Clear night. We began the final plans over a well-made meal. No point in kicking it on an empty stomach, right? It was a bit...surreal, to be honest. And not even the fact that Ares and Artemis were sitting in full form with us. Truth be told, I barely even noticed the usual shift in reality that comes from being in such close proximity to multiple gods and goddesses. It was more, well, people were listening. To me. Offering suggestions and views, and ultimately listening and preparing to carry out my orders. And just two nights ago, we were still in 'LOL, Claire, ignore that noob' territory.
Had Hal on getting the earthworks ready as fast as we could, after he checked out an incoming and obviously supernatural storm headed straight for the harbor. He ended up spotting three especially massive metal birds within the storm itself. More confirmed their presence, actually, Andrew seemed to have discovered their presence. Cindy and Andrew tended to the sacrifice Triton had come demanding for his master. As Andrew had said, we'd need the lifeline shipping would bring, since the roads and rail networks wouldn't be enough. Side note: Those need to be greatly expanded and guarded. We didn't have all of Donny's band, unfortunately. Hopefully they'll hurry up and get their asses here, we'll need the added firepower. What we did have was Donny working his mojo on getting us the people we'd need to get our quick and dirty defenses dug. And more militia volunteers.
Put Kenny on rounding up the ones who showed and getting them armed, then into place. Ares gave me a little speech as everyone was hopping to. That 'first command is the worst' stuff you always see in the movies and books. Couldn't say it's wrong, mind, but it helped. I might even tell him that the speech helped. Maybe. Man has a big enough ego as is. Besides, he did admit who was the better CoD player was.
Ended up putting Donnie and Harmonia on morale officer duty, keeping the folks who couldn't fight calm. Seems to have done some good, we didn't even have much, if any, looting. That's a surprise, to be honest. I sent Cindy to the front after she and Andrew got back from taking care of the sacrifice. We didn't get flooded, so maybe it did some good. No way to tell then, and no new information now. Kennedy found herself a place on the highest tower in the city, able to watch the harbor and the centaurs. And ended up introduced to Munin, a raven messenger/representative of Odin. Guess we're attracting a lot more attention to this corner of the world then I figured we would. Good. Should make it easier to get allies now that we've shown we can fight.
Hal moved to the front lines as well. Best place for him, really. Wasn't much left for it at that point, and moved to my place on the rooftops a bit behind the trenches. Pulled a map of the battlefield out of thin air and got to work playing general. The birds didn't have a leader, or strategy. They were just set on us to wreck up the place. The centaurs and their army, however, did. And supplies enough for an extended siege. Most of which now sit within Trojan supply warehouses. Spoils of war, and all that.
I guess there's not much to say about the fighting that wasn't already in the papers by now. Didn't do much directly, but didn't expect to. Tagged their head honcho with a shot before Hal began to mix it up with him. Cindy scattered a ton of them with some kind of shockwave from the impact of her axe. Kennedy put a bullet right through the eye of one of those damnable birds...which, unable to see her, turned their ire on me. Took a nasty gash I was able to heal up quickly, but they ruined my favorite flannel shirt that Kenny had got me. Seems like such an odd detail to fixate on, but...I liked that shirt.
And I was pissed, I admit. Called in a mortar strike right on their general(And Hal. But he got out of the way and got a bitchin' axe out of it, so he doesn't get to complain.) and turned our mobile air-defense on the birds. The mortars did their work of decapitating the head of the beast, and the birds...that was a goddamn thing of beauty. Kennedy used some of her mojo to force them into place over an empty building. Gave the ground teams enough time to throw a wave of Stingers at them. Blew one of them to hell right then and there, and grounded the other two. Those gunners are getting medals. The other two were finally finished by other Trojan ground units packing anti-tank weapons. Looks like modern gear actually is a threat to these things...don't know how long the enemy is going to ignore it, but I can hope for one or two more battles. Won't get it, but I can hope.
Had Artemis, Ares, and my sister-in-law pulling some Lord of the Rings kill-counting crap in the field. Put them all to shame with the mortar strike, heh. Battle didn't last too much longer after that. Cindy put another general into the ground, and my own divine push broke the morale of the rest.
Damn if Ares wasn't right. Even without the magic map, I could see that we got kissed, too. Not as bad as it could've been going in blind, but still. Going to see the fallen get a proper memorial. They deserve that much and more, but a memorial is all any of us can do for them now. I hate it when Ares is right.
As the others tended to the dead, I kept giving orders. Clearing the field, retrieving what supplies we could from the centaurs. Clearing up the streets, salvaging the metal from the birds. Most of it is going to rebuild damage done during the attack, but I had some set aside for me. Might be able to do something with it. Ran out of things to actually do then, so I just sat down. Damn, I was tired. And...Artemis shows up, then. Was actually happy for it, had to get some things off my chest. Let her know what it meant that she's had my back since that business in Avalon. Found out why she didn't say anything at the party. Turns out it was because I had Annan on my shoulder at the time. Guess it makes sense, with the Dodekathenoi barred from Tuatha soil. Sure, Annan and Artemis might be allies now, but she didn't know that then.
