A New War, A New Guardian

“Like they said; they have it, but it doesn’t go out of state. You’ll also have to cross an ocean and a bit of land to get there. I hope you like hiking… or I could just teleport you there…” The Queen nodded to herself, tapping her chin. She then extended a hand out to Joseph, clicking her jaws. “But that is your choice to make, Joseph.”

“Uh… I say teleport!” Exclaimed Rainbow, fluttering her wings. “I’d rather get there pronto.”

"Blind teleportation has its own dangers, much like blind trust," a wry voice commented.

"Hey, just because I trust slightly more than you and the old man's jaded ass, 'Tre, doesn't mean I trust blindly. Otherwise, would I have aimed to disarm Lord Hades with logic rather than risk him tearing my head off through my ass?" Joseph commented dryly.

'Tre' hummed. "True, and I'm mostly around to keep you from getting yourself killed. Though I suppose that lur liten drittunge could use someone to keep her safe from the snakes here," he commented wryly.

Pinkie started giggling as Somnabula blinked before snorting with a laugh.

Ignoring the party pony, the Queen looked Joseph in the eye, her ebony orbs shimmering in the light. “Do you trust me to get you where you need to go? Or do you wish to get there your own way?”

"I have no reason not to. I would wager going over land would probably take a minimum of two if not three weeks," Joseph commented wryly. "I'm guessing that it'll also carry those in physical contact with me?" he commented wryly.

The Queen nodded. “It will. But the portal doesn’t require physical contact. I control it, so all I let enter will go to the assigned destination.”

"Sounds like the Bifrost, almost," 'Tre commented thoughtfully.

"Or a Stargate. Ah, well…. whoever's going might as well get ready," Joseph sighed.

"I kinda doubt you're going to meet him like that, eh?" Atreus commented with a smirk before Joseph swatted him in the back of the head.

"I'm not a nudist, you ass," Joseph deadpanned bluntly before he paused at a breeze before he saw the eyes of everyone, especially the Changelings and Ponies, widen. He didn't realize that his close to 9⅔", 1½” thick flaccid length was obvious above orbs twice the size of ping-pong balls. He also didn't realize that a strong surge of pheromones rushed forth due to a mischievous party pony.

The Queen’s antenne twitched, a groan following as her wings spread and buzzed, trying to dispel the pheromones. “Ugh… w-what is that?!”

"You could say it's my equivalent of an ovipositor, I think that's what the equivalent would be for insects. I'm not going to say 'bugs' as it'd obviously be an insult, and I suspect you're probably closer to an arachnid than an insect," Joseph deadpanned flatly. His eyes narrowed fractionally at Pinkie, who blushed a bit as he glanced her way.

"Damn, you're hung as hell," Rainbow commented bluntly.

Buzzing her wings harder, the Queen ordered her children to do the same. “Begone! Get these pheromones away! They’re weakening us!”

Unfolding her mandibles fully, all the changelings hissed in unison, all speaking in one voice. “Begone!”

Joseph blinked before he noticed Rarity near a cabinet before he unconsciously clasped his hands before he thrust them at the floor, a gust of wind dissipating the pheromones before he heard the cabinet doors creak open. His eyes widened fractionally upon seeing what was inside.

"What exactly do you feed on?" his tone was blunt as he swiftly slipped the armor on.

“Emotions…” The Queen snarled with a strange clicking in her voice, her jaws salivating as she turned to the human. “My kin feed on the emotions of other beings, but we also need to consume massive amounts of protein. Tell me, Joseph… Do you harbor love for anyone? A lover? A brother? Sister? The emotion of love is the most filling… hate, envy, pride, joy, they all taste wonderful, but love is the one that fills my belly up quite nicely.”

“Mother, I know you’re hungry, but shouldn’t we get them to the Alpha?” Asked the drone to her right.

The Queen looked back at her son, nodding. “Indeed… let us be done, and our task fulfilled…” Raising her four arms high, she summoned her magic as a portal of swirling black opened at their feet. “This leads to the outskirts of the village, go.”

"To my knowledge, I'm a single child… though if I can be blunt… my father was a right asshole in need of a boot… considering it was by his recommendation that I joined that so-called 'fraternity' that left me in the hospital for two-thirds of a year," he stated flatly. His gaze dipped to the portal before he cocked an eyebrow fractionally, not noticing the wispy reddish orange aura denoting bitterness drifting towards the emotivores. He didn't realize that the aura shifted to a slightly reddish pink tone after a few moments, denoting fondness. He exhaled softly before he pushed off, dropping into the portal.

Said drop ended with Joseph face planting into a steep slope. It’s rocky terrain clanking and scraping his armor as he tumbled down the mountainside. Finally, covered in dust and grime, he landed on a small plateau… only to be squashed by the flailing bodies of five mares.

