B4 Chapter 42: Gathering Allies

A grand hall of marble floated in the void, its brilliance a shining beacon of civilization amidst the nothingness. Beneath its massive rotunda, a circle of resplendent thrones stood arrayed around a central brazier that blazed with light. Its embers floated ever upward, drifting into space through an open circle above like a fleet of ships off to conquer.

Mars leaned against his fist atop his throne of black iron shields and spears. The war god spared a fraction of his attention for the mortal world below. The blossoming of the empire was a sight to see, but it was the conflict to the east that truly caught his eye. The steady march of Legionnaires moving deeper into those unclaimed sands filled him with satisfaction. Even now, he felt the prayers and offerings of those men as they called out to him for victory.

His gaze fell upon the leader of their number as he smiled. A true warrior, one who did not shy away from combat even as his position grew more prestigious. One deserving of his favor.

But not yet. He had more preparations to make before officially recognizing his champion. But soon.

Still, he wouldn't leave the man completely without his favor. He had earned a bit of a reward for his work thus far.

Mars diverted a thin stream of divine power down to the Roman Legatus. The man blinked, looking around as though he'd been tapped on the shoulder. He remained wary even after consulting with the men around him.

Cautious as well. Good.

The man wouldn't be able to identify the source of the feeling, of course. Not until he next interacted with a class stone. Mars felt confident that he would find himself pleased by the new title.

Mars returned his gaze to the figure before him. A wolf-headed humanoid, all muscle and sinew. The scars that crisscrossed his body shimmered with divine power, as though he drew strength from each one. The figure's head bowed to the floor as he knelt before the throne.

Mars had never met the god before. But he reminded him of himself. A younger version of himself, at least, warped and stripped down to the most animalistic parts. As was befitting a god worshipped by beastkin.

The wolf god's head dipped lower. His voice came out as a growl. "I, Jax, pledge my fealty to you, Mars, as the true god of war. May your blade's thirst be ever slaked."

Mars simply nodded. With a wave of his hand, the symbol of a spear and shield seared itself into the arm of the lesser god. Jax winced. Then, the newly blessed god rose and disappeared in a flash of red light.

He felt more than saw the new glowing idol manifest itself behind his throne---this one the snarling face of a scarred wolf. It joined three others as the few gods that he had personally deemed worth putting to work as servants. Most were simply too weak to be of use outside of being consumed. But that viewpoint clearly wasn't universal.

All around him, the scene repeated itself. Other lesser gods of every domain knelt before the Roman pantheon as they pledged their loyalty. A woman made of green vines prostrated herself before Ceres while a ball of condensed light bobbed at Apollo's feet. The line in front of Jupiter was even longer, with perhaps half a dozen gods waiting to pledge their allegiance.

The number was greater than expected, but still fewer than Mars had hoped. It seemed that this world's gods were not immune to pride. Additionally, most were young enough to not remember Rome's initial conquest. Which was only to be expected. They had executed most of the truly old gods the first time around.

Still, some proved wise enough to acknowledge the futility of resistance. And the Roman gods intended to make full use of them. Being tithed a portion of their followers' devotion was much preferable to the alternative, after all.

His attention drifted to the throne across the room. Apollo lounged atop his own ornately decorated seat, an eclectic collection of idols floating behind it---a few dozen in total. The sun god had been considerably less exacting when it came to accepting subordinates.

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In total, the gods consumed or subjugated by the Roman pantheon numbered in the hundreds. It meant that this local section of the divine realm was becoming rather thin. Even the relatively numerous minor gods were beginning to grow scarce.

Once the lines of petitioners were no more, Mars rose from his throne. He reached out and seized a length of black iron chain from thin air. With a single sharp yank, he pulled the bound figure on the other side from his holding place in his own divine realm.

The god of blood and iron tumbled out of nothingness and onto the marble floors. He coughed, marring the spotless white with a spray of maroon. His continued struggles only served to dirty the floors further until Mars pulled the chains tighter.

