans. As they close in on each other a voice speaks unheard by the mortals.

"Oh you mortals. Always using us as a reason to fight. If only they knew the truth of it." The voice speaks.

-

    High above the clouds lies a land of great beauty, the architecture changes throughout its massive landscape, from Grecian style to Norse, Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, Mayan, HIndu, and Egyptian. Heavenly beings much greater than the average man and radiating with power walk the halls. The Viking God of War and Justice, Tyr, leans over a ledge watching in bemused sorrow as the Vikings and Spartans battle far below. Tyr is clad in silver armor etched in runic all around with leather below it, he wields a massive blade with one armor, currently resting in it's sheath on his back, and his left arm ends in a stub, covered up in a metallic gauntlet in the shape of a wolf. He has a short braided mo-hawk and a maintained beard.

"Why do you mortals think there can only be one truth, one religion, one set of gods? You are all wrong, and yet you are all right."

-

The brawl condenses as the Spartans slowly overpower the Vikings.

-

"The Olympians are real, the Norse are real, why can you not live in peace as we do--" Tyr speaks aloud as if hoping the mortals hear his words.

"Tyr you son of a--" A voice booms nearby accompanied with thunderous footsteps and a growing sense of heat.

"At least most of the time." Tyr rolls his eyes and looks back towards the hallway.

    Ares storms towards him, massive heavy plate armor similar to the Spartans', a shield with a demonic screaming visage built into it and a massive broadsword with jagged edges both gripped tightly in his hands, and an enormous aura of flames radiating from his body. His face is shrouded in his helmet, but two crimson red eyes pierce through the silhouette.

-

    On Earth the battle draws to it's conclusion, but a pile of bodies moves as Bronmir climbs out from under his men, his left eye destroyed with a large cut down his face. He bangs on his chest and roars.

"Sword of Sparta! I'm not finished!" He bares his teeth and looks for Palleomaeus, when he spots him he smiles, blood seeping down his mouth. The Spartans approach him slowly, but Palleomaeus raises his hand pulling them back.

"Surrender, we will spare your life." The veins on his forehead bulge, he wants revenge, but his code will not permit him to end this pirate without giving him one chance to leave, he has proved himself in combat the slashes along Palleomaeus' arm solidifying Bronmir's prowess, few have scratched the "Sword of Sparta."

    Bronmir's smile fades slowly, as if he thinks on this, only for him to spit a bloody mess towards the Spartans and growl.

"How dare you insult me, I am a warrior, I will never disgrace the Aesir by kneeling to a Greek pig." His blood boils hotly and he grips his axe, so tightly it nearly cracks under his great strength.

Tyr hears this and his face contorts in anguish. He looks back to the edge as Ares fumes at him.

"Swallow your pride you damn fool..." He mutters to himself.

"Tyr!" Ares roars at Tyr, Tyr slowly looks to Ares and fakes a smile.

"Yes?"

"Why are your kind in my lands? The savage dogs here tend to be put down." Ares smiles. "But I'm sure you see that."

Tyr shrugs feigning his sorrow. Ares has always been a hothead, best not to let his ego grow further.

"Well if I had to guess, I'd say they're invading."

"And pray tell who gave them that idea, could it be their War God?"

Tyr fakes emotional pain. The gods slowly start walking in a circle opposite of each other.

-

Bronmir and Palleomaeus mirror Tyr and Ares. The Spartans begin to chant rhythmically to spur the fight.

"Last chance, as much as your blood would sate my vengeance, you've proven yourself a better warrior then you are a man. You won't live to regret this invasion if you continue.

Bronmir continues the circle ignoring the final offer.

"I'll live to reap my rewards, and your women. Do you have a wife I wonder?"

His mind is not on the surrounding Spartans, nor the journey home, all he wants is the head of Palleomaeus.

-

"Oh, Ares you insult me. I wouldn't waste their time on your meager people." Tyr says, his mind solemnly coming to terms with the approaching death of his worshipper, at least he could toy with the child in front of him. "If you were any more hot headed I'd be surprised you weren't the God of the Sun."

Ares' breathing is heavy and slow. He takes a defensive stance, shield in front and his blade resting on the top of his shield.

"Care to correct yourself, or shall I do it for you?"

Tyr smirks and draws his blade from his back swinging it around himself as if it were weightless, after his display of skill his blade rests an inch from Ares' shield.

"If I remember correctly the last time you tried, you ended up flat on your ass."

