DISCLAIMER:
The characters, with the exception of Daria, belong to Studios USA and Renaissance Pictures and were used without permission. No copyright infringement was intended and no money was made.

WARNING:
This story contains explicit descriptions of male/female sexual relations, bdsm, rape, sexual violence and sexual humiliation. Please skip the story if these subjects disturb you.

Please send feedback to GingerQ@pacbell.net

**********

Naked Warrior
© GingerQ

PART ONE

He noticed her one day, sitting as still as a rock underneath the shade of a large tree. So still, he almost had missed her completely. But the scent of her femininity caught his attention and he stopped to seek the owner of such a desirable aroma, curiosity getting the better of him.

She was sitting Indian-style, with both her feet resting atop her thighs. Her arms were completely at rest on her sides and her eyes were closed. She looked to be sleeping.

"What an odd position to be sleeping in!" he said out loud to himself, and then he laughed. "She must have been really tired to fall asleep while sitting."

Ares walked closer to the woman. She was breathing so quietly, one could easily have thought that she wasn't breathing at all. He stopped and listened intently for a moment. There was a definite pattern to it. Slow and deep in, through the mouth, slow and firm out the nose. Each breath identical in size and length. It was almost like she was under a spell . . .

Ares raised one eyebrow as he wondered which of his relatives might have had a hand in casting the poor girl into this catatonic state. What a waste of such beauty, too! He squatted down to look her over more closely. He envisioned what this mortal woman would have looked like if she were still full of life. Her golden hair would catch sunlight and her skin would drink it up, giving it it's lush color. Her eyes, blue - no green - would sparkle brightly and she would wear a shy smile upon her lovely face. Her toned body looked to be more eye-catching than a rainbow against a gray sky. Ares' cock began to stir when he started to think about how that body would feel under his. He gazed at her melonous bosom, picturing his tongue sliding over the plump flesh and finding a nipple to swirl around. He reached out and caressed her cheek.

"What terrible act did you commit against a God to deserve such meaningless punishment?"

"No crime," she answered, startling the God of War. "This is not a punishment. It is absolute peace within one's self. Or, at least, it was, that is." She snapped open her eyes and bore them into the figure before her.

Ares quickly stood, gaining the higher position as a show of his superiority over her. He was thrilled that her eyes were in fact green. And full of life, too!

"Then you were praying? Whom were you worshiping?" he demanded to know. And why aren't you worshiping me? he added in thought.

"I was meditating. I worship no God." She sounded surprised that he did not already know that.

We'll see about that, he thought.

"Unless you have a specific reason for interrupting me, could you please excuse yourself, so I may get back to my exercise?"

"Pardon me? I don't think I understood you correctly." This mortal did not just tell the God of War to get lost, did she? He felt a bit put off.

"I was trying to ask you politely to LEAVE." She paused a moment and when he did not move, she repeated her request. "So . . . leave."

"You obviously are NOT aware of who I am."

"I don't care if you're the King of Corinth. I wish to be left alone."

Ares ignored her response. He was becoming quite agitated with this disrespectful woman, however beautiful she may be. Insolence was something he did not tolerate.

"I am Ares, God of War."

"You could be Zeus himself and it wouldn't matter to me. I have no use for the Olympian Gods. Now, do I have to spell it out for you? G - O - A - W - A - Y." She had unlocked herself from her odd sitting position and stood up.

Her eyes narrowed and burned with a passionate anger, as she looked the God in his face. It only fueled Ares' desire to dominate her.

"You, mortal, are out of line. You do not give a GOD orders! If you were not serving a punishment for disrespecting a God, you surely have earned one now!" He snapped his fingers and they both disappeared.

They arrived in one of Ares' temples, in the main throne room. She was already tied and bound to a heavy metal chair. Although there was no gag around her head, she could not speak. Ares had obviously cast a silencing spell on her.

He slowly circled around her a few times. Occasionally running his thumb and forefinger down the sides of his jawbone, appearing to be deep in thought. She had on battle leathers, light brown in color, but seemed to be missing the protective armor. A slight smile crossed his face watching her struggle to try and free herself. Who are you and why have we not crossed paths before? the War God wondered. When he saw the determination in her useless struggle against his restraints, he began to think she might make a good warrior. Her beauty, an added reward for his taking. He had been quite bored as of late. Perhaps she could "entertain" him for a while.

"What is your name, woman?"

She had no choice but to answer him; it was part of the spell he had cast.

"Daria."

"Daria, huh? So then, you are Greek?"

"Yes. Both my mother and father were born in Athens."

"Then why do show such disrespect in the presence of a Greek God? Did your parents not teach you to give thanks and worship the Gods?"

"Yes. They lived their entire lives in devotion to you thankless creatures." There was much hatred in the girl's voice. Ares quickly assessed that something had happened in her life that turned her away from the gods. A challenge, he thought. Perhaps I can bring you back around again.

"Thankless creatures? My, my, such blasphemy! Those are the kinds of remarks that will get you in trouble, young Daria." His eyebrows were raised, which caused his forehead to crinkle, and he looked at her down his nose. "So tell me, why are we Gods such thankless creatures?"

Daria struggled with herself, trying to keep silent, but it was useless against Ares' spell. "Because, you let them perish for reasons they had no control over."

"I let them perish? I did no such thing. Why, I didn't even know your parents. They certainly didn't worship me. Tell me what happened. I want to know more. "

Daria's eyes began to fill as she recalled that terrible day in the city's temple. It was the twelfth anniversary of Hera's acceptance of the village. Hera had her temple built and everyone who lived there vowed his or her live to her. Those who refused were vaporized with a lightening bolt or burnt to a crisp with a ball of fire.

Daria had only been nine at the time. Her family lived on a small farm just outside the village. She and her parents went to the temple that day to bring their offering to the Goddess and received their blessing for prosperity. They had not done so well that past year. Daria's father had been badly beaten by a bandit on their way to make the offering the previous year. Due to his injuries, they unfortunately did not make it into town to give thanks to Hera. Because of this, they did not receive the blessing of prosperity.

Many hardships fell upon the simple folk the following year. The last of which being a terrible disease that fell amongst their livestock. All the animals had died, except one sickly cow that died shortly after giving birth, leaving behind her newly born, deformed calf. The disease had also affected the poor baby calf, and normally, Daria's father would have put it out of its misery, but it was the only thing they had left to offer to Hera that year. They gathered the pathetic animal, and Daria, her mother, and her father headed into town.

The God of War studied her intently as he circled around her again, waiting for her answer. He grew impatient. "Well?"

"The only offering my parents had to give in exchange for the blessing of prosperity was rejected. They were told that they had insulted the Goddess by bringing her a diseased calf. My father's life was to be taken in retribution for the act, and my mother was kept for the guards' pleasures. I found her dead the next morning. Her bruised and beaten body was dumped outside the temple gates."

"Why were you not also taken?"

"Because my father would not let me enter the main offering area. He had heard that Hera was not tolerant of children and he feared that I might anger the Goddess somehow. He was already concerned about showing up with such an unworthy gift, but it was ALL we had.

"My parents were willing to give the only thing of value they had. Even after such a terrible and unfruitful year. Still, it was not good enough." Daria began to weep, partially from the sorrow of the loss of her family, partially from her anger and hatred for the Gods.

Ares reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek. She flinched away from his touch. So he took her chin in his large hand and turned her face to his.

"It is true that Hera demanded the best offerings from her followers. And she had killed many mortals whose gifts did not please her. It is sad that your family was not shown any leniency, young Daria, but that still does not tell me why you hate all the Gods for the actions of one."

"The fruit never falls far from the tree," she remarked in disgust.

"What does THAT mean?" Ares snapped back.

"It means that ALL you Gods are cut from the same cloth. You are Hera's son, are you not? And what is your title, again?"

Ares walked over to his throne, sat down, and looked at her harshly. "Yes, I am the son of Hera and Zeus. And I am the God of WAR!" Ares' chest puffed out as he spoke. He was proud to be the God of War. He was a strong and powerful God, feared and respected across the land. And his following had grown to be twice the number Hera had in her days of ruling. His temples had slowly replaced those belonging to his mother over the past years, and even more so since Hercules had trapped her in the abyss of Tartarus.

"War, huh? You're probably even more cruel than Hera," Daria mumbled under her breath. She didn't think Ares heard her, yet his dark, black eyes were burning through her like a dagger, making her quite uncomfortable. She pulled at ropes that held her to the chair again.

After a few moments of silence, Ares waved his hand, making the ropes disappear, and removed the silencing spell from her. She immediately stood and spoke her mind freely.

"What do you want with me, War God? I have nothing to offer you. You certainly don't need any more worshippers, and I would rather die first than be forced to serve you."

Ares' eyes dropped down the length of her body. She was young and fit, with a curvaceous shape and full, round breasts. The muscles in her long, strong legs were well defined, which indicated to the War God that she engaged in some sort of regular training exercise. Her eyes burned with fire, showing her bravery and courage, and he actually liked the fact that she was not afraid to stand up to him. Oh! Yes, my dear, he thought, you will be a tough one to break! But I will certainly enjoy the rewards of your body when I do! He smirked.

"Why do you wear battle leathers and no armor?" he asked.

Daria tried to hide the truth from him, now that the spell was lifted. "I stole the leathers from a warlord's camp . . ." She noticed that he was smirking at her now. " . . . after his soldiers had captured me and stripped me bare to keep me from escaping."

The truth was she had traded them to a street peddler for some food last week. She had no other choice after she had befriended a small orphan boy who ran off with her pouch of dinars while she slept. Part of the reason she had been meditating today was to keep her mind off her grumbling stomach.

"No, you didn't," he laughed and stood up and walked to her. "Why do you tell such a story? I know about the peddler. There's nothing wrong with that. You did what you had to do to survive."

"Well, if you already knew what happened, then why did you ask?" Daria stared at the floor, completely embarrassed at being caught in a lie. She should have known better in dealing with a God, forgetting they could look into one's mind.

"Because, I wanted to hear what you would tell me." Ares circled around her, although this time he moved so close to her, his shoulder brushed against hers. He stopped in front of her and put both his hands on her forearms.

"I have decided to help you, young Daria. Tonight you will be my guest. You will bathe, feast, and rest peacefully, and tomorrow I will give you new armor and a weapon to take with you on your journeys."

Daria brought her own arms up between them and pushed them outward, knocking Ares' grip from her body. She backed away from him.

"I want nothing from you, God of War," she said with contempt.

"Oh, come now, child." He reached up and caressed her cheek. "I refuse to let you leave here until you've given me a chance to show you that not all of us Gods are terrible and cruel. I am not responsible for the destruction that Hera caused. Just like Apollo or Aphrodite are not to blame for anything I may do on the battlefield. We are all independent of one another. Now, my servant will take you to your chambers so you may wash before dinner." He brought his arm down in front of his stomach and bowed to her as he took a step backward. He disappeared in a flash of light before she had a chance to object.

Daria stood there looking at the empty place in which the God had just been standing, shaking her head.

"GODS!" she exclaimed. This one is really confusing. Threatening one moment, thoughtful the next. She wondered what his real intentions might be. She had nothing to give, and although she had been training herself to fight, she was no warrior. But he had a way about him, so charming and good looking. It made her trust him even less. She was not worldly, but she knew enough about men and their ways. Especially the good looking, charming ones.

A moment later the door opened, and a short, elderly lady entered, beckoning Daria to follow her. They entered another room off the large main hallway where two more servant girls were preparing her bath. She undressed and got in, allowing the servant girls to cater to her. When she was done, she reached for her old clothes.

"Oh, no - no, milady," one girl spoke up. "The Master would like you to wear this." She held up a beautiful, long chiffon gown. It was a mixture of deep purple and black with streaks of violet weaved throughout. It had a low neckline, although it still covered all of her "assets", and it tied at the waist with a solid black strip of material. She was surprised that it fit perfectly.

She ran her hands over the material of the skirt. It felt so soft. She couldn't remember the last time she had worn something so pretty. It really made her feel like a lady. The servant girls finished readying her and left. Shortly thereafter, the same elderly woman showed at the door again.

"Lord Ares is ready to receive you." She waited for Daria to join her as she led her down the long hallway once more to another room.

"My, this place is huge! Where exactly are we?" The elderly woman did not answer her.

They soon reached a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. The woman opened them, revealing a small flight of stairs that fanned out into a huge round room. There was no ceiling, just a spectacular covering of stars that looked like sparkling diamonds against black velvet. Off to one side, there was a small rectangular table set up with food: fruits, breads, meats, and vegetables. There was another table, this one round, set up directly in the middle of the room. The table covering was made of fine white lace with an elegant design and there was a decanter of wine sitting on top.

On the floor opposite of the table with food, there were at least thirty large, puffy pillows, made of different fabrics and colors. Some had silk tassels; others had pretty accents of jewels. Ares was casually lounging amongst them, looking out into the night sky as if he were studying each star's position to another. He was wearing black leather pants and boots, but rather than his usual matching vest, he had on a silk shirt that was the same deep purple color as Daria's dress. He had not bothered to laceup the front of it, leaving the beautiful bronze skin on his muscular chest exposed. The soft, dark mass of hair matched in color with that on his head, and seemed to grow in a way that lead the eye downward to his nether region.

He heard the doors open and shut and turned to look towards the stairs. Daria stood at the top, looking as lovely a vision as any of the Goddesses he knew on Mt. Olympus. Her long hair hung loosely in both front and back, and covered most of the exposed neckline that the dress had not. He smiled at her, motioning her to join him, and as she descended the stairs, her gown flowed artistically behind her. She stopped a few feet in front of the God and bowed her head respectfully.

"Lord Ares."

"My sweet, young Daria. You are radiant! I hope the gown is to your liking."

"Yes it is, thank you. But it was not necessary . . ."

"Ah, ah," he interrupted her, holding a finger in the air at her. "I know you do not want to accept any gifts from me, a God, but it would be a direct insult for you to refuse. You need only to appease me for one night. What you choose to do with my gifts after you have left is up to you. Keep them, sell them, it matters not to me, young Daria."

She opened her mouth in rebuttal, but then decided against it. She bowed slightly instead.

"Thank you, Lord Ares."

He tilted his head back a little and looked at her through seductive eyes, curving a small smile with his closed lips.

"You're welcome, my dear! Now, child, you must be starved. Let us sit and feast and you can tell me of all your travels." He stood and stretched his arm out towards the table as an indication to move there. Before she reached the table, he hurried around her and pulled the chair out for her to sit in. She paused and looked surprisingly at him and then adjusted her gown so it wouldn't bunch up beneath her and sat down. She was obviously not expecting the God of War to be such a gentleman.

Standing behind her as he scooted in her chair, he caught a hint of the lilac the servants had used to bathe her in. Although no one knew, lilac was one of Ares' favorite fragrances - so utterly feminine, the smell always seemed to trigger a wild passion within him, an unquenchable desire to submerge himself a pool of womanly pleasures. One of his arms lightly brushed against her shoulder and he silently gasped at the softness of her skin. Quickly, he moved to the other side of the table and sat down. He pored them both some wine and clapped his hands together twice. Three servants entered the room and began to serve the food.

Between the wine and the conversation, Daria started to relax more and more as the evening progressed. She found this God was not only intelligent, but also funny, charming, and attentive. Where she had first hesitated to speak of her life, she was now responding to his inquiries with ease, even elaborating on details at times.

After Daria and Ares finished eating, they moved to the mass of pillows with their wine and continued to talk. She sat in her funny Indian-style position while Ares lounged on his side with his head propped against a bent arm. His natural charm worked magic on Daria's misconceptions about the Gods. Well, this God, anyway. He honestly could care less if she liked the others. As a matter of fact, it was better she didn't. A mortal devoted totally to one God was like a point on the Top God chalkboard. He and Apollo were always running neck in neck.

She set down her goblet and lay all the way back on the pillows next to him, staring up into the night sky. Her eyes suddenly grew wide and she pointed upwards as she saw a star shooting across the open ceiling.

"Wow! Did you see that? Beautiful!" she sighed.

Ares had no interest in the stars at this point. Not when he had such a vision of beauty in front of him that far surpassed any star's radiance.

"Yes, beautiful," he purred as he tenderly ran a finger across her cheek. Daria responded by leaning into his touch. She closed her eyes and softly sighed. She reached up and took his hand from her face and rubbed it between her fingers, slightly squeezing it at the same time.

"Your skin is so soft. I would have never thought that you are a warrior from your touch." She opened her eyes again and looked up at his handsome face. His inviting lips were perfectly framed by his trim beard, and his dark, curly locks fell forward around his face as his looked down at her, smiling.

When their eyes met, she fell deep within them, causing her to feel lightheaded. Maybe she had drank too much wine, or maybe it was because she was laying down, she thought to herself, trying to break free from their capture.

They did not speak for a long moment, letting their body language convey the volume of attraction between the two of them. The entire evening, Daria had been trying to ignore the way he was making her feel. But between the pretty silk dress and the fragrant perfume she had been bathed in, his attention made her feel more like a woman than she ever had in her life. She was suddenly very aware of her own body and realized she had womanly desires.

Ares slowly leaned in closer to her and gently touched his luscious, full lips to hers and then pulled away and smiled. She blushed, unsure of what to make of the gesture.

"You are very beautiful, young Daria. You, indeed, are fortunate to have been able to keep such an innocence about you after being on your own for so long." He sighed heavily, sat up and continued, "Many orphans have come to my temples wishing to acquire the fighting skills of a warrior. Boys and girls alike, some younger than you. By the time they reach my gates, they're full of rage and hatred, hardened by the cruelties of life that surrounded them." He picked up his goblet of wine and took a drink. He stared into the clear, rose-colored liquid in the cup he held for a moment, then set down the cup again and turned his attention back to Daria. He reached over and caressed her cheek.

"But you, young Daria, you remain unscathed by such cruelties. And without the protection of a God, no less! You are either extremely lucky or very smart."

Daria shrugged. "Maybe a little of both," she replied. "But I have to admit that I, too, am interested in learning to fight. I have seen danger, and though I have been fortunate enough to have avoided most thus far, one day my luck is bound to run out and I want to be prepared."

Ares raised an eyebrow in interest at the young girl's desire to learn to fight. "Perhaps this is the reason our paths have crossed, Daria. Maybe you have a special purpose to fulfil and up until now, the Fates have directed your journey to avoid confrontations. But I know, as do the Fates, that it is impossible to avoid it completely. It is possible that you are being redirected."

Ares moved and got comfortable lying next to her. They were both on their backs, side by side, looking at the stars. He tilted his head slightly to the side so it touched hers and then pointed to a particular cluster of light in the blackness.

"Do you see that star?" he asked.

"I see a bunch of stars," she joked.

"No, the one really bright one? There!"

"Oh, yes. I see it. What about it?"

"Well, Zeus named every star before tossing it into the blackness. That star is named Daria. It means Small Great One. Perhaps you have been named Daria on purpose."

She pondered his words for a long while. She rolled over onto her stomach and looked at the God's face. "Do you think I have a special purpose?"

He smiled at Daria with a sensuous look in his eye. "Yes, I do. I think there is a specific reason you were brought to my attention .. . . other than the obvious one, that is!"

"What do you mean? What obvious reason?"

Ares chuckled. She was so naïve.

"Why, this one, of course!" He grabbed both of her shoulders and pulled her body on top of his and then enclosed his arms around her as he kissed her deeply. Daria resisted at first, but then her body started to sing to her mind, soothing her fears, and she began to kiss him back. She found that she was enjoying the sensations he was giving her and she didn't want him to stop. When he finally broke their kiss, she moaned in disappointment.

"Now, now, my sweet. Patience, we have all night." He suddenly rolled over on top of her, and Daria began to giggle and squirm, trying to move away from him, but his weight pinned her beneath him and it was useless. Ares grabbed her wrists and held them above her head with one hand. With the other, he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, exposing some of her neck.

"I think it's time for dessert, my sweet!" he said rather brazenly as his deep, dark eyes captured hers once more.

Daria suddenly felt fear from the way he spoke and was looking at her. She tried to free her hands, but he just increased the strength of his grip. He lowered his head and nuzzled in her neck, lightly biting at the tender skin.

"NO!" she cried. "STOP. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" She was in tears now.

Ares was completely taken by surprise by her reaction. To him, this was just a little teasing, playing around. But to the innocent young Daria, it seemed like he was forcing himself upon her. He released her immediately and she sat up and scooted back away from him. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"What do you think you were doing, you . . . you - God?"

He looked at her quizzically at first and then it dawned on him that she was probably still a virgin. The thought pleased him and made him want her even more now, but he didn't want to destroy the progress he had just made with her.

"I apologize, Daria. I tend to get a little carried away sometimes. Most women want me to be aggressive. But you're not like most women, are you? You're still inexperienced." His voice was soft and apologetic as he spoke, and his eyes showed sincerity. He stood and walked to her, offering his hand to help her up from the floor.

"Perhaps we should call it a night and you should get some rest. I'm sure you'll want to get going at first light, right?"

Daria took a deep breath. She had overreacted – again. She found that she did that many times in the past with various situations. It was just a natural response for her to do so, since she was always traveling alone and had to protect herself somehow.

She reached for his hand and allowed him to help her up. The look of fear was gone but had been replaced by embarrassment. She found it hard to look the God in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Ares. It's really not your fault. I just got a little scared – that's all. I don't usually get so comfortable around other people and you just took me by surprise when my guard was down." She finally looked up at him.

"I understand, Daria. It won't happen again, I assure you," Ares said in a very formal-sounding way.

The look of disappointment on Daria's face at his response caused the War God to keel over with laughter. Now she was confused and frustrated.

"What's so funny?" she demanded to know.

He could barely get the words out between his howls. "Your face!"

"What about it? What's wrong with my face?"

Ares finally composed himself somewhat, although a large, stupid grin remained on his face.

"When I told you that it wouldn't happen again, you grimaced, and then looked almost angry. You want me to continue, don't you? You liked it, you're just unsure about it."

Daria's face turned red. He was right. She had been enjoying his attentions quite a bit, and the kissing had made her feel... desirable. He made her feel like a woman and she wanted to feel that way again.

Ares stepped closer to her and swooped her into his arms, pulling her tightly to his hard body in a hug.

"You want me. I can tell, young Daria. But we will have to move a little slower from now on. Now, off to bed with you." He separated her from his embrace and swatted her on the ass twice as he pushed her towards the door. She stopped after a couple of steps and turned back around. "Go on, now. I'll still be here in the morning," he said as he grinned.

She opened her mouth to say something, but instead ran back to him and kissed his cheek.

"Good night, War God."

"Good night, young Daria."

PART TWO

The next morning, Daria was awakened by the elderly woman, lightly shaking her.

"Wake up, child. The Master wishes to see you."

Daria sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She opened her mouth with a big yawn and stretched her arms out above her head. She had not slept so well since the last time she was in her own bed back home on the farm. She gazed with sleepy eyes at the woman standing beside the bed.

"Come on, now. Rise and shine. It's not a good idea to keep the Master waiting." She grabbed Daria's covers and tossed them off of her. "Get up, child."

Daria complied, reluctantly. She really didn't want to get up yet. The bed was so soft and warm, she could have stayed there all day, or at least another few hours. She walked over to the large bowl of water on a small table against the wall and splashed it onto her face. She was surprised that the water was warm instead of cold, like she had expected. She turned to the woman.

"Did you just fill this?" Daria asked.

The lady shook her head no.

"But the water is warm. How can that…" The old woman interrupted her in mid sentence.

"You need ask? You are in the temple of a God." The woman rolled her eyes at her lack of knowledge.

"Oh!" Daria shrugged.

"Hurry up, child. You're taking too long." She clapped her hands together, as if it helped speed Daria along.

Daria's eyes scanned the room for her clothes, completely passing over the new battle leathers and armor right in front of her. She didn't notice them since they were not familiar to her.

"What have you done with my clothes?"

"My Lord had provided you with new clothes. They are right in front of you - are you blind?" The old woman seemed to be losing patience with her.

Daria picked up the leathers and looked them over. An approving grin formed on her face and she immediately put them on. The old woman helped her strap on the armor and as soon as they were done, she was ushering Daria out the door and down the large hallway again.

She led her back to the throne room, where the God of War was speaking with one of his warlords. The elderly lady announced Daria, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Ares was sitting in his chair while the other man stood in front of him. Upon Daria's entrance, they both stopped talking and looked her way. A huge smile came to Ares' face as he rose from his throne and moved towards Daria.

"I see you have found the new leathers and armor I left for you, my dear. Do you approve of my choice?"

"Of course, Ares. They fit perfectly and are made of the thickest leather I've ever seen!" She bowed her head in respect to Ares. "Thank you, Lord."

"Good, I'm glad you like them." He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, giving it a gentle peck. Then, without releasing it, he led her back towards the throne where the other man was still standing.

"There is someone here I want you to meet, Daria. I think that he may be able to help you in your training, if you still so desire to learn, that is. Balicus, this is Daria, the young woman I told you about. Daria, meet General Balicus. The General has aided me in the training of many men in my armies. He had agreed to help you train, as well."

Balicus looked over Daria and frowned slightly. He looked at Ares and jerked his head in a motion, indicating to step off to the side.

"May I please have a word with you, My Lord?" Ares and Balicus stepped a few feet away from Daria. Ares looked at the General with slightly narrowed eyes.

"What is it, Balicus?"

"Sire, she is but a child. You wish for me to train a child for battle? She doesn't even look strong enough to wield a sword."

Ares started laughing at first, and then he grabbed Balicus by the scruff of the neck and raised him a few feet off the floor. Ares was glaring at him with anger on his face.

"You dare question me, Balicus? Have you forgotten whom you are talking to? I have given you more freedom than any other general under my command, and this is how you repay me? By questioning me?"

He released Balicus with a slight shove and he landed on the floor in front of the God, gasping for a breath. He propped himself up and rubbed the area around his neck where Ares had held him.

"No, my Lord," he said. His voice had become scruffy from the lack of air

"You either do as I ask, Balicus, or you walk out of here with no further protection from me!" Ares stated.

Daria stood frozen as she watched the two men interact. She had not realized the true extent of power the War God possessed. Oh my, what have I gotten myself into, she thought.

Balicus clumsily got to his feet and straightened himself up. He bowed his head to Ares.

"Forgive me, Lord. I will do as you wish."

"Good! Now, leave us. I will inform you when you are needed again."

Balicus nodded and bowed again. He took a few steps backward from the War God, then turned and left the room. Ares watched him until he reached the door, anger still shown in his face. When he was gone, Ares turned back to Daria and his expression changed instantly. His eyes sparkled with a lustful appreciation as he looked her over and smiled. He took a seat on his throne.

"So, young Daria, did you sleep well?"

"Y-y-yes, Lord." Daria's voice came out broken. Ares' little display of control over the warlord had shocked her. She knew now that this God could do anything to her and she would be helpless to stop him. She shifted nervously from foot to foot, avoiding direct eye contact with him.

Ares chuckled, obvious to him that she was feeling uncomfortable.

"Don't let that little scene discourage you, my sweet. Balicus is an excellent soldier and an even better teacher. He will teach you, and you will learn. He just doesn't know you like I do. But soon enough, he will be able to see the potential in you, as I have."

Daria wasn't quite sure how to respond. She stared at the ground; her long golden hair fell forward and covered her face, conveniently hiding it from the War God. Her hands were clasped together behind her back and swept her foot from side to side across the floor in front of her.

"Daria?"

"Huh." She snapped her head up and her eyes were wide as she looked at him.

"Come here, please," he spoke softly. She slowly took a few steps towards him and stood before him.

"Could you scratch my back? This itch is driving me crazy and I can't reach it," he purred, turning his back towards her. He had an itch all right; it just wasn't on his back. But he couldn't resist an opportunity to touch her again. She was so desirable.

Daria breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course I will. Where is it?"

"Beneath the right shoulder." Daria ran her fingernails across the place he spoke of, but it had no affect since the leather of his vest was so thick.

"I can't feel anything. Here, wait a second." He removed his vest and draped it over one of the arms of the throne.

Daria just stared at him a moment, before trying again. Gods, he's beautiful! So strong and muscular, she thought. When she touched his back, it was like fire, sending waves of heat through her fingers, down her arm, and straight to her hidden area.

Ares arched his back and wiggled a bit. "Oh, yeah. That's the place. Right there! Ahhhh." A second later, he turned and captured her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. He looked her over from head to toe as she sat there motionless.

"Thank you!" he whispered. "You must have magic hands," he teased, raising his eyebrows up and down. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Gently at first, but as his passion for her quickly grew, his kiss deepened. She moaned when his lips moved under her chin and up the side of her neck until he reached her ear. New feelings and sensations rushed her body and she was so caught up in them, she hadn't noticed her own hand caressing the God's naked chest.

Her fingers moved along the soft, thick hair until they found one of his nipples. She instinctively pinched it gently and circled it with her index finger. His eyes closed and his body tensed slightly and he "hummed" softly.

"You do have magic hands, Daria!" he cooed to her. She suddenly became aware of the hardness of his swelling cock pushing against her ass. He started to rock his hips slowly, causing it to become even harder. Her whole body began to tingle and she felt a wetness develop between her legs.

Ares found her lips again and teased her sensually with his tongue, sliding it in and around her mouth. He had both hands on her head, either caressing her face or running through her hair. He was driving her crazy with impatience and she didn't know why, never having experienced this strange anxiety before. She only knew that she wanted him to touch her body, to have his hands run over her skin. It cried for his attention. The nipples on her bountiful breasts were so hard they ached and the warmth between her legs was almost becoming too much to stand.

When she could take it no longer, she pushed him off of her and looked at him with pleading, bright green eyes. She grabbed one of his hands and whispered to him.

"Please, touch me here." She placed his hand on her breast. Ares smiled wickedly and in a blink of an eye, he had transported them to his bedchambers. She was now lying on her back and he was on his hands and knees, straddling over her. He kissed her lips again before moving lower to her breasts. The armor and leather she had on was gone, leaving only the sheer undergarment that acted as protection from the leather against the skin. He slid the material down a little to expose more of her bosom and then caressed one breast with his hand, while his lips tantalized the skin of the other.

"Is this where you wanted me to touch you, Daria? Right here?" He covered her nipple over the material and he sucked it into his mouth, kneading it with his lips.

"Ooowww," she cried in pleasure and pushed against him harder. Her hands were combing through his rich, thick hair, stroking him tenderly. "What is happening? What are you doing to me, Ares?" she whispered.

