Ahead of the Game
Night Wolf
Chapter 20
THE GAME
Jeff woke up early the next morning, his thoughts drifting back to the news that Hermes had delivered from Zeus. The game was to be today. It could very well be his last day on Earth. Getting dressed, the teen walked quietly to the door and stepped outside, wanting to gather his thoughts on the upcoming contest. Standing there, Jeff noticed he wasn’t the only one awake. He could see people around the tiny village stirring, some gathering water, and even a few of the warriors were sitting around the burned out bonfire, making wagers on the game. The betting on the outcome of the game didn’t surprise Jeff, what did surprise him was the majority of the bets were for him to win. Turning back, Jeff went back inside the hut he shared with Sara and sat down on the bed, the growing knots in his stomach not allowing him to sit still for very long.
“Jeff?” said a sweet voice from behind him. Turning around, Jeff could see Sara wiping her eyes like a small child, trying to get the sleep from them. Going around to the other side of the bed, Jeff bent down to kiss the girl, enjoying the taste and feel of her full lips. As Jeff deepened the kiss, Sara wrapped her arms around the teen, not willing to give him up, but knowing she would have to. With a sigh, she pushed back the covers, wanting to enjoy one last time of lovemaking with Jeff. When Sara did that, Jeff stepped back to look at her. Although her pregnancy wasn’t noticeable yet, Jeff couldn’t help wondering what kind of life their child would have if he was to be killed. Not wanting to think about that, Jeff forced his mind back on the beautiful woman lying on the bed.
“I love you, Honey,” he told her as he lay back on the bed. Climbing on top of her, Jeff began kissing her, tracing her lips with his tongue. When Sara tried to capture his probing tongue in her mouth, Jeff would back away, until finally tiring of the game. Deepening the kiss, Jeff explored Sara’s mouth for what could possibly be the last time. He wanted to savor the memory. Dragging his mouth away from hers, Jeff began kissing lower and lower on her body, wanting to make this as good for her as possible.
“Ungh, I don’t know if I can take much more,” she whimpered, even as she pulled his head into her flowing pussy. When she finally came, she started pulling Jeff up to her, kissing him frantically as she guided his cock into her drenched cunt. It didn’t take long before they were speeding toward their orgasms with words of love intermingled with moans. When they came at the same time, it was spectacular, the spurts from Jeff’s cock in synch with the spasms from the walls of Sara’s pussy. When they were both sated, Jeff rolled off of Sara, pulling her into his arms. As they drifted off to sleep, a shadowy figure whispered softly.
“Rest, for you will need it. I intend for you to defeat my mate’s challenger. When you awaken, you will be completely rested. Sleep well.”
When Jeff awoke, he felt strangely refreshed, ready to take on anything Zeus might throw at him. Leaning down to kiss Sara, he studied her features, wanting to keep the memories strong for this woman who had given herself to him.
Walking outside, Jeff found Diana, Heracles, Apollo, Leandra, and Michelle waiting for him.
“Have you decided who you will be taking?” Leandra asked.
“Yes, but I won’t exactly be choosing. I don’t want to order anyone to possibly die helping me.”
“I would like to volunteer. I like the way you carry yourself and I would consider it an honor to fight at your side,” Heracles spoke up.
“Thank you, I was hoping you would join me. I think you would be a lot of help,” Jeff told him, shaking his hand.
“I would like to accompany you, too,” Diana said. Jeff knew she would be a valuable asset to him.
“Okay, Diana, but I have to ask, are you sure? You aren’t exactly in your normal battle shape.”
“Yes, I’m sure. I don’t respect many of your gender, but you have impressed me with your heart and your spirit. I would be proud to fight alongside you.” Looking toward Leandra, Jeff kept hoping she would volunteer. He knew she would be the one he would rely on the most. Her abilities and insight would be valuable in the fight. When she started laughing, Jeff knew she had been teasing him.
“I think it goes without saying that I will be there. I have admired you for a long time because of your character. You are strong-willed and courageous. I know you can defeat Zeus’ champion. With the three volunteers at his side, Jeff needed one more, but only Apollo could help him.
“Apollo, would you call Pegasus for me? I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is how much mobility in a battle can help you. I would like him to be my fourth choice.” Hearing this, Apollo chuckled to himself. Zeus didn’t realize what he’d gotten himself into this time. Calling Pegasus, he continued wondering what tricks Zeus might have. Apollo knew that Jeff had just countered most of them by this one act.
“Will you be riding him to the site of the battle? I think you might want to think about that. Yes, you will be fully rested if you do, but the others won’t be.” Apollo told him.
“Yes, I know. I planned on making him a surprise. I thought we could arrive without him and then when the battle was about to take place, I might call him to me, that is, if you think he would come to me.
