The Heart of War Chapter 6: The Only Difference Between Martydom And Suicide Is Press Coverage

I nodded and Cherry ran ‘Knew I could have said that better’ “Go after her!” I looked up at the interruption “And how am I meant to find her? Come on you’re a nymph but I don’t think your that good.” I Wish I Was James Bond rung out ‘And I wish I was James Bond, just for the day. Kissing all the girls, blow the bad guys away.’ “Yeah, Bond here. You found her, Sunset instead, joy. Well I’ll send Little War over, kay.” Aretha hung up her phone, “Well we found Dysis and she said that she knows where Cherry is so I told Airlia I’d send you over.” I simply asked where and left.

“Well, well look what the Cyclops dragged in.” “Nice to see you too, Sunset.” Dysis looked up at me her hand leaving her necklace for a moment, I saw the charm was a jar, “That what I think it is?” She was shocked for a second then covered it, both the emotion being shown and the charm, quickly “No, it’s a reminder of human curiosity and how I should never give in.” Sunset shook it off, “Ain’t I here to tell you ‘bout your sister and I don’t know how to stop what’s going on?” “For the 10^th time, What is going on! Oh never mind first just tell me why I need Cherise.” Everyone had mention Cherry and this thing in the same context; I figure they must be related. “Think about it sweets, the power of a minor god and a half-blood, big three worthy. Monsters feel your power together and choose their side.” “Let me guess, I need that power for whatever this is?” Dysis nodded so I spoke again, “Tell me and I shall leave, and hopefully I will not bother you again.”

Dysis told me that she was not far, she had got lost running away. “Cherry?” “Uh huh.” I turned and saw her, white blonde hair rushed into a ponytail, cheeks bright red due to running, eyes a little tear stained, “Cherise, I know you may not like or believe me right now but I was telling the truth.” “Oh yeah, so I’m, what, a god?” “Demi-god.” Cherise got mad easy “I’m a demi-god? I decided, hey she’s fine go along with the sister thing, you don’t know your mum it could happen but those pictures, people? Couldn’t happen.” “Think again sweetie.” I sickly-sweet voice called and entered an Erinnyes, she looked angel like. Long white wings gave an illusion of good which the snakes wrapped around her wrist took away, “Give one reason I should be nice, young ones.” “Because I am the daughter of War, the child of Love and the friend of Night.” The fury scoffed at me “You know not of me though, do you. You just think and act, it is all a child of war is good for.” Swear to shake it up, you swear to listen. “Listen now. I know of you Erinnyes, I know of your mother, I know how you could be and how you are but the thing that I do not know, that I need to know is will you fight you or will you fight by our side if need be?” The angel/snake creature laughed, “If? Know you not of the war happening, of the chaos caused due to your brothers? Titans and Gods, the final smack down and I am yet to choose my side. It may be yours or I may kill you, slowly and painfully but you never know. For now I will leave you but be expecting me.” In a flutter of feathers she left.

“Believe me now?” Cherry laughed, “You ok?” “Kind of, I just found out that my brothers started a war between the Gods and the Titans and by the sounds of things they’re losing.” Cherry looked at me, “You think that’s much? I learnt that I have a sister, am related to gods and from the seems of things my half siblings are destroying the world.” “Yeah yours is better.”

“So, hey, what was that?” “That, my dear sister, was a fury, child of Nyx. She’s the goddess of the night.” I said having excepted that question since the Erinnyes had left, “Was she telling the truth?” I sighed, ”As far as I know they never lie.” Cherry paused, “What are we going to do?” I smiled “See some friends of course.”

‘Every time that we meet I skip a heartbeat.’ “When have you had time to change my ring tone?” A flowing laugh rung through my phone, “I have my ways. Found her?” “Yeah could you come by?” “Sure, be there in a breeze.” She laughed then hung up “James?” I nodded, “She changes everyone’s ring tone, just can’t get enough of that band.” “You rang, sweet thang?” an expected voice called, “No you did I just ask you come here.”

“James you’ll never guess what happened.” “You found you have a sister, you’re related to gods, a fury almost attacked you, oh yeah, and you found out your best friends a nymph.” Cherry ran all these through her head before saying, “Yeah how’d you, wait I haven’t found out about a friend whose a nymph.” A flower rose from the ground and wrapped around Aretha, “Woops.” Cherry didn’t speak, “Aretha enough fun and games, tell me what’s going on and what we have to do.”

“Fine,” she pouted, ”So your brothers got bored and told Daddy about the perfect war, Titans v Gods and he agreed. They then let the Titan out of the bag or Tartarus as the case maybe, Big Daddy’s on a spree, finding and freeing his brothers the only reason we ain’t dead, they haven’t found a way to get Atlas out of his day job.” I stared at her, “And we do this how?” “Listen to your dreams, voices don’t always mean your crazy.” “Fine. But where do we start?” Aretha simply said, “You find Galen.” Before leaving.

