Based on the people he already met, Stephan assumed everyone they met would look human.
This was clearly a mistake.
The being that blocked their way was spine chilling.
Stephan
was surprised when the apparition reached out his hand in a normal greeting. This far, everyone he’d met had seemed to say hello by either hugs, kisses, or punches.
He didn’t want to take the hand, but there were no options, and he found the handshake cold but strong. The creature fixed him with pale eyes, scrutinizing Stephan’s very soul.
The eerie gaze saw every corner of his mind, and out on the other side.
I wonder what he sees, and if I measure up.
Maria said, “Stephan, meet Cratus.”
After a long moment,
Cratus nodded approval and released his hand, to instead wrap Maria into the weirdest hug Stephan ever saw. He draped both arms and wings around her, and she almost disappeared in a black cocoon.
Will she ever come out? Maybe he’s eating her.
Heather whispered, “That’s our cousin. He’s the keeper of strength, he’s awesome. You wouldn’t believe how many myths and stories are based on him.”
Yes, I think I can. Anyone who meets a tall man with yellow eyes, large black wings and fangs will talk about it.
Stephan couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Would Maria ever emerge from those dark wings?
He thought of the vampiric creatures they’d encountered on Beta IV and whispered back to Heather, “Uh, is he a... you know...”
She shook her head and grinned.
“
No, no, that’s just a myth. A lot of people fall in love with him, but it’s in vain.”
*****
To Maria, being hugged by Cratus was coming home.
H
e looked out for her since she was a little girl, and the times he tended to her wounds from skirmishes with older siblings were innumerable. If she had ever been aware he looked unusual, she had long since forgotten.
He held her close for a long moment.
“Welcome home, little one. I have missed you.”
“And I you.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes… Yes, I’m happy. Are you?”
He smiled and relaxed his grip on her.
S
he didn’t know exactly what he was, if they were really related, or even if they were the same species, but he had always been there for her.
Everyone
knew he was old and powerful, and he had his own agenda no one else understood, but that was about it.
“Your father is waiting.”
She nodded and wrapped her hands around Stephan’s arm. He glanced back when they walked through the gate.
“He’s not coming?”
“He’ll show up when he deems the time is right. I think he likes you.”
“
Great. That’s fine as long as he doesn’t hug me.”
Heather laughed
and Maria’s mouth twitched.
“I like being hugged by
Cratus.”
After a few steps, Frank’s flower girl ran out of petals
and started crying.
“No, you can’t go any further, I have to find more roses.”
“Oh for goodness sake…”
She wailed.
“Noooo, roses are important.”
“When I’m at war, do you think I have someone throwing roses before my feet?”
She bit her lip and shook her head. Then, she sobbed again, and Frank rolled his eyes.
Maria
struggled not to laugh. It was funny to see the large and usually feisty deity stopped by flowers, or the lack thereof.
Frank
waved to them.
“
Go on, I’ll catch up with you in a few.”
He could just throw her over his shoulder and bring her along… I guess he likes her.
Stephan, Maria, and Heather continued on their own. She didn’t mean to slow her steps as they moved into the great hall, but it was impossible not to.
The large room seemed deserted, and each step on the hard floor echoed and multiplied as the sound bounced between the walls. Stephan watched her with a frown, but she couldn’t explain the feeling of reverence and fear.
A voice shouted, “Boo!” from behind, and both Heather and Maria jumped.
“Daddy, you scared me.”
“No I didn’t. Nothing scares you.”
*****
The man who approached them was nothing like Stephan imagined the King of the Gods to be. Especially not when he giggled. Men weren’t supposed to giggle.
He was handsome, of course, they all were, but he was of average height and build, and had dark hair that faded to
gray at his temples.
I wonder if it’s really
gray, or if it is a fashion statement.
His eyes were brown and piercing, but his aura of authority was mixed with humour, and he laughed a lot.
When he shook Stephan’s hand, the grip was solid, and he patted Stephan’s shoulder with his other hand.
“
So, this is the man who will stand by my daughter’s side. Good choice.”
I like this guy.
Maria said, “Where’s m... mo... m...” and it took a few moments before Stephan understood she was trying to say ‘mother’ but couldn’t get the word over her lips. It made him want to wrap his arms around her and protect her. A futile gesture when dealing with this family, of course.
The King looked at Maria, chuckled, and nodded, as if listening to a private joke.
“
Girls, can you imagine her reaction when I announced we’d be holding a banquet to get to know a human?”
He bent forward and whispered,
“I’ve locked her up at the foot of the mountain. There’ll be hell to pay when she gets loose, but we’ll have a good party today.”
Heather
mouthed, “Oh My God,” and Maria stared at her father with the corners of her mouth twitching.
Stephan didn’t understand.
“What’s going on?”
She stepped closer to him and let him drape an arm around her.
