CHAPTER IIIV

This may have some errors, but that's because I was just too excited to upload it! But I shall fix it.

WARNING: Dark, Mature themes.

Athena clutched her goblet with a crippling grip. She stared at an arbitrary spot on the table, her mind far away. She had not so much as touched her meal.

Duty. That's all she ever did. Fulfilled her duty for the kingdom. Sacrificed her time and safety for the kingdom. She was a slave to this kingdom. And never did she once question her duties; never did she once consider what she wanted, she simply rolled over like some domesticated animal at the command.

'Are you alright…Athena?' Artemis asked beside her. Athena pulled herself from her thoughts to look at Artemis. She noticed Artemis was staring at her hand with some concern. Athena realised she had been clutching her goblet so hard the silver bent under her strength. Athena breathed and released her grip.

'Yes,' she said, looking away. Artemis didn't know why she even bothered asking – she knew Athena was not alright. Artemis looked down at Athena's plate.

'You haven't taken a single bite of your meal.' She said and Athena looked down at her plate. Athena did not respond but she merely stared.

Zeus sat nearby with Hera at his side. He glanced at Athena and her expression for only a moment, and then continued to look over the table with an entitled gaze. Hera on the other hand could not refrain from glancing at Athena every now and then, watching her closely.

'I am not hungry.' Athena finally answered Artemis and Apollo looked over Artemis' head to catch a glimpse of her. That black river water was still sloshing in her stomach, threatening to find its way up her throat and onto the table. Athena cleared her throat.

'Sip some wine.'

'I need some air.' Athena got up abruptly, and left her chair, heading for the balcony on the other side of the room.

Perhaps the room was too preoccupied with their meals to notice but what Athena had just done would have been seriously frowned upon at any other time. She had not addressed Zeus, the head of the table, for permission first. Hera gasped, offended by Athena's rudeness. She looked up at Zeus, and he watched Athena stride away with a calm gaze. He shook his head. Hera, glancing one last time at Athena, returned to her meal.

'Athena wait!' Artemis called out, but Apollo grabbed her hand. She looked up at him as he calmly clasped her hand in his.

'Leave her, Artemis.' He squeezed on her fingers and Artemis understood.

Athena stepped out onto the balcony, running her fingers over her jaw and mouth. She paced up and down for a while before stopping and looking over Olympus. Suddenly the neck of her dress felt so tight, so restricting. She wanted to tear it open but had to stop herself, the dress wasn't hers and Hera would bury her alive if she ruined it. Athena grunted in frustration and stood still there, her fury so immense she could barely move.

At the table, Ares sat much calmer, but never the less restless. He had watched Athena exit the room and hadn't stopped staring at the balcony doors since then.

'I don't think you know what you've started Ares,' Dionysus said. He was far more relaxed now, but watching Athena storm out made him rather tense again.

'Oh but I do know what I'm doing,' Ares turned to Dionysus, chewing nonchalantly, 'and you know what I'm doing too, that's why you must never speak of this.'

'I wouldn't dare,' Dionysus nodded at the balcony, 'you should go and check on her.'

'That is what I intend to do.' Ares leaned over the table, only a few seats away from Zeus.

'Permission to leave the table, my king?' Ares said tamely. Zeus looked at him for a while and then nodded.

Ares stood up and left the table, adjusting his military jacket. He strode off to the balcony. Perhaps he was too engrossed with Athena at that moment to notice a pair of large black eyes following him to his destination.

Aphrodite sat with her face white as the moonlight washed marble this very palace was made of. Her knuckles were almost luminescent as she clutched her fork and knife. She barely looked like she was breathing. Persephone who sat across her, timidly addressed her.

'Is everything alright Aphrodite?' Persephone said and like a whip cracking Aphrodite snapped out of her daze. She glanced at Persephone for a moment, remembering where she was. She flicked back her hair elegantly and focused herself on her meal.

'Everything is perfect, Persephone.' She said.

Ares stepped out onto the balcony. He saw Athena standing there, still as a statue and he observed her for a moment. Athena turned around, her face steely and her dark eyes ablaze. Ares stood with his air of arrogance, looking her up and down.

'Do you want to come inside now?'

'Don't you dare speak to me like a child,' Athena folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowed.

'Then don't act like one,' Ares approached her with his hands in his pockets. He stood only a few inches from her and looked down at her, like she really was a child.