The Heart of War Chapter 5: Pulp Fiction

By now the dreams where much stronger, the sky still fell and yet it all was different. Now there was a voice calling at me, begging to be heard but I refused. Never on purpose. Until one night when I heard it, “Please, Oracle Child, listen and help. We are at war and I fear we will not win. I need you to collect everyone. We have lost contact and I am not even sure that you can hear this. All I need you to do is find who ever you can- mythical- and bring them. Hurry he is almost here, lastly, protector you must save us from them. For, Ayx, it is-“ The voice was cut off before I could hear the rest. Despite his desperation I ignored the voices pleading and continued on as if nothing had changed.

I was on the verge of insanity so I went to see if my favourite cryptic trees felt like shedding some light. “All I ask is that you help me know what is happening.” I pleaded the large group, Aretha stood forward, “Before you find out if we help, you must figure out if you will.” The spirts left a new group of trees in their place.

There are many times I thank my grandfather of being paranoid this day was one of those. I was sitting in a forest on the outskirts of town when a girl slightly younger than me ran into the clearing out of breath. She looked behind her and, seeming relived, sighed and sat. I took this time to study the girl, her jet black, emerald green hair was pulled into a side braid, her bright green eyes were constantly darting around and her hand was clutching a charm on her necklace like she was afraid it would disappear at any moment. She moved in the blink of an eye, her hair suddenly down and her dress transferred into a shirt, I cleared my throat as softly trying not to scare her. It didn’t work, she jumped “Sorry, I was just wondering what’s wrong?” She looked at me for a while before answering “That you know, war child, I am Dysis the daughter of Pandora. I was told I was needed, for what, that could be many things. I’m never notified of the important stuff.”

“If you are who you say you are then why am I to trust you?” I tilted my head, a sure sign of my confusion, how was I to trust someone who was born of one so deceitful? “Do and you stop everything, don’t and well, it doesn’t happen.” I turned to her, pissed as hell, “Who are you to say what I am and am not doing. That is my choice, so Dysis, no I don’t nor will I ever trust you.” The word trust was sneered as if it hurt to say.

For weeks I treated Dysis like the plague, if ever she was near, I was never there for long. One day it seemed like she had enough, “Okay, I don’t care who my mum is. You don’t trust me because you don’t trust.” I tried to stare at her defiantly, she saw through me, “You hurt so much that you don’t remember how it feels not to. The cold is no longer painful, its refreshing, the feel of an ice pack against a bruise. You lock it all in a box, don’t speak of it, don’t feel it, it didn’t happen. When you want to trust someone a voice tells you that they’ll hurt you more than you hurt before. If you ever even close to think about it you can’t breathe so it becomes a story to you, a story that makes you remember, makes you cry, so you don’t. So you get tough or you look tough, fast, but you were young you didn’t know what was happening just that it hurt and you didn’t like it.” I stifled a tear at the truth in her words, she glared at me, “So yeah my mums why you don’t trust me. Listen I don’t care you’ll deal and I’ll help so shut up and pay attention.”
I reluctantly sat “So your grandfather decided that he’d reincarnate mum because ‘something’ might go wrong. She fell in love and, well, I happened. Your granddaddy knew you don’t trust well so he took away the deceitful heart and replaced it with this straightforwardness then changed the lying tongue and made it so that I could never lie. But hey for all you know, I’m lying right now. Just know I’m not and I don’t care.”

“So what do I have to do?” Dysis looked at me annoyed, “Come on, your very thick, have you ever asked yourself why the creatures only visit at certain times?” I thought it over, still oblivious, “No its happened a lot there was that time with Cherry and that time …” “With Cherise. So why? Oh and this one is fun, why does she look so familiar?” “She’s just a human, and she just looks like my mother.” She laughed “Think about it girly, bye.” Dysis left quickly.

Okay, its not that big a deal, she’s just been there the one time it happened and friends with a nymph. A nymph! That’s it. I thought to myself.

“Aretha, friend of mine, spirt of the forest I call you here.” A breeze whipped through the trees and the girl appeared, “What is this of? Your sister perhaps?” I looked up at her alarmed “What is it? What’s wrong with Harmonia?” The nymph barely looked up from the flowers she had sat in, “Oh not that sister.” She then realized a mistake “I don’t have another sister.” ‘Oh and this one is fun, why does she look so familiar?’ I stared at Aretha and she diverted her eyes, “Are you speaking of Cherise?” her silence spoke volumes “I must go.” I left almost as suddenly as the brunette had arrived.

Hey Cherise guess what? You’re my sister!

No that's not right.

Hey Cher, well I found out my mum slept with your dad!

Not that either.

Well my mums a goddess and your dad fell for her then you happened.

No.

Um... I found out that you’re my sister and what's more you’re a half-blood

Maybe. Let's try it.

I phoned my sister, hard to think of her as such, and asked her to meet me in the forest. When she arrived I spoke quickly "Hey, Cherise? Well, um, I think you should know that your, um, mysister." the final important word where rushed and I saw that she did not understand me. I started again "Cher, your my sister." she laughed, "Your kidding right?" she saw my seriousness "Oh. Thats different."

