Feasts With the Gods
"I don't know half of these animals up here." Robbie had a bird like creature on his shoulder, where its beak should have been, there was instead a trumpet shaped horn protruded, as it sang a low rumble of a fog horn sounded in the distance. The horn came from the bird's mouth but it threw the sound far away from it. Robbie was stunned but amused. Karen walked up to the bird and was able to pet it before it flew off and joined a flock of its own breed up in the sky. "Where do you think they nest?" Karen was looking at the bird as it flew away. A beautiful woman emerged from a tall bush further up the hill. She looked like she had just woken up, she had dark smudges below her eyes and her hair was disheveled. She walked up the path to the point of the peak, about half way up she vanished from sight.``I guess we're headed that way." I spoke as I started up the path the tired looking woman had just walked. Up we walked in double file, each of us checking on weapons and supplies one more time. I feared that we might have lost something in the underwater battle. Then we dismissed our weapons, it would have been rude to appear in front of Gods armed as if we were walking into a battle. The first of us approached the place where the woman disappeared and walked out onto a vast marble slab with stairs ascending up to large columns and above them a stone peaked roof. The walk up took less time than it would have in our human forms, our large, long legs took three steps at a time. Each step was deep, each almost a meter deep with a low rise. Reaching the landing at their top the columns seemed even larger than they had at the bottom of the stairs and the roof looked like a horizon, or a white, gray, and blue skyline from the landing. Human figures walked by, a minotaur sat in a corner of the breezeway, an elf looking man passed by shifting and changing into a variety of beings laughing as he told a story. We saw a large, robust man sitting on a settee eating grapes, fruits, and drinking from a giant bowl of win. Faunes danced playing pipes and flutes, groups of women danced around them. Deep into the building there were more beings walking around five majestic thrones. A pit in the corner set into a low floor had a spit turning with roast pigs and hens turning slowly on them. The charcoal sizzled when fat dripped down, thick smoke bellowed into the air carrying the smell of charred meat. A gong rang out as we walked into the room, the deep ring filled the chamber and bounced off of walls. All the faces in the room turned and we felt the force of dozens and dozens of Godly eyes pressing down on us. "The weight of the ocean was more bearable than this feeling." Steven broadcast out to us along our closed telepathic loop. We each nodded in response, I agreed with him of course but I'd be damned if I let the Gods in this room know our discomfort at thousands of God eyes staring at us.
From the darkness at the top of the thrones five faces looked at us intensely."What do we owe a visit from the long lived seven?" A velvet rich voice rumbled down the steps from the center throne. A crowned head peeked out of the dark. His face was perfectly mixed with handsome and beautiful. His angular features were not only symmetrical but perfectly proportioned. Zeus' crown had an eagle head atop two wings that split and formed the circlet of the crown. Each wing was perfect, each feather in miniature arched out around the body of the crown, it had empty ruby eyes and ivory like talons under the center of its body. The gold of the crown highlighted the bronze of the Gods skin and in contrast to his walnut brown curly locks of his hair. The God's hair flowed around his head like a lion's mane, wild, unruly, but still beautiful. "A chest came to our home and when we opened it an owl's mask blew up our House, destroying half of it." I said, addressing all the Gods in the room, but emphasizing it to the five who sat in their thrones. "What do you think we might know that the three sisters living in your library might not?" A handsome woman leaned forward. Her beautiful hair was decorated with random peacock feathers, she had a blue silk gown and a cloak was made entirely out of the same feathers from her hair. Her alabaster skin was perfect, almost carved into being rather than born. "Hera, the sisters can not see around our fates. Besides, we don't believe that they would share this secret with us." I spoke, still only addressing the five in their thrones. I knew that it was good that we had managed to gain at least two of the fives attention, now for the remaining three. I was telling the truth which attracted the attention of Apollo, denying the sisters earned us Hades interests. Being an aspect of the last sister, going by Isis now, Hades had a vested interest in what we were saying. "It's not often those three speak in full truths." Hades said, his black robes billowed as if moving in an unseen and unfelt wind. His sallow face was beautiful but with large full eyebrows that gave him an over animated and expressive face. He had long straight black hair that flowed down past his shoulders and past his back a perfect peek pointed to the center of his forehead. We spent time explaining to the Gods what we knew about the Quill, leaving out the secret of the ink's recipe. The conversation was direct but tense, Ares didn't speak but watched our eldest brother Larry closely. I knew in an all out confrontation we stood a good chance against them. The spell and the sacrifice made to power it removed us from the list that Hades controlled, meaning death could never touch us. With luck we wouldn't need to test that theory or the upper limits of the spell. "We have no idea who sent you the chest." Hera said, interrupting the conversation. "In fact there are large parts of this story we know nothing about." Zeus added next.