He paused his actions and looked at her. "I am awakening your body's sense of pleasure. It's always been there, only hidden. But it's calling to me, Daria. It wants me to seek it out and bring it to the surface. Don't fight it. Let me free you; show you pleasures you never thought possible. You know you want to. I can tell by your body's reactions. You can't keep it hidden it from me, Daria."

The sound of his husky voice flowed through her and she felt herself yielding to her body's desires. She sighed heavily.

"You want me, don't you, Daria?" Lust enveloped each word as it left the War God's mouth.

She looked into his sexy, powerful eyes; her own eyes conveying her answer to him. "Gods! Yes. But I'm . . . scared," she admitted.

He began to gently kiss her again. "Don't worry, my sweet." He made the rest of her clothes disappear as his mouth moved further down her body. "You're gonna love this!" he said knowingly.

He swirled his tongue around her navel and then poked it inside the tiny hole. She giggled. Then slowly and tenderly, he laid wet busses down each side of her body, starting under her arms and ending at her ankles. When he had completed both sides, he sat down at her feet and started to massage them. His hand were warm and his fingers were strong and Daria had half expected the gesture to be ticklish, but rather, it seemed to relax her to the melting point and she couldn't hold back the oows and ahhs that poured from her lips. She had never realized how much her feet hurt until he started rubbing them. She glanced down at him through heavy lidded eyes.

"Now who's got the magic hands?" she said softly. There was a look of ecstasy on her face.

Ares continued his provocative ministrations up each of her legs, working upward from her tight calves muscles. He wrapped both his hands around a thigh, lifted it slightly, and then slowly slid it down the entire length of the legs, then the same with the other. Each time he repeated the action, he inconspicuously spread her legs further apart. He had Daria so relaxed, she was nearly asleep.

Ares smiled inwardly, knowing he could make any woman feel like putty in his hands. He was an excellent lover. And by being a God, he always knew exactly what to do to a woman to send her over the edge - or in Daria's case, melt away her fears. He stood and took a look at her. Here was a young, beautiful maiden - a virgin, no less - who was laying spread eagle on his bed. He didn't have to chain her that way; she lay there willingly for him. She was his to take. The sight of her made his cock strain against the leather of his pants.

He moved in-between her legs and ran his tongue up the inside of one thigh, starting by her knee. She moaned. The closer he got to her virgin cunt, the more she started to wiggle. When he reached the crease where her leg met her pelvis, he nestled harder against her. It sent her into a crunch position and she grabbed him by his hair pulling him away from her body.

"Wh. . .what are y-y-you doing?" she asked in shock. No one had ever been this intimate with her body before, and even though she knew she didn't want him to stop, she was naturally compelled to stop the attack on her body.

"I won't hurt you, Daria. I promise." He moved to return to the task, but she had not let go of his hair yet. He looked back at her. "Trust me, my sweet. Now, just relax. Okay?"

She released his hair and rested her head back again. Ares moved to the opposite crease and when he ran his tongue in it, she jerked slightly. He slid his hands under her thighs and spread them a little more. He watched her pussy lips separate and smiled when he saw she was already wet. He blew over her pussy and noticed her clitoris become hard. She was so turned on that he probably didn't even have to touch her to get her to cum. Her juice began to leak out and he lightly touched his tongue just below her hole to catch it. She let out a sharp "OH" and she tensed at the first touch of his wet tongue. He applied more pressure against her to flatten his tongue and widen it further as he slowly licked the length of her slit. He soon felt her relax again and she was letting out throaty groans now, her hands gently running through his hair.

When he reached her clit, he swirled around it briefly, before lightly flicking over it. He started slowly at first, but she unknowingly responded by moving her hips away from him. He grabbed hold of her ass and pulled her tightly into his face. He began to wildly attack her sensitive little nub. Flicking it faster, over and over, occasionally letting his tongue delve down briefly to catch some of the juices that were rapidly flowing now. Her body started writhing and so he held her even tighter. When he knew she was close to the edge, he sucked her swollen clitoris into his mouth, allowing his teeth to lightly graze the delicate skin. Her screams were like music to his ears, and he knew he had successfully accomplished giving her body its first lesson in ultimate pleasure.

He crawled atop her and found her open mouth, still heaving air, and kissed her deeply, passionately. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. For the first time, she tasted herself on his lips. The flavor of it seemed to trigger hidden desires deep within her and she shuddered in pleasure. He kissed all over her face, under her chin, her cheeks, her forehead, on top of her closed eyes, and then he playfully bit her nose. She opened her eyes and looked at him, smiling. He propped himself up on his elbow, cradling her head in his arms.

"So, sweet Daria, did you enjoy your first lesson?"

"Lesson?"

"Yes! A lesson in bodily pleasures."

"Is that what you call it? Oh, yeah! I found it quite . . . educational. Did I pass?" she blushed.

"With flying colors! Or should I say screams of passion?" She turned even redder. "You're a quite a good student, my dear. There are many, many more lessons that I look forward to teaching you." He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. "But right now we have business to attend to." He rose, and before his feet even hit the floor, Daria was dressed again.

Ares temporally suppressed his own desire for her. He wanted to move slowly with this one, confident that she would willingly come to dedicate her life to him.

"Come now." He held out his hand for her. She took it and they were transported back to the throne room.

Ares had to support Daria to keep her from collapsing when they first re-materialized. Her legs were like jelly as she was still feeling the aftermath of his "lesson". When she got her bearings, he took his seat.

"So, young Daria, what do you think about going to train with Balicus?"

"I . . . I don't know. I never have given much thought to real battle training before. I just want to learn enough to protect myself if necessary."

"You need not worry about protecting yourself anymore. I will not let any harm come to you. From now on, you are under the protection of the God of War."

"But . . .but . . ."

"No buts about it, Daria." Ares' voice was firm, and then he added seductively, "Besides, I don't want anything to happen to my star pupil."

"If you are to protect me, then why would I need to learn how to fight?"

Ares thought for a moment how to answer her. He had a gut feeling about this young girl that she was destined for something important. The words "Small Great One" kept ringing in his head.

"Good question, my dear. Because I believe that there is something that you are to accomplish in your life. Something important, my Small, Great One."

She knew what he was thinking about when he called her small, great one. She, too, had given it some thought as she lay in bed last night. And although she did not think that she would ever do something significant in her lifetime, she figured she would accept his offer to train her. He was being so kind to her and she was grateful. Besides, she wanted him to teach her the next lesson and how would that happen if she didn't stay close?

"Okay, Ares. I thankfully accept your offer." She bowed to him.

"Excellent! I know you will not regret your choice."

Ares sent for Balicus and before the moon had risen, they were at the training camp, settling in for the night.

PART THREE

Ares had escorted Daria and the General to the camp via his godly powers. He materialized a special housing unit for Daria, complete with locking door, to keep any unwanted male visitors away from his new playmate. She was inside, unpacking the few belongings that she owned, and what she did not have, Ares had provided for her. Balicus and Ares were in the main meeting room having a little heart to heart talk.

"Now, Balicus, I am making you personally responsible for Daria's well-being. I expect you to spend at least two hours a day with her on training and be sure she spends another two or three hours practicing on her own."

"Yes, my Lord."

"And be sure to keep those savage soldiers of mine away from her. You know what would happen if they were left alone with her."

"Yes, Lord."

"I will be back from time to time to check in on her progress and visit her."

"Yes,. . . "

"And when I come to visit her - I do not want any interruptions. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Lord. I will see that your orders are followed to the letter," Balicus bowed respectfully.

"See that you do." Ares headed towards the door. Before he reached it, he turned and glared at Balicus. "And Balicus, if any harm whatsoever comes to Daria," he paused for effect, "I will kill you myself." He left and headed towards Daria's flat.

He entered Daria's room without knocking and she had not noticed he had come in. The room was extremely large and lush, with a big bed and its own private bathing room. Daria was looking through a wooden trunk that sat at the foot of the bed. It was full of different kinds of weapons that Ares had specially conjured up for her to train with. He had made the weapons light enough for her to handle, yet they would still be effective enough to cause damage. One medium length sword caught her eye and she picked it up and started swinging it around.

"Yaw. Slice. Gotcha, you bandit! That will teach you to mess with Daria the Great." She was dueling with an imaginary opponent. Ares stepped back into the shadows to watch her. He was quite amused by her imagination and he didn't want her to see him yet, thinking she would stop pretending to fight.

She tried twirling the sword around, clumsily at first, but after a few more times, the move began to flow. She continued to disarm and cut down an entire army of enemies pillaging a make believe village. She was clad only with her sheer undergarment, having removed the heavy armor and battle leathers when she had first arrived. Ares noticed how her full breasts were bouncing around as she moved her arm out and back, twisting the sword with her wrist.

She began to sweat, and the thin material became darker and clung to her shapely body.

Ares became very aroused watching her work out. He had postponed his own pleasure earlier and was now feeling especially needy at the moment. His focus soon drifted from studying her untrained moves to the way her hair would flow around her face, or how her cute, tight little ass would stick out when she lunged with the sword. He started to undress her with his eyes. With every move she took, his cock felt like it would grow another inch. It took no time for Ares to image her completely naked. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall to enjoy more of the show.

Daria was breathing heavily from all the activity. She normally worked out on a daily basis, but it usually was only stretching and running types of exercises. She was not used to holding up a sword for any extended length of time and her arm was tiring. She thought she would stop in another moment as she whirled around her body in a spinning motion, slicing the air surrounding her, when she felt cold suddenly. She quickly glanced down at her body - she was still in her slip. Then why did she feel like she was naked? She stopped, bringing the sword down and placing the tip of it into the ground at her feet. She leaned against it. Then she heard the clapping coming from the corner of the room and Ares emerged.

"That was excellent, Daria. You have a natural talent for this, I'm sure of it." He walked closer to her. She was still out of breath, so she didn't speak, but shyly smiled. Her face was red with embarrassment and she wondered how long he had been watching her.

"Long enough to see what you've got," he answered seductively, reading her thoughts. He ran his eyes down her sweat-covered body. She noticed the way he was looking at her. He wanted her, she felt it, and it suddenly set something on fire inside of her. With a thought, Ares made her sheer slip disappear. If she hadn't of seen him do it, she wouldn't have been able to tell. She felt nude a second ago, now she was nude. There was no difference.

"You've been watching more than my sword, Ares. Haven't you?" She realized he must have been thinking about undressing her and that's why she had felt naked even though she was still clothed.

"Why, whatever do you mean, young Daria?" he said in an innocent, teasing way.

She walked to the bed to sit down. She purposely brushed herself against him as she passed him.

"You've been thinking about teaching me another lesson. Yes?" She lay back on the bed, with her hands behind her head to prop it up a little. She was smirking. Ares' body language was easy to read at the moment and she already knew the answer.

Ares growled and quickly moved to her, covering her body with his. He kissed her possessively in the heated moment.

"Yes, I have been thinking about your body's pleasures." He kissed her again. "Are you sure you're ready for another lesson so soon?"

"I'm a fast learner," she replied teasingly. "Please, continue."

"Well, Daria, I think you need to do some studying first," he said with mischievous eyes.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

He smiled at her and stroked her hair. So innocent, he thought. She really has no idea about what to do. About how to please her God. Ares, being presumptuous as always, already felt that this one, this small, great one, belonged to him. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and moved off of her, propping himself up at her side.

"I will demonstrate for you - this time. But you must pay close attention, Daria, because I plan on testing you when I'm done."

His hands began to move over her naked form, touching every crevice and bump and flat area on her body. He took his time, memorizing her entire essence and what it looked and felt like. He studied her intensely, inhaling her scent deep into his lungs. That same aroma of femininity, which had originally grabbed his attention, seemed even more intoxicating to him now. His need to have her, to consume her, was growing stronger with each breath he took.

Daria instinctively reached out to caress him in return. He stopped her from touching him.

"No, no, my sweet. Don't interrupt me while I'm doing my research," he commanded softly and raised her arms above her head. "Grab on to the backboard to keep your hands from distracting me and pay attention. Remember, I'm going to test you on this."

She wiggled and jerked in pleasure from his touch, mumbling under her breath as he slowly ran his tongue over one of her nipples.

"You're making it sooo hard to concentrate," she said through an exhaled breath.

Ares continued to tease and taunt her large breasts, massaging each one and gently squeezing the nipples. His kisses flowed down her tummy, licking everywhere, and then he turned her over and ran his tongue down her spine. She was shaking. He was making her so excited that she had to increase her grip on the backboard. Her knuckles turned white.

He fondled and massaged her ass, placing soft little kisses over each cheek. He pushed her legs further apart and started sliding his lips over the backs of her legs. She was moaning now. Ares paused, lightly touching the hairs on her pussy, but nothing more.

"Is something the matter, Daria?"

"I . . . I can't take . . . I mean, I can't see what you are doing. How am I supposed to learn if I can't see?" She was squirming in utter need. He watched her, smiling wickedly, knowing she wanted him to make her cum more than anything right now.

He stood, chuckling slightly. "All right, Daria, the demonstration is over."

She turned over and looked at him with a confused and frustrated expression. "You're stopping? But . . . but . . ."

"But what, my sweet?"

Daria meekly looked away from him. "But you didn't . . . Aren't you going to. . ."

"Yes?" he teased.

"Oh, you know what I mean! Like this morning." She blushed heavily.

Ares laughed and reached out and stroked her cheek.

"Not yet. It's time for your test now. If you pass, then you shall be rewarded accordingly." Ares' time for release had long past and the bulge in his pants was beginning to ache painfully for her touch.

"What do I have to do?" she asked shyly.

"You can begin by undressing me. But don't touch my skin, only my clothes. When you have completed that task, I will give you further instruction."

Daria rose from the bed with desire in her eyes. She reached for the God's leather vest, sliding it off his shoulders, careful not to come in contact with his body. She dropped it to the floor. Her eyes fell upon his gorgeous, muscular chest. His nipples were hard and peaked out through his mass of dark hair. She gasped in delight, looking at him in awe. She almost couldn't keep herself from rubbing her hands over his well-defined pecs.

After a few moments of admiration, she squatted down and held his boots tightly to the floor as he lifted each foot out of them. Grabbing the toe of his socks, she pulled them from his body. Now all that was left was his pants. Slowly, she unbuckled his belt and undid the top button, folding down the corners of the leather. All she could see was bronze colored flesh and dark hair. She undid the next button and the next. More dark hair sprouted out, tickling her fingers.

"Careful, Daria," he warned.

When she finally had all of the buttons undone, she took hold of the folds of leather and tried to pull them down. They were really tight, so they would not just slide off. It was more like she had to peel them off. As she rolled the leather over his pelvis, his manhood sprung from him, nearly hitting her in the face. She gasped in shock and lost her footing, falling backwards into a sitting position. Ares chuckled at her as she sat there motionless, staring wide-eyed at his rock hard cock.

"Daria?"

She didn't respond, still unable to move - to think. Ares repeated himself.

"Daria? Snap out of it, girl. What is going through that inquisitive little mind of yours? Tell your God what you are thinking." As if he didn't already know!

Daria had never seen this part of a man's body before. She had a picture in her mind that she had pieced together from hearing other women talk about it, but she was not expecting anything of this size! It was so long, and thick. She swallowed dryly and spoke.

"I. . . I've never seen . . ." she struggled for the right words, "I've never seen a man's . . . a man's thing before." She breathed a sigh of relief. There, I said it. "It so much bigger than I thought it would be."

Ares grinned wickedly at her unknowing assumption.

"Daria, I am a God! Being well endowed is one of the many little extras we Gods enjoy." He grinned smugly. "Most mortal men don't even come close in comparison. Nor do they know how to use it as well."

Daria couldn't keep her eyes from Ares' huge erection. It bounced proudly in front of him as he laughed and talked. Then she realized she hadn't finished removing his pants yet, so she returned to the task, trying to ignore the large shaft poking about, around her head. After what seemed like an eternity, she finished stripping the God of all his clothes. Naked, he loomed over her with his arms crossed in front of his chest. His powerful presence humbling her.

Daria's eyes slowly crept up his body until she was looking at his face. They were exceptionally green at the moment, contrasting beautifully with her olive skin and long, silky, blonde hair. Gods, she is beautiful, Ares thought as he absorbed the sight of her sitting in front of him. He extended his hands to her and she took hold of them. He quickly pulled her up and into a licentious kiss. He groaned in excitement when her tiny tongue darted out and lightly brushed against his upper lip and pulled her tightly against him. For the first time their naked bodies touched. Her breasts pressed against him and the thick hair of his chest lightly tickled her nipples. Ares' arms enclosed her and a hand slid down the curve of her back to her ass. He pulled her even tighter to him, squeezing her ass at the same time. He rolled his hips against her pelvis and she could feel his hard shaft lying upright, sandwiched between their stomachs.

Passion rushed Daria's body causing every nerve ending to feel like it was on fire. She nearly buckled from the experience, not yet fully understanding the strange sensations he was making her feel. Her pussy throbbed as she felt a warm wetness developing between her legs. Ares reveled in the control he had over her and deepened his kiss. His tongue swirling around hers in a mock battle that he knew only he could win. He claimed her as his possession. Her will would be his will; her soul belonged only to him. He broke their kiss and looked at her, devouring her with his deeply dark and ardent eyes. Very soon, her body would also be his. Very soon, but not yet.

Ares gently moved her away from him and he fell back onto the bed. Daria just stood there, frozen in emotion. Goose bumps formed on her skin and she quivered slightly, still feeling the astounding effect he had on her.

"Daria, it's time for the next part of the test," he whispered.

She cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Research!" He smiled wickedly. "I want you to study me, study my body - like I did yours. I want you to examine every inch of me with your hands and your lips. Memorize the way I feel to your fingers and the way I taste on your tongue. When you are able to see me, in my entirety, when your eyes are closed, then you will have passed the test."

"Oh, but my handsome God of War, I can already do that!" she replied smugly. Ares laughed.

"No, no, sweet child. You know nothing of me yet. But now, it is time you learn." He patted the mattress beside him as an indication for her to join him. She didn't move but instead stayed where she was, smirking at him.

"Are you refusing to be tested? Then you will receive no rewards from me!" he teased. "And I was so looking forward to treating you," he playfully pouted.

Daria could not resist being drawn to him as she looked at his full, luscious lower lip sticking out. She crawled over to him and enclosed her mouth around it, sucking it gently between her own lips.

"Mmmmm," she moaned as she felt the soft suppleness of his skin in her mouth. She moved her mouth under his chin, playing with the hairs of his beard with her teeth, then ran her tongue over his Adams apple. Ares tilted his head back and slid further down the bed so he was lying completely flat on his back. He closed his eyes and allowed her to do as she may.

"Ooohh, yes, sweet Daria," he whispered sexily. "The test has begun. Make me proud!" His voice was already gruff sounding from the anticipation of her lips discovering his most pleasurable places.

Daria gently kissed his chest. One hand supported her propped up position while the other hand caressed the God's hard chest. Her fingers moved slowly over the firm hill of his breast, lightly brushing over the nipple, and moved up to the base of his neck. She stroked the length of his collarbone and squeezed his shoulder at the end of the run. Her lips slid between his breasts before veering off to the right side and teased his nipple with her tongue.

Ares was cooing soft sounds and one of his hands rested on her arm. When Daria playfully bit his hard nipple, he squeezed her and slightly arched his back.

"Oh, baby, you're doing just fine. Now, close your eyes and let your tongue and fingers see for you." His hand had moved into her hair now, stroking her. She kissed back up to his neck and then around to an ear.

"I can't do that. I can't take my eyes off of you, Ares. You are magnificent!"

Ares opened his eyes and looked at her. "I can fix that," he said, smiling. Suddenly, she was blindfolded with a piece of black silk cloth.

"HEY," she yelped in surprise. "What's going on here?" She tried to slide it off, but it didn't budge. "Ares, this isn't funny. I want to see you."

"No, no, sweet Daria. You will never pass the test that way, and I want to be able to reward you later. The blindfold stays. You must be able to see me in your mind's eye. Now, are you ready to continue, my lovely?"

"Do I have a choice?" she asked, smiling.

Ares examined her face. She liked this little game of his. He knew it by the way she was smirking. She is so spirited, he thought. Not too quick to back down, even to me, the God of War! His cock began to throb in union with his heartbeat as he gazed wickedly at her mouth. Her pink lips were so tender and were slightly parted as she breathed through them. Her tongue causally rested against the nook of her teeth and slightly quivered. Gods, how he wanted to feel that tongue sliding over his cock right now.

"Yes, Daria, you have a choice. I could come back later, when you're better . . . prepared for your test." He grinned, knowing what her response was going to be.

"NO. NO. I'm ready NOW. Really, I am," she pleaded.

"I don't know, Daria. Are you sure?"

"Let me show you," she said in a silky voice, and her lips found his instantly. She kissed him deeply and passionately, groaning in her throat as her tongue darted out and met his in excitement. Ares couldn't help gloating at her quick willingness to comply. He relaxed back against the pillow once more.

Wearing the blindfold was actually enhancing Daria's excitement. It tied in the back and the ends were quite long. The softness of the silk tickled her skin as they hung loosely in front, along with her hair. She resumed her examination of Ares' body, once again moving her lips under his chin. This time, though, she went more slowly, picturing his jaw and neck in her mind as her lips moved over that part of him. She continued downward to his breasts and teased them with a renewed sense of pleasure. Her hands flowed over his muscular arms.

She kissed and licked and memorized his entire chest, every bump and ripple, how his hard nipples felt to her lips, how the hair grew and where is was thicker in some places and not others. Her fingers outlined every rib and then she poked a finger in his belly button followed by her tongue. He was right, she could see him without the use of her eyes.

As she gradually got closer to the lower half of the God's body, Ares began to twitch in anticipation. He began to think that this maybe wasn't such a great idea, the heat in his groin was burning so uncomfortably now. But he maintained control, knowing the rewards that lie ahead for his patience.

Daria knew exactly where she was on the God's body. She moved from the side of him to in-between his legs and ran both hands down the sides of his hips to his feet. She began a new examination of a leg, starting at the foot. She used only her hands, massaging each toe and tickled the arch of his foot with her thumb.

"Daria!" Ares said abruptly, his voice slightly stern.

She grinned, but quickly moved up to the ankle, then the calf until she reached his knee. She laid flat on her stomach so her head was parallel with his knees. She darted her tongue out across the crease of the fold in his leg. He shivered. She allowed her wet lips to caress his inner thigh as she slowly inched her way up his leg. Before meeting his pelvis, she moved her attentions to the other leg, skipping the foot massage. He moaned in complaint, but quickly changed his tune as she once again moved her lips up his inner thigh.

Daria sat up and hunched over his groin. She was nervous, never having done anything like this before. Ares sensed her hesitation and whispered words of encouragement and reassurance to her. He couldn't have her stopping now or he would go insane.

After a moment, she gathered her courage and began the final part of her test. She took the silk end of the blindfold and dangled it over his skin. His cock jerked at the touch. Her hair lightly brushed against one side of his pelvis as she lowered her head to rest there. She took the silk and wrapped it around his large muscle and enclosed her hand around it. The feel of its firmness in her palm excited her beyond belief. The power she felt coming from him moved through her entire body and she couldn't help but gasp. As she slowly ran her hand up and down his shaft, her breathing became labored. Ares propped his head up with more pillows and watched her breasts heave up and down with each breath she took. His cock grew even harder and she felt it swell in her hand.

"Ares?" she whispered, "I'm not sure what you want me to do."

"Use your mouth to see it, baby. Replace your fingers with your tongue," he cooed sexily as he stroked her head, slightly pushing her head closer to his cock.

She resisted.

"Don't you trust me, Daria? Go on. It's okay." She could hear the frustration in his voice; he had been so patient with her thus far. "Please try, baby. You won't be sorry, I assure you," he coaxed. And neither will I, he added in thought.

She moved her head closer and he could feel her hot breath against his skin. She inhaled deeply through her nose, getting to know his scent. It was so manly and powerful. She felt that rush of warmth returning again, intoxicating her. It was calling to her, taking control over her fears, and she touched her mouth to the side of his dick with slightly open lips and her tongue between them.

"Oh, YES! Daria," he cried at first touch. A virgin mouth was a conquest in itself. But a willing and wanting virgin mouth was an ultimate prize. He had to exert great self-control not to immediately explode on the spot. He didn't want to scare her off before she even really got started.

As soon as Daria tasted him, something inside her was freed. Her doubts fled and she suddenly was filled with a desire to feel his cock in her mouth. She ran her tongue up his long, hard shaft discovering how the head expanded at a ridge, then narrowed to a point. She swirled around the top and continued that motion over the entire mushroom shape.

Then slowly she opened her mouth and enclosed it over the tip. Ares twitched and Daria moaned deeply. It wasn't as bad as she thought. As a matter of fact, it wasn't bad at all. She discovered that she liked the way it felt; his smooth, tight skin rubbing against the roof of her mouth, her tongue naturally cradled it from underneath. She found the loose skin at the back, under the ridge, and instinctively flicked her tongue over it. Ares' cock began to ripple as he strained to hold back his release.

"Ooohh, oh, Daria. Yes, my sweet. Nice and slow, nice and slow," he coached. He kept pushing her long hair away from her face so he could watch her. If he had not have known better, he would have never thought this to be her first time doing this. She was so tender and sensual, her tongue never quit moving around inside her mouth. She lightly scraped his length with her teeth, driving him wild. He had to stop her for a moment or he would lose it, and he wasn't done enjoying it yet.

"Daria, Daria - STOP, please!"

Daria withdrew quickly. She was frowning.

"What? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you? Oh, Gods. I'm so sorry." There was almost the sound of tears in her voice. She was trembling, partly from the excitement, partly from her fear.

"No, baby. Not at all. It was feeling too good! You were doing a fine job. Believe me!"

"I don't understand, then. Why did you stop me if it was feeling good? Isn't that the whole idea?" The young girl was really confused now, but at least she didn't sound like she was going to cry anymore.

Ares laughed, "Yes. Yes it is. But, with this being your first time, and all, I wanted to give you fair warning."

"Fair warning? Fair warning for what?"

Ares made the blindfold disappear. "Daria, do you know what happens when man experiences a sexual release?" He knew she didn't, so he did not wait for her to answer. "A warm, wet fluid squirts out at the moment of peak. That's when you know you have brought pleasure to your man, Daria." He was stroking his dick now and she watched him intensively. Pre-cum formed on the tip as he squeezed his cock, moving his hand up the length.

"Okay, I knew something would happen, but I wasn't sure what."

"Well, I just didn't want to spill into your mouth, Daria, without first telling you what to expect. Shall we resume, then?" he asked wickedly.

She eyed him with a roguish smile and reached for his hard muscle. Before she descended upon it, she stopped and looked at him.

"No more blindfold?"

"I don't think you need it anymore. Do you?"

Daria glanced down at the hard shaft she held in her hand. It was perfect, the ultimate representation of a man. And oh, what a man it was attached to! The sight of it sent a shiver through her. Her eyes snapped to his face and she raised and lowered her eyebrows once and nodded 'no'. Then she moved in and wrapped her mouth over the head, moaning pleasantly. She ran her tongue over the top and poked it into the slit, tasting his pre-cum. The flavor further enraged her desire for him and she took his large cock as far as she could into her mouth. She sucked him as she pulled back off and then ran her tongue and lips down one side and back up the other. She stroked him from the base up and lightly traced the outline of her lips with the head of his cock.

She felt him tensing and noticed his balls twitched, so she moved down and took one in her mouth, fondling it gently with her tongue. She glanced up at his face. He was moaning with his eyes shut and his mouth open. Gods, he looks so sexy, she thought. Before she met this God, she thought sexy was only used to describe scantly clad women. But seeing the expression on Ares' face, she found new meaning in the word. It was really making her hot, and she closed her eyes and allowed the feeling to take over.

A new Daria was born in the heat of passion, and she ministered to his throbbing cock with wanton fervor. Within moments, she brought Ares to a pinnacle eruption. He cried out her name, grabbing fistfuls of her hair, while his god seed shot from his rippling cock into her mouth. Even though he had warned her, she was still taken by surprise and gagged slightly trying to swallow it all. She couldn't and some overflowed from her mouth running down his cock.

"Oh, Daria," he whispered as he watched her retrieve the leftovers with her tongue. She was smirking and really seemed to be enjoying the entire act. When she had licked him clean, she raised her head up and looked at him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"So, War God, did I pass?" she teased.

His mouth was still open and he looked at her through half shut eyes. Satisfaction lingered in his expression and the ecstasy he just felt echoed in his voice.

"Oh, yes, my sweet. A plus."

She sat back, feeling happy with herself. Her pussy was wet from the excitement, although she had been distracted by her performance and had not paid it much attention. Ares noticed, eyeing her cunt seductively, and he moved towards Daria. When he reached her, he kissed her passionately and suddenly her attention was drawn back between her legs. Ares slid a finger into her slit and started toying with her clit. She cried and bit her lip when he touched her.

"And now, my dear, you get a reward for passing your test, as promised! Unless, of course, just knowing you passed is reward enough. Or are you still left feeling . . . unsatisfied?" he teased. He was wildly flicking over her clit now, pausing every few moments to delve a digit inside of her, then he abruptly quit.

She frowned in disappointment. "Please, Ares. Please don't stop. I want you to reward me. Please?"

Ares loved to be begged for his sexual performance. He chuckled and pushed her back so she was lying down. His mouth found a breast and he sucked the nipple into his mouth, feeling it harden against his lips. He paid her body the same attention as he had done earlier and by the time he reached her nether region, she was writhing in need of release.

She had become so hot and sticky there, that there was a wet spot forming beneath her from her overflowing excitement. Ares pushed her thighs apart wider and "hummed" when he saw her pink, glistening pussy. He wasted no time diving in-between her legs, instantly bringing her to an exhilarating climax. He kept her from worming out from under him by holding her hips tightly until she came another two times. Out of breath, Daria finally pleaded with him to stop.

Reluctantly, he lifted his head and crawled on top of her, allowing his weight to rest upon her. Her cries of euphoria had made his cock hard again, but he did not enter her. She was already beyond comprehension of the day's events and he didn't want to overload her. She was still inexperienced and he knew she wasn't ready for him to penetrate her yet. Oh, but when he did, it would be glorious, he thought. He stood and in a thought, was dressed again. He materialized a humble gown for Daria and then rejoined her on the bed and took her in his arms. He held her until she fell asleep, stroking her hair all the while.

