Prologue: You got the wrong lizard, I swear
My name is Joshua Varg, and my life changed forever on a May night in Virginia. Which is funny, in retrospect. May is named after the Greek Goddess Maia, who is attributed to growth. And I certainly grew that night. It started off a typical saturday night, and I was doing what every person in the military does when on duty.
“Goddamn, I hate being on duty.”
Bitching and moaning about duty to anyone in earshot.
“C’mon man, you know I hate that kind of language.”
“Sorry Tom, lemme change it. Fuck, being on duty sucks ass.”
“Better.”
“You know, only you would see that as an improvement.”
“Less blasphemy, you asshat.”
Tom was weird like that. He was raised Catholic, so he always got huffy when you said hell, damn, etc., but was totally fine with everything else. Came off kinda preachy a lot of the time. He was a good man though. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. Neither of us did.
“I just want our relief to get here man. I want to go back to my rack and pass the fuck out.”
“Preaching to the choir.”
“Shut the fuck up, altar boy.”
I, on the other hand, was Agnostic at the time. Raised in a fairly lax household. 2nd Generation American, with my grandparents moving to the US from Germany during the Cold War. I was barely taller than Tom, at a whopping 6’1”. I was also tubby, and ate like my body shape implied. Loved playing Monster Hunter way more than working out, and would rather drink beer than a Slimfast.
“Hey, James, you see that kid right?”
The kid Tom was referring to was some high schooler, wearing an orange shirt and blue jeans with a backpack on, charging our gate at full tilt, looking like a bat out of hell with the devil hot on his heels. He was being chased by some Terminator reject on a Harley, who had this massive fucking grin on his face, like running over high schoolers was his favorite pastime. The crazy part was the kid was somehow staying ahead of the Biker, but the kid looked gassed out.
“I see him.” I said. “If the biker keeps moving on the kid, fire warning shots. If he doesn’t stop, shoot him. HEY KID, THIS WAY! MOVE YOUR ASS!”
The kid suddenly snapped his head towards us, and looked surprised to see me waving at him and Tom to have his gun up. He pats his head in a panic, and looks over his shoulder at the biker, who somehow grinned even more sadistically, as he showed off some kinda hat in his hand, and sped up. Tom, after he saw the man accelerate, fires into the air, and cries out at the biker to stop. The man just looked at us, and I felt my blood go cold and boil simultaneously. He raised his hand, and suddenly there was a sawn-off in his hands, like magic. I saw the gun flash, and Tom was gone. His upper body just vanished. I screamed. The man turned his gun on me, and I ducked low behind cover. I heard thunder, and half of my cover disintegrated. I jumped out, to see something surreal. The kid was dueling the biker. With a sword. The biker’s gun was gone, replaced with a sword as well, and they were slicing at each other.
I know nothing about sword fighting, but I don’t think that I should see the swords slam into each other, and a shockwave be released. The kid was good, he kept moving, every attack chaining seamlessly into next, his shield deflecting the biker’s attacks flawlessly. The biker’s clothes were cut, but I just felt that he wasn’t serious. Like he could take this kid’s head off with any attack he wanted, but he had something else on his mind. They exchanged blows a few more times, and it was becoming obvious that the biker was taking the fight more and more seriously. He pushed the kid back towards me and the gate. It was when they got closer that I remembered that I had an M16 in my hands, and I knew how to use it. I brought it up, and shouted for the kid to back off. The Biker looked at me, surprised that I was still there. The kid hopped back, and I unloaded my clip into the big bastard. I saw the bullets hit the man, flatten, and drop to the ground.
Impossible.
I unholstered my pistol, and kept firing on the fucker until the clip was empty. It was like some cruel joke. Tom died, and I was about to die, and we couldn’t have killed this guy in the first place. The biker looked at me, saw my despair, and his grin came back. He waved his hand, and I slammed into the wall behind me. I felt something break. I wasn’t sure if it was my ribs or my spine. I saw the kid standing over by Tom, his sword at the ready. He looked dead on his feet. The biker laughed as he sauntered over to the kid. It sounded awful, like an entire arena laughing at some poor bastard who lost his match. He sneered, and swung his blade straight at the kid. The kid deflected the strike, and stepped back. And slipped on a puddle of Tom’s blood.
The look on the kid’s face was heartbreaking. The biker just kept laughing. He placed his sword to the kid’s neck, and spoke his first words since the two got here.
“Luke, Luke, Luke. Did you really think you could escape us? You thought you could steal the Helm and the Master Bolt, and still outrun the Gods? I’d call you brave, but honestly? I’m just disappointed. What was your plan, kid? Sell them? Trade them?”
The kid, Luke apparently, looked up at the biker, and spat at him.
“It's not my plan, Ares.” Wait. Gods? Ares? Why do I know that name?
The biker, Ares I guess, kicked Luke over, and ripped his backpack off his shoulders.
