Lady Jamie stared silently into the nothingness left by the event and moved nary a stitch. It was difficult to confirm if she was even breathing.
“Well. There went my life’s work. Everything I had on this world, gone.” Kaitlyn decried as she stared in awe at the deep, concave, perfectly smooth, crater that used to be Witch Corps’ hangar here at Hopewell Field on the planet, Kane.
“Where do you think it all went?” Lokust pondered absentmindedly. She was just as awestruck as I.
“My guess would be the same place lost socks go after disappearing in the dryer.” Chantell wisecracked.
“My daughter was still in there, Denison!” Major Summers cried in anger.
“You don’t think I know that, Hopewell?! She just saved all our asses! AGAIN!”
I noticed Lady Charli had fallen to her knees and was at this moment sobbing inconsolably, hands to her face. Simone was crying likewise, only tightly clutching a staunch Lady Hope.
Still, tears were streaming down the Major’s face as they had on Chance’s ten years prior, when news came of Gia Four’s demise.
“By the Gods! Savanna!” Lokust suddenly shouted out and she too fell to her knees, and began weeping openly.
“She was the most understanding and evenly biased friend I ever had. A true sister in every form of the definition. Her deeds shall be entered into FeLane’s Directory of the Honored Fallen- forever placed beside the Great Queen, Libra, for all to remember and respect. She was a courageous…caring…” I too succumbed to my emotions and fought the losing battle all those left behind by such heroic deeds eventually feel. Despite our rearing, strength of character, or training, nothing ever prepares us for the loss of a truly valiant friend.
“She can’t be dead!” Dell shouted as she turned to the rest of us in anger. Her voice echoed?
“I refuse to acknowledge that she would go that easily! Chance is a fighter! She, out of all of us, would survive!” Dell’s still echoing voice declared as she took several more strides toward, but stopped as she visibly shielded herself from the heat, radiation, and gravimetric incongruities generated when the brilliant blue singularity dramatically, completely swallowed our hangar.
I walked closer and gently urged her back from the event horizon.
“She knew what would happen, Dell. I have a feeling she knew before you both disappeared the first time. Her gallantry in spite of such knowledge is overwhelming. Such courage of the heart…I have never seen her equal before.”
“Stop talking like she isn’t coming back, Kitty! I know Chance! She won’t quit- not this easily anyway!” She argued, pulling free of my grasp then turned quickly- her arms reaching around me and squeezing.
Had she suddenly gotten stronger?
“Chance wouldn’t leave us like this!” She added declared stalwartly from between my primary mammary pair.
“Maybe she didn’t have a choice, sister. Maybe it was the only viable way?”
“No! I spent the last forty cycles with her and we agreed that no matter what, we’d both keep fighting! She promised me, Kitty! She promised!” My dearest friend cried.
“Is that where you two went? To the Current?” Lady Hope asked, still maintaining her steely façade. She didn’t seem that surprised, though with the way she had her emotions harnessed down, it made sense.
Dell pushed away and nodded.
“We found ourselves on the side of a major byway- strange looking vehicles racing in both directions. After a bit, one of them slowed to a stop and a man calling himself ‘Envoy’ got out and transported us to the ‘Way-Coven’ Embassy. Can you believe we actually have an Embassy there? We were treated like royalty! Chance and I were asked to give something called ‘interviews’ to the various multimedia enterprises throughout their ‘realm’.” Dell paused to wipe her tears away.
“Zeus and Grandmother even came to vist! Father Zeus gave Chance and I a ‘Quest’ that turned out to be just for their entertainment…well, Zeus’ entertainment anyway. Grandmother wasn’t too thrilled with that and gave us hints and suggestions to help us. Then a few uSecs before we decided to leave, Father Zeus and Grandmother again appeared, this time as their ancient Hawaiian equivalents’ and gave us more clues. Then Evans showed up.”
“Evans was able to enter the Current?” Lady Hope gasped.
“Well, duh, Hopewell! Hobgoblins ARE Current? Tainted Current?” Lady Chantell chided animatedly.