'Can we just talk to each other? Like two adults, please?' he said and Athena examined him closely.

She sent her hand flying across his face with a slap.

Ares expression was masked by the loose locks of hair that had just found their way to his face. He rolled his tongue into his cheek, not saying a word.

Athena, still furious and barely satiated, wanted to do it again. In fact she wanted to punch him this time. Or kick him or cut him open or cut someone open. But she stood fast, her fists clenched.

'You don't understand do you? We barely have our identities anymore. Our identities as individual gods are lost. And all for duty. Our duty to the kingdom. I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would do this to two very capable gods, and I don't want to hear what you have to say, I want you to just stay away from me.'

Ares had been looking at her now, and he cocked his head slightly when she finished.

'Fine,' he said, striding back to the doors. Athena was sure he would leave her alone now but instead he drew the damask curtains that masked the balcony together, and shut the doors.

'We'll do this your way.' He said. Now it was only Ares and Athena isolated on this balcony. Athena wasn't sure what he was about do to. She backed away from him as he advanced.

'You want to act like a child. You want to play the brat this time, then fine. I'll treat you like a child.' Athena saw the intent in his eyes and skirted the balcony railing. Ares calmly advanced, hastening his step.

Suddenly he clutched her arm and drew her into him. He raised his hand high into the air – Athena prepared to strike back – and landed a spank right on Athena's backside.

Athena flinched and jumped away. She stared at him in utter disbelief.

'Are you stupid?' Athena growled, but Ares merely shrugged his shoulders.

'You're being very naughty Athena. Come here.' He gestured for her to come to him with his hand and Athena scoffed.

'You're an absolute idiot, do not come near me.' Athena said backing away. Ares cornered her and spanked her again. She protested and attempted to push him away but there was only so much room on the balcony for her to escape to.

'Stop it Ares!' she pushed on his chest but Ares merely grabbed her hand and continued administering torrents of spanks onto her backside.

No doubt, it stung. And the more furious Athena became, the more delighted Ares was, even chuckling when she shielded her bum.

Athena managed to escape him again, but for the last time. Ares grabbed her around the waist mindful not to squeeze on her already battered ribs. Athena, also mindful of her ribs, tried her best to release herself from his grasp without inflicting extra injury on herself.

'Ares this is not funny, let go!'

'If you're going to behave,' spank, 'like a naughty little child,' spank, 'then I'm going to discipline you,' spank, 'accordingly.' Spank spank, 'So you're going to listen to me,' spank, 'and what I have to say,' spank, 'or suffer,' spank, 'the consequences,' spank, 'severely.' Spank spank spank

'Will you behave for me?' Ares said gently and breathlessly. Inflicting such pain on someone was hard work in itself.

'You make me sick,' Athena snarled from his side, 'and I swear, when I'm through with you –'

'I said,' spank spank, 'will you behave for me?' He said; his voice low. Slowly, when he could feel Athena's breathing slow down, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest. He pressed his face against Athena's hot neck. She was still furious, but at least she was tame.

'Are you going behave for me, Athena?' Ares said, planting gentle kisses on her neck. He would be cautious now, though she was slightly calmed down, she could still disembowel him at any second.

'Stop saying that.' Athena grunted into his shoulder. Ares chuckled and slowly brushed his face against her cheek, kissing her jaw, and then her cheek bone. Athena grabbed onto his military jacket and pulled him away. She hung onto his coat, her fists clenched hard into tight balls. Her expression was a mix of anger and frustration, pain and hurt.

'Why is he doing this? Am I incompetent? Why would he punish me like this?' Athena fell into a daze, thinking about all the reasons. Ares couldn't help but grin.

'It's just me, you know,' he watched her for moment, all the humour escaped from his face 'there's a war coming Athena.'

'What?' Athena looked up at him in disbelief, 'A war? There hasn't been a Civic Council meeting, or a Grand Olympian meeting, why have I not been informed?' Athena released him.

'It's not confirmed. But it is coming. If I can feel it Zeus can too, it's the only reason I can think of as to why he would do this.'

'What makes you think–'

'Don't be so ignorant Athena. The chimera attacks. Think about it, four chimera attacks –'

'Four?' Athena cut in, 'there have been only three. I slayed the third just tonight.'

