GODS AMONG US: LOST STAR

CHAPTER 3: ARES

(The Oracle's words stand as a warning. A prophecy. Sparta will fall. All of Greece will fall. And Barbarian fire will reduce the cities to cinder.
The battle of Marathon, Only the Spartans exist in this war, only the Spartans take up their swords and shields. They match with less men, the barbarians outnumbering them 3 to 1...great odds for any side)

"My brothers. Steady your heart. Look deep into your souls. For your mettle is to be tested this day. If in the heat of battle you need a reason to fight on, you need only to look at the man who fights at your side. This is the why of battle. This is the brotherhood of men in
arms. An unbreakable bond made stronger by the crucible of combat. You will never be closer than with those who you shed your blood with. For there is no nobler cause than to fight for those who will lay down their life for you. So you
fight strong today. You fight for your brothers. Fight for your families. Most of all you fight for Greece"

(they attack the weary barbarians as they disembarked their ships on shakey legs after a month at sea, they attack before they can establish their war camp and supply their soldiers and who is the architect of this mad strategy? a known Spartan soldier, his men called him....... god slayer.
A shock combat for the barbarians as they face the swords and spears of the merciless Spartans. But the god of war turns his back on the Spartans out of jealousy for the god slayer, Alexio. The battle turns to the favour of the barbarians as they casts their wrath upon them.
Watching his men being slaughtered, he is left with no choice but to call upon Ares the god of war.)

ALEXIO: (looks to the sky and calls)..Ares! Ares! Spare my men! And my life is yours!..

(Filled with glory and pride that the god slayer prayed to him, the god of war grants Alexio with "the rage of war". Alexio in the rage of Ares destroys the whole of the barbarian horde and be-heads Gaston, the barbarian general.
Even when it is Ares who came to the aid of the Spartans, the soldiers still praise and hail Alexio. Out of jealousy and having gained Alexio's life, Ares manipulates Alexio, turning him into a killing machine, a weapon of chaos, a servant of destruction and a bloodlust Spartan warrior. Yet again, all the glory still ends up with Alexio and mad with rage, Ares manipulates Alexio to take the life of his wife, Hebe and his sister Aria but in the process of killing Hebe, Aria escapes into the woods. With Hebe lying still in Alexio's arms, the god slayer mourns his wife.
Alexio abandons the god blade and leaves Sparta being hunted by his past and with Alexio away, Sparta becomes vulnerable. Ares's demon horde invades Sparta but queen Andrea cannot defend the city alone. Sparta falls.
The goddess Athena appears to Alexio in a cave.)

ALEXIO: who's there. Show yourself! (Athena steps out of the shadows)
ATHENA: god slayer..
ALEXIO: Athena..what do you want from me?
ATHENA: the same thing you want.
ALEXIO: which is?
ATHENA: Ares seeks to destroy my city, Athens.
ALEXIO: defend it.
ATHENA: Zeus forbids the gods to go against one another.
ALEXIO: then give it to him.
ATHENA: your words reek of hopelessness.
ALEXIO: where were the gods when my family was murdered and when...and when...(he gets flashes of him killing Hebe).. Ahh! (He falls down)
ATHENA: your past hunts you greatly but I am offering you a chance to overcome your past.(Alexio turns to Hebe)... Destroy Ares and you will have your freedom.
ALEXIO: how can the god of war be defeated. He wields all the energies and forces of battle..
ATHENA: Pandora's box.
ALEXIO: Pandora's box?
ATHENA: The Box was created by the smith god, Hephaestus , by the order of Zeus , to contain the Evils created by the Titanomachy. Knowing that no mere
mortal could contain the Evils of the world, Hephaestus forged the Box out of a Power greater than that of the Gods: the Flame of Khazard Dum, not believed to be of our world. Even the gods cannot wield it. The Flame, as lethal as it was beautiful, would kill all who dared touch it, therefore being the perfect safeguard for the Box. The key to pacifying the Flame was a child Hephaestus created from the flame itself, Pandora. She was told not to open it by any means necessary, but, due to her ever-growing curiosity, she opened it and out of the vase came great evils which spread widely across the Earth. However, before closing the box, Pandora also discovered a power called Hope in it. She then reopened it in an effort to aid mankind, and released Hope to the world along with many other evils.
ALEXIO: where is the box?
ATHENA: The brilliant architect, Pathos Verdes III , was tasked to build a temple to house the Box, ensuring that none would be able to reach it. Over time, he descended into madness, and the temple's puzzles grew more vicious and
complex accordingly. He eventually
committed suicide, leaving the temple somewhat unfinished. The temple lies in the island of Crete. Retrieve the box and have the power to destroy Ares.
ALEXIO: and what will be from the gods?
ATHENA: the gods never forget those who come to their aid.