Ch. 32: To The Fairest (2)
There is this terms kids use when playing when playing games— you snooze you lose. I think that was it, I had no way of knowing if this calamity really was real or just the watcher trying to mess with me but…. I damn right just lost!!
CLAP! CLAP! I could hear someone approaching me from behind, the person chuckled, it was enough to know who it was. “What’s this Hades?” It’s that rat Ares, where did the complimentary comments go now? I should have hit him much harder. “You brought a treasure here to you brother’s birthday and why is that? Oh–! I get it, what best to celebrate the birth of the best man without having a dance with the best lady and now you came up with this idea to pick out the best lady, am I right or am I RIGHT?!”
This problematic time bomb is really cooking up a storm, though this is just right up his alley with him being the god of war but I doubt he has quite the hive mind to be the one pulling the strings. Do I have to play along with his game, I don’t see a way out. The gods of Olympus do have a known reputation for being envious of their counterparts so there was no way out of this but if I keep quiet things will only get worse.
Ares walked before me as he cast me an evil glare. Everyone’s eyes were on us and the three goddesses were clearly eying me and the apple. “I understand where Hades is coming from, trust me I do. He went through all this trouble to pick the perfect dance for dear dad and I’m sure he had who he considered the fairest in mind. But being here and seeing you lovely women in your adoringly beautiful attires has perhaps changed his mind. Am I right Hades?”
Way to escalate the matter nimrod.
“Big bro, is what he’s saying true?” Zeus asked with a puzzled look on his face.
I can’t deny it now can I? Times like this I wished I could just curl up and die, they got me but perhaps I can just improvise a bit. I cleared my throat, “Yes Ares, thank you for being such a modeled conductor. You took the words out of my mouth, I wondered what I would give my baby brother for his birthday and said, “Why not give him a dance with the fairest?” It would be a sight to behold.”
Ares smile widened. “Sure it is now, but I belive the fairest to be my mommy dearest, she’s is such an angel with a skin like a beautiful summer stream running down—”
“How about they play for it?” I cut in sharply, the last thing I wanted was an election with everyone in the room that would break the gods apart. “If you can answer my question then I will hand you the apple.” I had to make up something to buy more time for me to think out a way from this problem.
“HADES!” Hera boomed, I gulped down. “Feel free to hand it to any one of use you see as the fairest.” I could tell she was mad.
“Oooh, I wish I get picked.” Aphrodite giggled happily. “Everyone knows wisdom is true beauty.” Athena scoffed.
Their argument was starting to become more than just whispers. They wanted me to pick who I felt was the fairest which I can’t. Even if I wanted to I can’t create a rift between the three, as inevitably as that is I can not needless create a conflict between them and me. I would rather prefer I not be the source of this conflict, that must be Ares’ plan— for me to be the culprit.
Sorry Watcher guy but I have no choice. “But if I picked one of you now wouldn’t I be more impartial to whoever Iight bear a hidden grudge from. For all I know I could probably choose who I favoured most so I can not do this sorry.”
“WHHAAT!?” The three goddesses cried out, clearly they still had their eyes on the apple that symbolized their supremacy.
“A shame!” Ares clicked his tomgue, from the way his hands twitched I could tell he hadn’t thought so far yet. “Now what to do in this situation?”
I cleared my throat to silence the uprising romours. “To provide credibility on the issue I advice when choose someone with no relation or interaction with the goddesses.”
“Brother are you suggesting someone not on Olympus?” Zues said with disbelief. “That’s an absurd idea even for you, those mortals can’t be trusted by something so dire.”
I had no choice but to follow the original storyline in the end. “On earth there a neutral human of a pure heart going by the name of Paris son of the Trojan King Priam. The goddesses can go and contest on who he chooses to give the apple. This way we will know our winner.”
Hera was the first to object, “Are you saying that I have a mere mortal as a judge over this matter? Just how lightly do you take me Hades?”
Athena smirked. “Are you afraid of a mere mortal not seeing your beauty? How meagre.”
