Ancient Fear (ON HOLD)

Chapter 17 Ancient Death

Two chapters in one day! I figured out how to copy and paste from my google doc to here, I'm so stupid :/ (LOL) ~Hailey and Natalie

Metis' P.O.V

It was nearly completely dark out, but I didn't mind. The gardens were my favorite place to be, especially at night. I slowly walked around marveling at the quiet, today had been a harder day than most. Zeus was enraged by the losing the vote and Hera had not been seen anywhere. My footsteps were light and made no noise, it was very peaceful. SNAP! I froze and my stomach felt like it dropped to the floor. Someone was hurrying into the maze, my eyesight had adjusted to the dim lighting but it was still too dark out to identify who it was. Curiosity got the better of me and I followed the fading figure.

I followed the unknown god deeper and deeper into the maze. Trying not to be seen was the hard part, the figure kept stopping to look around. Finally we reached the very middle of the maze, which was obviously the destination. The figure sat down on the bench next to the fountain of the muse Terpsichore dancing. Staying in the shadows moving slightly closer, I could now see that the figure was actually....a girl.....well a goddess. She must be waiting for someone. Sitting myself in the corner I waited, I am very good at waiting considering I had to sit in a stomach for thousands of years.

A few minutes later another goddess showed up, their faces were still in shadow. I've waited long enough. I got up and walked towards the goddesses who were now talking in hushed whispers. Their backs were turned to me, and the one on the right suddenly jumped up and whipped around facing me a knife already pointed at my neck.

I was not even shocked, I smiled. "Hello Athena, as sharp as ever I see." I glanced past her to look at the other goddess who was actually Persephone. "And Hello Persephone, as much as I love seeing you two I can't help but wonder what you are doing out here at this hour." Persephone was lost for words. "I uh, I mean we. . . were. . . .er. . . .you see we were. . . .um, I mean to say-" Athena looked mildly amused and took over for Persephone "Well you might as well know now that you are here that Hades-" I had not been paying much attention because a disgusting and oddly strange scent had reached me. "Do you smell that?" I asked rather rudely cutting off Athena. "I don't smell anything out of sorts." Athena said slightly miffed at my rudeness. "Hmmm, well that's odd. I'm not sure I can place this scent." I began walking towards the fountain where the smell was coming from.

"Maybe she has enhanced smelling from her time in the stomach." Suggested Persephone. I flinched at my reference inside Zeus's stomach but said nothing. "Maybe." Athena agreed sounding a bit impressed. The smell was stronger now and both Athena and Persephone agreed that they too could now smell it. "It smells like something. . . dead." Athena commented. "How would you know what that smells like?" Persephone asked, "I have been in many wars and killed many people....are you really asking me that?" Athena said a raising her eyebrow. It does smell like that.

Finally on the far side of the fountain I could see the outline of some form floating in the water. "Is there some way we could get some light?" I asked. "Certainly." Replied Persephone and she clapped her hands and a glowing orb of light shone above our heads. It took several moments for us to again adjust to the lighting, but when it did I wished it hadn't. My hand flew over my mouth in horror, Persephone let out a ear-splitting scream, and I heard Athena gasp. Hera was floating dead in the water.

Or what looked like Hera. It was hard to tell she was bloated from being in the water, and her skin was a sickening shade of green, her face was swollen in several areas. The worst part was her neck though, she had been fully decapitated and then her head had been crudely stitched back onto her body before being dumped into the fountain.

"Is she. . . dead?" Asked Persephone in a hoarse whisper.

Athena walked over to the fountain and looked at Hera, and then she turned away. Not giving myself, Persephone, or Hera a second glance; she nodded gravely. "We must go directly to Zeus and tell him everything now. We can no longer keep this to ourselves, Hades must be punished. He has killed a goddess, and the queen of Olympus."