***Selene***
The mortal kingdom upon Mother Gaia’s beautiful planet never ceases to amaze me. How many times have I watched the humans, young and old, congregate under the night sky with the desire for new discoveries? The diamonds in their eyes shined as bright as the diamonds instilled in the night sky, shielding the mysteries that laid beyond the naked eye. A world that many of them will never reach in their lifetime was just a gaze away through their unique technologies and their plethoric records about the mysterious cosmos.
I believe they’ve coined the term stargazing.
However, the mortal eye was limited. Some discoveries of the universe weren’t meant for their minds, human and supernatural alike. Through their fantastical stories of the world above and the world below, the beings of the earth have grown accustomed to the idea of life after death. Time was but a temporary occurrence, minus for the immortals. If their stories had a smidgen of truth, they would have some inkling of what truly laid past the firmament.
But there was a reason their stories could only stretch so far.
There was a world beyond the heavens, but knowledge of its existence belonged to the gods. We each have our individual realms to rule over, but on rare occasions, do we all amass in one dimension to conversate. The world beyond the beyond.
Alas, I couldn’t say I was excited about this meeting.
My footsteps echoed loud under the translucent bridge connecting to the aether. Thick clouds shielded my view of the world below, but they neglected a few spots, granting me the view of humankind. Lights of all shapes and colors glittered and flickered as minuscule dots running to and forth every which way. So insignificant to a few, but beautiful to me.
A sharp gust of wind whipped past my exposed arms, whirling around me like a disturbed bee before rushing ahead of me. Does it appear Aeolus is of attendance at the holy meeting or was it his brother god, Vayu?
The divine summit opened in my view; a fortified acropolis nestled above the heavens, but below the cosmos. My ears picked up muffled chatter from within the gates while the immense aura of the many gods in attendance consumed my spirit. The babble heightened and lowered in pitch, filled with hints of anger and astonishment. But there was one voice that stood out from the rest.
And now, I’m annoyed.
“Fantastic. The drunkard is in attendance.” I muttered, rolling my eyes. Walking up to the stone doors separated by Corinthian pillars, white light shone through the cracks and gaps before they eased open, allowing me to amble through. The telltale aroma of mead and golden elixir tickled my nostrils as I walked through the elongated halls, with celestial energy billowing through the crevices of the floor as colorless smoke. I passed by hallway after hallway, eyes trained on the large door in front of me that led to the main assembly hall.
“Selene!”
I turned around to see Hekate emerging from one of the many corridors. Her long, coal hair flowed with her steps, giving off the illusion of her floating as her deep crimson dress swayed with her sashays. She adjusted her triple-moon crown as she came to my side.
“Hekate.” I smiled in greeting. “Fancy seeing you here. You aren’t one to attend these meetings.”
“I am afraid that I have no choice in the matter,” Hekate replied. “It is quite unfair that Hades can skip these assemblies, but my attendance is required. The poor sap prefers to not be anywhere, with Persephone in attendance. He’d be too tempted to whisk her away back to his kingdom, risking an endless winter in the mortal kingdom from Demeter.”
“Couldn’t we have this gathering on Mount Olympus?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “What is so urgent that it required our brother and sister gods to be in attendance as well? Who called this meeting?”
“Lord Ra did.”
My eyes widened when Hekate walked ahead of me toward the assembly hall doors. The urgency wasn’t enough to describe the situation if Ra made the trek from his kingdom to assemble us. I caught up to my sister goddess once the shock subsided, nudging the doors open to be blinded by the celestial light of our realm shining upon a large gathering table with about three-quarters of the seats filled with the bodies of different gods across all pantheons.
I spotted my brother gods, Chandra and Iah, sitting on the far corner of the table while Dionysus offered himself another helping of mead. The fool couldn’t sit straight in his seat! Praise be to Oshun, who settled the holy liquor beside her so the grape-harvester couldn’t give himself a second helping. Or fifth.
Brigid, Athena, Ira, and several others hailed from all corners of the world were in attendance as well. I doubt there will be a gathering of every god and goddess unless our livelihoods were at stake like with Chronos many eons ago.
Our stories were passed down through the humans from one generation to the next. How would the human mind handle the prospect of their folklore holding true, I wonder?
“The goddess of the hour has arrived!” Dionysus bellowed, his golden eyes landing on me. “You aren’t one to be late, Lady Selene.”
“You lose track of time whenever your mind is intoxicated, Dionysus,” I replied, taking a seat between Hekate on my left and Amphitrite on my right, being cautious to not bump against her golden trident. “Care to fill me in, if you can handle it?”
“The balance of the world has tipped.” He slurred, somehow regaining his sense of regality. “And since Lord Ra was the one to call this meeting…”
My heart crept its way into my throat, seizing my speech. A terrible chill gripped at my spine as I recalled the events three human years ago, but before I could speak, the doors from beside the gathering table were nudged open and Ra walked through, his large form nestling in his chair with his mighty falcon fluttering down on the bronzed table beside his hands.