“Ouch…” Fluttershy mumbled from somewhere in the pile, her once clean body now covered in dirt.

"Pretty sure I scorpioned a few times there," Joseph groaned, his voice muffled.

"Scorpioned?" Rainbow groaned before a rather noticeable pppppbt followed.

"Faceplant so hard your feet tap the back of your head," he said with a wince.

"Yep, I've ate it a few times that bad," Rainbow muttered before she yelped as a cornflower blue aura pushed her ass off before she tumbled off the pile, revealing Rarity.

"Um… seamstress mare? You're kinda sitting on my face," Joseph deadpanned. He shivered as he felt Fluttershy squirm on his lap.

The sound of something slicing the earth rang through Joseph’s ears, the commotion causing Fluttershy to fall off him with a yelp. Rarity had let out a shriek as she propelled herself off his head, allowing the human to see the cause of distress. A large black blade punctured the ground, looking almost like blackened bone. The blade was connected to a long chain, reaching up along the mountain and wrapping around the arm of a tall and equally black Warg.

Dark blue eyes with hazel rings glared down at them, wisps of deepening greys lashed about his fur, two large horns adorning his brow, like that of a dragon. Dressed in skins and cottons, he wore makeshift pants and a furred vest. Speaking in a double-toned and rumbling voice, he demanded, “Why are you here? Trespassers are forbidden from entering!”

Joseph pulled out the pyramid, his head tilting. "To see the Alpha of Desolation, bub. And if you think you intimidate me, not much can intimidate me after the training my ancestors put me through," he drawled. He drew one of the Blades of Chaos, feeling the chain latch on as the blade ignited.

“Pfft, copycat.” To explain his mocking, the ebony blade lit in a green flame. The Warg smirked, pulling the blade free of the ground as it vanished. Turning slightly, he started down towards them. After coming to a stop a few paces above them, his smirk widened. “You a big God of War fan?”

"Descendant of the Ghost of Sparta and trained by Hades," Joseph deadpanned bluntly.

The Warg chuckled lightly. “And here I thought you were just a huge fan. But enough of that, let’s get you to the Alpha. Follow me.”

He then lead them down the mountain, down into a large and lush valley. Sprawling fields of green and flowers, tall oaks, and a spiraling river rushed through. The two suns shone bright, sending waves of warmth over the travelers. Near the crux of the valley sat a small village.

A single shadow fell over the town, blotting out the suns. The group turned to find an enormous white dragon scaling a mountain in the range, its yellow eyes fixed on Joseph. The dragon stretched it neck out, leaning down just enough to where the side of its head was facing the ground, the slitted eye gazing at the human with intensity. But before Joseph could do anything, the gargantuan beast spoke within his mind, yet he felt as if the world were shaking. It was as if it were actually speaking aloud, yet he could feel the feminine voice piercing his mind.

“Oh? So this is the one Master spoke of? The one he sensed from an ocean away? Quite peculiar…” The single blink she took had enough force behind it to send the ponies on the ground.

Joseph's eyes narrowed warily as he slid a few feet back from the force of her blink. His hands rested close to the hilts of the Blades of Chaos cautiously. He hadn't told anyone that he was related to not only an Olympian, but also a Titan. He let his gaze shift around cautiously as he got a distinct sense of something watching with malice.

The dragoness’ great eye narrowed. “I trust that you mean our Alpha no harm?”

"It's not you or your Alpha I'm worried about. Something is watching us with bloodlust and malice," Joseph deadpanned bluntly. "And besides, only a fool trusts strangers blindly," he deadpanned, not noticing that his comment made the ponies flinch.

“Then our Alpha is quite the fool. He has shown patience where others would kill. Trust and mercy when met with enemies. But he has also met malice with rage. Cruelty with vengeance. He took the heavy responsibility of the king when given an out. And he exiled those who wanted revenge against their dying oppressors, choosing to leave them to their fate.” The dragon’s eye held him in a new light. “Do you think yourself better than all others? Do you belittle the unwilling king?”

"Heh… hell no. Because I've been there. Put my trust in others, only to be betrayed and abandoned. Hell, you think I planned on running into an Ancient Greek Deity and one of the few Greek Titans still alive? No more than I planned to meet you. I mean, how many can claim to have seen a dragon that looks like moonlight brought to life?" Joseph commented honestly, unaware of a mingled red and orange aura flickering around him. "But threaten innocents or those whom cannot protect themselves, you'll find a true God of War," he said bluntly, unaware that arcs of golden electricity flickered from his body. "After all, vengeance from men means little when true Vengeance belongs to the Lord," he finished.

