Plan

After a while, Hermes starts bouncing up and down. His erratic energy is practically contagious. Without thinking about it, I am also bouncing on my heels as we walk. Hermes and I seem to come to an unspoken agreement, and we take off.

Before I know it, we are at the city center and Hermes is beaming his thanks at me. “I haven’t had a good race in forever.”

“I cannot believe I was able to keep up with you.” I pant, hands on my knees.

“Only you ever could.”

Aphrodite is waiting for us, tapping her foot. Morpheus is also here, looking down with a pained look on his face.

“Why so fidgety, Aphrodite?” Hermes says, “Is your little crush bothering you?”

“What crush?” She relies, clearly annoyed.

“We all know you used to have a thing for…”

“Shut up, Hermes!” Aphrodite yells, interrupting him with a swift kick to his stomach. He falls to the ground, clutching his stomach overdramatically. He continues until I tap him with my foot and he gets up slowly.

“What are we doing exactly, Aphrodite?” I say, desperate to get on with it.

“And what do you need me for?” Morpheus asks. He breathes sharply at his last word. Is he in pain?

“As I’ve told Aether, one of the Resistance members, Ana, is in love with him.”

Hermes nudges me with his elbow, “Aether, you stud, you!”

“Quiet, Hermes!” Aphrodite and I both say.

“Anyway,” Aphrodite continues, “because of that, she is resistant to Erebus’ corruption. Not immune, but she’s fighting it really hard.”

“What does this mean for us?” I ask.

“Thanks to Erebus’ power being in that place, Morpheus can’t go.”

“Is that true?” I ask him, and he nods wordlessly.

“So what do we do?” Hermes asks.

“Well, you are going to go ask for Zeus’ permission to use Morpheus to enter Ana’s dreams.”

“Wait, what?” We all say.

Aphrodite sighs, “Come on guys, think about it. I’m the goddess of love, Ana feels love. That means I have some power there. Using me as a media type thingy, Morpheus and Aether can enter Ana’s dream.”

“Are you sure that will work?” I ask.

“It might be possible,” Morpheus says, gritting his teeth, “But we can’t be sure.”

“Trust me, it’ll work.” She insists.

“Alright,” Hermes says, “Let’s say this works, and they get into this girl’s dream. What do they do there?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Aphrodite says, “They’ll talk to Ana, and try to reverse the corruption of Erebus. Aether’s power should have some kind of counter-effect.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” I ask. “I hardly know how to use my power at all.”

“I can’t think of everything Aether!” Aphrodite says, her appearance more like Ana.

Hermes pats my shoulder, “You’ll figure it out, you’re a smart dude. But what exactly am I asking Zeus for again?”

“You’re telling him that we are going to enter the dreams of a Resistance member.” Aphrodite says, her appearance shifting to Solution.

“You know he isn’t going to like that. He’s gonna be pissed about the idea of it.” Hermes says.

“Why?” I ask.

“Partly because it’s risky.” Aphrodite says. “If Erebus has as much power there as we think he does, he’ll be able to sense us and find out where we are.”

“He is not aware of this place?”

“If he were, Zeus thinks that he would’ve attacked already.” Morpheus answers.

“I think it is worth the risk if it works.”

“How can you be sure that it will?” Morpheus asks.

“Obviously, Aether has faith in the power of love!” Aphrodite claims.

Stupid girl. “Actually, I have faith in the ability of my power arriving when I need it. to.”

“Do we have to wait for Zeus’ permission to do this?” Morpheus asks.

“Forget him,” I say, and the gathered gods gasp. “We do not need to even tell him what we are doing.”

“Aether,” Hermes says, “I understand that you don’t like Zeus, but he is the king of the gods. We have to follow his rule. And if we plan something, he has to know.”

“Fine, how long do we have to wait?” I ask, sitting down on the edge of the fountain.

“Well,” Aphrodite says, “However long it takes for Hermes to get Zeus’ command.”

Subtle hint. However, Hermes does not see it until we are all looking at him. He puts his hand behind his head and laughs. “Sorry, I’ll get going.” As he runs off, Aphrodite takes a seat on the fountain next to me, and Morpheus all but falls on the ground in front of us, he starts to wince and turns over to lie on his stomach.

“What happened to you, Morpheus?” I ask.

“Zeus saw fit to punish me for going against his word. He fashioned a whip with lightning and struck me with it fifty times across the back.”

“That’s horrible!” Aphrodite says.

“I’m a god, I’ll live.” He says.

“How long did the effects last?” I ask.

Morpheus then turns around and loosens his robes; he pulls them up until we can see his back. Aphrodite covers her mouth with her hand and gasps. I wince and try not to shudder. The skin on his back is a crinkled, black char. Golden blood would still be oozing from the wounds, but the skin has been cooked so much that nothing could break through it.

Morpheus lowers his robes and says, “This is the punishment for disobeying Zeus.”

“That…that.” I try to think of an adjective horrible enough, but nothing comes.

“Morpheus, that’s terrible!” Aphrodite says. “How could Zeus do this to you? You’ve always been such a good servant.”

“Servant?” I say, the words finally coming. “That disgraceful swine should not have treated you like a servant. You are the god of dreams! Do the gods not dream? Zeus should thank you for everything you have done. You should have your own throne!” I am livid, but Morpheus holds up his hand.

“Enough, Aether. I appreciate the gesture and the kind words. However, I deserve all of this.”

“Why? What did you do?” I say.

