When Desire Seduces Fear

When Desire Seduces Fear

Chapter 1

Mount Olympus

2001 A.D

Dedra, daughter of Discord, niece of Ares, the god of war, stared down in the scrying bowls as she watched the battle before her play out. She could feel the waves of carnage rolling off the people down below. It gave her untold glee to see the chaos and fear. After all, that is what she happened to be—the goddess of fear.

To Look at her, no one would expect her to be as such. She stood at five feet two inches tall and had pitch-black hair that flowed down her back. The ends were a dark purple today but were changed frequently to fit her mood. Her face was round and soft-looking; she had large luminous purple eyes with thick black eyelashes framing them. Her top lip looked like a bow while her bottom lip was full and plump. Her nose other said as button-like. It fit her face. Everyone told her she took after her mother. Dedra did not know her father. He had been some god that Discord never talked about, not that it bothered her because she had all the family she could handle.

Of course, Dedra’s favorite color was black, like most of her family in the war department, and her favorite thing to wear most of the time was suede. It functioned better than leather in battle and felt far more comfortable. Today she wore a pleated skirt, a top, and black leather boots.

Dedra became so intent with the ongoing battle she did not hear the pounding coming from the temple’s front door. It was not until there came a loud banging sound, did Dedra looked up for a moment to see what the noise could be. In walked her cousin Eros. She paid him no mind. He most likely was here to see Uncle Ares, his father, anyways. Dedra looking back at the pool of water as the people down below kept fighting. After a time of silence, Dedra felt eyes boring a hole into her back. Sighing loudly, she looked up once more to see her cousin staring at her.

“What!” She finally snapped at him.

Eros just raised an eyebrow at her before replying.

“Grandfather Zeus told me there is to be a meeting today, and everyone is to attend, including you. Dedra groaned at hearing this. She loathed meetings. They ran long and bored her to tears, old god’s and goddesses yammering on about nothing of importance, at least not to her.

“Do I have to? Can you not say that I am busy with work, or you could not locate me?” She needled helplessly. Dedra knew it was unbecoming of a god to whine, but she did not care overmuch right now. She really wanted to get out of going. Eros just negatively shook his head. Dedra groaned louder this time.

“Alright, cuz, how much time do I have before the meeting?” Dedra folded her arms over her chest, glaring at him in a manner that clearly said she was holding him responsible for her bad mood. Eros tried to throw his hand’s up in surrender a show of do not shoot the messenger.

“I believe the meeting is to be held at 5:00 pm this evening.”

Eros looked at his cousin in contemplation. She had been happy when he came in, and he had watched her for a number of minutes. He knew his father had started a war recently, so she had to be on cloud nine from all the fear exuding from the mortals. Right now, though looking at her, one would not be able to tell. Eros had watched his little cousin grow up before his eyes; he had to admit that she turned out rather well for having a mother like Discord and growing up in the house of war.

Dedra could be fun to hang around. She did not let her godhood define who she is ultimately. Eros knew she would make someone happy someday. He knew Dedra had no intention to marry every! She was the goddess of fear, not too many potential suitors, she claims. Though Dedra a beauty, to be sure, not many wanted to get to know Discord’s daughter and the niece of the god of war.

Dedra usually tried not to let this bother her. She claimed that it must not be in the fates weaving for her then moved on. Eros shook his head at that thought. It would be a real tragedy if no one could look past her being fear and see the inner beauty that made up who she was.

“Don’t even think of skiving out, cousin, Zeus said all gods and goddesses must attend. It seems especially important, so I suggest you follow the rules.”

Dedra looked over at the closest thing she had to call a brother and arched her eyebrow as if to say duh.

“I will be their Eros; I just plan on taking a dip in my favorite pool beforehand.” Dedra smiled playfully. She knew it was a cause of contention between her relatives of her swimming naked where anyone could see. Demeter said it was unseemly for a young lady; Aunt Hestia said she was a free spirit. Hera claimed that nice goddesses just did not do things like that. Aphrodite laughed and told the older goddesses to stop being such prudes and to live a little.