“The Queen insists on all children calling her mother, whether they’re hers or not. She likes the image of progenitor to an entire race.”
She trailed off, and the king took over.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife, but she’s not the motherly kind.”
It was a good party.
The great hall was furnished with long tables that filled up with all sorts of delicacies. The horns with mead and wine never ran dry, great fires and torches lit the huge room, and the hundreds of guests were all in an excellent mood.
Stephan
sat between Maria and Heather in a plush chair, surprised both that he was having a good time and that he liked most of the people he met.
He pulled his
eyes away from the belly dancers long enough to bend over to kiss Maria, and she smiled and leaned against him.
“
Will I have to dress up like that to keep your attention after this?”
“
Well, you would look cute like that, but you always look cute.”
Heather snorted,
“They look ridiculous.”
Maria ran a hand over his chest and he gave her a fond squeeze. He heard Heather mutter,
“I hate these parties,” but couldn’t figure out why. He had a great time.
Two men he didn’t recognize started to fight, and
Cratus stepped in. Whenever something threatened to grow too violent, the winged being was there to stop it, more often than not carrying one antagonist in each hand.
Heather explained,
“He’s the Keeper of Strength. No one challenges Cratus.”
Maria
told me not to get into any fights.
He clung to those words and tried not to let anyone provoke him, whether it was people wanting to battle or mate with him.
The worst ruckus settled down after Frank threw a lightning bolt that accidentally hit one of the chandeliers. It fell to the floor with a deafening crash and Maria’s father rose up, thundering, “The family will behave!”
Then, he fell back into his chair in a fit of roaring laughter.
Maria leaned her head against Stephan’s shoulder and sighed.
“Nothing here ever changes.
Are you okay? Having a good time?”
“I’m great.”
*****
Time had always been peculiar around the castle. It didn’t matter, thus it didn’t exist.
There were so many people to talk to, things to look at, games to play, and foods to try, and many hours passed without Maria realizing how long they’d been there. Eventually, Heather and she stood outside in the warm night, with the breath-taking landscape stretching out beneath them in the moonlight.
“It’s beautiful. I forget when I’m away, but it’s so beautiful.”
Heather gave a slight shrug.
“It is. I guess it
kinda fades when you see it every day.”
Frank and Stephan seemed equally drunk, but
that
was an illusion; Frank wasn’t technically affected by alcohol. The two staggered away on their own, leaning heavily on each other.
They’ll be okay, they seem to be getting along, thank heavens.
Frank poked Stephan in the chest.
“
You’re not too bad, for a human. If she has to have one, I’m glad it’s you.”
He n
odded, as if he said something deeply profound, and squinted towards Maria.
“She has a nice ass.”
She rolled her eyes and turned her back.
Crap, that’s where my butt is, but if I turn some other way he’ll just find something else to comment on.
Maybe sideways…
Stephan
wasn’t exactly stable on his feet, but Frank was unprepared, and the human’s blow sent the God of War staggering backwards. Heather giggled when Frank fell on the ground.
“
Serves him right. Has that ever happened before?”
The large God
looked up, shook his head, and laughed.
“
Damn, you
are
strong!”
He jumped up and tackled
Stephan. Both of them fell, and went rolling over the courtyard.
Heather muttered,
“That’s just too much testosterone.”
Maria pressed her lips together.
“I told him not to get into any fights. Stupid drunk men.”
She frowned and
tilted her head to the side. “Are they fighting or making out?”
“I think they’re making out. Definitely. Look, Frank is about to kiss him.”
The sisters sank down on the ground laughing and were soon almost crying with mirth.
*****
This time, they were fighting for fun.
Taking the punches hurt, but Stephan couldn’t help but chuckle.
I hope she’s not watching.
A group of people assembled around them, cheering them on, and
a voice said, “I bet ten pieces of gold on the human lasting two more minutes.”
It might have been two seconds, two minutes, or two years before
Cratus’s shadow fell over them. Stephan had lost all sense of time.
The old God ruffled his wings, and the sound was eerie enough to get everyone’s attention. When Stephan looked up, the yellow eyes seemed to glow in the dark.
“What am I going to do with you two?”
I think we’re disobedient children being chastised by a teacher.
Frank thumped him on the back, hard enough to make him cough, and hollered,
“Nothing!”
Stephan
punched Frank in the face as retribution.
“
Yeah, we’re... uh... just...”
Why is it so difficult to talk?
His mouth no longer obeyed him, and his thoughts didn’t make sense even in his own mind.
He shook his hand in the air; it hurt enough to sober him up a little.
This had to be Frank’s fault.
“Damn, you’re like a brick wall.”
“
Yeah, I’m the God of War.”
All the people
watching disappeared as soon as Cratus showed up, and now the three were alone. The Keeper of Strength crossed his arms over his chest and bared his fangs.
“
You two cackle like women.”
Frank
looked offended.
