Chapter 10

Greek Gods

Zeus - King of the Greek gods
Hera - Queen of the Greek gods, sister, and wife of Zeus
Hades - god of the underworld, brother of Zeus
Poseidon - god of the sea, brother of Zeus
Demeter - goddess of harvest and fertility of the earth, sister of Zeus
Aphrodite - Daughter of Zeus and Dione, Goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality
Artemis - Daughter of Zeus and Leto, goddess of the hunt, the moon, and chastity
Athena - Daughter of Zeus and Metis, goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law, and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.
Ares - Son of Zeus and Hera, the god of war
Apollo - Son of Zeus and Leto - god of the sun and light, music and poetry, healing and plagues, prophecy and knowledge, order and beauty, archery and agriculture.
Dionysus - Son of Zeus and Semele - God of the vine, grape harvest, wine-making, wine, fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, theatre
Hephaestus - Son of Zeus and Hera - god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture.
Hermes - Son of Zeus and Maia - Messenger of the gods, god of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, border crossings, the guide to the Underworld
Eris - Daughter of Zeus and Hera, sister of Ares - minor goddess of discord and strife
Deimos - son of Ares, twin of Phobos - god of dread
Phobos - son of Ares, twin of Deimos - god of fear
Dolos - Personification of trickery, cunning deception, craftiness, treachery and guile
Apate - Counterpart of Dolos, goddess of fraud and deception.

Ephus - the godling man with unusual power.
Dr. Quinn Markov - human wife of Ephus

Egyptian Goddesses and wives to Ephus

Bast - Goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music, family, and love
Sekhmet - Goddess of fire, war, and dance
Hathor - Goddess of the sky, dance, love, beauty, joy, motherhood, foreign lands, mining, music, and fertility.
Serket - Goddess of scorpions, medicine, magic, and healing venomous stings and bites
Maat - Goddess of Truth and Justice
Tefnut - Goddess of Rain, Air, Moisture, Weather, Dew, Fertility, and Water

Brothers of Bast and Sekhmet

Thoth - God of knowledge
Sobek - God of the Nile, the Army, military, fertility and of crocodiles
Anhur - God of war and the sky bearer - Full brother of Bast and Sekhmet
Horus - Ancient God of the sky and kingship
Min - God of fertility
Khonshu - God of the Moon
Apophis - God of Chaos and darkness
Shu - God of the wind and air

“So, finally tired of hiding like an insect Ares? I would have thought better of the dunce of war.” Ephus stated a small smile coming to his lips. ‘Good,’ he thought, ‘Ares is mad as hell.’

“We shall see just who is the dunce after I finish destroying you!” Ares stated brandishing a black sword.

“Ah, so I see that you are hiding behind a weapon, like a true dunce of war,” Ephus stated causing Ares’ face to grow even redder with anger.

Ares laughed with sadistic glee as he swung the black sword, producing an ear-splitting shriek. He then started to advance upon Ephus.

Ephus looked at the six gods sitting at the table, he then waved a hand making all of them vanish. Nodding he calmly turned back to face a startled Ares.

“It is no matter, once I have taken you, I will find all of them easily enough.” Ares boasted as he again stalked toward Ephus.

With a sigh, Ephus shook his head as he drew the green sword. A thin smile appeared on Ares’ lips.

“So, you have the sister sword, that is good with the both of them I will be unstoppable.” Ares again boasted.

Ephus parried the first few swings from Ares, whose smile was growing larger by the second.

Ephus was about to raise the sword to block again when everything seemed to freeze. Then before him, the same Egyptian female appeared his hand around her wrist.

“Godling! You must attack, my brother will kill you, taking all that you are.” The green-clothed female stated.

“As I stated before, I will not use you that way. I will defend, I will not attack as long as you feel that way. I have not claimed you nor will I; if you choose to help me so be it. If you do not then I guess that eventually, Ares will win.” Ephus told the shocked female.

“I believe him sister, never before have I felt one as truthful as him.” They both turned to see a rather tall, well-muscled male with dark hair, wearing dark clothes. Ares’ hand was around his wrist, much like Ephus’s was around the females.

“BROTHER!” The female yelled as Ephus walked toward the male letting the two embrace.

With tears in her eyes, the female released her brother turning toward Ephus. Going to one knee she started to say. “I will be your eternal servant...”