“I think we can do that. I don’t think you realize this, but he is actually quite fond of you. You could have used your psionic abilities to call him,” Apollo replied. When the god told him this, Jeff felt a little foolish. He should have thought about using his powers for that before then. Realizing that he didn’t have to repeat the same mistake again, Jeff waited for Pegasus to join them.
As soon as Pegasus arrived, Jeff gathered the different gifts the gods had given him, placing them on Pegasus’ back. Sending the winged horse away for the time being, Jeff went over all of his plans in his mind. Figuring they were as ready as they were ever going to be, Jeff was about to leave for the site of the battle. About to let the others know, Jeff was surprised to see Hera standing in their midst.
“Diana, I know you were planning to accompany Jeff in battle, but I cannot let you go. You carry a child in your womb that would be endangered if you were to enter battle. I, myself will take your place. Maybe we can put the arrogant... Well, anyway, I will accompany you on your journey. Heracles, I will not do anything to hamper you during the battle, have no fear,” Hera said, smirking at Heracles as she finished. The combatants left for the site of battle, only Diana and Heracles being left behind. Heracles tried joining the others, only to be stopped by vines wrapped around his legs. With a grunt of anger, he grabbed his sword and swiftly severed the tethers from his legs. Running to join them, Heracles growled when Hera laughed and pointed in his direction. Jeff could see this might be a fun journey.
When they finally reached the base of the mountain where the battle was to take place, Jeff began scaling the gently sloping walls. Reaching the top, he was unprepared for the sight before him. He had counted on a few warriors, and maybe even a god or two, but he hadn’t counted on seeing at least fifty elite guards. Even worse, he spotted eight Minotaurs. Looking at the group that had been assembled, Jeff gave thanks that he’d been given the chance to at least tell Sara goodbye. His only regret was for not doing the same with Holly and his mother.
Once Hera, Heracles, and Leandra joined him, they all headed to the center of the flat plateau where their adversaries were standing.
“Hera, get out of there; you’re not supposed to be part of this, and who said Pegasus could participate. I didn’t give permission for him to be used in this,” a voice boomed. Looking up, Jeff saw the same old man he had met that day at the docks.
“You didn’t put any stipulations on who he could take with him. I thought it was about time someone won your game. This boy has something special and I’m just here to make sure that Ares doesn’t try anything he shouldn’t. I think this mortal has chosen wisely,” Hera told her husband.
“Okay, your point is valid, but you are only allowed to use your powers as needed to counteract Ares’ powers. Other than that, you are forbidden to use them,” Zeus told her, glaring at his wife. Jeff watched the couple argue, amused by their bickering.
“Are we going to start this damned thing, or not?” said a voice behind Jeff. Turning around, Jeff was impressed with this god. The muscular build and steely eyes, sent shivers down his spine.
“Yes, we will start shortly, I just want to explain the rules to the mortals,” Zeus answered.
“Rules? This is war, we don’t need rules,” Ares told him, smiling malevolently at Jeff. Jeff had known it was going to be tough, but when the war god said that, it seemed to give him added resolve. “Quiet! There will be rules. I know you think of it as a war, but it is still a game. Now, as I was saying before I was interrupted,” Zeus said, pausing to glare at Ares, “these are the rules. Any wound that would be fatal for a human is also considered fatal for a god. In other words, if this mortal manages to run you through, the game will be considered over. Do you understand?” Zeus asked, looking at Ares. When the god nodded, Zeus smiled at Jeff, an evil gleam in his eye. Jeff wasn’t too happy about the way Zeus said mortal, but he wasn’t dumb enough to bring it up.
“If the mortal, Jeff, is killed the game is over. Is that plain enough? When I say the game is over, it’s over. Are there any questions? No? Good, let’s begin the game. Good luck to you all,” Zeus told them, taking a seat in a huge chair that had materialized out of thin air.
Hopping onto Pegasus’ back, Jeff unsheathed his sword, before signaling for the winged horse to take off. With swooping attacks at the fighters, Jeff whittled the numbers down quickly, using his sword effectively. After paring the numbers down to a manageable number, Jeff signaled for Pegasus to land and hopped off, mentally calling Heracles to join him.
“Think we can handle these, big guy?” Jeff asked, grinning at the warrior.