“Hm, well spoken.” The dragoness purred, a smile splitting her snout.

“As awesome and inspiring as that speech was, we should get going.” The Warg urged, motioning for the group to follow. It was as they followed that Joseph caught a flash of gold magic above, only to find a chipper dragoness walking along beside him. Standing on two legs, wings folded behind her back, her scales taking a more thorny appearance.

In response to his stare, she smirked with a sweet little wave, her clawed hands swaying with the breeze. “Hello, tiny human~”

"Sometimes it's not always the largest being that makes the biggest impact. Christ was a single man, yet he's had an impact felt by tens of millions if not hundreds of millions," Joseph commented wryly. "I know he did for me," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "And I know that if there's one thing I've never been… it's what anyone would call 'silver-tongued' or 'eloquent'," he sighed as he unconsciously shifted into a loping stride that made one think of a hunting predator, though it only ate ground.

The dragoness rolled her golden orbs, her smirk faltering. “I was teasing you. Geez, don’t be so dead serious. You’ll never get a girl that way.”

“Speaking of…” Damian muttered as they passed the local tavern, the sounds of a scuffle reaching them.

Shattering glass and wood raged on until a single voice roared out over the storm. “TAKE.THIS. OUTSIDE!”

Not a moment later did four Wargs come flying out the door, followed by a stomping Wargess with light grey and black fur. Holed black jeans, a red crop-top, and a thin, spiked choker were all that she wore. Her red and silver eyes gleamed with fury. “You’re banned from the bar for a week Travis! Take your friends too!”

“Hey Gwen!” The Beta waved to his mate with glee, a smile present on his muzzle as he watched the dejected and drunk Wargs stumble down the street.

The Wargess looked over, her anger simmering down, but not vanishing. “Hey. Just taking out some drunken trash.”

“Don’t say that, you’ll hurt their feelings.”

“I will when they stop wrecking my bar!” Gwen snarled, looking over her mate and the new arrivals, but her gaze lingered on the Beta. “You plan on helping me tonight?”

“In what way?~” He smirked.

Gwen rolled her eyes, but the barest hint of a smirk twitched her lips up. “You know~”

Deciding to play dumb, Damian tilted his head. “You want it rough or extra hard?”

The Wargess looked ready to loose her eyeballs after they shot so wide, face red as a stop sign up to her ears. “Wha— you… but… y-you shut up, Frostbite!”

“Make me~”

There came a bit of laughter from inside the bar, along with some whistling. Gwen snarled as she turned, glaring enough to kill a dragon. The commotion stopped instantly, the establishment going silent. Gwen turned back to her mate, arms crossed, sending him a deadpan. “Just shut up and get back to work you dummy…”

“Yes ma’am!” Damian smirked, saluting before he lead the group further into the village.

Joseph shook his head. "See, that's why I rarely imbibe Dionysus' 'magical drink' known as alcohol. Because the only thing it 'magically' does is make you act like an ass. Though I do know a good bit about brewing a good drink," he sighed. He saw the Wargess look at him appraisingly as his gaze flickered to the dragoness. "Honestly, I know very little about being romantic with anyone, especially after the right months I spent in the hospital after… a certain mistake of mine. So you can imagine that I'm not exactly what most would call a 'social butterfly'... probably, with my luck, closer to a 'social sledgehammer'," he sighed. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if that was because of Old Man Kratos," he muttered. His gaze drifted around warily, his instincts warning him that something was very off.

The dragon giggled as the group neared a “regular” house, it’s height matching all the others, towering above himself and the ponies. Up the massive steps they marched, making Joseph feel as small as a five-year-old.

Damian knocked on the door, a voice soon answering before the door opened. Out stepped another Wargess, this one having a black pelt with white streaks. Unlike everyone else, a pair of massive wings were folded on her back and she possessed no horns.

“Princess Luna?!” The ponies gasped, bowing.

Luna rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. She wore a pair of sweatpants and a baggy blue sweater. Looking to the Beta, she nodded. “Damian.” She then caught sight of Joseph, her brow shooting up. “So, are you him?”

"Hai," Joseph commented as he tugged off the helmet, revealing the mother-of-pearl silver marking over his right eye and shoulder. He tugged free the Blades of Chaos, but didn't ignite them nor angled them at naught but the ground, a fact he suspected they would notice.

“And why did you feel the need to bring those out?” The Wargess asked as if she were scolding a child for running with scissors, her eyes flashing with a blue fire in her teal eyes.

"And trust me, they didn't make my training easy… honestly, I'm kinda surprised they didn't send me after Chronos," he sighed. "Pretty sure it's rather obvious, as I've been sending something watching us with malice and bloodlust every since we, pardon the pun, dropped in, and if they are aiming at us, I'd rather be ready. If they're aiming at you, I'll still be ready," he commented. "Soror in Christi," he finished with a small smirk, referring to Luna as 'sister in Christ' in Latin.

