I studied the clearing once again. It was a perfect circle, full of knee high wild grass and encircled by tropical trees.
"A perfect circle", I mused again to myself. "It must be symbolic of something. But what?"
"You’re such a smart, smart girl," a voice creaked.
Stepping from the edge of the tree line, Lachesis walked steadily toward me, in her ancient, stooped form. Not only was she ancient, but I was also quite aware that she had been rendered powerless, so I stood unafraid and waiting as she approached.
"You’re such a proud little thing," she observed. I stuck my chin out even further and she smiled. "You always have been. That’s a paradox. Pride really should go against your peaceful nature."
"I am meant to bring contentment and peace to those around me," I replied. "It does not mean that I always feel it myself. Of course I do not- particularly when there are those who continually endanger the peace that I love."
She smiled again.
"Subtly is not a strength that you possess," she observed. "I like that."
"I care not what you like," I answered. "Please tell me where my mother is. You have no need for her. I’m the one you want."
"And to get you here, we had to involve your mother. She is restrained and you are outnumbered."
I felt many sets of eyes on me and my gaze flew once again to the tree line. I could see shadows of quite a few people surrounding us. Calypso’s nymphs. They were under the orders of the Fates. I swallowed.
"I am outnumbered now, but you are familiar with my father the god of war. He will be along shortly."
She laughed, a haunting sound.
"I wouldn’t count on that, I’m afraid. It is possible that they might have been shall we say waylaid." She laughed again, satisfied and secure. "I fear they will be of no help to you."
"Yes, you sound very afraid," I muttered.
"Come now," she extended her hand. "There is a party and we’re waiting for you."
I ignored her hand. Did she really believe that I was going to actually touch her? I followed closely behind her as she moved with surprising speed through the clearing. As we crossed through the trees, the solemn nymphs parted and allowed us to pass. Their expressions were at once curious, sorrowful and resigned. I could sense that they didn’t wish to be participants, but they had no choice.
A few minutes later, we stood in what had to be the very center of Ogygia. On one end of the encampment, a magnificently large black tent stood proudly, its fabric rippling with the gentle breeze. Facing it from the other end of the encampment was another tent, this one as red as blood.
In the middle, was an enormous pit. It spit fire, the flames licking the edges of the pit itself as it roared within. A firepit. Perfect.
But that wasn’t the worst part. Hanging upside down like bats from the trees above us were so many minor gods and goddesses that I could not count them all. From where I stood, I could see Alathea, Eris, Eros and Chaos. There had to be at least 30 more, but I couldn’t see their faces from here.
They were suspended in the air, held by long golden cords fastened at their ankles. Their hands were criss-crossed over their chests and held tight by an odd looking sheer material that surrounded their entire bodies. Only their hair was free and dangled downward toward the flame. Their eyes were tightly closed. It was as if they were in a strange, comatose state, much like how we found the Amazons in Eris’ home.
"Eris helped you," I pointed out. "She delivered Aphrodite to you. Why would you turn on her?"
"Why do you care?" Lachesis asked. "She is your sworn enemy."
"True," I acknowledged. "And I don’t care. I was simply curious."
"Well, you know what curiosity did to the cat." Lachesis smiled a slow, creepy smile at me.
"What do you hope to gain here?" I asked her. "What have these people done to you?"
"Absolutely nothing," she replied with a smug smile. "But they will be used as a message."
"Of what?" I asked in frustration.
"Of things that aren’t your concern." Another voice resounded through the encampment and I looked up to see Atropos and Clothos emerging from the black tent. They slowly walked to the edge of the fire where I stood with Lachesis.
"You do not have the right to demand knowledge from us," Clothos snapped in her superior way.
"Yet you cannot stop me, can you?" I asked. "You possess no magic here." I looked to Atropos. "Your breaths are no longer hazardous to me." Her ancient eyes snapped and I could see how much being rendered powerless truly vexed her.
From the opposite end, three hooded figured emerged from the red tent. The Keres. I watched them with interest as they crept to where we stood. When they reached us, I gazed at them curiously. And gasped.
They were hideous. It was no wonder they wore hoods. Their faces were ancient, like the Fates, but their skin looked like cracked stone. Their cloudy eyes were almost white and blood ran from the corners and dripped from their eyelashes to the ground. Everywhere they walked, they trailed blood.
"Do we repulse you?" the one nearest to me asked. I decided not to lie.
"Yes."
She smiled and grew even more terrifying as her gaunt face stretched over her jagged bones.
"We cry blood because of all that we have seen," she uttered. Reaching out a gnarled finger, she trailed it along my jawbone. "Such beauty," she hissed.
"If you had seen even a portion of what we have, you would not be so pure," she finished, dropping her hand back to her side. "Our sisters have damned us to a lifetime of suffering due to the evil that we have witnessed."
"Much of it at your own hands," Clothos reminded her. "You are not innocent, sister."
The Keres shook their heads. "As if we had a choice," the one in the middle croaked.
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