《The God of the Cursed》 Prologue; Epithmia cloaked in red.
"One¡¯s soul is, instead, something that is risked in battle and lost in death. Alternately, it is what at the time of death departs from the person¡¯s limbs and travels to the underworld." -Source Unknown
Souls; illuminating nights with blue hues, crying out in pain, despair, angst, and vengeance; seeking a guide to the underworld. To stray from the path is to remain lost, forever searching for its body, but to be caught, manipulated, and fractured the soul faces a fate worse than death. Out of the ashes of a long-forgotten city and in the hands of an ominous force was a shattered spirit. A calamity taking a form of red locusts thrust itself upon Epithmia, a city of great trade in Greece. Red locusts swept across the city, penetrating the shops, theatres, homes, inns, and mausoleums, leaving no cobblestone untouched. Overnight, Epithmia went from a simple commercial city to an immoral wasteland, wrought with crime, exploitation, addiction, and lust. Temples dedicated to various deities, gods, and goddesses were destroyed, and in their place were built sanctuaries blessing a new deity know as Mors, a demon most powerful. Scarlet Death veiled in red locusts remained in Epithmia, becoming the sole ruler almost overnight. Epithmia grew, drawing the attention of criminals, prostitutes, tax collectors, incessant gamblers, and petty fools. Thus, the waste of society became citizens and worshippers of Mors, but the thirst for control did not stop and sanctuaries began growing outside the city like wildfire. Mors¡¯ influence devoured the western region of Greece. Not many had seen Scarlet Death, for it presented itself as a cloud of red locusts, but of those most devote, they described the being to be cloaked in red, as if to mimic the blood of those it murdered. A black curse mark cutting across the length of the dejalls face alongside a pale frame made it seem like broken porcelain. Although Scarlet Death was a demon, followers thought of it as almost beautiful. Of course, Scarlet Death was no rival to Venus, the curse mark ensured that. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Beautiful. Is that what Mors¡¯ citizens thought of them? The dejall found their body almost hideous, rather than an ornate piece of jewelry, the dejall saw the ruins of a once happy being with an ill-fated body. Yearly, like clockwork, Mors floated across the city, like a fog, cloaking it in darkness, leaving remnants of sorrow in its wake. At the far end of Epithmia, near the border of central Greece stood a sizable temple, with grape vines snaking around magnificently carved pillars. Mors settled each year in the temple, never seeming to grow tired of the journey. Pale feet would strike the marble floors, reverberating footsteps across the great hall of the temple. Epithmias people gossiped that the temple, when visited by the Dejall, seemed to groan from its presence. Reaching the altar within the temple Mors would stand, gazing up at a statue of a gorgeous being, enveloped in long curls, wielding a bow and arrow. People of Epithmia found it silly that a powerful demon like the Scarlet Death seemed to worship an Armenian god but never verbalized their concerns to the dejall, for to anger the being would damn oneself. Scarlet Death found themselves this time outlining each letter of the god¡¯s name. Beginning with ¡°A¡± the demons long, blackened nails snaked across the marble. In the dimly lit temple, under the whispers of onlookers, Scarlet Death spelled A-N-A-H-I-T.
Authors Notes: Dejall (Armenian): Another term for demon. Mors: Translates to death; female version of Moros (god of doom/fate). Epithmia: Made up city based on the Greek word Epithymia; which translates to "passionate desire." Venus: Alternative Roman name for the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Anahit (i.e., Anahid, Anahiti): Armenian goddess. Historians note her as similar to that of Artemis and Aphrodite in Greek mythology.
A meeting among gods, goddesses, and deities. Part 1 Still. Silence. A whizz of an arrow skimming across the surface of an oak tree, missing it by centimeters. Anahit was distracted. Not only could hunting calm her unsteadied heart. She had read over mounds of paperwork that morning. Listened to countless prayers from her followers. The feelings arising in her from the last couple of days were familiar. She pulled her arrow back yet again, focusing her attention on a small rabbit scampering past her, near an overgrown hedge. Silence fell yet again around her. She allowed the sounds of trees rustling and rushing water from and nearby river to take over her completely. Her long white robe blew in the fall air while her tangled curls brushed against her dark sun-kissed skin. Feeling the pressure from the bow before the release was invigorating for her. She hummed along, enjoying the hunt. A sudden snap came behind her causing the goddess to whirl around. Her arrow was pointed towards a tall, handsome young man. ¡°Tir!¡± She half yelled, lowering her arrow. ¡°You¡¯re a bit rusty Anahit,¡± he said with a wink. ¡°You just startled me is all.¡± The goddess lowered her bow and stored her arrow back with the others. She rushed to hug Tir and he gladly reciprocated the gesture. ¡°What do I owe the pleasure my sweet younger brother?¡± She asked. ¡°By seconds,¡± he said with an edge of annoyance. ¡°Nane called a meeting.¡± ¡°So sudden! I wasn¡¯t aware one was scheduled for today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an emergency.¡± His voice sounded urgent. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Before he continued there was an abrupt flash of light. A muscular man stepped out in front of the two. He was wearing a polished Japanese brocade embroidered with black roses. His sleek long black hair and domineering frame, as well as the sword hanging at his waste gave him an intimidating look. As he walked forward with a slight limp. An iron leg was hidden underneath the layers of silky fabric he wore. ¡°Anahit, Nane called a¡ª Oh, Tir, you got to her before me.¡± Tir ¡°hmphed¡± at this statement and turned back to his sister. ¡°It¡¯s Nane and Chronus. They¡¯ve talked to the fates about something. She did not disclose much of what they discussed though.¡± ¡°But it has to do with her. With Scarlet Death,¡¯¡¯ Aries replied. ¡°We don¡¯t know that for sure.¡± ¡°Does she have something to do with what¡¯s happening in your home country Aries?¡± Anahit asked, worry showing on her face. Aries eyebrows were brought together, creating a stress line. Anahit could see he barely got any sleep from the night before. How could he? His home country had become enslaved under Fujiwara¡¯s reign. Tension was growing in the region. ¡°She called a meeting for everyone. Come on you two.¡± Was the only thing he responded before ascending to the heavens once more. ¡°Everyone? Even the minor gods?¡± she enquired to Tir. ¡°Everyone.¡± Major, demi, and minor gods made up the higher court of Olypias. Major deities were one such as Anahit and Aries, those personally bestowed and appointed by creator gods. Creator gods held immense chi, or in other words, vital energy, and bestowed some of the chi unto major deities. Chi, though, depended on one¡¯s path to godhood, not entirely of the creator gods who gifted it. For Anahit, her chi became stronger through the art of fighting and hunting. She carved a way to godhood through the bow and arrows held in her hand and the followers she amassed. Demi gods were deities born from other gods and their relationships with humans. Although such a paring was strictly forbidden under Nane¡¯s rule, there were still some who found themselves being born with such a background. Their chi was passed down from their parents to them but depleted rapidly, more than that of major gods. On the other hand, minor gods were beings appointed by major gods and demigods. They remained humans with immense chi. Their purpose was like that of oracles in that they could communicate with deities. Anahit, Tir, and Aries made their way down the halls of Olypias, a building set apart for the higher and lower court gods, goddesses, and deities. As they passed through the winding, crystalized corridors minor gods, goddesses, and deities moved out of their way, whispering amongst each other as they passed. As they walked Anahit turned to her brother. ¡°How goes guiding newfound souls to the underworld by the way? Enjoying meals with Hades?¡± ¡°Oh yes, I love to spend my days reporting to a kidnapping psychopath with paternal issues.¡± His appearance was identical in stature to Anahit. His golden-brown curls were the same as Anahit¡¯s, falling neatly above his shoulders. Tir¡¯s dark olive skin seemed to glow from the light spilling in through Olympias¡¯ windows. It was a shame Tir could not truly fall in love with Daphne, Anahit thought, they would have made fine children. And her parents would have stopped pestering her to take a husband¡­ Aries let out a faint chuckle at Anahit¡¯s comment. It seemed to ease the tension slowly building around them. They entered the court of Olypias where Nane was, greeting other deities. Her draping robes were ordained with jewels and fine cloths of various earth toned colors. The goddess in no way appeared like Anahit or the other major and minor gods, goddesses, and deities of the court, for they still retained their human forms. Nane appeared ethereal, with branches bursting from her large body. At her feet roots attached themselves to every corner of the room. Her arms were set lightly on her enlarged stomach, but instead of having her belly there it was earth. A snake found itself slithering up the frame of the goddess¡¯s body reaching its way to her bosom to rest its head. The face of the goddess emoted a concerned expression. At the top of her head displayed various flowers and plants growing from the very roots of her scalp. Nane was no minor nor major deity, for she was a creator goddess. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Settling down on the upper half of the court room next to Tir and Aries, Anahit looked across the gradually filling hall. ¡°I thank you all, each and every one of you, for meeting on such short notice,¡± Nane began. ¡°As many of you have felt, there is a growing¡­ tension, whether it be in your homelands, of those who worship you, or of distant worlds. I too have felt such worries and angst. In my consultations with Chronus we have foreseen an unforeseen end of the world.¡± An audible gasp and growing murmuring filled the great hall. Minor gods and deities, nymphs and demigods looked around with utter horror and fear. Anahit glanced at both Tir and Aries, both showing growing grief. Aries, Anahit noticed, had his hand clenched with the whites of his knuckles showing. ¡°Silence, please, steady yourselves.¡± Nane raised her hand, instantly shushing the congregation. ¡°Just as we have seen the end of the world, so too did we see a world resolved. It was written many eons ago, before many of you all came to be, that such an event would sweep the world. Chronus, in his manipulation of time, showed a world to me shrouded in darkness and disdain. A world taken over through revenge and pure hatred. A world unlivable, unreliable, and unrecognizable. In those visions I saw a figure amongst the ruble and destruction, a figure cloaked in red.¡± Whispers again erupted in the hall. Anahit¡¯s heart sunk in that moment. Turning yet again to Aries, they briefly made eye contact. The calamity, bringer of carnage and chaos, was none other than the same who fought Aries a decade prior. The same who took his pride alongside his right leg. ¡°Many of you have heard this figure being referred to as the ¡®Scarlet Death¡¯. Molded by Chaos himself, the demon has been a threat to many of you. Your brother amongst you, Aries, faced the retched beast only a decade prior, at Mount Haku. This very same Mors now stands as the one thing leading to our world¡¯s extinction.¡± Nane paused here. Her face was stern and unwavering. She looked around the room, and although it was brief, Anahit noted the faint sadness in her eyes. ¡°I have selected a party to visit Mors in Epithmia. They are to subdue the creature, and if possible, have it fight for us, not against us.¡± An eruption of anger and statements of disagreement were thrown at Nane in that moment. Some minor and major deities stood, hurling words of annoyance and fear towards Nane. Others gossiped to those they sat next to. Anahit herself stood up at such a ridiculous request. ¡°Befriend a demon such a Mors!¡± She stated bluntly. ¡°I would rather face Moros¡¯s torments again than do such a request. Nane, you cannot be serious, can you??¡± Tir stood with her and could sense his twin sister¡¯s anger rising. ¡°Remember sister, they have foreseen a world that does not end. Be patient. When has Nane ever misled us?¡± Anahit briefly calmed at this statement, but Aries seemed to grow more upset. His rage seemed to penetrate the great hall. ¡°Get chummy with such a thing? You¡¯re asking for the deaths of whomever you send Nane. I have been loyal to you. Even then, in the wake of Chaos¡¯ influence bleeding into land I once called my home I believed in you. But now, this, Nane you have abandoned me, you have abandoned us. I will not side with Mors, and I doubt any other being here will too.¡± A heavy, unnerving feeling shifted in that courtroom at that moment. Major, minor, and demigods equally shivered at such a change. Nane vines grew, interweaving and tumbling between their feet. The entire courtroom seemed to be pulsating. ¡°I abandoned you boy? Your brashness has always put you in such unprecedented predicaments. Might I remind everyone here, including you Aries, why you fought Mors to begin with those many years ago. I had warned you of such foolishness, especially when you almost shifted the fates of many mortals¡¯ lives. Do you not remember the last god to do such a wicked thing.¡± Her voice stung like venom and her vines circled around Aries just as predators to their prey. Anahit knew very well of the god she spoke of, for he was the one to bring about the end of Tigranocerta. A selfish, vengeful god. The very thought of him made her blood boil. ¡°I reduced Jupiter, stripping away his godhood. His gold blood ran red in Olypias. I am not against such actions with you, Aries. Beings commit selfish, immoral acts, mortal or otherwise. For him, he committed one most foul as to perform the ritual of fragmentation.¡± ¡°I ask of you all such task not to insult you, let alone abandon you. I ask it because I am desperate. Of the years I have successfully protected you and made you warriors of Olypias, I now task you with protecting the world. A task I have been preparing and molding you for. A task only you¡­ It seems to me¡­¡± Nane paused, reeling back her vines. With that the room seemed to calm briefly. ¡°¡­that there is some difference among each of us here today. There is a difference between us and mortals. Among mortals and wondering souls. Despite that difference there are still friendships and unions to be made, love to be felt, and feelings to ponder. ¡°It has been stated by some of the greatest philosophers that being likeminded cannot benefit unions, in particular friendships. I do not mean to be so teachy, but I too find myself looking upon the poets that I create in amazement, for they speak beyond what I have breathed into them. Here, in this great hall, I plead before you as creator of you all in desperation of your support and friendship. For if I fail to receive it on this day, I am no better than of Mors, and of Jupiter, for I doom all.¡± The room was still at this moment. Anahit did not dare to breathe, for she felt it would betray her wavering feelings. Tir sat very still next to her with a wonderous gaze that reminded her of when they were young. In that moment she gazed upon Nane with deep reverence. Anahit stood, facing Nane and the entire hall. ¡°Mother Nane, you have been a parent to me, and I have only felt the deepest love towards you. I speak, just as myself, separate from the great hall to say that if no one will go forth, I will. I have loved, I have lost, and I have fought. I have cried, bloody and broken on battlefields. I will continue to fight, to remove judgement, to protect my followers and those I care about. All this and more I do not just for you, but for life itself.¡± Nane smiled at this speech. Anahit watched as her eyes seemed to soften when she spoke. The corners of Nane¡¯s mouth curved, forming a deep and honest smile. ¡°Anahit, my dear, you are to subdue Mors, Chronus has underscored that it must be you. With you of course two would obviously assist.¡± She then motioned to Tir and Aries. Aries, evidently angered, relented. Anahit was not sure whether he relented for her sake or for the sake of his own egoistic desires. Anahit could see it now, theatres retelling the story of the ¡®great¡¯ Aries saving the world alongside an ill-tempered goddess holding a bow and arrow, and her twin, a poetic know-it-all. The actors would drone on that the god of war desired pure redemption and held an honest heart for humanity. She chuckled at the thought. Aries was far from those thoughts. In fact, Anahit would bet all her followers that he wanted vengeance. Nothing would fulfill his ego quite like a task such as this. Tir, on the other hand, she could sense was annoyed. She could already hear him complaining to her throughout the trip that she dragged him yet again into one of her tempered power trips. To her dismay he did just that. Not soon after the meeting adjourned the three major gods left for Epithmia, the immoral city. City of Love The three descended near the outskirts of Epithmia, in Roma, the city of love. Since the Mors¡¯s influence stretched far and wide across Epithmia, the city became the dejalls territory. Although the deities in Olypias held great influence, they could not have it stretch into Epithmia¡¯s borders. Thus, descending upon the immoral city was impossible. Roma on the other hand was situated not far from Epithmia, and due to the illustrious happenings of the town it was not hard to understand why they were so close beside each other. Although Roma did not fall to the power of Mors, it was still known to house several of the dejalls followers. Roma could not fall into the hand of Mors due to it being the domain of Venus, the goddess of love, affection, and beauty. Venus stood as the pillar of worship with a tight grasp upon the city of illustrious desires. Anahit, Tir, and Aries passed through the lively city, walking through swarms of people going about their day. Anahit had opted for a duller appearance, wearing her long white and gold robes, allowing for her hair to freely flow. A set of marble white arrows and bow was hanging across her back. Tir seemed in the appearance of a scholar, adorned with a teal flowing robe and a band stretching across the length of his forehead. His hair was tied back in a neat bun, concealing most of his wild curls. A lyre hung at his hips, swaying with him as he maneuvered the busy street. Aries was the only one remaining threatening in his appearance. As they passed many onlookers gazed upon his domineering frame in awe. Several ladies that they passed seemed to blush and look away from him. The deities turned into the part of the city where many bustling shops thrived, Anahit remained on high alert. While Aries held a very close relationship with the goddess, Anahit found herself at odds with Venus every time they spoke. While her friendship with Aries was strictly one born of interest in discussing war strategies and historical reigns of terror, Anahit still found herself a target of Venus¡¯s jealousy. It also did not help that Anahit ruled over and fulfilled prayers for fertility, which was closely tied to the lovesick prayers Venus handled. As they passed one of the stalls a woman fit and pretty wearing a velvety blush pink robe stopped them. She bent over her stall in an alluring manner, fluttering her long eyelashes as she did it. ¡°I say my items are the highest quality. There are many potions and oils I am willing to sell to you all for a lower price. Would you like to try them?