You're Derailed by a Patronizing Patriarch

As you leave the Inn you hear something that causes you to freeze. A firm, sonorous voice with a very particular accent. Your lip curls with distaste as your eyes confirm what your ears suggested, another god is in town. In fact, its none other than the self-styled king of the gods, Zeus himself. He is wearing a cloak and has already found or fashioned a diadem for his noble brow, which is really just like the man. He is also flanked by a pair of women, and their eager expressions are all the confirmation you need that the old goat is up to his old tricks.

The first is a razor-edged red-head beauty. A vertical scar crossing one of her emerald-green eyes does nothing to detract from her beauty, serving to enhance the overall impression her high cheekbones and delicate features leave with you. Following the graceful curve of her neck downward, you note with interest that while her womanly assets may not be as spectacular as Yang's, the leather bustier she wears presents them to eye-catching effect. Her taut abdomen ripples with her effortless movements, working with the athletic curves of her waist to present a sense of erotic beauty that has to be seen moving to be truly communicated. This is no simple decorative flower either. Its clear that she knows what to do with the pair of assassins blades she wears openly, and there are so many throwing knives strapped to her that you wonder how she avoids impaling herself with them.

The second woman is no less eye-catching in her own right. Where the red-head lets her her hair flow free, this woman has bound hers back, perhaps indicating a more reserved or self-disciplined attitude. Her hair and eyes are both brown, though she doesn't need unusual colors to stand out in a crowd. In particular, her full, pouting lips stir sensual questions about what kind of things she could do with them. Like her knife-loving companion, she favors tight-fitting clothing that show off her body to great effect. Instead of leather, she has chosen to go with a more modern-looking mesh and cloth combination, with subtle tailoring to emphasize a figure that frankly doesn't need any artificial help in he first place. This beauty fully rivals Yang in the cup-size department! She has a pair of pistols riding low on her well-toned legs, and a bow is strapped to her back with its string pulling the material between her gently-bobbing breasts even tighter.

In addition to world-class sexy outfits, both are wearing unusually eager-to-please expressions that sour the mood considerably. One of Zeus's little tricks is to use his power over lightning to manipulate the neural impulses of mortals to adjust their personalities to something more to his liking. Since he is a legendary skirt-chaser, 'to his liking' usually means 'unable to say no.' He notices you almost immediately, or perhaps its Yang standing at your side, though hopefully for different reasons.

"Freyr! Good to see you, boy. I see you're up to your usual nonsense, but if you can tear yourself away from this hovel I've got a proposition for you." The salt-and-pepper bearded man cups the brown-haired beauty's delicate chin with his thumb and forefinger and turns her head one way and then the other, a victor inspecting his trophy rather than any kind of real affection. Her expression is conflicted, excitement and bliss warring with revulsion in a twitchy, disturbing mix. "I found this amusing little distraction outside of town a couple days ago. The precious little thing believes herself to be something of a scholar and explorer, as if a woman could have the intellect for such pursuits. Never the less, she has a lead on a treasure of great power; a thing of gold that can heal any injury it is laid over. Sound familiar?"

It was theorized by some of the wisest among you that objects of sufficient spiritual power might be caught in your departure and scattered across the Cross-world you found yourself in. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's talking about the Golden Fleece. It would be a very useful artifact to possess, and more than that would bolster the owners power by inspiring faith in others. But that thought sparks another suspicion in your mind and... "I like that she's an archer, in fact she's a lot like that stuck up bitch Artemis. In fact... she's not a god anymore either, is she... perhaps I'll teach her a lesson or two when I find he..." "Zeus." You cut off his fantasizing coldly. He looks surprised that anyone would have the presumption to interrupt him, and opens his mouth to give a haughty rebuke when you interrupt him again. "Did you use your divine power to take that woman this close to town? You know displays like that have to be carefully managed! You drew an attack by the Fell on these innocent people!"

"Watch your tone, boy. I'm the King! What do a handful of worthless peasants matter compared to my divine will!?" His voice is that of a well-trained orator, and he hasn't had to exercise restraint in millennia. Therefore his words carry to the crowd that had gathered to view the spectacle. Now, that crowd begins to mutter angrily among themselves. The red-head is much quicker on the uptake and picks up on the mood immediately. Laying a deferential hand on Zeus's elbow, she murmurs "Lord, he will not help us. Perhaps we should move on to our true objective so that you can regain your full glory as quickly as possible?" The elder god frowns at being interrupted, but slowly nods as he processes her words. "Very well then. Squander your meager talents with the rest of these muck-rakes for all I care! However, if you should change your mind, miss...?" He holds a hand to Yang, an offer to shake hands, but you slap it away. The tell-tale tingle of an electrical current against the back of your hand indicates you were right. This man tried to steal your girlfriend right out from under your nose, trying to damage her mind and rob her of free will. His eyes flash and for a moment you think he will attack you, but he gnashes his teeth and turns on his heel. Flanked by his slaves, he stalks out of the town in the direction of the mountains the village is sheltered beneath. The knife-wielding girl gives you a slow, venomous look before sashaying after the other two.