Chapter 16: Things Told, Things Heard
Apollo was seething in frustration by the time he got to the restaurant. His lower back ached from Zeus' thunderbolt.
It simply wasn't fair! He wasn't even lurking by the office to press his father for favors! Zeus didn't seem to care. Frankly, he seemed pretty pleased to have a reason to fry Apollo. Sometimes, Apollo did question why Zeus was tempted by Leto.
Apollo also questioned why he went there again after last night.
Just to check on Hyacinthus? Why did he even want to do that? Why would he want to? Hyacinthus wasn't even an asset for him. Clio's son was more efficient than Persephone at keeping him away. Zephyrus and the Muse were more efficient than Demeter at reminding Apollo of the consequences if he got too close to Hyacinthus.
He's just another demigod! Why do I fucking care?
Just when he'd gotten home after the scene in Plaza Terra, he found his home surrounded by the press. His house vandalized. With the door front open, he couldn't stop the photographers from storming in.
Apollo had gotten shattered by the sight of his home.
Windows broken. Cars crushed. Garden torn. Carpets scorched. All his CDs and vinyl, burned into oily puddles. His piano reduced to wood chips. All his musical instruments, even his precious lyre, ruined. Twisted. Broken.
The worst from within had been his room. Bedsheets soaked in ichor-colored paint, the only clean spot forming the silhouette of a woman. All the pictures he'd gotten of his flings… All those he'd collected before meeting Persephone… All of them had been printed and taped on the wall to make the shape of a crying nymph. Ichor-colored paint soaked all his jackets.
The mural on his front wall was perhaps the biggest nightmare. The anonymous vandalizers had already spray painted an ugly caricature of him, but the red hashtag blinding his mural portrait was perhaps the biggest message for the headlines.
#UNWORTHY
An angry crowd had started pelting him with produce.
Apollo had hoped to find Zeus in his office to get help. All he got was Hyacinthus.
And when he had to spend the night at his mother's, Leto didn't sympathize with him for his house being vandalized. Leto was angrier that Apollo got outshined by yet another of Zeus' bastard demigods.
Apollo pushed the restaurant doors open.
The satyr at the front booth just glared at him.
"I'm just eating. I'm not here to talk to anyone," Apollo told the employee bitterly.
"Whatever." The employee grabbed a menu and led him to an obscure booth table just by the bathroom. Close enough that you could hear the loud flushing.
The first waiter available didn't bother asking the Olympian for drink preferences. A glass of ice cubes was all Apollo would get.
Some laughter got his attention.
At the near center of the room, a group of friends were laughing. A mortal Apollo didn't recognize… His stomach tightened in bitterness when he recognized three of the partygoers as Thanatos, Hera's annoyingly efficient assistant Echo, and his ex-fling Daphne.
Apollo stiffened when he recognized the youth sitting between the mortal and Daphne.
He had to admit, Hyacinthus seemed a bit more relaxed when happy…
He's useless to your purpose!
Apollo had to listen in, but with his situation and the table being filled with immortals he disliked made it risky. Fortunately, the divide had given him time to experiment a new trick behind Zephyrus' back. Apollo pulled out some noise-cancelling headphones. Once silence surrounded him, Apollo toyed around with the ear cups. Like a button flipping through radio stations, he could narrow down the voices of his choosing. After some flipping, all he heard through his headphones were the five desired voices.
From the sounds of it, they'd just received their drinks.
"You guys sure you don't want alcohol?" Echo asked.
"I don't want to risk it. I heard Olympian alcohol can kill mortals. I'm not ready for a half-death." Hyacinthus answered. Apollo knew that fact wasn't wrong, but the demi-Muse could probably drink and only experience a week's worth of food poisoning.
"So… What did you guys wanna share?" The other mortal pressed for details.
"Well…"
Apollo briefly glanced over his shoulder, witnessing his ex-fling cuddling with Thanatos. His ice cubes almost tasted bitter.
Surprise took him when Daphne held out her right hand. Her friends marveled at the jeweled flower of grey and pink diamonds crowning her ring.
