Chapter Three

There was a tranquility in the temple that Apollo found surprising. Temples were usually places of reverence, but compared to the festival in the city square outside, the temple's interior was silent except for the presence of several members of the Divinity within the walls.

 In the Grand Foyer, Apollo had a moment alone in his thoughts as he sipped the remnants of Nektar from his chalice. He had found himself drawn to the alcove of the huntress, a shrine of his sister. It took him far longer than it should have to realize why this shrine had caught his interest. His twin's sculpture was nude.

 This alone did not alarm him as a nude likeness of the gods was not a peculiar sight. If one were in the Great Temple of Corinth, one would see all the sculptures of the Divinity were not only nude but explicitly so. But Apollo was not in Corinth; he was in Thebes. While Theban clergy often commissioned the Divinity carved in the buff, the purpose was to allow them to then be dressed in the latest fashions and accessories. This was to enable the gods to be seen to be trendsetters by the fashion-minded populace of Thebes.

 As the god wondered what his twin might say on the matter, a voice came from behind him.

 "Divine Bard," said a young priest with Corinthian dyed hair, "c-can I h-help you?"

 With Nektar on his lips, Apollo glanced at the priest and smiled. Apollo estimated the priest could be no greater than twenty years of age. However, the cleric's mannerisms betrayed his nerves, telling Apollo that he was not yet accustomed to personal interaction with the gods. Apollo waited to see if the man would correct himself, keeping his eyes on the clergyman for a time.

 And so he did. It took three seconds for the young man to revisit what he had said and try again. "Apologies, I meant Divine Poet," he said, emphasizing the corrected title.

 Shaking his head, the god dismissed the apology. "You lot are more hung up on that thing than I. In the tongue of the Argosi, my title would essentially be Divine Bard. Among the tribes of Thrace, it is closer to the Great Bard... as they have no word for 'divine.' No offense was taken, friend... as no offense was given."

 "Again, apologies, then..." said the Corinthian cleric. "I falsely assumed you would be upset with me, and I overlooked your compassionate nature. My sincerest requests for pardon, your grace."

 Apollo laughed, almost choking on what was left of his chalice's contents. As the laughter subsided, Apollo noticed the neatly folded clothing in the priest's arms and realized why the cleric had intended to enter the shrine of Apollo's sister. "You've come to dress my sister, have you?"

 The young cleric blushed as he glanced at the naked goddess' likeness and then connected that Apollo and the sculpture's subject were twins. "I have, your grace; I apologize that you had to see her likeness in such a state."

 The god smirked. "Would you rather I see her in unwashed rags? No, I understand the garments need to be cleaned and replaced. Do your chore, friend. Do not let me stop you."

 "If it pleases you," said the priest as he bowed his head and walked about Apollo to approach the huntress' sculpture.

 As the cleric placed the first article of clothing on Artemis' stone-carved nether regions, Apollo heard a door opening in the distance. The god's eyes searched the foyer to see whose footfalls now sounded an approach. He let out a chuckle to see it was Hermes en route for the Chain of Ascension at the Grand Altar. Apollo cut off the messenger in the Great Foyer, grabbing his brother by the elbow. "Not going to say goodbye, dear brother?"

 "Wasn't planning on seeing you here. Why aren't you enjoying the festival with the others?"

 "The others?" asked Apollo with a scoff. "Artemis left shortly after you and father stepped away, and Dionysus, well... I'm fairly certain he wandered off to some private party by now."

 "Still, lots of merry morsels out there, brother. Why waste the night in the temple of all places?" asked Hermes.

 "I can ask you the same," said Apollo. It was unlike either god to be found inside a temple while there were libations to drink and loose mortals to bed.

 "I have an assignment from father," said Hermes with a more upbeat tone as he flashed a quick grin.

 "Must be urgent then."

 "You're still not answering my question," Hermes countered.

 Apollo sighed. "Truthfully? I'm just not feeling it tonight. The mood has not struck me for some time. I question if I have lost my muse."

 "I can find one of the nine for you if you'd like," Hermes quipped.

 "Figuratively," Apollo said sternly, not amused at Hermes' making light of his confession. Apollo sighed as he led his brother further toward the center of the foyer, away from the nearby mortal priest. "What does intrigue me is what you were saying about this letter from father. What did Zeus have to say on the matter?"

