by Brandon Chen
“Mother would certainly not approve if you butchered this man after he surrendered.” Aleysha’s gentle voice said. Tetsu and Ares both turned to find the blonde warrior trudging up the desert sands. “If you believe that she expects you to avenge her, then you truly never knew her at all.”
Tetsu winced at that comment and glanced away.
“I understand that you’re angry and frustrated, Tetsu. I am too. But that doesn’t mean that you can just execute him just because you feel that it will fill the hole in your heart. Killing can’t fill that hole,” Aleysha said and held out her arms to her brother. “Come here.”
Tetsu hesitated but soon felt tears freely streaming down his cheeks and he staggered forward into his sister’s arms, beginning to sob into her shoulder.
Ares sighed with relief as the two siblings hugged each other, relieved that Aleysha had come to calm Tetsu down. Without her, Ares and Tetsu might’ve had to fight each other to settle the issue.
“Oh, how cute.” There was an ominous cackle that split the silence as a black mist materialized in the air at the peak of the sandy hill. A black-cloaked man with dark hair and purple eyes emerged from the mysterious fog. “Two siblings hugging each other after the death of a family member. Now that just moves my heart.”
“L-Lord Zahir! Please save me! These barbarians were discussing decapitating me!” Shazir cried out, scrambling away from Amon towards the mysterious new man.
Ares recognized this man as the Magus who had knocked him and Tetsu unconscious in the Persian throne room five years before. He squeezed the hard hilt of his spear and glared at the dauntless mage. What was this guy doing here?
Zahir’s deadly gaze scanned over the entire area, taking in his surroundings. He spotted Ares and smiled. “So the rumors are true then; you do look like the old fallen prince, Darien. Is that truly you, banished prince? Or are you merely taking the boy’s form for some inane reason? Ah, no matter.” He turned his attention to Shazir and pointed his finger at the man. A surge of dark energy rippled through the air, leaving his index finger in the form of a concentrated beam that pierced the general. The magic tore straight out the man’s back and dissipated.
Shazir, who had previously been wearing a smile at the sight of his savior, now stared in shock at the Magus. His mouth opened to say something but only a gurgling, choking sound crept out before he fell forward, burying his face into the sand. There was a giant, gaping hole in his chest from the mystical beam.
“Y-You killed him…!” Aleysha stammered, astounded. She glared at Zahir with such intensity that the Magus stepped backward. “He was your comrade, wasn’t he? Why the hell would you do that?” she shouted.
“He is no longer useful. The scoundrel was clearly on his knees begging for his life. You could tell that he treasured his own life selfishly over his empire. He would’ve given away any information you children wanted as long as he could live another day,” Zahir called, a sadistic smile creeping across his face as a dark shadow loomed over his eyes from his hair. “We don’t need people like that alive. He’s better off dead.”
Ares exhaled shakily, trying to control the rage that coursed through his body. “You treat human lives as if they’re nothing.”
“As do you, God of War.” Zahir grinned, revealing a set of sharp teeth that looked like they belonged to a shark. His violet eyes gleamed abnormally and he cackled manically. “You massacred a hundred thousand Persian soldiers in cold-blood in the Lost Sands years ago! And now, just look at how many soldiers you killed here today.” He waved his hand, indicating to the hundreds of corpses that lay sprawled across the desert sands. “Your little golem may do the majority of your dirty work but it is by your command. You’re still a murderer.”
Amon growled. I’m about to squash this bug.
“Yeah, I guess I am,” Ares said. “But at least I give my opponents a chance to run away. Those that I kill have already committed many atrocities, all of which must be judged.”
“And you are a god that will bring judgment on those who have sinned?” Zahir guffawed, his bellowing laughter splitting the silence. “Then judge me, Ares! Judge me and show me what terrifying power you have! Surely an almighty god such as you should be able to squash a puny human such as I!”
Ares said nothing but Amon snorted. Ares….
“Maybe this will give you a little push,” Zahir said, his eyes flashing maliciously. “I am the one who assassinated the king and queen of Persia five years ago.”
