FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter -23- Wrath of the Titans

Celestial Realm...

Reno glanced at Karla and frowned. In a soft voice, he whispered to her, "Maybe we should have brought a skilled negotiator, or a diplomat."

Karla leaned close and smirked, "They have no choice but to make peace. These guys don't care about honor; they care about self-preservation. This détente will happen, Top Cop."

Across from Karla and Reno, two mighty deities stood face-to-face, eyes narrowed at one another. They spoke softly, amongst themselves, so that neither Karla nor Reno could hear.

"What do you think they're saying?"

Karla arched her brows at Reno. "Don't you know your Greek mythology?"

"I'm a homicide detective, Karla. That's my passion. Not this stuff."

Karla grinned. "It's good to know a little of everything about anything."

"The guy with the beard throws lightning right?"

Karla swatted Reno on his backside firmly. "Good, babe. See? You do know a little about what's going on!" She grinned. "That's Zeus. The other guy is his father. Nathanial once told me he combined his lightning with the sickle of Cronus to make his lightning scythe. That's what he was known for. Apparently he got the idea from combining those two."

"Oh. Why did they have a falling out?"

Karla crossed her arms beneath her bust line. "Because Zeus was a dick to his dad. Sometimes kids feel the need to rebel against their parents." Her grin broadened. "Ironically, Cronus did the same damn thing to his own father."

Reno frowned. "Why did Zeus overthrow is father?"

Karla shrugged. "Because Zeus is a huge dickhead? Cronus brought the world into the Golden Age, where there were no rules or laws because immorality didn't exist. Everyone was just ... good."

"So what the hell did the old man do so wrong? Sounds like he did a great job."

Karla chuckled and shook her head. "God, babe, look it up." She paused, then said, "For starters, Cronus tried to eat him right after he was born. The old fart was tricked into eating a rock in swaddling clothes. Second, Zeus wanted power, and..."

"Let's keep it simple," Reno replied, interrupting her. "Cronus, like chronology? Like time pieces, and time?"

"There's disagreements on whether some cultures merged Coronus as father time with Chronos, the personification of time. Nobody knows all the answers for sure. That's why the gods are split, fractured, have multiple faces and versions up here, or otherwise dysfunctional personalities."

"This is getting too much to follow," Reno quipped.

The two deities turned to face Reno and Karla.

Zeus sighed with a deep breath. "I understand the impossible choice dealt us by the fates. However, you broke my law by bringing my father here. Mount Olympus is _not_in danger. I say we let these creatures wipe out the other deities so that only the Olympians remain. It will be our glorious..."

Karla threw her hands up in the air. "No! Because humanity will not know what happens here! You will still be a nearly forgotten control freak hiding on the top of a mountain! You will help us!"

Reno turned to Karla, eyes wide. "Jesus, that's _not_how you do diplomacy, Karla!"

"You wish to challenge my rule?" Zeus erupted. "Then come at me!"

Karla smirked, crossing her arms again. "Come at you, huh? Y'know, I'm a succubus - I could take that multiple ways."

"You are stubborn," Cronus said to his son. "You grow that long white beard out and think it makes you a man. But the memory of a man is based on its deeds. The time of the Olympians was embroiled in wars, dispute, and chaos. My reign was remembered as an age of enlightenment and..."

"Silence, old man! I will deal with you shortly! You will return to where I've imprisoned you! First, I will flatten these two for bringing you to me!"

Reno stepped in front of Karla. "We came to you two for help. To give you the chance to save yourselves. But if you're going to act like this, then forget it. We don't need your bullshit."

"Oh-ho, you tell'em, Top Cop."

"Karla, you're the one that got him worked up."

"No," Zeus said in a snarky yet calm voice. "It was the undesired intrusion. It was bringing my father from his prison. It was..."

Karla balled her hands into fists. "The creatures found their way down there and he freed himself! I brought him here to try and get you two to agree for once in your pathetic, long, boring lives. No wonder you morons were nearly forgotten. The rest of the world got bored with your bickering and your tragedies and your drama."

Zeus lifted his left hand, creating a mighty rod of glowing white light. "You watch your tongue!"

Karla scoffed. "What, are you going to threaten me to death? Throw the lightning already!"

"You will soon know the power I wield." Zeus hurled the bolt.

Reno, standing in front of Karla, absorbed the electricity with ease. His eyes glowed, briefly, and he sighed in content, empowered by the energy.

Karla leaned close, careful not to touch Reno incase he was still over-charged. She smirked and said, "Castrate them both, babe. These guys need to be humbled."

Reno held his hands outward, creating a crackling electric scythe in each hand. The light formed in his palms and curved about, until each bolt took the form of a sickle. "Enough of this bullshit. Last chance."

Zeus furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes. "What is ... this madness?"

