AN: I really need to get into a habit of writing.
Btw, did any of you read the mid-text AN? Because I worry that it is necessary for internal consistency.
Another thing, I don't think I ever stated how many different types of wine I made, so for now, I'll say three for the wine god and a beer jar. Btw, apparently, ancient Greeks did drink beer. But I don't know if they did that after the bronze age. Regardless, let's just say it has either been a while since Dionysus has tried it, or it never reached him since he was the one teaching people about wine…for now, let's go with the latter. Link: en. Wikipedia wiki/Beer_in_Greece #cite_note-:1-2 If this link doesn't show up just google ancient Greek beer.
The trio of two deities and an Aquilla travelled fast, though clearly not as fast as the group was used to travelling. Praxis, while an initial foray into organic crafting, was a marvellous machine nonetheless and could travel faster than most regular eagles. This made the average speed he could reach higher than some eagles' top speed. But the effort to remove the effects of blinding speed on the cargo would not have been worth it, and thus even Praxis did not have to work too hard to keep up.
Around halfway there, Hermes spoke, "I have certainly accompanied much slower charges than you, much slower gods as well." A hum of acknowledgement came from The Granter of Directed Motion. After a few moments, the god spoke again, "Is the crate full you are carrying gifts by any chance? I can't think of anything else you'd bring to a party that would take up so much space."
"It is full of gifts." The statement was so succinct it may have come off worse if it were to anyone but Hermes.
"Do I get one?" a smirk on the patron of thieves' face as he spoke.
"Yes, I have a gift for you. Though something tells me I would find certain things missing if I did not." a small smirk was barely seen on the Omnissiah's lips.
"Oh, don't give me any ideas now; You are going to draw enough attention from my family as it is without tempting me with special trinkets to nick." a hum was the initial response given to the god by The One of Invisible Works.
"Well," the smirk was still present, but the tone was neutral, "just keep in mind that if I find you have stolen from me, you will find you aren't the only person capable of entering other's homes without permission." after such an ominous declaration Hermes turned to look at the Primordial he was escorting all the while the group stayed at a pace, "You may find," after saying that a lightness returned to the tone of Omnissiah the Duel-headed, "your palace without walls and your carpets nailed to the ceiling."
Hermes took a moment to take in what the tri-part deity had just said before laughing, which was matched with a chuckle. "What kind of threat is that?"
"The kind with humour mixed in while not being beyond annoying." the patron of commerce raised a brow.
"That is more than just annoying. Though I do admit the image is funny." the air lost its tension while Hermes quietly muttered to himself, "How have I never thought of stealing walls…?"
The group finally arrived at Olympus, the space warping in welcome of one of its inhabitants, allowing the two guests and their gifts to slip through easily.
The god of pathways spoke, "Welcome to Olympus, Omnissiah."
Once inside, the Lord of the True Path took in how much of Olympus was decorated for the festivities. It seemed every part, including the palaces, was covered in flowers and objects to enhance the atmosphere. Fabrics of all colours were scattered about in chaotic order, embroideries, sculptures, and even water features in places. Nymphs of various kinds frolicked in their respective areas, those of trees, water, ocean, meadows, and more. Though what made each different was not immediately clear as some were very similar. It seems that it was a party for the servants as it was for the council.
'Well, and I suppose this is also a party for myself.' aside from the plethora of nymphs, there were also more minor gods that were not the twelve on the council. Or at least that is who they seemed to be to the Lord of Rusted Soil. The arrival of the trio did not go unnoticed by those closest to them, but those further away or more involved in their conversations and activities remained as of yet unaware. Many bowed or titled their heads as they saw Hermes. There were a couple of raised brows and murmurs when they spotted He of Energeia, but many simply dismissed the oddity of the crimson-robed man and very unique hawk.
After all, a minor god, a crate, and a unique eagle weren't exactly explosively exciting, just odd. Even if no one knew who the god was, clearly someone amongst the hundreds of gods present would know him; Hermes certainly did know the odd one considering they arrived together.
Hermes began to quietly give a tour of Olympus in a volume not really heard over the voices around them, pointing out what each location was, where to find certain things that might be wanted from a party, and making comments on some of the minor gods, who they were, what they did, who to look out for/avoid.