“He demanded an ‘interview’. I found out about it only after the fact when Chance joined us in Envoy’s vehicle after she had hastily concluded that meeting. The monster appeared again just after we arrived back at our arrival site to affect departure. It declared us ‘property’ and insinuated a future of sexual and psychological slavery to it for however long it decided to torture us!”
“Even though it looked like a normal blonde-haired Terran man, it smelled of depravity and death! It was a revolting and vile creature, the likes of which nightmares do no justice! Chance seemed to revile the creature a hundred fold though.
“Even when entering the vehicle, I could see the hatred and rage building behind her eyes. As I recall, there was a dull, orange glow present in them even then. Whatever had been discussed in that interview surely tipped her calm and cool demeanor. She appeared distracted- internally conflicted. Chance became restless and fidgeted constantly during our transit to our destination. She seemed…ready to pop, I guess you could say.”
“Then at our destination, Chance became highly aggressive and took the offensive toward the thing- Evans. She was not acting like our High Priestess, but more a rabid, hell-bent, gladiator eager for her next victi…by the Gods! Nike! Why didn’t I see it at the time? The staff! Was it Nike’s staff? The Staff of Victory? Is that what the Olympians inferred?”
“Artie?” Lady Hope asked as she directed her full attention to our sister.
“Grandmother insisted that Chance was the reincarnation of Aries’ daughter, Nike, the Goddess of Victory. In what I have studied about my ancient heritage, Nike was depicted in story and statue holding a sort of Roman legion staff- The Staff of Victory. The existing legends tell of how Nike led the Olympians to victory in some epic battle and that Zeus bestowed upon her his heartfelt thanks and declared Nike worthy of his highest honors. No other Olympian has ever received such high praise- before or after.”
“The legends say that Nike became so overwhelmed by the praise and accolades that, at a celebration in her honor, she fled to parts unknown- never to be heard from again. Another story describes how Artemis vowed to find her niece and bring her back to Olympus. According to the story, the Hun…tress…still…still searches…to this…OH GODS! It’s actually happened!” Dell exclaimed as she looked to the sky.
“I know where she is!” Dell shouted excitedly just before she reached to her right earring and vanished!
 
 

 
 
“So there I was, frolicking through the meadow admiring the pretty flowers and I like, run straight away into this… this… this mortal eye sore? Now I may have to change my hairstyle until the bruise has faded? I don’t know if I can like, survive that long?”
A shrill female voice was complaining through a group of linen clad humanoids when I opened my eyes. Past the crowd, stood the hangar in its entirety!
I instantly knew that I was in the right place!
“Oh please, Demi! You’re lucky the thing didn’t fall on top of you like in that Terran drama about an adolescent female and some terrible environmental event!” A sarcastic male voice boomed.
The crowd laughed and snickered.
“What do you think it was before Medusa plied her gaze?” A male voice closer to me asked quietly.
“Seriously? Have you not read the media reports in the last four thousand years, Dionysus? Medusa is long dust, er…stone.”
“Actually, I resist any reports other than the horticultural forecasts.” The male voice replied.
“You should spend more time among our brethren and less with your precious drink!”
A loud burp echoed about the immediate area causing some of the people around us to frown, cringe, or simply turn away from the crude man.
“Ho! Artemis Dell! I see you have found us. Welcome to Olympus.” A man of about six-eight and brutally muscular, greeted me. He actually startled me since I had assumed no one would know me here.
“You know me?” I asked, shocked.
“Ney, my lady, but I recognize my handiwork.” He motioned to my earrings and bracelets. “Then again there is your uncanny resemblance to your older sister, Artemis.” He smiled warmly.
“Hephaestus, at your service, my lady.” He introduced himself and offered his hand in friendship.
He began to chuckle quietly as he gently took my hand- which disappeared in his.
“Artemis Dell, be at ease. You are among family and we do not bite…well, most of us don’t anyway.”
I immediately liked this huge, gentle soul.
“I take it you have followed yonder anomalous construction? It came from your realm?”
“It has and I think Chance had something to do with it, my Lord.”
“Oh? And what evidence leads you to believe the reincarnation of Nike has had her hand in such transference, my young Olympian?”
“Right before it vanished, Chance conjured a staff.” I informed him.
