Know Thyself

Chapter One

He had always heard her. He could recognize voice no matter where she was, no matter what he was doing. He had known of her since she was a child, though until recently had never thought in his haven of Olympus that she would affect him as deeply as she did. It had only taken him her lifetime to see it. Never knew that a mortal would be so significant to him when all the others though needed to maintain his family were so small to him. He was Apollo, a god; he didn't prefer any mortal to another.

Or so he thought.

Now she stood before him, in Olympus bound by Hades as some proof to Zeus that he was more potent than anyone believed. At this moment, Apollo detested his uncle more than ever before. She stood ahead of his father, her arms bent behind her back, Hades' cold hands gripping hers to prevent her moving. One shoulder of her dress had been torn, baring her pale skin against the cool air of the chamber. Her long red hair that had once been plaited on her head was now loose around her shoulders, a tumble from the rough treatment she had clearly retrieved from Hades and his detestable beasts of the underworld. Although she was clearly frightened, she remained standing, her face lifted in as much defiance as she dared. She had been shocked to find herself captive of those she had never seen but was expected to obey and worship. Apollo felt himself grow angry as he felt her fear radiate off her, seemingly causing Hades to grow straighter by the moment with her near.

It was difficult for him to explain, especially to himself, why her predicament affected him so deeply. She had not been extraordinary at least not in godly terms; her family had been bakers and lived simply. Though as time had progressed, Apollo had seen her life change at the hands of other mortals and although he had felt the desire to help her bubble in his heart—his father had forbade it, citing that mortals needed to be independent and loved from afar. She had prayed solely to him after and oddly he had begun to feel something he had not felt before because of it. He had heard her, down amongst the others, defending her reasons for her exclusivity to him when those who had begun to lose faith questioned her.

"I pray to Apollo because he is the only god who has not failed me." She said with a quiet assuredness, her words ringing in his ears as though a thousand drums were being beaten against them. "When I pray for the sun to rise in the morning, it does and when I ask for rest in the evening it sets… I am as faithful to Apollo as he is to me."

It was then that Apollo's feelings, though impossible to share with her, had left him at odds. Dalliances with mortals, his own father's indiscretions legendary especially when he felt slighted, were legendary among the mortals. He was not innocent of said affairs, but this was innocent to him—he couldn't explain if asked why she was so special to him and why now he wanted nothing more than to rip Hades' head of his shoulders for even threatening to bruise her fair skin. He watched helplessly as Hades questioned her in front of Zeus about her distaste in praying to the gods, looking to his father and hoping to see something in the king of the gods' eyes that would show his temperate nature toward mankind. He was disappointed to see none of that now, Zeus' face was stone, his eyes cold. Apollo could understand his father's outrage even though he felt in his heart that destroying those who had lost faith was not the answer. Zeus despite all his faults had created mankind and had poured into them his love, with the expectation of that love being returned. Their defiance outraged Zeus especially, as though a child were rebuking its own parents, justified or not—The powerful king had taken it difficultly. He did not want to compromise as Apollo had suggested and now it appeared the mortals would soon be suffering the consequences of angering Zeus, starting with her.

Although Apollo would do as his father commanded, he was not willing to follow that command on this woman. Apollo's thoughts were interrupted as Hades pushed her forward until she was ahead of Zeus, the light that seemed to emanate from him causing her to blink against the flare of it.

"Behold brother," Hades growled, the rasp in his voice like a knife against stone—the god of the dead grabbed the woman's hair, yanking her head back sharply until her face was turned up toward the king of the gods. "One of your disciples who has lost faith, proclaiming her defiance to your rule! Look into her eyes and see the truth of her heart." The pale skinned god continued, harshly. Apollo tensed at Hades' words and treatment of the fire haired woman, but knew it would anger his father and despite his seeming frailty he knew Hades was still a dangerous foe. He would do her more harm than good if he were defeated now.

Zeus looked down upon the mortal before him, one of the many examples of mankind that had lost their faith as of late though hers did not seem as lost as Hades proclaimed.

"Why?" he asked simply, his voice low though the chamber resonated with the sound as though a thunderstorm through a canyon. The woman's body shivered at the sound despite the ferocity of her spirit. She was afraid but steadfast and did not answer immediately, which angered Hades into driving her already bent arms up further behind her back, until her shoulders were only inches from popping out of their sockets. The woman cried out as her joints strained to stay together, her eyes welling with tears. Against his better judgment, Apollo felt himself move forward to help her, only to find his father's wrathful glare upon him. He stopped short of stepping from his seat in the council but felt every sinew in his body tensing to snatch her away from his dark clothed uncle. Zeus turned his gaze back to the woman once more and repeated himself.

"Why?" the echo ending just as a small but clear voice replied.

"Why should I?" she said, her words eliciting murmurs from the other gods and goddesses surrounding her, in spite of the pain her words brought him, Apollo understood what had happened to make her feel the way she did. Hades leaned over her shoulder, his head turned so they were cheek to cheek. Cold flesh against her warmth, her skin blackening with his touch in the same way the cold brought frostbite. Apollo saw her chest rise and fall quickly as her she felt her flesh react to the death of her flesh. He hissed into her ear, loud enough for all to hear.