"That is like my stone scythe," Cronus said, "Which I used to castrate my own father."

Reno grimaced. "You two have some seriously messed up family issues. Are you two going to fight us, or fight with us?"

Zeus turned from his father and walked to a window in the throne room, gazing down upon the army of humans. "So, you two are the leaders of the soldiers fighting the creatures at the foothills of Olympus? Why not send a messenger?"

Karla put her hands on her hips. "Because we're not pussies. We don't hide behind our messengers."

Reno added, "Because we're soldiers, too."

"Soldiers are pawns," Zeus exclaimed. "They do the bidding of their master so as not to be slain. They are merely smart enough to have chosen a side, but are nothing more than fodder to fight the wars of men."

Reno narrowed his eyes. "Serving is a great honor. Soldiers hold the respect of the civilians they represent and protect. Civilians understand that sacrifice, and the difficulty of living as a soldier."

"How can they?" Zeus asked, turning from the window. "Civilians know nothing of a soldier's life."

Reno's electric scythes crackled, showering the tiled floor with a burst of sparks. "Civilians understand that their soldiers are their brothers, their sons, and their daughters. Civilians understand the impossible odds given to soldiers - having to balance being both patriotic and being tools of a hypocrisy in order to bring safety to the homeland, the families and the loved ones these soldiers care for."

No one spoke.

Reno continued. "Soldiers don't have it easy. They are put into dangerous places. They are asked to do things that will break the heart, and the soul. Yet they do it in the name of the safety of their countrymen. So God bless those soldiers out there, working to keep Olympus safe, and the rest of the world. They're here for Earth, not for themselves."

A voice came from off to the far right. "That was brave. It was from the heart." The man stepped into the great hall.

Zeus turned. "Ares..."

Karla licked her lips. "Reno, I think you impressed the Greek god of war." She lowered her eyes, and then lifted them, raking her gaze over the fully nude, sculpted body of Ares. She whispered to Nevada. "He's better hung in my romance novels. Not bad, though. Maybe he's a grower - not all guys are hung, flaccid."

Reno completely ignored her, keeping his glowing scythes held outstretched and ready.

"You are my father," said Ares to Zeus, "but you are not in the battlefield. This man speaks from his heart as a warrior. And look at the weapons he holds, a combination of lightning and a scythe. His eyes glow. His heart pounds."

Cronus turned and looked Ares over. "Zeus, my son, you may be a disappointment, but it's obvious you've fathered fine children." The titan approached Ares and walked in a circle around the warrior. "Yes, young man, you are a fine grandson."

Ares cut his gaze to Cronus, briefly, then back to Reno and Karla. He directed his voice to his father, while keeping his eyes on the two visitors. "They did not come in a chariot. They did not bring war dogs. They do not carry torches, or spears, nor do they wear helmets. They do not wear armor like Athena, yet they speak with her wisdom and dress in with art and culture."

Karla grinned. She fluffed her skirt hem and brushed her hands over her blouse? "This old thing? You like it?"

Ares continued to speak to his father. "They dress as civilians, not as warriors. Yet they broke the lines and came to us against insurmountable odds."

"We are safe here," Zeus said, returning to the window. He gazed at the battle down at the foothills of Mount Olympus.

"You would hide here?" Ares asked, incredulous. "Those creatures rise from the dead! They spawn numbers when hacked into the smallest pieces. We have never incurred such an enemy!"

Zeus turned from the window and squinted at his son, across the room. "Are you ... afraid?"

"I am insulted you do not join the war!" Ares erupted. "You! The great Zeus! You stand there and watch! You throw your lightning bolts from the safety of that window! And when those creatures break the lines and storm Olympus, will you hide behind your throne and throw lightning like a coward?"

Karla widened her eyes. She turned to Reno and whispered, "Greek Drama. I love this shit."

Ares approached Zeus. "You said you rule with fear! Humans do not fear the gods anymore! You are an insufferable old man! Greece is broke! The Greeks base their ailing economy on food, on tourism, and on the skeletons of historical buildings! Their culture is based on Athena, because she attended them in their need! But they have not conquered anyone in far too long! Athena cannot help our worshipers alone! But she's the only one who cares! Let me FIGHT!"

"You protect..."

"No!" Ares shouted. "I am a warrior, not a sentinel! I do not stand guard so that you may hide behind me and throw lightning on occasion! I will go with these two warriors."

Zeus glanced from his son to his father.

Karla whispered to Reno, "Diplomacy is different here, Reno. You don't receive respect by speaking in a soft voice and acting like a lawyer. Not here, anyhow. You flex, you peacock, and then you put your money where your mouth is."

Reno nodded.

Ares pointed at Reno, but kept his angry gaze on his father, Zeus. "You see that man? He wields lightning in the shape of a scythe! So tell me, how are the two of you relevant? My father and grandfather are too scared to fight, and a human has combined their might with ease."

