My ears rang with the silent call. A call only the gods can hear. But could I really consider myself a god? After all, I had no real job; all I did was make a mess of people's lives…
I sat up and looked around me. It was a lovely night, with still lovelier possibilities than I ever could imagine. Or ever could. My eyes darted around the campground, and I saw Kaj tied to a tree. Of course, after his fifth attempt of murder when I came back, Cyrus and Zenia had teamed together to tie him up. Then my eyes traveled lower- to Cyrus who had fallen asleep watching Kaj last night. He was so beautiful, lying there with a blond lock covering one eye; his robe had opened to reveal one sun-bronzed shoulder. I smiled and began to stand. A blanket fell off of me and I realized how cold they must be.
As a god, I can stand much stronger colds than a human can. It's rather nice. But feeling the lack of warmth in the air, I picked up the blanket to give to Cyrus. I had not gone a foot before I tripped over another body. I stood up slowly, and turned to see a shivering Zenia.
I sighed and took one more longing look back at Cyrus before wrapping Zenia in the blanket.
She immediately stopped shivering and turned over, her features peaceful in sleep. I never realized how much she kept her guard up until just then as I looked down at her soft features. Perhaps there was something more bothering her.
Again, Hermes sounded the call, pulling me out of my musings. I had to get back to Olympus, or I'd have one unhappy family on my hands. Mainly my Aunt/step mother. Don't you give me those disgusted looks! She's really a good woman, just prone to jealousy!
Anyway, I made it to Olympus before Hermes' sounded the fifth call, thank goodness, but that didn't stop him from sounding it- right in my ear.
"Hermes! You idiot!" I cried grabbing the trumpet. "I'm right here!" He snagged it back with a scowl.
"You're not the only one late, Athena!" He said before raising it to his lips again. I quickly moved out of the way and covered my ears.
Someone tugged my sleeve.
"Athena?" I looked into the face of my lovely half-sister, Artemis.
"Hi, Art, what's going on?" I said to Artemis.
"Well, Daddy's disappeared, and the privileged creatures are driving us all wild!" the teenager said, giving me a friendly hug. "And I met this fantastic guy!"
Artemis began telling me about this guy named Orion, I'm sure you've heard the legend, who was a fantastic hunter. I had no taste for hunting, but I listened anyway.
We took our places at the table, and Hera sat at the head. In the chair where her absent husband should have been seated. She gave me a curt nod, then turned back to the gods that were already seated. Aphrodite and Ares were the only ones missing, and Hephaestus looked worried. When he saw me, he gave me a slight grin, then turned back to the others.
I frowned as the tenth call was sounded. Slowly, I walked out the door, grabbed Hermes and dragged him in. With an indignant sigh, he sat on Hera's left side.
The hall fell silent for a second, all of us looked around expectantly. Finally, Hera stood. "Welcome, fellows, I guess we all know why we're here." Her hands lay on the table gracefully, and I envied her for a second for her poise. But I knew better, she was shaking inside, just like I would have if I were the one up there. "Those labeled by the humans as monsters are turning against us, breaking the treaty!" I nearly jumped from my seat. "And now! Zeus has disappeared! Does anybody know what's going on?" I looked around the room for a second, and then stood.
"I do! I have been victim of these attacks also!" The gods at the table laughed at me- the lazy, chaos-causing daughter of Zeus being attacked! Say it ain't so!
My brows pinched together in disgust. "They weren't attacking me for anything I did! Oh no, my father, and one of my brothers were listed. But not me. Can one of you tell me why?" My eyes went immediately to Apollo, and he just stared back. "As for father disappearing, I'm pretty sure it has something to do with what happened to a young specter." They all rolled their eyes at me. Specters were born killers, after all. "Don't laugh at me!"
"If," Said a cold voice behind me, "you don't want to be laughed at Athena, take responsibility. Do something with your life. We all know those little attacks on mortals are really just rebellion. All you want is attention." I spun around to see Ares, the virile god of war.
"Hah! As if. You, the god of war, wreak chaos and mess people's lives up every day! Who are you to call me irresponsible?"
"He's right, Athena." Said a soft, sultry voice behind him. "You are irresponsible. After all, Ares is just doing his job. What are you doing Athena?" I glared at the voluptuous goddess and love then turned towards the other gods. But they were all nodding in agreement.
"I don't have to take this. You muddle through it on your own." I said and started towards the door, purposefully ramming Ares in the shoulder as I passed.
