Title: Discord Among the Ranks
Author: Strausser
Spoilers: Hades arc
Timeline: Second Chances
Disclaimer: I own nada of Saint Seiya. Kurumada Masami-sensei owns them all
It was the sound of waves, of discord, of trouble being starting among the ranks. Ever since the Empress' not-so-proclamation regarding the Judges, the lowest of the ranking Spectres had puffed their chests and strutted their importance. It began with words, as all things did, but because they were men, it quickly escalated to actions. Zelos actually found it funny at first, but when it began to become an occurrence every ten minutes, he knew he needed to step in. It was not like Minos or Rhadamanthys could say a thing on their behalf.
There were over ten of them, grunts, as it were, who giggled and chortled every time one of them would stick a foot out, thus sending either Judge scrambling to the ground, many times scattering building material. Said Judge, for what it was worth, kept a tight lip and continued with his work, ignoring the laughter by way of their pride. They knew nothing could be done, the grunts knew nothing could be done, but Zelos could stand no longer the notion that if he did not step in soon, these waves would become tidal.
"That's enough!" he shouted to them, shocking them to silence and even grabbed the attention of the Judges. "Don't make waves you can't swim."
"Who are you to tell us what to do?" asked one of them, a foolish one.
Zelos rose to his full height of four-foot-seven (almost full – his bowed legs took off about an inch), and glared at the lot of them. "Who am I?" he asked back rhetorically. "I am your superior, that's who I am. You will stop impeding the construction or I will feed the lot of you to Pharaoh's pet."
Satisfaction bloomed when their eyes widened with fear. Nobody wanted to mess with Cerberus; none wanted to be eaten by him either. He thought the matter taken care of, until one of those foolish grunts stepped up to him, towering over him at six-foot-three. He showed no fear even as he was glared down at, for he knew that if a fight did break out, not only could he get away from the lummox, his Cosmos was unmatched.
"You can't do a thing to us," said the grunt. "Even the Empress herself has said that there will be no repercussions if they have a few accidents." He laughed, which was followed by laughter from his fellow grunts.
Zelos smiled as well, but his smile was not the happy kind. "While that may be true now, do you really believe that they will keep this status forever?"
At that, many of the grunts adopted looks of surprise. So they had not known that this was a temporary situation. Zelos widened his smile and continued. "They are and will be again the Judges of Hades. Do not think that your actions today will be so easily forgotten. What will you do then, when they get reinstated? I surely think you will run and bury your heads in the sand."
He could see the understanding dawn on their faces, even on the one that had just previously glared down at him. With reluctance, they shuffled off one-by-one, going back to the task at hand, which was to rebuild Hades' towns. The waves that had crashed so loudly were now as still as night. But even as the calm remained, he knew it would only be a matter of time before the grunts acted up again.
Satisfied for the moment, he dropped back down into his customary position to watch the others work. Something struck him in the back of the head, and when he turned toward it with anger, he saw Minos pulling a hand away.
"I could have handled that situation," said Minos in a tone that hinted frustration. "I do not need your help like I am some sort of damsel in distress." Before Zelos could respond, Minos walked away, leaving Zelos to wonder if that was not the Griffin's way of giving thanks.
Eyes turned to his opposite side to see Rhadamanthys standing, staring at nothing with a far-away expression. Zelos could not help but stare up at him, wondering if he too would spout words of admonishment.
"What do you think of a tropical island?" asked the Wyvern with eyes that remained focused beyond. "Crisp, blue ocean; Mai Tais on the beach; palm trees; pineapple pastries?"
"The ocean? Yuck. I hate the sound of waves."
Rhadamanthys' look became thoughtful.
Zelos chuckled. "What? Are you planning your honeymoon or something?"
Rhadamanthys turned golden eyes downward. His expression hardened as his eyes narrowed. "I was just asking." He glared for only a second longer before turning and walking away.
Zelos blinked in confusion, then quickly shook off the feeling before he thought too much about it. There was so much to do and so little time to do it. Though he did make a mental note to remind himself the next time he was forced to a tropical place, he would have to find out what exactly was a Mai Tai.
owari
06-03-2007