Chapter Three

From the tips of the mountains scattered across Akihito to the coastal waves of Eudokia’s softest beaches. All the deities were in a frenzy. It shook the mortal levels. Kings. Hierophants. Even the meekest of slaves had the deep gut feeling something bit was about to happen. Hera’s fingertips vibrated with anticipation. Everything set her off.

When her meal was slightly over cooked. When her sandals were not already placed on her feet before technically giving the order. Her curly brown strands of hair bounced as her face twitched. Her perfectly sculpted finger nails dimmed ever so slightly as the stress continued to build up.

“Mistress?”

Snapping her head around faster than a cobra, Her glared at the source before immediately shifting into her usually sympathetically beautiful face. Her soft features with pastel pink cheeks. Eyes that showed no particular movement but remained always watching.

“My pardon…it’s just….,” Athena awkwardly presented the palm of her hand. There was a scroll with Ma’at’s seal across it.

Hera took a deep breath in through her nose. Paused for a second, and slowly let it out. Her shoulders relaxing immediately.

“Oh…Yes. My. How long was I sitting so tensely?” Hera laughed at herself and gently removed the scroll.

“Does Father know?” Athena’s blue eyes were sparkling. Her soft face shone no scars despite the many battles she faced. No sense of any true warrior before her features. She was so beautiful. Hera tilted her head and smiled.

“Well, I of course need to see if it’s even worthy of Zeus’s attention. You know how paranoid the followers of Ra’s Law are,” her voice fluctuating.

Athena gave a curt nod and quickly left the room. Her heart pounding. She knew something was up but was unable to really pin point what it was. Dashing through the hallways, Athena searched for Zeus. Hermes noticed her changed aura and took off back to Hera.

Bursting through the door, Hera smiles sweetly down at her messenger. Only a few deities are truly devoted to Zeus. He was drunkard pig. Athena, the golden daughter herself, could not deny these facts. Yet, Athena simply insists it’s all part of the Grand Design. Hera rolled her eyes a the stupidity of the blind girl. All brawn. No brain.

“What do we do?”

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“Nothing,” Hera hissed in response, “I need tos ee what’s in it. Certainly it’s—unexpected.” Hera slides her finger under the lip of the envelope and prompt it open. Hermes shuffles in eagerness. Unable to contain himself from a source of communication, he dashes behind Hera and immediately begins deciphering the letter.

Instincts catch up as he notices Hera is about to finish reading herself, and dashes to his spot in front of her. Glaring over the scroll Hera looks at Hermes with a raised eyebrow.

“Any word on your end?” Hera askes in a tone that demanded a response.

Hermes gulped loudly before answering. Taking his time to really think back on any communication he has had that may involve the contents within the scroll. “Nothing! Honest! Everyone is just on edge waiting. Same for even the North.”

Hera crossed her arms across her chest, draping the scroll across her face face down to prevent prying eyes from reading. “The North huh? And you speak with Odin himself regularly I assume?”

“Yes the North. Odin uses crows?” Hermes pointed to the feathers growing from his ankles.

Not caring to clarify, Hera touches her chin with her pinky finger. “Send word to Akihito of a…get together. Hosted by the Grand Zeus himself…No. From Zeus Personally.”

Hermes could not hide his smile from the message. He always loved it when the ground gave out from under the realm. Communication and it’s value rises with conflict. Growing eater with greed, Hermes flew off as fast as he could.

Hera reached over and rang a small bell on the table next to her left. Soon, Zeus arrived, arms filled with grapes from Dionysus himself. “Yes my beautiful woman?”

“Ma’at reached out to me my Lord,” she pouted her bottom lip and opened both arms wide to Zeus. Eyeing the scroll, Zeus lifted his arms allowing Hera to enter his space and give him a hug without having to actually stop eating the intoxicating grapes. “I think I will respond and have a get together with her. Even reach out to the other Domains.”

“Oh? So I will just be surrounded with idle gossip?” Zeus eyed his suspicious wife as he continued to eat each grape. Lips wet with their juices.

“Well..,” Hera set her pinky on the tip of her chin as she looked up in some random space over Zeus’s shoulder, “...perhaps I shall fetch all the Upper 3?”

“So serious that scroll must have been my delicate flower.”

“No! I mean, of course you may read it if you would like My Lord. Perhaps inviting the Upper 7? Ma’at can join then!” Hera pulled her arms together in a little dance of excitement. Dropping the scroll face down in the process. A sharp squeal escaped her throat, “OOOOH! Make it Upper 9? I am dying to get my lips on Dionysus’s newest mixture and Balder I hear has the most beautiful poetry!” Hera’s eyes were round and glossy as she closed her fists against Zeus’s toga.

“Wonderful! We shall get the Powers together and just have a great PARTY! Man…. It’s been too long since I have seen Shu! Hades may even show if he knows Pers—--HAHAHAHA! She won’t even be able to make it! I will never see what Hades sees with such a lower.” Zeus laughed whole heartily, sending lightly bolts across the sky completely out of season.