“NO!” Ephus almost shouted, “I will not make you serve me, I will be your partner no more, no less. If I could release you I would, alas I know not how, yet.”

These last words from Ephus had both of them smiling slyly, then their smiles quickly vanished.

The female stood then nodded to Ephus then her brother. “Brother? Do you think it is possible?”

The male looked at the female, then Ephus seeming to size Ephus up. “It is more than possible. Godling, you need to end this quickly, I will help, though it has to appear that you did everything. My sister and I will hold you to what you said.”

“I hope to see you again brother.” The female stated as the male, then the female vanished.

A moment later Ares appeared to be shocked that Ephus was right on top of him. That, plus the fact that he hadn’t seen nor felt Ephus move, wasn’t sitting too well with him.

This time it was Ephus that went on the offensive as he started to give Ares savage thrusts. Shocked, even more, Ares found himself in the unknown position of having to move back from Ephus, the strikes getting closer and closer.

Ephus couldn’t believe how savage the sword was moving on its own. Almost half an hour into the fight, Ephus and the sword found a hole in Ares defense, lightly cutting his chest.

Gasping Ares held a hand to his chest feeling the small seepage of blood from the cut. “How dare you! This isn’t over godling, I...” Swinging again Ephus almost caught Ares unaware, knocking the sword from his hand.

Growling like a wild, wounded beast, Ares dived for the sword, rolled to his feet with it, glared at Ephus then vanished.

Ephus stared at the spot where Ares had been, then sank to his knees. A moment later the Egyptian woman appeared.

“I am afraid I took more than I should have. Your energy is so different, it was so hard to resist.” Here she raised her other hand to gently touch Ephus’s shoulder. A moment later she nodded then vanished.

Ephus stood then turned, waving a hand making the six gods reappear. Sinking into the only empty seat, the other five could only stare at him with astonishment.

“I know that you have a power unlike one that has ever been seen.” Zeus started, “I did not think that it included the Swordsmanship we just witnessed.”

“Well,” Ephus started then saw that the green-clad female appeared. Putting a hand on his shoulder she shook her head no. “I had a very good teacher. Anhur the Egyptian god of war, his lessons were intense. I learn rather quickly, especially when I have to.”

Ephus saw that the female was smiling, nodding her head yes, then vanished.

“You might want to get more lessons,” Hera spoke up. “You surprised Ares this time, though the next he won’t underestimate you again. The next you meet he will come at you with everything he has.”

“I have to agree with her,” Artemis stated as she stared at the green sword in the scabbard on Ephus’s belt. “Not only have you defeated him, thereby embarrassing him. You also injured him, an injury that is going to take far longer than he wants to heal.”

“If I know my brother, he is even now trying to think up a way to wrest that sword from you. Another thing? You are the only other that I know of that has knocked a weapon from him. He is going to be far angrier than he probably has ever been.”

Ephus turned toward Artemis, “his injury is going to take longer to heal?”

“Not a lot is known about the two swords. There is a legend that states that they were a brother and sister. A brother and sister that found favor with the Titans, a rarity for humans to be sure. The legends state that they both betrayed the Titans who punished them making the both of them into the swords.” Artemis explained.

“The legend states that only a god of pure heart, through an ultimate sacrifice, can ever hope to release the two of them.” Athena continued taking up the story. “It has been said that they are far older than all the present gods, father and Hera included.”

“It has also been said that the swords take energy from their users to become more powerful. It is the main reason not many try to wield them.” Aphrodite added.

Ephus was nodding his head it almost made sense, that plus the obvious knowledge they both had. When the female didn’t show up to confirm or deny Ephus guessed he was right.

Ephus started to stand then found that he was indeed far weaker than he thought. Falling back into the seat he thought a moment then concentrated. At first, nothing happened, then he felt a small twinge deep inside. A twinge that started to grow larger and larger.

‘So,’ Ephus thought, ‘I can do this, after all, I thought it was just a stray idea.’ A few moments later all the others were staring at Ephus as his skin and eyes started to glow.

“So, it appears that you have found your internal power,” Zeus stated as they all backed away slightly, as Ephus felt himself starting to feel more normal.

Ephus let out a breath, nodded, as he returned to normal. “I’m not sure what that was, really didn’t know I could do that.”

“You have what might be defined as a well of power inside you. We all have it though, in the last two thousand of your years, we had exhausted it, having really nothing to bring out.” Zeus explained.