"Thanatos proposed to me and Queen Hera blessed our wedding!" Daphne announced.
"WHHHAAAAAAAAAAT?"
Apollo turned away, but from the sounds of it, Hyacinthus and his mortal friend were ecstatic.
"No wonder Her Majesty told me nothing!" Echo said. "Thanatos, how long have you been planning this?"
"Well, Daphne and I had years of dating after Persephone freed her from her hibernation. We moved back to Olympus together and Daphne helped me reconcile with Hades… I've been contemplating about proposing for months, but I was hesitant… I mean, why would anyone want to marry a chthonic god?"
Apollo's nails nearly scratched the table surface. So… Hera wouldn't approve the marriage application of an Olympian, but she'd approve the one of a B-grade, insignificant death god with a history of petty grudges?
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Hyacinthus clapped. "You know what that means, Ganymede?"
"Yes!" The mortal friend, Ganymede, drank his glass. "I'm in charge of the drinks! I get so much money for wedding drinks!"
"What? No! Babysitting! We'll have tiny Daphne/Thanatos hybrids fluttering around in cutesy wittle wings… Granted, I'd have to ask Zephyrus if I can… Why are yu guys giving me that look?"
Apollo hadn't ordered anything, yet a nymph waitress gave him a plain bowl of lettuce, complete with a sad strip of fried bacon.
How'd he'd burn her alive for such disrespect… But he was more curious about the awkward silence Daphne, Thanatos, Echo, and Ganymede gave the demi-Muse.
"Look… from personal experience for briefly dating an abusive psycho…" Daphne said.
"From someone who indulged an abusive jerk…" Thanatos joined in.
"And from someone who works for an abused individual specializing in helping victims of abuse…" Echo said.
"I don't believe this…" Hyacinthus groaned.
"It's not an intervention, but an exchange of opinions… About your problem." Ganymede said.
"You knew about this!"
"And as a mortal, it is my inferior duty to sit back, enjoy my lasagna, and witness you getting the feedback you need from your non-mortal peers."
"Look, guys, it's a molehill that doesn't need to turn into a mountain!" Hyacinthus tried to dismiss it. "When are you and Thanatos thinking of getting married, Daphne?"
"You wouldn't have come if you asked Zephyrus if you could while I'm around." Thanatos succeeded in silencing Hyacinthus. Apollo quickly peaked again.
Hyacinthus sat straight in his chair, arms crossed, and refusing to answer Thanatos' question. When his gnocchi platter arrived, Hyacinthus chose to eat rather than talk. That didn't stop the others.
"Ganymede even told us about the 'work life' arrangement. It's handy for controlling the king's calls and emails, but it's going to become a problem if gods come to the office and start yelling at you for not answering to them," Echo said. "They'd yell at Zeus, he could blame his issues on you, and you could be fired!"
"Knowing you, you'll waltz back to that windbag and he'll remind you of EVERYTHING he's told you." Thanatos said. "When's he given you affirmations? I don't recall him asking about YOUR interests. What are you even going to do once he marries you?"
"I do as he asks." That was Hyacinthus' response.
That baffled Apollo. Even glorified trophy wives on Olympus had some sort of ambitious role that kept them busy. He probably wouldn't have kept Persephone busy…
"I fail to understand why you three worry about me being abused," Hyacinthus' words startled Apollo. "When an immortal assaults or abuses another of their kin before, during, or after matrimonial ceremonies, it's a crime. But when an immortal assaults or abuses one of lesser meaning in the hierarchy, say a mortal… It's another Saturday. How my Anemoi fiancé treats me, a demi-Muse, is a mere speck of dust."
"Well, do you want to be a mere speck of dust or you?" Daphne firmly asked. "Think about all the things you could do outside his influence. You could have more opportunities to grow as a person."
"A demi-Muse is still a demigod. You could explore other job opportunities on Olympus or the Underworld." Thanatos agreed. "You could rent your own apartment."
"You could hang out with your actual friends than your abusive family," Echo said.
"Date somebody you'd rather be with."
