There are many adjectives that can be used to describe a prison: safe and rigid, stunning and frightening, intentionally repressive, extremely offensive or poisonous, among other words, but I never thought I would add home to this list. Because I have a heart, I have already served seventeen years, eleven months and seventeen days in prison, with still fourteen days more left to comply, and I never wished more to break free.
If your home is a prison, should you try to escape it?
My mother always told me that this place, a beautiful mansion above the clouds and right next to Olympus, surrounded by green pastures and pink skies, was not a prison. But the guards who guarded every corner of the propriety in perpetuity wouldn't let me step outside. It's true that I was pleased to have so many magnificent things to feast my eyes on, well... with the exception of the guards.
They were the most disgusting creatures one could find in and out of Olympus. I don't think even on Earth there were such disgusting things. However, my parents would never make a terrible mistake in designating centaurs or any other horrendous creatures generated from the wrath of Zeus, whose judgments they considered, at the very least, misguided, as my guards. That was part of the reason behind my mother's thoughts of trying to protect me.
Being the daughter of the goddess of love and not being able to love seemed like the worst of punishments for a long time, but I soon concluded that as my mother's successor on Olympus, and a reasonably powerful goddess, I shouldn't commit such madness. Now I thought I was incapable of being cursed, for if the decision to fall in love was mine, it could not be a condemnation, and if I was immune to the cause of my condemnation, there was no longer any reason to remain imprisoned.
The guards shifted their positions and the clatter of their armor echoed even in my room. The portrait next to me framing the black waves of my hair and my undoubtedly irresistible purple eyes tilted a few inches, but I soon put it back in place so it was symmetrical again.
"They are never able to express your true beauty, but I would still fall in love with you." I sighed and crept upstairs.
The view from the terrace was perfect. One could even see the structure of Olympus if he strained his eyes, for it used to be confused with the whiteness of the clouds at times. A blond-haired, bronze-skinned boy led the guard squad from the main gate. That was the only time of day my brother was busy enough for an attack to go unnoticed.
As if he usually could sense my presence, and most of the time he did, one of the side effects of having a brother who is also a god, Heros nodded and winked. I slid my body against the terrace frame towards the floor, even though I knew it was too late.
"If you weren't immune to my powers..." I murmur.
I ran down the stairs straight to the kitchen, needing to create a distraction for my plan to work. I messed up the drawers, throwing a lot of utensils on the floor that someone would have to clean up later. And better late than never, I finally found what I was looking for: a lighter. Love is a flame that burns.
I flipped it up and caught it in the air in one smooth, synchronized motion. There was an exit in the back of the kitchen that was perfectly located. Outside, you could see the stable in the distance. Beautiful black and white horses galloped, and among them all, a mare with a stunning fur, with a mane so silky it almost made me envious; neighed.
My long dress swirled around me, the long openings making room for my legs as the trees raced in my peripheral vision before I jumped onto Preciosa's back, which stood out in the red of the twilight. I reached to open the stable door for the other horses to run, ecstatical at the mere thought of freedom.
The ground shook slightly with the weight of hundreds of hooves. After all, we were above the clouds. Despair and chaos reigned, and my smile must have resembled my father's after winning a war. The guards shouted orders to try to control the chaos. There was no way they could leave the daughter of Aphrodite, one of the most powerful goddesses on Olympus, the synthesis between love and hate, in danger.
As soon as all the horses were out of the stable, I lit the lighter and dropped it to the floor. The fire started slowly, mostly orange, but then spread into red and blue, consuming everything in its path. I recoiled from the heat, Preciosa neighed and the guards howled.
They weren't stupid. They couldn't be stupid. Aphrodite chose them from among the greatest warriors and the ugliest monsters on Olympus to keep her daughter safe and sound, and unable to fall in love. If my heart skipped a beat before I was eighteen, it would forever be controlled by whoever managed to achieve that feat.
One of the centaurs approached. The imposing armor and the rhythmic trot gave him an aura of superiority that almost annoyed me. The pupils in his dark eyes didn't grow when he saw me, the muscles in his face didn't twitch, and his heartbeat didn't speed up, all thanks to the stone that hung around his neck, which glowed even brighter with my presence.
"Is everything alright, Mastera?" he asked, his eyes almost uninterested.
"Terribly well, Tyon."
Tyon galloped away looking for the invader. Who was it that my brother had complained about the other day? I looked through the pack for the weakest among them, but all I saw were disinterested looks and pulsating icicles. However, it didn't take long for my eyes to find him, in a not very favorable place, too close to Heros, who had his arms crossed against his chest, but it was him: a skinny little guy with so much hair and long, disgusting scary nails.
I got as close as I could to the main gate, trying to go unnoticed amidst the chaos, which was a little difficult, since I was the biggest treasure of that place. I got off Preciosa and patted her on the ass so she could run away from the main gate without me. She should be able to at least attract a few guards.
The bushes that adorned the entrance to the main gate scratched my arms and itched my legs, but I struggled through them, certain that I would reach the poor boy who was already doomed to be kicked off guard, and now, he certainly would be. Heros took two steps towards the stable when someone shouted that I was gone, but my brother wasn't worried, he was merely curious.
I took advantage of the sudden distraction to pull the boy into the bushes. He was so thin I could barely feel his muscles under my touch, if there was any. I was quick to cover his mouth with my hands, but his small eyes widened in sheer terror.
"Shiuu...Shiiuuu... It's okay." I whispered in his ear, like a light melody. "I'm going to let go of your mouth, okay?"
He shook his head, and I took the opportunity to pull the necklace along with my hands in one agile movement.
"Excellent!" I exclaimed as he watched me, sprawled, fiddling with the pretty necklace. I hung it around my neck as a prize. Not the best, but still an award.
