Under The Sheep's Wool

"A—Ares?" Her mouth quivered, all dried up like a desert. Athena's soul was burning in slow rage. But instead of responding in ferocity, the goddess fell prey to the weakness of her knees and the tears that bitterly swollen her eyes. "Ares?" She repeated—dismayed at the painful revelation.

All her secrets were now in his core.

He knew.

He savagely knew now everything and every inch of her.

Athena was petrified and could not even say anymore. There, on her spot, she just gracefully sobbed, letting the paralysis take over her whole body.

Throat was indeed losing its power to defy the betrayal. From the disclosure, Ares moved towards her—he even offered a calm and collected hand.

No words were exchanged. Instead, Athena painfully looked at him. Oh, how she loathed him—passionately wanting to remove his head, but her disposition forbids it. She eyed his open hands that awaited hers, yet she could not reciprocate. There was no credence in such openness, knowing the fact he betrayed her.

He was her Trojan horse—her weakling heel.

"Athena—" He said, breathily uttered while extending his patience.

But before the goddess of wisdom opened her mouth, Artemis vehemently lunged at him—immediately losing his balance and receiving blow after blow.

"How dare you! You are a cursed being on Olympus! How dare you do this to Apollo?" Artemis screamed while kicking and striking him with her raging strength.

Ares struggled, gasping for a halt. Yet Artemis's wrath rebelled against pacification. "Stop!" the god retorted.

"You do not deserve any mercy!"

"A—Artemis…" Apollo weakly reached out. "Please—Ares did not hurt me. Not a single strand of my hair he had harmed." Assuring her, he beamed a small smile.

With a stroke of luck, Artemis stopped. Noticing her brother's grin, she broke into bitter tears and ran back to his side.

"Calm down now, my sweet. Listen, Ares did not do this to me." He slowly revealed as she raised her eyes to stare at him. "Dry those tears. I want to see your pretty blue eyes."

"Wha—what re—happened?" Artemis fumbled, struggling with her sorrow.

"As what I have told Athena, I have already foreseen this. Ares's plan was something I could not stop. It has already been written on the stars. I have to do this to myself rather than bow down before him. Being a subject to him is unfit for my temperament."

Despite projecting his statement in humor, Artemis still could not stop sobbing. She tightly embraced him and continued weeping into his shoulder.

On the contrary, locked in the same position while slowly suffering from the laborious rhythm of her lungs, Athena's head was spinning like a whirlpool. Her vision started to double, and her ears only heard echo after echo. Feet finally surrendered to the sensation of despair. Athena looked piteous—a dying sheep torn between accepting and denying her fate. The endgame seemed bleak as she stared back at Ares, who recently rose from the violent blows he received from Artemis.

As he began to walk towards her, Athena was palpitating. She felt sick as if a lump was blocking her larynx. Breathe in, breathe out—but the blurred vision of Ares closing in made it worse.

"No—" She managed to spit out. "No!"

With Ares only a foot away, the goddess bolted from her spot and ran towards the thick forest with hopes that none could find her. But his ego would not accept such an act.

Similar to the height of the hunting season, he went after her—sprinting like a lion who just spotted his prey.

Chard and withered in the colors of ochre and umber, the leaves on the ground crinkled as Athena mercilessly tread on them. As trunks reached out like starved hands calling for help, the goddess disregarded all pain and cuts birthed from apprehension and haste.

She ran and ran, leaving her slippers behind—

She ran until blood from her wounded soles tainted her trail.

Her tears were adjourned, not even a complaint muttered from her lips. Athena only held her head high, hoping the sickness that leeched on her would fade away. Sadly, it did not.

Like how the forest around her perceived, the goddess was also gripping death's train. Lightheaded and dreary, Athena could no longer help but drop down on her knees and vomit all the impurities that snaked within her body. Now, woeful tears had begun flooding her once commanding beauty.

The rustling of Ares's chasing feet echoed around Athena—taunting her like a mob that wanted to throw her into a bonfire. She was breathing heavily. She was helpless. The strong goddess was appalled by her swift demise only because of some betrayal.

Some of her people betrayed her.

Her fellow deities did so.

Now, why does this make any difference?

Her mind was blinking with many questions. She felt drowned. The blistering leaves had set her ground into a thorny feel of cushion that heed not of her wails but praised more of her agony.

Seconds later, the god of war had finally reached her. He did not immediately go to her side. Instead, he observed her gradually wilting like the dead forest that stared at her from all around. His lips turned downward, understanding such defeat she forced to accept.

"Athena." In a soft voice, he approached her. "Athena?"

No answer.

As Ares knelt beside her and laid both hands on her shoulder, Athena instantly felt the surge of sickness, causing her to vomit more.

There was no malice nor violent reaction to her current disposition. In lieu, Ares consoled her as he caressed her back and reminded her of her vigor.

"S—sto—stop!" Athena complained in between discharges. "I cannot be eased if—if you—the wolf in sheep's clothing is try—trying to give me so—solace."

"I know. But before I tell you something, please—" Ares cracked. The indication of brokenness in his voice was alarming. Involuntarily, his hold on her tightened.

Athena continued to spew more, feeling the burning on her chest and throat. Her white flag was now raised, crying when Ares guided her to stand up. Nonetheless, her fragile limbs finally took her as their prisoner.

"Ke—keep your hands off me!" She screamed as she pushed him away. "You have indeed no shame, Ares. What? Do you feel sympathy now? Is it because you made me sick? Or perhaps you know you already won. I do not know your full intention, but you did uncover everything about me. Is that why you befriended me last night? I was honestly caught off guard by your surprise."

Her dull and tired eyes made Ares speechless. Silver orbs no longer sparkle. He cannot deny she was still beautiful, but pain and sorrow had won the battle. There was no glow on her as lines had rounded her delicate features.

With the next succeeding seconds, he was only staring at her—unwittingly absorbing the last draw of her charm. One hand then reached out to cup her face and finally whispered, "I passionately desired to rip this lovely face. I hate you. I truly hate you. The moment you came out from Zeus's head, it was the moment I knew I had found my competition.

Since I was a young boy, I have tried with all my heart and soul to please the king and Hera, but all I got was disappointment and more push to do my very best. All I have done was not enough—never enough!

When I learned that Zeus favored you, I knew—for sure— I wanted to destroy you.

I loath you, Athena." Once he ended, his fingers danced on her cheek and down to her lips, where they stayed for a while—feeling those mount and texture that carried the stain of pale crimson.

Her eyes never leave his as he speaks. She felt his tension—every disdainful motion of his brows was poking at her psyche. Hate was forcing them inside the invisible cocoon. However, Athena managed to be calm and answered, "The same sentiments, Ares."

"Are you still trying to be strong?"

"I don't need to. A go—" Before she could finish, Athena suddenly felt a surge of ache from her foot up to her head.

Her eyes grew wide like a saucer, hands convulsing that she even had to lean onto him—she was losing her mind. Athena was slowly losing her life as she loudly panted as if Aether had forbidden her air to fortify the lungs of the ill-stricken goddess.

"What's wrong? Athena, are you alright?" Ares was flabbergasted when she suddenly curved into his chest. "What is happening?"

Athena began to sob, gritting her teeth from the pain she could not fully describe.

Her demeanor was very concerning. The god of war had no choice but to comfort her and let her lean onto him until her shaky nerves were at ease.

But the chaos was still starting. Many more things were waiting on its sleeves for everyone on Hellas.

As Ares directed Athena to a stone for her to sit down, the ground started to tremble–bringing forth waves that rose like mountains, and burning magma spilled from the raging volcanoes that no longer listened to the pleads of Gaia.

A new era had begun.