¡± Aries seemed to stop in his tracks gazing at the woman. After taking her in he sauntered over, leaning on the table. ¡°Oh? And what does a beautiful woman such as yourself have to offer? Any specific oils I should be trying?¡± Anahit gazed at the woman behind the stall and couldn¡¯t help but feel like she recognized her. She¡¯s rather gorgeous. The woman had flowing blonde hair; a trend in this area due to Venus¡¯s appearance, and a thin waist. Too pretty! How is someone like this here selling products? Anahit pondered. ¡°Well, I have a range of remedies for any ills. The most popular oils I have here are the scent of lavender and cardamom. Would you like to try?¡± Her voice was sweet to the ears. With one swell swoop she brought two of the oils out and motioned for Aries arm. Grasping it delicately she dribbled some of each on his arm. Aries was leaning further over, making eye contact with the woman as he did. With a mischievous grin he asked, ¡°Is my lady not going to rub it in for me?¡± The woman smiled back and went ahead and rubbed in the oils. They were well made. The scent of the two wafted in the air, enveloping those close by. ¡°And how is it?¡± The woman asked. ¡°I rather like it.¡± Aries stated, not breaking eye contact. Anahit felt like she was about to puke. The sight of the two exchanging flirtations was nauseating. With an eye role she interjected. ¡°Are you going to buy something? Might I remind you that we are somewhat on a tight schedule.¡± Aries waved his hand at her and continued charming the lady. ¡°And what are these over here?¡± he asked, picking up a faint indigo vial. ¡°Ah, that is our special aphrodisiac, blessed by Venus herself,¡± the woman said with a wink. ¡°Oh? Well, I would buy it if I could put it to good use¡­¡± Implications were behind every word. Anahit lowered her head to her hand, embarrassed to even look at the two. Shameless! Utterly shameless! We¡¯ve barely made our way through Roma and you¡¯re already flirting! It¡¯s Venus¡¯s territory! No wonder she has jealousy issues¡­ ¡°My, my, my is my lord flirting with me?¡± Anahit looked up from her hand. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint it, but that phrase reminded her of only one person. She quickly glanced at Tir who was now clenching his jaw. ¡°My lord? Why how assuming,¡± she stated, walking over to the woman. ¡°Hm? Did I say that? I don¡¯t recall suddenly?¡± The woman countered mischievously. Anahit ignored this and pressed on. ¡°And is there any way my lady would sell me a vial too?¡± Aries was alarmed at this, looking over at the goddess. ¡°Oh? Why would I not. I sell to many.¡± The woman said looking towards Anahit, fluttering her long eyelashes. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Anahit was enjoying herself. It seemed that Aries of course did not recognize the person in front of them, so she played along with their schemes. ¡°If that is so then I also find myself in a predicament.¡± Taking the woman¡¯s hair in her hands, Anahit twirled it slightly. ¡°What do you say?¡± Aries was absolutely startled. Not only was his friend, a goddess known to practice celibacy flirting in front of him, snubbing him of his target, but she was flirting with another woman! He could barely make sentences at this point. Although he had heard of such partnerships, he never thought it would happen in front of him with the woman he was attempting to woo at that! Anahit could barely hold it in. She thought she would collapse in a fit of laughter. The woman chuckled lightly. ¡°How did Ana know it was me?¡± The voice of the woman was now lower and that of a young man¡¯s voice. ¡°I even spent extra time on this disguise.¡± He pouted at Anahit. Anahit laughed gleefully. ¡°You almost had me fooled Eros if you weren¡¯t so obvious with ¡®my lord¡¯.¡± The woman before them changed ever so slightly. The blonde hair remained but only shank, going from long flowing hair to a short cut at the ears, curly at the ends. The features of the woman¡¯s became those of a man, though still soft and pretty in appearance. Every time Anahit looked upon Eros she found herself wondering how someone masculine could appear so beautiful. Eros¡¯s eyes looked like his mother, Venus¡¯s, a deep blue, the same as a raging ocean. His body shifted too. With strong shoulders and a taller frame, he now stood above Anahit in height. The person before Anahit, Aries, and Tir now transformed into the demi-god Eros. ¡°You!¡± Aries said. His face shifted from pale to a blanched red, back to pale in matter of seconds. ¡°Y-Y-Y-You¡­ What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± He said, covering his chest with his hands. ¡°Having fun? What else does it look like?¡± Eros raised their eyebrow at Aries grinning widely. ¡°What did you think I was trying to do?¡± Eros shook their head, looking Aries up and down briefly. ¡°Disappointed?¡± Aries was angry. The corners of his eyes were reddened, and a look of anger now took up his face. ¡°Of course not! I knew it was you¡­ I was just playing along.¡± The demigod snickered at this and leaned forward towards Aries. ¡°Is that being you call ¡®playing along¡¯? It looked to me that you wanted to do more to me than just buy my products-¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Tir said roughly. Seeing that Tir was present Eros straightened his back, shifting his eyes to the floor. ¡°We need to keep moving before nightfall.¡± Tir was beginning to walk away from the group. Aries quickly followed, not wanting to make further eye contact with Eros. Anahit turned to Eros asking, ¡°How did you know we were here in Roma?¡± Eros shrugged while answering, ¡°Why would I not? Mercury informed Venus and I since we did not attend the meeting.¡± The goddess now recalled not seeing the two of them earlier. Not waiting for her to ask further questions, Eros continued. ¡°Venus and I were tending to Typhoeus for the last four days. We just came back only to be hurdled with the dealings in Epithmia.¡± ¡°Typhoeus?!¡± Eros nodded. ¡°The beast had been raging in the rivers of Syria causing the locals to not fish for weeks. It had created a vast water vortex in multiple locations in the river. No one could fish lest they get swallowed whole. We had received orders from Nane to destroy it.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°As you know our abilities are not anything like the war gods, let alone other gods who wield weapons.¡± He quickly glanced in Tir¡¯s direction, who seemed to be completely unbothered by the tale. ¡°We turned ourselves into fish, leading the beast out of Syria and entrapping it. Venus put Typhoeus under a spell. Now it remains undestroyed but in a subdued slumber.¡± Eros shook his head, seeming disappointed. ¡°We were unable to do anything¡­ only put it to sleep.¡± Tir now seemed to perk up letting out a snort. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time you were unsuccessful at an assignment.¡± Eros¡¯s body went stiff, and his eyes and ears seemed to redden in embarrassment. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Anahit looked startled at this comment. The event with Daphne was more than 1000 years ago and yet Tir still found himself upset at Eros. Anahit could never understand why exactly Tir still hated Eros, it is not like Eros had any control over his assignments. He is completely at the whim of his mother Venus. Eros awkwardly turned to Anahit. Raising their arm to the back of their forehead, they scratched absentmindedly. ¡°I am glad to see Ana again though. I have missed you these past weeks. I just kept on thinking of how you would react to Typhoeus.¡± Aries turned at this and resolutely snorted. ¡°She would destroy it in one swell sweep. Honestly, I don¡¯t understand Nane sometimes. Sending you two to deal with that monster. Venus and you have always been the ones to deal with politics.¡± Tir gave a brief ¡°hmph¡± at this comment. ¡°Hmm well Venus and I have fought in many of wars too you know¡­ Our methods just differ from yours or Anahit¡¯s. They are more¡­¡± Eros seemed to be searching for a word when Tir interjected. ¡°Meddlesome.¡± Eros wanted to counter Tir¡¯s comment but did not want to be at odds with the god. Anahit on the other hand seized the chance. ¡°And you Tir, you were never meddlesome? I seem to recall you did a lot of scheming with Pythia back in the day.¡± Tir did not look back at his sister and only shrugged at her comment. ¡°The fates were all meddlesome, how was I any special with my lessons with Pythia.¡± Although Anahit could not see his face, she had felt that he was glowering. ¡°See, See! Ignore my brother Eros. He can be so insincere at times.¡± Tir did not respond but Anahit felt her twin role his eyes at her comment. The four walked down the busy streets of Roma. Even at Anahit¡¯s insistent protests the four decided to drop by and visit Venus. The temple that stood before them was grand. Marble was carved out expertly to make an arch at the entrance. On either side of the entrance were potted ferns, giving the temple a classic look. As they came to the steps of a huge temple a figure emerged from behind one of the pillars. ¡°I take it my lords enjoyed the livelihood of Roma?¡± Aries muttered profanities at this comment. Although Anahit could not make out all that he said she could briefly guess that it had something to do with Eros¡¯s disguise. ¡°Very much so. We are thankful to be witnesses to such a grand city, Mercury.¡± Mercury stepped out in a confident manner. His face was bright, with a hint of arrogance. ¡°Well, I am glad to hear it. I had debriefed Venus and Eros of the meetings details-- of course, I had assumed you all would be making an appearance since Roma is so close to Epithmia.¡± The four followed Mercury into a grand hall of the temple. Elegantly cascading tapestries depicting the birth of Venus, as she rose from the sea foam in the waters of Cyprus, lined the walls. The long elegant blonde curls weaved onto every crevice of her perfectly carved out body. Her hands stood palm out while her face looked to the heavens. As the four deities walked down the long hall of the temple each of the tapestries shifted. As Anahit admired each of them, she noted the details sown into the fabric; the vibrant colors that jumped out of these drapes. The last tapestry showed Venus, risen out the waters of Cyprus, stepping foot on the island. The people of the island kneeling out in awe and amazement at her commanding figure. Anahit recalled the original origins of the goddess of love, as she was a poor merchant¡¯s daughter in the city of Cyprus. Her lower-class background had apparently earned her a lot of disdain and derision in the upper and lower courts of Olypias. A king from a neighboring kingdom had visited Cyprus and beheld her beauty. She became a part of his harem and had lived a year fulfilling such a role. Rumors and whispers spread that her disdain for the king grew over the year due to her being much younger than her lord. Other rumors spun the tail that she had fallen in love with the king¡¯s son. Either tale had the same ending, she betrayed the kingdom, slit of king¡¯s throat, and sailed back to Cyprus. As she crossed the borders of Cyprus her vessel got a leak. Although she attempted to flee from the ship she was still too far from the coast of the island. Thus, Venus had drowned right there amidst the raging water of Cyprus, inches away from her freedom. It was further stated that Nane took pity on Venus at that moment. In Venus¡¯s last breath Nane had spilt a drop of her immortal blood into the depths of the waves. The gold blood trinkled down the depths of the water, dancing along the ripples in the ocean creating an abnormal mountain of sea foam. So, Venus sunk into the depths of the deep and arose as a goddess. The gods came to the end of the great hall. Grand doors embellished in specks of gold seemed to call them into the room beyond it. As Anahit entered the room before her, her nose was attacked by the strong scents of cardamom and lavender, of lilies and poppies. These scents seemed to paint the room around them, overwhelmingly alluring to the deities. Anahit and the others crossed the threshold of the entrance and beheld a woman, draped in velvety robes of gold and purple, spread across a long recliner, her arm laying lazily across her hips. Her golden locks cascaded past her nape and flowed like a river onto the chair. Venus. Anahit thought with anticipation. ¡°I welcome my highnesses,¡± Venus said with her soft, tempting voice. ¡°Roma is beautiful is it not? I had Eros peruse the streets for you. It looks like he succeeded.¡± Venus then gestured to the servants in the room, motioning for them to bring in an assortment of food. Around the goddess was a selection of cushions and seats, velvety and silky to the touch. ¡°Come, sit. It would be quite rude to have you all stand before me. The deities and demigod went to take a seat, Aries being the one closest to Venus. ¡°I have a wide variety of foods. Please, eat. The servants worked diligently to provide such a feast for my highnesses to energize them on their journey.¡± The servants who had previously been sent to grab the feast were now laying out a platter of grapes, olives, various cheeses, chicken, and bread on a table stationed neatly at the center of them. ¡°Venus is too kind.¡± Aries said, lowering his head towards the goddess. ¡°It is nothing.¡± Venus waved away the gesture and then took Aries hand. ¡°But I have to say I am hurt Aries.¡± Anahit, Tir, and Eros awkwardly looked at each other. Is it that she already knows what took place only moments before between Eros and Aries? Anahit thought. Impossible. The goddess doesn¡¯t have eyes all throughout Roma, does she? Aries shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. ¡°Whatever do you mean amor? What has your Aries done?¡± Venus sighed and took the hand that was holding Aries to her forehead and leaned back. ¡°I have been so awfully bored. You did not visit me after my trials with Typhoeus. That pained me a great deal.¡± Aries seemed to let out an audible sigh and leaned towards the goddess. Reaching for her he said in a low voice, ¡°I am sorry Venus. I had meant to but the dealings in my home country took precedence. Although, my thoughts of you never ceased for a second. The thoughts of you in my arms brought me great comfort, even with the stresses of war.¡± Anahit thought she would vomit. They were in their own bubble, completely unaware of the others there. As she took in the room around her, she noticed that Mercury had vanished. Typical. She thought to herself. He was only the messenger after all. She then turned to the plate of food before her and reached for the wine. ¡°Ah I see you have good taste Anahit.¡± Venus said, finally breaking away from the flirtations of Aries. ¡°That in Cadus Vinum, brewed right here from my gardens. Very popular here in Roma. It pairs well with panis quadratus.¡± Venus then got up from her seat and walked towards the table. Reaching for the bread she broke a piece off and gave it to Anahit. ¡°Your highness, I could have gotten it myself.¡± Anahit said, flustered. ¡°Nonsense, you are my guest Anahit.¡± The goddess took her seat once again. ¡°Your journey, it will be tasking. We¡¯ve had our disagreements, but Epithmia and that vile beast has been pest for me and my people for far too long. I am glad to see finally that Nane is doing something about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it has been quite annoying to share territories which Mors.¡± Anahit replied. ¡°But is it not also beneficial? You do get a transit of people constantly throughout Roma.¡± Venus scrunched up her nose at this comment. ¡°Nonsense, Roma remains to be a place for such people but that does not mean they aren¡¯t distasteful. Ruffians, criminals, beggars, and the like, addicts, and gamblers. Those are all that travel from Epithmia into my domain. Retched, pathetic things, just like their ¡°god.¡± She huffed out a disdainful sigh. ¡°I would be lying if I said that business wasn¡¯t booming without the help of Scarlet Death and her citizens, but it still is distasteful. It seems that more crime has spread in my streets because of the dejalls followers. Even my sweet Eros got harmed by one.¡± Eros, who seemed to be snuggled up against a cushion rolled his eyes at his mother. ¡°It was nothing really, just a mere scuffle with a drunkard.¡± Venus tutted at her son¡¯s comment. ¡°And yet you ended up with a bruise across your cheek.¡± She then turned back to the party. ¡°I had ordered Mercury to go to Epithmia a while back to try and work out a treaty between Mors and I, but it came to no avail.¡± Tir shifted next to Anahit and quickly interjected. ¡°I¡¯d hate to interrupt your highness but there is still daylight. It would be wise to wrap this up quickly. We still must make the journey into Epithmia. It would be unwise, especially with the knowledge of Mors¡¯ followers being so violent to avoid travel in the city in the dark.