Realms Of The Gods Read online

  Jason threw his hands into the air as everything that had happened seemed to come crashing in on him at once. ‘By the gods, Tae. I’m so confused, please; just tell me everything I’ve missed from the beginning. Maybe then I can start to get it straight in my head,’ he pleaded.

  Seeing the almost desperate look on his face Tae nodded and sat on his sleeping platform, dragging him down beside her. Taking a deep breath she told him everything that had happened to her, from their teacher’s death and his kidnapping, to her training with Brohan and her moving in with Valaria. She told him of all that happened on the Island, sparing him nothing. She knew that he needed to know every last detail, just as she would have if the situation had been reversed. Finally, she finished with her walking in his door. She hadn’t missed the look of guilt flash across his handsome features when she mentioned Trevor, and what he’d done to help save her from Jaden. When she finished he sat on the bed beside her, deep in thought.

  ‘Holy crap,’ he whispered.

  Tae smiled at him ‘Hey, you know me, I like a little challenge every now and then, it keeps life interesting.’

  It was then that Tae caught sight of herself in the mirror and saw her filthy disheveled appearance. Worse still, she could actually smell herself, and it was decidedly unpleasant.

  She gave Jason a weary smile. ‘Jase, we’ll talk more a little later after you’ve had time to digest everything I’ve told you. Besides, right now I’m dead on my feet. I need to have a shower and sleep, for at least a couple of years, okay?’

  Jason nodded. ‘You’re amazing, Tae. You know that, right? I don’t think anyone could have done what you did.’

  He grinned, suddenly more like the old Jason she knew so well. ‘On the bright side, you don’t have to worry about caste applications anymore; you’ve now got your pick of any career you want from the sounds of things.’

  Tae laughed and made her way to the door. ‘You’re free now too, Jase. You can choose to be whoever you want.’ Jason looked at her with surprise before she blew him a kiss and left.

  She went straight to her room, thankfully Tannan had given her one right next to Jason’s, so she didn’t have to walk far. She found it was comforting knowing her brother and mother were so close. Right now she was extremely grateful for his thoughtfulness, she honestly thought she might not be able to make it another hundred meters she was so exhausted. Tannan had said he would have her scanned as soon as she was clean and fully rested, and that he’d also arranged for some fresh clothes to be waiting for her.

  She stumbled into the small room, the twin of the one Jason was in. On one side of the room a sleeping platform sat against the wall with a com-desk and a small chair beside its head. On the opposite wall lay a large com-screen rod beside a door leading to the chem shower and toilet facilities.

  Tae walked in and immediately began to strip off her filthy clothing; she dropped it in a pile by the door before placing her hair beads carefully on top. Grabbing two eye patches she hurriedly stepped into the shower and positioned herself with her arms and legs akimbo. Soon she smelt the familiar minty scent of the Drav as it scoured her body clean. She almost groaned in pleasure as she felt it scouring the stench of the Island off of her. When she heard the evac pump start to clear the Drav mist away she hopped out and took off her eye patches, dropping them into a waste receptacle in the wall. She looked back at the shower for a moment before, on impulse, she re-entered, this time minus the eye patches. She wondered tiredly if there was enough Drav in all the Realms to make her feel really clean again. After her second shower she finally began to feel a little more human. She walked back into the main room to find the clothes Tannan had assured her would be waiting, so she could dress and finally try to get some sleep. She certainly didn’t want to sleep naked, not when she was a guest on one of the gods’ spaceships, it just felt … wrong. That’s when she finally saw her new clothes.

  Oh, by all the gods! She thought in horror. Resting on her bed was a very short, low cut, green baby doll-dress. What in Hades’ name was this thing supposed to be? She thought picking up the little dress to examine it more closely. She looked at the two large shoulder bows and promptly tore them off in a fit of pique, then threw it back down again. The dress, along with some minuscule lacy underwear in a matching color, had been laid out neatly on the bed.