“Oh? Then tell me kid, whose plan was it? Who could possibly think this was a good idea?” He opened the bag, and pulled out some kind of metal rod. He looked it over and grunted. “Some small-time god, fed up with the status quo? Monster with a big ego? Sisyphus escaped from Tartarus again, and decided to pull off another heist?”
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“NO ARES. IT WAS MY PLAN.”
Ares suddenly jerked his sword back from Luke’s neck, as one of Luke’s eyes shined gold. His voice reverberated all around us, as the world around drained of color.
“Wait, who are…...No…... it can’t be. You’re in Tartarus. Dad cut you apart.” Ares said, his face pale.
“HE DID. BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY IT IS QUITE……. EXCRUCIATING.”
“Why would you steal the Bolt and the Helm? They are worthless to you. You can’t even use them. By Hades, you can’t even possess that body as you are, the kid is just letting you talk through him.”
“TO CAUSE WAR AMONG THE OLYMPIANS, GRANDCHILD. WHAT REASON COULD POSSIBLY BE GREATER THAN THAT? AND YOU COULD HAVE SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE, AS ITS HARBINGER, IF YOU SO DESIRED.”
The more Luke, or whatever that was using him, talked, the greyer the world around us became. It wasn’t just color draining away, it was life, emotions, hell, I could feel new aches and pains appearing across my body as it went on. I couldn’t open my mouth, or stand up. Or anything for that matter. All I could do was stay slumped against the wall and watch,as Ares muttered to himself.
“A war amongst the Olympians? If that happened, then I would….. And maybe I could even…. Okay Gramps, what do you want me to do?”
“WAIT, AND IF ALL GOES WELL, YOU WON’T NEED TO DO A THING.”
“Well then, I guess I’ll wait then. I’ll clean up around here, then tell Zeus there is no sign of his Bolt, or Hades’ Helm.” Ares turned towards me, and lifted his sword as it shifted back into a sawn-off, and leveled it at me.
“STOP IT ARES! KILL HIM, AND HADES WILL KNOW OUR PLAN!”
“Then what the Hades am I supposed to do with this mortal? Babysit him till he dies of old age? No way. I killed the other one already, why does this one matter?”
“HE KNOWS WHAT WAS SAID. THE OTHER DIED KNOWING NOTHING. A DEATH THAT COULD BE CHALKED UP TO MORTALS KILLING MORTALS. HIM? NOT POSSIBLE NOW. TAKE HIS TONGUE AND MEMORIES, AND THEN TAKE HIM TO OLYMPUS, ARES. TELL THEM YOU FOUND THE LIGHTNING THIEF’S ACCOMPLICE. MAKE UP A STORY AND LIE. THROW OLYMPUS OFF THE TRAIL. MAKE THE MORTAL INTO A MONSTER, AND GET RID OF HIM. THEN NO ONE WILL KNOW.”
“Whatever you say Gramps. Sounds kind of convoluted.”
“WELL, IF YOU HAD FINISHED OFF THE MORTAL SOONER, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THIS FAR. IF HE DIES AND STANDS BEFORE THE JUDGES, THEY WILL SEE US. YOU HIDING HIM WOULD ONLY MAKE THE OTHER GODS WONDER WHAT YOU ARE UP TO. AND THE FATES HAVE A TWISTED SENSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHEN IT COMES TO MORTALS. IF WE WERE TO JUST HIDE HIM, SOME DEMIGODS MIGHT COME FREE HIM, AND RUIN EVERYTHING. IF WE DO THIS RIGHT, THE FATES WILL TARGET ZEUS FOR CURSING THE INNOCENT, AND WE WILL GAIN ANOTHER ADVANTAGE OUT OF THIS”.
“Well, you make a fair point.” Ares said as he walked towards me. “Get outta here Kronos, I’ll clean this up.”
Luke shuddered, and as suddenly as it disappeared, colors returned. Luke stood up, looked at Ares, before giving me an apologetic look. Luke then turned, running off into the night. Ares grunted at that, before focusing on the guard station. He waved his hand and boom, a torn apart car appeared, as the area shifted to looking like a bomb went off. A body appeared next to me, looking like me, but half my face was gone and charred. Ares then walked over to me, grabbing my face before prying my mouth open. Ares then pulled off his shades, revealing orbs of fire where his eyes were supposed to be. He then began to talk to me. “Sorry about this Josh, if I had known what was going to happen, I would have killed ya outright. But it's just outright strange when a mortal can resist me like you did. Wanted to find out why.”
He shrugged as he lifted his hand to my mouth. “You did a damn good job at trying to kill me though. Never would have hurt me, but you tried. I’m gonna hurt you now. Really hurt you, Kinda hurt that makes people pass out. And then I’m going to take your memories of today away. See you when you wake up. Sorry again Josh.”
Ares then clenched his fingers a few times, before he pulled my tongue out. He was right by the way. It hurt enough to make me pass out.
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I woke up later, not sure how much longer. My face was burning and I couldn’t feel my legs, and my brain felt like molasses. I opened my eyes, to see that I was in the middle of a massive room, with thrones all around me. Only two had occupants. One was some biker. The other had an older man, wearing a suit. He also had lightning crackling around him. The biker was talking.
