Past
Mintha stood still while Archon slowly circled around her. He was thoughtfully studying her features, from her height, body frame, facial structures, and down to the arches on her feet. She grew bored of his inspection and turned her attention to the new dress and jewelry he put on her. She had limited knowledge about clothing styles but she had seen enough of Melinoe's wardrobe to know that this was the type of dress one would wear for celebrations or ceremonies. She wondered why he dressed her like this. Were they having a celebration?
Archon stopped in front of Mintha and held his hand to her. A comb appeared on his palm. Mintha picked it up upon recognition and turned it over in her hands. Her old comb looked just like how she remembered it, solid gold with smooth edges.
"Did you get this in a trade?" He asked her.
Mintha shook her head. "It's mine."
"How is it yours?"
"I found it."
"Where did you find it?" He pressed.
"On the ground."
Archon signed impatiently. Mintha's short response was getting him nowhere. He had his suspicions regarding her origins but the things she told him were not matching up, although he couldn't fault her for not knowing much.
He thought that the comb could be a clue about her birth parents. The design was simple but it was also well made. It was far too well made for any forest creature to craft. It had no carvings or symbols of any kind to indicate as to where it was made. Many people walked through that forest. Perhaps, someone dropped it and she picked it up from the ground. It wasn't as if a gold comb could just appear in a forest.
Mintha ran the comb through her hair as Archon eyed it. He stopped thinking too hard and focused on enjoying her company. They were celebrating their reunion and she was happy with the gift he presented to her.
Archon's contentment dropped and was replaced by a look of annoyance.
"Wait here." He said before disappearing.
Mintha paused momentarily from combing her hair when she heard a noise by the balcony. She ignored it but the sound grew louder.
"Come over here!" Someone shouted but that was not what got her attention. Mintha heard Melinoe's low voice among them. She walked the distance to the balcony to find two women hovering in the air just a few feet away from the rails. The two women were stunned when they saw Mintha and marvel at her beauty. One of them shook her head to snap out of her trance. She grabbed the other by the arm to shake her out of the fog too. They righted themselves and stiffen their back to appear as if they weren't staring at her just now.
"It took you long enough to come over here." The blonde one sneered.
"She must be hard of hearing." Remarked the other.
Mintha spotted Melinoe hiding nearby. Melinoe pointed at the two women and made a hand signal. Mintha turned her attention back to the women. She wanted to ask them why they were hovering outside but she held her tongue.
"We are Archon's servants. He sent us to bring you to take a bath. " one of them said.
"Go out that door." The other pointed. "We'll meet you there."
Mintha didn't trust these women. They seem menacing. She wasn't going to do it until she glanced at Melinoe who nodded, urging her to comply. She went to the door but paused when she sensed danger. Going against her instincts, she used her trust in Melinoe to guide her forward and opened the door. In her next step, the floor beneath her feet dissolved. She descended into a hot abyss of lava.
During her fall, she heard Archon screaming her name. Her vision went blank and when she opened her eyes again she was back with Melinoe in the Underworld. No longer was she inside of Archon's statue but the substitute that Melinoe made her.
"It worked!" Melinoe cheered.
"What happened?" Asked Mintha.
Melinoe recounted to Mintha how she devised her plot. She discovered from the twin sisters who Archon's most jealous lover was. She inserted in the woman's mind that Archon has a new lover that he's completely infatuated with. The idea that she might be replaced engaged her. She sent her servants to kill Mintha while she distracted him. They put a lava pit in front of the door for Mintha to fall into. The servants thought that not entering Archon's bedroom wouldn't alert him of their presence. He sensed them but his lover held him back. He arrived just in time to see Mintha in the pit. Melinoe waited until he pulled Mintha out of the statue to steal her away. The statue was destroyed in the lava but Mintha was saved.
"I used to govern Zeus' lovers in my previous lifetime. It taught me that jealousy can cause people to do outrageous acts." Melinoe explained.
"If he believes I'm dead then our problems are solved." said Mintha.
"Not quite yet. You have to hide long enough for him to lose interest in finding you." Melinoe put Hades' Helm of Invisibility on Mintha's head and added her powers of concealment on her as a precaution. As before, only Melinoe was capable of seeing Mintha. "Stay close to me at all times."