“I don’t know what that means, but thank you.” She then looked to Damian. “He has it?”

The Beta nodded to his Alpha, and nodded back. Turning back into the house, she took a deep breath. “HAVAAK!!… put a shirt on!!!”

There came a bit of shuffling from within, the sound of flapping papers and utensils falling off a desk, before the heavy steps of the Alpha approached. Delivered from the darkness of the house, stepped a Warg of near ten feet and slim build. Fur wafting with verious greys and blacks, his grey-blue eyes with gold rings swept across the deck, finally landing on Joseph and the ponies. His mood seemed to drop at the sight of the ponies, but slightly perked at seeing the human on his doorstep. “Hi, you’re the one I sensed, yes?”

‘Not that much magical power coming from him, but looks can deceive.’ The Alpha thought to himself, feeling his mate hugging his arm.

The Alpha wore nothing of high value. No crown, no rings, no silk clothing, and now sweeping cape. He wore a pair of jeans and a grey tank top.

"'Soror in Christi' is Latin for 'Sister in Christi', but aye, I suppose," Joseph commented wryly.

“And why do you have your God of War swords out?” the Alpha commented.

"Because I've been sensing a malicious bloodlust whilst getting through the village. Don't know the source nor the target. But if it's either me, them, or you, I have no intention of being an unprepared pup," Joseph's eyes were wary as he tilted one Blade of Chaos at the ponies. "And I can assure you, the only reason I will ever draw these Blades are not in support of Chaos nor Death, but Life. True that one of the last lessons that Christ told Simon Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane was that 'those who live by the sword will also die from it' but I will never draw my Blades in a malicious bloodlust. I am not beholden to Ares, but to Christ himself and I remind myself every single day to put on the full armor to guard our lives against attack. We put on the belt of truth to protect against lies and deception. We put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect our hearts from the temptations we battle. We put the gospel of peace on our feet, so we’re ready to take your light wherever you send us this day. We choose to walk in the peace and freedom of your Spirit and not be overcome with fear and anxious thoughts. We take up your shield of faith that will extinguish all the darts and threats hurled our way by the enemy. We believe in your power to protect us and choose to trust in you. We put on the helmet of salvation, which covers our minds and thoughts, reminding us we are children of the day, forgiven, set free, saved by the grace of Christ Jesus. We take up the sword of the Spirit, your very Word, the one offensive weapon given to us for battle, which has the power to demolish strongholds, alive, active, and sharper than any double-edged sword," he said in a low voice as he sheathed the blades but kept his hands close to the hilts for ready access, unaware his voice deepened subtly as he unconsciously shifted into a military 'at rest' position.

He didn't notice Fluttershy closing her eyes behind him, nor did he notice how Luna's eyebrows rose in mild surprise.

Damian leaned closer towards his Alpha. “Are we sure he’s not an anime character with that long winded speech?”

Havaak shrugged in response, looking to Joseph with weariness and confusion. “To sum that all up; you’re a follower of Christ and you can sense a… dark force in the area? You do remember that the Devil is the prince of the world, right?” He sighed, looking to the ponies with mild distain. “And let me guess… you want Spike back?”

“And our magic! Give them back!” Rainbow shouted at the towering Warg, flying up to his face.

“And, please try and make sense of this with the one brain cell you all share, but why would I let you take someone who left you willingly? The guy was malnourished, didn’t know about his own species, and was left alone to deal with a broken heart after his first breakup. Here, he’s slowly getting healthier thanks to Okarr and is learning about his innate magics. And, might I add, he’s getting the emotional support he needs.”

“And most nights I find him crying.” Okarr voiced her concerns. “He often asks to sleep under my wing, which I always allow. But the effects are still there…”

“But Twilight… s-she misses him!”

“And? She left him alone in an empty castle, and again; dealing with the aftermath of a breakup!” Eyes alight in red fire, Havaak snarled at the Pegasus. After a long moment of glaring at each other, Havaak let loose a loud roar, throwing his arms up in exasperation. “GAH! Every time I try to help you idiots, you go and make things worse for me! You wanted me to fight off a rogue cult? I find an entire population of Wargs enslaved and brutalized. You want me to kill a mock-Changeling Queen? My daughter dies! And we’re still trying to get over that!! DO YOU REALLY THINK I WANT TO HELP YOU AFTER OUR HISTORY?!” On the verge of tears, the Alpha found himself wrapped in his wife’s embrace, her own tears dampening his shirt.

