Page 197 of Hekate: The Witch
to win a thousand wars,
you will win this
and the next one too.’
‘I do not want any more wars,’
I told him. He smiled sadly and
pulled me closer and I sank into his arms.
The View From the Top
Hermes was gone less than half a day. In this time, we settled the army down at the base of the mountain where the giants could not see us. A blind spot, Hermes had called it before he had left. The undead felt no cold and needed no food in their liminal state, so instead, stayed quiet, the hearts of beating stars inside them. I could not look at them for long before my guilt began to sing too loudly. So instead, we waited in silence together. Finally Hermes returned, his face grim and carefully blank as he narrated the state of the war in the skies. The giants had done great damage to the defences of Olympus. The pillars that once stood for millennia were in pieces. Hephaestus had been captured and there was no more adamantine for the Gods to use as weapons. Ares’ red storm had failed to do any damage. Zeus’ thunderbolts and lightning were no match against the size of the giants, and had only wounded a few of them. Hera had been captured and was being held hostage by two of the biggest giants. Poseidon had been cornered into a place he could not summon water to his aid. Apollo and Artemis had been flung off the mountain and were fighting their way back up. Athena was the only reason the Gods had not surrendered yet – her warcraft had created an invisible army to stop the giants from destroying the centre of Olympus and the altars of the Gods. Time was running out. Another half day and all would be lost.
Thanatos Speaks
Terror should have been gripping me,
but I had no moment to spare for it.
The Olympians were more powerful than me.
I took a step back from Hermes
and nearly fell back into Thanatos’ arms.
‘How do I do this?’ I asked him,
‘I have never led an army,
I do not know the art of war.’
His kind, tired eyes looked upon me.
‘Do you know why I agreed to help you?
Or even,’ he said, glancing at Hermes,
‘why Hermes came to you for aid?’
I shook my head quietly.
‘Hekate. You are the only divinity
who has faced violent giant blood
and lived to tell that story.’
I Took a Step Back From Him
‘What?’ I asked in confusion.
Hermes spoke now.
‘You fought Kronos.
You survived him.’
