The Beast Of Both Worlds: A Drunk Mythology

While it seemed selfish for a G.o.d to play favorites, it was not unheard of. In fact it was one of the many recurring themes in mythology—the precursor of chosen ones and their opposing dark lords. If G.o.ds sparked and partook in conflicts like the Trojan war, acts like these were n.o.ble in comparison.

Nonetheless, this was a dangerous trip to embark on, even with Nyx"s providence and the Helm of Invisibility. First there"s the lacking security detail; sneaking out of camp voided the validity of nigh-omnipotent bouncers, as well as their somewhat home court advantage. Secondly—and more importantly—he now had to fend for a crucial cargo other than himself.

Minea stepped out of the shadows, cloaked, geared, and set for adventure. "I"m coming with you," she told her partner, who properly freaked out.

Persephone did not comment due to woke, feminist reasons, but Ginrius won"t have any of it. "No," he retorted. "It"s out of the question."

"I let you run around all this time; never getting in your way or debating your decisions. Now you deny me the same allowance?" Minea looked very cross as she spoke. Her tone had steel, stone, and lit gunpowder. She was prepared to fight it out if that"s what it took.

"It"s too d.a.m.n dangerous! If we get discovered, I cannot guarantee your safety! And without you, all of this is pointless!"

"Those are my kids we"re talking about—my mother! If you won"t let me tag along, I will venture out on my own!"

The G.o.dsmith looked to the dark matriarch for support, but got nothing out of her still. Failing the aggressive approach, he drew close to his lover to plead. "Please don"t do this." He touched her face and tried to be charming. "I promise to get them somewhere safe. After the war ends, we will see them all again."

"But we don"t even know if we"ll win… We don"t even know if the world survives... all this," Minea said. For a moment she seemed out of it, ridden with guilt for her place at the epicenter. "Allow me to do this one thing with you, please, otherwise we"ll both regret it for the rest of our lives."

To help sway Ginrius, Persephone conferred Minea her shawl, which cloaked her presence so long as she stuck to the night shadows. She posited it as a wedding present by the G.o.ddess Nyx herself, and that it was yet to fail her in its many years of service. "This is not an impossible task," she counseled the couple at last. "If you made it to the Moirai"s domain with someone as palpable as my husband and Poseidon, you"ll do just fine with the city of Athens."

That"s just it, however. Before, he had the chief Olympians aiding him, watching his back and dropping in when trouble brewed. Now he"s got nada, and since then, Zeus would have definitely compensated for his blind spots.

"It will be fine," Persephone seconded her own notion, driving the nail further in. "Just don"t take the helmet and shawl off. And whatever you do, don"t let Zeus" eagle even sense you."

For reference, Zeus" mystic eagle was the same creature that tutored him growing up, alongside the nymph Amalthea of course. Ever since his ascension, the avian had served as the G.o.dking"s drone and occasional bodyguard—nothing escaped its eyes, not even the fallacy of other G.o.ds. It"s safe to say that it"s not just cunning, it"s a loyal, exceedingly tough thing to handle. For what it"s worth, the gold-feathered creature can be spotted from a good mile off, especially with the night sky serving as backdrop. It should be noted, however, that its ability to commune with its subspecies also made it semi-ubiquitous.

In the end, Ginrius proved no match for total girl power. Time was of the essence; dawn crept up on them whilst they argued, and with it, war. Heeding all the significant pointers, the couple held hands and rejoined the world of the living.

***

Though spoiled by the preface, Ginrius and Minea still found the checkpoints surprising. As he did with Fort Othrys, Zeus wasted no expense in installing surveillance above and below. Seeing flock after flock of ravens, for one, was a harrowing experience in itself. Then there"s the roadblock collection of gacha monsters, each one ready to pounce at the closest rebel deity.

They made it out of the woods by hugging the shadows as advised; moving as careful as possible, even limiting their interactions to adorable hand-squeezes. Fortune further smiled on them when they reached the roadway as well, chancing upon cart bound for Athens itself.

Stepping into the city, the two agreed to visit Minea"s mother first. It was closer anyway, and since the old woman lived alone these days, she demanded more urgency than the populated, Zacleus-guarded orphanage.

But they reached the house only to be greeted by a note, one instructing them to try a different venue. It was written in a hurry, the penmanship further dulled by a mild aversion to literacy. There was no mistaking the handwriting entwined with the many death threats Ginrius got over the years.