¡± A stone statue, completely impassable. Anahit thought. ¡°Of course, my brother Tir also means to add that we are greatly appreciative of the hospitality provided by Venus. It has been a pleasure to experience Roma.¡± Venus smiled slightly, appearing amused. ¡°Of course, I did not mean to keep you all too long. Oh, and Eros?¡± The goddess stood as she said all this. ¡°Why not be a dear and accompany them. Show them the route I showed you a while back. There is less of a chance of encountering anything going that way.¡± ¡°That is unnecessary.¡± Tir said, standing up, sitting himself closer to the door. ¡°I agree!¡± Eros stated, not daring to look in Tir¡¯s direction. ¡°There is still work to be done here Venus. I have no reason to leave now.¡± Tir¡¯s placid expression briefly glanced over Eros before continuing. ¡°Nane specifically sent us three to journey to Epithmia. Having Eros would just hinder us.¡± Anahit stood awkwardly and gazed at Eros who was fidgeting in his seat. She noticed that the word ¡°hinder¡± had caused his eyebrow to slightly twitch. She was about to interject when Venus cut her off. ¡°I think it would be beneficial to have Eros as your guide, in fact I have already cleared it with Nane earlier. Mercury is so swift on his feet is he not?¡± Venus appeared smug with this statement. Now standing with her arms crossed, she stared down Tir. ¡°Besides, you all do not know the area or Roma and Epithmia like Eros. Especially given that you already drew attention to yourselves when you entered my city attests to that fact.¡± Anahit perked up with this statement. She knew about Aries flirting with Eros. How terrifying. Venus continued. ¡°Eros is the perfect tool. He can go in and out of places completely undetected and distract those in sticky situations when necessary. I am quite shocked Tir, given your intelligence and wisdom, I thought you would have found the idea agreeable to begin with, especially given you two and your history.¡± A sinister smirk appeared on her face. ¡°Mother!¡± Eros said. Sitting straight up he was now clenching the cushion beside him, slightly shaking. Venus waved him off and continued to stare daggers at Tir. Anahit could see the situation was quickly going downhill and interjected. ¡°It would be wonderful for Eros to show us the way into Epithmia. We have never been and given Eros¡¯s people skills he would be a great help to us, right Tir.¡± Anahit glared in her stubborn brother¡¯s direction. His fist clenched and unclenched as he replied to Venus. ¡°I suppose it would be fine, especially if Nane gave her blessings. We are in your care Eros.¡± He turned to the door and excused himself from the room. Anahit noticed her brother seemed to struggle with that last line. The deities said their goodbyes to the goddess and quickly caught up to the steaming god Tir. As they passed by the great hall and back into the glimmering streets of Roma, Anahit glanced down at her hand. In her palm lay a vial of shimmering liquid. Despite their disdain for one another, Venus had gifted her the vial. Freshly brewed, strongly made lethagus, the very sleeping drug used on Typheous. She glanced at the vial once more before stuffing it into her robe pocket. The Smell of Sage; Pythia, the Oracle Eros led the three gods out of Roma. The sun was inching its way down across the horizon, casting shadows upon the cobblestone road as the four walked. In those shadows, Anahit found herself lost briefly in a memory. Swaying slightly, she noticed the scent of sage in the air. She closed her eyes and sniffed deeply. *** The branches seemed to whip past Anahit as she allowed the hill to guide her feet. Behind her she could hear Tir grumbling about a rock lodged in his foot. They were running. In front of their path was a bustling city, full of people pulling large carts and trollies full of grains and livestock. The donkeys that pulled these trollies shook impatiently while their rider¡¯s beckoned customers. Anahit and Tir weaved their way through the busy streets of Tigranocerta, their hoods concealing their identities. The two twins were not allowed to leave the castle often, if ever, for fear of kidnappers, or worse. Tigranes the Great, their father, ensured their safety by keeping the two extremely close to home. Pythia, on the other hand, the castle oracle and teacher of the two, had quite differing opinions on letting them explore beyond the castle. Sometimes, when there were fewer guards patrolling Pythia¡¯s section of the castle, she would allow the two to sneak and roam the streets of Tigranocerta. The old, blind oracle would make them promise one thing, never to reveal themselves to anyone else they come across. And so, with a shake of the head and a flick of the wrist Pythia would send them off on journeys, sometimes one that had them picking up an item or herb needed for the lesson that day. The two had a specific mission today: to find a fresh bushel of sage and mint. Pythia was having them to complete a lesson in medicinal healing. Anahit, already extremely well versed in selecting and crushing herbs, naturally wanted to challenge herself in maneuvering through stores and stands to find the best herbs for healing. She found it fascinating that a tiny plant could do so much for a person¡¯s health, even in extreme cases of snake bites and stab wounds. Anahit and Tir passed by various stalls and people, slipping through alleyways and back yards. They then found themselves in the main street, where it was the busiest and loudest. Anahit led the way as she scanned the open area, her eyes landing upon a store with the words ¡°Herbs and Remedies¡± plastered above it in bold ink. She looked toward Tir and pointed towards the sign. The two nodded in agreement as they walked through the doors of the shop. The shop was filled to the brim with plants and herbs of all sizes. As the two stepped through the threshold a various concoction of scents attacked their nostrils. Jars filled with medicine lined the walls of the shop while in front of them stood a long table. Behind the table sat an older man, squeezing what appeared to be Rosa damascene into a small vile, creating rose oil. The man looked up towards the two and nodded. ¡°Is there somethin¡¯ you two are lookin¡¯ fer?¡± His dialect was that of Southern Armenian, burlier and loader on the ears. Anahit and Tir glanced at each other before Anahit cleared her throat. ¡°Yes, we were hoping to buy some sage and mint from you. Do you have any fresh in stock?¡± The man scanned the two before answering. ¡°You two look quite young, are yer sure yer parents are fine with the two of you¡¯s roaming the street.¡± Tir interjected. ¡°Our mother is quite sick, and our father is busy. We are just helping the two of them out. Thanks for the concern but we are fine.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I s¡¯pose that¡¯s fine. I remember running around these cobblestone streets when I was the two of yous¡¯ age. Here, I have some sage and mint right here. I also have a remedy already made up with the two included. Would you like it?¡± Anahit took a quick scan of the medicinal concoction before her before asking, ¡°Can I feel of it?¡± The man nodded and took the lid off the jar, slightly shifting it towards Anahit. The mans eyebrow raised in curiosity. As Anahit rubbed the smooth remedy between her index finger and thumb she expressed bluntly, ¡°It¡¯s a bit watery; I suggest adding less water and massaging the sage, instead of grinding it.¡± Her face then paled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I did not mean to correct you on your methods. My teacher tells me that I need to do a better job of listening, rather than lecturing.¡± She quietly cursed herself for her rudeness. ¡°Ah, is lit¡¯le lady familiar with herbalism? To tell you¡¯s the truth, I had to stretch my last bit of sage out, so I added more water than I usually do. Prices have gone up it seems, and with that less quality products. I apologize if lit¡¯le lady does not wish to have it.¡± Anahit shifted slightly before turning to Tir. His face was completely shrouded by his cape, but she could tell he was scowling. ¡°No, it is fine! It is fine for basic scratches and scrapes. Thank you, sir.¡± The two of them were preparing to pay and leave before another customer walked through the door. Anahit and Tir inclined their heads slightly and saw a malnourished youngster scanning the inner shop for some type of item. The child was around their age, fifteen, and had long, vividly dark, ginger hair. When Anahit stared further, she noticed the child wearing torn, shabby clothes. Bruises adorned their pale body and face. She turned back to the old man, afraid that her staring would offend the youngster. As she brought up her coin purse to pay the man the youngster abruptly grabbed a jar of tea leaves and scampered out. ¡°Lit¡¯le rodent!¡± The man roared. ¡°Get back here and pay!¡± Before the man stormed out of his shop Anahit slammed a gold coin down and grabbed Tir¡¯s arm. ¡°That should suffice for both of us! It¡¯ll even allow for you to make proper remedies.¡± Before she could stay to hear the man¡¯s protests, she ran out of the shop, dragging Tir as she went. ¡°Where are you going?! Why are you in such a rush?¡± Tir exclaimed. The two were flying through the street, bumping into people as they went. A hoard of grumbling voices and curses sounded behind them as they made their way through the crowd. Anahit could only scream out an abrupt ¡°Sorry!¡± as she dragged in the direction of where the child ran. ¡°That¡ªthat child!¡± She managed to mumble out through breaths. ¡°I recognize that red hair!¡± Tir was behind her still being dragged along. ¡°Okay?! And?! We already paid for them, why follow? Anahit turned to him and let out an impatient ¡°Humph!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see them? They were obviously in pain. With all those bruises and wounds, they must have been beaten and ended up stealing medicine as a last resort. Only, they didn¡¯t steal medicine, they stole cheap tea leaves. They won¡¯t be able to heal those would with that!¡± Tir let out a sigh and titled his head towards his sister. ¡°Running through the streets, chasing a thief, and bumping into people isn¡¯t so conspicuous Ana; did you forget who we were? You can¡¯t save every abused child you come across.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m saving one.¡± As the two rounded the corner they caught a glimpse of a flash of red hair. Anahit was locked on target and pushed forward shouting, ¡°Hey! Little kid! Stop! We are not going to hurt you!¡± The child turned, their face paling as they did so, and ran forward, into an alleyway. Anahit muttered under her breath as she and Tir followed suit after the youngster. It wasn¡¯t long before the two came to a dead end where the teen was attempting to climb a tall, brick wall. Anahit let go of Tir¡¯s arm and crossed her arms impatiently. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re a fast little thing. Look we only want to talk. We are not going to get you arrested or anything.¡± The teen whirled their head back towards the young twins and glowered at them. Spitting with every syllable they yelled back, ¡°Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo!¡± Anahit took a step back, her face reddening as she did. What a vulgar, unruly child! To curse so opening and to say such thing¡­ Have they no shame! Although Anahit was taken aback by the sudden vulgarity spat at her she recognized the language. This child was from Greece! Anahit then switched her dialect from Armenian to Latin. ¡°I mean no harm! We won¡¯t turn you in! Here!¡± She then pulled out the jar of medicine she had bought from the man. ¡°Those tea leaves will do nothing for your wounds. This will help you.¡± The child stopped struggling up the wall and slowly lowered themselves down. Scanning Anahit again they quickly stepped forward towards the two. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Anahit coaxed. ¡°You¡¯re fine. Here, let me help you apply it.¡± The child made no protests. They seemingly were only curious of the two twins. As Anahit sat with the child and lightly touched their skin, applying the ointment, she noticed how neglected they were. Although the ointment was somewhat well made, it seemed to mix with the dirt caked on the child¡¯s body. Anahit took out a jug of water she had stored at her side and cleaned the areas visible on the youngster¡¯s body. She moved quickly and seamlessly, leaving no bruise or scrape untreated. Bringing her water jug up to the childs face, the two made eye contact. Although, from a distance her hooded disguise worked well, Anahit was unsure whether being up close would make her recognizable. She had no fabric to cover her face, nor a scarf to bind all her wild, curly hair. The youngsters¡¯ eyes were wide, and Anahit could make out specks of gold in the contrasting sea of amber and brown. Before she could control her mouth, she asked, ¡°Do you know of Earl Lycaon, son of Pelasgus?¡± The child¡¯s face darkened at the question. They turned their head and muttered some profanities under their breath. Anahit thought her ears would start bleeding from all the curse words she was hearing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did not mean to offend.¡± With that, the two remained in silence while Anahit worked her way through the grime on the childs face. Behind her she could hear Tir impatiently shifting in his sandals. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The water now had washed away the dirt of the youngsters¡¯ face, revealing high cheek bones and a youthful glow. Anahit could now see that the child was a gorgeous young girl, a little younger than her. She let out a slight gasp, alerting the young girl before her. The young girl just glared in her direction. Anahit quickly contained herself and went back to work, applying the medicine to the apple of the youths¡¯ face. As she began packing up the young girl quickly stood and looked like she was about to bolt out of the alleyway. ¡°Wait! I never got your name..¡± Anahit expressed eagerly. The girl turned to face her. With a head tilt and a wide grin, she said, ¡°And would you tell me yours if I asked for it back?¡± With that, the girl nodded in Anahit and Tir¡¯s direction and scampered off, disappearing beyond the alleyway and into the bustling street. ¡°Come on.¡± Tir said. ¡°Pythia will be wondering where we are. We better get back before she orders for a search party.¡± Anahit packed up in silence. As they sneaked back into the castle and into Pythia¡¯s chambers Anahit couldn¡¯t shake the smell of sage in her nostrils and the color of amber now burned in her retinas. *** The three gods and demigod reached the outskirts of Epithmia. Nightfall had come, enveloping their path with blankets of moonlight. During their travel they had decided to stop by an inn and continue into Epithmia the following day. Eros, being somewhat familiar with the area, directed them to an inn his mother had mentioned to him before. Reaching the garden path, the four were struck with sounds of laughter and cursing. Eros led the way, breaching the doors. As Anahit scanned her surroundings, she noticed quite a few people adorned in skimpily clad outfits flittering around. The men were brandish and loud, chugging glasses of wine and gossiping with other patrons. She had been following closely beside Eros. She tugged at his blush pink and gold robe, alerting his attention. ¡°Where exactly did you take us?¡± She questioned nervously. Eros turned to her, a grin showing his pearly white teeth. ¡°Like I said, Venus had mentioned this place to me. I figured since it was on our way, might as well stop.¡± ¡°I know that!¡± Anahit stated impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ are you sure this is just an inn?¡± From behind her she heard her brother grumble. ¡°They¡¯ve taken us to a damn brothel!¡± Eros swiveled his head, squinting his eyes at Tir. ¡°I have done no such thing! I¡ª¡± Just then, from the wide set doors of the grand hall of the inn a woman burst through, and man clumsily stumbling behind him. ¡°I have cash! I have cash, I promise! Please¡­ my lady I did not mean to deceive!¡± The woman tutted as she yelled loudly, ¡°Leave! Leave before I get my men to beat you to a bloody pulp!¡± The man slumped further. He scooted past the four and slowly left the inn. An eruption of laughter sounded from behind him. Some of the patrons seem to point, gossiping behind his back. The woman had turned to face the four deities. Her long flowing brunette hair was neatly tucked in a double knotted braid. Bold bands adorned her body and a long, revealing velvety dress wrapped tautly around her alluring frame. The woman¡¯s eyes were sharp, while her face was almost vulture-like, with her high cheek bones protruding out of her slim face. ¡°Well?!¡± She stated haughtily. ¡°Are you all coinless too or are you able to pay my women properly!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Anahit turned yet again to Eros. She could see his face reddening while he muttered under his breath. ¡°How could I have known?? Venus had only mentioned the place once!¡± A smile formed on the goddesses¡¯ face while she tried to stifle down a snicker. She faced the woman before them and with a start began, ¡°Would it be possible to stay here for the night? We have been traveling a long way and simply wish to sleep and rest.¡± The woman scanned Anahit and with a ¡°humph¡± she responded. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn! If you are able to pay for it, you¡¯re welcome to our beds and baths.¡± Aries piped up at that moment. ¡°Well, I mean I¡¯m not opposed to using your other service¡ª OOF!¡± Before he finished Tir jammed his elbow into his side. ¡°Never mind.¡± Aries said, slumping over in pain. ¡°We are fine with that.¡± ¡°Wonderful!¡± The woman said, a smile creeping upon her pale face. ¡°How many rooms?¡± Tir and Anahit spoke at the same time. While Anahit shrugged ¡°Two,¡± Tir let out a hasty, ¡°four.¡± The two made eye contact in that moment. ¡°Why two? Why not get separate rooms?¡± Tir expressed. ¡°Why waste our coins? We can just share.¡± Tir grunted at this answer. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to share,¡± he stated bluntly. ¡°Why not, it is not like we have anything to hide?¡± Anahit questioned. Eros, looking at the two twins arguing quickly interjected. ¡°If I may, Anahit makes a good point¡ª¡± The demigod was quickly cut off by Tir¡¯s threatening scowl. The two went on bantering quietly back and forth. Anahit was beginning to fume, frowning at her brother. She was about to argue further with him before she remembered the woman, waiting patiently for their response. She turned in the woman¡¯s direction but found the space empty. Swirling back around she caught a glance of a set of two keys dangling from an Aries hand. With a smirk he said loudly, ¡°What was the woman supposed to do? Wait for you two to finish your little argument. I went ahead and paid for two rooms¡­ Sorry Tir, but my stomach still hurts from where you elbowed me.