When I emerge from the fog bank, a huge palace stands before me of gleaming marble and massive columns. But the sky here is dark, and it is oddly... empty. The only thing that has any life to it is a large cauldron with a fire blazing in it's heart at the top of the steps leading to the courtyard. My footsteps echo as I approach and ascend the steps, and for someplace so grand and storied... it seems silent and abandoned. I reach the fire and look about. "Well... now what?" I sigh aloud to nothing. The flames leap higher, and a deep voices floats to me on the wind. Present your offering to the fire...
"Offering?" I question out loud, looking around. "Besides my weapons, I have no coin, no laurels, no fattened calf..." I stop in mid-though, and groan aloud as it hits me. "A black calf." I say, and oh, I am not happy, not in the least, but he never said it would be easy.
With a determined scowl, I strip off my beloved black trench coat. Before I can regret it, I heave it into the flames and turn away so I don't have to watch it burn. "You owe me a new coat, you bastard." I mumble, then take up arms again and enter Olympus...
I make it about halfway across the courtyard when a figure emerges from the far end, each step he takes causes the ground beneath my feet to shake, and lightning streaks the sky. Well, I wanted to talk to him. I stop and drop to one knee, bowing my head, but keeping a hold of my spear and shield. The Father of the Gods of Olympus stops before me, and I really want to look up, but I keep my eyes fixed on the ground. It seems like an eternity before he finally speaks. "Is this the best he could come up with, a pathetic human?" A voice older than time scoffs down at me, and I have to bite my lip to keep from saying something stupid--- "And a feeble woman at that."
Damn.
"You can drop that misogynistic crap right the fuck now, buddy." I snap, rising to my feet and throwing him a look that I probably should not be throwing him, but after you've fucked the devil, it's kind of hard to be truly intimidated by much. Zeus merely arches an eyebrow. "I can see why he likes you." "Yeah, I've got a great rack and I suffer through his bad puns." I quip, not backing down. "So what do I have to do to drag his sorry ass back to the land of us puny humans?" Again, that long pause as I am considered. "Are you sure you want to pursue this? Would you not be happier if I made you into a Muse? You could inspire mankind and light a fire to their imaginations. Turn away from all this war and blood and death, and walk a gentler path."
Oh, I suppose he means well, but all I can do is laugh now. "I already can sing to make men weep, to move them to love, to inspire them to march to war... and I have already tasted blood, already sang along with the song my blade sings when it is in my grasp. I have walked both paths, and I must continue to do so to keep my daughter safe." It is the truth. I can be that, and I can be this as well. "Plus... I'm already here so... hey. May as well see it to the end." I can't help but give him a shit eating grin at that.
no subject
empty. The only thing that has any life to it is a large cauldron with a fire blazing in it's heart at the top of the steps leading to the courtyard. My footsteps echo as I approach and ascend the steps, and for someplace so grand and storied... it seems silent and abandoned. I reach the fire and look about. "Well... now what?" I sigh aloud to nothing. The flames leap higher, and a deep voices floats to me on the wind. Present your offering to the fire...
"Offering?" I question out loud, looking around. "Besides my weapons, I have no coin, no laurels, no fattened calf..." I stop in mid-though, and groan aloud as it hits me. "A black calf." I say, and oh, I am not happy, not in the least, but he never said it would be easy.
With a determined scowl, I strip off my beloved black trench coat. Before I can regret it, I heave it into the flames and turn away so I don't have to watch it burn. "You owe me a new coat, you bastard." I mumble, then take up arms again and enter Olympus...
I make it about halfway across the courtyard when a figure emerges from the far end, each step he takes causes the ground beneath my feet to shake, and lightning streaks the sky. Well, I wanted to talk to him. I stop and drop to one knee, bowing my head, but keeping a hold of my spear and shield. The Father of the Gods of Olympus stops before me, and I really want to look up, but I keep my eyes fixed on the ground. It seems like an eternity before he finally speaks. "Is this the best he could come up with, a pathetic human?" A voice older than time scoffs down at me, and I have to bite my lip to keep from saying something stupid--- "And a feeble woman at that."
Damn.
"You can drop that misogynistic crap right the fuck now, buddy." I snap, rising to my feet and throwing him a look that I probably should not be throwing him, but after you've fucked the devil, it's kind of hard to be truly intimidated by much. Zeus merely arches an eyebrow. "I can see why he likes you." "Yeah, I've got a great rack and I suffer through his bad puns." I quip, not backing down. "So what do I have to do to drag his sorry ass back to the land of us puny humans?" Again, that long pause as I am considered. "Are you sure you want to pursue this? Would you not be happier if I made you into a Muse? You could inspire mankind and light a fire to their imaginations. Turn away from all this war and blood and death, and walk a gentler path."
Oh, I suppose he means well, but all I can do is laugh now. "I already can sing to make men weep, to move them to love, to inspire them to march to war... and I have already tasted blood, already sang along with the song my blade sings when it is in my grasp. I have walked both paths, and I must continue to do so to keep my daughter safe." It is the truth. I can be that, and I can be this as well. "Plus... I'm already here so... hey. May as well see it to the end." I can't help but give him a shit eating grin at that.