Gods and Politics

'Warrior…I wish to speak with you…please.'

The young Lockhart frowned upon hearing the feminine voice in his head. Who dared to swim inside his mind?! That was the same as signing a death warrant. Luckily, it wasn't with evil intent. It instead felt like something was attempting to connect with his mindscape.

A shimmering rune appeared on Sora's forehead, resembling the shape of a diamond. The sleepy man was growing more annoyed by the second as he closed his body and soul from any foreign interference. The connection failed to pull him away. Still, the strange energy fought to remain linked to him. 

'I mean you no harm. Please understand. I only wish for a moment of your time.' The voice continued. 

"Who…" Sora mumbled.

'All shall be explained. Hurry! There isn't much time!' 

"Siiiigh." The young Lockhart could only scratch the back of his head. 

If he wanted to see who this person was, he'd need to stop resisting. And so he did. The bright diamond rune on his forehead immediately solidified with a low chime. At that moment, everything went black. 

…

…

…

"You're here. Thank you for granting me an audience." The voice spoke in his ear. 

Sora opened his eyes and took in his surroundings with an energetic hum. There was greenery all around, save for the stone path on which he stood. Waterfalls could be seen in the distance that fell from the heavens above. All in all, it was a beautiful sight. 

The breeze was just the right amount, and shimmering leaves of crystal flew through the canopy. Not bad. At least this mystery woman knew how to treat a divine being such as him. Sora smirked to himself knowing that she initially tried to forcefully teleport him and failed. Only due to his permission, did he find himself in this new environment. 

That was enough dawdling. Step by step, the young Lockhart followed the path. He made his way past a river, then a cliff. Only then did he notice that he was on an island. It was an island alright, one that floated in the depths of the void. Shimmering crystals and stars could be found all over the empty expanse. 

'This a pocket dimension known as Aeolia. If not for this place, I would be unable to speak with you without being noticed by unwanted eyes.' The soft voice resounded in his mind once more.

Sora accepted the statement, and carried on. Another few minutes passed before reaching a clearing. A beautiful lake could be seen in the distance, with rocky terrain behind it. Eleven golden armored figures could be seen around the lake. Some sat on the rocks further away. Others stood on the shore. A select few even sat on the water directly, defying the laws of physics.

Each of their armors were exquisite as if created by a godly craftsman. An ethereal energy wafted around these people, resembling the galaxy. It was extremely similar to Sora's own energy. 

To finish the scene, a divine woman sat beside a table made from marble. A white gown covered her lovely figure along with a few golden braces. One of her legs was raised, allowing her bare foot to rest on the edge of the chair. She seemed to be clipping her toenails. Purple strands of hair fell past her face, accenting her eyes which sparkled like gems. 

'...I see.' Sora thought. 

He was impressed by this woman's beauty but that was all. This entire situation implied that she was a goddess, and that the happenings on earth were not unrelated.

"Welcome, Sora. Have a seat. Do you prefer tea or coffee?" She asked. 

"................."

Sora grabbed the chair and brought it to the other side of the table, right beside her. He then faced it toward the lake. As he plopped down on the chair, he noticed the glares of anger, disbelief, and disdain from the golden warriors. One of the warriors who stood on shore clenched his fist. 

"YOU DARE-" His angry snarl was immediately cut off as the goddess raised her hand. She then gave the young Lockhart a smile after turning her chair as well. 

"Even when sitting down, you are much taller in person."

"...You think so? I see you've been watching me." Sora finally responded.

"Forgive me if that rubs you the wrong way, but I'm not the only one who's been watching your exploits."

"...Oh? Who else?"

"I'm sure you will meet her soon. She can be very impatient."

'Her? Another goddess then. Hmmm…Even goddesses cannot take their eyes off me.' He thought smugly. 

Hearing such an arrogant comment, even the author wanted to smack him upside the head. Fuck him! This bastard! 

"...To answer your question, I'd rather drink some ambrosia." The sleepy man said.

A few of the golden warriors flared their energy with rage. They believed Sora's arrogance had no limit. One of the warriors walked up to the seated Lockhart. 

"Arrogant mortal! A being like you should know their place!" He growled. The goddess' expression grew stern. 

"Aquarius. This is the second time." She spoke calmly. 

The man immediately grew quiet and backed away. No matter what, he wouldn't speak again. That wasn't all though.

"Leo, you as well." She hummed softly. A figure whose golden armor resembled a lion, loosened his grip on the rock he was just about to leap from.

Only then did the goddess look back at Sora. She even stretched a bit. Once the tension disappeared, she spoke to the man who seemed unaffected by the intimidating figures.

"What makes you think I would have something as rare and precious as ambrosia?" She asked. The young Lockhart cracked his neck. 

"...If even the goddess of war and wisdom can't drink ambrosia, the pantheon must be worse than I imagine." He commented. 

Athena frowned for a moment before opening her hand. A vial of liquid gold suddenly appeared. Without wasting any time, two cups were poured. Sora took a cup and had a taste. Immediately, it felt as if his soul was expanding. The taste…it couldn't even be described. 

"How did you know my identity?" She asked. 

"You can know mine but I can't know yours?" Sora responded. 

"Hmm. Touché."

"...Your group of friends here. What is the source of their power?"

"My Knights of the Zodiac…They utilize an energy that was distributed by the big bang, the creation of the universe. It is known as Cosmo, and can be found in all parts of the universe." She answered. 

Sora rubbed his chin in understanding. Raising his hand toward her, he waited as if she knew what he wanted. Athena's eyes shimmered with recognition. She immediately grabbed his hand while channeling the cosmo energy.

'Mmmmm.' Sora thought. 

Sipping the ambrosia with one hand and feeling out the cosmo in the other, he allowed it to travel throughout his body. The ethereal but powerful energy merged with his light, leaving traces of itself in his divinity. It fully mixed with his null, giving it an even holier attribute.

Aquarius only watched with bulging veins. He couldn't remember the last time someone had disrespected his goddess so much. To think a mortal would get this far with Athena…to even touch her!

Once the cosmo finished circulating his body, Sora released her hand. He was now very satisfied, as his light had just gone up in quality. The sleepy man had gotten what he wanted. Ambrosia and Cosmo energy. Two things that would never be given to anyone. Athena had listened to his demands without question. Smart.

"...Well?" He spoke casually. Only now did he fully look at her face. She looked as if she'd been waiting to speak her true thoughts for a while. This goddess did well at holding it in. 

"If I may…" She started. He waved his hand in response.

"You've shown me your sincerity. Speak your mind."

"You wish to end this farce happening in the mortal realm, yes?"

"...As quickly as possible. I don't enjoy things that drag out for too long." He answered while leaning back even further. The back of his head rested on the table, his gaze focused on the starry expanse. 

"The descent of beasts will not end. Not until the gates to Tartarus are closed."

"And you wish for me to close it then? I would've done this anyways. What does that have to do with you, though?"

"You must go to the Underworld in order to reach Tartarus. I can get you in, directly in front of the gates. The problem is that a few people and possessions of mine have been stuck in the Underworld for a long time."

"Ah…you need me to go find your missing people." He concluded. Athena smiled.

"Not quite. I need you to attract the attention of the entire Underworld. Even Tartarus himself…but worry not, you shan't be alone." 

Sora glanced at the knights surrounding the lake and wondered if they were coming along. It didn't feel like they would be useful. No matter. The divine woman gazed toward a distant star that glowed gold. An ornamental staff appeared, and she tapped it on the ground. 

TAP TAP

"Sagittarius." She called out. 

The golden star at the edge of the void grew bright. Not long after, it turned into a ray of energy that shot towards the lake. Like a shooting star, the last member of the Zodiac Knights materialized above the water. 

His golden armor was exquisite, with a unique crown helm that covered his ears. Armored wings stretched behind him, almost resembling an angel. Cosmo energy circulated his body rapidly, like a neutron star ready to burst at any moment. His messy brown hair stopped above his honey gold eyes. It was safe to say, this was the strongest of all the knights. 

The man floated down before Athena and kneeled. There were no extra thoughts in his mind. Not even a question of who the figure sitting beside his goddess was. Athena gave Sagittarius a smile filled with pride and affection, bordering love. Sora was quick to notice. 

"Sora…while you garner attention, this man will do his due diligence. Only when he is done, will you close the gates of Tartarus. He cannot be noticed by Hades, which is why you must attract the ire of everyone. And I do mean everyone."

The young Lockhart finally understood why he was needed. It was another political game between the gods. This time it was between Hades and Athena. While Earth was fighting for survival, these gods were trying to gain something through war. Looks like the war economy is beneficial even to the gods.

Not only that, Sora already knew that he'd have to either send Ares and Poseidon back to Olympus…or get rid of them. The sleepy man grew wide awake upon realizing how good of a workout he would be getting in the next few days. He'd been dying from boredom!

"We have a deal, Athena. Mostly because this drink is so good." He joked. At the same time, he casually took the vial of ambrosia and stored it in his skyrealm, under the watch of all the Zodiac Knights.

"Pfft. Haha! Of course." She giggled.

The purple haired goddess smiled with glee knowing that such a powerful being was cooperating. Both of them knew that the real value was the cosmo energy. That was why Sora would indulge her. It was why Athena even brought the knights to this meeting. She knew he would take interest in such a pure energy that coincided with his. A divine power up for him, some gains for her.

As Sora prepared to cut the connection, a pillar of divine energy slammed into the ground nearby. Out of the pillar walked another goddess. With silky brown hair and deep green eyes, an unrivaled maturity wafted from her.

Athena immediately stood up from her chair. Sagittarius was right beside her like a faithful bodyguard. Both goddesses locked eyes.

"Hera. The audacity to enter my abode…"

"Athena. Sorry, but I have more important things to talk about right now." Hera responded. 

Her tone was curt and concise. She needed to speak with Sora. Unfortunately, the young Lockhart was already fading out of existence as she laid eyes on him.

"Wait! A word, please. Warrior-"

"Sorry, but I only have the mental energy to speak with one Greek god a day. Maybe next time."

And just like that, he was gone. Hera stood there in shock. She'd just been blown off! She couldn't remember the last time someone had disregarded her in such a way. Athena couldn't help but sneak a tiny grin.