Amongst that, as they walked, Hermes made a comment on the various types of Nymphs, "We didn't really invite them, but word spread about the party, and we didn't have a reason to stop gods and Nymphs from outside of Olympus from coming. They've shown up at plenty of our previous parties, so it wasn't unexpected. Even the water Nymphs came in large amounts sure, they stick to the salt and freshwater pools, but usually, there are only a few. And of course, there are the various types of land Nymphs, Dryads, Oreads, Meliae-" the god pointed as he spoke.
The Lord of All Knowledge looked where he was pointing at that last one, 'Meliae…where have I heard this, ah yes, Ash, I do not think that was her actual name. The Nymph in the forest relatively close to Dimitis.' Hermes all but tuned out for a moment he looked and saw various Meliae, ash tree Nymphs. And there amongst them, he saw her. The one he had spoken to the night before his incarnation. "Tell me, Hermes," the trickster god looked at him as if urging him to continue, "would it be rude to see someone you've met before but not greet them?"
"I think it would be in most situations, but not all." the god's confusion made him stop to talk, "did you see someone."
"Do you mind if I go talk to her? It might be important later for me to do so since we are both here; it saves me time." Hermes gestured for him to go.
"Lead on"
"Stay with the crate Praxis." the box filled with gifts was placed down, and the Aquilla moved from the shoulder of his creator to the top of the crate. The god and Primordial moved towards the group of Meliae. Once there, the group took notice of the pair.
"Lord Hermes, can we help you?" a Meliae spoke. The Omnissiah walked past her, saying.
"Apologies, I simply wished to say hello to one of you." the group seemed confused, "Hello Ash, it has been a few days," he spoke, facing her while standing a few feet away.
Her face was confused but different from her peers and friends, "Why is your voice familiar?"
"I introduced myself as Omnissiah. Apologies for not saying I wasn't a human like you presumed, but I wasn't ready to interact with the gods at that point." at those words, her eyes widened. At this, Hermes laughed, making her pale, believing she had done something wrong.
"Oh, by all that is good, she thought you were a mortal? When and how did you even meet? What did you even need to talk to her about now?" the hooded deity turned to partially face the amused and laughing god.
"The day before we first met Hermes, in the woods, which I presume is her home or near it. As for why I came to say hello, it is simple." he turned back to the bemused and shocked nymph, "I shall likely need to speak with you and any nymphs near my chapel and house. I do intend, after all, to make use of the resources in the area eventually."
Despite the seemingly serious nature of the topic the mysterious god had brought up, the nymph could only ask, "Chapel?"
"The place that contains my altar, similar to a temple." the Meliae around were all still silent; this conversation was, after all, incredibly odd. Who was this supposed god, and why was Lord Hermes accompanying him? Thoughts such as these were continuously being asked internally. "Regardless, may I know your actual name before I leave? We can talk at another place or time."
She seemed to hesitate for a moment before she spoke, "Oritae… Omnissiah," she was hesitant to add lord to her sentence but was relieved when nothing bad happened, " apologies for not recognizing you, your voice is, different, slightly, deeper."
"It is not an issue, thank you, Oritae." he nodded before making his way back to his crate, which had a few curious observers. Hermes snickered before leading them on as before. The group of nymphs surrounded Oritae and began to try and extract information from her.
"Talk about abrupt. You really have a way of leaving women speechless, don't you." the tone was teasing.
There was a pause before the Lord of Mars asked a question, "I suppose, but I take it this is an allusion to seduction?" another laugh was his only response.
Eventually, they reached what seemed to be a more private part of the party at a large circular table, the twelve Olympians sat, with the addition of Hades and Persephone. The seating arrangements were close to that of the council seats. With Persephone next to Demeter with Hades to her right and Athena to the right of Hades. There was a large space bereft of anyone, 'Likely, at least in part, for me.'
"I have brought our guest, apologies for the delay." the gods that hadn't already turned did so.
Zeus spoke, "You are not late, and it is quite alright we have just begun. I suppose we should get introductions underway but first sit, eat." he glanced at the crate and the Aquilla that flew to his master's shoulder, "And place down your burdens." the king of Olympus sent a small glare at the unique and insultingly grander version of his own symbol.
