My writing schedule is on my profile! Check there for when the next chapter comes out BEFORE asking in a review or a PM!

As always, Read, Review and check out my other stories!

Disclaimer: I do not own Campione!

"Godō" - Regular Speech

'My Everyday life…!' - Thoughts

"God Slayer!" - Heretic God/Powered Up Campione speech

"Fire!" - Magic/Authority Use

Beta'd By BigCC

Chapter 18: Heretical Clash: Hestia vs. Athena!

The Next Morning

Living Room, Jean's House, Righ Rubh'a

Dressed in jean shorts and a t-shirt saying 'Zombies eat brains! Don't worry, you're safe' on it, the Eighth Campione was reclines on the sofa, watching another comedy favourite of hers on the TV…Red Dwarf.

"Whoever they are, they clearly have technology way in advance of our own!"

"So does the Albanian State Washing Machine Company…"

Giggling at Lister's complaint/deadpan joke, Jean didn't notice Hestia come up beside her for a moment. Pausing the DVD, she looked up at her houseguest enquiringly. "Oh…Hestia. How can I help you?"

The Grecian Goddess of Hearth and Home blinked down at her, still dressed in the toga that she had worn since she had first manifested in her kitchen (and wasn't that an amusing thought?).

"Tell me, Campione…do you have no intentions of seducing my High Priestess?" Hestia asked curiously.

Jean jerked back at the question. "Considering she's heterosexual, no!"

"She is not." The Goddess denied. "Otherwise she would not have bound herself to you so absolutely and placing you in the same place that her husband should normally be in on her Hearth Stones."

"What?" Jean blinked.

"I choose my High Priestesses, Godslayer. I know those that are Hearth Witches better than they know themselves, because from the first moment that they forge their Hearths and dedicate them to me, I am a part of their most intimate spells and powers." The goddess stated. "More so with my High Priestess…at least before you cut my connection with her. She finds you attractive and would be honoured if you took her into your bed, but she is very shy and inexperienced in matters of the heart and bed. She is, in fact, still a maiden. Plus, she believes that as the High Priestess of a Maiden Goddess, she must remain chaste."

"Well the Vestal Virgins were a thing." The Scotch girl pointed out reasonably.

"I am Hestia, not Vesta." The words were simple, but filled with the implacable will of a Goddess. "Romans may have required that the priestesses of my counterpart's priesthood remain chaste, but I laid down no such restrictions with my own priesthood. I am the goddess of family, and the main way to grow a family is through intercourse."

"And the whole lesbian thing doesn't bother you?" Jean probed in bemusement.

"Child, back in Ancient Greece, it was not uncommon for men to lay with other men and women while still married." Hestia laughed. "Indeed, during the Dionysian Mysteries and the worship of Aphrodite Pandemos, women occasionally took comfort with one another in that way. I am not going to condem you for your choice in bed partners; the widespread worship of the Christian God and similar deities is what has brought up this silly worry about what gender one's bedpartners may be. Modern mortals are most bizarre."

"…you sure know a lot." Jean blinked in surprise.

"I am the Keeper of the Hearth; a portion of all sacrifices to the gods, whether in my name or not, goes to me." The Grecian Goddess stated. "I was aware of all that transpired in the mortal world because of this, at least in the Grecian Lands. As I was the Goddess of the State, I was literally worshiped in every hamlet, village, town and city in Greece, even Sparta."

"…people are stupid to underestimate you because you gave up your throne on Olympus." Jean said with mild awe, before suddenly snorting back a laugh. "'There is no greater foolishness than to equate kindness with weakness.' I suppose that stands true even when it comes to Gods."

"And that makes you smarter than a good deal of kings and queens throughout the ages." Hestia remarked dryly, surprising a laugh out of Jean. "In all seriousness, does what I have told you alter your stance any?"

"She has to say it." The Campione insisted stubbornly. "I trust what you have said, but if I were to seduce Rebecca with the knowledge you have given me and the ability to command her that I have, she would always have a kernel of doubt about if it really was her will that she was with me. I've seen relationships destroyed over far less and I am not willing to risk it with Rebecca."

