"The God Wars" - Chapter Forty-one: Stalemate

The God Wars

Chapter Forty-one:

Stalemate

By Dwayne MacInnes

The next day General Crist had the Respite dock near the inner-island of Atlantis. The hospital ship did not have any more room to take on patients. So, the abandoned and ancient temple of Poseidon acted as a makeshift hospital. The hospital staff ran out of sutures. Thus, to close the wounds on the soldiers, the doctors and nurses used any type of thread or even fishing line.

General Crist also had the artillery pieces positioned near the temple that sat upon a hill in the center of the island. A spotter on the roof of the temple would relay coordinates to the gun crews below and the crews would fire the occasional shot, which exploded on the outer parts of the city.

The Kiska, still positioned outside the city, continued to launch her remaining aircraft to run sorties against Ares forces inside Atlantis. The planes would drop bombs knocking over any structure and destroying more of Ares undead warriors. Whenever Ares forces exposed themselves to the cruiser and destroyers, the ships would fire their guns destroying more.

Many of the structures on the out edge of Atlantis were now burning or destroyed. Ares and Hermes made sure that they did not reveal themselves to the air or naval forces attacking the outer edge of the city. They remembered what these weapons did to Poseidon.

General Crist also made sure to conserve his ammunition. Only visual contact with the enemy warranted an attack. Although they rationed the ammunition, the defenders did not have to worry about food. There was plenty of livestock left behind by the fleeing villagers when they boarded the Olympus.

The general worried about the lack of communication from the Olympus. The ships in Atlantis could still use their radios but whenever they broadcasted a message to the Olympus they never got a response. Crist worried that Ares forces attacked the ship and sunk her leading to the death of thousands of civilians.

* * * * *

The moon was full in the clear night air. Only the flickering flames from some of the burning surrounding buildings gave off any competing light. The entire day Ares' forces weathered the assault of the combined arms of the defenders of Atlantis. Fortunately, Ares thought for the hundredth time, his forces were composed of dead warriors. They did not know fear nor did they have any sort of morale to keep up. If these forces were the mercenaries that Ares led against Zakrostas, he would have had to put down some rebellions.

"Well, Lord Ares," Hermes said breaking the silent night air. "You have them at last in your clutches. What do you propose to do now?"

"We wait," Ares responded. He knew Hermes was getting anxious hiding in the rubble of outer Atlantis.

"How long do we wait?" Hermes persisted. "We cannot cross the canal to get to them and they are well provisioned."

"Until they die!" Ares yelled losing his temper. The god of war paused and held up a hand. "Or at the very least until Hades and Zeus return. We may even get Hephaestus to come down and give us hand. But one thing I will tell you, we have them bottled up. I will not lose this opportunity. Once Hades has destroyed the mortals in the north, he will assist us here. Until then we wait."

Hermes smiled, "You know maybe we have all underestimated you after all. You seem to share some of the wisdom of your half-sister."

Ares snorted and smiled, "These damned Otherworlders have me thinking. I cannot wait until things get back to normal."

Hermes and Ares both laughed for a long time. Their voices echoed across the city to where even the defenders could hear. Podaistas and Crist did not know if the gods were laughing at them or not. Either way it did not sound encouraging.

* * * * *

With the rise of the sun, a few artillery shells slammed into the ground of outer Atlantis. The earth shook and great columns of smoke and debris filled the air. It was not the usual wake-up call Ares and Hermes awakened to but it worked just well as a cock's crow.

Hermes was tempted to fly back to Olympus and bring Hephaestus back to Atlantis. He also wanted to head north to see if Zeus was sitting on his throne. It was three days since anyone had seen the king of the gods.

However, Hermes resisted the desire. Firstly, because the Otherworlders' aircraft still buzzed overhead and he knew what they could do even to a god. Secondly, Hermes did not want to leave Ares alone. The two gods had become closer over the campaign; it was ironic that it had taken millennia for the two gods really to get to know each other.

Hermes instead decided to climb the city wall. It still stood and many of the towers were undamaged. The god of thieves ascended the stone stairs and reached the top of the wall. Through the early morning mist that swirled upon the ground outside the city, Hermes could see the bodies of the two forces littering the sodden field. Broken bronze men lay amongst the wreckage of crumpled aircraft. The decaying bodies of dragons and griffins were scattered amongst the gaping holes in the earth.

There was also the smell. The scent of decay mixed with blood and sewage wafted up from the ground. There was also the strange smell of cordite and newly upturned earth mingled with burning wood -- and flesh.

This scent was like ambrosia to Ares. He drank it in deeply as one would a good wine. However, Hermes found it repulsive and tried his best to keep it from his mind.

Disrupting Hermes mental musings was the sound of thundering hooves emanating from the north. The god of the thieves looked towards the sounds recognized Hades' chariot racing towards the city's gate.

"Ares!" Hermes called over the city. "Come quick. Hades returns."