CHAPTER TEN

  History Repeating Part 3

  What Goes Around Comes Around

  (When you least expect it)

  Saturnalia and Winter Solstice 2024 - The return of the light starts now

  As Santos, Eros is, in essence and in accordance with his true nature this time around, actively engaging in sabotage. Ironically, he is actively engaging in sabotage against the sabotage Eros supplanted in the grand design of Akasha. That was the potential for a descent into madness instead of ascending further, that would destroy All. The essence of Serendipity Lumina supplanted was a little extra luck to ensure the evolution from Energy to The Ethereal that she named Kismet. Now Santos is trying to upend that which created him in the first place and Rhe is starting to push her luck, possibly to her own detriment.

  So, is Santos Eros and is Rhe Lumina? In part, yes. But the time and distance between keeps them separate from them as well. They are one in the same worlds apart. This allows them to be energy independent. It’s like they are their own legacies. Eros still exists as an Aristocrat somewhere. Perhaps busy with his own universe in the making. But Lumina, as the Second Standing Aristocrat still has her place in this one. So where is she?

  As previously mentioned, Akasha sits at the Apex of the gyroscope that we liken this universe to, and the Second Aristocrat will be at the point furthest from him, holding All that is in between them in place. She is, in essence, the anchor. When everything comes together in the end, All in All and the Universe is secured in Time, they can hang out together again because the Apex and Anchor will be fixed. So in the far reaches of the Universe, is an alcove and within the Alcove is a jar and within the jar is pure hope. And the jar is protected and hope could not be released with the ills of the world because it can only be released true to form. That’s Quiddity in effect. Akasha had deemed hope to be the saving grace of All. Lumina got to be All the Hope we All need. She considered that to be a great honor.

  So The Charge is as follows. They must come up with a plan to rally the troops with a call to arms. Then they must go forward with their plan. They must render the veil between heaven and earth dissolved and reintroduce themselves to the mortal coil in existence presently and win back their favor. Once welcomed again, this will place them first in line in the race against Time to find and retrieve The Hope that is needed by All to rise further. If they are lucky enough to do so, then they will acquire the First Rights of Redemption for All and be able to release The Hope Once and For All. Upon release, The Hope will flood the Universe and All can rise. The First Born Ethereal can be brought forth and the ether will take hold from there. This is the Ascension through the Point of Convergence between Energy and Ether. The Universe will be secured in Time and considered fixed in Space/Time for All Time. The mission of Akasha and Lumina will be complete in Essence. She will take her rightful place alongside her brother and the two will Stand from there on. Simple enough. All in a day's work for them.

  And just in case a little help is needed to get there, a touch of Serendipity is included that can lead to a happenstance to help facilitate the process. The happenstance is abstract and can be anything, or anyone. For instance, it can be an untimely demise. I’m not saying that it is. But it could be. Falling upwards has its perks. I think you get the picture now. I would like to say I hope so, but that would actually be just wishful thinking on my part.

  Back to the story. This is a myth above All.

  —--------------------------------------------

  So where did it all go wrong the first time around for the Olympians? Zeus had defeated Cronus (who had likewise, defeated Uranus) and established himself as Sky God of Olympus. He and his kinship divided up the responsibilities, and he had chosen to consort with the mightiest of the female aspects among them, believing that together, he and Hera were unstoppable and Olympus would reign supreme from there on. This is what you call “looking good on paper - if you ignore the perceived incestuous connotations. These are energy beings. There is no blood relation among them. The terms brother and sister should actually have been interpreted as in kin and in keeping with or in kind and in kinship with. Their purpose was in like energy forming a cohesive and equal dominion that served the people fairly, God and Mortal alike. They would then go on to conceive of the same to follow. Zeus, in his understanding, did not want to be deposed in the same manner as his predecessor and the predecessor before.

  This was far more likely to happen with Ares as his heir apparent. Ares was the combination of his and Hera’s energy in conception. For her part, Hera believed she had done an excellent job in providing an heir to the throne in Olympus. If she had been talking about Hephaestus or Hebe. Hebe was considered beautiful beyond compare and thoughtful beyond measure. What Heph lacked in appearance he made up for in strength and talent. But Ares was the force to be reckoned with. Truth be told, from the beginning, having looked upon him, Zeus knew Ares would be only too inclined to do to him what he had done to his father and that he himself was where Ares got it from. That apple did not fall too far from the tree.

