The Daughter Of Night

Chapter Fifty-Four - The Ascension of Ariadne

Chapter Fifty-Four - The Ascension of Aridane
Posted: Monday 7th October 2024

Ariadne
"What are you doing here?" I demanded of the two gods. "I specifically told Hades not to let you see me!"

"Nyx is dead," Caius said.

"What? You can't kill a primordial," I scoffed.

"Our son can," Apollo insisted, "us gods can only hope to subdue them, Oronus was cut into pieces by the Titans but his essence remains, Gaia was lulled black to sleep but her essence remains. Nyx was blasted out of existence, she is gone. Caius drew the very essence which made her immortal out of her and bottled it. The balance of the world is currently in jeopardy, there is no night."

I looked between my son and my husband, "That can't happen, that doesn't just-"

"The Olympian gods are in the position of bestowing the title," Apollo said, "This has never happened before, we didn't know it was possible, but there must be a primordial of the night to maintain the balance."

"What does that have to do with me?" I demanded, "I'm dead."

"Dead people can still be gods," Apollo insisted, "look at Heracles."

"You, you want me to be the goddess of night?" I was completely in shock, not understanding Apollo's train of thought, "Zeus will never allow it."

"Zeus has already agreed," Caius said, "He saw the wisdom in the decision."

"What wisdom?" I demanded, "Zeus hates me?"

"Zeus hates the prophecy," Apollo offered, "he hated what you might have created. Caius here 'Could kill even Zeus' but he hasn't, instead he killed Nyx and thwarted her plans to overtake Olympus. Zeus knows that you have ties to Olympus, and you're unlikely to betray your own husband and son. You sacrificed yourself to stop Nyx You are of Nyx's bloodline, you were her chosen champion, you are the best choice to inherit the title."

"What if I say no." I blurted out. I was not comfortable with the idea of taking over from Nyx. She was everything I had ever loathed and everything I never wanted to become.

"Why would you say no?" Apollo looked slightly dejected, he seemingly had expected me to be over the moon about the offer.

"Caius, can I speak to your father alone for a moment?" I asked. Caius eyed us but nodded and stepped away. I grabbed Apollo by the arm, slightly surprised that I had taken on a more solid form, and dragged him out onto the nearby balcony, which overlooked the fields of Asphodel.

When we were outside I turned back to Apollo, "I can't- no I won't become her. I'd rather stay dead than become like Nyx. How would it even work?"

Apollo's eyes filled with understanding, "Ri, that's what you're worried about? That's what's holding you back? You could never be like Nyx."

"How would it work Apollo? How would I just become the goddess of Nyx, gods cannot create gods more powerful than themselves, you told me that." I analysed his face closely and I could tell that this was a question he had hoped I would not ask, which meant I would not like the answer.

"Like I said, Caius drew her essence out and bottled it." Apollo said, apprehension evident in his voice.

A horrible realisation dawned on me, "you want me to drink it?"

Apollo didn't say anything, but wouldn't meet my gaze, which was the only answer I needed.

"No, absolutely not. I am not drinking Nyx's essence, the thing that made her who she was- You cannot have me drink that and not be worried about what it will do to me. How do you know that it won't change me into her, I am half her after all."