 Hermes raised an eyebrow. The expression was short-lived before the messenger's face shifted to a more somber tone. "I did not press him to explain. It was difficult enough to get him to focus on his actual need of me and not on the priestess he had just initiated into the Cupbearers."

 "Sounds like father is stressed," said Apollo. "Or hungry... or tired... or-"

 Hermes chuckled as he rolled his hand, indicating he understood his brother's point. "Yes, yes... but still, Athena and Ares are about to be throwing thousands of Elysians against each other in war, and Zeus can't bring himself to spit out what it is he is asking of me?"

 "Sparta and Athens are going to war?" asked Apollo. "What for this time?"

 Hermes sighed. "Border violations, sounds like," explained the messenger. "But if I can help it, it shall not come to such. Father has asked me to speak with Ares on the matter."

 "Diplomacy with Ares?" asked Apollo. "Well, I suppose there is a first time for everything."

 "I appreciate the vote of confidence," Hermes said, slapping his brother on the shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to make my way to Olympus before dropping in on our dear war-mongering brother."

 "I'll accompany you," said Apollo as the two strolled forward together. "At least as far as the Haven."

 The Grand Altar was ahead of the brothers. It was a large marble platform, raised to table height and connected to a slightly more elevated podium. The remains of the evening's blood sacrifices were on the platform; most seemed to be Theban quail and Knossosi pigeons, perhaps a common pest or two scattered among the carnage. The podium was where the temple's supplicants would oversee the sacrifices and sound the proper prayers to the deity whose name was evoked as part of the sacrifice.

 During the day, the Grand Foyer would have people struggling to maintain control of animals as they awaited their turn at the altar. The night was different, though. As divine decrees had stated, no such sacrifices were to be made at night, except to the gods of the Underworld; the flies buzzing about the remains were the liveliest group in the foyer.

 Beyond the altar was the Chain of Ascension. This was the centerpiece of all of Elysium's Grand Temples. On the ground floor of the Theban Temple, the anchor was integrated seamlessly into the architecture, masking the anchor point itself as an ornate fireplace. Often burning with a pure white flame, this construct also concealed the Chain inside a chimney chute of marble and brass.

 During daylight hours, temple guards were stationed on either side of the anchor with a priest nearby with an ornate scepter known as the Key of Ascension. However, as this was after-hours and the need for guards mainly was for show, the anchor was left unattended, and the anchor's gateway sealed. A closed gate was not a matter that needed to concern the two gods. Hermes carried one of the two caducei, which were among the seven Divine Keys, able to open nearly all of the interdimensional seals between Elysium, Olympus, and the Underworld.

 Hermes willed the scepter in his hand to come to life and summoned up two bolts of blue essence that spiraled around the shaft. As the gods drew closer to the anchor, the gateway erupted with a white flame that burned a hole through reality's fabric as it created a doorway into the ether.

 Hermes motioned his brother to precede him. Apollo accepted the offer with a polite grin. Stepping carefully, Apollo walked through the searing hole in reality. In doing so, his ears popped and buzzed at the unsettling, distinctively odd crackle caused by empyrean essence. Apollo waited inside what looked like nothing more than white emptiness in all directions.

 This was the ether, the transdimensional lobby that was nowhere and everywhere. So often called Elsewhere, this was the dimension without any actual dimensions. There was no up or down, left or right, neither was there a to or fro to speak of. It merely was... and yet, it wasn't.

 As Apollo tried adjusting to the inherent discomfort of Elsewhere, Hermes stepped inside. The portal behind them closed as the empyrean flames withdrew. An eerily close electrical hum came from all directions at once. It even sounded like it might be coming from inside their bodies. This was the process of the Chain of Ascension converting this pocket of ether into pure essence, packing them for their transdimensional trip to the Haven of Olympus.

 At that moment, the gods were nothing more than motes of essence racing along the Ascension Chain to a safe distance. Then, high above the clouds, the Ascension Chain disappeared into a rift. The two gods would be reconstituted at a second anchor point on the other end.

