Aphrodite's Acolyte

by J. E. Spatafore

  Fidel and Cap watched in amazement as Fidel's leg appeared exactly as it did before mad Abby slashed his thigh, a tan and muscular leg of a fairly thin elf. Fidel looked up at Abby, astonished. Cap dropped his bow.

  Abby smiled at the two of them. “Not too shabby for my first time on this particular brew, right?!” Abby smiled even more.” It's the most rancid smelling potion, but as you can see, the benefits are quite welcome. The batch I made is enough to heal at least a thousand wounds like Fidel's well deserved one!” She helped Fidel to his feet and instructed him to walk.

  Fidel stopped after a few steps of having no issues. "That was your first time with this mixture?” Abby smiled and nodded her head, folding her arms proudly. He looked at her incredulously. “And you stabbed me in the leg to test it?!”

  Abby kept her posture, turning her smile into a grin, and nodded again.

  Cap interjected with a grin of his own. “Better you than me!"

  The men packed up camp as Abby divvied up her new mixture. She gave three each of the small vials to Cap and Fidel to hold in their pockets. She then poured the rest of the mixture into a couple large flasks and corked them for use later. A short time passed and the trio was heading southeast once again toward the coastal town of Marisali, riding their steeds hard in the desert sand. They wanted to clear the scorched wasteland by sunrise.

  As the sun peaked over the eastern horizon, the trees of the realm known as Aphrodite's Woodlands came into view. The group road faster and harder as the signs of life exploded before them. They rode straight into this forest that bordered the desert and stopped once the canopy above was thick. Enough to block the majority of the sun's rays. They slowed their pace and looked for a water source, finding a fairly large pond shortly after.

  They set up their camp for a day of rest and relaxation to reset their biological clocks to daily sunrise and sunset routines. The friends, along with their horses, thoroughly enjoyed the pond's offerings for hours, desperately needing a little break from the fast and hard travel across the arid desert.

  The evening came faster than desired and the group settled in for a good night of food and friendship. The trees swayed in the cool breeze, rustling the leaves and creating a rhythmic and relaxing swooshing sound. Insects of all types joined the harmony with chirps of their own, adding to the natural orchestra of various nocturnal creatures. Howls and footsteps also joined the chorus adding to the entertainment.

  None of the companions decided to use a tent this evening, favoring the uncultivated wilds before them. The fire burned low as the friends found dreams which could only be revealed in such a beautiful and peaceful milieu. Hundreds of wild eyes peered at them from the docile backdrop.

  Fidel awoke suddenly, finding himself trapped in a square room filled with a blinding light. A robed figure materialized before him, a woman of fine features and anatomically desirable in every way imaginable. Fidel found himself entranced by her beauty. He did not realize the room was dimming and changing form to an elongated rectangle with a feasting table in the middle.

  The woman in front of Fidel motioned for him to take a seat at the table, in which Fidel, completely infatuated with the robed goddess, willfully complied. The woman, realizing her beauty was quite a distraction, softened her features to become more ordinary in appearance, breaking Fidel from the trance and allowing him to gain his levelheaded persona once again. He shook his head, perplexed by how the presence of a female could take him to such a false paradise.

  The ordinary woman spoke, her voice sounding official. “Fidel Austempes, we have not formally been introduced. I am Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. Welcome to my home.”

  Fidel immediately jumped from his chair and averted his gaze from the goddess, taking the position taught to the mortals from a very young age. He placed both knees on the floor and placed his body forward, touching his nose to the ground.

  Aphrodite, amused at the reflexive actions of this non-religious elf before her, raised her hand in protest. “Fidel, you do not need to worship me. I understand you are not the most holy of the elves in this land. Please do rise and take a seat, I wish to speak with you of your journey and your destination.”

  Fidel hesitantly relaxed and, wondering why he would bow to any being in such a way, rose and took his seat. “You are the Goddess of Love? Ruler of the elven race and resident of Olympus? Why would you summon me?”