“Thank you all for arriving.” His deep voice resounded through the assembly hall. “At any other time, it would be a joyous celebration for us to be together, but I’m afraid this matter concerns all of you. I’m afraid it may bleed into the mortal kingdom if we do not act now.”
“What is of concern, Lord Ra?” Athena asked.
“Apophis is missing from Mountain Bakhu.”
Gasps and growls of dismay erupted from the table from the news. I sensed Lord Ra’s apprehension from the distance. Something like this has never happened before, but it begs the question of how did that gargantuan snake escape his prison? I hid my hands beneath the table and gripped at my dress, dread hitting my body like an asteroid. However, a cool but comforting hand rested on top of my own. I looked to see Hekate offering me a soft smile. Amphitrite repeated the action on my right.
They knew why I felt nervous. It was unbecoming of me to show my fear, but this was beyond a concerning matter.
“How does that happen?” Ira asked the golden question we’ve all been wondering. “Wouldn’t Osiris or Anubis have sensed of disappearance before you did?”
“They were the ones who informed me,” Ra answered. “Most of you have noticed the increase in earthquakes on Mother Gaia’s earth, have you not?” We all fell silent. “I thought so. The balance of our worlds has indeed teetered in the wrong direction, but none of you cannot deny that this can and will affect our realms and the order of fate.”
“A spirit of malevolent evil cannot go unchecked,” Brigid muttered, curling her finger under her chin in deep thought. “You know the monster better than we do, Lord Ra. How do you believe this happened? Surely, the humans couldn’t have had a hand in this, would they?”
“Unfortunately, more and more humans are turning to the side of darkness and evil. However, I do not think they’re powerful enough to break the serpent out of his prison. Not even his demons could. He still lurks in the underworld, so he has not fully escaped. However, I’m afraid to believe that another god could be responsible for this madness.”
“Are you suspecting a traitor among us?” Oshun pondered.
“It is but a speculation, but it is possible. Or he somehow escaped under his power, which is unlikely, but Apophis is not to be underestimated.”
“Perhaps, the serpent was motivated by an external factor.” Dionysus tapped his cheek with an irritating smirk resting on his lips. “He lost his avatar, did he not?”
“Three human years ago,” Amphitrite added with a huff. “What relevance does that have now?”
“If a certain someone killed off my only connection to the mortal kingdom, I’d be furious too.” The wine god grinned. He turned his attention to me, burning his eyes into mine. “Isn’t that right, Selene? Your avatar murdered his.”
Every bone in my body demanded I punish Dionysus for his insolence. I gritted my teeth, casting a glare in his direction while the other gods waited for my response. “According to the law of divinity, Apophis must lie below the horizon and cannot persist in the mortal realm beyond Mountain Bakhu. His avatar was his only tangible link to the human empire, and it was through him he wreaked havoc. For the evil to not persist, my avatar killed him because there was no way Apophis would relinquish his hold on him. My sacred child did the right thing, and you are a fool to think otherwise!”
“Every decision comes with a consequence. Can you confidently sit there and say that your avatar’s decision could’ve sparked fury in Apophis? And now, he is missing from his prison!” Dionysus crossed his arms and folded one leg over the other. “We are at risk too, dearest Selene.”
“A rise in earthquakes in the mortal kingdom is not a good sign,” Hekate interjected, folding her arms in her lap. “The serpent lurks underneath the surface and he is angry and hungry. While I agree that killing his avatar ensured the safety of ours and the human kingdom alike, it is unjust to believe that not killing him would’ve prevented this.”
“All I’m implying is to look at this situation from a different perspective. I’m, in no way, condoning what that dark avatar had done, but we cannot ignore the ageless effects of his death! An avatar killing another is synonymous with one of us killing the other.”
“Osiris, the lord that avatar bastardized the name from, is in charge of the underworld along with his brother God, Hades,” Ra added, diffusing the growing tension in the air. “While the disturbances in the underworld have increased, his avatar’s soul has been kept out of reach so he doesn’t decide to resurrect him; not that he could.”
Athena took off her helmet and set it on the table, shaking out her russet hair. “As long as he remains in that realm, there is no need to worry. But I agree the lords must check up on him to see that he doesn’t **attempt** to leave the realm. I do not wish to think of what can occur if he does get a chance to encroach into the mortal kingdom.”
“We’ve agreed that Apophis out of his mountain is a threat to us all. Chaos will happen sooner, rather than later. But, if he escapes to Mother Gaia’s green earth, the one responsible for his link’s death should be the one to defeat him.”
“How dare you suggest such a thing, Dionysus!” I shouted, rising out of my seat. “Never! I refuse to pit my sacred child against that mad god! He will kill her!”
“That could be the only way to appease him, is it not? She got us into this mess and let us not forget your nasty habit of pussyfooting around death. Four of your wolves, including her, have come back to life after meeting with death. Must we continue to bend the laws of nature to our benefit?”
