Post by Demeter on Jun 23, 2016 21:09:37 GMT -5
Charis moved swiftly, circling down the spiral stairs that led to the chamber beneath her tower. Hidden beneath the surface of Haven, guarded from grasping hands and prying eyes, several of the abandoned God Tools rested. And one of the blades of the Greek Primordial Deities had awoken and called to her.
SoulFire, the blade of Tartarus, was awake. She could only assume that the destined owner of the blade had set a toe onto Haven's shores. Unfortunately, the quarterly passenger transport had arrived today, bringing with it two hundred new residents of Haven. She only hoped that the blade at least knew what its wielder looked like.
Entering the chamber that held racks of abandoned blades, bypassing the center column that held the sword known only as Pantheon (a sword, she was told, that could only be used if Haven was under attack), she skidded to a stop before Soulfire and reached out her fingers. Touching just the tips to the cool metal, Charis received all the sword had to say and oh high, holy hell.
***
Zeno tilted his head and regarded the two people in his bed. He was fairly sure that they weren't his mates; not only had he diagnosed thousands of mate-bonds but he'd had five previous mates. There was similar no link or connection to the two in his bed. They were not mates yet they looked utterly right snuggled into the bedding of his four poster made of living oak trees and sheltered by the evergreen canopy of leaves.
Zeno tilted his head in the opposite direction; they'd migrated from their previous positions and were pressed, back to back, against each other. Zeno may have taken leave to settle his guests into their new home but he had a few patients that he didn't feel comfortable leaving the care of to others, no matter how trusted or how skilled of healers the others might be.
His two guests had arrived the day before, each setting foot on Haven's shores for the first time to stay for an undetermined length of time. With the last of their children, young Isisah, graduated from university, the couple had opted to retire from the world and take respite in Haven. He was pleased to have them here but it also meant a shift if the way they all acknowledged their relationship.
Nearly 25 years ago, he'd been sent by the gods to care for the woman, tragically injured and roughly treated by mortals, in order to bring her out of a deep, near feral state of being. The treatment of such a condition had him overseeing her body chemistry for five years of that quarter century. Such a treatment often led to sexual encounters between him, her and her husband.
Their association should have ended when the treatment was no longer needed but even then, he found himself called to their sides. And now, they'd come to his home, to stay for an indefinite amount of time.
His mother would not have been pleased but then Mother had never been pleased by much. She hadn't been pleased to be Father's second wife; hadn't been pleased that Brother Gaios had been the premier healer in Atlantis, really hadn't been pleased when Gaios had become the prince-consort to Charis and Ariston. His choice of mates hadn't been approved, nor had his children, and his refusal to pursue his sister-in-law in a romantic sense also hadn't been received well. As if he would consent to seduce a woman who's severed bonds were a constantly bleeding wound on her psyche.
Zeno doubted that Mother would approve of the two in his bed but Mother had happily opted to sleep for a few centuries a few years back. Remarkably, Zeno's astronomically high stress levels declined after that. Imagine that...
Chuckling to himself, Zeno shucked off his clothing and crawled back under the covers, between his lovers.
****
Despite the pomp and circumstance that a blade like Soulfire deserved, Charis believed a more subtle introduction was needed. So, she broke into her brother-in-law's home and snuck to his bedroom. For a moment, she studied the trio on the bed before leaning over to prod one of the sleeping people. She prodded Saiyuri repeatedly until the woman woke up. When she was sitting up right, blinking owlishly and clutching the sheet to her chest, Charis hefted the Xiphos blade and dropped it in Saiyuri's lap. "That's yours. It's called Soulfire and was commissioned by Tartarus. He says hi and will meet with you once you are decent."
SoulFire, the blade of Tartarus, was awake. She could only assume that the destined owner of the blade had set a toe onto Haven's shores. Unfortunately, the quarterly passenger transport had arrived today, bringing with it two hundred new residents of Haven. She only hoped that the blade at least knew what its wielder looked like.
Entering the chamber that held racks of abandoned blades, bypassing the center column that held the sword known only as Pantheon (a sword, she was told, that could only be used if Haven was under attack), she skidded to a stop before Soulfire and reached out her fingers. Touching just the tips to the cool metal, Charis received all the sword had to say and oh high, holy hell.
***
Zeno tilted his head and regarded the two people in his bed. He was fairly sure that they weren't his mates; not only had he diagnosed thousands of mate-bonds but he'd had five previous mates. There was similar no link or connection to the two in his bed. They were not mates yet they looked utterly right snuggled into the bedding of his four poster made of living oak trees and sheltered by the evergreen canopy of leaves.
Zeno tilted his head in the opposite direction; they'd migrated from their previous positions and were pressed, back to back, against each other. Zeno may have taken leave to settle his guests into their new home but he had a few patients that he didn't feel comfortable leaving the care of to others, no matter how trusted or how skilled of healers the others might be.
His two guests had arrived the day before, each setting foot on Haven's shores for the first time to stay for an undetermined length of time. With the last of their children, young Isisah, graduated from university, the couple had opted to retire from the world and take respite in Haven. He was pleased to have them here but it also meant a shift if the way they all acknowledged their relationship.
Nearly 25 years ago, he'd been sent by the gods to care for the woman, tragically injured and roughly treated by mortals, in order to bring her out of a deep, near feral state of being. The treatment of such a condition had him overseeing her body chemistry for five years of that quarter century. Such a treatment often led to sexual encounters between him, her and her husband.
Their association should have ended when the treatment was no longer needed but even then, he found himself called to their sides. And now, they'd come to his home, to stay for an indefinite amount of time.
His mother would not have been pleased but then Mother had never been pleased by much. She hadn't been pleased to be Father's second wife; hadn't been pleased that Brother Gaios had been the premier healer in Atlantis, really hadn't been pleased when Gaios had become the prince-consort to Charis and Ariston. His choice of mates hadn't been approved, nor had his children, and his refusal to pursue his sister-in-law in a romantic sense also hadn't been received well. As if he would consent to seduce a woman who's severed bonds were a constantly bleeding wound on her psyche.
Zeno doubted that Mother would approve of the two in his bed but Mother had happily opted to sleep for a few centuries a few years back. Remarkably, Zeno's astronomically high stress levels declined after that. Imagine that...
Chuckling to himself, Zeno shucked off his clothing and crawled back under the covers, between his lovers.
****
Despite the pomp and circumstance that a blade like Soulfire deserved, Charis believed a more subtle introduction was needed. So, she broke into her brother-in-law's home and snuck to his bedroom. For a moment, she studied the trio on the bed before leaning over to prod one of the sleeping people. She prodded Saiyuri repeatedly until the woman woke up. When she was sitting up right, blinking owlishly and clutching the sheet to her chest, Charis hefted the Xiphos blade and dropped it in Saiyuri's lap. "That's yours. It's called Soulfire and was commissioned by Tartarus. He says hi and will meet with you once you are decent."