Dedra mostly did it to get a rise out of everyone. It gave her the biggest thrill to cause tension between her uptight relatives and the cool, laid-back ones. She though would never tell anyone that. Dedra knew what people thought of her, and she did not care. Dedra glanced over to her golden cousin his look disapproving. Eros stood scowling at her because of the thought of Dedra running around naked outside. She could only roll her eyes at him in response. No one wanted her to have any fun, it seemed.

“Do not look at me like that golden boy. I promise I will keep my virtue intact, I swear. I need to freshen up before this meeting.”

She knew Eros hated the title of the golden boy. It had been a nickname she came up with when she had been little and met him for the first time. When she had met him with his golden hair and the clothing he wore, she could not help calling him that. The name had just stuck after.

Dedra strolled out of the temple door, turning into a ball of light, she zipped her way to her favorite pool. One day after a battle, being filthy and tired, it had been quite pleasing to find a little oasis to call hers. No one came there to bother her the few times she visited afterward, so she had claimed it for her own.

When Dedra arriving, she quickly vanished her clothing to a pile upon a rock near the water. Moving towards the pool, she gave a tiny audible sigh as her foot first touched it. The water felt cool but not overly cold. It was perfect.

To her, this was heaven right here, away from the stress and aggravation of her job and family. As she sunk deeper, the water seemed to wash away all her cares for the moment. She did not have to be Dedra, goddess of fear. Or anything else for that matter. She could just be herself. All the goddesses of the pantheon kept asking when she would settle down and get married. They wanted to know why she had not found herself a good looking, god, or even a mortal.

Whom am I supposed to marry anyhow? I am related to 99% of them. Yuck!

Dedra made a face at the thought of all the others that were her age. Most were already married or her male cousins or female cousins or uncles. She shuddered at the idea of being with anyone one of them.

Dedra did not go into the all in the family idea; it truly made her nauseous to think upon. As for mortals! Not happening there either, most of them were afraid of her. Even if one did come across her that found her attractive, they usually turned tail and ran when she informed them about herself. There was no use hiding such a thing. She did not feel the need too. That is why, at 687 years old, Dedra could be still called pure in every sense of the word. She did not see that changing any time soon; no man would have her and no god for that matter. It was not likely that another god from a different pantheon would find her appealing either, she thought bitterly.

While fear floated in a pool lost in contemplation, she could have no way of knowing that someone walked in her direction at that very moment. Hearing the splashing of water had drawn someone's attention.

A being walked towards the sound of rushing water; he had split from his party to get some solitude for a bit, but when he heard the sounds of splashing and noises coming from the east. The need to investigate had been strong. What he found when he came upon a pool of water with some trees around it and a cascading waterfall was nothing short of astounding. There in the water swimming around had to be the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. The nymph dove and splashed repeatedly, not once coming to shore.

Anhor stare at the naked woman—no small amount of wonder upon his face. At first, he had been so stunned by seeing a beauty such as this one that he had not even been able to draw a breath. She was radiant as she bathed before him. Her black raven hair fell down her back till it reached her lovely heart-shaped bottom. Her back currently turned to him, so he could not see her face. He did not doubt though she would be beautiful beyond compare. When she finally did turn, he knew his mind had not played tricks on him. She had a round face. On most women, it would make them look childlike but not her. Black eyebrows lay above the larges eyes he had ever seen on being. From a distance, he hid he could not tell what color they might be, but that did not matter in the slightest at that current point in time. His eyes were racking in every other feature of hers. He greedily devoured every inch of her from head to thigh.

His eyes traveled from her face downwards then back up again at doing so. He could feel his breeches shift considerably. Her breasts were high, round, and more than a handful. No doubt, she had been gifted by the gods.

