10 Minute Tales

Jun 28 - Trickster Deity

He looked around, confused. One moment, he had been walking through a set of ruins; the next, he had found himself in a curious... room. It reached high, farther than the few sconces could illuminate. It was tiled, white squares reaching to the walls and climbing to the ceiling. There were pillars, marble spires supporting whatever roof there was far above him. He looked around, trying to place it. Where was he?

"And you are?" a voice asked him, making him flinch in surprise. The voice was that of a woman but echoed more than the room suggested it would allow.  When he saw the speaker, he was all the more confused. It was a giant of a woman, far taller than he was, but rather beautiful, with a full frame and a mischevious glint in her eye. Her form kept his eyes on her.

"I... I am Belen, sir." he mumbled, eyes dropping.

"You are an archer, are you not?" she asked. He looked up again, surprised. How had she known?

"Y-yes, miss, I am." he nodded. She grinned.

"You should recognise a daughter of Zeus when you see one." she chuckled, 

"O-of Zeus?" he exclaimed, dropping to his knees and lowering himself to the ground. "Forgive me, my lady, I did not know!"

"I'm willing to forgive you this time, your kind doesn't usually listen to me." she pouted briefly, sitting up. "I have a task for you."

"P-please, my lady, speak to me. What do you seek of me?"

"I have detected dissatisfaction in your officer. Am I wrong?" He hesitated.

"He is obeying instructions from above, my lady. As long as I obey also, he will do we-"

"You don't believe a word you just said." she frowned more. "There's no point in lying to me, you know."

"... no, my lady, I am not impressed by him."

"Well, that's convenient. I'm starting to tire of him, he is working against my will."

"What would you have me do, my lady?" he asked, still not gazing upon her body. She grinned; she knew he would obey now.

"In three days time, you will go to battle and fire three arrows. If you do not heed my warning, that shall be the last arrow you fire."

"What... what must I do?"

"On your second arrow, turn around and shoot your leader. Once you have landed the shot, flee."

"Wh-what? My lady, do you mean to say...?"

"Yes. I need for you to murder your superior directly."

"M-my lady, I, I'm confident it need not go to this..."

"Are you defying my will?" she frowned. An ominous rumble echoed far above. He shuddered slightly, gritting his teeth.

"N-no, my lady... I will obey."

"Remember. The first is too soon, the third is too late." she waved her hand dismissively, and his body vanished in a flash of light that spiralled into the ceiling. She smiled again, sparing herself the luxury of a menacing grin. "The fool." she muttered. "It would be his last arrow because the war would end. By being a goddess, he has sworn fealty to the goddess of ruin." she laughed to herself, trapped in her prison as she was. "They shall rue the day they banished Até!"