บท 64: DA : Chapter 64: To Break a God II
Shadow then looked directly at Ares, his fanged grin glinting as his eyes glowed even brighter from underneath his hood.
"Now then … I do believe we have a fight to get underway."
...
With that Umbra rushed forward and Ares barely had any time to raise his arms in defense. He felt a fist hammer into his arms, his bones cracking and screaming in protest at the assault as Ares grit his teeth.
There wasn't a second's delay before another fist wove under his guard into Ares' body, right over the kidneys. Ares gasped in pain as another fist followed up on the same spot, this time hard enough to indent the god's flesh, leaving a fist impression and partially lift him off the ring floor.
Ares staggered back, coughing up ichor as his side burned while he looked at Umbra with hatred but his glare was matched by those icy blue eyes wreathed in shadows.
"Come on war god," Umbra taunted as he resumed his assault. "At least entertain me!"
Ares roared in outrage while throwing a wild cross but Umbra moved with it, his head tilted to the side just enough for his fist to miss the hood. Without delay Umbra closed in and hit Ares' chin with a rising elbow, the sound of teeth grinding and fracturing ringing clearly in their ears.
Suddenly Ares felt a vice like grip around his throat before he was lifted off the ground. The next thing he feels is his head being slammed down into the ring floor hard enough to make the steel supports underneath groan in protest. Then he was tossed across the ring, impacting the cage that added a whole new sensation of burning pain.
Ares cried out as he fell to the floor, his back still stinging making him look back at the cage in confusion only to have a new sense of fear wash over him. The entire cage looked like it had been frozen over with that strange black ice.
He looked further over his shoulder and could see that impression of the links in streaks of black and light blues.
"Instant Frostbite, curtesy of Voidice," Umbra commented as he slowly walked closer. "… and a little cold isn't your only worry either … little war god, after all …"
Whatever else Umbra was about to say Ares ignored as a sudden sense of panic took him. He tried to flash away, a little part of him realizing that he was outgunned alone and he needed back up, even though he would never admit it. His body flashed golden several times but still he remained, his panic growing as cold realization set in. Umbra's dark chuckle brought got his attention again as the demon grinned at him.
"You're not going anywhere Ares. You're just a caged animal now just like dear old mommy was when Jason saved her ass," he said as he suddenly rushed forward and in the blink of an eye had his hand around Ares' throat, causally lifting him up to eye level.
For the first time Ares could clearly see Umbra's eyes, still shrouded in shadows to hid his face, the twin orbs of swirling black flames and icy pupils boring into the god. "… and this time, no one is coming to rescue you."
Ares didn't get to utter a word as Umbra slugged him in the face, breaking the god's nose. Then another and another. Umbra didn't make a sound, his eyes unblinking, as his left fist pummeled into Ares' face, ichor splattering around them.
Ares tried to protest, to escape, to do something, but he couldn't. Umbra's grip was unbreakable, his wild kicks and punches that managed to land against Umbra's body were shrugged off as minor annoyances, at most getting an irritated grunt out of the demon.
And all the while , with every hit Ares felt as if a deep and unending cold was setting in, chilling the ichor in his veins and clenching at his heart.
However, it only got worse when Umbra dropped him at his feet and then pulled Ares' arm back. Before Ares could even utter a sound, Umbra violently jerked it, a sickening pop and the god's scream of pain signaling the now dislocated arm.
"Decent warm up," Umbra muttered before he continue, unbothered by every whimper of pain and plea for mercy between the howls of agony as Umbra systematically broke Ares' bones down to the fingers in his right side.
Then, apparently dissatisfied, Umbra tossed him aside again, the war god falling limp with his entire chest and face coated in ichor, his arms broken beyond use and several of his ribs crushed.
Ares gave a week groan of pain but it turned into a scream when he felt a foot slam down on the back of his knee, crushing the bone into fine powder. Once the foot left Ares heard Umbra sigh in disappointment. Ares managed to lift his head enough to look up as Umbra moved to stand before him, looking down at him condescendingly.
"This is lacking," Umbra commented as he crouched down to look at Ares better. "I could break every bone in your body, skin you alive, castrate you and so much more … but in the end it just isn't enough.
I've spoken with many ghosts and heard the horror stories of some of the things you've done. No amount of simple physical pain will ever make that up … but I don't want you to fade just yet either."
Umbra then paused as he tapped his chin before a grin that froze Ares' blood appeared on the demon's face.
The frozen gaze of his eyes, the ruthless expression, and the cruel fangs glinting all made this Umbra the manifestation of the god's fears … and he couldn't so much as lift a finger to stop him even as Umbra continued to speak.
"But then again I'd already planned what to do with you," Umbra said as he grabbed Ares' chin and jerked his head a little higher. "The body can heal, especially in the case of gods, but your mind is another matter."