I quickly dragged her to my hide-away, “That’s not all. Come here.” I took her to my photo wall, “Meet the family.” I pointed to a picture of Apollo playing his lyre, Zeus standing proudly at the top of the table announcing for us to dance as Dionysus drank merrily in the corner. “That’s my uncle Apollo, my grandfather Zeus and my uncle Dionysus.” I turned to the next, Artemis hunting as Hermes and I sat planning a prank. “My aunt, Apollo’s twin, Artemis my uncle Hermes and myself.” A flash of recognition shone on Cherise’s face as I turned to the last picture I would show her. This one had a caption ‘The Plot Sucks But These Killings Are Gorgeous’. “My holiday with my great-uncle and his wife, Hades and Persephone.” Cherry looked hesitant, “Where’d you holiday?” “Tartarus.”

“So you expect me to believe we’re siblings, that’s ok maybe a little weird but ok, then you expect me to trust you when you say that either Hades and Zeus are old and wearing it well or your, our, family are a bunch of gods

Traveling to Tartarus and Back

“Yes it would be cool” the two main characters were discussing the outcome of the election and how it could turn out if they decided. “Make it happen for me?” Bobifer asked his friend, Lilith-Roze, “Can’t don't got the pixie dust on me” “Oh” Bobby said as he handed Lilith the pixie dust. She took one look at it before stating, “This will never do.” He then gave her 20 kilos of pure, undiluted pixie dust “We must have it blessed” “TO MADAGASCAR!” “Not Madagascar, why there?” Our questionably male hero sighed, “The lemurs have to bless it” “No this is a different kind of blessing “oh? What must we do?” Lilith then spoke in her most evil voice, which being the daughter of the devil meant it was pretty evil, “we must travel to the under world were we will find what we are searching for, once there WE MAY TAKE OVER THE WORLD” she laughed evilly then coughed. “LET’S GO! Which car shall we take?” “The r8 with the extra boot space” “awesome!” “So are we off?” “Yeah, let's go!” And so the pair set off on a journey to the underworld in their R8 with the extra boot space, they packed their suitcases of raspberry cordial, erroneous amounts of chocolate and season 4 of supernatural and entered the volcano, plunging deep into the depths of the earth.

There they found the entrance to Tartarus the entrance was elaborate and golden. They needed to find a way in. bobby handed Lilith the spanner. “Yay a spanner!” “Find a way in, Lilith! “ “How about I do this? Oi Hades I'm back LET ME IN!” the door opened with a resounding -squeak-. The pair entered the passageway and came to a surprising sight “took you long enough now how’s Perseph? Wait that’s not Hades” Hades runs, and the pair turned to see three giant slides, each with a different symbol above them “what is THAT?” The mighty god who had apparently ran away said, "Those are the pathways of Tartarus. One leads to the city, another to a lava pit and the last to the underworld. No one, not even I, know which is the right path. The symbols keep changing.” The symbols were a square, a circle and a watermelon “watermelon” So they dived down the watermelon path. Down and down the spiral, slippery slide they slid they then landed in the city. "Lilith, you picked the wrong path... ooh, watermelons!" and he ran to the stand “I'm sorry but hey that explains the watermelons,” “guess the symbols aren't as cryptic as they seem. So, how're we getting to the underworld?” “ Um how bout I try something?” "DO IT” "Oh goddess of the night, lord of the under world and Persephone, bringer of flowers I ask you to lead me through the night with a trail of flowers to the home of the god of the dead” she opened one eye "that work?”

A whirlwind of black and purple consumes our heroes as it transports them down to the underworld "yeah, yeah I think so” “no one ever tries the easy way first do they?” the pair set off in separate directions "Oi asshat do you even know where were going?” "I’m going to candy mountain, Lilith. Candy mountain” "Fuck, it’s gotten to him all ready. No bobby candy mountain is this way." she led the drugged on Tartarus air boy away bobby, in a state of delusion, sings his favourite song "TAKE ME AWAY! MILLION MILES AWAY FROM HERE!" Lilith knocks him out "Thank the gods" she then followed the flower trail to a large house inside of the large house were the blessed ones.