'Four,' Ares corrected her, 'why do you think Zeus was so late for his own banquet, he couldn't get a hold of you, and besides he wanted to see the scene of the attacks himself.'

'Wait. Who is informing you of all this.'

'Hera.'

'Of course. Mummy's boy.'

'The point is these attacks are being orchestrated and whoever is pulling them is becoming more courageous. The first two attacks were on earth, the next attack was here on Olympus, even closer to the gods, and latest attack was on Crete. Let's just pretend this was all just the unfortunate fact that the beast cages in the underworld hadn't been maintained to keep their captives, how could anyone explain the attack on Crete?'

'On Crete,' Athena thought for a moment, until it finally dawned on her, 'the closest portal to the underworld is in Athens, so if a chimera escaped that's surely where it would land.'

'And if it hadn't landed there, it would have had to swim miles to Crete which chimera are infamous for not doing so the only way it could've have landed on Crete is if it was spawned there.'

Athena was stunned. She had not thought of this before. And in fact she would have thought of this sooner if someone had just decided to inform her about the pattern of the attacks.

'And the Cyclopes,' Athena suddenly clicked, 'someone must have planted that too.'

'Perhaps.' Ares said after a while.

'But then who could be doing this?'

'Who else? Who else is most informed about the underworld?'

'But Hades wouldn't, would he? And even if it were him he could be just causing a little trouble, he's always enjoyed playing tricks on the Olympians.'

'I highly doubt that,' Ares looked away, 'he's always held a grudge against Zeus and Poseidon. And you know how paranoid Zeus is about anyone trying to overthrow him so of course he would cry 'war' before enough evidence was collected. But I can feel it. Just below the surface. Something is coming and we need to be prepared.'

'So all Zeus could think of was a Psychí Syndetikó. This isn't how we were destined to be Ares. It's wrong. It's all wrong.' Athena turned away from his and put her hands on the railing of the balcony. She stood there for a while before hearing the balcony doors open and then close behind her. Athena sighed.

The evening ended off with a bang. Gods and goddesses stumbled out of the banqueting hall, back into the main hall for a bit of flagrant dancing – which proved to be far more difficult with a belly full of wine and food – and then headed off to their transport back home. The glorious and elegant processions that first appeared turned into fumbling exists with lots of laughter and raucous music.

'Ares,' Hera called to Ares who had been standing out on the balcony. Athena was no longer there, but he took a moment to take in the nights events. Whether Athena liked it or not, whether she accepted it or not, they were bound together, their fates were intertwined. She was the sun and he was the horizon. No matter how high she may rise or fall, or how far she may stray, she would always return to him. Ares stuffed his hands in his pockets and stepped off the balcony. He smiled bitterly to himself.

And vice versa.

'Ares come here.' Hera called out to him impatiently. She was directing the servants to clean up, Zeus had already retired to his rooms.

'Don't you think I'm too old for clean-up duty?' Ares grinned as he approached his mother and she rolled her eyes.

'Come here,' she said and he stood close to her, watching the servants at work, 'tell me. How is Athena?' Ares looked at her curiously, he furrowed his brows.

'Why do you ask?'

'I'm just curious.'

'Of course. Are you concerned about her?' Ares almost laughed and Hera looked unimpressed.

'Not at all, I just want to know that she is prepared to serve her kingdom without any defiance is all.'

'She is defiant now, but in time she will learn to accept things the way they are,' Ares looked around, 'have you seen her?'

'Yes, she returned the dress and then left a just a while ago.' Hera said, and Ares nodded. He kissed his mother on the cheek and bid her adieu before leaving the room. He was exhausted. Running his hand through his thick hair he imagined entering his palace, marching off to his private quarters and taking a long, boiling bath.

A few minutes ago, Athena was still present at the palace. Having returned Hera's dress she quickly made her way to the exit.

There stood her steed, black and still in the moonlight. As she approached the obsidian beast snorted into life, shaking its head about.

'There, there,' Athena said, running her hand over its cold neck and back. She adjusted the reins and saddle, buckling here and tightening there.

Athena noticed the rest of the gods slowly starting to clamber out of the palace, drunk and full of laughter and food. What had been glamorous and elegant processions at the start of the evening would now become drunken messes of an exit. What Athena had not noticed was figure lurking in the darkness.