"Frankly, just ANYTHING that doesn't involve Zephyrus involving himself with every little choice you make." Ganymede spoke with his mouth full. "Or your mother punching you. Or Zephyrus harming you. Or your crazy cousin from trying to cut you up."
"Just frankly… ANYONE but Zephyrus! Ganymede groaned.
"Oh, sure! And I suppose I'll have to run off and become a Viking just so I can find another non-straight god to date?" Hyacinthus snarked.
"Uh… you and Ganymede had a fling," Daphne pointed out.
"A strict, one-time only, THIRD BASE…"
Apollo quickly turned off the audio powers…
That was… definitely not something to share around…
What on Gaia is Zephyrus doing to Hyacinthus? The demi-Muse acted like accepting abuse was the only exit clause…
WHY DO I FUCKING CARE?
Same time
The weather was nice enough for Hebe and Hera to have dinner in the latter's garden.
After the trial and before the coma, the Queen of the Heavens had moved to her own mansion across from the city, far away from the actual palace. Once she had reawakened, she still lived separately from Zeus.
Hera had a hard time sleeping or keeping herself sane. Kronos still plagued her. For an odd reason, he didn't haunt her yesterday after the scene on Plaza Terra.
Hebe stirred a cup of tea for her mother. "How are you taking care of yourself, Ma?"
"As I can. How are things with those mortals you assigned to Zeus?"
"Ganymede convinced Zeus to accept Aunt Persephone's application to the Fertility Fellowship. They're waiting for Monday to broadcast the news," Hebe said.
Hera drank her tea. Her daughter's skills had certainly improved. "Zeus' probably holding it off after what happened yesterday… And an excuse to host a celebratory party…" She grimaced.
To think that after yesterday, her vision had cleared.
The shadow had become more evident.
Hera had clearly seen an adult Dionysus wielding a thyrsus and sitting on an Olympian's throne… Still… who could Dionysus possibly replace?
"Ma, I need to talk to you about Hestia. She had an appointment with me today… about my work-in-progress for an Olympian adoption system…"
"An adoption system? What a wonderful idea!" Hera smiled proudly at her daughter. "Too many foundlings get abandoned in the Mortal Realm… Shitty kings needing heirs… Is Hestia suggesting that the two of you work together to build an orphanage?"
"No…" Hebe shook her head. "She told me about how she met Dionysus a month ago…"
Hera frowned in confusion.
"At Hades and Persephone's house… They were hosting dinner for Silenus and his children… Hestia took note of Dionysus' existing bond with them…"
"Hades and Kore knew the child?"
"They ran into the retinue in Attica after…" Hebe hesitated, "… Demeter's intervention. They hung out for Dionysus' birthday… Hestia said she saw how affectionate they were to Dionysus, especially when experiencing a premature double-puberty…"
"At that age? Poor thing…" Hera nodded sympathetically.
"It's worse… Hestia asked me what were the odds that the rulers of the Underworld could adopt their nephew."
Hera nearly choked on the halloumi she was eating. "Excuse me?"
"I'm not joking, Ma. I didn't want to get into an ugly situation that I don't know how to control, so I told Auntie Hestia that I'd explore the laws and ethics for that. It's just…" Hebe took a deep breath. "It's messed up, Ma."
Hera pushed her plate away, sat upright, and put her hands together. Just like she did whenever someone came to her office for a marriage application. "Well… what are your biggest negative concerns?"
"The amorality!" Hebe declared. "Even though Dionysus' a child of Zeus, she's under the guardianship of Silenus. Nysa is Dionysus' sanctuary and childhood home. The Olympians are banned from Nysa excluding you. If an Olympian decides to rip him off their guardianship and place him under that of another god…"
"I see… And Silenus IS a god I respect."
"And how would my sibling feel? Ripping Dionysus away from his family to put him in a 'more convenient one'? It could damage the good relationship he already has with them!"
Hera smiled. Hebe had grown up to be efficient in analysis. "What about neutral concerns?"
"The politics. I understand Uncle Hades has… a medical condition that even Aunt Persephone can't fix, but once they get married… immortal norms and mortal beliefs will expect the King and Queen to sire an heir to the Underworld. It would be unethical for a demigod offspring of Zeus to inherit the realm of Hades… but Dionysus had a double puberty like Hermes. He's rising as a chthonic deity… of unknown roles for that Realm."
