The God Warriors by Sean Liebling Read Free Book Online Page B

while longer before reinforcements arrived. Onias also knew that he wanted to be one of the first to draw wizard blood and was determined to claim that honor.
    To the left and right, his men stood beside him in an elongated semi-circle, viciously cutting through the bodies of their foes. The raised platform that lay directly ahead them was lined with soldiers. An overhead chop of his sword carved through the wooden shield of one of those above him to shear down to the boot, splitting it in half. As the man tumbled forward, shrieking, Onias swung his shield hard enough to cave in his unprotected head. He vaulted onto the platform, raising his sword to strike down the first of the wizards, an older man wearing a simple leather vest with a great many bone necklaces adorning his chest. The old man held a stick upon which feathers dangled from the forward end. The man's visage showed rage, calculated savagery, and, with a quick movement, shoved his tiny stick forward, simply touching Onias on his bared arm.
    Lightening sparked behind Onias’s eyes. It was the last thing he remembered before his vision went dark, and his now mindless body collapsed backward to the surprised shouts of his men.
     

~Ares~
    [Mother, are you sure we have done the right thing?] asked Ares to the glowing figure. She held John's soul in the palm of her hand, waiting for the precise moment to thrust it through a membrane into another dimension.
    [It is best if we do not try to second-guess ourselves at this point, my son. There is not enough time to find another champion, and John is ideal for our purposes. We will let this play out and see what happens,] she replied.
    [I did as you asked and provided John with a brief history of where he will be going. He has his own ideas on how to fight campaigns, though. Can you believe he was actually derisive of our last champion to that realm? I offered counter arguments to the strategies we discussed, but he was insistent that losses of that magnitude meant the commander was incompetent.]
    [How refreshing!] A tinkle of laughter accompanied the words she continued.[My son, each champion is unique, with his or her own skills and attributes. Do not doubt my choice. Support him as you are able, and it might be to your credit to quit arguing with him. He already treats us as he would parents and not gods.]
    [Yes, Mother, I will bear what you have said in mind and assist as needed.]
    [Good! Now the time has approached. Open the portal while I ensure the joining.]
    And it was done…
     

~John~
    John woke to find himself being dragged backward by his feet, a large and quite long sword clenched tightly in his right hand. Around him, the clash of metal upon metal, shouts of triumph and the screams of pain, accompanied by a metallic smell of fresh blood, informed John that he was in the middle of a battle. His chin struck a rock as it dug a furrow in the blood-soaked, downtrodden grass. Shouting in pain, he kicked his legs loose from whoever held him.
    "The Captain’s up!" A cheer rose around as John staggered to his feet, looking at the men surrounding him. It was obvious they were retreating from what had to be the enemy leaping at the forward ranks of those surrounding him protectively, and he shook his head savagely to get his bearings. Never before had John felt so alive, so in touch with his own skin as much as he did now. It seemed as though unlimited energy flowed through his body, accompanied by a feeling of almost weightlessness as he bounded to his feet.
    [Right about now, you might consider doing two things: enchanting your sword with Chaos and fighting for your life,] said the unbidden voice of Ares within his head, and as simple as that, John knew what to do.
    Time seemed to slow as he stared down at the four-foot long metal blade in his hand. Ares said to enchant his blade and instinctively he knew how. As his gaze traveled outward, without realizing how he did it, he simply saw the Order and Chaos and how