“I have never been a kind god.” He answers. “I gave mortals nightmares just to see them scream and awake in a cold sweat. I found it thrilling. The gods do not dream, in fact. So when Erebus first rose to power, I left Olympus and tried to join him. He promised me that I could frighten mortals to my heart’s content. When he tried to absorb me, I came crawling back, begging Zeus for mercy. In exchange for my life, I became Zeus’ servant. And he is a cruel master, because I was a traitor.”

“Morpheus.” Aphrodite says. “Despite all you’ve done, it’s been a great number of years since then. Surely you’ve redeemed yourself?”

Morpheus shrugs. “Perhaps I had, but when Aether came, I started to disobey Zeus yet again. Really, he had every right to banish me to Tartarus.”

“But you were helping me!” I yell. “When we are done with this, Zeus and I will have words.”

Just then, Hermes returns to us.

“Yeah,” Hermes says. “He’s pissed. In fact, we should all probably hide, like now.”

“Aether! Morpheus! Aphrodite!” We hear Zeus bellow.

“Of course, a couple of seconds ago probably would have been better. I’m innocent, so bye!” Hermes runs away, leaving us behind.

“Coward.” Aphrodite says, grabbing him and holding him still.

“It is alright.” I say, standing. “This is not really Hermes’ business. This is between us and Zeus.”

Before I know it, I am lying on my back and Zeus is standing over me, lightning in his hands. I am starting to grow annoyed with him. Paying no mind to the lightning, I get to my feet. I grab the lightning, rip it out of Zeus’ hand, and throw it into the sky.

Zeus’ eyes start to glow, and he swings at me. Without a thought, I grab his hand. However, darkness flashes behind my eyes, and my strength leaves me. Suddenly, my hand and chest become burned, and I fall to the ground with a now bloodied face.

Zeus starts to pull at his sash, revealing more of his breastplate and I see the metal head of a snake on it.

“No!” Hermes yells.

“Stop it!” Aphrodite yells, grabbing the sash and holding it in place despite Zeus’ struggling. He pushes them off of him and drops his hand. He comes toward me and picks me up by the throat.

“You come here, as a mortal. You disrespect me. Then you propose a plan to get us discovered by the only being in existence that wants to, and can, destroy us. Your time with the humans has corrupted you. In fact, if Erebus did indeed take your godhood, I suspect he may have corrupted you as well. How do we know you aren’t an agent sent by Erebus?”

“That’s insane.” Aphrodite says.

“Quiet, you foolish girl!” Zeus screams. “Hermes, Morpheus, escort this disgrace down the mountainside. Given everything you have done for us, I have decided to at least show you mercy and banish you.”

“But, my lord, isn’t that a bit rash?” Morpheus says. Zeus merely looks at him, and Morpheus backs down, his face disappearing behind the mask.

“You paranoid, childish fool!” I say to him. “Why can you not see that I am on your side? Our goal with this plan is to cure the Resistance of Erebus’ corruption.”

“And in the process get us discovered.” Zeus responds. “Besides, you don’t even know how to use your power. What were you planning to do?”

“I….” I cannot answer, and hang my head.

“Once again, get him out of my sight!” Hermes and Morpheus pick me up, and start leading me away. “Oh, and Aether?” Zeus continues, “It’s been a few years since I have been with a mortal. And that girl of yours is quite beautiful.” Zeus gives me a cruel smile and starts to walk away.

And with that Zeus’ death is guaranteed. In moments my chest and hand heal, and I shove Morpheus and Hermes off of me. I run over to Zeus, whirl him around, and punch him with all my might. He falls to the ground, and I grab him by his throat.

“If you so much as look at her wrong,” I hiss, “I will destroy you, understand?”

I do not need anybody to tell me that my eyes are glowing white; the surprise is on Zeus’ face. “I have had more than enough of this place. I would be happy to leave and return to my home with the mortals you look down on so harshly. But whether you like it or not, you need me.”

“Please, we could defeat Erebus without you.”

“You cannot even face my power right now.” A laugh escapes my lips, “And you think you can fight him? You are a fool.”

Zeus brings his right arm up and rests it on my left, the one holding his throat. I feel pure power tingling where Zeus’ skin touches mine. The power sparks and I lose feeling in my arm…and then the rest of my body.

Feeling comes back in a jolt seconds later and I find myself on my back, looking up at the cloudy sky. It makes me angry all over again and I jump to my feet. Zeus is facing the other three, telling them I do not even care what. Slowly I make my way toward him and grab his arm. Before he realizes what is happening I twist it behind him, forcing it nearly out of its socket. Light flashes below my sight, and Zeus disappears.

He reappears behind me and shoves his fist into my back, making me cry out before my breath leaves me. Regaining my breath instantly, I drive my elbow into his stomach. As he doubles over I turn and grab his head, slamming his face into my knee.

He flies back with ichor spurting from his nose. With one arm he cradles his face and with the other his stomach. His white eyes fix on me with a look of pure rage. The char returns to my chest, and with it a burning pain. Silently Zeus and I agree that we have had enough of this.

 His wounds heal instantly, but mine do not. Zeus notices this and grins. “Do you understand?”

“I understand that I am in the presence of beings that do not deserve to rule this world. I am going to leave, as you requested. I will find my own way to defeat Erebus. And when I regain my former power, I will come back here and end you.”

“Good, just know that if you do, I will not hold back.”

“Nor will I.”

“Aether,” Aphrodite says, “Think about what you’re doing.”

“Come on man,” Hermes says, “You need us, all of us, to defeat Erebus.”

“Then when Zeus comes to his senses, I will accept his apology.”

“Get out of here now!” Zeus screams.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“Arrogant, annoying, steals my girl.” Zayin says as he pounds his hammer into the anvil.

