Series: Changes in Time
Sequel: Takes place about 300 years after "The Return of War"
A/N: So, instead of doing my homework for my mythology class...I'm writing this. :sigh: My
teacher is going to wonder why my homework contradicts greek myths on Tuesday.
They had sensed the moment of his conception.
The one with the power to bring about the Twilight of the Gods would be born in nine months.
They debated telling anyone. Oh, they knew that Aphrodite knew...she nearly destroyed the Tapestry in her anger. They also knew that she told Ares and Eris, but they didn't expect those two to try anything. Ares was more worried about keeping Strife from Zeus's attention, well aware that anyone of War was free game for Zeus, including the children.
Eris spent her time distracting Zeus, taunting him and making sure that he never noticed as Strife ran rampant around Olympus, sticking close to the temples of War and Love. They knew that the two War gods never worried about Strife when he was in Asphodel. Hades adored the mischief godling and Strife had Celeste and Hecate wrapped around his fingers.
"Sisters dear," started Lachesis as she looked at the threads she weaved into the Tapestry. "Come look."
Atropos and Clotho looked at each other before shrugging and joining Lachesis at the Tapestry. A shimmering solid black thread had wound its way around the thread of the Harbinger. A shimmering, solid violet thread had joined, as had a shimmering, solid pink-rose thread. The Fates looked at each other, eyes wide with comprehension and dread.
Ares, Eris, and Aphrodite had taken the Harbinger under their protection.
"Sisters," started Atropos slowly. "This is not what was suppose to happen."
"Ares was not suppose to meet the Harbinger for years yet," said Clotho. "Eris was not suppose to meet him until adulthood as was Aphrodite."
"I believe sisters," said Lachesis, a smile on her face as she traced the white thread that was slowly turning blue. "That the God of War, Goddess of Discord, and Goddess of Love have decided to prevent the Twilight."
"Impossible," scoffed Atropos. "Nothing can prevent the Twilight! It is the only thing set in stone!"
"But even stone weathers sisters," said Clotho. "And we knew when Ares was born that things would be different. Look at his thread," She pointed at the solid, shimmering black thread. "Look at when he was born, and then look at him now. He has defied everything we set for him." She smiled. "He is truly ruler of his own destiny."
Atropos and Lachesis looked at each other, sighed, and nodded their agreement. Ares was not suppose to retrieve his godhood back 300 years ago. He wasn't suppose to have gotten it back until two weeks from now. They just hadn't counted on Aphrodite.
"Let's return to our jobs," said Atropos. "The mortals should not have to suffer for our ignorance."
"Let us hope that when he is born, Ares is not in a foul mood," muttered Lachesis as Atropos returned to her place, ending the lives of mortals in suffering and Clotho began weaving thread again, mortals being born once again.
--
"He's been conceived," said Aphrodite quietly to Eris as they watched Ares tear his way through his men. Another war started due to Zeus's stupidity and arrogance, another war that Ares had to fight simply to keep the mortal population from dying out.
"Nine months?" asked Eris as she pulled a dagger out of her boot and tossed it toward a soldier. It slammed into the soldier, being embedded to the hilt and the soldier fell, unable to finish his attack on Ares.
"Less," said Aphrodite as she formed a violently pink fireball and tossed it at another soldier intent on harming a child that had wandered onto the field. Love she may be, but no one attacked the power source of Strife...not when she was able to interfere at least. "Do you know why Cupid and Strife aren't talking to each other anymore?"
"I have no clue," said Eris as she slammed her fist into a wooden pole. It broke in half, slamming against a warlord and knocking him unconscious. "All I know is that one day those two were as thick as thieves and the next they're attacking like bitter enemies."
"I think Zeus did something but I can't find out what," growled Aphrodite as she stood and tripped a soldier. "Cupid usually tells me."
"As does Strife," growled Eris. "Wanna switch? I'll interrogate Cupid while you bug that idiot son of mine?"
"After this war is over," said Aphrodite, her eyes on two young soldiers. "I need to keep watch on two of these men. They're destined for each other."
"Point'em out," said Eris as she swept up the child Aphrodite had protected and settled her against her hip. She gaped, blue eyes wide with awe and fear before she wrapped her arms around Eris's neck and her legs around her waist.
"Him and him," said Aphrodite pointing out a young man, barely into adulthood with shaggy brown hair and frightened blue eyes, and another man, about 32 if Eris was right, with long black hair, cold green eyes, and one of Ares's personal warlords.
"One of Ares's personal warlords with a soldier on the other side?" asked Eris. "'Dite, you love making my life complicated."
"Kallias," said Aphrodite, amusement clear in her voice. "Is the son of Apollonaris and the destined lover of Warlord Anicetus."
