The Olympians Extract

Hades lashed out with his sword, slamming his head back into the nose of the man with the blade at his throat. The Olympian growled under his breath, surveying the melee around him.

“Brother,” he called, gently touching the earpiece he wore, blocking a blow one-handed. “We’re in position. Do what you have to—argh!”

Hades’ hand dropped from his ear and he turned on the man who’d run him through. Hades forced his sword through the shocked man’s chest and stole his weapon as the human fell, dead, to the ground.

Hades shifted the shorter sword to his right hand and pressed his left to his stomach. The green blood was already starting to clot, the pain dulling. He silently blessed his race’s evolution for his accelerated healing as he slit the throat of another human.

Across the field, Poseidon spread his arms, signalling for his assistants to spring their traps. Trenches opened up under the feet of the humans, the earth beginning to rumble.

Hundreds of men fell to their deaths in the deep water-filled pits as Hades forced his way through the humans’ front lines, his armour stained with dried blood but his skin unmarked. He stole swords and killed men with ease, sending them falling into his brother’s traps.

“Zeus, when you’re ready!” he yelled into the earpiece, watching the people around him. They were avoiding him, wary of enticing his wrath. “I could use a hand down here!”

The clouds above the battlefield churned, revealing a spaceship hovering above them. The humans stopped fighting, looking to the sky in the hopes that the ship was on their side.

“Poseidon, Hera, down!” Hades started to run, shoving past the humans. “Zeus, now!”

A couple of humans saw the ship, looked to Hades fleeing, and ran themselves. It did them no good.

Inside the ship, Zeus powered up the guns on the ship’s keel, sending the electric shots arching down towards the earth with deadly accuracy.

The electric bullets ripped the humans apart, scattering their remains across the field. Poseidon, Hera and Hades fled, reaching the end of the field before the electricity could target them as well.

Hades bent over, panting, watching their ship decimating their enemies. Poseidon breathed easy, watching their brother systematically destroy the humans. His face was dispassionate, removed from the decimation they were witnessing.

Hera’s face was splashed with both green and red blood. Her white armour was rent in places, one of her chainmail sleeves torn off. She looked faintly sick, her face giving off a yellow tinge.