Rise of the Goddess (****All proceeds from the Rise of the Goddess anthology will go to benefit the Elliott Public Library**** Book 1)

by Catherine Stovall

  Bia’s shredded wings fluttered behind her as she stormed through the temple, uncaring of the racket she was making. Violet eyes blazing, she flashed forward in time every few steps to land her further down the never-ending hall, intent on letting the other residents feel her fury. She and her three siblings lived in the temple on Mount Olympus alone, so if she woke them from their precious beauty sleep, she would consider it a goal accomplished.

  Those bastards deserve every bit of what I’m going to shove down their throats, she smiled despite her pain. Bia was the spirit of force, power, strength, and compulsion, but never before had she felt the need to use all of them at once. I’m through being the whipping post. I’m through being the nice one!

  “Wake up you bastards!” Bia beat on the first door she came to, which just so happened to be Nike’s bedroom. She heard grumbling in a tone that was much too deep to have come from her sister. I wonder who she brought home this time. Gods forbid I be happy, but she can sleep with everyone on Olympus!

  Bia stalked down the hall to the next door, but just as she was about to beat on the golden trimmed French doors, they opened. The large frame of her brother Kratos stood in the doorway, scowling down at her. At six-feet tall, she was no small woman, but Kratos made her feel like a midget.

  “What is all the racket about, Bia? Some of us are trying to sleep.” He yawned as if to make his point, but Bia could have cared less about how he felt.

  “What this is about, Brother, is that I was attacked when I tried to access the portal to Earth,” she fumed. “Apparently, it was by orders of you and Zelos!” She screamed at him, waking Zelos from his room down the hall and luring him into the fray.

  “Now, Bia, calm down. You know we’re just doing what’s best for you. Mortals are below us. They are sheep and we are the shepherds. You would do well to remember that,” Zelos spoke condescendingly, arms crossed across his muscular chest. He was smaller of build than Kratos, but he was not a foe to be crossed as he was the god of Power. He could call the lightning as Zeus could, but on a smaller scale. He could also control the portals, which is exactly what he had done.

  *****

  Bia had gone to meet her lover on Earth, but encountered resistance from the guards. Of course, as she was the goddess of Force, they were no match. Surprise and embarrassment colored her face when she attempted to cross through the portal only to be thrown back on her ass. Glaring at the guards, she decided to leave them breathing, only because they remained silent. She tried again, to no avail. It was then that the reason hit her. Zelos, she had thought.

  Having drank a bit too much of the nektar, she had mistakenly admitted her involvement with a human lover to her sister Nike, the goddess of Victory. True to her name, her sister always won, and that included the never-ending battle she instigated in order to be the favorite sister.

  Bia should have known better, but the nektar always affected her more than the others. Preferring to stay in while her siblings liked to go out, she didn’t drink it as much.

  As the Goddess of Force, Bia was force personified, and the other gods and goddesses felt the need to challenge her, to see just how strong she was. They had all heard the stories of how she had single-handedly dragged Prometheus to the rock where he was still fastened for his crimes, when no other gods or goddesses could accomplish the task. She tired of being asked to recount the story, or to face challenges just to prove the truth of the tale. Bia was not looking for fame among Olympus. Nike, however, saw it as her personal goal.

  Knowing Nike’s penchant for pitting her brothers against Bia, she headed to find her sister and show her just how Force could defeat Victory. True to form, Nike was out, Bia assumed, with yet another young god of Olympus—no doubt trying to further her political agenda.

  *****

  After waiting a few hours, Bia fell asleep in her chair, her wings throbbing from the fight with the guards. Hours later, she awoke to the sunlight streaming through her, thoughts of confronting her overbearing siblings on her mind. Just because she was the youngest did not give them the right to treat her as a child.

  Using all of her Force, she laced her words with her power, “You will allow me access back to the Earthly realm, and you will do so now,” she ordered Zelos, his eyes glazing just a bit as her compulsion took hold.

  Zelos shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, but her Force was not to be ignored or denied, and ultimately would prevail. He waved his hands in front of her in a series of Greek symbols, and Bia felt a weight that she hadn’t noticed before lift.

  Nike, of course, bitched about how unfair it was for Bia to have the power to use her Force against her own siblings, but she was just jealous. Gods help us if she ever had the same powers, Bia thought as she turned on her heels and smacked Nike across the face.

  “That, my dearest sister, is for selling me out.” Bia then turned to Kratos and stomped on his foot as hard as she could with the sharp heel of her stiletto, causing him to grunt and hop on the opposite foot. “That, dearest Kratos, is for doing Nike’s bidding when we both know you have your own secrets,” she warned, watching at Kratos’s eyes widened for a split second before he regained his composure. Finally, she glared at Zelos. She had done enough by forcing him with her compulsion, and when it wore off, he would be beyond pissed.

  I’ll be gone by then, though, so he can screw himself.

  Bia turned on her heels and walked through the grand foyer and out of the temple, headed back to the portal. She wanted to see Matthew, needed to hold him. He didn’t know that she was anything other than human, which is what made their relationship dangerous. Bia had to be sure to keep her wings hidden at all times, and he made it hard to concentrate on that task at times.

