A new age of Divinity: Theomachy

Goodbye to the Haven

A few weeks later, Beth woke up in her cabin, her battle wounds having finally fully healed. Eir and Freya hadn't come back since Fimbulvetr had begun, but the other healers they had at the wooded community did the job as well. She sat up and stretched before getting up. She looked out her window and found that the sun was rising over a warm late september day. She looked down at Aegis, which Zeus had delivered to her about two weeks prior when he and Odin had visited. That was the first time Beth had ever seen all the Valkyries in one place, but aside from the ones she had already met, she hadn't gotten a good look at any of them. During that visit, she had been given an explanation as to how Aesir power, and really all power from the Nine Realms work, and how Nate's World Lag actually worked. It never made all that much sense to Beth as Heimdallr wasn't the God of Motion or anything like that, he was the God of Foresight.
She got out of bed and put on a pair of jeans, her favorite tee-shirt, her combat boots and jacket. She put her hair in a high ponytail. When she walked out of her house, she found people walking around the haven. Sure, it was still evident that there had been a raging fire here recently, but they had rebuilt as best they could. The machines that children of Hephaestus had built were backup and running. Training grounds and other buildings were being repaired. The entire creek and lake had needed to be drained because of the blood and bodies beneath the waters. Thankfully, children of River, Ocean, and Water Gods in general all chipped in to help in this effort. Overall, the camp was getting back to what they used to see as normal.
Beth didn't want to leave, but she knew it was time for her to do so. She couldn't risk the people around her being hurt, but there was also something else. If something like the boar or Athena's wrath were to come into the place again, there was a better chance that it would be totally destroyed, leaving less safe havens for divine beings down on Earth. No, this had to be done, and her friends also agreed with her, and made the same choice.
Mikayla was in her room packing a few bags with essentials for life on the outside. She already knew where she would be going, and had used a spell or two to get in. The college was all the way across the country in New York City. sure, she'd been further and in stranger, more dangerous places, but this scared her. Change is something she'd never been fully comfortable with. The biggest change in her life since coming to the haven was happening. She was being forced to leave her friends, her family. Sure, they got on her nerves a lot, Nate mostly, but she still couldn't imagine life without them... especially Eden. After finishing bagging up her books, food, clothes, armor, and chained daggers, she got out of her pajamas, and got dressed in red tights, a white cotton jacket, and a red crop top.
Said daughter of Demeter and sister of the former queen of Hades was also packing a suitcase. Ever since getting back, the group had been talking about this day. They'd all marked it on their calendars, and yet, it still hurt. She'd been around these people her whole life, Nate and Beth were like her younger siblings. She looked up at her dresser and opened it up to find clothes she really wanted to take with her. While she was packing up all her spare clothes, she decided to put on a pair of red sweatpants, a green sweater that rose up to show her navel when she stretched, and put her hair in twin pigtails. As she was clearing out her drawer, she stopped and looked down at something she'd almost forgotten she had there... despite having been given it less than half a month ago. It was a picture of the God Killers all together with a beautiful sunset backdrop. Even Hayden had shown up for the picture, which she hadn't expected given his new job. She picked up the picture and smiled as she looked down at what may be her last great memory with her family.
The picture had all of them, even Gulltoppr, framed absolutely perfectly. Marc was on the far right, his hands crackling with his pure white lightning. He had his arms folded over his chest and was leaning on a tree with his usual goofy smile. Next to him was Kenneth, who had been bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet to keep himself limbered up. It was surprising that whoever had taken the picture, she couldn't remember who it was, had managed to catch him in motion without having him be a picture ruining blur. His sandy blonde hair was flying as he fell back to the ground next to Mikayla and Eden. Eden was leaning on Mikayla's side, and Circe's daughter had her arm wrapped around Demeter's daughter's shoulders. Next to them, Beth and Hayden were standing with Nate having gotten in between them. Despite his slightly negative feelings toward Nate's nature, Hayden did consider him his friend. Nate had his left arm around Beth's shoulders and his Bifrost one around Hayden's. They didn't know exactly how powerful the arm was, so they decided it would be better if Hayden were to make contact with it rather than Beth. Gulltoppr was behind Beth and Mikayla and was standing on his hind legs. A bird had been annoying him a lot and he'd let out a roar as he stood up to swipe at it. Evidently, the photographer had seen a perfect photo and took it.
