Heroes' return
"And there he was, old Centaur man," Ares told, delighting in all attention directed at him where he sat on the edge of the dais in the large fore-hall to the dining-room, almost the whole Olympos gathered around him, all ears. Nike on the other hand was no narrator, she was fine with sitting back and letting Ares tell the whole story, including the sad demise of poor Cadmilos and then the persuasive skills she and the War God had deployed to convince Cheiron into returning to Hellas in spite of his downright aversion for the old land.
"Let's just say that we weren't greeted warmly," Ares went on. "Cheiron the cheerful let us know that he had rather seen two wipers in his cave than Nike and I. I told him in return that I couldn't care less about his opinion about me or Nike; we were there to do a job. We were there because we cared about the mortal Centaurs down in Hellas. I didn't let Cheiron cut me off, I told him frankly that Centaurs were being murdered by some unknown menace and that we lacked a reasonable chance to protect those proud beings, simply because they didn't want to be protected by human gods. So our hope laid with him. Our hope and the hope for the remaining Centaurs in central Hellas."
"And what did he have to say about that?" Hera wondered where she was sitting almost opposite of her son, more or less in the lap of Zeus and with his arms around her in an endearing cuddle.
"He said nothing first. Seemed to think over what I'd said which I first interpreted as a step in the right direction. But then he told me that Hellas' Centaurs were on their own, that he was done with them now. Thus I tried to ask him if he had any advices to give, to which he said he had none. Instead he begged us to leave. To go back the way we had come and not bother him anymore. That was when Nike got mad. She started by calling him a selfish bastard who was just hiding away in a cave while people out there were needing him. She told about Cadmilos, who had given his life to find help for those he cared about. Finally, she said that if he was so selfish and ignorant that he didn't care about the Centaurs just because he held some ancient grudge against Zeus, he might as well have Cadmilos' death on his conscience while he rotted away in his cave. Nike was so furious; I haven't seen such ire from her since back when the rivergod Alpheus tried to molest her. In the end her ferocious lecture had Cheiron caving in. I think most of it had to do with the demise of Cadmilos. Cheiron never knew the god; still I guess he felt somewhat bad because somebody he had never known had died for a case which should really've been his."
"At least that wimp did something useful with his life," Kratos was murmuring from behind and Aphrodite could hear his sister Bia's husky and disparaging laughter. Other gods appeared more sad over Cadmilos' fate; the love goddess could see more than one who made no attempts to hide the tears. She saw Artemis comforting Calliope and Demeter whispering with Selene. Under other circumstances Aphrodite might've asked someone standing near about the lost god, what he had been doing together with Ares and Nike, because Ares' story made it clear that Cadmilos hadn't been any kind of warrior, but a nature and forest god.
Quite distracted, Aphrodite found herself more or less ogling Ares, where he sat with hands between dangling long legs and thick, dark hair falling over brawny, tanned shoulders. He had that certain something, that animal magnetism, which made Aphrodite almost forgetting what he was really talking about. While he went on describing their more or less eventless journey back, now together with the horse-man instead of the dead deity, Aphrodite felt something primal stirring within her. Ares was nothing like Poseidon or Hermes or even Apollo. He had Aphrodite nurturing thoughts of what he might look like outside his snow white chiton and crimson cloak which hung loosely over his shoulders. Those vibrant emotions playing along his handsome features, the all-seeing way his chestnut eyes circled the audience and the melodic way his deep, dark voice sounded, and it didn't get better when their eyes connected and she felt Ares holding her look for a bit longer than really necessary, curiosity triggered within those dark orbs, brows lifting ever so slightly in bemusement. Oh my... A man shouldn't be allowed to be that unreasonably handsome.
To divert herself, Aphrodite put the tip of her thumb in her mouth and bit into it hard. That usually helped. Not this time though. She couldn't let go of this fizzling desire...
Ares and Nike began answering questions, mostly about what Cheiron was doing now (getting to know the Thessalian Centaurs) and more about that thing which had killed Cadmilos.
"I've never encountering anything like it," Nike said, shaking her head and Ares agreed. The next moment he turned to his father:
"Who's Eurymedon?"
"Eurymedon?" Zeus seemed a bit puzzled.