Ares shouts and charges, Tyr drives his blade into the ground and dodges, producing a matador cape out of thin air and dangling it taunting Ares. 

"Have at thee, foul villain."

Ares growls.

-

Palleomaeus growls as Bronmir dodges his charge. He charges to the Viking, they clash their weapons and growl at each other. Bronmir head butts Palleomaeus.

-

Tyr's forehead bleeds and he smiles, and chuckles as the blood reaches his mouth. He wipes it away and flicks it onto Ares' shield as Ares gets off the ground, his helmet dipped in Tyr's blood.

"We'll see whose laughing at the end of this." Ares hisses at Tyr.

Ares gains his composure, and slowly walks towards Tyr, his sword hand's knuckles turn white from the pressure. He swings at Tyr calmly but expertly, Tyr dodges each strike.

"Seem to be slowing down friend, is the armor that much of a drag? Or are you remembering Thermopylae? Those were Persians not Norse." Tyr chuckles, Ares never got past that defeat.

Ares expression goes cold, his strike goes past Tyr's left side.

-

Palleomaeus does the same swing, but he then extends his elbow into the Viking's jaw. Palleomaeus swings his sword, but the Viking catches it in his shield.

-

Tyr has Ares sword in his cestus. The wolf's fangs trapping the blade. Tyr grunts in frustration.

"What's wrong Tyr, thinking about your hand?"

Tyr faintly chuckles at this. He reaches out to his sword, which shakes out of the ground and into his hand. Tyr pushes Ares back and holds his sword ready to strike.

"That's what I expect from a God of War." Ares smiles and readies. The hair on Tyr stands to Ares' dismay, his aura of fire disappears

"Enough!" A powerful voice speaking with the utmost authority shakes the foundation they stand on. A blinding flash of light appears between the combatants, and Zeus appears, his shield catching Tyr's blade and a ball of lightning blocking Ares'. Ares is worried, his fire disappears.

"Skatá" Ares curses. The red eyes show fear.

Zeus is an elderly man wearing a toga, his eyes are made of thunder storms, he holds a brilliant golden shield with the visage of Medusa on it. His posture and body shows millennia of wisdom and power, and his anger cannot hide the authority and respect he demands. His face is a furious scowl. He looks to his son and scolds him.

"Ares, we talked about this. We don't fight cripples." His tone holds it's authority but his face eases slightly and he arches an eyebrow.

Ares eyes widen, he snorts and laughs at this and walks away, Zeus looks at Tyr and winks. Tyr smiles and pulls his sword back into its sheath. Zeus and Tyr shake hands. Zeus raises an eyebrow and smiles slightly.

"So I must know did you influence those vikings at all? I won't take it as a declaration of war if you did" Zeus now has a much softer tone and levity to him as Ares leaves.

"Of course not, a child drew my rune onto a map near Greece, they took it as divine guidance." He scoffs at the last words.

Zeus raises an eyebrow and shakes his head at the thought. Tyr looks at the c*****e of the battle, and has a sad expression. 

"So many promising lives wasted because my rune was drawn on a map. And the child had no ill intent only joy! He had just learned how to write it and wanted to show off."

Zeus places a hand on Tyr's shoulder. His stormy eyes turn to a calmer set of clouds and grey, as if in sorrow.

"My friend, the mortals will do as they please, and more often than not they will do it in our name."

Tyr sighs heavily and walks, Zeus's hand drops off his shoulder.

"Millennia may pass but I will never come to peace with that."

Zeus and Tyr walk to an enormous grand hall, with columns in different architectural style.

"I've kept count, the mortals slain in my name. 478,632... 633. One of the Spartans bled out."

"I understand, imagine if you were one of the All Fathers or a Supreme being, our "tributes" never cease."

The sorrow in his voice is evident. As they approach the hall Zeus clasps Tyr's shoulders.

"Enough of this, let us enjoy ourselves. We have eternity to care for these mortals, we must use some of that time for ourselves."