Eden smiled and gently took the picture out of its frame and put it in her pocket for safe keeping. Unlike Mikayla, she didn't want to leave the state she was used to. She'd decided to enroll in a community college close by in California so she could feel closer to her home and her family.
Nate was struggling to figure out where he would go, and it unnerved him. He was so used to being the one who knew everything and now he knew nothing. Eden and Mikayla had already made plans to go to college, Beth had decided she would live in Los Angeles, and Kenneth had also enrolled in a community college. Nate didn't have a plan. All he had was what was in his bags and Gulltoppr. He put his sword into his bag and decided to look at a map of California that Eden had given him as an early birthday present. As he looked around the map, he found a little town by the ocean that he could see himself settling down in, at least for a while. It would be the perfect way for him to start a new life. No one knew him. Sure, he'd be an outsider to the community at first, but it wouldn't take him long. Plus, it was by the ocean, a thing he'd grown to admire since being out on that cruise ship... before being thrown off, but that's besides the point. He sighed and put his sword into his bag before zipping it up and putting his clothes on. Since he would be traveling for a while, he didn't want anything that wouldn't be comfortable. He put on a pair of running shoes, white sweatpants, and a gray long sleeved t-shirt. He kept his sword in its sheath and finally zipped up his bag. While he hadn't spent his entire life in the Haven, he had spent most of it. Now that he was leaving, it almost physically hurt to be there. He wasn't really built to handle these kinds of feelings, and that was becoming all too clear at this moment.
Marc had decided to tag along with Mikayla in New York and was packing everything he had for the cold weather over there. Since he didn't know how long it would take them to get there, he dressed for any weather. He'd put on a pair of black denim pants and a yellow sweater with white shoes on, and a red jacket. He had finished packing a while ago and was now just taking in the splendor of the haven one more time. He didn't know if he'd ever be there again, he didn't know if he'd ever see any of these people but Mikayla ever again. As he walked to one of the training grounds, he saw the frozen lightning bolt. He smiled, remembering back when things were just a little simpler in their strange little reality. They weren't fighting Athena, waging war against Olympus itself. They were just a bunch of people living very strange lives. They'd been happy, they'd been free. Now, they were back to their freedom, but it felt different. The people they'd all grown to love and care for were leaving them, possibly for good.
Kenneth sighed as he walked into his cabin with his backpack slung over one shoulder. He took in one last breath, the air somehow always felt so much purer here than outside. Maybe it was all the divinity in the haven that was affecting their air, maybe it was something else. Either way, he would miss the smell, the feel, even the motion of the air in the haven being all around him. He had gotten into a variant of his usual outfit. He put on a greek t-shirt which was under a black and white plaid shirt, black jeans, and black and red running shoes. All he'd packed were his essentials, his sword, and spare clothes. Like Nate, he didn't want to leave, but unlike Nate, he wouldn't be a wanderer. He'd gotten into a college by flying through several different tests using his speed to make several tests that should've taken him days had taken him literal seconds. He'd also had the advantage, or as many would call it, a cheat, of being able to read the books and websites that he needed while taking the test. To literally every human on Earth, it looked like he hadn't gotten up before the test had finished, when really, he had moved so fast they could perceive it.
The group met at the gates to the exit or entrance of the Haven and found Hayden standing there. The most notable change was... nope, almost everything about his appearance and whole energy had changed. He'd apparently made himself some royal armor befitting of his new position in the Underworld. His chest plate was made of a material that was only found down in Tartarus. It was a rock like metal that was nearly indestructible. The middle of his chestplate had been constructed into the singular eye of a Cyclops. The metal was forged in the flames of the worst part of Hades, the heat still glowing all around it. His shoulder plates were made of the same material and the edges were etched in the shape of the hundred hands of a Hecatonchires. He had a chain around his neck that was made of black metal and held a hood on his back. On his hip, a replica of the Helm of Darkness was latched... well not a replica, but a version of it. Same basic shape, but different material and designs on it. His boot and shin guards were nothing to write home about, still made of the same material. His scythe, on the other hand, seemed to have been recreated out of something much different. The pole was made of some kind of Asphodel roots as it was entirely black with a little bit of gray dust perpetually dropping off of it. The blade was the same shape, but now instead of made of normal Mortal metal, it was metal from the Fields of Elysium. It seemed like what had happened to Charon and Hades had finally fully happened to Hayden. His skin was all gray, yet somehow still healthy and vibrant looking, and his hair was pure black, his eyes having turned black as well instead of blue.
