Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 11:33:24 -0500 From: J Bark Subject: A greek Story / Hestia's Hearth Rage broke through me as I realized what the attack had meant. The gods were allying against us, and we had only one thing to do about it. As we sat staring at each other, I lunged forward and began to kiss Solon, as passionately as I could pretend through the anger. My lips moved to his neck, as his initial shock subsided and he relaxed. His hands found my back and massaged their way through the stress. There was a giggle from the hearth, which we were lying next to. We broke apart and gawked at the new addition to our home. People needed to learn to stop interrupting us, this was the second time that we were in the middle of trying to fulfill the prophesy. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." A woman said. She was clearly a goddess, for she made no sound when she had arrived. She was short and plump, and had a broad caring smile across her face. I jumped and brandished a knife from my hip belt. "You aren't the first person to try and stop us, and you will fair just as well as the last two." I said toughly. She looked between my armed self and Solon's lust and anger filled gaze. She chuckled "By all means I don't want to stop you; I just want to make sure you get it right." She smiled and stood with what seemed like an ease unrelated to her size. She turned and snapped her chubby fingers letting a warm fire jump to life in the pit of the hearth. "How about some soup?" She took two bowls from a shelf and blew over them as if steam were billowing from them. When she stopped her blowing, steam rose from the bowl, curling away from a broth that looked scrumptious. I accepted a bowl from her and sat down in front of her, my rage draining with the warmth of the fire. As I sipped the soup a new feeling washed over me, it was comfort, comfort in my skin, my surrounding, comfort in my emotions. "Forgive me; I'm not sure I know which goddess you are?" Solon said hesitantly, also smiling as he sipped his soup. "That is not a surprise I am not as widely popular as my brethren and sisters. My name is Hestia, the Goddess of the Home and Hearth. My powers are limited but I can do things with what they gave me that they never thought. For instance this fire, as long as it burn, you will be shielded from both magical and physical sight inside this house." She waved her hand toward the fire. I smiled, this was a good thing, and we wouldn't be bothered unless we left the house now. I saw in my head how this could cause a problem, the gods would begin to attack the city, but I didn't care...the soup was abating any fear and worry. "Why did you stop us from..." Solon blushed "...consummating." He said with a strong feign of indifference. She chuckled in her hearty laugh again. "I stopped you because Prophesies are things meant to be taken literally. When Apollo said that you had to 'consummate your love', the fates meant just that. If you were to let's say consummate in anger, then the power will consume you. It will be turned against, you must consummate in pure love." She giggled. I looked to my right to see Solon's cheeks were as red as mine felt. She had saved us and at least in my head, I began to realize how out of sort we were with all of this. We could sound as brave as we wanted to, and act it just as well, but in the sense we are just as ignorant of this. "If you ever you need me call on the hearth." With that she chuckled and vanished in a soft glow. The fire crackled behind where she had just been sitting. "Have you realized exactly how fast these gods come and go? Even the ones we have fought have left as quickly as we can get their names." Solon said as he gazed at me. "I'm sorry." I closed my eyes. "It was me, I was angry...I just wanted to kill them." "I was angry too..." We finished the soup we were drinking and moved to working. I began to train him in basic defense maneuvers, for his protection. Standing he used his powers to summon his metallic spheres, summoning three of them he kept them alive over his hand. "Now I want you to dodge these using those only if you need to." He grinned at me as I said this. I threw a spear at him and he moved quickly to one side and let the spear fly by him. He was grinning as my sword was at his throat. "You can't get cocky; you can't drop your guard." He didn't even drop his smile. "Who says I've dropped my guard?" as I turned my head I realized that the spear I had thrown was floating inches away from my head, ready to pierce me at his command. "I have powers that are a part of me, as much as fighting is a part of you and I can call them to my defense just as much as I can call them to my offense." With the speed of my agility and the skill of my accuracy I reached out and grabbed the spear twirling it so I now head both the spear and sword at his throat. Laughing I grinned at him. "As do I..." I released him and walked backward. Turning quickly I hurled my spear at him again; luckily it was blunted because it looked like it was going to hit him. With a surprise to me he was ready and he twitched a finger gently and a sphere flew from his hands and collided with the spear head on. The ball traveled through the spear, shattering it as he did. The spear lay in pieces on the ground as we both beamed at each other. "We will be ready." He said. For the first time in the entire time we had spent together lust was not what filled our eyes. Each step we took slowly toward each other emotion flooded the room. Lust turned to Desire, Desire turned to passion, and Passion turned to love as our lips embraced. Our kiss sparked, electricity surging through our bodies. We dropped to our knees still embracing as our kiss flooded the room with something thicker then emotion. I loved him in that moment and his love matched mine. Light began to emanate from us, but we had no time for more gods or goddesses. I had eyes and heart for the Athenian that I had come to love. An Athenian healer boy-man and a Spartan warrior boy-man, together in heart, and mission against the gods...how's that for an interesting Greek society? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you for reading this latest chapter of A Greek Story. Please visit my new and improved website. www.niftyscrypt.webs.com And for those who like to send comments...I love them...so please email me at. Jbark217@gmail.com