The Goddess of Forgetfulness, Lethe - (2)
Today marks the second day of the Olympia festival in honor of Zeus. The events include foot races, javelin throws, and chariot races.
As with yesterday, I plan to sit and watch the competitions with Goddess Lethe. Climbing the stone steps in search of a seat, I overheard the conversations of nearby mortals.
"Is the first event the foot race? Last ti’s champion was..." "But in the end, won’t another one of the demigods win?" "Of course, without the bloodline of the Olympian gods, even the heroes can’t hope to win..." "Hey! But still, we humans can..."
Both demigods and mortals can participate in the Olympia festival dedicated to Zeus. However, the gap between those with divine blood and ordinary mortals is not easily bridged. The very fact of possessing godly lineage grants imnse strength, stamina, and possibly special abilities.
Goddess Lethe, who had been listening to the conversation of the passing mortals, spoke up.
"It seems like the mortals feel a sense of deprivation..." "It’s understandable, given that they don’t possess divine blood. The difference is inherent from birth." "Then won’t a descendant of the Olympian gods inevitably win this competition?" "Perhaps..."
Even among demigods, those with a direct lineage from higher deities have an advantage. But that doesn’t an the winner of such a competition is predetermined.
"The 16th contestant is a devout follower of the Goddess Artemis...!"
Seated at a decent height, we listened to the announcer. It seed the foot race was about to begin, as the competitors were taking their positions, and the crowd grew silent.
Boom-
Thud. Thud-thud-thud.
"Whistle—" "Go, Moroclas!" "I’ve got so much drachma riding on this!" "Run faster!"
The drum sounded, and all the runners took off. Barefoot Greek n pushed off the ground with great force, sprinting ahead.
"Divine lineage does play a major role, but there are instances where personal effort can overturn it." "I’ve heard that cases where the natural gap is bridged are extrely rare..."
The world is inherently unfair. Lineage, talent, innate abilities, and social standing—none of these are easy for anyone to overco.
"The winner is Deitos! The laurel crown will be bestowed upon you!"
"Waah!!!" "A demigod... lost to a human?" "I knew that guy would be sothing special from the way he trained outside the city!" "Who knew soone could be faster than the descendants of Hers..."
But sotis, there are mortals who overco such differences. The man who won the foot race, beating many demigods, must be one of those rare individuals.
"Wow... that’s incredible. He seems to have the qualities of a hero..." "If he cos to Thebes, he might be worthy of nurturing in the Underworld."
An olive oil-filled terracotta jar, depicting a foot race, was presented to the winner. A laurel crown made from the branches of olive and laurel trees was placed on his forehead.
As the winner lifted the terracotta jar and smiled brightly, Goddess Lethe spoke.
"Speaking of heroes... what happened to the brother Bellerophon accidentally killed?" "His grudge seems to have greatly diminished. He actually expressed a desire to et Bellerophon."
After arriving in the Underworld, Bellerophon had accepted my proposal for diation. If his brother wished, Bellerophon would et him and offer his apology.
Thus, Bellerophon t his brother in the Underworld, knelt before him, and sincerely apologized. Fortunately, the wronged soul accepted the apology.
As I was thinking about Bellerophon, a middle-aged man seated beside us suddenly spoke up.
"Hey... excuse ! Are you two... married by any chance?" "Is he speaking to us?" "Yes, you two. You seem close, but already-married won..."
He was eyeing Lethe with suspicion.
In the Olympia festival, a n’s-only event, married won were prohibited from both attending and observing. However, unmarried won were allowed to observe, as it was seen as a way to understand n’s roles in society.
It would be simple to just explain that Lethe and I are not married yet. But then, to my surprise, a bold statent ca out of Lethe’s mouth, her face blushing.
"Yes. We are married..."
"W-what?! Hey! Guards! We have a married woman here..."
Panicking at the bold declaration from the Goddess Lethe, the man tried to call for the guards. However, in the next mont, his mory was wiped, and his eyes went blank.
Lethe glanced at , seemingly unsure of what to expect after claiming we were married. Perhaps she was worried about the statent she had just made.
"My lady." "Why... why? Aren’t you going to marry , Hades?"
I swallowed the words that had been about to leave my mouth. I could tell her that we aren’t married, and that we aren’t even courting...
But... I’m not a fool. I know what answer she wishes to hear. Perhaps now, I should give her the response she’s hoping for.
"I... uh..." "Say it louder... please."