  Aphrodite touched the table and a glowing mist full of twinkling lights seemed to explode forth from within the marble construct. The mist materialized and a bountiful variety of foods and drinks formed on the table. Fidel grinned wide as he noticed every type of food had appeared.

  Aphrodite graciously swept her hand before the table. “Feel free to enjoy any of this. We are in for a long discussion.”

  Aphrodite began the conversation while Fidel enjoyed the meal set before him. She started by explaining the reason for the summons, informing Fidel that his journey to defeat Pravas Medeis must succeed. “Pravas Medeis is over two hundred years old. She is a great and powerful sorceress, very capable of destroying legions. She has faced hundreds of powerful creatures and prevailed. She has faced scores of wizards and knights, and has defeated them without much effort. She has faced dragons and trolls, without even so much of a scratch.” Aphrodite continued, “But not the other day. This time, she faced an inexperienced elf with his trusty companions, and lost over a year of preparation of all progress toward her greatest ascension to power.” Aphrodite looked at Fidel with a concerned look on her face, “How do you think she is going to react, Fidel?”

  Fidel, suddenly losing his appetite, put down the sweet roll he was eating and looked into Aphrodite's eyes, his eyes growing narrow. “She will try to go after my family, she has already said she would do so!”

  Aphrodite interjected, “No, Pravas will not hunt your family. That is not her way. But even with such knowledge, you still pursue her? An evil and powerful sorceress threatens those that you love and you feel compelled to give pursuit, instead of staying with your family and defending them?”

  Fidel's face tightened, not out of fear or anger, but out of pride. He remembered the lessons of his first human parents. “A long time ago, my father taught me that waiting for an opponent to make their move increases their chance of success. If I waited for Pravas to go after my family, hoping I could defend them, I would have to find a way to place myself in two different cities separated by miles of terrain. Or, I would have to ask my family to change their life out of fear of attack.” he stopped for a few seconds. “If I change myself or my family, then Pravas has already won. That is what my heart tells me. By giving chase, Pravas, a calculating and powerful fiend, is forced to think of her own defense. She is forced to think of her own course of protections, and has less time to focus on how to hurt my loved ones. She cannot pursue her continued desire for power with this forsaken amulet. I pursue her not because I want to destroy her, but because I want to prevent her from destroying those I hold dear.”

  Aphrodite considered Fidel's words, their meaning taking hold. She smiled widely at the handsome elf, a being of her own designs. “I find your answer full of love for others.” She rose and patted Fidel on the back. “I am proud of you. You are one of my kind, yet are the embodiment of the wisdom and intellect of Athena and the passions for justice of Zeus himself. Grelin and Asante made a wise choice when they took the raw skills of an elf and merged them with the passions and intellect of the human race.”

  The Goddess of Love walked slowly back to her seat, turning to face Fidel before she sat down again. “What is your plan when you face Pravas? It is, after all, just the three of you and she will be sure to bolster her allies in this battle.”

  Fidel corrected Aphrodite, “Actually, there will be four. The dwarf Noxater will be in attendance as well, if he has not already faced off against her.”

  Aphrodite chuckled as she sat. “Fidel, I am not a master of warfare. But even I would not be counting a dwarf who ca
nnot control his own mind as one of my allies in this battle.” She paused for a few moments. “You saw he could not issue the final blow on Pravas at the Rivolus shrine to Apollo.”

  Fidel shifted in his seat. “You are right. I have not put too much thought into the strategy and was not planning on doing so until we arrived in Marisali. Abby's made quite a few potions that will help. Cap has a new bow and his skills are beyond any when it comes to placing an arrow where needed. And I have plenty in my repertoire where I can fill in any missing gaps.” He paused for a moment and looked to Aphrodite with a sly grin, “Perhaps I can ask Pravas to stop her madness and it will all be over?”

  Aphrodite laughed hard for quite a few heartbeats at Fidel's comment. “That is highly doubtful!” she said with tears in her eyes at the notion. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and continued. “Well, I am sure you will come up with something. After talking to you this evening, I am more confident you will be victorious in your endeavor. Of course, I wish I could help in the matter further. But the gods are not permitted within the boundaries of Maserun.”