He grips the glowing sword tighter than he must and without realizing what he is doing, he crushes. The soft metal melts on his hand and drips to the floor. Fire burns across his body, softening the hammer in his hands.

“Zayin.” Barth says. “We can’t do anything if you don’t calm down.”

Zayin looks up at his comrades, the worry in their faces causing him pause. The fire goes out, and he drops his arms.

“You’re right.” He says. “I got distracted.”

“It’s been happening a lot lately.” Jack tells him. “It isn’t like you.”

Zayin looks down at the forge blazing behind him. Fire had always been a comfort to him. In his mind’s eye comes an image of a handsome but scarred man with a long beard, smiling proudly. Zayin does not know who the man is, but the image of him brings a sharp but unexplainably welcome pain to his head. He reaches his hand into the flames and lets them curl around his fingers, bringing clarity to him.

“Can’t.” He mutters.

“What can’t?” Barth asks.

“Darren can’t be right.” His comrades give him a strange look.

“Of course he is.” Jack says.

“No.” Zayin responds. “How could he be?”

“What am I wrong about?” Darren asks, appearing at the doorway.

Zayin splutters out what is meant to be an apology, but sounds more like gibberish.

“Silver tongue turned to lead?” Darren says. A look of sorrow comes over his scarred face. “Listen. You’ve been working really hard. Harder than anyone else here. You’re tired and not thinking straight. Maybe you should go get some rest.”

The image of the man in Zayin’s head is replaced with an empty blackness. Zayin’s eyes glaze over and he stoops down.

“Maybe you’re right.” He concedes. “I’m gonna go lie down.”

“Good.” Darren says, “Do that.”

As Zayin takes his leave Darren leans back on the anvil.

“That was close.” He says. “Do you think we almost lost him?”

“I could feel my power leaving him.” Barth says.

“Wait, what?” Jack says.

Shin wraps his huge hand around Barth’s shoulder. “What are you talking about?” He asks in his gruff voice.

Barth looks up at Shin and smiles. “Oh Shin, even you can’t do it.” He puts his hand around Shin’s huge wrist and pulls him up and over him, slamming him into the concrete floor.

Shin’s breath leaves him in one painful burst as he hits the floor. Barth still holds his wrist, using it to keep Shin pinned.

“What the hell?” Jack yells. He bends his head and charges at Barth, but Darren clotheslines him and pins him to the ground.

“What are you thinking?” Darren asks Barth.

“Shin was sharpening his knives.” Barth answers, pulling a knife from his belt. Jack looks closely at him and sees his once blue eyes turn the same green as Darren’s. His blond hair darkens, becoming like the black locks that grace Solution’s fine features. His skin pales and his face changes in shape. He grows a few inches taller, now towering over Shin, who still lies pinned to the floor.

“Th…” Jack starts, “The Dark…”

“We call him ‘Erebus’.” Darren cuts in. “Well, you do. I call him ‘father’.”

“As I was saying.” Barth continues, his voice now that of a man in his late thirties. “Shin was lovingly sharpening his favorite knives.” He bends down and places his knife at Shin’s hand. “The wheel was turning, ever so quickly. Shin reached for the pitcher so he could water the wheel, but the blade caught against the rough stone and…” He pulls the knife across Shin’s hand, tearing deeply through his flesh and removing his index finger.

Jack yells for them to stop while Shin screams in pain, but Darren grinds his boot into the boy’s chest.

“He whirled around in pain.” Erebus still goes on, “He tried to tend to his wound, but…” He pulls Shin up by his hair and leads him over to the forge, where iron is being smelt. Erebus kicks Shin’s knee so that he falls. Instinctively, Shin’s hand goes out to stop his fall, but the only place for it to go is into the forge itself. He can scarcely pull his hand away fast enough for it to only blister and the skin blacken. “The forge was his only place to go in his weak minded state.” He grabs the back of Shin’s head and thrusts it into the flames. Immediately his beard catches fire and scorches his face. “It was only getting worse, when he leapt forward, wanting only for the pain to end.”

He grabs the molten iron from the forge and dangles the pot over Shin’s burnt face. “He reached for something, anything.” Stupidly, Shin gasps in horror and pain. Seizing his chance, Erebus pours the burning metal over the man’s tongue before continuing at a greater volume. “What he reached up for was the iron being smelt for Zayin to craft into a sword. With his mouth open, the molten liquid poured into his gaping maw. Fortunately it wasn’t hot enough to kill him, but it will leave him scarred and muted.” He drops the pot and lets it fall into the forge, wasted iron dripping into the roaring flames. He leans Shin forward so that the liquid can drip out of his mouth. The molten metal burns more of Shin’s flesh as it drips down his body.

“It’s a miracle he wasn’t killed.” Erebus concludes as he returns to Barth’s form. He drops Shin to the floor, where he lies there, unconscious. He faces Darren, “Go get the boy. Sammy, I believe you call him.” Darren nods and heads out, fake panic on his face.

“I hope you like this, Aether.” Barth turns to face Jack, who lies on the floor with a horrified expression on his face. “You saw it right? How Shin wounded himself?”

Without being able to think clearly from fear, Jack nods.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

‘I should probably leave’, I think as I lean against a marble pillar, wincing in pain. I was going to get Solution and leave immediately, but I am now mesmerized by the spectacle of her battling Ares.

To this point, I have not seen her battle outside of training. Solution told me that she was only to be sparring with Ares. However, what is happening before me seems more like a duel to the death. Solution is using a sword and a dagger, but she is holding the dagger backwards, so that the blade is facing behind her. Ares is using a sword with a ridiculously large blade.