"What could this mean?" Minea whispered with concern. "Why did your brother take her away—and it"s not even the orphanage they"re heading to, but the base of a nearby mountain?"

It was a good a guess as any, even for the more critical thinker of the two. But if Ginrius had to come up with a theory, it would have everything to do with Zacleus" demiG.o.d status. Mayhap Zeus extended VIP protection towards his more susceptible kin, a heck of a lot more than human cities could offer. Or maybe Zacleus just got wiser and proactive with age, taking the matters on his own hand by building a private, pre-apocalypse bunker. Whatever the case, the probability of walking into a trap just got sharp, skyward spike.

Logic should have pointed them back to the safety of the Underworld. Now that their loved ones had protection, there was no need to worry about them, right? Only, it wasn"t just about that to begin with. Minea wanted to see her family in case everything fell sideways. Sheltering them, or at least trying to do so, was at most just undercard agendum.

To prevent another round of argument, Ginrius agreed to check this Zacleus panic room, no questions asked. It wasn"t very far, and they were able to sneak to it without burning too much nightlight. Though heavily fortified, the mountain base was luckily, also monster-free.

Down its base, they found Zacleus personally guarding its entrance. He seemed exhausted, dozing in and out, but otherwise manning his post with warranted dedication. But that wasn"t all. Apart from the ramparts he somehow managed to build, he also underwent a serious gear upgrade. The already formidable demiG.o.d now had battle armor rivaling that of Achilles", and a matching sword emblazoned with a familiar, lightning bolt insignia.

This scene completed the puzzle. Zacleus was now officially sponsored by his father, Zeus, therefore re-signing the deal as Ginrius" nemesis. They were back to square one, which was quite disappointing, given that they were finally able to cast their differences aside.

But they have also gone too far to return empty-handed. Minea"s heart would break if that happened, and he"ll be d.a.m.ned if he let her suffer more than she already did. Without thinking too much on it, he went ahead and tempted fate. "Zacleus!" he whispered loudly, waking his brother in a single try.

The battle-ready demiG.o.d jumped out of his seat, unsheathing the sword he inherited. The blade buzzed as lightning coursed through it, casting light to the otherwise blanketed s.p.a.ce. "Who goes there?!" he demanded. Despite of his near-perfect form, his inexperience with a weapon—especially one of such caliber—showed. He looked rather clumsy as he swung around, searching for the interloper.

"It"s us, you idiot!" Ginrius answered. "Is the coast clear?"

Zacleus vaguely recognized his brother"s voice. "Ginrius, is that you?"
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In the following moment, the appearance of Minea would cause him to drop his guard completely. She undid Persephone"s shawl, prompting Ginrius to do the same for his helm.

"What are you two doing out here?!" Zacleus dragged them to a corner, before peering inside the bunker. "Have you gone crazy?! All of Olympus is looking for you!"

"Well, technically, just half of it," Ginrius wisecracked. "I"m just glad you"re still on our side though, despite the apparent benefactor…" He gloated at the gear Zacleus wore, and was this close to bragging how he could have done better. Minea on the other hand, simply smiled and hugged him.

"You can"t stay," Zacleus said then pushed her back. An act that brought Ginrius down to the grip of his hammer.

"Why, are you going to rat out on us?" the G.o.dsmith asked.

"No, you fool, take a look…" Zacleus opened the door another inch, allowing Ginrius and Minea a peek. They were delighted to see the orphans inside, playing, moreover, cared to by Minea"s mother herself. There were a few other faces there as well, some of which they couldn"t recognize. What barred entry, however, was the presence of Aetos, Zeus" winged head of surveillance and spy channels, roosted in the background like daddy"s home. "You see why I can"t let you in? I can vouch for the kids and your mother, Minea, but I can"t say the same for the rest. Some of them are even blaming you for this entire mess. On top of that—"

"—you have Zeus" golden eagle to worry about," Ginrius finished for him. "That certainly is a glaring issue… with a wee bit of a loophole to exploit."

While Zacleus looked clueless, Minea to read into it like nursery rhyme. "Why don"t you just bring mom out here—and one of the children while you"re at it? Then we could have a short chat and call it a day."

