Chapter Twenty

“Welcome my friends!” Laughing deeply and sending rumbling shakes throughout the colosseum. All eyes turn towards Zeus as he sits on a throne surrounded by fluffy white and pastel pink clouds at his feet. The building encased in gold, with gold floors and gold columns. The air smells of jasmine flowers and lilies. Hera sits at Zeus’s feet with her beautiful smokey brown curls laid out across her vivacious body. Close to her side stands Athena with her Golden Spear.

Across the room, Ra looks at Zeus with his strong arms folded across his chest. His focused eagle eye catches Athena staring at him with a want. Instinctively, he flexes his biceps until her face turns a slight shade of peach before returning her attention back to the audience.

“Pleased with yourself?” Long golden fingers wrap around Ra’s bicep. He looks down to see Hathor standing next to him as she intertwines their arms together. Her long straight hair is black as charcoal and makes even Cleopatra jealous. Her grain-colored eyes lock on Zeus with her horns pointing directing at the Greek Gods. Her heart shaped head comes with a pointed chin. Her jeweled necklace holding up silk wraps exposing the subtle skin underneath her breasts. A golden rope encased with square sapphires holds up a sheer dress that hugs each of the Deity’s many curves.

“I call upon my foes to become friends! Our world is getting smaller with each generation. And the borders are slowly becoming more blurred for the humans.” Zeus speaks–his voice shaking with each vowel like the Thunder he holds so dear.

“Speak for yourself old man!” snickered Odin from the back of the grand hall. His crows perched on each shoulder as the muscular beast of a man walks to the center of the hall. “My people know how to please me!”

“That is because no human would volunteer to live where you reside, Northerner. There is no alternative for them if they wish to survive,” Athena takes a step forward and points her spear out to the crowd. Odin begins to laugh but is cut short as all the Goddess of Beauty and Divination step forward.

“Boys settle yourselves!” A voice of music comes from Zeus’s left as Aphrodite steps from around his throne. Beautiful and vivacious, Aphrodite’s long blond hair trails behind her under a crown encrusted with gold plates. Doves hold up her veil as she approaches. Her approach to the center, she opens her arms out wide to all the Gods around. Bracelets chiming and necklaces bouncing with each step.

Ra gently squeezes Hathor’s hand to indicate she should move to the center and welcome the other Goddesses of Life and Beauty. Together, their looks shine bright and Odin is immediately aware of his long journey that kept him away from his concubines. His proud smile turns to a smolder as he walks forward and stokes Aphrodite’s hair with one hand and gently holds Hathor’s chin with his other.

“Forgive me for forgetting where you get your prayers from my dears.” Odin gracefully moves both his hands from Aphrodite’s hair and Hathor’s chin to their hands and fingertips. He carefully brings both women’s hands to his lips and gently kisses them. Possessiveness sweeps through Zeus as he watches from his throne. As he is about to stand up, Hera holds him back by moving from his feet to his lap-keeping her eyes locked on him while Athena continues to watch the crowd.

“No Freya?” Hathor’s voice cuts the tension.

“No-much like our friends from the South who decided it would be best not to show up.” Odin smiled down upon the Grain Beauty, feeling powerful with all eyes on him with two of the five most beautiful deities in his arms. “Zeus–get on with your speech!” Odin orders–not taking his eyes off Hathor while his fingers play with Aphroditie’s long locks.

“I do not need–”

“May I interject,” Ra stands up straight and walks to the center of the room. All deities stop and slowly back away from the Sun God as they know his words are absolute and few. “With respect to each–how will we progress?”

Zeus-agitated for being interruption stops and glares intently at Odin. Ignoring the question, he throws Hera off his lap. Seeking the thrill of a challenge between Gods, Odin takes his hands from Aphrodite’s hair and glides it down her back around her waist. With a swift move, Odin pulls her into him; winking his good eye towards Hathor and turning to face Zeus.

“Might we provide a suggestion?” Far from the corner of the Colosseum, black clouds surround the golden ground and pillars. The Jasmin-Lily scent of the air turns cold, rigid. The smell of old books and dust replace the once hallucinogenic scent of flowers. Hathor’s nipples begin to harden at the breeze alongside Aphrodite’s–something Odin made extra note of. He turns his gaze to the source of the cold and glares harshly toward the five figures as they appear in black clouds.

Hades stands in front, followed by Osiris and Hel. Izanagi trails behind the three.

“My kid brother! It looks like all of you have come to join us!” Zeus’s anger is quickly defused as he approaches Hades. Smiling broadly and a clap loud enough to pierce the ear drums of humans against Hades’s back, Zeus turns around addressing his guests and ignoring Odin’s smug face as he begins to nuzzle into Aphrodite’s neck and collar. Hathor glides back to Ra who continues to stand bolding in the center of the room.

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“And it appears your little rag tag team has grown!” Athena glares at Hel from her stance on the throne. It was apparent as their appearances became more noticeable, nearly all the Deities physically winced away from the sight of Hel. No deity–no matter how old or crossed-appeared so visibly horrendous. Odin let out a small breath at the sight of Hel. Not from her appearance as she has always looked like a half dead rotting corpse.

