Heavy Black Crown
Eris fired the staff at the love of my life.
The love of my entire existence.
I threw Nyx off me and ignored Hypnos and Hemera's screams, but a white flash caught our eyes.
Trimorphe had pushed Aurora out of the way just in time.
I sank to the floor with a shudder and a deep cry of relief. "Aurora!"
"Aurora!" Trita, Hypnos, Hemera and Apollo all rushed to her side, but I couldn't stand. My legs refused to move. I was numb.
Just the thought of losing her...
I couldn't stand up from the ground, so I watched as my brother and Apollo quickly rushed to my wife's side and helped her up onto her feet. Trimorphe was growling at Eris now, her teeth bared and gleaming in the eerie light.
Eris growled and took a step back; "Idiots."
A deep, black fire shot through me. My legs moved on their own accord and I found myself racing towards Eris, my glared dark and full of hatred. "Are you insane?"
It wasn't a question I wanted an answer to- I knew the damn answer.
Eris moved away from me; fear sprang up in her eyes as she noticed my fury. I kept stepping towards her, eager to get my hands on the staff, but Eris refused to let me get any closer to her. "Come here!" I screamed at her and tried to catch her, but she was too quick.
"Teleiose!" She shouted at me and snarled with anger. "You know it is!"
"Na ksereis ti thesi sou!"
"It's beside you! It's always been beside you!" She looked equally livid and damaged now, but it caused no pause in my raging fury.
"No! No! You and I are brother and sister! We are nothing more and we will never ever be anything more!" My wrath was soaring; "Get it into your head!"
Eris deep frown cracked with disgust and pain; "Take that back!"
"Make me!" I shouted at her and tried to snatch the staff from her hands.
She dodged me, using her small stature to her advantage, but I was just as agile. I grabbed her hair and yanked. Eris flew back against my chest and I tried to pry the glowing staff from her hand. "Let go! Now!"
"It's mine!" She snarled and struggled against me.
Behind us, Aurora snarled, having fully recovered from her fall and the shock. She walked towards us with determination in her eye, but Apollo and Hypnos refused to let her get any closer than she already was. Hypnos placed his hands up to ward her off, but she smacked them away with anger; "Step aside!"
"No." Hypnos kept his rigid stance and Apollo tried to lead Aurora away, towards a safer area. She growled at him when he tried to touch her. "Rora, it's not safe."
"I don't care!" She screamed at them and looked over Hypnos shoulder; "That bitch has done enough damage-"
"The baby, Aurora!" Hypnos shouted with cold eyes and stepped in front of her too keep her in place.
His words caused Eris and me to freeze.
Even Nyx and Moros looked up from our spectacle of a fight and turned their heads to stare at Aurora.
My heart froze with fear... and so much joy.
"W-what?" The words fell from my mouth. My eyes widened and I sucked in a deep breath- the fire inside of me evaporated into dust.
"No..." Nyx closed her eyes in pain, but Eris... Eris' face was riddled with pure shock and abhorrence.
I couldn't feel further from that. I was ecstatic. For so long, all I've wanted to hear was this. Aurora's eyes caught mine with nervousness and she dryly muttered; "Surprise..."
The smile that erupted across my face was painfully wide, but still, the joy I felt could never be displayed through it. My heart warmed and I dropped everything I held; including Eris' wrist and one end of the staff. She grunted by the sudden release and stared up at me with annoyance.
I really didn't even care.
I didn't care about any of this.
Aurora was pregnant. With my child. My child...
"Why didn't you tell me?" I felt hurt by her secrecy, but even that pain was barely able to crawl its way to my heart. I was filled with too much happiness to let anything else in.
"I wanted to, but..." Aurora licked her lips and ran a hand over her stomach. I stared lovingly at her- besotted all over again. "You were distracted and I wanted to make it special."
"Aww, guys..." Trita put a hand over her mouth and tried not to cry. Hemera waved away a few tears; "I know. Dammit."
