The Last Ballad of Olympus: The Waltz of the Vulture and Owl

A Qualm Thought

Dark skies turned blue, permitting a passage for a new day.

It has been so many suns and harvest is almost over. Bounties and other necessities were now at their conclusion before their exodus began.

Though her heart might be hollow darkness with only little glints beating for her gain, Eris smiled—somewhat at ease to finally be out from the repetitive scenery of the megaron.

"The moon is finished with her phases. Another season is on its way. I am glad to be soon out of this cage and monotony." Eris stated, not even looking at Enyo who just entered her suite.

"A jolly event," Enyo remarked with a clear dread. "Such bright occasion behind the shenanigans of the god of war."

Eris finally turned around and looked at her. She said no salutations but only with a brow raised in wonderment. "And you invite yourself here because?"

"Are you my ally?" The goddess of bloodshed calmly questioned.

"In what certainty? We may be in arms with the plans on tumbling Olympus down but I do not know in what aspect you mean of me being your ally?"

Enyo ceased for a moment, unknowingly fidgeting her fingers as nails scratched the little skins that slowly drew a little blood. She deeply breathed and followed with a plain sentence, saying, "Did you know that Ares permitted Athena to go beyond the walls of the megaron? Have you also heard of such a friendly exchange between those two?"

"How sad—" Eris mocked, giggling before the petrified Enyo. "I never knew you wanted so much to be the silver-eyed woman's dog. What is next, perhaps you also want to report on how she is willing now to strip for Ares?"

"That is the point, Eris!" Enyo exclaimed. "I do not know where your feet dragged you these past days but murmurs spread of Ares and Athena's civility towards each other. Does this not bring any alarm to you?"

Eris looked at her, eyeing from head to foot with puzzlement and surprisingly, a placidness in her disposition. "A bold move you did to speak of me of the rumours and question me prior if am I your ally." Sitting in a chair, she leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and drained out the nuisance in the ambience. "Your envy is eating you and it reeks out."

"Athena is slowly gaining more and more." Enyo reminded sternly as she walked towards a seat opposite Eris's

"Ha! There is nothing new with that, Enyo." The goddess of discord then opened her eyes and regained her snarky stance. "Athena has always been a threat. The moment she stepped onto the farm, there was an instant enchantment—everyone was in awe of her presence even though they all knew of her tragedy. If she is raised back on a pedestal it is because she is still favored. Have you not noticed that no matter how hard we try to bury her ten feet under, she still managed to climb out from the dirt?"

Enyo snickered and then laughed at her. "Why are you easily accepting defeat, dear goddess?"

"Oh, it is not because I accept defeat. I said those things because it is the truth."

"Well, perhaps you did not consider that Ares is behind her rise?"

Left only with silence as Eris closed her eyes again, Enyo fell back in time and reminisced the moment she snuck behind the deep shadows of the tall trees on that one sweltering warm afternoon.

However, instead of witnessing a grand unison of irritated remarks, there was laughter and singing among the workers. Some men took out their instruments and most women sang songs that told tales of long-gone people who broke their backs in flourishing a civilisation. There were also children playing along the grounds. The scene was a surprise since such glee was rare under Ares's command.