Zeta

Chapter 11 The Fog

     Ruby Andromeda laid awake, her hair sprawled about  the couch as her tired maroon eyes refused to close. . . It wasn't the first time the young girl had battled with insomnia, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.
     It was on nights like these that the maroonette found herself gazing up to the stars from whatever it was she slept on, be it a branch, grass, and often now. . . a bed. This time, it was a uncomfortably springy couch and a mildly warm blanket.
     "Geez, I should've just roomed with Neo. . ." Ruby sighed as she stared up at the plain ceiling, frowning in boredom as the night went on. In her inactivity, her mind began to drift. . .
     It'd been a little over two months since she'd joined the Hestia Faction, a little over one month since she began training with the Goddess herself. Initially, she felt quite special while being trained by a divine being, but in hindsight. . .
     "Ms. Hestia probably helped out everyone, or at least gave them some pointers." Ruby whispered aloud. The Goddess didn't seem like someone who played favorites, she must've helped everyone. "And that would explain why everyone's so strong. . . I still have a lot of catching up to do." The girl mumbled, frowning at the fact that she was probably still the weakest member of Hestia, Pyrrha included, and she wasn't even a fighter. . . It was disheartening to say the least, but she had gotten stronger. It wasn't by much, but it was enough to keep her motivated.
     "I promise you Goddess, I'll be as strong as everyone else one day. . .!"

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     The Goddess Hestia sat idly in a booth of a restaurant, patiently waiting as passerbys were enthralled, captivated by her beauty. Soft footsteps filled their ears, the small gathering making way for another unbelievable sight.
     With confident strides, a second Divine Being entered the small restaurant. Knee high, black winter boots stomped down on the hardwood floor, white winter pants tucked into the silver furred rims of the boots. A pitch black, skin-tight shirt rose from his waist and ended just above his elbows, his thin yet muscular frame on full display. A sky blue, sleeveless vest hung over his shoulders, ending just below his chest. The silver furred edges of the vest rested upon his broad shoulders and the dark skin of his neck. Icy blue hair waved from his head to his shoulders, sharp eyes of the very same blue landing on the soft features of the Goddess Hestia. . .
     The overwhelmingly handsome man took a seat across from her, the stunningly beautiful woman opening her orange eyes to see the God of Winter, Ull IV leaning his dark face upon his palm, a kind smile spread across his lips.
     "Hestia." He greeted with his charming, medium pitched voice.
     "Ull." She replied, awaiting what she knew was coming. . .
     "Will you marry me. . .?" The God of Winter proposed, the Goddess of the Hearth smiling with a girlish giggle.
     ". . . . . Nope." And the ice-haired God let out a sigh as his head drooped, Hestia stifling a laugh as the small crowd awkwardly dispersed.
     "How many proposals has it been now? Fifty-one? Fifty-two-"
     "Sixty-three." The ravennette corrected, Ull's head rising up with a red hue tinting his cheeks.
     "Aw, you kept count!" He cheered happily, the Hearth Goddess rolling her eyes at his antics.
     "You're hopeless."
     "Hopelessly in love, my dear Hestia!"
     "Dear Gaia. . ."
     After a short wait, the waiter arrived at the reserved table with their dinner, the two gods seeming very out of place in such a small and mellow diner. Unknown to most but the owner, they were regulars. . .
     "So. . . This is the what- ninth Divine Gathering you've skipped?" Ull guessed, taking a sip of his iced coffee while meeting his fellow god's gaze.
     "They're a glorified waste of time." Hestia remarked with a sigh, pinning her hair back to keep it clean while she ate.
     "Yeah, I guess I can't say you're wrong." The God replied as he casually twirled a fork between his fingers, lips pursing into a thin line. "You want a rundown?"
     ". . . Can we just enjoy this? It's not often we get time to ourselves." The Goddess requested, her eyes glistening under the chandelier, pleading with her icy friend. As much as he wanted that, to keep the ravennette happy. . . There was something she needed to hear.
     "The Xzeno Cultists are on their last legs. All organized groups are gone, all but two." The God of Winter spoke as softly as he could, but it couldn't stop the Goddess of the Hearth from dropping her utensil onto her plate, a hopeful glint in her eyes. . .
     "Did they find him?! Did they find the Ripper?!" She cried, her normally soothing voice choking in sorrow and desperation.
     ". . . Jack the Ripper and Hades' Servants of the Underworld are still at large." Ull felt his heart break as the Goddess' hope filled eyes were overcome with grief. . . She let out a heavy breath, biting her lip as she held back sobs. . .
     ". . . Damn it!" Her fist nearly hit the table. It would've broken it in two had her icy-haired friend not stopped her.
     "Hestia. . ." His hand glided down her arm and gently enveloped her balled fist, the raven-haired woman feeling her skin warm despite the cold of his hands. The God's fingers slowly curled around her soft skin, his fingers lifting into her palm. . . and he placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand. Hestia IV couldn't stop her tanned cheeks from flushing a bright red. . .
     "Ull. . . Please don't say it-"
     "We will find him. I promise you that." The determination in his eyes wasn't something she could easily bat away, and so. . . she let the thoughts of that man slip away under the caring and loving eyes of Ull IV.
     ". . . Okay."
     ". . ." The first thing that came to mind after a few moments of silence were the ramblings of the Goddess before him about a certain girl with maroon hair. "So. . . Are you going to tell me about your new brat or do I have to fish for the info myself? I do have to know what I'm competing against. . ." Ull smirked as Hestia's eyes began to regain their life.
     "Oh. . . Well. . . Where do I even start with her? Ruby's definitely. . ."
     Ull hated himself for hurting her, but she herself had demanded that he tell her any and everything about the Xzeno Cultists regardless of what she said in the heat of the moment. . . But as she went on, happily telling him all about the newest member to her Faction, the God of Winter couldn't help but feel accomplished at simply bringing back her smile.
     But the guilt remained no matter how happy he felt. . . In the end, he still reminded her of that day.
     April 24th, 2050. . . The day Elizabeth Zeta went missing. . . .