Zeus created another bolt of lightning and threw it at his son. However, the bolt forked, curved about, and became attracted to Reno.

Ares blinked. "Did you see how he just took your lightning from your hand?! A human, mightier than my father, who postures less than my grandfather!" Ares approached Reno and Karla. "Athena and I have spoken. We do not always see eye to eye, but she is my sister and we both agree to take up arms."

Karla looked around the large chamber. "Do we get to meet her? I've always wanted to meet Athena."

"She is plotting a strategy," Ares said. "We will need warrior gods from throughout the extended realm."

Karla turned to Reno and smiled. "He means outside of Olympus."

"Yes," Ares said sternly. "The extended realm is that which lies beyond the land of our pantheon."

"How dare you," Zeus approached his son. "You would abandon Olympus?!"

"No, I will fight to protect it. To do so, we need warriors like myself. You are not fit to wage war alongside me, Zeus."

"I am your father!"

"Then act like it," Ares snapped. He folded his arms across his shirtless chest. "The creatures have opened the jar."

Cronus clenched his hands into fists. "The jar of Pandora's wedding? Why was I not aware of this?"

"Now," Ares said in a low voice. "Now you know what is at stake."

Reno whispered to Karla. "What are they talking about."

"Pandora's box, dumbass. All the evils in the world have been released back upon the world. That's old news. Falcon did it with his genetics. It just took this long for the metaphor to become literal."

Reno closed his hands. The glowing sickles disappeared. He ran his hands up through his dark tousled hair. "So does that mean we have to fight more?"

"I think evil is figurative," Karla said. "It's Ares' way of getting through to his father and telling him that we're not facing just some army. We're facing a serious shit storm."

Ares approached Reno and Karla. "Is that what humanity thinks? The jar is a metaphor?"

Karla frowned. "Yeah. According to the lore, Pandora was the first human woman on Earth. She opened the box and created Original Sin, just like Eve brought it to the world in the Garden of Eden. Men can't take blame because of their egos, so they blame all the evils of the world on women in several religions. There's just one problem with the mythology."

Ares looked back at his father and grandfather. They returned a blank expression. "Some of the darker evils were returned to the box. Human sin remained free, and is why my father had no golden age; he should not be judged against his father for the sin of humans." Ares turned back to Karla. "What is the problem you speak of?"

"Humans predated the deities. Who invented the tales? We did. We grew bored with you, and your power waned. The secret is out, boys. Women didn't create evil - man blamed it on us and made up stories about the gods because they were insecure in their fears about the world around them."

Reno leaned towards Karla and whispered, "Now is _not_the time for feminism. I get it - we're equal. But those guys don't subscribe to it."

Karla smirked. "What came first, the chicken or the egg? What came first? Humanity or Evil? It's a trick question, boys. They arrived on the scene at the same time. They're synonymous with each other."

Zeus narrowed his eyes. "The chicken came first, as it was necessary to lay the egg."

Cronus glowered at his son. "The egg came first. As creatures evolved through mutations throughout time, a creature laid an egg. Within was a mutation from which would hatch the first Chicken. That is how time works."

Karla glanced down at her nails. She buffed them on her blouse, and then turned to the naked Greek warrior. "Ares? What's your answer?"

"It does not matter what came first. What matters, now, is how we preserve the race. To do that, we must join the warriors at the foothills of Olympus. We must join with the other war gods and set the realms free. Peace comes at the price of war."

Karla pointed at Ares. She put her fingertip against his chest, trailing her fingertip down his sternum. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! This guy, right here! We're leaving to fight. Cronus, Zeus, you two can argue all you want. You can even fight each other for the right to be marginally more important than the other."

Cronus held his hands up. "Wait." He approached Reno and clasped Nevada's shoulders. "Take with you my sickle. You will have the might to carry the colossal, sharp, powerful blade. Use it wisely on your journey through time, which lies ahead."

"Journey through time?" Reno murmured to Karla.

She leaned in and whispered, "Being the Greek version of Saturn, he later become associated with time. So, later in his life, Cronus began to understand time in new ways."

"I am merely trying to explain you have a long, long life ahead of you. You will need my sickle to survive it. You will age, as men do, but you will out live many. Make the most of your time, and learn all you are able. The sickle must be wielded with intelligence to be the most useful."

Zeus, not to be outdone, approached Reno and laid his palm on Nevada's other shoulder. "Take my leadership. Take the might of my lightning. I am impressed a human can hold such a power. You are impressive, but now you will cast bolts with the greatness of a god."

No one spoke.

Zeus stepped back. "I cannot let someone throw bolts of lightning that merely burn their enemies. Now, when you are witnessed to throw such a weapon, you will be remembered and revered properly. Now ... you will impress."