The Goddess looked at Jean for a moment before nodding slowly. "A goodly argument. I would hasten, were I you; otherwise she may become convinced that there would be no point in trying to begin with."

"A Maiden Goddess who took an Oath of Chastity giving romantic advice?" Jean laughed. "I would have expected this of Aphrodite, not you, Hestia!"

"Sometimes, the best advice comes from someone who has distanced themselves from being engulfed in the problem." Hestia replied airily. "I shall now go and bother your concubine and my High Priestess to see how they are getting on with discovering a way around our problem."

With that, the goddess padded off, leaving Jean with a lot to think about. To say that she wasn't attracted to Rebecca Gardener would be a bare-faced lie; the nineteen-year-old Hearth Witch was a very attractive girl, physically, emotionally and mentally. Joan liked all three aspects of her. The only fly in the ointment was the fact that she was very much living up to the old English stereotype of being somewhat disinclined to talk about her emotions and about sexual matters. That had to do with how she was raised by a high-class family, Jean supposed.

The Scots girl was very much open and unafraid to talk about such matters, much to the embarrassment of her classmates back in high school. She cared nary a wit about people's opinions of her, except for those whom she allowed into her heart, which had never risen above a double-handful at the best of times. Towards the end of school, the number she cared for, after fallings out, moving and some leaving high school at sixteen and seventeen, had dwindled to her Great Aunt Ella, who had then died.

Now Jean had Rebecca, Princess Alice, Yue and even her adoptive-sister, Luo Hao (to a degree). She was also the next best thing to immortal as well. Having non-magic users as friends and lovers would be increasingly heart-breaking as the centuries went by, she was sure. Seeing them age, wither and die would not be pleasant, so the best thing to do was to fully involve herself in the world of magic.

It was this reason that made her wonder why her brother Godō wanted to be normal so much; eventually, he would be forced to see those around him who were magicless humans age and die, while he kept on living and existing. Jean now had a very good idea why the older generation of Campione chose to isolate themselves in castles and mountaintops and wandering from place-to-place and time-period to time period; the curse of the undying.

'I can't remember who, but someone once said that the three things that mankind want most and should never receive are unlimited wealth, unending life and unending youth.' The redhead mused.

All of them had different reasons why they shouldn't be obtained. Infinite wealth led to a lack of drive and a destruction of one's sense of monetary value. Infinite youth bred arrogance and complacency as ones abilities never degraded and they lost their desire to improve and improvise. The last one, unending life, led down a path of isolation. Why bother involving oneself with people who would wither and die inside a blink in eternity? Even most mages couldn't extend their lives by much, aside from the more powerful members among their group.

It made her feel sorrow for her siblings in the distant past, who had existed alone for many years, even up to two-hundred years, without having someone around who would not vanish in the passing of seventy years or so. It must be why the Devil Kings of old had fought one another so much; it was a crude way of maintaining contact with someone who would not simply die from the inexorable march of time.

Her thoughts were broken by a very excited looking Yue charging in, followed by an equally excited Rebecca and Hestia.

"I have it!" the Chinese girl declared. "A solution to the problem that Lady Hestia laid before us!"

"Already?" Jean raided an eyebrow in surprise. She had been expecting the research to last until December.

"Having the willing aid of the goddess in question regarding her spell is an invaluable aid, my Lady. As is having the raw power of a Campione's reserves available to assist, since it cuts through many restraints that a power requirement would put on our workings." Rebecca informed her with a grin. In her hands was the scroll that Hestia had created detailing her linking spell.

"So, what is the problem and what is the solution?" Jean sat up to pay full attention to the lecture she was about to get. The other girls (plus Goddess) sat on the sofa and other chair.

"The problem is that your three Christian Authorities from Joan of Arc, Davy Jones and Azazel, [Luminosité Eternelle], [The Curse of Davy Jones] and [Black Armoury], when combined with your natural resistance to magic as a Campione, block so-called 'pagan' magic from an exterior source." Rebecca explained. "In this case, I am counted as a part of you via my Oath of Loyalty, so the link between High Priestess and Goddess cannot be re-established."

"There is a workaround though." Yue picked the talk up there. "If the link came from an Authority or magic within you, you would essentially be acting as a signal tower or amplifier between Rebecca and Lady Hestia, bypassing both your natural magic resistance and the quelling effect of the Christian Authorities."

"But I don't have an Authority from Hestia." The Scottish Campione pointed out, before adding, "Nor do I wish to take one from her."

Yue shook her head. "It needn't be an actual Authority, My Lady. All our plan needs is a part of Lady Hestia's power to nest within you to act as a bridge between you and her. Then she can cast the spell that links her to Rebecca, resolving this entire problem."

"…Hestia?" Jean turned to the Goddess. "What is your opinion of this? And can you even detach parts of your power without being sundered by a Campione first?"

"To answer your queries in reverse order, yes I can." The Goddess of Hearth and Home answered. She looked thoughtful. "Recall that while my younger brother Poseidon had been damaged by a Campione prior to separating some of his Authorities, he was still whole and unharmed by the time he separated his Authorities from himself. All of those who rebel against their legends, the ones you refer to as Heretic Gods, can sunder themselves thusly. While not a Heretic Goddess myself, I can still gift power to those I choose. Call it the [Blessing of a Goddess], if you please."

"I don't think a Campione has ever been blessed by a deity aside from Lady Pandora." Rebecca said in shock. "Is it even possible?"

"With an ordinary human, or even a Mage or Witch, simply laying hands on them is enough to bestow it." Hestia answered. "In the case of a Campione, however…"

"…their immense magical resistance can even negate most of the power of an Authority." Yue finished with a scowl. "So how…?"

"Injected…?" Rebecca said suddenly. "Lady Hestia would have to inject her magic inside of Jean in order for it to have any sort of effect!"

"Inject how? It isn't like you can…" Yue trailed off in mid-sentence before blushing bright red. "Oh…yes you can."

Jean blinked in confusion for a moment before her eyes widened as she caught on to exactly where Rebecca was going with this. "You want Hestia and I…to kiss?!"

"It's the most effective way to go about it, Jean." The Hearth Witch pointed out sensibly and practically, a front that was sort of ruined by the blush that was covering her cheeks at the thought of her king and her patron goddess kissing. "Just about the only other way would be for Lady Hestia to imbue food with an Authority and have you eat it, and the amount of food necessary to hold any kind of Authority as a Grimoire would be a full-course banquet, which I highly doubt you could eat in one sitting."

The Campione of the Raging Tides made a face. "Urgh, thanks for that image, Rebecca."

"Would kissing me be so disagreeable?" Hestia pondered.

"No." Jean denied instantly. "You are an incredibly attractive woman and I would love to kiss you."

"Then whatever is the matter?" the Hearth Goddess frowned.

"Your vow of chastity." The redhead clarified. "I don't want to risk you breaking it when you aren't a Heretic God. For all we know, doing that may cause you to become a Heretic God."

Hestia laughed. "Hahahaha…oh, 'tis a goodly joke. No, my vow of chastity means that I cannot bed any man or woman. My kisses are not a part of it, have no fear on that front, Godslayer."

"Oh…" Jean blinked. "Then I suppose the only question is whether you're willing to allow yourself to be disempowered in order to have the connection forged?"

"That is a far more…troubling question." Hestia sighed. "The Divine Authorities of a God or Goddess are literally parts of us, crystallised into comparatively easy-to-use and personalised version for the Campione who defeats us. As they are a part of us, having them removed can…fracture…us. We can literally become different people. Even if we can split off parts of ourselves, we seldom do so because of that. In my case, I cannot remove my Authorities to do with [Hearth], [Home], [Family] or [Fire]. That leaves two of my major areas as possibilities: [Domesticity] and [The State]. I would wager that you would prefer an Authority that might be of some use, correct?"

"That…would be preferable." Jean nodded slowly. "But what of your minor Authorities, the ones that are attributed to you as a Goddess rather than your duties as one?"

"I am comparatively little known compared to the rest of the Olympian Council." The Hearth Goddess smiled sadly. "My legend is little known to most people in this modern world. Even those that do know of me seldom think of me as more than the last of Zeus' siblings that was spat out by Cronus. Well…I suppose that that could be an Authority in and of itself…"

Suddenly, all of the women froze as a wave of Divine power swept over them. It could only signify one thing…

"Another Heretic God?!" Rebecca exclaimed in dismay. "It's only been twelve days since the last one!"

"Rebecca, Yue, stay put." Jean ordered briskly. Clicking her fingers, she used a simple cantrip to summon her 'Campione Clothes' and briskly stripped off her old ones, showing off her lithe and fit body as she hurriedly pulled on her official clothes. "Whoever the Heretic God is, they're flaring their power to challenge me. Stay in here and raise as many barriers as you can via the Hearth."

Moving towards the door, she frowned when Hestia made to follow. "Lady Hestia, this is not your affair."

"My host is being challenged to a duel." The Hearth Goddess said mildly. "I also recognise this power. It is my niece, Athena."

Jean hissed. "The Grecian Goddess of War and Wisdom. Supposedly the creator of the Sarissa and the wielder of the Aegis in Zeus' stead. That Athena?"

"Originally she was the Winged Serpent Queen of the Gods, Metis." Rebecca put in. "Then the Olympian Gods, led by the god Zeus, took over the Greek religion and the Olympic Pantheon was born. Metis was reduced to being merely a goddess, her former self split into Athena and a monster, the Gorgon, which later became the epitome of the Winged Serpent, the Dragon. Birds of the underworld, the Owl, Womanly Wisdom and the Serpent; those three are the original trinity of Athena's power. She attacked King Kusanagi when he returned to Japan earlier this year and absorbed the Gorgoneion, a Grimoire containing the Gorgon's power. Now she is just as powerful as she was at the peak of her rule as Queen of the Gods."

"And my brother didn't kill her because why?" the Scottish Campione demanded icily. She remembered Susano'o, Pandora and the Princess with Glass Eyes warning her about Athena back in Nice.

"He defeated her and had her at his mercy…but let her go." Rebecca sighed, just as irritated as Jean was by the Seventh's decision. "His false pacifism only demanded that he defeat her rather than kill her. It has been that way for a while now, actually. Athena, Perseus/Mithra, Sun Wukong…almost every battle that the Lord Seventh has fought against Heretic Gods since being resurrected has not resulted in him gaining any Authorities. The only exception was his battle against the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, in which he gained the entirety of its Authorities as well as those of Verethragna."

"Rebecca…remind me to have words with my brother for that." Jean said tightly. "As to why? Nemo me impune lacessit!"

Swinging around, Jean strode out of the house, followed by Hestia. Yue looked at Rebecca in puzzlement.

"What did that mean? My translation magic for European languages isn't the best, aside from English."

"It's Latin, Yue." The Hearth Witch corrected her quietly. "I recognise it; Nemo me impune lacessit was the formal Latin motto of the Scottish Royal House of Stuart. Put basically, it means 'No one cuts me with impunity', but is better put as 'No one can harm me unpunished' in proper English."

"Oh…wait…" the Daoist Mage's eyes widened. "Put like that…our King is…!"

"Right…she is placing the blame for this attack squarely on King Kusanagi for allowing Athena to run free instead of killing her." Rebecca nodded grimly. "She will be holding him responsible for anything that has happened to the world and especially to her and us because of his mercy to Athena. I suspect that the meeting between Kung Kusanagi and Jean will not be a cordial one."

In Japan, a certain Seventh Campione had a chill run down his spine as he had a feeling that yet another female was angry at him for reasons he was not equipped to understand.

With Jean and Hestia

"She isn't exactly subtle, is she?" Jean remarked as she beheld the massive serpent that was coiled around her island. It was black as the abyss and the head hovered hissing at her from twice the height of her three-story house.

Standing atop the snake's head was a girl who looked to be in her late teens. Clad in a white toga with a blue sash cinched around her waist, with leather sandals on her feet and a wreath of turquoise leaves resting atop her long silver hair. An elaborate golden armband rested on the upper portion of one arm and in her hands, she carried a large black scythe, with the blade coming out of a large snake's mouth.

"Sadly, no." Hestia sighed, as if her niece's lack of subtlety pained her.

"Greetings, mine aunt." Athena said to Hestia. Jean was surprised that her voice did not throb with power like Hestia's did. "Verily, I would ask ye to stand aside as I deal with this Godslayer who threatens mine prey."

"I cannot do so, for you slaying her would mean the death of my High Priestess, Athena." The Hearth Goddess stated calmly, but firmly. "Pray tell, what prey does this youngling of a Campione threaten that has ye worried so?"

"'Tis the Seventh Campione, Godō Kusanagi." The Heretic Goddess declared. "He fought this Athena, spared this Athena and I claim him as my prey, my target to slay, not that of this Godslayer who bears the power of Poseidon!"

"I seek not his life, Athena." Jean stated firmly.

"Lies! Mine servants heard ye planning thine battle with the Godslayer of Japan!" the Goddess of War and Wisdom spat. With a wave of her hand, numerous owls appeared in the skies around Righ Rubh'a. "They heard ye speaking of it after the fall of the Maiden of [Steel], in Rouen!"

So sometime after she had defeated Joan of Arc and the Brotherhood. Lovely. She and Rebecca had spoken some of possible countermeasures to the [Ten Incarnations] of Verethragna, aside from [The Golden Sword], at that point, so without the correct context, it would seem as if she were aiming to kill him. However…

"You know who lies asleep in Japan, Athena." Jean said sternly. "The King Who Manifests at the World's End will rip Godō Kusanagi to ribbons if he remains as he is currently. My Divine Mother Pandora has ordered me to beat sense into him. I will not slay him or those he cares for."

Athena blinked down at the redhead before throwing her head back and laughing. Then she smirked down at Jean with a superior expression on her face. "So the Ever-giving Woman seeks to shield her children for being slaughtered yet again, does she? Thine quest is not without merit, but I hath stolen and sealed the blade of the King in a location I shalt not reveal to thee. Without it, the Divine Ancestor Guinevere cannot awaken the slumbering Devil King Slayer, even with the aid of the Holy Grail she possesses."

"Holy Grail?" Jean blinked.

"An object of true power that allows her to sacrifice Goddesses of the [Earth] to empower the slumbering King, and Gods of [Steel] to empower the Divine Sword of Salvation." The Goddess of Wisdom replied. "Verily, had I attacked too soon or too late, this Goddess Athena may well have been a victim of the Grail herself."

"I see." Jean considered this before shaking her head. "Going by what you just said, even without his blade, Guinevere is capable of resurrecting the King with the Holy Grail. Even without the Grail being used, he will likely awaken on his own be it weeks, months, years or centuries from now. Godō must be taught his duties as a Campione so that when it happens, he will be able to hold his own against the King Who Manifests at the World's End. I will not turn my path from that, Athena. If you can do it, please go ahead."

A sour expression crossed Athena's face at that. "Nay, I shall not permit it."

"Niece, verily, you grow tiresome." Hestia drawled as she conjured a ball of cheerful fire with one hand. "The Godslayer has stated that she seeks not the life of your prey. That should be more than enough to put thine mind at ease. Why dost thou persist with thine intransience?"

A small blush passed over the Heretic Goddess' face and was snuffed out quickly, but both Jean and Hestia spotted it.

"Please don't tell me that my brother Godō has even managed to charm the Maiden Goddess of War and Wisdom." Jean almost begged as she facepalmed somewhat desperately. Miko, Hime-Miko, Great Knights, Supreme Witches and now a Heretic Goddess. Just how wide was her brother's strike zone?!

Over in Japan, Godō once again felt like someone was saying things about him that he disagreed with.

"I believe the last time was with Odysseus, was it not, Niece?" Hestia smirked in amusement, making Athena blush again.

"Silence!" she shouted and sent the owls surrounding the house straight at Jean and Hestia.

"Impatient as always." Hestia sighed and flared her Divinity to create a shield that stopped the flying missiles cold. "Unlike you, I am here as a true and complete Goddess, Athena. As powerful as you may be with your Serpent returned to you once more, I am just as strong."

With a shout, Athena leapt from the head of her Serpent and widened her eyes, unleashing the power of the Gorgon at her aunt. As she did so, the massive snake constricted itself around the shield that covered the island and attempted to squeeze it.

"Oh Golden Trident, come forth and serve your Master, in the name of the Storm!" Jean chanted, making the Storm Trident appear in her hands.

"That abominable power!" Athena shouted, even as she maintained her gaze on the Divine barrier, slowly forcing it into the form of breakable stone. "Even as one who rebels against her legend, I cannot abide the power of that man!"

The redhead groaned to herself. The infamous rivalry between Poseidon and Athena was a legend unto itself. The competition between them over who would become the patron of the city of Athens, the time Poseidon had been caught in Athena's temple with Medusa, the Trojan War…just about the only legends of when they weren't butting heads, that Jean could recall, were when they combined their specialties of technology and horses to create the Chariot and one, vague, myth of Athena being born the daughter of Poseidon. Also perhaps the one about Triton being her foster father.

"I am not Poseidon! I just defeated him!" she shouted at the angry Goddess. "Stop treating me as if we're the same person! I'm a woman, dammit!"

Saying so, Jean raised her trident and fired several blasts of lightning at Athena, who shifted her scythe into a large shield engraved with a terribly ugly face.

"The Aegis…!" the Scottish Campione hissed as her blasts bounced off it like peas off of plastic. "Marked with the Gorgoneion!"

"This shield withstood the might of Godō Kusanagi's [White Stallion] Authority, wench." Athena smirked as she returned the shield into its scythe form. "It shall take more than that to break through it."

"Then I shall aid her." Hestia said coolly. Raising the fireball in her hand, she unleashed a powerful stream of hot flames at Athena's Serpent's head, setting it on fire and making the beast reel away, unfurling itself from the island and crushing the bridge in the process.

Taking the distraction of Athena and her beast as a chance, Jean thrust her weapon into the sky, where dark clouds were already forming, in answer to her Authority. "Gods of the Four Winds, bow to my power! Brother Zeus, ready thine Lightning! By my decree, the sea must be cleansed of my foes! Lightning strike and thunder roar! Skies darken and waves rise, it is the time of my enemy's demise!"

A bolt of lightning arced down from the sky and struck the Storm trident, blinding those who were watching with a flash of light. When they could see again, Jean Campbell stood hovering atop a scorched area of grass, the metal bracers of [Stormbreaker] on her arms and an aura of yellow lightning surrounding her. For the second time in a month, black clouds boiled across the sky unnaturally, covering Kerrera, Oban and quite a swathe of the surrounding area in a storm front.

"Now then, Athena." The Eighth Campione said firmly. "I will put you down. Hard."

In a small flash of lightning, she vanished, reappearing behind the Wisdom Goddess and lashing out with a lightning-infused punch that Athena was hard put to block.

"Such speed!" the Wisdom Goddess grunted as she fought off the Godslayer's attack with a shield of Divinity.

"In this storm, I am virtually omnipresent." Jean stated as she pushed against the shield before vanishing and appearing behind Athena, unleashing a strong blast of lightning that made the Goddess scream in pain. "In this area, I am inescapable!"

That was the power of [Stormbreaker] in a nutshell. Aside from the ability to manipulate the weather, Jean could unleash powerful blasts of lightning from her hands, infuse her body with an aura of lightning, shield with it, as well as have the storm clouds (if that was the weather she chose to have) unleash lightning at any point beneath them at her will. She could see every inch under the area the clouds covered and move to that area with a flex of her will. She could also make it rain strongly and make the wind blow into a tempest. Flight was, obviously, another power the active use of this Authority granted her.

No one could flee from her within [Stormbreaker's] area of effect. Escape was impossible, not only due to the tempestuous seas, raging wind, torrential rain and striking lightning, but because she could attack from their blind spot in an instant. It was an Authority that represented Poseidon's wrath on those that defied him, shown as the numerous storms that he sent against Odysseus in the Odyssey.

"Well am I aware of Poseidon's abilities, wench!" Athena swung around to face her attacker. "But you know nothing of mine!"