However, all doors were locked and out side stood a large three-headed dog "LOOK AT THE PRETTY PUPPY!" squealed bobby in his delusional state "Hey Ceb, I’ve missed you. You want your ball sweetie? Well go get it" Lilith removed the beast with practiced grace and walked up the steps a freshly knocked out bobby leaning on her sholder Lilith knocked on the door, expecting a reply. However, there was none to be heard. "Hell, Perseph, let me in we need to find Hec." with that Lilith banged again the door then collapsed due to Lilith’s enormous strength. The whole house was empty. "Peculiar..." noted Lilith as she looked around. Soon, the light reflected off of a small child in the corner... he looked slightly frog-like..."I see Hecate’s been here." She glanced around "HECATE GET HERE NOW!" a women appeared out of nowhere and stroked the frog-like child's head lightly "hey, hey Hecate’s! What... what's your pet's name?" said bobby to the scary person. "Stefan, and he's my SON!" the house bellowed "Oh bobs shouldn't have done that" Lilith hugged the glaring women "Hey Hecs we need some help but first." she turned to the cowering boy "Bobby this is Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and her son Stefan, hey Hecs remind me how'd that happen?” "Well... let's just say I one day I went to the pond and. I don't want to talk about it. Anyway, what help do you need?” “A blessing, hey Bobby you explain.” "We... we need... a blessing on some pixie dust. God knows why" -hiccup- "Not in the presence of a goddess Bobby, and I think it was to control the out come of the parliment." “Indeed it was. Control of the parliament via pixie dust. Can you help us sir madam sir hecates?" the goddess' hands began glowing "That would All mighty Hecate to you mortal." "Hey, hey calm down Hecs he didn't mean it he’s just flustered in the presence of a gorgeous Goddess such as yourself" the goddess in question easily calmed and nodded "excuse me, I think I need to lie down" and with that, bobby passed out on the ground whilst Stefan laughed "Hey steffy boy." The seeming friend of every god laughed before punching the child, "So what do you think Hecs can you help?” "Of course" and with that, Julia Gillard’s red hair actually caught fire in accordance with its colour and tony Abbott’s Speedos started shrinking so much that he was writhing with pain on the ground. "Brilliant, so I'll see ya later Hecs?" the goddess nodded "What you think you could get us a portal back to the car?” "Of course, but I want to punish bobby first" "how so?" "He has to go on a playdate with Stefan" "DEAL!" and with that, Lilith got transported to the surface in a green uproar

"So do you want to pick some one to get cursed or what?" the frog like boy asked "I... I get to curse someone? Well, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to curse Cerberus..." Stefan snapped his fingers a yell echoed through the portal "No hurting the Ceb!" but it was too late. The doggy had died. Four figures then appeared the first a cloaked man who had seemingly found his way home, the second his wife holding a basket of flowers, the third a witch queen that scared almost all in that room and the last a mortal girl in chorus they yelled "NO HURTING THE CEB!" Stefan began eating the flesh of the poor animal as bobby hid in the corner. He was safe in the shadows "Oh no your not, hey Hec two things, a) get your son to stop eating Ceb and b) help me with a spell?” "Er, sure. What spell?” "Hec an animal died what spell do ya think." the goddess looked embarrassed "Oh that one." the two stood each placed one hand on the beast the other grasped together an ancient language was spoken and the beast rose barking loudly "oh god!" screamed bobby and Stefan in unison. "TO THE SURFACE!" and they started running up a staircase "Don't think this is over Bobifer!" "IT SO IS!" *jumps off cliff* "PROTECT ME LAVA” "Burn him." Hecate and Lilith spoke in chorus “WATER SHIELD ACTIVATE!" yelled bobby, 25 meters from the ground. Then something magical happened… To Be Continued

The Heart of War Chapter Four- One Day Robots Will Cry

To explain these next parts I must tell you of things of old, wars, games and tricks. Always think of them as what they are and I hope that one day they will make sense to you.

One night, it was the night before a battle and my brothers where doing battle simulations. “Good night, brothers, wake me in the morning when Apollo rides the sky.” Hours later I was awoken by the sounds of a thousand screams, my brothers way for waking me. I turned on my side to see the night still black and, enraged, walked to my brothers. “I said morning! This is night, Apollo has not risen and Nyx is still dwelling. How is this morn?” my brothers laughed, “What’s wrong, annoyed cause your not as talented as we are this early?” As Phobos spoke Demios crept towards me, using darkness as his cover, and tried to over power me. Within two moves I had him on the floor and Phobos in a chokehold, I hissed to him “Next time you awake me before I ask, you both will not breathe another breath.” As I walked back to my room I called “Do not wake me until battle.” I heard Fear mumble to Terror “Do you think she does that to show off or reflex?” as I fell asleep.

I was later awoken by the sounds of music. “Apollo!” I gasped, as I guessed my uncle was seated in a patch of sunlight playing his lyre. One of my favourite stories as a child was the story of Hermes first day of life, Hermes stole Apollo’s sacred cattle, and he was very smart about it he made the cows walk backwards so they wouldn’t be lead to him. Apollo then accused the baby of the theft but Hermes played the lyre, an invention of his, and The Sun God was entranced by the music and forgot about punishing him. He was one of my favourite uncles because when ever Hermes and I played a trick on me he’d not care and just give me a lesson in any musical instrument I wanted.

“Hey, Music Baby, how is my niece?” he asked as he ruffled my hair, my uncles had a thing for that, “She’s, ready for battle, she thinks. And Music Baby? Really?” Apollo just nodded in response, he had set himself a challenge to give me a new nickname every time he saw me. There’s been Axie, X-ish, A chord, Sunny one, Music mistress and Loving fighter most of the time they confused me but I was most definitely used to it. His sister on the other hand only called me Ayx or my full name, especially when we were hunting.

*For the fun of it- A Flashback inside a Flashback*
“Ayx, come on, you must feel the hunt, you must embrace it before you may act.” I turned to her annoyed, “But I am!” “Axelia, you are the daughter of war and love, you name sake is the protector of mankind. You can fight which means you can hunt, now close your eyes, feel the forest and strike when it tells you to.”
*End Flashback in Flashback*

I’m still a kid even though I’m colder. Even though Apollo always treated me like a child, Artemis didn’t in her opinion I’m a girl and I have proven myself better than men so I’m ok.

