2 | Hekta's Blessing

Slamming into the stone walls with a thunderous BOOM, the doors to the temple swung open, bringing a swath of dust with it. Who knew gods also dealt with the eternal nuisance that was dust… she thought. Her mind was immediately brought back to the overwhelming presence that surged towards them. Heavy footsteps tracked outside the entrance, growing louder and louder until a tall muscular man bounded into the room, headed straight for them. Reminding her of one of those Michael Angelo sculptures, his whole self seemed to mimic the same coloring as the ivory stone walls that surrounded them. Though, his eyes were far less soft. Their sharp electric blue blaze through her as he stopped before them, glaring down at her. As he looked back up at Ipatia, his eyes narrowed, though held no less of the flames she’d seen earlier.

“What have you done?” the man seethed. His voice was harsh and dark. She couldn’t stop her body as she flinched from his domineering stare.

“Whatever do you mean?” Ipatia shrugged.

“You know exactly what I mean.”

“I’ve done nothing wrong, Pluthan.” The man began to laugh harshly.

“NOTHING WRONG? Did you not—”

“I got both Vitta and Morkan’s approval on this.” All these names were making her dizzy. She glanced between the two, growing increasingly uncomfortable at being the center of this all.

“Both of them,” he huffed and slammed his quarterstaff into the floor. The resulting sound reverberated around them. “That doesn’t matter.”

“So are you saying they were wrong?"

“Yes.” His eyes went dead as he inched closer. She felt warm arms shift around her as Ipatia placed herself between the man and Alex.

“I wouldn't get any closer if I were you.” Ipatia’s voice grew cold.

“She’ll be the end of us Ipatia, and we know it.”

“We know nothing.”

“You’ve always been arrogant, but to ignore the warnings bestowed upon us by the greater god herself is inexcusable.”

Staring down at the woman from where he stood, Pluthan sneered at her. Though, Ipatia never wavered. The woman stared blankly back at him, hardening her walls, protecting her. Why? I barely know this lady. The longer she stared at the man, the more she was unsettled. His long, straight white hair barely reached the floor, flowing well with his robes. Simple in design, like a fancier thicker toga, it left his chest uncovered. Were those… Catching her eye suddenly, she squinted. No way! At the base of his neck were gills! Large and deep, they sat in rows of two on either side of his neck. After having looked closer, Alex also noticed the sheen of iridescent scales that decorated his chest from the collarbone to waist. What was this dude anyway? She shivered at the unnatural way his eyes blinked, a second eyelid flicked as they opened and closed. Eeek. Shaking herself out of it, Alex found her voice.

“Wait.” Sharp eyes turned and tore into her.

“You will stay quiet,” Pluthan commanded.

“Why should I?” She growled and tried to stand, but Ipatia stopped her. Gripping her wrist tight, she kept her grounded.

“Oh look, she’s just as arrogant as you, Ipatia,” he mocked. “Who are you to question me?”

“She has every right to.” Ipatia calmly loosened her grip on Alex’s wrist, brushing a few comforting lines with her thumb.

“And that’s the problem.” 

A heavy silence fell upon the room.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he murmured under his breath. Annoyance flickered through her. He’s not entirely wrong though. She wasn’t supposed to be there, not if the natural order of things had anything to say about it. She was supposed to be dead—very dead. Who was it who led her here in the first place? Dammnit. Alex scratched her head aggressively. “She’ll be the end of us Ipatia, and we know it.” Pluthan’s voice echoed in her mind. What did he mean by that? She was like a baby deer still learning how to walk. She barely even knew where she was, let alone how to gain power in this world. She wasn’t a threat, but the more she observed the man, the more she saw the fear in his eyes when they looked at her. He was treating her like she was one, which was all the more strange.

The pitter pattering of bare feet slapped against the stone at a relaxed pace. It drew her attention from the unnerving man, to a much gentler face.

“I thought I heard your voice in here brother,” a lanky, androgynous man entered with a smile. His hair and complexion were a similar hue to Pluthan’s, though his stature was the complete opposite. Feminine in form, his golden robes covered far more of him and draped delicately over his body. His golden eyes shone wide as he took in the room. “Oh! Ipatia you’re here too, how nice!” 

“Hello Sider, can you come get your menace of a brother please,” Ipatia smiled brightly at him, though Alex could see the evergrowing irritation behind her gaze.

“Ha ha! What have you done this time?” He leaned an elbow on his brother.

“I’m not the one in trouble.”

“What do you mean, dear brother? Ipatia here seems rather disturbed by your presence. Though, there’s certainly nothing new about that.”

“She should’ve expected this after what she’s done,” Pluthan scoffed.

Sider hummed and slid around his brother, peaking behind Ipatia his eyes landed firmly on Alex. His eyes widened as he scanned her again. Though he looked more kind than his brother, there was a discerning judgement behind his eyes that made her shiver.

“Hello there…who might this be?”

“My daughter.”

“Daughter?’ Sider’s eyebrows rose. 

“SEE,” Pluthan gestured to her and Ipatia and grumbled as he pouted, “it wasn’t my fault.”