For the next several days, Melinoe tried her best to establish a schedule that accommodated all those she needed to visit with. There was no hiding the truth of Zeus and Hera being her original parents from Hades and Persephone. They would have become suspicious of the time she spent with the other couple. They begrudgingly acknowledged how important Zeus and Hera are to her. They didn't care who Melinoe used to be in her previous lifetime. It was over and she was their daughter now. There was an unspoken agreement that this subject wouldn't be brought up again unless it was necessary. Hades suggested they not let Zeus or Hera know that they know the truth. He'd rather enjoy flouting his fatherly role with her over Zeus. He also wanted to spare Persephone's feelings and not let her think that she was used as a surrogate by Hera.
Mintha had returned into the form of a child so Melinoe can carry her on her back. In-between visiting Melinoe's old and new parents, she and Mintha formed strategies on how to deal with Archon. It wouldn't be long until he seeks out Melinoe in his search for Mintha. Melinoe was concerned that he might see through the Helm's powers and capture Mintha again. There was only one way to test the theory but Melinoe wasn't going to risk Mintha's safety. She was going to Atlantis herself and approach him while wearing the Helm. While she was gone, Mintha was instructed to remain with Hades in the Underworld.
Melinoe gave Hades a brief summary of Mintha's predicament. A powerful god was lusting after her. She had to stay hidden until they figured out a way to make him leave her alone. Hades took to the task of being her guardian. He was in the middle of teaching her how to handle weapons to pass the time when Demeter happened upon them. Seeing Mintha, who was currently in her adult form, besides Hades caused the goddess to jump to conclusions. Before Hades could put a stop to it, Demeter laid out a sea of accusations against him and Mintha.
"Who is this? Your love child?" Demeter gasped. "She's your mistress, isn't she? You've been cheating on Persephone!"
Hades moved in front of Mintha to shield her from Demeter. "Shut your mouth, Demeter. You don't know what you're talking about."
Demeter flashed out of the Underworld and returned with Persephone a few minutes later.
"Look at them! I told you, didn't I!" said Demeter, pointing her accusing finger at Hades and Mintha.
"It's not what you think." Hades tried to explain. He stepped aside to let Persephone see Mintha.
Persephone recognized Mintha right away and gasped in surprise. "You're gorgeous!"
At that moment Melinoe flashed next to Hades. She was confused by the scene before her.
"What's going on?" she asked everyone.
"We caught your father and his mistress." said Demeter.
Melinoe looked at Hades and Mintha and could guess what might have happened. Demeter thought Mintha was Hades' lover because of how protective he was of her. Mintha's striking beauty probably played a factor in her assertions as well.
Melinoe was going to clear this up. "Grandmother, she's not his mistress. She can't be because she used to be inside of my body." It was technically true. Mintha once resided inside of Melinoe's body. Melinoe inserted the idea that Mintha was her daughter to explain Hades' and Persephone's affection toward her.
Persephone played along and went to hug Mintha. "My grandchild!"
Mintha hugged her back, trying to think of how to react properly.
Demeter's mouth fell open in shock. She didn't want to believe the rumors that Melinoe's was raped by demons but what else could she say after Melinoe revealed this to her.
Hades arched his brows at Melinoe, non-verbally questioning her if she truly wanted to do this. Melinoe nodded in assurance.
"An Atlantean god is obsessively pursuing her. We must keep her hidden." said Melinoe. She was going to use her family connections to protect Mintha.
"There might be problems since there were quite a few people that heard mother talking about Hades' lover." said Persephone.
"Well, how was I supposed to know who she was?" said Demeter. She composed herself and got to planning. "I'll go back and tell them…that she was his old lover. Hades cast her aside for Persephone. She wanted him back. I caught her throwing herself at him but he rejected her."
"And I'll say I turned her into a tree or a bush." added Persephone. She glanced at a patch of mint nearby and thought of how Mintha's name has the word "mint" in it. "A garden mint! Yes, I turned her into mints and trampled her with my feet."
"No, that's not creative." said Demeter in disapproval.
"I'm his wife. I should be able to destroy his fake ex-lover with any method I please."
"Say whatever you want. Just make it known that Mintha is beyond dead in your stories." instructed Hades. "Also, fabricate a background for her as well. Say she's a nymph. There are plenty of those running around, no one would suspect anything."
Demeter and Persephone agreed before flashing away to spread their false rumors.
"Which god is after her?" Hades asked out of curiosity.
"Archon." answered Melinoe.
Hades cursed under his breath. "This would be one of the last places he'll come. Quite a few of his ex-lovers are here. Even in death they are wailing for his affection. I doubt he'd want to see them again." He left to make arrangements.
Melinoe pulled Mintha to the side to ask her an important question.
