Divine Power, Divine Punishment

Firstly I would like to state that this flash fiction piece was inspired by a fellow blogger, Niels Saunders and his post Writing Tips: The Author as God. An excellent read and I highly recommend checking out this post and others on his blog!

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“They’re almost together, I can smell the hormones rolling off them.” Athena sat cross legged next to me, filling the smallest gap between the map and the drop to the floor. How she did it I will never know.

“I designed them Ati, I know how their going to react when they first see each other.” I couldn’t help but grumble, she always liked to make out that this was just a strategy for stopping these two countries bombing each other. Nope, this was me and these were my babies not hers. “Thank you, for, well, convincing the General his daughter should come on the convoy.”

“What was that?” Her head tilted playfully, she looked innocent to the average person but behind those glittering eyes and cheeky smile was a deadly combination of strategy and engineering that put us all to shame.

“I’m not saying it again.” Gripping the hairs at the base of my skull I watched. The two convoys drew closer and closer together, this is the love that will end this war. I hated watching these two big shots destroy the beauty of these lands, Ati wanted one to defeat the other but I persuaded her to try this way first. She’s game if you get her some ambrosia chocolate, anything for chocolate.

“I don’t think this is going to work, Pid.” Ugh, I hated when she called me that.

“Why Ati, because it doesn’t involved loss of life?” She shook her head, her perfect curls bouncing as she did.

“Nope, look. Someone is whispering in her ear. She’s got blades hidden in the folds of her dress and she looks like someone sent her some wonderful vials of poison. Oh, Pid.” We watched them disembark.

“Shut up Ati.” If she’s messed with this, no she cant have she’s been here.

The girl was meant to be the easy one, they’re always looking for love. But her hormones weren’t right, her heart wasn’t nervous for love it was nervous for.

“Oh Hades…” I watched them draw to close too fast, he was lost in her stare just like I thought. But she was reaching for her blade. “I can’t…” Pulling myself onto the table I forced myself into the map.

Pain took over.

It hurts to shrink so small.

“STOP!” I heard the scream of Ati through the breeze, a fundamental law broken. Punishment would follow.

Heads snapped round, eyes bulged and legs trembled. The usual reaction.

Grabbing the small girl seemed the needed thing to do, the space between us blurred as I grabbed at the knife mere centimetres from his neck. Placing my lips against her forehead I pushed away the black swirl of hate building like a storm.

The knife fell from her fingers as I pushed her hate aside and let the love I planted blossom. Please get it right. Zeus is going to burn me for this.

She whimpered and tears flowed freely, I released her into her soulmates arms and they both sank to the floor. Stepping back, I closed my eyes and began the painful ascent back to Olympus.

“Ati.” Rolling from the map I hit the floor and considered staying there for a decade or two.

“Cupid.” His voice wasn’t the booming clash of lightning, it was the harsh tone of disappointment. Zeus knelt next to me as I wept, I wept for I knew the punishment I would endure for removing her free will. I wept for pain it would bring. I wept for lives I had saved and for those I couldn’t.

“We all know what must happen.” Pulling myself up was hard, harder than getting to land and back. “Why must love always interfere?” With that he touched my forehead and I fell.