Hestia's Wish [2019 ONC Longlist]

20 | A Ram's Mentor

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The ground continued to shake violently, threatening to cleave in two beneath the mortals' feet. The water around the islands swirled around the shore, coming close to taking over the land completely. The temperature became uncomfortably hot and the air murky and humid, as Fi's volcanoes roared to life. The island of Fi was just within sight as the Aithneans and Concordians watched their fellow sovereigns fight against each other in what appeared to be a distorted space.

The Concordians, who were not accustomed to such blazing temperatures quickly retreated to their boats. None of the Aithneans did anything to stop them so long as they didn't raise their blade to attack. They saw no reason to kill because they were more concerned with rescuing those that would need saving. Aries could hear the mortals panicking and hoped that the mortals would be able to pull themselves together.

The sudden burst of power that came with reconciling with her human form awoken the volcanoes. With every breath, she felt her connection with the volcano grow stronger. She stared down at her hands, marveling at the perfectly sculpted skin. She flexed her hands a couple of times, watching her fingers move in disbelief.

She no longer felt the nagging pull of the malevolent voices, her shoulders felt light and relaxed as if a huge weight had been lifted from them. When her eyes landed on her sister, she almost flinched. Her memories of her sister in the past and the present were incredibly skewed, creating a significant amount of disconnect. She was shocked that she had considered her sister's current state anything other than horrific.

She was mostly bald, but her remaining hair was flimsy and lifeless. She was sickeningly thin, her bones jutting out in every possible place. It was difficult to tell when it was the last time she ate. She couldn't help but wonder what happened to have elicited such a drastic change in her appearance and health.

Her feelings about her sister quickly dissolved as the guilt of those she brought a tremendous amount of pain lingered in her mind. She knew that she was going to have to do more than make promises for a better future. She was going to have to convince the mortals she was destined to protect that there is life beyond fear and she was capable of offering that.

"What have you done?" Libra demanded.

"I have done nothing, sister. However, it appears that you've done more than enough. You've allowed yourself to be seduced by darkness. Even though we were born of darkness, it doesn't necessarily make it our destiny," she replied.

"You wish to commit treason by standing against me? Against our father?" she retorted.

"We were not meant to be followers. Acting as such is treason in itself." She raised her right hand as the Ariean insignia on her chest began to glow.

"What are you doing?" her sister shrieked in a panic. She raised both hands in an attempt to pin her down, but to her astonishment, it was ineffective.

"You don't know everything, sister," she simply said. The shaking subsided, reduced to minor tremors in the earth. The volcano roared once again before smoke started spilling into the air. She turned her head, with her sister following her gaze, until it landed on the one person she hoped she would never see, the God of War.

"It's about time, mikró kriári mou," he said. He looked just as she remembered him. He was covered in armor from head to toe with his swords sheathed at his side. His dark hair was peeking out from underneath his helmet. He still had that same overly confident air about him. He jumped high in the air, only to land right beside her. "It was becoming unbearable in there. I don't understand how you can stand these temperatures."

She smiled when she heard him call her "my little ram." It was an old term of endearment that she hadn't heard in quite some time. "I'm sorry I took so long. It seems my nap went on longer than planned."

He threw his head back and laughed heartily. "All is forgiven, little one. Especially now that I've seen that you've left a delectable treat for me." He lunged forward, constricting the Celestial Deity of Balance within his grasp. He whispered in her ear, "I wonder...do stars bleed?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as she began to desperately squirm within his grasp. She screamed to the heavens, repeatedly asking their father to save her. It was clear that Ares was enjoying torturing her, but Aries wasn't going to let her mentor do whatever he wanted to her sister. Even though she had her faults, she was still family and it was painstakingly clear that she currently had no control over her current actions.

Aries placed a gentle hand on her mentor's shoulder and pleaded to him with her gaze. He looked deep within her eyes for a few moments before letting out a sigh of exasperation. "Mikró kriári mou, this is why I am the teacher and you are the student."

"She's my sister."

"Not anymore. She's lost to Chaos."

"What has been lost can easily be found."

He hesitantly released his grip on her, watching her float through the air. The space around them reverted back to normal as Libra was now hovering above them. She looked into the distance and watched her subjects flee. Her gaze nervously darted between her subjects and her sister and Ares.

"You have nothing to threaten us with, sister. Stop this foolishness," Aries said.

She laughed coldly and replied, "Father will hear of your betrayal. I will make sure of it." She zipped through the air, joining her mortals in defeat.

Ares attempted to chase after her, but Aries held him back. "Leave her be."

"She'll attack again."

"Isn't that a good thing for the God of War?" she smiled teasingly.

"You are wise beyond your years, mikró kriári mou."

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