Reno held his hands out. A beam linked together between his palms. The mere glow illuminated the throne room so that even Zeus had to avert his eyes.

The brightness was so intense that no shadows could be seen in the immediate area.

Karla punched Reno in the shoulder. "Shut it off, megawatt!"

The room dimmed to its natural illumination. Reno pressed his fingers together, cracking his knuckles. "Lightning's peak output is a terawatt. I might not know much about Greek stuff, but I've read up on my lightning."

"Yeah?" Karla smiled. "But do you know YiaYia's Double Baklava cheesecake recipe? Guess who learned it before YiaYia passed away? Only two people - me and some werewolf chick that lived with YiaYia at the time."

Ares looked to his father and grandfather. "Very well. You've bequeathed your might to this human. Stay and protect Olympus."

"I have no allegiance to Olympus," Cronus said.

Zeus looked his father over and frowned. "If you give your word not to try and devour me again, I may let you stay and fight."

"Are you still upset about that?" Cronus erupted, as if amused.

Karla whispered to Reno. "Told 'ya." She cut her eyes back to Ares, looking him over again. "How do you maintain your abs?"

"Battle," he said. "I wield various weapons. I chop, I swing, and I thrust."

"Thrust, huh?" Karla grinned impishly. "Okay. I'll buy that. That's one hell of a war-core you've got there. Flex those."

"My torso?"

Karla nodded emphatically. "Don't disappoint. You're going to stand there naked, so peacock for me. Just once. C'mon."

"You are an outspoken woman."

"Don't be a pussy, tighten your stomach for me."

Ares tensed up. His abdominals became clear and the cut of his body became obvious.

"There you go," said Karla with a smile. "Good. Men on Earth go to a gymnasium and work out to look sculpted. But it's different from men who are developed naturally from constant work. It's more natural looking. It's not gross, like muscle heads who just look lumpy and weird."

"Karla," Reno said with a sigh.

Zeus shook his head. "Yes, please, Ares ... stop preening and go. Fight. It's all you've talked about. Stop posing for the meek female."

Karla grimaced and turned to Zeus. "You want to arm-wrestle pal? I could toss you around if I wanted."

"I highly doubt such. Now leave, Ares. Take this human man with you. Girl, you should stay here and entertain me while the warriors save the realm."

Karla closed her hand into a fist. She tensed up and amplified her body with telekinesis to create a protective shell around her fist. Using her telekinesis, she made it appear as though she punched a hole in a nearby wall. She reached up to a large iron sword, hung on the wall.

"What ... are you doing, confounded woman!" Zeus cried.

Karla turned to him and bent the blade until the tip of the blade met the center of the handle. "I hope that was entertaining enough for you. I have a war to fight."

She dropped the heavy ceremonial decoration to the tiled floor. It cracked the tiles with its immense weight. "You know what I learned from Greek dramas? There was a lot of pissing and moaning, but not nearly enough morals or humor."

Cronus and Zeus exchanged glances and looked back at Karla.

She curtsied her skirt hem and stepped over the sword, headed for the exit. "The moral is ... don't misjudge in ignorance. The humor was the look on your faces." She headed to a large door at the end of the hall. "Ares, Reno, stop looking at my ass and let's go."

X

X

Celestial Realm...

Susanoo shook his head , watching how Tamamo interacted with Inari. He turned his gaze back to the lioness and looked her over. "Sharp claws and fangs will not matter to the Jötnar. Some of them fight with weapons, and a blade would remove your head, woman."

Sekhmet narrowed her gaze. "The Jötnar were no match for the enemy we now face. They heal their injuries rapidly. When their head is cleft from their bodies, they become two creatures. Tamamo spoke of how useful you would be, but I will believe it when I see it."

Susanoo reached for a sword on a nearby stone table. He unsheathed it and brought the lengthy blade to Sekhmet's throat.

She did not flinch.

"The Totsuka-no-Tsurugi would cut you down; I would find another way to fight creatures that heal their wounds. I do not require your help. You have already done your part."

Sekhmet stepped forward, pushing his blade against her neckline, pushing the fur up. "I see your sword has been nicked. I'm almost impressed you've used your blade before."

"Yes, I knicked it in battle against Yamata..."

"I am not impressed!" Sekhmet exclaimed overtop of him.

"You dare interrupt me?!" Susanoo exclaimed. "Do you know who I am?"

"Do you know who I am?" Sekhmet narrowed her gaze. "I created the desert with my breath! I single-handedly devoured thousands across Egypt for their mere insult!"

Susanoo glared at her, his lips tightly pressed together. His brought his free hand up, pushing it through the dark muttonchops that framed his face. "I see. So you thought it wise to murder the people whose faith sustained you."

"They sought to do harm to the husband of my alter ego. They needed to be punished." Sekhmet bared her fangs in an attempt to intimidate him.