When Anhor realized he still crouched in the same position, he began to feel like a peeping tom and a cad. He did not know how to exit, though, without giving himself away. His shifting around on the dirt must have made some noise alerting her to his presence. Because the next thing he knew, the woman had whirled around in the water, ducking down slightly while shouting demand.

“Who is there, show yourself? I have no problem striking first and asking questions later.” Anhor thought it best to come out with his palms raised to show he meant no harm. As he moved out of the bushes that had been his hiding place, he watched as the woman moved closer to the bank towards what looked to be a pile of clothes sitting on a rock.

Dedra had been in the middle of enjoying her bath when she heard a twig in the bushes snap. Rather than think it could have been an animal, she thought it better to be safe than sorry and called out to make sure.

Never in a million millenniums did she expect a man to appear, and what a man. Out from the bushes stepped a large man that looked to be about six-three in height. His skin had a dark golden bronze color, much like her own to it his hair was a dark brown that came to his waist in a plate. It had to be his eyes though that caught her attention the most; she had never seen such eyes before. They were a deep gold color, hypnotizing that she could not move even as he came closer to where she stood. As Dedra gazed at the rest of him, she noticed how well built he looked. His upper body well-muscled but not overly so. He had broad shoulders with well-defined looking arms. Then moving downwards, it tapered into a lean waist which met strong thick looking legs that were encased in tight deer skin-colored britches and doe hide boots.

“Who are you?” Dedra demanded after she could once again find her voice, even though it sounded as if she had swallowed sand before doing so. “No man should have been able to find this place. How did you come to be here?” Dedra wanted to pat herself on the back for sounding very authoritative even though she stood in the water naked with her dagger held in front of her in defense. The man, though, just cocked his head to the side while giving her an appraising look. Dedra did not like that one bit. The way he scrutinized her made her feel like she lacked something that she could not name.

He had not spoken at all, just continued to stare at her. Finally, Dedra lost her temper. “I asked you who you are, man. Did you not hear me, or are you too dimwitted from being that pretty? A smirk curled the sides of his lips upon hearing her heated words.

“So, you think I am pretty, do you? I thank you, little hellion, for I do not believe I have ever heard such words directed at me.” Anhor watched with amusement as this little hell cat’s mouth dropped open in shock. If Ra can help it, I want this little thing in my bed, sooner rather than later.

Anhor folded his arms over his chest, waiting for the dripping wet female in front of him to say or do something. He had somewhere to be soon, and he did not feel like dallying too much with this woman no matter how attractive she might be. Tapping his foot to show his impatience, he tried to continue to wait, but as the minutes ticked by, he grew impatient with her.

Dedra could not form words on her part to rebuttal this man. She had never met someone so handsome or who spoke to her in such a way. No other man had ever dared. Things such as this very rarely happened. She did not know what to make of the man. Dedra knew she needed to get to her clothes and put them back on to feel less self-conscious. Her clothes were like her armor. She felt confident and sure in them, and right now she was exposed and small feeling. It did not sit well with her at all.

Anhor noticed where she was edging too, beating her to the pile, he scooped them up and held them aloft. Her cry of outrage echoed around the surrounding area. “Give them back!” She shouted. Anhor continued to lift them high in the air with one arm while with the other, he disarmed her of her dagger in one skilled move than throwing it over into the bushes. Dedra could feel the outrage building inside her at this man’s sheer audacity to be so liberal with her personal belongings. She reached for them but came up short. Dedra jumped again to grab them but lost her footing and crashed into him, sending them both sprawling to the ground. Dedra’s naked body landed on top of strangers. Both of them let out an oomph as they hit the ground.

Dedra could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment, knowing that her naked body was touching this strangers. Looking down at his face, he seemed to be as shocked as her to find themselves in this position. Being this close to him, she now could see the color of his eyes better. They looked like warm honey as they stared up into hers.