  You have got to be kidding me. She eyed the little green dress and underwear with contempt. Where on Earth did they get these from, the local Cheap and Skanky store? She picked up the panties with one hand, screwing up her face in annoyance. Bloody hell, they’d be lucky to cover one of my arse cheeks by the looks of them, let alone both.

  She turned back to her smelly bloodstained clothes, eyeing them longingly. She sighed loudly, although she was sorely tempted, she couldn’t bear the thought of putting them back on again, even if she threw them in the chem shower for a quick clean. There were too many bad memories associated with them for her to ever want to wear them again. Deciding that the new clothes were at least clean, and that she would only have to wear them for a short time, she bit the bullet. She dressed quickly before she could change her mind. Still, she refused point blank to even try on the ridiculous bra, besides, it wasn’t as if she was going anywhere anytime soon. She decided that as soon as she woke up again she’d ask if she could have something a little more substantial.

  Remembering her beads she padded over barefoot to her pile of dirty clothing and picked them up. The beads were still extremely dangerous if their contents should ever touch each other and, as no-one had taken them from her yet, she decided they were still her responsibility. Unfortunately she wasn’t sure exactly what to do with them. Worse still, the hair band was getting frayed on one of the beads. She decided it might be best to keep them close, at least until she could safely dispose of their lethal contents by giving them to Tannan when they met for her nanite scan. Her mind made up, she gently detached the one with the sea carvings containing the sea salt from the frayed side of the hair band. She then tied the band with the forest bead containing the Ithacian White inside it around her hair in a high ponytail.

  Pleased she had one of the beads out of the way she wondered what to do with the other. Noticing the torn ribbon from the dress was still on the bed she had an idea. She grabbed a piece and threaded it through the small opening that had once attached the now free bead to the band. Once she had the ribbon threaded properly, she tied it around her throat as a necklace. Satisfied, she went over and lay down on the soft bed, pulling up the light quilt that someone had left there. For the first time since this nightmare had begun she felt safe. She was onboard the Olympus, and her family was in the next two rooms. Finally, everything in her world was right again. From now on her life was only going to get better and better. She was safe … at last.

  With that happy thought swirling around in her head she finally drifted into a heavy contented slumber.

  Chapter 3

  Loki was still aggravated; he had briefly considered telling Poseidon that he hadn’t done anything to his precious warriors, but the look of frustrated anger on his face had stayed his tongue. He shook his head in bewilderment, didn’t the moron realize that if he, Poseidon, with all the access he had to their best scientists, couldn’t find a way to break through the distortion field surrounding the Thalien Warrior Caste compound, then perhaps the technology might be beyond even their own races capabilities. And if that were the case, then the question arose as to who exactly had managed to spring such a diabolically clever trap, and, more importantly, why? He had been about to tell the fool all of this when at the last minute he had stopped himself. He decided he’d enjoy it more knowing Poseidon was living with the frustration of not being able to try to kill him - just yet.

  Ah, it’s still the little things that amuse the most, he’d thought. Still he had told the others, once the fool had left of course. He knew Zeus would clue the idiot in soon enough. In the mean time they had more immediate threats to discuss before
they started to look at the mystery of what had happened to the Thalien.

  They had sat and discussed all the events that had happened, including Pan’s, and perhaps even Thalia’s involvement, in the cover-up of the attack upon him. It was more likely Thalia had simply scanned an area Pan had told her to, theoretically she too could have been duped along with the rest of them. Still, he had a feeling … Unfortunately the main source they could have questioned about it all was now dead, thanks to Zeus.

  At least he had the good grace to look a little shamefaced about it. Loki sighed. As much as he genuinely liked Zeus, his knew his friend had little foresight. Once his temper was roused he had a nasty tendency to kill first and asked questions later, much like Thor. Now they had no leads to follow.

  None of them believed for a minute Pan had either the brains or resources to be in this alone, and that was troubling. They would start to question the crew of the Hindishah soon, then send out a call for Thalia to join them. In the meantime he had heard the story of the woman, Tae Rames, and he had watched the vids of her.

