Lightning Strikes

8

Please don't get offended! Just a quick disclaimer. And I realized that I forgot to put one at the beginning of the story, so here it is: nothing belongs to me, especially not the gods. Enjoy!

"Call me Kartikeya," the boy said.

Aru grinned. "So I was right, huh?"

"Yeah, but the location choice sure wasn't," Kartikeya frowned.

"Really?" Aru asked. "We were dropped off at Mylapore by Apollo."

"That explains it," Kartikeya shook his head. "What a jackass. He couldn't have dropped you off at a place where I'd see you, no, he had to rely on bad singing to get me there."

Piper snickered as Aru buried her face in her hands. Kartikeya laughed. "Don't blame you, really. That's not my temple at all. I don't normally pay attention to prayers from there. I assumed you two would be...somewhere else."

"At one of your holy sites?" Aru asked. Kartikeya nodded. "That temple is wonderful, don't get me wrong. And I do have some connection with it, after all, I did get my spear there. So it wasn't a total miss."

"So you're a real Hindu god," Piper said.

"Yes," Kartikeya affirmed.

"Of what?"

"War," Kartikeya replied. "And victory," he added as an afterthought.

"So like Ares?" Piper asked.

Kartikeya shuddered. "Don't compare me to that idiot, okay?"

He laughed. Piper studied him closely. Aru could see her multicolored eyes pierce into his soul, trying to figure him out.

"You're a god of war?" she asked. "I mean, you look like you're sixteen."

Kartikeya laughed. "I'll prove it later. For now, let's just get something to eat. It feels kind of impolite to just sit here."

Aru nodded. "What do you want?"

"Nuh-uh, I'm buying!" Kartikeya wagged his finger.

He asked the waiter for three idli-sambars.

"What's that?" Piper asked casually. The two of them stared at her as if she was speaking Greek.

"You've never had one?" Kartikeya asked.

"No," Piper said, confused.

"That is probably a felony," Aru said. "We should arrest her."

Kartikeya nodded. "We really should."

"Aru, you're related to him how?" Piper asked. "I can see the resemblance."

"Not at all," Kartikeya said.

"How's that possible when gods are involved?" Piper laughed.

"It is, apparently," Aru tried to think of any connection between her and the god sitting in front of her. "Wait, you're my brother-in-law, right? Through one of your wives?"

"Actually, yeah, through Devasena," Kartikeya said. "People also like to say I'm married to my army. I don't really disagree with that."

"Married to your job, huh?" Piper asked. "So are you more powerful than Ares? I know Mars is."

"Everyone and their dog is more powerful than Ares," Kartikeya laughed. "More than Mars...yeah, definitely. It all depends on the number of people who believe in you."

"Really?" Piper asked. "Do explain."

"See, the only people that believe in Greek gods are the people they hook up with and their kids. And the Romans, apparently. So that's like what, a thousand odd people?"