As I approached the island, a towering wave rose up, tossing the Spartan ship from side to side before spinning it in a violent whirlpool.
"This is your final warning: turn back, or perish," I said and dove into the sea.
Immersed in the cold, raging waters, I remembered the time my hands sank into lava and how even that furious element bent to my will. I summoned that same strength again, diving deeper beneath the surface. The fury of the sea began to calm, yielding to me, quieting. The waters grew still, allowing those pulled under a chance to escape.
I swam toward the island and spotted the Spartans making landfall. It had been so long since I'd seen my brothers.
"Damocles?" Kratos spoke my name in disbelief, trying to recognize if it was truly me.
His iconic tattoos were now etched across his skin. His torso was bare they had clearly cast off their armor to keep from drowning. The moment he said my name, a whisper rippled through the Spartan ranks.
"Kratos," I replied.
"You came to stop me?" he asked, irritation in his voice.
"No, I won't stand in your way. Tell me has Sparta been struck by the plague?" I asked.
"Yes. All the children of Sparta are sick. My daughter too," Kratos answered, his voice brimming with fury. "And I will not let anyone stand in my path. Not even you."
"I'll say it again I'm not here to stop you, Kratos," I said firmly. "I only need a portion of the ambrosia to create a cure. For everyone."
Kratos had lost his reason. His mind was ruled by fear for his daughter.
Behind me, another ship docked and Athenians disembarked. The Spartans immediately tensed.
"Why are the Athenians with you?" one of them growled. The others gripped their weapons. The threat of violence hung in the air.
"Their polis was struck by the same plague," I explained. "I don't seek healing just for them but for all of Greece."
"So Sparta means nothing to you now?" Kratos spat. "Have you forgotten your honor?"
My grip tightened around my spear I was one breath away from challenging him. But all it would bring was bloodshed, a spectacle for the gods.
Instead, I planted my spear into the ground and stepped toward him, extending my hand.
Kratos stared at it for a moment, then took it. Our forearms locked. I pulled him close and whispered:
"This plague was sent by the gods. Don't trust any of them. It's all just a game. To them we are nothing." I cloaked us in a dome of will, shielding our words from mortal and divine ears alike.
"Why?" he asked, barely containing his anger.
"For amusement," I replied. "A wager among the gods. You are one of their champions. If you claim the ambrosia, you'll heal Sparta. But the rest of the world will suffer until they beg the gods for mercy. Then and only then will they grant their blessing. The ambrosia is enough for Sparta. I just need a small portion to craft a cure for all of Hellas."
Kratos paused, thinking and then said:
"If this is true, then we fight together once more, brother."
"Not even the gods will stop us," I added.
Though distrust lingered between the Spartans and Athenians, they agreed to a temporary alliance.
The enemy didn't keep us waiting. As we delved deeper into the island's woods, a group of women in armor emerged bows and spears in hand. Their faces were stern, their movements sharp well-trained warriors.
"Are those Amazons?" one of the Athenians whispered.
A battle cry was the only reply as the warriors charged.
"Kill them all!" Kratos roared, drawing his blade.
I barely had time to speak. A hail of arrows rained down on us they had no interest in conversation. Legends said the Amazons despised men, saw them as little more than breeding stock stupid pigs to be used and discarded.
With our own war cry, we plunged into battle. Swords and spears, shields and screams, all crashed together in a blood-soaked chorus. The Amazons outnumbered us, but close combat was our domain.
I blocked a blow and slammed my shield into a warrior's face. There was a sickening crunch she collapsed, lifeless. Then, something stirred beneath her body. Dark tendrils wriggled up from the soil, as though tearing through the veil between worlds. The dead began to rise.
"Perhaps we should unite!" one of the Amazons tried to shout.
But before her words left her lips, Kratos' blade severed her head.
"No alliances!" he roared.
The Spartans and the handful of Athenians began mercilessly cutting down the Amazons. The dead pressed in from all sides. Blades tore through flesh. Blood flowed like a river.
I cut down the undead one by one. My strength lies in fighting a single, powerful foe. When faced with a horde of weak ones, things become more difficult. Still, I struck methodically, never breaking my rhythm.
The hordes began to thin under our combined assault, until the last corpse fell. Our exhausted party, drenched in enemy blood and their own, stood panting heavily.
After giving them a moment to recover, we pressed on.
Reaching the heart of the island, we saw it a tree as old as the world itself. Its roots split the earth, and from a high branch hung a single fruit. It glowed with a soft, barely perceptible green light.
I stepped forward and instantly, the weight lifted from my shoulders. A surge of life energy rushed through my body, cleansing it of pain and fatigue.
We had found what we came for.
"Tu zu ka nura…" came a guttural, almost bestial voice.
Barbarians emerged from the forest. Clad in animal hides, they moved like predators, like a pack. At the front was their chieftain huge, his scarred face twisted and grim. He pointed his cleaver at us and growled.
Without hesitation, his warriors charged.
I met one head-on my spear pierced his chest with ease, but he grabbed the shaft with both hands and impaled himself further, trying to reach me with his cleaver, seemingly unfazed by the mortal wound. The barbarians were berserkers fighting to the last drop of blood, ignoring pain, breaking bones, pushing past human limits.
With a kick, I sent him flying, tore my spear free, and engaged another. I was far beyond ordinary men, and in battle, I became an unstoppable force, tearing through all in my path.
I quickly scanned the battlefield neither Kratos nor the barbarian chieftain were in sight. I found them at the tree both clutching the fruit, one hand each. They hacked at one another with swords, inflicting grievous wounds that instantly healed under the power of the ambrosia.
I charged the chieftain. With a blow of my shield, I knocked him to the ground and drove my spear through him, ending the fight.
The remaining barbarians quickly fell. Victory was ours.
Only half of the ambrosia remained it had already granted too many healings. Breaking off a small piece, I offered the rest to Kratos. He seemed unsure whether to believe I would keep my word. I felt a pang of resentment, but bore him no ill will.
"We shouldn't linger. Best we get out of here," I said.
The ground trembled beneath our feet. The entire island seemed to shudder, as if waking from a long slumber. The tree that bore the ambrosia shook violently, and then began to open its roots tore free from the soil, writhing as if alive.
A face emerged.
Rising behind it was a colossal figure, shaped from intertwined earth, wood, and stone.
The Titan Gyges.
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