Children of the Gods: Arc 2 [Game/Closed]

[IFS]

Nicole took the paddle and got to work, she had never rowed before but it wasn't too hard to figure out. She glanced at the column in the distance, Prommy said my mom had a temple here, I wonder if that's it... Might be nice to visit I suppose, see if she can help at all, but I doubt I'll get the chance. She shook her head, telling herself she didn't even want a family reunion anyways, and went back to paddling.

Before long a question occurred to her, and she turned towards Prometheus "You said that Dio could sense if any of the gods went after him, why couldn't you sense that Loki was on that plane? You're sort of a god aren't you?" she said, somewhat curious about Prommy's abilities.

 

[Dogmatic99]

The waves lapped against the side of the raft and the bleeding plane sank silently into the dark waters. Able paddled on with all his strength, trying to ignore the idle chatter that was going on around him in the raft. They had to gt to shore quickly, while they still had steam. If they could get to land, get to the winery and finish it. Any question of how they'd off Dio could wait. After all they'd just beaten one god through improvising with little injury.

Except Dan.

No. Dwelling wouldn't help anyone. He had to look forward, this was a time for tunnel vision. All he had to do was make sure that everyone survived this. After that Able could think properly on what had happened.

Andrew was passing food around and making a very visible effort to seem selfless. Was it real, or a PR move to try and win the others over after what had happened on the plane with Loki? Able had barely 'spoken' to him, he couldn't say he knew the man. But still... there was something about him. Able couldn't put his finger on it, there was just something that he found off putting about their resident medic. Like he could never really tell where he stod with Andrew.

Probably doesn't matter. This'll be over soon and we'll never see each other again anyway.

 

[DarkRawen]

"Was that a smile I saw, Andrew?"

"Yeah." He smiled a bit more, in case the question was because of his lack of effort before. "It was. It's just not that easy to do, right now." He wasn't lying, just leaving out the details, not saying that it was more because he felt like dropping the act completely, than because of the countless murdered in the plane they were leaving behind. Which no one had really talked about.

I suppose that's not a topic anyone wants to bring up. After all we have to hurry, to see if we can get Dionysus. I do doubt he'd still be where he was before. If Loki knew where we was, then it is probably the same with Dionysus. And even if we reached him, because he thought Loki would just kill us off without trouble, who is to say that he won't just easily overpower us?

He didn't say aloud what was on his mind. Either the others had already thought the same, or they were too stupid to get it, and that would only lead to an argument, which was the last thing they needed. Still, the only ones who could something would be the ones with energy left, and he wasn't part of that group.

 

[Deu Sex]

"Don't be. You're right we need to get out of here... just don't expect any wind power for your raft." Remus smiled and nodded at Vera. He took the paddle which Prometheus handed to him and slunk its head against the water. Gripping the other end, wheeling his arms back and forth, he propelled the raft across the water.

"Here, I'm not hungry, but the rest of you should eat." Remus turned his head to see Andrew had gathered together some scraps of food. Feeling his stomach growl, Remus realized that he hadn't properly eaten in some time. "Would be a bad idea to let hunger impair my energy at a time like this..." He met the doctor's smile with a bright one of his own. "Thanks." Remus said, then took a small bar. He had a few wolfish bites at the thing before it was gone.

As he kept paddling his eyes were set on the white pillar that loomed in the distance. "A temple to Nike, eh? What an odd coincidence for us to crash here." It was probably more than mere coincidence though. "I suppose it would have been too much to hope for an altar to Mars, but still, meeting any friendly deity will be a welcome change of pace."

 

[Green Shoes]

Day 6: Early evening

You're a God aren't you...

Prometheus chuckled, dipping his paddle into the water, bringing them closer and closer to the beach. The sandy golden shores were devoid of life; not a tourist spot, nor a popular beach. It was short and concave, a little harbor that sheltered the sand from the whipping wind.

The water became more calm as they drew up along the beach. Prometheus took off his boots and rolled up his pants, stepping into the shallow water, leading the boat to the beach.

"No. I am not a God, nor could I sense Loki's presence. I'm a Titan; a proto-God. My gift is wisdom. And the flame that I stole."