"Do you want to be with Archon or remain with me?"
"You." Mintha replied without hesitation.
Melinoe was relieved to know that Mintha chose her.
"I'm officially adopting you as my daughter."
"Why are you doing this?" Mintha questioned. Through the few lectures Hades would give her regarding a god's life, she understood the importance of ones names and reputation among the masses. Melinoe was putting her reputation in jeopardy by opening up the possibility of letting others think she had a child by demons.
"Because I love you."
Melinoe wasn't the first to say these words to Mintha but it was the first time it affected her. It brought a smile to her face and warmed her chest. She was sincerely happy that she had a mother who claimed her.
"I don't care what anyone thinks of how you became my child. People will think and say what they want no matter what. What's important is that we know the truth. I'm going to reveal the truth about us to Zeus and Hera. They would understand my feelings and help me protect you from Archon."
"Is he truly dangerous to me?" Mintha wondered out loud. She was aware of how he treated others but he was never that way to her.
Melinoe shared her recent memory of her visit to Atlantis with Mintha. Mintha witnessed the scene play before her eyes. At least they know that the Helm worked. No one was able to see Melinoe spying on them.
Archon was sitting in his room, molding another image of Mintha with clay. A blonde haired woman was staring dagger at him but he didn't give her any of his attention.
"There you go again, making her." sneered the women. Her beautiful face turned ugly with distain but it changed into a wicked smile. "All this time we thought you were creating images of Apollymi. Even she did. How foolish of us. That's not even her. It was a different woman all along."
She waited for his response but he remained focus on his work. The woman continued, wanting to get a reaction from him.
"Who is this maiden whose beauty rivals that of Apollymi? I heard you were fondling those statues for years. Those who knew of it believed your behavior was because you were vain over your creations. Pitiful Apollymi, she had the title of being your wife but this maiden owns your heart. The servants who had the fortunate of seeing the real her were gossiping that she was a truly exquisite. Alas, your poor beloved met a horrible end and you killed one of your most favored of lovers for harming her."
Exasperated by Archon's impassiveness, the woman threw her hands toward the clay. Archon stopped her with a glance. It was unknown whether she froze in fear or from his powers. She put her hands down like a child who'd just been chastised.
"You think she's alive?" asked the woman.
"I know she is."
The woman scoffed. "How can she be alive? No human, god, or demon could have survived."
Archon chuckled as she frowned in confusion and then realization hit her.
"She's neither?"
He had mercy on the woman and gave her a slight nod, which caused her to gasp in surprise.
"What is she?!"
He chuckled some more and didn't answer her question. The woman vanished, possibly gone in search of information.
In the memory, Melinoe exited his room and went to find Agapa. The Goddess of Love was alone in her bedroom, staring blankly out her window. Since she was blind, Melinoe didn't bother to remove the Helm from her head.
"It's me, Melinoe."
Agapa turned her head toward the direction of Melinoe's voice. She came to the goddess because she suspected her blindness made her more sensitive to other's powers and auras. She possessed the ability to observed things that others might have missed. Besides, she could give insight as to how Mintha was before Melinoe met her.
"What are you doing back here again? I told you to leave."
"I need to know the reasons behind your warnings. It'll aid me in protecting Mintha."
"My warning extends to you as well. Archon still harbors a special interest on the nameless girl that stabbed him all those years ago. I overheard you telling Mintha that it was you."
Melinoe would remember to not speak about private matters anywhere near Agapa from now on.
"He didn't notice you earlier because he was preoccupied with Mintha. If she's not around, he'll defiantly take a look at you."
"I understand I and Mintha are beautiful but there has to be more than lust that fuels his attraction for us."
"Both of you are unique. Therefore, you piqued his interest."
"How are we unique?" asked Melinoe.
"You and Mintha are not gods, demons, or humans."
Just as Melinoe had predicted, Agapa was aware of her being a hybrid. She suspected Mintha was one as well.
"What sort of creature is Mintha?" Melinoe asked for confirmation.
"She's an archdemon."
Mintha looked to Melinoe for an explanation.
"Archdemons are born of a demon's union with a god. Their powers are unique and unpredictable."
Mintha absorbed this information. It felt good to know what she was.
Back to the memory, Melinoe had asked Agapa if she knew who Mintha's parents were.
"I honestly don't know but what I can say is that they are probably powerful beings. Archon is cautious around her for a reason."
"She once told me she bit him. I thought she was only able to do it was because he was distracted."
"I've heard of that incident as well. She bested him many times after and his attraction to her grew. It solidified by the time I and Chara were born."