Hermes walked around to his place to the right of the space. Leaving the trinity to sit down with Artemis to his left. Removing his hood from his head, he looked before him. There was a variety of food in front of him, including interesting objects he had not seen before. He began to eat some bread before pointing to the liquid and solid foods he didn't recognize. "What are these, if I may ask?" the gods looked at him oddly, "Did I misspeak?"
Hermes spoke from the Omnissiah's right, "That is nectar and ambrosia. Mortals will tell you tales that either will make you immortal, but in truth, it only extends life, and too much would kill a mortal outright. Hera's golden apples, on the other hand." the god mused.
"Ah, yes, I have heard about nectar and ambrosia. Regardless I believe it is the case that you all know my name; to be clear, you may call me Omnissiah. And I know all of your names, so I am unsure if we need true introductions. Regardless, thank you for hosting me, and is there anything you wish to ask before we truly settle into a discussion?" the words seemed abrupt but were polite enough that no comment was made.
"Well, that does save time. Have you truly never eaten ambrosia or drunk nectar? I have been told through various sources that you are not just a god, but a primordial." Zeus spoke, his tone becoming increasingly less friendly as he spoke, not harsh but less pleasant.
"I do not recall consuming them, it is possible, but I do not recall it. As for my status as a primordial. Yes, that seems to be the case. Did you need a demonstration that I am more than my human form?" the God of the Noosphere looked at Zeus with a raised brow.
The response was genuine as far as any could tell, "No, I trust my children and brother. Besides, a mortal wouldn't be capable of crafting an eagle like yours." the youngest son of Kronos spoke in a more strained friendly tone in the second sentence. Clearly not liking Praxis but fighting the urge to be utterly blunt.
"I feel eagle doesn't really describe Praxis given how modified he is, I call his species Aquila." Praxis seemed to preen under the attention. He of Energeia took a pause to take then sip some nectar, something everyone at the table watched, "Oh…" the gods of the council were all watching. Their guest had a look of surprise before a grin spread on his lips, "this is most excellent. Aside from the taste being very intense, it has incredibly good nutrition. And not just physically, I-"
Flashes of light and a mechanized voice of a man, 'Everything organic we know of is simply machinery, in one form or another. Tendons replace pistons; flesh in the place of steel; blood is simply biological coolant. To deny this and shun it is…' a scraping sound that hurt to listen to as if the memories themselves were rent asunder, 'idiocy.' A different voice, 'I have incarnated, I am the Omnissiah. And I am glad to meet you all face to face' the voice was clearly his own; it brought confusion before his voice continued, 'There is truth in all that exists…Flesh is material, even pushed to its limits, it is flawed. But organic built the inorganic from mere material, up to the superior machine… Machine can stave off the decay of the flesh. While flesh maintains, repairs, and builds machines. They do not need the other, but they are better in tandem.' That had been when he'd created Praxis; some voices spoke of flesh in disgust, others in support. Some in rage, others a calm brought forth by emotional void, extremes and mediums mingled constantly from the prayers and voices of his future memories.
'Seventh warning: Flesh is Fallible, but Ritual Honors the Machine Spirit.' the words clashed against and yet melded with the words from earlier. Yet more remembered, on a disquietingly conflicting subject without full knowledge, in a far from a good or decent place to do so. Resolved to ponder the implications of that law, later on, his attention returned to the world.
And at the end of that, it seemed only a moment had passed; his hosts were still in their seats, "You cut yourself off there; it is not just physical, you said?" oddly enough, it was the queen of the gods that spoke to break the silence that stretched a few moments as He Who is on Mars observed his surroundings.
"Ah, apologies. I have an imperfect memory at the moment, I am currently having a slow recovery of my Omniscience. The nectar helped me recall something important." many of the assembled gods frowned.
Athena spoke up, "You claim that you will know all things?"
Hades butted in, "Yes, I recall you mentioned that multiple times. In fact, it was the reason you sought me out, no? Because of your relation to souls?"
A nod, "Yes, and I said this to both Hephaestus and you, Athena, though I suppose your mind was occupied with other revelations to focus on me when I said all. To reiterate. I am the Machine God, the Motive Force, and the Omnissiah. I hold domain over all machines, knowledge, the directed motion that is life, and the spirit." the words held a weight that wasn't entirely metaphorical, "I am triune, and to restate my purpose in attending here. I wish to either make friends or allies with at least some of you. And whether or not I do so, I intend for us to come to an agreement about our interactions. A treaty as it were, I've already made an agreement with Hades, but no doubt this may be more complex."