Ares’ eyes narrowed and his heart slammed against his chest, thudding so hard that he could’ve sworn he could hear his own racing heartbeat. Small tears began to form in the corners of his eyes and he clenched his teeth, untamed rage surging through every inch of his body. He lowered his head, reaching up and grasping his throat, which felt as if it were burning. His chest felt as if there was a sun inserted where his heart was and scorching heat was incinerating him from the inside out. The god raised his head as ancient black markings appeared on his skin, curling around his body until he was coated in mysterious tattoos. His irises had changed to a blazing orange color, and he grinned, revealing a set of dagger-like teeth. “Man, now you’ve done it.”
Zahir’s eyes widened at the boy’s odd transformation. The aura that this boy radiated was ancient, dark, and filled with aggression. This was a completely different person from before. But Ares’ reaction had confirmed Zahir’s suspicions; Ares was Darien. The Magus clicked his fingers and a golden scepter materialized in his hand, pointing straight at the god. A swirling beam of red energy exploded from the tip of the scepter and streamed towards Ares.
Amon grabbed Aleysha and Tetsu, and leapt away from the area, getting them clear of the blast zone. An eruption rippled through the sandy desert, an outward pulse of force that sent gigantic waves of sand scattering in all directions. Gusts of powerful winds churned around the area, creating a dust storm that swept around Ares’ position.
Tetsu grunted as a mighty force pounded against Amon’s tough rock body. The blistering winds sliced at his skin, carrying tiny grains of sand that felt like they were daggers stabbing at his face. He held onto Aleysha tightly as she closed her eyes, hoping that the storm would subside quickly.
The smokescreen of dust separated with a single swing of Ares’ spear and Zahir stared with incredulity at the god, who stood in a crater of glowing, purified glass. The scorching temperatures from Zahir’s magic were powerful enough to smelt the burning sands into gleaming glass that blazed a hot-orange color, as if the delicate glass had just been dipped in lava.
Ares shattered the glass underneath his bare feet, his hardened skin not even scratched from the sharp, hot crystal. The god was completely unharmed and didn’t have a single burn on his body from Zahir’s magic. The boy sauntered forward, his eyes blazing as a sly smile split across his lips. Zahir stepped backward, not sure what to do. Ares’ aura, his personality, his strength had all changed drastically. Zahir had been watching Ares battle Ramses and Amam earlier, and he had seemed almost weak in comparison to the mighty being that he was now. “Who are you?” the Magus demanded loudly, pointing his scepter at the god once more.
Ares exploded forward, his crazed eyes widening as he lashed out with his hand at Zahir’s throat. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m the God of War!” He halted suddenly and winced, the black marking receding from his skin. “Darien … you idiot … what do you think you’re doing? I’m about to kill this bastard…!” The boy’s eyes changed back into their sky-blue color and Ares collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
Zahir stared at Ares, surprised. So it seemed that there was an alternate being in Ares’ body that had taken temporarily taken control. Whoever that being was, he was much more powerful than Darien. But who was that? He pointed his scepter at the immobilized boy who was stuck on his knees. “I suppose I should question what that was … but I’d rather just get eradicate you now. Goodbye, Ares. Or should I say, Darien.”
Tetsu shot through the air
on his flying carpet and yelled as he leapt outwards, tackling the Magus clean off his feet. “Oh, no you don’t!” he yelled, sending the two rolling across the ground.
Zahir grunted, flipping to his feet and pointing his scepter at Tetsu. A small ball of energy shot from the tip of his weapon and struck the man in the chest, immediately bursting into flames that razed through Tetsu’s cloak. The mercenary screamed in agony as he collapsed onto his back, the fire eating at his skin.
“Tetsu!” Aleysha screamed, rushing to her brother’s aid.
Zahir gritted his teeth, aiming his scepter at the two siblings. “My lucky day, I get to kill two birds with one stone!”
A bolt of electricity ripped through the air, smashing into Zahir’s body, sending white tendrils of energy crackling everywhere. The mage staggered backward, his body trembling uncontrollably. His arm was twitching and he nearly dropped his scepter. Cursing, the Magus glanced upward to see a young girl on a flying broom soaring through the air towards the scene.
