Blind Fury

Over the following week, Ares had twice gone to visit Eden in Tartarus. However, she was in so much torture and turmoil that she was unable to even acknowledge that he was there for her. Angry, he requested an audience in front of his father, Zeus and his uncle, Hades.

He arrived on Mt. Olympus and walked into the great hall to find the two godly authorities awaiting him. He glowered at the two men, but did pay his respects by half-bowing in front of them.

“Father. Hades. Thank you for seeing me.”

The King of the Gods, sitting on his high throne with Hades standing at his side, crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at his son in discernment.

“Why have you called us together, Ares?” he said with his usual thundering voice.

“I have come on behalf of the recently deceased Eden, father.”

Zeus looked at Hades. Hades shook his head.

“Son, I know you . . . cared - greatly for this woman, but you know the rules. She cannot return to the world of the living. That’s all there is to say about it.”

“Excuse me, but but I didn’t just care for Eden. I loved her. I still do.” Ares naturally became defensive in response to Zeus’ condescending tone of voice. “If you’d give me a moment to explain why I’m here, you would know that I’ve already come to accept the fact that she can’t be brought back.”

“Then why are you here, Ares?” Hades asked.

“I’ve come to defend Eden’s honor.”

“Her honor?” Zeus repeated. “There’s been no question about her honor, Ares. What does that have to do winythnything?”

“I know,” Hades interjected. “It’s a person’s honor that determines where they will spend eternity, either Tartarus or the Elysian Fields. Isn’t that right, Ares?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Eden has been sent to Tartarus.”

“And that surprises you, son?” Zeus shrugged in question. He knew, as well as every other god on Olympus, that anyone serving Ares most likely ended up in Tartarus.

“She doesn’t even recognize that I’m there when I visit. She doesn’t belong there,” he snapped back.

Hades took a solid step forward. “Ares, Eden has sentenced herself to Tartarus by how she lived her life. She fought in your army, killing hundreds of innocent men. She’s lied to you for who knows how long. And, she’s even killed in cold blood. There is no disputing these acts.”

“I’m sorry, son, but Hades is right. The proof against her is irrefutable,” Zeus agreed.
“You’re wrong. Both of you! And I can prove it.”

“How’s that?” the king asked.

“Use your powers, father, to conjure up a looking glass into Eden’s life as a child.”

Curious, Zeus complied and the three men looked into the image Zeus projected against the wall beside him.

“Now, change only one factor of her real life and see how it plays out. Remove me from having any involvement with her.”

“I can’t do that, Ares. That’s would be altering the timeline,” Zeus cackled.

“Father, I’m not asking you to do it for real, only to speculate a probability. I don’t want you to change anything about her real life. I only want to see how her life would have been if she had never met me.”

Again, Zeus looked at Hades, and he nodded.

“Fine, we’ll … speculate.” He waived his hand, removing Ares from the scenario of Eden’s life and then let the mirror play the images like a movie in fast-forward. Once the scene had ended, the looking glass disappeared, and Zeus turned back to his son, folding his hands in his lap.

“Okay, Ares, what’s your point here?”

Ares shook his head in question. “Well, isn’t it obvious? If I had never interfered in Eden’s life, then she wouldn’t be spending eternity in Tartarus.”

“But you did. And she is,” Hades responded. “You may have influenced her choices in life, Ares, but she was still the one who made them in the end.”

“Yes, I know. I understand that the past can’t be changed. But it’s my fault that she’s in Tartarus. All I’m asking is that you show her a little leniency. Please, father, Hades, I’m asking you to please – send her to the Elysian Fields. You know that’s where she should have ended up, if it hadn’t been for me. Please reconsider.”

Hades leaned closer the Zeus, and the two men spoke to each other in whispers, discussing the situation. Ares waited patiently, examining the lines of grout in the marbled floor. Finally, the two men turned back to the God of War and Zeus spoke.

“Ares, we have heard your plea and discussed your solution, but it would not be acceptable for Eden to live in the Elysian Fields among the good and the righteous. However,” he said quickly, knowing that Ares was bound to object, “Hades has an alternative solution that I think you’ll be happy with. It will require you to give up a part of yourself, your godhood, to do this, but if you truly love this woman as much as you claim, it’s a sacrifice you’ll be willing to make.”

“I’ll do it.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet, Ares,” Hades said.

“It doesn’t matter. If it will save Eden from an eternity of pain and anguish, then I’ll do it. I don’t care what it is.”

“Fine, then, meet us in the Elysian Fields in one hour,” Zeus commanded.


************

The three gods gathered at the edge of the Elysian Fields, where the mountains were so high, one could not see the tops.

“What are we doing here?” Ares asked.

“You’ll see,” Zeus said. The mighty god raised his hands and a bolt of lightening shot out from the skies above and hit the side of the mountain. The ground rumbled and then the rock parted into an opening. Zeus glanced at Hades and nodded.

“Okay, Ares, I’m going to take some of your powers to te ate a place for Eden within the mountain. It will be an extension of the fields, however, she will not be able to leave there and pass through the opening. But it will be a peaceful place,” Hades told him.