¡± Anahit thought Tir¡¯s face would permanently get stuck in a frown by how much he was scowling today. She let out a gleeful laugh as she snatched one of the keys. ¡°Thank you very much Aries. Eros and I will take a room while you can share one with my grumpy brother.¡± Aries face slightly frowned at this. ¡°But¡­¡± He looked at Tir and then at Eros and shivered. ¡°Nope, good choice Anahit. I¡¯m fine with Tir.¡± Eros noticed his discomfort and wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to sleep with me. That¡¯s rather shocking considering¡ª¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± Tir said, shifting past the three, in the directions on the rooms. ¡°I suppose this is a better, since we won¡¯t be separated¡­¡± Anahit came up behind Tir, her hands cupping his broad shoulders. ¡°What is this? My brother agreeing with me? It truly must the last days if that is the case.¡± She continued to pester her twin brother. ¡°Also, stop interrupting Eros, that¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve done it.¡± ¡°Third.¡± Tir countered. ¡°Whatever.¡± Anahit said, letting out an annoyed breath. Behind her she could hear Eros letting out a faint giggle. *** Anahit and Eros¡¯s room was dimly lit. As they stepped past the threshold and into the chamber Anahit noted the odd d¨¦cor. A chandelier, the only source of light, took up the center of the room. Offset to it were two large beds. A short side table separated these two beds. To the left of the room though was a lounging area, with cushions like that of Venus¡¯s (only less elegant), beckoning the two deities to sit. In the corner of the room, only separated by a wall, was a sink and latrine. The demigod Eros plopped down on the cushion, seeming to already be making themself at home. Anahit opted for the floor. Going near the center of the room, slightly below the chandelier, she sat down. Bringing her thumb to her mouth she bit down hard. Blood drizzled its way down. ¡°What are you do¡ª¡± A knock came from their door. Hearing that it was just Tir and Aries, Eros let them in. ¡°These rooms are pretty drabby are they not?¡± Aries expressed; his arms crossed behind his back. Tir followed silently behind him. ¡°Quiet.¡± The three watched as Anahit drew an incantation. Tir went to knelt beside her. Brushing away the ringlets of hair from his face he asked, ¡°who are you summoning.¡± ¡°Do you not feel them?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Eros asked, now growing apprehensive. Tir answered flately, ¡°She means the souls here. There are at least 300.¡± Aries and Eros shifted awkwardly at this comment. Anahit drew silently. Taking her thumb, she traced out a ¡°U.¡± Drawing a line through it she then incased the entire sketch in a circle. Above the circle she began writing a ¡°P.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling her. Are you sure that is wise?¡± Tir expressed, his face wavering slightly. ¡°She was our teacher Tir. Who better to ask to communicate with souls than one who resides with them. Besides you¡¯re here with me, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m disobeying Nane¡¯s orders.¡± Anahit¡¯s fingers hovered over the flooring slightly. Continuing her strokes, she made a ¡°Y,¡± ¡°T,¡± ¡°H,¡± ¡°I,¡± and ended with a looping ¡°A.¡± The goddess had drawn the ¡°circle of souls¡± incantation, specifically summoning the soul of Pythia. Known for her gifts in speaking with the dead, as well as her prophet work, Pythia could help Anahit talk with the spirits residing at the brothel. Beside Tir and Pluto, all other gods, goddesses, and deities were barred from speaking with spirits. Because deities of the past manipulated souls, fragmenting them beyond recognition, cursed souls were created. As such, Nane limited the communication between spirits and deities. Souls are extremely fragile, especially in their journeys of the ¡°city of fire,¡± or in other words, the underworld. Thus, if one were to take one of these souls and fragment it, they would be able to create a fierce ghost, or worse, a dejall, like Scarlet Death. Other souls through the process of fragmentation could be made into puppets, doing the bidding of whomever had created them. The practice became such a problem that gods and goddesses began murdering humans and snatching their innocent souls before they could be guided to the underworld. She finished drawing the incantation. Sitting back, shoulders slightly back, and head tilted upward. Anahit began chanting, deep and rhythmically, her silky voice reverberating off the walls of the brothel room. Her chants were undiscernible, going between mumbles and high-pitched tones. The room dropped in temperature. Aries and Eros, who stood a great distance from the two twins, could now see their breaths. The chandelier above Anahit began to vibrate slightly alongside Anahit¡¯s incoherent chant. Then the room steadied; the smell of rot and decay lingering in the air. Anahit lowered her head and turned it slightly to the corner of the room, where the cushions were scattered. There, shrouded in darkness, was a hunched over figure. A disfigured older woman stood; her piercing murky white eyes gazing in Anahit¡¯s direction. ¡°Ah, so you finally decide to call upon me after more than 1000 years.¡± Pythia¡¯s voice was shrill and venomous. The sound of a cane struck the floor as the once great oracle made her way to the goddess. ¡°And what does your greatness need with an antient relic like me?¡± The Cries of 300 Souls *The following content might be triggering for some readers.* ¡°Pythia¡­¡± Anahit replied, stepping towards the old oracle. ¡°We need your help calling upon the spirits trapped here.¡± ¡°And my sweet Tir could not do it?¡± Anahit had moved towards Pythia now. One hand allowing Pythia to lean on her and the other grasping the dead oracle¡¯s hand, the two walked back over the center of the room. Tir, previously kneeling beside the summoning spell now was stand up straight, facing the two of them. ¡°You know how Anahit is Pythia. She summoned you specifically.¡± Tir replied, shifting awkwardly. ¡°Ah¡­ so then it is not just about the spirits?¡± Pythias glazed white eyes seemed to reflect a sense of excitement and anticipation. Before Anahit could answer she continued. ¡°The spirits here are vengeful, angry. I can hear their cries. The pain. The resentment. Winding tunnels encase them, keeping them gliding upon the surfaces of this brothel. Forced for sex and kept for bidding. You four were wrong to come here.¡± Silence filled the room of Anahit and Eros. In that silence there was deafening unease. All four deities now looked at each other, a hint of sadness lingering on their faces. ¡°Can they be released?¡± Anahit found herself asking. ¡°Only if their wish is fulfilled.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Aries said, appearing slightly impatient. Pythia¡¯s cane struck loudly, sending earth shattering vibrations across the wood floor. The wood now creaked and groaned. Pythia let go of Anahit¡¯s and moved about the room, striking the floorboard as she went. ¡°Has she gone completely mad?¡± Aries whispered to the rest of the group. ¡°Quiet!¡± Pythia let out with a hiss. ¡°If you seek to fulfill their wish and release them then you must destroy the person responsible.¡± Just then, in the corner of the room near where the beds were set, Pythia¡¯s cane struck the floorboard. An echo seemed to come from under this part of the wood floor. Striking it again caused a slab suddenly to shoot up, revealing a hole. ¡°Follow them. Follow the spirits. They will guide you to where you want to go.¡± With a pause the great oracle made her way back to Anahit. Facing her she inquired. ¡°And? Is it the fates you desire your highness?¡± ¡°Pythia, tell me more about my fate. What are we to face in Epithmia?¡± ¡°Foolish.¡± Pythia enunciated the word, her tongue gliding across her rotted-out teeth. ¡°I do not play the fates, Anahit, you know that. If you wish for the fates, you will have to visit the three sisters of Moirai. Although¡­¡± Pythia paused, tapping her decayed finger across the hymn of her robe. ¡°I will provide you with this: Surety, then ruin.¡± With the enunciation of the last word Pythia vanished into thin air. Her lack of presence allowed the coldness and the smell of rotting to precede the room. All that was left was the four staring blankly at the spot where the blind oracle once was. Anahit let out an annoyed sigh. ¡°What good is that old verse? We learned nothing.¡± ¡°Not nothing.¡± Tir was staring intently at the ground. His gaze landed on the spot Pythia once stood. ¡°Some verses are worth repeating Anahit. We need to be careful; there is something Pythia feels we should not commit to with full certainty.¡± ¡°And what could that possibly be?!¡± Anahit¡¯s eyebrows creased. Aries seemed to be scanning the hole that had once been covered by a wooden slab. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned¡­ That blind hag wasn¡¯t crazy after all. There¡¯s what looks to be a tunnel below us.¡± ¡°A tunnel! Didn¡¯t that oracle say that the souls were trapped down there? Will they really show us the way of the one responsible?¡± Eros asked, fear slightly slipping from his lips. ¡°They must.¡± Tir responded, taking a step towards the hole. ¡°My guess is that there¡¯s a second sight.¡± Turning his head towards the major god, Eros responded, slightly shocked. ¡°A second sight? Does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°The pornai were taken from this brothel, most likely during the night while they slept, and dragged to a second sight.¡± ¡°Which means¡­¡± Anahit started. ¡°That they were no mere prostitutes¡­ they are slaves; trafficked and forced to work by whomever stole them in the dead of the night.¡± Eros¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Then that woman¡­ could she possibly be¡ª¡± ¡°No. She¡¯s the mere face of the operation. She most likely brings in people and informs whomever of the room they are staying at.¡± Tir expressed. ¡°We have to be careful then.¡± Aries stated with his chest out. The war god then jumped down the hole. As he landed, he caused the inner walls of the tunnels to shake, bringing about some rubble to fall. Before Tir could protest about the abruptness of the decision he saw his sister quickly follow suit. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Eros, ¡°Come on. Just like the war gods to act without any thought.¡± The tunnel was dark and damp. A cold breeze blew past Anahit, kissing the sides of her cheeks and arms. Looking around briefly, she was struck by the number of souls residing in the dark space. Blue hued orbs bounced and bobbed across the surface of the muddy shaft. Their colors cast eerie shadows around the four deities. ¡°My gods¡­¡± Eros let out with a shaky breath. Anahit peered in their direction, seeing several orbs floating around them. ¡°They seem to like you.¡± The demigod nodded awkwardly at this comment and went to touch one of the spheres, only to be stopped by Tir. ¡°You mustn¡¯t. Even if you mean no harm.¡± The cavernous passageway became painted in shades of blue. As Anahit scanned the path before her she could see it stretching for a great distance. Seeing the bulbs of light dance across the walls of the windy chamber indicated that this was not a mere passageway, but a channel. As her hands grazed the surface of the forgotten walls she noted the clay-like texture of the dirt. ¡°This must have been a qanat at some point.¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Tir questioned her sister. ¡°Rome never utilized such means.¡± Anahit further scanned the clay like dirt. ¡°Well, they must have been inspired¡­¡± The goddess did not need to spell it out. Although the Persians were most noted for creating such structures it was Armenians who had perfected them. Meant to transfer water to the surface, qanats were well-like shafts that were desirable in hot, arid climates. In the days leading up to the Battle of Tigranocerta, Rome and Armenia were at odds. By taking down the capital of Armenia, Tigranocerta, Rome successfully settled in the area. With their settlement came the loss of the Armenian people¡¯s culture, religion, art, and personhood. Romans stole everything, including methods long developed before their settlement, like the invention of the qanats. Anahit¡¯s hand finally left the wall of the tunnel. The deities weaved their way through the shaft of the long forgotten qanat, finally coming to a dead end. ¡°Look.¡± Aries said, his hand pointing towards an opening above them covered by some sort of wooden slab. Orbs pranced around it almost proudly, as if telling the four, ¡°Look, look at what we found.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that is our way out,¡± Anahit uttered. It did not take long for the four to push the wooden slab away and climb out from under the qanat. Anahit was brushing off dirt from her robe when she noticed her brother bowing in the direction of the opening. Moving towards him she lightly touched his shoulder. ¡°Did you ask them anything? Did you pick up anything on their death?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. His face seemed to darken at the question. ¡°Pythia was right to say we shouldn¡¯t have come.¡± Tir looked back in the direction of Anahit. ¡°I only gleaned little, but one name did stick out. One name the spirits kept repeating to me.¡± ¡°Who? Who is it? Do we know them?¡± Aries and Eros now stood near the two. With an impatient ¡°humph,¡± Aries started, ¡°What?! Can¡¯t you get on with it! If you know who is responsible come out and say it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Orion.¡± The name struck Anahit like an arrow. Her mouth quivered slightly, sweat dripping down her forehead, ¡°Are you sure?¡± was all she could muster. Bringing a hand to her temple, she stumbled back. Eros was the nearest to her and held her slightly, afraid she would fall. ¡°Orion? You mean that Orion? The giant huntsman?¡± Eros said with a hint of confusion. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he¡ª¡± ¡°Stripped of his chi.¡± Tir finished, his brows now creased in a stressed line. ¡°At least we thought he was. ¡°It can¡¯t be. You must be mistaken Tir.¡± Anahit expressed. Aries was now crossing his arms, a frown shown on his face. ¡°Apparently not. Look, care to explain to you two? What happened with Orion? I don¡¯t remember him really being part of the court. I barely remember why Nane stripped him of his godhood.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t Nane who took his chi.¡± Anahit paused briefly, calming herself. ¡°It was me. You wouldn¡¯t have known of him because in those days he was a mere minor god. He was once a dear friend, but he betrayed my trust¡­ It was around 600 years ago, before you and I became close Aries.¡± *** Occasionally Anahit found herself descending upon Greece, near popular hunting spots. Although she enjoyed the solitude that hunting provided, the blowing of the trees and the sounds of birds chirping had grown tiresome to her. In those days, where silence had become all she knew, she found herself gasping for human connection, for friendship. This time was when she had met Orion. The two became inseparable. There were many long nights bleeding into mornings where the two sat in the woods talking nonsense and joking around. The closeness of the bond they shared was made from their desire to hunt. Besides Tir, Anahit rarely found anyone who would spend day and night in wooded areas, covered in dirt and grime, feeling the thrill of a hunt. For one of these night hunts Orion and her found themselves on the outskirts of Corinth. Anahit was finishing tying her third snare when Orion awkwardly broke the silence. ¡°Have you ever fallen in love?¡± The question was delicate in the way it flowed off Orion¡¯s lips. His face was moderately flushed, avoiding looking in Anahit¡¯s direction. His muddy blond hair was cut short, framing his hardened face. A five-o-clock shadow was growing on his face giving him an unkempt appearance. Muscles stretched out across his body with veins rippling a winding under his pale brown chlamys. ¡°Why do you look so embarrassed Orion? Come on, you know me. Of course I haven¡¯t been in love.¡± Orion raised his eyebrow at this. ¡°At all¡­? Really? After so many years of being alive. Come on Anahit, that¡¯s impossible. What about before you ascended? Was there anyone when you were a princess?¡± It was like Anahit had had a cold bucket of water dumped over her. ¡°What is this? Shouldn¡¯t we be sitting in silence. I thought I heard something in the bushes nearby. Let¡¯s sit in silence. Hopefully we haven¡¯t scared whatever it was off.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything Anahit. Stop changing the subject. You must have met someone. I don¡¯t believe for one second that you haven¡¯t at least had a little crush. Do you not trust me?¡± Anahit let out an aggrieved sigh. With a brief pause she glanced in Orion¡¯s direction with downturned eyes. ¡°I have loved only one person. This person is my dearest of friends. They were my companion. We had passed our day hunting and¡ª¡± At that moment, Orion grabbed Anahit¡¯s hand, his face that of a wild animal. ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Anahit was interrupted by the abrupt impact of Orion¡¯s lips on hers. Shocked by the sudden kiss she pushed Orion back, causing his to stumble slightly. ¡°I knew it!¡± Orion yelled, a proud smile creeping across his face. ¡°You knew what?! Why the Hades did you kiss me?!¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®why the Hades did you kiss me?!¡¯ Why would I not kiss you after you proclaimed your love for me?!¡± Anahit¡¯s surroundings began to spin at that moment. ¡°I was not talking about you¡­¡± Orion froze. An angered expression formed on his face giving him a threatening appearance. ¡°That¡¯s not funny Anahit.¡± His face then softened. ¡°Anahit, you sly goddess! You¡¯re messing with me. I never thought you would be one to joke at such a serious moment. It¡¯s quite adorable actually.¡± Anahit found herself suddenly pinned to the ground by Orion. Confusion. Disappointment. Fear. All those thoughts crossed her mind and more. ¡°Get off of me! I was not joking! You¡¯re mistaken, Orion! Stop!