"Why? You insolent insect—because we are gods and you are the dirt beneath our feet—You owe us your very existence mortal, and even that is not enough." Hades' cold dead eyes almost alight with glee at the prospect of her pain. He was surprised, however, when she responded more fiercely than before.

"I. Owe. You. NOTHING!" she cried, "I have prayed and worshipped—I have sacrificed and been faithful and it has brought me nothing!" Zeus looked at her, his anger evident at her own outrage.

"You dare speak to your creator this way? I and mine have provided you with…" The young woman who began to struggle against her captor's grip, her skin blemishing where he touched, interrupted Zeus.

"You and yours have done nothing! I watched as my village was burnt to the ground—my parents were slaughtered before my eyes while the very men who had murdered them raped my younger sister." She cried out, her face contorting into one of utter hurt. Apollo felt shame as he saw her eyes, her struggle against Hades' grip.

"I prayed for your help then—I begged! I begged them to take me instead of her—anything to make them stop hurting my baby sister. And they laughed at me! Where was your love then?" she screamed, her whole body shaking in pain and anger and sadness. Her defiance had reason and Apollo grieved for her, even when in the past he would never have cared what happened to her. Hades rested his hands upon her shoulders, fingers gripping her shoulders causing the skin to split and blacken. He seemed to strengthen as her pain increased, though she was still willing to struggle.

"When I prayed, you were not there—you never answered and now you demand our obedience…" She wept, crying out as Hades pulled her hair again, yanking her head back further.

"Do you hear her brother? Her insolence? Do you see now, how necessary it is to it is to let me rain down upon them?" the king of the underworld pressed his brother. Zeus looked down upon the woman's tearful face. It would have pained him previously, to see one of his creations in this state, but he had become hardened over time. Hades let her fall back to the ground, her hands hitting the floor with a sickening thud. Apollo had seen enough and moved forward, Hades laughed at his nephew's show of strength.

"You may lord over the sun, boy, but you would be no match for death." He said with great assurance. Apollo gritted his teeth and proceeded regardless of Hades' threats.

"I'm willing to try." He said, though his words were nearly cut short as he was hit with a blast of power from Hades' hand. It was as though a boulder had been thrown straight at his head and although he was immortal, it caused him to stagger. He pushed forward, his desire to protect the woman now lying prone on the floor clear. He was hit again just as he reached her, stumbling and stopping himself before he landed on her. He felt his own skin split from where Hades' power had hit him. He threw his own power back, however it did little more than make him sway against it. The god of the dead was too old and too powerful even for the relatively young and strong, Apollo. Hades sneered at him again.

"Is this the best the sun god has to offer? I suppose we should all be grateful your weakness is being shown over nothing more than a mortal woman and not at a time of war." He said hatefully. He raised his hands again to send another assault toward his nephew, but Zeus slammed his hand against the arm of his throne drawing their attention from each other.

"Enough!" he bellowed, again echoing across the room. "There are enough troubles awaiting us below—we do not need to further them by fighting amongst each other." He said fiercely, looking at Hades until the god's hands lowered.

"Hades, you have my blessing to do as you will. Like children, they need to be reminded of the order of things. Set an example, brother. Turn them on each other and back into our arms." He said with finality. Hades bowed deeply, backing toward the chamber entrance until he disappeared. Apollo watched him as he disappeared in his smoke-filled fashion. His own strength was returning but slowly and if he angered anyone else, he would not heal so easily. He remained bent over the woman upon the floor in a protective stance. If anyone were interested in continuing Hades' plan, they would have to do so through him. He kept his head bowed, not making eye contact with his father, knowing he was certainly not his good grace at the moment.

"Stand my son." Zeus said more quietly than he had this entire time. Apollo did as instructed and stood, still taking a protective stance over the woman before them. Zeus looked at his son kindly; despite the disappointment he felt that his own child would be willing to fight his own uncle over the most insignificant of mortals.

"I know you have become fond of this woman…" He began, but Apollo shook his head.

"I would not stand for my uncle's maltreatment of any mortal before this council, Zeus." He said stubbornly. Zeus looked at him knowingly despite his protestations.

"I sense far more than passing care for a mortal, Apollo. I can see the heart of you and it tells me otherwise." He responded, his earlier resentments fading until the father Apollo knew was standing before him.

"Then you should know, father, that my feelings are very clear on this matter." He said tightly. Zeus nodded, though Apollo knew it was not because he had reconsidered, but rather he acknowledged his son would forever be in disagreement with him.

"Then I leave you with the chance to do as you will with this mortal—or is she so insignificant to you?" he asked, knowing full well Apollo would never leave this woman to suffer further. He had heard her prayers just as clearly Apollo had.

Apollo said nothing as he knelt beside the young woman again, gently slipping his hands under her and lifting her to him. He bowed his head to his father respectfully and left the stone council chamber, following the polished floors of Olympus and bringing her to what little safety he could offer.