What Now?
24 - Calling the Twelve
Athena moaned as she hit the floor of the meeting hall. Her hands had been bound behind her with Hephaestian chains leaving her no way to cushion her fall. The impact jarred already bruised muscles and possibly broken ribs.
Above her stood Apollo watching to make sure she didn't try to escape while Ares made his way to the front of the temple. The War god struck the gleaming bell resting on the alter there and a clear sweetly pitched ring echoed across Olympus calling the council of twelve together. Ares strode back to stand on the other side of the prone Athena.
One by one the others flashed in, soon the other nine circled them. The nine stood silent, even the usually boisterous Zeus, as they waited for Ares and Apollo to speak. The use of the bell had signaled a dire situation and none wanted to waste time.
"Let the circle of nine bare witness: The houses of War and Intellect declare a vendetta against Athena, Goddess of Wisdom for her heinous actions against Strife, God of Mischief. We demand justice in his name." Ares' voice boomed through the hall.
"So witnessed." Circle responded.
"We also demand help in searching the Mortal realm for Strife is lost there."
"So pledged." The nine swore, many with dawning looks of horror at the chained Athena.
25 - Binding of Five
The council heard the actions of Athena against Strife. All wanted a fitting retribution but they did not have the time to deal with the goddess now. Finding Strife was infinitely more important.Instead they would bind Athena and leave her to be dealt with later. She was drug to a side chamber. In the center of the floor there was a star carved into the marble. They placed Athena at it's center.
Hera, Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus and Hestia stood at the points of the star. They raised their arms, power connecting them creating a ring. They spoke a long disused barrier spell, a wall of power formed circling the carved star and it's occupant.
The binding of five could not be broken and has been used to hold titans and the worst of wayward gods and monsters. The only way Athena would ever leave this prison is if the five who summoned it join again and dispelled it.
26 - Search Party
The Twelve didn't want to cause chaos in Greece by having every god and goddess running around, flashing in and out. And Ares was worried that certain lower gods might take the chance to cause harm to Strife if they found him first. So the Twelve decided to call just a couple others for their search. They broke Greece into seven parts and each team of two would search one section.They would be systematic and thorough. All determined to find Strife before the sun could set on again on Olympus.
Ares and Apollo flashed out of the Meeting Hall together. They would start at the far corner of their section, leaving the city of Corinth for last. It would be easier to search there after most of the revilers were abed.
27 - Come Sunrise
Ares and Apollo covered a good portion of their section before dawn. Apollo had to leave to make arrangements to take care of the Sun Chariot. Helios could drive it this morning but Apollo hadn't taken the time to ask him the night before. Partly because he had hope to find Strife before then and partly because waking Helios in the middle of the night would have made him curious and Helios was a terrible gossip. All of Olympus would have know that something was wrong by Sunrise.Ares went to dropped in on Eris. She had been causing some discord along Greece's northern border. Discouraging an upstart warlord from crossing into Greece to raid. Eris would have returned to the Halls of War by now. They hadn't told her what had happened yet - Hera had been worried she would go on a rampage.
He knocked on her door catching her before she could even change out of her dirty clothes. Ares sat Eris down and explained to her what Athena had done and what they were doing to find Strife. Ares had to restrain her part way through, holding her on his lap and trapping her arms between them.
When he was finished with the telling Ares coaxed Eris into taking a sleeping draught. Once she was deeply asleep Ares carried his sister to her bed. He tucked his twin in, changing her stiff leather for a soft night shirt. Eris would sleep until sunset and Ares hoped that they found Strife by then because nothing was going to calm Eris down if they hadn't.
She was trying so much harder to make sure Strife had a good life this time around and she wouldn't stand for him being hurt or lost. Strife might not be her son by blood anymore but a part of her would always think of him as her baby.
Ares and Apollo met up to start their search again as the first rays of sun peeked over the horizion.
In Corinth Scythas snuggled into Joxer's warm back and hoped for a few more minutes of sleep before Jayce decided it was time to get them up.
28 - Oops
Unfortunately Hercules and Io didn't leave the next morning early enough to avoid running into the triplets and Scythas. A fact that Jett was distinctly unhappy with. Iolaus on his own wouldn't have been too bad Jett couldn't stand the demi-god. Before anyone could protest Joxer and Iolaus were chatting and heading off to find a table big enough for the whole group to eat breakfast at.The six sat down at a corner table near the kitchen. Scythas could feel the tension and wished for a distraction. He didn't like his friends being upset and the hulking Hercules just plain grated on his nerves.
Conversation came from Iolaus and Joxer mostly, Jayce chiming in frequently as they wait for their meal. Jett and Scythas said little while Hercules stared at the far wall. He really probably should have been paying better attention.
One of the server girls came out of the kitchen carrying a huge tray at least half her height. She couldn't actually see anything to her left around the filled tray but she knew Hercules was sitting in her way. So she asked him to move out of the way. She heard the chair scrap across the floor and assumed he wasn't in her path. Unfortunately for the withdrawn demi-god he'd moved in the wrong direction.
The tray and Hercules' head had an abrupt meeting. Goats milk, leftover stew and a bowl of pickled onions (meant for one very pregnant woman) ended up on Hercules. Not just his lap but down his back, in his hair and colleting in the bottom of his shirt where it was tucked into his pants.
He looked like he'd been playing in the slop bucket and smelled just as bad.
Scythas couldn't hold in a snicker. The sound broke everyone out of their shocked silence, soon the room was filled with laughing patrons. Even the barmaid was giggling at the dripping hero. Hercules just sat there stunned.
As the room quieted Io nudged Hercules and suggested the demi-god might want to go wash off, the smell of the goats milk and pickled onions was getting stronger and less pleasant by the second. The embarrassed hero hurried from the room like his tail was on fire.
The other five had a leisurely meal the tension now non-existent. Hercules did not return.
29 - Daylight Come
It was full daylight by the time Apollo and Ares started searching Corinth. They knew the city would be the most time consuming area of their section since the city was full to bursting with people joining in the celebrations for the King's birthday. They searched outside the city walls then the palace itself since it was basically the city center. They worked their way around spiraling out from the palace.Ares had a growing sense of anticipation, he felt that they were getting closer. He wanted to speed up but was afraid they would miss something so held himself back. They would find Strife, he just had to patient.
30 - Orange Wall
He couldn't get in at first and that had confused him. He tried finding other doors but they were all barred as well. So he had waited. At last he was given entrance, he moved inside quickly lest he be barred again.The main room was vast and empty but he was not deterred. It took him a few moments to find the concealed door but he did.
There in the center of the room behind a glowing orange wall was his target.
He stepped close to the orange barrier and placed his hands on it as he looked inside. He felt a sharp tingle in his palms but he ignored it. He pressed his forehead to the obscuring orange with a tiny contented sigh.
"Creator."
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Athena didn't bother trying to get out of her prison. She knew the spell and that it couldn't be broken. Instead she turned her mind to trying to find a way out of her punishment. She knew they wouldn't leave her in this orange-walled cage forever and hobbled as she was with Hephaestian chains she couldn't escape. So her only alternative was to try and talk her way out of it.
A few words to Zeus and her punishment would be minimal. Athena was after all, Zeus' favorite. Surely 'Daddy' wouldn't let them do anything drastic. It's not as if Zeus even liked Strife anyway.
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