Ari’s Task

“Hello, father.”  Ari smiled at Zeus as she entered his palace.  He looked up from the scrying bowl he was immersed in yet again and cracked a smile.

“How is immortal life going for you, dear?”  He asked her.  She had always been a favorite of his, for the short time that he had known her.

“Well, I’m aging well.”  Ari smiled at him.  “What did you need of me?  I never get formal requests from you.  Have I done something wrong?”

“No.  I just need a favor from you, if you’d like to accept it.”  Zeus said.  He stood from the scrying bowl and motioned towards her to sit with him in a chair on the other side.

“Well, I can try.”  Ari said, confused.  “Its kind of hard for me to have any pull anywhere around here.”

“I know, dear.  That’s why I’m asking you.  I figure if you accept, you may have a little respect from the others.  They all love you, but they all look down on you.”

“I suppose its to be expected.  Not too many mortals make it to Olympus.  Ariadne understands me.”

“Yes, but Dionysus and her have been here a lot longer than you and Arkonel both.  You’ll fit in, in time.”

“My task?”

“Right, I am creating a new office.  I know its quite quickly, considering that I just gave Arkonel his what... eight human years ago?  Most definitely the shortest time between titles with exception to, you know, the creation of the mortal world.”

“So, what do you want me to do?  Tell the others about the new office?”

“No, actually, I want you to hold that title.”

“What title?  Goddess of Garbage Men?”  She asked him, laughing, and he smiled.

“No.  Goddess of the Demimortals.”  Zeus said.  “We’re having a bit of a problem with their powers.  Children these days have no respect, and it shows throughout.  They’re getting into trouble, and then we either have to kill them or bring them up here.  Olympus is going to have to expand if we’re not careful, and we all know how much the others like change.”

“Indeed.  Some of them nearly exploded on my arrival, and I was just an attachment.”  Ari said.  “Hell, they were still bitter over Cadmus and Arkonel, and that was close to a century ago.”

“Yes.  So along with this, you receive the general powers of traveling back and forth, changing physical form at will, and power to counter any of the demimortals.  This means that you may end up more powerful than any of the gods here, on Olympus, just to keep the demimortals in reign.”

“They are not going to like that.”  Ari pursed her lips.

“Correct.  But they wouldn’t enjoy babysitting, either.  Plus, you’re barely off the earth.  You can connect with them easily.  You will have to wear this pendant from now on, if you accept the task.  And the change to fully endowed immortal may be painful.  I can give another the task.”

“Will Arkonel want to kill you?”  Ari asked him, taking the beautifully carved pendant in hand.  It depicted a classic Olympian lying with a frail, much smaller human, entwined in a circle form.

“Probably.  But your ordeal will be finished in three days, and you may set upon your task.”

“Okay.  And what of the others?”  Ari asked him, wrapping the chain around her hand.

“Let us keep this quiet, for now.  I want the control and submission of the demimortals to be a surprise.  Kind of like a birthday present to the immortals.  And then we will begin to work on regulation of immortal and mortal contact.  It seems to be slipping.”

“Another has been born?”  Ari asked with concern.  One of the immortals had been literally populating the earth with half-gods and not telling anyone.  Or maybe it was a bunch of them.  But in either case, the power distribution in the world was getting dangerously unstable.  Just in the past year, a tsunami caused by an angry child’s wish ripped through and destroyed much of the Asian coast in the mortal realm.

“Twins.”  Zeus’ face lined with worry.  “They’re making things fly.  Their mother even tried to have them exorcised before I stepped in and limited their powers.  They can’t even speak mortal yet.  I may have to bring them home.”

“Not yours?”

“No.  They may be our wonderful friend Hermes’ indiscretions.  I’m not sure as of yet.  We will find out, I’m sure, if I kill them.”

“Its not their fault, father.”  Ari protested, and Zeus shook his head.

“They would cross.  Not go to Hades.  There’s too much power inside them.”

“I don’t think Olympus can handle more twins.”  Ari shook her head, and Zeus nodded.

“I know.  That’s why we need to reign these demimortals in.  I will give you specifics when you’re done changing.  Go, rest.  Remember its for a good purpose.”
  “Thank you, father.”  Ari said, kissing him on both cheeks and walking out.  She knew the next three days were going to more or less, suck, but she would finally have a place in Olympus.  And a goddess so young, blessed with an office?  Unheard of.

She would have to tell her mate, though.  And Arkonel would most definitely not take kindly to his father giving her the means to cause intense self-inflicted pain and misery for three days.  But then again, even Arkonel would understand that every bit of magic comes with a cost.  Wouldn’t he?  He had to.  He, too, had made sacrifices.  She remembered wiping his brow when he changed to the God of Computers, not too long ago.  Not long at all.  She swallowed.  Maybe it wasn’t going to be fun, but someone had to do it.

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