Return of the Old Gods [P/Drago/RP]

Fresh prints trudged through the endless sands of Hueco Mundo, four warriors garbed in ancient Greek weaponry and armor kept their wits about, eyes constantly scanning the wasteland around them, but they met no challenge. It was odd, really, that these warriors, who did not carry the same strength as most of the spiritual beings, were not being hunted. Granted, they could handle themselves in combat and have proved themselves more than capable of disposing of a few Hollow, it was still odd that not even a single one appeared before them. "What do you make of it? Could we be walking into some sort of trap?" One of the soldiers in the back spoke, but the larger of the three shook his helmeted head. "No. They are primitive beasts, they know nothing of strategy. It is as if something has... scared them off." They carried on without a word for what seemed like an endless amount of time, as if days had passed by, but in reality it was much, much shorter than that. Still, they met no enemies, though a few times they did see a black figure scuttling away into the distance, as if fleeing. Not from them. An unseen force.

They stopped for a moment, one of the soldiers in the back turning and gazing behind them. "Perhaps we should turn back and begin our search elsewhere." A rustle of armor brought his gaze back forward, to the edge of a large forest, trees that seemed to reach into the sky for miles, with no end in sight. "I believe we might have found him." He gestured towards the fallen trees, some on fire, others knocked aside as if a giant had ripped them from their very roots. Carefully, they made their way through the ruined path, stepping over ruined bodies and disfigured creatures, a few times they stopped and poked one or two with their spear to ensure they were dead and not merely tricking them. No sign of life from any of them. "Such ferocity! Truly this must be the man Athena speaks of?! He must be made of pure power!" The rest of the soldiers grinned. "Indeed. It would be glorious to enter combat with one such as this! Perhaps one day we will." A legendary warrior to guide them into battle, into possible, glorious blood filled death. It was the dream of any warrior.

It did not take long to find the source of carnage. A lone warrior with a sword literally drenched in blood stood among more fallen bodies, limbs, blood, and guts covered the ground, soaking the sand beneath them and turning it into a gross mixture of dried blood, and various organs. They immediately dropped to one knee, lowering their head in a respectful gesture. "Theocelese! We have searched far and wide for you! I come bearing a message." The leader of the four raised his head, removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm. "Athena of Olympus wishes to speak with you." It was all he was required to say, delivering the message his Goddess told him to recite. She was right. The man responded, instructing them to wait, and they did so ever so patiently. 

They stood at attention, and waited. He returned to them, clean and with a fresh pair of clothing. They took note of his weaponry and satchel, not as a threat, but at the meaning, He was prepared. He knew of Olympus through Zeus, while he may not have been waiting to hear from the Gods, he was certainly ready. They gestured for him to wait but a moment, and quickly formed up into a square formation, bringing shields in front of them, they banged their spears against it. Usually a 'battle cry' of sorts, it was used for a different purpose. Before them, two large pillars erupted from the sand, a white gate of pure energy forming between them, opening up a pathway to Olympus. The leader turned and gestured to Theo. 

On the other side of the gate, Athena rose from her throne situated beside that of Zeus', upon seeing the gate open, her eyes lit up and a smile formed on her face. She walked down the steps, waiting for Theo to cross, and when he did she would greet him with three simple words.

"Welcome home, Ares."

She merely nodded her head and smiled at him in a return greeting, she had heard much about Theo and his strength, but never knew him to be so polite. Perhaps his battle persona and social persona were of two different worlds. Unlike her father, he knew only one thing. As the giant of a man closed the distance between them, not only reaching into his bag but embracing her in a half hug that she gladly returned, having been raised in her new life in a Greek setting she knew that it was customary to not only bring gifts, but embrace each other. Taking the bottle from Theo, she smiled and handed it off to a servant, ordering her to place it in proper storage. "Thank you for the gift, Ares. I will be sure to have it on the table during our next feast." Had it been her father, he would have simply shrugged it off and paid it no mind. While honoring ancient tradition, he was a man of action and would often times skip pleasantries and get right down to business. Upon hearing his two questions, she let out a soft laugh. "I considered a simple messenger, but I was unsure of how long it would take to reach you. A small, armed group would fare better against the Hollow than a simple messenger." Letting out a sigh, she clasped her hands together. "As for how I've been.. .well, truthfully, I have been stressed. It is not easy running something as grandious as Olympus. Unfortunately I am not my father and often find myself at a loss of what to do." She considered her words carefully, not wanting to expose any form of weakness or form doubt in either Theo's mind, or those of her beloved followers. If they could not trust her then they would not follow. That would hurt battle morale.