Ares nodded and his uncle began to make circles with his hands. Suddenly he grabbed at the air in front of Ares, pulling a part of his godhood from him. It swirled in bright blues and reds and yellows in a ball in Hades hands. Then, the God of the Underworld hurled it through the opening that Zeus had made in the mountain. The ground rumbled again, accompanied by a small explosion and a second later, it was done.

Ares looked at his peers. “That’s it?”

“Yes, my son. Hades will handle it from here. I have other business to attend to.” He started to disappear, but Ares quickly stopped him.

“Father, wait!”

Zeus sighed. “Yes, Ares. What is it now?”

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“You’re welcome, son. And for what it’s worth, I’m very proud of you. You’ve done a very thoughtful and selfless act. I certainly hope she appreciates it.”

“She will, dad. I know it.”

Zeus vanished. Ares turned to Hades. “Can I take a look?”

“Be my guest. I’ll go and get Eden.” He too, vanished.

Ares walked through the opening and looked around. The place was nice, with a tiny flowing stream and lots of grass and trehowehowever, not too many flowers. It lacked the kiss of the sun - nature’s color - life. He closed his eyes and remembered his secret garden with the waterfall, and then applied the same to where he was. He opened his eyes and looked around and smiled.

“Perfect,” he said aloud. “Well, almost!”

Then he vanished.


*************

Ares was not there to greet Eden when Hades returned with her, nor had Hades offered her a reason for taking her from Tartarus.

Eden first looked around at the breathtaking surroundings, and then looked at the god and asked, “Why have you brought me here?”

“Ares has arranged it for you.”

“Ares?” she repeated, shocked.

Hades nodded. “Yes. He must care greatly for you to give up part of his godhood to create a beautiful and peaceful place for you to spend eternity.”

“He did that for me?” She was even more shocked.

Hades nodded again. “However, I should warn you, Eden, that you can never leave this area. If you walk past the mountain mouth, you will be back in Tartarus.” He paused and then added, “Forever!”

“Oh, don’t worry. No chance of that happening! Where is Ares?”

“I don’t know.” He squinted his eyes and scanned the perimeter as if searching for him. “I thought he’d be here.” He shrugged and looked back at her. “I’m sure he’ll return soon, though. Now, I have others to see. Good-bye, my dear.”

Eden bowed. “Thank you.”

“It’s not me you should thank. It’s Ares.” He vanished.


*************

Eden lost track of how long she had been there alone. She had kept herself entinedined by busily checking out the beautiful garden she was in. Not minding the solitude whatsoever, especially just coming out of the horror that was Tartarus. This was heaven, as far as Eden was concerned.

She gathered flowers, taking the time to smell each one she chose. Then she sat on the edge of a large, flat rock next to thter.ter. She picked the petals off the flowers, one by one, and dropped them straight down to where her toes were dangling in the cool stream and watched them float away with the current.

“Eden! Eden!” She heard someone call out her name from afar. She looked around and then over her shoulder and saw her sister, Julia, running towards her. She dropped the flower and took off running towards the girl.

“Julia! Julia! Is it really you?” They tumbled into a huge, loving hug.

“Yes, It’s me,” she answered.

“And me!” Eden felt another body wrap around her thigh. “And mommy’s coming too! She’s walking with that man.”

“Kara! Give me a real hug.” The two sisters hugged tightly. By the time they were done, Eden’s was misty eyed.” She rubbed her little sister’s head and smiled.

“Mother is coming too?” she said excitedly. “Who is this man is she with?”

“I don’t know. Some man with dark hair, dressed all in black,” Kara answered.

Julia laughed a little. “You should see him, Eden. He sticks out like a sore thumb among all the white robes folks are wearing.”

Just then two silhouettes appeared in the horizon and were coming closer. One was the girls’ mother and the other was Ares. She suddenly bolted towards them with open arms.

“Mother!” she cried. As she got closer, Eden noticed that they were not alone. Ares was holding a baby in his arms. “Cashius?”

Ares, who had been chatting with Eden’s mother, turned to look her way and nearly froze. She was radiant! Her eyes were bursting with joy and she was smiling like the innocent girl he met in the forest. The girl who had stolen his heart.

She hugged her mom, and took her son from the god, and coddled him. Then she looked at Ares. He was watching her with those same intensive eyes that Aaron used to. Loving eyes. She handed her mother the baby and then put her arms around Ares and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I do love you, you know. I just am not so great at showing it,” he said almost apologetically.

She raised her head and looked him in the eyes. She looked younger, happier than she’d been in a long time.

“I don’t think you’re having much of a problem with that, my dear.” She smiled at him, in that mischievous, sexy way, and then kissed hifectfectionately, with just a hint of passion in it. She pulled away. “Thank you, Ares.”

“Anything for you, my love,” he answered.

As he gazed upon her, he felt that familiar shortness of breath, that rush of blood to the heart, that ever-so-slight dizziness, all the things he’d felt when he had been mortal and they were together and he was suddenly whole again. The part of his godhood, the portion of his powers that he had given up to create this place for Eden, was suddenly restored in him. It was the power of love.

He left Eden and her family later that day with a kiss and a promise to return soon. As he disappeared, he glanced upon the happy scene and smiled. He knew he had done her right this time. She was where she was supposed to be – in the Garden of Eden.


THE END