“Yeah, I don’t think they will be much problem,” Heracles answered with a gleam in his eye. With the sunlight glinting off their swords, the pair quickly downed the remaining fighters, keeping an eye out for Ares. As if waiting for Jeff’s band to tire, the war god waited patiently, watching his fighters fall by the wayside. Jeff turned his concentration back to the elite guard, ducking just in time to avoid decapitation. Without thinking, Jeff pushed his sword under the upraised arm of the attacker, neatly killing the warrior. Seeing another of the guard coming toward him, Jeff sent a mental command his way, causing the fighter to turn on his own comrades, saving Jeff the trouble of killing them, himself. “I think this bunch is about done, can you take care of the rest?” Jeff asked. When Heracles nodded, Jeff looked toward the Minotaurs, laughing when he saw them. Apparently, Leandra had been using her abilities to hold them at bay, having created an invisible wall around herself. “How’s it going?” Jeff asked when he reached her side. “So far, so good,” she answered, removing the wall from around her when Jeff joined her. “I’m going to try to flank them; can you handle a frontal assault?” Jeff asked as he eyed the beasts. “Yeah, I don’t think that will be a problem. Let’s get rid of these so we can go after Ares. I don’t know why he’s standing there, but I noticed Hera is keeping a close eye on him. I’d hate to be in his shoes if he does something wrong, I think she’d tear him apart,” Leandra answered, winking at Jeff. “Yeah, I think you’re right. From what I understand, she never has been too fond of him, anyway. I think all she would want would be an excuse to do something to him,” Jeff told her, laughing as he began circling to the left of the Minotaurs. When he got there, Jeff saw right away these would be tougher foes. Not wanting to give the beasts a chance to form a concerted attack, Jeff took the initiative and charged. Upon reaching the first Minotaur, Jeff had to sidestep quickly when the creature suddenly lunged at him. As the beast went past him, Jeff buried his sword into his side before quickly withdrawing it. Satisfied that it was indeed dead, Jeff looked over to Leandra to see how she was doing. It appeared she was doing fine as she used a dagger to rip open the throat of her nearest challenger. With one less enemy to worry about, Jeff turned his attention to the next Minotaur, when the helmet he was wearing warned him of an approaching enemy behind him. Turning quickly, Jeff surprised the Minotaur, stepping forward quickly to bury his sword in the approaching monster. Thankful for the gift that Poseidon had given him, Jeff knew he didn’t dare take his mind off the others. Turning back to them, Jeff noticed another closing in on him. Raising his sword, Jeff advanced, looking around him to make sure he wasn’t surprised again. As the Minotaur got closer, Jeff saw the hatred in the beast’s eyes, making him step back for a moment to gather himself. Taking a deep breath, the teen began advancing again, surprised to see the monster wasn’t carrying a sword. Unsure of what its plans were, Jeff slowed down, warily watching him. “Come on, already,” he shouted, wanting to get it over with. With the putrid smell of the beasts as well as the stench of the blood all over him, filling his nostrils, Jeff knew it wouldn’t get any better. When he realized he wasn’t using his most valuable asset, Jeff decided to use his abilities on the Minotaur. Gaining control of the beast’s mind, Jeff decided to end the battles quickly. ‘Attack the others,’ he told the beast, standing back to watch the Minotaur begin its assault on the others. When the rest of the Minotaurs saw what he was doing, they turned their attack toward him, allowing Leandra and Jeff to pick them off, one at a time. Jeff and the Minotaur were about to finish them off when the teen heard a scream. Looking around, the teen saw Ares standing over Leandra, blood dripping from his sword. With a scream of rage, Jeff ran to Pegasus, hopping onto his back. Sensing what Jeff wanted, Pegasus began galloping toward Ares.
“You bastard, you could have at least waited until she was facing you,” Jeff yelled. When he heard the teen screaming at him, Ares turned towards him, but not quickly enough. Jeff took advantage of the brief hesitation by the war god. Gripping the sword with both hands, Jeff brought it around in a wide arc, severing the god’s head from his body. Leaping from Pegasus’ back, Jeff raced to Leandra.
“Oh, Leandra, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t close enough to help you,” Jeff sobbed, taking the redhead into his arms. Wrapped up in his grief, Jeff didn’t notice the movement behind him, until Heracles shouted.
“Jeff, behind you,” he yelled. Turning quickly, Jeff grabbed his sword, readying himself for one last battle. The teen knew he couldn’t beat Ares in a normal fight, but he was at least going to die like a man. Wishing he could tell Holly and Sara good-bye one last time, Jeff prepared himself for Ares’ assault on him. As the sword came around toward him, Jeff was already anticipating the steel going through him.
“Enough!” Zeus roared zapping the sword out of Ares’ hand. When Jeff saw that, he sank to his knees, grateful for the god’s intervention.
“Ares, how could you possibly lose to a mere mortal? I didn’t want to have to do this, but...” Zeus muttered, before raising his hands and pointing them toward Jeff. As the rest of Jeff’s group gasped in horror, a blast of energy flew from Zeus’ hands striking Jeff as he knelt down, leaving nothing but a wisp of smoke where he had been.