The gods turn and push open the massive doors, it reveals the most amazing party. Their senses are assaulted with heavenly music, aromas of all different types of delicious foods from across the globe, food so glorious they could taste them in the air. Gods of all shapes, sizes, and forms are around the hall, some are swimming around in the fountains, while others fly around the hall with its enormous elevated ceiling. A large crowd catches their attention and Zeus and Tyr walk towards it curious. The chanting and grunting hits them before they see Heracles and Hercules sit at a table, both young men wear a toga ,Heracles has darker skin and giant lion cestus, and Hercules has a cocky smile, a broad xyphos and a tower shield with a lion face embossed to the metal laying on the ground. An arm wrestling competition takes place between them. The surrounding gods cheering and drinking beverages and shouting. The two are at a stand still. The veins bulge on their heads and each looks highly stressed. They've been at this a long time. Zeus walks up behind Heracles and shakes him.

"Take him down my boy!" Pride roaring through his voice.

Heracles is distracted and turns to his father, he loses his focus seeing his opportunity his opponent strikes! His fist is slammed down. Heracles is shocked, but smirks and jumps out of his seat.

"Father!"

Heracles rushes to his father and gives him a hug. Heracles turns and points at Hercules as he walks off with Zeus and Tyr.

"I demand a rematch once you finish your ale."

His opponent raises his glass as he revels his win.

"Any time my friend, I look forward to my next victory."

Heracles rolls his eyes and turns back to his father with a smile.

"How was your time on the mortal world father?"

"It was pleasant as usual, they are still sacrificing live stock and scraps of dinner. The only problems they have are with each other."

"Anything out of the ordinary?" Tyr asks with concerned gaze.

"I briefly ran into my father, he and Bachus were TTUI."

Heracles is confused but Tyr laughs, Hercules is further confused.

"Time Traveling Under the Influence." Tyr chuckles. "What were they doing to the poor mortals?"

"He was trying to see what would happen if he introduced alcohol to them hundreds of years earlier, wanted to see what they would come up with."

Heracles is shocked and shakes his head at the thought of his Grandfather roaming through time with a party god. He looks to his father who is sipping from a glorious golden cup.

"Dethroning him seems to have taken away his regal nature, you three must be proud."

Zeus spits out his drink, shows momentary pain and looks away. Heracles has a gasp of realization.

"I'm sorry fath--" Heracles mutters in shame.

Zeus fakes a smile and starts to laugh trying his best to hide the pain. He speaks with a happy tone.

"He tried to eat me! He succeeded in eating my siblings! Don't make this our fault."

Heracles and Tyr laugh at how flustered Zeus is. Zeus shakes his head and looks down in mock shame.

"You think I'd get more respect for a God." Zeus continues.

"Did your month on Earth confuse you, we're all Gods here, it doesn't make you special" Tyr says with a toothy grin and pulls Zeus close to him in a side hug. Zeus blushes from embarrassment at his poor choice of words. Tyr laughs it off and places his stub on Zeus's shoulder.

"Be glad you got your siblings back, my hand is still sitting in Fenrir's stomach somewhere." He looks longingly at his stub.

Heracles smiles and laughs to himself.

"On the bright side, you now have a wolf for a hand. Shadow puppetry is a breeze now."

They join the party. Isis the Egyptian Goddess of Life, wearing traditional Egyptian robes, with gold jewelry and trim, flies above the party with her glorious golden wings. She speaks with Apollo, the Greek God of Music, Archery, and the Sun, flying his chariot driven by red horses with manes of fire. Apollo has a youthful appearance at the moment with blonde hair slicked back, ornate golden headpiece, and a blinding white toga, as well as golden crafted bracers and shin guards.

"What is the latest news?" Isis asks inquisitively, she rarely gets to visit the mortals anymore.

"Nothing too outstanding, Pan and I are hosting a concert tomorrow in celebration. Thank Ra for covering my shift will you, I really needed to practice my part?" He winks at her and smiles.

Isis smiles and blushes slightly.

"Oh, of course, but I better get front row seats."

Apollo feigns sorrow.

"We are booked, but I will see what I can do for my most adoring fan." Apollo winks, slaps the reigns and drives his chariot out of the hall, he swoops over the heads of Gods on his way out. A crowd gathers in the center of the hall. Isis smiles and watches Apollo fly away, a blushing look on her face, she shakes her head giggling and flies over a large the crowd. A magnificently crafted hammer rests on the ground in the center, Thor The Norse God of Thunder, with his long blonde hair and a beard, wearing metal armor with runic markings stands nearby chuckling with his massive arms crossed.

"I think I saw it move that time Amy... Wait no, just my imagination."

Ameterasu, The Japanese Goddess of the Sun, her brown hair goes well past her hips. Clad in samurai armor with 3 katanas strapped to her waist she is a warrior to be reckoned with but her face is as beautiful as the Sun she cares over, she pulls with all her might to pick up Mjolnir.