We talked some more then just me thanking her. Told her I intended to repair the rift between our pantheons, if I could. Fully intend to, and hope settling things on Olympus will go a long ways toward it. And in the end, I don't intend to ask a damn thing for it. Even without a looming Titanic threat, I wouldn't. I don't need a great deal, or debts to worry about people repaying in strange ways. I'd just rather not have some stupid millenia-old feud ready to rear it's ugly head at a bad moment. It's be counter-productive even on a good day.
Someone had to kick over the hornet's nest though, and nobody else seemed willing to step up to the plate. Funny thing, I realized while I talked to Artemis that, in the end, what happens to me doesn't matter. Not worried about death, or damnation, or any of that. I'm sure I should be terrified. Don't think I'll ever be able to properly explain why I'm not. I suppose having actual allies might help, but...eh. Doesn't matter much in the end if I've got the words or no.
Trust. Too few I can trust implicitly these days. There's Kennedy, of course, but family is family. Same with the Morrigan. Artemis, certainly. Ares, of all people. Probably Hal, in his way, even with his silly fixation on Goras. The others....I don't know. Andrew I can probably trust. He's really done nothing to indicate I can't, even if he and Hal were part of the faffing about in Delphi. Cindy....I've gone over. When it comes to an actual fight, yeah, but past that....I really can't. The non-combat trust will take a while to rebuild. It may be silly to be so freaked out about it, but...hell, I went over how I felt last time. Rambling on again about it won't do any good.
And I can't trust Lexi any farther then Speedy Gonzales can toss a semi-truck. It's not even anything she's especially done directly, and she did help with Ares. But I think if her mother put the pressure on, she'd buckle and do whatever she asked. Regardless of what the cost to the rest of us, or the war effort, is. She'll need watching. Really wish I didn't have to worry, but that's a knife hovering behind me I can't afford to ignore.
Like I said, though...ultimately, I'm not worried about what happens to me. Artemis...I wish I knew what her game was. Not the war, that much is obvious. Just with me. She's been watching out for me especially, which makes me wonder. Protecting, mind, not waiting for a moment to strike. She might claim it's just because I'm effectively El Presidente of the forces trying to put a better goddess on the Olympian throne, but I'm not blind nor stupid. She's been far too...touchy and intimate for it to be just concern for the commander. If she's got interest beyond that, I would hope she just says it, soon. It's...I just want to know where I stand. I'm not stupid, I realize it's fairly likely, but I'd like to at least have the cards on the table.
Probably played right into her hands, though. Given the barring of Greek from Tuathan soil, I told her if I was still breathing by the end of this damn fool crusade, I'd take her to Avalon myself. Partly to do something nice for someone I consider a friend...and, ultimately, my presence and Kennedy's on this Olympian front might mend things on the Greek end. I'd like to see a Greek pay some homage to not just one of the mightiest heroes produced by the blood of the Isles, but of Europe and the world. Nothing fancy, even. Perhaps just a simple memorial wreath laid on Arthur's tomb.
After she took off, Kennedy finally clambered her way down the tower to give me her report. Well, before going into the Artemis situation. 'Taken quite a fancy to me'. Must be bloody well obvious, or Kenny G up there was just being a snoop. Was honest with her, though. Told her Artemis has had my back since Avalon. And that's the moment sister-dear started cawing her head off and hopped up on Kenny's shoulder to straighten her hair. With a beak. My family is so weird. Love 'em to death, but weird.
Kennedy is worried, though. The whole 'Rawr, me Apollo, me shank-a-bitch that goes near sister' business from myth. Like I needed something else like that to worry about, but...I still appreciate Kennedy mentioning it. Probably would've dismissed it for later without her reminder. But I am a bit annoyed she assumes there's going to be a relationship. I...
Hadn't even ended things with Cindy when Kennedy stopped by. Yeah. That's over. It...ended amicably enough, I suppose. Could've been far worse, and I'm not about to lose a soldier I need. Is that strange? To be more worried about losing a sword-arm then the hurt from having to end the relationship? Or Cindy's hurt? It probably is. But there ain't much that can be done for it. I think my brain may be defective.
I'm also starting to suspect there's another reason Kennedy brought all this up. Kennedy and Annan are plotting against me. They're trying to set me up with Artemis. Like a pair of...drunken Irish busybodies. For the love of Pete, it's not like the Avalon thing is going to even be a date. Regardless of what Artemis might have quipped about(In a friendly manner. Not a serious one. Shut up.), or what those two jerkwads think. Or that Kenny said it sounded like one. ARGH. If they weren't family, I'd light their underwear drawers on fire. With thermite.
Think everyone is starting to gather again. Spent longer on this then I intended to. Guess I should wrap this up and get ready to go. Hopefully word will get back from Goras soon. That's one loose end I'd like settled before it comes back to bite me.
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