The Hybrid [malexmale]

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

"I swear to fucking god, you're cheating." Dioysus growled, glaring down at his cards while he sat reclined in his seat. I gave him a bored stare, resting my elbow on the table and keeping my cards hidden.

"No, you just suck at this game." I responded. Dionysus just wrinkled his nose and continued to glare at his cards miserably, knowing that no matter what he put down, I was still going to win. I wasn't even really trying that hard to win, however. My spine prickled and my hands felt clammy, anxiety building up inside me over what Ares was planning to do next for my little fear tests.

I made a list of things in my head of things I was supposedly scared of, but it not only depressed me, but irritated me through making the list impossibly long and possibilities endless. I tried to narrow it down to my greatest fears, but those weren't irrational. Ares was looking for things that were rational, things that would effect the monster inside me.

Speaking of the monster, it hadn't reared its ugly head since we started the tests. If anything, it'd hidden in a corner and only growled. I wondered if Ares's tests were really working, and it made relaxing a little easier. I just hoped that the next test wasn't impossible... It'd been hard enough to forgive the people who haunted my past, right into my present, but it felt good to let go. The heavy weight on my shoulders was gone.

Although, it still bothered me about Menoetius.

I had forgiven him, and I had understood what he did what he did, why he did it, but knowing that he went to Tartarus simply because he challenged Zeus aggravated me. Even worse, Menoetius had gone to Zeus to prevent him from owning me, and unfortunately, it happened anyway. Maybe not permanently owned, but owned for quite a long time. And it had been an awful period in my life when I'd succombed to more drugs willingly and struggled to keep up with Zeus's ridiculous demands, and the fact that the other gods took a sick thrill in making me dance for them.

All of that was what Menoetius had died to prevent and it happened anyway.

It brought on a strange throb of guilt.

Especially knowing Menoetius was suffering in Tartarus. He'd paid his dues for his other crimes, but to still be locked inside there and to be suffering all his worst fears for no other reason than to torture him? And that wasn't even for his crimes-- he was being punished for challenging Zeus.

Anyone who challenged Zeus landed there.

But there was no way to take Menoetius away from that. He was technically dead. It was his soul being flogged down there. His physical body was probably dumped in the mortal realm, knowing Zeus. In order to join the realm of the living again, Menoetius would need a body and the only two ways to do that was to kill someone and give him the body, or have someone create one for him and the only person who could create an empty vessal was Hades.

The likelihood of Hades doing anything like that for someone was about the same as Zeus stepping down off his throne.

What was it with Greek gods and their egos?

"Stop that," Dionysus whined, making me frown and glance up at him as he lowered his cards, "You're giving me that soul-wrenching look, like you're analyzing something in a faraway land. I swear, we should get you checked for you ADD or something." I lowered the cards to the table with a frown.

"Not in the mood to play cards anymore, Dionysus." I responded briefly. Dionysus sighed, more in relief than anything, though as he put the cards aside.

"Thank god, because I was losing painfully," He replied, making me roll my eyes as I set the cards aside and rubbed the bridge of my nose, "Look, I know you're stressed about Ares's next test, but trust me, it has to be done. Nothing in this world is easily obtained. We all must suffer the process to atain the results... like a fine wine." I frowned at that, rubbing at the back of my neck thoughtfully. I knew he was right. I just hated waiting. Just hated taking these long agonizing steps to get to the end, the end where I would either have the mental strength to defeat Atlan or I would fall apart and really become his puppet.