An Unearthing of Goddesses

An Unearthing of Goddesses Part 31

Anya winced, reaching down to her ankle and rubbing where the raw skin lay exposed. A wide iron ring circled her leg, with a heavy chain dangling from it that dragged the floor and led a few feet away to an enormous iron ball, its surface pitted like the face of a distant moon. She lay, imprisoned to her ball and chain, in the middle of a marble slab reaching a dozen feet across. It was the top of a tower, stretching high into the sky with masses of clouds floating by, occasionally obscuring her vision.

The tower was in a circle of identical towers, each holding a prisoner in an identical bondage of ball and chain. Lhamo, Gaia, Nandi, Cassie, Aurae and Dona all inhabited their own pedestals, their powers frozen by the numbing metal of the orbs fastened to their feet. Had they been there hours, days, or weeks? She couldn't tell anymore. She pressed her raw ankle to the cold marble floor to soothe it.

Things in Mt. Olympus had started out perfectly normally. They had entered the gate as they had a thousand times before. The sprawling front gardens had been sporting an enthusiastic game of celestial croquet. Gods and goddesses, mallets in hand, were knocking their balls across the perfect manicured lawns. Except the balls were not croquet balls – they were planets, and they were being knocked across expanses of space with thunderous bangs that set their fiery surfaces boiling and trails of asteroid belts unraveling behind.

"You cheated!" Aphrodite stomped her sandaled foot, causing her reddish blonde curls to bounce. Her ball, a pinkish hued planet with an array of rings, had been knocked well off its course in space by the steely purple orb of her brother Ares, who laughed at her displeasure and twirled his mallet insolently.

As the visitors walked, the starry space beneath them became a wildflower dotted lawn and the dark space matter around them settled into neatly trimmed hedges.

"Greetings, sisters!" Apollo had approached, his blonde locks and handsome face shining brilliantly. "We haven't seen you since the Ambrosia harvest. Join our game?" He flashed a persuasive smile.

"No brother," Gaia had declined. "We're here on official business. Another day perhaps."

"They're all a bunch of cheaters in any case," said Aphrodite crossly. "My beautiful planet is knocked into another galaxy now and it will take eons to get it back. Do any of you know anything about planetary dynamics? I need to increase its orbital energy by the percentage of a croquet strike."

They had nodded their regrets and passed on. Inside the columned entrance to the grand hall, they were met with a crowd of celebrating guests, weaving between tables festooned with a feast and musicians filling the hall with melody.

"Your presence honors our festivities," said a booming voice and Hera appeared, holding a tray of ambrosia cocktails, her peacock feathered turban bobbing over her head.

"Hera? What are you doing serving drinks?" Anya had taken one and looked askew at her sisters.

"Why my dear, I adore being a hostess." She smiled in a strained manner.

"Sure. Wait – I paid the rent, right? There's been a lot going on lately."

"Of course you did my dear. Now, no shop talk tonight. Let's toast to your visit!"

They all took a glass and toasted. It took a few minutes for the effects to begin. Anya found herself helped to a couch by one of Hera's strongmen. She looked around at the crowd. They all seemed especially sinister. Cassie was laid down beside her.

"Fuuuck – we're being rufied. We can't even trust the bars in Mt. Olympus," Cassie slurred as they both crumpled onto one another. They had awakened on their towers.

"What in the Hades?" Anya had grabbed the ankle bracelet and shook it. "Hera! What are you doing? I paid my rent!"

They immediately recognized that their powers were gone and struggled to free themselves from their giant orbs.