He flicked a small flame into the water, instantly steaming and fizzling. The boat snugged to a stop in the sand, and Prometheus grabbed his pack and supply bag.

"Let's go. We need to find somewhere to crash for the night. And figure out where this farm is."

 

[Lunar Templar]

Aria grabbed her back pack and blinked off the raft and up to the top of a near by rock to have a look and see if there was anyone at all near by that might have saw them. "I don't like this, a plane just went down, where is every one?" she said after the raft was on shore and the group was piling off it.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

"Let's go. We need to find somewhere to crash for the night. And figure out where this farm is."

"I suggest we find some motel and pretend to be cheap tourists. Hopefully, we can find somebody who accepts dollars, unless somebody brought Euros," Steven said as he stepped out of the raft, "I say we rip up the raft, burn it a bit, and throw it up to sea. If the authorities find it, they may assume it just broke off from the crash. Also, can any of you speak Italian?"

 

[Green Shoes]

Day 8: Midday

The group had burned the raft and made a beeline towards the nearest motel. It was a tourist put-up, for backpackers, and offered one large room with bunk beds. Nothing luxurious, but it gave them a chance to rest. They spent the day after the crash recuperating, making idle chit-chat with people that came and went, but generally keeping to themselves.

Prometheus kept an eye on the Pillar of Nike the whole time. The locals whispered of sightings; winged figures and secret rituals, kept under heavy watch by the local authorities. Something was amiss.

They made their way cautiously to the farm, sneaking past the casual police, and into the vineyard. The place smelt of death and wine. The stench was strongest from within the distillery. The guards had their backs turned, expecting to keep people out, rather than in.

With one hand on the door, he turned to the group, ready and waiting. The Pillar stood tall in the distance. A small flock of black birds flew in their direction; a bad omen, if one was superstitious. He hoped to get this over and done with quickly. Surely there would be a sign.

"Ready?"

 

[Deu Sex]

Remus wasn't in a good mood to say the least. Since arriving to Sicily, he had been hearing nothing but bad news. Nothing specific, but enough to feed his gnawing worries again. Rumours about suicide cults throughout the country had gotten him beyond frustrated. Remus had spent all of yesterday and the morning today in a sour mood, keeping mostly to himself to trying to avoid speaking with the others.

And their operation today wasn't exactly helping his mood. Prometheus had them sneak into a vineyard, one guarded by the local police for that matter, for reasons unexplained to him. Worse still was when he picked up the scent of death and alcohol in the air. "We're heading into the wolf's den and this asshole won't even tell us what we're trying to do." he thought, glaring at Prometheus. Remus mentally groaned when he spied dark birds flying overheard. "A rotten auspice. Rotten, rotten, rotten..." Prometheus may not have told them what they were hoping to find in the vineyard, but it was no doubt something horrible.

"Ready?" Remus scowled at the question. "Do you really need to ask? Let's get in there already."

 

[DarkRawen]

Although he hadn't gotten the chance to head to a bar, the time Andrew had spent resting, and the time he had spent away from the others, just being alone, had given him more motivation to keep his mask. After all, he had worn it for almost twenty years, why should he stop now?

Perhaps because the world is ending?

They were trying to prevent that.

So, because the world might end, then. It doesn't matter, there's many benefits to keeping it up, and none to let it go.

And now, they were going to enter the wine yard. What would they find? Andrew wasn't sure, but it would probably not be Dionysus, and it would definitely not be pretty.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," he said, and kept smiling. He supposed he should be worried, by normal standards, but he wasn't going to pretend that he was.

 

[IFS]

"Ready?"

Nicole only nodded, she hadn't done much more than follow the others since they had reached the shore, since they had gotten to Sicily she found herself worried what Dio's plan was, and what it would involve. More specifically if it involved her mother in any way, after all Dio had corrupted Gaia, mother of the titans, who knew what else he was capable of. As little as she knew her mother though she doubted that Nike would join Dio, which was a small comfort at least, one god was bad enough and Dio already had at least Loki.