  Gods but that man can kiss, her mind wandered as she neared the portal.

  The guards approached her, but she simply held her hand up, forcing the wind to blow them back. She did not have the time or energy to battle the guardians of the portals again, and her wings had finally begun to heal. Giving Olympus one last parting glance, Bia turned and stepped through the portal.

  *****

  The air on the earthly realm was disgusting, and Bia couldn’t help the fit of coughing that always rendered her immobile for long minutes while her lungs became acclimated with the smog and chemicals. She didn’t have to look at a watch to know that she was late for the date she and Matthew had made the last time they had seen each other, so she rushed off towards the little diner where they usually met. She made sure her wings were glamoured and her appearance was unblemished. Running her hands down her sides, making sure the dress she wore was smoothed out, she entered the small diner, heels clicking on the tile floor.

  Her breath halted and her heart stuttered the moment she saw him sitting in their regular booth. His hazel eyes met hers and he smiled, his dimples deep in his cheeks. His shoulder length blonde hair was pulled back, and his beard was closely shaven.

  The gods on Olympus didn’t grow facial hair, and she found that an intriguing feature in Matthew. He may not be a god, but he definitely has the body of one, she admired him as he stood to embrace her. His shirt fit him like a glove and both of his arms were tattooed. Gods also couldn’t get tattoos. Their immortality simply wouldn’t allow a foreign substance into their skin, despite Bia having tried it more than once.

  “Hello, beautiful,” Matthew leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. “You look ravishing this evening.”

  Bia melted. She leaned up, as he towered over her frame, and kissed him again, deeper this time, not caring that they were in a public place.

  “I missed you too,” she sighed as they sat at the table. She was going to have to explain things to him, because she could only hide from her siblings for so long. No god or goddess could be away from Olympus for an extended period of time, or their powers and immortality would fade. Death came swiftly as time caught up to them on the earthly realm, making it a common suicide method for the immortals.

  Th
ey talked about how he had been since their last date, which had been a week and one hot naked encounter previous. Bia became heated just thinking about it, but reigned in her hormones and concentrated on how to have the conversation about her origins and his choice. She knew she loved him. They had been seeing each other for a year, and she was fairly sure he loved her, which was the only reason she was considering telling him about herself.

  As they talked and held hands across the table, his eyes darted behind her and widened as he stiffened in his seat. Bia turned around to look and groaned. Kratos and Zelos had followed her, and with Nike between them, they looked ready to kill. Bia stood, blocking Matthew from their view, and scowled.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded. She hadn’t had a chance to tell Matthew anything, and they were going to try and force them apart before she could set her plan in motion. I will not let these bastards control my life! I have to get them out of here, just long enough for me to explain.

  “You know why we are here, Bia. We warned you of the consequences from the time Nike told us what you were doing, but you didn’t listen,” Kratos warned, taking two steps forward, placing himself face-to-face with Bia.

  Unable to use her powers lest she draw attention, Bia wracked her brain trying to think of a way to turn the scenario in her favor. Shit! I don’t know what to do! I brought this to him, all because I couldn’t say goodbye! I knew the damn consequences!

  “You can’t,” she begged, as Matthew tried to stand in front of her to protect her, only he had no idea who he was facing.

  Before he could speak a word, Nike used her Victory powers to shield them from prying eyes, ensuring their triumph. Zelos summoned his Power to create a portal while Kratos used Strength to pick Matthew up and shove him. Bia ran through the portal, knowing what she would find on the other side, yet willing to face it to save her love. Nike smirked and followed, waving away the shield as the portal closed behind the five of them.

  *****

  “But he doesn’t know anything! I never told him anything!” Bia pleaded with Zelos, the oldest sibling, therefore the one to make the final decision as to the punishment for her crimes. Though they were to report for duty as his guards in a few hours for his royal audience, they didn’t dare involve Zeus in their day-to-day drama.

  Zeus held court once a day to deal with squabbles between the guards, but his ruling was law, so to bring this to him would seal Matthew’s fate and bring attention to the fact that Bia, one of his personal enforcers, had blackened the family name. It would then bring consequences on them all, and while her siblings were self-involved enough not to care about her punishment, they did care about theirs.

  “You broke the rules, Bia, and now he must pay the time.” Zelos spoke with no emotion. He looked down on humans and thought them nothing but sheep to be used when needed but otherwise herded and ignored. He shared Zeus’s belief that they existed to worship the Gods, and nothing more.

  Bia disagreed, but she was a small minority. A secret faction of those of the same belief existed on Olympus, but she couldn’t ask them for help. It would be seen as treason, and they would all end up in Tartarus with Cronus and the other Titans.

  A single tear rolled down her cheek before she gathered her anger and swaddled it like a newborn baby. “I will not let you do this,” she promised, speaking through clenched teeth.

  “It is done already,” Kratos answered from behind her, entering the room with Nike on his heels, an evil smile in place.

  “We win,” Nike boasted.

