With Apollo leading the way and Hermes following close behind, Vahn was led into a large, open, lounge-like chamber carved from marble and accented with gold. Square pillars supported the interior structure while traditional, rounded columns lined the exterior patios.
Noticing the peculiar sheen of the intricate golden patterns, a faint smile adorned Vahn’s face as he inquired, “Was this entire palace constructed by Hephaestus? There isn’t a single flaw to be observed and the number of enchantments borders on the excessive…”
As they were just one room away from where the banquet was being held, Apollo’s smile cramped when he heard Vahn’s query. He would rather not keep his father waiting, but he also felt obligated to answer as Vahn was a very, very important guest.
Seizing the initiative, Hermes made things easier for Apollo by casually revealing, “You hit the nail on the head. Before they fell out, Hephaestus constructed this place in honor of our father’s status. Now, even though he-”
“Brother…I do not believe our family’s personal affairs are an appropriate subject to delve into with guests…”
Shrugging his shoulders, Hermes retorted, “Literally everyone in the Little Garden is aware of the quarrel between our father and half-brother. If you have an issue, take it up with Homer and the other Poets.”
Narrowing his eyes, Apollo looked like he was about to say something but was interrupted when a pair of massive marble doors opened up at the far end of the chamber. From within, a fiery-haired man that reminded Vahn a lot of Pantheon, one of the Gods he had encountered during his ventures in Runeterra, emerged in an ostensibly battle-ready state. His remarkably muscular body was dyed red with dried blood, spiked pauldrons adorned his shoulders, and he wielded a bloody, three-pronged spear in his right hand. The rest of his attire resembled a far more brutal version of ancient Spartans, but the things that stood out the most were his featureless face and the fiery heart visibly pulsating within his muscular, severely scarred chest.
A stark contrast to his exceptionally vicious appearance, the fiery-haired man exuded no hostility. His eyes were red hot, almost like liquid metal, but a peculiar sense of calm exuded from their depths as he passed his gaze over Apollo, Hermes, and ultimately Vahn.
Feeling a faint yet incredibly sharp intent attempting to probe his mind, the corners of Vahn’s smile curled upward as he said, “I’m afraid those types of abilities don’t work on me.”
Without expressing any kind of shock or anger, the fiery-haired man, Ares, replied, “So it would seem…” before standing to the side and providing a better view of the interior. A room similar to the one they were in awaited them on the other side, populated by a large assembly of entities whose skin and clothing emitted various colors.
Though he took in the entire room and its occupants concurrently, Vahn focused on the rather sizeable duo seated at the far end of the chamber. They were nearly twice the size of everyone else present, and both were perched atop ornate, silvery-gold thrones. However, while the inordinately beautiful woman on the right stood out quite a bit, the golden-maned man seated next to her gave off the impression he was the center of the entire universe, not just the banquet.
“Hmmm…?”
Looking around himself, Vahn feigned surprise as he took in the endless sea of clouds and sky that surrounded him. A distant sound of lightning gave the impression that a storm was beginning to build, but he wasn’t even remotely intimidated as he shifted his gaze to the muscular man hovering in the air a few meters away from him, body shrouded in golden armor.
As a ring of runic lightning formed behind his back, causing his golden hair and beard to jut out even further, the increasingly fierce-looking man boomed, “So, we finally meet, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. Even if it wasn’t your intention, you’ve given me many headaches these past few months…”
Extending his right hand, a bluish-white lightning bolt formed within the man’s hand as he asked, “Tell me, how should we settle the grievances between us?”
Without waiting for Vahn’s response, the man’s body flashed, his form briefly resembling that of a javelin thrower before he threw forth the bolt of lightning within his hand. The surrounding space fractured like glass due to the force of the blow, but Vahn didn’t even bat an eye as the bolt struck him in the center of his chest, sky-blue lightning erupting from the point of impact and consuming his entire body.
Looking down at the lightning bolt sticking out of his chest, the smile on Vahn’s face grew more prominent. Illusions that could affect reality were fairly rare, so while he didn’t appreciate people trying to use him, he was still a little impressed.
Ignoring the figure making a speech and congealing another bolt of lightning, Vahn turned to his left and remarked, “You do realize that I intend to teach Zeus a lesson even without such tricks, right? I would advise you to stop fooling around before I take this personally.”
“You dare ignore the Mighty Zeus…!?”
As if to punish Vahn for his disrespect, the golden-haired man, Zeus, appeared next to him with a veritable spear of lightning in hand. The energy within was enough to level a planet ten thousand times over, but Vahn just waved it away with a sweep of his right hand, eradicating both the spear and the false God wielding it. Then, before the illusion could collapse, he reached out with his left hand, materializing the figure of an old, silvery-haired, azure-eyed man veiled in robes formed from silvery, star-like sand.
Feeling his control over the surrounding area wrested away from him, the azure-eyed man raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, fumbling as he said, “P-Please have mercy…!”
Rolling his eyes, Vahn released the elderly figure with a shove as he said, “You must be Morpheus, the God of Dreams. Tell me, did Hermes put you up to this, or are you acting at the behest of someone else?”
Though he already knew the answer, Vahn wanted to see if the elderly God would try to hoodwink him. Fortunately, Morpheus seemed to have wisened up considerably in the past couple of seconds, slipping his hands into his sleeves and bowing as he replied, “This was an act I carried out at my discretion. The number of people who dream of a world without Zeus’s tyranny rivals the stars in the night sky. Zeus is scheming to force you into a difficult situation. I thought I might be able to-”
Raising his hand in a silencing gesture, Vahn revealed, “I am well aware of what Zeus is plotting. Your concerns are unwarranted. Now, go. Return to your people and inform them to remain patient. No matter what Zeus tries, he will only be digging himself further into a hole.”
After having his domain wrested from him with such ease, Morpheus had no intention of questioning Vahn’s decision. He considered himself lucky to be alive, so the moment Vahn waved him off, he immediately vanished in a puff of smoke resembling a nebula in the night sky.
Sensing Morpheus’s presence disappear, Vahn exhaled a faint sigh before closing his eyes and shaking his head in mild exasperation. The next time he opened them, he was back in his original position, staring at the actual Zeus with a relaxed smile.
Though he waited for an exceptionally beautiful and androgynous boy to fill his goblet, Zeus rose to his feet alongside the pink-haired Goddess at his side, bellowing, “Mt. Olympus welcomes the Sage Dragon Emperor…!” in a booming voice comparable to a thunderclap.
Responding to Zeus’s outburst, the hundred or so Gods gathered for the banquet raised goblets of their own, shouting various greetings. Not all of them did so, but it was enough to generate a festive cacophony within the chamber. Vahn was easily one of the most famous people within the Little Garden as of late, so many within Mt. Olympus were genuinely excited to meet and converse with him.
Adopting a friendly smile, Vahn made his way into the chamber, politely greeting and exchanging nods with various Gods and Goddesses. There was actually an equal distribution of both, so, contrasting Apollo’s earlier allusions, Vahn didn’t have to worry about being surrounded by muscular, half-naked men for the duration of his visit.
Reaching the ‘well’ at the base of Zeus’s and Hera’s thrones, Vahn looked up at the unnecessarily tall couple and mused, “This is quite the welcome you’ve prepared. I’m ‘almost’ honored…”
Narrowing his eyes, Zeus passed off his goblet to the androgynous youth that had filled it before expressing, “I understand that the Sage Dragon’s Hearth has had a number of…’disagreements’ with several Communities affiliated with Mt. Olympus. It is my hope that this banquet will serve as the first step toward mending our fractured relationship. Further conflict will benefit neither of our Communities…”
Following his words, Zeus shifted his gaze to a pair of servant-class Gods waiting near a set of marbled doors. The moment he did so, the duo gave respectful bows before pulling open the doors to reveal a heroic-looking beauty garbed in what was colloquially known as an exomis, a white tunic that left the shoulders exposed.
As the garment was typically associated with enslaved individuals, nearly everyone gathered for the banquet gasped or began to gossip excitedly. After all, it wasn’t every day they got to see a fellow God, much less one of the Twelve Olympians, dressed as a member of the lowest caste.
Despite her attire, complete with manacles around her wrists and ankles, the golden-haired woman made her way into the hall without lowering her head or compromising her posture. She exuded dignity from every pore of her being, even as she stopped a few meters away from Vahn, narrowed her eyes, and asked, “Is this what you desire…?”
Before Vahn could reply, Zeus’s tone became firm and authoritative as he said, “Show some respect to our guest, Athena. Though you may not have taken direct action, you cannot deny your culpability in the events leading to the current tensions between Mt. Olympus and the Aldrnari Empire…”
Shifting his gaze to Vahn, Zeus’s tone softened ever so slightly as he added, “As compensation for her slights against you, Athena will attend you for the duration of your stay in Mt. Olympus. You are free to refuse, of course, but I will interpret that as you accepting that the matter between our Communities has been resolved.”
As if the matter was already decided, Zeus raised his gaze to the rest of the hall, bellowing, “And now, we feast! To the Sage Dragon Emperor! To the glory of Mt. Olympus…!”
Though they couldn’t believe Zeus had effectively ‘sacrificed’ one of the Olympians, nearly every God within the hall responded with a loud cheer. They doubted the matter was settled completely, but there was a reason ancient Greece and Rome were known for their debauchery and splendor. The Gods never passed on an opportunity to feast, drink, and fornicate to their hearts’ content.
As everyone began to get in the mood for a party, Zeus made a circle with his left index finger, creating a soundproof barrier around the area before plopping onto his throne and making eye contact with Vahn. He still gave off an intense aura, but his voice was much quieter as he said, “I know you are probably very busy, but I encourage you to enjoy yourself these next twenty-four hours. Once the festivities have died down, we will talk again.”
Shifting his attention to Athena, sparks began to exude from the depths of Zeus’s eyes as he added, “I will entrust the Sage Dragon Emperor to you. If you have any sense at all, you will not damage the relationship between our Communities further…”
Though her seething expression made it clear she wasn’t even remotely satisfied with Zeus’s decision, Athena replied, “I understand…” in a cold, icy tone. She then directed that same gaze toward Vahn, a hint of conflict within her bluish-purple eyes as she growled, “This is the least I can do to make amends…”
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Poets OP…’,’Morpheus should rename himself to Prometheus…’,’What kind of cake is this…?’)