Apollo crossed his arms across his chest and muttered; "How am I the last to know? Ridiculous."
But another soft murmur echoed past my ear. "No..." Nyx said again, but this time softer. She whispered it to the ground with wide eyes. I ignored her. This wasn't her moment to ruin.
But Eris' reaction certainly caused a scene. She screamed at me and hit the staff across my chest in fury; "Why?"
I stepped away from her and swallowed hard. Eris now hated Aurora even more than before. There was nothing I could do to make her see reason and there was certainly nothing keeping Eris from trying to hurt her again.
Hypnos tried to subdue the situation; "Eris, just give me the staff and let's go talk about this-"
"Talk?" Eris scoffed at him. I'd never seen her eyes so black. "Talk? You want to talk? Oh, shut up, Hypnos. You never cared. You just wanted Thanatos all to yourself anyway!"
With one powerful swipe of her hand, Eris bended the air and thick fog and shot my brother and Apollo to the side. They shot through the air and smacked against the pool shed with a loud whack. Before Trita and Hemera could protest, they were swiped the other way- right into the large pool. They splashed water everywhere, wetting a snarling Trimorphe.
The snow leopard rushed forward, ready to dig its nails into Eris, but she balled her hand into a fist and Trimorphe smacked onto the ground with a painful cry.
Aurora yelled out in alarm; "Stop this!"
Eris shot pain through Trimorphe's body; she was using her blood magic to suffocate the leopard. I watched in horror as my sister tortured the animal.
"Stop!" I yelled at her and attempted to step closer, but she waved her hand at me and I was pushed back by a strong gust of wind. My feet slid back against the stone, until I stumbled onto the ground next to my mother. She looked disinterested and completely cut off from the rest of the world.
"What have you done to her?" I cried at my mother and grabbed her arm, pulling her to me, but Nyx rolled her eyes and scoffed; "The same thing I did with you. Only she appreciated."
I growled at her, pressing my face down to hers; "You sicken me."
"How unfortunate."
Eris; loud cry caught my attention again, "Hey! Thana!"
I turned to glare at my sister as she spat out my pet-name with disgust, but when my eyes landed on hers, my joints locked in and froze with horror.
Eris had reappeared behind Aurora and had an arm wrapped around her waist, pushing the staff into her back. Aurora gritted her teeth down in pain when Eris pressed the sharp edge of the staff deeper into her spine, nipping the tender skin slightly.
I shot to my feet and lifted my hands with disbelief. "W-what are you doing?"
Eris sighed and rolled her eyes; "What does it look like? I'm restoring peace." She poked Aurora with the staff and snarled in her ear; "With you out of the picture, maybe he'll come to his senses once again."
"Doubtful." Aurora muttered and I glared at her in response. This was no time to be sarcastic. No time at all.
Aurora shot me knowing look and I shook my head, ordering her to stop talking and just let me handle the situation. I hoped for once that she'd just listen to me and put her claws away.
"Worth a shot." Eris muttered. Her eye caught a quick movement. She tightened her hold around Aurora's waist and yelled to the side; "I see you, big brother."
Hypnos' stopped moving towards her, his eyes wide with surprise and angst. He shot me a look and I gestured for him to stay put. Eris laughed; "One more move towards me and she's back to being a pathetic mortal." She emphasized her point by twisting the staff's hilt into my wife's back. Aurora tried to avoid my gaze.
"Eris..." I pleaded with her; "Please. She's with child."
"Not my problem." My sister's cold words shook me.
I swallowed and turned to the side with anger and fear. I had no idea what to do. I was at a loss. Desperation clouded my senses and all I could do now was beg and pray. "I don't understand. I don't understand why you're doing this? It can't be just because of me? It can't." My voice was hollow and soft.
Eris looked angry when she answered; "It is because of you, but more than that too. You two left us and you left me! You had no right to throw away your family. It was cowardly."