  She always has to win, and doesn’t care who she hurts in the process. One day, I’m going to take that bitch down, Bia promised as she stared at Nike. Her family was the polar opposite of functional and happy.

  Using her Force to blow her siblings against the walls and out of her way, she stormed out of the doors and through the temple. She knew what they had done, and she had to make it right. She would find Matthew, explain everything, and hope that he would still consider her offer. After this, I doubt he wants anything to do with me. That’s assuming he’s still alive, she thought as she choked on a sob. She exited their home and spread her wings, taking flight towards Tartarus. She had brought her sword with her and mentally prepared for the battle to come while her wings carried her on the wind.

  *****

  Matthew woke in a small, dirty cell. He didn’t understand and it took moments for the fog to lift from his mind before he remembered the diner. He recalled talking with Bia when three huge people seemed to appear behind her out of thin air. No one else had noticed, but Bia had stood and spoke with them. He sensed that the conversation was becoming dangerous, and had tried to protect Bia, but one of the men had thrust him backwards. He couldn’t remember anything past the feeling of being ripped in half and put back together, over and over again.

  He looked around the filthy concrete cell, seeing nothing but a large metal door with a small window of bars. “Hello!” Matthew listened, but no one responded to his call. He reached out to touch the bars, as there was no handle on the door, and recoiled in pain when his hand connected. It looked to be made of metal, but felt more like pure electricity that left a large black scorch mark on his fingertips.

  Where the hell am I? Where the hell is Bia? Matthew called out Bia’s name, but again, was greeted with silence.

  He paced around the cell for what felt like days before he heard someone pass. “Hey! Where am I?” he screamed through the small hole where the bars sat, careful not to touch them again.

  A face appeared on the other side of the door, “Stupid human. I don’t know what you did, but you are in Tartarus. Welcome to Hell.” The giant of a man walked off as Matthew tried to reason out the answer he had been given.

  Tartarus? As in the Tartarus from mythology? Where is Google when I need it, he thought, wishing he knew where he was and why he had been placed there. He called me a ‘stupid human’. As opposed to what?

  Matthew’s head spun, trying to reason out the unreasonable. As he sat on the concrete floor, shivering from the chill emanating from the hard surface, he let his mind wander. He remembered his first time meeting Bia, and how they had both felt an instant connection. He thought of their first date, and how she seemed out of place, almost ethereal, compared to all of the other dressed up women. Crazy thoughts of Tartarus and her quirks began to click into place, but his brain just wouldn’t allow him to consider the unimaginable. The Greeks are beings of myth, not real, he told himself.

  Imagining he was anywhere else but his small cell, Matthew leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

  *****

  Bia flew faster than she had ever flown before, headed straight for the dark side of Olympus. Tartarus lay in the empty wasteland, the only area not beautiful and extravagant. It was heavily guarded, and she was sure they had received warning that she was on her way.

  Large black wings flapping, Bia landed on the outskirts of Tartarus and looked around. The landscape was desolate and black. Dark sand blew in the winds that echoed with the screams they carried. The large prison actually resembled a dilapidated castle, in direct contrast to the beautiful and ornate temples of the gods. She unsheathed her sword as she walk towards the prison, dodging the quicksand that she knew littered the area.

  Nearly halfway to the facility, the first guard spotted her and sounded the alarm. He ran at her, sword raised like an imbecile, and she ran her own through his middle, easily dodging his sloppy attempt to behead her.

  Reaching the castle doors, men ran from around each side before she could get close enough to storm through the doors. They were obviously more skilled with their weapons, and Bia didn’t have time to fight both of them at once, so she used her Force. She struck the first one down, power reinforcing her sword so that it sliced straight through his when she parried his blow and sliced him in half. She did the same to the second guard before she burst through the doors.

  An army waited for her just inside, s
o she called upon her Force again. Spreading her hands, she threw them against the opposite walls, crushing them on impact. She really hated to kill them for doing their jobs, but Matthew was there and nothing would keep her from him.

  Stepping over bodies, she had no idea which way to go, but knew that more guards would be coming, so she picked the stairs going up. She knew that Cronus and most of the very powerful Titans were housed below where their magic was null, and she hoped Matthew wasn’t down with them. She wanted to be able to use her power if she needed it.

  Bia traversed several levels of stairs before she came upon a seemingly empty hall. Only one door emitted the glow from the electric bars, which were only used for non-magical beings. Following her instincts, Bia hurried down the hall and looked inside the room through the bars.

  *****

  Matthew heard the loud clicking of steps outside and hoped that they were not coming to retrieve him for whatever purposes they wanted him. He sensed someone at the door and looked up to see beautiful violet eyes. “Bia,” he croaked, his throat was dry.

  “Stand back and turn around,” she ordered, a determination shining in her eyes.

  She seemed harder, somehow, as if she had lost the softness he usually saw when she gazed at him. He couldn’t understand how he had ended up having to be rescued, much less by his girlfriend, but he was a big enough man to be thankful. The sound of a deafening crash made him turn and he saw the door lying bent and broken against the back wall of his small cell.