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--- Tel Megiddo, Armageddon, Jezreel Valley, Israel ---
Date: August 20th, 2026
"I found it!" Fredo Donini said over the radio.
"I will meet you up top," Sharpe responded.
“I will meet you on the surface,” Fredo Donini replied.
Setting down the tools, Sharpe left the crew as they began gathering their equipment. He quickly navigated through the ruins, following all the markings that were left on the walls and headed back to the surface, where he saw the professor holding the Holy Spear. For an ancient weapon that was buried for thousands of years, it looked like it was freshly made.
Seeing the relic, Sharpe stopped just far enough to be outside arm's length. As the professor started to put the spear in a box, he pulled out his sidearm and aimed it directly at the man.
"Jackson, what are you doing?" Fredo Donini asked as he stared down the barrel of the Colt 1911 pistol. "Aren't we on the same side?"
"Place the spear on the table and walk over there," Sharpe ordered.
The Israeli soldiers all aimed their weapons at the two, confused about what was happening. Sharpe ignored them and kept his aim directly at the professor.
"Are we?" Sharpe asked. "You are not Fredo Donini. The guy I met on Falmart was giddily and excited but scared of being in a dangerous environment. And yet, when those terrorists engaged us, you didn't even flinch.
On top of that, you know precisely where the spear was. Everything here has been too easy. We are talking about the Holy Lance; thousands of people have dedicated their lives and failed to find it. We just happen to find it in a day?”
The Israelis looked among themselves, realizing what Sharpe said made sense. Many lowered their weapons while others aimed at the professor.
Fredo Donini chuckled and looked at the spear. "It did cross my mind that you might of noticed my lack of reaction."
Hearing the confirmation Sharpe needed, he began to give orders to the Yahalom, however he noticed that they were all missing. Quickly looking in all directions, he found he was alone, that everyone had vanished beside the professor.
"I have nothing but respect for you, Sharpe; however, I cannot allow you to have this Spear," Fredo Donini said. "We have kept this weapon safe since and cannot risk it being used by mortals."
Sharpe refocused his pistol, aiming directly at the professor's head. Besides continuing the conversation, he pulled the trigger. The .45 bullet went straight through the professor's head, but it passed through his head like an illusion as no blood was spilled.
"Shit…," Sharpe mumbled.
"Shit, Indeed," Fredo Donini jokingly said. "Trust me, you do not have to fear me."
Sharpe became very concerned about what the professor said. He realized that he was facing off with some kind of mystical being. How the bullet passed through his head initially made him assume that the professor was a mage like Soredin. However, then the man mentioned the word “mortals”, indicating that he is some kind of mythical being rather than a mage.
"I can see the fear in your eyes," Fredo Donini pointed out. "I do think you deserve some answer after coming this far. First, you may call me Apollo."
Sharpe watched as the clothing Apollo wore faded away and replaced it with ancient Greek armor. "Apollo…," he mumbled. "Is this a joke?"
"In some sense, yes," Apollo said. "However, I speak the truth. In fact, Rory and Lelei have known of our existence for some time, and even the truth you found in that chamber for some time."
Hearing both of his girls' names got Sharpe's blood boiling. "Figured."
"Do not be angry at them," Apollo said. "When Rory first arrived, she felt our presence due to her demigod status and forced us to confront her. Sometime later, we also decided to interact with Lelei, as we wanted to learn more about this other world. We threaten to erase their minds if they disclose our existence."
"That is still not a justification to lie to me and hide it from me, especially Lelei. I thought I made myself clear to her after her fiasco with Soredin that she will not hide something as important as this from me."
"As I said, we did not give them a choice. Since the Demon Invasion of Terra, we have wanted to remain absent from your people's affairs and would prefer to keep it like that. Unlike the Gods of Uros, we do not enjoy interfering in our children's affairs.
Think of it as a blessing, Sir Sharpe. The only reason we are having this conversation is because of those encounters. They speak very fawn of you, so I took a personal interest in your career.”
"Do not take this personally; I would like to continue this conversation; however, I need that spear first."