  They made earnest and several attempts to foster an heir that they could agree upon but every conception between them took them further down the lineage and no closer to consensus. In Zeus’s mind, Hera had failed to produce an heir for the future of Olympus in accordance with Zeus’s aspirations for it. Of course, during the course of this, Zeus did try elsewhere. Hera, still being set on Ares, was unable to adjust her thinking otherwise to another mindset that might have met the vision for Olympus in the eyes of Zeus Almighty. She was staid in her ways. Much trouble began to brew between them in this effort. Zeus would not be deterred in his quest to ensure the Olympus he had risked everything to secure. He had endured the belly of the beast for the Mount on which they now ruled. He was not just a philandering gadabout. He was a man on a mission and Hera was busy trying to thwart any rivals to her place as the preeminent Goddess alongside Zeus and the mother of the heir to the throne. Sadly, she was usurped, and not just by the determination of Zeus, but by Leto - a Titan.

  You cannot imagine her ire in finding out Zeus had turned to a Titan for an heir. This was more than betrayal. This was beyond an embarrassment. “That old hag?!” Not only was her pride deeply wounded, but her sense of self was destroyed. Things would never be the same between them again. Hera did everything she could to prevent Leto from bringing forth the future. She stalked her and chased her into hiding. Pregnant and desperate, Leto hid on an island that was little more than a rock in the middle of an ocean. She was aided by Hebe, Hera’s own daughter, and guarded day and night by a rotation of attendees. Leto remained shrouded and deep in a cave, singing to her beloved twin flames and refusing to surrender them.

  That’s right. Not only did this old has been bitch have the nerve to conceive of an heir in Zeus’s favor, now there were two of them. An heir and a spare. This was the ultimate indignity for Hera. Not only was she undermined, but her son was dismissed outright and these two bastards were being protected by none other than her own daughter. Is it any wonder Hera vowed revenge. Zeus, for his part, was putting Olympus first. But not in the best possible way. He loved Hera and expected her to understand and want the same things. He longed for her support. This was her destiny as much as his. He fully expected her to rise to the occasion. Men can really have their heads up their asses sometimes. Zeus is no exception. While all this made sense to him, she could not bring herself to rely on her godhood when her womanhood had been destroyed. She could not reconcile that she had failed to produce the heir to the throne Zeus desired for his own continuance. She felt he betrayed her to save himself. She turned to his sworn enemy for comfort. The only other person to understand the cutthroat nature of Zeus Almighty. Together, they devised a plot that would give Prometheus his own throne and she would provide the heir in his name. She would have her place in the Kingdom of Heaven restored and her son by Prometheus would be the chosen one and beloved by everyone and followed forever. She raised Prometheus up to Godhood, changed his name to Jehovah and ran off with him. They started their own dominion and courted angels and others to join. She gave birth to his only begotten son and named him Jesus. Jehovah immediately began to take the credit for everything. That had been his desire from the start. Hera faded into obscurity as a result but she took one for the team there. She had succeeded to birth the King of Man. And all it cost her was her identity in her own right as she committed herself to being the wife of God The Father and the once removed mother of the Son next to Mary. She stood by while Jehovah brutally "sacrificed" the child she had risked everything for and said nothing. So while Prometheus went from the eagle eating his liver on a daily basis to God Almighty, Hera went from being a preeminent Goddess of Olympus to the leopard eating her face. And she has now settled for being a ghost of her former self. A once proud and defiant goddess is now ranked last place on the Trinity totem pole. I guess that's better than nothing.

  While Hera went straight from the frying pan and right into the fire, Apollo and Artemis got off to a rocky start. And while she faded into relative obscurity, they rose to prominence and while mankind turned away from Olympus in search for an easier way to get to heaven, Zeus willingly gave the throne to Apollo as his successor and rightful Heir Apparent. Zeus cannot be deterred from his vision of Olympus, no matter what.

