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Chapter 5.17: In the Shadow of Olympus
The ground trembled beneath your feet. The great mountain of the gods towered over you, casting a vast shadow beneath the sun. All around you the corpses of Egyptians, Sumerians and Greeks lay, tangled amongst one another like lovers in a final, obscene dance. They had lived, fought and died for gods that thirsted only for power and cared not a whit for those that worshipped them. You tear your eyes away. The hunger had been growing faster and faster ever since you stepped off Ares's lavish ship and onto Greek soil. You would have to feed soon, or risk losing control.
Above you, sounds of battle resounded through the craggy mountain paths. No mortals had dared climb Olympus before this, and the Olympians themselves had not seen fit to build any fortifications of any kind, secure in their power over Greece. It was amazing that they had lasted as long as they had against the well-drilled and powerful armies of Marduk. Here and there, you see smashed and charred towers similar to the one you had destroyed in Tjaru. As you followed the sounds of battle, the bodies littering the mountain grew ever fewer, but the wounds decorating their corpses grew ever worse. You wonder if you should attempt to sneak past the battle, or cut your way past the remaining soldiers engaged in combat. There were still hundreds left. Marduk was at the very front of the lines, with only two of his lieutenants left. Zeus and his consort appear to be the only immortals remaining on Olympus, directing the last of their men from his throne. Ares was coming after you, but you do not know when he will reach the mountain.
With an ominous rumble, the sky grew dark. Storm clouds gathered above the very peak of the mountain, spitting out blue arcs of lightning. Zeus was a weather god, was he not? His wrath would soon come. The fragment of Vajra that you had brought with you thrummed as it sensed the gathering of power, and for a brief moment it appears as if it'll fly right out of your robes and towards the peak. Sekhenun had said that there was a possibility that you might be able to use it to gain an edge over Marduk, though there was a risk that he could snatch it from you. It looks like Vajra may play a role in the coming battle if you bring it up there.
You look at Iltani, standing besides you with a look of feigned bravery in her eyes. Perhaps you could have her bring the piece away, back to Babylon and to safety. It was an important task that only she was able to do right now. If not, the upcoming confrontation was so risky that you would have to send her away anyway, though you would have to really commit yourself to convince her somehow. On the way here, you had tried everything, even promising marriage, and yet she did not leave. You are no longer sure you can keep her safe - you are very uncertain you can keep yourself safe...
***
We're keeping the previous style for a while, but I suppose updates can be a bit quicker. The key points to note here will be your hunger: feed, or take the risk of wielding it against the enemy, whether you try to sneak through the battle or create a distraction by yourself from the back of the lines, possibly trapping Marduk between you and Zeus, and whether you pass Vajra (yeah a bit of an ass-pull there, sorry
) to Iltani, which will make her return to Babylon safely (as long as she doesn't run into Ares going down the mountain), or you convince her via other means and see if you can use Vajra in the coming battle. Of course, other ideas are fair game.
The ground trembled beneath your feet. The great mountain of the gods towered over you, casting a vast shadow beneath the sun. All around you the corpses of Egyptians, Sumerians and Greeks lay, tangled amongst one another like lovers in a final, obscene dance. They had lived, fought and died for gods that thirsted only for power and cared not a whit for those that worshipped them. You tear your eyes away. The hunger had been growing faster and faster ever since you stepped off Ares's lavish ship and onto Greek soil. You would have to feed soon, or risk losing control.
Above you, sounds of battle resounded through the craggy mountain paths. No mortals had dared climb Olympus before this, and the Olympians themselves had not seen fit to build any fortifications of any kind, secure in their power over Greece. It was amazing that they had lasted as long as they had against the well-drilled and powerful armies of Marduk. Here and there, you see smashed and charred towers similar to the one you had destroyed in Tjaru. As you followed the sounds of battle, the bodies littering the mountain grew ever fewer, but the wounds decorating their corpses grew ever worse. You wonder if you should attempt to sneak past the battle, or cut your way past the remaining soldiers engaged in combat. There were still hundreds left. Marduk was at the very front of the lines, with only two of his lieutenants left. Zeus and his consort appear to be the only immortals remaining on Olympus, directing the last of their men from his throne. Ares was coming after you, but you do not know when he will reach the mountain.
With an ominous rumble, the sky grew dark. Storm clouds gathered above the very peak of the mountain, spitting out blue arcs of lightning. Zeus was a weather god, was he not? His wrath would soon come. The fragment of Vajra that you had brought with you thrummed as it sensed the gathering of power, and for a brief moment it appears as if it'll fly right out of your robes and towards the peak. Sekhenun had said that there was a possibility that you might be able to use it to gain an edge over Marduk, though there was a risk that he could snatch it from you. It looks like Vajra may play a role in the coming battle if you bring it up there.
You look at Iltani, standing besides you with a look of feigned bravery in her eyes. Perhaps you could have her bring the piece away, back to Babylon and to safety. It was an important task that only she was able to do right now. If not, the upcoming confrontation was so risky that you would have to send her away anyway, though you would have to really commit yourself to convince her somehow. On the way here, you had tried everything, even promising marriage, and yet she did not leave. You are no longer sure you can keep her safe - you are very uncertain you can keep yourself safe...
***
We're keeping the previous style for a while, but I suppose updates can be a bit quicker. The key points to note here will be your hunger: feed, or take the risk of wielding it against the enemy, whether you try to sneak through the battle or create a distraction by yourself from the back of the lines, possibly trapping Marduk between you and Zeus, and whether you pass Vajra (yeah a bit of an ass-pull there, sorry
) to Iltani, which will make her return to Babylon safely (as long as she doesn't run into Ares going down the mountain), or you convince her via other means and see if you can use Vajra in the coming battle. Of course, other ideas are fair game.
)