PART FOUR

When Daria awoke the next morning, Ares was already gone. Although she felt extremely well, better than she had in a long time, she sighed heavily at the disappointment of his absence. After she dressed in her battle gear, she left the flat and headed for the main hall to find Balicus. She bounced happily along, thinking to herself that it was, indeed, a beautiful morning.

Once she had located the General, they had breakfast and he took her out on a private field, separate from the where the other soldiers were training. Ares materialized behind the cover of some nearby trees, watching Balicus take Daria through some basic maneuvers. Once their training session was complete, he let Daria take a short break. Ares made his presence known at that time and Daria couldn't hold back a huge grin when she saw him.

Ares motioned to Balicus to walk with him while Daria was resting. Ares reiterated what he expected from Balicus with Daria, and Balicus admitted that Daria had surprised him today. She did have much potential, just as the War God had said.

"Balicus, you should never question me. I have never been wrong when it comes to a warrior, or a woman, for that matter," he chuckled.

"Please, forgive my doubt, my Lord," Balicus said as he bowed his head in respect.

"Done," Ares replied, slapping Balicus on the back. Then he disappeared and re-materialized next to Daria, who was drawing in the dirt with a stick, waiting for the two men to return.

"And how are you feeling today, my dear?" he asked with a sparkle in his eye.

She stood, smiling, and replied, "I feel wonderful today!"

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, taking her in his arms. "Balicus tells me your first day of training went very well. He agrees that you have much potential, my small, great one."

"He really thinks so?"

"Yes, my sweet. As do I. And I am looking forward to seeing how much you have progressed the next time I come to visit."

"The next time? What are you saying, Ares?"

"Daria, I have the business of war to tend to and I am not sure how long it will keep me away. But I didn't want to leave without telling you goodbye first."

He held her shoulders and looked at her face. Her head was down in disappointment of the news, as she suppressed the tears that were threatening to spill from her pretty green eyes.

"I understand," she said. "Thank you for letting me know in person." She finally looked up at his face and forced a convincing smile.

Ares thought it brave of her to not show her true emotions to him. She was strong when it came to dealings of the heart. Those are the kinds of things that separate a good warrior from a great warrior. He returned her smile and pulled her into a long, comforting kiss before releasing her.

"As soon as I can, Daria, I will return." He disappeared, but Daria heard him speaking to her after he was gone. He said, "Be ready for your next lesson when I do."

The words brought back vivid images from the previous night and she chuckled to herself and whispered, "You bet I will!"

Many moons would pass before Daria would see the God of War again.

Daria was progressing quite well in her training with Balicus. Her strength increased from her daily workouts and she now could easily wield the largest of the swords that Ares had made for her. Although she would never match the strength of most warriors, she had the advantage of being quick due to her small size. Balicus realized this early on in her training, and had changed his lesson plan accordingly. He sent weekly reports keeping Ares up-to-date on her progress through one of his high priests at the local temple in the city. When Balicus heard nothing back from the War God as far as specific instructions for Daria, he proceeded to train her as he best saw fit.

The next training step for Daria would be on a more interactive level. Balicus wanted to get her on the field with the other soldiers in training. There were just too many important exercises that needed to be done in a group. Still, the general felt a bit apprehensive about Daria being amongst the other men. Ares had made it very clear to him that she NOT be a source of temptation or ridicule for the soldiers. He was already aware of the remarks some of the men threw her direction when she would enter the main hall for meals. Daria would just ignore them, swishing her ass as she passed them by with her head held high. Nonetheless, Balicus had a responsibility to train the young girl and he was going to make sure that his Master was pleased with her outcome.

After her normal warm up exercises and run, Balicus led Daria to the main field where the men's session had already begun. On their walk over, Balicus had briefed Daria on the exercise he had planned for her. She would be fighting three men at once. Balicus motioned to his second in command to send over a group of men for Daria to work with. They were the newest to join in Ares' army. Not having much training themselves, Balicus figured that they were the best choice for her to begin with. All of the trainees worked with mock swords with dulled blades made from a heavy wood. The point of the exercise was to learn to block the advances of the enemy's weapon and escape harm. Each one in the group of four would take turns "defending" them self as the other three attacked.

The three men eyed Daria as they approached. One man whispered to another.

"Oh, look! We get to play with the cold little bitch."

"Yeah, we should teach her how to warm up around us men. It's got to be lonely at night, all alone in that big room of hers." They all snickered.

"SILENCE," the General bellowed. "This is not social hour, you slime. This is training, and you are soldiers. And I expect you to act like soldiers. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Yes, sir," the men said in unison, standing at attention.

Balicus slowly walked around the three men, studying them intently. He poked one man in the back and told him to stand up straight. Then he came around to stop directly in front of them.

"You boys will be working with Daria. There are two rules for you to keep in mind when working with the woman. Rule number one: do not think of Daria as a woman. Think of her as a soldier. Treat her as a soldier. In other words, do not take it easy on her or treat her any less than you would the man standing next to you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Rule number two: if any one of you touches her in any way, other than what would happen in battle, you will not have to answer to me for your misconduct. You will answer to Ares directly. And I don't imagine that he will be very happy about it. To put it mildly, you won't be returning to the training camp again. I'm sure you all get my meaning." Balicus looked at the three men discerningly.

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now let's get to work."

Daria started off as one of the three attackers. Each taking a turn swinging at the one in the middle. One of the others had gotten in a pretty good hit on the defender on the first blow. That put him out. The next man stepped in the middle. He finally was hit by the same man who had hit the first one, putting him out as well. Now Daria stepped into the ring. She managed to fend off two attacks from each man, but got whacked on the third round.

The group continued this exercise under the scrutiny of Balicus' watchful eye. Suddenly, there was yelling coming from one of the other groups. Apparently the exercise had gotten out of hand with a couple of men and they were heavily engaged in fist-to-fist battle. Balicus ran over to the commotion, leaving Daria amongst her group.

Aaron, one of the three, was a cocky young lad with a chip on his shoulder. He only joined Ares' army because he didn't have anywhere else to go. His father had thrown him out of their home due to his smart mouth and disrespect for his elders. He was constantly causing trouble in their small village and had been known as a bully when he was a youth. The perfect recruit for a solder in the army of Ares, but he was still new and stupid. He made the mistake of starting in on Daria.

"Hey, sweet thing. Why do you keep yourself hidden away from us men?" He moved towards her, ready to grab a piece of her lovely heart-shaped ass, while her attentions were on the fight across the field. Aaron reached his hand out only to have Daria block his "attack" with her wooden sword.

"Ooww! That hurt, BITCH," he scowled. "What's your fucking problem, anyway?"

Daria glared at him. "You are! Didn't your momma ever teach you to ask before you take?" she mocked him.

"I'm a MAN. I don't have to ask to take what I want of a woman." Daria had succeeded in angering the young man and he was moving towards her again. "Come on, guys. Let's teach this little bitch to show us some respect."

The other two followed Aaron. Daria hunched as Balicus had taught her, standing ready for the onset of an attack. One man lunged for her. She quickly evaded him, knocking him to the ground with the handle of her sword and he landed face down in the dirt. Another got behind her and grabbed her free arm, twisting it behind her back. She swiftly flipped the man over her back, grabbing his arm in the process and maneuvering it behind his back now. She pushed him into the tree and he hit his head, infuriating him further.

"OH, the bitch likes it rough! I'll give it to you rough, darlin'!"

All the men were standing again, surrounding her. They moved in on her at once, but Daria surprised them all. She swiftly blocked each move with her weapon, and quickly flipped and rolled out of harms way. When she succeeded to evade the men once again, she ran off the field towards her flat.

Balicus had just caught a glimpse of Daria making a b-line off the field. He looked to the group of men she left behind and smiled slightly when he saw the anger and frustration on their faces. One man was just rising from the ground, brushing himself off and holding his fist in the air at her. It was obvious they had done something that they weren't supposed to be doing. And Daria had put them in their place. But they had been warned, and now they would have to be dealt with. He shook off his amusement and headed towards the men with fury and authority in his eyes, thinking to himself that he was glad Ares wasn't here to see all this misbehavior from his men. What was going on around here today, anyway? He had never seen such recalcitrant behavior from his men before.

Daria flung her wooden sword across the room. She was fuming from the way those men had treated her. Like some harlot to be used for their pleasure. Just who did they think they were, anyway? She walked around to the other side of the bed where a burlap sack filled with old torn uniform pieces hung from the ceiling. Daria used it to punch on. She found that it helped focus her mind, keeping it off of the way her body yearned for Ares' touch when she was alone at night. And it helped develop more strength in her arms.

She wailed her right fist into the sack, accompanied by a loud grunt. She held her lower lip between her teeth as she punched the bag again with the same fist, immediately following with her left one. She furiously beat the bag, one punch after another, grunting louder and louder. She was throwing her entire body weight into the punches now. Sweat collected on her brows and ran down the sides of her face. Her hair became damp around her forehead. Suddenly, she felt different, lighter. Like she didn't have her armor on any longer. But it was still on. Still mad, she shrugged it off and continued punching the bag. Again, she felt a strange sensation pass over her like a breeze, and she felt lighter, still. Even a little chilled. She stopped, turned and looked around the room. When she saw nothing, she focused her attention on the bag again, this time delivering a blow to the lower half of it with a sturdy kick.

"THAT's what I'm gonna give you next time you try touching me, swine!" Then suddenly, she felt naked. The sound of a deep voice startled her and she jumped around to face its owner.

"Bravo, my sweet! You were marvelous out there today. You easily defended yourself against those three insolent soldiers. And succeeded in humiliating them in front of the others."

Daria eyes flashed with anger. "YOU were there?" she lashed out.

"Yes, I was there. I saw the entire incident. You did quite well, my sweet." He reached for her cheek, but she pulled away from him.

Daria was clenching and unclenching her fists and gritting her teeth as she kept control over her anger and upset with the God standing before her. He looked amused, which made her even madder.

Ares tilted his head down and peered at her with slightly narrowed eyes. "Something wrong, my pet?"

"YOU were there and did nothing to help me?" She turned around and punched the bag as hard as she could, sending it swaying away from her.

"Help you? During a training exercise? Don't be stupid, Daria," he laughed.

Daria turned her head and looked at him; her mouth open in shock. She couldn't believe that he thought it was okay for those men to treat her that way. Just then the large burlap bag swung back towards her and knocked into her, sending her falling into Ares' muscular arms.

Ares couldn't help laughing at the small mishap. The look on her face was classic when the sack sent her flying!

"Now that's better, Daria! I was beginning to wonder if you planned on greeting your God the proper way." He had hold of her shoulders and straightened her up and he bent down his head and captured her lips.

Daria lightly struggled against him at first, but within seconds her body wilted and he had to hold her up. He pulled her against his hard chest and moaned deep in his throat, as his tongue slid into her mouth to find its partner in a seductive dance. She felt all her anger melting away.

After a long moment, he broke their kiss and hugged her, stroking her hair. She slipped her arms around his massive mid-section and squeezed him affectionately.

"I missed you . . . a lot," she said softly.

"I know, my sweet. But I'm here now." He pulled her from his body and looked in her mist filled eyes and stroked her cheek. He turned and walked to the bed and sat down facing her.

"So you missed me, huh? Show me how much, Daria. How much did you miss me?" His voice caressed Daria's soul and she was unable to resist him. Without a word, she moved to stand in front of him and removed her armor and then her leathers. She slid the shift off each shoulder and let it fall to the ground at her feet. Ares had leaned back on the bed, propped up on his elbows. His face showed no expression as his eyes slowly dragged over her nude body. Then he smiled wickedly and quickly grabbed her, pulling her on top of him. His clothes disappeared as soon he kissed her and their passion rose up and swallowed them, causing legs to intertwine and arms wrap around other's body as they rolled around on the bed.

Daria had never felt such excitement. She was so happy to see him, she wondered how she could have gotten along without him all those months, without his touch to make her feel alive, feel like a woman. Her excitement grew so strong that she bit his lip and pulled his hair, growling at him in a heated fit of desire.

"Whoa, whoa, little one, not so fast. I'm here to spend the entire afternoon with you."

Daria stopped and looked at him questionably. "Only an afternoon?"

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm a popular and busy God. There's enough of me to go around." He moved to kiss her again but she turned her head and he kissed her cheek instead.

"Do I sense jealousy, Daria?" he teased her. She turned her head back to glare in his eyes and he captured her mouth again, claiming her, taking possession of her lips. Taking full control over her. She had no choice but to surrender to his seduction. She wanted to anyway. She wanted him badly. Ares moved from her lips over a cheek and around her jaw to her neck. He licked up to her ear and whispered that she was making him really hot. Telling her he wanted to lick her entire body and how one look from her made his cock ache for her warm mouth. She shivered in anticipation as his lips descended, carving a path down her neck to one of her perky breasts.

Just as he suckled the nipple between his lips, Balicus barged through the door. He was out of breath and panting from the brisk run to the flat.

"My Lord, My Lord!"

Ares didn't remove his mouth from Daria's chest. He shot out an arm towards Balicus, sending a bolt of lightening at him. Balicus dove for the floor, covering his head with his hands and he heard the bolt whiz overhead and explode into the wall.

Ares rose to a sitting position. "Balicus - what did I tell you about interrupting me when I'm here visiting Daria?" He sent another bolt of lightening, this one purposely missing him, hitting the floor beside him and leaving behind a burnt mark.

"I know, my Lord, but this is important or I never would have . . .."

Ares cut him off. "It better be, Balicus. It better be damned important."

"It's the men, sire."

"The men? What are you talking about?"

"They're all fighting each other on the field."

Ares rolled his eyes. "Balicus, isn't that what they're suppose to be doing? Fighting."

"Yes, sire . . . I mean no. I mean they're fighting, fighting. My men and I can't keep them under control. They're like wild savages."

"Did something happen to cause this?"

"I don't know, my lord. It started off with one pair fighting, then another started up and another, now they're all fighting out there. Their swords have all turned from wood to metal."

Ares scrambled to his feet and looked at Daria. "Stay here, I'll be right back," and he disappeared.

Balicus had already exited the flat and had run back onto the battlefield, fully engaged in battle with the others. Ares had reappeared on the edge of the field and stood there observing the scene, trying to figure out what was happening. Suddenly, he saw Daria rush past him with sword in hand. She was screaming.

"I'LL SEND YOU ALL TO TARTARUS!" She held her weapon above her head, ready to strike.

Ares quickly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her back against him.

"Oh, no you don't. I told you to stay put, young lady."

She was kicking and waving her arms. "Let go of me. I want to chop off some heads. I'M GONNA KILL ALL OF YOU BASTARDS." Her eyes never left the fighting on the battlefield and he could see the rage as it flowed through her body and took her over.

It turned Ares on to see his sweet little Daria filled with such bloodlust. But he knew this wasn't really coming from her. Ares knew one of the other Gods must have done something to his army to cause this. But who? Why? He would find out.

With a thought, he sent Daria back to her flat and secured the door so she couldn't get out. It only enraged her further when she couldn't get outside and join the battle. She took her sword and attacked the hanging burlap sack until there was nothing left but shreds of material on the floor, cursing Ares' name the entire time.

Ares waved his hand at the soldiers and everyone froze dead in their tracks. He looked around. More than half of his men were down. They had been fighting with such brutality, the carnage was excessive. If this had been a true battle against one of his enemies, he would have relished the sight before him, absorbing the rage and anger in each thrust of a sword. Urging his men on to kill, pulverize, have no mercy. But this was not a real war. This was some cruel trick on him and he was royally pissed off now.

Then in the distant trees, he spotted movement. It was a dear and he knew right away who it was.

"ARTEMIS! SHOW YOURSELF!"

A flash of yellow light and his sister, the Goddess of the Hunt, appeared.

"What do you want, brother? I've got to make an appearance at an Amazon ritual in 20 minutes," she sighed, never once looking the God of War in the face.

"Why are you spying on me? Is this your doing?"

She looked up and out over the field, and snickered. "Nope. But I wish I had thought of it. What better way to disable an army than turn it against itself! Brilliant." She smiled at her brother.

"Then who?" he demanded.

"How should I know? Which God have you pissed off lately?"

"Who haven't I pissed off would be an easier question," he half-joked.

"Well, if that's all, I have to go. Happy hunting," she mocked and disappeared in an echo of laughter.

"Bitch," Ares mumbled under his breath. He sighed heavily. Now he would have to go to Olympus to find out. And he was so looking forward to spending the day with Daria. 'Daria,' he thought and then he appeared in her room. She was passed out on the floor, sitting next to the shreds of her punching bag with her back against the bed and her sword still in hand. She obviously had expelled her rage and then fell into exhaustion. He wished he could have seen it. What a sight she must have been. He picked her up and set her on the bed and covered her. He kissed her forehead and spoke softly.

"I'm sorry, little one, but I have to go and take care of this little situation. I will come back to see you as soon as I can." He disappeared in a flash of blue and white light with Olympus as his next stop.

PART FIVE

Ares appeared in his temple on Olympus. He paced the floor back and forth a few times before hesitantly yelling for Discord. She appeared instantly in a puff of gray smoke, wearing a wicked smile across her face.

"Ares! How nice of you to grace Olympus with your presence," she said sarcastically, but then closed the gap between them and ran a finger up his firmly muscled arm. "Did'cha miss me, sugar?"

Ares brushed her off as if she were the plague. "Knock it off, Discord. I didn't come here to play," he grumbled.

Discord's face turned grim and she stood with both hands on her hips, legs slightly parted. "You're no fun anymore," she sighed. "Well then, what DID you come here for?" she scowled.

Ares needed information. He needed a spy on Olympus. And Discord was the only God left that would do his dirty work - with the proper persuading. Discord was going to need a little working over. He quickly turned and slipped an arm around her waist through the open bend in her elbow and pulled her close to him. He leaned his head closer to hers and nuzzled his face to her ear. She felt his hot breath as he whispered to her.

"I said I didn't come to play. But I came with a serious need, my dear." Ares had his seduction meter turned on "high" at the moment. He bit Discord's ear, growling deeply. He flicked his tongue along the backside of her lobe and he felt her body molding into his.

She lightly giggled and her hands found his hair, playfully running her fingers through it. "Oh, Lover! I knew you couldn't stay away forever. I knew you'd get tired of playing with those mortals."

"Ah, but, Discord, they can be sooo entertaining." They both laughed and he caught and held her dark eyes before he attacked her mouth with his. She was breathless when he finally released her. He had her now, he thought. She was putty in his hands and would do anything for him. This idiotic crush she'd had on him forever certainly had its benefits, at times.

Ares walked over to some weapons hanging on the wall, pretending to look them over. He nonchalantly struck up a conversation with her.

"So, what has been happening here on Olympus while I've been away?"

Discord was still in a state of bliss. It took her a minute to realize Ares was talking to her.

"What was that, lover?"

"I asked you what's been happening around here lately? Anything interesting?"

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Hephy and Aphrodite had a big blow out last week. They made quite a spectacle of it, but they've already made up and have been all lovey-dovey this week. Yuck!" Discord spoke of Aphrodite with much disgust in her tone, for she couldn't stand the blonde bimbo.

"Good for them. What else have you noticed?"

"What do you mean, Ares? You have never been interested in the gossip around here before. If you want to know something specific, then just ask. For Zeus' sake! Don't make me play this stupid little game." She walked up behind him and slipped her arms around him, fondling a nipple through his open vest. "I've got better things to do with MY time, lover boy," she concluded, pinching his nipple hard.

Ares grabbed her wrist and turned around. He glared at her and then let his eyes drop down her body quickly.

"No games?" he said. "Why, Discord. You're the master of games."

She yanked her wrist out of his grasp. She frowned, realizing that he wanted something from her. Just not what she was thinking.

"What do you want, Ares?" she asked as she turned and started walking towards his throne. She sat down and crossed her legs, looking serious.

"I need to know if any of the Gods are angry with me. Have you heard any of them badmouthing me?"

"Ares, they ALL badmouth you," she laughed.

Ares stared coldly at her. "I mean has anyone got a particular beef with me about something?"

Discord sighed. "What have you done now, Brother?"

"I haven't done anything," he said, losing his patience with her. "So I guess you haven't heard anything then, right?"

"Well . . ." Discord sat there pondering a moment. "Not that I can remember . . . no wait! When I was in the bathhouse last week, Artemis and Athena were there, too. It didn't take them long to leave after I showed up, but I do remember them talking softly when I arrived. Apparently Athena is a bit disturbed by your actions lately. She thinks you are corrupting her land or stealing her worshippers, something like that. I remember her saying 'two can play at this game.' That's all I heard. So, are you going to fill me in? What kind of trouble are you stirring up?" she grinned.

Ares lifted his eyebrows and an enlightened look crossed his face. Athena! Now why didn't I see that, he told himself.

"Not now, Discord," he answered abruptly and then disappeared in a flash of light.

Ares reappeared in Athena's temple on Olympus.

"Athena. ATHENA," he called out. "Show yourself. We need to talk. NOW!" Ares was furious and unclear as to why she would have pulled such a stunt with his army. If she had a problem with him, she should have just said so. There was one peace that Ares always tried to keep and that was in dealing with his family. It didn't always work out like that, but other than with Hercules, Ares stayed clear of the other Gods and Goddesses. "DAMMIT, ATHENA, I SAID SHOW YOURSELF."

A golden cloud of light appeared and Athena took form in front of Ares.

"I am not a dog, dear Brother. I do not come when called," she remarked. She was so stuffy, always acting like she was superior to everyone else. "What are you doing in MY temple?"

Ares was a good two feet taller than his sister. He moved closer to her, towering over her with deadly eyes, trying to intimidate her with his presence. It had no affect on the Goddess. She merely reached for a group of red grapes that were on a table she was standing beside.

"What did you do to my army?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Athena. What did you do to my men on the field?" he demanded to know.

She snickered. "That's your army? How pitiful." She popped a grape in her mouth. Just before she popped another one, Ares caught her wrist.

"Why are you messing with MY men?"

Athena's eyes became fierce as she stared into Ares' eyes. "Because you've overstepped your bounds once again, dear Brother." She pulled her wrist from him and tossed the grapes back on the table.

Ares stood up straighter. "I've done nothing of the sort. I haven't been in your territory in years."

"It's not my land you've been messing with, Ares. It's a particular person."

"Lemme guess. I've turned one of your femmes into a cock lover again."

Athena glared at him through narrowed eyes. "No, she's not one of my femmes."

"Not yet, anyway," he smirked, sarcastically. "Who is it this time?" He rolled his eyes.

Athena laughed heartily. "What do you think I am - stupid? I'm not going to tell you and give you the chance to alter her destiny. But know this, I will not stop doing whatever I think is necessary to keep you from her, Ares. This little one is destined to do something great. She will lead my people to victory in a most important batt . . " Athena stopped in mid-sentence, afraid she had already said too much. She studied Ares face and could tell he was silently sorting through the women he knew, trying to figure out who she was referring to.

But Ares already knew. Athena had given it away by saying that she was little and would do something great. It was Ares' turn to laugh at her.

"You're after Daria, aren't you, Athena? You're talking about the Small, Great One. She is a pretty little thing, too! Ow, I just bet you want her to serve you, Sister. Well, you're a little too late, my dear. She belongs to me."

"She belongs to no-one," Athena snapped. "I didn't hear her make any vow to you, Ares. Now unless you want an all out war between the two of us, I suggest you stay away from her."

Ares laughed again. "Go to Tartarus, Witch. I'll do nothing of the sort. That one has much potential . . . in many ways!" he grinned. "She will make a great warrior for the God of War, not to mention one hell of a lover."

"Ares, I'm warning you . . ."

"Warning me. Athena, you act as if I am holding Daria prisoner. She is where she is by her own choice. She WANTS to be under my care. Besides, what makes you think she would serve you, anyway? Before I met her, she wanted nothing to do with ANY of the Gods until she was brought to my attention by the Fates."

"The Fates? Is that what you think? The fates could care less about the mortal. Besides, they have been too busy keeping watch on the lifelines for some child who is supposed to bring down Zeus. I am the one who has been guiding Daria's path all these years. And everything was moving along fine - until you showed up and swooped her off to your temple and seduced her."

"Well, I have been told that I'm quite hard to resist!" Ares said, batting his eyelashes in an exaggerated way.

"Leave Daria alone. If you send her away now, Ares, I won't do anything else to your army. You have my word on this."

Ares smiled at her. "I think I'll let Daria decide what she wants to do." And he disappeared once again.

Athena paced the floor furiously.

"Well if she's not going to serve me, dear Brother, she's not going to serve you, either. I'll see her dead first," Athena roared and then smiled wickedly. With a wave of her hand, she erased Daria's memories of the War God, and sent her to a remote island off the coast of Greece where Ares would not think to look for her.

PART SIX

In the early morning sun of the following day, Daria awoke under the shade of a large tree, wearing her battle gear. Her weapons were neatly lying off to the side, along with a pack containing her personal belongings. At one time, there had been a small fire burning in the pit next to where she had laid, but it had long since burned out, and there was only a pile of ashes there now.

Although she was unsure of where exactly she was, she figured she must have been traveling and decided to camp here for the night. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, stood and stretched, while glancing around to see what looked familiar to her. Nothing came to mind. Not even a landmark tree or bush or rock. Confused and frustrated, Daria sat back down on a nearby rock.

"How am I supposed to continue my journey, if I can't remember which way I came from? What in Tartarus is wrong with me today?" she mumbled to herself as she opened her pack to see if she had any food to eat. She found some bread and some red grapes. She grabbed the small loaf and took a bite. It was dry.

"Well, I guess I should find some water to go with this bread before I choke to death trying to swallow it." The words were very distorted, muffled by a mouthful of dry food. She grabbed her cup and set it off to the side. Then she sheathed her sword and hid a small dagger on a leg and assembled her pack on her back. She picked up the cup again and headed out to scout for a lake or stream.

She had an uneasy feeling while walking through the forest. Her eyes looked around for anything but the water she wanted. She just couldn't figure out where she was and why nothing looked familiar to her. It left her feeling spooked and she shivered as a chill ran down her spine.

"This doesn't feel right," she whispered as she paused before entering a small clearing. She could see a lake just beyond the pass, yet she hesitated to move towards it. She felt something creepy in the air. Every sense in her body was peaked and crying out.

Without turning around, Daria quietly backed up a step, and then another, only to freeze on the spot when she felt hot air brush the back of her neck. She turned around to find herself face to face with a large, foul-smelling man with a bald head and most of his teeth missing.

"Well, what do we have here? An escaped slave, perhaps?" he laughed, grabbing her by both arms. "Are you lost, little girl?"

Daria jerked free from his hold. "Unhand me, stranger."

He just grabbed her again, this time holding onto her with more force. "Or you'll do WHAT? Scream? Go ahead. No one will hear you. There's not another soul around for miles. Besides, people don't interfere with a slave catcher's work."

The stench of his breath almost caused Daria to puke. He quickly grabbed a fist full of her long hair and pulled her face closer to his, attempting to kiss her. Instinct kicked in and Daria raised her knee until it made contact with the man's groin. He suddenly released her and moved both hands to cup over his injury. Slightly bent over, he groaned loudly.

"Why, you little bitch. How DARE you mess with me. I'm gonna . . . " He looked up to see the wench's face, but she was gone. He saw Daria making fast tracks to the clearing and started after her. "You bitch, you ain't getting away from me THAT easy," he yelled to her.

Daria could hear him shouting and knew that he wasn't far behind her. Then she remembered she had a sword, and she was wearing battle gear. I must be a warrior, she thought. Then why don't I remember that I am? Panic crept into her mind and now each step she took seemed to be moving in slow motion. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat echoing in her head and her breathing became heavy. Suddenly, she found herself falling toward the ground. Apparently she had tripped on a rock or root and she barely responded quickly enough to break her fall with her hands.

"Ooph!" she said, while hitting the ground and eating dirt. She quickly rolled over and got to her feet. Her perpetrator was nearly upon her. She reached for her sword without thinking and stood in the defense stance that she had been taught. She held her sword out in front of her, ready to attack the man as he approached.

The bald man noticed she had a weapon and stopped short of reaching her. He reached for his own sword and then started taking calm, large strides towards her. He had a look of determination and anger on his face.

"So, you want to play it rough, huh? You're a little wild one, aren't you? That's good! You'll bring in a some heavy bidding at the slave auction," he grinned. "Now, why don't you make it easy for yourself and just put down the sword. I don't want to damage the merchandise, ya know."

Daria looked at him as if he were crazy. "Slave auction? I don't think so." The slaver moved to catch her, but Daria was ready this time and easily evaded him. He quickly turned, growling, and moved towards her again. Their swords met with a clank. Daria fought admirably, and even got in a good swipe on the man's arm, but the slaver was too strong and before long, he knocked Daria's sword from her inexperienced hand.

Realizing he was gaining the upper hand, she turned to take off running again. But this time, the slaver caught her foot before she could get away and she suddenly found herself struggling underneath the weight of the man's body. He had tackled her and was trying to subdue her now.

"Hold still, you little bitch, while I get you tied," he ordered. He didn't really think that Daria was going to comply with his request, so he punched her in the face, knocking her out long enough for him to finish his task. Once she was secure, he slapped her across the face to wake her.

"Wake up, slave. We've got to get moving if we are going to make the auction on time." He pulled her to her feet and started shoving her the way he wanted to go.

After two hours of silent walking, Daria began to drag her feet. She noticed the man taking a drink from his skinned pouch and she realized she never did get that drink of water she was looking for earlier.

"I'm thirsty, too," she stated to her captor.

He looked at her and laughed. "So?" He continued to drain the rest of the water from the skin and tossed the empty bag at her feet.

"Uh-oh! There's no more left. Too bad!" He pushed her once more to get her moving again and continued to say, "We're almost to Panethmus, anyway."

Daria looked to the direction they were heading and could see a city in the distance. It looked to be quite large, surrounded by a stone wall. She could see the tower of what she believed to be a castle. She sighed in relief. Good! Maybe there is someone there who will help me out of this mess, she thought.

The entry guards pushed open the large heavy gate to allow the slaver and his new catch into the city. Once inside, Daria's heart sank. It was no city. It was more like a slave camp. Everything was run down and ratty looking. There were many people working various tasks, but each and every one of them was chained to a pole. She looked at the faces of the prisoners as she walked past them. No one looked or smiled at her, she heard no laughing children playing, most of the adults had large, dark circles under their eyes. And many showed scars of abuse or torture.