Eris looked odd holding Aurora; she was so much shorter and she was struggling to keep the goddess of life pressed close, but the staff helped to keep Aurora in check.
I tried again; "Did mother put you up to this?" I searched her eyes with desperation. "You and I both know that her love is twisted and-"
"-and real." Eris spat at me. "Unlike yours."
"I do love you."
"No, you loved me." Eris whispered and moved the staff up to Aurora's neck. My heart contracted with pain and I impulsively took a step forward to protect my wife and child.
Eris barked at me; "Stay where you are."
I held up my hands again, signaling to her that I wasn't about to try anything underhanded. Hypnos and Apollo now stood either side of Eris, a few feet away and eyeing her for any opening. They looked severely pissed off and scared, but all I felt now was fear. Even my anger was replaced with pure fear.
Hemera and Trita stood to the side, clutching hands and watching Aurora with pained eyes. Trita kept Trimorphe back; the old leopard wanted nothing more than to tear out Eris' eyes, but if Trimorphe took one step in her direction, Aurora would be done for.
Moros stood closer to Eris, but he merely stared. He looked beyond confused at what was happening and completely unsure of how to react. He' barely said a word since we'd gotten here and I think the whole ordeal, and finding out that Peitho was indeed forever gone, really had shaken him to his core. He was almost zombie-like.
Nyx didn't move from behind me. She just stared and crossed her arms, watching. She looked equally furious and disinterested in the events taking place around her.
"Se parakalo, tha kano oti thes!" I begged my sister and her emotionless expression turned up a bit.
"Anything?"
I nodded quickly; "Yes, yes... Just hand Aurora over to me."
"Oh, no... That won't happen." She laughed and pursed her lips. "I leave her be, but then you have to make some promises."
"Fine. Anything."
"Come back to Tundra."
I inhaled a shaky breath and nodded my head; "Okay. Okay, yes."
"Thanatos..." Hypnos warned me, but I ignored him.
"Oh, hush." Eris snapped at him and turned her attention back to me. "You'll return to Tundra and you'll leave Aurora." She smiled at me and I saw madness in her eyes.
My sister was insane.
She had to be.
My throat dried up. I couldn't even think about the words she wanted to hear me say. Eris grew impatient; "You will leave Aurora. Say it."
I looked up at my wife. She was looking at me with ice in her eyes. She nodded her head, as if to tell me that it was okay. I still couldn't say it. Eris snarled and pushed Aurora down onto the floor.
My anger leapt back with lightning speed. "Do that again and I swear I'll rip your head off!" I screamed at Eris. Her eyes popped up and the rest of the group tensed up a bit; they were afraid Eris might retaliate. She didn't. She was still afraid of me. That's why she wanted me to keep my distance.
The breath I exhaled was ragged and stuttered as I tried to control my explosive anger. But I did control it- letting my temper snap again wasn't going to help.
I itched to race to Aurora and help her up. She stayed put on the ground, Eris' foot clasped onto her shoulder, keeping her down. "Then say it and all of this can be over."
I closed my eyes. My hands flew up to my forehead and ran them down my face in anger. My head throbbed with so much pain and confusion. I couldn't say it. I just couldn't.
Eris pushed for an answer; "It's now or never."
"I'll return to Tundra and..." I shook my head and opened my eyes to stare at the ground. Softy I whispered; "I'll leave Aurora."
"Louder."
"I'll leave Aurora." I said slightly louder.
"She's no longer your wife." Eris sneered at me.
"No. She's not."
"Thanatos..." Hemera started to cry and I felt like joining her, but the rage burning inside of me held me back.
"Good." Eris smiled broadly and I saw no love there. In less than an hour, all my love for one person had disappeared into ash.
I hated her with every fiber of my being.
I hated her more than I thought I could ever hate someone.
"Now, let's see you wiggle your way into my family after this." Eris whispered to Aurora and everyone froze with shock.