Aphrodite rubbed her lower lip with her thumb and said with a straight face. “I’ll do it! Always wanted to know who was number one around here.”
And that was how the story played out before my eyes the apple of discord lore, the three goddesses travelled to earth and found Paris, the followed exactly how the stories went. In the end Paris was now swayed by fame or glory, he chose love — he chose Aphrodite. I could not avoid the calamity, I caused it. Now whatever repercussions would befall this world would fall on me.
A while later they came back different, apart from Aphrodite who cherished the apple given to her the other two were broody and dark in contrast, I thought they would come and attack me but moments later they were fine and lively. Or they tried to play the part but I for one already knew what was to come. Aphrodite was given the maid of honour dance with Zeus and I was stuffing my face with food and wine, yes– I was troubled.
I half expected the world to fall apart or I get sent back to my old world but nothing happened, still they crawling feeling in my stomach intensifies like the worst was yet to come to me.
“Damn.” I stood at the tale of confectionaries and eyes the edibles not our of hunger but just because. “I messed up.” Hera and Athena were avoiding me, Ares and Eris were nowhere to be found, Hecate was– I don’t know either and Hermes—
“HADES!!” I raised my head and turned around slowly— speak of the devil. There Hermes was approaching me in slow steps, was he back to his confident self? Him coming to look for me did that mean that he was going to tell me whatever he wanted to earlier?
“Hermes, where were you earlier?” I asked in a dark tone, somewhat threatening.
Hermes closed the space between us and said. “I can’t hold it back anymore, I have to–” Then something was off because the messenger god Hermes started to fall, perhaps it would have not been that serious had he not regurgitated blood on my outfit.
What the hell— just happened? I was still stunned by shock but my body moved on it’s own and reached out to catch him. I grabbed him but that did not stop the blood from gushing out of Hermes’ nose, mouth, eyes and ears. I swear I was freaking out inside, pretty sure it showed on my face too. Just what was happening to Hermes.
An ear-piercing rang out and a pandemonium started, people running around helter skelter. I hear Zeus calling out to me through the crowd trying to reach me but I wasn’t sure if he could tell but I was a bit preoccupied at the moment.
“Hermes, s**t! Hermes, what’s wrong!!” I screamed out at him. My body was raging wildly in a way it had never done before perhaps because one of my most beloved heroes was dyiong in my arms.
I felt Hermes’ body become lighter by a tenth, his skin paler and colder. I panicked on what to do to save his life but nothing came up. The only thing I could do was to keep screaming out his name. “Hermes!! Hermes!!”
His eyes were covered in blood but I could see him suffering, he parted his lips to speak but instead coughed out more blood.
THE CHARACTER “HERMES” IS SUFFERING GREATLY.
“Damnit!!” I cried, tears sliding off my face and unto his. “Don’t you dare die, you hear me. I still need you Hermes.”
THE CHARACTER “HERMES” IS OVERJOYED DEEPLY.
LIKEABILITY HAD INCRESED GREATLY.
YOU HAVE RECIEVED DOMINATION POINTS FOR BONDING WITH MAIN CHARACTER.
“Just shut it you damn eye, Hermes if you can hear me say something!” I screamed at him.
Hermes’ lips curved up in a weak smile. “Mer–cury.” Wait what did that mean? He started to cough up blood again, this time— black blood and after that his body dropped dead silent and my heart with it. I could not believe my eyes, was this the effect of failing to stop the calamity? Was this my fault, did I kill–
THE CHARACTER “HERMES” HAS DEPARTED FROM THE LAND OF THE LIVING. HIS BRAVE SOUL WILL BE FOREVER REMEMBERED FOR ALL OF ETERNITY.
Words could not explain what I felt at that moment, but my heart exploded and I roared. A strong wind blew and dark clouds covered everything in pitch black and— I cried. “AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
This event never occured in any of the stories, that a god died but it was my fault for being too slow– and now— HERMES WAS DEAD~!!
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