  Despite all he had just endured he still could not suppress a laugh at the red elven commander, or the orange thalien. He had secretly applauded Tae’s ingenuity, switching the Cadmium Red for the Drav in the WLE showers was a brilliant prank. It reminded him of the time he’d switched the circuits in Poseidon’s personal shower onboard the Atlantis, so the waste reclamation was pumped straight to his shower instead of to the recycling units when activated. He had learnt from Zeus that Poseidon had only found out about the switch when he had taken a new nymph into the showers with him. Probably why he’s been looking for a chance to pummel me ever since, he thought in amusement.

  Still, if there was one thing Loki admired it was someone who actually knew how to use their brain over their brawn. It was obvious from where he sat that the warrior, Brohan, had trained her well. He has kept her away from confrontation unless absolutely necessary whilst she was on Terra’s Island. Even when confronted she had used her mind to win her fights. She was exceedingly clever for a human, even if she did inherit some of vampire traits from her father.

  He laughed softly to himself. It was also very astute of her to ask for the de-ageing nanites for her mentor Brohan, for not only would she would be prolonging a trusted friend’s life, but, if her request was granted, it would give her an ally in her new service to him.

  He had known as soon as she had started speaking that he would accept her into his service. Tae had captured his attention from the very first moment he had set eyes on her. She had been standing tiredly beside his father and brother, an expression of profound relief and happiness on her face as she gazed at him. He couldn’t for the life of him remember a time when a woman had looked so genuinely pleased to see him. After seeing that look he hadn’t been able to stop staring at her until he was inside the pavilion with the others. Even then he found himself casting her furtive glances. He had realized almost immediately that he was going to have her if it were the last thing he did. She was … intriguing, different. There was something that drew him to her, and for some strange reason he found himself needing to see that look in her eyes again, it had made him feel good. Although she didn’t know it yet, Tae was exactly what he needed at this moment in his life, and she would be rewarded generously for being with him.

  He would have her trained by his second, Radnor, to see what potential she had before he decided where she would eventually end up. The thought that she might not want him in return crossed his mind briefly, only to be dismissed immediately. She saw him as a god; of course she’d want him. She would feel honored once she thought it through, just as any of the lesser races would.

  His gaze wandered back up to the com-screen and he watched her kick the thalien off the cliff yet again. He noticed Tannan watching and smirking every time he played a scene with the orange thalien in it. Tannan’s hatred of the race obviously hadn’t waned any in the nine hundred years he’d been away.

  He laughed again, thinking of Tae waving to the thalien as he’d fallen to his death, he’d remember that if a similar opportunity ever came his way.

  He signaled to Odin who disengaged himself from a nymph and came over immediately.

  ‘Father, I have decided to keep the girl. I’ll also take her recommendation of reactivating the warrior, Brohan, as well. I would like to take you up on your offer of the nanites, could you have them sent to Zeus’ ship so they can be implanted within the hour? I’d like to start a fresh day with a new plan now that I’m back.’

  Odin smiled, delighted. ‘Excellent, I’ll have them sent over immediately.’ He looked down at his son. ‘I missed you, Loki, it’s not been the same since you left. The realms have been,’ he paused then added quietly, ‘the realms have been far too empty without you in them.’

  Loki smiled and stood, offering his arm for the first time since his return.

  ‘I am glad to be back, Father, and I’m honored by your words, I only pray you can forgive me my temper tantrum when I first woke up. I should have known better than to ever think that either you or Thor would do that to me. Please believe me when I say how sorry I am. I have no defense for my reaction upon awakening.’

  ‘There is no apology necessary, Loki, you had been through a tremendous ordeal. I do not blame you for your reaction.’

  They grasped each other’s arms in the way of the warrior then embraced.

  ‘I guess I owe this woman a debt of gratitude. No matter the reason for her rescuing me. I shudder to think what would have happened without her … Now,’ he said, casting his father a crafty look. ‘I believe Zeus mentioned there are nymphs here?’ Odin frowned as Loki continued. ‘Come, Father, it’s been nine hundred years. Would you deny your long-lost son a little fun?’