  Fidel interceded, “Why would the gods not be permitted on a land of their creation and design? I never understood why you permit people like Pravas Medeis to exist.”

  Aphrodite's face grew serious. “We discovered long ago, on another planet, that human beings needed conflict and hope in order to survive. We also learned that the intervention of gods in a direct way created even more disorder. Our interruptions even created outright hatred for us.”

  Fidel interrupted. “Another planet? Do you mean Maserun is not unique?”

  Aphrodite smiled. “Maserun is unique. But yes, there are other planets out there, Fidel. Maserun is not the only planet to create and sustain life. Maserun's twin was the first planet to do so.”

  Aphrodite and Fidel carried on with their conversation for many more hours. Aphrodite taught Fidel how the planet known as earth was a battleground between the gods and their creators, the titans. She educated Fidel in the intricacies of human and god interactions on earth and how such interactions ultimately led to the demise of those faithful to the Olympians. She filled Fidel's head with stories of half-god heroes like Perseus and Heracles.

  Fidel folded his arms, as-if just catching a child in a lie. “Wait, you said the gods could not be directly involved within the boundaries of Maserun. How did Heracles create the lake and the burned desert around the town of Harlow's Hovel then?”

  Aphrodite leaned back in her high-backed chair. “The event that created Harlow's Hovel is exactly why we stopped getting involved in the mortal world directly. You see, Heracles was doing a favor for the humans. The wells in the area dried up and the humans were praying for water. Prior to the punch to the land that sprung forth the well, we gods were commonplace on Maserun, directly answering the prayers of the many residents."

  Aphrodite leaned forward. “When Heracles put his fist through the forested grounds of Harlow's Hovel, the thunderous effects of that mighty blow destroyed more life than it saved. The Rivolus Desert was the western part of my woodland and Harlow reduced it to a vast wasteland. That one punch of the mighty Harlow created so much death that Zeus was prompted to take action and called a meeting of the gods. We all agreed to not visit the planet directly ever again.”

  Aphrodite stopped for a few moments. “We made the same pact on earth too, long ago. But on earth, the gods would not adhere to the agreement. Zeus was often found helping humans on that planet and, being ruler of the gods, had nobody to answer to for such actions. Knowing our past digression, Hades was very insistent on creating a barrier that would prevent any god from ever returning to the land of Maserun in physical form. And so we all agreed to make such a barrier, Zeus included.”

  She looked at Fidel's amulet. “The amulet you carry around your neck symbolizes the strength of the barrier.” She reached over and held the amulet around Fidel's neck, running her fingers along the center star. “The barrier of the gods dissolves when this amulet fills with color, meaning any god can return to the land of Maserun. You mortals believe the amulet will give the opener of the gate massive amounts of power."

  Aphrodite let go of the amulet and watched it drop to Fidel's chest, clanging lightly on his armor as it landed. “That simply is not true. What will happen when the amulet fills, is that the gods would be permitted to return to Maserun and do as they please. You do not want that to happen. Ares, the God of War and quite a chaotic being, will be the first to show up and start destroying all we have built.” She sighed heavily at the thought.

  Fidel further questioned, looking down at his amulet. “But do you not miss being among your creations? Wouldn't the opening of the barrier also permit the other gods to freely engage their respective people?”

  Aphrodite nodded. “I do miss being on the planet and directly helping. But this is why we bring the humans, dwarves, and elves to us in such meetings as we are having now. The leaders of the lands are often selected to meet with the gods on a regular basis. We know our direct involvement is too dangerous and the best thing we could have ever done is create the barrier as we did.”

  Aphrodite looked through a small sphere on the table and noticed the darkness of night was diminishing on the camp of Fidel's allies. “The sun is rising and our meeting must conclude. Do you have any further questions?”

  Fidel thought for a moment. “Just one more. You said none of the gods could be on the planet. What of Hades? I hear tale after tale of adventurers visiting the land of the dead and returning with trinkets of the after life.”