Zeus, having admitted to what he doesn't know, told me a great deal about what they do. "So you wouldn't be able to help us find some answers?" I asked the king looking him directly in the eyes. No one spoke at first, I knew from the conversation that there was at least one person who might have some answers. Gods aren't all seeing all knowing, they have ways to spy on one another but also ways of keeping secrets from one another. They had an entire culture of keeping secrets from one another and Hades played the game better than any other. His entire underworld was protected from anyone that might try to peek into it, the only person with direct access was his wife and a prisoner that didn't enjoy the fate of the dead. She was a prisoner nonetheless.
Through our connection I sent out the image of the women we saw walking up the path just before us. Then I spoke to the king again, with a nod to Hades as I finished. "Can we speak to Persephone?" Hades face was shocked then regained his calm demeanor just a quickly. He knew something more about the chest than he was letting on. Zeus dismissed Hades just as quickly. Older brothers, always willing to believe they know everything, know more than their younger siblings anyway. "We are sorry we couldn't help, would you like to join us for some food?" Hera asked us as the conversation died down. The king, the queen and the other Gods descended down from their thrones. As they stepped onto the floor the world around us changed and couches, chairs and tables appeared around the pit of fire. Gold and silver goblets filled with wine, plates, and candles filled the tables. Ambrosia filled a bowl, it was a gel of purple energy. It looked like a universe in a bowl. Looking deeper into the bowl with essence, the bowl was an expression. It was much older then most expressions I see on a daily basis. I pushed my mind out to my brothers and my sister, "Let's split up and chat with other Gods. Robbie, Karen take Persephone, David Mathew takes Loki, Larry Ares and Poseidon are yours. Steven, Mercury is yours. I'll sit with the King and Queen." There was some basic chatter among our closed telepathic conversation, we decided to keep our line of communication open during our conversations. The passive connection feels like a small tickle at the back of our minds and sounds like the low murmuring of a rolling brook, we made plans for what we all needed to find out and took our seats.
The mighty Zeus filled the beings sitting at his table in on his latest endeavors mixing in with the human world and observing as well as mettoling in the affairs of man. He was a lot like our grandmother in a lot of ways, sticking his nose into the lives of the men, women, and other beings he observed. Hera sat passively at his side looking more decorative at his side. She was as much a fixture as the tapestries, goblets,plates and candlesticks. She had a wicked sense of intelligence. Her cape, with its peacock feathers and the eye each feather held in its crown seemed to see all the world around her. Hera carried herself with enough intelligence to observe everything her feather eyes took in, more important she was silent and listened to everything being said. After listening to the king for a polite length I spoke up. "Do all the realms of Gods share this splendor?" I asked not because I didn't know but because I wanted to leave enough space in the conversation for me to listen to what other topics other tables were covering. Larry and Mars were discussing war and fighting strategies. "I find it best to keep moving in a battle, even if it's just my feet. The constant movement keeps your opponent off balance, it keeps them guessing about your next move." I heard Mars say to Larry. That gave Larry the enthusiasm to talk about his training regimen that he kept at daily. There was something said about focusing on backflips and jumps he incorporated into his daily training. It seemed to draw Mars into the conversation even deeper, if I wasn't mistaken in another life the two would have made really good friends. War wasn't a passion shared by many beings in the world, truly kindred souls.
