The Secret Peony

by dragonpeony

Peony Deidamia was raised by Demeter. Although her true parents love her very much, she must spend her life in secrecy away from prying eyes of those who would seek to destroy her if her true linage and true power were discovered. Just as she started to feel safe spending time on Olympus, a dragon from the east flew into her life, with a secret that could destroy her whole world.

Prologue

Ash crunches under Ares metal clad boots. He surveys the scene for survivors. This beach was supposed to be the scene of a naval attack, but now it's a burial ground for those who thought they could outrun a volcano.

A rustle of feathers lifts his gaze to two winged figures ahead.

"Thanatos, Hermes, you must be busy."

Thanatos shifted his gaze away with a guarded face. "We weren't supposed to be called here until tomorrow. Furthermore, we were supposed to be here for a war, not for a fucking eruption. Mt. Vesuvius is supposed to be dormant for Gaias' sake!", Hermes quipped. They both look ragged and drained.

"Do either of you know what set the volcano off?" Ares looked at Thanatos hoping he had news from the Underworld.

"No" Hermes replied. "Hades, I mean Pluto, whoever the fuck, is just as stumped as we are." Right, the humans call us by different names now.

Thanatos finally replied, great darkness and sorrow in his eyes. "Don't you mean who?"

"What?" said Hermes.

He looked straight into Ares with that eerie presence that all children of Nyx possess. "Don't you mean who set off the volcano?" He repeated.

Surprised he caught on Ares calmly replied, "Yes." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "You of all people know what destruction us gods bring, someone out there just killed 11,000 humans. Once Zeus finds out, there will be a price to pay. I hope whoever did this is strong enough to face him."

This time anger showed in his eyes. "Do you know who did this?"

"No, it either has to be Hephaestus, Poseidon, or one of the Titans." Areas sighed.

"Hephaestus doesn't involve himself in human affairs like this." argued Hermes

"And the Titans are in Tartarus, they can't do anything from there as long as my Queen rules."

Hermes in a small voice answers again, "Also Poseidon had lovers in this city, and Thanatos just took them to the underworld."

"Most Olympians had lovers in this city!" Ares barked.

They all exchanged glances.

"Who could have done this?" Hermes weakly asked.

"I hope we never find out." Ares whispered as he looked at an entire city, a metropolis of Rome, buried under ash, not a sole survivor to be seen.