'Congratulations.' Aphrodite slowly approached her, her hands modestly folded before her waist. Athena jumped at the sight of her. Aphrodite merely stood and stared at her with those vacant black eyes. Athena grunted.

'I'm not sure what there is to be congratulated for.' She said, tightening the saddle, 'this is my duty to the kingdom, not a blessing.'

'You will be more powerful than ever.' Aphrodite said. Her eyes stared off into the distance. Athena inspected her for a moment, and then turned away. She shrugged off Aphrodite's comment and mounted her horse.

'So much has changed so fast,' Aphrodite clutched her chest, 'both you and I will have to accept it.' Athena raised her brow at Aphrodite.

'What do you have to accept?'

'That my lover's attention has to be divided between us,' Aphrodite looked up at Athena bewilderedly, 'and that in his binding to you, I am bound to you as well. That is my duty.'

Athena stared at Aphrodite for a while. She suddenly felt an overwhelming fury come over her. Her lips twitched.

'Your lover owes me none of his attention,' her voice low and steady, 'I didn't ask for the Psychí Syndetikó and even if I did, I would especially ask not to be soul bound to him. Tell your lover to stay far away from my palace. We'd merely distract and get in the way of each other's business.' Athena nudged her steed and slowly made her way past Aphrodite, watching her as she went. She stopped abruptly.

'And this may not be my place, nor do I have enough experience to make such a judgement, but you are married to Hephaestus, correct? Thus your duties should be to him first, not to some flagrant affair.'

Athena galloped off into the night, leaving only the dust from her steed's hooves behind her. Aphrodite, with tears welling in her eyes, clutched her hair, tugging at it, barely able to control herself.

One of her graces appeared. She timidly approached her mistress at first, but seeing her in such distress made her hurry up to her. She held her mistress, trying to comfort her.

'Aphrodite, my mistress,' she said, before being flung into the darkness. Aphrodite breathed hard, having exerted herself to push the woman from her. The Grace cowered on the ground, watching Aphrodite go through a mix of hysterically emotions. She cried profusely between rattling gasps and savage grunts, tugging at her hair, kicking at the ground and crying out. She turned to the Grace and grabbed her by the collar, bringing the woman up to her level.

'Take me to the portal at Athens.' She growled.

Hades sorted and sifted through a few spirits, allowing some entrance into the world beyond the underworld, and sending a few off to judgement by Tartarus. Lost souls, the very new ones, were usually oblivious to the fact that they were dead. The panic of being in place totally foreign to what they knew and remembered meant mass hysteria all around. These souls were usually the ones who experienced deaths so sudden, that the shift from the material body to the immaterial body disorientates them. Perhaps one of Hades' greatest pet peeves was the souls' lack of recognition for who he was. As he pushed his way through the bewildered and desperate souls, they clung to him and grabbed at him desperate for answers to their echoing questions.

'Quiet,' he yelled, pushing the souls around, sending them bumping and passing into each other. Souls developed in the underworld in three stages. Péplo stage – or the veil stage – is the stage these souls were currently in. It was the stage in which all souls first arrive in the underworld. This is the most immaterial and ephemeral stage of a soul's existence and souls are at their weakest and most vulnerable here.

Potítri stage – or the glass stage – is the stage following the Péplo stage. Souls, at this point, carry more substance and will usually hang between the material and the immaterial world. These are the spirits humans can sense but cannot see. Humans with concentrated spiritual energy – or psychics – may be able to make contacts with souls in the Potíyri stage.

The final stage is the Xýlo stage – or wood stage. This is the final metamorphosis of the soul in which the soul is viable for resurrection. Only a few souls are ever resurrected as the ritual is one only known by the gods, and any other ritual performed by a human is invalid and could end up damaging the soul. In this stage, souls who are able to visit the material world can be seen, but not touched.

The rate at which a soul reaches these stages is dependent on that soul's death and how intact the soul still is. The souls that were pestering Hades would soon reach the Potítri and then the Xýlo stage as their souls were not tainted with corruption, blood and murder.

Styx bubbled some nonsense to Hades about being gentle with the souls and Hades scoffed, shoving a soul from his black suit.

'Well maybe if Thanatos did his job correctly, I wouldn't have to tell this souls that their all dead. That is his job!'

Hades pushed through his last soul before standing before the bumbling group.