Susanoo turned away from her, sheathed the sword and laughed out loud. "Do you know how I defeated the dragon?"

"Should I care?"

He crossed the cave, looking over at his sister. He turned back to Sekhmet, several feet away from her, and said, "I fed the creature sake. It could not fight drunk."

Sekhmet opened her maw to speak. She said nothing and closed her muzzle, not sure if he said such a thing to mock her. She wondered if he knew alcohol was her weakness. She felt a deep, inner shame boil in her stomach.

"The dragon couldn't hold its liquor!" he roared with laughter. "I do not always fight with my hands. I know my temper can become as turbulent as the seas, but I also know how to fight with my head. Do you? Cat? Or would curiosity be your undoing, like the Western culture suggests?"

"Shut your mouth, little man."

Susanoo drew his sheathed sword up and shouldered the harness, so that his sword rested on his back. He smirked at Sekhmet and said, "I must speak to my wife, I owe her that respect. And then we will fight together. I want to see if your bite is as fierce as the liquor on your breath."

Sekhmet wrinkled the top of her muzzle, snarling. In her heart, she felt awkward, as if he judged her. "Go, then."

Susanoo smiled somewhat and walked away to find his wife, Kushinadahime.

Silence. Sekhmet opened and closed her hands, disgusted by his arrogance, yet impressed and hopeful by his personality. She hoped he would be as passionate about fighting.

A woman approached Sekhmet. She bowed somewhat and asked, "Hachiman's dove was the only creature to fit through the gap above the boulder. He said you rescued Tamamo-no-Mae and left the realm. How did you return?"

"This mirror of impressive size allowed my crossing."

The woman smiled. "I was worried when the Yata no Kagami left Japan. I see, however, that it is in good hands."

"I do not understand," Sekhmet said.

"The Yata no Kagami is a mirror given to the eight hands. It was gifted to the first Emperor. He was a supernatural human being. It was kept secret from humanity, but he was one of eight rulers around the world, at the time, to have supernatural abilities. They called themselves the Eight Hands of Light. It was their key to our world. It was only fair we gave them such, in consideration of the fact we had so many ways to access their world."

"It is in America."

The woman nodded in understanding. "Very well. A shame it is no longer in Japan, however I will accept that it is protected."

"It is currently with a kitsune named Sinopa."

The woman smiled. "Perhaps she can return it to the Ise Grand Shrine of Japan. However, I would prefer it not to fall into the hands of the modern leaders of the supernatural community."

"Why?"

She frowned. "They are not responsible. No, perhaps it should stay where it is at ... for now. In 1040, according to the Western calendar, a fire burned the mirror. Humans have a way of disrespecting what they do not understand. I am glad it is safe now."

Sekhmet nodded. "It does not appear burned. It appears ... beautiful. Luminescent."

The woman smiled again. "I am glad to hear it has been restored. I wish you luck, Sekhmet."

"Do ... you know me?"

She smiled. "I know of everyone. And do not let my brother's words of curiosity confound you. I, too, was lured out of this very cave by my curiosity for the very mirror of which we spoke."

"Your ... brother? You are Amaterasu?"

She smiled again. Each time she smiled, her face seemed to radiate with brilliance, love, and kindness. She nodded gracefully in reply. "I am. Be well on your journey, Sekhmet. Bring my brother back to us, safe and alive. Please."

"I thought you are at odds with him?"

"I am at odds with any man who acts before he thinks. They feel they can parade around, fueled by testosterone. They carry on and wave their swords about, emotional and impassioned over things that are ultimately unimportant. But as women, we are created better - with the understanding to forgive and to show our love and affections differently."

"I am not like you," Sekhmet said softly. "Hathor would agree with you. She is the embodiment of feminism and ... I am not. I am the darkness that resides in every woman's soul. I am rage, and revenge, and the warrior spirit that resides deep in the hearts of women, who have been pushed too far. I am the fury of scorned women. I am the embodiment of anger that women feel when insulted. I am the woman that stands up to protect her child in the face of danger. I am the gnashing of fangs, and the extended claws, which all women have but often hide."

Amaterasu bowed deeply to Sekhmet. "Then carry with you my hidden, secret, dark rage. Take with you my every scorn, my every moment of grief and fury that I've repressed in my gut. Take my anger for my brotherly husband, Tsukuyomi, and my frustration with my errant brother, Susanoo. I hope it fuels you in battle."

Sekhmet drew in a deep breath, feeling empowered by Amaterasu's spiritual gift. The lioness roared triumphantly.

"Now go. Bring Susanoo back alive. Despite my frustration with him, he is my brother and I love him. No matter what ills he brings against me, he always seeks redemption and acceptance. Do not let him die."

"You have my word, as a woman, that I will return him." Sekhmet gnashed her teeth, feeding off the raw emotion, which Amaterasu had suppressed for so long. "I am ready to fight!"