"You know what I did to the fraternity who literally in both a physical and emotional sense left me on death's door? I helped them when they were in need, despite the fact that I was in debt over seven hundred thousand dollars to the hospital that saved my life all because of two members of said fraternity who had called the Emergency Medical Services which saved my life when they could have done what the rest did and abandon me. True, they never visited me to check on me nor did they apologize, but it was because of what they did I found Christ. True, too, that the doctors were unable to give me a blood transfusion due to my extremely rare blood type. Regardless, I turned the other cheek despite my suffering. As Paul said in Philippians 4:12 and 13 – 'I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through He who strengthens me.' I mean, how many can truly claim they were scourged and survived to tell of it? I don't know why it happened nor what reason it occurred for, but He has his reasons," Joseph said dryly. "Though I will agree fully that demanding things is not the way to go about things, Rainbow," his tone was grim.

Havaak grunted in agreement with a bob of his brows, remembering a few grudges he’d held into for years, but had since forgiven.

“I’ll just go back on patrol… leaving you with the chatterbox and the peanut gallery…” Damian smirked as he walked off.

The Alpha gave him an exaggerated deadpan, running a hand down his face. “Yeah, you’d better run…” He then turned back to his guests, both uninvited and welcomed. “Would you like to come in? It’s warmer in here than it is in the breeze.”

Joseph was about to nod when his ears twitched twice. He then pushed off in a twisting somersault as he heard a distant twang, he unsheathed one of the Blades of Chaos and felt a harsh impact that shattered against the flat of his blade. The thumb-thick crossbow bolt shattered as he flipped, landing just beneath Rainbow, near the Alpha.

“Safe to say that I doubt you'd risk guests right for that," he deadpanned, not noticing that two thick splinters were embedded in his chest. He could understand holding a grudge, but he very much doubted he would order an assassination attempt. That implied something or someone wanted to make it look like so.

His head turned before his grip tightened as the blade ignited, though he waited for another attempt.

Fluttershy's eyes widened slightly as she restrained herself, noticing the thick splinters sticking out near his right collarbone and shoulder as she had the distinct awareness that something dangerous was near. It didn't feel like the terror from Sombra did, but it felt almost as corruptive and deceptive.

Joseph's eyes narrowed, hardening as his head tilted. "Get inside now! Ugh… I can feel its hunger… but I'll be damned if any innocent blood is shed this day!" he growled; he knew that was one thing he was not, regardless of Christ's Grace. His ears twitched twice at an inhuman shriek as he noticed a form lit by the sun in the distance before the creature's skinny arms rose as a burning dark emerald energy engulfed its clawed hands.

Moments later, the ground fractured in two dozen places as bony claws clad in semi-rotten flesh clawed their way out of the ground.

"If you have swift runners to warn the village, I advise doing so. As for me… I'm keeping those bastards from your homes and people," Joseph said sharply, not noticing the deep orange flames were becoming a clean white flame.

But the Alphas didn’t run. Havaak huffed at how dramatically Joseph spoke, finding it over the top, as if the human were trying his hardest to be a dramatic hero and Batman all at once. Lifting a cupped hand to his lips, the Alpha gave a loud howl. Several seconds passed as every Warg in the village rushed out to meet their king’s call.

“Wo-ho-ho! These freaks look like they’re ready for a beatdown.” Smirked Greg as he cracked his knuckles. More than half the crowd voiced their agreement with smirks and howls of their own.

Asher was next to step forth, twirling his lightsabers merrily. “Undead huh? Welp, let’s see if any fire will work.”

“You all set to help?” Havaak smirked as he took a step, only to be stopped by Damian as he appeared next to him. “Uh?”

At the Alpha’s questioning look, Damian smiled. “You rescued us and gave us all a new home. I’ve talked with everybody and they’re all willing to repay you in that kind. Mind stepping back and letting us keep you safe for a change?”

Havaak stalled, his hearts melting at their actions. He gazed out at his pack in awe. “W-wait… really?”

“My Alpha…” Luna’s hand cupped his cheek as she turned his head back toward her, a kiss finding its way onto his lips. “Let them protect us for once… please?”

With a hesitant nod, the Alpha of Desolation relented, struggling to hold back his tears. “S-sure…”

"Then let's show them how to really get wild," Joseph said as he unsheathed the other Blade of Chaos, not noticing that the flames were a brilliant white. He didn't realize his irises bled to a rich canine amber as his pupils narrowed into slits but he most certainly noticed as his senses sharpened.

"If there's two things I protect, it's life and innocence… and perverting both… ugh…." he muttered gruffly as he bared his teeth, unaware his canines and incisors had lengthened as he unknowingly tapped into Artemis' Blessing. His gaze dipped to the ponies. "Get your tails inside… now," he growled, his voice a raspy snarl not unlike a Warg.