Apollo shook his head and placed a spear on his robe. "You are a single mind, Sharpe; I admire you. However, I cannot allow you to have it so easily."
Frustration ran through Sharpe's veins as he could not believe what was happening. Until now his gut was screaming that this was too easy, and something was off. His mission was to find this holy weapon that could kill a god and save the day but now, a god is trying to stop him. What made him angry was that his family knew about it and said nothing, preventing him from preparing for this encounter. However, putting the emotion aside he enjoyed hearing that Rory and Lelei had his back and thought highly of him which means there is a reason for this.
"Apollo…," Sharpe forced himself to say, struggling to come to terms with the fact that he was talking with a living Earth God. "I don't know if you have been following current events but on Uros, a Demon God is trying to take over the world. If we don't stop them, Earth is next. Like last time."
"Are you sure about that?"
"…, I don't have a memo from the enemy, but what are you proposing? Appeasement? That never works against evil. We stand now, or our children will have to pay the price down the road. If the chamber is real than you should know this.”
Sharpe watched as Apollo stood there, staring at him. "I do not understand. Why did you bother with all of this if you did not want me to find the spear? You knew where the spear was. The only reason it even took a day was that it was what you wanted to drag out the search. But why? You could have told me to go anywhere on the carrier, and I wouldn't be the wiser."
Again, the only reaction Sharpe got from the god was silence. He ran every possible scenario through his head, ending in the same question regarding why he jerked around just to fail. He refused to accept because Apollo and Rory went out of their way to drag him out of here for no reason.
Only then he realized that this was intentional. Just not the way he assumed. "You wanted this encounter? You wanted me to see you with the spear."
"That is correct," Apollo said, finally smiling. "You must understand this weapon is capable of killing a god. That is how the Romans defeated the demonic overlord the last time they arrived here."
"So…," Sharpe started to ask as he finally understood the gravity of the situation. "You are afraid of us."
"Correct," Apollo answered. "It has become clear that we will no longer be able to maintain our self-isolation. While we understand the grave threat of the demons, our lord's mortal enemy, we cannot just hand over the only weapon that could kill us to some mortals. This encounter had to be well thought out.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"I understand the problem," Sharpe said. "I still cannot allow you to leave with that spear. Even if I have to fight you for it."
"What makes you think I would give you that opportunity?"
"Because we are here talking," Sharpe countered. "Otherwise, none of this would have a point. If what you said was true then Rory knew we would be having this conversation but trusted me to find a solution, whatever that solution is."
"She was not wrong about your will to never give up," Apollo said, amused. "You are correct. I agreed to hand over the weapon, assuming you prove your worth. However, you will not be fighting me."
"Then who am I…." Sharpe saw a shadow on the ground of a sword coming right at him.
Quickly ducking, a Xiphos blade went right above him. He turned around and grabbed the sword arm, tossing the man onto the ground. However, he found the unknown man's legs wrapped around his and tripped to the ground.
After hitting the ground, Sharpe saw a knife incoming. Moving his head right, the knife only just missed. Rolling back onto his feet, Sharpe stood there, pulling out his sidearm. Quickly looking at the man, he saw blue eyes and an ancient Greek helmet.
To Sharpe's surprise, the unknown man was already on his feet, staring laser lock on him. The man was wearing perfectly clean Greek armor and standing with impressive discipline. "One of your friends, Apollo?"
"How did you know?" Apollo said with a sarcastic laugh.
"Lucky guess," Sharpe replied, maintaining the eyes locked. "And let me guess, you are Achilles."
The Greek warrior responded, "It is an honor to fight against you. Yes, I am Achilles. I was summoned to protect the Spear from all who decide to use it. But may I ask, how did you know?"
"Troy was one of my favorite movies growing up," Sharpe explained. "Blue eyes, yellow hair. Greek armor. And the way you move, the only man I know who can pull off the skirt look."
"I find it interesting that you know who I am, and yet, you are not afraid," Achilles stated.