"My name, is Ameterasu, and I will lift this hammer."

She talks between pulls before she gives one last pull with all of her might. She slips and falls as the Gods chuckle and Thor helps her up. Thor smiles at her while she brushes herself off, when she sees his smile she blushes and turns away.

"I do not believe only you can Mjolnir, I just have to be strong enough."

Thor smirks and rolls his eyes, he picks up Mjolnir with ease and swings it half hearted.

"You know you may have a point, I mean, just look at these guns!"

Thor strikes a pose and winks at Ameterasu making her blush even more. She groans frustrated and stomps off as the Gods clear a path for her.

"She'll be back, for the hammer or for my dashing looks I don't know, but she'll back."

The Gods cheer and whistle as Thor holds his hammer in the air like a trophy.

"Back to the celebrations. To a hard earned 500 years of peace!"

"To peace!" The Gods roar across the hall.

-

Deep below the Great Hall lies the combined underworld of the realms where the Gods of the Dead manage the prisoners and souls of the slain. It is faintly lit from ghastly fire, the air echoes with the wailings of departed souls, and smells of dirt, soot, and death. Hades, the skeletal Greek God of Death with long horns and tattered robes, stands with Ah Puch, the Mayan God of Death whose head is a black mass with a large tribal skull mask, black skin, and cloth garments.

Thanatos, the Hand of Death, with his black feathered wings and a dark scythe approaches wearing a bright white drama mask, covered in dark metallic armor and a jet black hood, climbs stairs to the two.

"Well Bachus and Cronus finally passed out. Should be fine to be released in the morning."

"Good, we couldn't have them jumping through the time line in that state any longer." Ah Puch nods thankfully.

"Thankfully Janus was around, hard to catch a time traveler without one of our own."

A white circle opens up, the light foreign in this land, and Janus, a robotic centurion, the Roman God of Time walks through, he speaks with a very posh accent.

"The misuse of time travel can only lead to disastrous outcomes, and these buffoons have caused enough trouble jumping to the futu--"

Hades interrupts, his dark eyes rolling in their sockets.

"Janus, we go through this every time Cronus goes for a trip, give us a reprieve from your wailing."

Janus looks appalled by the interruption.

"How rude... As you asked I scouted the time stream and most of it seems to be the same, minor changes here and there."

Thanatos and Hades sigh gratefully. Ah Puch nods slowly closing his eyes in relief.

"What are the changes?" Hades asks.

"The few people he did give the beverages and seeds to were too undeveloped to grasp what they were and burned threw them quickly, that and I'm sure his slurring made any instructions hard to follow."

Thanatos scoffs.

"So nothing we need to concern ourselves with."

"So the next crisis still shouldn't occur for another 300 years." Hades sighs gratefully.

"I have no powers of time, but I know the future can always be changed, don't dismiss these dangers so quickly."

Janus metal face shifts to annoyance.

"That's correct, but as I stated mere moments ago, nothing has changed. Bachus should be awake, we can ask him if he remembers any of the journey."

A loud belch shakes the Underworld, Thanatos covers his nose.

"Curses, what I'd give to not have a working nose like you three."

"Ugh... Excuse me..." Bachus yells from his cell followed by a loud thud as he passes out again.

Janus shakes his head in his hand as the other Gods laugh.

"And he is out again. Well I will leave these buffoons in your capable finger bones."

Hades shoots him a glare. Janus creates another portal, this one leads to the Grand hall with the festivities.

"I must be off as well, Anubis needs me to relieve him of death duty for the night." Thanatos nods to the gods as his wings extend and he grips his scythe. He crouches to the ground and leaps up to fly. The roof of the underworld opens up and allows him to pass into the human world. It closes after he passes through the gap. Ah Puch and Hades sit in silence, they listen to the screams of the damned souls, and the occasional burps from the drunks.

-

Zeus leans over the balcony in his royal chamber, his face in contemplation, and the storms in his eyes a steady thunder through the clouds. He gazes down at the mortal realm thinking to the battle earlier, then looks upwards at Helios as he drags the sun across the realms. Zeus's wife Hera comes behind him and wraps her arms around him. His beautiful queen is robed in a bejeweled fine cloth dress with a magnificent head dress lining her hair.

"What's troubling you my love?"

Zeus places his hand upon his wife's, he squeezes it softly.

