Making countless bloodstained footprints, Ares trudged to the central seat Zeus pointed to. Standing upright, hands behind his waist and feet open, Ares looked up at Zeus, his father and ruler of Olympus.
Bronze-colored skin from the sun’s rays, Ares had the darkest skin color among the gods. He remained silent, his gray eyes bearing no emotions.
He had no choice but to listen to accusations.
“Alpheus, the river god, made a petition. After Ares’ team passed by, his river was stained with blood, the fields all around him burned to the ground, and the people slaughter or taken to slavery were gone. Demeter also petitioned. Her fields, which were in the midst of an autumn harvest, were scratched by the claws of war and the grains and forest all turned to ashes.”
More and more petitions flooded in.
Many of the complaints came from gods and goddesses who oversaw the growth of the fertile soil, mountains, and rivers.
Zeus read through the papyrus paper with a skip in his eye.
The gods and goddesses, their voices a whimpering victim, let out their thoughts from the suffering of the evil deeds that plagued them—all caused by Ares.
It looked to be about a hundred of them.
Ares listened without moving, though his lips did twitch. Zeus looked at Ares, face contorted in disgust.
“Are you setting fire on purpose these days?”
“Not on purpose, no.”
“But why do you burn the mountains, dry the rivers, and kill the growing crops? Why do you destroy them?”
“There’s bound to be inevitable damages in the face of war.”
“How long has it been since the Trojan War ended? Why are you stirring chaos like a crazy dog again?!”
At Ares’ brazen reply, Zeus threw the papyrus paper he was holding. The piles of sheet hit Ares’ nose and fell to the floor. His gray eyes glanced on the fallen paper before fixing it back to its original position.
The shrieks of the gods ech*ed. Ares, he was a madman, a psychopath!
“I’m only acting on behalf of my character,” Ares answered in a dry voice. “All wars in the human world are under my jurisdiction. I’m bound by no sides nor loyalty no matter their interests. Blood, madness, worship of nothing, that’s that I inherited as the son of Zeus.”
“So you’ve ruined all the men you’ve empowered?” Athena, sitting on the chair, asked, voice full of ridicule.
“They must’ve not learned a lesson in the Trojan War.”
Athena’s blood pressure rose, considering the hundreds of thousands of Athena’s soldiers killed and murdered by Ares’ sword in times of war.
Ares rolled his eyes carelessly and looked at his half-sister.
“Ares’ words are nothing but sophistry. Father, I’m also the god of war and I’m aware the inconvenience and damages the gods complain about are inevitable damages in the event of a war, but the fights Ares is causing is the chaos of unprovoked lunatics. He only enjoyed slaughter, destruction, and frenzy, regardless of whether his followers win or lose the war. Why should other gods be harmed by his mere play?” Athens said, ignoring Ares’ gaze and looking at Zeus sitting at the highest chair.
The Olympians applauded in agreement.
Sitting next to zeros and Psyche, Aphrodite sighed and covered her leaden complexion with her palm. Was Athena trying to bite a monster in the cage? Regardless, this development was expected to some extent since news of the meeting was announced.
Though she did believe Hades would side with Ares somehow.
“I apologize if I have unfairly harmed the rights of other gods, but what if my rights as the twelve gods if I have to take responsibility for the minor damages that unfolded because of my ability?”
Ares continued to speak.
“I don’t accept either side nor does anyone plot behind the scenes to get rid of them. They are only the side of human beings who plunge into the battlefield of Athena, where enemies and allies aren’t separated, where they offer their own lives and gamble with two endings of victory and defeat. Which god will defend and bless me for their recklessness, for their madness, for their bravery? The story of faction, logic, justification, victory, and defeat seems intended only to pollute my powers and beliefs. In the end, Father has the right to decide the trial and I’ll follow his conclusion.”
Making countless bloodstained footprints, Ares trudged to the central seat Zeus pointed to. Standing upright, hands behind his waist and feet open, Ares looked up at Zeus, his father and ruler of Olympus.
Bronze-colored skin from the sun’s rays, Ares had the darkest skin color among the gods. He remained silent, his gray eyes bearing no emotions.
He had no choice but to listen to accusations.
“Alpheus, the river god, made a petition. After Ares’ team passed by, his river was stained with blood, the fields all around him burned to the ground, and the people slaughter or taken to slavery were gone. Demeter also petitioned. Her fields, which were in the midst of an autumn harvest, were scratched by the claws of war and the grains and forest all turned to ashes.”
More and more petitions flooded in.
Many of the complaints came from gods and goddesses who oversaw the growth of the fertile soil, mountains, and rivers.
Zeus read through the papyrus paper with a skip in his eye.
The gods and goddesses, their voices a whimpering victim, let out their thoughts from the suffering of the evil deeds that plagued them—all caused by Ares.
It looked to be about a hundred of them.
Ares listened without moving, though his lips did twitch. Zeus looked at Ares, face contorted in disgust.
“Are you setting fire on purpose these days?”
“Not on purpose, no.”
“But why do you burn the mountains, dry the rivers, and kill the growing crops? Why do you destroy them?”
“There’s bound to be inevitable damages in the face of war.”
“How long has it been since the Trojan War ended? Why are you stirring chaos like a crazy dog again?!”
At Ares’ brazen reply, Zeus threw the papyrus paper he was holding. The piles of sheet hit Ares’ nose and fell to the floor. His gray eyes glanced on the fallen paper before fixing it back to its original position.
The shrieks of the gods ech*ed. Ares, he was a madman, a psychopath!
“I’m only acting on behalf of my character,” Ares answered in a dry voice. “All wars in the human world are under my jurisdiction. I’m bound by no sides nor loyalty no matter their interests. Blood, madness, worship of nothing, that’s that I inherited as the son of Zeus.”
“So you’ve ruined all the men you’ve empowered?” Athena, sitting on the chair, asked, voice full of ridicule.
“They must’ve not learned a lesson in the Trojan War.”
Athena’s blood pressure rose, considering the hundreds of thousands of Athena’s soldiers killed and murdered by Ares’ sword in times of war.
Ares rolled his eyes carelessly and looked at his half-sister.
“Ares’ words are nothing but sophistry. Father, I’m also the god of war and I’m aware the inconvenience and damages the gods complain about are inevitable damages in the event of a war, but the fights Ares is causing is the chaos of unprovoked lunatics. He only enjoyed slaughter, destruction, and frenzy, regardless of whether his followers win or lose the war. Why should other gods be harmed by his mere play?” Athens said, ignoring Ares’ gaze and looking at Zeus sitting at the highest chair.
The Olympians applauded in agreement.
Sitting next to zeros and Psyche, Aphrodite sighed and covered her leaden complexion with her palm. Was Athena trying to bite a monster in the cage? Regardless, this development was expected to some extent since news of the meeting was announced.
Though she did believe Hades would side with Ares somehow.
“I apologize if I have unfairly harmed the rights of other gods, but what if my rights as the twelve gods if I have to take responsibility for the minor damages that unfolded because of my ability?”
Ares continued to speak.
“I don’t accept either side nor does anyone plot behind the scenes to get rid of them. They are only the side of human beings who plunge into the battlefield of Athena, where enemies and allies aren’t separated, where they offer their own lives and gamble with two endings of victory and defeat. Which god will defend and bless me for their recklessness, for their madness, for their bravery? The story of faction, logic, justification, victory, and defeat seems intended only to pollute my powers and beliefs. In the end, Father has the right to decide the trial and I’ll follow his conclusion.”