 Overall, the trip was relatively brief, but it certainly felt longer than it was. Of course, Apollo never had the ease with the ether as Hermes did. When the gateway reopened to allow exit into the Threshold, Apollo was quite thankful that Hermes again allowed him to step through first.

 The Haven was located inside another pocket of reality contained somewhere beyond both the ether they had left and the mortal plane from which they departed. Created by Ouranos and Gaia many eons ago, this palace was made of adamant, orichalcum, and other unearthly metals. It often had an essence of rich white mist covering the floors, giving the place its mythical image as being a palace among the clouds.

 The gateway behind them closed with what could only be described as a disturbing shriek combined with a sudden thunderclap. Apollo's ears popped again, causing him to wince. He rolled his eyes after catching sight of an amused grin on his brother's face.

 Inside the Threshold, the lobby of Haven, the brothers were alone. Often, Hestia or one of Zeus' Royal Guard was found in the Threshold, but presently, there was no such being. Like the anchor points' guardians on the mortal plane, this would have been for show more than anything else, as the Haven rarely had intruders. Even if a mortal found an open gateway, the trip through the ether was jarring. Should they retain consciousness, they were likely to next be seen doubled over on the floor. In the past, the rare intruder would also have their presence broadcast by the guttural sounds of casting out whatever their last meal was into the mist covering the floors.

 Despite the rough journey, some mortals did reside in Haven. Many Divinities had lovers and attendants who lived quite comfortably among the gods. These mortals had been invited and were shown the proper ways to prepare one's body for the shock of ether travel.

 With a constitution exceeding a mortal's, Apollo took a few breaths before his unease and discomfort had passed. At this time, he grabbed his brother by the forearm. "Until we meet again, brother. Are you certain you do not need my help?"

 "Excuse me," said Hermes with a smile. "Did I miss where you offered your help in my duties?"

 "No," chuckled Apollo. "But I was hoping you'd just accept the hollow gesture as a token of generosity and leave it at that."

 Hermes flashed a roguish grin with a nod and abruptly disappeared into another portal in an alcove of the Threshold—en route to Sparta.

 With Hermes gone, Apollo left the Threshold and entered a long corridor. He was unsure where he should wander next, except it should be in the general direction of his personal residence.

 Not held to a schedule, Apollo strolled down obscure passages, enjoying ethereal music in the distance. He was only slightly annoyed by the sound of his footfalls on the metal floor beneath him. He thanked the mist for that. The white vapor's real purpose was to silence the constant hum of the Haven's many arcane systems on the floor below.

 Apollo's ear caught a familiar voice cast from a nearby room between melodies. In an inquisitive mood, Apollo followed the sound's origin to find Hera speaking with Iris. The pair were in a drafting chamber where a dozen other assorted beings, mostly minor spirits and remnants from Elysium's former deities, sat at workstations ready to sketch, paint, write, or design the whims of the gods.

 Apollo was uncertain whether he had ever seen this chamber or needed its services before that moment. Moreover, Haven was such a massive palace that Apollo was hard-pressed to recall if he knew it even had a dedicated drafting chamber.

 "-as you wish," said Iris, the goddess known for her multicolored scarf and being one of Hera's principal attendants. With her own talaria and Caduceus, given to her by Hera to mark her as a royal messenger, Iris was often compared to a beggar's Hermes.'

 "One more thing," said Hera, leaning closer to the Goddess of Rainbows. "My husband may send one of his children to speak with Ares on Athena's behalf. I'd like a report if you discover which of the bastard brood pays that visit."

 "Of course," said Iris with a respectful nod. "Shall I be on my way- Oh, Apollo! I did not see you there," she said in such a tone to call attention to the god's lurking presence.

 "I didn't announce myself? Oops," said Apollo as he let himself saunter in. "I can save Iris the trouble, Hera. I know which bastard is paying Ares a visit."

 "You?" asked Iris with a sneer.

 "Feck that," said Apollo with an offended scoff. "Iris, you should be happy to hear my brother Hermes has been given that task."

 "Why should that please me?" asked Iris with a spiteful retort. She scoffed and let her eyes roll away from the sight of the sun god. "Hermes is a feckless brigand."

