Hestia's Rage

[WP] You are Hestia, the goddess of family and the hearth. On Earth you run a peaceful inn detached from the woes of the world. When war rages and the other gods toy with mortals, you've had enough. It's time to remind them as the first daughter of Cronus, you are the oldest and most powerful god.

*****

The sleeping pebble was known as a rest stop for weary travelers from all walks of life. No matter what side of the pointless war you were on, you would always find a hot meal and bed at the inn. Hestia considered her inn a haven, a place where true peace could develop. No matter what god you fought for, you were always welcome.

Hestia wandered through the thick forest, pulling along a cart of supplies with her right hand. Her gaze focused on the rising black smoke in the distance. “The war is getting rather close. Perhaps I should send my brothers and sisters a letter? Maybe there’s a misunderstanding about where my inn is located?”

Hestia didn’t consider the possibility that the other gods were ignoring her wishes to be excluded from the war. The other gods were childish and dangerous, but they weren’t that stupid. Hestia, believing they still honored the family hierarchy. She was the first daughter of Cronus. She doubted any of them had forgotten that.

As she made her way into the clearing, the sight of a burnt down inn greeted her. The scolding remains of stained black wood and ashes littering the floor. For a moment, she assumed it was an illusion, a harsh prank by one of her family. Releasing the cart, she approached, crouching before the ash, letting her fingers run against it.

“Why would they do this?” Her fingertip stained in the light grey of the ash, leaving a light marking. “No mortal could burn this inn down. I made certain of that. Savos? Milsa? Are you two alive?” Hestia called out to her workers, only to hear no response. The inn an eerily silent pile of rubble. No music, no laughter or chatter, just silence.

“They killed them. The inn I could excuse, but you can’t rebuild a life.” Hestia couldn’t even find the bodies among the destruction, the poor humans punished for wanting a life of peace like she did. She said a silent prayer to them, promising she would speak to Hades about this.

“Come now, sister, you have a reason to fight. You can get a new inn and you can get new servants. Now isn’t the time for grieving, it’s time for war.” A booming voice came from behind, as two feet landed on the ground behind her. The person behind her giving off an aura that made her brown hair stand up.

“Did you do this, Zeus?” Her words were soft, not even turning to stare at the man, only watching the destruction before her.

“It wasn’t just me. We hate seeing you waste your potential like this. We are shaping the world, sending the humans to fight under our names. If you don’t join in, you may get forgotten. My army’s winning, just so you know. Maybe if you ask kindly, I’ll offer you a territory to help you get started.”

Hestia stood up, turning to face her brother. She stepped closer to him, closing the distance between the two.

“That’s more like it. Come, I have a town called Zulus that you would love.” Zeus went to lead her, only to feel a feverish hand grip his neck. Hestia staring into her brothers’ eyes, as the flesh on her arm bubbled from the heat. If her own flesh couldn’t handle the heat, she could only imagine what it was doing to the throat of Zeus.

Her brother struggled, firing a bolt from the heavens. The bolt crackled against the top of her head, sending its volts through her, only to leave her unmoved. The heat in her palm causing his throat to sizzle. Zeus confidence turning into fear as he kicked at his sister, trying to break free from the hold.

“Did I not make myself clear about this, brother? I warned you all about what would happen if my request wasn’t met. You killed two dear friends of mine. Not servants, friends. Savos and Milsa, two people who I will ask for forgiveness from once I end this war.” With that, she dropped her brother, tossing him to the floor.

“E-end the war?” He coughed, trying to hold his throat. Whenever his fingers would touch his throat, he would be forced to let go, not even able to tend to his wound because of the heat still radiating off it.

“Yes, I’m going to make sure there is no one left to fight. I will start again with humanity. You all have tainted them.” Hestia took a seat on the ground, placing her palms against the Earth, focusing on the planet’s core. “Perhaps I will find a new family, too.”

Hestia knew she would need to work quickly. While she may have been the strongest, she was not invincible. If the others found out about this and attacked, she wouldn’t be able to fend them all off. With her focused touch, the Earth warmed, the odd shot of fire breaking through the ground, causing much confusion on the battlefields.

“What are you doing, sister? Have you gone mad?” Ares landed his Pegasus chariot before her, drawing a golden handled blade. Before he could raise the blade, a small shot of lightning hit his thumb, causing him to drop the weapon.

“She has the planet at her mercy. You would be foolish to attack her. Listen closely sister, if you do this, all those precious humans you love so much will be dead.” Zeus attempted to reason with her, knowing that there couldn’t be a war without an Earth.

“I understand your anger, sister, but this won’t bring back those you lost. Gods are made to command wars. It’s a part of our lives.” A new voice spoke to the group. The voice belonging to Demeter, her voice echoing into the minds of the gods through the earth they touched.

“A way of life? Then let me win this war. If I kill everyone, I win. Is that not how bloodshed works?” Hestia kept her finger on the trigger, glancing at the two gods before her.

“No, war is about making a person kneel before your feet in surrender.” Ares explained, finding his sister’s understanding of the subject rather sad.

“Then kneel.”

“No, not us. You want the humans to kneel. You can rule over them then. Don’t you want to indulge in the riches of life? Humans are nothing but creatures for us to exploit.” Zeus only infuriated Hestia further, the ground beneath them igniting before Ares dropped to his knees.

“Very well sister, if surrender is what you wish, then I have no choice.” Ares got to his knees before looking at Zeus, the proud god refusing to bow.

“If you keep standing, all of those indulgences will perish.” Hestia reminded him. “Bow and tell Hermes to inform the other gods that this war of theirs is over. I am the victor.”

Zeus watched his sister, ready to call her bluff, only for the heat of the Earth to cause him to sweat. For him to be sweating, her fury must have been hotter than the core itself. He dropped to his knees, bowing his head.

Shortly after, Hermes delivered the confirmation that the others had ended their wars. With that, Hestia removed her hands. Standing up, turning to the damaged inn. She hoped her two friends had kept the coins she had given them to pay for Charon’s fare. If not, she would have to search the banks for them.

“I will rebuild my inn. The rest of you go about your duties. If I hear even a murmur about a war in the next century, you will have to deal with me. Is that understood?” She was sure Hermes would pass her threat on while the gods in attendance gave their nods. With that, they left, leaving her with the rubble.

She could finally breathe a sigh of relief when they left. Her bluff had worked. She honestly didn’t think her family would believe her. She would never want to kill all of humanity, not after she had seen how lovely they could be. That would violate the trust of her friends. With the war over, she began unloading her cart, planning to use the supplies inside to rebuild her inn.

*****

THE END.