The Forest Gods' Reign [Published]

Chapter 27: For Olympus

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PART TWO: WHEN THE STORM WORSENS

A few minutes later, our group of gods was nearing the small meadow, as confirmed by the trees beginning to thin out, but the mounting clouds were so black and thick that it wasn't any lighter outside the cover of the pine trees than it was under. The meadow wasn't in sight yet, but I could already hear the loud battle cries of monsters, nymphs, satyrs, and Knowing Warriors alike. Some were courageous shouts of rage, while others were screams of pure terror which sent shivers down my spine. I knew instantly that these were the terrible sounds of people dying, the sounds that no one but Ares really wanted to hear. And they were all dying for us, the gods. I still wasn't sure if this fight was really worth the permanent collateral damage. After all, you can't bring back the dead, unless you're talking about monsters.

I took a deep breath, readying myself for the gory sights to come and focusing on opening up all of my senses, so I could fight even better with the help of my best instincts. My peripheral vision seemed to have a wider range, and I was now even more aware of the other gods gasping for breath beside me as we came closer to the battle with every heavy step. My finely tuned ears were also more alert, listening for the slightest sound of footsteps besides those of the gods with me.

Behind me, Aphrodite was whimpering softly, dreading what lay ahead of us. Even though she had actually been involved in a battle the day before, these massacres didn't get any easier to deal with (both mentally and physically). Killing a couple monsters by yourself or with a friend is one thing, but facing five at once while watching your most devoted followers and people you don't even know helplessly die around you is completely different. Most people don't understand what post-traumatic stress disorder really feels like until they have actually been through a whole war or some other trauma. And although I, along with the other gods, was able to ignore the stress for the duration of the fight and keep it from affecting most of my decisions, I could honestly say that I understood PTSD perfectly:

   - Paranoia? Definitely. Hades could have been anywhere at any time, after all.

   - Nightmares? Check.

   - Difficulty falling/staying asleep? Duh. I probably mentioned having this symptom too many times throughout these pages.

   - Vivid flashbacks? Well, this entire book is a flashback, so...check.

   - Hopelessness? Check.

   - Feeling of detachment from others? Absolutely (besides the other gods and Alec, of course).Since the start of the war, polite social interaction with un-Knowing humans had been one of the last things on my mind.

The list goes on, but you get the point. Probably the only reason we gods didn't suffer from more dramatic symptoms than these was that we always had each other for support. We had all gone through similar horrific experiences, after all...

"Poseidon and Hera, go to the river to protect the army camp. With all the different battles going on, it's probably defenseless, and I doubt that Hades gives a damn about our injured soldiers," Zeus ordered grimly in Greek as we slowed to a stop on a hillside riddled with bushes and tangled tree roots. Poseidon and Hera exchanged solemn glances and nodded obediently before changing their course, now running west.

"I'll take Patrol Three to the north border of the forest," Ares offered helpfully, rubbing his fingers through the bright red plume on his bronze helmet.

"Fair enough," Zeus agreed, stroking his chin, "but go around the small meadow, not through it." Ares frowned at the fact that he would be avoiding another fight by taking the detour, but surprisingly he didn't argue. Ares simply motioned to Aphrodite and Dionysus, and the three of them bounded up the steep hill in perfect unsion.