Fall of the Spectrum

Chapter Twenty-Seven, Part Two

Forneus and Phenex rose in tandem on either side of her, but they weren't alone. Several others got to their feet. Gwen was glad when she saw that Asclepius was among them, his pristine white uniform tinted purple from the globe-shaped amethyst fixed into the ceiling. Hearing the shuffling of feet high above her, she glanced upward to see that members of the council too were standing. Hermes caught her eye, offering her a brief grin before turning his attention to the podium.

Gwen followed his gaze, noticing for the first time just how haggard Hercules appeared. His clothing, which seemed both ordinary and out of place while surrounded by the gods in all their finery, was dirty and tattered. A long strip of cloth had been torn from the midsection of the long-sleeved shirt he wore, the work boots on his feet covered in mud with one of the toes prying away from the sole. He stared at the assembly with sharp blue eyes, no less vibrant in spite of the gaunt set of his cheekbones, dark hollows pitted beneath his eyes and on either side of his jaw. A coarse growth of stubble covered his chin, dirt or bruises seeming to cover everywhere else.

In spite of this, there was one thing that set his rough appearance off: His expression. Instead of looking sullen or frightened as Gwen would have expected in his situation, Hercules seemed happy, his eyes alight with a feeling she knew all too well.

Hope.

She had only a moment to marvel at the look of gratitude he bestowed upon those standing before Zeus's voice cut through the silence, echoing off the chamber's spherical walls. "Good. You may return to your seats. The trial will now commence. Hercules, the floor is yours."

Gwen listened raptly as Hercules recounted his experiences, starting from prior to his first incarceration and all the way up to his current one. Much to her surprise, it didn't seem Hercules had much to tell that wasn't already known or suspected among the Regulations Force or the High Council.

According to Hercules, he was surprised that he hadn't guessed at Iris's involvement with Apophis and Reeves sooner; that in hindsight, there had been many signs indicating just this. However, it wasn't until Iris had come to him one day, seemingly interested in taking him on as a lover that it had really hit him. The long and the short of it was that Iris hadn't taken his rejection particularly well. Having gone through his fair share of angered would-be lovers over the centuries, Hercules hadn't thought much of it at the time.

"It was only after I found out that Iris personally had accused me of treason that it fell into place," Hercules said, shoulders slumping. "All that time, I had thought her interest to be of a romantic nature—when in reality, she was seeking to increase Apophis's numbers."

In the centre of the Upper Echelon tier, Zeus rose from his seat, his long white cloak billowing out from his right shoulder. The thunderbolt emblazoned across it caught the glimmer of the moonstone walls, glowing a brilliant gold. Even with the rest of his attire being far simpler, dark tunic and slacks underneath glistening white chest armour and shin guards, he was no less imposing.

"If what you say is true, then how can you be sure of her intentions?" Zeus stroked his beard, his gaze calculating. "Don't you think it a bit presumptuous, assuming she meant to recruit you? Perhaps her defection was in retaliation to your spurning her advances."

Gwen stared at Zeus, unable to believe what she was hearing. He can't be serious. Is he actually blaming Hercules for what Iris has done?

Fortunately, Gwen wasn't the only one appalled by Zeus's implication. Asclepius bolted to his feet, partially blocking Hercules from view when he took a step forward. "Objection, Grandfather. Permission to speak, sir?"

Zeus looked as if he'd like nothing more than to deny Asclepius that right, but nodded just the same. "Proceed."

"If I may be so bold, is it not presumptuous of you to assume that Hercules can be blamed in any way, shape, or form for the choices Iris has made?" Asclepius didn't wait for Zeus to answer, and seeing the growing consternation on his face, Gwen understood why. If he stopped talking now, he'd never get the chance to make his case in full. "Whether or not Iris's actions were in retaliation to Hercules spurning her, you must admit that said actions were hers alone. Not only would it be petty for the council to even consider Iris's actions justifiable, it would be an insult to everything we stand for."