Daria heard a woman crying a distance away. She could see a large man hovering over a small, frail silhouette. He looked to be beating her or maybe he had a whip. Either way, he as causing bodily harm to the poor woman. Daria's temper flared. She wanted, so much, to rush over there and kick the shit out of the slaver. Suddenly, she was jerked back to reality when she felt someone slap her across the face. It was her captor.

"Answer me, bitch," he snapped.

Daria stared blankly at him. "Ww. . . what?"

"I asked, 'how old are you?' Tell me!" he bellowed.

"Nineteen," she answered curtly.

The slaver was dragging Daria across the courtyard towards the main building, the castle. Once inside, Daria was taken to a secured wing, where she was handed over to a small group of women. The entire wing had been converted to a slave preparation center. Most of the rooms contained cells; a few rooms were set up as bathing areas.

The slaver shoved Daria into the room. "Prepare her for the auction tonight," he ordered and left the room. Immediately, the women moved to Daria and undressed and bathed her. When they were done, they perfumed her body and painted her face. Daria was handed a sheer gown to put on. Daria dressed and looked down at herself. The gown barely covered her.

"I can't wear this," she cried. "It doesn't cover anything."

The middle aged, dark haired lady, who was obviously in charge here, started laughing. "That's the point, you stupid girl. You're being sold off tonight. The boys want to be able to get the most dinars for your young little body, and so the bidders will need to see it, now, won't they?" she said sarcastically.

"Sold?" Daria whispered to herself in shock. It was finally sinking in that she was in one Tartarus of a mess.

Another man appeared in the door of the room. "It's time, Lydia."

The middle-aged lady looked his way and noticed that he had spotted Daria right away. He was staring at her and licking his lips with raw, animalistic desire in his eyes.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, Vinn. She goes up on the block tonight. Should bring in a hefty purse, too." Lydia rose and walked over to Daria and cupped one of her breasts in hand, squeezing it and making the nipple hard so it poked out from under the lightweight material of the dress. "See how young and firm her body is. This is the kind of slave that all those horny ol' Dukes want around to play with." She was speaking as if Daria was not even in the room, but then looked Daria in the eyes and smiled wickedly. "You're still a virgin, aren't you, dear?"

Daria looked shocked but nodded yes. She brought her arms up in an attempt to cover her chest. Lydia lazily dragged her hand across Daria's shoulder as she circled around her, looking her over, secretly wishing she could keep her for her own pleasure.

"Well, maybe I'll just put in a bid for her myself," Vinn told Lydia. Then he spoke directly to Daria. "You sure are a sweet little wench! I can almost taste you right now," he winked at her.

Fear crossed Daria's face at the thought of what this bandit wanted to do to her. Tears began to escape her eyes and run down her cheek. Lydia noticed and told one of the other women to powder her face again.

"GET OUT OF HERE, VINN," she yelled at the man. "You're ruining all of my handiwork. Go, now. I'll bring her and the others in a minute."

Back at the training camp, Ares assembled what was left of his army after discovering that Daria was missing. He paced furiously in front of the group of confused men. None of them remembered what happened. All they knew was that the God of War was extremely angry with the lot of them. He turned and glared at poor Balicus, who was equally confused.

"I can't believe you let her be taken. Daria was YOUR responsibility, Balicus," he bellowed.

"But, Lord, I didn't see any . . ."

"SILENCE! I need to think." It took Ares every ounce of control to keep from blasting Balicus to Tartarus. And if more that half of his army hadn't been killed, he would of. But he needed all the men he had, Balicus included. Ares paced some more, mumbling how much of a bitch Athena was and she was gonna be sorry for messing with him.

"I want you to take the men, Balicus, and find her. Do not return until you do so. And you better find her, Balicus." His voice was cold and serious. The men all scurried off to begin their search.

Ares appeared in his temple to do some searching of his own. He conjured up a viewing mirror and began combing through all of Greece, starting with the cities furthest from the camp. He knew Athena had taken her someplace, but where? He didn't think she would take her out of her own realm of power, so she must still be in Greece.

"Oh, you've hidden her quite well, Sister. Don't think you're going to get away with this, either," he spoke aloud. He continued to scour the images for anything that seemed out of place.

"Come on, Daria! Call on me for help. Just whisper my name and then I can find you." He didn't understand why he hadn't heard her call for him yet. Surely she knew that he would come for her. That he would protect her from any real danger. All of a sudden, he was floored by a slue of thoughts. Maybe Athena tricked her some way, making her think she was still at the camp. Or maybe she was hurt and couldn't call for him. Or even worse, dead.

Ares exploded in a rage of frustration and let out a yell that rumbled the entire temple.

"A T H E N A ! ! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!"

Back on Olympus, Athena waved away the image of Ares in his temple, smiling arrogantly. "Give it your best shot, Brother."

She knew she had found the perfect hiding place. As long as Daria was on the island, Ares wouldn't be able to find her. The island was neutral territory. It didn't fall under the domain of any of the Greek Gods. Because it was an island, technically, it would be part of Poseidon's territory. But Poseidon ruled only the water, not land. And the island was a small mass of land. Unless Poseidon relinquished the territory to another God's rule, landmasses in his area were neutral, and stayed that way since the God of the Sea never thought much about them.

The island folk had never caused any trouble and Poseidon didn't see a need to discipline the mortals.

There were a number of ships that had traveled the seas today. Most of which had come to drop anchor off the coast of a small island, as they did every month around this time. Soon, the shore was crowded with small rowboats as potential slave buyers arrived for the auction.

They gathered in a large room in the castle, chatting amongst themselves, enjoying being catered to and teased by the half-naked slave girls that worked the auctions. The slavers used the girls to make the buyers hot and horny. If the men were feeling needy, they tended to bid more enthusiastically when a pretty young girl was on the block. And they knew they had a number of desirable women for sale this month.

Daria had been chained at the wrists and was locked, with a number of other girls, to a wall with steel bars in a room off of the main auction area. She could hear the screaming of a little girl who had just been sold to someone. She was only a child. She was screaming for her mommy not to let them take her. The mother, who was chained at the front of the room they were in, was crying frantically.

"Please, please don't take my baby from me. Please, I'm begging you."

"SHUT UP, SLAVE," a guard yelled and backhanded her across the face. "Maybe if you're lucky, the same buyer will purchase you, too. But if you don't shut your fuckin' mouth, I'll take you back to the cells and you'll get sold next month instead. Then your chances of being bought by the same man are greatly reduced," he laughed.

The woman stifled her tears and tried to compose herself the best she could. She was the next one to go out on the block.

All too quickly, it was Daria's turn to be put on display. She had to be dragged to the stage, kicking and screaming the entire time. Eventually, causing herself to be gagged by the auctioneer from screaming obscenities at everyone.

The auctioneer used her fighting nature as a selling point in addition to her beauty and youth.

"Now, when was the last time you saw a slave girl with such beauty being so rebellious?" he asked the crowd. "I know how some of you out there like the challenge of training a feisty new slave girl. I guarantee - this one will not disappoint you. Okay, who will start the bidding?"

By the time the bidding for Daria was complete, she had brought in over a thousand dinars. She had been purchased by a rich, high-ranking military officer from a province just outside of Greece. He was a large man, and really not bad looking, only he was as cruel and heartless as they came. He had taken one look at Daria and his cock became hard as a rock. Her rebellious nature only fueled his desire for her. She would sure be fun to dominate and rape and break in, he thought as he stroked his cock through his pants in anticipation. He just had to have her and proceeded to out bid a number of other interested parties.

By the next morning, Daria found herself on her owner's ship, heading back to the mainland. She was locked in a small cabin with the other slaves that had been purchased. About an hour into the trip, a guard came to the room and collected Daria and led her to another room down the hallway. It was the main sleeping quarters. The guard hooked her chain up to a locking mechanism above the bed. She paled, knowing what would happen next. She was left alone in the room with nothing but her tortured thoughts for another hour.

Then the cabin door opened and in walked her new owner. Her "Master", as she would soon learn to call him.

PART SEVEN

A huge shattering sound pierced through all of Olympus and every God felt the ground rumble under his or her feet as Ares crash-landed on Athena's crystal chimes. It was a beautiful, angelic-sounding instrument that Apollo had created for her as a gift. An absolutely breathtaking piece of work. And now it lay charred in a thousand pieces on the elegant marble floor of Athena's home. She was disgusted, and she'd had it with Ares. Showing up unannounced. Threatening her! Athena was walking the line and her anger was starting to consume her.

Ares could see it happening, too. It was like watching a cloud of fog forming around her head. It got thicker and heavier as her anger grew, which only make it harder to see past. Ares had given her enough slack. Now he would take control of this situation before Athena went over the edge. As quickly as Athena had shot him across the room, he was up again and now had her pinned against the wall. His rage was equal to hers, if not more so.

"BY HADES, YOU ARE GONNA TO TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" he shouted.

Athena was slightly rattled by the blow against the wall. The wind was knocked out of her and she was gasping for air, and temporarily powerless in Ares' iron grip.

"Put her down, Ares. NOW." Zeus' voice cut through Ares' spine like glass. He turned and glared at his father, but still did not release his sister.

"Ares . . ." Zeus repeated, seriously. Ares reluctantly complied and dropped Athena to the ground. "What is going on here, Athena?"

Athena started to speak, but still had not fully recovered from the blow to the wall. Ares spoke up, approaching Zeus.

"It's nothing. Just a little misunderstanding, Zeus," he said, waving off a hand. "Nothing you need stick your nose in." He showed no respect for his father. Ares gave up trying to impress the King of the Gods a long time ago. He turned back to Athena, who was just getting to her feet now. "If you won't tell me where she is, at least go and check on her. There is something wrong. I can feel it."

"The only thing wrong is that you are stupider than you look if you think I'm going to check in on her and lead you straight to her. Humph! Try again, Brother," she frowned, casting her head to the side.

"That's enough!" Zeus interrupted. "Whom are you fighting over?"

Ares ignored Zeus and continued to drill into Athena. "It's not a trick, Athena. I can feel the stirrings of a serious battle beginning. You've put her in danger, I just know it."

"She's not in any danger as long as she's where you can't get to her."

"Whom are you talking about?" Zeus asked again.

Ares continued, "She's not a warrior yet. You took her from her training. She'll never be your peoples' warrior savior if she not trained to fight in battle."

"WHOM ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Zeus roared, angry at being ignored twice before.

Ares turned and looked into his father's furious face. "Athena seems to think that all women warriors should be serving her and has kidnapped my newest female soldier," he told him. "I think she's just got the hots for the little cutie and she's jealous because I'm laying with her. Maybe you can talk some sense into her, Father."

Ares disappeared, leaving Athena to fill Zeus in on the details of the squabble.

Lord Novick was a large man with dark hair and a handsome face. He had huge, rough hands and broad shoulders. Although he was big, he was extremely fit and trim. His voice thundered out when he spoke, commanding respect and obedience from all who heard it. Daria shuddered when he spoke to her.

"What is your name, girl?" he asked, as he sat in a chair in the corner of the room. He crossed his stocky legs and arms and eyed Daria with a smirk on his face.

Daria hesitated, at first, but then gathered her courage and answered him boldly, "Daria."

"Do you know why you are here, Daria?"

She shook her head no.

Novick smiled wickedly. "Because, slave, I have chosen you as my new chambermaid. You are pleasing to the eye." He stood and walked to her and stroked her hair. She jerked her head from his hand, but he only grabbed a handful of hair and roughly turned her head to face him. His smile was gone and a black fire burned in his eyes. "My last chambermaid had an unfortunate accident. She fell out of a window and broke her little neck." He laughed and released Daria's hair.

He returned to the chair, sat down again, and stared out of the small porthole window. "It would be a shame if one of my new slaves fell overboard and drown before we got back to my estate, now, wouldn't it?" He snapped his gaze back to Daria. She knew he was trying to intimidate her.

Daria lowered her head. "Yes, sir." She raised her eyes up to look at him. He was glaring at her.

"Sir? Sir?" he laughed. "Only paid servants and working peasants have the right to address me as 'Sir.' You, my dear, are my slave, and I am your 'master,' and you will address me as such. Understand?"

Daria's blood was boiling inside. In all of her life she had never been so angry. But she was powerless to do anything. But she promised herself that when they were back on dry land, she was going to do something about it. Just who does he think he is, anyway? "Yes, Master," she answered, reluctantly.

"That's better," he said calmly. After a few very uncomfortable minutes, Novick rose again, reached into his pocket and pulled out a key and unlocked Daria from the chains.

"Get undressed," he commanded. Daria looked at him in shock. "NOW," he yelled.

Feeling like she had no other choice, Daria slowly removed her clothing. The wicked smirk had returned to Novick's face as he watched her strip. This was no slave, he could tell. This was some unfortunate woman, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And now she was here. But, oh, what a vision! The way her full, round breasts firmly bounced as she swayed; how her long, golden hair cascaded across her back; the way she moved; those beautiful green eyes; all had him spellbound with desire. Oh, yes, he wanted this one, and not just because he purchased her; it was more than that. He wanted her to want him, to desire him. The same way he desired her.

When she was done, she turned and stood before him, submissively. Although pleased with her cooperation, Novick was more in the mood to play, but Daria was following his every order without resistance. Where was the raging fire she had displayed back at the auction? This is much too easy. Then he figured, since they were on a boat, there really was no place for her to escape to if she did try. He decided to wait until the trip was over before starting any serious training with her.

He stood and walked to the dresser where he retrieved another chain. This one had a collar lock. He attached it around Daria's neck and started to lead her from the room like a puppy. Daria resisted following him and Novick got his first rush of disobedience.

He glared at her and yanked the chain harder. "COME."

"But . . . I have no clothes," she responded, blushing immensely.

"You are a SLAVE now, girl. You need to learn what it means to be a slave. You will do as you are told or you will suffer the consequences. Now, COME."

Embarrassed and appalled, Daria could not take her eyes from the ground as Lord Novick led her up to the deck. She could feel the eyes of the ship's crew crawling over her naked body, and she covered her chest with her arms in an attempt to hide herself.

Novick saw her pathetic effort and laughed cruelly. "What's wrong, slave? Don't like being paraded around for all to see? Don't worry. They know better than to touch my property." He continued walking to the center of the main deck. "That is, unless they have my permission." He winked at Daria who had turned pale as a ghost.

They stopped at the pole that held the lookout tower. Novick motioned to another mate to bring over a tall stool and place it in front of the pole. "SIT," he commanded her. She did, and he positioned her with her back against the pole. He took the chain attached to the collar and wrapped it around the pole, securing her.

He walked over to a wooden chest nearby and got two more sets of chains and put them on Daria wrists and ankles. He chained both hands behind her back, around the pole.

Daria looked at him with sad eyes. "Please. Please, don't do this to me. . . Master!"

He just looked at her and smiled with cold eyes. Then he took her feet, lifted them above her head and attached the chain around the pole so she was unable to bring her legs down, exposing her virgin pussy for all to see.

"That's better! Now, all my men get to see what a tasty treat you are," he laughed. "They will be wild with jealously because they can't have you. They'll want to ram their hard cocks into your exposed little pussy, or in that wet little mouth of yours. But, don't worry, my sweet. I won't let them. You belong to me." He reached down and poked a finger into her pussy, pulled it out and slowly licked it. He leaned in close to Daria's face and whispered. "Owww, you taste so sweet! I'm am really going to enjoy you when we get home."

Daria had tears forming in her eyes now. He expression was one of fear and helplessness and she pleaded with him, "Please, Master, please don't leave me like this. Please."

The smirk left Novick face and he pressed his groin against Daria's pussy. "Do you want me to take you right here? Right now? I'm sure my men would love a show."

"No, no."

"Well, then, shut up. You do not speak unless spoken to. I said you needed a lesson and a lesson you will have. No, I will not remove you from this position until I feel that you have learned just who is the Master and who is the slave." He leaned in and kissed her, grabbing her ass with one of his big hands.

It surprised Daria that his lips were soft, yet the kiss itself was brutal and invading. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth and she closed her eyes. She was sure she had not been kissed before, then why did it seem familiar? Forgetting briefly, exactly where she was, she moaned slightly and started to suck on Novick's probing tongue, instinctively.

He felt her responding and moved his hand from her ass to her pussy and started rubbing her clit. She shuddered and moaned again, allowing his tongue further access into her mouth, deepening the kiss. He abruptly pulled away from her lips and she snapped open her eyes in shock, once again realizing where she was.

Novick's face lit up with surprised delight. Excitement shined in his eyes as he smiled wickedly at her, moving his gaze back and forth from her pussy to her face. "Oh, yes! I am going to enjoy training you, slave. And it seems that you might just enjoy it, too," he laughed.

Then Novick turned and announced to the crew, "Listen up, men. If any one of you hounds touches, licks, kisses or even breathes on my new slave girl, I will kill you personally. That is, after I cut your cock from your body with a dull knife."

Novick could hear the grumbles and protests from his crewmates. Usually, Novick liked to fuck his new slaves in front of an audience, and then watch as his crew gang raped her when he was finished. The brutality of a gang rape would always make his cock rock hard again and then he could be both the first and last to fuck the new slave.

But he wanted Daria all for himself. He reiterated his instructions to the crew.

"This one is not being shared. Understand? She is all mine. You boys can choose one girl from the new group in lower cabin, to share amongst you. Doesn't matter which one. Just don't touch this one. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" he yelled.

He heard the men agreeing and saw that two of them had already started heading for the lower cabin to choose a wench to ravish. As long as they had their own to play with, they would not touch Daria. They would look at her, tease her, humiliate her, but none of the crewmen would dare go against the wishes of Lord Novick, one of the most powerful and ruthless commanders in the Roman army.

PART EIGHT

Lord Novick did not release Daria from being tied to the pole in her exposed position until they were within the last few miles of shore. He removed all of the chains that he had attached and threw her a jade green velvet gown. It was a gown of the best quality and material, even accented with some simple jeweled stones. Lord Novick may have been known throughout his province for his ruthlessness, but he was also known for his desire to surround himself with the best the land had to offer. He was a man of fine taste, and Daria suited it just fine right now.

He took her back to his cabin and left her so she could wash up and dress. A short time later, he returned for her and stopped in surprise when he saw her in the dress. She was a beauty to begin with, but in the jade gown, she looked like royalty. She was stunning. Her tanned skin looked smooth and healthy, and her golden blonde hair contrasted beautifully against the green in the dress, which also brought out her green eyes.

In that moment, the moment when Lord Novick's heart beat a little harder in his chest, he knew he wanted her more than any other woman he'd encountered. He wanted all of her - body and soul, and vowed silently to himself that he would make her want him as much he did her.

And Lord Novick always got what he wanted. He was a cunning and crafty man. He would have never gained his position of power if he weren't in charge of his own destiny. He quickly rose through the ranks of the military, gaining favor with Caesar for having a similar philosophy about life, and soon was given his own province to rule for Rome. He was never seen in public or at social events without a beautiful maiden at his side, and now he thought he had hit the jackpot with Daria. All the men in high council would envy him; perhaps even by Caesar, himself, and the thought of it gave him a rush of excitement.

"Come," he ordered Daria. "You will stay by my side as we travel." She nodded and quickly cast her eyes away from him. Even though she feared this man, her mind was already thinking about escape, and she didn't want him to read it in her eyes. What she didn't realize is that Lord Novick had already anticipated that she would be thinking that. All new slaves did. It was only natural to want to escape when you are no longer free. He roughly grabbed her arm and jerked her to face him.

"And if you are thinking about trying to escape me, and by some minuscule chance you succeed, I will personally hunt you down and kill you slowly, first by tearing your legs from your body and then choking the life from you by ramming my huge cock down your throat." He took Daria's hand and placed it on the large bulge between his legs. Daria eyes widened in shock at the size of him. The man was well endowed, indeed. Novick leaned in and seductively whispered in her ear.

"If you think it's big now, wait until you've really got me excited! There's nothing like a good hunt, and the thrill of capturing an escaped slave, to get me all worked up." He stood up straight again and gave her an evil wink and laughed. He could tell by the look on her face that she was too frightened to try anything. Or at least not without a plan, if she was smart.

Ares paced the floor in his temple. He was agitated with the entire situation. What he had planned to be an afternoon of enjoyment with his newest trainee had turned into a bad couple of days. First, losing more than half of his army in training, then Daria's disappearance, and the fight with Athena in Olympus. It was quite unfortunate for Ares to have been distracted with Athena at the same time that Daria was being shipped off the island, or maybe he or Athena might have sensed the change in Godly domains. The trip through Greece to Rome that Novick and his men made took them across lands belonging to both Ares and Athena. But both Gods had been too wrapped up in their rage with each other to notice and Novick had made it home without incident.

Ares continued his fruitless search of Greece, determined to find Daria. Now it was not just because he wanted to get Daria back, but also because he refused to let Athena win this little war she started. He decided to make a personal visit to all soldiers and warlords that had called on him in times of battle and collect some debts. He wanted to send a man or two into each of the other Gods' realms as a spy, to look for Daria. This way, he could cover more area at once, since his powers were limited in another Gods' domain. He disappeared in a flash a blue and white light to begin the execution of his plan.

Just as night started to fall upon the land, they had reached the estate of Lord Novick. It was a large and lavish manner, decorated with fine art and tapestries. He had the best china and silver flatware. The stone floors were polished so finely that they were as smooth as marble. The manor had, at least, 35 rooms itself. There were also the servants' quarters, which were separate from the main manor. Novick had many slaves tending to the grounds and stables, as well as the house, all of which feared his Lordship greatly; yet, none could complain that they went without.

Novick did take good care of his slaves that way. Much better than they could have provided for themselves on their own. But he cared for none of them. They could easily be disposed of and replaced without even a thought. Needless to say, everyone walked on eggshells around the Master. If he was upset by something that had been done or been forgotten, it could mean one's death. And he took great joy in administering punishment. There was a platform he had build in the center of the courtyard where he would "make an example" of any that disobeyed or failed him. Wicked excitement could be seen in his eyes while he tortured or raped his victim in front of the small crowd, and that, itself, is why he was so feared. Novick loved inflicting pain on others, pure and simple.

He led Daria through the manor to the main bedchambers - his bedchambers. He turned and his eyes draped over Daria from foot to face, looking at her with much desire.

"This is where you will be staying until I decide otherwise," he said in a low tone.

"But . . . isn't this the master chambers? Your chambers?" she asked, confused.

"Why, yes, Daria. You are very perceptive for a slave. I told you when we were on the ship, that I have chosen you to be . . ."

"Master, Master!" Novick was interrupted by one of the commanding guards that worked for him. "Excuse my interruption, Lord, but your presence is needed in town. There is trouble with a couple of Greek soldiers that arrived this morning. They say that they have been commissioned by Ares to search the city."

Daria was only half paying attention to what the guard was telling Novick. She had been lost in her own thoughts while looking over the room she was to call "home," wondering how long she would last before he would tire of her, when she heard "Ares'" name. Her attention was immediately drawn to the conversation. Ares. Ares. Where have I heard that name before? I'm sure I know that name, she thought.

"We'll just see about that!" Novick responded. He looked back to Daria and told her to make herself at home while he was gone. Look around, get familiar with everything. He wanted her to be comfortable in her new surroundings. Then he reached behind her head and pulled her closer to him, and placed a kiss on Daria's forehead. Before releasing her, he inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her hair and lightly sighed.

"I'll be back soon, I promise. Then we can get better aquatinted with one another." He smiled, an almost human smile, before turning and exiting the room, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Novick made his way to town to confront the Greek soldiers face to face. He assumed that they had come to retrieve their fellow Greeks that had been purchased and were now slaves at Novick's manor. Well, no slaves would be returned without a fight, and if he lost the fight, he instructed his two closest officers to murder all the slaves rather than let them be taken from him. No one comes against Lord Novick and wins. Even if he loses, so will the enemy.

By the time he made it to town, the two soldiers had already gone. But not before leaving the message that they would return with reinforcements. Novick pushed open the doors of the local saloon and walked up to the bar. Immediately, the barkeep set a goblet of ale in front of him.

"My Lord! It is good to see you again, sire," said the barkeep in a shaky voice.

Novick picked up the goblet and downed the drink in one large gulp, slamming the empty cup back down on the bar.

"What is this I hear of Greek soldiers coming here, demanding to search the town? What is it they were looking for?" he asked him.

"Oh, yes, sire. They were quite determined to find a certain woman, my Lord. A woman which holds the interest of their God of War."

"Ares? What does Ares want with a mortal woman? Did she escape punishment from the God?" he inquired. That evil thrill of excitement crossed his face again as he entertained the vision of delivering this woman to Ares and getting to witness the wrath of a God, first hand. Perhaps he could even make an alliance with the War God.

"I know not why they wanted her, sire. They did not tell me. They only said that if we knew where she was, and didn't tell them, there would be Tartarus to pay."

"They sound determined. She must have done something to really piss Ares off. Especially to be sending his Greek soldiers into Roman territory. Did they say what this woman looked like?"

"Oh, she is young, with long, blonde hair, and green eyes. Small body, tanned skin, about my height." The barkeep stood back and held his hand at the top of his head to indicate her height.

"What is her name?"

"Maria. No! That's not it. It was . . . Dor . . .Dorthea, yes! Dorthea, I believe, my Lord."

Novick stood and pulled a few gold coins from his pocket and threw them on the bar.

"You've done well, Milo. Keep your eyes and ears pealed and let me know of anything you hear that may be of interest."

The barkeep smiled, showing that he was missing a tooth. "Thank you, Lord Novick! I will!"

By the time Novick returned to the manor, Daria was asleep. She had found an old nightgown that had belonged to his last chambermaid and changed into it. She lay atop the covers, breathing deeply and looking almost angelic as she slept.

Novick decided not to wake her, since he was tired from the trip back home, and then having to go into town this evening left him feeling really worn out. He stripped, adjusted Daria so that she was next to him and got in bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Daria awoke the next morning with her head on Novick's chest and her hand tucked between his back and the mattress, as if she were hugging him. Novick was already awake, and was playing with a lock of her hair, admiring the way it picked up the morning sunlight.

Instantly, she remembered where she was and what happened, but rather than jump up, frightened and appalled, she laid still and tried to figure out the best way to deal with this. She knew Novick had no heart, no feeling for the lives of others, and she refused to give him the satisfaction of him knowing she was afraid.

She could also tell how much he wanted her. The look in his eyes gave it away every time. Maybe that was a good thing, to hold the favor of the master. But then she remembered what he had done to her on the boat ride home. Tying her up and leaving her exposed - naked! She had never been so humiliated in her life; yet, she also found that she was strangely aroused.

Just thinking back on how the crew's eyes felt as they raked over her bare body and make her pussy wet, was beginning to stir up that same strange feeling again. She had to snuff out the urge to reach for Novick's cock, which she knew to be only inches away from her hand. Now, that was a monster to be scared of. No, she had to get out of this situation fast.

Finally, she moved and turned her head in a way that she could look her master in the face, while her chin rested on his chest.

"Good morning, My Lord. I hope you slept well."

"I slept fabulously. Especially with your body next to me to keep me warm," he answered, seductively, while stroking her hair.

Daria jumped up out of bed quickly and stood beside him, praying that he would not want her to remain in bed with him.

"May I draw a bath for my Lord? Or get you some breakfast?" Daria asked.

"No, there are others who do that. Your only job, my dear, is to keep my body satisfied." He grinned and threw back the covers, revealing an erection the length of a small dagger - with the handle included. Daria frowned and took a step back, which also caused Novick's smile to fade.

Novick threw her an angry glare. "Get over her, girl, and tend to your responsibility, or you will be punished." He grabbed his cock and began stroking it, making it even harder and larger then it was.

Daria didn't move, entranced by the sight of his large manhood.

"NOW!" Novick yelled, bringing her back to reality. She moved to his side, timidly. When she was close enough, he reached for the neck of her garment and tore it from her body with one pull. He grabbed her hair and pulled her to his cock. "Get down here and suck my cock, slave. Or have you forgotten who the Master is already? Do I need to give you another lesson?"

"No, Master, please. It's just that . . . I have never . . ."

"Spit it out, girl."

"I don't know what to do, I've never done this before," she told him.

Novick grew impatient. "It's easy, you stupid girl. Do what I told you - SUCK IT." He pushed her roughly into his crotch and held her head there. "SUCK IT NOW, BITCH. DO IT!"

Daria's mouth brushed the side of his muscle. It was warm to the touch and she felt it jerk slightly when her lips had touched it. She continued to run them along the side, occasionally, letting her tongue make contact or apply a slight sucking action.

"MMMMMmmmmm, that's a good slave. Kiss it, baby. Be real nice to it, and it will be real nice to you. You'd like that, wouldn't you, slave?"

Daria moaned in response, trying not to choke on his words. If she didn't comply with what he wanted from her, he would kill her. She was sure of that.

Novick brushed Daria's golden hair away from her face so he could watch her giving him head. It was such a hot sight to see. He felt a passion stirring from deep inside his soul. No woman had ever turned him on this much before. He wanted - no, he needed her to want him as much. In all of his life, in all of the hundreds of lovers he had taken, he had never known what it felt like to be desired by a woman - well, at least not in bed. Novick always had a perverse sexual drive. He fed on fear. It would fuel his need, his desire to take and control another. Even if a woman had started off finding Novick attractive, which many did, by the time he had her behind closed doors, the whole situation would change. He did cruel and unthinkable things to women. Kinky things, sadistic things, perverse things. If they were lucky enough to leave Novick's manor in the morning, it was certain they were never to return by their own free will.

No, Novick had never allowed himself to feel anything other than the fear he invoked from his lovers. But now, he found that he wanted something more. He wanted to feel a woman's desire for him. Her passion. Her need of him. And he wanted it from Daria.

"Suck it. Put it in your mouth and suck it. Do as I say!" he ordered. Daria gave him an emotionless look as she rubbed the engorged head of his cock against her luscious lips, before sliding it past them and into the warmth of her wet mouth. Novick's cock was huge and Daria had a hard time fitting it comfortably into her mouth. Most women did, but Novick would just push their head further down on his shaft and could care less if they gagged on it. His excitement was building and he went to do the same to Daria, but hesitated when he saw that she did not look to be enjoying herself. This is not what he wanted.

Upset, he abruptly pushed Daria off of him and she fell on to the wooden floor. She looked up at him angrily, wiping the excess saliva from her mouth and chin with the back of her hand.

"What did you do that for? I don't SUCK hard enough or something?" Daria said sarcastically.

Novick was standing above her now. He backhanded her across the face.

