Chapter 181
Phoebe's POV
"I'll be going now, wish me luck that she will meet me soon! She should know when your next Heat will come." There's another way...
"Persephone, they might not have to wait for their next Heat! Phi, Kayden can try to impregnate you the way Orocobix has done so." This is my sweet great granddaughter, I didn't want her with that beast and I don't think I'll ever be ok with Hera.
"I would definitely LOVE to try!" Kayden says with a huge grin! While Phi jabbed his ribs with her elbow pouting. He grabs her mischievously by the waist and passionately kisses her.
After Artemis presented her friends I became very interested in the mind of that young Neriad. Medusa was sweet enough but she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed! The fire eyed daughter of Doris has a mind equal to my own and possibly faster than that of Athena!
Any bit of information I shared with her, she would analyze and deconstruct to it's most basic form only to reconstruct it in her own vision of simple practicality! It was astounding! It was almost opposite of how Athena thinks. She is more rigid with her thoughts and strategies and to be fair she's not the Goddess of Strategical Knowledge for nothing! But Phi being a Neriad of water gave her the edge of fluidity! She could swim through the sharpest hurdles with the ease of an eel, and has something Athena can never have because of her fire nature... Creativity and mutability! Phi believed every plan was achievable if the plan is PERFECT from start to finish.
Apollo always had his little competitions with Athena but he never stood a chance to best her. Apollo was beloved among the gods for the gifts he gave humanity... Even liberating Prometheus! He who gifted fire to humans and was condemned to eternity's pain of having his liver eating every day!
Athena however was REVERED! She had a mayor Greek state honor her by naming itself after her of a city that carries her name to this day! She held herself in radiance that day and stood to the right of Zeus. Ugh! How sickening! I had already granted Apollo the Oracle of Delphi, but to have a state named after you was another matter entire... The eternal feud.
Since starting to wake I have been thinking a lot about how her mind works and the potential deals that would have been struck in the last negotiations
My darling Leto was Goddess of motherhood and fertility... She gave up to easily but I have always respected the decisions of all my children.
"Ha! You can try brother, I have never had a nice rumble with a she wolf, it should be easy enough for a god... I could always volunteer!" Ugh! This boy doesn't change!
"Seriously?! Ares your own ego is going to be your downfall. And here I thought you were so heartbroken! My answer is a most definite NO!" Izzy scowled at him while Kayden just rolled his eyes and flipped him off and Hades smacked the back of his head.
"HEY! It's just a joke! I AM hurting badly here Phi! At least I can come and see Tamara from time to time... But of course, she doesn't remember who I am!" I look over at Hades, he notices and shrugged while rubbing his face.
"Wait, why doesn't she remember you?" Kayden took Izz in his arms... To have a loved one forget you even after death takes a powerful spell.
Hades shook his head a bit exasperated... "Unfortunately, because Aphrodite still is Goddess of not just beauty but love, it kinda gives her some veto like power to Eros's arrows. Before leaving Tamara in the Third Realm, she reversed the effects of the magic of the arrow and fully erased Ares from her memories. She's comfortably in Elysium, but I can't reverse what Aphrodite did. I had hoped her magic would end the moment the girl died and yet, it didn't..." He's so confused about it and pissed as fuck! He's not happy that the spell of a Goddess like Aphrodite can endure inside HIS Realm.
"How can a spell from Aphrodite of all people have power HERE?! That's ludicrous! Ares I'll see if we can find a counter spell. When did she get that kind of a power boost?!" Izzy looks like she's going to be sick and Kayden has his nose at his Mark on her neck. It was also an arrow of Eros that made them inseparable, but Apollo already was infatuated with Phi before that. With so much time that they have built their own affection for each other, they really don't rely on Eros's spell anymore, however they're nervous. Even Hades is uncomfortable... His love for Persephone started off the same way.
"She didn't get any power boost! It's just that she was so pissed that she used everything she had to spite me! Can you fucking believe that?! She's been very weak since because of it... She even reached out to Eros but he has refused to see her since. Hephaestus still loves and dotes on her. He can keep that cold hearted bitch! I was even thinking about joining you dumbasses, but just like I stay strong because of the humans' lust for war, so does Athena. Gaia has promised that if the contract you two negotiated was successful I might be able to join you, Athena can keep at it." Ares says bitterly. Artemis looks at us looking for answers while she's sitting next to the brooding God of War rubbing his back. Never would I think I would ever see such a sight.
"Artemis can you give us a hint?!" Kayden asks his sister but we all know she can't say a word. Instead she goes back to the chariot and gets their weapons.
"You know I can't brother... Here, I know Moira gave you your sword. Please guys, just keep letting great grandmother guide you. If the plan works we will all be free, that's all I can say brother." Kayden clicks his tongue.