"Nothing my dear."

He brings her hand to his lips and kisses it. He looks back at her smiling but troubled, his cloudy eyes dark and woeful.

"You can't lie to me Zeus. I've seen through all of your tricks and charms, you womanizer."

Zeus blushes and gives a genuine smile briefly before he returns to his forlorn expression.

"We both know my womanizing days are behind me my Queen. A hundred Spartans and 20 Vikings, slaughtered each other in the name of their Gods."

Hera is confused by the statement. She c***s her head to the side, her long hair shifting.

"Why do you concern yourself?"

Zeus looks off into the distance a determined rage in his expression.

"We are the caretakers of humanity. And yet we celebrate peace while these skirmishes happen."

Hera looks away in guilt as she shares his concern.

"We have sworn to limit intervention, they cannot rely on us always, we give our blessings when we can but aside from that we can't do more."

Zeus looks down slightly in anger, the storms in his eyes raging furiously.

"I know the law, and I wish I had no part in its creation! I will forever regret casting my vote as long as someone poor mortal is killed because an Eagle flew over their home!"

Zeus shifts his gaze back down to Earth. Hera looks at him worried. He senses her worry.

"I'm sorry my dear, I didn't mean to raise my voice."

She smiles softly to him and reaches to pull his face to her.

"Do not forget we aided the mortals so that they could be free. That means they make their own choices."

"So they will s*******r each other in our name? They have forgotten why we are here."

Hera grabs Zeus's hand and stares right into his eyes unphased by the storm.

"Can you blame them? Those were dark times, those who survived it have passed on, their descendants wish to leave those stories as just that. Stories."

Zeus wraps his arm around Hera and kisses her head. He looks to a far off dark corner of the world, where a gigantic storm rages. He so often has to play the part of determined leader, these few moments he has with Hera are the only time he can express his true thoughts. That war was horrific, but he would go through it all a thousand times for her.

"I only hope the scourge was driven back for good. I will not stand to lose any more of those I love."

The storms in Zeus's eyes begin to rain. Hera grabs him tightly looking down at the dark storm, she knows exactly who he means. Her heart mourns along his every time she looks at that dreaded prison.

-

In the Great Hall, now empty from the festivities, lies five grand statues, memorials and grave markings for the fallen. That war so long ago that destroyed the idea of being both immortal and invincible the Gods loved so much. At the base of each statue lies a tribute. A ball of lightning zaps into the hall, and Zeus materializes from it. Zeus walks towards them, pausing, his hands quivering in fear. He steels himself and marches forward, stopping in front of the middle statue. He kneels and looks up. The statue is of a trident, his brothers signature weapon, he looks to the other statues his heart sinking with each figure, the war drums of Raijin, the Japanese God of Thunder, the Great Wave of He Bo, the Chinese God of the Yellow River, the Eagle of Horus, The Sky God of Egypt, and lastly, his heart shattered at the Owl of Athena, Greek Goddess of War, and his daughter. A mistletoe branch lay on her slab, he knew the source. He looked back to Poseidon's slab. Greek God of the Sea, and the man who saved his life. Zeus' eyes rained, and the tears began to stream down his cheeks, falling off to the slab.

"I... I'm so sorry...Brother... Daughter... friends... I wasn't strong enough to save you... Poseidon.. forgive me..."

He mourned in isolation as the night went on, the faint smell of the sea washing over him, as if his brother's spirit tried to console him, this was too much for his weak and weary heart and he returned to rest.

-

The next day Thanatos continued to patrol the mortal realm. He had existed so long he forgot when he began, and yet the mortal realm and the feeling of flight would never grow old to him. He flies through the air high above. He diverts his path abruptly towards the scene of a prior battle. Samurai and Grecian specters roam the c*****e. Thanatos lands, his wings slowly close. The specters are shocked by his presence. The Greek warriors bow to him, the Samurai are fearful.

"Brave warriors. I am Thanatos, Hand of Death. I have come for you, to welcome the worthy to the beyond."

One of the Samurai specters draws his katana and holds it at Thanatos. It shakes terribly and the specter gulps.

"Back monster! You will not claim my life!"

Thanatos laughs at this display, and disappears into darkness, reforming behind the Samurai. He gently rests his blade against the Samurai's spectral throat, whose eyes go wide.

"A touching display of valor. But you have no life to claim. Only a soul I can aid."