Hera sighed. Hebe was right. In her pursuit to pair Hades and Persephone together, Hera had forgotten the one needle in the haystack of matchmaking: Hades' infertility. "And positive concerns?"
"Well… From what I've heard through Ganymede and Herakles… Despite his chaotic nature, Dionysus is a wild, but sweet child. Uncle Hades apparently treats him the way he never treats his nephews and nieces. Persephone dotes on him… They apparently spend time with Dionysus once a week, either visiting him in Nysa or hosting her in the Underworld… And to be blunt… After everything… Hades deserves what he could never receive… A good family."
A good family…
Hera wanted to laugh.
Yet…
With the vision becoming slightly clearer, Hera was curious about the star-crowned maiden an adult Dionysus would treat as an equal. For such an anticipated future, the demigod did not seem to be influenced by his father's track record. Hera hadn't heard of any of her husband's illegible half-mortal offspring being in good relationships.
Well, except Perseus… But that demigod was the most infallible of Zeus' son… Being together with his wife as eternal constellations was better than being eternally alone among the Olympians…
Hera hated all of Zeus' whores, but she had to applaud Danae. Her motherhood was flawless. Familial devotion was Perseus' strongest asset…
And Hades and Persephone WERE the most decent of the major gods…
Didn't Aphrodite mention something about the star-crowned maiden being Pasiphaë's daughter?
"Hebe… The topic of family made me realize… Do you remember Pasiphaë? Helios' daughter?"
"Uhm…" Hebe finished her plate. "Wasn't I still a baby the last time you saw her?"
"That was the last time YOU saw her…" Hera crossed her arms. "The last time I saw her was before Persephone and Demeter had arrest warrants…" The Queen of the Gods bit her lips.
She smiled briefly at the memory of her and Pasiphaë as youngsters, playing in the fields long before the Titanomachy. Her expression saddened a bit, remembering how despite her father's imprisonment, Pasiphaë had remained a close friend of Hera's. The titaness had chosen to support Hera over her fellow titaness Leto.
The relationship started to sour eventually when Zeus refused to let Pasiphaë join the Solar Guild. Pasiphaë's distaste for the Olympians grew when Leto's own son became the Sun God, making Helios' status insignificant.
Apollo spread the story about Hades' infertility. Hades banned all sun deities from the Underworld. The Solar Guild expelled Apollo, and rather than sucking down his ego and accept their preference for a descendant of Helios, Zeus caused all the divine pantheons to hate the Greco-Roman one. Pasiphaë' dignity was wounded enough.
Being friends with Hera couldn't even steer the sorceress away from spreading Helios' legacy. As centuries passed since the Titanomachy, Pasiphaë distanced herself from the Olympians, vowing to remind all the realms which family truly brought the light for all immortals.
Thanks to the trial, Hera was too distracted, she only found out ten years later that Pasiphaë willingly performed a loveless matrimony with a powerful mortal king. Pasiphaë had cemented her relationships with her dangerous niece Medea and Helios' favorite daughter, Circe.
Hera wasn't going to let Pasiphaë go unchecked like with Leto.
"Now would be a good time to rekindle relationships." Hera put up a strong, fake smile. "I'll have Hermes send an invitation to Pasiphaë and her family. Offer to reconnect and strengthen our ties…"
"Mother, if I may, I don't think it's a good idea…"
Hera looked at Hebe. Whenever she was hitting a serious, but dangerous topic, the goddess of youth always addressed her parents formally. "Why not?" Hera patiently asked.
"I don't remember much of Pasiphaë, but I've heard plenty from Herakles. He had to take care of a wild bull for King Minos as a labor, and Herakles told me that Pasiphaë's hatred for the Olympians got worse… NOW, she hates Poseidon as much as she hates Zeus. And Minos is a monster on his own. And from what Herakles heard through Ganymede who heard it from Pan… who really puts up with Dionysus… Pasiphaë and Minos are horrible parents. Emotionally and physically respectively."