She lifted the staff and pointed it down. I shouted loudly over the blast of energy, but before it could hit Aurora, two things happened.
A large portal opened up next to Eris, which shocked her and caused her to look up with wide eyes.
The second thing was Moros. He saw an opportunity and jumped in, pushing Eris aside. They were thrown onto the floor and covered with a big, white flash.
Hemera and Hypnos screamed at our siblings and raced forward. Apollo pulled Aurora up and lifted her into his arms. I ran towards them, sliding across the wet grass.
The portal spewed out the rest of our family, Momus in the front and Nemesis storming in close behind. They looked livid.
"ERIS!" Nemesis shouted and drew her spear.
I sank to the floor, clutching Aurora to my chest. She had tears in her eyes as she stared up at me. I laughed out of pure shock and relief. "You really need to learn when to shut up."
"You need better family communication."
I caught her lips with my own and placed a hand on her stomach; "Shut up, Aurora."
She smiled and I wiped away a tear trailing down her cheek. Apollo sighed in relief and dramatically said; "Phew... Crazy-ass family."
Aurora and I stopped kissing and turned our heads to glare at him. His smile dropped and he lifted his hands in defense; "Right. Private moment. Sorry." He quickly jumped up and turned to leave, but then ducked down again; "Oh, and congratulations on the-"
"Apollo, fuck the fuck off." I snarled and he quickly got the hint.
Behind us, a storm had erupted.
Eris and Moros were groaning out in pain, but Nemesis had no issue with providing Eris with more. She pressed her sharp, blood-covered spear into her younger sister's leg.
Eris yellowed out in pain and Hemera jumped in, pushing Nemesis back with anger. "Stop it! There's been enough bloodshed already!"
"Fuck that!" Dolos muttered and swiped a dagger across the air. "She's been working with that bitch all this time!" He pointed his dagger to Nyx and the older goddess' eyes widened in surprise. Dolos had never spoken to her like that before.
"We need to calm down!" Momus shouted at everyone, but Nemesis wasn't having it.
"I refuse to let her get away with this!"
"Hey!" Hypnos' commanding voice broke though the crowed and he pulled Nemesis and Dolos back by their necks, nearly hurting them in the process. "Shut up!"
The gardens fell silent. The eldest had spoken.
Eris clutched her bloody leg and Moros looked up at his siblings, dazed and confused. The staff lay on the ground, sizzling with smoke.
Hypnos' voice rang over the gardens; "How did you know Eris was involved?" He directed his attention at the newcomers.
Momus answered for them, his eyes darting to Eris. "When we saved Eleos from Vikard, he explained the plan to us. Nyx had promised him a wife if he helped her in amplifying the staff. He also said that Eris was the one who he communicated with through all of this. Eris helped put Moros on course to catch the Gorgons and she was the one who told Vikard to take Eleos, as a distraction."
"What?" Hemera asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. "No! I don't believe it..."
"Tell them." Apate snapped at Nyx.
Our mother's eyes lifted from Eris pale face to her older daughter. Apate looked betrayed.
"I don't know what-"
"Tell them about Eris." Apate said with more emotion in her voice than I'd ever seen on her face.
Nyx looked from child to child, until finally resting on my face. I held Aurora to my chest. We were still seated on the ground and I wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. They could all deal with the rest. I was done.
Nyx sighed and closed her eyes. Finally, she gave in. "Eris was practicing Blood magic- darker Blood magic."
We were silent.
"How... dark?" Eleos asked what we were all thinking.
Nyx tried to drain the emotion from her face. "Too dark."
Momus scoffed at his mother; "You let her do magic that's forbidden-"
"No." Nyx was quick to correct him. "I told her it was forbidden and I told her to stop, but she didn't listen. She wanted to do it. I tried to make her stop."
"I don't believe you." Nemesis shook her head.