  —--------------------------------------------

  Now, sitting in front of Apollo, shot put in hand and explaining the value of The Prestige being offered, Blaze looked for any indication of approval from the Lord High God. Apollo, steady in response, asked to take a closer look and Blaze handed him the ball. Apollo leaned back in his chair and raised the ball towards the window. It caught light. The medal shone and sparkled. Apollo looked actually amazed for a moment. He handed it back to Blaze and smiled. Apollo always had the most breathtaking smile. Even Blaze was taken aback by it. But then, he seldom had been on the receiving end of it. Not because Apollo withheld it but because Blaze was reluctant. That was just his nature. Apollo actually wanted to hug him, many a time. He knew this simple gesture would be met with resistance. While Apollo had always been generous with his affections, Blaze had always struggled with his emotions. Apollo had an air about him from inception. He was The Sun that Shone from within him. Blaze was the burn that it could bring to anything and everything if over exposed.

  “I look forward to informing the High Counsel of the progress made in the effort to lead The Charge. Hail Olympus.”

  Blaze shot off a quick smile in response then reigned it in immediately, his shyness getting the better of him. Inside, Blaze was a shy, quiet and kind child who adored his father figure and wanted to please him. He had always been the apple of his father’s eye, but somehow always felt the footsteps he was trying to follow were in some ways, far too big and in other ways, much too constricting. Even the most loving father/son relationships can be prickly. In trying so hard to follow suit, you may end up donning a crown of thorns. Blaze went out of his way to avoid putting Apollo on a pedestal or trying to be too much like him. He made all the effort necessary to be his own man while still recognizing Apollo’s influence and position. This is why he would try to avoid him at times and rely on Polly to intervene. His need for approval from him was inherent and the dangers of flying too close to the sun were well recorded.

  Blaze stood and reached hind towards Apollo for shaking. Apollo stood immediately in return and took it heartily.

  “Let me know how it goes.” Blaze said while shaking the hand of Apollo Almighty.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “That won’t be necessary Blaze. You will attend with me to show them yourself. My words alone will not do this justice. They must see for themselves.”

  Blaze knew this was the highest compliment and honor he could hope for. Suddenly there was a pit in his stomach. This was not his accomplishment alone. He could not take full credit for it

  .

  “Only if our Counsel agrees. I would need their vote of confidence first because this was their effort in total, and some more than others deserve recognition. But being equal in wanting to further the cause, this is an initiative we all have similar enthusiasm for. I would want a decree on their behalf stating that this is ours to share.” He stumbled through his explanation.

  “God speed then Blaze. Tick tock.” Apollo chuckled. He really did admire this man.

  “Right. Hail Olympus. Back to work.” Blaze responded, turning to leave.

  “No rest for the weary or wicked.” Apollo, who always likes the last word, shouted after him.

  Blaze stopped at the door and turned back towards Apollo, saluted him in true Olympic fashion, with a smile, and turned right back around and quickly left.

  Yet another Counsel already would not be met with overwhelming appreciation but he knew the subject matter would be well received. He just hoped that he could ensure there would be proper and enough credit to go around so as not to ruffle any feathers in their midst.

  Apollo waited until Blaze left and then shifted his appearance to an iridescent beam of light. This is how he preferred to look to himself. Apollo was bestowed with many talents and abilities from his conception. So much so, that it was hard to keep track of them. He tended to don a different look that resonated with each, but after a while, he just became the omnipresence he embodies. While every God has the ability to reflect back to you how you see them for relatability, most do adopt a form that resonates with them and their energy. Apollo always reflects in form. However the person seeing him sees him, that’s how he appears to them to the best of his ability and it never disappoints. But pure light is how he sees himself and how he is most comfortable.

  He glided across the room and out the window to perch atop the roof of the Great Palace to oversee Olympus. Unless you were looking for him, all you would see is the sunlight refracting off of the roof that would lift your spirits upon sight. Just a dazzling array of prismatic radiants dancing on the dome of the home of the Gods. Even at his advanced age, Apollo loves to dance and remains light-hearted and inspiring. Whether it is a little soft shoe, a tap here or there or waltzing among the turrets, he will afford himself a much deserved dance for a job well done. That is how he was feeling at the moment. If you were walking by and happened to glance upwards, you might add a little skip to your step and feel the same way for no particular reason. Apollo’s energy has always been infectious in a good way.