Hera frowned. So Dionysus is familiar with them…
"Perhaps you're right…" She paused. "Do you think I should try to meet Dionysus?"
Hebe shrugged. "Ganymede DOES say Dionysus makes Olympian wine taste like trash… Uncle Hades and Persephone really like him… And you got to admit, Ma, you just really want to see a ten-year-old demigod crawl under Apollo's skin." She smirked on that one.
Hera chuckled. "Good comeuppance, if you ask me." Hera pulled out her phone and started typing. "Besides… We still need to plan a party for Hedone's birthday."
…
Dionysus hated seeing Nyx's darkness again.
The roots of the poisonous plant were now the stars of the ghastly dark kingdom she found herself in. Dark grass spread as fields over the corpses of Gaia, Rhea, and Metis. Dionysus' bones felt heavier.
The kingdom was nothing but dead ruins and the echoes of sinners.
"Tartarus…" Dionysus quivered.
A ghostly shriek rang.
Dionysus saw it. From the first nightmare. The cage made of woven roots. The creature kept hissing in it.
"In due time, you brat…"
Dionysus couldn't move. The mountainous body of stars covered most of the darkness.
Dionysus heard the creature whimpering in the cage.
"The Golden Traitor will come. She'll have to… once she knows I robbed her of you when she first betrayed me."
The Golden Traitor?
Tartarus and Kronos were suddenly dissolved by the river of magma that flowed out of nowhere. Dionysus trembled at the ocean of molten rocks burning away the Underworld's deepest pit.
Dionysus was all alone, trapped in a singular rock above the magma.
"SINEW OF ZEUS…" The voices of a thousand dragons overwhelmed the demigod. "SINEW OF ZEUS…"
"H… Hello?" Dionysus choked.
The magma erupted, forming a monstrous hand.
"Sinew of Zeus… I SEE YOU!"
Dionysus woke up from yet another nightmare.
A cushion of asters saved him from his fall, but still gave the demigod a big pain in the ass. The panthers climbed down from their napping branches to check on their master.
"Dio!" Pan rushed to him. "Are you OK?"
"I'm getting pissed by these nightmares!" Dionysus stretched. "First, I become genderfluid. Second, I start secreting ecstasy WHILE I'm hallucinating and I sprout some nymphs… OK, growing the Maenads was a good pro! But come on! Nightmares that have me fall off branches while I'm napping with the leopards?"
"Uh… Dio? You've been sleeping out here all night."
Dionysus looked around them. It hadn't occurred to him that they were standing on the very top of the temple, just where the overgrown roots met the massive trunk of the bristlecone pine. The branch he'd fallen off from wasn't even ten feet above them.
Dionysus rushed to the edge of the roof. "POPS! ATTIE!"
"Well there you are!" Silenus lifted his head up.
"Dang, Dio. When you clean a temple, you really clean a temple!" Atalanta came in, a platter of challah and figs on hand. "The gals from Jerusalem made their challah today for breakfast!"
"Yay!" Pan slid down the roots, hopped onto the stone pavement, and trotted down the staircase.
"Is it Friday morning?" Dionysus called out.
"Actually, it's Friday morning at 9am." Atalanta cut a fig open and shared one half with Pan. "Ya fell asleep around 5am. You really cleared that courtyard of the moss…"
"10AM? I NEED TO GET NYSA READY!" Dionysus dashed down. "I STILL NEED TO HYDRATE THE TEARS, NONCONFORM THE WILDLIFE, AND BLOOM THE FLOWERS…"
Silenus grabbed him by the horn and dragged him towards the others. The old satyr lifted up Dionysus and forced her to sit down on a chopped log. "You can prep up Nysa AFTER breakfast."
"But Pops!" Dionysus whined.
"You know I'm still peeved about what you did in Crete."
Dionysus lowered her head.
Her horns, the signature trait of her true form, now remained on her permanently since Dionysus' last trip to Crete.
Dionysus bit his fig.
Thinking about the caged creature tormenting his sleep… The fig's juice dripped like venom. The seeds swirled like magma.
