This was written for my friend as a Christmas/New Year's present. So Merry Christmas! This will probably be around 5 chapters, and the setting is in Greece, in the time where people believed in the Greek gods. Enjoy!
Blaine stopped, taking a moment to prepare himself. He stared down at the steps that led away from the dirt road in the middle of the desert. It crossed his mind to wonder why the god of love would ever want a home in such a remote location, but he pushed the thought aside and decided to just go with it.
He began to take a step forward, but stopped again. What should he say? How should he address the deity dwelling in the cave below? Suddenly Blaine lost his balance as the ground rumbled, signaling that he had waited long enough. Taking a deep breath, he descended the stone steps, his shoes making quiet thumps as he disappeared from view.
The steps led down to a dirt wall, which parted in a rippling motion to let him pass. When he stepped through, he heard the wall reform again behind him, removing all of the sunlight from the underground cave. He continued forward down a long tunnel made of sand and dirt, lit only by candles hung on the walls every few feet. At the end of the tunnel it turned to the side, leading Blaine into a large cave-like room. His eyes widened as they took in the pink lava lamps scattered around the room; three large love seats, also pink; and the incredibly soft looking white rug and red walls, until his eyes fell on the reason he was here. Seated in the center of the room, in a red leather arm chair, was none other than the Greek god himself. He had short, curly brown hair that matched Blaine's and that accented his childish features, which looked a little wrong on the body of a man. They were not, however, surprising given how this god's Roman counterpart was Cupid himself.
The god gave Blaine a reprimanding look, causing Blaine to curse himself, before bending over and bowing. When he straightened back up, he nodded, and spoke, "Eros."
Eros' face cracked a small smile, his old eyed warming. "Hello, son." His smile broke into a grin as he stood from the chair, holding his arms open, waiting for an embrace. Surprised at this, but not willing to disobey a god's will, the demigod crossed the room in a few quick strides, and met his father's hug. Blaine's eyes widened before he closed them tight, hugging back just as tightly as Eros was hugging him; this was something new to him. He has been brought up by a foster father who had loathed his very existence, owing to the fact that Blaine was his wife's child with another man, not to mention the fact that he preferred male suitors to those women his father kept bringing to meet him.
When they broke apart, Blaine almost didn't want it to end, but he stepped back anyway. Blaine looked at Eros, waiting for him to speak, watching as the god seemed to be picking his words. Eros sat back down in his armchair, his eyes looking Blaine up and down. "You've grown so much." Blaine's eyes found his feet, not trusting himself to speak. When was the last time Eros had seen him? Because he didn't remember ever meeting the god.
"I have been keeping an eye on you, son. Making sure you'd grow into the man I wanted you to be." Blaine's eyes shot back up to meet his father's in confusion. He couldn't imagine that he was what anyone, especially a god wanted for a son. But before he could question, Eros spoke again. "I needed to make sure you possessed certain traits necessary for being the hero you were born to be. Strength, determination, courage, and a strong, loving heart below a tough exterior. Also, a good amount of trickery, lightheartedness, and desire," Eros winked, "which are specific to being a son of mine."
Blaine pursed his lips while listening, still not completely convinced he was what Eros wanted him to be. When Eros finished speaking, he voiced his question. "I still don't understand; why did you call me here now?"
Eros' features noticeably darkened. He sighed, and gestured for Blaine to sit on the love seat closest to him. "I needed you." Blaine's face softened, as he felt his stomach do a little leap. His father needed him. "I'm in danger. There is a group of minor gods, growing larger every second, who believe that they deserve more than they are given. They wish to overthrow Olympus, and create a world where they're the new rulers. And to start, they're going to try and get rid of the eldest gods first."
Blaine had been taught that Eros was one of the first gods created, the fourth, to be exact. "How are they going to do that?"
Eros shifted in his chair. "I'm can't be completely sure, but my sources tell me that they're going to gather an army of monsters, as well as an army of all the conspiring gods, and attack us individually. And they're most likely coming for me in a week from today."
"What's your plan of defense?" Blaine asked, extremely curious as to where he came into that.
"Well, I'm going to go and try and convince the gods not in the scheme to help me. There's going to be a battle, and though I have a feeling it won't be the first or last, it is necessary that we come out victorious." Eros eyed Blaine once more, before continuing. "I have given my children each a job, to help prepare. Yours, however, is unique."
Blaine raised his eyebrow as Eros continued. "Are you familiar with the Norse gods?"
Blaine stared for a few seconds, not convinced he had heard correctly. "Norse gods?" He asked tentatively. Eros nodded. "But I thought there were only Greek gods.."
"Just think," Eros started. "If there can be one sect of gods, can't there be more? The Norse gods have existed alongside the Greeks, but there also exists a mutual agreement to avoid crossing paths. They have their kingdom while we have ours. However.." A smirk started to form on his face, revealing a mischievous looking side to the god. "Sometimes there are exceptions.
"Like now, for instance, although the current situation is far more dire than games and tricks. There is an old friend of mine, a Norse god, whose name is Loki. There was a time when we got along." He leaned toward Blaine, putting his hand on the side of his mouth like he was sharing a secret. "We had the best parties, lots of ladies. They don't call me the god of love for nothing!" He laughed, a hearty chuckle, and Blaine couldn't help but smile, even if it was one usually worn by someone in the presence of someone going mad.
Eros coughed. "Anyway, things got bad for him, he was a trickster that one. The other gods became increasingly angry with him, until one day he put them over the edge."
"What did he do?" Blaine asked, but Eros looked at him as though he was annoyed that he had interrupted his story. "Sorry," Blaine said, reluctantly.