"Fine! Ares you say Athena's power is strong?" Kayden pases Izz her trident and she inspects the sharp edges before taking her bow and verifying the string.
"Kinda. But since wars today are being played more emotionally it gives ME an edge! Her way of war is more meticulous and based on strategy... That's why she destroyed us in Troy. But in these more modern times the root of the wars has been less about conquest and more about all these holy crusades and jihads! Since they're more based on ideologies they turn into emotional powder kegs! The Romans made sure to run an efficient army whose soldiers were also builders. Alexander the Great had a vision, even good ole Genghis Khan had an effective communication system in place and a specific targets! Now a days humans are just focused on the PROFITS of war and it's driving Athena NUTS! She can't believe how stupid humans have become and right now HER type of warfare is really not being taken into account.
"The greed of humans has moved away from meticulous strategy to all out destruction like that Atomic Bomb and those drone missiles! Why plot something with precision when you can just blast it to shit?! It's not just blood lust, it's watching out for the bottom line! I even had a discussion about it with Athena and to be fair not only does it weaken her just a bit, we both find it a bit disgusting. It's just a money venture now! Plutus is doing wonderful because of it and even he is a little worried." The humans will destroy this planet soon at the rate their going.
"I have a counter balance to that! You guys will see it once we make sure to put it in place. This has become a corporate world and we must adapt to it and use it to our advantage and ends as much as we can, and what better moment than NOW?! The humans won't recover from this for quite a while... Just be on the lookout. As for Athena, I would enjoy watching her wither into nothing! Which by the way Hades, can I have a chat with Medusa?" She always asks for a visit. Hades presses his lips and gives her a bittersweet nod. Those three would spend days hunting and having fun, when Phi awakens fully they can all reunite. Those in Elysium don't know they're dead... Usually the pain of the dead belongs to the living.
"Yes my dear, I'll take both you and Artemis to visit Medusa, Ares do you want to visit with Tamara? Maybe Apollo and Phoebe can see something we haven't." He gives me a look for a little hope, I can only shrug at him, I have no clue! He looks a little dejected but nods. He really feels bad for Ares, Hades always has a bad rep from humans but he never asked to be Lord of the Underworld, and even then... The fact that he was so close to such a painful aspect of human grief, it made him very sensitive and emphatic. The charge he originally didn't want, made him much more humane because of it.
Ares doesn't look enthusiastic but Kayden puts his arm around him: "Brother, let us have a look! Either way we'll try to see what we can find among the pack we live in now and we'll get Moira to check in the library at Avalon." Ares nods rubbing his forehead.
"Sure, it's not like I can feel more disappointed than I already am! Oh and Phi, that coven that your thinking about bringing in, do so! I actually started that war... Oops! That witch buddy of yours Apollo was trying to get me a spell Persephone wanted to try out with your cousin Hecate to try to regain Tamara's mind... Her coven had the grimoire with the most precise spell yet the page where the spell was in had it's own hex and rendered every witch in that Coven to forget to tap into their pure magic and now can only achieve power through blood magic... Hecate has been trying to sort it out, but she doesn't have the might of Avalon." Damnit to Hells!
"Great Ares! What a delicate touch! Ask Hecate what she needs we'll see how we can smooth this out. Can't YOU do anything to stop them?!" I ask this stupid boy!
"Give me a break Phoebe I'm trying! That's one of the reasons I met with Athena. We have enough with the humans to have to worry about the witches ending the planet another way. That coven started a trend of relying more on blood magic than ever! The spell used by Mortiana LeFey against Karaya caused even more conflict between the covens, many are afraid of what you did to the other warewolves and those who have been partaking in that kind of magic are however becoming bold to keep up with it! Hecate is at her wits end! Phi, Hecate is no friend of Father and abhors Poseidon. Phoebe please meet up with her and hear what she has to say, she's also your granddaughter and you know she can help. Many of the Priestesses of these covens have been trying to gain Avalon's favor, so check that with Moira as well." For this boy to be so willing to work with Athena is a miracle in itself, but for him to be consorting with my dear Hecate is astonishing! He's never been dumb, but his impulsive nature always ruins his rational side.
"Ares what do you propose? I already gave the ok to take in Maddame LaCroix and her Coven." He sighed.
"Remember that they too practice blood magic but it's very measured and they not just hold worship to Selene and The Orishas, they also worship Hecate. She has other covens she wants to protect Apollo, I suggest you speak with your cousin, this 'Witch War' is taking a toll on her and it's causing havock in her Realm. Sigh... My recklessness caused this and as much as I should be enjoying this I really am not. I did it to at least have Tamara's eyes look at me like before... But she wouldn't want any of this. Eros and Psyche are with Hecate now trying to cast a new spell on one of his arrows to make me forget her... She's gone and she's living happily in Elysium, it's best I let her go." The God of War learned to truly love someone... Usually one knows when you're willing to let go for the sake of who you love.