Even then my days were spent reading, my favourite subject was always mythology, it’s why I know so much. Apollo says I’m like him in some ways, when I read or hear a story I have dreams of the events, sometimes before I even know the story. Being the God of Oracles he knows a little something about prophecies and that’s what he always claimed they were. So all else that I did was hunt with Atermis, play tricks with Hermes or learn a new music instrument with Apollo.

After Apollo left it was time for the battle, I’m not sure who we were fighting they kind of meld together after awhile. I don’t know much about my wars after the first, I’ve learnt that if you pay little attention it doesn’t get to you as much. The one thing I can remember is my brothers fighting to kill people; I always thought it was a little entertaining so I tried hard to think of my brothers like that always.
I think that’s why this is important; because I have ways I always try to remember people as. With my brothers it was that image before battle, Hermes when he’s made the perfect prank, Athena after she has learnt the perfect piece of wisdom, Atermis when she killed something impressive, Apollo and how proud he looks when I master a new instrument, Aphrodite when she finds that perfect dress, Ares when the war is to gruesome to resist. My many uncles when I have done something wrong and they look so happy about it; Hera when she hears about some perfect romance then comes down and personally blesses their wedding and Zeus in the middle of a lightning storm.

Yet as perfect as those moments all are I still cannot forget them at their worst. Those images haunt me, my nightmares constantly contain them and I fear that one day that could get them killed.

The Heart of War Chapter Three: I Have Friends in Holy Spaces

I spent more days with Cherry and her friends and had more nightmares. My days between contained reading, training and more reading those days always seemed to end with dreamless nights. The others with them included stories of old times, shopping and dancing but they always ended with nightmares.
They varied from the sky falling to the underworld being torn apart but when ever I was about to see why I woke. Athena’s words ran through my head, as if a song I could not forget, ‘Everything is fine, life is how it should be.’ As much as I believed those words I could not stop myself from doing my prebattle routine.
It was months before I convinced my self to stop; my routine became: go out with friends, come home read, go back out next day.
It was one day when I was out with Cherry, telling her another story, The Creation of man. “Prometheus and Epimetheus were spared imprisonment in Tartarus because they had not fought with their fellow Titans during the war with the Olympians. They were given the task of creating man. Prometheus shaped man out of mud, and Athena breathed life into his clay figure.

Prometheus had assigned Epimetheus the task of giving the creatures of the earth their various qualities, such as swiftness, cunning, strength, fur, wings. Unfortunately, by the time he got to man Epimetheus had given all the good qualities out and there were none left for man. So Prometheus decided to make man stand upright as the gods did and to give them fire.

Prometheus loved man more then the Olympians, who had banished most of his family to Tartarus. So when Zeus decreed that man must present a portion of each animal they scarified to the gods Prometheus decided to trick Zeus. He created two piles, one with the bones wrapped in juicy fat, the other with the good meat hidden in the hide. He then bade Zeus to pick. Zeus picked the bones. Since he had given his word Zeus had to accept that as his share for future sacrifices. In his anger over the trick he took fire away from man. However, Prometheus lit a torch from the sun and brought it back again to man. Zeus was enraged that man again had fire. He decided to inflict a terrible punishment on both man and Prometheus.”

Around this point I heard rustling from between the tress around us “To punish man, Zeus had Hephaestus create a mortal of stunning beauty. The gods gave the mortal many gifts of wealth. He then had Hermes give the mortal a deceptive heart and a lying tongue. This creation was Pandora, the first women. A final gift was a jar, which Pandora was forbidden to open. Thus, completed Zeus sent Pandora down to Epimetheus who was staying amongst the men. “ The rustling grew louder.

“Prometheus had warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus but Pandora's beauty was too great and he allowed her to stay. Eventually, Pandora's curiosity about the jar she was forbidden to open became too great. She opened the jar and out flew all manors of evils, sorrows, plagues, and misfortunes. However, the bottom of the jar held one good thing - hope.

Zeus was angry at Prometheus for three things: being tricked on sacrifices, stealing fire for man, and for refusing to tell Zeus which of Zeus's children would dethrone him. Zeus had his servants, Force and Violence, seize Prometheus, take him to the Caucasus Mountains, and chain him to a rock with unbreakable adamant chains. Here a giant eagle tearing at his liver tormented him day and night. Zeus gave Prometheus two ways out of this torment. He could tell Zeus who the mother of the child that would dethrone him was. Or meet two conditions: First that an immortal must volunteer to die for Prometheus. Second, that a mortal must kill the eagle and unchain him. Eventually, Chiron the Centaur agreed to die for him and Heracles killed the eagle and unbound him. “ By this point the trees around us visibly moved.

I sat and waited for a while before they burst into the clearing, The Hecatoncheires. They stood high and proud as is if awaiting orders and then I realised, they were. Some thing was wrong and they were running to help. Cherry on the other hand was extremely scared, she kept mumbling to herself “Its not real, its not real.” I stood tall, so that I could appear stronger, and spoke in what father classified my ‘war voice’ “Hecatoncheire, I am the daughter of war, I beset you return to my home and take the order of the sky.”

