"Why are we even trusting him anyway? We just met him, and we believe everything he said?" Xenia said her brows furrowed in confusion. Killian agrees, as the most hot headed one of the group and he didn't feel an ounce of suspicion or wariness toward the strange man.
Mirin chimes in a few moments later seeming to come to a conclusion, "Worshippers building monuments in his 'fathers' name, everyone in the city deifying him, his calmness when confronted with us, all of whom can tear a normal man apart thanks to our weapons, and then the knowledge of Hades sending us here... He must have some type of magic or is some special type of being, I'm unsure though." Rubbing his chin, he thinks critically trying to decipher what happened in the church when suddenly the flapping of wings was heard near the window, then a loud smack against the wooden shutters.
Xenia closest quickly opens it and retrieves a black and grey owl from the ledge. It's eyes were blood red, with abyssal black pupils, it had a light grey mane with black tips on its end looking like an ornate collar, on its head it had two horn like protrusions, a characteristic of screech owls, the bird of Hades.
"The bird of Hades?" Killian speaks surprised having never seen one before. It was well known that the gods used Hermes as their messenger but when he was unavailable or information was secret, they would use their birds.
Xenia brought the bird in and set him on the counter when suddenly it began to speak, in a quite distinguished accent.
"ahh, thank you. The Mediterranean storms are quite bad this time of year. Really should get it under control." He mutters under his breath. His eyes scan the trio and after a moment and a blink he explains.
"Oh yes, my apologies, I'm Bartholomew Shrikewood, newly appointed messenger bird of Hades. Cara had sent me." He says in his distinguished accent with British flare, his owl face displaying a surprising amount of emotion.
"Out with it then, I don't care who you are." Killian harshly said eagerly wanting to hear what Hades sent them.
"Of course, it's all in this letter, confidentiality and all that good stuff." With the flexibility of a bird of feather he reaches down and plucks a neatly folded letter from his talons handing it directly to Mirin.
Taking the letter, he rubbed his thumb across the paper, feeling it. It was hard and thick (pause) with a slight yellow tint and where it folded closed a deep red seal sat with Hade's symbol, that same hair-raising spiral.
He opened it easily enough the seal breaking like the wax it was, and he read the contents aloud. "'My Horsemen, I bring good news, Odin and his armies have been expelled. Also I have decided to provide you more direction regarding your task, so as to expedite your return to Greece. A man with flowing brown hair, like a lions mane that goes by the name Jesus, I want you to test his physical strength, get a gauge whether or not he poses a threat. Secondly, I had tasked you with stopping the attacks on Greek caravans and ships entering from the Mediterranean I suggest you find the king, or general making such foolish decisions and correct them. Good luck, and I will be waiting.' And he ends it on that" Mirin finished the letter his eyes looking a little calmer at the solid orders he had received. The others show similar looks of calming their minds clearer now, honestly, it's impressive how far they got on orders vaguer than a squirrels retirement strategy, but it is what it is.
"He wants us to fight Jesus?" Killian says a little excited about it, the man didn't look like much of a fighter, but if Hades said he might be a threat, then he was definitely capable of something. Xenia was more confused than the others, trying to think of reasons for this whole journey. Why did Hades even send us to this far away land, no way it's about random traders getting sacked, there's no way he would care about something so trivial.
"It seems so, at first light we will set out and find him I doubt he will fight us if we simply ask so we're going to make a scenario where he has to. Objections?" Mirin says, his plan was to play at Jesus' emotions to get him to lash at them, get him to fight and the best way to do that would be to attack someone of his faith.
With a resounding no from all involved they agree on their course of action. Bartholomew nodded his head and moved to leave, his job done. "I bid adieu, good luck chaps."
...
...
The next morning. The bright, giant desert sun shone above Jerusalem, life was hard in the desert but a city like this made it much easier. Tall trees every 5 paces providing much needed shade, sturdy and solid brick roads for quick movement of goods and people alike and the community of Jerusalem, it was simply something Greece didn't have.
As the trio moved through the street headed for the Church, the last place they saw Jesus, they observed the city around them. The bustling of carts and people in a rush, the few elderly folk taking their time, people eating good food and drinks a few men handing out free bread from a cart to the needy all with a smile on their faces. It was a good atmosphere, and the Horsemen were going to ruin it.