To think of who Ares is, one would assume that he would have the advantage, however, Solution is holding her own so well it appears easy. But Ares is starting to get annoyed, so he steps up his attacks, and soon Solution is barely able to block, let alone strike her own blows. I am about to step in and try to help when Solution starts to growl. Again the tides are turned, and again the opponents seem equally matched.

“You haven’t left yet?” I hear someone say behind me. I turn and jump back into some kind of fighting stance with my left leg and arms raised in defense.

Zeus holds up his hands. “Relax, Aether, I’m not here to fight you.”

“Then what do you want?” I ask, still on guard.

Zeus holds something out to me, a bit of white cloth. Seeing no response from me, he rolls his eyes and sighs, “Listen, I want to apologize for my behavior.”

Still I do not respond, though my face changes from guarded to surprised. “I know,” Zeus says, “I loathe to even think this, but I have to be lenient with you. Considering your amnesia, you don’t know better.”

That does not make me feel better. I refuse to lower my guard, and place my hand on the knife at my belt.

“I’m sorry for threatening and attacking you.” He continues. “I do not appreciate your lack of respect for us. However, despite that, we have the same goal. We both want Erebus defeated, and the world returned to normal. So you and I should work together. What do you say?” Zeus holds out his hand, and I take it.

“I accept your apology, and offer you my own. You are the king here, and I should show you respect.”

“Yes you should. But with you being a primordial I should respect you in turn. So don’t worry about it.” Again he offers me the white cloth, and now I take it from him. As I unroll the fabric, I see yet another new shirt. This one looks identical to the last one Hermes gave me. I take off my burned clothes and slip on the new one.

Zeus smiles and falls back to lean against the pillar I am on, “Think we can come up with something to do?” He asks, pulling up his arms and putting them behind his head.

“Probably,” I pause, pondering just how easy that apology was. “What you said you were going to do with Solution...”

“I was only trying to piss you off.”

“It worked.”

“I’m sorry.”

“When you started to pull your sash away, Aphrodite and Hermes screamed for you to stop.” I recall. “Why did they react that way?”

Zeus taps his knuckle against the sash, making the sound of clanging metal. “The Aegis, my breastplate, is my most terrifying weapon.”

“More than lightning?”

“Much worse.” He says. “Do you remember Medusa?”

“Of course not.” I answer. The name does not even feel like something I should know.

“Right,” Zeus says, “Medusa was a gorgon who was cursed to make all beings turn to stone in her presence. The hero Perseus killed her and then delivered her to us. Her face, which still held the power, was turned to bronze and smelt into my breastplate. Since it has the power even in metal, I have to keep it covered, or risk petrifying everyone I come across.”

“That sounds like a terrible burden.” I say.

Zeus chuckles, “It’s not that bad.”

I pull the horn of plenty out of my pocket and my stomach rumbles its hopes. I look into the horn and wonder how food comes out it.

“What is that?” Zeus asks.

“Aphrodite gave it to me.” I answer, “She said it was a horn of plenty.”

Zeus turns to me, “Do you even know how to use that?”

“Well, no but…”

“Give it to me.” I hand it over and he holds it close to his chest. “You imagine what you want, then pour that feeling into the horn. The food will materialize and you make sure it doesn’t fall to the ground.”

An apple falls into Zeus’ open palm and he hands it to me along with the horn. I bite into the fruit and marvel at its taste. The flavor is an exquisite sweet but sour. I return the horn to my pocket as I continue to delight in the treat.

“So anyway,” Zeus says, “This girl of yours…she’s pretty special, huh?”

I swallow a piece of the apple and rub the juice away from my mouth with my sleeve. “More than words could ever say. And I would remind you that she is mine.”

Not really, at all, but I do not want Zeus to think she is available.

Zeus laughs loudly, “Give me a break, I am married.”

“From what I have learned, that has not stopped you from having a multitude of children, all with different women, for the past five thousand years.”

“Fair point.” Zeus says. “But what about you?”

“I do not understand.”

“Aphrodite tells me you’re quite the two-timer yourself.”

“Aphrodite is a fool.”

“True, but she doesn’t lie when it comes to love, and she’s never wrong.”

“Is this the problem we should be discussing?” I ask.

He loses the smile, “No, we should be talking about what we’re going to do about defeating Erebus.”

“Before you interrupted us, Aphrodite was explaining a plan she has.”

“Hermes tried to explain, but I lost it.”

“Aphrodite thinks that Morpheus and I can use her as a medium to enter Ana’s dreams and purge her of Erebus’ corruption.”

“Could be possible.”

“Do you honestly believe that Erebus could detect us if we do?”

“Possibly. But really I’m more worried about fighting against him. You don’t have control over your powers, what are you gonna do when the time comes? Hope for a miracle?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“Bad idea.”

I hold out my hand and summon a ball of pure light into it. I raise my hand and it flies up to the clouds. When it reaches them, the blackness vanishes, and for a moment we can see a patch of blue sky.

“Wow.” Zeus comments, “Impressive. But fleeting. Are you sure you can really do this?”

“I believe so.”

“Alright. But the whole Resistance?”

“What about them?” I ask, confused.

“Erebus’ power is contagious. I would assume that yours is as well. Wasn’t the plan to purge Ana and then through her the rest of them?”

“It is now.” I tell him.

“Great. I’ll get Aphrodite and Morpheus. Meanwhile, you should probably get in there. Ares is having a bit too much fun with Solution.”

I look over and choke on my breath. Solution is on the ground, bloodied, and Ares is standing over her, preparing his final strike. I scream at him to stop and am about to run over, when Ares is bashed on the head by Athena.