The ponies didn’t hesitate… except for Rainbow, who had to be dragged inside by Applejack.

Wiping away his tears, Havaak stretched, his bones and joints popping as he fell back on the porch bench. “Ok then, guess we’ll just relax and enjoy the show.”

“Want me to grab some popcorn?” Luna giggled as she cuddled up next to him.

“Only if you stay right here~”

“As you wish~” Kissing him lightly on the cheek, she summoned a fresh bag of popcorn, placing it between them.

A loud pop sounded next to the couple, revealing the grinning Lord of Chaos himself, Discord… snacking on a second bag of popcorn, but mixed with sardines. “Oooooh! This is going to be good!!”

Then, chaos ensued.

Joseph shifted his weight as he pushed off in long, ground-eating strides as he flipped both Blades of Chaos into a reversed grip, the trails of white flame following after him. He could hear the howls of the other Wargs as he pushed off before he somersaulted, letting the chains uncoil before he slammed both Blades into the ground, executing what the Elder Deity of War called a Prometheus Plume as an eruption of magma and white flame erupted, scorching some of the Draugr Wargs and staggering them.

"I don't know what that white fire is, but it appears to enhance your flames much more strongly," Kratos muttered in his mind.

"I have a suspicion of its source," he replied back mentally. He didn't say it was his faith in Christ, he suspected.

An explosion of power ripped the earth up and half the village, yet the houses still stood, sending undead flying. Joseph turned to find a Wargess made of black stone, golden flames cascading from the edges of her eyes like veins over the entirety of her body. The Wargess glared at him, her voice sounding strangely like the Wargess from either, yet slightly off. “Quite blabbering with your gramps and clear out this filth! We won’t have any of these monsters wreaking havoc on our tavern!”

“Uh, Gwen…?” Damian blocked an undead from striking her on the shoulder, pushing it back with ease. “Or… am I talking with your alter?”

“You can call me Arza.”

Joseph blinked. "He may be my ancestor," he paused as he left a burning slash on one undead Warg, "but I have no idea how far back I'm related to him. I'm more closely related to the Greek Titaness of Love… my great-great-great-great-grandmother," he deadpanned before he headbutted one undead Warg before decapitating it. The white flames consumed the animated corpse, a ghostly form of the freed Warg rising before fading away. He pushed off, employing the Sandals of Hermes and knocking several undead Wargs airborne before he pushed off, spinning as both Blades ripped deep gashes and wounds before he landed.

Damian whistled, coming up beside Joseph after having despatched two more undead. “Sweet moves, but we need to wrap this up. Don’t want the town getting wrecked. Got any ideas on why or who awoke these guys?”

"The Wendigo. The real question isn't who, as it's rather obvious that that Old Serpent and Deceiver is behind this, but 'why'. I'm almost certain the Devil was hoping I'd go for the train or overland route. He likely would have used that time to take out the village slowly, bolster his forces with the newly dead and likely turn your own emotions against you, as he'd hope you'd hesitate to eliminate your loved ones, no doubt. Too bad for him, I didn't," Joseph growled. His eyes narrowed as his muscles tightened, unaware his muscles tensed and bulged before he pushed off with inhuman speed and strength as his body ignited in brilliant silvery white flames, unaware his body fully shifted from Artemis' Blessing.

“Uh, for one; we just moved here and this is a brand new village. Second, the Wargs we’re fighting have been dead for several millenia, so we aren’t killing anyone we know. And three, I played through the GoW game once a few years back, so I’m barely understanding who this ‘Deciever’ is.” With a quick breath, Damian unleashed a raging blizzard at a corralled group of undead. “Asher! Use your fancy bat wings and check up above! See if you can find that Wendigo!”

The Warg in question pumped his leathery wings above the crowd, his three odd horns polished with blood. “Aaaaand a Wendigo is…?”

“THE WANNABE DEER FURRY WITH A GOTH FETISH!!”

“Oh… He’s over by… the… tavern… oh no…”

“COMIN’ THROUGH!!” Gwen shouted as she plowed through both friend and foe, sending all flying on her path of destruction. “I HOPE YOU HAVE INSURANCE, BECAUSE IF YOU TRASH THE PLACE, YOU’RE PAYING FOR THE DAMAGES OUT OF POCKET!!!” A particularly mangled and cracked deer skull was sent flying over the battlefield by one enraged Wargess.

"Were you not listening to the Alpha? The Devil goes by numerous epitaphs that he's known by, but the one that most well defines him is Deceiver as that is what he does, though he is also known as the Prince of Lies," Joseph chided gently. He pushed off in a vaulting leap, seeing the Wendigo's bared face as it reared back with its sharpened and exposed fangs, blackened blood trickling from numerous scratches as it let out an inhuman shriek.

