Naked Warrior

PART FIVE

PART FIVE

Ares appeared in his temple on Olympus. He paced the floor back and forth a few times before hesitantly yelling for Discord. She appeared instantly in a puff of gray smoke, wearing a wicked smile across her face.

"Ares! How nice of you to grace Olympus with your presence," she said sarcastically, but then closed the gap between them and ran a finger up his firmly muscled arm. "Did'cha miss me, sugar?"

Ares brushed her off as if she were the plague. "Knock it off, Discord. I didn’t come here to play," he grumbled.

Discord's face turned grim and she stood with both hands on her hips, legs slightly parted. "You're no fun anymore," she sighed. "Well then, what DID you come here for?" she scowled.

Ares needed information. He needed a spy on Olympus. And Discord was the only God left that would do his dirty work - with the proper persuading. Discord was going to need a little working over. He quickly turned and slipped an arm around her waist through the open bend in her elbow and pulled her close to him. He leaned his head closer to hers and nuzzled his face to her ear. She felt his hot breath as he whispered to her.

"I said I didn't come to play. But I came with a serious need, my dear." Ares had his seduction meter turned on "high" at the moment. He bit Discord's ear, growling deeply. He flicked his tongue along the backside of her lobe and he felt her body molding into his.

She lightly giggled and her hands found his hair, playfully running her fingers ugh ugh it. "Oh, Lover! I knew you couldn't stay away forever. I knew you'd get tired of playing with those mortals."

"Ah, but, Discord, they can be sooo entertaining." They both laughed and he caught and held her dark eyes before he attacked her mouth with his. She was breathless when he finally released her. He had her now, he thought. She was putty in his hands and would do anything for him. This idiotic crush she’d had on him forever certainly had its benefits, at times.

Ares walked over to some weapons hanging on the wall, pretending to look them over. He nonchalantly struck up a conversation with her.

"So, what has been happening here on Olympus while I've been away?"

Discord was still in a state of bliss. It took her a minute to realize Ares was talking to her.

"What was that, lover?"

"I asked you what's been happening around here lately? Anything interesting?"

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Hephy and Aphrodite had a big blow out last week. They made quite a spectacle of it, but they’ve already made up and have been all lovey-dovey this week. Yuck!" Discord spoke of Aphrodite with much disgust in her tone, for she couldn’t stand the blonde bimbo.

"Good for them. What else have you noticed?"

"What do you mean, Ares? You have never been interested in the gossip around here before. If you want to know something specific, then just ask. For Zeus’ sake! Don’t make me play this stupid little game." She walked up behind him and slipped her arms around him, fondling a nipple through his open vest. "I’ve got better things to do with MY time, lover boy," she concluded, pinching his nipple hard.

Ares grabbed her wrist and turned around. He glared at her and then let his eyes drop down her body quickly.

"No games?" he said. "Why, Discord. You're the master of games."

She yanked her wrist out of his grasp. She frowned, realizing that he wanted something from her. Just not what she was thinking.

"What do you want, Ares?" she asked as she turned and started walking towards his throne. She sat down and crossed her legs, looking serious.

"I need to know if any of the Gods are angry with me. Have you heard any of them badmouthing me?"

"Ares, they ALL badmouth you," she laughed.

Ares stared coldly at her. "I mean has anyone got a particular beef with me about something?"

Discord sighed. "What have you done now, Brother?"

"I haven't done anything," he said, losing his patience with her. "So I guess you haven't heard anything then, right?"

"Well . . ." Discord sat there pondering a moment. "Not that I can remember . . . no wait! When I was in the bathhouse last week, Artemis and Athena were there, too. It didn't take them long to leave after I showed up, but I do remember them talking softly when I arrived. Apparently Athena is a bit disturbed by your actions lately. She thinks you are corrupting her land or stealing her worshippers, something like that. I remember her saying 'two can play this game.’ That's all I heard. So, are you going to fill me in? What kind of trouble are you stirring up?" she grinned.

Ares lifted his eyebrows and an enlightened look crossed his face. Athena! Now why didn't I see that, he told himself.

