Kronos (Book Two)

Therapy Pt 2

Embers of a campfire dance in the air while Eros clutches his wife, Psyche, to prevent himself from sinking. She nuzzles her nose against his to comfort him through the loss of his mother.

Heavy bags weigh down his eyes, but they widen. He yanks his wife with one arm while preparing a glowing finger in defense.

Salmon pink aura crackles against the golden orange flames. The couple takes in the height and might of the now standing Hephaestus. The god of love and goddess of the soul stand their ground from the heavy steps of the Olympian.

His broadsword in one hand is trembling for a fight if it comes down to it. The tip of it raises and points at Eros.

"Where is your mother?"

Eros's heart rattles more than a snake. "Don't bring up my mother's name knowing what happened to her!"

Hephaestus grips his sword. "Don't lie to me. You must have felt her too!"

"We didn't!", Psyche refutes while wisps of flying pink butterflies surround the trio.

Eros aims his finger for where Hephaestus' heart would rest. "Leave us now."

The Olympian god of fire thinks of using the second slot of Zeus' energy to overcome the duo. However, through the crackling of auras, the truth is revealed. They had no idea about Aphrodite's remainder of living aura.

The god of love trembles from the slip of emotion from the Olympian. A sense of longing for his mother.

The armored Olympian smothers his aura. "I will find her with or without you."

Before he steps away, he deflects an aura infused arrow with a parry of his sword!

Several energy projectiles are ready to fire at the Olympian. "I will not let you hurt my siblings to get to her!"

A volcano erupts in the soul of the obsessed god. Short swords, various arrows, and sharp spears ally with their hard-working creator.

"I will not let anyone get in my way!"

The wings of Eros flap. A furious wind fires off his arrows that collide with Hephaestus' volley. Several aura arrows bounce off the Olympian's golden armor. Eros ducks the swing of his sword while backing away. He fires off a pinpoint pink arrow at the exposed eyes of the fire-forger. 

Orange flames burn up the attempt beyond a crisp. A horizontal slash of the broadsword sends an arc of roaring flames to Eros. Despite jumping above it, Eros feels the embers nibbling away at the soles of his exposed feet.

Hephaestus stabs the ground. Volcanoes the size of mole hills stream fire at their target. Eros lies left, right, and up into the air. The fire-forger pulls out chains to capture the god of love. The chains wrap like snakes around his body. Steam and screaming comes out from the god of love. Burn marks appear on the flying son of Aphrodite.

"If you want to live, give me your love dust! She will love me with this new body!", Hephaestus demands while yanking down.

The orange irises widen. The body of Eros turns into butterflies. Before he can turn around, he feels his soul fluttering. The weight of it forces him to kneel. The armor trembles while resisting.

"Damn you, Psyche! Release me, wrench!"

The brunette's hands are joined by her husband in a combined endeavor.

"You absolute fool! Do you think Aphrodite will love you like you are?", the goddess questions with intent.

Wrathful aura almost cracks through the trap. "She will or I will make her. She was mine and mine alone!"

"Even if my mother is alive, you will not treat her like an object!"

Hephaestus tries to raise the tip of his sword. "She loved being the object of your father's heart, Hermes, and everyone else but me. Blessed with something I could never have", his voice almost breaks.

The married couple almost pities his words.

"You can still have children with someone who will love you-"

Flames exit through the small cracks. "NONSENSE!"

Hephaestus pushes the button on his wrist. Zeus' aura travels through his body. His whole body writhes in pain. Using the pain, he stands on his two feet.

Psyche's butterflies don't incinerate from the infernal flames. Touching his armor prevents him from taking a step forward. His sword tips down, weighing close to a quarter of Mt Olympus.

"I looked at your scroll. My mother was never meant to be with you. Someone else is."

The Olympian seethes through his teeth. "LIES!"

"The scrolls never lie! But I will not tell you her name until you change your behavior. That is the reason why you would stay alone."

The verbal assault could almost break his armor apart. The Olympian denies the reason, thinking the new woman would never look past his broken legs. He yells that she would run away just from looking at him. 

He forces a step forward while lifting his broadsword against the weight. Veins strike like rivers underneath his armor. The gears whir to keep up with the output.