Ares Long Lost Love

A Mother To Be

Kimiko was pacing back and forth nervously in the doctors office. She had told Ares she had been feeling ill and uneasy for months and that she thought she was pregnant. Ares kept telling her that they should see a doctor to find out but she always said no due to the expense. After weeks of Ares insisting he finally managed to get her to see a doctor. He was sitting in a chair watching her go back and forth with a soft smile on his face. He chuckled grabbing her hand and kissing it gently. "Dear you will pace a hole into the floor... please try and relax."-"How can i possibly relax, i could be a mother!"-"Isn't that what you wanted?"-"More than anything..." She had sunk to her knees laying her head against his knees sighing with a smile on her face. He pet her head gently as she said she wanted a little one to chase around the garden and keep her company as he was out for work. To see a little boy or girl run up to him with joy after he came home. Ares lifted her up and smiled at her cupping her cheeks. "You would be the best mother there is, I am happy to have a child with you." Kimiko was going to speak but the doctor entered the room holding a small chart with a smile upon his face. Kimiko held Ares hand tightly and swallowed hard in anticipation. The doctor came over reading off her test results and then smiled lifting his eyes, the next words were your pregnant and Kimiko gasped holding a hand over her mouth squeezing his hand more. Ares compared it to a python's grip and chuckled at the fact he had to tell her to breathe since she was fanning herself in excitement. Kimiko shot up hugging the doctor and then hugged Ares but paused blushing dark red after realizing how she just behaved. Ares told me it was the most adorable thing he had ever seen. A tiny little Japanese woman spontaneously hugging an elderly doctor and turn bright red like a strawberry. The happy couple returned home and Kimiko kept rubbing her small baby bump talking to the baby as if she were already holding it in her arms. I hummed listening to Ares tell me about how Kimiko wanted to build an addition to the cottage but since they lived a frugal lifestyle she wasn't sure how they would manage to afford it. Ares had suggested asking the minamoto clan seeing as they would be honored to do such a thing for his child, but Kimiko didn't want warriors trampling her flowers. She wanted actual builders to construct the addition, Ares had told me Kimiko had gone into a silent trance of thought that made him uneasy. From the moment they entered the house during the course of dinner she hadn't said a single word. Ares chuckled telling me about how he had drifted so far into his own thoughts listening to the different prayers flowing in that when Kimiko finally spoke it startled him. Kimiko had apologized for scaring him but Ares pet her hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "You are fine darling i was listening to prayers, what were you saying?"-"I said i finally decided..."-"On what?"-"The next place you go....can you take something of value that we could use as payment?"-"You mean gold or jewels?"-"yes...." Ares smiled at me seeing as she had acted shy in this request, it was the first time she ever asked him to bring back a valuable trophy from his travels and it was for the sole purpose of creating a childs room. I smiled fondly at the thought and couldnt help but wonder if Kimiko had been silent due to having an internal battle with herself about asking for such a thing in the first place. "She was so simple in nature and frugal at heart that the idea of having expensive items was unnerving for her... but with a new bundle of joy on the way she saw a need for having this quick income."-"wait, so she didn't work?"-"Of course not, women didn't usually work and receive payment. We paid for things with the coins i earned from travels. Remember i had plenty of gold up in my olympic home that could have sustained us but she didn't want to use any of it."-"Probably because she wanted to see it earned." Ares nodded telling me that was exactly her reasoning, if she wanted he could have made her the richest woman in all of Japan. Instead she wanted the simple life of a gardener and housewife dreaming about exciting travel and listening to the stories of his work. It had been a few days but Ares had found a prayer in assisting a war effort in Spain. It was while Kimiko tended to the flowers and Ares followed behind her handing her different tools. They had bought some iron tools for her and Kimiko adored her new garden tools. Kimiko lifted herself up holding her little bump and Ares stopped staring off to the distance. Kimiko had turned looking at him and a small frown fell upon her face. "Is it work..."-"It is, a war is breaking out in spain."