Joseph growled low in the back of his throat as he focused, detaching the Blades of Chaos before he hurled them with power before the wet snap of shattering femurs disabled the Wendigo's speed. It looked down before it looked up as several shards two inches in length and around a half inch thick impaled its chest and throat repeatedly before the spear itself was hurled, pinning itself to the ground through the back of the skull and neck. "What little I do know of Wendigo's of this kind… they are created through the act of cannibalism," he sighed as he landed several yards from the tavern. "Beautiful place you have, hun. I was always a fan of taverns of the older style," he commented wryly as the crystals detonated in surges of white hot flame that consumed the Wendigo. With its demise, the reanimated Wargs fell and swiftly decayed.

The Spear of Destiny and Blades of Chaos were left impaled in the ground.

Gwen glared at the human as she burned the body of the Wendigo, huffing out a plume of smoke. “Heh, trying to mooch a free drink with that sweet talk?”

"No. I know next to nothing about this world, it's monetary use, or its alcohol… though I probably could share my knowledge of mixed drinks, hmmm? I know a good bit about brewing as well as mixed drinks," Joseph commented wryly as his body shifted from its Warg form to human as he groaned softly as he felt his muscles tighten painfully. He pulled free the Blades of Chaos as he sheathed them before he pulled free the Spear of Destiny.

“Whatever happened to staying away from alcohol?” The Wargess smirked, having heard his words from before.

But he didn’t get to answer right away, Havaak having lifted his voice to his still fighting Wargs and guest. “Brace! Anyone who isn’t fireproof, get in the nearest building!”

All the Wargs crouched on all fours, fur hardening to that of polished, glassy stone. Eyes alight with various colors of fire, the Wargs readied themselves as their Alpha’s maw blazed in red flame.

Joseph's eyes widened fractionally before his eyes narrowed, unaware his irises bled to a pale icy teal color before he pushed off the ground with inhuman speed and strength.

The flames in the Alpha’s jaws increased, and with a deafening roar, were released. Red flames erupted throughout the town, burning anything that wasn’t protected from the fire. But in a little village of fire-breathers, everything had a spell matrix over it, fending off the flames indefinitely.

All the undead were burned to ash.

"Damn… reminds me of Lord Hades' “Chaos Flames” all over again, but without the malice. Now I'm wondering if I should have brought chocolate and marshmallows," Joseph commented wryly, landing on the rooftop of the bar. "Although I do wonder what chili peppers he ate to create flames like that… 'cause that can't be fun out the other end," he drawled.

Havaak, having heard the human, teleported up to the roof in a burst of sparks. “No on the chilies, I hate spicy food. If you’ve got graham crackers with the chocolate and marshmallows, I’ll give you a weapon of your choice.” He ended his proposal with a warm smile.

"Although I will admit that my ancestor as well as Lord Hades did make more than certain that I was talented with weapons and dealing with monsters in… well… a quite frankly traumatizing manner," Joseph commented wryly, "if there's two things that I'd want… is to hear your testimony… and get a Bible, rather than get a weapon. Ugh… wore out the one I had after… well… an agonizing experience, and haven't really had a chance to get nor find another. Speaking of… I kinda doubt that dunking I had before I ran into my ancestor would have counted as a baptism," he sighed with a small shake of his head. "But the good thing is that I mastered a subspace pocket that I can hold things in," he commented before he smirked slightly.

“Ah, but the Bible is our greatest weapon.” Havaak smirked with a wink, standing a bit straighter. “But in regards to your… subspace pocket dimension, I’ve got one too.”

The Alpha felt as giddy as a schoolboy on the inside as he swiped his hand through the air, a swirling dark portal opening next to him, rimmed with a gold light. “To be more precise; all Alphas have them as a means to store our power, and I…. Have possibly way too much…”

Shaking his head, Havaak turned to the crowd of Wargs, lifting his voice again. “Hey Angie? Do we have any spare Bibles floating around?!”

“Let me check…” The Wargess in question teleported away, arriving with a brown, leather bound book with golden pages. She handed it to the human with a smile.

Joseph tilted his head before he pulled out two things he was certain would catch the Wargs' attention: two cases of a certain cracker… and a half dozen boxes of chocolate bars.

"Huh… most would feel transcribing and binding Bibles to be a chore… yet in my personal opinion, it would actually be closer to an honor, especially if transcribing it from memory. More, that would truly be a labor of His Love as it would mean His Word gets to more people," Joseph commented. "Makes me think of that old movie 'Book of Eli', as it's only revealed at the end that the book he'd been jealously guarding was, in fact, a Braille Bible… and Eli was capable of reciting it from memory," he commented with a small chuckle.