"If he loved her, why did he marry Apollymi?"
"Mintha didn't reciprocate his feelings. He also had other reasons." Agapa paused for a moment as if she was contemplating something. "Listen, I have a secret to tell you. You must not repeat it to anyone but Mintha."
Melinoe patiently waited for her to share her secret.
"While growing up, I and Chara noticed a man that always stayed beside Mintha. He seemed to be watching over her."
This was news to Mintha. She wasn't aware that someone was watching over her. Could he be the one who put her body inside of the tree and currently has possession of it?
"Do you know what he looks like?"
"No. He concealed himself from the others but I felt his presence. There were instances where he'd disguise himself as Mintha or Meliae and manipulate situations. No one noticed it was him but me. I didn't expose him because he wasn't harming anyone. He was only caring for Mintha and protecting her. He disappeared the same time Mintha did. I believed he was the one that took her away."
"Mintha's body is missing. I was told an unidentifiable man was responsible. It could be him." Melinoe guessed, "What happened to Mintha right before she went missing?"
"Mintha went to tell Meliae about Archon's upcoming marriage but she never got the chance."
Mintha shook her head in disagreement. Melinoe stopped her memory to ask her what was wrong.
"I told Meliae about the marriage." stated Mintha
"I know you did. Listen to Agapa. She has more enlightening things to reveal."
Melinoe understood froze the memory and let it continue.
"Meliae claimed that Mintha left with her family. I and Chara didn't believe her. She then claimed that Mintha left with her own. We told her about Archon's wedding and it shocked her. It was then, she confessed. She got rid of Mintha because she believed that with her gone, Archon would love her. He didn't. She regretted her decision and we tried to search for Mintha but to no avail. We called for Archon in desperation. He couldn't find her either."
"Before I fell asleep, I was speaking to Meliae and I also heard her voice calling me from the distance." Mintha thought back to her memories. "There were two of them. The one with me was an imposter. The real one was searching for me." she worked out what really happened long ago.
"The man has your body. When we find him, we'll find your body." said Melinoe.
Melinoe pulled Mintha out of her memories with a sigh. If only she could access Mintha's memories. It would allow her to learn more about what Mintha had experienced but without her physical body, Melinoe couldn't view her memories. She was pretty sure many things had happened to Mintha but she was too naive to understand it.
Persephone returned to the Underworld with news that she had addressed the rumors of Hades' lover. She told the final version of the false tale she had concocted to Hades, Melinoe and Mintha encase anyone asked them.
"I said that Mintha was a Naiad nymph. She's Hade's evil ex-lover, before he laid his eyes on me. He ended their relationship to pursue me. She got jealous and tried to seduce him but he rejected her. I turned her into a mint garden and trampled her under my feet."
They all had to remember to repeat the same tale and make it so certain details remain in other people's mind. Demeter was already out socializing with well-known gossipers. It would be all over Mount Olympus the next day.
Melinoe shared her recent discoveries to Hades and Persephone.
"I discovered from a reliable source that Archon is after me as well. He's one of the gods I stabbed."
"That bastard!" exclaimed Hades.
He and Persephone were aware of the incident with the two unknown gods. Now that his identity is known, Hades was prepared to unleash destruction upon Atlantis for the offence but Melinoe and Persephone pursued him to not get involve.
"Let's not go to war with Atlantis. I saw for myself, their hearts are entangled with debauchery and corruption. Let them battle each other for power, watch as they drown in their own blood and that of their kin." Melinoe snapped her mouth closed when she remembered Mintha's relationship with the twin goddesses of the pantheon she was insulting. She cleared her throat and avoided Mintha's sad eyes.
"If that was Archon, then who was the Sumerian you saw him with?" asked Hades.
"I don't know his name since I have yet to see him again. " said Melinoe
"We can't declared a war with them either." insisted Persephone.
"There'll be no wars, yet. I'm actually thinking that maybe the two weren't just having a tryst. They might've been meeting to form secret alliances."
"That could be a possibility." Melinoe agreed.
Persephone found it hard to believe. "By how could that work? Charonte and gallu are enemies."
"May be that's what they want us to think?" said Hades.
Silence followed his sentence as they contemplate the possibilities. Mintha was off to the side, listening to their conversation to understand what's happening. Hades spoke first.
"Share this only with Zeus and Hera but to no one else until there's proof."
Melinoe and Persephone agreed.
"I'll tell them now." Melinoe flashed to Hera's temple with Mintha on tow.