"You are not the first and will not be the last," Sharpe replied. "Falmart has thrown plenty of demigods at me by this point. But to be honest, it does not matter what you are or if the legends are true. I have to have that spear." He then aimed his Colt 1911 but stopped short of pulling the trigger as he remembered how to defeat Achilles.
Besides, the bullet had no effect against Apollo; he highly doubted they would have arranged this type of duel if a projectile could kill them. "Should I even bother?"
"That is up to you," Achilles answered as he prepared his sword.
Deciding to put away his sidearm, Sharpe realized that these gods would be too wise to set this kind of trap and bring out ancient swordsmen if a headshot could end it in three seconds. However, knowing the legend regarding Achilles’s invulnerability,' there is a weakness, and he must play his cards just right.
"Well, if we are playing this game, you better hand me a sword." Sharpe turned to Apollo. "Unless you gods have no honor."
Only receiving a smirk from Apollo, a Xiphos blade appeared on the ground. Grabbing the sword, Sharpe faced one of the greatest of all the Greek warriors. To his surprise, the Greek warrior made a respectful gesture with his sword, approving Sharpe's stance for a sword duel.
Seeing the Greek hero walking to the side, Sharpe matched the steps and speed, waiting for the first move.
He didn't have to wait long for Achilles’ as the Greek warrior suddenly charged forward with precise speed, slightly zigzagging to confuse Sharpe.
Sidestepping the incoming blade, Sharpe swung his sword to strike the rear of the passing Warrior. To his surprise, Achilles flung around his shield and blocked the blade, pushing it back with much strength.
As Sharpe was reestablishing his footing, he saw Achilles' sword coming. He blocked the Greek warrior's attack, taking much of his strength.
"I am impressed," Achilles said. "Only one person who ever made it this long."
Breaking free, Sharpe reestablished a defensive stance. Seeing the speed and skill of this man, he realized that he was forced to stay on the defensive.
"Comparing me to Hector, I see," Sharpe replied. "However, unlike him, I am going to win."
Achilles laughed and said, "I love your confidence, but I know you know the tale."
"I saw the movie," Sharpe said. "There are two differences. One, I have fought people like you quite a bit now. And two, you are clearly the legend, but you are no Brad Pit."
Achilles smirked and attacked.
Dodging the strike, Sharpe quickly realized the only reason he made it this far in this fight was because of all the Apostles he had fought and occasional sparring with Rory. Otherwise, he would be dead.
As he was pushed back with the sheer speed and force of the attacks, he finally saw his opening. He changed his foot stance to move the center of gravity,
Achilles quickly capitalized on that mistake by swinging his shield to the side to force Sharpe to break his defenses. Once seeing Sharpe vulnerable, he thrust his blade directly at the Ranger.
Arm locked the Greek warrior and swung him onto the ground, holding the sword arm in place. To Achilles' surprise, Sharpe did not go backward as intended but toward the blade. As the blade piece Sharpe vest, Sharpe got Achilles right where he wanted him.
Feeling the strength of this ancient Warrior, Sharpe found himself slowly losing his grip.
Achilles ripped his arm from Sharpe's grasp and quickly began getting onto his feet.
Seeing the opportunity that Sharpe was looking for, he quickly pulled out his Colt 1911 and shot at Achilles' heel. The Greek warrior dropped to the ground.
Taking his pistol, he aimed it at Achilles' head. Seeing Achilles in immense pain, Sharpe's theory that the Greek warrior's abilities had been removed was mortally panned out. He bet that if the Holy Lance legend was true, the legend regarding Achilles' heel had too also be true.
He saw the Greek warrior stare at the barrel and close his eyes, accepting his fate.
Sharpe flipped the safety on and put his sidearm away.
"What are you doing?" Achilles asked. "Finish it."
"I know," Sharpe said, catching his break. "But…, at the end of the day, neither of you are my enemy, and I am not going to kill you for doing your job."
Achilles stood stood up, leaning on his healthy leg.
The Greek Warrior took off his helmet and to Sharpe shock, Achilles looked exactly like Brad Pitt. "Holy shit. You look exactly like him."
"And that is why the ladies love me," Achilles said. "Good movie and worthy fight. It was an honor."