¡± The minor god bent down; his body hovered over Anahit¡¯s. The goddess tried to push him off, but his grip was surprisingly strong. ¡°No need to by shy¡­ I always had a feeling you loved me. Don¡¯t worry, I love you too.¡± His breath was slow and steady, sending shivers down Anahit¡¯s spine. ¡°No need to be so nervous. You¡¯re untouched are you not? I¡¯m very gentle; I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°You fucker!!¡± Anahit roared. ¡°Have you not been listening, idiot! YOU ARE NOT THE ONE I LOVE!¡± Anger crossed over Orion¡¯s face. ¡°Cut it out. The jokes not funny anymore Anahit.¡± A lump formed in her throat. Orion was refusing to listen to her, whether because he couldn¡¯t handle rejection or, like Dionysus, he had gone completely mad. Anahit knew that at this point he would force himself on her. Betrayal. The word repeated in her head. How could Orion do this to her? She had made no advances towards him in the years they had been friends, nor any indications of feelings. Had he always thought of her in this manner? Was she even his friend? What had he been thinking all this time? Orion lowered himself on Anahit in that moment, his hand slightly grazing her side. ¡°Are we not friends?! How can you do this to me! I have only thought of you as a friend.¡± ¡°A friend? A woman and a man existing as friends? A god and goddess?¡± Anahit felt bile lining the inside of her mouth. His hand began to slither its way under her toga, like a venomous snake. Anahit prepared herself, her knee ready at that moment to strike Orion¡¯s most sensitive spot. Before she could finish her plan though a bult of fiery orbs of light shot out, shooting Orion square in the chest. Tir stepped out from behind a tree; eyes bulging, and a face taught with anger, he neared the two with murderous rage. Tir had always been shrouded in a tranquil aura. His once placid air was now replaced with perturbed vexation. ¡°Just what do you think you¡¯re doing to my dear K¡¯uyr?¡± Orion stammered, suddenly shrinking back from the sight of Tir. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªIt¡¯s not what you think. Anahit desired it also. It¡¯s nothing odd for a man and woman to do such thing. Besides, you sister had told me she loved me.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Tir¡¯s eyebrow twitched at that statement. ¡°Look, I know seeing you sister in that kind of position must have been shocking but¡ª¡± Tir interrupted Orion at that moment. Letting out a growl he slowly moved towards Orion. ¡°Impossible.¡± Orion side-stepped, avoiding a bulb of light sent from Tir¡¯s fingerprints. ¡°Tir, calm down. It was only a burst of passion. It is completely normal for your sister and I to act in such a manner. Do you not know the desires of women! Good gods man, stop throwing fire balls at me!!¡± Another bult of light now struck Orion¡¯s right shoulder, causing him to let out a grunt. ¡°The desires of women?? A burst of passion?? My K¡¯uyr confessing her love to you?!¡± Tir let out a sinister chuckle. ¡°Orion, you are pathetic, miserable fuck. She does not love you! Look at you!¡± Another burst of light left Tir¡¯s palm and whizzed past Orion¡¯s ear. ¡°You¡¯re nothing near what my K¡¯uyr could find herself loving.¡± Orion¡¯s face contorted. He wore a dark expression at that point. Raising his right arm, he reached for his arrows in his quiver behind him. ¡°DAMN YOU!¡± He sputtered. Anahit pulled herself up. Before Orion had the opportunity to pull out one of his arrows, she shot one from hers, landing it directly in his abdomen. ¡°You fool¡­ you dare try to shoot Tir!¡± Orion¡¯s bulged in anger. ¡°HOW DARE I!¡± He charged towards Anahit, an arrow gripped in his hand. The two collided. His arrow and her bow. Anahit twisted her bow upwards, snagging the arrow, and with her foot knocked Orion off his feet. He stumbled backwards into the dirt, fear showing on his face. ¡°No! Wait! Don¡¯t!¡± Before he could finish, he was struck by another one of Anahit¡¯s arrows. Orion let out a groan, bending over he coddled his wounds. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! I don¡¯t get it! Do you not love me?!¡± A cold expression shown on Anahit¡¯s face as she edged closer to the minor god. ¡°Do I love you? Have you not been listening to me?! Are you too stupid to heed my words?¡± The words hissed out and slithered its way into Orion¡¯s ears. He could feel beads of sweat dripping down his back. Anahit could feel herself losing it; with her anger reaching over boiling point. And in that anger, disgust, and betrayal she let one of her deepest secrets slip. ¡°I. Do. Not.¡± She enunciated every word. ¡°I will never love you because you can never be her. My Calisto!¡± Anahit now clutched onto Orion¡¯s cloak. Orion face appeared blank at that moment. ¡°H-- Her?¡± He managed to stutter. ¡°¡¯my Calisto?¡¯¡± His face was pale and riddled with confusion. His eye wavered over Anahit, and then to Tir, who was next to her. Suddenly, in his face showed something clicking into place. An understanding of Anahit¡¯s words. ¡°Enough.¡± Tir muttered. ¡°Anahit, get this over with.¡± ¡°WHO IS CALISTO?¡± Orion was going mad. His eyes were bloodshot and dilated. ¡°IS IT HER? IS SHE THE ONE YOU LOVE!¡± Anahit¡¯s knuckles were white as her grip on Orion¡¯s cloak tightened. ¡°SHUT UP!¡± She roared. ¡°You have ¡®played the whore¡¯! Don¡¯t tell me you are an inhabitant of the ¡®island of Lesbos¡¯!¡± It wasn¡¯t Anahit that landed a solid hit, but Tir. Orion¡¯s face reverberated off his fist; blood already trickling from his nose. Tir, not wanting to hear his sister spoken ill of, cupped the back of Orion¡¯s head and dragged his limp body to a nearby rock. ¡°WHAM!¡± Tir sent shockwaves of pain throughout Orion¡¯s body. ¡°Apologize!¡± He said with a venomous tone. Orion gagged, spitting out a stream of blood. He looked pathetic at that moment. His face pale, splattered with crimson red. ¡°Tir stop. I understand that you¡¯re upset but Nane would be displeased if you killed Orion. I wouldn¡¯t want to see you reputation ruined because of him.¡± Tir had dragged Orion¡¯s limp body to the great hall of Olypias and presented him at the feet of Nane. During the preceding months, Nane decided to hold a series of trials for Orion for his offenses against the goddess Anahit. Not only had the minor god tried to defile the goddess, but if he had succeeded Anahit¡¯s chi would have suffered. The decision to be celibate was one that coincided with her powers. If she were to engage in anything sexual, the potency of her chi would deteriorate. The halls of Olypias were bustling with deities of all shapes and sizes. The last trial concluded. Orion was to be stripped of his godhood and expelled from Olypias. Moreover, the goddess to perform such a task was Anahit herself. As every inch of his chi was drained, Orion burned Anahit¡¯s face in his mind. Overrun with feelings of rejection and rage, he festered for centuries. In those years of roaming the earth he vowed to get revenge. To make Anahit feel the way he had felt. Helpless. Purple Hyacinth *Chapter may be triggering to some readers* The four deities stood in silence for a long while. The three seemed to grow more and more angered as Anahit retold her dealings with Orion. ¡°The nerve of a minor god to commit such an offense!¡± Aries let out a ¡°huff¡± and crossed his arms in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m glad that Nane allowed you to drain him of his chi.¡± ¡°You must have felt so lonely in that moment Ana.¡± Eros¡¯s hand was resting on her shoulder. ¡°Though, I¡¯m shocked that you were able to stop Tir from killing him.¡± Tir let out a ¡°humph¡± at this statement. ¡°Believe me, I was fuming. My K¡¯uyr was the levelheaded one for once. Although, this time around, he¡¯s not going to be so lucky.¡± ¡°Tir¡­¡± Anahit shook her head. ¡°Just because Pythia said to kill him doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t bring him to Nane first. I have a feeling she would approve such actions.¡± *** The passageway from the underground qanat had led the four deities to a well-used kitchen and grand hall. Pots and pans were piled recklessly around them while vials, glasses, and tools of various shapes and sizes were strewn randomly about the counter. What a mess. Anahit thought. Whomever was cooking in here last seemed to have been in a hurry. There were still contents left rotting in the dishware. The scent was oddly dulled in the kitchen though, as if that person intentionally masked the odor. The only aroma Anahit was able to pick up was cardamom, and very little at that. ¡°Good gods¡­ Someone forgot to clean up.¡± Aries picked up a glass, peering at the muddied substance in it. ¡°Absolutely vile.¡± ¡°Look.¡± Eros was nearest to the kitchen counter. He picked up one of the vials, examining it. ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­¡± Tir walked towards him, looking over his shoulder. ¡°What?¡± ¡°This vial, it looks almost identical to the one Venus uses for her perfumes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Aries said. ¡°Anyone could have swiped those types of vials. We are by Roma remember.¡± Eros¡¯s face strained. His fingertips rubbed against the top of the vial, near the round lid. A worn carving of a dove perched delicately at the top. His worried eyes darted to Tir and then to Anahit. ¡°Yeah, but this is part of her personal collection.¡± Anahit then remembered the vial of sleeping potion Venus had gifted her. She brought it out of her pocket, carefully inspecting it as she did. A dove was perched at the top of the lid, the same exact dove carved out on the vial Eros picked up. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°It means that Venus wanted us to go to this brothel, to discover the 300 souls here, but for what reason?¡± Tir reached for the vial nestled in Eros¡¯ palm and brought it over to Anahit. Holding both side by side, Anahit could barely tell a difference between the two. Something was off. The 300 souls. Venus telling Eros to be their guide to Epithmia. Orion being the one behind the killings of the prostitutes who had once lived here. Anahit could not get the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach to reside. Did Venus intend for this to happen? Did she know Orion was behind the killings here? Furthermore, was she aware of Anahit¡¯s past with the minor god? ¡°Surety, then ruin right?! Isn¡¯t that what the mad oracle muttered back there in the brothel. We shouldn¡¯t be so quick to assume Venus is conspiring with Orion!¡± Aries said this as if he could read Anahit¡¯s thoughts. He looked uncomfortable. ¡°Venus must have learned what was happening. Maybe she even sent us here to fix it? Is that not possible?¡± ¡°Maybe, but we can¡¯t rule out her involvement just yet.¡± Tir took the empty vial from Anahit and slipped it into his pocket. ¡°Besides, if she wanted our involvement, she would have told us. We are more than aware of the verse Aries. I wouldn¡¯t be so quick either with your certainty, folly could result.¡± Aries¡¯s hand formed into a fist, causing veins to pop out. ¡°That sharp-tongue strikes with malice Tir. I would tame it if I were you.¡± The war god then pulled out his sword, pointing it in the direction of the sun god. A deep chuckle came from Tir, reverberating out of his throat. With a head tilted back and arms crossed he squared his chest at Aries. ¡°And what if I don¡¯t Aries? Nane would be displeased if that weapon that you carry pointed at me instead of our enemy. It¡¯s best if we remain level-headed, and not let anger be our guiding post.¡± Anahit shook her head. ¡°Tir is right Aries. We are not condemning Venus by any means, just looking at the evidence in front of us. Maybe she had nothing to do with this and someone here had gotten a hold of her personal collection of perfumes. If anything, we might have a devoted follower of Venus helping Orion. Come on, let¡¯s move on.¡± Aries finally relented at this comment and pushed his sword back in its holster. Shaking his head, he haughtily walked out of the kitchen. The three followed close behind. An abundant fountain stood in the middle of the grand dining hall. The fountain took the shape of that of a large stone statue. A hunter, big in stature, wielding a bow and arrow, made up the length of the statue. Out of the tip of the drawn back arrow sprayed fountain water, causing it to cascade down the muscular legs of the man to the pool below. Anahit approached the fountain slowing letting out an audible gasp as she did. Orion. It was without a doubt the large hunter. As she circled around the statue, gliding her hands across the marble as she did, she couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the craftmanship. ¡°What a ghastly statue,¡± Tir mumbled, following close behind Anahit. ¡°How vain to put your own statue up of yourself.¡± ¡°Did he put it up?¡± The twins turned to Eros, who was looking around at the rest of the hall. ¡°I mean¡­¡± He looked bashful at that moment. ¡°Like you said before Tir, if that woman is truly the front man for this operation, then he must have others working under him. Wouldn¡¯t it be safe to say that he is like Mors in that he was able to amass followers?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Anahit¡¯s voice was cut off in that instant by a large bang. Moments after the sound of chains scraping across the floor came from beyond the doors leading out of the dinner hall. She quickly and soundlessly made her way to the door of the hall, the three deities behind her following. Leaning beside the wall nearest to the entry the four listened in on the conversation. ¡°Move it! Come on!¡± ¡°Thwack!¡± Anahit and her brother exchanged glances. She could see Tir¡¯s brow was creasing, creating a stress line. Eros was nearby with his hand cupped to the wall listening intently. Tapping Tir on the shoulder he whispered to the two. ¡°It sounds like multiple people are being dragged.¡± The deities relaxed when the group of people finished passing through the corridor. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Aries asked. ¡°We could just barge in; we have the element of surprise.¡± Anahit suggested. She was now leaning away from the wall and stripping her outer robe, revealing a pair of glistening marble white arrows and bow strapped to her back. Pushing the flowy fabric to her elbow and tying her hair back she sat straight up, looking ready for a brawl. ¡°Simple. Just burst in the corridor, follow them from behind, and do a sneak attack.¡± ¡°But what about the captives.¡± Tir was changing also. Loosening up his outer robe and unsnapping the small mahogany lyre from his side, he leaned on the wall. ¡°We need a distraction. Something to catch their attention and draw the guards in our direction. I could play my lyre.¡± Anahit scratched absentmindedly at her temple. ¡°Great idea Tir but we don¡¯t know how many guards there are. Even if you draw some your way, we still don¡¯t know how many will stay behind with those captives.¡± ¡°Is it not the same with your idea Anahit?!¡± Tir shook his head, vexed by his sister. ¡°If I may¡­¡± Eros¡¯s tall frame shrank ever-so-slightly, as well as his muscular appearance. They now appeared that of the same women the three gods had met when they made their way through the city of love. Eros¡¯s long flowing blonde hair was striking against the glistening tanned skin. The pink robe remained, but only was more revealing around their breasts. ¡°What you three need is someone from the inside.¡± Eros was brimming with confidence. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± was all Tir said. He looked like he was about to play his lyre when Aries and Anahit stopped him. ¡°I hate to say it, but Eros is our best option. His disguise makes sense, especially since this is attached to a brothel. Plus, he¡¯ll be with the captives, ensuring their safety.¡± Aries looked pleased as he glanced up and down at Eros¡¯s disguise. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be perfect.¡± Eros¡¯s and Anahit¡¯s eyebrows raised while Tir¡¯s furrowed at this statement and Eros laughed out in response. ¡°Already falling for me again I, see?¡± ¡°This is not the time to joke!¡± Tir was gripping the demigod¡¯s shoulder, worry showing across his face. Anahit was slightly taken aback by her brothers¡¯ response. Her eyes shifted to Eros, who had a complicated expression on. ¡°Relax Tir. You will be nearby, besides you said it yourself that I¡¯m meddlesome. Let me be meddlesome.¡± *** Eros stumbled through the winding corridors. His flowing blush pink dress rippled behind him as he did so. In the distance he could hear voices, the same ones he had heard before. They inched closer, careful not to make a sound with the heels they were wearing. Suddenly, from behind him, he heard a faint note. Tir. He thought. Tir must be warning him of Orion. Part of the plan was for Eros to get caught, as well as to ensure the safety of the other captives. Tir would draw Orion away, as well as the rest of the guards, leading them to where Anahit and Aries were stationed at. They could hear voices behind them in that instance. Their heart pounding and their chest rising they ran towards the group of people, making sure their high heels struck pristinely against the wood floor as they did. Bunching up his hair and loosening his robe he made himself appear disheveled and distressed. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± One of the guards yelled. The group was ten yards from where Eros was. There were two guards, both tanned with rippling biceps. Their faces were darkened and worn, making them appear older than they were. One of the men wielded a thin sword while the other a large dagger. Unsheathing his sword, the man stormed over towards Eros. ¡°How the hell did you escape! Get back here!¡± Eros let out a shriek and stumbled back, making sure to ¡°trip¡± as they did so. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± Eros¡¯s voice was shrill in this form. The man grabbed onto Eros¡¯s ancle and dragged them towards him. ¡°Now I don¡¯t remember you¡­¡± He said, his voice slightly changing octaves as he did. ¡°I would have remembered you from the bundle that we caught.¡± Eros kicked and squirmed against the man. To sell their performance, they bit down hard on the man¡¯s shoulder, making sure to draw blood. ¡°You putana!