"Don't you talk to me in that tone of voice. I am the master around here, not you. And I don't have to have a reason to do anything to you. Do you understand? You belong to me, and I can do as I choose with you. Now, get up and go get dressed. Meet me in the dining room for breakfast in 20 minutes. And don't be late."

He stormed out of the room, not bothering to even cover his nakedness, and grabbed the first slave girl he saw. He took her into the bedroom next to his and brutally raped the woman. As Daria cleaned and dressed herself, she could hear the cries of agony coming from the poor woman as Novick's huge cock savagely ripped into her anus. She knew that's what he was doing because he was making the woman scream for him to "fuck my ass," although her words lacked conviction as she said them.

After breakfast, Novick took Daria shopping in town. He was determined to get her to want him and figured that this was the way to do it. He never once thought about changing his own cruel ways. Money and fine things had always made him happy; he thought everyone felt the same way.

By the time they had returned to the manor, it was already beginning to get dark. Novick had bought Daria three new gowns, a pairs of shoes, and some lacy undergarments. He was actually acting halfway decent towards Daria while they were out, but as soon as they stepped through the front doors of the manor, everything was back to normal. He ordered Daria to go clean up for dinner and to wear one of the new dresses he bought for her.

Although Daria keep expressing her gratitude to Novick, she was not pleased in his choice of gowns for her. They were far too revealing for her taste, with either too sheer a fabric or too low cut in the bosom. Nevertheless, she did as she was told and emerged in the dining area shortly thereafter. Novick was already seated at the table, waiting. When he got an eyeful of Daria in her new clothes he got a smug, proud look on his face.

"Mmmm-ummm! I do know how to pick 'um!" he commented as she approached the table, mindful of his choice in wardrobe for her. He reached for the wine and pored some into two delicately etched silver goblets sitting in front of him. Once Daria was seated, he lifted a goblet and very politely offered it to Daria. Novick had that seductive look about him, again. The one that always put Daria on edge because she knew what he was thinking about.

Daria accepted the wine gracefully. She kept casting her eyes everywhere except to his face, like she was nervous. It was really an attempt to prolong having to look the man in the eye. She despised men like Novick. Men of war, who barreled across people's land, their homes, and destroyed anyone or anything in their way. They would steal their food and rape their daughters and kill their sons. Selfish, heartless, contemptuous men. She had worked so hard trying to keep herself out of hands of someone like this and now - boom, here she is.

Daria began to question herself on how exactly she did end up here. Up until now, she was still realizing her present situation, but she felt a bit more at ease with Novick at the moment. He seemed . . . taken . . . with her for some reason. She knew how lucky she was to have gotten away with only a slap across the face for being smart with him this morning. He could have kick the shit out of her, but didn't. Instead he unleashed his anger on one of the other women, leaving Daria with nothing but a slightly swollen lip on one side.

She looked at him curiously as he informed the servants to serve the food, then quickly looked away when he started to turn back. She stared into her wine and her thoughts returned to the morning she woke up and didn't remember where she was. Why didn't she remember? And why did she have to take a boat to get to Rome through Greece? Maybe she didn't wake up in the same place where she had gone to sleep!

Daria mind started spinning in obscure questions. She barely noticed the low grumbling sound coming from off to her right. Suddenly, she felt the cool liquid of the wine splashing onto the sleeve of her dress as her arm was practically jerked from her body.

"I'm talking to you, girl. Now answer me!" Novick roared. He was angry, not taking to kindly to being ignored during supper.

Daria looked at him in surprise and asked, "Wh-wh-what d-d-did you say, my Lord?" Realizing his anger with her, she quickly added in a silky voice, "Please forgive me for not hearing you the first time, Master. I was just reminiscing about our shopping trip today, and how fortunate I am that you are a generous master. Thank you."

Novick released his grip from around Daria's arm, but his didn't remove his hand. He ran it up her arm and over her shoulder, until he reached her cheek and then caressed it. His entire mood changed back to seductive again and Daria wasn't sure if she didn't prefer his anger to this.

"Don't worry, my dear. You can show me how grateful you are a little later tonight," he purred. Finally, Novick sat back in his chair and began to eat his meal. Daria went straight for the goblet of wine and emptied it with four large swallows.

"So, you like the wine, I see," Novick said as he refilled her glass. "You'd better put some food in your stomach, too, girl. I'll not have you getting sick on yourself and ruining those fine clothes I just got you. You've already soiled the sleeve, so watch it!" he reprimanded.

"Yes, Master," she responded, as she took a bite of the chicken that had been placed in front of her. For the rest of the meal, Daria answered Novick's questions, laughed when appropriate, and acted like a perfect lady.

Novick seemed genuinely pleased with her company. He, for the most part, had not really flirted too heavily with Daria, although occasionally he would rub her leg or squeeze her knee or arm. He had refilled Daria's cup with wine for the forth time when a servant entered and announced that Lord Novick had a visitor waiting in the foyer, who insisted on speaking with him.

Novick told Daria to wait for him in his bedchambers and to be ready for him! The thought sent shivers down Daria's spine, and before exiting the room, she downed the rest of the wine in her cup.

Daria hadn't realized she could feel the effect of the wine until after she started to walk the long corridor. She prayed that she had drunk enough of it to be passed out beyond revival when Novick came for her. Although she was already feeling numb, each step closer to the bedroom heightened her anxiety. By the time she reached the room, her head was spinning in an unpleasant manner. She just barely made it to the bed, where she flopped down on her back, leaving her feet hanging off the side.

Novick stormed into the room a while later, slamming the door closed behind him. He was upset because he had been summonsed to Rome. There was some business Caesar needed him to handle, and Novick never turned down any of Caesar's requests. Caesar had played far too important a part in Novick's success, so he felt obligated to do the man a few 'favors' whenever he asked. He was to leave in the morning.

Novick looked over at Daria, who lay immobilized on the bed. She had not passed out like she had hoped, but rather found herself in a giggly mood. Novick startled her out of a daydream by snapping at her.

"Dammit, girl! I told you to be ready. Why are you still dressed?"

Daria laughed and tried to sit up. After a few seconds of struggling to gain her balance, she gave up, and allowed her head to plop back down again.

"Because, Master, I thought it would be more fun if you took it off of me, instead." Oh shit, what am I saying? she asked herself. She knew what she didn't want to happen, but she also didn't want to get killed either. The wine had caused her to loosen up a little, and the former of the two, seemed a lot more appealing at the moment.

A wicked smile crossed Novick's bearded face. "So, you want to play now, do you?" He jumped on the bed, straddling over Daria on all fours. She half-screamed, half-giggled, trying to scoot back from him in a playful way.

"Oh, no you don't," he said as he grabbed her hips and slid her back under him.

When their faces were aligned, he swooped in on Daria's lips, taking her by surprise. His kiss was confident, yet gentle. He slowly and sexily licked the outline of her lips and then placed his full lips over hers; covering them completely, mouth slightly parted. He relaxed some of his body weight on top of hers, and started grinding her lightly.

Daria's excitement began rising from the sensations he was giving her. She wanted to melt into his inviting kiss, to swallow her up in passion. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started pulling him into her, deepening their kiss. Daria allowed herself to be taken over by her own desire and all the anxiety she felt earlier had faded away.

PART NINE

Novick slid his arms under Daria's body and scooped her up when he heard her moan in his mouth. He rolled himself over, bringing Daria on top of him, never breaking their kiss. He ran his fingers through her long hair and then down her back. His excitement was building rapidly and he pushed her up into a sitting position so he could catch a breath of air.

Daria's hair was mussed and she was eyeing Novick through half shut eyes. She looked so sexy to him. His cock was quickly becoming rock hard and he was anxious to get it on with her. He reached up and pinched one of her nipples through her dress. Daria slapped his hand away.

"Don't do that! You'll wrinkle my new dress," she said as she started sliding it off of her shoulders.

Novick's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. This was new to him. A willing participant? he thought. Daria got off of Novick and stood wobbly. She tried to unlace the back of the dress herself with little success. Novick was watching her frustration and laughed a bit. He stood, and walked over to her, and helped her to get out of the gown. His touch was gentle, as he slowly slid the dress down her body, revealing her lacy undergarments.

"Mmmmm, nice," he remarked, as he turned her around to face him. She was blushing, but the alcohol had made her feel enough at ease that she didn't try to cover herself.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately, letting his hands squeeze her ass as he did. Daria gasped and threw her head back, exposing her neck to him. He attacked it with little nibbles. He slowly kissed down her body, sliding the pretty slip off as he did, until he found a nipple. He ran his tongue over it, circling the aureole, and then gently sucked it into his mouth. He moved to the other one and did the same.

Daria was so lost in the sensations that she didn't realize that her slip had fallen to the floor. Her hands played in his hair and she closed her eyes and moaned pleasantly. Only when Novick started to move towards her nether regions did she open her eyes and start to protest.

"Wait! What are you doing?" she asked in surprise.

Novick stood, laughing. "What am I doing? Have you forgotten already that you are a slave? A bed slave, and I plan to bed you." He grabbed her around her waist and roughly pulled her to his body and started grinding his hard cock into her. He went to kiss her again, but she turned her head away. This angered Novick and he turned and pushed her on the bed.

"Listen, slave!" he said harshly. "You will not shun my advances. I am your master, the master of this manor. And I take what I want."

Daria sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and started rocking. The anxiety had returned even greater since she knew it was her own fault she was in this position. Novick walked to the chest at the foot of the bed and retrieved another set of chains and cuffs. All the gentleness in him was gone and his usual cold, wicked look was on his face. He walked to the side of the bed and looked at Daria.

"Get up!" When she didn't move, he said it again, only louder. "I said 'GET UP,'" he bellowed.

She still didn't move, so he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off the bed.

"Please, Master, please don't do this to me. I beg you," she cried.

Novick laughed. "Do what? You don't even know what I'm going to do to you, do you? You might just like it, girl. Now hold still, or I will have to force you. And if I have to force you, then it will not be pleasant."

Daria obeyed and Novick attached the cuffs to her wrists and ankles and told her to get back on the bed. There was another one of those metal grates above the bed, like in the cabin on the boat, and Novick attached Daria's chained wrists to it first.

She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, my pretty slave. You'll like this kind of torture," he laughed.

He pulled her legs up, spreading them wide, and attached one on each side of her. This was an even more exposing position than before, Daria thought. At least on the boat her legs were close together, now she was spread wide open to him.

Novick stood back and admired his new purchase. He began to remove his clothing, never taking his eyes off of Daria the entire time. When he removed his pants, he heard her gasp as she saw his manhood spring from his body. It was big. Too big, she thought.

"What's that, lover? Do you like what you see?" he teased, taking his cock in his hand and stroking it. He looked at it with admiration. "It is magnificent, isn't it?" he said proudly.

Then he moved closer to Daria. "And you, my pretty, you're not so bad yourself. Especially in such a vulnerable position!"

Daria was speechless. Frozen. A single tear escaped from her eye. Any attraction she had felt towards Novick moments ago was replaced with fear now. Novick ran a hand down one of Daria's legs. He kneeled on the bed and ran his hand down her other leg.

"Mmmmmm. So soft. So young. So pure," he commented, not to anyone in particular. He looked her in the eyes and smiled. He knew she was scared to death of him and her fear was feeding his sexual desires. He wanted to fuck her right then. To take her savagely, then pull his monster cock out and shoot his seed all over her, like he was marking his territory. But then that would be just what he normally did, and he wanted it to be different with this one. He hadn't had a woman as pretty as Daria in some time and he wanted her to stay that way - so he could show her off. How presentable would she look with a face full of bruises?

He sat back on his feet and began stroking his cock again. He didn't speak; he just kept looking her over with desiring eyes. Before too long, he came all over his hand as he let out a huge sigh.

"Oh, yeah! That felt good," he said and then moved to hover over Daria and rubbed his seed on her breasts. He gently pinched a nipple, causing it to become erect, and then ran his hand down her stomach to her pussy. Novick was in far better control since he 'relieved' himself. Now he would concentrate on Daria, who looked rather confused at the moment.

He lowered his head between her legs and started to kiss all around her pussy. He took his finger and parted her lips, rubbing it against her clit. He sucked in one side of her pussy lips and allowed his tongue to adventure out and test the waters.

"Mmmmm. You taste so good," he said in a deep voice. Then he buried his face in her cunt, only to re-emerge a moment later. He paused to pull a hair from his mouth.

"Oh, this just won't do," he commented as he rose from the bed. He left the room, but returned a moment later with a bowl of soapy warm water and a straight edged razor.

Daria only noticed the shiny silver of the blade and was certain she was done for. She started pleading with Novick not to hurt her; that she would do anything he wanted.

"Hurt you? I'm not going to hurt you, my dear. I'm only going to get rid of a little . . . distraction, you might say."

He returned to her side and loosened the chains attached to her legs to give them more slack, so that her butt rested on the bed now. He took some of the soapy water and rubbed it between her legs. Then he grabbed the razor and knelt in front of her again.

"Now you listen to me. You have to stay completely still or you might get cut. I won't cut you if you don't move. Understand?" he said seriously.

All Daria did was nod. She wasn't exactly sure what this madman was going to do to her, but she was sure that she wouldn't like it. Novick applied more soapy water to her again and then slowly brought the razor to her pelvis. He slowly and gently began to shave away her curly, blond pubic hair. After he got about half way done, he paused and looked at her.

"It's not so bad now, is it?" He wet her with more water and finished most of the task. Now all he had to do was the sensitive area around where the lips formed. Novick laid down on his stomach so he could get a closer look at what he was doing and carefully trimmed the area.

Daria could feel the coldness of the air against her newly shaven skin. It was a strange sensation, but also quite arousing. When Novick was done, he disposed of the razor on the bedside table and retrieved a bottle of perfumed oil from the drawer. He opened it, pored a small amount into his palm, and rubbed it into Daria's sensitive skin.

"Oh, baby. That feels so good. You're so smooth and soft there. Nothing to get in the way of my tongue and your pussy," he purred.

The touch of his hand rubbing the oil on her started making her feel on fire inside. She felt an unfamiliar desire for something burning in the pit of her stomach. She began to moan and Novick chuckled at her.

"You like it! So do I. And it looks so fucking hot, girl. It looks .. . . well, here, let me show you." He walked across the room and picked up the full-length mirror and placed it at the end of the bed, then adjusted it so that she could get a full view of her hairless crotch.

"See?"

Daria lifted her head and glanced down at the mirror. When she saw what he had done to her pussy, she gasped in shock, yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. It turned her on and she could feel herself get wet there.

Novick was just observing her for a moment and then laughed. "I knew you were a nasty little bitch. Look at you, getting all excited looking at your clean pussy. You're starting to drip pussy juice."

"Oh, my!" She threw him a quick, sexy glance before her eyes returned to the mirror. He went to move it away, but Daria protested, asking him to please leave it there for a while longer. Novick smirked as he sat next to her on the bed. He took a finger and rubbed her juices over the slit, making it glisten in the torchlight where it was wet.

"Oh, gods," she said, her body uncontrollably twitching. She closed her eyes as a wave of shame washed over her. What was he doing to her? The sensations he was giving her - she liked them. He was such a monster, yet she didn't want him to stop it. And to top it all off, she liked what she was seeing in the mirror. Maybe she really was a harlot.

Her body started to tingle and she opened her eyes again when she felt the warm wetness of Novick's tongue between her legs. He was fervently licking her juices up. Making pleasant moans and grunts while he did.

The room started spinning to Daria as Novick brought her to a wild climax. Her body writhed and twisted beneath him and she screamed out at the top of her lungs.

"Oooohhhh, MMMAASSTTEERR! MASTER, GODS. I can't take any more, Master, please!" she begged him. But Novick was not going to stop until he had his fill. He brought her two more climaxes before she had a final exasperating orgasm that caused her to pass out from the excitement.

Novick sat up and wiped his mouth and chin with his hand. He unlocked the chains around her wrists and ankles and situated her under the covers, rubbing his hand over her smooth pelvis one last time before extinguishing the torches. He lay on the bed next to her and turned on his side to watch her. There was just enough moonlight for him to see her face. He brushed the hair from her eyes and lightly touched her cheek.

"I just knew that you and I were going to have a lot of fun together."

Ares was making rounds, taking the reports from the men he had sent out in search of Daria. By the time the last of the men had given his report, Ares was livid. Not one of them had found any sign of Daria. It was time to make use of some other resources he had acquired over the years.

He decided to venture into Rome as his other persona, Mars. Most of the Olympian Gods doubled as Roman Gods, although Greece was their first priority. Ares hardly spent much time in Rome ever since Caesar came into power. Caesar was a confident and ruthless ruler, who never had called on the God or War directly for assistance in any of his battles. And Ares was too busy in Greece to try and interfere with the man's plans. He seemed to be holding his own and Ares had decided that unless he was specifically called upon, he had no need to go there.

That was until now. There had been many times when the Romans had come into Greece or other countries. And during those times, many of the soldiers had called upon the name of Mars to aid them in battle. It was then that Ares, or Mars to the Roman army, had helped them many a time, and he planned to collect his favors, just like he had with his men here in Greece.

He materialized in Rome at the home of Caesar's first officer, decked out in Roman attire and looking quite Godly. It was a good enough place to start.

Novick had already left for Rome when Daria woke up the next morning. She felt like crap from drinking too much wine the night before. Wearily, she rose from bed and made her way across the room to the washbasin. After rinsing off her face, she turned to get something to wear and caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror and stopped. A flood of memories rushed her as she looked at her shaven crotch and she got that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach once again.

Although the memories seemed to excite her body, her mind, on the other hand, was appalled. She had liked what Novick was doing to her last night. How could she feel that way? Only paid tramps are supposed to like that kinky sex stuff. But then she remembered that she had been purchased. She quickly hurried to dress, not able to stand the sight of her nude body for a moment longer, and left the bedroom.

She walked into the dining area where another girl, about her age, was cleaning.

"You wants some breakfast, Miss? The Master told me to fetch ya some breakfast when you woke, if you wants. Fresh ham and eggs?"

Daria shook her head no. She wasn't feeling very hungry. The thought of food turned her stomach.

"No, thanks. So he's gone?"

The girl looked slightly confused so Daria clarified the question.

"Where did Lord Novick go this morning?"

"I believes he went to see Caesar in Rome," she answered with a smile. She seemed happy that 'the Master' was gone. After always treading on thin ice, all the servants could relax a little when Novick was away on business.

Daria did, too. She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down in the same chair she was in at supper the evening before.

"Thank the gods," she mumbled. She heard the servant girl giggle and turned to look at her.

"I see you feel the same ways 'bout the Master as the rest a us," she smiled. All of her front teeth were missing. "My name's Megan."

"Hi, Megan. I'm Daria."

"You're new here, huh?"

"Yes, I arrived a couple of days ago."

"Did'ju comes from the slave auction?" Megan asked.

Daria nodded. "Yeah, a bandit captured me and sold me the same day."

"Where they grab you from? Home?"

"No, I'm not really sure where. I was heading . . . somewhere. I can't remember exactly where, and that's when that bandit got me. I had just awoken and was scouting for a river or lake to get some water. I remember, I was really thirsty, too, because later, when we were walking to his camp, he wouldn't give me any of his water. And we had been walking for over two hours! The harpy!"

"What do ya mean walking?" Megan inquired.

Daria looked at her strangely. "Walking. Like putting one foot in front of the other. Walking. What's so strange about that, Megan?"

"I was just wondering whats you were doing on the island to start with."

"Island?"

"Ya. That's where the slave camp is. That where the Master boughts me from. But I was taken from my home in Alexandria and shipped to the camp by boat. I never met anyone who lived on the island before, 'cept the slavers. Are there other folks who live there, too?"

"Megan, I don't know what you are talking about. I wasn't on any island."

"Had ta be if you walked to camp."

"Wait a minute . . . " Daria drifted off into thought. It all made sense to her now. She didn't wake up where she had gone to sleep that night. But how? Why?

"What? 'Wait a minute,' what?" Megan inquired.

"I was just thinking about that day. I don't know how I ended up on that island. I just woke up there."

Megan smiled her toothless grin. "Yeah, right. Maybe you was just drunk, like you was last night, and don't remember going over."

Daria looked a little offended. "How do you know I was drunk last night?"

Megan laughed heartily. "Well, by the way you was screaming and howling last night with the Master, well . . . they wasn't no screams of pain, I can tell ya that. And no one has a good time with the Master, less they's drunk."

Daria stared down at the floor, blushing. "Well, I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."

"Nothing to be shamed 'bout," Megan consoled. "We've all had our turn in his 'torture' chambers. Some are just luckier than others. Me, well, I wasn't so fortunate. That's how I lost all of me teeth." She pointed to her mouth.

"He did that to you?" Daria said, horrified. She was flushed with a sudden heat and she felt dizzy as she saw, once again, the aftermath of Novick's cruelty. What kind of man would beat up on a helpless girl? she thought. A monster, that's who. The sickness in her stomach started to feel worse as she thought of how easily she was fooled by him last night.

Megan nodded and started cleaning again. With her back now turned to Daria, she said, "Well, you just let me know if you wants something."

"Thanks, Megan. I will." Daria got up and decided to tour the grounds. She needed to get some fresh air. Besides, she didn't know how long Novick would be gone and she wanted to take survey of all the exits and how far the stables were from the house. Her plans of escape never too far from her mind.

As she walked around, she met many of the slaves who worked the manor, most of them Greeks, purchased from the slave camp. She entered the barn, where she interrupted another group of people who were having a prayer meeting. They were from Amphipolis and were praying to Athena for aid. Daria apologized and bowed out gracefully. As she walked away, she thought to herself how foolish they were to think that their God would save them. Those Olympian Gods weren't much good for anything as far as she was concerned. You certainly wouldn't catch her wasting her time praying to a god. She was going to make things happen for herself.

Brutus fell to his knees in front of the Roman God of War in astonishment.

"My Lord! How may I serve thee?" he said with his head bowed.

Ares told him to rise. He stood silently in front of Brutus, looking him over discerningly, then circled around him and sat down in Brutus' usual chair.

"Sit," Mars said. Brutus complied immediately. "I have a task for you, son of Rome."

Ares paused and looked around at the things that Brutus surrounded himself with. It was typical décor for a Roman man of power. Everything was grand and lavish. It went without saying that the Romans really knew how to live. He finally returned his steely gaze to Brutus.

"Brutus, you have done well for yourself. I am pleased."

"Thank you, Lord. But it is only a reflection of the blessings you have given me in battle."

Ares smiled wickedly. "Yes, I know! Now I have come for my payment."

"Payment, my Lord?" Brutus was genuinely surprised. "Please forgive me, but I do not understand."

Ares laughed and stood. He walked over to Brutus, towering over him and successfully intimidating him, as well. Brutus could not look the god in the eyes.

"What? Did you think that you could live off the riches of Rome for free? Your success does not come without a price, my friend. And I have come to collect."

"Of course, my Lord. Whatever you wish, I will do willingly."

"Even if it means opposing Caesar?" Mars toyed.

Brutus looked up in shock but answered yes, nevertheless.

"Well, relax. I am not sending you up against Caesar." Ares turned and returned to his seat. "I just wanted to hear your answer. You are a faithful servant, Brutus. That is why I have come to you now. I have another matter of importance. There is a woman who I need to find and she is being hidden from me. I want you to collect the best men in your service and locate her. I'm counting on you to come through for me, Brutus."

Brutus listened carefully to the God as he described Daria.

"Why is this woman so important to you, my Lord?" Brutus asked curiously.

Ares' eyes turned dark as he threw a glance at Brutus that could have knocked him over.

"You require a reason to perform this task for me? My asking should be reason enough!" he snapped.

Brutus fell to his knees again. "F-f-forgive me, Lord. I will do as you have asked. I need nothing more. Please, forgive me."

"Fine. Go now. And do not return until you have found the girl."

"Yes, my Lord. But what do I tell Caesar? I am supposed to . . . "

"I will deal with Caesar. Now, GO!" Ares was yelling now. Brutus got to his feet and fled his own house without hesitation.

Ares appeared without notice in the study where Novick and Caesar were meeting. He had never met the ruler before and didn't recognize Novick, either. He startled the two men and Novick instantly drew his sword.

"Who are you and how did you get past my guards?" Caesar demanded to know.

Ares laughed and started moving towards the men. Neither man had seen Ares appear out of thin air. Novick, assuming the God was an enemy, lunged for Ares, only to be catapulted across the room and slammed into a bookshelf.

Caesar figured out who the stranger was right away. "Mars," he whispered.

Novick, whose anger had just escalated to fury, did not hear Caesar call his name. He rose and charged the God again, this time successfully contacting the God with his sword. But Ares had turned the metal to jelly and it never penetrated his skin.

This threw Novick for a loop, and his instincts were to respond with another attack. He punched the War God in the face. A punch strong enough that it would have sent any ordinary man to the floor, but only caused Ares' chin to move to one side. Ares grabbed Novick by the throat and lifted him from the ground.

"YOU DARE ASSAULT THE GOD OF WAR? You foolish, foolish man. I can kill you with a thought." He threw him down on the floor, landing next to Caesar's feet. Caesar helped him to stand.

"That enough, Novick! He's one of the Gods. I wouldn't make him angry if I were you."

"A god?" Novick's eyes lit up in excitement. He was standing now, brushing himself off. "I am sorry . . ." he looked to Caesar for help.

"Mars," Caesar told him.

" . . . Mars. Please excuse my mistake."

Ares looked Novick over. Now, here was a soldier, a fearless warrior. Why wasn't this man in charge of the Roman army?

"Noted," Ares said. He turned his attention to Caesar. "I have come here to tell you that I have sent your first officer on an assignment. He is taking your best men along with him."

"Brutus?" Caesar asked.

"Yes. Before he left he told me that you were expecting him. I am here to tell you that he will not be showing. Do you have a problem with that?" Ares glared at Caesar.

"No, my God. Thank you for letting me know. May I offer you a drink, some food perhaps? It is quite an honor to have you here, Mars. It's about time we met, don't you agree?"

"Yes, son of Rome. The time for us to meet is long overdue. I have been watching you. You handle yourself well and have not needed to call on me for aid." Ares paused for effect. "But you do not give thanks to me, either. Are you so confident that you think you are without need of the gods?

Caesar smirked. "Well . . . yes!"

"Really?" Ares smiled wickedly.

Novick studied the faces of both the man and the god. He raised an eyebrow in slight surprise at Caesar's boldness and disrespect of the higher power. You're a fool, Caesar, he thought. He is a god. And the God of War, at that. A slight smirk crossed his lips.

"Yes, really." Caesar turned to Novick. "Novick, will you please excuse us?"

Novick nodded and left the room. Caesar turned back to the god.

"Is there something I can do for you, Mars?"

"No, nothing. This was just a courtesy call to let you know where Brutus is. And since you have no need for the gods, I will leave you to your business." Ares turned from him and was about to disappear, but hesitated. "Be careful, Caesar. Your arrogance can be foolish and your confidence overestimated. You never know when you might need a little divine intervention." He laughed wickedly as he disappeared, leaving Caesar to ponder his words.

Ares reappeared in the room where Novick was waiting. When Novick saw him arrive, he bowed his head in respect.

"Again, I apologize, my Lord, for . . . "

Ares interrupted. "No need, soldier. But it is the reason I stand before you now."

Novick looked up, bewildered.

"I was quite impressed with your valor. You are a man of little words and many actions, I can see. I think that you could serve me well."

"My Lord?"

"Brutus is weak. You should have seen him flee from his own house in fear of me. It was hard to hold back the laughter. No, I believe I have made a mistake putting Brutus in charge of my task. I need someone stronger, more reliable, to lead. Someone like you, Novick."

"Lord, I'm flattered. But what about Caesar?"

"What about him? He told me himself that he needs no help; so let him handle whatever it is he called you here for himself. Come, we will leave together."

Novick didn't hesitate. This was a god. He thought of all the possibilities having a god on your side held. He wasn't going to turn down an opportunity like this. Caesar may be a fool, but Novick was not.

"As you wish."

Mars and Novick appeared where Brutus was assembling his search party. As soon as the god was visible, all of the men dropped to their knees and bowed in respect to him. Ares recognized every one. Each man had called his name in battle at least once during his lifetime. He turned to Novick.

"Do you know Brutus?"

"I know of him, although we have never met."

"Brutus, this is Novick. He will be leading the search party. I want you to fill him in on the task at hand."

Brutus looked disappointed. "But, my Lord, I thought I was to lead the search party?"

"You are needed in Rome. I want you to keep an eye on Caesar for me. He is bound to get himself in trouble one day, and put Rome at risk. Since you are his close confidant, you are the better candidate."

Ares listened while Brutus described the woman they were to search for to Novick. When he was done, he bowed and excused himself from the room. Novick turned to Mars.

"My Lord, this woman he describes, it sound like the same woman that Ares of Greece was looking for yesterday."

"She is."

"Why would both the Greek God of War and the Roman God of War be searching for the same woman?"

Ares patted Novick on the back and they started walking. "Novick, I can tell that you are not used to dealing with the gods. The first thing one is taught is never to question the reasons of a God. But because I like you, I will tell you. Ares and I are working together against one of the other Greek Gods. The woman has special abilities that this other God wants to take advantage of. Both Ares and I agree that this cannot happen. That is why we must find her first. All of Greece has been searched and there has been no sign of her. Rome was the next logical choice."

"Oh, I see. Well then, time is of the essence. The men and I should leave immediately."

Mars smiled and put his hand on his shoulder. "I knew you were the right man for the job, Novick."

Novick turned to rejoin the men waiting their instruction. He stopped and turned back to ask Mars a question.

"Sire, how do I contact you?"

Ares thought for a moment, running his finger and thumb down the sides of his beard. He raised an eyebrow as an idea came to mind.

"I will be waiting for you at your manor in three days time. Come give me a report, even if you have not found the girl."

"Yes, my Lord."

With that, Mars disappeared and the men set out.

PART TEN

Over the next few days, Daria examined every inch of the manor. She knew how far a drop it was to the ground from every window. She knew how many steps it was to the stables and how long it took to get there. She knew where Novick kept his weapons, although she couldn't get the door unlocked.

On the eve of the second night Novick was gone, Daria went to the kitchen pantry and packed some food. She was going to hide the pack in the stables for easy access on the night she planned to make her escape. She was startled when she turned around to find Megan watching her in the doorway.

Daria gasped. "Megan! What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering the same 'bout you. What's in the pack?"

Daria tried not to look guilty. "Oh, just some food for a picnic I wanted to have."

