Daughters Of Hera

Chapter 45-Cup Bearer

"I do not understand, most revered one!" squealed Joanne cowardly. "What do you want from me, your godliness?"

The goddess held a playful smirk, "You do not need to understand every little thing, my dear, because the universe itself is more vast than you think . . . I know it's hard for our kind, but I'll commend you to try your best to. You see everything about your existence started here eons ago, and I won't be so high and mighty that I shouldn't at least explain, for I owe you that much, given the hard staking trial and task you're about to embark on, which as you percieve would be entirely my fault, to begin with," said Hebe, before her face turned serious and overbearing. "I'll offer you wine and all, but a ghost can't drink you see, I'll have to fix that bit later, when we're done with our depressing bit of business. . . You must understand that I tried to stop him— Heracles i mean, your forefather—i tried to stop him from drinking the whole Fountain of Youth, but you see, they're things that even goddesses are powerless against, most of our weakness boils down to Love . . . The love of someone you cherish above all things, the love of a soon to be spouse.

"His a beautiful boy isn't he? Even Mother Hera agrees, even though she tried she tried to squash him, some time ago, but for now that's water under the bridge." Then the goddess realized that she was going off topic, so she regained herself, "Oh! Forgive me, dear one. I'm babbling aren't I? I could go on with nonsense for eons to come. So here is why I summoned you against your wish, I hoped dying might've excited you, but I'm sorry because they're other plans in place for you.

"Firstly, you must know that your immortality was a consequence of love, and surely love conquers all, and you must remember that although you'll be immortality, any head injury of any kind shall surely kill you, that's your only weakness I might add. Also I have to inform you that they're evil forces against you, those evil forces I sent Phoenix to warn you about. Now where s that eagle, his always prancing about, I taught I saw him around somewhere," here she turned around ecstatically, trying to search for the eagle, before she remembered Joanne again, then resorted to apologise, "Sorry, dear one. I get distracted easily. So what was I saying again. . . Yes! You must return to Juventas, for that is the place where your destiny shall capture you whole. There in the Herean games you must find a group of brave warriors that would ensure your protection against the evil goddess, and her minion the Regent Durga—"

"Why can't you just end her yourself, most revered one? There are also many questions I have to ask you, your godliness!" Joanne blurted nervously.

"Well, there are certain godly rules, dear one, that your feeble mind wouldn't clearly understand. And I cannot answer anymore questions of yours, that plagues your heart, but surely one day I will. Now do as I command and find your destiny. The worst days are coming for the legacies and seeds of the goddesses, for mortal kind shall hunt you, shall try to exile you from existence, your brave group of warriors must stick together and survive!" said the goddess. "You and the chosen warriors shall be the mortal's light against coming darkness. Now go dear one! If Heracles notice you here, then both the past and the future might be in jeopardy, and you will cease to exist. Quickly now, vanish!" Hebe thundered, then with a swipe of a hand and before Joanne knew it, she was flung away like a leaf in the wind, she was traveled back with her consciousness settling into her own body.

As she did, she found herself healing and recuperating, her blood was gushing back into her, strength was returning, then spears began falling off from her body, but she felt something else odd too, she could feel her blood, she could also feel the blood streaming in the goblins present too, even as it was flowing in their beings in their veins, but with burst of energy she let forth all the raw energy towards her and as she did, she could feel it all, she found out that she could control their bloods, she could control all the bodily fluids in their bodies, so she allowed it all to burst through the monsters bodies, as she did.

There was a boom and a bang, as they began blowing away one by one, their bodies disintegrated, their fleshes bursting into different pieces, they were all dead, except Hadimba who stood still there, in plain shock.

*****

Joanne left her, rushing towards Sylva. "Please wake up!" she cried, but Sylva didn't respond, after a while, suddenly, Sylva coughed, then her eyes fled open softly, she was in pains, that much was certain.

"Hello, my child. Hope you're having a better day than I am at the moment—" said the ailing Sylva.

"Sylva! You won't believe what happened—" said Joanne excitedly. "I saw the goddess Hebe—"

"I'm proud of you, Joanne. Never forget that—" said Sylva, before spluttering out blood from her mouth. She wasn't going to make it.

"Let me heal you, Sylva. My blood will heal you, just allow me to cut myself—"

"No! Joanne. You mustn't give your blood to anyone. If I drink it, I'll be immortal. I don't wish that upon myself, I've done many bad things in the past, I must atone for them with death. At last, you're the only good thing I did right, your parents would be proud." said Sylva.

Joanne could feel the tears falling from her eyes, she knew what would come next. "Please don't leave me." she spilled. "Everyone leaves me at the end. I thought you would stay with me forever, I thought I would annoy you for all eternity."

"I am not leaving you, my dear child. My heart lives in your heart. My memories of you is all I shall remember, even in your death. Know that I never was embarrassed by you—" said Sylva, before life left her eyes, before death came and took her away.