She threw a glance towards Remus, it had to be eating at him even worse, this was his homeland after all. She hoped his family was safe at least. If Dio is targeting our families... she shook the thought from her head, no I can't think about that, I need to focus.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Aria had spent the evening at the bar, making small talk with the locals, as well as getting hit on by a few people, none of it went anywhere but it made her feel better, after that she got something to eat and then went to bed.

The next morning was all hustle as the got ready to move out. Apparently the farm in question was under the guard of the local police, which seemed less attentive then they should have been, but that's not what bothered her. The smell bothered her, it could only be described as 'death and bad booze'. The group made they're way to one of the buildings, and Prometheus readied to open the door, in clear violation of standard 'breaching protocols', but she nodded when asked if she was ready.

 

[Green Shoes]

Prometheus pushed the door open, then recoiled at the smell, throwing his sleeve infront of his nose. He gagged.
"By Kronos, I have never smelt such death!"

The dim light from stained-glass windows threw shadows across the rooms, across the bloodied and broken corpses of several people. They were gathered around a large marble jug, about 3 feet high, that was full of blood, entrails and red wine. Surveying the room, there was another door opposite to them, that lead into the boiler room. To either side of the corpses were racks and racks of wine; all unlabelled, suspended in 10 foot high racks. The ceiling was high, enough for a second level, though there was none. The scene was gruesome, and as the group stepped in, a gust of wind accompanied them.

A strange voice cut over the silence.

So much death...

From out of the shadows stepped a slender woman, adorned in a cloak of black feathers. Her eyes were pitch black, and she had the strange semblance of Etna. Under her fine cloak she wore a tight, black jacket and a long skirt. Her hair was full of curious things; feathers, small bones, tiny vials. Her lips were pale and drawn.

Prometheus was wary, neither stepping forward or back, simply staring. The woman circled the bodies, nudging the corpses with her feet, studying them with keen eyes.

"Who are you, what do you want from us?"

She snapped her head towards the titan and frowned.

From you? Nothing. From the young ones, something, perhaps, something hidden. Where...where...

 

[Deu Sex]

When Prometheus opened the door, Remus too sucked in the foul aroma of death. He placed a hand over his nose before his nostrils had to endure any more of such a powerful stench. As he stepped through he beheld a barely-lit chamber with a bloody red jug in the center, corpses scattered around it in a ritual manner. Remus observed the horrifying sight with a hateful revulsion in his eyes. Such awful sights and scents should have made him frightened, or at least queasy, but the only disgust Remus felt was an enraging one.

So much death... Remus snapped his head to see a woman draped in an attire dark as the room they were in. Her eyes shared the same blackness as her clothes, and she walked about taking small kicks at the dead bodies that lay about. "Who the hell is this? Another God?" Unfortunately, that was most likely the case given their circumstance. She certainly didn't look like any lowly monster.

From you? Nothing. From the young ones, something, perhaps, something hidden. Where...where... Remus' glare intensely at the woman when she spoke, his teeth barring in an almost feral fashion. "Stay behind me." he whispered to the other demigods. He felt his left hand instinctively form into a fist, while the right gripped the hilt of Dan's sword. "I don't care what she wants - if she gets close to any of us she's fucking dead."

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Steven barely held back a barf at the sight. Sadly, he wasn't so successful at holding back the vomit at the smell. The woman walked forward as he wiped his mouth.

From you? Nothing. From the young ones, something, perhaps, something hidden. Where...where...

"I don't care what she wants - if she gets close to any of us she's fucking dead."

Steven pointed the colt at the woman in one hand, held out the shotgun to anyone in the group who wanted it.

 

[IFS]

Nicole felt a now sadly familiar nausea at the sight and smell, though she held back from vomiting, done that enough already, need to keep it together. At the sight of the strange woman she adopted a fighting stance, trying to be ready for what might come next. She looks a bit like Etna, is she her god-parent? God I hope not, we've run into enough gods already. Then as a hopeful afterthought, maybe she's here to investigate like us? Probably too good to be the case...

 

[Terratina.]

At least she had some goddamn sun lotion now.