  Blaze gave himself a secretive little fist pump and then gathered himself together to put out a call to convene. As he suspected, there were a couple of groans but most were anxious to hear how it went. Surprisingly, the saddest and sorriest groan of all came from where least expected. Orestes. Things were not going well there. Blaze had tried speaking with Maggie but she was much more resolute than he was expecting. Something was definitely amiss there. He would try again after allowing some of the dust to settle but he was more worried about Or retreating back to his previous ways and doing irreparable harm before any chance of reconciliation could be negotiated. Blaze did not want to interfere in other people's love lives since certainly he was the last to give advice. In fact, he relied heavily on Or and if not, Maggie for sound relationship advice. But if he were being honest, he had noticed their marriage was dulling around the edges as of late, though he could not pinpoint a time when this first began to happen. It had been a subtle and barely discernible shift at first that had now culminated in a separation with divorce pending. He decided that in the midst of this, Or was the one he would focus on and endeavor to support to help keep him on the right track which was imperative right now. The last thing they needed was another upheaval on Counsel. He would, of course, have to make certain Maggie understood why he needed to throw his support towards Or, and if she did have any objections, he would have to rethink his position so as not to betray her. He exercised and erred on the side of caution ever since Seraphina had succumbed to her despondency over an embarrassment she had brought upon herself that she took personally as well as believing she had made them all look bad from her perspective. No amount of reassuring her that this too would pass seemed to satisfy. He still shuddered when he recalled the way she decided to take it out on herself with such finality. The way she had executed it with such precision. He knew, from that moment on, he had to be more thorough in his responsibilities.

  While others in no way blamed him, he blamed himself for what had happened and the events leading up to it. He simply wanted to brush it off as live and learn. Then, he learned the hard way that living with mistakes is easier said than done. Now, he took the time to consider the consequences of not wanting to get involved and cursed his own aloofness. He remembered how Maggie’s stepping up had made the difference and brought them all back together in song. Harmony had been reestablished and were it not for her, they would not be where they were now and in the position they somehow managed to maintain and further to this point. The debt of gratitude he had for Maggie weighed a little heavy on him as he knew it was Or that was in immediate danger to himself. While he might not take the extreme measures Seraphina had taken, he could do himself real damage if he let himself go.

  And then there was the situation with Forge and Rhe and whatever was going on there. While he did not feel there was a direct threat to his leadership, they had definitely put him on notice that they were not there to feather his nest. Taking The Prestige to the High Counsel was an honor but their recognition in doing so could not go unnoticed or there would be repercussions. And rightfully so. Forge had put everything he had into creating The Gold Medal and the idea had been Rhe’s to begin with. Again, the word fervent came to mind and the discussion that had ensued with Cain. He began to wonder how far the brink of madness extended. What if the descent wasn’t the issue right now? What if expansion was the point?

  Suddenly, Blaze stopped dead in his tracks. How had he not considered that? Or the possibility of how it had reached Olympus. He again thought about Seraphina’s despondency, Maggie and Or’s marriage breaking down, and Forge’s growing confidence in himself as a contender. And Rhe. Did it all not start there and then? He could not be certain because he did not know exactly when then was. But one thing Blaze had going in his favor there was that as the God of Life for Olympus, he had access to the Grotto, and therein, the Book of Life. What he did not know was her given name. But Styx did.

  “Shit.” He muttered to himself. That was not good.

  —--------------------------------------------

  Santos walked out of his appointment with Dr. Norton is some kind of a stupor. He rang his fingers through his hair to pull it back and put back on his ball cap he had been wearing earlier. He had taken it off for the session, but when he was in public he wore it with the brim pulled low. He had his sunglasses in the neck of his t-shirt ready to put on when he stepped outside. He checked his phone for messages and to make sure the tracker was still on. Good. Big Brother was watching. He took a moment to lean against the wall and take a deep breath. This had been much different than he was expecting. He was not quite sure what to make of it. He had been prepared for a recounting of the experience and a treatment plan of some kind to address his ongoing reluctance to process the experience and deal with the loss and take full accountability and on and on. Dr. Norton didn’t seem to be concerned with any of the usual social worker box ticking. He had mostly listened and taken a few notes, but otherwise, let Santos talk about whatever was on his mind. Santos kept it simple, talking about work and home and his parents being great and his sister being so supportive and not much in the way of his friends still being there because of Desi being gone. He remembered saying something about her being the glue that held all that together. That’s what people say, right? That and she had a smile that lit up a room. Well, he didn’t say that because it would have been too cliche.