Instead it was the fact she didn’t seem in pain. Rather-Hel was standing as tall as she short stature would allow. Her chin raised and eyes meeting fellow Deities directly rather than avoiding them completely.

“Right…,” Hades ducks from underneath his brother’s huge muscular arm and returns to address the crowd.

“We come with a warning,”Izanagi addresses Odin in a quiet and yet piercing voice that reaches everyone’s ears. His black hair tied back into a pony tail at the top of his head as his red robes wrap his slender frame.

“And what, say you, is this warning?” Quickly as a cat, Loki enters the conversation. Hidden as some food on the banquet that remained untouched, Loki reverted back to his human form standing strong and naked before the Gods. Hera and Athena blush at the scene but Izanagi doesn’t even seem phased-having lived with Hades for so long. He has become accustomed to men walking around naked.

“The kind you need to actually hear.” Izanagi doesn’t wait for a response as he is satisfied with the answer and thus-they all should be as far as he is concerned.

Hel quickly leaves the source of the black clouds and removes her own shawl to cover Loki’s naked body. Moved by the tenderness of Hel, Hathor glides over to her side and gives a curt nod of her head to welcome the new Goddess of Death.

“Wait a moment! That is not why we summoned you all here. What is this?” Hera’s voice cracked as she tried to remain center of attention and still avoid looking at Hel.

“Do not act like I am the only one who craves battle, out with it or taste my blades!” Odin’s face turns dark with anger, “I am hungry for battle and wish no more of idle pleasantries. Out with your truths.” With his last statement, his crow Muninn quickly taking flight and landing a spot atop Athena’s helmet. Annoyed, she shakes the bird off and bares her teeth in a hissing fashion.

“Ra, our people need overseeing with the rains fastly approaching. We have much to prepare for.” Ra gave a short bow and Hathor smiles gently to the undertaker. His mummified skin and hollow eyes stair at her in what she believes is envy of the life he wished he could have but accepts that he never will.

“Zeus–your people will need to be battle ready along with mine.” Izanagi continued to address Zeus as though Zeus was not now flexing alongside Odin as the two compare and compete one another on who is the most muscular and most handsome between the two.

Rolling her eyes and now sitting on the throne herself, Hera raised her hand to quiet the murmuring down. “Let me clarify what you are saying. Are you challenging us Izanagi? I can’t help but take personal offense to seeing none from Akihito. Not even a rejection. Just nothing. And now with the open threat–”

Hera glared daggers at Izanagi who glanced her direction with a smug look on his face.

“A word of caution to this tale,” Demeter’s voice of silk grabbed everyone’s attention back to center of the room as the beautiful brunette stepped forward. “Should we leave here as enemies, none will prevail.”

“Well I guess that is your take,” Loki’s voice cut the air silenced by Demeter’s warning.

The golden hall shuddered. Ra reached for his Spector, pulling Hathor’s body close to his in a protective manner. Odin and Zeus turned back to back, ready to take on any intruder with hand to hand combat. Athena moved into battle stance while Hera, Demeter, and Aphrodite rushed to Athena’s side.

“What is this warning from the Fates,” Loki suspiciously eyed Izanagi and Hades as their calmness seemed eerily out of place.

“Not what. Who.” Hel quietly corrected. Agitated at the indirect messaging and Hel speaking directly towards him, Loki grabbed Hel off the ground

and shoved her against the column. Her shall fell off him as he leaned in close-smashing her deformed skeleton side into column.

“What are you not telling me?” He sneered into her hear.

“Frost to Melt. Dry to Wet. One will bring decay and ruin never before felt. One will bring unity and thrive with only a few to have met. Only one can rule when the other falls. No matter the Gods-Fate will befall all.”

Loki dropped Hel like a wet rag. As her body slid down the column, she clutched her left side and shakily tried to get back to her feet. Scared for her safety, Hel steals a glance at Osiris and Hades sending a silent call for help.

Smile hidden beneath his facial hair grown long and wild due to his seasons spent in the wilderness and away from his halls, Odin watches Loki closely. While his is in his right to treat his daughter as he wishes, Hel was now a deity that demands respect.

In all the years he had seen Hel, never before had she walked so tall. Spoke so daringly. The rotting and fleshy remains of her left side now gone as well as most of her pitifulness. Odin could not help but thank the Celestials for granting her a place with purpose. Additionally, he thanked them for their balance returning once again.

She started to walk back over to Osiris, Hades, and Izanagi. Their eyes never leaving Loki. Only Set, whose onyx black body hid in the shadow of Ra’s light, failed to stop himself from stepping forward in Hel’s defense. The tip of his foot shining in the light of Ra’s presence. Shu and Thoth awaited in Ra’s protection.

As soon as Hera saw Hel reach her group of deities, she let out a conniving chuckle. “Well…now…we know why it’s been so awkward around here lately. Let’s party! I hear Bes put together a gig that I sadly had to miss.”