The cheers for the next race, the laughter and chatter of the mortals, the rumbling thunder from the sky, a sign of Zeus’s satisfaction with the competition...
None of it mattered. All I could hear was the Goddess's question. I saw her small fingers trembling, perhaps from the courage it took to ask.
Her lips moved faintly, and her eyes wavered.
"...Hades?"
Like the Goddess Styx herself, I abandoned my hesitation. I leaned in toward where she sat, and though she flinched, she didn’t avert her gaze.
Ensuring we were unseen, I used an illusion to conceal us, invisible even to most Olympian gods.
I’d done this before. Moving smoothly, I gently took hold of her hair and pulled her toward , hoping this gesture would be enough of an answer.
Smack.
Our second kiss.
Ti passed, and Helios’s sun chariot crossed the sky, bringing darkness to Olympia.
In the calm night, Goddess Lethe and I walked slowly, arm in arm.
Tap. Tap.
Perhaps because of the brief kiss earlier, I was all too aware of the soft touch against my arm.
"Hee..."
The beautiful goddess, not just holding my arm, but leaning her head on my shoulder. I didn’t dislike the tickling sensation in my chest.
As we strolled around the city, taking in the sights, sothing caught my attention through my divine senses.
"Ugh... the knife... the blood on my body..."
A groaning sound ca from inside a nearby brick house. It seed to be coming from an elderly man, likely a soldier haunted by his participation in war. With his eyes closed and drenched in cold sweat, the poor man hadn’t yet escaped the battlefield.
Ordinarily, such matters would fall under the jurisdiction of Morpheus, the god of dreams. But easing his pain would be well within the abilities of the goddess beside .
As if reading my thoughts, Goddess Lethe stopped walking and looked at .
"...I’ll be back in a mont."
I nodded, and she vanished.
Soon, her power of forgetfulness enveloped the house, and only the sound of soft breathing remained. The man who had suffered the horrors of war would soon find those mories fading.
When the Goddess of Forgetfulness returned, there was a small smile on her lips. It’s incredible to think that the goddess who once mourned her unwelcod powers has changed so much...
"You’ve brought a little peace." "I don’t like seeing mortals suffer, bound by mories of their past."
That is the nature of forgetfulness. Though people cling to precious mories, they welco her blessing when it cos to painful and horrific ones.
It’s much like the Underworld itself. As mortals age and approach death, they’re more likely to beco my devotees. anwhile, the young, still far from death, chant the nas of Ares, Apollo, or Zeus.
"It’s been a long ti since I’ve had such a nice outing with you, Hades."
We had seen enough of the Olympia festival, and it was ti to return to the Underworld. I raised my hand, pointing to a tall hill in the distance.
"Shall we climb that hill before we leave?"
Together, we climbed the hill, the sound of crickets echoing around us, fireflies flickering through the air.
Chrrr...
At the top of the hill, surrounded by darkness, we looked down at the grand city and sanctuary of Olympia, bathed in moonlight. The goddess, her silver hair fluttering in the wind, finally spoke.
"Hades." "Yes, my lady?" "Do you think that one day, the mortals living in that city will fully accept my blessing as well?"
Even gods with unbreakable wills cannot escape the blessing of forgetfulness. Over ti, mories fade, and sotis, they’re forgotten entirely.
Mortals forget even more easily. It’s common for them to lose fragnts of yesterday’s mories.
"As the Goddess of Forgetfulness, I must bestow my blessing upon everyone." "Neither Zeus nor I have been exceptions to that, have we? Not even yourself, my lady."
Just as the Goddess of Love can fall in love, so too can the Goddess of Forgetfulness sink into the depths of oblivion. Lethe smiled faintly, her gaze fixed on .
"But... today’s mories... I don’t want them to fade." "...I feel the sa."
"Could you help ... make sure I don’t forget today?"
Desire flickered in the goddess's eyes for a mont before she closed them.
I moved closer to her and gently closed my eyes as well. Tilting my head slightly, I embraced her soft body, and our lips t once again.
"Gladly."
I parted my lips slightly, pressing my tongue softly against hers. A small gap ford between us as our beings intertwined.
The first thought that ca to my mind was how sweet and warm she was. At the sa ti, I couldn’t help but want to continue this softness.
Our hands fumbled, grasping, but eventually, I regained my composure and pulled back.
A fine thread of silver remained between us for a mont before disappearing. A sweet taste of peach lingered in my mouth.
"Haa..."
Even if the flow of ti and forgetfulness overtakes , I will never forget this mont.
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