Category: Greek Mythology
Rating: M
Couples: Athena/Thanatos, Ares/OC, Apollo/OC
Warnings: AU, Blood (read: war), hints of Lemon
Chapter: 7
Copyright: Characters & places © By Whoever owns Greek Mythology, Plot & OC´s © by me
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When Ares woke it was in a cold sweat. The thin sheet clung to his body, his sweat having very nearly drenched it completely. He was suffering from nightmares for days on end now. Normally he reveled in bloodshed, but not the kind that plagued his sleep and disturbed his night.
He rose from the rumbled bed, making his way to the adjacent room. There, cast in silver on a great table, was a detailed map of the entire Mediterranean. Holding his head with the other, he stretched his hand over it, watching as the pawns moved across the land and sea. When they matched what he had seen in his nightmare, he retracted his hand, studying the set-up.
"This makes no sense." He muttered, moving his blood-red eyes from one pawn to the next. "This is not war, this is madness. This makes no sense."
He tapped the pawn that was the army of Athens, which was at Sparta, with one hand and used the other to tap the pawn that represented the Athenian Navy. It was far in the West, seemingly raiding a city located there. He repeated the gesture for every Mortal Power and came to the same result every time. This made no sense. Armies fought in one place and the Navies were located somewhere completely unrelated. Allies turned against one another while sworn enemies seemed to ally themselves.
He snarled, storming back into his room to dress. Days ago he had fallen into this strange routine: wake up, reflect on dreams, declare them madness, go to the Fates. Every time they had waved him off, stating that those dreams were merely a reflection of his nature. After all, was he not the God of Bloodshed? Was it not in his nature to cause senseless death on the battlefield?
But not this time, and if he had to beat the answer out of them, he would have answers this time.
As he left his temple he encountered Athena, walking down the streets. Her two handmaidens flanked her.
"Good morning, brother." She greeted him.
"Sister, Eirene." He smiled briefly at them, before turning to the young woman closest to him. "Andronicia, as enchanting as ever."
He had taken a liking – well, more an arrow of his errant son, but he would not reveal that to Athena, she'd murder him – to the young handmaiden of his sister.
"My Lord." She blushed and curtsied. "You honor me."
There was a flash of something unreadable in Athena's eyes for a moment, before she seemed to mentally shake herself.
"So, brother, where are you off to in such turmoil?" She asked while Andronicia stepped back respectfully.
"My sleep is troubled. I fear evil lies ahead for the mortals." Ares briefly told her about his dream. From the corner of his eye he saw Andronicia and her sister grow wide-eyed at what he was telling.
"It seems to me, one or both of us will be angered by something." Athena said after a short silence. "Who else could spur the Mortals into such actions? Such war?"
"I realized that much, but I fear what could cause that." Ares gestured down the street. "I must talk to the Fates. Excuse me from breakfast should I not make it."
"Off course." Athena watched him disappear into thin air.
"Mother." Eirene hissed softly, stepping closer. "I need to talk to you."
Athena glanced at her and nodded. She led them away from the main street, to where her own temple stood. Once inside again she turned to her daughters.
"It was not only a War-god in rage in those dreams, was it?" Andronicia had realized what had upset her sister so. "Eirene too is raging there, isn't she?"
"Most likely." The older Goddess admitted. "Otherwise you would have stopped or at the very least contained the … bloodshed."
"Great Gods above…" Eirene was shocked. "What… How could I… do something like that?"
"I cannot say." Athena looked up through one of the windows. "Ares no doubt will have answers once he returns."
"Answers to what?" A male voice asked, coming from the shadows. Neither of the Twins jumped anymore upon hearing it, they had become used to their father appearing in such a way.
"I'll tell you on the way to breakfast, beloved." Athena reached for him. "How was the night?"
"Calm." He took her hand in his, bending to kiss her soft cheek briefly. "Few died."
"You should have visited me then." She admonished him, smiling warmly.
"Not that calm." He chuckled, before growing serious again. "You need to talk to your father. The amount of mortals dying at night these days is too high. I'm beginning to believe someone wants to keep me away from you at night."
"Well, that rules out Ares." Athena sighed. "And includes even my father."
"Well, subtly remind him that if it doesn't stop, I just might do something rash." Thanatos flared his wings briefly.
"Thanatos!" His wife exclaimed.
"Their opinion of me is poor as it is, so I see no point in trying to salvage it." He neatly tucked them in again, his feathers as dark as the deepest Shadows of his father. The long robes Athena had made for him contrasted nicely with his pale skin.
"They will see sense." The Goddess of War whispered.
"When?" The God of Death demanded. "You have been saying that for decades, Athena. Even for Gods, that is a long time. Sooner or later enough is enough. I can only take so much."
"I know." She turned away, her voice falling to a whisper as his rose to near screaming. Their daughters watched helplessly as their parents slowly but surely began to break under the pressure of Olympian hate and animosity.
"It will be mother." Eirene whispered to Andronicia, so soft that even the Gods could not hear it. "She will be the one to snap and cause that bloodshed."
"Was there ever any question about that?" Her sister answered in kind, looking sadly upon the couple in front of them.