"That's not important. Anyway, the gods bound him in chains, and he remains there, unable to escape. I do not know the composition of the bonds, or any other factors that keep him there, because the cave where he dwells is deep in Scandinavia, the Norse domain, a place where I cannot travel in fear of starting a war. But it is said that he creates earthquakes from his pain, so one can only imagine.." The god's eyes drifted off into space, until he shook his head, waking himself out of it. "I need you to find him and free him."
Though Blaine saw this coming, it didn't lessen the enormity of the task ahead. "How?"
Eros smiled sadly. "See, that's the thing about quests, isn't it? We wouldn't send our kids if we knew exactly how to do it ourselves. However, you won't be completely on your own. I'll give you a map, with your destination on it, and a pack of things you might need."
Blaine nodded, but the something else worrisome crossed his mind. "If he was in chains, didn't the gods put him there for a reason?"
"They did. But I need him for my plans."
"Which are?"
"To link the power of the Greek and Norse gods. We're going to need all the help we can get."
"And freeing their prisoner is the way to do that?" Silence fell as tension filled the room. Did he just question a god? Blaine met eyes with his father, who had apparently decided to let this one go.
"I believe that Loki will be a great help to us in the fight against our enemies." His tone made it clear that this was not something to be questioned. "I need you to free him, and I need your quest to start tonight."
"Okay." It was clear Blaine didn't have a choice. Although, if he did, he still would have chosen to go on the quest; it wasn't like he had anything else to live for. "Why do you need me for this, instead of your other children?"
"Well, I am a god," Eros began. "And being a god gives me certain abilities, ways of knowing things. Whether you choose to believe it or not, I chose you because this quest will help you find yourself, something I know you are desperate for."
Blaine bit his lip, his eyes finding the carpet. Suddenly, Eros jumped up. "But no one ever got anything done sitting down! Get a move on!" He winked. "Your things are by the door. If you aren't back here in a week's time, I'll assume you've failed—Oh, that sounded dark. My apologies. Just make sure you're back." He patted Blaine on the back, ushering him out of the room. "Make me proud!" He said, before pushing Blaine down the candlelit hallway once again.
"Oh, I've forgot one thing!" Eros called. Blaine turned around. "When you free Loki, tell him I want him to bring you back here; it'll be much quicker that way, and you might not make it in time otherwise. Good luck!" He waved his arm, and Blaine had just enough time to reach down and grab the red backpack by the entrance before a wind carried him through the dirt wall and into the desert once more.
Blaine rubbed his eyes, waking himself from his sleep on the forest floor in a tent Eros had given him. It had been a day. One day since Blaine had talked to Eros. One less day before he had to get back. Blaine had survived the first day on his first quest, with the most exciting thing that happened being catching a rabbit for his dinner. He supposed he should be grateful, but it was kind of disappointing. Especially when this was the quest where he was supposed to find himself, whatever that meant. He just seriously hoped he could do this, and not let down his father, or any of the other gods in danger.
The demigod stood, stretching his arms above his head before collapsing his tent and placing it back in the pack with the rest of his things he had received from Eros. The pack was filled with the usual survival necessities, such as a water bottle, tent, blankets, small packets of food, a knife, and other hunting equipment. His favorite by far was the intricately carved bow and arrows; they were Eros' weapon of choice. The arrows were all different colors, seemingly containing different powers, and Blaine couldn't wait to try them all out. That is, as long as he didn't blow himself up.
He slung his bag onto his back, and started walking. According to his map, there was a lake ahead, just over a hill, where he would be able to get fresh water, and could follow alongside for a while.
Blaine trudged up to the lake, dropping his backpack down on the edge of the grass. He crouched at the water's edge, where it made a little beach, bending over to cup water in his palms. He drank some, before taking another handful to splash on his face. He let the cool water wash over his features, closing his eyes to relax. He opened them again, planning on grabbing another palm-full, when he stopped dead.
He had to rub his eyes to make sure the quest wasn't already causing him to hallucinate, because… woah. That definitely was not there before. Blaine used the term "that," because the thing lounging on the large rock in the middle of the lake was most definitely not human. It was far too beautiful to be the same species as anyone Blaine had ever met before, besides maybe a god. He stared, his eyes taking in the pale-white skin of its beautiful, naked body, so familiar yet so new. The creature's light brown hair was perfect, but doing anything but taking away from its handsome, almost elfin features, and blue eyes that reflected the water below.
Blaine gasped, realizing he had forgotten to breathe. The creature smiled at him, not showing his teeth, and raised an arm, gesturing with his finger that he wanted the demigod to come closer. Blaine stood slowly, his genes inherited from the god of love overpowering the little voice in the back of his head telling him no, he had a quest to complete. How could he turn away from this?
The creature dropped into the water, gesturing once more that Blaine should join him. Blaine's breath caught as his feet felt the cool water of the lake, moving almost of their own accord, taking Blaine with them. He moved almost in a trance until the water was up to his waist, then shoulders, and finally until he was treading water. The creature only looked at him with those beautiful eyes, still smiling, still drawing Blaine in with barely any effort.
When Blaine was just a foot away, he felt his head start spinning, as he decided that even if the creature wasn't human, it was close enough. When it reached out its hand, Blaine took it without the slightest hesitation. He was, therefor, just a little too late realizing that in less than a second the creature had pulled him under water with its now strong, cold webbed hands, that it had bared its long, pointed teeth, and that it was most definitely not human, not even close. He was just a little too late realizing, as his lungs burned as they filled with water, that this creature was a kelpie, and was pulling him to his death at the bottom of a deep lake.
Dun dun dunnn. :)
I apologize if any of the information is wrong, either due to my research being wrong or having to change things to fit the story. Also, as a disclaimer: I own nothing except the story.