A second to think passed before Zeus nodded his head; his emotions were a mix of relief and anxiety. While the things that were sought were good or neutral, the agreement combined with a being that was clearly powerful enough not to be pushed around. One did not need to see proof of power to know that a primordial, even a 'healing' one, wasn't a small matter. The lord of the skies made a statement, "Yes, well, I suppose we can do that after we learn more of you and you learn more of us. Perhaps we should exchange questions."
The words took a moment to stir before Hades spoke up abruptly, "I'll start: the two of us worked out an agreement. But before we started our true discussion, you talked about bestowing spirits on both metal and flesh. I've seen you bless the workshop of Daedalus, you said it would bestow spirits to machines. I could perhaps write that off as just a way of saying a blessing, but that 'Aquilla,' was it, you bestowed it its spirit? May my wife and I see it?"
Praxis looked to The Life Sparker, who nodded. The bird flew over to the couple past the twins of Leto, landing just between the couple. The two of them were quite versed in looking into souls to judge them, Hades especially was gifted at such who taught much of what he knew to his queen. Though this was an animal, its spirit certainly did not match many animals they had seen. Each of the two rulers of the underworld was looked at by an eagle head, "His name is Praxis since you missed it. You may touch him if you wish."
Persephone reached out and stroked the feathers of the golden eagle. "He is quite beautiful." a chirp came in response from the Praxis.
"What are you looking for?" Demeter asked.
"I was attempting to confirm that…Praxis was ensouled by Omnissiah. His soul is complex for an animal and matches the feeling I've gotten from his creator's domain." Hades answered.
Demeter gave her son-in-law a flat look, "I was asking Persephone." a chuckle came from Apollo, with Poseidon, Hermes, and Dionysus at the other side of the table also doing so.
The Omnissiah stood, causing all others at the table to look at him. Praxis moved to the shoulder of his creator once more after an absentminded pet from Persephone. "Well, for my part, a lot of what I think I know of all of you has been from the stories of mankind." moving from the table to the box, the trinity's feathered creation hopped from his shoulder to the back of his chair, began to open it, "And while I am certain some are true, I do not know for others, I hope my gifts are made to suit the truth."
Hermes cut in, "Oh, is it gift time? I've been dying to see what you made for me, well, and others, but mostly what I get to play around with." his smile wide, "well, without stealing and getting yelled at that is." the other gods looked at their messenger with varied emotions, from amusement to annoyance, and then at the box.
"Yes, Hermes, it does, provided that is alright. I admit to not knowing many traditions." at the words of the Lord of All Knowledge, Zeus went to speak, but Hera did so before him.
"It should be fine you need not worry; I admit to wondering what it was you brought in but since Hermes allowed you to bring it assumed it was fine." the All Anointed moved to face the crate once more and fully opened it, looking inside a hum escaped his throat, "Is everything alright?" the queen spoke again.
"I am unsure of who to present my gifts to first, and I also did not prepare gifts for Hades and Persephone." at these words, the couple laughed and seemed to wave off the concern.
"I can't speak for my husband to a full degree, but I think we will be alright. Though if you do visit again and still feel bad, you could bring us something." Hades hummed in agreement. The two of them are in a seemingly good mood compared to the rather tense or curious mood of the others present. "As for the order of gifting?" she turns to Zeus, who himself waved it off, simply keeping an eye on his guest.
With that, the tri-part deity took out the two radios and moved to Hermes. The gods looked at the objects as they were handed to the god. "These are phi-radios which I've connected to your faith trails, or whatever you call the rivers of faith from humans that stream to you. So long as both are near where you have been recently, you will be able to speak to each and be heard on the other side. My impression is that you are extremely busy and that this is a possible way to ease your work, at least a bit."
The eyes of the Olympians widened while Hermes, for his part seemed to have his brain going a mile a minute on what to do with them. But surprisingly, it was Aphrodite who spoke up on the topic, "Sorry, faith trails, I…his gift is amazing, but what do you mean?" Athena and Hephaestus quickly nodded, with the god also grunting in agreement with his ex-wife.