“Kira!” Aleysha called, relieved at the mage’s assistance.
“I’m here to help!” Kira called, twirling her staff as she descended towards the battlefield. She leapt from her broom and landed beside Ares, who was still frozen on his knees. “I managed to get the king to a secure location. But it looks like you guys managed to scare off the Persians just fine.” She turned and looked at Ares, who was staring blankly at the ground. “Hey, are you okay?”
Zahir scoffed, taking several steps backward as he assessed his situation. He had no choice but to flee. “You pests just love getting in the way. No matter.” His eyes flickered to Ares. “I’ve gathered more than enough information from this confrontation. Until next time, God of War.” His body burst into a plume of smoke and just like that, he was gone.
Kira stared at the place where the Magus had been only a moment ago before she turned and sprinted to Tetsu, who was lying on his back, unconscious. His chest was red and raw from severe burns caused by Zahir’s magic. “By the gods,” she whispered, waving her staff, causing Tetsu’s body to levitate into the air. “We need to get him back to the Luxas Mansion to get treated immediately! This burn is bad. Really bad.”
“Alright, let’s go quickly,” Aleysha said with a nod, preparing for the long walk back to Yuusus. She turned to look at Ares. “Ares, are you coming or….” She bit her lip, realizing that the boy was still gazing at the ground as if he had just seen a ghost.
Amon stomped beside Aleysha and grunted. I’ll take care of him.
Aleysha blinked. “Y-You can talk?”
If you call magically speaking in your mind talking, then yes.
Aleysha stared at Amon for a moment before nodding. She then turned to accompany Kira and Tetsu back to the city. “I’m counting on you, Amon. Thanks.” She began to jog after the mage as they began their journey back to Yuusus.
***
Bloodlust, hatred, anger, aggression, and horrific thoughts of committing brutality. That was all that Ares had felt streaming through his body. When the other side of himself had taken control, he felt as if he were in a dream, watching a foggy nightmare unfold. The boy continued to stare at the ground, thinking about what would have happened if he had killed Zahir. Would he have turned around and attacked his friends as well? In that ancient form, Ares completely lost control over himself and fully embraced the dormant barbarian that slept within him, awakening whenever he sought to selfishly eradicate others without real purpose.
This was not the first time that Ares had lost control like this. The first and only other time had been when he had confronted one hundred thousand Persian soldiers in the Lost Sands. The enemy warriors had provoked him, angered him. And the more he fought, the more he lusted for their destruction. That was when he lost control and became the true God of War that the Persians came to know.
Amon thumped onto the ground beside Ares, sitting and playing with the glass on the ground, smashing it with his giant fist. What is bothering you, Ares?
“A lot is bothering me right now. I lost control, just like last time.”
That Magus provoked you by reminding you of the assassination of your old family. It brought forth rage and anger that was enough to awaken your inner warlord.
“Inner warlord?”
The previous Ares, before he perished, was defined by his strength, courage, and barbarism. He represents the untamed side of war and automatically assumes control of your body whenever you become bloodthirsty. In other words, whenever you want to murder someone for the sole purpose of killing, he will awaken. Most of the times when you’ve taken a life, there has been a justifiable reason. But when you went to battle those Persians in the Lost Sands and when you confronted Zahir, you had no real reason to want to slaughter them besides personal rage, Amon explained. Allowing your personal feelings to get involved is not something a god should do and therefore the ancient god of war will assume control over you whenever you lose sight of yourself.
“Why is this bastard dormant inside of me anyway?” Ares complained. “If he’s dead, shouldn’t he be gone completely?”
Gods never really die. He exists through the power that he’s passed onto you. Amon grunted. You were chosen because you also have all the qualities that the ancient god of war did not have. Compassion, kindness, and selflessness. While you share many of the old Ares’ qualities, you also complete him.
Ares sighed. “How can I control him? I don’t want him taking over anymore.”
If you want to control him, you can’t lose sight of who you are. Expressing any of the barbaric emotions that the ancient Ares embraced could result in his awakening. Just stay true to yourself.