"Cadmilos' spirit broke through, about three hours after his death, and talked to me. Asked me to take care of his son, who apparently is called Eurymedon. Do you know who that one might be? I've never heard about such a god."
"It might be a mortal son he has," Zeus replied, looking at Ares. "As soon as you've rested, Ares, I suggest you set out to find him."
"Huh – and do what?" Ares looked a bit perplexed, how cute he was when he raised his brows and dropped his jay like that, Aphrodite thought.
"Take care of him of course, it was a dead god's wish that you should do so, son."
"All right, all right, all right, I will," the God of War sighed.
"But don't turn him into another warlord," Hera admonished.
"I might not," Ares mused. "If the son is anything like his father, he'll be more interested in trekking the forest and hunting games than marching off to war. But I'll honor my promise to Cadmilos, that's the least I can do. I'll find the boy. Or the man or the adolescent or whatever he might be. And I'll watch over him if needed. Perhaps he's doing fine on his own and doesn't need me."
"Don't be so assured of that," Demeter said. "There must be a reason for Cadmilos to ask someone to take care of the son. I believe he's little..."
"Puhlease everyone!" Ares held up his hands. "I'll do what's necessary. Leave it to me. I might ask for some advice if I feel I need it but right now I don't know what the boy'll be like. Or the man. Got to find him first, you know!"
*o*o*
All though the dinner Aphrodite was trying to figure out how to approach Ares. She thought of several opening lines, trashing them all as being either too cheesy or too cliché. But instead it was the God of War who searched her out as soon as the four coursed meal was over and the gods were spilling out onto the terrace in the soft and warm evening of late spring.
"So you're the new one?" she suddenly heard that mesmerizing, dark voice behind her. Turning around, she tried with all her might to look like somebody who knew her way around the complicated game of Olympian interactions.
"Fairly new, yes," she replied, while regarding the man standing in the lamplight. Red divine fire was shining off his hair, highlighting it as if blood had been spilling all over it – quite fitting for a war god she thought. He held out a hand large as a chariot and she felt her own petite one disappear completely inside that warm grip.
"I'm Aphrodite."
"I know."
"You do – Ares?" she flashed him a shy smile.
"Yes, Hermes couldn't wait to tell me all about you. And you're even more gorgeous than my little brother's hot-air led me to believe. No matter that my imagination when it comes to striking women has always been vivid."
"Oh..." she suddenly found her at loss for words as her knees were going weak and her cheeks were blushing.
"Then again I guess my little brother was not that interested in sharing what he had laid his blue ones upon, so he was playing it down."
"Ares," Aphrodite put her hand to her chest, "I don't think Hermes really aimed to – well, keep me from anyone."
"You don't?" Ares smiled that mesmerizing smile and she regarded him, took in every angle of that handsome face, every shadow falling over his strong chest and ropy biceps, almost not hearing the others' chatter around her. "Don't underestimate Hermes! He's a tricky one."
"Ares, I... He and I... I mean, there's nothing like a he and I. In fact..." she quieted down. No use in telling him about Apollo. She wondered where he was tonight by the way. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen him around since yesterday.
"Okay – nothing like you and him. That sounds sincere enough." Ares chuckled and Aphrodite cursed inside at her own tongue-tiedness.
"You must've had an exciting adventure," she finally managed to blurt out. "Nike and you, luring that Centaur back from wherever it was."
"Transylvania it's called. A mountainous area north of Trace. Populated by fierce and wild tribes, not half as civilized as the people down here. And all kind of odd beasts. In fact Nike and I were involved in quite a lot of fighting, but that was nothing I told about earlier. The Olympians are not that keen on hearing these things, they think fights are boring. Save for Athena that is, even though she's always remarking that I'm too keen on it."
"You can tell me about it if you like," Aphrodite beamed. Everything to keep him around a bit more.
"Oh, you wouldn't be interested in these things."
"Try me," she challenged, tilting her chin at him and Ares took the bait.
"Let's go sit down and I'll give you the long version of our endeavors then." He held out his arms and she took it more than willingly.