As they left I went to my friend, she was still shaking, and spoke in a way I hoped was soothing “Cherry, Cherry are you ok?” she only whispered one word, “Cherise.” Grace. “What?” she made a odd sound, an almost laugh, “Its my name. Perfect don’t you think I’m clumsy and my name means grace.” She was right; it was, unsuiting and perfect. “Axelia.” She was once again confused; I sometimes thought it was her natural state, “Huh?” “An odd name for an odd name.” After that she calmed quickly and almost seemed to forget what had happened.

Later, Cherise had left and I went to speak to the nymphs about the events that perspired earlier. Imagine my surprise when James stood before me.

“James, why are you here I wished to speak to, um, some friends.” She laughed, an oddly flowing sound, a different laugh than normal. “Worry not Ayx, daughter of war, I am not who you know. Though I am what you know. You learn as you walk-“ I cut her off “And I run as you fall against trees, Atermis spoke of you, Aretha.” The nymph glided to a tree stump, “Nice to know I am spoke of some one so highly. As are you, now you wished to speak?” her face was covered in boredom as she raised flowers from the ground with her fingertips. “The clues of old are the clues of now. My uncle, he spoke of a war, yet my aunt says all is fine then a Hecatoncheire today there is something here and I know of it. Though if what I think is so, than why do none speak of it?” Aretha studied me before answering, “You must think before you know, just as you must crawl before you walk, to know is to have power and to have power is danger.” With that she left is a gust of wind.

I was left contemplating my friend. Well that all depends on what you qualify as friends.

The Heart of War Chapter Two: Her Words Destroyed My Planet

The next morning I got a call from Cherry, I had almost forgot we swapped phone numbers, asking if I could show her around Athens.

“Its just that I’m new here and you seemed to know some stuff so could you, please?

“Okay. I think that’s fine.” I was hesitant, I mean its had been centuries since I was last there I wasn’t sure if I knew where anything was anymore.

Turns out I wasn’t that helpful the only places I knew about were the temples. Then I found out Cherry didn’t know Greek mythology.

“I just never got around to it, I always wanted to. Do you know any X?” I nodded, Cherry clapped her hand excitedly “Tell, tell.” I sat on a nearby bench and did I what I did best, told a story.

I stall before I start. “In the beginning there was only chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the unknown place where death dwells, and Nyx, the night. All else was empty, silent, endless, darkness. Then somehow Love was born bringing a start of order. From Love came Light and Day. Once there was Light and Day, Gaea, the earth appeared.” Cherry was fascinated and I mentally thanked Athena for telling me the old stories.

“Then Erebus slept with Nyx, who gave birth to Ether, the heavenly light, and to the Day the earthly light. Then Nyx alone produced Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Nemesis and others that come to man out of darkness.

Meanwhile Gaea alone gave birth to Uranus, the heavens. Uranus became Gaea’s mate covering her on all sides. Together they produced the three Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires and twelve Titans.”

I suddenly missed my family but tried to continue on unaffected “However, Uranus was a bad father and husband. He hated the Hecatoncheires so he imprisoned them by pushing them into the hidden places of the earth, Gaea’s womb. This angered her greatly and she plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to get her children to attack their father. All were too afraid except, the youngest Titan, Kronos.

Gaea and Kronos set up an ambush of Uranus as he lay with Gaea at night. Kronos grabbed his father and castrated him, with the stone sickle, throwing a small-severed part of him into the ocean. The fate of Uranus is not clear. He either died, withdrew from the earth or exiled himself to Italy. As he departed he promised that all Titans would be punished. From his split blood came the Giants, the Ash Tree Nymphs and the Erinnyes. From the sea foam in which the small severed part landed came Aphrodite.” I stifled a laugh at that; my mother always was odd for a reason.

“Kronos became the next ruler. He imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires in Tartarus. He married his sister Rhea and under his rule the Titans had many children. He ruled for many ages however, Gaea and Uranus both had prophesied that a son would overthrow him. To avoid this Kronos swallowed each of his children after they were born. Rhea was angry at the treatment of the children and, like her mother before her, plotted against her husband. When it was time to give birth to her sixth child, Rhea hid herself, and then she left the child to be raised by nymphs. To conceal her act she wrapped a stone in swaddling cloths and passed it off as the baby to Kronos, who swallowed it.”

“This child was Zeus. He grew to a youth on Crete. He consulted Metis on how to defeat Kronos. She prepared a drink for Kronos designed to make him vomit up the other children. Rhea convinced Kronos to accept his son and Zeus was allowed to return to Mount Olympus as Kronos’ cupbearer. This worked as planned and the other five children were vomited up. Being gods they were unharmed. They were thankful to Zeus and made him their leader. “ Cherry interrupted “They’ve got some pretty crummy dads up there.” I laughed in agreement and she motioned to continue my story.