“Easier said than done,” the boy huffed.
As are many things in life, young one.
Ares reached up and ran his hand through his blonde hair, exhausted. “Tetsu is injured and Aleysha’s mother has been killed. It’s my fault,” he murmured. “I know that by getting involved with the Persians and my past that I’m heightening my chances of losing control to the ancient Ares. But I believe that what the Persians are doing is unjust, and they must be stopped.”
Amon nodded. Merciless murder is frowned upon. However, this is not our fight, Ares.
“As Ares, a god of war, you’re right. This doesn’t concern me,” Ares said. “But as Darien the Prince of Persia, it is my responsibility to stand up and bring Cambyses and Zahir to justice. Zahir admitted to murdering my parents and he was with Cambyses, my uncle, when they accused me of the crime. They blamed me and had me banished so that Cambyses could claim the throne as his own. He eliminated three obstacles with one swift move.” The god lowered his eyes. “Many years ago while my father ruled, Cambyses told me often that he disapproved of how my father was ruling. He believed that Persia should be using its powerful military and limitless resources to conquer the rest of Dastia. Then, when the continent was united underneath one monarch, there would be peace.”
But in order to achieve such peace he would have to instigate war first.
“Yes,” Ares said. “That is what he’s doing right now.” The boy stood up. “I’ll go back to Yuusus and gather some supplies for our journey. We’ll head across the Lost Sands to Persia where we’ll confront and stop Cambyses. He and Zahir will both pay for their heinous crimes and we will be the ones to judge their corrupted souls, Amon.”
Amon nodded. I follow where you go, friend.
Ares smiled at the rock golem and held out his fist to the giant elemental. Amon reached out and bumped his hard knuckles gently against the god’s. “Wait…,” a raspy voice gasped.
Ares turned and saw that Ramses had spoken to him. The bleeding Magus was still alive and was lying on the ground, his eyes transfixed on the blue sky. The boy walked over to the injured mage and stood over his bloody body.
“I … I’ll tell you what I know,” Ramses let out, gulping. “Cambyses doesn’t expect the other empires to merely surrender themselves to him without a fight. He … he
has another plan that he’s been working on with Zahir.”
“What plan?” Ares asked.
“Zahir was promised by the king that he would obtain the power of Ahriman,” Ramses said. Ares remembered that god. Of all the gods that Persians worshipped, people feared Ahriman the most. He was the god of darkness and everything that was evil. Why would Zahir seek such terrifying power? “He would become like you, Prince Darien. While you are indeed a deity, I believe that you are different from ordinary gods. After all, you understand what it is like to be human.”
“Ordinary gods?”
“Yes,” Ramses said. “Those are the ancient gods and there are many of them. So many that you could consider them an entire race of powerful beings. In order to come down to the mortal world and interact with humans, the gods must enter a weakened state in which they too become mortal. I believe that you are currently in that state.”
“Mortal,” Ares echoed. He already knew that he was mortal. He had to eat, sleep, drink, and he felt pain. The only thing that separated him from other humans was his special powers. “Should Zahir gain this ancient power, then what?”
“Then he will become Ahriman himself. He will become a god, like you,” Ramses said. “With that power he could bring about death to all humans on Dastia, desolation to all lands, and decay to all plants. If a nation refuses Cambyses’s demands to surrender, then Zahir would be able to obliterate the nation entirely on his own. He could bring about plagues, natural disasters, famine, and destruction. Many more innocent people will die. Persia’s conquest has only just begun.”
Ares gritted his teeth, a grave look looming over his face. Things were sounding worse and worse. “How is it that he will become Ahriman?”
“Zahir believes that deep inside of the Lost Sands, hidden away, is the body of the destroyed god. It is found deep inside of a fissure that is torn across the earth, digging thousands of meters deep into the earth. Many gods, not only the Persian ones, banded together to stop Ahriman during his prime. As a result, he was struck down from the heavens and buried deep in the ground. Surrounding his corpse are many Guardians, similar to your rock golem. Each pantheon of gods sent Guardians of their own to defend Ahriman’s body from ordinary mortals.”