The Gift Crafter took a moment to pause before making his way back to the crate while speaking, "The means by which you receive the faith and prayers of humans. Can you not see them?" He grabbed the rifle-bow and walked towards Artemis, who eyed him suspiciously.
"How do you 'connect' to these trails?" the tone of the king of Olympus is cold neutrality barely hiding suspicion.
'Half truth, lest they find out I can remove access to faith.' the Machine God demonstrated, loading the rifle-bow to Artemis before gesturing for her to stand all the while speaking, "It is easiest when very close, the best being full submersion in the stream. Or rather at the place where the stream would be if it were in physical space. Much easier at larger, stronger streams and full rather than partial submersion. "
The goddess of the hunt stood and watched as the foreign deity demonstrated how to hold and fire the rifle bow. After the arrow buried its arrowhead into a tree around thirty meters from him. A few gods tensed when they realized it was a weapon, Ares, Athena and Hephaestus looked on with interest point he presented the weapon to her, "This is a rifle-bow, or at least that is what I call it. I hope it is not unsatisfactory, I made it a rather bare and simple, should you want changes, I would talk with Hephaestus." she took the weapon returned to her seat. Looking at the engravings, she had a small smile and mumbled a thank you.
"Are we going to ignore that he can apparently see something we can't?" Poseidon asked, "Something very important, brother?"
Zeus moved his jaw in thought, "We can all feel our own 'faith streams.' We will discuss whether seeing them is a problem or not after the gifts. For now, it is fine." the king's tone was not harsh, but the neutrality remained.
"I am afraid not all of these gifts are elaborate like Hermes' is," four jars exited the crate telekinetically along with seeds. The Granter of Directed Motion walked behind the god of madness and place the gifts behind him. Dionysis, for his part, turned and moved out of his chair, "These are three sets of the seeds of the grapes I used, and these three are wines made from those grapes."
The god quickly grabbed a cup, opened each wine and tasted them, "Oh, these are all quite good, they aren't the stuff I make in my winery, but by mortal standards, these are incredible. If this is your first time making wine, I applaud you. I don't know how you could make this in seven days, much less three. And they all taste unique, I'll have to play around with the seeds you've given me. You are welcome to my place any time you want, I'll offer you wine for wine" the god joyously smiled at the guest before looking at the fourth jar, "I see there is a fourth jar; what is in it?"
"Wheat alcohol, or bread alcohol, whichever you prefer. I intended to test it with a friend but got distracted." the god of wine was confused for a moment before his eyes widened.
The god of revelry almost shouted, "Beer! Oh man, that brings me back! When I was a mortal that started to travel the world to teach people how to make wine, I'd share some of my stock with them before teaching them. Some people commented on how they liked it better than beer. I asked what it was, and they told me it was a fermented drink made with wheat rather than grapes. I never investigated because I was either drunk or focused on my quest, but ever since I became a god, I've not run into people drinking beer." The youngest Olympian took some in a new cup and drank.
The god took a few moments to taste it, "Well, it is certainly very different from what I am used to, but it isn't bad. We'll have to talk about how you made this, I may need to experiment."
Some other gods, for their part, were looking at the wines with interest, and those that weren't looked at the two previous gifts. The next gift was for Apollo, who seemed to realize this given who got their gifts. As the Lord of Mars walked back around the table, the violin and its bow flew to him. He continued to walk and then began to play, it was not a long song, but it seemed to gain the interest of the god of music. Apollo looked at the trinity in a new light, with fascination clear. At least in comparison to the neutrality or suspicion that was there previously, which was especially the case when the Omnissiah had interacted with his twin. "This is a violin, an instrument that I am certain does not exist aside from this one. Should you need help in learning it, I doubt you will; speak with me."
The other gods were mostly interested due to its new yet clearly good nature, Aphrodite for her part seemed too interested. Two gauntlets with the picto-grapher floated over to Ares and Aphrodite, respectively, without their crafter moving to the war god's side of the table. The Thermometer flew to the Machine God's hand alongside the binoculars. Each gift was placed in front of or presented to the god they were meant for. "Hephaestus, this thermal thermometer will tell you the temperature of whatever you point it at," a demonstration of the visible red laser on the table, "you may have to do some experimentation to determine what do what at temperatures. Or you could talk to me later," the smith grumbled a thank you before folding with the device.