“Kronos was yet to be defeated. He and the Titans, except Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Oceanus, fought to retain their power. Atlas became their leader in battle and it looked for some time as though they would win and put the young gods down. However, Zeus was cunning. He went down to Tartarus and freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires. Prometheus joined Zeus as well. He returned to battle with his new allies. The Cyclopes provided Zeus with lighting bolts for weapons. The Hecatoncheires he set in ambush armed with boulders. With the time right, Zeus retreated drawing the Titans into the Hecatoncheires' ambush. The Hecatoncheires rained down hundreds of boulders with such a fury the Titans thought the mountains were falling on them. They broke and ran giving Zeus victory.

Zeus exiled the Titans who had fought against him into Tartarus. Except for Atlas, who was singled out for the special punishment of holding the world on his shoulders.

However, even after this victory Zeus was not safe. Gaea angry that her children had been imprisoned gave birth to a last offspring, Typhoeus. Typhoeus was so fearsome that most of the gods fled. However, Zeus faced the monster and flinging his lighting bolts was able to kill it. Typhoeus was buried under Mount Etna in Sicily. “

By the end of my family tale I was in silent tears, I didn’t even notice them until Cherry passed me a tissue. “I’m fine I just… I miss my family. I’m sorry I’ve got to go.”

I ran to Athena’s temple ‘My humble Goddess, I ask for wisdom and guidance so that I may be lead from war.’ I spoke our secret prayer mentally before I was graced with the shining light that is my aunt “Athena I missed you.” I ran to hug her “Ayx, you never have to be lead from war just treat it like a new piece of wisdom not like a new scar.” I spoke with her as she said, “A battle is not a battle it is a story, a wonder of strategy waiting to be born.”

“How is home?” I was unsure if Hermes was serious about father last time and I knew my aunt would not lie to me, or at least I thought she would not, “Everything is fine, all is as it should be. Now are you reading, still training?”

Our conversation became about as many trivial things as Athena could think of, which, being the goddess of wisdom, is a lot. The night trailed on and as cliche as it is, seconds became minutes, minutes became hours and it was time to leave because apparently Dionysus was throwing another ‘wine and madness party’.

No matter how convincing the lies she told me were that night when I went to sleep I had nightmares of a war to end all wars and the sky falling. Her words destroyed my planet.

The Heart of War Chapter One: We're so Starving

“Come on A, just one war? That’s all we’re asking sis, please?” I knew it pained them to say please but that did not stop me from saying no, again. My father, Ares, walked over to us (walked may not be the right word perhaps floated) took one look at my brothers, Fear and Terror, before turning to me with a look as if I was a pegasus in a field of horses. Ares spoke to me mentally, but I knew my brothers could hear, ‘You just love to shame me, don’t you Ayx? You could never be like Phobos or Demios because you know it would make me happy and you would never want your father happy.’ These conversations were a daily occurrence and they just set about to make me more disobedient. All my brothers and father had wanted since I was two and beat them all in a sword fight, was for me to fight with them at that time my mother stopped them because, and I quote, “Fighting would make Ayx ugly” no child of Aphrodite could be ugly, especially a girl. That was when I decided that I would leave them all, there was just little more reason for it till this day.

“I'm going-,” I yelled to the large empty home before whispering to myself "As if anyone cares" My human self was my only escape from my family. Time had changed since I last left mount Olympus but the transformation was as easy as ever. The sun was warm on my skin and my camouflage a worn leather jacket, jeans and a t-shirt, I looked down to see myself sitting on a motorcycle and I laughed, a strangely childlike noise, at the slogan on my shirt 'Really? "Strangers have the best candy"?' I thought as I revved my bike gliding off into the distance

Dad just doesn't like that I'm nice, aren't parents meant encourage you to be caring, sweet and never say a bad word. I’m sure I must have the oddest family in the entire world by hey who can compete with gods. I think that the thing dad has a problem with is that I'm the best fighter, I mean he's fine with Harmonia being nice but me, nope can't happen. All my life it’s been drilled into me "Don't be nice, fight with you brothers" Each day always has me telling Ares "No I'm not going to start a war with you." Actually I think that Aphrodite is worse she’s always telling me to wear dresses, do my hair and gossip about boys. Sometimes I swear my mother is thirteen years old. Either her or the boys, Phobos and Demios they were always coming up with ways to scare me but it wasn't working, until this century. They decided that if nothing they tried worked that something in the mortal realm would then came the cars, technology and still nothing worked then came the... clowns. Not sure why I had seen the horror of war and I was afraid of clowns? Really? My disbelief didn't stop them from torturing me whenever possible. The statues suddenly were painted, the paintings themselves were disfigured. My personal favourite, I think I would have been proud of them if they weren’t doing it to scare me, has to be when the called a party and managed to get everyone, I mean everyone, dressed as clowns. It sure is a day when you see the Greek gods dressed as clowns.

After all that my transference into human life away from my family was simple. As a goddess I had my temples, my hide-aways, unknown to my siblings and parents. The hide-a-way was closer, Athens was a large place in any time, and it was fully stocked with anything necessary to live, the near by nymphs promised to keep me hidden but as anyone would, I got lonely.

