Perseus the Hunter

Chapter 5

The three hunters flashed into the throne room of the gods, waiting patiently for the rest of the gods to arrive. Artemis grew to her godly height and sat on her throne, Thalia stood by her feet. Kynigós simply stood in the middle of the throne room, fighting the overwhelming urge to sit at the hearth with his sister. He stood like a statue, flying under the radar of many of the gods as they wondered why they had been summoned. 

"Sis, what's this about?" Apollo sighed, sure they hadn't held many meetings recently but he was still extremely bored by them all. Dionysus simply snored away on his chair with a magazine draped across his face.

Athena was the first to notice the stranger in the room. Pointing him out to the rest of the gods. 

"Who is this, Artemis?" 

"This is Kynigós." 

"Why is he not bound in chains?" Zeus hollered, thunder rumbling across the marble. This made Kynigós clench his fists in anger, silently wishing his patrons would permit him to kill the King of the gods. Two others growled at this statement, however, none of the gods could decipher which two.  

"He is a peaceful entity..." Artemis started to explain. 

"Why does he not speak for himself? Are you scared Boy?" Zeus almost smirked at the thought of scaring the stranger. They waited in silence for the Hunter to speak, no one moved. 

"He can't." Artemis's words broke the silence and shocked the gods. 

"What?" Athena puzzled. 

"He took a vow of silence. If you'd let me finish, father, I would have told you his story by now!" Artemis almost shouted at Zeus, which made the smirk disappear from his face.  

"How do we know he won't turn against us?" Zeus was so judgemental. He literally just met Kynigós and was already climbing up his kill list rapidly. No one could tell but there was a flash of anger in his eyes underneath his hood, mirrored in the kind eyes of the two goddesses that called him family. 

"What is his true identity?" Athena asked.

"Take down the hood boy!" Shouted Ares. He had shrunk down to human height, brandishing his spear menacingly. Advancing toward Kynigós. He still did not move, hands clenched at his sides as he felt the movements of the war god through the air. Predicting his next movement before the god himself knew. As he got within a few meters of Kynigós there was a flash and two goddesses stood between Ares and the hunter. One of them brandishing a terrifying spear, the other holding a deadly three-foot sword. Both of them glared at the god of war who stopped dead in his tracks. Surprised at the actions of the two supposedly harmless goddesses. 

"What is this!" Ares shouted again, echoed by Zeus. 

"Hestia? Aphrodite?" They both growled under their breath. Aphrodite glared at her former lover, holding her spear expertly, ready for a fight. Hestia had flames dancing around her legs, both dressed in black and ready to kill.

"What the Hades is going on here?" Artemis seemed to put two and two together as Athena questioned the two goddesses. 

Two hands made their way onto the goddesses shoulders, seeming to calm them down enough for them to answer the relentless questions. They visibly relaxed at Kynigós's touch, yet still grasped their weapons tightly. 

"No one threatens our guardian and lives to tell about it." Hestia's voice was deep and deadly calm, holding a thousand threats to her family. 

"No one!" Aphrodite growled out. This shocked the gods more as they saw the two so full of anger. None had ever seen this side of Aphrodite or Hestia. 

"What?!" Ares exclaimed 

'Please' They both lowered their weapons further and turned toward Kynigós, hugging him tightly. 

"I'm sorry." 

"Okay." They both sighed defeatedly. 

"How are you family?" Artemis questioned still not quite over the shock of seeing her peaceful aunties like this. "Wouldn't that make you related to us as well?" This caused the goddesses to snap their heads up at Artemis. Their glares were slightly softer than the ones they gave Ares but still sent her sinking back in her chair. 

"He is our brother, not by blood, but by everything other."

"He is and always has been loyal to Olympus" 

"No matter what has happened to him."

"Through all the loss he suffered." Hestia and Aphrodite seemed to finish each other's sentences as though they were twins. Kynigós had brought the two closer over the years. They were inseparable and almost had one mind when it came to Kynigós. 

"He has wondered the earth undiscovered for over thirteen years,"

"If he were to have a vendetta against Olympus,"

"Would he not have already started a war?"

"Instead we send him on missions to protect your children,"

"And safely deliver them to the residence of their heritage or choosing."

"So don't you dare question his loyalty,"

"Or we will set him upon you." They both clenched their weapons at the end of their speech.

The gods had listened patiently to the goddesses' speech. Some, most specifically Apollo, had their jaws to the floor. Thalia was so shocked she almost fainted. Artemis was both wary and impressed with the strange man, he had earned the respect of her favourite family members. She was shocked at how viciously they had defended the mute. 

"What?!" Ares was still clutching his spear, angry at the fact his 'lover' was stood there glaring at him. What had he done to her? Last he had checked things were going great with the two of them, she was about to leave Hephaestus. Or at least he thought she was. Was any of it real? Did she even like him back? Let alone love him. He felt something break deep inside and he knew it was his heart. 

Aphrodite gasped when she heard it, turning her attention back to Ares. 

"You loved me?" She let her spear drop to her side as she took a few steps toward him. 

"Was any of it real?" His voice was soft, weak, small. This was the side of him that most didn't get to see. 

"Yes, I loved you Ares, but..." she trailed off seeing the pained expression on her Husband's face. Ares nodded.

"But you love him more." The words pained him to speak aloud. He knew it was true, it wouldn't work between them, not properly anyway. He cleared his throat, put on his violent mask and continued with his advance toward the stranger. 

"I still don't trust him." His face contorted into one of anger, raising his spear once again. Rebuilding the walls around his heart and vowing to never let anyone see him so vulnerable again. 

Kynigós stepped forward, moving the two goddesses aside slightly. The cloaked hunter stood before the god of war and placed a hand on his spear. Being blessed by the goddess of love, he also heard the break of his heart. He moved the spear toward the ground. Ares reluctantly let the stranger toward him, realising he meant no harm. Dropping his head as Kynigós placed a hand on his shoulder. Flames erupted around the two males and they disappeared from Olympus.