I can only watch as Athena knocks Ares to the ground. Shaking from my stupor, I run to Solution and kneel by her side.

“Are you alright?” I ask.

“No.” She says, “Hurts like hell.”

“Will you be alright?” Athena asks.

Solution gives her an inquisitive look. “Aether, help me up.”

As I help her stand, I glance back to Athena and see her face full of pain. Does Solution not understand that she is in the presence of her own mother? I pity her, but Solution is more important to me. “You should take her to Apollo.” Athena suggests.

“Where is he?” I ask.

“Golden gate, shining, that way.” She points to our left, towards the eastern part of the city.

“Thank you.” I tell her.

It occurs to me that Apollo was not there when all of the gods came to see me. I wonder why?

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“I liked the look on Jack’s face when you changed.” Darren says, propping his feet up to rest them on the chair before him.

Barth stands at the other end of the table, a goblet of wine in his hand. “I wish Aether had been closer to Shin. I wanted to hurt him.”

“It should suffice.” Darren says. “Aether cared about the Resistance as a whole. He’s pathetically compassionate. Just knowing that something like this happened will be enough to trip him up really good.”

Barth sips his wine. “I wonder how I should go about telling him.”

“Perhaps you could show him?” Darren suggests. “Send him a dream message or something.”

“I fear I cannot directly go to Aether in dreams. His subconscious is blocked from me.”

“Damn.” Darren responds. He reaches his hand up to his scarred smile, stroking it. After a minute of silence, Darren looks up at his companion. “Why did you do this to me?”

Barth shrugs. “I had to make them believe.”

Darren grabs the goblet from him and throws it to the ground. “You tortured me!”

“I also gave you power you hadn’t even dreamed of. I think it balances.” A new goblet appears in his hand and fills itself. “Besides, you look better this way. It suits your natural malice.”

“I’ve spent my whole life keeping that hidden.”

“But now you no longer have to. And with that smile…” Barth trails off.

“I’ve been wondering.” Darren begins. “Did you possess Barth?”

Barth laughs, “No, no. I have always been him. It was particularly fun speaking to Aether. He had no idea.”

“A fool through and through.” Darren comments.

“Speaking of fools, did they believe us about Shin?”

“I think so.” Darren answers, “Sammy and a couple others are taking care of him now. As you said, he won’t die. How did you manage that, by the way?”

“Same way I managed it with you.” Barth answers. “I told Death to leave him alone.”

“Darren! Barth!” Sammy yells, rushing into the Bakery.

“What is it?” Darren asks him.

“Is Shin okay?” Barth inquires with feigned compassion.

“He’ll be fine, but we don’t know how. He won’t be able to speak at all, ever. With his hands as they are, I think he’s done as a blacksmith.”

“That’ll destroy him.” Barth says.

“Yeah, but the important thing is that he’s alive.”

“Where is he now?” Darren asks.

“Ana’s watching over him.” Sammy answers.

“Oh s**t!” Darren hisses under his breath. He jumps to his feet and races over to where Shin had been taken.

Barth follows him, keeping pace with Darren, both ahead of Sammy. “Why is the girl a problem?”

“I suspect her.” He responds.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“What is it with the gods and gates?” I ask nobody. Standing before Solution and I is the large golden gate Athena mentioned. Also like she said, this one is shining brightly, as if a giant golden light were shining from underneath it.

“Well, god of the sun, I suppose this would be his gate.” I say. Interesting, why do I know Apollo is the god of the sun? And now that I have dwelled on what I just said, I have no idea what it means.

“Aether, what are we doing here?” Solution asks. She has grown weaker since we started out. She is now only upright because I am holding her.

“I am not certain. I was sure that Apollo could help after Athena mentioned him, but now I do not know why I thought that.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“Worry not. All will be well.” I step forward and push the gate open. Inside is a room filled with golden light. It is so bright in here that I have to shut my eyes tight or risk blindness.

“I’m sorry, is it too much?” I hear a voice say.

“Yes, far too bright!” I yell. Suddenly the light goes down and before me I see a man dressed in patchy, golden armor. It is more than the Resistance wears, but still not a full suit. Composed of greaves, a breastplate, a battle kilt, and wrist guards, it look like only just enough to protect him. A sword hangs at his belt.

The man himself is tall, with hair the color of sunlight, orange at the roots, but going out into yellow. He is a good looking guy, I suppose; with blue eyes and a wide smile. But that smile fades when he sees Solution’s condition. Immediately he wraps his arms around her and picks her up. He goes over to the bed and lays her down on it.

“She get in a fight with Ares?” he asks.

“Yes, she thought it would be a good learning opportunity.”

“Did you try to stop her?”

“I did.”

“Persistently?”

“Not as much as I should have, it seems. What are you doing?” I shriek the last words as I watch him take off her armor.

“Removing her clothes.”

“Why would you do that?” I turn away so as to avoid seeing her naked…out of respect.

Apollo laughs, “Relax, it’s just so that I can see the extent of her injuries.” He smiles as he returns to his work, but then it drops when he sees the damage. “Oh, this is worse than I thought it would be. This will take a bit of work.”

“What can I do?”

“To help me? Other than shutting up, not much.”

Apollo goes over to a shelf and picks up a needle and a spool of thread from a bottle full of some liquid. Effortlessly, he threads the needle and is about to start when I yelp.

“What is it?” He says curtly.

“I just thought that a needle is supposed to be sterilized before stitching.”

“That was a sterilization fluid that this stuff was in. Now can I start?”