"Are we leaving, master?" Lamia asked as she suddenly walked up beside Umbra.
"Is everything ready?" Umbra asked as he stood up, grabbing Ares' neck again and causally dragging him up.
"Yes, Lady Rhea already contacted me. She will crush this entire structure once we are gone," Lamia replied.
"Very well," Umbra said before shadows suddenly surrounded them and whisked them away…
...
They suddenly appeared within a dark, stone room with only a few torches with Greek fire illuminating them. Ares' head was spinning in mixes of pain and the sudden disorientation from the shadow travel but he noticed enough to realize he'd been chained to the floor by his ankles and wrists.
However the chains were long enough to allow him to move around somewhat … if he could bare the pain. He weakly sat up as he looked at his chains, noting they were Stygian Iron.
"Well Ares," Umbra said as Ares turned his attention to him. "This is where I leave you, I'll be back in about a month, top side anyways so for you, nearly half a year.
But don't worry, you'll see my lovely face again, however, for now you are in the care of this fine gentleman," he said as he gestured to a behemoth of a man wearing a dark cloak, hood and all, with two glowing crimson eyes within the darkness.
"Who are you?" Ares asked weakly, unable to suppress a shiver of fear while being in the man's presence.
"Tartarus," was the straight reply but that was already enough to send Ares into a panic attack.
"Be seeing yah," Umbra said before turning, and with Lamia, dissolving onto shadows again.
There was a silence as Ares the turned his attention to Tartarus, the eldest primordial looking at him curiously. Then, he silently moved to a far wall of the room where a large chair and small table appeared, a wine bottle and glass waiting for the primordial as well. Once Tartarus was situated, having poured himself a glass and leisurely stirring his drink, he spoke.
"I must say Ares, you truly drew the short end. The council and several others discussed consistently on who they wanted to use as the instigator for their war.
Others wanted it to be Apollo but then again, his death won't be quick by any means once the others get their hands on him. Still …" Tartarus paused as he looked directly at the war god.
"… Your fate truly does validate the statement, 'there are worse things than death'. Let's test just how much worse they can be."
With that Tartarus snapped his fingers and five new people appear. Once clearly had the aura of a god, with mocha skin and an aristocratic face dressed in a pitch black suite, shades, and pitch black hair tied into a low ponytail reaching past the shoulders.
The god was looking at a portfolio in his hands, casually thumbing through the pages with occasional grunts and hums. Behind him were four … things.
They looked like men, each standing at over eight feet, with black and grey skin, lacerations bleeding some black substance, their eyes being solidly black, crooked fangs showing through their chapped lips, and only dressed in loincloths.
"Ares, God of War, son of Zeus and Hera," the other god droned on in a bored manner. "Chronic murderer, rapist, liar, and arsonist ever since the Great Fire of London, 1666. Too many crimes for me to bother counting and naming."
"I may have to read that file, it sounds interesting," Tartarus commented getting a shrug from the other god. Tartarus then returned his attention to Ares. "For introductions, this is Ikelos, son of Nyx and Erebus, God of Nightmares."
As Tartarus said that Ikelos walked forward with a vial of pink liquid in his hands. Before Ares could say anything, Ikelos uncorked it and forced the liquid into Ares' mouth and held his mouth shut until he swallowed it.
"That's part of the punishment," Ikelos stated casually as Ares felt his entire body burn and itch.
He convulsed as he felt his bones break and rearrange, his mass decreasing and becoming slimmer as his hair grew. Ares then felt a swelling on his chest so he looked down only to gawk as his chest grew until he had breasts. He-she, then noted the distinct absence of an organ between her legs.
"Well, it seems that Hecate's potions really are all that," Ikelos commented while analyzing Ares' transformation. "Now then, to business," he continued as he went and sat in a new chair besides Tartarus, still leafing through the portfolio in his hands.
"You there," Tartarus said as he pointed at the biggest of the monsters they'd brought. "You begin," he commanded getting a sick grin sending a spark of revulsion and horror through Ares.
"You can't do this!" she cried to them, tears of rage and panic dripping down her cheeks.
"I wonder how many of your victims have cried the same thing. Oh well, you should have seen what we did to Stalin," Ikelos muttered as he flipped another page before he looked to Ares.
"But this is your first punishment. I will take every memory of rape you cherish and turn it into a nightmare … where you will live it through the eyes of your victim.
Oh! And your transformation will only last about a month … though the same can't be said about the punishment." He then adjusted his shades and looked to the monsters. "… Gents, if you please."
Ares then turned her head back to the monster as it approached, gazing at her hungrily in the same way she had some many times in the past to her targets.
"No …" she muttered in terror. "No … please …"
The thing kept approaching.
"NOOOOOOO!"
===================
Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
...
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