¡± The guard slapped Eros, making the demigod¡¯s ears ring as he did so. The sharp blow was crisp and loud. A resounding whack bounced off the walls of the corridor. As Eros¡¯s eyes steadied, he scanned the people with the two guards. They were all in chains, women and men, young boys and girls, all people of different shapes and appearances. They were cowering, their eyes wide with fear at the sight. Some of the teens in the groups sobbed and wept. The women shook and the men looked down in shame. From behind Eros came another crowd. Looking back his eyes shrank. There were four other guards, all men, and they were following a tall man with dark blond flowing hair wielding a bow and arrows. Orion. Eros could not be mistaken. The same man as the statue in the great dining hall. ¡°Just what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing with the merchandise?¡± Orion¡¯s undulating muscles gave him a domineering appearance. Eros remained limp on the ground, attempting to appear weak and defeated. The man on the other hand scrambled. ¡°Get up! Get up and get in line!¡± The guard who had struck Eros took the demigod by the arm and dragged them to the rest of the captives. ¡°I sure hope you are willing to pay a healer for the damage you inflicted.¡± Orion¡¯s eyes were brimming with anger as he lumbered towards the guard. Grabbing the man by the collar of his tunic took the sword he was wielding. ¡°Nice slim frame. Just what were you planning to do with an unsheathed sword.¡± The man looked ghastly. He was shaking in fear. ¡°Pardon me my lord. I did not mean to offend.¡± ¡°And yet you did.¡± The words came out icy and struck the man dead. Eros could feel a murderous aura rising from Orion. Orion shoved the man to the ground. The surrounding guards only scowled. There lack of reaction indicated to Eros that Orion lost his temper often. Taking the man¡¯s sword in his hand he struck fast, sticking the sharp blade between the pointer finger and thumb of the man. It missed by inches. The man shrank down, cowering. Eros watched in shock as Orion grabbed the man by his collar and struck him, causing the man¡¯s body to slam hard against the wood floor. ¡°I guess your body is repayment enough.¡± Orion shrugged and sauntered over to Eros and the rest of the captives. As he did so he fixed his robe, yet again appearing composed. Running his hand through his hair he scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on Eros. Bending down his hand caught Eros¡¯s chin, turning the demigod¡¯s head slightly. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Eros felt shivers spread all over their body. What a creep. They thought. To act like the savior when you¡¯re the reason these people are here shackled. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Eros stuttered, making sure his voice shook. ¡°I-It just took me by surprise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it did. We¡¯ll have to get you cleaned up.¡± Orion shot a baleful glance at Eros, causing him to tremble under Orion¡¯s touch. ¡°How about my men and I escort you to my private chamber. I keep all my ointments there. Hm?¡± His grip on Eros¡¯s chin tightened. ¡°Take her,¡± Orion gestured at the guard still slumped on the floor, ¡°and lock them up. We¡¯ll bring her there when we¡¯re done.¡± The four men who had come with Orion snickered at this comment. Tir is sure taking his sweet time with that signal. Just as the thought left him a string of notes carried from across the corridor, causing the men to turn their heads. Orion¡¯s eyes shrank. ¡°What in the Hades was that?!¡± The tune became louder and more drawn out. Eros could imagine Tir¡¯s limber fingers lightly caressing the lyre, pulling at the strings with ease. ¡°One of you come with me! That song is coming in that direction. We have intruders! The rest of you take the prisoners and put them with the others. Don¡¯t let them escape!¡± Eros watched as Orion left with one of his guards in the opposite direction toward the sound of the Tir¡¯s lyre. Letting out a faint sigh he looked to the others in binds. Good. They thought. So far, the plan is working. Eros and the other captives were dragged to an open garden area. As Eros scanned his surroundings. They had ended up in a clay-style villa home. A courtyard was situated at the center while the rest of the home was wrapped around it. The inner garden was filled with poppies and orchids, tulips, and hyacinth. It was a quant courtyard with stone patio furniture. A sudden jerk from his arm took him out of his brief engrossment of the courtyard. ¡°You take your guard friend and the rest of the pornai. We¡¯ll join you.¡± Eros was being tugged by a burly guard. Rather large in stature, he and his three companions eyed the demigod expectantly. ¡°Didn¡¯t Orion say to¡ª¡± ¡°That was an order! Or did your friends little lesson not make it clear to you?¡± The guard who had been carrying the man hit by Orion stood up straight in terror. Wiping his sweaty hands on his tunic awkwardly he replied. ¡°Very well.¡± Fuck. Eros knew that there was a risk shapeshifting into such an attractive woman, but they also knew that this skin would get the best results. It was a lousy trade-off which, in the end, put him in a vulnerable position. His male form wasn¡¯t any different. In the previous couple of months, it wasn¡¯t his female form that got him assaulted by that drunkard, but his male form. They were used to it by now and could somewhat defend themself. They were without their aulos though. Although he had inherited his shapeshifting ability from his mother, his musical abilities were far more helpful in fights. He was the god of desire of course. One strung out note from their aulos could captivate an entire crowd, sending them into a trance. They hated it though. Every time he played that devilish instrument, he got flashbacks to what he had done to Tir. On the fateful night they turned Tir into a love-sick beast for Daphne they had played a cord of notes, the song of ¡®polos pathos¡¯, in other words, ¡°to suffer in love, polar in passion.¡± Now, being left alone with four men of burly sizes, they cursed themself for their foolishness. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Eros¡¯s wrist was snatched, and he felt his entire body sink into the ground below. The four guards had dragged him well into the garden path. This isn¡¯t good¡­ They thought. I was supposed to stay with those imprisoned. This wasn¡¯t part of the plan. Eros gritted their teeth, fighting back the urge to beat these men. Just endure it. All you must do is endure it. The man holding them down was tall and quite harry. The unkempt beard stretched out the length of his aged face and onto his thick neck. His hands were rough, probably from the labor he had endured over the years while his arms were tanned from the burning hot sun. The other guards watched impatiently. Some of them cracked their knuckles while others loosened their tunics. The weapons they had been lugging around were tossed in the grassy knoll. Eros struggled against the mans grasp. They kicked and squirmed under the guard, their heartbeat rising as they did so. The man¡¯s grip was tight, making it hard for the demigod to break away. Before Eros could scream out the mans other hand covered his mouth. ¡°Try not to make too much noise. We wouldn¡¯t want anyone to interrupt our fun.¡± You idiots have intruders here and all you can think of is getting your cock wet?! Eros¡¯s outer robe was undone and tossed aside as if it were trash. His silk gold inner lining left little for the imagination. They continued to flail violently. The three other guards watched in a lascivious manner. There was purple hyacinth in Eros¡¯s sight, and they trained their eyes on the flower, noting the way it swayed slightly in the summer air. Just endure it. He repeated in his head. As they took away their eyes from the flower, they noticed the guard shedding their tunic, his hand still roaming Eros¡¯s body. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He had not been touched like this in centuries. Of course, those past touches were welcomed. Although he was a famed flirt within the upper and lower court of Olypias, just like his mother was, he had only lain with one person. The flirtations were part of his antics; his mischievous personality if you will. Many had called them numerous, shameful names and they had endured it all. Bile was starting to coat the inside of the demigods¡¯ mouth. He could feel his eyes watering slightly. Training their eyes back on the purple hyacinth and breathing deeply they steadied themself. Then he heard it. A trail of strings being pulled. ¡°Tir!¡± they gasped out from under the man¡¯s burly palm. *** Anahit found herself sprinting down a winding corridor, Aries following closely behind her. A crisp white arrow was tightly secured in the bow. Tir¡¯s musical notes bled into her ear, bathing her in a stream of tones. Turning around swiftly on her heels she pulled back her arrow. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Aries turned abruptly, almost falling over the goddess. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting any longer.¡± A string of incantations bled out from Anahit¡¯s mouth and into the marble white bow and arrow. Long ago, before her ascension, she had dipped this very weapon in Dionysus¡¯s wine, coating it in his insanity. Legends said that the wine of Dionysus was poisonous. Anyone or anything exposed to it would surely drown in madness. As a result, many deities before her transformed their weapons into fierce devices with minds of their own. It was quickly discovered though that those weapons would eventually become shrouded in insanity, just like Dionysus himself, and turn on their owners in revenge for transforming them. Tir had spent months fuming after learning of what she did, later gifting her a dagger so that she would avoid using the weapon. It was no use though, for curses always had their way of lingering. ¡°Find Orion and pierce his heart.¡± It was as if Anahit breathed life into the arrow. As she released it, it whizzed down the corridor and out of their sight. It did not take long for a blood curdling to bounce off the walls and into Anahit and Aries ears. It had pierced. Running. Someone was running down the corridor to Anahit and Aries. ¡°I thought I had recognized those awful white arrows.¡± Anahit stood her ground with a fierce expression etched across her face. Standing before her was her once close friend Orion. Her eyes made their way down to his chest where she was expecting an arrow to be piecing it but found nothing. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t use those enchantments of yours too much Anahit¡­ You wouldn¡¯t want your arrows turning on you too soon.¡± A sneer was showing on Orion¡¯s face, revealing his pearly white teeth. Aries was standing next to her and unsheathed his sword. ¡°Anahit¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± was all she said before she lunged. ¡°Oh, how I would have loved to hear that centuries ago,¡± Orion said in a snarky manner. *** A fire ball came, blasting into an assortment of orchids. The flames licked the edges of the flowers, engulfing them in light. The man¡¯s face paled at the sight. The guard who had been touching Eros quickly backtracked his hand, stumbling back a few inches. ¡°What¡ªWhat in the Hades was that?!¡± One of the guards expressed, stuttering as he did so. Another blast of fire came this one closer than the one before. The men watched in horror as a dark olive-skinned young man wearing a teal blue tunic stepped into the garden knoll. One hand delicately carried a small mahogany lyre while the other was producing a vibrant yellow and red flame. A symbol of the sun was etched out in ink above his eyebrows, visibly showing through his brown curls. The symbol, previously hidden by the tight tendrils, now was glowing bright yellow. How long had it been since Eros had witnessed Tir in this manner? His face brimming with anger, his eyes reddened in worry. Far too long. The demigod thought. Tir said nothing. His eyes wavered over Eros for a second and turned back towards the guards cowering in his presence. Eros watched his fist clench and unclenched; an attempt to calm down. ¡°Tir--¡± ¡°Are you fine?¡± Tirs disposition was far from tranquil. He bent down and picked up the blush pink robe that was tossed to the side by one of the guards. Bending down to Eros¡¯s side he draped it lightly on the demigod. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t show up sooner.¡± Eros sighed at this. ¡°I hate when you use that word with me. I¡¯m fine, really.¡± Though he said these words he was shaking softly. Their hands trembled as they put on the blush pink robe. Securing it in place, Eros attempted to stand up only to find Tir¡¯s hand grasping his own. ¡°Thanks.¡± He accepted the hand and slowly hoisted himself off the ground. Looking down they could see it was caked in dirt. They tried to brush it off but to no avail. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I liked this robe. Now it¡¯s all dirty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± Eros looked up to see Tir¡¯s expression darken. He¡¯s upset. They thought. ¡°¡¯That¡¯s a shame?¡¯ Is that all you have to say? Just what were you going to do if I hadn¡¯t come in time? If I had decided to help out my K¡¯uyr instead of you?¡± ¡°Well, I¡ª¡± Eros clenched his jaw. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tir let out a faint chuckle. He didn¡¯t laugh often and every time he did it was more intimidating than light-hearted. His words were often laced in sarcasm if he decided to utter a laugh. ¡°I hate it even more when you use that word with me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave it then.¡± Eros brushed his light blonde hair out of his face. Once he had gotten his robe back, he had transformed into his usual form. He heard crackling behind him and turned to see the balls of flame spreading. ¡°Fuck Tir¡­ You didn¡¯t have to go so far¡­¡± Taking a few steps forward he brought his foot down, to stomp out the flames. Seeing what Eros was doing Tir decided to help. ¡°I lost my cool.¡± Eros shook his head at this comment and laughed lightly. ¡°You seem to be doing that often.¡± Looking around he saw the purple hyacinth was untouched by Tir¡¯s orbs of fire. Reaching for them he took a bundle. Bringing a stray string from his robe and wrapping it around the bundle, they scanned the result. Turning them over in his hand he was reminded of the time he had visited Tigranocerta. The time Tir and them had met for the first time. *** ¡°I will not!¡± ¡°I was not asking, Eros. I do not know why you are being so uptight. It is not like you have not charmed anyone with that aulos of yours?!¡± Venus was relaxing on her luxurious cushion, several servants fanning her. ¡°Look, it will be a quick mission. I would rather not be the one to do it.¡± ¡°You know I hate making matches that are not meant to be made. This is all because you are jealous of that princess! What is she to you? You¡¯re Venus good gods!¡± Eros was pacing back and forth, their hands flailing in annoyance. ¡°I refuse to. This man has not made any inclinations of feelings for me to draw from. It would be best if we not get involved.¡± At this last statement Venus held up her hand, stopping the servants from fanning her. ¡°Not get involved?! My dear Eros do I need to explain to you what exactly is occurring in Tigranocerta?¡± ¡°Of course I do, don¡¯t be ridiculous! Either of those twins are set to take on the throne.¡± ¡°And who is the first in line for the throne hm?¡± Venus¡¯s eyes were darkening as she inched towards her child. ¡°It¡¯s the one who was born first, Princess Anahit, of course. If she marries, she will end up not only ruling over the capital of Armenia, let alone the rest of the nation, but Rome too.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Eros¡¯s eyes squinted, staring daggers at his own mom. ¡°How do I know? HOW DO I KNOW?! My child, you dare question my abilities. She is set to marry Lucious Lucullus of Rome. I receive all offers of marriage and love proclamations and he has made his.¡± Eros paused drawing in an exhausted breath. ¡°You cannot make me¡­ I refuse. If she marries him, so be it.¡± ¡°You are bound to me Eros; I own you,¡± Venus hissed out. Eros writhed in pain at that moment. Clenching his lower stomach, he bent down. Taking deep breaths, he settled his body on the floor in a pathetic state. It was as Venus said, Eros was bound to her-- in spirit and in blood¡ªbound forever under her control. His whole self was hers and was made by her. They could not sever that tie. Eros¡¯s eyes began tearing up. Bile made its way out of his mouth, making them feel even more pathetic. Clenching and unclenching their fists they relented. ¡°Fine. I will do as you say.¡± ¡°Lovely!¡± Venus clapped her hands together. She bent down to Eros, who was now slumped over in defeat. ¡°Ensure not to disappoint me my child.¡± *** It was nearing nightfall in the great city of Tigranocerta. The celebrations started with people buzzing around excited for the night to come. The ¡®Festival of Many¡¯ was one revered by the nation as an important celebration of the goddess Nane and her many gifts to her people. It was then that the people of Tigranocerta gave back to her through their worship. A parade, like many before it, was set to take place at nightfall, crystallizing the sky in hues of various colors and shadowing the city in blankets of lanterns. Stalls of performers and artists lined the streets, their nerves bursting forth. For not only were they dedicating their dances and art to the goddess Nane, but they would end their route at the palace of Tigranes the Great. These performers were to carry out musical routine for the King and his family, as a show of respect and dedication to the great nation. His two children, Aria Anahit and Artavas Tir II were revered as much as he, for they also held the titles ¡®god of war¡¯ and ¡®god of wisdom¡¯. This year though was unique because both twins invited notable suitors to the celebration. For Anahit, it was Lucious of Rome and Tir, Daphne of Utik. The performers neared the palace of Tigranes. Dancers tumbled and twirled, and musicians sung tunes and melodies of joy. One of these musicians was particularly captivating as they marched alongside their fellow band members. Their looks, as well as their melodies, were highlighted throughout the night. To ensure that no performer outweighed the other the King had decreed that they wear a mask every year to cover their features. To quote Tigranes the Great: ¡°No one¡¯s abilities are more than the other. They come to worship and revere, not to be revered.