"That's an awful lot of food for a picnic. You sure you ain'ts got something else planned?"

"What do you mean, Megan?"

"Well, rumor has it that you be planning an escape."

"That's preposterous! I wouldn't be that foolish. I would never take that kind of a chance with Lord Novick. He would kill me the instant he found me."

"If he finds ya."

Daria walked past Megan and into the dining room. Megan followed.

"Daria, we wants to go, too. Please take us with you."

"We?"

"Yes, me. . . and them." She pointed to the small group of slaves gathered in the doorway. It was the group who worshipped Athena.

"I thought your God was going to save you?" she said sarcastically.

An older man, Marcus, came forward from the group. "We have prayed to Athena from the moment we were captured. It was not until today that she answered us. Daria, you are to lead us to freedom. Athena has spoken this."

Daria busted out laughing. "Me? Me? I think you've all spent too much time out in the sun. I couldn't even keep myself from being captured. What makes you think that I can lead you to freedom?"

Marcus continued. "Because, you are the chosen one. The small, great one. Athena has assured us that this is true." He paused and then smiled at Daria. "And because I have a key to the armory."

Daria sat down. Small, great one. Where have I heard that before? She looked over to the group of people who, now, had filed into the room, and her heart went out to them. Many of them showed physical signs of Novick's abuse. And more than half were still children. She stood and addressed the group.

"I will consider it," she said and left the room.

Later that evening Daria approached Marcus in the stables. He was straightening up after another one of those foolish prayer meetings.

"Marcus, I have thought about what you have asked. Do you and the others know the risks of an escape. When Novick finds out, he will send every man under his command out to hunt us down."

Marcus smiled greatly. "You said 'us.' Does that mean you will take us with you?"

Daria looked down at her feet. "I was thinking about it." She looked back at Marcus. "So, do you realize the dangers? Are your people willing to fight hand to hand, if necessary?"

"We are."

"Fine, then we will leave tomorrow evening. Here is my plan."

Daria spent the next few hours going over every detail with Marcus. When she was satisfied that nothing had been left out, she excused herself to retire for the night.

"Goodnight, Marcus. Until tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Daria. And thank you!"

"Just be ready to go when the time comes."

"Don't worry. We shall."

On the third day, only hours before Daria and the others planned to make their escape, a stranger showed up at the manor. It was Mars, coming to meet with Novick as they had arranged.

Megan ran into the bedroom where Daria was collecting some things to take with her.

"Daria, Daria! Come quick. There is a Roman soldier here. He says he waiting for the master, who will be coming along shortly."

All the color drained from Daria's face. She quickly hid the pack she was filling and began to take off the dark clothes she had on and reached for one of her gowns.

"Tell the others that the plan is off. Tell them that Novick is returning and so we must wait until the time is right. We cannot do this while Novick is here or he'll be on us like a chariot on fire."

Megan hurried out of the room to inform Marcus and the others of the change in plans.

Novick arrived home minutes later. She knew he had because she could feel the tension in the air and heard some of the servants making a fuss around him.

He entered the room where Mars was waiting.

"Right on time, Novick. Good man," the God said. He reached out and took Novick's hand in a friendly gesture.

"My Lord Mars. Welcome to my manor. May I get you some wine?"

"Yes, thank you."

Novick waved his hand at a slave and she left the room, returning a moment later with a decanter and two wine goblets.

Novick picked up the decanter and started filling the goblets.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I do not have a good report. But the men and I are not finished searching yet."

Ares' smile left his face and he remained expressionless as Novick continued his report. When he was done, Ares sighed heavily.

"That's too bad. I was really hoping to turn the woman over to Ares tonight. I know that he is anxious to bring this whole situation to a close. Well, as you said, you still have much land to cover. I trust that you are being completely thorough in this search, Novick. It would not please me to find out that you did not search every avenue."

"Of course, my Lord. You need not worry about that. I have no problem with using force, if necessary, to get the necessary information."

"Very good, Novick. You are a proving to be a good leader, indeed. You will rejoin the search party immediately."

"Yes, my Lord. First thing in the morning I will head out again. But tonight there is a little woman of my own that I am dying to see again. Hot little number, she is. And nasty as Tartarus! Bought her at the slave camp on Panethmus Island," Novick said proudly.

Ares peered at him in disbelief. He was just about to inform him that immediately means NOW, when he raised an eyebrow at the name Novick called out.

Novick yelled for Daria.

"I'd like to meet this slave woman of yours."

Novick got a wicked smile coupled with a look of anticipation on his face. He tilted his head, looking over at the god. Maybe I can earn even more favor with Mars. He is a man as well as a god. I'm sure he has all the manly desires that I do. I wonder if he's kinky?

"Perhaps you would like to join us, Mars," Novick said as he raised his eyebrows.

Just then, Daria entered the room, looking lovely in one of the gowns Novick had bought her. She caught the attention of both men.

Ares shifted his hips as he sat back in his chair. His eyes slowly moved from her head to her foot and back up again before he answered.

"Perhaps I will, Novick." He smiled at Daria. "Perhaps I will!"

PART ELEVEN

"Yes, Master," Daria said.

"There you are, my sweet. Come. I have someone I want you to meet." Novick told her. "And I must say, you look as luscious as ever."

Daria walked over to where the two men were sitting. Mars stood, as did Novick.

"Daria, this is Mars. Mars, Daria."

Ares locked eyes with Daria as he took her hand and brought it to his lips, never breaking his stare.

Daria half-curtseyed, "It's a pleasure to meet you, my Lord."

Ares said in a most seductive voice, "Oh no, my dear. The pleasure is all mine. Believe me."

He gently placed her hand back at her side and sat back down. His eyes draped over her body. She doesn't recognize me as Mars, he thought. Well, at least she is unharmed. Everything is still looks to be in place.

Novick was still standing next to Daria. He continued to tell her, "Mars is a God. He is the Roman God of War." Deep inside, Novick was hoping that she would be impressed that he was entertaining someone of such high power.

"Oh," Daria responded and rolled her eyes. Impressed was the last thing she was.

Novick saw her roll her eyes and backhanded her. "How dare you act so casual in front of such greatness! He can kill you where you stand without even raising a finger. You will show more respect, girl."

Daria took a few steps back, cupping her cheek in her hand and Novick started to move after her. Mars interrupted.

"Now, now, Novick. No need to bruise such a pretty face. Besides, what did you expect? She is a Greek. Why would a Roman God impress her?" Mars winked and smiled at Daria. "Come, sit, Novick. This is supposed to be a pleasant evening."

Novick reluctantly returned to his seat. He noticed that Mars was still watching Daria with seductive eyes. Jealousy started to burn in his gut, but he pushed it aside. An alliance with the God of War was far more important that some stupid woman.

"You're right, my Lord. Forgive my temper. You know how slaves can be though, so insolent at times. One must be sure they know their place."

"Yes," Mars responded, only half listening to Novick's words. He finally tore his eyes away from Daria and look at him. "I know what you mean."

Novick turned back to Daria, who was still looking at Mars. There is something very familiar about him, she thought. But what?

"Daria, Mars is going to be joining us for dinner this evening," he told her, and then added teasingly ". . . among other things. Why don't you entertain us with a dance while supper is being prepared? I think Mars and I, both, would enjoy that. What do you think, Mars?"

"Only if the lady wishes to do so, Novick. There's nothing less pleasing than watching someone do something that they do not wish to do."

Mars was pushing Novick's buttons. Contradicting him at every turn. Where is this god coming from? he thought. I thought he was a war god. Brutal, heartless, vengeful. Why is he acting like a gentleman?

"Daria?" Novick said.

"Yes, my Lord. I would enjoy dancing for you and your guest," she said with a bow. "I will ask Megan to send for the musicians." She walked out of the room, heading for the kitchen to see Megan.

Ares watched her until she disappeared and Novick watched Mars.

"You seem quite taken with my slave girl, Mars."

"Yes, perhaps you are right, Novick. It's been a while since I've had a blonde. And such a pretty, young one, at that. Roman women tend to bore me after too long." Mars took a sip of his wine. "I'm sure you know what I mean, otherwise, she wouldn't be here, right?"

Novick smiled as he remembered how erotic Daria looked as he made her cum that night before he left for Rome.

"Yes, I guess you're right." The two men laughed and clanked their goblets together.

Daria came back a few moments later.

"Megan is fetching the musicians, Master. May I refill your goblets while we wait?" She moved to the table and bent over to pick up the decanter.

Novick grabbed her by her hips and pulled her onto his lap. He slipped his arms around her waist so that she would not be able to get up.

"No. You just sit right here and keep your master company until they get here." He playfully nibbled on her neck.

Daria's face turned sour. It was obvious that she was not enjoying his attentions. Mars' expression didn't change, but on the inside, he was smiling. Good! At least she is not willingly returning her affection. Ares had, for a quick moment, thought that maybe she wanted to be with this man. Had given herself to him freely. That is why he had not yet revealed himself to her. But he could see now that she was not too happy to be here. Still, he chose not to reveal himself.

"So tell your master, what did you do to keep yourself busy while I was away?"

Daria's eyes widened as her brain quickly thought of what to tell him.

"Oh, nothing much, really. I toured the grounds and met the rest of the servants. You have beautiful horses, Master. I helped Marcus wash and brush them yesterday. There is one in particular . . ."

Novick cut her off with angry words.

"I do not want my chambermaid washing horses," he snapped. "You leave that job to Marcus. You hear me?"

"Yes, Master," Daria said with a frown.

Just then, the musicians entered the room. And not a moment too soon, as far as Daria was concerned. Novick nearly pushed her off of his lap. "Go, now. Dance for us," he ordered, the sound of his anger still echoed in his voice.

The music began and Daria started flowing around the room. She had both men in a trance as they watched her sway her hips with grace and beauty. Her athletic ability was evident.

Ares couldn't help himself. He was just about to undress her with his eyes, when Novick brought him back to the room.

"You know, Mars, she's still a virgin." He stated, still watching her move.

Ares turned to look at Novick. He noticed the man's crotch was growing rapidly and fought the jealous urge to blast it off of his body. No, he wasn't done with Novick just yet.

"She is? And you've owned her for how long?" Mars said unbelievingly.

"Well, before I left for Rome three days ago, she had only been here for two days." He unconsciously rubbed his hand over his cock. "I haven't had the opportunity to take her yet. But tonight. . ." He licked his lips and smiled wickedly, then turned to face Mars, "tonight we will both take her."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you so much, Novick." He took another sip of wine.

Megan entered the room and informed Novick that dinner was ready.

The two men stood. Novick called for Daria to join them and they all entered the dining room to have their meal.

Daria didn't speak much during supper, only occasionally asking for more wine. She was attempting to make herself drunk again, knowing what Novick had in mind for her. She mostly just stared at her plate, forcing herself to eat so Novick wouldn't get upset with her. Oddly, she found herself drawn to the stranger, and she could feel his eyes on her when he looked at her. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

Unable to take the tension any longer, she asked Novick if she could please be excused. She told him that the wine had made her queasy and she wanted to step outside for a moment for some air.

"What did I tell you about eating when you drink, Daria? Go on, but don't be gone too long. And no more wine at dinner for you." He waved her off and returned to the piece of meat on his plate.

Novick turned to Mars after putting a piece of meat in his mouth. He chewed it a few times before speaking to him.

"She did the same thing last time. Stupid girl."

"Perhaps, she is just nervous, Novick. She is probably worried about pleasing you to begin with, and knowing that you have invited me, a God, no less, to join you tonight, well . . . she's probably scared to death, now." Mars laughed.

Novick laughed, too. "Yeah, I bet you're right. Maybe we shouldn't both . . . Naw! She'll deal. She has no choice."

Ares narrowed his eyes at Novick. "I'm glad you think so, Novick. I would not be pleased if you offered me something and then decided not to give it to me. But if it still bothers you, you could just leave her to me tonight."

Novick quickly glared at Mars. He did not like that idea at all. No, this was his slave girl. And he would be the one to take her virginity. He didn't have any problem letting the god watch, or even partake, after he did, of course. But to give her to him, without tasting her first? That was out of the question.

This was not a matter of feeling for Novick. This was a matter of ego. God or not, Novick was Daria's master.

"Like I said, she'll deal." Novick reached for his goblet and downed his wine.

PART TWELVE

After dinner, Novick and Mars moved back into the living room. Daria was still outside. She had found a bench and sat down. Her head was buried in her hands and she was quietly sobbing. She was scared to death to go back inside, knowing what the two men were planning for dessert. She had decided to stay put until Novick sent someone out to get her.

In between her bursts of tears, her thoughts kept returning to Novick's guest. He certainly was a handsome man. Even more so than Novick. But his good looks did not ease the dread she was feeling. It only added to her confusion. She kept thinking that she had met him before. But for the life of her, she couldn't even fathom where that might have been. She had lived a pretty simple and uneventful life since her parents died and would have remembered meeting someone like a god.

Novick finished the last of the wine in his goblet and set it down. He was beginning to become upset that Daria had not yet returned to join them.

Ares read his thoughts and decided to distract him.

"Novick, why don't you give me a tour of your fine mansion? I would enjoy seeing the kinds of things with which you like to surround yourself."

Novick's mind wandered to his personal bedchambers. His 'torture chambers' as his slaves had so nicknamed. He was certainly proud of all the toys and such he had collected over time. It was quite impressive and he did not hesitate to show it off to the god.

Novick casually showed Mars in a few random rooms that were in route to his bedroom. He had, in his opinion, saved the best for last. He opened the door and the men entered.

Mars smiled wickedly. "I can see you keep yourself well entertained here, Novick. It reminds me of my own temple chambers. On a smaller scale, of course," he teased.

"Mmmm, yes. I have had many pleasurable nights here." He paused. "Well, pleasurable for me anyway," he laughed. Then his expression turned harsh. "Where did that little wench get off to? She should know not to keep her Master waiting. I'll go fetch her. You may wait here if you'd like, Mars."

"No need to search for her, Novick. I'll bring her to us." With a wave of his hand, Daria appeared - bench and all. She was in the middle of another cry and hadn't even noticed that she had just been teleported by the god.

Novick glared angrily at her. "What are you howling about, girl?" He really could care less if she had an answer or not and didn't give her time to say anything. "Well, whatever it is - you'll soon forget all about it. Your Master and your God will see to that."

Daria stood abruptly in shock, looking around the room and wondering how she got there. "W-w-what? How did. . ."

"I brought you here," Mars answered.

"You?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Well, I am a God. I can do those things, you know," he said smugly.

Daria took a few steps backwards, away from the men. Then a few more, until she was backed against the wall and couldn't go any further.

"Please, Master. Please . . . don't . . ." she started sobbing again.

"Don't what, my sweet? You mean you don't want to play with Mars and me? Oh, come now. You remember all the fun we had the night before I left, don't you? Well, with two of us, you'll have twice the fun!"

Ares could see the joy in Novick's eyes as he tortured Daria with his words. He had started to unlace his shirt and sat on the edge of the bed now, removing his boots. Daria didn't move from hugging the wall. She looked with misty, wide eyes, back and forth from Mars to Novick, shaking her head.

"No, please."

Mars moved to the bench he had brought in with Daria and sat down. With a calm, soothing voice he tried to coax her away from the wall.

"Now, Daria. It's okay. I promise, you are going to enjoy our attentions. And a God's attention can be very . . . fulfilling. You'll be begging me, er, I mean - us for more. I guarantee it."

Daria frowned terribly. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor, bunched up into a ball, and just kept crying. Novick was losing his patience with her. He had removed all his clothing except for his pants. He stood and moved to the chest at the foot of the bed and got out the chains.

Mars got up and walked to Novick. He spoke softly to him so that Daria couldn't hear.

"Don't use the chains on her tonight, Novick. Not while I'm here. Personally, I like a woman's hands to be free, so she can caress my . . .. uhem, body. Save those for another night, when you two are alone."

Novick slightly glared at the god, not appreciating being told what to do, but returned the chains, nevertheless. He wasn't about to get into an argument with the God of War.

"But Mars, it doesn't really look like she's going to participate in this of her own free will. How do you propose . . ."

"With a spell, of course," Mars interrupted. Novick got a huge grin. Mars continued, "Now, how would you like her? Shy and submissive? Aggressive and nasty? Gentle. . "

"Oh, hot and nasty. Aggressive, yes!" Novick answered quickly. His eyes were glazed over from the excitement.

"All right. This will just take a moment."

Mars walked over to where Daria was still on the floor. She seemed like she was numb to everything around her and barely heard the god speaking to her.

"Daria? Daria?" Ares was standing in front of her with his hand extended out for her to take. Slowly, she lifted her head and looked up at him. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red from crying.

"Come," he said.

Daria stared into his eyes and immediately felt surrounded in warmth. He looked so . . . honest and trusting.

"It's okay." Mars nodded and wiggled his fingers.

She reached for his hand and he pulled her from the ground and into his arms. He kissed her gently, casting his spell on her. Novick watched them intently from where he stood at the foot of the bed. Still holding Daria in his arms, he turned his head towards Novick.

"There. She'll cooperate now," he smiled.

Daria took her hand and turned Mars' face back to hers. She stared into his eyes for an intense moment before she devoured his lips, closing her eyes and moaning. She thrust her tongue in the god's mouth, getting more and more passionate as each second passed. Ares began to return the kiss with equal passion. His hands began moving over her body, caressing her sides and her ass.

Jealously began burning in Novick's gut. "Hey, why don't you two move over here, onto the bed?" When they didn't seem to hear him, Novick called for Mars again, this time a bit louder than normal. "MARS?"

Ares put both his hands on Daria's face and slowly broke their kiss. Without even looking at Novick, he took Daria by the hand and led her to the bed. Before he sat her down, Novick grabbed her arm and twirled her around to face him.

"Why don't you give your Master some of that sugar, you sweet thing?"

Daria wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. She kissed him with so much desire that he eventually had to push her off of him to catch his breath.

Boy, it sure feels like she wants me, and she wants me bad, he thought. He could read it in her face as he tore her from his body. His heart thumped rapidly in excitement. This is exactly what he thought was missing from his sex life: someone who wanted him to fuck the shit out of her!

Ares just watched them with half-shut eyes, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was monitoring Novick's thoughts while he began to remove his clothes.

Daria had grabbed ahold of Novick's head by the hair and pulled him to her. She started kissing him again, biting passionately on his lower lip. Her hands moved from the side of his head to both shoulders, and her lips slid down one side of his face and under his chin to his neck, where she playfully nibbled at him. Her hand found one of his nipples through the mass of thick, brown chest hairs and pinched it. She ran her tongue down to meet the now erect nipple.

Novick growled as he watched her tongue make little circles around it and then take it between her teeth and lightly tug on it. Her hands had moved down to his waist, and she looked up into his eyes, smiling while she continued to tease him.

"Oh, you are such a bad little girl. And bad girls need to be spanked," Novick told her seductively. He couldn't believe how hot she was making him. Even more than he got off on a woman's fear. And this was so much more fun. He looked at Mars, who had made himself comfortable on the bed, dressed only in a pair of black silk boxers, and seemed to be entertained by watching the couple. Now, if only I didn't have to share you, it would be absolutely perfect, Novick thought.

Ares smiled wickedly when Daria moved even lower on Novick's body. She was fumbling with his belt buckle, trying to get into his pants. But what Ares was smiling about was what he had planned for Novick. Ares had no intention of letting Novick deflower Daria, even if she asked for it while under his spell. No, Ares was looking forward to handling that particular task himself after he got Daria back to Greece.

But for now, he would play along in this little game. He would allow Novick to believe he was befriending him. No need to cause any additional problems for his small, great one. Oh, he could have disappeared with her at any time, but that would only cause Novick to become angry and probably invade Greece in an effort to retrieve her. As a warlord, Novick had great potential, and Ares/Mars wasn't willing to completely toss that away. He could be quite useful in battle. He knew exactly how he was going to handle this situation.

Novick closed his eyes and moaned as Daria slipped her hand inside his pants. His chest automatically puffed out when she had succeeded in removing his semi-erect cock and started caressing it.

"Oh, yeah!" she commented sexily, licking her lips.

She stroked it a little before taking it and rubbing the head against her wet lips, teasing him. She looked up at his face and locked eyes with him before opening her mouth and closing it around the purplish colored head. She kept her eyes on his face while she circled her tongue around it inside of her mouth. Then she closed her eyes and moaned pleasurably, looking to be enjoying the task as much as Novick.

"Mmmmmm, you taste so good, Master."

"Oh, you bitch. Suck me. Suck your Master's magnificent cock," he cooed, not being able to take his eyes off of her.

She took more of it into her mouth, until he could feel the tip hitting her tonsils. Surprisingly, she did not gag or choke, but seemed like she was an expert at this. Novick looked over at Mars.

"Whatever you did, Mars, is working better than I had expected," he grinned.

"Mmmmm, I see! Well, don't be too greedy, Novick. You'd better leave some for me."

Novick looked back down at Daria, whose head was bobbing up and down. She was slurping and sucking feverishly on his cock, pushing it further and further down her throat.

"I don't think there's any problem there, Mars," he said as his face started to tense slightly. He began to rock his hips back and forth to meet her bobbing head. Although the sensations of her sucking his cock felt wonderful, he could tell that he had not become as big and hard as he normally would. Having an audience usually added to his stimulation. But since Mars was a god, maybe he was a bit apprehensive.

Novick could feel the heat rising in his groin as Daria licked his cock up and down the half-erect shaft. She dipped her tongue down, curling it under his balls and scooped one up into her mouth. She ran her tongue over the warm skin, gently tickling him. She popped it out of her mouth and kissed and lightly flicked his other one, then returned to his cock. She slid it over her face, rubbing it over her cheeks and mouth, as she returned to the head to suck on it again. Her lips wrapped around it once again, and she began to apply steady suction to him, lightly grazing her teeth along the skin as she would pull up.

Ares became bored after a while and scooted to the end of the bed, closer to Daria and Novick. Daria was kneeling within arm's reach now, so he started to caress her ass through her dress. She started rocking slightly as her suction force increased a little on Novick's cock.

Ares smiled as he felt her responding to him. He pulled her dress up her waste to get a better look at her ass, but the lacy ruffled edge of the dress was still blocking his view.

"Oh, to Tartarus with this obstruction," he mumbled as the dress disappeared from her body. He left her undergarments on her and was glad that he had. There was just enough delicate lace accenting the black silk on her shift to give her a very sexy appeal.

Novick looked at the god through the tiniest slit of his eyelids. Although he was totally enjoying Daria's attentions, he wasn't getting any closer to cumming and he could tell that the War God was getting restless. He reluctantly pushed Daria from his body.

"Daria, it's not very nice for you to ignore our guest like this. Why don't you see if there is anything he needs, lover," Novick said coolly.

"Yes, Master." A crooked, sly smile curved out of the corners of her mouth as she swiveled around on her knees to face Mars.

Mars immediately cupped both of her melonous breasts, pretending to balance them like weights. He released them by sliding his fingers forward, catching and pinching the nipples before they completely got away from him. Daria moaned and tilted her head back, causing her chest to thrust forward towards him.

Ares "hummed" and his breathing became deeper and heavier sounding. One of Daria's hands found the god's leg and was slowly creeping up the inside of his thigh. Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her atop of him as he laid back on the bed. He brought her face to his and started kissing her.

Daria was completely taken over by Ares' kiss - the way his soft, luscious lips felt against hers; how his beard would tickle her chin; the hot temperature of his tongue; the sexy ways he could swirl it around hers, interlocking them; the way he tasted, which faintly reminded her of wine and was proving to be even more intoxicating. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and he growled and rolled over on top of her as he pulled it back into his own mouth. Then he looked into her eyes briefly, before descending onto her mouth and taking possession of her. His awesome presence overwhelmed her as she ceased all aggressive action and succumbed to the power of the god.

He could feel Daria giving in to him completely, but then he suddenly stopped kissing her and rolled off. He sat leaning against the headboard of the bed. Daria watched as he had crossed the bed and crawled over to him on her hands and knees. She had raw desire in her eyes as she took her hands and ran them up the length of his body starting at his legs, then over the silk of his boxers, that hard stomach that rippled at her touch, finally stopping at that gorgeous chest. She paused for a second to look him in the eyes, and then returned to watch her hands play with his nipples. She was just about to lean down and take one in her mouth when she was abruptly pulled away from the god.

Novick had grabbed her ankles and slid her down the bed towards him. Mars looked up through narrowed eyes, upset at the interruption, while Novick turned Daria over on her back.

"Baby, why don't you show our guest your nice pussy? Check this out, Mars. You've gotta see this!" he boasted.

Mars stood at the side of the bed while Novick was standing at the foot. Daria smiled wickedly as her gaze bounced back and forth between the two men. She reached down and grabbed the end of her slip and slowly pulled it up to her waist, exposing her shaven crotch.

"Now, doesn't that look hot, Mars?" Novick asked.

Ares' eyes widened in pleasant surprise. It did look pretty hot to him. He was just sorry he had not thought of the idea first. These Romans, they sure have some wild ideas about sex. Maybe I should be spending more time in Rome, he mused to himself.

"Fuck, yeah it does," Mars answered as he ran his hand over the area. He frowned at the prickly feeling of the hair that had barely started to grow back in.

Novick caught his reaction and offered an explanation. "It's starting to grow back already. It's been over three days since I removed it."

Ares' hand began to glow as he used his power to remove the stubble and the skin became smooth once more.

"There, that's better," he said as he slipped his middle finger between the folds of her lips and brushed it over her clit.

She shuddered and closed her eyes. Ares looked down upon her with much desire, smiling. That feeling of jealously began gnawing away at Novick's gut again as he watched the two interacting.

"Mars, why don't you have Daria suck on your cock while I have myself a little slave snack?" He kneeled on the floor and lifted Daria's legs up, placing them on his shoulders. He began kissing the inside of her thigh, moving closer to her glistening pussy. When he reached it, his tongue darted out and around her slit, causing her to jerk every so often.

Daria reached up and started caressing Mars' cock through his silk boxers. It immediately sprung to full attention the second she touched it and she moaned in excitement.

"Mmmmmm. I want it. Please?" she said looking up at the god and lightly tugging on his shorts.

He smirked and said, "As you wish!" and his boxers disappeared, leaving behind a beautiful, perfect cock larger than Master Novick's.

"By the GODS!" she exclaimed when she saw it.

Her expression of surprise caused Novick to pause his action and look up in curiosity. He felt his own dick shriveling as he realized the size of the god's dick. Novick had never felt 'inferior' in the tool department before. He had always surpassed any other man's cock by at least a couple of inches. But here stood the Roman God of War, holding his cock in hand above his slave's face, out-doing him by a few inches – both ways!

Novick felt an onslaught of different emotions – jealously, self-doubt, inferiority, and determination. His competitive nature caused a need in him to satisfy Daria physically, with his tongue, since he could not compare with the size of the god's shaft. He was regretting ever coming up with the idea to share his new slave.

As he continued tongue-lashing Daria's pussy, he tried to stroke his own cock to fullness, but it did not respond and he stroked himself in vain.

Ares was enjoying the spells he had placed on both Daria and Novick. It was true that Daria was acting the slut, but when he removed her spell, she wouldn't remember a thing. Novick, on the other hand, would fully remember dealing with his inability to get an erection, thinking it was caused by his own jealous doubts of sharing Daria with a god. He couldn't have deserved a better punishment, as far as Ares was concerned. Hitting him both physically and mentally without his knowledge.

He grinned smugly as he bounced his large erection over Daria's wanting lips. She reached up and grabbed hold of it and slapped it on her face a couple of times. She ran her tongue along his shaft from the head to his balls and back up again; collecting the pre-cum she caused to come out of the tip.

"Oh baby," he purred, "your mouth is so hot. Suck that big cock."

He could feel waves of tension coming from Novick as Daria licked and sucked his cock, moaning like she knew of nothing more pleasing. Novick continued to lap up the overflowing juices oozing from her pussy, making his own obscene slurping sounds. The whips of his wild tongue were working on Daria and soon she was squirming around on the bed, urging him on further.

"Oh, Master. MASTER. That feels so good, Master. Please, don't stop."

Her eyes were closed as she spoke, but her hand was still firmly wrapped around Ares' dick. She had no intention of letting go of it, for the moment. She yanked on it gently, bringing him closer to her, and began sucking it again. The closer Novick brought Daria to orgasm, the harder and more passionately she sucked the god's cock.

Ares held back until the moment he could tell that she was about to cum. Her entire body convulsed, and she tossed her head from one side to the other, moaning words of excitement.

"Oooh, Master, your tongue is like magic. You're gonna. . . make. . . me. . . cccccuuuuummmm!!!! Oh, fuck, Master! I'm CUMMING!"

As Daria hit her peak, she engulfed Ares' cock entirely. She seemed to want to swallow the entire large shaft. Her mouth was so wet, and his cock filled it so much, that her saliva was leaking out around the sides of her mouth. It looked very erotic and sexy.

That's all it took for the God of War. When he saw her sucking him off like there was no Olympus, his balls hardened, and his cock began to ripple with his own orgasm. He grabbed the base of it and withdrew it from her mouth, allowing his hot cum to splatter out over her face and large bosom.

Novick had lifted his head just in time to catch a drop of Mars' cum on his cheek, which had splattered off of her stomach. The entire situation did not sit well with Novick. He did not like the fact that the god got to leave his mark before he did. Determined to be the first one to fuck her, he rose to his feet and aimed his limp dick at Daria's pussy. Mars sat with Daria's head between his legs, casually stroking her hair, while they both caught their breath as Novick tried to penetrate her with no success whatsoever. He only succeeded to invoke her sexual desire to have it inside of her. She looked at him and flashed him a wicked smile and turned over, rising on her hands and knees. She pointed her ass at her Master and lowered her upper body back down to Mars' crotch. Again, Novick tried to insert his limp dick, but only became more frustrated.

After a few minutes, Daria turned and pointed her ass at Mars while starting to suck her master off again. Ares got on his knees and looked approvingly at the display in front of him. She wriggled her ass at him, indicating she wanted a cock to be buried deep within her wet pussy, and Mars was just about to comply when he noticed the look of anger on Novick's face.

Novick spoke no words, but clearly conveyed the message that he did not want the god to fuck his slave. Daria broke the silence by begging.

"Oh, please. Won't someone give me his cock? I want to feel a big, hard cock being rammed into my tight, hot cunt. Please, someone fuck me."

