The Lore - Part 2
The Goddess of Crossroads
Hecate spun around, meeting the roguish gaze of Zeus, the young God of Thunder. Though slightly younger than Hecate, he had already established quite a reputation for himself.
He was as flirtatious and cocky as Hecate was level-headed – and no wonder – his paralyzing good looks and disarming voice made him practically irresistible to many of the goddesses (as well as nymphs, humans, and anything else that could potentially be considered female).
Now, at this time, Zeus was not the all-powerful sovereign of Mount Olympus we think of today -- in fact, Mount Olympus had no sovereign, for there had been no need.
Years earlier, the gods and goddesses had been imprisoned by the titans of the world. Zeus had evaded their grasp and helped the other deities to freedom. The gods and goddesses had been so overjoyed and thankful at having their lives restored, they made special effort to work together and refrain from quarreling.
But as time had passed, their thankfulness wore thin. Arguments had started to break out on a daily basis, and Gaia, the oldest and wisest of all, decided she would name one of her sons – Poseidon, Hades, or Zeus – as supreme leader of the gods.
So on this day, while the rest of the gods and goddesses were occupied with thoughts of the Lucent Heart, Zeus had his own agenda – seeking out the deities he would ask to be part of his future court, starting with the wise Hecate.
The two gods had only interacted with one another briefly before, so Zeus was unsure of how to persuade Hecate to place her trust in him. First, he tried his usual approach -- seduction. But a gaze that would have had sent other goddesses racing into his arms only left Hecate with a slightly confused expression on her face.
Zeus tried once more, this time using flattery. He spoke of her wisdom exceeding her years and how even the elder gods and goddesses looked to her as a role model for future generations. As Zeus showered her with praise, Hecate remained nearly expressionless, offering only a stiff smile and nodding to be polite.
But then the young god said something that surprised her so much, she lost her composure for a moment. Zeus suggested that she would possess the Lucent Heart; that everything he had known and observed about her was proof that she would be its bearer. At that moment, the rest of Zeus’ praise was instantly drowned out by Hecate’s own racing thoughts.
As the goddess of crossroads, Hecate was used to observing the different paths others could choose to take in life. She hadn’t expected to come to a crossroads, herself. Should she entertain the idea that she really did possess the Lucent Heart or should she ignore such a notion and continue on as she always had?
And so began an internal argument with herself, full of reasons why she could and could not possibly be the Lucent Heart’s bearer. All of the goddesses were likely candidates at this point, for the power had not yet revealed itself. However, she had often been told that her powers were stronger than those of other deities her age. It was not hard to imagine that the Lucent Heart could be responsible for that strength.
But before she could continue debating with herself, she remembered Zeus, and looked up to find him staring expectantly at her, looking just as confused as she had earlier. A moment later, a bemused smirk replaced the confusion and he bowed to her. He asked her to consider his offer; that his court would suffer greatly if she refused to be his dedicated advisor. Then he slipped away, off to charm the other candidates.
Hecate pondered Zeus’ words for days. She thought of asking the elders for advice on the matter, but didn’t want to seem like the other goddesses -- all of whom were so certain they already possessed the Lucent Heart, they’d begun parading around Mount Olympus and demanding reverence. Instead, Hecate shut herself away from the rest of the world. She spent hours in deep mediation, only emerging once she’d come to a conclusion she felt satisfied with.
She would devise a series of tests for herself, each more demanding in power than the last. If she could see a significant increase in her power, she would begin to actively prepare for when the Lucent Heart would reveal its full potential. She would have to train herself to be able to withstand its immense power, or it would easily overcome her, just as it had overpowered the Oracle.
But first, she decided to give Zeus her answer. After all, it had been several days since he approached her. It would be rude to make him wait any longer.
After hours of searching across Mount Olympus, she finally found the potential supreme leader of the gods. She crossed her arms, expression turning sour as she looked at the scene before her.
Hecate spun around, meeting the roguish gaze of Zeus, the young God of Thunder. Though slightly younger than Hecate, he had already established quite a reputation for himself.
He was as flirtatious and cocky as Hecate was level-headed – and no wonder – his paralyzing good looks and disarming voice made him practically irresistible to many of the goddesses (as well as nymphs, humans, and anything else that could potentially be considered female).
Now, at this time, Zeus was not the all-powerful sovereign of Mount Olympus we think of today -- in fact, Mount Olympus had no sovereign, for there had been no need.
Years earlier, the gods and goddesses had been imprisoned by the titans of the world. Zeus had evaded their grasp and helped the other deities to freedom. The gods and goddesses had been so overjoyed and thankful at having their lives restored, they made special effort to work together and refrain from quarreling.
But as time had passed, their thankfulness wore thin. Arguments had started to break out on a daily basis, and Gaia, the oldest and wisest of all, decided she would name one of her sons – Poseidon, Hades, or Zeus – as supreme leader of the gods.
So on this day, while the rest of the gods and goddesses were occupied with thoughts of the Lucent Heart, Zeus had his own agenda – seeking out the deities he would ask to be part of his future court, starting with the wise Hecate.
The two gods had only interacted with one another briefly before, so Zeus was unsure of how to persuade Hecate to place her trust in him. First, he tried his usual approach -- seduction. But a gaze that would have had sent other goddesses racing into his arms only left Hecate with a slightly confused expression on her face.
Zeus tried once more, this time using flattery. He spoke of her wisdom exceeding her years and how even the elder gods and goddesses looked to her as a role model for future generations. As Zeus showered her with praise, Hecate remained nearly expressionless, offering only a stiff smile and nodding to be polite.
But then the young god said something that surprised her so much, she lost her composure for a moment. Zeus suggested that she would possess the Lucent Heart; that everything he had known and observed about her was proof that she would be its bearer. At that moment, the rest of Zeus’ praise was instantly drowned out by Hecate’s own racing thoughts.
As the goddess of crossroads, Hecate was used to observing the different paths others could choose to take in life. She hadn’t expected to come to a crossroads, herself. Should she entertain the idea that she really did possess the Lucent Heart or should she ignore such a notion and continue on as she always had?
And so began an internal argument with herself, full of reasons why she could and could not possibly be the Lucent Heart’s bearer. All of the goddesses were likely candidates at this point, for the power had not yet revealed itself. However, she had often been told that her powers were stronger than those of other deities her age. It was not hard to imagine that the Lucent Heart could be responsible for that strength.
But before she could continue debating with herself, she remembered Zeus, and looked up to find him staring expectantly at her, looking just as confused as she had earlier. A moment later, a bemused smirk replaced the confusion and he bowed to her. He asked her to consider his offer; that his court would suffer greatly if she refused to be his dedicated advisor. Then he slipped away, off to charm the other candidates.
Hecate pondered Zeus’ words for days. She thought of asking the elders for advice on the matter, but didn’t want to seem like the other goddesses -- all of whom were so certain they already possessed the Lucent Heart, they’d begun parading around Mount Olympus and demanding reverence. Instead, Hecate shut herself away from the rest of the world. She spent hours in deep mediation, only emerging once she’d come to a conclusion she felt satisfied with.
She would devise a series of tests for herself, each more demanding in power than the last. If she could see a significant increase in her power, she would begin to actively prepare for when the Lucent Heart would reveal its full potential. She would have to train herself to be able to withstand its immense power, or it would easily overcome her, just as it had overpowered the Oracle.
But first, she decided to give Zeus her answer. After all, it had been several days since he approached her. It would be rude to make him wait any longer.
After hours of searching across Mount Olympus, she finally found the potential supreme leader of the gods. She crossed her arms, expression turning sour as she looked at the scene before her.