“I think you may want to clean her wounds first.”

Apollo gives me a look I cannot identify. “I am the god of medicine.” He says, “I think I know what I’m doing.”

“I understand; I just want her to be alright.”

“Fair enough.” Apollo says, starting his stitching, “In that case, shut up and, in fact, leave the room.”

“Do what?”

Apollo pauses, and then turns to me. “You’re being distracting, get out.”

I stand in place for a few moments, before deciding to do as he says. When I stand on the other side of the gate, I find the woman in the brown cloak waiting for me.

“Are you concerned about her?” She asks in greeting. Her voice is soothing, and her pretty face gives me a sense of ease. I cannot see her hair under the hood, but her eyes are a warm brown color. She stands just below me, and a well proportioned body is hardly hidden by her cloak.

“Very much, in fact.” I answer.

“I can tell.” She stands a bit closer to me, making me uncomfortable. “The worry in your eyes is evident. It’s kind of…fascinating.”

“How so?” I ask.

“I shouldn’t have to say, but I knew you before. You were always so cold and distant. Your emotions were non-existent. It made me worry about you. But now you wear your heart on your sleeve. I’m just relieved to see it.”

“Forgive me but, who are you?”

“Oh, my condolences.” She says, bowing a little, a small strand of coffee colored hair falls in her face from under the hood, but she does not seem to care. “You may call me Hestia, goddess of the hearth.”

“Pleased to meet you, I am sure.” I reply. Though she is still standing too close for my comfort. “What is it you wanted, exactly?”

“Not much.” She answers. “Just a reassurance.”

“Of what?”

“Doesn’t matter, I’ve gotten it already.”

I am about to inquire about that statement when Ares steals my attention by calling for me. I turn back to Hestia, but she has vanished.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

In the sixth street of the Fox-Hole is a building called Dispensary. Darren runs into it and immediately goes for the third room of the first floor.

On the plain, white bed Shin is laid. Both of his hands are bandaged and more cloth wraps around his head, revealing only his eyes and burned lips. Ana stands above him protectively, holding a wet cloth to his face.

“Hi Darren.” She says quietly, putting her head down.

“How is he?” Barth asks.

“He can’t talk anymore. His hands won’t heal all the way. But he’s gonna live.”

“Good.” Darren says.

“What happened?” She asks.

“Haven’t you been told?” Darren asks.

“Nuh-uh.”

“Oh it was terrible.” Barth takes over. “He was sharpening his knives and the stone just freaked out on him. That’s how he got cut. He stumbled over to the forge in pain and the fire caught his bear…” he looks at the girl, the pained expression on her face causes even the god of darkness pause. “S-suffice it to say the forge caused the burns.”

Ana looks down at Shin with compassion. “I hope he’ll feel okay when he wakes up.”

Barth and Darren share a look before Barth reaches for Shin, gently resting his hand on the man’s arm.

At this Shin opens his eyes and upon seeing Barth, they widen and he starts thrashing around violently.

“Calm down, Shin!” Ana yells. Shin stops moving and fixes his eyes on Barth. The fear and anger in them is evident. With Ana looking away, Barth raises a finger to his lips and shushes his victim.

“He needs rest.” Ana says. “Could you guys…?”

Darren almost responds, but Barth cuts him off, “Certainly. Give him my condolences when he wakes, yes?”

“Okay.” Ana says.

As Barth and Darren leave the Dispensary, Darren fixes him with an inquisitive look. “What the hell was that?”

“What a sweet girl.” Barth comments, ignoring Darren. “Cute, too.”

“Father.” Darren says.

Barth raises his eyes to the ceiling high above. “What I wouldn’t give to make that face smile.”

“Erebus.” Darren commands his attention.

“What is it?” He replies curtly.

Darren sighs, “I was informed by Lucas that she has strong feelings of affection for Aether. Even now they consume her.”

“Shame.” Barth says. “In that case, perhaps something wicked is in order.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what we did to Shin, and how much it will impact Aether. I don’t think one man will be enough. I think we should repeat the action to more members, and drive Aether insane with the body count.”

“Is it so wise to hurt my people?” Darren asks.

“This is war, child.” Barth answers, “Casualties are necessary. As leader, you should understand.”

Darren looks down at his boots as he walks, fearful for what may come.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

I look around, unsure of where Ares is calling me from. A tap on my shoulder startles me, and I whirl around to see a young girl jump back, as if startled herself. 

She is young, though I cannot guess her age. She could be anywhere from ten to fifteen, I really cannot tell. “Young” is the only word that comes to mind. Her hair is a bright green color, as are her eyes. A white dress covers her small frame, and on her feet are ancient style sandals. She only reaches up to my sternum; and looks up at me with widened eyes.

“I’m Hebe.” She says, “Big brother sent me to get you.”

“Big brother?” I repeat.

“Ares.”

“For what?” I ask.

“He wanted to talk to you about something. I didn’t ask what.” She turns away from me, grabbing my hand as she does so. “Come with me.”

She leads me through the city, toward what from the outside looks very similar to the palace, only with more pillars holding up a larger ceiling. On the inside of the temple is an open space with a large box in the center of it.

The walls are lined floor to ceiling with weapons I cannot even begin to describe. The metal is polished and the wood smoothed to perfection. I try to identify the weapons I am seeing before me, but only a select few register. I go closer to the wall and a certain device catches my eye.

A small orb of intricately carved metal sits atop a shelf delicately. I reach up to grab it, but Hebe stops me.

“Let’s go.” She says, “We shouldn’t keep big brother waiting.”