"Your word is your honor, mighty lioness. Take care." She turned in time to see her brother approach. "You will like this woman, Susanoo. Her blood burns as hot as yours."

"We shall see!" Susanoo beamed brightly and walked by Sekhmet. "Come, feline woman. And you, fox spirit girl, let us fight these creatures who managed to destroy the Jötnar!"

Sekhmet unleashed her claws and fell into step behind the man. "Do not disappoint me as you did your sister. I want to see your prowess in battle." She looked back at Amaterasu and, in a softer voice, added, "I will keep him safe."

The sun goddess smiled in appreciation.

Tamamo approached Sekhmet and Susanoo. She bowed to the mighty gods of the sea. "It is an honor."

Susanoo rolled his eyes. "Reduced to fighting alongside women. What has this realm come to?"

Sekhmet held her clawed hand towards Tamamo and shook her head. "Do not ask for forgiveness. He is not really disappointed. He is a man and, when speaking with women, speaks from the wrong brain. Such is a common fault with many men. Asking forgiveness for insulting him would only encourage his behavior."

"I..."

"No," Sekhmet said. "Trust me, Tamamo. Stay quiet and show him your impressive skill with your sword. You will earn his respect with you save his life in battle enough times. Not that you need to earn his respect, but you will eventually have it. Trust me."

Susanoo wrinkled his nose as if insulted. "You had better be a worthy warrior, cat girl."

Sekhmet snorted in amusement. "I can kill more of these creatures while inebriated than you can, sober. Come, I will show you what the wrath of a woman can accomplish!" Sekhmet stormed by them both and made her way through the new gap between the rock cave's entrance and the boulder.

Susanoo withdrew his blade, a sword ten times longer than its impressive handle. "Where are these creatures?"

Sekhmet smirked. "Hiding from me. We will hunt them down. Oh, and thank Tamamo."

"Excuse_me_, woman?"

Sekhmet turned to Susanoo, eyes narrowed. "I said thank her. It was her cleverness that brought the boulder away from the cave. So it is to her that you owe gratitude,impetuous male."

Susanoo turned to Tamamo. He looked back at the trench dug in front of the boulder. His gaze returned to Tamamo. "You mean to tell me that the two of you women, alone, drew that boulder away from the cave entrance?"

Sekhmet smirked. "Tamamo serves a farmer, does she not? She knew the quickest and most reliable way to dig an irrigation trench. It saved you. I hope you do not disappoint us, puddle god."

Tamamo gasped and swallowed, eyes wide.

Susanoo glared at Sekhmet for a moment, and then he erupted in laughter. "You talk a good game, cat girl. I look forward to seeing you back up your chatter with action."

Sekhmet's smirk broadened into a sly grin. "I look forward to seeing if Tamamo was right in singing your praises. I'm used to killing feeble men, not fighting alongside of them. Do not disappoint us."

"Use that enormous flat nose of yours and find us an enemy," Susanoo chided. "Then you will see my might. I am not just the god of the sea. I am the god of storms! And I will fight with a force you cannot imagine!"

Sekhmet turned to Tamamo and afforded the kitsune a secret smile. "I like him. I just hope he can fight."

Tamamo nodded, not sure how to respond to the two gods. She wasn't sure if they were clashing ... or flirting with one another. Tamamo swallowed. It was the first time she remembered feeling speechless in a very long time.

X

X

Celestial Realm...

Karla jerked an arrow from the shoulder of a creature and buried the bloody tip into its forehead. She drew her foot up, planted her heel in the creature's gut and launched it away from her.

The creature's body flailed through the air and blasted through the trunk of a tree. The trunk splintered and the tree split. One section came down under the weight of its branches, the other piece remained erect.

"Impressive!" Ares shouted. He wore two arrow quivers, but no bow. Instead, he withdrew arrows two at a time, using them as spikes to be driven into the heads of his enemies.

"Yeah, so is the fact you don't fight without armor!" Karla called back, chidingly. "You keep flopping those things around in the breeze - it's distracting me!"

"For one who seeks equality of the sexes, I am amused you objectify me." He leapt at two recently spawned creatures, still wet with a sheen of placenta-like goo. Ares buried each of his arrows into their foreheads, bringing both to the ground.

He stood over their bodies, which shook with spasms. Ares turned back to Karla and approached her on the field. "What was our next objective?"

"If you expect me to say 'make love not war,' you're wrong." She smirked, watching his eyes lower. "Like what you see? To answer your question, we're going to liberate archangel Michael. Then you're going to help him to free all the war deities. I have a list."

"A list?"

Karla reached into her back pocket and pulled a piece of parchment. She unfolded it. "You want it in alphabetical? Agrona, Agurzil, Anann, Anat, Andarta, Anhur, Apedemak, oh and we got you already..."