"Well, you've been busy," Nate said, finally breaking the silence "New king needs a new look I'm assuming?"
"Yeah... thought it would be better than just looking like a pale mortal. Plus, being brought back by someone who didn't look like a God would've disappointed people."
"Yeah... that actually brings something up I've been wanting to ask," Mikayla said "Why did you bring everyone back? And how?"
"Everyone who came to me, I brought back. Even Orpheus."
Beth came over and took Hayden's hand, "I still think you look great."
"Thanks." Hayden chuckled, "So. ya'll keep in contact with some sort of form?"
The others nodded but Nate jokingly stated, "You think I wanna talk to you idiots? I'd have Gulltoppr lick my face before that. Do you know the kinda shit this big teddy bear eats on a daily basis?"
Beth laughed at Nate, knowing he was joking, "You dick."
"Hey it's who I am. And the next time I see you there better not be a baby in that stomach or uh... well, I'll have to kill you, Hayden."
Hayden turned a bright shade of red and Beth glared at Nate, "There is a thing called shutting your damn mouth, Nate."
"Nah, I'm good. That's not the person I am." Nate smiled, "Have fun, but I have to get going. I'll talk to y'all soon." He hugged his friends and swung himself up onto Gulltoppr's back, finally moving on with his journey and doing the one thing he was terrified of... being alone.
Beth sighed and yelled out to him for the last time for a while, "Fuck you!"
Nate flipped her off without looking, "Fuck you, too!" When he put his hand down, he sighed, and muttered "I love you." He really didn't know who in particular he was saying it to.
Beth chuckled and looked at the others, "You all ready to leave?"
"Just about." Mikalya replied, smiling sadly.
"Looks like this is it Demigods," Orpheus said smiling at the kids he started raising all those years ago, "Your lives are beginning a new path. I wish you all luck and hope you come visit soon."
Eden smiled as her and Kenneth's ride pulled up, "We will!"
Kenneth grinned, "See y'all big boys... and girls, on the other side." He hugged the remaining part of the group and ran to the car.
Eden kissed Mikayla goodbye and ran after him, "Love you guys!"
"Love you, too!" Mikayla called after her as they drove off, then Mikayla looked at Beth, "So were you headed?"
"Somewhere in LA, to be closer to Hayden but not sure yet."
Mikalya smiled, "Okay let me know when you find a place okay."
"Yeah. She will," Hayden said kissing Beth's head, "Send us a postcard when you get to New York."
A yellow cab pulled up as Mikalya and Marc hugged the couple goodbye, "You too." She grabbed her bags and got into the cab with Marc driving off to the airport.
Beth turned to Orpheus and hugged him, "Thank you for everything."
"Of course my child. I'd do it again if it made you the woman you are today."
Once he was gone Beth turned to Hayden with tears in her eyes, so he reminded her "Hey hey, don't worry." He pulled out his phone, "I'm just a call away if you need anything."
"When will I see you again?"
"I'll come up for your birthday. Just like we planned."
"P-promise?" Beth's voice was starting to break and a tear fell down her face.
Hayden smiled, wiping a tear off her face with his thumb, "Hey. Has anything stopped us from being together before?"
Beth's lip trembled as she spoke, "No."
"Exactly. So I'll see you soon, Baby."
Beth turned and walked over to her car and put her bags in, hesitating to get in. She dropped her purse and ran back over to Hayden and he caught her, lifting her up as she kissed him. Hayden could feel her tears falling as she held his face.
When she pulled back he set her down and smiled, reassuring her with "It's gonna be okay."
Beth smiled sadly and told him, "I love you."
"I know. And I love you."
"I know."
Hayden smiled as Beth sobbed walking back to her car. She picked up her purse and got in putting her seatbelt on. Then she looked at the rearview mirror at Hayden. Hayden nodded telling her it was okay. Beth wiped her tears and turned the car on. She started driving and watched Hayden get father and farther away through the rearview mirror. Hayden watched her drive off, then let out a breath when she couldn't see him anymore.
"She'll be okay." Orpehus said, putting a hand on the king of Hades' shoulder, "She always was."
"Yeah but you know how she gets sometimes."
"Oh totally. I'm scared for whoever she meets in LA."
Hayden laughed and sighed, "Yeah. I'm scared for whoever tries to pick a fight with her."
"Yep she could always hold her ground." Orpheus smiled remembering her combat lessons when she first arrived at the Haven.
"And that's part of the reason I fell in love with her." The two stood silently for the next few minutes.