"Mastera... I..."
I smiled when I realized that there was nothing, not even a small part of him, that attracted me, and that every inch of my body overwhelmed his in a fierce attraction.
"You do not need to say anything. You don't really need to even try, my dear."
My words had a strong effect on his frame, his heart thumped as if it might jump out, and his mind shut down giving full freedom of his body to me. So weak that I admire my brother not kicking him out sooner. I think he felt sorry.
With a body as hairy as an animal's and as soft as a child's, there weren't many opportunities for him out there. I watched him for a moment longer, touched his flushed face, feeling more fur than skin, and dropped my hand. Whatever he did, or his parents, made him carry that burden his entire life.
I jumped excitedly in front of him again and his caramel eyes followed my movements, as if I were the source of his body's energy. I didn't need to bark words for him to obey my commands, the work was mental. I sometimes moved and jumped around just for fun.
He followed me like a shadow as he watched the almost unguarded gate. But I didn't pay much attention, something was bothering the boy next to me.
"What is your name?" I asked.
"Atyres."
"Nice name, Atyres."
He lifted the corners of his mouth in a fatal smile and I turned my attention to what was important. The gate... the gate and a steel-armored guard running all over his body. The chill of his suit material couldn't naturally be transmitted to me, but I couldn't help but feel a shiver run through the entire extremity of my body.
The armor was perfectly constructed, seemingly impenetrable. Strong and robust to the naked eye. And there was no one who could make such good armor as Hephaestus. In a mix of dread and rage, I sent Atyros to the center of the gate. I made him draw his sword and slam it into the space between the stranger's helmet and breastplate.
I watched in surprise as the sword's steel warped on impact and Atyros checked to see if his own wrist was still intact. I made him bend down and throw a handful of dirt into his opponent's eyes, a low blow, but one that couldn't be judged at that moment. The stranger shook his iron head, but he didn't sway, nor did he attack.
I made Atyros run away, but then turn around, and accelerate towards the stranger, hitting him with the hooves of his feet in an amplified way. The stranger swayed and fell. I always knew that faun hooves were powerful. I made Atyros' hands force the twisted sword against the stranger's neck.
At this point anxiety took hold of me, and I ran from the shield of the bushes to the scrambling brawl. I dropped to the ground behind the stranger, braced my feet on his shoulders and used all my strength to pull the helmet off. A mortal certainly wouldn't, but I managed to reveal the stranger's face.
I stifled a grunt when I saw that he resembled me, but that deep, immense scars cut both sides of his face. His black hair spread across the floor in light curls, and his eyes looked like an abyss from which it was impossible to escape.
"Who are you?" I asked, helmet in hand.
"He's our new recruit, little sister." I heard Heros' footsteps approaching, and turned to face his golden eyes.
"But he… is a man, he is not a monster."
"Yes, it turns out that there are rumors of an invasion in Oratat to kidnap you. We had to take measures that were previously unacceptable, yet we made some adjustments."
I touched my own face, tracing the path where the scars marked the stranger.
"What is your name?" I insisted.
"No introductions, Mastera." Heros snatched the helmet from my hand, not realizing I'd let the grip on Atyros slip from my grasp, and the sword, which still pinned the stranger to the ground, would sank deeper against the exposed skin.
When I heard the grunt of pain, I quickly regained control and pulled him away from the stranger. But a new cut adorned his body, like a second necklace around his neck. I bent down beside him, my dress blending into the messy dirt, and touched his hot skin from effort.
"No, Mastera!" my brother yelled, but I ignored him, closing my eyes to absorb the pain in the stranger's poor body.
A few moments later, his neck returned to its previous state, the skin returned to velvet under my touch, without a scar. But there was something different about that guard, his eyes were chasing me relentlessly, as if they wanted to suck me in.
"The game is over. Guard, return to your position." Heros' voice reminded me of Zeus's for a moment, strong and ominous as thunder. I pulled away and snuggled close to my brother because maybe I wasn't as good at hiding my feelings as I thought.
I watched the stranger who now had a face put on his helmet again and walk towards the main gate, back to his position.
"Mastera, aren't you tired?" Heros complained.
"Of what?"
"From creating unnecessary fuss, you're already quite grown up."
"I can't help having the parents I have, and for the same reason, we shouldn't fear any invasion. There is nothing and no one that could take my heart."
"There's little less than a fortnight to go."
"Fourteen days to go in captivity, and it feels like an eternity. So I need to test the guards whenever I can. You said that there are rumors, so they have to be prepared."
"It's better to feel sharp pain for a short time than to endure it for a lifetime. Soon you will be freer than the birds in the sky."
"Will I?" I asked. "When I look at the history of Olympus, I see more prisoners than freedmen."
"Don't go to Olympus, then."
"This is something to think about for the future, for now I neeed to fill my day somehow, and this is what I found. Don't act surprised, Heros, you already knew."
"I knew, but now things have changed, if the threat wasn't serious, your mother wouldn't be worried, and neither would Ares."
"I am not."
"Good, but do me a favor, find another way to fill your remaining days." I crossed my arms. "I thought you used to do that with tournaments, but it sounds like you're being careless. I should be getting the arrangements ready for tomorrow, after all, it's visiting day."
My hands gripped the air in excitement.
"How could I forget that?! I screamed and jumped to hug Heros who tangled his hands in my hair. "Thanks, there really is a lot to be done. I guarantee I'll behave myself tomorrow."
I put the mess I'd created behind me and strode toward my house. Visiting days always make me happy, for I see the elder gods of Olympus, my parents, my other brothers, and most importantly, I organize the Tournament of the Damned, in which doomed monsters have the opportunity to redeem themselves, and in which I train my powers.