Thanatos points to the Samurai's corpse with his scythe. The Samurai is quivering in fear.

"Fear not. I am here to show you the afterlife deserving of your deeds. All of you, not just Greek."

The Samurai is shaking but lowers his katana and turns to Thanatos. He nods slowly.

"I give you the choice to go or to stay."

Thanatos waves his hand, the air shimmers and a beautifully crafted gate forms. He presses the doors open and reveals a warriors paradise. Vikings, Grecians, Samurai, and warriors of all kinds relish the afterlife. The Samurai lets his blade fall to the ground. Thanatos chuckles.

"Gets them every time."

The samurai shifts his gaze from the gate to Thanatos. He wishes for this to be true.

"If you speak the truth, I will most certainly go."

"I swear on the RIver Styxx. You may enter of your own accord. Your gods and comrades await you."

The warriors walk through the gate single file. Each with a smile. The Grecians salute Thanatos, and the Samurai bow. Thanatos closes the gate and it fades away. Thanatos prepares for flight a smile on his face at their excitement to continue on. As he leaps into the air a taloned hand grabs his foot and slams him to the ground. A dark figure stands above him his vision corrects to see a Minotaur corrupted with red and black tendrils and slime standing above Thanatos, his spear aimed down.

"Paradise awaits your pitiful charges, yet only death awaits you."

The Minotaur shouts and raises his spear to strike, Thanatos sweeps the monster's leg out from under him, strikes his scythe at the Minotaur's head, the Minotaur loses a horn and rears back in pain. The Minotaur growls and shoves his head into Thanatos throwing him into the air with his remaining horn. Thanatos spreads his wings, anger swelling inside him and swoops down dragging his scythe across the monsters chest. Thanatos lands and swings his scythe with one hand, the monster blocks with his spear, and the weapons lock against each other, the two clashing.

"You dare challenge a god on your own?" Thanatos spits out, insulted by the very thought. No monster had dared challenge a god since the defeat of the demons. The monster is grabbing his chest, black blood oozing over his hand. He smiles. Thanatos groans.

"Who said that I am alone cur."

Thanatos c***s his head to the side confused, he leaps to the sky as he realizes. Two spears land in his prior position. A third embeds itself in his ankle. Thanatos curses in rage. He takes high to the sky above the cloud reaches, he looks down at the monsters, three more minotaur appearing from nearby, he only sees red from his rage. He calls upon his power, and a dark fire surrounds him, and he glows with pale blue light. His voice takes upon an ethereal overtone.

"Suffer my wrath fools!"

He descends upon the monsters closing his wings and brandishes his scythe. He impacts the ground, a black fire explosion erupts. The new monsters are incinerated immediately, with barely a whimper leaving their mouths. As the fire settles, Thanatos limps around and rips the spear out of his leg, yelling in anger and rage, he hears chuckling and looks to the source. The Minotaur is burnt badly, his wound cauterized and his flesh bubbling.

"You seem to be a bit tougher than your companions. Sadly, you are all out of your league."

Thanatos slashes the Minotaurs throat. The Minotaur lies on the ground, slowly losing life. He gives one final smile.

"Arrogant God..."

The air is hot, the sky turns dark as clouds approach. Thanatos holds his scythe closely, hissing as he steps back on his wounded leg, preparing. A massive figure jumps from the cloud towards Thanatos.

"What in all the realms is that ..."

Thanatos takes to the sky observing the beast. Only an outline is visible, horns, massive figure, its body covered in clouds. Through the darkness shine two dark yellow eyes. The ground the beast touches is defiled, spreading slowly the same corruption on the Minotaur, it reaches the laughing and gurgling Minotaur and it rots away in moments, it's flesh dissolves and leaves a skeleton which quickly disintegrates. Thanatos grips his scythe, he wants to get aid but he can't risk this monster reaching the mortals, he swoops past the beast driving his scythe into its head. It yanks out and the beast roars and swings out striking the god, Thanatos clutches his side ribs cracking, his armor dented. He gives one more pass, glowing pale blue again. The scythe blade glows and the screams of damned souls come from it. He aims for the throat of the monster swooping past cutting a deep gash into it. The beast screams in pain, it lurches after Thanatos one more time before falling to the ground, its form slowly sucked back into the clouds, and the clouds head off towards the massive storm cloud in the distance, then the field is empty besides defiled earth and sickly black blood. Thanatos scans the area. He picks up the severed horn of the Minotaur and attaches it to his hip, he looks at the blood, faint memories stirring, and anguish and fear surfacing with them. He dips his hand in the blood and smells. He stands up shocked. He looks at the receding clouds.