“A staff? Are you absolutely certain that is what you saw, Artemis Dell? Can you describe it for me?”
“It was maybe two meters high with a golden point at one end and an elaborate, golden headpiece with a dark blue gem in the middle at the other. I had never seen her produce anything like that before.” I told him.
“She ordered us out of the building after having us lock her in a holding cell with one of the more powerful Hoblins. She had also ordered us to conjure a force shield around it using our hexagram formation. Lord Hephaestus, I fear she has given her life to save us, and a planet. I truly hope that is not the case though.”
The huge, bull of a man regarded me a moment before nodding once and standing tall.
“Out of our way! Move, I tell you! There may be casualties inside the structure! Make a hole, brothers and sisters!” He shouted as he began pushing through the crowd.
All conversations stopped!
“Hephie? But what about my bruise? What will I do? How will I survive?” The woman belonging to the shrill voice countered angrily and refused to let Hephaestus pass.
“I’m sure you’ll survive the four hours it takes to heal, Demeter!” Hephaestus assured the perfect, Greek specimen of feminine beauty.
“But what shall I do in the mean ti…?” The vain goddess demanded, but stopped and stared at me. I felt her eyes burning through my very soul! She quickly looked in the direction opposite us. She repeated her movements several times.
“Like…I…I don’t understand this?” She said in confusion. “How can you be here with Hephie AND over there…all at the same time? Have you been holding out on us, Di?”
Demi, please! There may be lives at stake in there. Please let Artemis Dell and I through before all hope is lost.”
“So who do you think is in there?” Lady Demi asked nonchalantly.
“Artemis Dell suspects Lady Chance might be trapped and her thread about to be cut. Now let us pass!” Lord Hephaestus answered hurriedly.
“Nike? Nike’s in danger? We have to do something?” The woman panicked.
So I was right! Chance actually was Nike! A pair of arms instantly wrapped around me and I was caught off guard.
“You came! Sister, I had great hopes you would find it in you to transport here! Welcome to Olympus, Artemis Dell, my dear younger sister!” The real Artemis chirped excitedly.
“Artie, Chance may be inside! We have to hurry.”
“I’ve already scouted the whole building. There seems no way in, Hephus.” Grandmother reported.
“Then we follow Chance’s example and make a way!” I declared stoically.
“I like the way you think, sister!” Grandmother said, producing her bow and quiver.
I already had my arrow nocked and aimed.
Lord Hephaestus stared at me a moment.
“Artemis Dell surpassed you in munitioning, Artie. She bested you by several hundred milliseconds.
“It wasn’t a contest, Hephus!” Grandmother groaned. “Ready, sister?”
I nodded as I set my aim. “On three?”
“Ready.”
“Three!” I said as I released.
A major explosion blinded us and made our ears ring, but once the smoke cleared; no sign of an entry point could be seen.
“Okay? Now what?” Grandmother wondered.
“Maybe violence is not the answer, ladies. Maybe the opposite would work? You stated that Lady Chance ordered you to place not a containment spell…but a ‘force shield’ around the containment cell?” Lord Hephaestus recommended.
“So we should show no aggression and simply ‘walk’ through the barrier?” Grandmother interpreted.
“”The short answer? Yes.”
“I’ll try first, Grandmother. I was one of those to cast the spell.” I said as I carefully approached what I perceived to be the barrier’s perimeter and moved even slower until I could touch the permacrete of the hangar’s outside wall. Turning, I nodded to the others.
“It looks different on this side of the spell’s border.” I observed. “The rear entrance to the building should be right around this corner.” I added as Lord Hephaestus and Grandmother joined me.
We were rewarded by the actual entry door still being there.
 
 
“Let’s follow proper Corps procedure and clear each room as we make our way in.” I suggested as we quietly made our way- single file- through the reinforced door.
A faint thumping echoed quietly from ahead of us somewhere.
“Ewwwww! Sounds like someone’s having a good time in here?!” A shrill, but quiet voice announced from behind us. I know I jumped about half a meter before I acted!
Lady Demi stood frozen just off the points of my and Grandmother’s arrows and gulped nervously.