Despite my behavior, I was close to tears. I guess I'd spent to long in my self-pity, now no one trusted me. Not that I care- they were all pompous jerks anyways.
No one tried to stop me when I left, nor did anyone particularly care. I wasn't part of their little family, I was my own support, my own love, my own person, and I didn't need them behind me. So why'd it hurt so much?
When I got back, the sun was just barely poking its head over the horizon. Apparently, the meeting hadn't gone on much longer after I left since Apollo was starting his daily trip across the sky. Sighing, I started the fire going again and untied Kaj. He slumped down, his eyes still closed, but he was stirring. I put a pot of hot water over the fire to boil. I was going to make breakfast all by myself, I needed to, to prove I wasn't dependent on others for my happiness.
After a while, Zenia sat up and sniffed the air. "Is something burning?"
"Wood." She glanced over at me, then at the blanket.
"How long have you been awake?" She asked, folding up the blanket.
"Long enough." I said curtly, feeling anti-social. Zenia saw right through it.
"What happened?" She sat beside me as I stirred the quickly thickening liquid.
"I just had a run in with the family. Apparently, I'm a juvenile delinquent who refuses to take responsibility for anyone or anything." I stabbed angrily at the bottom of the pot.
Zenia hugged me lightly, and sympathetically. "Hey, I know how it feels. You should see my family. They practically forced me on this mission."
"Mission? Ruining my life was a mission?" Zenia nodded.
"I'm part of a specter clan. There aren't many, but those that are still out there are very strict when it comes to old traditions. I'm actually already engaged." I looked at her sharply. She laughed brokenly. "I've yet to meet him, since he lives in another clan. But I'm set to merry him on my eighteenth birthday."
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer. "Hey, it's okay. After all, my father married his sister. I'm just glad I'm not her daughter, can you imagine what a jealous mess I'd be?" Zenia sniffled and nodded.
"Yeah, and at least it wasn't set for my fourteenth birthday." She stood up straight looking around.
I looked also, thinking something was wrong. "What is it?"
"I need something to blow my nose!" I laughed as she dashed to a tree with particularly large leaves and pulled one off.
In front of me, Kaj stirred, and then opened his eyes. "Where am I?" He asked, looking around the clearing. Then his eyes settled on me.
"You!" He shouted, and made to lunge.
"Oh, stop it." I said, irritably. "You don't want to get into a fight with me this morning." He blinked, and then looked up at the sniffling Zenia.
"What'd you do?" He said angrily.
"Nothing." Zenia said before sitting by me again. " She just let me lament all my sorrows." I nodded and turned to look at Cyrus. He was struggling to wake up, who could sleep through all this commotion anyway?
"Morning sleepy head." I whispered, and he opened those chocolate eyes of his and looked straight into my eyes.
"Minerva, you're a nice sight to wake up to. Are those specters still here?" I glanced back at them, then at him.
"Yep, and wide awake." I said before returning to the campfire. He groaned behind me, and I knew it was from exasperation rather than pain. Though I should take a look at that nasty gash on his chest.
"Zenia? Could you watch the food? I need to look at Cyrus's wound." Cyrus sat up and stared at me before comprehension dawned.
"Oh! Do you still have bandages?" I nodded and pulled them from my pack. "Now sit back, it probably opened during all that excitement yesterday." He nodded and pulled off his shirt. Behind me, Zenia sighed appreciatively. Who could blame her? All that bronze, rippling skin, and full muscular pectorals…
What was I saying? He was just a man! I sat down before him and began to take off the bloody bandage and salve his wound. We sat in silence, and my mind found other distractions…like his masculine scent, and the way his muscles rippled every time he moved…
I sighed, and looked up at him. To my surprise, he was looking down at me with the same heated gaze. Blushing, I turned my gaze to his hands. Strong hands calloused from long days of work at sea. They were lovely hands. Reluctantly, I went back to the task at hand, putting on the bandage and scrambling away as fast as I could. "There, all done." I said, still blushing.
"Thanks." He said, avoiding my gaze. "Listen, Minerva-"
"Hey! Are you guys done or what? Zenia refuses to serve me breakfast until you join us!" The moment was gone. What was he going to say? I'd never know now…
"Well! Come on! We don't have all day!" Cyrus groaned.
"Who let the monster loose?" He muttered, and I laughed, my previous troubles far from my mind.
Sigh I'm so lazy...anyway! Welcome to chapter...uh? What chapter is this? It's been so long...
Anyway, I actually edited! Have fun.