"Athena, these binoculars will not just extend sight to far distances when looked through but also provide a mimic map of the terrain nearby." the holographic map was activated, bringing everyone, but especially the forge god, out of their gifts or what else they were focusing on. "I had a hard time thinking of what a tactician would want."
"Oh ah, um, thank you, Omnissiah. This is quite thoughtful." he nodded, "These things are amazing, aren't you worried we will make more once Hephaestus figures them out, you don't seem to not think of this?"
The Lord of All Knowledge and Zeus seemed to have mirrored expressions since both were confused by her question for different reasons. "Ah well, simple, one can not earn trust without extending any trust at all. And besides, I do not believe that these gifts, even in great numbers, would threaten me. Not in comparison to, say, hundreds if not thousands of immortals that do not like me. I would be fine either way." the All Saviour's statement came off as incredibly bold and perhaps hubristic, "but you can understand how one is already bad; the gifts I give won't make that much scarier." On one hand, it was almost insulting to see the strength of the pantheon as something that could be withstood, and yet it also acknowledged that they were greater than the gifts given by a far margin. Given the nature of some of these gifts, it was, in a way, a compliment. (Jam: I am uncertain about this passage)
As far as Zeus was concerned, it was worrying, thinking about what might be needed to succeed against a primordial. 'Perhaps if the other primordials were to see him as a threat.'
"Ares," said god looked up from the gauntlets, "those gauntlets will close around your arms when worn. When you strike something with them, electricity will burst into the target." at the look of confusion, "Small amounts of lightning generated by energy conversion."
"Ah, and how strong are these 'small amounts' of lightning?" the tone was clearly feigned curiosity.
"If your divine bolts were half as powerful as a regular lightning bolt, they'd still be over a thousand times as strong as what is output by those gauntlets. That is putting it generously for my gift. The gauntlets just offer some extra power, something a warrior might wish for." the son of Zeus nodded, giving thanks for the armour.
Hades spoke up again, "So, these are machines, correct? Would they have your blessing or, I suppose, spirits of metal?" the gods who already had gifts looked at them.
"Machine spirits. Yes, several gifts are blessed, but not for things such as seeds and food. Should the gifts that I've given be treated well, their spirits shall work to assist you." a look to Artemis, "A shot that you may have made imperfectly will be guided to betterment. Clarity, longevity, efficiency, power. All of these can come from a machine spirit."
A moment to sink in before he spoke up again, "Now then continuing, Aphrodite, your gift is capable of imitating any sight you point it at by making a small physical image of it." a small piece of paper then flies from the box to the goddess who looks at it surprised, "This is a list of materials and instructions for you to replace your dyes when they run out."
The goddess looked at the device with fascination before she grinned, "Could you come over here to show me how to use it?" walking around to the other side of the table at the midway point, four other gifts floated behind The Granter of Directed Motion from the crate. The gods, especially those who had yet to receive anything, looked at the remaining gifts with interest. What floated was a mass of seeds and an odd object that wasn't immediately recognizable.
After showing the goddess of love what to press and how she took a photo of herself and then quickly snapped a picture of The One of Crimson Robes. Each of the physical prints took in the attention of the gods near her until Poseidon found the hand of The Gift Crafter was extended to the lord of the sea in his peripheral. On that hand were several pinecones, "These are modified Aleppo pinecones; they will take root underwater, whether fresh or salt. I'd advise against placing them in where there is too much current, else they'll be like trees on land in a storm." the lord of the sea mumbled a thank you and began to think of whether Amphitrite would like it in their undersea gardens.
The remaining seeds flew to Demeter and Hera, "These are also modified versions of your symbols. I've also given Demeter modified plants I have used for making incense and wheat." the mother of Persephone nodded and began to show her daughter, as they examined the seeds. "As for you, Queen Hera, it is a lotus of silver and gold resistant to toxic water." a stiff if respectful nod hid a flash of a small smile. "I understand these are not perfect, but I reasoned you've no need for traditional valuables and thus attempted to make something fitting for everyone here; I apologize if they are not all acceptable." after a moment to let his words sink in, he spoke once more, "Speaking of which, I had a rather difficult time thinking of what I could give you, King Zeus."