Right as they were going to ascend the steps of the Church a kid bumps into Xenia, something light and seemingly accidental. However immediately she noticed something off, instinctively reaching for her whip her hand found air, her fury exploding instantly.
"That little brat stole my whip!" Mirin and Killian had no idea of what had transpired and were confused as they saw her sprint after a little kid, until they saw the sun glint off the ornate weapon in said kids' hands, quickly following suit.
Xenia taller and enhanced was upon the kid in mere moments simply shoving her hand into his shoulder sending him tumbling onto the road.
"Give it back now, you little urchin and I'll only cut your hands off!" She seethed, growing up in Sparta does something to you, maybe it's the people, or the food, or the demonic training at the age of 8 but either way, no one stole from her and escaped punishment even a little street rat.
As Mirin and Killian arrived in short order a scene has formed around them pedestrians looking at Xenia with sneers and scoffs at the harshness of her word, it was a boy after all.
With no concern for the crowd she yanks her whip from his frail hands and lets it coil down onto the ground fully extended. Her brows furrowing at the sight of just how malnourished and pitiful the boy was she lessened her punishment. "5 lashes and then you will be on your way, a good lesson to choose a less destructive path." Convincing herself that it would be good for the boy in the end she prepares to lash him, his body huddled and bent tight on the ground to hide from her fury.
The air was cut as it came down with force, but it was not a boy crying that erupted, no it was gasps and awe as a man shielded the boy and took the blow with gusto, a large bleeding gash on his back.
Mirin quickly grabbed Xenias hand stemming her fury and impulsive actions. "It's Jesus." The crowd murmurs.
Jesus feeling no second lash and the silence from the trio he stands and faces them, his eyes disappointed and deep. "I do not think the punishment fits the crime. But if you are determined to collect what you feel you are owed you shall reap it from me, not this poor child." His eyes bore through them, to the point of unnerving them.
Xenia was having none of it, with a great opportunity to attack Jesus she didn't hesitate and flicked her whip with deadly force, the air burning from her power. It struck him like a knife through butter, a deep cut across his chest bright crimson blood oozing from it. Yet he stood, defiant, standing there without a whimper, a grunt or and noise of protest at the actions of Xenia.
She whipped him again, the two other horsemen finding themselves unsure what to do, he was simply not fighting back.
Mirin decides to speak to him while Xenia continues with her lashes, unsatisfied from his lack of response. " You knew Hades sent us here, but it seems you weren't quite right as to why, we are here to test you, find your strength and decide whether to stomp you out, and if you do not display your power, we will use the people here to display ours.
They were in a foreign land, with foreign people, they held no care for what their reputations would be once they left. They were sent on a mission from Hades; their god, and they would go to any means to accomplish it.
"You will not!" Jesus responds for the first time in an appalled slightly angry tone, daring and threatening them to.
Killian wanting to find out if he was spouting empty words, withdrew his claymore and yanked a man from the crowd nearby, the others quickly running away in screams of fear at being next.
The man began to tear up his eyes watering as he began to pray, his hands clasping. Killian shoved him to his knees and sat his claymore next to his neck at any moment able to end him.
"So what will it be, will you remain stoic and continue to take her lashes or will you fight back! And save this man from me! Choose!" Jesus looked the man in his eyes, a single tear dropping from Jesus' face. Xenias whip moments from colliding with his already brutalized chest was caught midair the whip wrapping around his hand, he stood resolute, his face solemn and regretful.
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He whispered into the air, and he blasted into action. The whip wrapped around his hand he yanks hard, Xenia surprised by his strength is brought to him her momentum stopped by his fist in her stomach, all air yanked from her. Thinking quickly, she tries to punch him, but he simply swats it away, his palms sliding through her arms and slamming into her collar bone shattering it. Pain erupting from her body she collapses.
Killian moves at the same time swinging his massive claymore in a downward slash, Jesus deflects it effortlessly, his palms gliding along the blade and embedding it into the road following up on the stunned Killian with a palm strike to his nose knocking him out cold.
Last man standing was Mirin his scythe in his hand, a dark, deathly aura emanating off it. Jesus waits for an attack, and Mirin contemplates his next course of action. It was clear... he was not winning this.
...
read it aloud sounded fire enough :^