The Armageddon

7. Flying solo

The next day after the events for the day, a little after sunset, I made my way to the field of wild puppy flowers.

I found Ares waiting by the time I got there. He was sitting on the ground in the mist of beautiful flowers. The scene before me was a vision.

“your late” he grumbled and I chuckled.

“what is that sounds funny about that?” he glared at me.

“I just it funny that you are eager to get into trouble.” I said teasingly. “you do know that you will be in a whole lot of trouble if you are caught, do you not?”

“if…” he simply answered.

I took my time and found myself a comfortable boulder to sit on. His eyes followed my every movement. It felt like I was completely bare before his sharp eyes. The intensity of his stare almost made me bare my soul to him, to tell him my deepest darkest secrets, but I just calm like the sea.

I didn’t know where or where to start from and I had to be truthful, I wanted his help, so I started with the first thing that came to my mind.

“I died” I said then I paused. He turned to look at me as if examining me, but saying nothing so I went on. I told him all that happened.

It was quite the story really and I was mildly surprised that he listened quietly and patiently. When I was done, I expected him to at least look at me like some fool, but he didn’t, instead his face looked like ha had come to a realization.

There was a moment of silence between us before he finally spoke.

“now I know why Zeus sent me on that fruitless assignment.” I mumbled.

“is that all you have to say?” I asked in surprise.

“I do have one request though” he said and I let him continue.

“prove it” was all he said.

I opened and closed my mouth like a fish. I did not know how to respond to that. He hadn’t told me I was crazy; he did not immediately blow me off, he was giving me a chance, but alas even I didn’t know how I could prove I was not running mad.

I was a master at playing word games. I knew how to get what I wanted with my words, but for the first time I was at a loss for words. I did not know how to go about this one.

A heavy sigh from Ares pulled me out of my internal ramblings.

“truth or not, I hope things work out for you” he simply stated and stood up.

“wait” I panicked. I did not want him to leave. No matter how brave I seemed or how nothing seemed to phase me on the outside, I was scared and unsure on the inside. I did not want to do this alone. “I am telling the truth.”

“I did not say you were not; I am just very fickle about the type of trouble that I get myself into” he said and walked away.

I let out a heavy sigh. Seems like I am going to be flying solo.

All this drama would have made a good movie in the 21st century.

I stood up and dusted the nonexistent dirt on my dress. Even though I was not able to convince him to help me, at least he would not tell on me.

The next day, I again made sure that Poseidon had victory in the archery contest. He could not stop grinning from ear to ear as he was showered with praises. I needed him and his people to drop their guard a little. As expected, that night Poseidon and his wife Amphitrite threw a very lavished party. The deities of Olympus were vain like that, they would throw grand parties for every little thing.

I of course was there. There was a purpose for letting all this happen. I was with Athena the entire time, but I made sure that we stuck close to the target.

Amphitrite.

I had thought this out carefully. I needed to get into Poseidon’s kingdom, into his capital: Atlantis, and into palace. The problem was an outsider like me needed a key to get in.

There were two keys: Poseidon’s trident and Amphitrite’s medallion.

I needed to steal one of them and it was glaringly obvious which one I chose. It wasn’t that Amphitrite was an i***t or an easy target, but she was still a better choice than her husband. I couldn’t steal Poseidon’s trident even if I wanted to. Sure, I could take it, but I would not get very far without him noticing. He was connected to it; it was almost the center of his powers, in fact, he would feel it immediately and I didn’t want that. I wanted to do this quietly: get in and out without anyone noticing.

The party was in full swing and everybody was obviously having a good time with the exception of myself obviously, but I did not let the false pleasant smile slip from my face for even a second.

Just as I was thinking up different ways to slip the medallion off of Amphitrite’s neck, I felt eyes on me and I did not have to think hard to know it was Ares. When our eyes met, his eyes narrowed at me as if he was trying to figure out what I was up to and I gave him a sweet smile which further irritated him.

 I suddenly had a brilliant idea.

A perfect distraction.

 My smile grew wider. When he saw this, he immediately downed the entire goblet of wine and began making his way towards me, no doubt on his way to figure out why I was smiling like Zeus himself had gifted me his thunderbolt.

Amphitrite and Athena were discussing about how exciting the match between the two brother, Zeus and Poseidon, was today.

When Ares was close enough, I joined the conversation.

“no doubt it would have been more entertaining if Ares had participated. I wonder why he did not” I said innocently. As I finished speaking, Ares appeared beside me. He immediately understood that I was trying to shift the attention to him but it was already too late to turn back.

