Miss Arachne was just so. So. So anomalous! That was the right word. She could not be described as anything else but that. An uplifted human, who was supposed to become a mindless beast, but somehow kept her sanity. And the brilliance, that she displayed by developing a whole new branch of magic, by utilizing her brain as a computing unit instead of her core, was just so fascinating. Not to mention the presence she commanded so naturally. Moreover, there was the beauty, which Persephone was certain, had more to it than the purely physical aspect.
She was sure that there was no other being such as Miss Arachne in the whole world, or perhaps even the universe! But how exactly did that happen, what made Miss Arachne so special? That, Persephone did not know. Which was frustrating for several reasons.
But she was a woman of reason, discovery and innovation. If there was a problem in front of her, she would come and solve it, no matter what. Admittedly, she loved the moment, when previously unknown things started to make sense. When she found out how they worked on the most fundamental level. That was exactly why she wanted to pick Miss Arachne apart!
Not invasivly, mind you! She would not dare to ever suggest such a thing. Maybe only if she could not come up with any non-invasive process, then perhaps... But it would only result in Miss Arachne no longer being Miss Arachne as she knew. This posed a problem. A major one. As there was no easy way how to poke and prod Miss Arachne's very being. This was why, she would be forced to establish a whole new method of research! But she would do it, for Miss Arachne and herself.
Persephone had to admit to herself, that she was more than infatuated with Miss Arachne. On an intellectual level of course.
She was starting to think that her brother might have been truly an idiot as everyone else said. The plan he proposed was one of his less bright ones, that was why she immediately rejected it not letting her probably stupid brother even finish.
She could hardly believe that her brother suggested tracking down Golden Fleece, the very same monster she just saw slice and dice Nike, not so long ago. The thing was just too dangerous for her and her brother to deal with.
But as it seemed her brother was not done yet, being idiotic.
"Do you even know why Zeus said that Golden Fleece is dangerous to us?" Areas asked his sister.
"The way it was toying with Nike, would suggest that IT IS DANGEROUS!" she answered.
"Yes, you saw what it can do. But HOW would a father know that, if the Golden Fleece was supposed to be inert?"
"That... Is the surprisingly intelligent question of you, brother,"
"Right?!"
"What do you know? And how?"
"You think that Aphrodite was just using me?"
"Yes,"
"Well, then I let you know that she can be quite talkative when melancholy hits her. However, I think that Dionysus wine also helped. A few barrels of it,"
"So that is where my stock went. It was you, not Apollo and Hermes as you said,"
"Maybe?"
"Ah, I'll want it back with interest. Anyway, good to know what works on Aphrodite. What did she tell you about Golden Fleece?"
"Did you know that there were originally six first-generation Olympians? Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hera, Zeus and Hestia,"
"Hestia? Never heard of her. She is not even mentioned in any records,"
"Of course she is not, since she was delibererly purged from them, in order to hide their failures from us,"
"A big words coming from you. But let's say I believe you. What exactly does this have to do with the Golden Fleece?"
"Well, the Golden Fleece did eat Hestia's core, so it can permanently destroy an Olympian,"
"And you still want to find it?! Are you an idiot?"
"No, I'm not an idiot! I know what am I doing, trust me!"
"Not an idiot? Because what I'm hearing here is idiotic at best and suicidal at worst! If you want to be in the world of pain so bad, all you have to do is ask! I will gladly bound you back to that rock, so you can enjoy eagle snacking on you!"
"Listen Eris! I have a plan! Look! I will find the Golden Fleece and make a deal with it, to let it go on Olympus and it will eat Zeus's core,"
"Fine! So let's say that you manage to find and make a deal with the Golden Fleece and successfully let it on Olympus, unscathed. What exactly is preventing it from eating our cores?"
"Well, the deal I make with it, of course!"
"I knew you would say that,"
"What?!"
"Nothing. Are you ABSOLUTELY certain that you want to go with this plan? Is there nothing that can convince you otherwise?"
"I'm pretty sure,"
"Fine. You go find the Golden Fleece. Meanwhile, I will recover our cores, so that the fleece cannot change its mind at the last minute and break the great deal you are going to make with it, alright?"
"Nah! You are being paranoid! Why would it break such a good deal?"
