Page 13 of Hermes
So, that’s what this was about. Another mission that the other Olympian gods and goddesses needed my assistance for. I couldn’t even get a full day off without them begging me to resolve their troubles and the messes they made.
“And what is it this time? Has a mortal betrayed you? Is someone plotting our demise? What could be so dire to cause you to interrupt my peaceful moment of leisure?”
Aphrodite folded her arms over her chest. “It’s Ares…”
“What about him?” I asked.
“He is missing… well, he was actually kidnapped,” she revealed.
“Kidnapped!?” I blurted out. How could one of the strongest gods, the God of war for that matter, have been captured? Was that even possible? Who could have to power and motive to pull off nearly an impossible feat such as this?
“Yes. The Aloadae seized him. Those odious, repulsive giants dared to battle us Olympians. Needless to say, we came out on top, but they abducted Ares in the process,” she further elaborated.
The Aloadae, Otus and Ephialtes were the giant twin sons of Iphimedeia, princess of Thessaly and Poseidon. The two have been plotting to gain access to Mount Olympus in recent times. Of course, we gods and goddesses laughed at their absurdities, thinking nothing of them. They were of no threat to us. Let them believe their futile fantasies in being able to conquer Mount Olympus, us gods and goddesses believed. But evidently, we should have taken far more precaution when it came to them, if these aggressive beasts were able to somehow trap Ares.
“And so, you want me to be the one to save Ares from the Aloadae?” I raised my brow.
Aphrodite nodded. “Precisely. If anyone is able to sneak into their cave and free Ares from their clutches, it is you.”
I rose from my sedentary position in the sand and turned to face the goddess, folding my arms over my chest, standing with my feet firmly dug into the stand. A stance to let her know how agitated I was by all of this. It was nothing more than an impertinence, with her having to disturb me because the other gods could not get their acts together to overcome two imbecilic giants.
But I now held an impish grin on my face, realizing why it was Aphrodite who was here making this bold request to me. It was no secret that she and Ares have been having an affair behind her husband, Hephaestus’s back for years now. Ares was important to her. Aphrodite loved him, which was why she was now here, standing before me, hoping I could be the one to release her lover from captivity.
However, this would be a missed opportunity if I so easily succumbed to this task, gaining nothing in return. I needed to get something out of this, and so I knew I could make Aphrodite bend at my will if she wanted me to rescue Ares.
“You need to beg me,” I informed her. “Beg me to save him.”
“Beg you!? Are you out of you mind!?” she nearly yelled.
“Yes. If you want me to venture off and help retrieve your idiot lover, who somehow wound up captured by two foolish giants, then you need to get on your knees and beg me to do it.”
“And if I refuse?” Aphrodite inquired.
“Then he will remain in their custody for years to come,” I replied.
The Goddess of love and beauty paused for a moment, likely processing the proposition I put before her, before she finally let out a heavy grunt. She dropped to her knees in the sand before me. “I am only doing this because time is of the essence.”
“See, it’s not so bad, is it?” I mocked, as she kneeled in front of me. “You should be used to this position, after all. Am I right?”
Her mouth gaped at my sordid comment. “You little…”
I held my hand up, preventing her from speaking another word and finishing that statement. “Now, now. Let’s not say anything we will live to regret. It is I who holds the power now, and I can easily refuse to assist you in this critical mission.”
She sighed once more. “Fine. I’m only going to say this once. Please, Hermes, I beg of you. Will you be Ares’ savior?”
“And…” I interceded with.
“And what?” she asked. “What more do you want?”
“And ‘I promise I will forever be in your debt. I will never speak ill-willingly of you nor will I ever berate you for the rest of eternity.’ Say it, and we will be done here,” I practically demanded.
“Fine! ‘I promise I will forever be in your debt. I will never speak ill-willingly of you nor will I ever berate you for the rest of eternity,’” she repeated back to me, but in a brusque manner.
“That will do,” I affirmed. “Rise. I will set off soon to find Ares.”
Aphrodite stood up. “I cannot believe you made me do that. You will be sorry for putting me through this embarrassment!”
“No. I won’t. You promised me… You would do well to remember that.”