Anhor was having similar thoughts, except he was thinking along the lines of how much he enjoyed having her wriggling on top of him. Anhor soon forgot about the cloths in his hands instead of focusing on the beautiful, soft, curvy female on top of him. Lunging up, he took her by surprise when his mouth connected with hers. Anhor used this to his advantage by quickly rolling her under him. His mouth moved against hers hungrily. His hand buried themselves in her thick black hair to keep her head still while he nibbled and sucked on her lush bottom lip. At first, she did not respond instead of laying their stifle. Eventually, she seemed to melt into his caresses and ministrations.

Anhor groaned against her mouth. He flicked his tongue against her lips; she gasped against his mouth. He slid his tongue into hers, brushing against the inside of the hot cavern he delved. This woman smelled heavenly. She tasted of chocolate and raspberries. Her scent had an erotic appeal he had never encountered before. He wanted to sample all of her at once. While he had her distracted, his left hand traveled down her body to her thighs’ apex. He was just about to dip his fingers into her waiting warm but never got the chance because all of a sudden, she let out a shriek. The next thing he knew, he was rolling on the ground clutching his privates.

Dedra had been enjoying this man’s attention to her everlasting shame. She had been so distracted by his kiss. She did not pay attention to where his hand traveled until it touched down between her thighs. Dedra panicked, then shouting a loud no, she reared her knee upright between his legs. It had not been on purpose; he had just been a knee jerk reaction. Dedra did not want this man thinking he could take her virtue upon this dirty ground. She had always envisioned her first time somewhere romantic. Not something such as this. When the man had rolled off her, though, she scrambled up from the ground, swiftly grabbed her clothes, magicking them on, and vanished before he could come to his senses.

When Dedra returned to the temple, she breathed a slight sigh of relief upon entering. She was thankful that no one seemed to be around at the present moment. Dedra could think quietly for a moment before the meeting. Dedra checked the time to see how long she had before the council meeting. Dedra ruminated on the events at the pool. At least now she would never have to see that strange man again. She could count herself lucky in that fact.

Meanwhile, in a mountain far away sat the three fates. Moirai sat weaving the tapestry of the word. “Hark sister, a new color, has come into play upon the god of Olympus,” Clotho spoke to her other two sisters. The other two looked at Clotho. Lachesis inquired with no small amount of intrigue because very rarely did the god’s colors change from every day.

“Tell us, sister, what has happened?” Atropos nodded her head, as well. She usually had to cut the thread of life of everyday morals but never gods, so this news caused her typical job to be a little more exciting.

Clotho chuckled as she watched a brown and gold color interweave with a black and purple strand. She went from a soft chuckle to a loud cackle of glee.

“Our little one does not know that her fate is about to change significantly. Clotho chuckled, her laugh sounded like trickling water, soft and soothing. Her sister looked at each other in confusion.

“Who are you speaking of, dear?” Atropos inquired at the youngest sister as she sat at the loom of fate. Both sisters waited patiently for the youngest to respond. When she did, she had a dream-like quality to her voice.

“Dedra, of course, her fate has just intertwined with an Egyptian god and cannot be separated ever. The other two goddesses stared at her in shock. It took a lot to dumbfound the goddesses of fate at all, but in one breath, the youngest sister had managed to do just that to the oldest.

“Greek and Egyptian come together as a pair. Whoever heard of such a thing, it is not possible!” Atropos whispered reverently. The youngest turned to her oldest sister and glared. “It is possible, and it has just occurred, so there is nothing to be done about it but sit back and watch.” The smile she gave them could be called scary to most, but the other two used to seeing it, so it did not affect them.

“Egyptian and Greek fated to meet, fall in love, and bring about peace. goddess of fear and desire will see that both have what the other shall need.” Clotho sang as she spun the tapestry of fate.

The other two smiled and realized a new day would be dawning in the pantheon, one that would change all of their lives forever. None of them could wait to find out what that would be. After all, it got very dull day after day, and their world could use a good shaking up. What better way than a union after all?