Mars noted the slight warping of the iron where it came in contact with the god's skin. Yet whatever the god had attempted to pull had failed. As expected. Whatever his claim to iron was, it paled in comparison to Vulcan's mastery of ore and metal.

Jupiter looked down his nose at the bound god. "You have captured the pest responsible for this rebellion, I see."

"Yes, father. I bring him before the pantheon for judgment."

The bound god was not one of the smart ones. The fool had not only spurned any attempt to communicate with him, but had seen fit to organize a rebellion of other fellow gods in an attempt to fight the Roman pantheon.

He was not the first, of course. Nor would he be the last. But any such rebel needed to be made an example of.

Jupiter's voice boomed through the space. "Ferrin. You have committed the grave sin of opposing my family and, by extension, my own divine authority. Not only this, but you have incited others to commit the same crime. What have you to say in your defense?"

Ferrin glared up at Jupiter and spat. The gob of phlegm and blood barely made it a foot before a hammerblow of unrelenting force smashed it and Ferrin into the ground. Mars heard the rebellious god wheeze under the pressure.

"So be it." Jupiter turned to Mars. "Son. As your prisoner and the one with most claim over his domain, he is yours to handle as you see fit."

Mars bowed his head. "I have no use for a weakling such as him. I wish to make an example out of him."

Jupiter nodded. "A wise choice. Let your actions be witnessed across the realm."

The king of the gods turned and nodded to Mercury. The fleet-footed god smiled brightly in return. He tapped one heel against his own throne, sending up a burst of shimmering feathers that filled the chamber. They hung there motionlessly, waiting.

Mars stepped toward the bound god. "Ferris. For your rebellion against the pantheon of Rome, I sentence you to annihilation. Rejoice, for your paltry strength will fuel the rebirth of an empire."

Mars raised his hand, a golden spear manifesting in his grip. Ferris glared defiantly up at him with bloodshot eyes. His mouth worked, no doubt to spit one final insult or word of defiance. But Jupiter's power pressed down on him harder, silencing him.

The spear pierced through Ferris's chest. The god stiffened, then shuddered as his very being seemed to dim. Mars felt a trickle of power flow through his arm and suffuse his form as the bound god's struggles weakened.

The whole time, the rebellious god maintained eye contact. His eyes glittered with rage to the last. The pittance of power flowing out of him only reinforced the weakness of this upstart. But he never asked for mercy. That, at least, Mars could respect.

Mars looked up as the feathers sparkled. All at once, they zipped up and out of the rotunda, disappearing into the void alongside the bonfire's embers. Whatever divinities hadn't already turned their attention to the spectacle would soon find themselves informed about it anyway---both friend and foe.

A thunderclap echoed through the room. "So shall it be for any who dare to raise their hand in opposition. It is decreed."

Mars sketched a quick bow and stepped back to his throne. He'd only just settled back onto it when the sound of footsteps echoed from the entryway.

He frowned. The petitioners had already been seen to. There were no other visitors expected for the moment.

A quick glance around the rotunda revealed similar expressions. Jupiter's stormy gaze turned toward Mercury. "Have you prepared for us another guest?"

"No, sir." The messenger god scratched his head in apparent confusion. "I'm not entirely certain who that is."

The room tensed as the steps grew closer. A hooded figure stepped through the archway, its tattered cloak fluttering behind it. A conspicuous splotch of dried blood around the abdomen served as the cloak's sole decoration.

Divine weapons casually manifested as the figure stepped into the rotunda. Mars felt power from this figure, significant power. Enough to rival a major god. But nothing so incredible as to justify facing the entire pantheon alone.

"It has been a long time." A raspy voice said from beneath the hood. "I see you are well, cousin."

The hood fell to reveal a gaunt and weathered man's face. Countless lines like deep canyons were etched across its surface in stark relief. Yet despite that, the man's eyes remained clear and bright, with irises the color of deep amber.

The room fell deathly silent. Not a single voice dared to speak, save for Jupiter himself.

"Prometheus."