THE CIRCLE OF GODS (A Blood of the Gods counter-story)

Chapter 1.5

Igle

Igle was her father's daughter—father isn't exactly the correct word though, more father-creator. As the creation of Vouskashe, she could reside in a drop of rain as easily as fill the entire ocean. Well she could now, thanks to all the training Darius had forced upon them all.

This training changed her view about the land assigned her and with that her angst turned to love. The small ocean the humans call Mediterranean meant so much to her now, for it had facilitated all her growth as a goddess of the ocean.

When the darkness that is Xerses invaded her little piece of this celestial rock, naturally she felt the need to defend it. However, Darius came between her and that baseness of nature, which is perhaps why he led their little band of gods, and why Igle now lived in a drop of rain that dripped down Xerses vehicle instead of standing before him and pulling every particle of sodium out of him... through his eyeballs.

Before her the god of darkness and desire pushes his black hair back, out of his eyes, rain dripping from the matted strands. A bone white ring encircles his middle finger and he twirls it with his thumb as he gazes down at the mortal woman before him.

"Tell me at once if you are native to these lands?" His words are in the language of the people here. Italian is what the mortals called it.

The human replies. "I was born in the amleto there." She points north. "I have lived with the same fifty people my whole life." The woman shakes a clump of grey hair out of her rain drenched face and gazes up at Xerses with complete complacence.

Igle decides he must be enthralling the older lady. Igle could not understand why he was doing it though, she seemed happy to answer him.

"Do you know of any villages or amleto's nearby that have strange customs or that are surrounded in rumors?"

The woman's forehead wrinkles with consideration, then she shakes her head. "No."

He slaps her across the face. "Think."

Her head snaps back. She is a small woman, with large eyes and large breasts. Both features are now smooshed as her hands go to her face, her eyes tight with pain.

"I know nothing. I swear it." She mumbles through her fingers.

Xerses sighs. Just then the mud next to Xerses coalesces in a sloppily done manipulation of the elements. It takes an inordinate amount of time but gradually the mud forms into the being of Inanna. Once the full height and bulk of the goddess are perfectly represented in the medium, the material changes and a muscular deity with midnight skin, long black hair and red leather pants, stands in the rain. Igle wished she could click her tongue at the horrid execution of such a simple task, but she does not.

"I have somewhat to report." The lower goddess' voice explodes the information most impatiently.

"Speak." Xerses answers turning toward his fellow.

"When I approached Darius, he was interacting with a mortal and it reacted strangely. It would not be influenced; I do not think. Also, it seemed to me like she was a pet of his. I saw him leave his vehicle in broad daylight and use the wind to enter its place of employment and then the mortal made sounds of sexual pleasure, though it would have been the fastest liaison in the history of the world."

Xerses snarls a smile. "Figures he would be quick and incompetent. How the righteous fall. Did you talk with Darius?"

"I did not get to it."

He rolls his eyes. "Well do it! And watch the mortal he debases himself with if for no other reason than I must hear your reports of their debauchery. It will please me."

"And of course if she is what I think it could mean that Darius knows what we are doing here."

"How many times have you thought you've found one Inanna? Still if this one is different than perhaps..." The lower god purses his lips. "...if you can prove it is what we seek, then bring it to me. Do not toy with it like you relish doing. We are on a timetable here."

Inanna frowns. "I think I will not enjoy that as much, but I will do as you ask."

"Wonderful." He shoos her away with a flick of his wrist and she obligingly melts back into the muddy ground. "I think it's time for me to enjoy something myself." Xerses looks around at the group of humans Barak, Pleione, and Hemera are keeping in line, then he looks back at the woman in front of him. His face changes.

Pulling her hand away from her face, he rips the front of her shirt down the center. After handling each of her naked breasts, he says, "You will do." and motions to the canvas tent ten paces away. "Go into my tent, take off your clothes, and wait for me." The woman does as he forces her to do, but she does cry. Probably an instinct for she could not know what is in store for her; not while in Xerses thrall.

He turns to the crowd of humans and gods. "Hemera, I need a rest from all these." He waves a hand dismissively at the mortals.

"What do you want us to do with them?" Hemera sneers at him. "I will not take care of them whilst you take your pleasures."

"Barak, use your nature and pull the earth away so that a pit maybe formed. Put them in it and wait for me to finish."

"May I have one?" Barak asks.

"Do you need permission?" Xerses scoffs.

Barak smiles before he bends to the earth and begins throwing huge, boulder sized masses of dirt over his shoulder and down the mountain. Many of the clumps hit trees and smoosh bushes and greenery.

Igle's anger builds. Who is he to destroy this side of her mountain?

She allows herself to slide down the metal machine and drop to the mud. She pushes the streaming water down and down until she too is rushing down the side of the mountain. Once a ways off, she pulls her physical form out of the void and forces it to blend with the water that holds her spirit. As the two snap together, she feels her feet contact the earth and with the wind at her back she slides gracefully down the slope allowing her anger to be quelled by the thrill of the movement. Wrath does not go well with water. Things get hurt when her power and her emotions mix. Darius was right, now is not the time to ruin the peace that has lasted so long.