"It's true." Nyx crossed her arms and opened her mouth to say more, but she struggled to find the right words. "Eris... It ate at her. I thought I could help her control it. Like I did with you." She looked at me and I looked away. Nyx's face fell a bit at my lack of interest. "But... She's not a death deity. She couldn't handle it all. It corrupted her mind."
"That's where her bruises came from." Hypnos said softly; "I remember those. Thanatos used to get them when he had panic attacks. They lasted long and struggled to heal."
"You were trying to make another death-deity." I whispered and the gardens fell silent with realization at the lengths our mother would go for a delusion so far gone already.
"But that's..." Hemera shook her head with abhorrence; "Unnatural."
Eris started crying on the floor in pain, and to our great shock and horror, we realized something we should've a good while ago.
Moros and Eris were covered with blood... but they weren't healing.
"Fuck." Dolos whispered.
The hole in Eris' leg, where Nemesis had pushed in her spear's head, was still spewing blood. Moros' head had fallen onto the hard ground and he had a few cuts along his cheek from Eris' nails. They were deep and blood dripped down his cheek.
"Oh my gods..." Hemera clasped her hands over her mouth. Eleos did the same, her eyes wide and stunned at what she saw.
Eris and Moros were mortal.
"I don't feel so good..." Moros muttered with a groan and clutched his head.
Apate was the first one to spring to action. She knelt down next to her brother and pressed a hand to his head. "He's hot."
"He's got a concussion." Trita said from the side and they turned to her with wide eyes. "I think...?" She cleared her throat and stepped past them to kneel down beside him too. She pressed her hands to his head and rubbed; "He needs to rest and maybe some water. Ice would be good, to ease the swelling. Dammit, Sonya, where are you?" She muttered to herself.
Hypnos knelt down beside his wife and lifted Moros' neck. "We need to take him inside."
"Is everyone just going to ignore the fact that they're human?" Dolos screamed at us with anger. "They're human!"
"We got that, yes. Thanks." Nemesis snarled and leaned over Eris. "Look, I'm sorry for poking you with my spear, but you were acting a little crazy."
"Poke?" Eris yelled at her, but her eyes looked brighter than before.
"Get them inside. We can treat them better there." Hypnos ordered and pulled Trita up with him.
Momus and Dolos picked up Moros, and Nemesis and Apate lifted Eris onto their shoulders. They were all still livid with her, and Nyx, but even so, she was family. Three- thousand years of family doesn't just disappear in one morning.
I didn't feel the same way.
They all hurried inside; even Nyx followed, her eyes clouded with concern and sorrow. She kept her distance though, and didn't speak.
The left through the large, wooden doors and the dark gardens cleared up with silence.
Aurora pulled my face to hers. Her eyes were filled with pain and worry; "Tell me what you're thinking?"
"I hate her."
My words made her tear up. It wasn't because Aurora didn't want me to hate my sister or my mother, but because she knew that I once would've done anything for them. Now, my love was rotten and it hurt her to see me in this kind of awful pain. I loathed this hate- it wasn't me. I didn't want to hate them.
"Thanatos..." She shook her tears away; or at least tried to. "I'm so sorry."
"I didn't mean a word I said, I hope you know that." I ran my hand down her cheek and pressed my nose against hers, closing my eyes. "I could never leave you."
"I know. I know."
We sat in silence for a few more minutes.
Apollo stuck his head out of the window and was about to say something, but then he noticed that Aurora had started to cry. He withdrew back into the house and left us in peace.
I sat with my wife on the grass until the light dimmed.
I held her close and prayed to the gods. We didn't speak. The sun's rays faded and I held her tighter.
Whatever was going on inside the palace didn't matter.
For the first time in my life, I didn't feel guilty that I was leaving them to care for themselves.
My family was more important.
Teleiose - It's over
Na ksereis ti thesi sou - Know your place
Se parakalo, tha kano oti thes - Please, I'll do anything