“As if you’re the one to talk.” Vayu chortled in his seat, leaning back against the spine like he was enjoying the altercation. “None of us are strangers to bending the laws of divinity by a slight margin. We invented those laws to keep order between our worlds.”
“Let us not forget you’ve brought back yours after he was savagely murdered, or how Brigid brought theirs back to keep peace with the fae. Hypocrisy is not a good look for you, Dionysus.” Amphitrite snarled.
“Enough!” Lord Ra instantly silenced our banter, heaving a deep sigh. “This is not what I wanted when I gathered you all here. I’m extending a warning to you all. There is no telling what Apophis might do or what are his next steps. I implore you all to keep extra guard in your realms and watch over your avatars if you have them. We cannot interfere with their affairs, but it helps to know that our sacred children are safe.”
“I agree,” Oshun spoke, who was quiet the entire time. “Apophis cannot attack our children nor the creatures of the earth as we’re barred from entering their world. That same rule applies to him as well. Let us not quarrel amongst each other and focus on the task at hand.”
We are safe, for now.
I lowered myself back in my seat and forced myself to sit through the rest of the assembly. Every agonizing minute that passed added to my heartache. I do not doubt Lord Ra or any of his fellow deities about Apophis’ disappearance, but Dionysus had some correct points.
What if it is revenge Apophis is seeking? That beast cannot be reasoned with. However, it has been three years, so what was different about this time?
I didn’t want to think of my avatar falling into danger once again, but that was the hope I don’t have the luxury of affording. Chaos followed peace. Chaos wanted to dismantle and destroy for its benefit. This danger is much worse than Asir.
Apophis is more than a menace. He is immortal evil incarnate. He would crush her.
After Ra adjourned the gathering, I power-walked out of the holy acropolis onto the translucent bridges. I couldn’t stand being in that suffocating room anymore! However, as I was walking my path back to my realm, two pairs of footsteps followed me. Sighing, I rubbed my face before adjusting my moon circlet that tightened around my forehead.
“Hekate. Amphitrite. What is your concern?” I asked, turning to face my fellow goddesses. Their faces fell into soft worry as they stepped closer to me.
“Dionysus is an asshole, so do not take his accusations to heart.” My eyes widened at Amphitrite’s choice of language. She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’ve been watching Violetta for too long and I’ve picked up on her word choices. I admit I like it.”
“Of course, you would.” Hekate scoffed with a headshake. “Anyway, Selene, our avatars were there at Asir’s death, including Ra’s. If Apophis manages to go after her, you know our children will step up and help her.”
“I’m aware, and I’m incredibly grateful. Those women have developed a powerful bond over the years.” I smiled warmly, but it fell to a frown when reminded of the situation. “I won’t forgive myself if anything were to happen to them.”
“Your child did the right thing. There is no shame in that.” Hekate pressed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing to reassure me. “Do not fret over this. Allow time to let us see what may or may not happen. Our children have the tools to ensure their victory, including yours.”
“We will tread with caution and keep an eye on any abnormalities tied to Apophis. Keep faith that your child will be alright, Selene. You look like a worried mother.”
“I am a worried mother.” I chuckled, sighing out the bubbling anxiety from my belly. My sister goddesses were right; we mustn’t carry the burden of worry when we don’t know what the future may hold. My heart can rest in peace knowing that Hekate and Amphitrite were on my side. Their children aided mine in many battles, keeping each other safe. Their relationship reflected ours, and I couldn’t be any happier.
I returned to my realm without haste, relishing in the burst of cool when I sat on my stone bench—the one Kiya and I spoke on eight years ago. Faint chatter echoed from the gates of my heaven, from the constituents within, happy and thriving in peace with their wolves. True tranquility was scarce for my creatures, for the mortal kingdom was riddled with conflict. However, I refuse for a mad serpent god to be one of them. I’ll protect my world. I’ll protect my sacred child to the best of my ability.
Kiya was much too important to me, even though she was stronger than anyone thought she could be.
I whistled a small melody into the air and watched the ground beside my feet opened a reflective pool, allowing me to peer into Gaia’s green earth. Nightfall had blanketed over California, pulling the many wolves into many packs into a deep slumber. I peered at where Kiya resided in her apartment, curious to see if she joined in the journey of sleep.
She wasn’t asleep. Kiya was wide awake in the middle of the night, standing at her open window, looking up at the sky. She couldn’t see me, but I could see her. We’ve locked eyes and concern swam in those beautiful browns.
On the windowsill were pieces of her selenite crystals, pulsating to a silent beat. The light wasn’t bright enough to illuminate her space, but it illuminated her curiosity. My heart ached with gentle pain, possibly reacting to my emotions not too long ago.
*I’m so sorry for waking you, my dear child*. *I didn’t intend to disturb you*.
*My hope is that you remain safe and at peace until the last of your days*.
*But, be prepared if you land yourself in a war beyond your wildest imaginations*.
*Yet, I have faith that you’ll be alright*.