Guidance of the Winds

If Jasper was to be completely honest with himself, he really didn't care about the Arc of God. He didn't care about ending everything to recreate it all. All he cared about was becoming the strongest god of all, and having every being in existence bow unto him in fear. Never again would he be scorned and beaten, never again would he cower like a weak little child.

As the black galaxy-like energy drifted around Jasper as it had done before, he was then transported to a place high above the clouds, where he could see everything stretch on seemingly endlessly. The sun bore down on him with a blaring light, reflecting off the clouds blindingly.

"Trust in the winds, let them take you." Came the Allseer's voice.

"Let it take me?" Jasper laughed. "Funny. I control the wind, nothing controls me. Nothing."

"If that is how you see it, then so be it. Will it to take you to your destination."

Jasper called forth a storm of winds, swirling around his body. Suddenly, his armor began to shatter into shards of ice.. but then he realized something. It wasn't armor. His entire body was made from ice, what he though had been armor, had been his body.

As his body broke down into shimmering shards of crystalline ice, the scarves began to spin rapidly, and then he exploded through the air at impossible speeds, almost as though he were teleporting.

"Go forth," spoke the Allseer, "and take the world by storm."

— — —

The raging wind thrashed about, whipping Hercules's long black hair about. His garments flicked in the wind as he stared up at the shimmering light above him.

"So. He is a god of wind, Hm?" Hercules spoke, his voice deep and brusque.

He heaved a massive sword over his shoulder, grinning madly as his golden armor shimmered in the light.

"This is gonna be more fun than I thought."

Hercules then raised his sword above his head, then brought it down with such tremendous force that it sent out a shockwave, rending the earth open and splitting the sky.

"If it comes to it, I shall split the heavens to knock you from the sky, little bird. I shall consider this… my thirteenth labor."

— — —

Jasper's body formed itself back together atop some sort of golden platform. He looked around him, seeing large golden structures built atop what appeared to be stone spires and rocks that climbed high above the clouds. Trees of golden leaves dotted all of the landscape. Numerous golden statues of some armored man wielding two swords lined the walkway, which led into a large temple of gold.

Assuming that the statues were of this thunder-borne deity, Jasper couldn't help but feel disgusted. The gods truly were greedy, the person he was after wasn't even a full-fledged god, but a deity, and he had statues of gold built in his image.

Jasper walked forward, ice and frost encroaching across the gold path and freezing the statues in layers of ice. As he passed them, they shatter, crumbling to the ground.

Before him then was a set of golden double doors, which a violent gust of wind threw open. Inside was a large, fanciful room filled with lavish furniture and beds. Upon all these beds, couches and chairs were stunningly gorgeous women wearing thin strips of cloth that hardly covered their lush skin, leaving almost the entirety of their bodies exposed. At the center of the far wall was a shirtless, muscular man who appeared to be in his early twenties. He had long, white hair and a scruffy beard. He had golden eyes and wore long garments of cloth to cover his waist and legs. In his hand he held a gold chalice and five women lay beside him, caressing his skin.

*The Allseer was truly not lying when he mentioned the gods being lustful beings.* Jasper thought in disgust as the girls all looked at him in a startled shock.

"Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure of welcoming such an unexpected guest. If I am not to be mistaken, you are that new deity of wind that has caused such a bothersome uproar in Olympus, yes?" The man spoke.

"So it would seem." Jasper spoke coldly, the ice scarves lazily drifting around his body.

"You know, they all want your head." The man said, sitting up. "Supposedly, Zeus has sent Hercules to bring your corpse to his feet. You've certainly got the gods' attention." He chuckled.

"And are you of the same opinion? Do you wish to take my head as well?" Jasper asked.

"No, not really. If I am to be honest, I care not for the happenings within Olympus, or of the world for that matter. This wine and these women are all I could ever need. My name is Preasia, by the way. Tell me, what is your divine name?"

"Akreaus." Jasper spoke. He decided he would not go ahead with killing the deity right away, but first, he would speak with him. He wanted to know exactly why it was that this deity of all the others was the one he was to kill in his labors.

"Akreaus. A name befitting a deity of wind and ice. Come, pour yourself a drink. Sit and let us talk.. before we fight." Preasia said.

"So you know why I am here."

"I mean, it is quite obvious, really. What with you coming in with a raging gust of wind, not to mention your having destroyed my glorious statues. That was really quite unnecessary."

"I see no point in not making my business here unclear." Jasper spoke blankly.

"Well, aren't you a charming character." Preasia stood to his feet, another golden chalice appearing in his hand filled with red wine. He approached Jasper, offering him the drink.

Jasper took the drink in his hand, staring down at the liquid and stirring it around and around until the wine spun like a miniature whirlpool.

"Rumor has it, you have been given twelve labors by some unnamed god. Apparently, or so I've heard, your labors are the exact opposite of Hercules's, whereas his were all heroic triumphs, yours are all crimes against Olympus. Am I wrong?"

"No. You are not mistaken. And my next labor is to take your head and consume your heart."

All the women gasped in shock and disgust.

Preasia blinked in surprise. "Consume… my heart..?"