-"please be safe my darling..." Ares smiled kissing her lips lovingly and gently brushed her cheek. "I always am, I'll try to be home soon." Ares set the tools down giving Kimiko one last kiss before leaving her alone. When he had arrived in Spain there were people rioting left and right. Men grabbed at women dragging them to corners and alleyways as they screamed in resistance. Others were beating and stabbing others while they shouted curses. Ares walked along the streets humming to himself slightly trying to find the leader of the Almohad army. I blinked tilting my head and he told me that we would know of it as the Battle of Alarcos. I still didn't know but it must be something in spanish history. He told me about how he fought alongside them helping to assert themselves in claiming the south of Iberia. He told me about how he once saw a man get torn apart slowly by men tugging at ropes in contrast to the quartering exhibited in other countries, to him this was more torturous because the death occurred slower since the men pulled slowly to prolong the torture. Some were even strapped to an iron chair and dragged by horses through the street their skulls being bashed and crushed. Blood stained the streets of many women were slain in the conquest of war. Ares did his best to defend the children left behind by the wave of death and never raised his sword to those who were innocent. He told me that the battle lasted for quite some time, in fact he was gone for almost a month again trying to help them. Once the battle was one they showered him in gold coins and jewels, instead of denying them as usual he bowed in respect taking his trophies and returning to his beautiful wife. I waited to hear him continue the story but no sound was heard, i looked up and saw that he was staring at his glass... he looked angry. "Ares?"-"It was the first time the goddess approached her...." I blinked in surprise. He told me how he came down the path and heard voices inside. When he entered he recognized her as the goddess helping the opposing clan of the minamoto. Kimiko smiled softly and came over gently kissing Ares on the cheek. "Ares, we are truly blessed!"-"Really... and why is that my blossom?"-"This is a river goddess, she says she lives in our river and that my garden is her favorite view of all Japan!" Kumari had stood up and smiled kindly at him, but ares told me something evil lingered behind the smile. She bowed to him saying softly. "It is an honor to have the great Hachiman and his wife live beside my river, and to grace its presence with such beautiful flowers. I am the one who feels blessed."-"I knew the waters were healing, and it was all because of Kumari... Our little one will be the luckiest child in all the world." Ares nodded in agreement holding Kimiko to his side. Her stomach protruding greatly due to her being in the sixth month of her pregnancy. He smiled though remembering the treasures and held the small bag to her. "Speaking of blessings, I have the tribute from the soldiers. I think this will afford us a nice little room." Kimiko nodded in agreement and quickly bowed to Kumari as she left to go ask her neighbors to construct the room for her with the help of other workers. Kumari sat in her seat once more and stared at Ares, ares had taken a seat opposite of her and tapped his fingers lightly. "It is strange, usually you earth bound gods don't interfere with the mortals."-"Well just like you upper gods, we too can form relationships with the mortals."-"Ah... so you have a love of your own along this river?"-"I did once.... he died in a war. He challenged someone he shouldn't have."-"Hmm, my condolences then. I wonder if i heard his prayers."-"I doubt it... he didn't pray to any god or goddess but me." Ares raised a brow in disbelief, to him it was very unusual that a soldier of war would not pray to a deity of war. Even if he didn't show up personally he always gave a blessing upon each of his worshippers. He scratched his neck before kindly asking Kumari to leave their home and she agreed leaving him with a blessing. I tapped my pen on my pad and looked up slightly. He was still clenching the glass in his hand. "Ares... did Kumari ever show up again?" Ares sipped the last of his drink and set the glass down sighing. His hand brushed over his face and i felt my eyes widen as i noticed something i should have noticed long ago... he still wore his wedding ring. I felt tears well in my eyes, even after 800 years he still wore his wedding ring. Ares looked at me and then at his finger. "I never take it off. As for Kumari she is of no importance any more...I had poseidon cast her to the deepest depths of his seas. She will never be able to escape her dungeon."-"Good... i suppose she deserves it."-"It is the only punishment available to a god, in another 200 years she will lose her abilities and die."-"what?"-"Since she was a worshipped deity that killed a mortal by manipulating another we can't directly account her for the death of Kimiko... but upon special request of my loss Zeus agreed to imprisonment for 1000 years and then death."-"But... what about her river?"-"There are plenty more water goddesses in Japan, and in todays modern era we are not worshipped as much as we once were. The Christians worship one powerful god, while we all answer the prayers of them in accordance to their wish. We still have not heard people refer to us in prayer by our origin names on a daily basis as we did during the formation of this world." I wanted to learn more... but i wanted to know more about kimiko most. I cleared my throat and urged him to continue with his tale and i could see the sadness filling his eyes.