  Aphrodite smiled. “Hades is the only god permitted within Maserun, but he is not permitted within several leagues of the surface. The barrier extends below the surface and above the mountains, preventing his interference as well.” The goddess thought for a moment and offered some advice. “If you ever find yourself in Hades' realm, know that the barrier is marked by a solid black ring on the very rock formations of the land. If you ever find a need to escape from Hades or his minions for whatever reason, getting to the other side of the barrier will keep you safe.”

  Aphrodite looked into the small sphere once again. “You must be going now Fidel. Take this.” Aphrodite tossed a silver ring with no markings to Fidel. “If you ever wish a meeting with me again, either place this ring at one of my several altars or draw a circle on the ground with an “A” in the middle, much like the star on your amulet. Place the ring in the center. I will answer your call.” She waved her hand toward Fidel and he saw the room fade out, the materialized form of the goddess growing more and more faint as he felt himself being pulled quickly, like he was falling fast.

  As he hit the bottom of what appeared a bottomless pit, he half rose from his bed and looked around. He stared down at his lap and found a small silver band. He glanced up at the sky, still dark but brightening by the sun. He smiled. As he placed the ring on his finger, a star in the sky brightened and faded to black. He gazed at the vast sky for several minutes, smiling and holding his multiple ringed hand upwards, toward the fading celestial heaven above.

  Fidel put his hand down as a sick feeling came over him, starting in his gut and spreading rapidly throughout his body. He felt his heart beat quickly in his chest, like it would explode. He turned toward the trees behind him as he heard a faint whizzing sound, the scene moving in slow motion as he turned. He reflexively dropped to the ground as an arrow flew over the space his chest once occupied.

  The forest came alive quickly. Gray skinned elves, dwarves, and humans charged in from every direction with loud battle shrieks echoing off the dense trees. Abby and Cap instinctively jumped to the ready with their weapons drawn.

  Fidel jumped up to his feet, placing both arms out in front of him and chanting. Fidel could hear the strumming sounds of Cap's bow, followed by small explosions and agonizing cries from the victims. He saw Abby reach into her satchel and pull potion after potion, launching each vial as rapidly as she could. Fidel saw several different colored mists g
rowing from the broken vials, apparently harmful if inhaled. Each attacker that came in contact with the harmful mists grabbed their chests and fell to the ground. The trio fought the attackers with each others backs touching and turning slightly in a counter-clockwise direction.

  Fidel's whirlwind formed and pushed back against the wall of gray aggressors. The wind pulled the soldiers from their feet, tossing them without mercy against the tall spruces and firs, breaking their bones immediately upon impact. The trio of defenders started to gain confidence as their defense was holding.

  The trees above them exploded with movement, gray skinned bodies dropped down from ropes and joined in the fray. “We need to go!” Cap shouted frantically. “There's too many of them!” Abby and Fidel didn't disagree. The trio searched desperately for an opening. There was none.

  The attackers surrounded the group in all directions, including up. Fidel dropped his hands, severing his whirlwind, and reached into his sack pulling forth his trusty staff. With a few chants, a transparent mist surrounded the trio, a spell Methvas recently taught Fidel, providing a defense against martial missiles and blades alike. As the unwilling conscripts closed in on the group, missile weapons no longer being effective, Cap pulled his sword and Abby pulled her quick daggers. The champions of Harlow's Hovel stood to face the onslaught of the evil before them.

  The first of the trios martial challengers was a very large and gray human, standing at least a full foot taller and wider than Fidel. The muscular man raised his two-handed broadsword high over his head, starting a downward chop designed to cleave a man in two. Fidel brought up his staff, keeping it angled to divert the blow. The sword and false wooden staff connected with a resounding clang, the human's eyes widening in surprise. Fidel led with his left arm, slapping the human warrior in the face with the staff. The warrior stood up straight and rubbed his cheek, looking slightly offended by Fidel's girly smack to his face. He swung his sword wide, intending to chop Fidel in half horizontally, again meeting to the defense of Fidel's vertically placed walking stick.