¡± The drums beat louder as the dancers picked up their feet joyously. Tigranes the great, as well as his family, looked to the performance for his many balconies in anticipation. The one unique musician led the rest to face the King. Bringing an aulos to their lips and smiling slightly, they basked in the attention. Beautiful harmonic music flowed, interweaving with the other instruments there making for a wonderful melody. It was Tir who pulled himself from the festivities that night, for he found it difficult to breathe under the pressure mounting on his sturdy shoulders. Making his way to the gardens outside of the palace he weaved and circled the various plants and flowers, peering at the statues carved to perfection his mother had handpicked. There was a snap that came from behind him and her turned abruptly. ¡°Sorry, I did not mean to interrupt. I was needing some fresh air.¡± Tir scanned the person in front of him, a sigh escaping his lips once he realized that Daphne did not in fact follow him. A man stood before him shrouded in an elegant gold mask, a crystal cup of wine in hand and a aulos hanging at his waist. ¡°Pardon my insolence; I did not recognize it was you, Prince Artavas Tir. I¡¯ll make my leave.¡± The stranger turned to leave only to be stopped by Tir. ¡°You¡¯re the lead musician. You did exceptionally well. I absolutely was captivated by your performance.¡± ¡°Well, many people are.¡± ¡°Your rendition of Mesrop Mashtots work was spectacular. The singularity and artistry represented was both masterful and soft.¡± If Tir could only see under that mask for he could only guess that the stranger was now blushing. ¡°I came across his work early on in my studies. The piece was meant to represent the journey Nane went through in creating humanity, as well as the trepidations that came with looking upon her creation in disappointment. I¡¯m glad to hear that it translated well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Tir was now facing this stranger, skimming his eyes over them. ¡°Ah, is that necessary?¡± There was a brief pause before the stranger continued. ¡°What I mean is that my name holds no relevance. I am not supposed to reveal much about myself, like the rest of the performers.¡± Their hand went to their mask in that instance, hovering over the intricate details. ¡°Are you refusing the son of Tigranes the Great the pleasure of knowing your name?¡± Tir now had his eyebrows raised in anticipation. The person before Tir seemed to stumble over their words in that instance. ¡°No, I did not mean to offend.¡± Almost in a playful manner the stranger continued. ¡°What would you like my name to be?¡± Tir was taken aback by the question. As he analyzed the stranger, he could not help but note the overwhelming charm that encircled them, drawing him further in. ¡°Eumelia¡­¡± he said softly. ¡°A bit too obvious, do you not think? Besides, that¡¯s a Greek name is it not?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Greek then?¡± Tir asked, stepping closer as he did. ¡°I mean, I suppose I am. My mother is from Cyprus though.¡± Another beat held between the two, the air almost softening around them. It seemed almost too delicate that the distance between them might shatter completely. ¡°I do not mind it though.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The name.¡± The stranger before Tir inched closer, closing in the gap between them. ¡°I¡¯d much rather my mother named me that, at least I would be tied to something I enjoy greatly.¡± ¡°Then I am fine with knowing you as Eumelia for the time being.¡± Tir said in earnest. Trees rustled around the two, entrapping them in the sounds of nature. Tir joined Eumelia, the two studying a perfectly carved out statue. ¡°Is this¡ª?¡± ¡°Nane.¡± Eumelia¡¯s hands grazed the statue hesitantly, taking in the key details of her domineering frame, her stretched out scaly hands, and the snake that always encircles her. ¡°Extremely accurate¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s beautiful. The details tell me this was an early rendition of the goddess before she created us.¡± Eumelia cleared his throat, afraid they might slip up again. ¡°You¡¯re right. The carver was specifically asked by my mother to do such a piece. It was to show Nane in her purest form.¡± Eumelia looked at the prince, noting the curvature of his face, his strong jawline. ¡°Do you come to this garden often then?¡± Tir looked back at him, a grin forming. ¡°No, actually; I don¡¯t. The greenhouse is nice though. I used to practice my lyre there sometimes. I always liked looking at the flowers.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you have a favorite?¡± The prince turned to him with the same confident grin. ¡°I like hyacinths quite a lot.¡± *** Something strange happened that night in the garden of Tigranes the Great. Although the potential for Artavas Tir to spend the entirety of the celebration to beguile Daphne of Utik was there, it did not occur to the fates that he would be swooned at by another. For whom could have guessed that Daphne was not his type in the slightest. Yes, she was quite charming in the face and produced wonderful paintings. Her voice was sweet to the ears and her waist thin. All of this is true, but although she was attractive their relationship did not have rapport. Tir could talk his way through anything with his sharp tongue, and his wisdom allowed him a balanced perspective on most subjects. Truth be told he tried talking with Daphne, tried to learn of her interests. He wouldn¡¯t say that she was dull, only that they did not click in the manner he had hoped for with a future partner. She knew nothing of the poets which excited him to his core, knew little of the philosophers who changed centuries of thought. When talking of art, she only knew the basics, nothing of deeper value. In discovering all of this he became frustrated, storming out to the grassy knoll outside of the palace. *** The night carried on with guests gleefully dancing away with their established partners and others sloshed beyond recognition. Although the King of Tigranes had hoped something would spark between his children and their esteemed guests that night he discovered quickly that his daughter Anahit had retired to her room with her guard Calisto and her son, well he was busy moping in the garden, leaving Daphne to dance with the other men there. He paced in his chamber tirelessly, going over the festivities that night. ¡°Do I sense disappointment on the night I am supposed to be celebrated?¡± Nane was standing at the foot of his chamber bed, watching the King intensely. She appeared in a form more humanistic than usual. Still appearing pregnant her skin was that of a human and her hair, long and braided. She did have a slight glow about her, giving the goddess an ethereal appearance. ¡°What am I supposed to do Nane?!¡± He stopped his pacing and faced the goddess. ¡°I created everything for those two! Allow them to live lavishly! Anahit runs around rubbing shoulders with neighboring kingdoms and ruffing up the feathers of leaders. She pays way too little attention to Lucious while spending way too much time with Calisto. As for Tir¡­ that boy¡­ He didn¡¯t even dance with Daphne once. It¡¯s like he has an aversion to the damn woman! He says he must love! Love! What a foolish thing to desire when you¡¯re up for the throne!¡± ¡°Desire¡­ Love¡­¡± Nane seemed to take in the full word and mull it over on her tongue. ¡°I have watched over many Kingdoms and seen many of King¡¯s crumble into ruin, disappointment, and dread. Seeing your own creation stumble around, struggling to live, wanting to laugh, and finding themselves crying is a fascinating, but almost excruciating ordeal. I have helped you make Tigranocerta the nation that it is simply with the flick of my hand. Watched your daughter conquer nations behind the strong power of her bow and arrows. Saw your son smooth talk leaders and weave effortlessly into dominate conversations. They have given you your great nation as much as I have. Tigranes, is it too much for not to see the pains you are causing them?¡± ¡°You know as much as I the roles they lead goddess Nane, the roles you gifted them. Do not forget that!¡± ¡°Do not tell me what I already know.¡± Nane¡¯s face darkened as she made her way to King Tigranes. ¡°Humans are foolish for their roles and unruly commands. Of their stringent policies and make-shift lives. Poverty. Famine. War. It is not the gods who create such things, yet we graciously extend our powers to masses of poor souls. So no, Tigranes, I do not know of this life you thrust upon your children in earnest despite their reserve. Do you really believe your children are worth so little to be pawns in your seeking of power?¡± It was as if lightning had struck down from the heavens, sending shockwaves through King Tigranes body. ¡°Do you want me to tell you a tale your highness?¡± She began. Nane prowled near the King, circling him like a vulture with its prey. ¡°A demigod, fine and beautiful will be fated to fall in love with a mortal. That love will be honest and true. This demigod seeing the person they love go into battle will become fearful for their lover¡¯s life. Shattered by the thought of losing them due to their mortal blood. This mortal, although born with intelligence and a quick tongue, will not hold a similar fate to the one closest to them. The demigod knows this. They know that if they do not act, they will end up witnessing the one they love bleed out on the battlefield. This demigod then has no choice but to go to the one who can make a mortal into an immortal. To make a human into a god. Who do you think that deity is your Majesty?¡± ¡°What does this have to do with anything Nane?!¡± Tigranes retorted, sweat dripping from his brow. ¡°The demigod will come to me begging for their lover to be made immortal. For this person¡¯s life to be spared in battle. I will grant it, of course, but for a singular item. An item most dear to them.¡± Nane paused, a sense of smugness in what she was saying. ¡°There will be another, a mortal who will beg me not to make them immortal. Beg me so that they can stay by their companion¡¯s side. I will not be so gracious there. Tigranes, I say this now because I must. Your Kingdom will fall, and with it you will lose your two children that you hold most dear. Your lust for power ends with Rome trampling over your lands.¡± With this last statement Nane vanished into thin air leaving King Tigranes to erupt in a fit of rage. The servants that night did not anticipate the destruction his Majesty would do to his chambers. The many ornate dishes and cups thrown upon the walls, shattering into a million pieces. When he was all said and done, he ordered the servants to send a letter to Lucious of Rome, telling him that he approves of him marrying Princess Anahit. Orions Revenge With a swift and steady hand Anahit successfully brought out her hunting knife Tir had gifted her to Orion¡¯s throat. She was unsuccessful though. Orion was swifter, swifter than what he had been in the past and grabbed her wrist before she could successfully slit his throat. A surge of pain shot through the goddess. Going back to her lessons with Moros she took her free hand, punching fiercely into his stomach, causing Orion to release her hand. Spinning the knife between her fingers she side stepped behind him, kicking hard against his back. The force of the kick caused Orion to fly face forward into the ground. The victory for Anahit was short-lived though due to Orion¡¯s quick feet. One side-sweep with his left foot knocked the goddess off her feet. The two laid on the ground, limbs twisted and arms and legs flailing. Anahit was receiving hits as much as she was giving them, causing her head to spin. Feeling a heightened vulnerability from the proximity she twisted her body out of Orion¡¯s grasp, putting space between them. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want any assistance your highness?¡± Aries asked. Although it had an edge of humor to it his face said otherwise. Truth-be-told he could tell something was wrong with the way Orion was fighting. ¡°NO!¡± Anahit yelled out. A loud crash alarmed all three of them, momentarily stopping the brawl between Anahit and Orion. ¡°What the Hades was that?!¡± As Anahit looked in Orion¡¯s direction, she could see a slimy grin forming. The woman from the brothel, who checked them in was standing where a wall had once been. Piles of rubble fell around her. As Anahit¡¯s eyes scanned the woman, she noticed her bloodied fist. How could she have been able to destroy an entire cinder block wall? Anahit thought. Then the answer came to her as quickly as the question did. Ah, she¡¯s not human. Just as she thought this the ¡®woman¡¯ before her transformed. Her entire body became gelatinous, caving in into a horribly blackened puddle. What arose was a fierce creature, its limbs popping and twisting as it did. Eyes bulged and blood shot, hair twisted into knots and blackened, as if burned off. The hands of the beast elongated in an unnatural manner while fangs emerged from its mouth. Large ink black wings, torn and wounded, protruded out of its now visible spine. It was hunched over, breathing heavily, looking straight at Aries. An Empusa. Anahit had not seen one for centuries. It was known for first appearing as a young, beautiful woman before turning into a horridly wicked beast. Luring innocent people and feeding off their flesh was its specialty; and it seemed to have settled on its next victim. Anahit¡¯s gaze on the beast was broken by the surging pain of an arrow piercing her lower thigh. Orion was crouched down, ready to send another arrow flying in her direction. As Anahit pushed her body forward into a summersault to evade another arrow, she skimmed the injury. A rush of pain surged again, almost causing her to fall over. A drip of sweat formed on her forehead while her shaking hand glided over her thigh. Rich, gold blood was dripping from the wound, mixing with an ink black liquid. Poison¡­ Anahit thought. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try moving much if I were you. That stuff is pretty potent.¡± A crash came from behind Anahit before she could make a snippy retort. Aries was now in an all-out brawl with the creature, keeping its sharp fangs from his flesh through his unmet strength. Another surge of pain kept Anahit kneeling. Seeing their fight turning for the worst she brought her hands together, as if in a prayer. ¡°No prayer can save you now. That poison is cursed, taken from the darkest of souls. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you succumb to the poison coursing through your veins.¡± Anahit knew not how to stop the poison from taking her but she did know off a way to keep her distance from Orion. During their time in the qanats Anahit had felt it¡ªthe water. Although it was old the lasting springs were still there deep within the earth. She was desperate. The ground vibrated as Orion said this. His face darkened as he scanned their surroundings. The rubble that had fallen earlier by the empusa¡¯s grand entrance now shook, the walls trembling. Distant shouts could be heard while rushing steps neared them. It was Orion¡¯s men. ¡°And the Earth drowned in crashing waves¡­ and then it was still.¡± Anahit whispered, a smile creeping across her face. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Although the comment was faint Orion still heard it. His face paled. ¡°Clear the passageways!!¡± He roared. It was too late, for Orion¡¯s estate was flooded in an instant. His men were swept away by murky water. As he attempted to lung forward at Anahit a torrent of water trapped him in a watery embrace. Anahit watched as Orion splutter and gasped for air. He struggled against the fierce waters that engulfed him. She rode the wave, allowing the water to carry her safely. She heard thrashing next to her and noticed the empusa was still latching onto Aries. ¡°Are you alright there?!¡± She yelled to him. ¡°Quite fine! I can handle it!¡± The waves took the war gods to the front of the estate, opening to a nice garden path. As the water settled Anahit looked around her, seeing Orion kneel a couple yards away, coughing up water. The empusa was thrashing fiercely, Aries between its fangs. Just as she was about to pull out another arrow another sharp pain came from her leg. It was distinctly sorer than before, and it seemed to be worsening. She felt lightheaded and clutched on the leg, attempting to tear out whatever was infecting her. Due to her god-like ability to heal, the effects of the poison were slow, but gradual. Her fingertips were covered in her blood. Shock filled her. My blood, its blackened! Sure enough, her gold blood had specks of black particles mixed in it. Whatever this poison is, I need to stop it from spreading, and quickly. ¡°HAHAHAHA look at you. It¡¯ll be complete any time now!¡± Orion said, his eyes fixated on Anahit with a maddened expression. ¡°How easy the goddess Anahit fell! The tales and stories won¡¯t speak of you as a great and grand being anymore. You¡¯ll now only be spoken of as the weak slave of me, ORION!!¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone insane!¡± Aries yelled out, his hands holding back the empusa¡¯s gnashing teeth. His hand was snagged into the beasts mouth. It let out a low growl and threw the god of war as if he was a sack of potatoes. The throw was so great that Aries landed on the top of the estate. Due to his large frame and the strength of the throw Aries landed hard into the building, leaving a massive hole and a pile of rubble in his wake. Before Anahit could draw the attention of the creature to her it quickly ran after Aries, licking its lips in anticipation. Her eyes fixated again on Orion, who lurked near her, arrow in hand. ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve been waiting to plunge an arrow into your heart.¡± He lunged forward gripping the arrow. ¡°It¡¯s too boring to shoot you. I¡¯d rather feel it as it pierces your skin; tearing through your flesh.