“
Hey, who are you calling a woman?”
Looking around, he
waved in the general direction of a group of nymphs.
“
Those are women. Women have... breasts... and stuff.”
Stephan could only nod in agreement. Women most certainly had breasts, and stuff.
Big, round, soft, squishy...
Frank elbowed his side and shook him back to the present.
“We’re brothers now, right?”
Cratus
rolled his eyes, and Frank wrapped an arm around Stephan’s shoulders, giving him a good squeeze as he poked him in the chest.
“
You’re, eh, you’re doing my sister. So you’re my brother. Makes sense?”
I guess.
“Well, bro, let’s get this winged one and show him who he’s calling a woman.”
It
seemed like a really good idea, and they both jumped Cratus.
The
ir attack was extremely unsuccessful, and it only took a couple of seconds before the daemon held one drunk in each hand.
“
I should let you two spend the night in the dungeon.”
Frank
grumbled, almost coherently
“
We can take you. We just need a better plan next time.”
“No, fuck it, I give up. Maybe another day.”
Cratus carried both men with him effortlessly, and dropped Stephan at Maria’s feet.
“
That one’s for you, and this one needs to go back to his nymphs.”
“
I like my nymphs.”
Heather snorted,
“You sure do.”
Stephan sat on the ground, looking up at Maria.
“What happened?”
I screwed up, didn’t I? Again.
She bent down to poke his shoulder.
“
You are
so
lucky I love you.”
”I love too you.”
The words didn’t sound right even in his own ears, but he couldn’t figure out what went wrong.
The women hoisted him up between them and he wanted to say he could walk on his own, but the ground was wobbly.
Heather said, “Fighting with the God of War. Stephan, really? You’re lucky
he
likes you, or you’d be dead.”
*****
The next morning, Stephan woke without a clue to where he was.
The light shining in through thin curtains was much too bright
, and he groaned when he tried to move.
T
his was worse than any hangover.
S
urely, some machine chewed his body up and spit it out.
Above
him, the ceiling spun slowly and he closed his eyes, struggling with the bout of vertigo.
Wherever I am, I don’t want to throw up. This seems bad enough anyway.
The bed was probably comfortable and the room was nice and cool, but when he opened one eye and glanced around, it was empty.
She’s not here, why isn’t she here? What did I do?
He tried to think back, struggling to remember anything about the previous night. They had been at the banquet and he remembered belly dancers. Everything after that was dim. Had he been fighting with Frank? And
Cratus?
He had a vague memory of an arm clad in black hoisting him up in the air
. That would explain the pain in his hands and body; combatting gods couldn’t be a good idea.
She told me not to let anyone provoke me. I hope the reason she’s not here is something besides me being an ass.
Womens
’ voices drifted in from an adjacent room. Heather and Maria accused someone of cheating.
Knowing she was close made him feel a little better about
himself, but not enough to dare open his eyes again. Whatever was in his stomach might remain there if he could fool himself to think he was sleeping.
In the other room, a calm voice drawled, “I never cheat, I am actually that good.”
After a second or two, the voice added, “Your human is awake.”
Heather’s voice said, “How do you know?”
“I know everything. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t realize that by now.”
That has to be
Cratus.
A new voice cut in, sounding enthusiastic.
“I’ll go check on him.”
Oh no, don’t let Frank check
on me. I’m already almost dead. I don’t think I’ll survive that.
To his relief, the three other exclaimed in unison, “Absolutely not.”
“He’s mine, and as much as I love you, I’m not going to share with either of you. Get your own.”
Cratus
sounded about to burst into laughter.
“
Oh come on, most humans are so tedious. Yours is entertaining, and we could be one big happy family. He’ll learn to love us eventually.”
Stephan
opened his eyes just a little when he heard soft footsteps approach. When Maria appeared in the doorway, rays of light shone around her.
This must be what an angel looks like.
He had never seen her dressed like this. She wore a long white toga, and the thin fabric seemed to caress her body just like he wanted to do.
Down boy, I’m not in shape for that.
She didn’t seem to move through the room, but was suddenly close enough to touch him.
“Oh you poor man.”
Do I look as bad as I feel? Strange that she can stand being in the same room.
“
I love you, but please let me die in peace.”
Speaking was difficult.
His lips and tongue seemed thick and didn’t obey.
A second
later, her soft lips touched his forehead and all the pains washed off him, leaving hardly a memory behind. A lock of her hair fell over his face, and the sweet perfume of everything
her
filled his nostrils.
Only now did he realize his eyes hadn
’t opened properly before; they’d been swollen after the fight with Frank. Now when he could both see and move, he sat up and met her eyes.
“
Babe, I’m so sorry.”
I don’t remember shit, but apologizing seems like the smart thing to do.
“It’s my fault. I should have warned you better. C’mon, Cratus made you something to wear.”
Everything from
shirt to shoes was black, of course.