“Welp, here’s hoping you’ll be able to recite the entire book, unlike me; whose memory is nearly shot…” The Alpha chuckled sheepishly, before turning to the crowd again. “Alright folks, fun’s over!”

“AAAAAWWWWW!” The pack bemoaned as they dispersed.

"If there's one verse I keep in the back of my mind, it's Jeremiah 29:11, because it shows just how dear our Creator holds us," Joseph commented with a hum. He didn't realize that as he turned, the breastplate he'd been wearing gave up the ghost and split at the sides, exposing his near hundred to a hundred fifty silvery flogging scars upon his back and shoulders. He blinked as he heard the clatter of steel, looking down. He took a few swift steps, tempted to hop to the ground.

Havaak looked back to Joseph, eyeing the many scars and the look in the human’s eyes, one of dread and terror. “Those from a bad time in your life? You don’t have to give a long-winded answer. Just nod if that’s all you feel like doing.”

Joseph exhaled softly. "College hazing… damn near killed me. I was in the hospital for eight months recovering due to my having a blood type that maybe five others on the planet have," he said hesitantly. "Of course, it was two members of said fraternity that called the EMS… and though none of them ever visited me, I still helped them when they were in need despite being close to three quarters of a million dollars in debt due to the recovery costs," he sighed.

“Good on you, it’s not easy helping someone who’s hurt you. That’s especially hard for me…” Havaak sighed, watching as his mate flew up to them. “How are our other guests?”

“Traumatized, but alive.” She huffed before critically eyeing Joseph. “You’re not trying to compete in ‘who has the most scars’ are you?”

The Alpha shrugged. “Eh, preferably not. Anyways… you wanted my testimony?”

"Why would I try that? And besides, I can definitely say you got one hot mate, Alpha. Betcha, the only thing sharper than her claws and fangs is her tongue," Joseph quipped cheekily before he squatted, noticing that the breastplate had what appeared to be rabbit fur within and was held shut by loops that, unfortunately, had broken from strain. He didn't notice the tattoo glowing a deep forest green on his right shoulder blade.

"But aye. We all have our own stories of how Christ pulled us up from the darkness and mire. Everyone's story is different just as everyone's life is different but what is the same is that Christ and by extension, the Father, has his hand outstretched to help us at our darkest hour. As the Lord said through Isaiah, 'Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'" he commented wryly.

“I should hope so, he’s been through hell and back for us~” Luna’s eyes slowly turned into full silver, a devious smirk playing on her lips as she stepped up next to Joseph, speaking in a completely different voice. Even her mannerisms were different, looming over him with blue fire slipping through her teeth. “Otherwise, I doubt he would be up to the task of pleasuring me~”

“Which is a battle in and of itself.” Havaak smirked as he slipped up behind his lover, kissing her on the cheek with his voice dropping in depth. “My Queen always gives our tussles her best~”

“As I should~”

"Hmmm. I'm sure, though the old man mentioned that whoever summoned him and in turn sent me didn't look very healthy, as if something were trying to weaken her. A pure white… mare? With some odd 'aurora borealis' mane," Joseph commented. He didn't realize they would recognize the description, as various shades of fur close to white existed, certainly, but pure white? That only belonged to a very particular mare.

Moon scoffed, scowling. “You must mean Celestia. What did that pill-chugging mule say?”

“That’s a bit harsh…” Havaak commented, elbowing his mate.

“Ugh… fine… what did the family drug addict say?”

“T-That’s not really any better…”

"The old man claimed she was concerned for 'her little ponies', though it wasn't so much what she said that caught his attention so much as what he sensed from her… a corrupt darkness that was foreign to her. Something that he called 'more corrupt than anything shy of my Father'. Admittedly, he also claimed it was hungry… more hungry than a Wendigo. He only picked up one fragmented thought from whatever it was, the phrase ‘swallow your soul,’" he commented before he blinked before facepalming hard, the reference abruptly hitting him hard as he hadn't even thought about it. "Ah fuck…. I think I know what it is… though if she's resistant to those but something's feeding off of her… it means something is getting stronger as she weakens," he said warily.

"But I do know one thing, and I'm certain you'll agree: she doesn't deserve to die slowly, no matter how much of a bitch she's been, without an opportunity to come to the Father, wouldn't you agree? Because if what's feeding on her is what I think it is, the only thing that can force it out of her is Christ's Grace and the Spirit's power," his voice was very serious.

“You mean a demon?” Havaak asked, motioning him to follow himself and his mate off the roof, stepping into the road.

"A very particular brand of Demon… Khandarian," Joseph said grimly. "We can only hope there isn't a certain Book in this world," he said slowly, thinking of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis.