Part 9:
Aer stood in front of the mirror and smiled, pleased at her reflection. She thought that she looked perfect in her outfit. She was dressed all in black: a leather bra, a very short skirt, thigh-high boots and leather gauntlets trimmed with silver. Her exposed bellybutton was pierced with a silver ring. "Oh yeah, do I look hot!" she gloated.
"If you're trying to get into the mortals' school looking like that, it won't work at all unless you're planning on having all those boys panting around you like dogs in heat," a soft voice interrupted her.
Aer turned around and saw that Abnoba was standing in the doorway of her bedroom suite, gazing at her with a frown on her face. "So what do you think I should wear instead?"
The blonde Goddess of the Hunt sighed as she moved inside the room. "First off, lose the dominatrix gear and the war-paint that you need to chisel off your face!" Aer snarled at Abnoba, but she merely shrugged her shoulders. "I'm serious. If you're going to pass as a Greek schoolgirl of sixteen mortal years or so, you have to look conservative so you don't attract unwanted attention and that means no pierced bellybutton and washboard abs to show off!"
Aer rolled her gray eyes heavenward. "Fine! So what should I wear?"
Abnoba snapped her fingers in Aer's direction. There was a bright flash of light, and when it cleared away, Aer gawked at herself in horror when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her face was scrubbed clean of all makeup and she was clad in a simple blue dress with a very modest neckline and short sleeves.
Aer then looked down, lifted up the full long skirt slightly, and screeched wordlessly at the top of her lungs when she saw plain brown leather sandals on her feet and the blood-red nail polish on her toenails had disappeared. Her auburn colored hair was still left in a long braid that went down her back with a simple leather cord holding the braid in place. "UGH! This is SO not me! It's so... so... ARGH!" she howled.
Abnoba shook her head and sighed. "It's the only way that you'll be able to pass amongst the mortals without suspicion. The way you normally look is fine for a brothel, but not for a pure and innocent schoolgirl!" Her lips curled into a tiny smile and her light blue eyes twinkled with amusement. "Besides, it's actually not a bad look for you."
"Oh, just shut up!" Aer growled, her hands clenching into fists as she glared at herself in the mirror.
Abnoba turned around and walked down the hallway, her mocking laughter echoing back to the War Goddess. "I'll get you for this, I swear!" Aer vowed angrily.
Iolaus yawned loudly as he slid under the pelts of his and White Dove's bedroll. "Goodnight, Herc. It's sure gonna be a long day of traveling tomorrow once we turn inland," he observed as he made himself comfortable. He leaned over and kissed his already sleeping wife gently so as not to disturb her and settled back.
"'Night buddy," the demigod said with a grim nod as he sat in front of the slowly dying fire.
Iolaus turned towards his longtime friend, having heard the worried note in Hercules' voice and propped up his head with his hand. "Still thinking about all that Aphrodite told us?" he asked quietly.
Hercules nodded. "This is real big trouble, Iolaus - much, much worse than the Sovereign or Dahak and the God of Light," he said with a sigh.
"I know - and all of that was bad enough," the blond hunter agreed. His left eyebrow rose. "It's the Ares thing too, isn't it?" Hercules simply gave Iolaus a look in response. "Well, I don't blame you for feeling the way you do, but it sounds like there's no choice in it."
Hercules sighed. "No, there isn't." A sad half-smile appeared on the demigod's handsome features. "He stands for everything that I'm against..." His words trailed off as he turned away from the fire before rising to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Iolaus asked curiously.
"I need to take a walk and think things out. I'll be back in a little while," Hercules replied, moving away from their campsite.
"Okay. See you later, Herc," Iolaus said, carefully lowering himself back down onto the bedroll. He sighed as he slid underneath the pelts and snuggled up against White Dove.
Hercules walked along the beach for a while until he finally turned around to face the water. He watched in silence as the waves lapped along the shore and then sighed heavily. There was a flash of blue-white light next to him, and without turning around, the demigod said wearily, "Ares."
The God of War walked up to Hercules, coming to a halt as he faced his half-brother. His handsome face was turned up in a sneer as he stared at his half-brother. "Believe me, there's nothing better that I'd like to do than haul out a can of whoop-ass on you right now, but unfortunately, there's more important things to worry about."
Hercules rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Like saving your pathetic butt from going into exile, Ares? Tell me another one."
A dark eyebrow rose. "Remember what happened when Sisyphus stole my powers temporarily, brother?" Ares asked in a low voice.
Hercules stared at the God of War silently, his blue eyes flashing angrily.
"Greece was in chaos because the mortals couldn't control their more - violent - urges. You were there when Iolaus was affected." Hercules' face never changed expression, but he nodded very slightly. "Whether you want to admit it or not, I'm needed here," Ares said.
"It's all about you, isn't it?" Hercules muttered then, averting his eyes away for a moment before turning back to glare at his half-brother. He watched in surprise as Ares' face changed to an expression of sheer exhaustion for a couple of moments before the disdainful sneer returned to his lips.
"Think whatever you want, Jerkules," Ares said quietly and disappeared into the ether in a flash of blue-white light.
It was a long time before the demigod turned around to join his friends at their camp to get some much-needed sleep.