Sharpe suddenly heard this sacred feminine voice. Looking up, he saw Rory rush over and help him sit up, complaining about why men must fight and not talk.
"What do you mean when you talk about me doing my job?" Apollo asked as he approached.
"You are Apollo, the god of protection," Sharpe explained. "Your entire MO is about helping people. If you did not want me to find the Spear, you never would have even bothered helping me. You wanted me to find it; the question is, why did we have to go five rounds?"
To Sharpe's surprise, another robbed figure faded into the plaza. This time a woman. He heard Rory mention the name, Aphrodite.
Aphrodite placed her hand over Sharpe.
He felt all the pain fade away, feeling refreshed and healthy. Rory helped him back to his feet.
"Nice to see you again, Rory; it is nice that we do not have to speak in silence this time," Aphrodite said.
"Yes," Rory said. "Keeping this a secret was killing me."
"Let me explain, Sharpe-," Apollo said before being cut off.
"Jackson, call me Jackson, please."
"You must understand Jackson, our creator, touched this Spear through the blood of Christ. It can kill us. Caretakers on any world in the Cosmo," Apollo explained.
“Creator?” Sharpe asked. “Let me guess, the so-called creator is none other than the Man Big Man upstairs, right?”
"Correct," Aphrodite added. "You must understand if we allowed you to have this, a mortal with desires for power could use this against us, like your people. It might have saved our world once before; however, you should know that power could easily be used for great destruction."
“If it is that big of a threat, why not destroy it?” Sharpe asked. “Or return it to the Big Man? If everything that is going on is that big of a threat, why won’t he intervene?”
“Because that is not what he wished,” Apollo said.
“I will be truthful with you this time,” Rory said.” The reason why I left the convoy is to talk to Archangel Michael. He was preparing me for the coming battle as you were being prepared here. I will explain on the way back.”
“What?” Sharpe was shocked by the news, feeling a giant headache coming. “He is real to?”
“Yes,” Rory answered with a big grin. “Apparently, he has been the one that has been talking to you all this time. You know that voice in your head since the war started.”
“Regarding the weapon,” Aphrodite said. “Saint Michael wanted us to keep it, but never told us why.”
“As your people say, Jackson,” Rory said. “God works in mysterious ways.”
“Make sense,” Sharpe said. “They are agents of our actions, not the masters. The Almighty gave us the means now we must act.”
Taking a deep relaxing breath, Sharpe finally saw the heart of the issue. Now he is more annoyed at himself than he did not consider this before. A weapon of this scale could bring unintended consequences that he cannot fathom yet and the Almighty Big Man and his angels will not do anything about it for some unclear reasons much like when people scream his name for help but receive no divine help.
Besides, he is deeply surprised that an Archangel has been secretly guiding and motivating him for a whole time during the war. He then starts to wonder why Saint Michael chooses him to talk. However, at the same time, he feels anger as he thinks back of the trauma of his last failed mission against the cartel, which he cursed God name and lost faith in him after witnessing what happened to the poor family.
"I get it," Sharpe said. "I really do, but we really need this Spear." He froze for a moment and made his decision. "And that will be it."
"What do you mean by that," Apollo asked.
"I mean, that will be it. Once the war is won, I will return the Spear to you."
"Would you surrender the one weapon that can kill us?" Aphrodite asked. "And you want us to take your word?"
"At the end of the day, that is all a Man has, his word," Sharpe answered. "My duty is to protect my nation, the people we have freed on Falmart, and my family. I am not looking to start a war with you. I will bring back the Spear or get someone I trust to do it if I fall. Either way, the Spear belongs to you."
Apollo smiled and placed his hand on Sharpe's shoulder. "Then you have passed my test, Jackson the protector. Take this Spear and vanish the darkness that haunts our dreams and save both worlds."
Seeing the Holy Spear, Sharpe took it as the holy weapon from Apollo's pawn. "I promise."
"Once the war is over, take the spear to Mount Olympus," Apollo said.
Finally taking the Holy Spear, he nodded in agreement. "You have my word."