Understanding and agreeing were two different concepts for Zacleus to digest, but in the end, he agreed to do it. He was able to excuse Minea"s mother and Sistea, one of the eldest orphans. They moved the meeting to a more secluded location, in hopes of eluding the doting Aetos further.

"Just make it quick," Zacleus advised them, before stepping away. Ginrius offered his respects and joined him on lookout.

Minea did not waste any moment, proceeding to embrace both her mother and Sistea. The three of them cried silently, ensuing an exchange of well-wishes.

"How have you been?" queried the mother. She checked her daughter from top to bottom, making sure everything was intact and functioning. "You look emaciated—have you been eating well?"

"Mother, I"m in the company of G.o.ds… food is the last of my concern. I"m more worried about you and the kids—will you be all right here?"

In the distance, the sibling monitors gestured them to hurry. They didn"t exactly have time for that family dinner, and even a snack risked landing them in hot water.

Minea"s mother wiped her tears off. And after holding her daughter"s hands, squared her shoulders and motioned to leave with Sistea. "We"ll be fine," she said. "Just support Ginrius and win, so we could all go home."

Minea nodded and did the same to the opposite direction. "Stay safe, mother… and Sistea…" She handed the girl an ornament made of flowers. "Look after the kids, all right?"

Sistea smiled as she donned the present. They were about step back in when the sound of giant, flapping wings interrupted them. From out of nowhere, Aetos came swooping down, as though spotting a prey after an entire night of fruitless hunting.

Ginrius threw his hammer to intercept, causing the creature to redirect its flight path. Both brothers jumped between the circling predator and its quarry, determined to stop it dead. The rest of the flock flew out of the dark afterwards, some two-hundred ravens that nestled in the shadows, escaping notice all this time.

"Go!" Zacleus barked at them, "I"ll hold them off!"

Ginrius wound his hammer back. He"d go for the head next time. "I"ll help you!"

"Just go! If it"s seen you then father knows!" rebuked Zacleus, even going as far as swinging his sword against his brother. "Just get the heck out of here!"

Had the circ.u.mstance been any different, Ginrius would have been proud of his brother"s insight. But this was one of those moments when being wrong was the preferred alternative. On top of that, he also had to trust that Zacleus could handle his father"s wrath; he had nothing to offer but hopes for the best possible turnout. Hurried farewells were given, and again he twirled his hammer around, this time with the intention of flight.

Fetching Minea, he was quick enough to cover half the distance back to the Underworld. And yet Hermes proved even faster. The divine messenger seemingly appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path with the length of his Caduceus. "There"s no escape, Ginrius. This is where it all ends." he proclaimed, priming his weapon for battle.

Fortunately, Ginrius stood close enough to launch an attack that could hit the fleet-footed G.o.d—he just needed to be unpredictable about it. "Not if I do this!" he shouted in defiance, redirecting his hammer to slam on Hermes" foot.

Unable to properly react, the messenger G.o.d got struck square, bringing him down to his knee. Ginrius could have followed it up with a deathblow, but chose to resume their advance instead. They were able to advance another mile forward, and then lightning struck, sending them tumbling to the side of the road.

Of course when there"s lightning, there"s going to be Zeus. The king of the G.o.ds appeared to the couple, in his battle regalia no less. Aegis brimmed with golden energy that rivaled Apollo"s sun, declaring the end for the darkness and Ginrius" lucky break.

"You have blundered, G.o.dsmith… and now you die!" Zeus wasted no time, gathering up more lightning to finish his treasonous subject. He didn"t even care about Minea anymore, he was just adamant to end the conflict once and for all. Failing his third try would cement rumors of his impotence, of age finally slowing him down.

Ginrius didn"t have anything left. Either they died there and make the book a couple of chapters shorter, or he unleashed the last ace up his sleeve, allowing him to fight another day. He drew the Cronkris out of its scabbard, which he specifically made to seal its presence. The uncapped wellspring of power solicited enough surprise to rattle Zeus. He flinched and dropped his guard for that sweet, sweet opening. As he recovered, the king launched his bolt to prevent the counter, but it was too late, the G.o.dsmith had already swung his ticket to salvation.

The world exploded with more light and sound, rocking it to its very foundation. When things settled down, everyone discovered how a good chunk of the neighboring landscape had vanished, alongside the miscreant Ginrius and Minea. Left on the site was an unsightly Zeus, bedraggled, shocked, and stripped of his prized Aegis.