¡± Anahit evaded the strike. She kept her distance by doing a somersault. A grunt escaped her lips. Moving was becoming difficult. She hated the idea of it but she had to use her arrows again. Strike Orion, she willed. Arrows shot up around her and whirled toward Orion, digging into his skin. Orion let a sigh escape, pleasing Anahit to know she had hurt him. He broke off the arrows and lunged again, grabbing her wrist. Her reflexes were quick, and she broke off the grasp, tripping up Orion as she did so. The two were engrossed in a duel, too distracted to notice the light from the moon dim slightly. Anahit stumbled backward, now feeling as if she was traversing through quick sand. Her leg felt stiff. She could barely move it now. Orion¡¯s arrow plunged into her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. Seizing his opportunity he slammed the goddess down, pinning her to the ground with another arrow. ¡°Are you feeling sluggish Anahit? It¡¯s not like you to get distracted like that---¡± Orion¡¯s taunts here promptly silenced by the loud buzzing which filled the air. The sun was completely covered, shrouding the two in darkness. Blood-curdling screams stirred Anahit. She whirled her head towards the sound but only saw darkness. Screams rose and fell, sending shivers down the goddesses¡¯ spine. The buzzing grew louder, and the screams rose in octaves. Panic flooded in, causing Anahit¡¯s hands to go to her ears to drown out the sounds. It was as if Hades himself brought the underworld to the surface. Orion¡¯s men burst out the door of the inn, a swarm of locusts trailing behind them. Although Anahit was at a distance, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. The smell of death made its way into her nose. The men had sores and open wounds. Bone was visible on some of the men¡¯s faces, arms, and torsos. The locusts¡­ Anahit thought, shocked. The locusts are eating Orion¡¯s men alive. It was a truly gruesome sight. Any onlooker would have interpreted the scene as a sign of the ¡®end of times¡¯. Out the entrance of the estate stepped a being unlike anything Anahit had laid her eyes on. It wore a black, aged cloak around its cursed body. The hooded figure was similar in appearance to a demon, with blackened, sharp nails and two protruding horns peeking out from under its cloak. The being stepped over some of the men¡¯s corpses, staining its footwear with blood as it did so. The actions were almost nonchalant, as if the creature was not aware that there were any bodies there to begin with. It flicked its hand, producing more locusts out of its palm. It over-zealously sauntered. The confidence quickly faded once it met eyes with Anahit, causing it to stop in its tracks. Now shedding its hoody Anahit could see fully the face of the being standing in front of her. Anahit¡¯s breath hitched as she beheld the creature¡¯s ethereal beauty. Long flowing red hair cascaded down the being¡¯s shoulders, which looked striking against its pale skin. Anahit¡¯s heart raced, a mix of fear and fascination coursing through her. Indeed, it appeared that of a dejall, but only slightly. The skin on the being was pale, but not that of the undead. It still had a lively glow about it, making the beast appear human-like. The face was beautiful. The chin sharp and the nose that of Greek decent. A gruesome scar stretched to the length of the face, making it appear that of broken porcelain. Scarlet Death. Anahit thought, her eyes wavering at the sight of the demon. An Estate Plagued with Red Locusts Under the crescent moon, Anahit gripped her bow tightly. She was unsure of the demons intentions. She had expected to meet the creature in Epithmia but it had instead come straight to her. Why is Mors here? Did we cross over into Epithmia while traveling through that tunnel? Anahit was puzzled at the sight of the demon; Orion on the other hand was fuming. He seemed to be a mix of anger and pure confusion at seeing the dejall burst through his estate and kill some of his men. ¡°WHAT IN THE HADES ARE YOU DOING HERE!?¡± Orion bellowed, his face brimming with anger. Scarlet Death¡¯s eyes did not waver from Anahit. With a simple wave a burst of red locusts shot out of its hand towards Orion. ¡°I see you have not heeded my warnings Orion.¡± Mors said cooly, her voice low and calm. ¡°What am I doing here you ask? Is this not my domain you¡¯re encroaching on.¡± Orion let out a shriek at the sight of the locusts. He fell back on his backside, terror sweeping across his face. ¡°Send them away¡ªwe can talk, can¡¯t we? I am allowed here, do not forget that.¡± ¡°You are allowed here. You are not allowed to do as you please.¡± Scarlet Death lumbered over towards Orion, crouching in front of him. ¡°You have been busy, haven¡¯t you?¡± Taking a bundle of Orion¡¯s hair in hand Mors slammed his face into the dirt below. Anahit¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden strike. A resounding ¡°thwack¡± reverberated off the ground, causing her to wince at the sight. Streaks of blood were now pooling from Orion¡¯s head. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Before Orion could finish his sentence, his head was slammed once more into the dirty ground. ¡°How many? How many of my citizens have you taken? How dare you think you¡¯re a god when you¡¯re having to live in my territory, wreaking havoc on my people.¡± ¡°Only travelers¡ªthey were only visitors I swear!¡± Another loud thud sounded. Orion¡¯s face was now swollen from the hits Mors was inflicting upon him. Oh. Now I see. Anahit had heard of brief tales of how Scarlet Death conducted her businesses in Epithmia. Most had concluded that the place was worse than the underworld, riddled with death and despair, of drunkards and thieves. She had also heard from lower court gossipers that it was not the ¡®city of immorality¡¯ because of the lawlessness of the town, but the morals instead. The laws specifically protected sex workers and gamblers. Both pursuits brought in a lot of money and visitors. Lower court attendants and minor gods mentioned Scarlet Death, and her citizens, were a provocative sort with zero common decency. Not only was Orion stealing revenue, but he was abusing her citizens, treating them as slaves and not laborers, something strictly forbidden in the city. Mors released Orion. Wiping her hands on her cloak, as if Orion¡¯s blood had tainted her skin, she looked in Anahit¡¯s direction. ¡°Not only have you disregarded the laws of the land, but you have brought a major goddess under Nanes court into my domain.¡± Anahit straitened up at this comment. She was on high alert. The goddess was in no shape to fight the dejall. She could feel the poison setting in and attempting to take root in her consciousness. Her body swayed in exhaustion from having to hold back the effects of the poison. Anahit was not sure that the stunt with the water would work for her again here. The dejall kneeled next her, its piercing eyes locking on her injury. Anahit was not sure if it was her blurring vision, but she thought she saw a flash of worry cross the creatures face. ¡°If you answer me honestly, goddess Anahit, ruler over water, domains of healing, fertility, and wisdom, then I will rid you the cursed blood now mixing with your god¡¯s blood.¡± Sweat was dripping from Anahit¡¯s brow. She was in no mood to make deals with Scarlet Death, but she had no choice. If what Orion poisoned her with is truly cursed blood, then she will be at the servitude of him. ¡°I did not mean to meet you in this manner Mors, nor do I pose you or your citizen¡¯s harm. I have come for your help.¡± Although Orion was beaten to a bloody pulp, he was still able to let out a chuckle. ¡°Help?! Nane sends you, goddess Anahit, to ask help from Scarlet Death?! Don¡¯t make me¡ª¡± Orion was cut short by a swarm of locusts entering his mouth and causing him to choke. ¡°Apologies. Go on.¡± Anahit was taken aback by how much Mors seemed to be having fun. She didn¡¯t know whether to find this charming or terrifying. ¡°I was sent by Nane, along with my brother Tir and¡­¡± She pondered on whether she should mention Aries, but she concluded that she should be honest with the demon. ¡°And Aries, whom you are familiar with.¡± Mors raised an eyebrow at the mention of this name. Anahit continued. ¡°We first stopped in Venus¡¯s territory, where we met with Eros. I¡¯m sure you recognize them. We decided to stop for the night at an inn before meeting with you tomorrow, but obviously those plans changed because we ended up being dragged¡­ here.¡± ¡°Nane told us of a vision where she saw the end of the world. You were in that vision. She tasked us with either subduing you¡­ or convincing you to help us prevent such an event from occurring.¡± Scarlet Death¡¯s face showed slight amusement at Anahit¡¯s words. ¡°And do you think you¡¯re in a state to subdue me if I refuse? She saw me in the vision, does that not mean that I cause the end of the world?¡± Anahit blinked in confusion at this statement. ¡°Not necessarily. Visions show only partial truths. It is hard to decern details from them. If anything, it showed you to be the catalyst. Either you cause it to come a lot quicker or slow it down.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡± Scarlet Death was now leaning on her hand, seemingly bored with the topic. ¡°That parts answered but you still have not commented on whether you are strong enough to be able to subdue me if I refuse.¡± ¡°Do you refuse?¡± Anahit asked, her heart-rate quickening. ¡°Will I still be a threat to Olypias after, let¡¯s say, I end up helping you with saving the world? Will I still have to worry about the Olypias court, and Nane, encroaching on my land and my followers?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Anahit was not sure how to respond to such questions. She was not sure whether Scarlet Death would be welcomed, even after her potentially helping to save the world. Her ways were so different than Nane¡¯s; Anahit was not sure if Olypias would still consider her a threat. ¡°You¡¯re a goddess are you not? You answer prayers on healing? If I were to pray for you to ease my citizens minds and heart, as well as mine from Nanes influence, would that not fall under healing?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Anahit was absolutely stunned by the boldness of Mors. Never in her 1000 years of life had she faced someone with such confidence as Scarlet Death. ¡°A demon praying to a goddess?¡± Was all she managed to say in her shock. ¡°Why not? How about this, if you can ensure that my city Epithmia, and my citizens are left untouched by Olypias¡¯s dealings then I will agree to be your catalyst.¡± She¡¯s not specifying on whether that will be a positive or negative catalyst¡­. Anahit thought to herself. ¡°Then I will fulfill your request¡­ so long as your intentions align with preventing the destruction of humanity.¡± Mors momentarily contemplated Anahit¡¯s words before reaching out a hand to the goddesses injured leg. Etching the veins now blackened from the cursed blood with her long, blackened nails she pierced Anahit¡¯s skin, causing her to wince. ¡°If I could do this in a manner that would not cause you any pain then trust me I would.¡± Her words sounded earnest to Anahit. As her finger dug into the goddesses¡¯ skin the veins slowly drained their hues of black, returning to vibrant gold. ¡°Cursed blood can only be coaxed out by more cursed blood.¡± Anahit felt a surge of energy coarse through her again as the last of the cursed blood left her. ¡°We have a deal goddess Anahit.¡± *** Tir and Eros tread lightly through the dimly lit corridors of Orion¡¯s fortress, their eyes keenly scanning for any sign of danger. The air was thick with tension. Eros couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Tir¡¯s behavior earlier, and why he had acted so angry with Eros. His eyes landed on the bundle of purple hyacinth Tir had tucked away in his teal robe. To his surprise the god of the sun had accepted them. Eros was half expecting Tir to throw them into the flames. ¡°What?¡± Tir asked, looking at Eros expectantly, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You were looking in my direction.¡± Tir said with a placid expression. ¡°Oh. I was just lost in thought,¡± Eros lied. Tir looked like he was about to speak when the sound of distant whimpers wafted through the stone walls. As they turned the corner they found themselves face-to-face with a group of Orion¡¯s men, their swords glinting ominously in the flickering torchlight. The men sneered at the sight of the two. ¡°Who the Hades are the two of you?!¡± One of the men demanded. Tir¡¯s hands lit up in flames leaving the men stunned. ¡°Leave,¡± was all he said before they turned on their heels fleeing in fear. ¡°Well, that was easy.¡± Eros joked. ¡°I wish I could produce flames, making people run away in fear.¡± Tir huffed at this statement. ¡°Where are your precious aulos? Last time I checked you weren¡¯t so helpless in a fight.¡± Ah. He¡¯s still angry. Eros thought with a sigh. ¡°Must have left it at home.¡± Tir rolled his eyes at this comment. The two continued walking forward, the whimpers growing loader as they did so. Coming to a set of wide doors, the two looked at each other with determination. Tir, building up a flame, blasted it at the doors, causing them to swing open. ¡°Could you not have checked it the doors where unlocked?¡± Asked Eros. ¡°Quiet.¡± The whimpers turned into shrieks at the sight of the flames. Women, men, children, and others of different ages and races huddled around in fear. They eyes cast worried glances in Eros and Tirs direction. ¡°We mean no harm!¡± Eros quickly said. ¡°We are here to save you!¡± The huddles of people looked around in shock, relief, and puzzlement. A child quickly burst into tears. ¡°See, I don¡¯t think it was a good idea to burst in her flames ablaze¡­¡± Eros whispered to Tir. ¡°Hmph.¡± Seeing that the two truly meant no harm the captured people slowly arose, cautiously following them out of the room. Tir lead to way. His strides were determined and quick. Eros followed closely behind, consoling some of the women whimpering. They made it halfway down the hall before a low rumbling could be heard. The floors and walls shook slightly, frightening the people trailing behind the god and the demigod. ¡°What is that?!¡± Eros asked with a puzzled expression. The low rumbling continued as the sound of rushing water became audible from a distance. Tir¡¯s face darkened as he looked back at Eros, their eyes meeting momentarily. ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± He replied, a hint of apprehension in his voice. A wave of water burst forth in front of them and the captives with a threatening aura. Eros, only having a split second to think look to Tir again before transforming into a large fish. The rush of water collided into his scaley form, pushing him back. He scanned the water, swimming against its fierce current. Finding some of the captives he let them into his gaping mouth. He continued this until all the captives were consumed. Feeling a tug at his lower fin he found Tir hanging on, struggling against the current. Opening his mouth again he coaxed the god in. The hallways of Orion¡¯s villa had high ceilings and wide walls. He feared briefly that he would not be able to fit into such a tight space. As they propelled themself forward, the water crashed against their scales as they did so. He found a set of double doors. Not taking another second to think they pushed the doors open with their head. His large scaley body tumbled onto the cement steps. The water flowed down the steps around him, seeping into the sandy soil. Since he was still in his fish form, he momentarily flopped to a frow off the ground. Opening his fish mouth, he spit out all the captives and Tir. The captives, still in shock after seeing an individual they assumed to be a person transform into a fish, tumbled out of his mouth. Some of the children were crying, no wonder shocked at the experience of being swallowed by a large fish. The women and men swayed back a fourth, stumbling over themselves in exhaustion and surprise. Tir remained calm. His robe, looking pristine before, was now soaked in water. He attempted to ring out his robe, but to no avail. Eros swiftly transformed back into his male form. His rose-pink robe stuck to his skin, restricting his movements, causing him to lose his balance during the transformation. Tir, seeing this, quickly grabbed onto Eros¡¯ arm, steading him. ¡°Thanks!¡± Eros blurted, slightly perturbed by being slammed to and frow by waves of water. ¡°I should be thanking you.¡± Tir replied, his hand still steading Eros. ¡°They would have been seriously harmed without your quick thinking.¡± The god signaled to the people around them. Eros slicked back his blond hair. His eyes skimmed where Tirs hand was resting before shifting his eyes to the crowd around them. ¡°That took me by surprise. I was not expecting the villa to flood with water.¡± Tir removed his hand from Eros¡¯s arm and attempted to ring out some water from his outer blue robe. ¡°I think I know where it came from.¡± His voice was steady and calm. As he continued to try to ring out the water a couple of people slowly approached the two. ¡°W-We thank you.¡± One said, slightly kneeling as they did so. ¡°God Apollo, we apologize for not recognizing you before.¡± Another said, their eyes lowering to the ground in fear. Straightening out his appearance, Tir looked down towards the humans with a bored expression. ¡°It is not I that you should be thanking. You should also be thanking god Cupid here.¡± The humans quickly rushed to Eros to say their thanks. Since Eros held a lighter expression on their face and smiled in response to their thanks a lot more rushed forward, soon crowding around the demigod. They were outside of the villa, in a garden path. The two, Tir and Eros said their goodbyes to the people, freeing them from the clutches of Orion. Turning back in the direction of the villa Eros turned to Tir. ¡°That was quite eventful, wasn¡¯t it? We should find the others and fill them in on what happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they have more to tell us.¡± Tir responded. ¡°Anahit seemed to be especially busy given my inclining that water was her doing.¡± ¡°Quite sure of yourself.¡± Eros joked, being in high spirits after talking with the humans that they freed. ¡°Are you devining that? Or are you using that big brain of yours?¡± Tir let out a huff at this and walked forward. ¡°What was that?!¡± Eros asked, following him. ¡°What was what?¡± Tir shot back, sparing Eros a glance. ¡°You laughed. I heard you clearly laugh. You can¡¯t hide it from me!¡± ¡°Did you not finish your transformation? You clearly have a memory of a fish if you think I did such a thing.¡± A smile etched slightly across Tirs face, breaking his otherwise even-tempered expression. Eros thought he might collapse from seeing such an expression from Tir after so many years ignoring each other. He was about to tease Tir further when suddenly an explosion came from the distance. From the side of the Villa came a loud, booming crash. A large hole, the size of an old oak tree now, formed, and in that rubble and dust laid the exhausted body of a particular god. Crouching above him stood a heinous looking being, it claws digging into the god¡¯s skin. ¡°Aries!¡± Eros exclaimed with wide eyes. Aries barely raised his eyes before responding with an exasperated ¡°evening¡­¡±