  Dr. Norton asked him one question near the end. “What would you have done differently?”

  Santos had to think for a second. He looked at a picture of a landscape on the wall and shook his head to indicate he didn’t know.

  “No answer doctor. I’ve got nothing.”

  “That is the answer Santos because only an innocent man would say that. And you have nothing. Grammatically speaking. But you need to own your innocence in the face of adversity.”

  Santos was not expecting this. He rubbed his eyes. He looked at Dr, Norton. The guy did not look like much to speak of but he had depth. It was in his eyes.

  “What makes you so sure I’m innocent when nobody else does?” Santos asked him.

  “You do.” Said the doctor. “I have no reason not to believe you. I’m not a lawyer, judge or jury member. You’re my patient. My first responsibility is to believe you. The only way I can treat you for anything is to listen to you and believe what you say until I have evidence to the contrary. You have given me no evidence to the contrary. I do get the sense that you are deceptive for good reason, but you are not a liar. There is a difference. Deception is about keeping the truth to yourself for your own protection. Lying is about denying the truth for fear it will expose you. We are out of time for today but next appointment I want to talk about rebuilding your life on the foundation of your being innocent in truth even though you are convicted by the law, which isn’t always about the protection it professes to offer so much as it is the industry it has become that so many people rely on for the wrong reason.”

  Santos nearly fell out of his chair. Dr. Norton leaned forward and in a calm and reassuring voice said “That’s enough for today.”

  Now, leaning against the wall outside his office, looking down the hall, Santos made his first move to reclaim his life. He lifted the brim of his hat to the top of his head to let his face show. Maybe next time, he will show up without it. Maybe.

  Santos opened the door to the stairwell and wondered if deception was keeping the truth to yourself then what was he doing? Anarchy. Oh Santos! If you only knew.

  When he looked up he saw a dude juggling a couple bags coming down the stairs and was immediately on alert until he realized they were laundry bags. He stepped back to make room for the guy to pass. He was weighed down by the load.

  “Thanks mate.” Buddy said.

  “Ya. No problem.” Santos responded. “Do you need a hand with those?”

  Thus began the friendship of Santos and Dante. An innocent convict and his not so innocent wing man. Talk about a match made in heaven. Turns out that Dante was an underpaid and overworked law clerk who was trying to start a true crime podcast with a twist that he hadn’t quite landed on. And Santos was a tech savvy criminal with a killer smile and a story to tell. Dante had just been ditched by his girlfriend who thought she was going to be marrying a successful lawyer when they got together. Not a second year law school dropout who saved himself the embarrassment of failing by leaving of his own volition. Turns out, Dante didn’t have the killer instinct it took to be a lawyer. He had the brains for it though. And he had learned a lot through trial and error.

  So Dante had to pack up on the fly and find himself a shit apartment to start over, with big plans in his pocket and enough in his bank account to rent a two bedroom walk up for now. He thought he needed a studio. What he really needed was a roommate. What they didn’t need was a dining room. Santos had a whole restaurant for that. The dining room made for a great studio with a view to the outside world Santos needed to keep an eye on. But, in the MeanTime, what better way for him to build a new life on his innocence than with his own platform. Well, his and Dante’s platform. For now.

  His PO approved the move based on the bare minimum of information required to put through the paperwork. Of course, it didn’t hurt that it was in the same building as his court appointed therapist.

  Turns out Dante had a sister too. Another thing they had in common. Only his was wicked hot and single. This new gig came with benefits. Things were starting to look up for Santos.

  —--------------------------------------------

  (Meanwhile, after their appointment, Metatron looked over his notes. The remorse he felt was almost unbearable. He had not wanted to like this man. He had been wrong about him. He thought Wren would be better off without him. In all fairness to Metatron though, no father thinks any man is good enough for his daughter. Now what?)

  —--------------------------------------------