By luck Robbie was joined by Asclepius, God of healing and medicine. When Zeus allowed Hades to create illnesses and disease he made a stipulation that all forms of sickness had to have a treatment or a cure. Asclepius was keeper of that knowledge and devised the means of healing an illness. He and Robbie were deep in discussion about herbs, tinctures, and treatments. Robbie had brought the Finger with him, the expression that could heal any illness. Robbie hoped that one of the Gods could deactivate the drawbacks to its use, there was an interesting conversation happening about the many uses of Piggy-wog feathers. Listening into the conversation I gained the knowledge that the feathers mixed into a paste with mead, the treatment would prevent a wound from becoming infected and Thistle and Pine needle tea treated a cold and soothes a sore throat. Of course a secret ingredient helped the tea speed things up, if people didn't mind a healthy shot of whiskey. Whiskey which the God produced a flask of and shared it with my brother. They both giggled as they took shots in turn, soon a rose blush warmed the height of each of their cheeks and their eyes grew glassy and brighter. Myrth was in the air, every being around the tables,in the room were chatting and laughing. If we were going to learn anything by chance it would be tonight. As the main meal ended, sweets and fruit were passed around with warm tea and milk. Karen joined Robbie and Asclepius, sitting with them she brought up some mundane herbs that she had been studying and the God was shocked to find out that even they held medicinal properties he wouldn't thought a non-magical herb was capable of holding.
Steven was sitting with me but had moved to sit with Persephone, she made small talk with him while she enjoyed every bite of food she could place her hands on. "Down there with my husband I have food to eat but in the land of the dead foods have less flavor, less satisfaction. During my time here and on Earth I enjoy textures and flavors I miss throughout the winter months.At times I walk the dreams of the dead to remember the hope that gives pleasures to fruit,nuts,meats,sweets. It all tastes a small touch better with their hopes in my mind but it's nothing like the flavors of being on the top side of the underworlds." She was reclined and holding an apple in one hand and cheese in the other, talking with her mouth as full as politeness would allow. Between bites and small talk she drank greedily from her chalice. "Even this horn of water is a hundred times better here than in the palace of Hades." She added while drinking from a great tri-legged horn brimming with water. As the evening set into night the food from the spits were cleaned and tables cleared of everything but wine, ale, mead, and water. Along with a small selection of breads, cheeses and nuts that sat in a great platter at the centers of each table. Benches and settees replaced the chairs and everyone reclined as the night wore on. Gods, people, and beings moved around. Some walked, others flew and still more galloped or slithered around. Poseidon expressed how impressed he was with our knowledge of the mystic realms for what he called, "such young humans." He knew that we were three thousand years old but when our lives are put up against that of Gods we were very young. Some of the Gods in this room came into being shortly after the birth of the Stars and Plants around us, most were present when our Earth cooled and living creatures sprang into being. Even Persephone is an aspect of the Mother of Trees in human form. If not for their Ambrosia they would be little more than mundane humans.
We ate ambrosia at dinner tonight. The only effect it had on us was a shift in our sight. We saw more details then with our essences' sight. Deeper into the waves and pulses of energy that made magic possible. We didn't gain the golden glow of the Gods or transform past our true form. We among all beings were already on equal footing with the Gods, in some cases we had the potential to grow beyond the Gods. We had potential that they lacked, I don't know if it is our will power,our need to transform and change, to grow. I had no idea what potential we posed that Gods did not. I only knew that there was a canon we could cross that they couldn't.
As the night and moon climbed to their mid-points in the sky I heard the onyx doors open and the tired God floated on a cloud out into the night sky, he left a trail of sparkling midnight blue sand in his wake. The king noticed his late night brother taking to the night and yawned, he was ready to sleep after a long day of judgment and party. He bid us all goodnight and offered my brothers and my sister and I quarters in a guest cottage at the end of a side trail that led to the base of another cliff face. As we walked to our beds for the night Hades joined us to light the path with his staff for us.