“Alright.” I say. Hebe leads me past the walls of weapons, to the box in the center of the room. It is enormous, towering several feet above me. On our side is a door, which Hebe pushes open and leads me through.

“You, my dear,” Ares calls out before I even see him, “Have once again drawn an excellent bath!”

The floor is lined with red tiles, and draperies cover the walls. Carved into the exact center of the room is an enormous bathtub, more like a small pool really, in which Ares sits. His arms and chest are bare, revealing his musculature. I cannot tell whether or not he is naked, for a cloud of steam permeates the room and makes my vision blurry.

“Welcome Aether.” Ares says. He exchanges his happy expression for one of remorse. “Look, I wanted to apologize for hurting Solution. I tend to get carried away. So I’m sorry.”

“You could have killed her.” I say, my voice surprisingly even.

“Apollo is tending to her wounds, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then she’ll be fine. I have complete faith in his skills.”

I sigh, “As do I.”

“Come on.” Ares says, “Join me.”

“I would rather not.”

The smile nearly drops from Ares’ face. “You look like you need to relax. Go ahead. I won’t do anything to you.”

I look to Hebe, who nods in encouragement. I remove the shirt Zeus had given me, as well as my boots. My pants, however, I decide to leave on.

Slowly I step into the bath opposite Ares. The heat and scented oils in the water quickly relax my jumbled mind, and for a moment, things seem clearer.

“Wonderful, isn’t it?” Ares asks. I can only nod, “Hebe, dear.”

The girl moves closer to him, and he pulls her down and whispers something in her ear. She looks back at him and nods before leaving the room.

“What did you tell her?” I ask.

“‘Bring refreshments’.” He answers.

After a short moment Hebe returns carrying two glasses and a pitcher made of bronze. She fills the glasses with a purple-red liquid, and hands one to me, and then the other to Ares.

“Thank you, dear.” Ares says, he pulls the girl close to his face again and tenderly kisses her lips.

I am unsure how exactly I feel about what he just did, the only thing I can think is “unpleasant”.

Hebe leaves the room with a smile on her face, clutching the pitcher tightly. Ares turns to me and sips his glass as he does.

“Goddess of youth.” He says, “She’s drawn my baths for centuries.”

“She seems like a sweet girl.” I say.

“Yeah, she is. Cute too.” He takes another sip, and then gestures for me to do the same.

I bring the glass to my lips and am about to drink when a pungent smell like sour fruit fills my nostrils. I lower the glass quickly and look to Ares, who repeats his gesture for me to drink. Ignoring the smell, I sip the ‘refreshment’ and immediately turn my head and look for something to spit it out into.

Ares shakes his head. “Ride it out.”

Though I do not want to, I force myself to swallow the bitter liquid and shudder as a burning sensation sickens my throat and stomach. I smack my lips, the terrible taste of the drink still on my tongue.

“Well, wine isn’t for everyone.” Ares says. He gulps down the rest of his drink and all but tosses the glass behind him. It clatters to the floor but surprisingly does not break. Ares then leans back and a look of sorrow comes over his face.

“They tore down my statue in the Fox-Hole.” He informs me as I place my glass behind me.

“They did?” I ask, surprised.

He nods, “I’ve been disgraced. They’ll pay for this.”

“What do you intend?”

He laughs without humor, “That’s the b***h of it. With Erebus’ power being so strong there, I can’t do a thing.”

Ares seems to age about twenty years before my eyes. He retains his muscular form, but his brown hair turns grey and wrinkles appear in his face. I look into his eyes and see years of pain and torment.

“I’m tired.” He says. “We all talk about being gods as if it’s nothing but grandeur and paradise. But it’s…lonely. It’s lonely and sad and the pressure that being a god puts on you is like nothing that can be imagined.”

“The mortals worship you and look to you for help and guidance.”

“That’s the problem.” He slumps down, sinking deeper into the water. He lays his head back and rests it on the edge of the tub behind him.  As he does I feel thankful that the tub is large enough that he is not close enough to touch me. “We have to be gods. Powerful beings to be respectfully feared. I’m the god of war. Warfare is a basic human instinct. You people…no, sorry…they have an innate desire to destroy each other. They’re filthy savages who fight to protect what isn’t worth protecting. I’ve been a part of each side of every war fought in the whole of human history. I’ve been a foot soldier and a general. I’ve led fleets and troops, more often to their deaths than to victory. I’ve fallen under the command of tyrants and fools who answer to tyrants and fools. All across the world I exist. Nergal, Agurzil, Maher, Bandua, Mixcoatl, Belatucadros, Neit, Chi You, Anhur, Laran, Ku,”

Passion flares in his fiery eyes, as if whatever blaze he is staring at is growing in power, “Mangala, Bishamonten, Belus, Svetovid, ‘Oro, Tyr, Rhesheph, Mars! All of them me! All of them belonging to all different peoples, many of whom prayed to me to kill each other! That stress, and that pressure…” He sinks down again and grows quiet.

“I…” I am unsure of what to say. I had thought Ares a bloodthirsty fool, but if what he has said is true…“Humans do love to fight.”

Ares bellows out a bitter and humorless bout of laughter that sounds more like crying, “You’re damn right about that. Those…people down there. They love me as they scorn me. In the past, ever since America started, wars have been cropping up between people more than ever. Three global conflicts, dozens of civil and secret and cold wars all across the Earth. We gods can exist in multiple places at once, but I was never spread so thin as the world called me to be in those three hundred years.”