"No, I do not want the list at this time. And I certainly do not want it recited in the midst of battle!"

Karla smirked. "Good." She watched him walk away and shouted, "Strut like you're actually hung, Ares! Tighten your ass and walk with power! You've got a great ass, by the way!"

Reno approached her from the left. "What are you doing?"

"I'm messing with him. He's walking around naked. He's attractive. But I don't want him to hit on me, so I'm saying things to make him feel uncomfortable."

Reno groaned. "How much further to wherever it is that we're going?"

"I'm following the hunters. They've seemed to figure out where to find Michael. We'll get there, babe. Relax."

He sighed and nodded. "Alright."

"How's the upgrade to your powers, Top Cop?"

"I can fry these bastards in a few seconds, now. It's a huge difference."

"Good!" Karla erupted. "That's great! Now you won't bitch about how long it takes anymore!"

Reno grinned. "You're a trip." He turned from her and headed back across the battlefield.

Karla rubbed her palms together. "Yup. I am." She tilted her head. "Hey, Reno ... do you hear that?"

Reno approached her. "I thought we're supposed to call me Nathanial now. You started that."

"Yeah, yeah, my bad."

"Karla, I've been asleep twenty-five years, and even I know that nobody says 'my bad' anymore. What did you hear?"

She put her hand up over his mouth and said, "Listen."

Reno brought both of his hands up to his right ear and held them there. He stepped back from her hand and said, "Sounds like a low rumble of thunder but I can't be sure. You've got good ears."

"It's coming this way. C'mon. Let's go see what the fuss is." She snatched his wrist and they vanished.

Karla and Reno appeared two hundred feet up. She kept them stable using telekinesis.

Reno moved as if trying to swim but calmed after a moment. He looked down at the battlefield from high above. "Warn me next time."

"Look, over there." She reached over, put her hands on his head and pointed him towards a large black square moving towards the battlefield. "What is that."

"Hell if I know," he said. "Look at all the dust coming up around the edges and back of that square. I think that's a formation. Like for an army, you know?"

"Let's go see." Karla teleported them towards the group. They appeared in the air, two hundred feet above the group. Karla pushed hair from her face. "Look at that."

"Yeah, that's a lot of soldiers. They're not in any sort of formation, though."

"You're right." Karla teleported them again. They appeared a hundred feet in front of the battle group, standing on a dusty plane.

One of the people at the front of the group broke into a sprint, heading towards Karla and Reno. The person waved their arms on approach.

Karla squinted. A smile spread across her face. "Shit, fuck, bitch, bastard, ass, cunt, dick..." She grinned at Reno. "Just getting it out of my system before he gets over here."

Reno deadpanned. "That's Evan?"

"Duh." Karla turned back towards the approaching group. "Watch this." She tensed her forearm. Evan vanished and appeared in full run, fifteen feet away.

Evan nearly lost his balance. He came to a halt. "You know, I expected you to do that and I still nearly fell on my butt."

Karla grinned. "Where did you find an army that big?"

"This is a third of Valhalla's finest warriors. The rest are in a battle to keep Asgard safe." Evan paused and, with a wry half-smile, said, "The warriors of Valhalla accidentally created a battalion of those creatures by hacking and slashing at them. I showed up with Tamae and the hunters - we had to explain to Thor and Sif why they were being overrun. But it's under control now. And they let us take a third of their warriors." Evan continued speaking in an excited tone. "Thor, by the way, is awesome. And I couldn't say no to Norse gods offering me mead so I'm a little tipsy, and I'm really excited. They said I was a hero warrior. It was freaking awesome."

Karla grinned at Reno, amused by his excitement. "You're really drunk?"

"Tipsy, just buzzed. But I'm walking it off." Evan sniffed. "It's amazing how close these gods live to one another. Then again, when you don't drive, and you don't have trains, I guess you can't expand very far."

Tamae caught up to the group. She glanced back at the warriors and nodded to everyone, respectfully. "We should keep moving. They're not going to stop for us."

Karla, Reno, Evan and Tamae fell into step together.

Karla replied to Evan, telling him, "Their realms begin near the hub world. Or, whatever you want to call it. But the freaking worlds these people live in expand away from the hub area in seemingly endless directions outward."

"Oh. Well, I didn't have to venture very far into Asgard to find Valhalla. The Bifrost Bridge really was a rainbow, though. And it extended away from the hub."

Reno smirked at Karla and pointed at Evan. "I _know_what the Rainbow Road is. So hah."

Karla rolled her eyes. "It's a pain in my ass. Everytime I played Mario Kart I got pissy when I got to Rainbow Road."

Evan's eyes widened. "You never told me you played video games."

"I had to know how to fit in with the teenaged crowd," Karla said with a smirk. "God that brings back memories." She put one arm around Evan's neck and the other around Tamae's neck. "You guys, we're approaching a battle up ahead. And we need to free the archangel Michael."