Even if it was from an overpriced tourist motel. But there was still the curious token Prometheus had given her. She had spent the past hours trying to figure out what that angular lettering said. From comparing images, it seemed to be some fun of cuniform. It was a start, at least. Nevertheless, she soon put it back into the messenger bag, leaving it to rot there. Etna found the cawing of the black birds annoying anyway; she was not in the mood for work. The sight and smell of death and decay further worsen the mood. Just more death they failed to prevent. Etna sighed. Were they always going to walk into a pile of corpse like this? She looked at Nicole. Nike was her god-parent, right? Of course, the wings were a dead giveaway. It must have been dreadful for her, seeing the area near the Pillar of Nike like this. Etna approached her with a whispered, "You okay?"

Afterwards, she turned to the cloaked figure, "State it and name it, then."

 

[DarkRawen]

He had already covered his nose and mouth before they opened the door, but the smell still made him feel sick. It was filled with dead people, although he wasn't sure how many of them there were. In the middle, a woman sort of looking like Etna walked around. She was clearly a goddess, or connected to that sort of thing. She seemed like the former. It didn't take a lot to figure out that she probably was Etna's mother, or related to her the very least.

Great. This was just what we needed. Then again, she might not be hostile.

From you? Nothing. From the young ones, something, perhaps, something hidden. Where...where...

Andrew was about to ask what that was, when Etna spoke.

"State it and name it, then."

Was I mistaken? Or did she not recognize her?

It could be either. It could also be that Etna had a bad relationship with her god-parent, she would be far from the only one it seemed.

"It'd be hard to help you if we don't know what it is, " Andrew added, speaking with a lack of respect, but still a polite tone. "And we'd all breath easier if we knew that you're not... part of this." He looked around, but only barely. Even he felt like leaving, no doubt the others were worse off.

 

[Green Shoes]

The woman laughed as Steven pointed his gun at her, a soft yet high-pitched sound that unnerved the group, making them confused and unsure. She stopped in front of Etna, cocking her head and smiling.

Etna dear, it has been too long. Will you not embrace your mother?

Not waiting for reply, Badb elegantly gripped her, kissing her cheek softly, though if there was any affection it wasn't apparent. Breaking away, she studied Etna smiling.

What a beautiful and talented girl you grew into. Though you are travelling with some...unseemly friends...

She cast a glace at Prometheus, pouting in disgust. The Titan raised his eyebrows. Turning to the group with one hand on Etna, Badb spoke softly.

My sisters and I are offering our help...a blessing to turn the tides...yet we only need such a small thing...an oath to fight on our behalf, when the next Cycle begins.

Prometheus stepped forward.

"We neither have the time nor will to do such things."

Badb closed her eyes and spoke, barely acknowledging him.

That is a shame, truly. If only there was a way you could question the dead, discover what truly happened...

Her eyes flashed open. She drew Etna closer.

I only need one of you...but it is a lifetime commitment...

 

[Lunar Templar]

The door opened and the smell got worse, much worse, and unlike the plane, where she just ignored the dead to keep composed, it was right in her face here, and as much as the sights made her physically, ill actually seeing the devastation made her angry, so much so she wanted little more then to flatten the building and burn the grape plants in retaliation.

"So much death..." an unfamiliar voice said, Aria turning to find a strange woman who was a lot like Etna in a way nudging the body's with her foot, and generally had the look of some one searching for something. "From you? Nothing. From the young ones, something, perhaps, something hidden. Where...where..." the woman, presumably a goddess, said in reply to Prometheus's question, to which Etna replied "State it and name it, then."

Who ever this person was, she didn't seem hostile, yet, Aria still kept her guard up though, making ready to move and start shooting if need be, which turned out to be wholly unnecessary as she was apprently Etna's mother, and 'stood down', she seemed to not really like the titan much ether, that kinda amused her for some reason

"That is a shame, truly. If only there was a way you could question the dead, discover what truly happened, I only need one of you...but it is a lifetime commitment..."

"I can see dead people, even talk to them, though, admittedly there's been an odd lack of spirits despite all the death" Aria said to the goddess "But what did you mean?"