“Ipatia…”

“I know.”

“How’d you even manage this?”

“Vitta and Morkan.”

“I’m surprised the both of them allowed this.”

“Morkan was hesitant I’ll admit, and Vitta just can’t hold her liquor,” Ipatia shrugged.

“What does that—” Sider burst out laughing. “You didn’t.”

“I did,” Ipatia grinned.

“Clever, just like you to cook up something like this.” The man turned to her and tilted his head. “What’s your name?”

“Al–” she coughed. “Zenviveig…Zeni for short.”

“Zenviveig…” Sider smirked and brought his focus back to Ipatia. “Interesting.”

“I didn’t break the codex, so I see no reason to be so upset. Seems like a bit of an overreaction if you ask me,” the woman crossed her arms defensively. Pluthan steamed as his anger grew.

“An overreaction?!”

“You’re so loud Pluthan.”

“Shut up Ipatia.”

“How mature.” 

“I think I am well within my right to be worried. This affects us ALL, Ipatia.”

“I understand that Pluthan.”

“Do you?”

“This was not a decision I made lightly.”

“Brother, have you ever known Ipatia to make reckless decisions?” Sider challenged. Pluthan froze, clenched his jaw, and sighed.

“No, she may be a hubristic prick–”

Ipatia nodded.

“But I have never seen her make a decision ignoring strategy.”

“Correct,” Ipatia boasted.

“You–” Pluthan rumbled. 

“You do have a plan, right?” Sider pressed.

“A plan? Hmm…plans change all the time. I will admit, I wanted a child. It was a selfish wish of mine, but I did think a long time before allowing myself this Sider. Please have some faith in me.”

“I’ve never doubted you before Ipatia, I guess there’s a first time for everything.”

Stepping closer to her, the man known as Sider placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me look at you.”

Staring at her with curious eyes, Alex had never felt so awkward before. Not even when she’d mispronounced her own last name in her company introductions. Now that she thought about it, even she didn’t know what she looked like at that moment. What type of body had she been placed in? Was her face completely different? Most likely, that’s how reincarnation works right? At least…that’s how it works in the stories.

“You have Vitta’s signature all over you.”

“What?”

“Your presence, dear.” Sider nodded twice before backing away from her. “We need to inform the others.”

“Nemorja, Unna, and Lunnocti already know.”

“And you didn’t tell US?” Pluthan huffed.

“Dont worry, I also didn’t tell Zollum or Thermez.”

“That doesn’t make it any better, you know.” Ipatia shrugged sarcastically.

“I don’t want her saying here, Ipatia. I don’t care if you have a plan or not, I will not allow you to risk the pantheon.”

“She’s not a threat, Pluthan. She can’t even use her powers.” Powers? I have powers! Alex smiled widely at the realization.

“It doesn’t matter. She will be, one day.”

“He’s right Ipa,” a warm voice sounded from across the room. A woman with bright red hair, blazing red eyes and a piercing stare stood leaning on the nearby wall of the hall. Her hair tips were flaming, literally. Alex had to blink a few times before she realized it was real fire and not some illusion her own brain made up. Her skin was darker, closer to brown as tattoos glowed a deep orangy gold as they decorated her neck. “You know I’ll always care for you, but Pluthan is not wrong here.”

“Thermez…”

“Thera!! How long have you been there?” Sider slid over with open arms, trying to hug the woman, but was quickly dodged.

“This whole time idiot.” 

“No need to be rude,” Sider playfully jabbed back. Thermez ignored the man and turned back to Ipatia with a stern face.

“Not only does this child’s soul not belong here, you’ve created an imbalance.”

“I got app–”

“Yes, I realize that Ipa. But do you realize what you’ve done?”

Ipatia sat speechless at the persistent disapproval by someone who Alex could only think was a close friend of the god.

“You’ve created another god.”

Alex’s eyes widened as her jaw slackened. She hadn’t really thought about it, considering all the craziness that she’d been subjected to over the past couple of hours, but as the gears of her mind turned and twisted further she shuddered. I’m a…god? I…can’t be a god! I don’t want to be, I—

Her breathing turned ragged as she caved in on herself. Alex wrapped her arms around herself, struggling to gain control of her body. This isn’t what I wanted, she thought. Her breath became even shallower as she turned away from the gods.

“Zenviveig?” She could hear Ipatia’s worried voice behind, but the sound of her own heart beat thudded too harshly in her mind for her to acknowledge it. Stop..STOP! She tried to command her body, but it wouldn’t listen to her. Is this a panic attack? A harsh pressure sat on her chest, restricting her breath even more. She’d heard of them before, but she’d never had to deal with them. What did they say to do? Google said to breathe, but that's the freaking problem in the first place! Her walk was jerky as she tried to get stable. Falling to her hands and knees, she brushed the edge of the river that bordered the temple dais. As she heaved in breath after breath, she finally noticed an image in the water…her reflection. 