"You are putting a man, whose name means "beauty" with a guy whose name means "unconquerable"," said Eris before she burst out laughing. "I have got to see this one played out."
"And now I know where Strife got all his mischief from," drawled Aphrodite amused.
"Ha, ha, ha," deadpanned Eris before she looked at the girl in her arms. "And what is your name?"
"Syntyche," said the girl softly.
"And how old are you?" asked Aphrodite with a soft, soothing smile as the three made their way over to Kallias, invisible to all.
"Eleven," said Syntyche softly.
"Where's your Mama?" wondered Eris as she grabbed the wrist of a soldier one handed and tossed him to the side, causing him to slam into another soldier who was about to defeat Kallias.
"Over there," said Syntyche softly, pointing to the dead body of a local villager woman. "Papa's over there." She pointed at Anicetus.
"Oh this cannot be coincidence," said Eris annoyed. Aphrodite just grinned and took Syntyche from Eris's arms and, dropping her invisibility, placed the eleven year old in the startled arms of Kallias.
"Your job, young one," started Aphrodite as Syntyche clutched at Kallias, startled. "Is to take this little one to her father."
"And he is who my lady?" asked Kallias, arms tightening around Syntyche protectively.
"Warlord Anicetus," said Eris as she dropped her invisibility, eyes mainly on the enraged Ares who was on the other side of the battlefield.
"Lady!" Kallias exclaimed, startled. "He'll kill me before I can explain!"
Syntyche, smart for her age, looked back and forth between Kallias and Aphrodite and cocked her head to one side. "Papa is suppose to meet him, isn't he?"
"Yes little one," smiled Aphrodite. "He is."
"Papa won't hurt you," said Syntyche to Kallias. "I won't let him."
"ARES!" bellowed Eris suddenly, startling everyone on the field and freezing the war in progress. Ares turned, eyes filled with bloodlust and he looked at her coldly.
"What?" growled Ares.
"Where's Strife?" asked Eris calmly, not at all perturbed by Ares's anger. "I need him for a job."
"And this couldn't have waited?" snarled Ares as he stalked up to her, Anicetus following with narrowed eyes. He had seen Kallias holding his daughter.
"Dingbat's boy got concieved," said Aphrodite. "We need Strife to watch over the mother so that we can take the boy when he's born in eight months."
"Fine," growled Ares. "STRIFE!!"
"What?" snarked Strife as he appeared in a explosion of black spiders. Tall, pale, and skinny, he looked like one of those goth people Eris had seen in the Mirrors of Time from the 21st century.
He probably models himself after them on purpose, scoffed Eris as she reached out and backhanded Strife upside his head.
"Ma!" protested Strife rubbing at his hair. "Don't do dat!"
"Then explain to me why you and Cupid are suddenly mortal enemies?" hissed Eris.
"None of yer business," said Strife.
"Hey!" interrupted Aphrodite. "This is fine and all, but Ares has a war to finish and we have a Harbinger to raise."
"Oh...he got born?" asked Strife.
"Not yet," said Ares. "Your job Strife is to watch over his mother and make sure nothing and no one harms her or him. You are then to alert us when the child is born, eight months from now."
"Fine," growled Strife before disappearing. He'll go bug the Fates on this boy's mother.
"Are we done now?" growled Ares. Eris and Aphrodite nodded and he transported away, the war pretty much on hold now. There were only about six or seven men left standing, three from each side plus Anicetus.
"Why do you have my daughter?" growled Anicetus. He had seen his daughter's mother fall earlier, trying to kill him the deceitful bitch. Syntyche had fled before Anicetus could get to her and now it looked as if Kallias had or was in the process of kidnapping her.
"He kept me safe Papa," said Syntyche as the two goddesses disappeared. Kallias blinked while Anicetus looked at him.
"Come with me then," said Anicetus before he took Syntyche and walked away. Kallias, unsure of what to do, followed.
Perhaps Anicetus could help him return to his family and rescue his brothers Joxer, Jett and Jayce? The triplets were barely three months old and Kallias didn't want to leave them behind with their drunkard of a father and their whore of a mother.
He didn't want to return home and find them dead due to neglect.
Sighing, Kallias followed Anicetus into his massive tent (which somehow survived the battle) and stopped on the threshold.
A choice was about to be made...he just knew it. Ignoring Anicetus's confused look, Kallias held himself just over the threshold. If he went into the tent, he knew his life would change...for better or worse...but if he left, his life would probably stay the same.
Battles or my brothers? wondered Kallias softly before strangling his fear and stepping into the tent. He would die before he allowed his parents to keep the triplets.