The object floated over the king of the gods as its crafter walked back to his seat. "It is a crown that I hope shall be powered by your current crown of lightning," the king of the gods raised a brow as he reached out to grab the gift. It was then that a voice whispered in the ear of the king, "Do not be surprised, but only you can hear this," the lord of lightning managed to keep his face the same, but his eyes widened as the lips of his guest didn't move, "Twist a switch near the back of the circlet while wearing the crown, it will allow you to hear many things where you are facing, I hope this makes for a better gift than fancy headwear." Zeus finally brought his attention from the voice and crown when The One of Gold Feathers sat down again.
A few of his family members and his wife were looking at him, so the king placed the crown on his head, the front lighting up. "Thank you, Omnissiah." the words were neutral, but they did not sound forced or strained. With a nod, the guest took another sip of nectar before eating some ambrosia. "Is that any different from nectar?"
"It is also quite good, but yes different. Perhaps it is the nature of these two foods, or it is my human form, but I am unable to recall the flavours of either." the idle comment was ignored as the gods examined their gifts.
"I don't mean to sound like Poseidon here. But are we just going to forget something important, most of us have something he has domain over?" Demeter spoke, "This isn't exactly a gift if it could also be used against us."
Before anyone, even the suspicious Zeus, could speak, "And what would I use against you?" the Lord of Mars asked, "Those gifts that are not seeds or food bear spirits, but they also bear a connection to each of you in much the same way I explained Hermes's gift. To each of you who receive a gift, due to the connection, I gave each of you direct domain over your gifts, though it is faint enough that had I not told you, you'd likely not have recognized it. And putting that aside, many of you have domain over an aspect of each other's lives."
That seemed to be a revelation, but before the gods could sense too deeply into the gifts and perhaps say something, "I have one last gift, my apologies once more Hades, Persephone, I should have expected one of you and made you something." there was confusion as to how that related to the gift, and who it was for, "Now, as for this gift. I only made this due to a friend reminding me of Hestia, I have not seen her before, but I am given to understanding she is the eldest among you and thus felt I should make her something once reminded, where is she?"
A small shock, and indeed an odd thought at that point, came to the minds of some Olympians. Given how often Hestia avoided gatherings of large size, and at times nearly the whole family in general, they had gotten into the habit of leaving her out, and that meant. They hadn't thought about her at all in preparing for this party. "Shall I fetch her father?" a quick nod from the now crowned king. An awkward silence followed; some meat was given to Praxis by his creator, then Hermes returned with a woman next to him.
She wore a white dress filled with embroideries of fire, houses, and temples. Her hair was a fiery red that was tied in a bun with part of her head covered in cloth. She was around the same height as her sisters with a rather average figure. Her expression was a mix of confusion and curiosity, "Well, I hadn't known the party I wasn't invited to was for someone. It is good to meet you, Omnissiah, was it?"
Zeus cleared his throat, "Apologies, Hestia, we did not intend to exclude you, but that isn't an excuse. You are certainly welcome to join us." his eldest sister nodded with a smile that was difficult to read.
She turned back to the guest only to see he had moved from his seat and was walking toward her, holding a wooden staff. He turned the knob at the top, causing a candle-like flame to appear. As he continued to adjust the knob, the flame began to grow until it was the size of a torch. He pressed the button, causing the flame to shoot out into the air for several meters. The Gift Crafter then presented the staff to the firekeeper. She took it, "And what pray tell shall I do with this weapon?"
"Whatever you wish, it is simply a staff with fire. Now Hermes, Ares, Hephaestus, Athena, Hestia… your gifts require some time in the sun to make electricity for their functions. Energy does not come from nowhere after all." He of Energeia spoke. Hestia looked at him with a questioning stare before he gave the same explanation of electricity he had earlier. "Now, I did not mean to take up so much of your time, but I am ready to discuss a possible treaty." Despite not being a question, the question towards the lord of the skies was clear.
"Yes, I suppose we should. So let us summarize, would you like to or should one of us?" the king continued when his guest gestured outwards. "You are a primordial deity or seem to be for all intents and purposes, you hold domain over many things, claim to have a fractured omniscience you are repairing, you can see 'faith' as it relates to each god, and your mission is to expand your influence among mortals and enlighten them." he turned to the council and other gods, "did I miss anything?"