“Father, this is Joshua Varg, an accomplice to the man who stole your Masterbolt. A mortal who-”
The other man cuts in. “Where is my bolt, mortal? Tell me, and I will simply kill you. If you don’t, know your punishment will be worse than you can imagine.”
My brain struggled to understand what was going on. Everything around me kept swimming and shifting, and my everything hurt. I tried to speak, but the only thing that came out was blood.
The biker sighed. “And if you let me finish, I would have explained to you that whoever the thief is, took his memories and also ripped his tongue out. I’m not sure how it was done, but his both seem irrecoverable. I had trailed Joshua and the thief to Virginia, when I caught up to them, I found Joshua bleeding out from his wounds, and no signs to where the thief had gone. I guess he had rightly assumed Joshua here was deadweight, and disposed of him.”
The older man growled like a thunderstorm, as lightning crackled around him. “So he is useless then. You know, it has been a long time since we’ve cursed a mortal. I think I should make this one into a monster. I just have no idea what to turn him into. Ares, do you?”
The biker, Ares I think, shrugged with a smirk on his face. “How about we let his form be decided by the mortals. Let their collective consciousness decide for us what he will be. Why should we slave over this for a mortal?”
The older man grunted as he stood, pointing his hand over at me. “Joshua Varg, for your crimes against Olympus and myself, I, Zeus, Lord of the Sky and King of the Gods, curse you to be a monster made by mortals. They will decide your form, and you will be cast into the depths of Tartarus, to suffer for your crimes.”
He waved his hands and poof, I was gone.
*************************************************************************************************************
I opened my eyes, and all I saw was some kind of haze, surrounded by all these bubbles, containing all sorts of nightmares and monsters. I recognized some, others I didn’t. I had no idea where I was, but I had some guesses. That old man, Zeus, a God, said I was to be a monster made by mortals. So, I guess this is where that will happen. Or I’m having a really awful dream. Maybe I fell asleep at my post and Tom will wake me up?
I grabbed my head, as the memories Ares took from me came back in force, and I relived seeing Tom die. I gasp, as the pain subsides. I’ll kill that fucker Ares. I’ll be his Kratos, I fucking swear. I look out at the dreamscape, and start screaming out my rage.
“OKAY FUCKERS, I’LL PLAY YOUR FUCKING GAME. MAKE ME A MONSTER, A DRAGON OR SOME SHIT, I DON’T FUCKING CARE, I’LL BE SURE TO END ALL OF YOU IF I CAN THOUGH!”
As I shouted, the orbs all started changing scenes, showing me dragons. I paused, and thought to myself “Oh, no way did they make it this easy.” I started shouting out other monsters, and watched the bubbles shift to show those ones as well. “They actually fucked this up. I knew the greek gods were shitty with their punishments, but they really didn’t think this through.”
After a while,I noticed the bubbles were all slowly coming towards me, and I could guess what would happen if I touched one. Since the bubbles probably decided what monster I was going to be, I would make the bubbles be what I wanted them to be. A certain monster from a game I played. Because I would need something powerful If I wanted to try and get revenge on gods.
“My name is Josh Varg. Varg means wolf in norse mythology.” As I said that, I saw the bubbles all shift to wolves, and some seemed to shine and freeze as wolves.
“I have been cursed by Zeus, God of Lightning, King of Gods, to be a monster.” More bubbles shined, freezing on lightning storms and gods.
“I will not be some weak monster. I have been wrongly cursed, and I will be the dragon that brings wrath on him for this. ” I was laying it on kinda thick, but I only had one chance at this. And It worked. More bubbles shined, freezing on different dragons.
By this point, the bubbles were almost touching me. I shut my eyes, waiting for the moment of truth. The bubbles finally touched me, and well, I’ll admit it. I’d rather have gotten my tongue ripped out again. It felt like every fiber of my being was being stretched until it tore apart, healed back together, and stretched some more. I felt electricity surge through my veins, boiling my blood and burning my bones. All I could see was my body growing, skin splitting open, revealing scales, fur, and blood. Even the blood stopped being red, replaced by gold. I felt my eyes begin to melt, and I slammed them shut. I could hear a voice, and I realized it was me screaming. It continued this way for what felt like years, never ending, until one day, it stopped.
I opened my eyes, and blinked. I was in hell. I had to be. Everything looked wrong, the ground was covered in glass, and I could see monsters in the distance, fighting and killing each other. The sky was covered in clouds of blood, and I could see things flying in the haze. I tried to stand up, and promptly fell over instead. I looked down and realized I had four legs instead of two arms and legs. I also realized I had a muzzle, and what looked like very small horns over my head. I stood up again, very shakily, and turned my head. I was covered in greenish-blue scales, with white fur and gold spines on my back and on my legs. I let out a chuckle that sounded like a motorbike at the sight. It worked. Stage 1 of my revenge plan, be reborn as a Zinogre, checked off. Now onto stage 2, figuring out where the fuck I am, and escaping it.