She brought a shaky hand to her cheek, moving quickly to run it through her hair. Grey, her hair was a dove grey with natural wavy curls at its ends. Well passed shoulder length, the hair pooled on the floor around her knees. Her skin was a light ivory, but it was her eyes that made her stop. An unsettling shade of white, her pupils glowed the same bright color, sucking up any color from the room. They penetrated her new, unfamiliar frosty image. As she continued to search her own visage, her hand brushed something hard atop her head. Turning sideways and parting her hair, small horns poked out from her scalp, scaled and dark. What the… She hesitated, but brushed away her hair further to find pointed ears, similar to those of elves, except instead of coming to one point they came to two. Now hyper aware of the differences in her body, she felt the sharp change in her canine teeth. Opening her mouth, the reflection showed her exactly what she felt. Double fangs on each side, though small, now sat where her normal human teeth would’ve been.

“What…am I?” She trembled.

A soft hand fell on her shoulder as the image of her moth—Ipatia appeared behind her in her reflection. Gorgeous with an understanding smile, the woman sat on the ground with her.

“She may be a god, but that was a distinctly human reaction,” Sider observed from afar.

“Even more of a reason for her not to be here.” Pluthan trudged across the dias to her. “We should return her soul immediately.”

“Pluthan!”

“It will hurt at first, but she will be at peace, where she belongs!” Throwing his hand out, he struck his quarterstaff upon the floor as what looked like energy, magic, poured into his hand. Her body tensed, the same sense of doom consuming her as when she first died. No…NO!

“PLUTHAN STOP!”

“This is for the best Ipatia!”

Frozen in fear, Alex was unable to move as the large collection of shimmering blue energy was launched her way. Please….please someone help! Her calls were heard. As energy was about to collide with her, a dark shield sparked around her. It blocked the attack completely, snuffing out the energy, consuming it as a snack, as she heard a familiar sound.

Ring

The bell tolled. 

The sketch of a shadowy symbol remained as the room shook around them. Her body felt drained and exhausted as the room soon stabilized.

“Thats…” The man stood stunned.

“Hekta’s symbol,” Thermez breathed, just as shocked as Pluthan.

“The girl is protected by the greater god herself. How interesting,” Sider smirked.

“Was that you?” Pluthan looked to Thermez. “The room.”

“No, you think I can literally shake space?”

“Well it wasn’t me.”

“Wasn’t me either!” Sider laughed.

All three gods turned to where her and Ipatia sat curled into each other.

“I-I had nothing to do with that,” Ipatia admitted.

All eyes in the room turned to her. Alex felt her breathing get rapid once more. Can’t they just leave me alone. That couldn’t have been her. She didn’t even know what this energy was, let alone how to use it. Though, she couldn’t forget the electric feeling that ran through her just moments ago. Could that have been…me? She looked down at her hands.

“She’s too dangerous to stay in the pantheon if her powers are already presenting as this unstable. We can’t send her back to her original fate, it’s Hekta’s will that she remains here.”

“We need to send her somewhere.”

“Nemorja might have a place for her on her plane.”

“The mortal plane, with this much unstable power, are you insane?!” Pluthan argued.

“Well, do you have a better suggestion?” Thermez spat back. 

The three gods bickered in the center of the temple, yelling all sorts of insults at each other as they tried to find a solution. I’m just another problem once again… Alex deflated. Ipatia pulled her into a warm hug, breathing in her scent.

“Okay,” the woman whispered, more to herself than anyone else, before she made an announcement. “I will place a dampening seal on her powers, though it’ll wear off eventually as I do not have the jurisdiction to control another god’s energy, it should help until she knows how to better control it. That’s all I can offer.”

“That’s better than nothing,” Thermez sighed.

“Inform Nemorja of the transfer,” Ipatia continued.

Drawing symbols on her skin with the woman’s glowing pink energy, Ipatia could barely look at her.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to do this. It’s my fault you’re here.”

“Stop. I chose this too.” Ipatia perked up at her comment.

“What do you mean?”

“All you need to know is that I chose this. So stop feeling bad.”

Ipatia nodded timidly as she finished the last of the symbols.

“This will restrict your current energy to the plane’s capabilities. You’ll still have far more access to it than the normal creature there, but it shouldn’t get out of control, yet.”

Ipatia pressed something into her hand. She looked down to see a deep purple stone in her palm.

“When the glow no longer remains, your time is up, and the seal will have faded fully. You must learn to control it by then, Zeni.” Ipatia sighed. “I know it’s a lot, but just know that you won’t be alone. You can reach out to me through this gem as well. I watched over you for the past twenty years before you gained such a wonderful soul, I won’t stop watching over you now.”

Alex threw her arms around the woman, hugging her tightly.

“Thanks.”

A new energy entered the room, right below her in fact. A large golden energy seal decorated the ground beneath her. Ipatia stepped out of the ring of light, smiling tenderly at her. That was fast. The woman gave her a reassuring nod as the three other gods in the room watched the two of them impatiently. The energy’s shine grew as she felt it start to pull at her feet.

Zeni waved goodbye to her mother as she sunk into the floor.