Description: Hermes, in an attempt to escape his pain for just a moment, discovers something that should've remained hidden. Also Rome becomes an inevitabilty.
Author's notes: This was supposed to be released on Pokemon Day, but got pushed back because of work concerns, then fo Honkai Star Rail's anniversary, but got pushed back because of burnout. Im only relaxing it now because I'm off from my new job.
(damn I need help) (also It was very hard to find a fitting place to describe Hermes' appearance)
Tw: references to child death
The Red Lanterns were out, Hermes noted.
That shouldn't be so odd. After all, his Father had decided this part of Hellas was in need of a gentle shower. (read: torrential downpour) So it shouldn't be surprising that an unprotected Lantern on the side of the road had been snuffed.
But, as Hermes shifted under the downpour, he recalled that ever since he noticed the mortals plant the lanterns on the sides of his roads, they'd NEVER been been allowed to to do so much as dim, let alone go out. It had been a small matter of gossip, and a recurring one at that, because why had the mortals planted these? There were not in honor of Hermes, nor of any of his family. He had been about to help Apollo lay down some truly awful curses when they received the news.
Aunt Demeter was with child.
Everything else became white noise, replaced by a familiar mix of dread and excitement.
It quickly gave way to despair.
(Plutus, missing from his crib, stolen away by Demeter's husband a monster. Dead because they'd interrupted the ritual before they could save him. Another grave. Iaision gave up his very being to give his son a chance His Aunt had burned the scum who'd taken her second child)
His Father had unleashed a storm then, one that made this seem like the gentle shower it was supposed to be. However, through the haze of grief, Hermes had noticed something.
The mortals had been desperate to keep the torches lit.
Braving gale force winds, rains that fell hard enough to pierce skin, and lightning strong enough to blast apart mountains, (And he meant that literally)
So why the sudden change?
Hermes was jolted out of his musing by Martha, "Hermes, we need to hurry. The," a shuddering hiss, " the burial is today." Oh that was today? He had forgotten. It's not like they had anything to bury. And they'd only themselves to blame
"I know you haven't forgotten. I know that there have been, many many burials as of late." Understatement. Hephaestus had been locked away in his forges for months now, the sting of loosing his entire mortal family too much to bear. Apollo was still just standing where little Ion had burned out, refusing to face reality. He had no idea where Aphrodite went, but she'd made clear she didn't want to be followed.
Ares had gone to the Sirens.
So yes, maybe Hermes had tried to stave off going to another burial, but something told him that whatever was happening with these lanterns were important, and Hermes was never one to ignore a feeling before. "Just give me a second, Something's afoot and I want to know what." Hermes reached a clawed hand out to grab the lantern in front of him,
Then
He
Was
F
A
L
L
I
N
G
--
Not to far away, kneeling in the bushes, sits what some would call a god.
Possessing a well muscled body covered in blood red tattoos, and a chlamys the color of gold, the man's normally wild orange blonde hair was plastered to his face becuase of the rain. Golden eyes, slitted like a cats, stared at the fallen god unblinkingly. A long, gray bushy tail that would normally look like a scarf was slamming into the muddied ground.
Next to him, a gray rodent with long, scarf like tails stood on its toes in an adorable attempt to keep the mud off of it.
"Is it done?" The man asked with deep, powerful voice.
Yes.
"How long?"
If the Snakes don't wake him? An hour
"Hks. It won't take that long."
It will if you keep asking questions and not DOING WHAT I ASKED OF YOU
Neither the man nor his rodent companion flinched at what was essentially a bomb going of in their heads. The man let out a furious growl, while the rodent rolled his eyes.
"hks. Calm yourself, Divine One. We shall retrieve the Lady of Trade soon, but we must handle this first."
Then Hurry Son of Gorgo
That got a reaction. The now named Son of Gorgo whirled around, looking for the source of the arrogant little wyrm.
"Cinn." " No, I'm skinning that false dromas and using his hide as a rug."
"Cino, no no." A sigh. "Very well, I will focus on the task at hand. But I will have vengeance on Latios. None may call me that, not even Life at their most wrathful dared to call me that."
"No. Cci. No"
Mydeimos chuckled darkly at his Comrade's joke. While he wasn't Life, and therefore couldn't hear words, he could pick up on intent. So he knew that Cinccino was in complete agreement.
Walking towards the unconscious god shoved any thoughts about vengeance aside. Mydei could taste the Messenger's power, even while he was like this.
"Cin." His partner was equally unnerved. His ears had curled against his head and edit the rain, his tails had become puffed out. However his eyes held more than just r, they held curiosity. After being told fo decades too avoid the gaze of Olympus, that they would destroy the Chrysos just for existing, Cinccino had decided this would be the best opportunity to observe one.
Mydei agreed. Stepping through the mud (and ignoring the achingly familiar voices that told him this was foolish) , he made his way to the unconscious god.
--
Far away (but not far enough in his opinion) a large Pokemon hovered in place. He was vaguely birdlike in shape, with a body that floed into a thick neck, giving it a bulky appearance. It has no legs, usually floating instead. Most of his body was blue, with white areas near its arms and a white stripe on its back that extend up to its head. Stiff, non moving wing sat on top of his back, while two tall, jagged fins point behind it from its rear. A red triangle marks the center of its chest, while a blue mask partially covers its face. Long, ear-like fins extend from its jaws to over its head, and its eyes are red. It has three-fingered arms with a blue covering on the outer side of the lower arms.
Latios, Sworn Protector of Wanderers, Loyalty, the SkySplitter, One of the First and last true Dragons, was silently cursing up a storm.
Origin Pantheon Myths: Demeter and The Siren (WIP)
Description: Demeter finds herself smitten with a being whose family has benefited from her family's suffering. She loves him of course, but punishment must be dealt.
Author's note: Alright, this one has been bouncing around in my head since I read DellaDarlin's The Sirens. (Go read it, it's amazing). It smashed out of my head when I learned about Iasion.
Trigger Warnings: Implied child death, miscarriages, blood, the inherent power imbalance of loving a God, possessiveness, The Pokemon World from the eyes of a non fan.
Demeter stared at the purplish black claim in her talons. She could taste the power of the deepest, darkest parts of the sea, beyond even her brother Posiedon’s reach. Feel the clashing of waves against sharp coasts, the exhaustion of someone who experienced loss again and again and AGAIN, and while resigned to the fact they'd lose something, were determined to delay that inevitability for as long as possible. Demeter felt childish admiration borne from the belief someone could not do wrong. Beneath that, however, she felt the fear of being a disappointment. Of never filling someone else’s sandals. In the fraction of a picosecond, Demeter sensed all this and more from the claim.
She wondered, idly, if she should follow through. After all, Iasion clearly loved his family, and they loved him. But then, she recalled watching her brothers return to Olympus covered in claw and bite marks. Dragging a screaming Hermes away from those horrid rocks. Locking Apollo away when he just wouldn't stop disappearing. Hades attacking her to remain with non-existent children.