I changed my camouflage, raven black hair, grey eyes, tank top and short shorts, and got onto my bike. The trip into the city was fast, my speeding helped, and soon I was at a club called Hell Entwined. The club was a popular place but being Aphrodite’s daughter seemed to help getting in quick, inside my eyes were drawn to a group of girls in the center of the room, it seemed I was not the only one many were staring at them, the main girl, a white blonde, very pale sort of girl, reminded me of my mother but was almost more beautiful but for this girls sake I would never say that out loud, the others were quite regular except one, a tall brunette, her long hair and green almost tunic style dress made her nymph like.

A man came up to me, very drunk, and just started talking, I told him I had to do something, he kept talking the only thing that worked was when, in the middle of his speech about robots (or monkeys or both), I interrupted, “I’m really very sorry but I just spotted my friend and I really have to go.” I quickly went over to the girls in the middle and hugged the blonde as if she was an old friend, she stiffened, surprised and I whispered, “Sorry but this guy kept following me and I didn’t know what to do.” She brushed it off with a laugh, “I’m Cherry,” she said it as if it was her real name, “and that’s fine I get it. Dance with us?” “X and sure.” Cherry looked confused momentarily, “X?” I laughed, “Its my name.” She had a look of amazement on her face as she said, “Oh, I get it.”

Dancing was something new to me, sure we had parties back home but they were normal, except when Dionysus went a little over board with the wine and madness, and this music seemed to pulse not glide like Apollo’s. From the looks of everyone else it was simple, let your body flow with the pulsing music; I closed my eyes and let the sensations over take me. The slow steady rhythm, the lyrics that flowed like a stream and that under lying beat had my body moving in intricate shapes and patterns unknown to me. The song was over to fast and I opened my eyes to see majority of the club staring at me, I ducked my face beneath my hair, embarrassed, as Cherry and the girls walked over. “Where did you learn to do that?” the nymph like girl asked, the rest nodding in agreement “I’ve never danced before in my life.” I stated still a little ashamed of my display, Cherry came to the front “How the hell not? James is right, that was amazing!” I nodded “James?” “Oh yeah introductions. Everyone this is X, X this is Bonde,” Cherry pointed to the nymph, ” We call her James, for obvious reasons. That’s Eliza, Em, Rach and that guy in the corner surrounded by jackets that’s Tyson. Drinks anyone?” Everyone wandered over to the bar. There I learnt that the girls were all nineteen, the age I clamed to be, and they all got very chatty when drunk. I think I know more about those girls than I know about myself.

My ride ‘home’ was longer due to a detour; my temples are few and far between but I found one. All gods and goddesses have their ‘thing’- for my mother its love, for my father its war- I do not so my temples became a place for the ‘unknowns’, those who felt they don’t have a place in the world. That was how I always felt and this day was no different. Sitting in front of my statue brought back memories, training with Athena to learn strategy, battling with my brothers, sitting for hours on end a garden with Harmonia. Life seemed somewhat simpler when I had problems now that I did not, well I didn’t know what to do with myself.

I was broken out of my trance by a clash, which caused me to remember that a) I was still in visible human form and b) I was out of the nymph’s range of protection. ‘Note to self, always tell nymphs when going clubbing’ I thought as I saw the god before me “Well, well little war I see your not that hard to find.” “Nice to know people are looking for me Hermes. But why did they send you?” I pointed in turns upwards then at the messenger god himself, he shrugged “Don’t worry, little war, no one cares your gone. Big war just got himself into some trouble but you know your dad, he’ll get out of it. Hey all is normal, Big Guy blames this war on you, as usual.” That was my cue to shrug, Zeus always liked to blame ‘the newbie’ for every little war my father and siblings started, I was used to it. “Was there a reason you flew down or did you just want to tell me the good news, Messenger man?” “A little of everything, niece, I was bored and everyone was complaining that they couldn’t find you so I went, hey what the heck lets find me a little war.”

We talked for hours, sometimes about the trouble we got up to playing pranks on everyone, others about my idiot brothers and what they’ve been up to. Hermes always was my favorite uncle, he’d take me out and distract everyone while I stole something for him and unlike with others he all ways took to blame. My messenger man always helped me get back at Fear and Terror when the played another clown joke. Everyone else treated me like a child, a baby; to them I was worse than a human. Not having a ‘thing’ meant I didn’t have the special powers so to them all I was worthless, but not Hermes or Athena they thought if they taught me I could have some kind of worth.

The rest of that evening was a blur except when his snakes told him that ‘The Big Guy’ needed him to take a message somewhere or something like that as he went to leave I ran to him “I’ll miss you, my messenger man.” I said clinging to Hermes in a hug, he chuckled “I’ll miss you too, little war.” He ruffled my hair and I grinned at him before he flew back to Mt Olympus. The only thought running through my head, as the wind flapped around me on my ride back was that I felt lonelier now than before. I’m so sorry I’ve been gone.

That was the first chapter of my friend teagan's book that I'm writing for her birthday. Give me some feedback if you want more.

LILI-ROZE