"Wow, that's intense," Evan said, hunching slightly, due to Karla's shorter stature. "Did you guys find anyone else to help us?"

Reno grinned. "Not as epic as Valhalla's finest warriors. And we didn't meet anyone as badass as Thor, but it was a close second."

"Really?"

Karla cut in. "Reno got his powers upgraded from Zeus and Cronus. You should see his electric scythe now. He can cut down trees like you would not believe. He can also fry those creatures to ash in under a minute now."

Evan reached his fist towards Reno. "That is amazing!"

Reno grinned, glad to see Evan so delighted. He brushed his knuckles against Evan's own. "Right, yeah. It's pretty intense. Where are Thor and his wife right now?"

"Thor and Sif took a group of elite warriors to help in other realms. They were really eager to do it. Odin is overseeing the war at the walls of Valhalla. Oh!" Evan paused and stepped away from Karla's arm. He moved closer to Reno and said, "If you ever meet Sif, do _not_bring up Jane Foster."

"What?" Reno blinked. "That was an original character from Marvel - the human love interested for Thor, right?"

Evan nodded emphatically, "Yeah, exactly. Apparently enough humans know the character, that her name exists her in this realm. It became, like, a rumor that Thor may have had feelings for a human, but you and I both know she's not real. And Sif now understands this, but holy crap she was _super_jealous about someone writing 'lore' of her husband having feelings for another woman."

Reno looked away so as not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Right. If I meet Sif, don't bring up Jane Foster. Got it."

"Good, good."

Someone let out a battle cry. The crowd of warriors picked up their pace and raced around the group, almost like a stampede.

Reno blinked and, all at once, they were standing against a line of trees, watching the battle from the distance. He turned to Karla and nodded in appreciation. "I wasn't paying attention. I guess we made it back to the warfront."

Karla smiled sheepishly. "You three stay put. I'm going to teleport around. I know a handful of hunters that zeroed in on Michael's location."

"How would they know?" asked Tamae. "With all due respect, none of us have been to this world before, except Tamamo-no-Mae. I have her memories, however..."

Karla placed her hand on Tamae's shoulder. "You're going with us. But yeah, uh, a few of these hunters are scholars. And, hey, they fight pretty damn well for being academic types. A little lacking in social skills, but they make up for it with books and bullets."

Reno nodded. "They figured out if they use low caliber rounds, a headshot would stay in the skull. It works great. They conserve their ammo, but Karla's right about their social skills." He turned to Karla but she'd disappeared. He pursed his lips. "Anyway, we have a few snipers, now. They're a really shrewd group of people."

"Do you require their fighting prowess?" asked Tamae.

"Not really," said Reno. "Some of them claim they figured out where..."

"I already know." Tamae leaned against her spear like a walking stick. "You didn't let me finish. That's what I was trying to tell you before."

"Alright, let me grab Karla. The four of us can go, together." Reno spied her on the battlefield. He disappeared, taking the shape of a lightning bolt.

Reno reappeared halfway across the field and felt someone slam into him. He toppled to his hands and knees and looked up in time to see one of the creatures take a crude wooden stake to the face.

It dropped down besides him. Reno had a brief flashback to the day he was face to face with Laura, in her deformed state. He sat up, slowly, watching the creature. It didn't move.

Someone grasped the back of his shirt and lifted him to his feet, ripping the collar.

Reno grunted. "Yeah, uh, thanks."

The soldier laughed, as if delighted, and replied in a language Reno didn't understand. The warrior hurried off to fight something else.

Karla, nearby, put her hands on her hips. "That was close. You appeared in front of that creature when it was in mid-wing. I won't lie, babe - I cringed. I was about to teleport your busted-ass body off the field so you could heal."

Reno rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, uh, I don't know if I'd heal if it knocked my head clean off my shoulders. What was that guy saying?"

Karla shrugged. "I don't speak any of the Norse languages. So what did you come out here to tell me?"

"I'm that obvious huh?"

"I said I'd be right back. Something can't wait, Reno. What is it?"

"Tamae knows where we can find the archangels. We don't need anyone else. The four of us; we can do it without help."

Karla chuckled. "Alright. Make it five. I'm bringing naked-boy."

"Oh, geeze, Karla. We don't need Ares."

"Sure we do. We have to tell him where we're going, and direct him to take over this war group. Once we fill him in on the plan, we'll find Michael and release the guy."

"Well, okay, let's get this over with. I'm exhausted."

Karla glanced at her smartwatch. It displayed an icon in the top corner, due to a lack of cellular signal. "Okay, we've basically put thirteen hours into this war. Maybe we should make camp."

"I'm down with that. You find Ares, fill him in on the plan, and then we'll get some rest."

---

Next Chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/805314