【Greek Mythology】The Last Goddess

Chapter 1【Gave Up】

Chapter 1

"Airlia, have you really decided to live with the mortals?" Zeus asked the Goddess of Wishes. Airlia nodded, hesitating lightly. He sighed as he brought a hand through his flaxen hair. He watched his daughter, Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon, run towards Airlia. Her long snow white hair tumbled behind her as she grabbed Airlia's hands.

"Must you really live with the mortals?" Artemis pleaded. "They have all forgotten us and tossed our stories away. They ceased to believe us and instead believe gods other than us, some even put all of their faith in one man."

Airlia shook her curly black hair. "I can't give up on them just because they have given up on us." She said simply with a weak smile.

"Airlia, you know, even though we are all immortal, without believers we will eventually wither away like a rose in the winter." Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, spoke up. She narrowed her silver orbs to the fellow goddess. "Even you will."

She gulped but already understood. All of the gods and goddesses have been conversing about this for years. Every year, their number of believers were depleting as were their powers. There were no more prayers or offerings to them. By this, they were becoming powerless. All of them have given up on mortals, except for Airlia.

"Why bother with them if they won't care about me?" Ares, God of War, had once said with rage evident in his voice. He had thoughts of wiping out the entire human race but Zeus had commanded him to leave them alone. 

'They will suffer on their own,' Zeus had said to his son. Ares knew it was true but still yearned to see them suffer as soon as possible. He was always snarky, even to his father. 

"I still think this is pointless." Ares added with a scowl. "They're as dumb as ants who can't appreciate who gave them life."

Airlia tried her best to maintain a straight face, as much as she wanted to frown. 

God of War wasn't her favorite but she knew better than to aggravate him. Getting Ares angry would be the end of anyone, even an immortal. Inwardly, she sighed slightly knowing that he would forever loathe the mortals. 

A small gasp escaped her lips when she noticed her small shadow gradually growing longer. Airlia watched the large fiery star beginning to meet the mountains surrounding Mount Olympus. "It is getting late, I must leave now."

Zeus nodded gently. Airlia returned the gesture but included a loud gulp.

"Do you need an escort to the land of the mortals?" Apollo, God of the Sun and Music, asked. She thanked him but refused. It was odd not to hear a flirty compliment from Apollo but even he knew the severity of the situation. 

She looked around Mount Olympus one last time. She saw the twelve thrones, all decorated according to their owners'. Although she did not own a throne of her own, this area will always have a special place in her heart. She walked over to Artemis who was sobbing silently and embraced her one last time.

"I'll be back and I promise I'll have the mortal's faith again." She promised. The Goddess of Wishes knew there was a slim chance she would succeed, but who else would do it? Before leaving Mount Olympus, she said her farewells to her relatives. She teleported away and felt tears slip down on her cheeks.

"Farewell," she whispered softly as she watched the majestic mountain fade away into the clouds.

XXX

Airlia cracked her eyes open. She was relieved to see that she had closed her blinds during the night so that she didn't have to be vulnerable to the blinding sun. She stretched in her bed before she stood up and trudged to the bathroom. She picked up her tooth brush and squeezed some blue minty tooth paste on it.