 Apollo raised an eyebrow. He was not usually one to chastise lesser gods for speaking openly, but he was off-guard by Iris' blatant disrespect for one of the Twelve. The Divine Poet dismissed the thought for the time and glanced over to Hera to read her reaction. She was calm and calculated, as was typical. It was a small wonder that she did not have the essence of ice mixed in her veins' ichor.

 "What brings you here, Apollo?" asked the queen.

 The poetic god shrugged as he unlatched his lyre from his belt. "I'm in search of a muse..."

 "There are nine," said Iris with a scoff. "You lost all of them?"

 "Figurative, not literal," Apollo explained with a smirk. "Odd you should say that. My feckless brigand brother made a similar jest moments ago," said Apollo with a preening grin.

 Iris was not amused.

 "Now I feel inspired to compose a song," he said, playing three quick chords. "I'm calling it 'Secrets of the Queen.' Perhaps you two know a better title for the piece?"

 "Up to no good, are we?" asked Hera, ignoring Apollo's inquiry to glare at the instrument. "You truly are one of your father's sons."

 "I take that as a compliment," Apollo said with a smile to spite her.

 Hera offered her own smile in reply. "Then allow me to give you a direct insult to balance your pride," she said before giving a dramatic pause. "A son you may well be, but you'll never be true-born. You are a bastard, born of a Titanspawn mother."

 Now it was Apollo's turn to glare. He wanted to defend his mother. He would kill for her honor and had many times before. However, if one expected to live a life free of undue complications, doling out such to the Divine Queen was not advised. Reason won over passion, and Apollo kept his tongue in check.

 "You may be among the Divine Twelve," Hera nodded. "But in the Divine Hierarchy, you're several rungs below my sons."

 "Just as your sons are a rung below Athena," Apollo said with a playful grin. "I mean, she is both the chosen heir to the throne and first-born daughter of Zeus, correct?"

 Hera did not answer the rhetorical question. She did not have much of a reaction at all, actually.

 Oh, she's good, Apollo thought to himself as the two stared back at each other.

 Iris let out an exaggerated breath. "I should be going, my queen," she said, giving a farewell salute before stepping around Apollo and heading for the door.

 "As shall I," said Apollo as he turned heel and followed the messenger goddess out of the chamber. By the time he made it to the corridor, Iris had lifted her feet and let her talaria lift her, carrying her down the aisle at incredible speeds. She was likely trying to put considerable distance between her and Apollo, instinctively aware of his intentions to attempt to question her privately.

 Defeated, Apollo cast one more glance at the queen in the nearby chamber. The two locked eyes for a long moment as Apollo attempted to discern what workings were happening in the Hera's mind. But, of course, as God of Truth, Apollo's essence entitlements allowed him to recognize a lie from a statement of truth - so long as the fabrication was not also infused with the power of essence. Still, Hera was too savvy to lie to him, even if he was so bold as to ask her outright.

 Once the queen broke her glare away, Apollo turned his attention to the corridor and walked away.

 As he wandered aimlessly, Apollo thought back to earlier when he was passing through Haven on the way from his residence to the Threshold to anchor-drop himself into Thebes for the festival. He had seen Zeus in passing, and their conversation had been cut short by Athena asking to speak with their father in private. Apollo had not thought much of the matter at the time. However, he realized there was an urgency to her voice and body language in hindsight. He reasoned that Athena alerted their father to this dispute between Ares and herself, convincing Zeus to get involved by sending his son and herald to speak with Ares using the total weight of Heaven's Authority.

 Based on what he had seen and heard that night, Apollo concluded that Zeus intended to lean toward Athens in such a conflict while Hera was firmly entrenching herself in Ares' camp. Apollo suspected war between Elysium's two largest nations was unavoidable as he now saw it. Moreover, Apollo had seen enough of these wars to know the fighting was not likely to be contained to the mortal realm. The last time Sparta and Athens clashed, there were no less than three violent outbursts in the throne room. Ares ran Athena through with his spear in one of those recent encounters, earning him a full year in Tartarus for his assault.

 Thinking if war was to be had, Apollo decided against heading to his residence for rest. Things were about to be very dramatic in the Haven. Favoring an avoidance of such, Apollo changed course and made his way to the Olympian stables. He had a sudden need of his carriage.

## Characters

### Gods

* Apollo
* Iris
* Hermes
* Hera