'Silence!' he called out, and the group mumbled into silence, 'I am Hades, the King of the Underworld, and you are all dead,' the souls howled and whimpered, 'you have left the material world, and you will never return as the humans you were. You must accept this, and your transgressions in that life, to move on to the world beyond this. Do you accept?'

Hades suddenly heard echoing howls of fear behind him. He turned around and saw another small group of distressed souls hurtling towards him. They rushed behind him, and all the souls whimpered and howled.

'Be quiet!' Hades bellowed. He narrowed his eyes.

From the darkness emerged Aphrodite. Not as the beautiful and seductive temptress, clad in all white as before, but as something else. Something with death and hunger in its black eyes. Her hair was dishevelled and a mess about her ashen face. She looked up at Hades, desperately, whatever she had caked on her face to enhance her glow, melting off with the torrents of tears cascading down her cheeks. She slowly walked up to Hades, stumbling as she went.

'It has to happen now Hades,' she said between sobs, 'it has to happen now.'

'Aphrodite,' Hades watched her clutch onto the lapels of his suit.

'Styx and I… I need to…' she whimpered.

'What happened, Aphrodite?' Hades said grabbing her wrists.

'Ares and Athena. They are bound together, under Psychí Syndetikó. Zeus held a banquet to announce it tonight. No matter what they say, it is done. It's all done.' Aphrodite sobbed. Hades expression darkened. He felt a sudden amusement and excitement in the pit of his stomach.

So Zeus caught on.

Hades grinned, pulling Aphrodite into a warm embrace.

'Oh my dear Aphrodite,' Hades stroked her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder, 'there, there,' he pulled away, but kept her close enough to look into her eyes, 'you want to perform a Psychí Syndetikó of your own, don't you?' his voice was deep and soothing. He looked over at the pool the river Styx had formed within his domain. The pool was still, silent – listening. Aphrodite rested her head onto his chest

'I fear for my life Hades. Athena is so envious of my love with Ares, I'm sure she would do anything to make him hers. She just doesn't understand that he is a man of choice, and I am his choice. She is too strong for me to fend off on my own.' Aphrodite pulled away from Hades and stumbled over to the black pool.

'Great River Styx,' she lowered her head, 'I beg of you. Give me your strength. Baptise me in your powerful waters. Make me apart of you.'

The pool hissed and bubbled, and then settled.

'She says you weren't destined for greatness,' Hades said, 'especially not her greatness.' Aphrodite stared at the pool.

'Please my lady, I haven't much to offer, but I will offer up anything that you ask of me that I am able to deliver, in your eyes.'

Hisses and bubbles emitted from the waters again.

'Anything?' Hades said.

'Anything,' Aphrodite answered.

'Your youth?'

'Yes.'

'Your beauty?' Aphrodite hesitated.

'Yes.'

'Your sanity?'

The room was filled with a deafening silence. Aphrodite watched the pool with tears welling in her eyes.

'Anything, Lady Styx.' She pleaded. Hades spent some time watching the pool. It's calm waters rippled.

'Come.' Hades said, leading Aphrodite out of the room.

'This is the last time you let anyone waltz into the underworld, do you understand me?' Hades said, pointing at Cerberus sternly as he exited the gates of the underworld. Cerberus whimpered, lowering his heads.

Hades and Aphrodite arrived at the banks of the river Styx. Her black waters were vast, inescapable and still. Aphrodite looked over them.

'Aphrodite, I warn you one last time. If your heart is not pure with intention, it will become corrupt, and your soul destroyed once you leave those waters. There will be no turning back.'

'I do this to protect myself. And to protect Ares.' Athena said, looking at Hades with large eyes. Hades watched her for a while and then nodded. With ease Hades stepped into the cold waters of the River Styx. The water rippled about his knees, welcoming him as he walked through, like nothing was even there. Hades signalled for Aphrodite to enter.

Aphrodite timidly entered the river, feeling the ice cold water lick about her ankles. She slowly started to wade deeper in until she was level with Hades, standing beside him. Hades turned to her.

'You must let her fill your body with her waters. She must cleanse you, prepare you for the rebirth.'

'Hades,' Aphrodite said softly, and Hades watched her curiously, 'will it hurt?'

'No,' Hades grabbed her by the throat, 'death usually doesn't.'

Hades plunged Aphrodite into the cold, dark water.