"Not now, Discord," he answered abruptly and then disappeared in a flash of light.

Ares reappeared in Athena's temple on Olympus.

"Athena. ATHENA," he called out. "Show yourself. We need to talk. NOW!" Ares was furious and unclear as to why she would have pulled such a stunt with his army. If she had a problem with him, she should have just said so. There was one peace that Ares always tried to keep and that was in dealing with his family. It didn't always work out like that, but other than with Hercules, Ares stayed clear of the other Gods and Goddesses. "DAMMIT, ATHENA, I SAID SHOW YOURSELF."

A golden cloud of light appeared and Athena took form in front of Ares.

"I am not a dog, dear Brother. I do not come when called," she remarked. She was so stuffy, always acting like she was superior to everyone else. "What are you doing in MY temple?"

Ares was a good two feet taller than his sister. He moved closer to her, towering over her with deadly eyes, trying to intimidate her with his presence. It had no affect on the Goddess. She merely reached for a group of red grapes that were on a table she was standing beside.

"What did you do to my army?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Athena. What did you do to my men on the field?" he demanded to know.

She snickered. "That's your army? How pitiful." She popped a grape in her mouth. Just before she popped another one, Ares caught her wrist.

"Why are you messing with MY men?"

Athena's eyes became fierce as she stared into Ares' eyes. "Because you've overstepped your bounds once again, dear Brother." She pulled her wrist from him and tossed the grapes back on the table.

Ares stood up straighter. "I've done nothing of the sort. I haven't been in your territory in years."

"It's not my land you've been messing with, Ares. It's a particular person."

"Lemme guess. I've turned one of your fems into a cock lover again."

Athena glared at him through narrowed eyes. "No, she's not one of my fems."

"Not yet, anyway," he smirked, sarcastically. "Who is it this time?" He rolled his eyes.

Athena laughed heartily. "What do you think I am - stupid? I'm not going to tell you and give you the chance to alter her destiny. But know this, I will not stop doing whatever I think is necessary to keep you from her, Ares. This little one is destined to do something great. She will lead my people to victory in a most important batt . . " Athena stopped in mid-sentence, afraid she had already said too much. She studied Ares face and could tell he was silently sorting through the women he knew, trying to figure out who she was referring to.

But Ares already knew. Athena had given it away by saying that she was little and would do something great. It was Ares’ turn to laugh at her.

"You're after Daria, aren’t you, Athena? You're talking about the Small, Great One. She is a pretty little thing, too! Ow, I just bet you want her to serve you, Sister. Well, you're a little too late, my dear. She belongs to me."

"She belongs to no-one," Athena snapped. "I didn't hear her make any vow to you, Ares. Now unless you want an all out war between the two of us, I suggest you stay away from her."

Ares laughed again. "Go to Tartarus, Witch. I'll do nothing of the sort. That one has much potential . . . in many ways!" he grinned. "She will make a great warrior for the God of War, not to mention one hell of a lover."

"Ares, I'm warning you . . ."

"Warning me. Athena, you act as if I am holding Daria prisoner. She is where she is by her own choice. She WANTS to be under my care. Besides, what makes you think she would serve you, anyway? Before I met her, she wanted nothing to do with ANY of the Gods until she was brought to my attention by the Fates."

"The Fates? Is that what you think? The fates could care less about the mortal. Besides, they have been too busy keeping watch on the lifelines for some child who is supposed to bring down Zeus. I am the one who has been guiding Daria's path all these years. And everything was moving along fine - until you showed up and swooped her off to your temple and seduced her."

"Well, I have been told that I'm quite hard to resist!" Ares said, batting his eyelashes in an exaggerated way.

"Leave Daria alone. If you send her away now, Ares, I won't do anything else to your army. You have my word on this."

Ares smiled at her. "I think I'll let Daria decide what she wants to do." And he disappeared once again.

Athena paced the floor furiously.

"Well if she's not going to serve me, dear Brother, she's not going to serve you, either. I'll see her dead first," Athena roared and then smiled wickedly. With a wave of her hand, she erased Daria's memories of the War God, and sent her to a remote island off the coast of Greece where Ares would not think to look for her.