"It cannot be."

He launches into the sky as fast as he can and flies fear gripping his heart and soaring him forwards.

-

Upon Mt. Olympus in the Realm of the Gods Ares and Zeus walk through the marble courtyard. Ares is still sore over the attack.

"What did those Vikings think they were doing in Spartan land."

Zeus groans disapprovingly, millennia have gone by and this boy never changes, unsatisfied with a clear victory.

"Are you still concerning yourself with this? Move past this Ares, it is not our fight, and your pride is untarnished."

Ares smiles and holds his head high.

"Tyr should influence his ilk away from my people, save the whole lot of them face."

Zeus shakes his head. He is about to speak when a massive earthquake shakes the heavens. Ares loses his footing and falls down. The Gods are confused.

"That was not from a God." he says reaching out to sense for power exertion.

"What just happened?" Ares asks drawing his sword in caution.

"I don't kno--" Zeus now realizes where the earthquake came from. "We must go. Meet me at the hall!"

A cloud forms at Zeus' feet. He flies upwards over the wall out of Olympus. Smoke is rising from The Great Hall. Zeus' eyes turn thunderous, lightning striking rapidly.

-

Zeus zooms towards The Great Hall, catching some of the smoke in his path. He smells and covers his nose disgusted by the stench, the memories and horror surge back to him. He proceeds closer before stopping in his tracks. His arm drops from his nose, his face distraught.

"No... this smell..."

His eyes rain, then a hurricane rages. He zooms to the Hall.

-

The Great Hall is filled to burst with Gods looking for the source of the earthquake. Gods crowd the hall with faces of shock, fear, and rage. The gates to the hall slam open. Zeus storms in, lightning crackling off of him uncontrollably in his rage. The Gods part for him, the emotions intensifying.

"What has happened?"

Zeus walks through the hall, looking for the source of the quake. He stops. Thunder shakes the hall, the Gods quiver from him.

"Answer me! What has happen--"

The statues for the fallen gods lie in ruin. The ground surrounding the slabs is defiled, black fleshy tumors pulse and surround the slabs. Writing is scorched into the wall. Each word in a different language.

"'The gods will fall... when the dark returns... ' They taunt us with this mockery!"

Tyr looks around the slabs at tumors and clenches his fist in rage, his runes glow blue with energy. The crowd parts.

"What has happened!?" Ares demands. He fumes with rage his sword drawn until he sees the slabs, he drops his blade in shock and slowly stumbles towards them in disbelief. Ares kneels near the ruined owl statue, rests his hand upon the slab.

"First they take my sister... and now they desecrate her grave..."

A fire envelops Ares. It is low and burns faintly. Ares clenches the rubble in his rage and breaks a piece. The fire shuts off and Ares desperately attempts to collect the pieces. The God's watch silently. Some turn away in sadness, no one had seen him like this in hundreds of years. Five hundred to be precise. Tyr approaches Ares.

"My friend... I am sorry, I will personally restore her statue, make it better than before."

A tear rolls down Ares cheek, drips down to the ground, sizzling as it lands. Zeus walks to Ares. He places a hand on his shoulder. Zeus grits his teeth in sadness and anger. He walks to the ruined trident, looks at the ruins of the others. He waves his hand wave of lightning washes over restoring the statues. He shakes with rage, lightning striking around him, obliterating the corruption. A skeletal hand reaches to his shoulder, Hades forms from the shadow.He shakes his head at Zeus. His temper had always been his downfall, Hades knew this. The lightning calms down.

"They dare enter our home... and defile our fallen... We shall not stand for this." Zeus grits his teeth slowly declaring this act of defiance."

"How did this happen?" Tyr asks looking to the gods for an answer that wouldn't come.

Thor steps from the crowd and grips Mjolnir, his muscles bulging and lightning covers his hammer. His eyes rest on Athena's grave, a single stick remains from the mistletoe, he shakes in rage, clenching his hammer harder, Ameterasu alongside him, she notices his gaze hold on Athena's statue and lowers her gaze sadly.

"I will find answers." Thor declares, not breaking eye contact with the grave.

"As will I." Her gaze lingers on Thor, worry forming as she sees his fury.