*o*o*
A hero, she thought for herself. Ares was a war hero. A real fighter and not that bad a strategist as Athena might hold him for. Aphrodite was walking down the slopes to her own home, still feeling the slight tingle on the upper right hand where Ares had kissed her goodnight. That man sure was intriguing, she thought. Their little talk that evening had made her even more certain of it. Too bad that lass Nike had to come and pull him away. Did these two have something going privately as well? Knowing herself, Aphrodite would be losing sleep tonight over the thought of the two of them together, even now she was making up erotic images within her mind. Especially since she had no clue about where Apollo might be. Where had the God of Music gone and why? And did she care?
"Do I care?" she asked out in the night and the only reply she got was from a howling owl that probably cared more about nearby rodents or more feathered mates.
It still annoyed her that Apollo hadn't bothered with protecting their privacy the other night when they had made love. He ought to know what snooping eyes there may be out there and if he had been just the slightest considerate of her and her discretion, he would have laid out a ward against these things before going further in his intent with her. But he hadn't bothered, and she kept winding herself up about it, getting more than reasonable mad at Apollo. He KNEW! It almost felt as if he was getting a kick out of being watched while enjoying her body, which she had given of so generously.
Whatever, Aphrodite was not going to let that happen again. Not in her own place at least. She had put up a Diorum Double Circle, the way Hemera had shown her and she had warded her cardinal points and tied knots of silver thread around three tree branches to make sure she was warned when something spiritual was trying to enter. Those darn sneaky bastards would soon learn who they had tried to pull a stunt upon!
"Aphrodite?" she turned towards the male voice, so distracted in her thoughts that she hadn't felt his presence.
"Yes, what do you want?"
"Some company perhaps, a little talk." Hermes walked out in the light blue sheen of the two orbs of divine light burning on the pillars on each side of her gate.
"A little – talk?"
"Yeah, I'm not really of the same stuff as Apollo."
"And exactly what do you mean by that," she nearly snapped, annoyed at his smirk which was self-assured and teasing at the same way.
"Exactly what I say. I want some company. Someone to talk a bit with. When I saw you walking off on your own, I thought 'why not?' After all, you and I, Aphrodite haven't really had a talk face to face. With no other dudes around."
"And just why is that so important?"
"To still my curiosity. You know I was born curious, and when papa tells about a goddess coming riding a sea-shell across the sea to land on Cyprus, of course I get interested."
"Riding a sea-shell, oh my! How did you get that image into your head?"
"Used my imagination. That's an amazing thing, Aphrodite-sweet."
"Oh," she almost groined. "Are all Olympian men always so poised?"
"You may say we are. Comes with the territory. Well perhaps not Hephaestos, but the rest of us sure are."
"And why is... Hephaestos, where was he tonight, you know that?" she couldn't help asking. Now that was another man she hadn't seen much of.
"Oh well..." Hermes shrugged as if it was the least important thing he could think of at the moment. "He's probably home working with one thing or another. He always does. Oh, what he creates is marvelous, but one would wish the lad let his hair down once in a while and socialized."
"And why doesn't he."
"That's simply not his style. Now I don't want to talk about my half-brother. I want to talk about you. And I don't want to stand here on the path and feeling like a dork."
Well go home then, Aphrodite might've said. Yet she didn't. If it was about getting some distraction from the persistent thoughts of Ares, if it was a way to get back on Apollo – or something entire else, she didn't know. Nevertheless she opened her gate, pushing the ornate iron lightly with her back by taking a few reversing steps and indicated with her head for the god that he was welcome to enter. Hermes followed through, still with that smug look upon his face. Perhaps she could teach him to lose that one, she thought while leading the way up to her house where she just the other day had made love to Apollo like he was the only one. Yet, she should've known better. The god of music seemed to have tired of her and she had definitely tired of him when they had become the talk of the town in such an embarrassing way after just one night together.
Doubtlessly talking was not the only thing Hermes intended to do, still she couldn't care less. Besides she was sure they'd have their asses covered this time. No more snooping sprits, thanks to what she and Hemera had taken care of yesterday and the tips Hemera's sister Nyx had added to complete the defense. Relishing in that, Aphrodite led Hermes inside the door and pulled it close. Then she used it to back up Hermes against before she grabbed his whiskered cheeks in her hands and initiated a hot and passionate kiss right away. Hearing the god gasp, trying to say something, she didn't let him. Talk, talk, talk, she was so over it. Now was now and here was here and she intended to enjoy the moment and to Tartarus with decorum.
