The Victory

Five

Deep within the ancient temple of Ares, the air was thick with tension and the unmistakable scent of Namira's blood. Thor's eyes crackled with lightning as he stood before the doors leading down into the deeps where the greatest part of the temple remained. There was a storm of fury brewing within him. Ares strode up beside him, his usual composure strained by the urgency of the situation.

Thor's voice rumbled like distant thunder, "Aphrodite will pay for this treachery. To take Namira on our wedding day and now to spill her blood – she has unleashed the wrath of thunder upon herself!"

Ares's gaze filled with that fiery temper, "Calm yourself. Don't you feel the quakes beneath us? If you don't stop this madness of yours, you might end up burying them alive!"

As Thor gave a light nod of agreement, that anger still brewed, the storm still raged on. Ares's eyes narrowed and nodded to the other side of the large field, "Go there. Stay there. I'll get them out."

Ares descended into the temple's underground chambers, the flickering torchlight casting shadows that danced across the cold stone walls. He knew the place and had no trouble navigating down the corridors to the large main hall as he all but prayed Thor would do as instructed.

There, bound by golden chains, was Namira, her face etched with pain and determination. Freyr stood beside her, desperately trying to break the enchanted shackles that bound his love.

Ares embraced Freyr, their lips meeting in a brief, desperate kiss, "Freyr, get out of here. I'll get her out, but I need you safe, first."

Freyr, his heart torn between love and duty, nodded reluctantly, hurriedly making his way through the crumbling passages.

Ares, fuelled by a potent mixture of rage and determination, approached the golden chains. His muscles tensed as he gripped the links, his fingers digging into the cold metal. With a roar that echoed through the crumbling temple, he strained against the chains, attempting to break free the goddess trapped within.

The golden chains, however, resisted his godly strength. Ares's frustration grew as he pushed against the unyielding links, his efforts futile. The very essence of Olympus seemed to resist his every move, as if the chains were an extension of the divine will itself.

Frustration turned to anger, and anger to desperation as the temple trembled around him. Ares, undeterred, continued his relentless assault on the chains. The very foundation of the temple quaked as he unleashed his godly might, but the golden bonds held firm.

In a moment of realization Ares paused, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the divine locks that kept Namira captive. He understood that mere strength wouldn't suffice; he needed a key, a means to unravel the enchantments placed by Hephaistos. A spark of insight ignited in his mind, leading his gaze to the blood that pulsed through the veins of the goddess of love who lay broken and immobile under one of the fallen columns.

A moment of pain and pity flashed through Ares's gaze, but then without a second thought, Ares rushed towards the buried Goddess.

Ares took hold of Aphrodite's hand, his grip firm but not unkind. It was almost a moment of goodbye before he ended the Goddess's life with the only blade that could after chopping off her hand in one merciless blow.

The God of War rushed back to Namira, extending the severed limb over the golden chains, allowing drops of Aphrodite's blood to fall onto the intricate wards.

The moment the blood touched the chains, a subtle reaction occurred, as if the very essence of the enchantment recoiled before succumbing to the power of Aphrodite's divine essence.

Ares watched as the golden chains began to unravel, the wards dissipating like mist in the morning sun. Namira, now free, rose from her imprisonment with a grace that belied her ordeal.

The temple, having weathered the storm of divine conflict and Thor's rage, groaned and shifted around them. Ares and Namira shared a glance, a mixture of relief and understanding passing between them.

As the last of the chains fell away, Ares immediately picked up the keeper of the apples and rushed toward the exit.

There was no point discussing it, she'd been harmed and weakened and he knew the way out like the back of his hand.

Namira clung to him, her arms wrapped around his neck as behind them the structure started to give way, the passageways they'd just rushed to near immediately closing behind them.

Ares barely got them out in time before the whole of it collapsed and after he gently put Namira down, the horror of what had just happened finally struck him, plunging him into a whirlwind of overwhelming emotions.

He removed himself from the situation as both Freyr and Thor rushed to Namira, Thor capturing her in his arms just as Namira collapsed.

Ares kept seeing the images flashing before his eyes, Aphrodite's broken body, battered and almost unrecognisable, having to kill her, cutting off her hand. Kin slayer.

His heart pounded wildly and his breath came quickly and erratically.

Freyr approached him with care, his loving and soothing energy gently caressing Ares.

The golden God looked pale, his body trembling and as the God of War took notice, his state of panic was immediately overtaken by worry over his love as he stood tall again and drew the other into his arms as he pushed his own emotion aside, holding him close even as he heard Freyr stammer, "I never meant to... I didn't mean... It was so..."

Ares gently tipped the other's head up, pressing a gently kiss to his lips, "What's done is done. I've ensured she no longer suffers, nor exists. You did what you had to do, you did nothing wrong."
The words lacked any emotion as Ares repressed the whirlwind within himself shouting at him over the murder he'd committed to be strong for Freyr, to assure and comfort him first.

He could break down and face the consequences of what he'd done later.

Thor had sat down, cradling Namira to him as he held her close, kissing the top of her head. He cut his hand, then hers, their blood mixing together as he fuelled what healing power he possessed through her. His hand smoothed her curls, pressing a kiss to her lips, "Come on, open those eyes."

A storm raged, dark and deadly. He heard Ares telling him to calm down and call back the storm.

Thor just shook his head, "This isn't mine."

TBC...