Thor and Ameterasu begin to walk away. Zeus's voice bellows through the hall, and lightning strikes off of him to the floor rapidly and randomly.

"No." The firm single word stops the Gods in their tracks, they slowly turn to the Allfather.

"Alert the active Gods, call them back to our Realm, inform the Supreme's and All Fathers." Zeus states with his authority returning to his voice, the lightning reaching out further, the Gods now back in fear, Hades is singed by the lightning but tries to calm Zeus again only to be brushed off.

"Zeus calm yourself!" Hades yells.

He turns to the Gods ignoring Hades, pain evident in his face and voice, his voice shakes the foundations of the hall.

"Did anyone witness this?"

The Gods stand quietly, none answer him. Zeus shakes with rage as lightning continues to strike off of his body in a growing circle. He is about to speak before Odin Norse All Father, wearing metallic Viking armor and brandishing the spear Gungnir on his back, and an eye patch, speaks.

"Speak if you witnessed this, we need to know now!"

Zeus looks at Odin, the lighting slacks back towards his body, but still strikes very close to him, his rage so great the best he can do is pull back the lightning.

"Odin... I'm glad you are here. Hades... forgive me Brother..." He sees the singed bones, and Hades solemnly nods and says nothing of the strikes.

"I understand, Poseidon does too." Hades says this as calmly as he can, but pain is hidden under his words. He looks to Odin with Zeus.

"I just heard the news. My raven saw a slender dark figure flee to the mortal realm right after the disturbance." This spurs a few gods to action. Ares looks at Odin, a few tears still fall down his cheeks but his eyes burn hotly, his aura of fire slowly starting.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" He questions Odin with as much respect as the blood crazed war god can muster.

Odin shakes his head with a frown.

"Dark clouds hid his true form, I could not make much out."

"Search for him. The monster must pay in blood." Tyr declares but is stopped when Zeus holds his hand out.

"Don't bother, this is no mere monster to smite."

Odin and Tyr turn to him confused, Ares with blood lust.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you not remember this smell. Your description confirms it." Zeus states slowly and angrily. "The smoke, the blood, the awful smell. They're back."

Odin stares intently at Zeus, his face changes to shock as he realizes.

"They cannot be ba--"

Odin is interrupted as wing beats precede the massive doors being slammed open. Thanatos crashes through the gate holding his side, a wound in his leg, holding the deformed Minotaur horn.

"They have returned! The de--"

"Demons." Zeus finishes the sentence no one wanted to hear.

Thanatos is confused. He looks past the gods at the ruins. He drops his scythe and limps forward. He stumbles, Thor and Amaterasu rush to his side and helps him up.

"How did they enter our realm, that's not possible!" Thanatos exclaims in fear and rage.

"A thought for later my friend, Cha'ac help us bring him to Olympus, he needs to rest." Thor tells him as sympathetically as he can, he glances at the wound in his leg dripping golden blood.

Cha'ac, Mayan God of Storms, wears a Mayan armor head piece, and bits of armor on his chest and shoulders strapped together with leopard pelts. He scoops up Thanatos and rests him on his shoulder.

"Come my friend. Amy will heal you once we get you home."

Thanatos groans. Thor picks up the scythe and follows, Amaterasu groaning at the nickname she never wanted.

"Thank you Cha'ac." Thanatos mumbles thankfully, even as he is carried out. The gods focus on the statues and Zeus. Ares draws his sword.

"The demons are locked in the storm, we know where they are, let us destroy them!" He roars to the gods who cheer back, Odin shakes his head disapprovingly. He yells to the blood thirsty crowd.

"That mentality is what cost us so dearly in the last war. We need to be tactical this time. Find out how they escaped the prison and entered our home."

"And who aided them. Which one of us, aided them."

The Gods gasp in confusion and indignation.

"Do you think a god is responsible?"

"There is no other way into this realm than to be accompanied by a god and no way out of the prison either."

The gods glance at each other. Some with worried expressions, others with hostile eyes. Hands reach towards their weapons and rest there watching the scene unfold.

"But who could do this? Why would one of us seek to destroy the peace we have all suffered for."

"I don't know and right now we can't afford to turn on each other... but I will find out who did this." Zeus looks around the crowd with suspicion then Zeus transforms into ball of lightning and zaps out of the hall, the c***k of the lightning echoes in the silence. He heads down to the mortal realm., the Gods watch his lightning trail off then look amongst each other in suspicious gazes.