The wildlife that once fled in despair and fear was once again making their way through the destruction into the valley. The smell of ash and sunder filled the air as Hemitheos took a deep breath letting his lungs fill before exhaling out his despair as he stared down at the freshly broken ground that now entombed his past life. Pericles and Hermes's flesh was laid to rest while their souls traveled down to the underworld, through Tartarus reaching the Asphodel Meadows within the Elysian Fields. Typically, when reciting his prayers, he would end them with 'blessed Zeus watch over them'. However, Hemitheos had different plans in mind for the would-be King of Olympus. Turning from the graves and taking his first steps would be the beginning of the hardest he would take in a direction that would start his need for vengeance, for justice. Putting aside his misery of loss he made his way through the rubble and wreckage, grabbing what few supplies he could salvage into a sack. Heaving it over his shoulder and white knuckle gripping the hilt of the new blade at his side, he took a final look around, closed his eyes, and turned to head for the road. Every step served a purpose and was an inch towards the miles ahead of him.
Heading up through the vast hills following the winding road through several meadows covered in wildflowers. The scent of pollen and jasmine swimming softly on the breeze began to drown away the smell of soot, turning the air sweet to the senses. Replaying the events of what had occurred over and over like flashes of lightning blazing through his mind. The slashing of a sword and cracking of that infernal whip snapped him in and of his current reality until the words finally came, “Arcadia”. That’s his destination, his divine path to find this mysterious family that Hermes had left to foreshadow. The only family he had ever known was now ripped from his life and he had decided the payment would be blood. Without growing tired, the miles began to drain away behind him. As the days blended from sunset to sunrise, his strides began to feel stronger driving him forward. His fleshed that had been torn open only a few days before were already completely healed as though they were never there. It was slight and subtle like small electrical currents surging through his veins, but he could feel his body evolving. Whether it was a blessing or a curse upon him he wasn’t sure, but for now, he pressed onward.
It had been many days without seeing another soul on the road to Emporia, one of many colonies he was sure to pass in his venture. Staring out at a town from the top of the hills towards the bustling chaos down below, he decided to make camp on the edge of the tree line and get some rest. He would need sleep to renew his vigor if he was to have patience for what resembled modern society. Searching through the brush he quickly gathered some small branches and moss he used to fashion together a small campsite. He hung his bag from a branch and briefly reached deep within to retrieve his flint and steel. Kneeling beside the assembled clutter of wood he swiftly began to strike the two together sending sparks sputtering outward. Once the moss finally caught a spark turning to flame smoke billowed out thick and hearty with the wind sending it reeling back towards his face. Immediately Hemitheos knew, "Damn moss was damp". Readjusting his position next to the fire he reached in his bag and retrieved a few rations of meat, skewered it with a stick and placed it over the fire to cook. Taking a moment to observe his scenery he noticed the trees were noticeably still even as the wind sheered through them. "That's odd", he mumbled to himself as the flock of ravens that once only number two or three had grown to twenty all perching in the tree next to his fire. "You all must be here to poach my dinner. Well I didn’t bring enough for all of you, but if you must here you go." He reached in his bag and grabbed some bread and tore it into several smaller appetizing bits and threw them out for the ravens to enjoy some semblance of dinner as well.
The ravens took flight and immediately dove to the ground to where the bread had landed. What was about twenty at first had easily grown to about fifty instantly. "Wow you guys must be starved." Looking deeper into the formation of the birds they seem to all continue to get closer together while pecking at the ground. The longer he stared the lesser there seemed to be. Must be the light from the setting sun playing tricks on my eyes, he thought as he continued to stare outward at the flock. After a moment he found himself counting the birds as he use to count the sheep that pranced through his fields. These ravens seem to be getting larger and decreasing in number as he continued to restart his count again and again. Deepening his focus his senses seemed to be ramping as he could feel himself beginning to feel a surge of alertness that put him on edge. The wind was no longer blowing and the valley was deafeningly quiet. Even the ravens weren't making a sound. Making his way to his feet ready for the unknown possibility of danger the ravens rapidly started molding together as clay would when forming a sculpture. A single black mass now formed in front of him. Slowly beginning to reach for the sword at his side, the mass exploded into an array of raven feathers with a gust of wind that knocked him to the ground and extinguished his fire instantly.
Pulling himself back to a seated position he readied himself trying to suck back in the air that had been evacuated from his lungs. Starring back out into the dim light of the setting sun that had now passed below the horizon, he could make out the outline of a slim feminine figure slowly emerging from the darkness. Out from the darkness he heard a strong sharp tone that seemed to pierce through the night as it spoke to him. "It seems your flame has gone out. Hope I didn't startle you." With that she moved her hand through the night and his small campfire erupted in a blaze as though if started by the wings of a phoenix and he could see her clearly. She was very tall, much taller than any women he had ever seen before. Analyzing her from head to toe, she had dark brown flowing wavy hair with a gold crown that rested upon it. A long elegant sky blue dress that shaped her well-endowed natural curves and perfectly smooth skin swept across the top of the grass as she moved closer towards him. She seem deliberate with every movement, but with a grace of royalty about her. Lastly resting by her side she carrier a scepter roughly four feet in length with the shape of large flower fixed with a sapphire as large as his fist in the center. In all accounts she was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She seemed to float across the grass as she made her way ever closer to him. There wasn't a single flaw to her that would have given an indication of mortality. He was left with only one fact in his heart to be true, she was definitely a God and if that were true, that meant she was trouble.
"So you seem to have ruffled some feathers throughout Olympus. Rather surprising and amusing." she said as she toyed with her scepter pacing next to the fire. Well there was no guessing for him now. He spoke subtlety and softly rubbing his chest as he was still regaining his stamina. "So which one of the Gods are you supposed to be, Aphrodite?, Athena?". She laughed heartily at what seemed to be a joke. So hard in fact that he couldn't help but notice her breast bounce slightly as her laughter sung out through the wind that had slightly began to wither its way back to the meadow again. "Do you jest at me poor boy? I'm a little light in the armor of a war goddess which I have always found to be a bit prude and Aphrodite is but a child next to the bodes of the woman before you. So surely you must be a clever jester to which you have succeeded in sparking my amusement."
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