Chapter 15

Ephus - A demigod possessing the power to repower the gods

Quinn Markov - human wife of Ephus

Norse Gods

Odin - War god, main god of the Norse gods

Frigg - Wife of Odin, promoter of marriage and fertility

Freya - a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr.

Thor - a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of mankind, hallowing, and fertility- son of Odin

Loki - a mischievous god who can shape-shift and can take up animalistic forms.

Egyptian Deities

Bast - Goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music, family, and love

Serket - Goddess of scorpions, medicine, magic, and healing venomous stings and bites

Thoth - God of knowledge

Titans

Cronus - The King of the Titan, and the god of destructive time--time which devours all.

Iapetus - The Titan god of mortality and the allotment of the mortal lifespan.

Ephus had been resting to regain what power he could. It had been harder than he thought it would be, true his power was building. The thing was, he wasn’t getting completely recharged, making him far weaker than he wanted to be.

Damnit, he thought, this was what had started Odin against him in the first place. He just needed to rest a little, going against Loki wouldn’t be good if he was at half power.

The last few times he’d been lucky, Loki was mad, not concentrating. Epus shook his head, no, this wasn’t going to last.

The fact that he had eliminated half of Loki’s support had to be demeaning to him and them. Plus, as he saw, Loki was starting to fall out of favor with the Titans.

Ephus sighed, then there was the fact of his human wife’s growing god-power. He had it arrested for now, though he needed to be there to help her develop it more.

So far, she could handle half of it. God forbid if she, truly got as mad as she was when he stopped her. With as many gods that had blessed her? He wasn’t sure if she wouldn’t pass him, then they were in trouble.

He just hoped that her love for him would be enough to quench her anger. Looking back on all the gods he had helped? He wasn’t sure that they could stop her, altogether.

He himself was that powerful now from what he felt, though he was only using about half of it. Ares had been the closest to using all his power, which had been extremely hard to accomplish.

Ephus took the nearest seat, feeling his power starting to rebuild. Looking at Odin, Frigg, his wife, Freya and Thor, he knew he needed to rebuild as soon as possible.

The last little stunt with Loki to rid him of two of his allies, had been draining. The problem is, his power was no longer building as fast as it had before. Damnit he thought I needed more from the human world.

Then again, he needed to bond with more of the females here. Odin wasn’t going to be happy in the least. Plus, he knew there was no way that he could go after the Valkyries. They had to stay virgins.

On earth, Quinn Markov was growing frustrated, she needed Ephus with her. She knew that none of the Goddesses could go to the Norse realm. That wasn’t stopping her.

She was feeling how weak Ephus was growing, remembering that he needed energy. Most of that from regular women, from what she felt he needed it soon.

A look at Bast and Serket had her forming a plan. Thoth she thought, might be a problem, though he had said that he couldn’t detect her and Ephus, future.

The more she thought about it, the larger her smile grew. Bast had seen this though, hadn’t thought it was anything. Well, she didn’t ‘til Quinn vanished. None of the three were able to detect her.

All three were worried as they reached out feeling nothing, extremely worried Bast thought to Ephus. The fact that she couldn’t contact him at first worried her also. Was this the reason Quinn had vanished? Did she and the others need to prepare for war?

Thoth was the most worried, as he had said, he couldn’t detect a single thing about her movements. That and the fact that he thought Ephus might blame him, wasn’t sitting well with him.

All three of them contacted the other Egyptian and Greek gods to see if they felt her. When it was revealed that no one felt them, a great worry went up from both realms.

Thoth immediately left following a small dram of power that he felt heading towards the Norse realm. Stopping at the border, Thoth knew that they were about to have real problems. If, as he thought, Quinn had gone into the Norse realm? There was no way he or they could follow with declaring war.

Thoth shook his head, it was a war that he knew the Norse realm couldn’t win. A moment later, Bast and Serket appeared beside him. “It appears that she went after Ephus,” Thoth said.

“She’s only a Demi-god, therefore not constrained by the laws between the realms. As I remember?” Bast said. “She put Odin down with a sword at his throat. I fear it won’t be us that ends the Norse realm if Ephus is hurt.”

Both Thoth and Serket shivered a bit. Quinn still didn’t have complete control yet, so this might be true. The only other problem: could Ephus stop her if she lost complete control?

Ephus was worn out, his power was only at half and that was barely. He just needed a little more time. The way he was now, he wasn’t sure if he could take Loki again.

It was at that moment that he felt a large power approaching him. Funny he thought the power was very familiar. A few moments later, he felt it draw closer, now it was very familiar.

With all the shields he’d placed, he wasn’t sure it could appear. Oh, shit he thought! That felt more and more like Quinn damn! He thought she would have waited more than this. Obviously, she was far more worried about him than he thought.

With a mighty whoosh, Quinn appeared on the other side of the room, a look of anger on her face. Drawing an energy sword, she advanced upon Odin and the Valkyries, they having also drawn swords.

“Where is my husband!” Yelled Quinn, her skin and eyes glowing a dangerous red color. All the Valkyries were shocked when she disarmed them all with one swing.

Ephus was immediately behind her, grabbing her around the waist. “Release me you putrid...” she said, then immediately dropped her sword. “I felt you were very weak. I had to come to you.”

Ephus smiled as he kissed Quinn, making her skin start to dim ‘til it was normal. “I am grateful for your concern for me. I am afraid that you might be a target here, there are old enemies here trying to aid Loki. I do not want you harmed dear,” Ephus said.

“I was,” Quinn started when Ephus felt a Titans power approaching.

“Now, you will suffer as Iapetus has. Iapetus will take from you as you have from Iapetus! You will never know this female again. Iapetus will destroy her!” Iapetus said as he shoved a weakened Ephus into the wall, causing him to slide down the wall.

“NO!” Screamed Quinn as the glow from before re-emerged, far brighter than it had been. Ripping an energy sword from her side, she advanced upon Iapetus.

Iapetus started to laugh ‘til Quinn swung, hitting him in the arm, almost cutting it loose. Screaming, Iapetus tried to swing at her, only to be hit in the same arm. At first, he could stare at the severed arm, then noticed the wound wouldn’t heal.

“No, Iapetus is a Titan, no mere mortal nor Demi-god can hurt him!” Iapetus said, then screamed again in anger.

“No one hurts my husband, not while I am alive!” Quinn yelled as she swung again, cutting the Titan across the stomach.

This time the Titan tried to vanish, when nothing happened. “Brothers help me!” The Titan cried out, smiling when he felt several approaching. “Now I get justice!” The Titan shouted.

Quinn growled, “you’ll be no more before they arrive!” Quinn said as she took the Titans’ other arm. Quickly coming around again, slicing across the Titan’s chest.

She was about to behead the Titan when Cronus appeared, trying to block Quinn’s sword. Quinn promptly broke his sword in half, nearly slicing him across his chest.

Cronus jerked back this time, Quinn took Iapetus’ head from his shoulders as he screamed. All the Titans that had appeared, their mouths were hanging open watching Iapetus expire.

They all turned toward Quinn, anger on their faces. It was then that they felt the sheer power pouring off Quinn. “Who is next? No one hurts my husband!” She shouted as she swung her sword at those Titans there.

Several tried to draw their weapons, then were knocked backwards from her power. Cronus grabbed the pieces of Iapetus, then he and the others vanished.

Odin and the others were also standing back, that was ‘til Ephus groaned, trying to get off the floor. Quinn’s power immediately dropped to almost normal as she hurried to him.

“Ephus!” She said as she cradled him in her arms. “When I saw you drop to the floor I lost it.”

Ephus looked up at his, appearing to be a Demi-god wife with a curious look. “Quinn? What happened? Are you injured?”

“No, I was too angry, they never got near me. The one that hurt you will never again. I took his head,” Quinn said.

A shocked and surprised Ephus just nodded his head, he knew she was mad though. I am really going to have to watch her, he thought.

Again he tried to rise to his feet, still shaky, he sat deciding some rest was in order. He was going to be harder pressed when he next faced the Titans. Though he thought one less would help, perhaps.

Odin and the others crept closer, wary of Quinn and her still drawn sword. “We need to end this as soon as possible,” Ephus said. “I believe I have a way to do so. It will be dangerous with Loki still having aid from the ice and fire giants. Then again, we have thinned the fire giants down, haven’t we, Thor?”

Thor nodded with a huge smile on his face, “that we have Brother Ephus, that we have.”

A still worried Quinn hadn’t moved from Ephus’ side. “Husband, you need to rest, your energy is low.”

“I need to return to earth, I need energy,” Ephus said.

“You need more from the females? You have done far too much,” Quinn said, worry in her voice.