Harvest of the Gods

by Sumida, Amy

  Rain, or rather Rainieri, was a singer in a horse shifter band that played at Moonshine, called Dark Horses. They were all dark haired and all horses, so not so creative a name really. Anyway, he'd started out with long hair but Krystal had spurned his advances citing said hair as the reason. He'd been so discombobulated that he'd of course fallen in sever obsession with her and had actually cut his hair. I didn't think Krystal would really go out with him though and I said so to the boys.

  “She agreed to go out with him if he let her pick the costumes,” Jackson had an evil grin. “You see the results before you. She's a brilliant villainess.”

  “No kidding,” I watched Krystal lead Rain through the crowd and up to us, a huge grin on her face.

  She looked adorable in a little pixie outfit; short green dress, a blonde wig, and perfect little wings. It was obvious that she was Tinkerbell but if I hadn't guessed, Rain would have given it away for me. Because following behind her, with a grin of his own plastered on his face, was Peter Pan himself.

  Rain actually had his short hair covered up with a red wig, fluffy bangs in the front, and on top of that was a pointed green hat with a red feather stuck in it. He had on a green jerkin with pale green tights and even though his shirt fell just over his dangly bits, his package was so large, it was evident even beneath the hem. The wide belt over it only seemed to enhance this and damn him, he knew it.

  “Happy Halloween, Vervain,” Rain smirked at me and struck the classic Peter Pan pose; hands on hips, hips thrust forward. This of course made his bulge even more prominent. I blushed to the roots of my blonde wig. “Or should I say Mother of Dragons?”

  “Daenerys is fine,” I waved aside his comments and focused on giving Krystal a hug. “If you were trying to embarrass him, you did a horrible job.”

  “Yeah, I didn't think about that,” she gave a meaningful glance in the direction of his straining tights. “I must admit, it has me considering the possibility of finding out if those tights are stuffed with something other than himself.”

  From the looks Tristan and Jackson were giving Rain, she wasn't the only one wondering if the advertising was false.

  “I have a feeling that's all Rain,” I whispered. “Better you than I, I'm part Japanese after all. You can't park a limo where only a Porsche can fit, you know?”

  “Are you saying that all your men...” she glanced over at Az.

  “Are more than adequate,” I giggled, “but not monstrous. I'm afraid just looking at that makes me want to run away screaming.”

  “Huh,” she shrugged. “It makes me curious. I'm not sure it'll fit but it may be fun to try.”

  “I think I need another drink,” I said just as there was a commotion downstairs.

  “Carus, I think Kirill has arrived,” Azrael chuckled and directed my attention to a group of men dressed in camouflage, chasing the Predator.

  “Where's Kirill?” I searched the men but I only recognized some of my lions who were dressed in camo and then finally Vidar. Vidar was actually wearing a wig styled to look like a crew cut and the lack of hair had really thrown me off. Add to that the camo face paint and he was virtually unrecognizable. I did recognize him though, he was my son after all and he looked good in his black shoulder rig, camouflage tank, and pants. The gun was impressive as well but I still didn't see Kirill.

  “He's the Predator,” Azrael laughed as Kirill blended into the shadows and then proceeded to leap out at both unsuspecting guests and the rest of the soldiers he'd arrived with.

  He looked fantastic, like he'd come straight off a movie set. His long hair was plaited up into thick ropes and his face was hidden behind a metal mask. His chest was painted in a scale like pattern and over that he had some kind of shoulder rig with a futuristic gun strapped to it. He had big gauntlets with weapons strapped on them too, a metal cod piece, though I'm not sure cod piece is the right word for it, maybe crotch armor, penis shield, dick guard, I dunno, it was impressive though. He also had some pieces of armor strapped to his thighs. He was well-equipped to say the least.

  Kirill shrieked and carried on, the crowd loving every minute until Vidar strode forward and in an Arnold Schwarzenegger accent shouted, “Asta la vista, baby!”

  Everyone kind of stopped and stared while Kirill groaned, pulled off his metal mask, and went over to tell Vidar that he was quoting the wrong movie. They were still arguing about it by the time they got to the second floor, though the lions dressed up as soldiers were laughing their asses off and the crowd was applauding while they too laughed.

  Kirill's face was a little too normal without the mask so he ended up putting it back on, making his voice sound sort of hollow. “I'm telling you, that's his line in The Terminator, we're supposed to be from Predator.”

  “But you said Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Vidar insisted. “Everywhere I looked it said that was what I should say. I didn't find any lines from Predator.”

  “Cause he doesn't really have any good lines in that movie,” Darius laughed and swung his fake gun around to hang behind him. “Damn, Tima,” he gave me a quick hug. “You look good as a blonde.”

  “Don't talk to me like that,” I said haughtily. “I'm the Mother of Dragons, you know.”

  “Oh forgive me,” he bowed and laughed.

  “Besides,” I waved my hands at my friends, “it looks like blonde is kinda the thing tonight.”

  “Tima,” Kirill growled, somehow sounding even more sexy through the mask. He slipped off his mask for a quick kiss and then replaced it. “Oh, zere's Trevor,” he nodded his head toward the stairs.

  Trevor, I guess it was Trevor because Kirill had said so, strutted over to me. Then I saw his mouth and his honey eyes, rimmed in black paint. Yep, that's my boy. He was also Batman, which he announced to everyone as he struck a superhero pose.

  “I am Batman! But I'm the Michael Keaton Batman not the Val Kilmer Batman,” he clarified. “Val Kilmer's a wanker.”

  We all laughed but then Rain had to excuse himself because Dark Horses was actually scheduled to play a couple sets. The rest of the guys were already on stage setting up. I guess Rain didn't have a lot to do being the lead singer. So he took his time making his way through the crowd, stopping occasionally to strike his Peter Pan pose for a fan with a camera. I knew without a doubt that that picture of him was going to be all over the Internet.

  It looked like the rest of the band was dressed as Roman soldiers but the costumes had a decidedly used look to them if you know what I mean. I think they'd taken the lazy man's cop out and just thrown on something they had lying around the house.

  They laughed and pointed at Rain when he finally arrived on stage but Rain just shrugged, saying something that was probably sassy, as he gestured to where we stood on the second floor. I exchanged a knowing look with Krystal. She was definitely getting the blame down there. She smiled brightly, happy to see her evil plan finally working a little.

  Then Samantha and Fallon came up the stairs. She was smiling ecstatically and as soon as she got near, I realized why. She didn't even have to say anything, the look she gave me was confirmation enough and then there was that connection between the baby and I. It had grown stronger and the closer she came to me, the stronger I felt a pull on my energy. This baby needed more than her mother's nourishment to grow but the energy it was pulling from me was quickly replaced and I realized with no small amount of shock that Demeter had an aspect of her magic that had gone unused or maybe unnoticed. The ability to draw energy from the earth.

  It had lain in wait, hidden in the land magic, an aspect Demeter had been unable to use as a Goddess but that I, as both fey and human, was entitled to. This was magic that negated the need for sacrifice. I would never have to refuel any of my god magic, never have to worry about my lions suffering the same fate as the Froekn. The very earth beneath my feet would sustain me, sustain us, and the knowledge was an immense relief. I smiled, realizing that the baby had probably been pulling on my energy for awhile but the same
magic that had helped create it had found a way to sustain it and that sustenance had been taken so smoothly that I hadn't even noticed. That's what happens when you become complete I guess, everything works better.

  This baby was a blessing, not only to Sam and Fallon but to me as well. It had helped not only make me complete but reveal a hidden ability in my new magic that would change the future for the Intare. I wanted to shout out the news of its conception but I held my tongue, knowing that Sam and Fallon would want to make the announcement when everyone was together. So I just gave her a knowing grin and held my tongue.

  They were dressed as the King and Queen from 300, King Leonidas and Queen Gorgo...what a horrible name that. She looked fantastic in the skimpy dress though and Fallon fit the muscle requirement at least.

  “You can't be Leonidas,” Trevor glowered at Fallon, looking even more like Batman when he did it.

  “Why not?” Fallon glowered back. “Because I'm a lion?”

  Then they both burst into laughter.

  “I don't think there were any black Spartans,” I observed as they continued to guffaw.

  “It's Halloween,” Fallon shrugged. “I can be whatever I want and if I want to be a buff white man with a death wish, I will.”

  “Alright, alright,” I held up my hands. “Don't get your loincloth in a bunch.”

  Then Persephone and Hades arrived in yet another couples costume and I wondered why I hadn't thought to coordinate with any of my men. Oh right, because one of them just died. I frowned for a moment before pushing the ache away and focusing on my friends. Odin wouldn't have wanted me to be miserable in the midst of a party.

  Persephone was dressed as Princess Leia in the infamous slave outfit. Her hair was perfect for the costume, plaited in one long braid that hung over her shoulder. Hades was Han Solo, white shirt, black vest, tight black pants, and a holster slung low at his waist equipped with a laser gun. They looked awesome and I was secretly pleased that they were Star Wars fans. I'd had an argument with Fenrir once about Star Wars and he'd said some horrible things about Luke and Yoda. The word toad was used and that's all I'll say about that.

  They came over and Persephone hugged me. Just as I was pulling back from her, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see the Grim Reaper, except on his chest was a large blue screen like a computer monitor. I frowned at the screen until Torrent's voice came from the depths of the Grim Reaper hood.

  “I'm the Blue Screen of Death,” he chirped happily in a completely un-Reaper like voice, as he waved a fake scythe around for emphasis.

  “Of course you are,” I grinned. This was probably his first Halloween too and I was glad he'd come up with a costume that appealed to him.

  “Hey,” Azrael came over to glower at Torrent. “I'm offended by that. This is a parody based off of myself.”

  “You are?” Torrent squeaked. “It is?”

  “No,” Azrael laughed. “It's actually kind of fun to see people dressed up like me. I'm just messing with you.”

  “Oh, okay,” Torrent sighed. “This is really fun, I think I like Halloween. Did you guys see Pan? He's Hugh Hefner.”

  “Of course he is,” I groaned. “Didn't someone explain to Pan that he's supposed to dress up as something different than himself?”

  “I heard that,” Pan called out and I saw that he was across the lounge from me with a bevy of beautiful women dressed in lingerie.

  “Are those his...” I searched for the words.

  “Naughty Nymphs?” Torrent supplied helpfully. “Yep, some of them, at least.”

  “Oh dear,” I sighed as I watched one slide her hand down Pan's pants. He quickly fished it out and gave me a grin and a shrug.

  “I really don't understand the point of sex, beyond conception that is,” said the faceless Blue Screen of Death. He immediately had everyone's attention.

  “What was that?” Trevor gasped.

  “Well it just seems like a lot of silly gyrating resulting in a sensation that I can just as easily provide for myself with much less mess. I do like girls though, they're pretty and smell good. I guess if it made them stick around, I could do it.”

  “Oh somebody please take this one,” I groaned. “I may be the Mother of Dragons but I'm not equipped to handle the sex talk.”

  “You see, when two people love each other very much,” Horus, dressed as a mobster, started to explain.

  “That's not going to work,” Pan waved away the nymphs, who were already raising hands to volunteer a demonstration. “You have to let someone who's actually had sex explain it to the boy.”

  “I'm Al Capone,” Horus ground out with an Italian accent as he slicked the lapels of his suit. “I sleep with lots of dames.”

  I nearly choked, laughing at Horus playing the part with such seriousness. I honestly didn't think the guy had it in him.

  “I don't think that's the correct vernacular for Capone's time period,” Pan mused. “Maybe broads would be better.”

  “No, it's dames or birds, not broads,” Horus tipped his fedora. “I looked it up.”

  “Maybe you should look up some sexual positions too,” Pan smirked, “cause even if you've slept with a dame, I doubt you had sex with her.”

  “Look, you dirty old man,” Horus pointed a thick cigar at Pan, still keeping in character. “I can have you fitted with some new cement shoes if you don't shut your trap.”

  “My father used to have a saying,” Vali silenced everyone and they all looked to him, expecting him to have something really profound to say about Odin. But he had a twinkle in his eye and he was dressed in a dirty wife beater, blood-stained pants, and had a crossbow slung over his shoulder. He also had his hair pulled back so it looked short, the ends of it tucked down the back of his shirt, and he had a scruffy chin. I recognized him immediately as Daryl from The Walking Dead and I knew we were about to hear something Daryl would say, not Vali. “He used to say; Son, the better part of valor is shuttin' the hell up!”

  I started laughing immediately but it took the rest of the group awhile to realize he was trying to be in character too and the line was just something he thought Daryl might say, not something Odin had ever said to him. He came over and gave me a hug while everyone finally started to get the joke and giggle.

  “How you doin', Mom?” He asked, “Or should I say Mother?”

  “I'm good, how about you, Daryl?”

  “Good, good,” he angled his head toward Vidar. “Did he tell you we elected him to take over for Dad?”

  “No, he didn't,” I looked over and saw Vidar watching me anxiously. “I guess he must have been nervous.”

  “Well, Thor can't,” Vali shrugged, “he's already the Protector of Asgard and I don't want to so that kind of left Vidar. Someone had to do it or the dead Vikings would just fade away.”

  “Right,” I frowned, “no, it's good, I'm glad he's taken over. Is he happy about it?”

  “I think he's okay,” Vali shrugged. “It's hard to tell sometimes with him but beyond the hurt of losing Dad, I think he's enjoying it. It really helped the Valkyries. They've kind of been lost without Dad, just wandering around Asgard beating on things. Usually inanimate things but a couple of gods made the mistake of getting in their way and Thor had to go and corral the women before the gods got hurt. Then Vidar took over and they've settled down. I guess they just needed a leader.”

  “The magic was probably driving them crazy,” I sighed. Magic could be as bad as hormones with women. It just made you nuts.

  “I'd really appreciate if you could come by though,” Vali frowned. “Geri and Freki, they howl a lot and the ravens are pretty sad too. We try to comfort them but you know, they're wild. You're the only one besides Dad who could ever get through to them.”

  “Oh,” I sighed, “I hadn't even thought of them, poor things. Of course I'll come. I'll be there tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” he gave me a quick peck on the cheek and took off to go play with his friends. Agh, I mean enjoy
the party. Why did I always end up sounding like a housewife when I talked to Vidar or Vali?

  As Dark Horses started playing, I saw Thor walk in. Except it wasn't really Thor, it was Ull dressed up as the movie version of Thor, a double whammy to his Dad because not only would Thor find it annoying that someone dressed up as him, he'd find it annoying that they'd got it wrong.

  Where was Thor anyway? I searched the crowd and didn't see him. I did see Finn approach Ull and start toward the stairs with him. Finn was dressed up as Sweeny Todd, the Johnny Depp version, all wild hair and bloody shirt. There was a guy dressed up as Clint Eastwood with them, cowboy Clint, but I knew by the build that it wasn't Thor.

  The group of them approached me and after Ull and Finn gave me hugs, Clint told me to make his day and then gave me a wink. I knew that wink.

  “Jesus?” I peered closer and he laughed, nodding his head.

  “I never would have pegged you for a Clint Eastwood fan,” I shook my head. He just grinned and swaggered off toward Trevor.

  “Do you feel lucky?” He asked Trevor. “Well do ya, punk?”

  “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” Trevor quickly shot back.

  Jesus frowned, thought about it, and finally shrugged. “Maybe. I don't know, there are whole centuries I don't fully remember.”

  Then UnnúlfR came up, wearing a T-shirt that read Ask me about my costume. I did as requested and he pulled the T-shirt up, over his head, showcasing the red devil face printed on the other side, which fell perfectly over his own face. I laughed and eyed his companion who appeared to be The Most Interesting Man in the World, as in the guy from that Dos Equis commercial. He was in fact holding a bottle of Dos Equis.

  “I don't often flirt with my brother's woman,” Mr. Most Interesting said with a perfect Spanish accent as he took my hand and lifted it for a kiss, “But when I do, I prefer to be dressed as The Most Interesting Man in the World.”

  “Ty, is that you?” I squinted at him.

  “I don't often admit to having a name,” he winked at me behind his facade of debonair old man make-up, “but when I do, it's Ty.”