"I sought you out because I intend to follow in my fathers foot steps. Though I do not know where he is, I know that if I disappointed him, I would feel his rage from whatever distance plane he may be in. I am rebuilding, looking for individuals of immense power, and my father often spoke highly of you. Out of all those he had done battle with, he claimed you were the only one to draw blood."She paced as she spoke, thinking of her words before she spoke, rather than on a whim. "You knew my father wished war with the Shinigami, to reduce Soul Society to rubble and then build it back up. He wished to live in a world where only the strong strived, and the weak perished. He wanted revenge. In his absence, I will carry it out." She stopped and looked directly at Theo now. "I need your help, Ares. I cannot walk into Soul Society on my own and best each one of their Captains, not on my own. I need not only your sword, but your brain. You know Hueco Mundo far better than I, and you know where there may be individuals of power. I need them." The smile had faded, and on her face was a look of plea, she was strong willed, and capable of holding her own in battle, but she was not Kisho. She could not do this alone.

"Ares, will you help me?" With his help, she knew they could succeed.

She clung to every word he spoke like a child would listening to a storyteller, not only was the man capable of immense destruction, of power, he was wise and spoke truth. She had found it increasingly difficult to manage her forces, every day they grew in number and power, and she had not had the opportunity to lead like her father had. It was not with an iron fist, she was attentive, merciful, and she thought before she acted, the complete opposite of Kisho. He merely destroyed what would not obey, instilling fear not only in his subordinates, but those who opposed him. As it was, she could do neither. Not yet. "You are right, Ares. There are nights I lay awake, struggling with my thoughts, on what I can determine is wrong or right for my men, and while I have not gained their full respect, I know they would protect me, and fight until their death. I do not lead as my father did, you knew how merciless he could be, but I allow for voices to be heard in my army."  She turned and faced the moon, staring up into it. "I am my own person, yes, and I believe that I control whatever path I may walk, but.... it is because of me that my father walked the path he did. He was not always as... angry as he is. However, that is a story for another time. Right now, I do what I must, and I will continue down the path I have begun to walk. Perhaps I will meet my end, or perhaps I will succeed, either way, I will die knowing I did all I could." She stayed quiet for a moment, staring at the moon as if pondering her thoughts, searching for something in the ivory glow that enveloped her vision. She had succeeded in gaining the blade of Ares, and she knew that he would keep his word, and while it was a great addition to her forces, more would be needed if they were to combat Soul Society.

Turning, she faced the great man once more, slowly she walked towards him. "Ares, I am pleased you have decided to aid me, and I understand your position and all have you said, and I know what they took from you.." She stopped mere feet away from him, her eyes burned with rage now. "I Know the feeling of losing something. They have taken EVERYTHING from me, and I would have it back. I am not who I once was because of them, and now my father has gone missing. I do not know if Soul Society was involved in his leave of absence or not, but I suspect Zeus had discovered something." Her demeanor had changed now, determined, fierce, a burning desire to become stronger. To win. "I would aid you, Ares. I will help you rebuild your lost Kingdom, restore YOUR empire to its former glory and increase your forces once more. Not only will it bolster our united fronts, but perhaps it will draw out not only your friends, but others of power." She reached up and placed a hand gently on his bicep. "Let us take back what was stolen." A hint of her father glimmered through her. Something stirred deep within, knowing that with a powerful force behind her, everything else would begin to fall into place.