She had backed up and was pushing herself against Mars' pelvis. The length of his shaft was nestled neatly in the warm folds of her pussy lips and it took all of his control to ignore his urge to enter her.

Novick bounced his disapproving glare from Mars to Daria and back to Mars again.

Mars' expression turned equally as angry. "You had your shot. Now it's my turn. It's not my fault that you can't get it up."

Mars pulled Daria from sucking on Novick's cock and readjusted her so that her ass and pussy were even more accessible. He held his stiff cock in his hand and rubbed the head against the slit of her cunt. She moaned deeply, readying herself for more pleasure. Ares froze the moment before he was going to enter her and turned to look at Novick. He then pulled Daria up, so she was kneeling, and turned her head to kiss her on the mouth. She went limp in his arms and he gently laid her back down on the bed. He stood and was instantly dressed.

"What did you do to her?" Novick asked sternly.

Ares glared at Novick, making his anger with him more than apparent. "I put her to sleep for the night."

"What for?"

Ares walked over to Novick and got right up in his face. The soldier could feel the power of his rage as he locked his dark eyes with his.

"You DARE question my actions, Novick? I wouldn't anger me any further, if I were you."

"Anger you? What did I do to anger you, Mars? I have been more than hospitable here, by offering to share the attentions of my new slave." He took a couple of small steps back, just to put a little space between the two of them.

"Share, indeed! That's what pisses me off so much. You offered to share her, and then cop an attitude with me just when I'm about to partake! You did EXACTLY what I had advised you against doing during supper. You really didn't want to share her, did you? You wanted to be the first one to take her, didn't you, Novick?"

"Well, um. . .I, ah. . ."

"You should have never offered me something that you are not willing to part with. What? Did you think I wouldn't be able to tell? I can see right through you mortals. I'm going to overlook your mistake this time, Novick, but if you ever displease me again . . . I'm not going to be so forgiving." He cast his hand over Daria and she was clothed again in the same dress as earlier. He took a few steps towards the door and then turned around and looked at Novick. He smirked slightly.

"If I don't get to enjoy her tonight, neither do you." On that note, Mars disappeared.

PART THIRTEEN

Novick was furious with Mars for putting Daria to sleep before he left. He was positive that he would have been able to get hard after the god was gone. He could have fucked his slave all night long. But now, even if he obtained an erection, it would do him no good with Daria. He wanted her wide awake when he rammed his awesome cock into her for the first time. Now he was just frustrated. Horny and frustrated.

He went out into the living room and tried to calm himself down with a few glasses of fine brandy before going back to the bedroom and retiring for the evening.

As soon as the sun came over the horizon, Mars appeared in Novick's bedchambers. Both he and Daria were still asleep. He looked at his small, great one and smiled warmly. Then Ares used his powers to transport Novick and himself to the living room, dressing him at the same time.

Needless to say, Novick was in a bit of disarray when he opened his eyes a moment later.

"What. . . what's going on here?" he asked to no one in particular. Then he heard Mars' voice and knew exactly what happened.

"It's time for you to rejoin the search party. You really should have left yesterday. Since that didn't happen, I will take you to where the men are camped this morning, so that you don't waste anymore time. Regardless of your personal actions, Novick, you are still the best man for this job and I want you there to overlook the search."

"Yes, Lord. Thank you for still having confidence in me. I'm ready."

Even though Novick was still upset with the god for cutting his action short last night, he was glad that not all his ties had been severed. If he found this woman he wanted, perhaps he could still gain his favor. As much as he desired Daria, slaves were a dinar a dozen, but Gods were few and far between. He did not hesitate at the opportunity to mend his error.

"Excellent!" Mars said and waved his hand. They vanished and reappeared at the camp where the men were waiting. They were on the outskirts of a town about a day's walk from Novick's manor.

Before Mars disappeared again, he told Novick that he wanted another report in a few days. This time, however, Mars would come to him. He didn't want him wasting any time traveling back across land that had already been searched.

Novick nodded and agreed that that was a good idea and Mars disappeared.

Ares arrived back in the bedchambers at Novick's manor, dressed as normal in his black leathers. Daria had awakened about ten minutes earlier and removed the gown she still wore and went to wash up.

Still groggy, she splashed the cold water from the washbasin onto her face in an attempt to help her wake up. She felt like she had been sleeping for days. She couldn't remember anything about the previous night's activities after she had gone outside and was trying to figure out how she got to bed.

Ares was seated on the bed. Daria had not seen him arrive. When she finished drying off her face, she caught view of him in the mirror and gasped in surprise. She quickly reached for a robe to cover herself.

As soon as she saw him, she remembered how she suddenly found herself in the bedroom with Mars and Novick and she remembered what they were planning to do with her.

She turned around and looked at Ares with fear in her face.

"What are you doing here? What do you want from me?" Her voice was cracking and she sounded like she was about to cry again.

"Daria, it's me! Ares!"

Now she looked frightened and confused. "What do you want from me?" she asked again.

Ares stood and started walking towards Daria. "I've come to take you home."

Daria moved away from him as he approached. She still did not know who he was.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she warned and then made a dash for the door.

Ares didn't move quick enough to block her exit. He was momentarily baffled by the way she was acting and had not expected her to run from him. He materialized directly in her path at the end of the long corridor and she ran right into him.

Taking hold of her shoulders, he looked her directly in the eyes.

"Daria, what's gotten into you? Why are you running from me?"

She tried to break free from him. "Please, just leave me alone," she pleaded.

"Oh, I get it! You're mad at me for not coming to get you sooner, huh? But you don't understand. Athena was hiding you from me. . "

"Athena? What does Athena have to do with this? And why would she hide me from you?"

"Because she didn't want us to be together. She's convinced that I am going to interfere with your 'destiny' and screw up her plans."

"What are you talking about, Mars? Where is Master Novick?" Ares could hear the panic in her voice.

"Why are you still calling me Mars? Don't you recognize me?"

"Well, isn't that your name? Mars?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, yes, here in Rome I'm known as Mars. But back home in Greece I am Ares, God of War."

She stared blankly at the god.

"You spent the night at my temple. We had dinner together. You accepted my offer to teach you how to fight. The training camp. Does any of this ring a bell?" He let go of her shoulders. "Oh, how quickly we forget," he said, sounding a bit insulted.

"So I know you?" she said studying his face.

"YES, yes!"

"Ares, huh. Well your name sounds familiar. Then why are you pretending to be Mars?"

"I'm not pretending. I am Mars. . . to the Romans."

Daria threw her hand up in the air and rolled her eyes.

"Listen, whoever you are, I don't know what you're talking about. Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"

Ares finally realized that she really didn't recognize who he was. He quickly surmised that his sister must have tampered with her memory so she wouldn't try to return to him after she kidnapped her from his camp. He took her by the hand and led her back to the bedroom.

"Come on, little one. Let's go sit down and I'll explain everything."

Novick had assembled the men for a meeting before heading off to the next town. He wanted to divide the group up into smaller ones and assign each team an area of town to search, but found that he kept getting distracted with the memories of last night's events. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like something wasn't right.

Why did Mars want him to rejoin the search party so quickly? Could it be that he wanted to get rid of him? And why didn't he want to meet him at the manor again? He thought maybe Mars didn't want him back at the manor. Maybe if he did show up at there, then he might catch Mars seducing Daria. That's why he wanted to get rid of him so quickly, so he could have Daria all to himself.

Novick became furious. Convinced that this was all a big deception that Mars had conjured up, he abandoned the search party and started back home again.

". . . by the time I got back to the camp, Athena had already taken you somewhere," Ares explained.

"If what you say is true, then how come I don't remember any of it?" Daria asked.

"Athena must have done something to your memories, to keep you from returning to me on your own.

"Why did you wait so long to come get me?"

"Because I couldn't find you. Believe me, I searched all of Greece. I searched with both my eyes and my mind. It all makes perfect sense now. I couldn't figure out why you wouldn't call on me for help. You just needed to say my name and I could have found you in an instant. But by not having any memories of me, you never thought to call on me. I'm still a little surprised that Athena would hide you outside of Greece, outside of her realm."

"I don't think she did."

"What do you mean, Daria?"

"Well, I didn't get here until about a week ago. Before that, I think I was on some island. I remember waking up in the morning and not knowing where I was or what I was doing there. That's where the slaver caught me and I was sold to Novick that same day. The following morning, I was put on a boat with the other slaves. In less than half a day, we were already at shore. We continued the rest of the trip here on foot, arriving by nightfall."

"An island, huh?" Ares smiled and then looked upwards and said, "I have to admit, that was pretty clever, Sis. I completely forgot about Poseidon's islands."

The sight of Ares talking to the ceiling was entertaining to Daria. I wonder if all the Gods are as eccentric, she thought. Just then, a glittery cloud of silver-white puffed out of thin air and a short man with a jelly belly took shape. He had on a pair of winged boots and was holding a scroll.

"Ares! There you are. I've been all over Greece looking for you. I would have never guessed I'd find you here," he stated.

"I'll have to remember that. What do you want, Hermes?"

"I have a message for you."

"Nooooo, really? And I thought you just dropped in to say hello."

"It's from Athena. Your presence is required in Olympus immediately to discuss compromise. . . " he said, and then added, "as per the order of Zeus."

Ares stood and towered over Hermes "Tell Athena it will have to wait. I'm a little busy right now."

"Sorry, Ares. No can do. Have you forgotten about the new "as per" law? Any message sent with an attachment which reads 'as per the order of Zeus' comes with an automatic transporting feature."

Ares glared at the lesser god as he unwillingly began to disappear.

"Hey, I'm only the messenger," Hermes said, disappearing as well.

Daria just sat there in amazement. She was starting to believe that what Ares had told her was the truth. That other god had called him 'Ares,' so he must be who he says he is.

A knock came at the door. It was Megan.

"Oh, I thought I heard you talking to the Master. I figured he'd be wanting some breakfast soon," she said.

"Morning, Megan. No, Novick's not here. He returned to the assignment he's doing for Mars."

"Oh, I didn't know he was gone. I never saw him leave." She got a big smile on her face. "So, does that mean we's gonna try again tonight?"

Daria contemplated the situation for a moment before responding. "The sooner the better and tonight is as good a night as any!"

Ares materialized in Athena's temple on Mt. Olympus. Both she and Zeus were patiently awaiting his arrival.

"What's the meaning of this, Sister? Your timing couldn't be worse."

"Silence, Ares," Zeus bellowed. "Athena has explained the situation concerning the girl to me. Daria does have an important destiny and you are not to interfere with it."

Athena was seated at Zeus' right side. She smirked at Ares as it to say "Ha, ha, I win!" Ares glared back at her.

"But, Father. . ."

"No buts, Ares. You know the consequences of screwing around with destiny. I will not allow it. Do you understand?"

"Forget it! Athena interfered first by kidnapping her and then she even went as far as to alter her memories. I just want to bring Daria back to Greece. Back home."

This was the first time Zeus had heard of Athena doing anything against the rule of the Gods. He was taken by surprise, but did not show it. He turned and looked at his daughter.

"Is this true, Athena? Is Ares speaking the truth?"

Athena cast her eyes at the floor and answered, "Yes, Father. It is true." She looked up at his face. "But I only did it because. . ."

Zeus raised a hand as an indication for her to be quiet. She complied and returned her gaze back to the floor.

"Athena! I would have never thought you, out of all people, would break the rules of the Gods. I am very disappointed with you."

"You see, Father. She even admits it. So it is only fair that I be allowed to bring Daria back home with me."

"But, Father. . ." Athena interjected.

"SILENCE! Both of you." Zeus thought for a moment before continuing to speak. "All right, Ares, Athena, this is what I will allow. Since Athena clearly interfered where she had no right to, Ares, you will be allowed to take Daria home. But only if she agrees to go with you willingly. I will not allow either one of you to throw her life in an upheaval again. From what I can tell, Daria is still on her destined path. How, after dealing with you both, I don't know. But she is right where she is supposed to be."

Ares stuck his tongue out at Athena. He enjoyed winning so much and really wanted to rub it in.

"I wouldn't be so cocky, if I were you, Ares. Daria has not agreed to leave with you, yet."

Ares smirked. "She will. As long as you make Athena return her memories. If she is to fulfill some sort of destiny for Athena, then her knowledge of me should not make a difference in that, anyway. Right?"

Zeus looked over at Athena. "He's right, Athena. Give the child back her memories."

"But. . ." she started to protest.

"Just DO IT," Zeus ordered.

Athena reached for a small sack attached to her belt and tossed it at Ares. "Here. Give her this bag. It holds her memories. When she opens it, they will return to their proper place."

Ares smiled and nodded, holding the bag in his hand like he had just acquired all the ambrosia in Olympus and disappeared.

When Ares returned to the manor, Daria was talking with Marcus. He didn't bother to mask his arrival and startled Marcus more than Daria.

Daria turned and placed her hand on Marcus' shoulder. "It's okay, Marcus. He's not going to hurt you. He just wants to talk to me."

"D-d-do you know who that is? That's Ares, the God of War. He doesn't like our Goddess Athena. He's come here to stop us." Marcus said as he backed out of the room. Another second passed and he ran off.

"Did you really have to scare him like that, Ares?"

"Ares! You called me Ares! So you remember who I am?"

"No, I still don't remember meeting you. I heard the messenger call you that, so that must be who you are."

"Well, here. Maybe this will help jog your memory." Ares tossed her the bag.

She caught it and could tell it was empty. "There's nothing in this bag, Ares."

"Just open it, Daria."

Reluctantly, Daria opened the small sack and the air whooshed around her. She felt like she had been hit over the head with a rock. Then her memories began flooding her. She stood there a moment, trying to keep her balance as she recalled her meeting with the handsome, dark god standing before her.

"Ares?"

"Yes, my sweet. It's me. I've come to take you home."

"Oh, Ares!" She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Athena! Why did she. . . ?"

"She wanted to keep me from you. But Tartarus would have to freeze over before I let that happen." He took her chin in his hand and turned her head to his and placed a warm, gentle kiss on her tender lips. She responded by pulling him harder against her. After a moment or two, Ares broke the kiss, leaving Daria breathless.

"Come, now. Let's go home," he said.

Daria backed out of his arms and looked sadly into his eyes.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Do you know what I have been through trying to find you? You better have a good reason, young lady."

"I can't because I promised my friends that I would help them escape from this god-awful place. Novick is a monster. And if I abandon these people, when Novick finds out, he is going to take out his anger on them. I can't let that happen, Ares. I can't leave knowing that these poor folks are going to pay the price for my freedom. No. I'm going to stay and help them escape."

Ares narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. He was not happy with her answer, but he knew she was right. Novick would not take Daria's disappearance lightly. And more than just these few slaves would feel his wrath.

"Okay, how about if I take all of you back to Greece? Will you come with me then?"

Daria's face lit up in excitement. She threw her arm's around his neck again and started placing little kisses all over his face.

"That's a wonderful idea, Ares! Oh, thank you. Thank you. I've got to go tell the others." She ran off before Ares could say another word. He smiled. She was so happy at the moment, it was infectious.

Daria located Marcus in the stables, as usual. He looked relieved when he saw her enter through the barn doors.

"Daria! You're all right. I thought that maybe. . ."

Daria cut him off. "Marcus, Ares is a friend of mine. He wouldn't hurt me, or any of you, either. He came to rescue me. To take me back home. He's going to take us all back to Greece. Isn't that great?"

Marcus frowned. "Well, I can't speak for the others, but there is no way in Tartarus I'm going anywhere with him."

"But, why?"

"Daria, I serve Athena, and only Athena. Ares would expect us to worship him for rescuing us, or at least insist that we owed him a favor. My Goddess and he have been on opposite sides for as long as I can remember." Marcus sat down and motioned to Daria to do the same.

"I have lived my whole life in honor of my Goddess Athena. What would it say about my faith if I allowed another god to help me? Especially after she has revealed to us that she has sent you to help. Well, I'll tell you. It would be a direct insult to her. And Ares would love nothing better than to hit her where it hurts the most - with her followers. No, Daria, I'm sorry. But I won't be going with you and Ares."

Daria heard the rest of his group agree with Marcus. She frowned and looked at the ground and then she looked at the faces of the slaves. She turned back to Marcus.

"Very well, Marcus. I respect your decision and admire your faith, however misplaced it may be. If you folks won't come with me, then I won't go either. We proceed with the escape as planned."

Cheers rang from the small group at the announcement. She smiled half-heartedly.

"Excuse me, now. But I will have to inform Ares that I won't be leaving with him. He's not going to be too happy about it.," she said as she walked away.

"NOT GOING? What do you mean you're not going? I said I would take along your little friends, so what's the problem?"

"They declined your offer of help. Something about having loyalty for Athena."

"Athena! That bitch has gotten in the way again. Wait until Zeus hears about this one."

"Ares, please don't be upset. I thought it was very generous of you to offer. I'm sorry they can't see you the same way as I do. But I've made up my mind. I'm going to lead them to away from here, tonight. We have everything all planned out."

Since Daria's memories returned, she felt confident about taking on this task. Now she also recalled all the training she received from Balicus and knew she could handle a weapon. She was still a long way off from being a real warrior, but at least the idea of battle didn't seem foreign to her any more.

"Then I will go with you to make sure nothing happens."

"No, Ares. Marcus and the others made it clear that they cannot accept your help, however small it may seem. No, we must do this alone."

"Daria, I don't like the idea of you leading a bunch of peasants through the Roman countryside. None of those people know how to fight. And you can just barely take care of yourself. How do you expect to protect them should you run into opposition?'

"I don't know, Ares. I'm inclined to say 'faith'. Not mine, but theirs. They truly believe that Athena is protecting them. Maybe she is. Maybe that's why I'm here. I don't know. All I do know is that I plan to be at your temple by tomorrow night. Will you be waiting for me?' Daria looked innocently at the god and batted her eyelashes, smiling.

Ares took her into his arms and pressed her head to his chest. He stroked her hair gently, then kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll be sure to have your next lesson planned," he smiled and then disappeared.

PART FOURTEEN

Daria stood, looking out over the night sky from the window in Novick's bedchambers. She let out a big sigh of relief, glad for the fact there was a full moon tonight, which would make traveling at night much easier. She went and retrieved her bag from where she had it hidden and quietly made her way out to meet Marcus, Megan, and the rest of the group, who had assembled in the stables.

Everyone was nervous. They still had to deal with the two night guards at the gate entrance before they could even consider "being on their way." Daria took charge of the people, telling everyone to keep the noise down.

"Okay, folks. This is your last chance to change your mind." Everybody nodded 'no.'

"Well then, I need the gate team to come with me. The rest of you stay here and wait for our signal.

Marcus and four young men, all carrying weapons that Marcus had taken from Novick's armory, stepped forward. They left the stables and sneaked across the courtyard to the wall west of the gate. Daria set down her sword and looked at the men.

"Ready? Here I go."

She followed the wall around and spoke to the guard closest to her.

"Excuse me, sir? Could you help me to move this big bag of flour to the kitchen, please? Everyone else is asleep and it's too heavy for me to move by myself.

Both guards looked Daria over. They knew she was Novick's new playmate.

"Why are you moving flour around at this time of night? Isn't Megan supposed to be taking care of things like that?" one guard asked.

"Well, yes, she would normally. But tomorrow is her birthday, you see, and I wanted to surprise her by baking a cake. This is the only time she's not working in the kitchen. So I started to mix everything together and realized there was no flour and so. . ."

"All right, all right. I'm coming. Just quit your babbling, okay."

"Oh, thank you!" she said and started to lead the guard back around the wall where the men were waiting to clobber him. As they walked past the hiding men, one grabbed him around the mouth to keep him quiet while the others disarmed him and knocked him out. They dragged him out of sight and hid him under the hay next to the stables.

Daria turned to the men with a pleased look on her face. "One down, one to go."

She returned to the gate, this time running with a panicked look on her face and spoke to the remaining guard.

"Help, quick. The large flour bag fell down on the other guy and I think it might have knocked him out. Please, hurry." She didn't wait for a response. She turned around and ran back the other way, hoping the guard would follow her. He did. And was soon lying next to his buddy underneath the hay.

The signal was given to the waiting group and everyone moved out of the stables with their lives in their hands. Marcus had already entered the guard shack to unlock the gate. When Marcus returned to the group and Daria was sure everyone was together, she pushed the gate to freedom open only to freeze in her footsteps.

Standing before her, with eyes flaring in built up rage, was Novick. Their faces were just inches away from each other and she could feel the heat coming from his body.

"Master!" she cried. "We were just coming out to greet you," she boldly toyed with him.

Novick noticed something different in her eyes. Something he hadn't seen before. A newfound confidence. He saw no indication of fear any longer.

He stepped back and withdrew his sword, yelling for his guards at the same time.

"Going somewhere, Daria? Perhaps to meet MARS?"

Daria also drew her sword. She laughed mockingly at Novick.

"Mars? You think I'm leaving you for Mars? Well, I guess you could say that."

"I knew it! I knew he was up to something. Fucking Immortal."

"You're jealous!" she laughed. "Big, bad Lord Novick is jealous of the God. What's wrong, Novick? Feeling insignificant, are we?" Daria was egging him on. She hated this man and everything he stood for. And since her memory of the time spent with Ares had returned, she had felt like her old, cocky self. She never took shit from anyone before, and she wasn't going to take any more from him now, either. She found great satisfaction is letting Novick know what she really thought of him.

"Step aside, Novick. We're leaving."

"Oh no, my sweet little slut. You're not going anywhere except back to my bedchambers for a lesson in respect."

"Wanna bet?"

Novick laughed. "Is that a challenge? I love a good challenge," he smirked.

Daria became momentarily distracted by the noise behind her. Some of Novick's guards had awakened when they heard Novick summons them and were engaged in fighting with the slaves. Although the guards were more experienced with their weapons, they were outnumbered four to one, so the slaves were holding their own.

Novick tackled Daria while her attention was drawn away. She struggled to get free from under the weight of his body. She saw an insane excitement in Novick's face. He loved violence and was actually becoming aroused by Daria's rebellion.

He had her pinned down and was looking into her eyes, shaking his head in amazement. "Gods, are you ever magnificent when you're angry. I think I'm in love!" he teased. He started kissing her roughly. Daria resisted at first, but could not break free. Her mind was running at light speed trying to figure out how to turn the situation around.

She started to respond to his kiss, biting at his lower lip. She moaned and began grinding her hips against his groin. Passion started to overtake Novick, and he moved his hands to her face and hair. "Oh, baby! You excite me so," he purred.

As soon as Daria felt him drop his guard, she made her move. Flipping him over, she dug her knee into his balls and was able to get away from him. She grabbed the sword she dropped when he tackled her and stood ready for a fight.

"You little bitch. No one treats me that way." The rage had returned to Novick's eyes again as he stood and picked up his own sword.

Ares had been monitoring everything from his cloaked position in a nearby tree. He knew Daria didn't want him to interfere, and the others didn't want his help, but he certainly wasn't going to stand by and watch Novick destroy them either. As he watched Daria and Novick, he fought the urge to show up at her side. Daria was no match for Novick. She had nowhere near the training she needed to fight a Roman soldier. But . . . Daria had never said anything about helping her personally. He cast a protection spell on her alone, and then increased her fighting ability to match that of her opponent's. At least it would be a fair fight now.

Marcus and the others had successfully managed to defeat the guards they were fighting and they all began to form a circle around Daria and Novick. Daria had not been the aggressor thus far, she just kept fending off Novick's attempts to disarm her. She moved as gracefully as a swan and as quick as lightening, which pissed Novick off to no end.

Ares was enjoying the show from his tree branch. He admired Daria. She was not afraid to stand up to this powerful man. And with her ability enhanced, she was like poetry in motion to him. Ares became mesmerized by her form, the way she thrust her sword, her keen senses. She was beautiful in battle. Yes, all the rage, the passion, the violence, had its strange sexual affect on the God of War, too. He couldn't wait until Daria got to Greece. Her fearless determination exhilarated him.

The longer he watched her, the more he desired her. He started to undress her with his eyes, stripping her clothing off, layer by layer. In his mind, he removed the vest she had on. Daria was too caught up in the fight and didn't feel anything. Next, Ares removed her tunic.

Daria felt a slight chill and the nipples of her breasts became hard. The next thing she noticed was she felt her pants were missing and she knew that Ares was close by, watching her. She did her best to ignore the distraction and focus on Novick.

In less than a minute, Ares had Daria completely undressed in his mind. She was totally nude, with nothing but her sword in hand, fighting Novick. Ares smiled as her full breasts jiggled as she moved. His cock started to strain against the leather of his pants when Daria had to tuck and roll, giving Ares a perfect view of her shaven pussy. He couldn't help himself - he wanted to play.

He started to finger her pussy in his mind, not realizing that Daria was actually able to feel him imagining it. He could feel her slick juices lubricating his fingers and she could feel herself getting wet as well. The feeling in her pussy became more and more intense and she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. Ares pictured fucking her with two fingers while his thumb brushed wildly against her clit. It was too much for her to ignore any longer.

Daria lost all focus on Novick and was just standing there, moaning. Her head rolled back and her free hand reached for one of her breasts. She felt Novick knock the sword from her hand, but she didn't care. Ares was going to make her cum with his mind. Novick charged her, backing her up against a tree. His body was pressed against hers, and he held his sword to her throat.

"You die now, bitch." He was just about to slice across her neck when she started babbling.

"Oh, Gods! I want your cock. Please, I'm begging you," she murmured, completely lost in the erotic feeling Ares was causing. She was barely conscious of the fact that Novick was about to kill her.

Novick paused. He thought she was talking to him and frowned. That's all he ever really wanted from her. To be his willing sex slave. To beg him for his cock. And now, just as he is ready to end her life, she turned into his ultimate desire. But she was the enemy and she had to die.

While Novick was preoccupied with his thoughts, Daria managed to get her hand around the handle of Novick's dagger without his knowledge. She started to cum, and her body shook and writhed against Novick. She pulled out his dagger, stabbing Novick in his left lung. The harder she came, the more she twisted the blade in Novick. He dropped his sword and tried to back away from her, but quickly died and fell backwards instead.

Daria was pulled along, landing on top of him. Her body was still jerking with pleasure. Her hand was still on the dagger, and she was covered in blood. She had just had the most intensive orgasm in her life. The combination of taking a life and getting off at the same time was overwhelming. Daria had gotten her first taste of blood lust and she liked it.

Ares almost couldn't control himself when he saw her cumming. He could tell the exact moment when the power of blood lust manifested itself in her. His passion for her flooded his veins and the fire of desire burned brightly in his eyes. He disappeared abruptly, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist taking her right then and there for a moment longer.

PART FIFTEEN

Megan, Marcus, and a few of the others rushed over to Daria and helped her up.

"Daria, are you all right?" Marcus asked.

"I think so, yes."

"The Master, you killed him!" Megan cheered.

Daria looked down at Novick's blood-covered body. The knife was still sticking out of his body. Daria reached down and yanked it out. She ran her finger along the edge of the blade, collecting some of Novick's blood, and then licked it off her finger. The taste of his blood was like ecstasy.

"Yes. Yes, I did, Megan," she answered.

She wiped the remaining blood off on her leg, stuck the dagger in her belt, and then turned to the crowd.

"Did anyone get hurt?" She heard a bunch of "no's" and so continued. "Well, let's go home, then."

Everyone gathered up his or her belongings and they headed down the road to Greece.

Ares was pacing the temple floor in anticipation of Daria's arrival. He knew he wasn't supposed to help her and the others get back to Greece, but it would be hours before they would finally make it.

While Daria and the others were taking a short break about a third of the way into their trip, he took advantage of an opportunity to shorten their journey. It was still dark, and hard to see, so he transported the entire group closer to Greece without anyone noticing. Now it would only be another hour before they arrived.

Shortly thereafter, the group crossed the border into Greece. Everyone scattered in different directions, either to contact their families or find a bed to rest in. Daria headed straight for Ares' temple.

She quietly tiptoed inside and could see Ares sitting in his throne talking to Balicus. She leaned her side against one of the pillars, hidden by the shadows, and crossed one leg over the other one. She listened as the God of War recounted her fight to Balicus.

"You should have seen her, Balicus. She was awesome! The man was twice her size and she never once had fear in her eyes. She stood up to him without hesitation, using bold words to draw him into the fight. She wanted this one, you could tell. She fought with so much passion, Balicus. I wish our new recruits had a quarter of the passion Daria has when she fights. We could conquer the entire Northern region in less than a month. Oh, and when she finally jabbed the dagger into him, her eyes lit up. You should have seen the look on her face as she twisted the knife into him, applying more pressure, making sure the job was finished - she was . . . beautiful . . ." He started to become lost in his recollection of the battle.

"Now, why didn't you just fireball the Roman?" Balicus asked.

"Because her stupid little friends didn't want me to help. They worship Athena and believed that the witch actually "sent" Daria to lead them to freedom."

The two men were startled when they heard a voice coming from the shadows.

"And you don't listen very well, now do you, my Lord." Daria emerged from the back of the room and started walking toward them. She smiled and nodded at Balicus.

"Good to see you again, Balicus."

He returned a warm smile. "And you, as well, my student." He turned to Ares. "Please excuse me, Sire, but I should check on the trainees."

Ares couldn't tear his eyes away from Daria, and just waved off Balicus. "Um-hum, that's a good idea, Balicus. Go check on the men."

Balicus bowed and told Daria he expected to see her back at the training camp soon and left the room.

Daria had stopped short of reaching Ares by about 10 feet. She was a mess, still covered in Novick's blood, all dried and crusty now. Her usual golden hair was matted and dull, caked with dirt and mud, her tunic was torn, and she had little cuts and bruises all over her body. Ares never thought she looked more beautiful. He jumped off the throne and rushed over to her. Cupping her face with both hands, he kissed her deeply, passionately, hungrily.

Daria melted into his arms. He lifted her up and walked over to his throne and placed her in his seat. He placed a hand on each arm of the throne and looked her over.

"You were fabulous in Rome," he told her in a low, seductive voice.

She stared back into his eyes. "You nearly got me killed out there, Ares. Does your mind ever leave the bedroom?"

Ares chuckled, and even blushed slightly. "Well, apparently not! Not when you're around, anyway." He caressed her check and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I didn't know that you could actually feel what I was thinking about until it had gone too far. Oh, I could have stopped when I noticed your distraction, but it was so thrilling to watch you cum in front of all those people, watching you trying to hide the look of pleasure on your face."

"It was a cruel thing to do to me, Ares."

"Not as cruel as it would have been if I stopped after realizing you could feel me."