Sinew of Zeus…
The Golden Traitor will come…
"Dio?" Silenus' touch made the demigod snap out of her hallucination. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm… OK…" Dionysus swallowed the whole fig. Her mouth coughed out fig leaves.
In her hands, the fig leaves reddened.
Sinew of Zeus…
Dionysus watched the red leaves melt into a sea of stars.
The Golden Traitor will come…
The inhuman shrieks rang in Dionysus' ears…
Pan snapped his fingers in front of Dionysus' face. "Dio! Do you want another fig, or are you having one of your weird madness moments?"
Dionysus shook his head. "I'm fine… Sorry…"
"That scandal you pulled off overwhelmed you!" Silenus chided. "You should be taking it easy. Your antics will lead to Olympian PR draining your energy. You won't be putting your foot on Olympus in a while, young one."
"Like 2 centuries while?" Dionysus asked, hoping for it to be the case.
"I was thinking 2-3 weeks, but we'll see."
"I'll be fine." Dionysus rubbed his face. "It's frustrating! With the new temples and Auntie Persephone being accepted into the Fertility Fellowship, I don't see my tutors so often! And Auntie Persephone's got the weekend booked for her Elysium project, and with Ganymede working temporarily on Olympus, I'm short on my business management!"
He bit down half of the challah loaf given to him. "I'm ten and three months! My biggest problems should be spitting spitballs at bullies or fixing acne! Not worrying about pantheon-scaled problems!"
"I know…" Silenus solemnly sighed.
Atalanta rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just ask Persephone's shrink if they offer child therapy?"
"I could… but I don't know if the embodiment of madness can survive therapy… Or if the therapist can survive."
Silenus had the expression of one with an idea. An idea to change Dionysus' funk.
"Mess in Crete aside… And the fact that your way of dealing is unacceptable… I think what you requested was good. Not HOW you did it… but at least it's something that we put up with once a week on weekends starting today…" Dionysus stared at Silenus. The old satyr gave him an assuring nod. "I'm sure she will like it here."
Dionysus smiled a bit.
"On the bright side, once it's public, we can finally tease you!" Pan snickered, earning a hiss from Dionysus.
"Hey, any girl who punches you besides me as a way to show affection is A-OK with me!" Atalanta affirmed.
"Attie, you punch everyone you meet." Silenus shook his head.
"Just the ones I like!" She protested.
A vibration came from Silenus' tunic. He pulled out a cellphone.
"I still can't believe we got service in the Mortal Realm…" Atalanta commented.
"Eh. That's what contraband is for." Pan shrugged.
Silenus' expression darkened.
Pan, Dionysus, and Atalanta quietly moved next to one another. Silenus answered the call.
"Ganymede, why the fuck did you give Zeus my number?" Silenus hissed. "Of course I know his number! Everyone knows his number?" Silenus remained silent. His frown deepened.
Pan cautiously stepped away.
"Zeus, if it's about Wednesday, Dionysus is grounded… Tea party in the afternoon… And what in Tartarus makes you think I'll go back on my word? Just so you can torment your Queen? I happen to have standards!"
Silenus got up and started stomping his hoof angrily.
Atalanta took inspiration from Pan and also ran to hide.
"Oh, NO! YOU! Do not! Get to pull that shit! You NEVER pull that stunt on the millions of bastards you sired and stranded! Just because you bred Dionysus doesn't make you entitled! I was entrusted with him! I raised him for ten years while you ruined the three realms FOR TEN YEARS! The child couldn't even see and never will see his mother BECAUSE BEING YOUR BASTARD IS SUCH A HAZARD! OH, GO CRY ME A THUNDERSTORM! DIONYSUS IS MY CHILD! NO IS NO!"
Silenus swung the cellphone at an Olympic Games range. Dodo ducked so the nearest tree trunk could damage the device.
Thunder boomed in the sky.
Dionysus casually ate another fig. "You know, Pops, if it makes you feel any better, you'll always be Number One to me."
"Thank you. But you're still grounded." Silenus ruffled Dionysus' hair. "Now. Let's help you prep up Nysa. Zeus can just deal with the Nysaen Monster."