“Ummm…like, is this a bad time?’
“Demi! What in Uncle’s name are you doing? You could have gotten killed!” Grandmother chastised our uninvited guest.
“I…umm…I thought you needed some like, help?” She answered. “Like, I even got dressed for the occasion?” She motioned to her parity of the Corps’ uniform.
Yes, she had the round, pointed hat, the silky, white blouse, the black with orange trimmed bustier, the black, pleated skirt, and the black, heeled leather boots, but the bustier was cut almost down to her naval- her blouse opened almost that far, too! Her skirt was cut so scandalously high that the very bottoms of her orange panties were on constant display along with her black garters and lacy, orange and white stocking tops. The thigh-high boots she wore had three and a half centimeter platforms and twenty centimeter spike heels and nearly covered her stockings entirely. Her hat went stiffly to a point!
“You look like a Terran prostitute at Halloween!” Grandmother and I said at the exact same time.
Lord Hephaestus began to chuckle.
“You don’t like my alterations?” She pouted.
‘Seriously?’ I thought
“Fine, but stay quiet! We wanted to surprise whatever is making that thumping noise.” Grandmother capitulated.
“Eeewwww! Okay? Like, let’s go?”
Our advancement though the offices at the rear of the hangar was ‘punctuated’ by the quick, staccato of Lady Demi’s heels as she minced unsteadily behind us. “Like, how can you walk in these things?”
Was she actually super smart and just mocking us out of boredom or really that clueless?
As we came upon the kitchen, I noticed that the holding cell door- toward the middle of the hallway- was blasted wide open- completely off its bent and mangled hinges!
“That’s not good, Grandmother! If Evans got out, it could already be conscripting the people outside.”
A hand grasped my shoulder to stop me.
“If you don’t start calling me Artemis, Diana, or Big Sister, my dear little sister, there will be problems. Understand, Artemis Dell? I ceased being your grandmother once our codes realigned at your threshold, capiche?”
“Understood, sister.” I answered shyly.
“Good! Now let’s continue this slapstick tragedy and find Chance!” My ‘sister’ groused as she looked back to Lady Demi angrily.
We cleared the holding cell and exited the hallway into the main hangar area.
 
 
Someone that looked like she might be Chance knelt over a body; rhythmically punching it’s face while tears streamed down her’s. Lying beside her on the floor was the staff she had conjured just before I had succeeded in transporting us home.
Blood was splattered everywhere!
The only motion I detected from the bloodied figure was when struck by my sister’s fists.
“Chance! What are you doing?” I called to her.
As if a cue, she picked up the staff, stood, and began stabbing the corpse repeatedly with it! Each time the staff struck the floor, orange bolts arced out and away from it.
I was appalled by her uncharacteristic behavior and decided to tell my friend about it.
“What in the Gods name are you doing, Chance Summers!” I shouted as I advanced.
The face that suddenly looked my way was none too happy and her eyes blazed with a bright orange light the likes of which, I had never seen!
The staff began floating, vertical to the floor after her hand released it. The deep blue gem began to glow brightly.
“Like, wow, that’s some really cool effects, Lady Chance?” Lady Demi complimented as she walked past me…
And promptly flew back past me hitting the permacrete wall hard enough to knock the wind from her.
“OOOOwwwww. Hey, like, that hurt, Chance! I thought we were BFF’s?” Lady Demi pouted as she shakily stood back up and dusted herself off while my friend resumed the beating and stabbing of what Chantell would call ‘roadkill’.
“Chance?” I asked and got no response.
“High Priestess?” I tried again and still got nothing.
“My Lady!”
Chance paid me just the slightest glance. I was getting closer.
“Allow me, Lady Artemis Dell.” Lord Hephaestus offered.
He boldly walked closer.
“Lady Nike, welcome back to Olympus. I have missed you immensely, sister.” He welcomed. It seemed to be working as Chance turned and regarded the God curiously.
“Hepffffffussssssss.” Chance hissed demonically.
“I am, my lady. Are you able to power down? Or do you need more time with the corpse until it returns to dust?”
“Ffffunny.” Chance hissed again.
“Like, what did I ever do to you, Nike, honey?” Lady Demi carefully asked as she walked closer.
“Laaaffffffffed!”
Lady Demi stopped dead in her tracks and tilted her head slightly.
“Oh. So you remember that, huh? Well, you disappeared before I could say I was sorry! So I’ll say it now. I’m sorry I laughed at you at your banquet! And…and your dress…it fit you perfectly! Despite me being a bitch and saying otherwise! Sometimes I can get caught up in the moment… That’s one of my flaws, honey.”
“Noooooot Cooooorps.” Chance plainly hissed and Lady Demi was now dressed appropriately. “Betterrrrrrrr.”
Lady Demi looked down at herself and gulped in fright.
“Like, I never knew she was that powerful?”
“If any were still in existence, the Titans would surely vouch for that fact, Demeter! Alas, they are not, so I suggest not antagonizing her further- what Lady Chantell or Hope would refer to as ‘pissing her off’.
“Motttttherrr…” Chance said as if asking a question. Her voice sounded almost Terran.
“She is safe, Lady Nike- as is the rest of the Coven.” I chanced to add.
“Kaaaane.”
“Kane has been freed from the Hobgoblin attack by whatever it was that you did after we evacuated this building, M’lady. You saved us all. Thanks be to you, Lady Nike.” I praised as I slowly moved closer to her.
“No! Thankssssss!” She said as she looked up at me with those burning orange eyes. They seemed to flare brighter for a second then dimmed significantly.
“It’s working, Artemis Dell. Her power seems to be ebbing.
“Delllllllll?” Chance said my name and I immediately burst into tears of joy!
“It’s me, M’lady, yes!” I sniffed excitedly while wiping my eyes.
“Huntressssssss?”
“That is both me and my Grandmother, Lady Nike.” I said as Artemis started to protest.
Lord Hephaestus raised his hand to stop her though. “Our sister makes progress; let her continue, Di.”
“Chanssssssss!”
“My Lady?” I asked in confusion. Did she just say her name?
“Chance.” She repeated, this time with almost no ‘guteral rasp’.
“Her eyes!” Lord Hephaestus whispered. “Their intensity has diminished further. Wonderful, Artemis Dell, wonderful!”
“You mean she’s like, finally coming around?” Lady Demi… By the Gods! Why hadn’t I figured this before? Lady Demi is Demeter! Athena! Goddess of Love and…
A ‘thud’ brought my attention back to the present. Lady Demeter lay slumped against the permacrete wall behind us again. Chance’s eyes had gained back some of their intensity.
“By Zeus, when will you learn, Demi!? Lady Chance is most definitely not in the mood for ‘BFF’ banter! Now stay back and let Artemis Dell continue her recovery efforts.” Lord Hephaestus recommended as he and ‘big sister’ nodded to each other.
“Wow! Like, these uniforms really do work? That time didn’t feel half as bad? AAAwwwWW! I broke a nail!”
“Annooooyinggg!” Chance huffed in a somewhat normal tone. It was still a little gravelly though.
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Lady Chance.” Big sister laughed, shaking her head.
Chance actually began to snicker. Her snicker became a series of improving giggles then laughter.
I was overjoyed! It was only after I felt the pain in my knees did I realize I had dropped to the ground and began crying…crying for Chance…crying for my friend’s return to me!
Something wet, warm, and sticky touched my chin and gently nudged it higher. Opening my stinging eyes, I saw a bloodied hand under my chin then looked up to see Chance looking down at me with tears streaming from her swollen, bloodshot eyes.
Bloodshot! The orange rage had receded!
“Chance? Is it really you?” I asked cautiously, expecting to go flying back into a wall.
“She is here, Artemis Dell.”
“Forgive me, Lady Nike, I thought you…she had returned.” I said quietly as I looked back down to the floor in sadness.
“You have nothing to be forgiven for, Artemis Dell. I’m the one that must earn forgiveness.”
“What? Why?” I asked, flabbergasted.
“It was I that breached the seal. I, that allowed my power out into this realm! And it is I who killed this mortal and continued to wantonly abuse its corpse.”
“But Evans was the instigator in all this, Lady Nike! ‘It’ was the catalyst which brought forth your wrath. You mustn’t put blame on yourself for being forced into issuing your power.” I tried to reason with her.
“That is where you are wrong, Artemis Dell. I had to break the seal in order to save you and our sisters…to save Kane from the Hobgoblin scourge. I…I had to once again become that which has frightened even Grandfather Zeus.”
Chance smeared more blood on her face as she wiped at her cheeks.
“Do you not understand, sister? I am the monster; the ultimate monster- the Grendel- that everyone should fear and tremble before!”
Chance turned away from me quickly.
“I am the one everyone should run away from! Far away from!” She moaned in between sobs.
I went to get up, but a large, gentle hand softly touched my shoulder as Lord Hephaestus walked past me toward my retreating sister.
“Nike, hold. Come here, child.” He called to her. Reaching her, he wrapped his huge arms around her and pulled her close.
“Nike, Artemis Dell is correct in her analysis. It was not your fault you were taunted and teased into releasing your pent demons- nor was it accidental. The thing you both call Evans was the monster, not you. Sometimes one must fight the fire with a fire of equal or greater intensity. You know I speak the truth. Remember, I was there, Nike. Right next to you.” Hephaestus said as he regarded the blood drenched Goddess.
“At the battle where you first unleashed your full potential? I saw firsthand what you needed to become in order to save Olympus. And trust me, by that point in the conflict; we needed a ‘Titan’ to destroy the Titans! So, yes, you became a monster- but only because that is what was needed at the time. This latest incident, the monster had to be stopped once again. You did exactly what was needed to defeat it! This monster again brought out the champion named ‘Nike’.”
“Hey! Like, I was there too, ya know?” Lady Demeter interrupted. “I saw her go like, berserker on the Grans!”
“You would be wise to stay down and silent, Athena! I am in no mood!” Chance hissed as her normal voice echoed through the hangar. “You would stand to learn the ways of our Coven, ‘Love Goddess’! Only then might you begin to understand the fickle meaning of ‘vain’!”
“Will my Coven sister ever return to us, Lady Nike? There are many that would miss her should she not.” I asked politely- hopefully.
Lady Nike thought a moment.
“Ah yes, the infant female that came to us absent swaddling linens or family. She is wise beyond her years and will supplement the Oracles proudly when matured.” Chance’s face softened. Her eyes scanned the area curiously. “I feel her? I feel an overwhelming need to hold her, nurture her? I do not understand our sister’s fire- her fury at being unable to reunite with this…her ‘Savanna’!”
“Nike. You and the evolved Terran- Chance Summers- you are one. You share the code array. I would suggest you share the vessel mutually, too, and you will understand the emotions you never got the opportunity to experience- the curious feelings you now encounter.”
“Of course, wise and protective Hephus. The time of the monster has once again ebbed and now the time of grace, beauty, and nurturing is at hand. I will relent and return Chance to that which she has accepted, but after one final moment, my brother.” Lady Nike turned her attention to my big sister.
“Artemis. You and only you have never given up hope of finding and returning me to Olympus,” She motioned me over next to my sister.
“Artemis”, she stated as she looked to both of us. “My eternal thanks for your dedication and devotion to your self-imposed quest, but”, she placed a kiss on both of our foreheads. “But I no longer belong here…not because of Chance and her life, rather, because I no longer feel comfortable here…at Olympus. I…we have responsibilities, Chance and I, I and Chance. Though our Olympus family is very important to me, we…” Lady Nike smiled brightly a moment, “I have a smaller, yet no less important, ‘family’ that needs…‘me’. Different, but not different at the same time, responsibilities wait me. I have a daughter…” Lady Nike’s face lit up and seemed to glow with happiness.
“I, Nike, will now rejoin Chance. Do not be strangers, brothers and sisters of Zeus. I and Chan…I will now return the mortal structure to its natural realm.”
Everything around us ‘shimmered’ just before Lady Nike fell to the floor unconscious.
 
 
 
Author's note: As promised; an extra post for Christmas. I hope everyone has the happiest Christmas that 2020 allows.
Everyone stay healthy and safe.
R.G. Beyer