They laughed.

"I suppose you're right. That would be cruel. Get me all worked up and then cut me off as I start to get close. But as good as it felt, it was also quite distracting. Novick almost killed me."

"No he didn't. He couldn't. I was protecting you."

"Um-hum. And just what else did you do?"

"Well, I, ah, kinda shortened your trip here. While everyone was resting, I sort of transported you all closer. Nobody was the wiser, so no harm done."

"I knew we got here a lot faster than I anticipated!" she said aloud to herself. "Anything else?" she asked him, raising her eyebrows.

He looked at her and grinned wickedly.

"Ares?"

He stood up straight and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I just evened out the odds, that's all. He would have pulverized you if I hadn't. So sue me!"

Daria frowned. She thought she was the one who killed Novick. But it seemed now that Ares helped her to defeat him with his power. She stood and pushed her way past the War God, stomping towards the door.

"And just where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"To take a bath!" she snapped.

Ares lost his playful attitude. He hated to be shunned. "We're not finished here yet."

Daria stopped and turned around glaring at the god. "No Ares, we're quite finished."

There was finality in her words, like she was telling him that it was over between them. She was, in fact. She was hurt that he hadn't honored her request to let her handle things herself. But what really got to her was that she believed Novick died because Ares gave her the power to kill him. She had been so proud of herself for defending her life and the lives of the others, and now all that confidence slipped away. She was just an ordinary girl with no special talents to make her feel special or worthy.

She turned back around and started walking again. Sorrow rushed her and her eyes began to fill with tears and she didn't want the god to see her cry again. She still had her pride, at least.

Ares appeared in the doorway, blocking her exit.

"What's gotten into you, Daria? You're not going anywhere."

She reached the door and tried to look tough. "Get out of my way, Ares. MOVE!" She started to hit his chest with her fists hoping he would let her pass. The tears were flowing now.

He caught her arms to stop her from hitting him. "Whoa, whoa, WAIT A MINUTE!" He pulled her into a hug, and she broke down, sobbing heavily. He stroked her head and back, holding her tightly against him.

"What's wrong? I was only trying to protect you, darlin'. You wouldn't be standing here now if I hadn't helped you a little."

She managed to speak through her sobs. "You don't believe in me. You didn't think I could do it myself. And you're right. I would probably be dead right now if you hadn't killed him."

"Daria, I didn't kill Novick. That was you. All you. The only thing I did was enhance your fighting ability, not your determination. And when you stuck the knife into Novick's gut you weren't fighting, remember? You were getting off on my thoughts. The idea to take his knife and stab him before he killed you was all your idea. I didn't have anything to do with it. If anything, you should be upset that I hindered your focus. But you managed to save yourself despite the distractions I was causing."

Daria's tears had stopped. She looked up into his eyes, listening to his words, and realized he was telling her the truth. She did kill Novick. She was the one who brought justice upon the slave owner and freedom to his slaves. She, and she alone, had made the decision to end his life.

"Really? You didn't make me kill him?"

"No, my sweet. That was you. What did you think I'm all worked up about? A simple fight? No, it's you that's driving me crazy. I saw blood lust appear in your eyes and I knew you belonged with me." He lowered his head and kissed her. He released her arms and she wrapped them around his neck. His hands moved to her ass, squeezing her firm cheeks, and he was grinding his hips against her and moaning sexily.

She broke their kiss and pushed herself from him. "Thank you, Ares, for caring enough to want to protect me."

He smiled warmly at her. "Let's go get you cleaned up." He took her hand and vanished.

They reappeared in his bedchambers and he stood back, just admiring her for a moment before moving to her and removing her vest. She started to lift her shirt but he stopped her and asked that she allow him the pleasure of undressing and washing her. She agreed.

Leisurely, Ares removed all of her clothing and tossed it aside. Then, a large sponge and a bowl of warm, soapy water appeared in his hands. He dipped the sponge and started squeezing the water out over her shoulders. It was warm and comforting and felt like liquid velvet as it cascaded down her body. Ares took his time washing her. Making sure every drop of dry blood and dirt was gone. And then he washed her hair. Gently he massaged his strong fingers through her scalp and down her long, golden hair, working up a thick lather. He rinsed the soap out, and combed it with a special comb that left it feeling soft as satin. When he was finished, he materialized a royal purple colored, silk robe and wrapped it around her. Then he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

He gently set her down, trying to maintain his soft touch by laying tiny little kisses on her face and neck. But he was hungry for her. All of the excitement and blood lust he felt from watching her fight Novick was still fresh in his mind. The adrenaline still pumping through his veins. He really didn't want to be gentle with her. He wanted to invoke some of that same passion she used while fighting and give it all to him now. Ares was still lost in the memory of the battle and soon his tiny kisses had turned into bites of desire and need.

He growled into her ear, "l want you, Daria. I want you to be mine." Then he sucked her earlobe into his mouth, teasing her with his tongue.

Daria pushed him off slightly, so she could look him in the face. Her eyes were aglow with the excitement he was causing.

"Take me, War God. MAKE me yours. Demand it from me, Ares!"

Ares' eyes widened and then narrowed as he looked at her. She was making him wild for her. Oh Gods, he thought, she's even starting to think like me! She wants to be dominated. She needs to be taken by her God. He smiled seductively at her, letting his gaze flow down her body.

He leaned his head down and devoured her lips, forcefully thrusting his tongue inside her mouth. Running it over her teeth and around the outline of her sweet tasting lips. Both the god and the small, great one were breathing heavily. Daria sucked hard on his tongue, drawing it further into her mouth. When he tried to pull it away, she bit down on it to hold him there. But he was too quick for her, and instead she ended up nipping the tip of his tongue, drawing blood.

Ares tasted his own blood and it made his cock rock hard.

"Mmmmm. You little savage!" he growled, as he looked at her through half-shut eyes. "You bit me!" The thought that she might be thirsty for more blood sent erotic chills down his spine.

Daria looked innocently at him. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to." She sat up, kneeling in front of him. She placed both her hands on his face and looked into his dark, entrancing eyes.

"Here, let me kiss it and make it better for you," she teased.

Ares playfully knocked her hands away. "Oh, no. I don't think so. That's what caused all the trouble to begin with. No, you just go sit against the headboard and keep your sharp little fangs in your mouth. I'll be doing all the kissing from now on."

"Hisss!" Daria mimicked the sound of a cat, but did as he said. Once she was settled, she adjusted the silk robe around her, covering all the important places.

Ares stood and watched her. He had a mischievous smile on his face.

"Open your robe," he ordered. "Show yourself to me."

Daria's nipples instantly became hard at the sound of his command. She smiled inwardly at the way her body shivered beneath his watchful eye. She hadn't responded this way when he undressed her to bathe. But the sound of authority in his voice, and the way he was looking at her now, gave her a feeling of anticipation. She felt a strong desire, a need even, to merge with him – body and soul.

Slowly, she parted the purple silk material, exposing her ample breasts and hairless pussy for the god's pleasure. The excitement of it all caused goose bumps to appear on her arms, as she squirmed under the heat of his gaze.

Ares made his clothes disappear and stood in front of his warrior girl, completely naked in all his glory. His body language conveyed to her what to expect and she did not fear it. In fact, she welcomed it. She almost couldn't wait any longer when he took his cock in hand and began to stroke it. She groaned deeply, watching his hand slide up and over the gorgeous muscle.

"Touch yourself, Daria. Touch your body as if it were me doing it."

Daria tilted her head slightly with a questioning look on her face.

"It's okay, baby. Just do it," he reassured. "Start by running your hands over your tits and pinch the nipples."

She complied, and began to rub her hands over her chest. Lifting them, pushing them together, squeezing them at first, then her fingers took each nipple and gently pinched it, making them protrude even further outward.

"Mmmmm, ya, baby. That's right. Touch yourself. I want to watch you make yourself cum," he whispered. His eyes never left her and the more turned on she became, the faster he would stroke himself.

"Now, touch your pussy," he said through a heavy breath.

She slowly ran one hand down her flat tummy to her pelvis. She relished in the way the smoothly shaven skin felt against her hand. She brushed her fingers over her lips, then, starting at the bottom, parted them with her index finger. She was well lubricated already.

"Feel how wet you are, Daria? That tells me how much you want me, how hot I make you feel inside. It feels good, huh?"

"Yes!" she whispered. She began to move her finger over the entire slit now, lingering for a few seconds when it would come in contact with her clit. She had turned away from Ares and was watching her hand playing with her cunt. She seemed hypnotized by the sight of her finger brushing over the hard nub that was now swollen and sticking out a little.

"Make yourself cum, Daria. Rub faster over your sensitive little bump while I watch," he urged.

Her eyes moved back to the god, taking in his form as they crawled up his body to his face. She could tell that he wouldn't be able to keep his distance from her for much longer. The lust and desire was apparent in his eyes. She returned her gaze to her own body again, rubbing her fingers faster and faster over her clit. Her heart started pounding and she closed her eyes. Her body seemed to be heating up and she got that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Soft, sexy whimpers escaped from her and she couldn't help moving her hips now.

She could feel an orgasm getting closer and closer, yet she had never done this to herself before and the thought that she was pleasing herself seemed to keep her from letting go.

Ares sensed her distraction and decided to help her along.

"Daria!" he snapped. "Look at me."

She looked up at him with agony on her face. She was so close . . . just a little bit more . . . damn!

"Daria, I want you to close your eyes, and pretend that it's my tongue in your pussy and not your finger. Do you think you can do that for me?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now slow down. Move up and down the entire wet slit. That's right. Slowly, slowly. Now lightly flick your finger across your clit. Can you feel my tongue giving you pleasure? "

"Gods, yes, Ares!"

"Now, move my tongue back down the slit and push it inside the hole, not too far"

When Daria did that, her eyes popped open quickly.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

She nodded no.

"Close your eyes again. Slide my tongue back up to that sensitive, swollen clit. That's right, baby. Make it circle around it and the flick it across it some more. It feels good, huh? And you taste good, too, Daria. Now, lick your finger, taste yourself. I want to see you do that."

Daria was feeling more than sensuous and didn't hesitate to follow the war god's instruction. She licked her juices off her finger, slowly and sexily.

"Mmmmm!"

She returned it to her pussy again. Her juices increasing by the second. She needed no further instruction now; she had become lost in the feeling. Her climax rapidly approaching. Her finger started moving in a frenzy over her clit and she was moaning loudly.

"Oooohhh! Oooowwww!"

Ares was beating his large cock rapidly. Watching her had made him so hard it almost hurt. He loved the facial expressions she was making as she started to get off. So sexy. So erotic. She was fucking hot.

"That's right, baby. Let it go. Give it up to your God," he coaxed.

Daria began shaking and twisting on the bed. Her mouth pursed out and she gasped for air. She violently threw her head from side to side.

"I'm c.c.c.u.u.u.m.m.m.i.i.i.n.n.n.g.g.g! Oh Gods, Ares. I'm cumming. I'm cumming."

Ares couldn't stand it any longer. He quickly crawled on top of her and moved her hand away from her smooth, glistening pussy. She was oozing with wetness. Ares had been so caught up in all the excitement, he forgot that she was still a virgin. In the heat of the moment, he quickly entered her, ramming his hard, engorged muscle into the hilt. He felt the barrier of her innocence break and froze while completely buried in her tight, wet pussy.

Daria's face wrenched in pain, yet she did not scream or make a sound. Her eyes were wide with confusion at the feeling of his intrusion. It was only seconds before when she was overwhelmed in ecstasy and now . . . now she wasn't quite sure what to think. It was a sobering experience.

Ares supported his weight on his arms and looked down at her with shock. Slowly, he started to withdraw from her. Small amounts of blood intermixed with her natural lubrication.

"Oh, baby. Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. You had me so hot for you, I was just caught up in the moment and I didn't think."

Daria looked lovingly into his eyes and placed two fingers over his mouth.

"Shhhh. Don't apologize, Ares. I want you. I want this."

"I'll heal you so you won't feel the pain."

"NO!" she cried. "I don't want to be healed." Her eyes were aglow with excitement as she noticed the blood between her legs. She reached down and swirled her fingers in it and then brought them to her breasts, smearing the slick red blood on her nipples. She eyed him seductively.

"Take me," she whispered. "No mercy." She leaned back again and spread her legs for him.

Ares' heart skipped a beat and his cock jumped back to full attention. He looked at her in disbelief as his lust for her peaked.

"I've got to be dreaming," he said softly.

She grabbed him by his hair and pulled him to her chest. He attacked her bosom, cleaning the blood off that she had so thoughtfully placed there. The taste of her, of her blood, was intoxicating. He growled as his cock found her entry once again and he consciously pushed inside of her again, relishing in the tightness of her vagina.

Slowly, he began to pump her, moving his thick rod back and forth, in and out. He watched her face and saw that she seemed to be getting off on the pain. Could this be? he thought. Her expression mixed pleasure and turmoil. He leaned in and kissed her roughly. She growled and bit his lower lip.

"Yes. Oh, yes," she purred.

Within a few minutes, the sharp pain had dulled to an uncomfortable friction, and then soon faded away altogether. Her entire body language changed. She was no longer tense, but rather seemed to be melting into the mattress beneath her. By the Gods it felt good. Really good, now. Her hips began rocking and her hands were rubbing the well-defined pecs on the god's bronzed chest. She pinched a nipple and he moaned pleasantly for her.

"Oh, Gods! Ares. I never knew it could feel this way."

He smirked knowingly as his tongue lashed out against one of her erect nipples. He lightly bit it, pulling up with it between his teeth.

"Just you wait, my sweet. This is only the beginning of your pleasure. There is so much more to show you."

Daria began to feel tingly all over. She wrapped her legs around his waist and met his thrusts.

"Teach me! Show me! Mold me into your warrior lover, my God!"

Her words excited him beyond control. He slammed his hips against her pelvis, increasing in speed with each re-entry. His balls tightened, and blood flowed to his hardened cock. His face became contorted and he squeezed his eyes tightly closed.

"Oh baby! Oh, baby. Oh, yeah!"

His cock rippled with his god seed as he shot it deeply into her newly deflowered cunt. He grunted and his body moved in jerks as his passion spilled out over her. His mouth returned to hers and he kissed her deeply, ardently, eventually collapsing his weight on top of her.

He slipped his arms around her, hugging her tightly, and rolled over, pulling her on top of him. She sat up and smiled affectionately at him.

"That was awesome," she commented.

"Oh, I'm not done, my dear. I didn't make you cum yet."

"Yes you did! When you had me touch myself."

"No, you made yourself cum. Now it's my turn," he said in a low, sexy voice.

Daria blushed. "I don't think I could handle it right now. I'm pretty sore down there."

"I'll heal you."

"No, please don't. Not yet, anyway."

Ares looked at her funny. "You are a strange one, aren't you? Most women want nothing more than to be healed, about now. Don't tell me you like the pain. You're not one of those masochists, are you?"

She laughed. "No." She moved off his body and sat on the edge of the bed, next to him. "I know this is going to sound weird but, I do kinda like the way it feels right now. It's not really painful, it's just sore. It's remind me of what we just did. What you just did. It's like I can still feel you inside of me. Pushing that long, thick cock of yours in and out. Deeper and deeper, stretching me wider." Daria's body wiggled from the chill she got as she envisioned Ares taking her virginity, breaking through the threshold of her youth. She was no longer a innocent, young girl anymore. He made her a woman.

Her words were making him hot again. She could be such a tease sometimes. "Why are you savoring memories when you could have the real thing, right here?"

She shrugged like she didn't have an answer and then stood. She really was sore and her body needed time to adjust.

Ares looked concerned. "Are you tired? Do you want to rest?" he asked.

"Oh no, I'm much too wound up for that. I was thinking I would take a walk, maybe."

Ares gave her a disapproving look.

"Or maybe not," she added, smiling. "I just feel a bit restless, that all"

Ares grinned wickedly as an idea came to mind.

"I know!" he said. "Let's do a little sparing. Wanna?"

"Well, Ares, I don't know. Are we playing for something? What will you give me if I win?"

"Anything you want, my dear."

"And if you win?"

He answered her smirking, "Well, you have let me heal you, first and then I get to do anything I want to you ."

Daria thought about it for a moment and shook her head. "No way, Ares. You're the God of War. I'd lose for sure!" she mused.

Ares stood up and pulled her into his embrace. His hard chest touching the softness of her tender skin, his strong arms wrapped around her small frame, bringing her closer to him.

He nuzzled her ear and purred, "Would that really be that bad, my sweet?"

Ares, too, had been feeling feisty. The fiery emotion from the battle had faded away, but were replaced just a quickly with ones of lust and ardor. Oh, no. She wasn't getting away from him that easy.

He placed his wet lips against the side of her neck and started laying busses down towards her shoulder and back up again, purring in her ear. His hands began to caress her, slowly moving up her sides and around her back as he rubbed his chest against her nipples.

Daria groaned, tilting her head back as she closed her eyes. Becoming lost in the sensations he was giving her.

"All right, I surrender. You win!" she whispered.

Ares pulled his head up and looked at her sensuous face. He kissed her lips, gently, tasting her desire.

"No, Daria. I think we both win."

He scooped her up and laid her back on the bed, covering her body with his. His lips returned to hers as his hand move down to the valley between her legs and started glowing. He healed her, cleaning up the semi-dry blood caused by her deflowering. She didn't even notice. She was much too involved in kissing the handsome god. Sucking on his bottom lip, dancing with his tongue. Her hands were on his face or running through his gorgeous, dark locks. He was igniting her desire for him again, her need to be his.

He broke away from her mouth and moved his kisses down her body. He buried his head between her breasts, licking them, teasing the nipples. He had her moaning within seconds and she arched her back, pressing further into his face.

He continued farther down her body, over her stomach, pausing briefly to delve his tongue into her navel, before finding her smooth, shaven pussy. She was already getting wet again. He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed at the sexy sight, smiling. He never realized before how a hairless pussy looked so hot before. Just the sight of it made his cock twitch.

He parted her lips, rubbing a finger along the slit, making is shine with her juices. Then he licked off his finger while his eyes captured hers.

"Mmmmmm. Sooo sweet," he purred.

Returning his fingers to her lips, he part them, holding them open around her clit so he could see it really well. He leaned in and his tongue darted out, barely coming in contact with it. She jerked at his touch. He teased her again, doing the same thing, just barely touching it. This time she cried and tried to push his head further into her pussy.

"Ooooohhhh. Ares, don't tease me. Please," she begged.

He smirked in victory as he dove fully between her legs. Swirling his tongue around her juice flooded cavern, bringing erotic ecstasy to every nerve in her body, until he was unable to keep her still any longer. She writhed and wiggled, trying to escape him.

"Oh, please - no more. Stop. I can't take anymore of this."

He ignored her cries of passion. Fully enjoying the pleasurable torture he was putting her through.

"Please, Ares. I can't take this teasing. I want to feel you inside of me. Oh please, my Lord. I'll do anything you want, just quit teasing me like this."

Ares paused and looked up at her face. "Anything, huh? Sounds like you want it pretty bad. So you want your God to fill you with pleasure?"

She nodded enthusiastically, trying to pull him up her body so he would be laying on her.

"Well . . . I don't know. I'm pretty sore, ya know," he teased her before allowing her to guide his body to match hers. When they were face to face, he kissed her.

He stopped and looked seriously into her eyes, causing her to freeze in motion.

In a deep, serious voice he spoke, "Open yourself to me, Daria. I want nothing less than all of you."

"Yes, my Lord," she answered, equally as serious.

She felt the tip of his manhood press against the opening of her pussy. Slowly, he pushed his cock inside of her wet warmth. Instantly, her eyes closed, and she gasped deeply, arching her back and pressing against his chest.

He watched her face intently. Reading her expressions of pleasure, excitement, lust as he began to fuck her. His cock easily sliding in and out between her legs. He moved slowly, at first, and then increased the speed. He loved the way her cunt lips surrounded his large cock. Swallowing his hard muscle, not wanting to release him as he would pull back.

"Oh, Gods," she murmured. Her voice rich with passion and desire.

"Mmmmmm, yes, Daria. You are mine now, my sweet little warrior. Tell me who you belong to."

Ares had no doubt that Daria would fully and officially offer her life in servitude to him. But he could tell by the way she was responding now, that she was getting close to the edge. And before he would take her to go over, he wanted her to say the words.

"Oh, Gods. Ares!" she moaned, her body twisting beneath his. "Yes, yes, I'm yours, my Lord."

He smiled victoriously and then quickly withdrew from her. Her eyes opened in shock, but he just had her turn over and get on her hands and knees. Within seconds, his cock was back in her pussy as he entered her from the rear.

"OH, my word," she cried in pleasant surprise at the new position. "This feels fucking fantastic."

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" he responded. His face now showing all the pleasure and passion he was feeling now.

He grabbed both her butt cheeks and watched as he pumped his cock in and out of Daria's wet cunt. The tiny sloshing sounds making beautiful rhythmic music. The sexy, erotic sight caused his cock to become even harder and he pumped in to her even further, filling her completely.

Daria lowered her head to the mattress on instinct. She felt his huge cock move even deeper inside of her. The sensations flooded her body, and just when she thought it couldn't get any better, Ares reached around under her and started flicking his finger over her clit. Instantly, she began to cum.

"Oh, Gods. Oh, Ares! I'm gonna cum. I'm gonnnnnnaaaaa ccccuuumm.. I AM CUMMING. OH, ARES. ARES!"

Daria exploded with a pinnacle of emotions and feeling. Waves of pleasure broke against the shore of her soul and she lost all composure, nearly becoming limp from being overwhelmed.

Ares slid his arm under her belly to support her as he continued to drive his cock into her responding pussy. What a awesome feeling to be fucking a pussy that's in mid-orgasm. Her muscles convulsed tightly around his shaft as hot and sticky cum juice started to overflow. His hips moved furiously, slamming his pelvis against her heart-shaped ass until his body started to tighten. The smile left his face and was replaced by utter concentration as his own orgasm began to fill his cock.

"Oh, fuck! Baby, baby. Yes! Here I come . . ."

Ares grunted loudly, his body jerking, slamming into her two more times before his seed erupted and filled her. He held on to her hips tightly, savoring the feeling of being inside of her wet pussy for a few more moments before they both collapsed in a sweaty heap, breathing heavily.

"Oh, FUCK, that was good!" he commented, moving the hair from around her neck so he could nibble there.

She squirmed and turned over to face him, still beneath him, and they kissed savagely between gasps of air. The look of passion was still in her eyes.

"And what is my little warrior thinking about?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

She smiled. "You're gonna have a hard time getting rid of me now," she giggled.

He laughed. "What makes you think I was letting you go? You belong to me now. Even if you leave, you'll eventually come back. I'm in your blood now and you won't be able to deny yourself of me," he said smugly.

She just smiled and pulled his head to hers for a long, satisfying kiss. She eventually fell asleep in his arms.

PART SIXTEEN

The next morning, Daria left the temple to make sure Marcus, Megan and the others were doing alright. She found Marcus at the town stables. He had already got the owner to give him a job there.

"Good morning, Daria! It sure is a lovely day, isn't it?"

"Good morning, Marcus. Why, yes it is!"

Actually, it was overcast and slightly chilly at the time. But for the folks who had escaped Novick's manor, they could only see sunshine. They were, once again, free people.

"I see you've already adapted to life back in Greece, Marcus."

"Yes, I have. Lyman, over there, hired me on this morning." He pointed to the man, around the same age as Marcus, who was busy pounding out a horseshoe. He didn't notice them looking his way. "He also offered me a room to rent, so I think I'll be hanging around this area for a while, since I don't have any family to speak of."

"Well, that's great, Marcus. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you. Daria, are you free this afternoon? Me and the others would like to get together with you at Athena's temple so we can say thank you."

"Marcus, you don't have to thank me. Really."

"Well, maybe you don't need to hear it, but some of us really need to tell you. I don't think you realize the change you've brought about in our lives. Please come. It would really mean a lot to us."

Daria put her hand on Marcus' shoulder. "Of course, I'll be there, Marcus."

That afternoon Daria entered the temple of Athena and found the others waiting for her.

They greeted her with warm smiles and hugs, repeating their words of gratitude for her help in freeing them.

Athena's priestesses had prepared a lavish meal for the group in the beautiful surroundings of the temple. Each place setting was darned with gold flatware, gold goblets, and rare china sitting upon a fine linen tablecloth. The temple walls were inlayed with gold and silver and jewels. The marble floor was polished to perfection and one could see their reflection in it.

They sat down to the meal and Marcus lead a prayer of thanks to the Goddess Athena for delivering them to freedom through Daria.

The meal was filled with fellowship and joy as everyone ate to their heart's content. After a couple of hours of the social event, Daria stood and announced to everyone that she had to be leaving. She couldn't wait to get out of Athena's temple and back in Ares arms. She came today only because her friends had asked her to. Otherwise, she couldn't have been drug anywhere near the place. She was highly upset that Athena had taken her from Ares' camp and placed her right in the midst of trouble. The kind of trouble she has worked so hard to stay out of. She wanted nothing to do with the goddess.

She was saying her good-byes to Marcus and Megan when there was a flash of golden light. Athena, herself, had manifested in front of the group. Everyone, except Daria, had dropped to their knees, bowing to the goddess and giving praise.

"Rise, my devoted ones," she told them. "You have been faithful and loyal servants and I give you all my blessings for prosperity."

Daria felt like a third wheel. She turned and quietly started to leave the temple.

"Daria," Athena called to her. "Please, come forward. I wish to express my gratitude to you for your bravery in leading my people to freedom."

"Your thanks is not necessary, my Goddess. But, really, I must be going."

"Please, Daria. I have something I would like to give you."

Daria reluctantly walked over and stood in front of Athena. The last thing she wanted to do was be polite and respectful to the woman. But she cared too much about her friends, and knew how they felt about their Goddess, to disrespect her in front of them. She stared blankly in the face of the god.

"Daria, you are a true daughter of Greece. Kindness and love is the foundation from which you draw your strength. You are truly the Small, Great One who was destined to deliver my people from the bondage of slavery. For that I am eternally grateful to you. As a show of my appreciation, I wish to make you high priestess of my temple. You need only an offering of a small gift, kneel and pledge your life in service to me, and may accept your place by my side. Together we will set the entire nation free."

The crowd cheered and clapped enthusiastically. They were excited for Daria. Daria, however, was insulted.

"No, thanks. I must gracefully decline your offer, Athena," Daria said softly.

Athena was shocked at being turned down. No mortal has ever passed up an offer of status among the Gods.

"Excuse me? Are you saying that you do not wish to accept the position?"

"That's EXACTLY what I'm saying, Athena. Thank you, but no. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really . . ."

"I have never heard of a mortal who refused such a position. You are aware that with this title comes many benefits? Wealth, eternal youth, respect. . ."

Daria interrupted the goddess. "Athena, is there someplace we can speak in private?"

Athena looked puzzled at her request but answered yes and led her to another room attached to the main throne room.

When they were alone, Athena turned to Daria. "What is it, my child? What is on your mind? Tell your Goddess."

"Well, first off, you're not my goddess. And second, I cannot dedicate my life in service to you."

"And why is this? You have not yet vowed to another God."

"Operative word being 'yet', Athena. I have already decided to give myself to another."

"Ares," she whispered, with an angry look in her eyes.

"Besides I could never dedicate my life to one as fake as you, Athena."

Athena glared at Daria for the insult.

"Oh, you appear to be caring and loving. You have all those people out there fooled into thinking that you are without hate and deceit in your heart. But I know this is not true. I could never serve a god I couldn't trust. How dare you to have plucked me out of my life and thrown me into the lion's den. You had no right to interfere with my life. And then to tell your people that you sent me to them. If it's true that it was my destiny, then nothing truly happened by your hand, and yet you take credit for it. You disgust me, Athena."

Athena was flaring at the nostrils. How dare this mortal talk to her this way.

"Oh, so your going to pledge yourself to Ares? Ha! He is the manifestation of hate."

"That is true, Athena. But at least Ares doesn't try to hide it. He lays it all out in the open. He's honest about his dark side."

"Ha," Athena laughed. "He'll never show you love, you foolish girl. He can't. So, go then. Go be with the Prince of Darkness."

There was a flash of blue and white light and the handsome, leather encased God of War made his entrance.

"Did somebody call my name?" he said smugly, throwing a smirk in Athena's direction.

"Oh, Athena. You couldn't be more wrong. Ares is a complexity of emotions, some good, some bad. But those who have truly opened their hearts to him, can see through the callused and hard exterior, and understand the true meaning of his actions. He does things that appear to be in no one's interest but his own, but if you look deeper, you'll find he does what he does because he cares."

"Shhhhh, Daria. You're going to ruin my reputation," Ares joked.

Athena glared at her brother. "This isn't over yet, Ares." Then she looked to Daria. "There is still time to change your mind, my child. Please reconsider."

"Never," Daria spat. She turned to the God of War. "I'm glad you're here, Ares. Let's put an end to this, right now."

She knelt in front of the War God and bowed her head.

"My Lord, Ares. God of War. I wish to offer my life to you as your loyal and faithful servant. Will you accept me, however imperfect I may be? Will you be my God and my Lord for all eternity?"

Ares placed his hand on Daria's head. "I thought you would never ask. Absolutely! Nothing would please me more," he answered.

Athena laughed. "This little display means nothing, Ares. You know the rules. She must have an offering to bind the gesture. She doesn't have anything to give you now."

"I think what she gave me last night was more than enough," he said slyly, knowing the thought of them together would turn his sister's stomach.

"Wait," Daria interjected. "I have an offering." She reached under her tunic and pulled out Novick's dagger.

"It can't just be anything. You must offer something of importance. Something meaningful to you."

Daria held the dagger in both hands and offered it to Ares. "Oh, this has meaning. Ares knows exactly what is represents to me."

Ares looked down at Daria and smiled knowingly. He reached for the knife and took it out of her hands. "Yes, I know, my love. Everything that is you, who you are today, your essence, is signified by this dagger. I will cherish it always, Daria. Stand up and rejoice. For you are mine now and forever."

Daria stood. Athena "humphed" in frustration, slapping her hands against her thighs and disappeared in a golden puff. Her voice echoed behind.

"You may have won this battle, dear brother, but the war is far from over!"

Ares snickered at her upset. He put his arms around Daria and kissed her.

"So tell me, my love. Where are these calluses on my posterior you referred to?"

She laughed. "Exterior, not posterior, silly!" she answered as they disappeared.

THE END