Invidia: The Goddex of Magic

Chapter 1: Libra the Twentieth

 The last traces of light were gone. A steady rain was falling across Western Iceshadow. Stars tried to penetrate the thick storm clouds, to no avail. Three small moons winked in and out of view through the thick clouds. The Palace of Wind's marble structure glowed with the five colors of Khronoshia: Northern Cerulean Blue, Eastern Emerald Green, Southern Golden Yellow, Western Cherry Red, and Violet that surrounded all. Inside, in the dining hall, the air was tense, like thunder about to break, though it already had outside. Five sat around a large maple dining table. At the head of the table was a short man with long ash grey robes. Atop his silver hair was a crown made of ever-shifting winds. This man was the king of the skies and winds: Aeolus. His ice-blue eyes regarded the four others sitting at the opposite end of the table. Nearest him was Eris, whose robes and hair were black like a raven's feathers. She had sweet smelling buttered vegetables on her plate, but simply stared at them, not daring to eat. Next to her, was a child quite a bit taller than Eris with lapis blue hair which was tied in a braided crown. This was Hecate, who, to her parents dismay, did not identify with a specific gender. She too, left her food untouched. Farthest, was a small girl no older than nine whose blonde hair fell in her eyes constantly, though it did not deter her from eating. Her robes were a deep pink and the loudest in the room. Iris always ate when it was mealtime, and often in between as well. Across from her was a woman in a black gown and wore a crown of animal pelts on her dark hair. This was Aeolus' wife, Diana. Iris was the only one in the dining hall eating. The aroma of cheeses, meats, and breads had filled the room, but was not enough to infuse hunger in any of the other four. Hasty winds blew around the hall constantly, blowing out candles with every pass.

Darkness encircled the table. In a flash, Hecate was surrounded by a deep violet glow. She stood. Above her head, gold runes hovered. About her middle, five spheres floated. One was made of warm fire and smelled of sweet smoke. Another was made of clear, cool water. A third was heavy and sandy, ever shifting its form. The fourth moved the quickest and seemed to be made of wind. The fifth was magenta and radiated an omniscient presence. The five spheres spun around Hecate, just out of reach of the violet glow around her. The gold runes glowed bright above her hands, and then one by one, the spheres floated into the violet field. First went the fiery one, then the speedy wind, following that was the sand orb, then came the water sphere. The magenta orb was last to be consumed. Once all the balls were absorbed into Hecate's violet field, it shut off and vanished. The runes followed, blinking out of existence. Hecate's long lapis hair fell out of its crown braid, and tumbled down her back until it was waist-length. Aeolus stood at the head of the table.

"Hail to Hecate, Born on Libra the Twentieth, eldest daughter of Winds and Wilds, now Goddess of Magic and Life," Aeolus boomed, ignoring the fact that he had referred to Hecate in the feminine.

"Magic?" Hecate stammered, eyes wide, "and Life?"

Aeolus stood slowly, "Your training begins tomorrow at dawn in the Eastern Courtyard." He left the table and exited the room. From the other side, Diana did the same. The three children of the sky king sat in silence, and Iris stopped eating. Hecate sat back down in her seat, her hair falling behind her.

The rain splattered harder against the windows. The stained glass rattled, but there was no danger of the windows coming out in the storm. Lightning flashed near the castle, and was followed a few seconds later by a large clap of thunder, causing Eris and Hecate to flinch slightly.

"Boreas is doing his work excellently," Eris smiled slightly, trying to start a conversation.

"Rain," Hecate whispered dejectedly," this is Eurus, not Boreas. The lightning is obviously Zeus."

The trio sat in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say next. Iris spoke up.

"Congratulations on your domains, Hecate," Iris giggled, "you must be really powerful."

"Power is not everything, Iris," Eris chided, "one must earn their domains, and Hecate has obviously proven worthy of deserving such marvelous ones."

Thank you Eris," Hecate blushed, "I just do not want to disappoint Mother and Father. I am surprised the Elementalists have chosen this of me."

"You will do excellent," Eris assured, "just do your best. Do not fret."

Hecate nodded, then hugged her sisters in turn; first Eris then Iris. The lapis-haired deity smiled slightly, then left the dining room, presumably to go to her bedchamber. Eris and Iris stayed seated. Iris went back to eating. Eris looked out the window at the storm.

"This will be a short storm," she stated, "Father will not allow Eurus to rain out Hecate's training in the morning."

"Do you think she will be a powerful goddess?" Iris asked through a large mouthful of buttered bread.

"You really should not talk with your mouth full, sister," Eris stated flatly, "or refer to her that way. Also, as I said before, power is not everything."

"If she is very powerful," Iris continued, as though Eris had not said anything, "does that mean we will be powerful too?"

"It is possible," the dark haired godling sighed, "but power rests with fate, and we cannot manipulate fate."

The two sat in silence after that, listening to the storm. At each thunderclap, Eris would give a little jump in fear. Once Iris' plate was empty, she stood. Without saying goodnight, or acknowledging Eris in any way, she too went to her chambers. The godling drifted out of the room with an air of confidence and delusion.

Eris sighed, and slipped under the table. She had instructed the aurae, Aeolus' servants, to not disturb her when she was there. Resting her hands on her head, curled in a ball, Eris fell asleep to the patter of rain, lightning, and thunder claps.

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Hecate perched on the roof of her tower. She sat in the downpour, her bright blue hair matted down on her head. Through the clouds, the young goddex could see a few stars, and one of Khronoshia's three moons; the largest: Cynthia.

"Invidia," she whispered to the rain, "please guide me through my journey." There was no change in the weather, nor with Hecate. The night did not respond to her prayer. The stars seemed to dim ever so slightly. In the distance, Hecate could see two figures in the sky. One wore a long forest green cape as it flew through the sky on emerald green wings. The storm clouds followed him. Above him was a chariot pulled by eagles that thundered and shot sparks of lightning from it. Hecate looked down at the grounds. She saw a figure dart out of then back into the small cabin she had played in when she was smaller. Before Eris and Iris came along, Diana conjured the cabin for Hecate to play in. It had been years since the blue-haired goddex had set foot inside. She assumed it was just an aurae, and returned her gaze to the skies. Rain fell on her face, getting in her indigo eyes.

"Ra," she whispered to the unrelenting night, "please give me strength. Abrianna, give me wisdom. Terria, give me carefulness. Ouranos give me happiness. Invidia, please give me companionship. I ask this of the Elementalists." Hecate stood up. She looked out one last time at the night, then returned to her chambers through the green stained glass window she came from.