Instead, Aphrodite let go of his lips and tongue just long enough to be able to lean back and tear the jacket off his shoulders, he was wearing one of these chitons which left one shoulder bare, and the other shoulder would soon be bared as well – if she was to have her way.
"Uh?" Hermes was murmuring when she released his lips. "I thought... you and Ares... were flirting."
"Yeah you sure have been talking to Ares, I know that," she replied with a husky voice while she pulled off that sole shoulder textile, exposing Hermes' bare chest. He was way hairier than Apollo, she noted, a reddish fluff covering his torso and running like a dry river down his hard abs.
"You couldn't..." Hermes began but she placed her hand across his mouth, oh that god, ever so talkative he was! But a bit more kissing should take care of that, she figured.
Pushing her tongue between his full and hot lips once more, she found his tongue and conquered it, holding on to his ankles, pushing him against the door while grinding her body against his, feeling her nipples ache as if they wanted to burst the textile of her peplo. Meanwhile she found his body react to her treatment, his member hardening against her lower belly as she stood on her toes and kissed him. She felt his hands struggling to get inside her dress, his breathing becoming heavier, blowing heated air across her forehead. Chaos, she was raping this man, how unlike her! On the other hand, he didn't seem to mind. He seemed as eager as a feline in March. Soon he'd maneuvered off that door by taking her firmly in her buttocks and made some strange combination of squeezing it and lifting her up, which made her even hotter for him. Thus they made their way into the living room where they rid themselves of the last garments covering their bodies, Hermes grunting like a savage while they more or less wrestled down each other on the sofa and he found her right nipple with his mouth and teased it with tongue and teeth until it hardened even more and she was moaning with pleasure.
She began tearing her hands through his hair, caressing him and kissing whatever exposed part of skin she had found with her lips.
"You're... beautiful... Aphrodite..." Hermes murmured between his oral endeavors across her body. "All... encompassing sensuality. To why... do I deserve... this honour?"
"Hush, Hermes," she reproached him laughingly. "You came to me, remember!"
"Yes but... hardly..."
"Oh, hard enough, I'd say!" she squeezed gently down there for emphasis and heard him gasp.
Covering his lips with hers again, she realized that he had found his way down to her secret place, teasing it with first one finger and then with two, taking his time. Oh, those Olympian men! They were keen all right; still they made sure to satisfy the woman, which made them all the more irresistible. Aphrodite reckoned she had fallen right down in a pleasure haven, and as she crawled on top of Hermes, spreading her legs to let him enter her cavities for real, she knew she had only began exploring all the vibrant treasures of men who dwelt on this mountaintop. How had they done it – collecting them all here?
Overwhelmed with elation Aphrodite rode Hermes into eternity, across event horizon and down on the other side, and she called out as she came. Hermes responded by reaching out with his hand, and pressing a large, hard thumb against her clitoris, massaging it eagerly, making her orgasm even more intense. It almost become too much – impossible to handle. Barely aware, she felt Hermes come as well, gasping as released himself within her. She almost halted in her movements, contracted against his member with her lower lips; bit herself 'till she tasted the salty hot palate of her own blood across her teeth, as her nails bore into the flesh of Hermes' upper arms.
This was different from Apollo. More raw, more Earthly. She sensed Hermes as quite a bit younger than his brother. Younger, rasher and more Earth bound. She breathed quickly through her nostrils and shivered once more, before collapsing across the slender and lithe form of the agile messenger god. Hermes clutched his arms around her body as her heat cooled down and she felt almost chilly when the damp night wind drifted in through the open window, tickling them across their exposed skin.
"Oh, Aphrodite!" Hermes whispered while fondling her gently over her cheek. "You really are something else."
"Else from what?" she snuggled up with her head beneath his chin, feeling that unshaven contour tickle her forehead.
"Than the rest. I've never been – well – assaulted like this before."
"I guess I couldn't help myself," she giggled gently.
"Not that I mind. On the very contrary to be true. I realize..."
"What?" she enquired when he didn't go on.
"That I'm honored."
"Honored?" now, that was a new one!
"I realize that you belong to no one, milady. Or perhaps to everyone."
"I do?"
"Yes you do. Or I'd make sure to make you mine."
"Come on, Hermes! Why not give it a try?"
"Because... well..."