“I would have thought that the god of war…”

“You thought that I loved to fight. You thought I would get behind any group that decided to go at it. I do enjoy a struggle, I’ll be honest. But chaos for the sake of chaos sickens me. So many of the wars fought, especially in recent times, have been pointless struggles between people who weren’t even involved with each other. Thousands and even millions have died because the rich suffered petty trifles and had the means to settle it with the blood of the poor.” He levels his eyes at me, the fire in them dulling until I realize that his irises are in fact an orange color. “I will honor those who fight for just causes, and they earn my blessing. But those who do not…they can burn in Hell.”

“What of my cause?” I ask.

He looks at me as if the question were foolish, “Erebus is much of the reason I was spread so thin. You want the world rid of him, so you can be damn sure you have my support.”

“Is that why you called me here?”

He nods, “I wanted to level with you.”

Hebe returns to the room then, “Apollo wanted me to tell Aether that he’s finished his work.”

“Thank you, Hebe.” I say. I stand and look at Ares, who had returned to his younger form when Hebe arrived, “Ares, thank you for bearing so much in your lifetime. On behalf of the world, thank you.”

He looks surprised, but then smiles and nods at me.

When I leave the temple my pants dry themselves, now feeling cleaner than they had before.

“Thank you for talking to him.” Hebe says, “I heard the conversation. He really needed to let it out to someone besides me.”

“I could sense his pain.”

“He’s lived for thousands of years doing nothing but killing mortals. He’s tired. He won’t say it, but these past few years have been a blessing to him. It’s the first break he’s gotten since he was born.”

By then we reach Apollo’s chambers and Hebe turns to me and grabs my hands.

“Thank you, Aether.” She says. I smile at her and she gets up to the tip of her toes to plant a kiss on my cheek. As she goes skipping away I face Apollo’s gate before stepping back inside.

Solution is still laid on the bed, now completely free of blood. She is covered in stitched up gashes, the worst one of them on her cheek. A towel covers her chest, soaked in blood. Apollo, however, is looking at a spot on her belly.

“How is she?” I ask.

“She’ll be asleep for a while, and she shouldn’t do much moving until then. But after that, she’ll be good as new.”

“What about the stitches?” I ask.

“They’ll dissolve as the wounds heal. Only the one on her cheek will scar. But that isn’t what I’m looking at.” He points to a spot on her belly, and I look to see what it is.

Through the scars, I realize that her stomach is well toned, but Apollo directs my gaze to a strange spot around her belly button. In the shape of a starburst, is a mark colored white.

“Know anything about this?” He asks. “I can sense your power in it.”

Shock comes over me, but I have no answer. “I cannot tell you.” I say.

“Fine.” He says, as though he does not believe me. “Anyway I’m done here.”

He wraps Solution up in a white robe and with a flash of light she vanishes.

“What just happened?” I shout.

“Calm down, she’s in bed in your chamber. Again I recommend she rests for a while. It’ll take a good amount of time for the wounds to heal, so no extraneous activity.”

“I cannot begin to thank you, Apollo. How could I repay you?”

“What? I didn’t help you, I helped her.”

“She may have died without your help. I could not live without her.”

“Alright, if you feel that way about it. I suppose there is one thing you could do for me.”

“Name it.”

Apollo gets a wistful look. “Tell me about Ana.”

“What?”

“The nature of the gods is to have minimal interaction with their mortal children, if any at all. We still wish to be their parents, but we are forbidden. However, we can still watch their progress as we get the opportunity, watching over them in little ways. Whatever we can spare. Unfortunately, The Resistance is blocked from even my sight. You know Ana, don’t you?”

“Yes. I understand. How do I begin?”

“I do not even know what she looks like.”

“Well, then. She is completely adorable. She has shoulder-length pink hair and big red eyes. Even her voice is cute, somehow. When she smiles, you just want to hold her.”

Apollo is smiling himself. “Go on, please, what’s she like?”

“Well, while her appearance is cute enough, her behavior makes her even more so. She is extremely energetic, so much that she bounces when she walks, and when she is sitting down. She is very kind, unless you call her cute. I did that, and she broke my nose.”

“She broke your nose because you said she was cute?”

“Yes, she had the most adorable pout afterwards.”

“What else can you tell me about her?”

“As your daughter, she is skilled in medicine, second best out of all the Resistance members. I got an idea of who she might be, so I took her to the Great Hall and gave her a bow and quiver of arrows. Every target was hit in the bulls-eye. That was without any training at all. It was incredible to see.”

“Thank you Aether. You do not know what it’s like to never be able to see your children.”

“And thank you for helping Solution.”

I am about to walk out, but Apollo grabs my arm. “Now I’ve got another question for you.” He says.

“What is it?” I ask.

“What is it you’re doing here?”

“I do not understand.”

“What is it you’re doing with Solution and Ana?”

Oh, that. “Honestly Apollo. I do not know. But I cannot dwell on it too much, not until Erebus is defeated.”

Apollo grips my arm harder, hurting me. “If you hurt my daughter, I swear you will feel pain like no other!”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Author's Note

As always, let me know what you thought. This chapter has gone through a lot revision throughout the past few weeks, and I had a lot fun fixing it up.

Reviews

[Nonnye]

Hi, This is an excellent chapter. I found myself caught up in the story. Only a couple of bumps in the first reading. "Condolences" was used twice and in its first use a it felt off. (I noted it but did not note the line. as I said I was too busy enjoying the story)
Good work on this.

[Xavier Lee]

Thank you so much. Little grammar errors like repeated and misused words are things I'm trying really hard to catch and fix. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you'll continue reading and reviewing as I post.

[Nonnye]

Never in question. Just let me know when you do.

[Xavier Lee]

Certainly.