The crowd erupted into shouts and cheers. Ares stood proudly, enormous and frightening, as the people yelled. Finally, he gestured for silence and the noise died down quickly as everyone awaited his next words.
"I am the god of war!" he shouted to more cheers. "And I am honored to have you in my army. Follow me this day and we will emerge victorious!"
He raised his huge fist in the air and the crowd exploded into screams. He swaggered back to his place in line, grinning cockily at me as he did.
Hecate stepped forward once more, her expression severe.
"The Fates will not fight with honor," she warned and the crowd reacted with jeers.
"They cannot fight with honor, because they have none!" someone yelled and Hecate nodded.
"You are correct," she shouted. "They have no honor. You must expect the unexpected because that is what you will receive. The Fates will use your fears against you, so endeavor to have none. They will exploit every weakness, every hesitation against us. Do not give them that chance. If we fail today, all will be lost. So fight today as if there is no tomorrow, because if we lose, there will not be."
She pivoted, scanning the crowd, meeting the gaze of many of the warriors.
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"I am the goddess of witchcraft," she shouted. "I will enchant your horses and offer incantations to protect you. But for every spell I use, the Fates will have one also. Our victory today will come down to the pure hearts of the righteous and my friends, that advantage belongs to us!"
Once more, the ground trembled from the shouts and stomps of the legions in front of us. Lucan glanced sideways at me and reached out to grasp my hand. I squeezed his fingers. Oddly, as we balanced on this precarious place, on the brink of winning everything or losing the same, I wasn’t afraid. I was deadly calm and ready to move.
"I wish for my son to not be harmed!" someone shouted and everyone craned their necks to see who had spoken. A man, broad-shouldered and dressed in a lavish fur cloak pushed through the throngs of people to the front. His dark-blonde hair was long and curly, his eyes ferocious and cornflower blue. He wore a glittering crown.
King Uther Pendragon.
I sucked in a breath. I hadn’t realized that he was among the assembled warriors, although I should have guessed. His cunning in battle was talked about still, his intelligence and lack of mercy for those who offended him. He was very different from his son, yet they shared the same blood.
He turned to address the crowd.
"My son is not truly the person whom you will see today," he said, his voice booming loud enough to reach the warriors standing in the very last row. "The Fates have manipulated him and turned him into something that he is not. Do not shed his blood if you can help it. He is a true king."
The mounted warriors nodded in affirmation. Everyone knew of Arthur’s plight, of the goodness that he used to embody. Tales of he and his knights had spread through the kingdom like wildfire from the moment that he had assumed the crown.
Hecate once again stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with King Uther.
"To ensure that our fight is as equally matched as possible, we will need to draw on some rather unlikely resources. As you may know, I hold the keys to the underworld.
Today, I will open the gates and we will bring with us horrific beasts to help us in our fight."
There were and murmurings and whispers. The warriors moved restlessly, trying to keep their horses still, but even the horses felt the tension here and it made them nervous. Hecate ignored everything and focused on the ground. I gritted my teeth in anticipation. We would do what we had to do using whatever methods necessary, but it didn’t mean that I had to enjoy it.
Before I could think another thought, the ground in front of me opened, a yawning, black hole and haunting screams emitted from it. Full of fear and pain, the howls reached our ears, filling our hearts with dread. It was the sound of the underworld.
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The warriors in the front automatically backed away from the sound and I couldn’t blame them. I wanted to do the same, but I stood fast, gripping Lucan’s fingers tightly.
A horrific thunder shook the land around us as a metallic rattle echoed from the hole. The heavy sounds grew nearer and within seconds, a team of massive metal horses screamed from the tunnel, screeching to a stop in front of Hecate.
Their bronze sides heaved as their nostrils flared with flame, their front hooves slamming against the ground in agitation. They were ferocious and strong and I knew them. My step-father, Hephaestus had created them, breathing fire into their throats himself. These were the Horses of the Cabiri. Crafted from bronze, they had crimson red eyes and could breathe fire and withstand any injury. Their hearts were as black as night. They tossed their heads impatiently as they stood.
"Uther!" Hecate called. "You may drive this team of demons."
Uther stepped forward without hesitation to claim their reigns, stepping onto the empty golden chariot that they pulled. He raced with them to the back of the crowd where he turned them and fell into place within the ranks.
A coldness descended upon us and I glanced furtively around. Black mist seeped from the tunnel and I leaned into Lucan. It was apparent that whatever was coming next was evil. Lonely howls came first, blood-curling and loud, before a massive wall of black, ragged fur stepped into view.
Cerberus. I knew it before I even saw it. The three-headed demon dog that guarded the gates of hell. The smell of sulfur and rotted flesh filled the air around us and I fought an overwhelming urge to cover my nose with my hand.
One of the three heads turned slowly and met my gaze. I tried not to blink, to not be the first to look away, but it was difficult. There was ugliness in its eyes. Cold and flat, I knew those eyes had seen evil that I couldn’t even imagine. Every horrendous thing that had ever crossed the gates of hell had passed this guardian first. Its large wild eye rolled and then the head swiveled to look again at the crowd. I felt a sense of relief that I was no longer in its line of vision. The beast was unnerving.
Lucan caught my eye, his eyebrow raised as if to ask if I was okay. I nodded, squeezing his hand. He pulled me closer and then wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His warmth was reassuring and I melted into it as we watched the parade of evil pour from the underworld.
More and more beasts emerged from the open gateway. With each one, the air around us grew colder and colder. The evil in the air was palpable. I only hoped that the chieftains and Hecate could control these creatures as well as they thought they could.