"Whaaat!" she almost rose from her snuggled-up position then.
"Aphrodite, I'm not going to deny it. I saw, just like most gods and goddesses up at the palace tonight, how you were checking out Ares."
"You saw – say what?" she could feel how her whole body stiffened with a different kind of awareness as she rose from her resting position, glaring at Hermes.
"Oh, there's nothing strange with that," He laid his hands firmly upon her again, returning her to the earlier position next to him. "Ares is handsome in that dangerous way so many women seem to be turned on by. A nice guy like yours truly has nothing against that. I'm only glad I got the chance to taste your lips before you moved on together with the God of War."
She wriggled out of his arms and stood, fury blinding her and she lit a divine light in her right hand, almost hurling it at Hermes.
"Get – out!" She didn't scream, not even rising her voice, instead she pressed the two syllables between her teeth as if they were of that hard to bite off nuts and honey fudge candy they ate on the southernmost islands in the Aegean.
"Aphrodite, darling, I'm sorry..." Hermes didn't move an inch but his blue eyes suddenly looked like a sad puppy. Something which annoyed her even more.
"Get – out!" she insisted. "Like now."
"Aphrodite..."
"Which part of 'out' is it you do not understand?" she pointed with her hand towards the door.
Hermes wasn't giving up that easy.
"The part where you don't want to listen to my apology. I sure didn't mean to insult you or anything. It was only the bad self-confidence of Hermes speaking. My... you're a Goddess of Love. And I know how these women affect me, they make me drop my brain somewhere and put my foot in the mouth and..."
"Well, go pick it up then, Hermes. And don't come back."
"Yeah, right. And let Ares win before he has even started his campaign. No, he ain't gonna have victory that easy, war god or not!"
When Hermes sat up and flashed off that grin again, she couldn't help giggle. And the tears which had been on the brink of her lids dried up again. Such a freakish night!
"You mean you're gonna battle Ares over me?"
"Yes, something like that," Hermes smirked.
"You do know that Apollo was with me the other night," she didn't know why she said it, those words just fell through her lips before she remembered to shut them.
"The birds where whispering something about it, yeah," the god said as he changed position in the settee. "But it's not like I care."
"Why not?"
"Because obviously he doesn't. Or he'd be here with you instead. Well, his loss."
Aphrodite shook her head in confusion as she heard Hermes chuckle. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had tricked her somewhere. Tricked her into not throwing him out on his buttocks, although she wasn't sure how it had happened. Instead she sat herself next to the son of Zeus and let him lay his arm around her shoulders and caress her slightly, ruffle her hair with a large paw.
"You know where he is? Not that I really care, I just wonder."
"Then I'm the right one to ask. It's part of my job description to keep track on people. He's down in the mortal world. Or more exactly in the city of Thebes."
"And what does he do there?"
"Pursuing a prince who dares to claim he's more skilled with the lyre than Apollo."
"And is he?" she couldn't help asking, while she felt Hermes twiddling a lock of her long hair around his right thumb, yanking at it slightly. He bent over and kissed the top of her head, oddly chaste taking in mind what had just passed between them and that they were still naked.
"I dunno. Well the natural reply would be that Apollo is better. He's definitely the more skilled one, and he can conjure up a beauty from the string which no one else even comes near. Not even his mother Leto, who is one of the most revered musicians among the gods. But this mortal prince, he has some kind of raw talent, a way to handle the instrument as if he's out to create a grinding noise rather than euphony."
"Why?" Puzzled, Aphrodite wrinkled her brow. "What'd be the point of that?"
"A challenge perhaps. An urge to create something new. And perhaps an 'up yours' to all those people – gods as well as mortals – with prejudices when it comes to music. Perhaps it's all about provoking my brother."
"Stupid," Aphrodite huffed. She didn't get that reasoning at all. Music was for beauty, making grinding noises with a lyre was meaningless in her opinion. At the same time she was pissed at Apollo for caring about it. Not only because he had left her without as much as a word for explanation – as if he was taking her for granted – but also since he lowered himself to be bothered with that nobody mortal and his antics. Apollo was a god. An Olympian. He should be above such inanities. She huffed at the very thought of it. Absurd! Then she turned and laid her hand across the head of Hermes and pulled him down towards herself so she could reach him for another kiss.