"How long have we been like this? Forced to live as common rats in a world of our own design. I swear I will find whoever did this and make them pay." a small humanoid creature thought to itself, again.
Ares, at just eight inches (20.32 cm) tall this humanoid creature had tanned skin surrounded by black armor. Armor with a very old design, plain and simple but with the engraving of gold around the edges. Hidden behind a helmet that held a tall plume of smoke forever burning on top, was a pair of gleaming orange burning eyes. Next to him lay his weapon of old, a gold hilted spear with a silver tip sharp enough to cut bone like paper, and a round shield of ordinary design but opposite in color of his armor, pure gold made the center of it, but a black ring lay on the outside.
Ares had long been driven to desperation in his current situation. As a former god, he could not get used to being so powerless. A God of War, he laughed at himself again. What god can not even kill a chicken or a rabbit. What God had to live on after having his power taken from him without even knowing the reason, a reason why was what he always asked for, a target to search for, an ending he could work too.
But sadly, only a few of the gods had found out the reason why this had happened and he had not seen many of his kind around the vast world they had created to once again watch the humans struggle against the foes of his and his kinds design.
With him was the only other god he had found in the last twenty years, someone he did not much care for, but as a fellow powerless god was needed as a friend like any other.
Also at eight inches tall or maybe just a little taller was a man of ill sight. Round as a ball and with almost nothing to hide his protruding gullet and bearded face was Bes, the defender of good.
Bes, although dispirited at his and his fellow gods' predicament, looked on the brighter side of their trial. As a defender of all that is good in the world Bes always looked at the good as what was important, they were alive, the others could also be alive even if they were separated and with enough time could be reunited with their friends, which is what they had plenty of.
Ares and Bes had both found each other in this town twenty years ago after hearing some news. The humans had started to build a town in the territory that was set up for the demons, past this city they resided in, something called Bastion.
As the god of war, Ares thought he could find solace in his home, in the middle of a war. Hate, fear, and murder was what thrived him and what he found comfort in, as a god of war should. Bes had come to the city with the same but also different plan, to watch over the humans who would fight for the good against the evil. Maybe both of them could find some clues to get their power back or find out what had happened to them. Or just a delusion of two gods, brokenhearted, only to find the humans had never seemed to come into contact with the demons.
Ares and Bes had lived in a small hole in the mountain wall that they had dug themselves behind an old inn. Nothing but other small creatures, such as mice or insects could get into their hollow which they called home which Ares could handle easily enough with his spear. The location they found was good for them, as the hid in their hollow, any supplies they needed could be taken from the inn they resided behind. Although both of them resented stealing, they could not help it themselves, the people inside refused to listen to them and chase them out. Even when they brought up a contract to give them power to fight off any evil they were laughed at and shoved away.
Although they are gods and do not age, without their power they still need to eat. Food was something of a sour thought for both of them as without help they can not get much of it, and as former gods are too far above eating bugs and rat meat. Foraging for fruits and other stuff was another thought they had but with their stature, they could not find a means to find any, and even if they did they could not carry anything too big or fight off anything else that may want it or them.
Another day passed as hopeless and unimportant as the last two decades had been for the two until a piece of news had come to Bes as he was looking around the town to find anything that could liven their dreary days. Demons had been spotted outside the walls, and some adventurers had taken care of them. The first sighting of demons had come and people were already able to kill them. and protect the people. "Maybe they would listen to our story?" thought Bes.
After a long time of finding his way back to the hole in the wall he called home Bes found Ares in a familiar posture of desolation and thought. Bes had noticed Ares often lost in thought more recently than before, like the whole of their situation is setting in closer and closer than he would like.
Coming back in Bes said to Ares "I found good news, demons have finally shown themselves and some people were able to deal with them already, maybe they will finally listen to us when we tell them we can help."
"What's the point?" Ares raised his head from the ground and said "No one will think we are more than a common creature of wonder. How can we get help from mortals more powerful than normal, if the common ones will not even talk to us? We have not even met another of our kind in so long, do you also wonder how many of us are left?"
"Don't say that," Bes said in an attempt to cheer Ares up. "I'm sure more of us are out there we just have to look at what is in front of us and continue to move on."
Turning around to walk back out of their hollow Bes spied three peculiar men entering the inn they resided behind. What seemed odd about them was not only were they clad in armor not fitting anything they have seen before, but the larger man of the two was also carrying one more person into the building over his should. On the other shoulder, he spied a small humanoid wolflike figure, one he was all too well acquainted with.
"Anubis!" Bes shouted before running off alone causing Ares to look on with a blank expression.