“oh, speak of the devil and he appears” I looked at Ares with a fat ass grin and he glared at me so hard that if I could, I would die. He had not agreed to help me earlier, but he was doing exactly just that right now. His appearance was just the disruption I needed.

“Ares, we were just speaking of todays event and wondering why you did not participate” Amphitrite said.

“you love to fight” Athena added.

“yes, why did you not Ares? After all, everyone knows that is your forte” I added with a smirk.

“well, I had a really…” he paused looking for the right words to use “…vexatious and tiring assignment which Zeus assigned me” he finished glancing at me as put his hand on my upper back.

Now it was my turn to glare. Haw dare he call me vexatious.

“oh, and might I ask what this task was that could tire you of all people out?” Amphitrite asked. She had always been the very curious type. She was getting more and more engrossed with the topic and I slowly inched behind her.

“It is a very confidential issue” he answered and glanced at me briefly again before looking back to her.

“is this about one of his affairs again? Did Hera find out?” she asked visibly disgusted by Zeus’ behavior.

Ares did not answer and let her think whatever she wanted.

“poor Hera” Athena said.

“um speaking of affairs, you might want to handle your husband Amphitrite.” I said looking in the direction of a very drunk Poseidon trying to flirt with one of Athena’s priestesses called Medusa.

“why that little…” I couldn’t even hear the rest of her sentence because she ran in her husband’s direction like mad horse. She did not even fell the absence of the relatively heavy medallion that had been on her neck moments ago.

“humph that scrawny little human” Athena spat as she glared daggers at medusa. “she needs to be put in her place.” Athena said also storming of in the same direction.

“what did you do?” Ares said, bringing my attention back to him.

“me?!” I asked incredulously with wide eyes.  “I did nothing wrong; I was not the one flirting with a married man. I simply informed her of what was about to happen. Don’t shoot the messenger.” I said innocently.

His lips twitched.

I really was not lying, seeing as how a few years from now the very same thing was going to happen, I just prolonged it.

“you know what I mean” he said.

I pretended to think hard before saying, “no I don’t.”

His lips twitched twice. Oh my! he was getting frustrated and annoyed.

Ares

When I saw her smiling like a Cheshire cat, I knew she was up to something. I downed all the wine in my golden goblet and made my way towards he. I did not know what it was that always pulled me to her. I knew she was trouble but I went to her anyways. I had never been interested in anything or anyone to just investigate, but with her I just wanted to know more. And like a blind man walking, I fell right into her trap once again.

 I did not know what she gained from making me go over there, but it seemed at the end of it all, she was successful at whatever it was. When I tried to find out, she just acted dumb and blew me off.

She infuriated and at the same time intrigued me. I could not see past that smile that was always plastered on her face, the smile that hid what she was truly thinking or feeling.

I watched as she exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Apollo approached he and as they spoke, he said something that made her truly laugh. I noticed how free and casual she was with him and I could not help but from.  

He was flirting with her. The way he looked at her, the way smiled as he spoke to her, I did not like it. That goodness that after a while, they parted ways and she whispered something into Athena’s ear before quietly slipping out of the hall.

I wanted to follow her, but that has proven useless before, so I waited.

I had placed a Hellenistic rune on her when I had touched her back earlier. The rune was a simple locator spell.

It a miracle she didn’t notice it and hopefully she would not. She was full of surprises.

After waiting a while, I also exited the hall and transported straight to an island on earth called ---------

There she was on a beach, standing in the sand. It was night fall and she was admiring the beauty of the stars, while I admire only her.

I sighed. I knew shew I was here.

“you are a very stubborn woman” I said under my breath, but she heard me.

“and you a very persistent man” she answered without looking at me.

“if you are not going to help me, then do not try to stop me” she said again.

“you could be severely punished you know” I said quietly. This would have been equivalent to a death sentence, but gods could not die without the dagger of Delphi. However, it was forbidden to be in possession of the dagger for whatever reason, and so it has been hidden, locked away.

The punishment given in place of a death penalty, can sometimes make even the braves and strongest of gods beg for mercy and death, and I in no way wanted that for Nike. It was instinct, the need to protect her from any of it. Even the thought of it alone scared me, and I never get scared.

“I know” she answered after a while.

“then why do you still want to risk it?”’ I asked.

“because it would not matter if what I say happens. It is better safe than sorry”