Erinyes Game
The two of you continue to talk idly as you wait for Aphrodite. Stabbing Apollo now wouldn’t really help with anything, you think. Besides, with the three of you working together, Hera wouldn’t stand a chance. And then the three of you can go to Moirae together and everything would work out.
“You know,” says Apollo, “this whole time I’ve been wondering. Why were we all chosen to be part of this messed up game?”
“That’s a great question.” You try to think about it, but you really don’t know enough about everyone to draw any conclusions or make any connections. “What if it was a random selection?”
“Interesting theory, but that may not be right. I had my sister. If you remember, near the beginning, Demeter and Poseidon seemed to know each other.”
“You’re right…and she also knew Zeus. And Zeus and Hera were dating. Maybe we all knew each other. But then why would Hades get rid of all of our memories of each other except those few?”
“To cause discord, maybe.”
You raise an eyebrow. “Are you saying that Hades did that for the drama of it all?”
Apollo shrugs. “Is that so far fetched?”
“I guess not. Still doesn’t explain why the rest of us were chosen, though. I wonder if I knew you and Artemis outside this game.”
“Wish I could remember. The thirteen of us, we all probably could’ve gotten along just fine outside this game.”
“You think so? That love triangle between Zeus and Hera and Demeter would probably have been much more fun without all of this added in.”
“Oh, definitely. Would’ve loved to grab some popcorn and watch that drama unfold.”
You both laugh and continue to reminisce as well as you can without all your memories intact.
After a short while, both Hera and Aphrodite enter the storage room. Apollo spots Hera first and grabs for his crossbow, standing on top of his box.
Seeing him, Hera points her own weapon, a poleaxe, right at Apollo. She charges forward, but before she can make much progress, Apollo shoots her point blank through the chest. Aphrodite is still at the doorway, looking surprised, but quickly regains her composure.
“That was much easier than I thought,” she calls across the room, beckoning to you both. “Come on, you two, let’s go to Moirae together.”
“Okay!” You hop off the box and start walking, but two steps later you realize that Apollo isn’t following you. “Apollo?” You look back.
Standing tall on the box, he aims his crossbow above your head at the door.
“Apollo, don’t—”
You hear a cry and a dull thunk behind you and press your lips together to stop from crying out. You don’t turn around.
“Why…?”
“I thought over everything,” he says calmly, “and I decided that I can’t truly trust Aphrodite after all. She may have been an ally, may have been your friend, but at the end of the day she was also a Fury. You are the only one who hasn’t killed anyone. I want to go to Moirae with you, the only untainted one left.”
“And why shouldn’t I just kill you instead?”
“Because you can’t. You won’t.”
“You…you don’t know that,” you reply weakly, but he’s right. You can’t even bring yourself to unsheathe your daggers. You’re tired of this, and if Apollo is to be the only one to go to Moirae with you, then so be it.
When you don’t say anything else, Apollo smiles and put the crossbow away. “Come, then. Let’s go.” He walks past you and without a word, you follow him.
“You know,” says Apollo, “this whole time I’ve been wondering. Why were we all chosen to be part of this messed up game?”
“That’s a great question.” You try to think about it, but you really don’t know enough about everyone to draw any conclusions or make any connections. “What if it was a random selection?”
“Interesting theory, but that may not be right. I had my sister. If you remember, near the beginning, Demeter and Poseidon seemed to know each other.”
“You’re right…and she also knew Zeus. And Zeus and Hera were dating. Maybe we all knew each other. But then why would Hades get rid of all of our memories of each other except those few?”
“To cause discord, maybe.”
You raise an eyebrow. “Are you saying that Hades did that for the drama of it all?”
Apollo shrugs. “Is that so far fetched?”
“I guess not. Still doesn’t explain why the rest of us were chosen, though. I wonder if I knew you and Artemis outside this game.”
“Wish I could remember. The thirteen of us, we all probably could’ve gotten along just fine outside this game.”
“You think so? That love triangle between Zeus and Hera and Demeter would probably have been much more fun without all of this added in.”
“Oh, definitely. Would’ve loved to grab some popcorn and watch that drama unfold.”
You both laugh and continue to reminisce as well as you can without all your memories intact.
After a short while, both Hera and Aphrodite enter the storage room. Apollo spots Hera first and grabs for his crossbow, standing on top of his box.
Seeing him, Hera points her own weapon, a poleaxe, right at Apollo. She charges forward, but before she can make much progress, Apollo shoots her point blank through the chest. Aphrodite is still at the doorway, looking surprised, but quickly regains her composure.
“That was much easier than I thought,” she calls across the room, beckoning to you both. “Come on, you two, let’s go to Moirae together.”
“Okay!” You hop off the box and start walking, but two steps later you realize that Apollo isn’t following you. “Apollo?” You look back.
Standing tall on the box, he aims his crossbow above your head at the door.
“Apollo, don’t—”
You hear a cry and a dull thunk behind you and press your lips together to stop from crying out. You don’t turn around.
“Why…?”
“I thought over everything,” he says calmly, “and I decided that I can’t truly trust Aphrodite after all. She may have been an ally, may have been your friend, but at the end of the day she was also a Fury. You are the only one who hasn’t killed anyone. I want to go to Moirae with you, the only untainted one left.”
“And why shouldn’t I just kill you instead?”
“Because you can’t. You won’t.”
“You…you don’t know that,” you reply weakly, but he’s right. You can’t even bring yourself to unsheathe your daggers. You’re tired of this, and if Apollo is to be the only one to go to Moirae with you, then so be it.
When you don’t say anything else, Apollo smiles and put the crossbow away. “Come, then. Let’s go.” He walks past you and without a word, you follow him.