Right on cue, another massive Serpent burst from under the sea and snapped its jaws shut on Jean before swallowing and diving back down into the sea, heading out to sea and drawing the cloud of [Stormbreaker] with it.

"Niece, you are sorely trying my patience." Hestia snapped testily. "Such a paltry trick will only temporarily indispose the Campione. What tricks have you planned?"

"To call this Athena's stratagem a mere trick." The Heretic Goddess sniffed. "I shall take one of the Campione's subordinates and bind her with spells to ensure that the Slayer of Poseidon does not dare set foot in Japan on pain of harming her."

Hestia regarded Athena for a moment before shaking her head. "My pitiable niece…thine obsession with the Seventh Godslayer and dislike of Poseidon hath blinded thee to several realities."

"Oh? Then do tell me of where my strategy falls short, dear Aunt." Athena said with narrowed eyes.

"As you will it." The Goddess of Hearth and Home said with a smirk. "First, ye presume that the Eighth Campione will not be able to break thine spells. Second, ye presume that she would not be able to lure the Seventh way from his Far Eastern Homeland to do battle with him. Third, one of those girls in the home behind me is my High Priestess, which would make me wrathful should thou lay thine hands on her. And fourth…well, fourth and finally…ye presume that ye can break past this Goddess Hestia to reach your goal in the first place."

With each point, Athena's face darkened until, with the last point, she was fairly angry.

"HA! Tis not a miscalculation, dear Aunt." she scoffed. "Thou art not a warrior or a combatant, simply the Keeper of the Flame of Olympus. Nowhere in your legend is there a hint of any combative action."

"True, I am a Goddess who is more the civic and domestic kind than you, who has a foot in matters both civil and military." Hestia acknowledged readily. "But recall that this is the home of my High Priestess…a home sanctified in my name. Just as my Hearth Witches are strongest in their Hearths, so too am I at my strongest on sanctified ground. In this case, this Hearth is the strongest to have been sanctified in my name since the Prytaneum in Athens was extinguished. Here, of all places in the world, I am at my strongest…and you seek to break through me? More fool you, Athena."

Spreading her arms, Hestia closed her eyes and started to chant. "Flames of Hestia, residing in the Hearth. Offerings to the gods, gather and be praised for your sacrifice. Let all who feel my power know that I am the first and last child of Cronos, the Last Olympian. Let none who hears my words doubt my power!"

All across the world, the various Hearth Witches stiffened as a voice sang in their ears, a voice they knew came from the Goddess which they worshipped and dedicated their homes to. Their Hearths, built in power for most of their lives, grew, redoubling in power as the presence of Hestia was made known to them. Those Hearth Witches on Britain gasped as they automatically turned to face the direction Oban was from wherever they stood. A goddess had revealed herself to the world and they could not tear their attention from the siren call that they felt.

In Jean's home on Righ Rubh'a, Yue Xie yelped as the flame in the kitchen billowed out and expanded exponentially, filling every inch of the house with its power.

"Don't worry." Rebecca assured her. The hazel-haired Witch was alight with power, almost as if she were a Great Knight or Paladin herself. Her eyes glowed with flames that echoed her Hearth's own and her hair moved as if it were in the breeze. "You are a resident of this Hearth. Only intruders who seek to defile these holy precincts shall know the wrath of Hestia."

'I never thought that Rebecca could become so powerful!' Yue thought in awe. 'I mean, I know she's at her most powerful on this island, but she's tamped down on the power so as not to intimidate me! If this is what her power it is like now, I pity anyone who tries to attack this house!'

Outside, the flames from Rebecca's Hearth had grown to engulf the entire island, although they did not so much as singe a single blade of grass on it. Floating in the centre of the seemingly-harmless conflagration was Hestia, now gripping a plain wooden staff, her head veil teased by the dancing flames surrounding her.

"Well then, Niece." Hestia, First and Last child of the Titans Rhea and Cronos, Goddess of the Hearth and Home and the Forgotten Queen, said. "Let us get to it."

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Next Chapter: Wisdom and War Falls with Hearth and Home

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC