In a bustling tavern, several deities were gathered, cheering. Among them was Ares, engaged in a drinking contest with another god. Ares slammed a mug on the bar.
"Another one, Bacchus!" Ares ordered, elated and slightly drunk.
"Right away!"
Bacchus, quick as ever, handed Ares a full mug of ale, while the other god was still struggling to finish his.
"Enough! I surrender!"
"I win!"
Ares rose to celebrate, amid the applause of the other deities. Someone rushed to the aid of the defeated challenger.
"Come on, Thor!" said the deity with a smile, seeing Thor half-conscious.
"Thank you..."
The two were about to leave the tavern when suddenly the door opened from outside: Xihe had arrived, surprising them. She looked at them, understood the situation, and let them pass first.
"Thank you, Great Xihe."
They stepped aside, leaving her the way clear. Xihe entered the room unnoticed, glancing around as she entered.
The tavern was bustling with life. The mosaic floor depicted banquets and drinking contests, while amphorae and smiling theater masks hung from the walls. The air was thick with the scent of must, honey, and spiced roasts. Behind a wooden counter stained with spilled wine, Bacchus served his companions, laughing and singing between toasts.
Xihe approached the main counter and sat down. Bacchus immediately noticed her and came over to serve her.
"It's been a while, Great Xihe. May I bring you your usual?"
"Yes, thank you."
Bacchus smiled at her and walked away, letting Ares approach.
"Xihe! I didn't think you were the kind of goddess who would enjoy a tavern like this!"
Xihe gave Ares a disapproving look and caught a strong stench that made her hold her nose.
"Great Ares, drunk as ever at this time of day."
Ares sat down next to her, and she moved her stool slightly away from him.
Ares burst into a loud laugh.
"This is just reward for managing my underlings all this time!" he said, raising his cup.
"Well, I can't really argue with you... at least you take this matter seriously, unlike others."
"The Square of Thrones is always empty. Few go to see what happens there. Only the gods with the fewest followers are the most active!"
Bacchus placed a cup of wine in front of Xihe.
"There you are. It's always a pleasure to have you in my tavern; you're one of the few deities who truly appreciates my wine."
"Thank you very much."
Bacchus glanced at Ares with a hint of contempt.
"Unlike that walking barrel of beer over there."
Bacchus walked away, while Ares seemed completely unfazed by the insult.
"I like your beer, Brother Bacchus!"
"We're half-brothers!" Bacchus corrected him.
He's too drunk to realize when someone's insulting him... — thought Xihe, his eyes narrowed, resigned to Ares's state.
Xihe took the cup and began sipping the wine.
"It's also the humans' fault... Although I understand them. But they're terribly boring right now. Always on the defensive!"
"After all, we knew this would happen. It's only a matter of time. Many followers are quickly learning to handle even the most difficult situations. Sooner or later, they'll become real threats and take over, forcing the others, those still wallowing in their fear, to wake up."
Xihe looked at Ares, puzzled, and tilted her head slightly.
"Strange... I didn't expect you to say that. Weren't you the undisputed god of war?"
Ares froze instantly at Xihe's words, as if the fog of drunkenness had been swept away in an instant.
"You're not... entirely wrong."
"Great Xihe is right! But I still think you're the best of the gods of war!" said another deity, approaching the two.
Xihe noticed him, and the newcomer glared at her.
"Though I'm not surprised to hear such words from her... After all, we're talking about the goddess who has only one human as her subject, yet that same human was the first to take a life in this tournament! Not to mention... he's still alive!"
Every deity present turned to look at Xihe, beginning to murmur among themselves. Xihe shot everyone a cold, cutting look, instantly silencing them.
"Wow... what a mean look. I wouldn't want to be you right now, dear Geb." Ares said sarcastically.
Geb is tall and broad-shouldered, with skin the color of arid earth. His long, thick hair is braided with threads of gold and small green stones. His hands are large and strong, his nails dark, and his eyes a deep, intense green.
"You're still the same brooding strategist, it seems. How did you find out?"
"Let's just say I have my contacts. But relax, I haven't done anything wrong so far."
After that brief exchange between the two gods, a heavy silence fell over the tavern.
"You were talking about the lack of participation among the deities and their unwillingness to care for their subjects, right?" Geb broke the silence.
"Yes! Do you have anything to say about that?" Ares quickly intervened, trying to keep the conversation from dying out again.
"I think the problem is that a deity isn't obligated to do anything other than respond to the summons of their subjects."
"Very true..."
"Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but overhear."
Another deity approached the bar.
"Oh, Apollo! My brother, it's good to see you!"
Apollo appears as a radiantly beautiful young man, with long golden hair that reflects the sun and piercing blue eyes. He wears a light white tunic, cinched at the waist with a golden cord, and always carries an intricately decorated lyre.
"The pleasure is mine, brother Ares!"
Apollo and Ares shook hands.
"Everyone here seems to have excellent hearing..." Xihe muttered, annoyed, not even looking at Apollo.
Apollo pretended not to notice.
"Good evening to you too, Great Xihe, Great Geb. As I was saying between drinks, I overheard your discussion, and I think I have the solution to this little problem!"
"We are all ears." said Geb enthusiastically.
"My idea... it's a game! No, better yet: bets!"
"What kind of bets?"
"Betting among us gods, on possible outcomes in Aetherion. For example: the next human to kill someone, the next to die, or even something as simple as the final winner. But really, there would be no limits... only your imagination!"
Apollo's words reached the other gods, piquing their curiosity and drawing them closer.
"Interesting... Do you have any rules in mind?"
"Not exactly. But we can jot some down right now!"
Ares put his arm around Apollo's shoulder.
"That's the right spirit: after all, you are the god of games!"
"Let's see... Rule one: The minimum number of deities for a bet is two, and there's no maximum. Rule two: You can bet on anything you deem valid, as long as all parties agree, and of course, it must be tournament-related. Rule three: You can bet anything: you set the stakes. Rule four: To become official, bets must be verified by any god of the games. For now, that should do the trick."
"Wow, this is more than just a few rules!" Ares said, impressed.
"Yes, but there's still room for improvement... it'll take time."
Everyone was enthusiastic about Apollo's idea, yet he remained thoughtful, and Geb noticed.
"Great Apollo, is there something worrying you?"
"Something very important is missing..."
"Huh? What!?" Geb replied, alarmed.
"This game needs a name!"
Geb stared at the god of games in disbelief.
"I think we can decide later..."
"No! A game this important needs a name now, otherwise, how would I look among the other gods of the game?"
Geb was even more perplexed.
"It seems he went from acting like an adult to acting like a child in an instant..."
"Doesn't this remind you of anyone?" said Bacchus, passing by with a cup in his hand. Then both he and Geb looked at Ares, who was confused.
"Are you referring to me?"
Xihe stood up.
"Apollo, may I suggest a name?"
Apollo was surprised by Xihe's willingness.
"Yes, of course. Why not?"
"I was thinking of using the common language spoken throughout the mortal world: English."
Apollo's face lit up with delight.
"Yes, I like the idea! A tribute to our subordinates!"
"I've been thinking about... Divine Games. What do you think, god of games?"
"It's perfect! We'll call this game Divine Games! Is everyone in agreement?"
The gods present roared with approval.
"Thank you, Great Xihe!" said Apollo, grinning like a child.
Xihe was about to sit back down when Geb passed her.
"Apollo, everything's fine now, right?"
"Yes, there are no more problems to resolve at the moment."
"Then I'd like to propose a bet."
"Come on, who do you want to bet with?"
"I'd like to bet with our dear Great Xihe."
Hearing her name, Xihe turned, curious.
"What kind of bet?"
"I want to bet on the total number of kills our subordinates have had."
"Hey! That's unfair: Xihe only has one subordinate!" said Ares, irritated by the bet's imbalance.
"I agree on one condition."
"What condition?"
"We count my subordinate's kills and compare them to your subordinate's, who has more."
Geb thought about it.
"Great Geb, it's still a huge advantage for you: your subordinates are much more likely to survive longer and rack up more kills than Ares. If I were you, I'd accept!" Apollo suggested.
Geb laughed.
"Fine by me!"
"Well, then..."
"Wait! I want to join too!" Ares interrupted Apollo.
Xihe and Geb exchanged a look.
"Fine by us!" they both said.
"Fine. But Ares must also accept Xihe's conditions."
"Of course!"
"Then all that remains is the stakes."
"Great Geb, what are the stakes?"
"I was so caught up in everything I didn't even think about it..." Geb said, embarrassed.
Ares and Apollo looked at him, puzzled.
"So he also misses details like this..." Ares muttered.
Ares, Apollo, and Geb remained silent, lost in thought.
"If you don't mind, can I suggest something else?" Xihe asked.
"Of course. I'm willing to bet on anything." Geb replied.
"I won't back down either!"
Xihe looked at Geb and Ares, noting their determination. Then he gave a frightening smile.
"So even if I said we'd bet our thrones and our godly titles? Whoever loses... loses everything!"
Xihe's proposal shocked everyone.
"What!?" "Did you hear that!?" "He wants to bet his divine position!?"
Geb approached Xihe with a serious expression.
"Are you sure? Do you really trust your subordinate that much?"
"Yes, I am sure of it."
Geb laughed again.
"Apollo, I accept the terms and the stakes! And Ares... are you going to go back on your words?"
Ares smiled with determination.
"Absolutely not! I accept too!"
"One last proposal, since there are three of us: the last-place finisher loses his title and throne, the second-place finisher is safe, and the first-place finisher takes the last-place finisher's titles and throne."
"Agreed." "Perfect."
Apollo positioned himself between the three participants.
"Very good! All betting rules have been accepted! I, Apollo, god of games, declare this first bet of the Divine Games between Geb, Ares, and Xihe official!"
A roar of approval spread through the room.
"May luck be on your side... all three of you will need it!" Apollo said as he walked away to officially confirm the other bets.
"What's done is done! I'm sorry, Great Xihe. I've seen your subordinate in action, I've seen his potential, and I've seen why you place so much faith in him... but after this bet, you will not maintain your divine status. After all, they are human, and every human will make mistakes sooner or later!"
After speaking, Geb looked at Xihe, who was already walking away without listening.
"Hey! At least listen to me!"
"No, I'm tired. I'm leaving."
Xihe walked out of the tavern, leaving Geb huffing in frustration.
"Relax, dear Geb!"
Geb glanced at Ares, who motioned for him to sit next to him and drink together.
"Bacchus! Two mugs of ale!"
"Right away..."
Geb sat down next to Ares as Bacchus handed them the two cups.
"On to our bet! May the best man win!"
"May the best man win!"
The two clinked their cups and began drinking.