Eris was certain that the time she abandoned her brother, Ares, had come. Because this brilliant plan of his was far more stupid than anything he had ever thought up. In order to prevent her brother from potential suicide, she certainly considered going to Zeus and telling him everything, but that would only result in her getting punished as well. And she was not exactly keen on getting a stupid punishment from Zeus. All of this left her with only one choice, and that was to take her and Ares's cores away from Olympus, in case Ares was the lucky idiot and by some mistake actually found the Golden Fleece. And probably once she gave Ares his core, leave him to his own devices.
It took her some time to travel to the place her teacher liked. Most of the time was all alone on her own, as her teacher was conserving energy, and even with the occasional encounter with travelers, could not sustain herself fully active all the time. But then finally she was in the city, big and grand, it almost reminded her of her home. She was not nostalgic about the place but rather intimidated by the similarities.
"I remember this city getting demolished several times in the past, my dear student," Lady Hecate spoke with nostalgia in her voice.
"We won't be staying long then, my teacher," she answered of what she assumed was the right answer.
Why stay in a city that had a history of being destroyed?
"On the contrary. The belief in the Olympians is feeble here, as they let this magnificent city fall to ruin from various catastrophes, in the past, man-made or natural," her teacher said, with a bit of amusement in her voice.
"Wouldn't people forget, though?" a genuine curiosity peaked through her casual demeanor.
"People would, but the city remembers. All the lost souls whisper to the living of uncaring gods. Just look around and you'll see," her teacher made her look all around and she saw so many tormented and crazed souls roaming around.
None of them wanted to leave Lady Arachne, initially, they started to follow her because it would allow them to experience the world like never before. Then to learned how to combat along with understanding the mysteries of magic. But over time they all swore their lives to Lady Arachne, an eternal service perhaps, should their lady so desire. So strong was their loyalty to their lady, after she protected them so many times.
That was why the sudden relief of the service from their lady shocked all of them to the core, but then they were made to understand. Even the failures they were, who could not learn everything their lady bestowed them with, still had a purpose. A purpose greater than their lives and that was to spread the greatness of their lady, while also passing the knowledge, Lady Arachne gifted to them, onto others. Their lady did not even have to command them to do so, as one of the false gods was present at the time, it was clear by her instructions to spend their lives to the best of their abilities. Moreover, their lady fooled the false god, by pretending not to know about their disembodied comrades. Penthelesia still felt like a fool, for giving it to her emotions and thus revealing this information to the dread queen. The others did chastise her for it after they almost lost some of them.
And so they departed, with heavy hearths. Many of them cried, not being able to spend time in the presence of their lady. At least the amulets they have been given, by Lady Arachne, provided some comfort.
She was among those, who decided to venture to Lady Arachne's home island. The journey there was very easy, compared to everything else their whole group survived so far. They encountered the fiery horses only a few times, while no losses were sustained. Their monsters' skins were then exchanged for a ship since they would not dare to steal, as their lady commanded. And the meat from giant boars, lasted them for almost the whole duration of the journey to the island of Lesbos, since it was not going bad as the meat of regular beasts.
On the short strait between the mainland and the island, they encountered a sea monster. This was the first time, they had seen something like it, but its many eyes made a good target practice. Their lady would not be pleased, should any of them lose their hard-earned skills. Sadly the ship they were sailing, sustained some damage from the beast and sank near the coast of the island of Lesbos. Luckily none of her comrades departed this time and so all of them were able to curse their luck and the loss of the supplies.
The being he asked about to be delivered to him. The being that commanded so much awe in humans was in front of him. Yet, it was badly damaged, such a thing would not bring out any faith. A useless creature, that was unable to do its job properly was at fault here, for bringing Gaia's little being in such bad shape.
But this left him with a great opportunity. Gaia's creation, or more specifically modification to a human, could be now molded to his own vision, without losing any of its shine, he required so much. Better yet, he could detailly study it and then reproduce it himself.
Alas Gaia's work was just as finicky as ever. It took him six weeks, six days and six hours, exactly down to a second, to make a god's work out of the little being that Gaia transformed. But it was worth it, it shone even brighter than before.
In order, to replicate its inspiring aura, he learned everything that the little being knew. Especially of how well worshipped was Zeus, one of Gaia's creatures. This of course intrigued him greatly. He wondered how he could replicate it. Maybe he did not have to, but that was something that could come later. now he had to pay attention to the being, which was just waking up.
"Father, who am I?" asked the being as it woke up, its mind nearly empty after the whole process.
He pondered, but for a second, what to call the being in front of him.
"Yes child, you shall be called..."