  Odin sighed. ‘You still manipulate me as easily as ever.’ He gestured to the blonde nymph on the settee. ‘Take Darnae here, there are bedrooms over there.’ He gestured to the far wall. ‘Or you can take her back to the Asgard, if you’d prefer.’

  Loki smiled and beckoned to the nymph. Like all nymphs she didn’t really care who she was going to be with, as long as some kind of sexual activity was involved she was happy. When she joined them he took her hand and led her to the nearest bedroom.

  Odin sighed happily as he watched Loki and the woman disappear into the other room. His son was home, and for this one shining moment everything was right in their realms again. Soon enough there would be accounts to pay though, because for nine hundred years Loki had suffered. Every god knew that while the sleepers rendered other races unconscious, with the gods it was a different matter. Their bodies would shut down like the other races, but part of their minds remained active and alert. For just over nine hundred years his son had suffered the horror of being partially conscious, he had been semi-aware of every passing second.

  The woman Tae is right, he thought angrily. Someone, somewhere, is going to pay for this outrage. He went over to the com-panel and ordered the nanites transferred, all that was left was to rebuild Loki’s crew and security division.

  He firmly believed that his son had done the right thing with the old warrior. This Brohan was obviously clever and, most importantly, he had honor, something some of the warriors of late lacked, especially at the WLE which Loki would once again be resuming control of. Brohan was just the start to rectifying that.

  Odin looked over at the now closed door where Loki and Darnae had just disappeared, and couldn’t help smiling in delight.

  My boy is back!

  Chapter 4

  Jalek stared at the Pavilion of the Gods with barely concealed rage. She wasn’t there anymore, he’d just been informed they had moved her to the Olympus; the new darling of the gods. His hands clenched into fists at the thought of the bitch who had killed his brother, Jaden. He had since found out that it was the same woman who had humiliated his brother in front of his peers, making sure that all he would be ever be remembered for was his dyed skin, not his hunting skills.


  He knew he couldn’t reach her while she was on the Olympus … as yet, especially since he had been informed of Pan’s death at the hands of Zeus, the crew of the Hindishah now had no excuse to travel to the Olympus. They certainly couldn’t pretend they had orders from Pan to go aboard for any reason now that he was dead. To make matters worse, Odin and Thor’s ships had been moving aggressively around the Hindishah ever since they arrived, making even the most basic maneuvering difficult. But they didn’t know what he did he thought smugly, he would have his revenge. Jaden’s death at the hands of the terran whore demanded it.

  Jalek turned from the ship’s command post to stare at his captain. ‘I have a plan to exact revenge on them all for Lord Pan’s death,’ he said, loud enough for the entire bridge crew to hear.

  Captain Bremmer, a sallow faced thalien of around one hundred and twenty summers, turned to scowl at him. ‘You know the end plan as well as I do, we stick to it. Our lord is dead because he was careless, as is your brother, although his death was due mainly to his own rashness and idiocy. We are now in service to another, the end goal is all that is important now.’

  Jalek narrowed his eyes, a murderous rage engulfing him at Bremmer’s words. He didn’t care about any gods damn end plan; his brother was dead, as was the god they had been ordered to serve and protect until the time was right to move against their enemies. He and Jaden would look like incompetent fools if things were left as they were. If Bremmer thought anything was going to get in the way of his revenge for the loss of Jaden, then he was fatally mistaken. Besides, if they acted now they could take the all of gods here by surprise. They could strike a blow that would resonate throughout the fleet for eternity. Jaden’s name would be spoken alongside Pan’s as one of the greatest losses in their fight.

  His mind made up, he took out a small zap gun, firing it once between Bremmer’s eyes before he had time to react. He watched as a threeinch neatly cauterized hole appeared as if by magic in the Captains head. Jalek looked at him in contempt as he fell; Bremmer had actually seemed surprised by his own death. He turned unconcernedly to the rest of the crew who were now staring at him in shock. Both he and Jaden had been carefully befriending all of the bridge crew for nearly a decade. Now he was about to see if all that work had paid off, everything came down to what happened within the next few minutes.