"The underworld treaty," Hades spoke.
Zeus almost sighed before nodding and continuing, "Of course, any disputes between domains amongst gods are typically settled between the parties involved, can we trust you'll peacefully do this as we do." the Omnissiah agreed, "Good, your omniscience and ability to see faith is… something we shall observe, we've not seen anything to indicate the former." the gods all nodded or didn't disagree.
Zeus's tone seemingly changed to something one would have while delivering bad news reluctantly, "As for your plan with the mortals. That presents more of a problem. For the past few centuries, we have taken a more hands-off approach, helping the mortals in small ways while maintaining our domains. Openly interfering in mortal affairs often causes messes. As such, we've sought peace and guidance for mortals much like you wish to. You have already had direct and open interactions with the mortal population, it has been thankfully limited, but we must ask you to cease…expansion. Shall we say?"
The air took on a tense air as the Machine God took a sip of wine before asking a question, "Could you elaborate?"
The response was short and was quickly responded to by the queen, "Well, obviously, it would be unreasonable to ask you not to see your new acolytes. But moving from place to place as you've likely been doing, presenting yourself as a god will have to cease lest the entirety of Hellas hears stories of a god constantly walking amongst mortals. It would almost certainly become a mess you would not be able to handle without losses to mortal stability and thus, life."
There was a moment of silence, "I am afraid I have already made contact in three places on Crete as my true identity. The town of Dimitis where you find me, the nearby coastal town of Tritia, and the city of Creteonus. I am afraid that cutting contact with everyone except my acolytes is not possible without swift and massive change to both my settlement and where my acolytes live."
The gods did not seem pleased. Most were seemingly neutral or thinking, while the king and queen both seemed to restrain frowns, "However, in many cases, I move around in secret or as a seemingly normal human. On that front, I do not violate your rules, and I can certainly not seek out new acolytes, but I will not stop seeing people who come to me or hide from them. There may come a time when I see no humans but those who serve me, however not at this time when so little do."
Those words were digesting, "What would you do while masquerading as a mortal?" the god of music broke the silence.
"It could be many things: scouting, resource gathering, whatever helps my cult." at this, a hum came from his left.
Turning that way, he saw Hermes was the one who had made the noise, "That means a lot of things, from coin exchange in a town to going and hiring a mercenary army. You'll have to agree to keep your actions near or involving mortals close to something you could do as a semi-successful merchant. Does that sound reasonable?" the messenger god seemed to be asking the guest just as much as his fellows. There were no verbal objections.
The trinity thought, "I will keep secret outside of where I have already declared myself, and I will follow that rule of disguise you proposed, but only outside of Crete, though you have my word I will do nothing suspicious enough to warrant attention, I shall likely just increase the means I would seemingly have as a human, instead of being just a low merchant." minor concessions but it could save some hassle.
"What else is there to discuss? If you've agreed to this, I can't think of anything else we need to decide on." Ares seemed impatient as he said those words.
"My acolytes, they can not be expected not to tell people who they worship. They can not be expected to be confined to Crete, especially if they do not originally come from there. I want a guarantee that they will be allowed to travel outside of Crete and not be punished should they spread my cult's beliefs." at this, Zeus frowned slightly.
Frowning for a bit, he spoke with Hera and then Poseidon before responding, "They may travel, but you may not assist them outside of Crete beyond what they bring with them. In return, Olympus will give a guarantee that we will not harm your cult, but we shall also offer no protection should the populous deem them to be threats. Local cults tend to be hostile to new gods, whether they are our cults or non-Hellian interpretations of the divine."
'With proper equipment I shall not need to be there,' this thought brought him to speaking, "That is acceptable. Are there any other concerns?" with silence and motions that indicated a negative response, "How do you wish to entrench this treaty?"
AN: Let me know if characterization is off, and I may make changes. As broad as one can make the gods' personalities and histories, given how conflicting mythology is, I feel I did not do any of them well. Sorry.
PLEASE, leave suggestions for the one on one interactions with the Olympians, I have some ideas but I feel like crowd sourcing here is going to provide better results.
I've also edited some stuff in previous chapters. Like putting the underworld contract in the safe and putting the contract somewhere before the safe. Small stuff, continuity and logic are horrid things to try to maintain.
