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There was a horrible, horrible noise coming from Eris. They had been fighting for longer than usual due to the aspect of Lucifer’s frustrating power. Melinoë was only able to get in some hits using Selene’s Dark Side hex. One particularly strong blast launched Eris into a pillar. That was when the coughing fit started. Eris was clutching on to the remains of one of the beach pillars for dear life as she hacked and hacked. Melinoë stopped her barrage in confusion and concern. She tightened her grip on Zorophet as she cautiously approached Eris. This could just be another one of her dirty tricks.
”Eris, what’s happening?”
Strife Incarnate held up her pointer finger as she wheezed in pain. Melinoë, still in her nightmarish form, hesitated before slapping Eris’s back forcefully. The winged god doubled over and spat out a large wriggling mass of—
“Is that a child?!”
The newborn was cute, if a bit eerie in appearance. It was unnaturally pale and sported red feet that made her worry the child was injured, before she remembered most gods had gold ichor. Two little black wings sprouted from its back just like its mother’s. The babe started wailing in the sand and Melinoë quickly picked it up, wincing at the increased volume of the crying. She wasn’t sure what to do with it as she had never interacted with anyone younger than herself before.
“-Ahck! Congrats, Trouble! You’re a mom now!” Eris was upright once more, wiping her mouth.
“What are you talking about, Eris? You just vomited this child up!” She must be delirious, that’s it.
“Don’t you see the resemblance? Look at him!” She pointed at his pale, slightly blonde hair. “Who else would he have gotten that from, hm?”
”..Eris, I’m not dim. I know this is not my child.”
”How can you be so sure, babe? Look at those eyes and that nose— oh! and the feet!”
The child’s eyes did match her red one. She wasn’t too sure about the nose. His nose was too tiny to be certain, though upon squinting, a connection could be made. The feet were the most strange part. They were not flaming but they were a deep red color where her own were a molten orange color. The positioning was so specific that she momentarily felt very, very worried. Perhaps that’s why his markings look like blood too, due to her own mortal heritage.
“Eris, what is this?”
“Clearly, he’s our son!” The cheerful goddess grinned widely. “Phonos, Murder Incarnate! Aww, look, he has your glare.” Eris cooed as the child clawed at Melinoë’s face.
That makes sense, I suppose. Wait, no it does not!
”I have questions.” A lot of them. Mostly ‘how can you be sure?’ and ‘could please you take him? I feel like I’m going lose hold if he keeps wriggling’.
“After you lose(and if I feel like it), sure!” Eris aimed the Rail right at Melinoë, who still held the newborn god in her arms. “One..”
”Shouldn’t you attend to him, Eris? He’s still crying!” She shouted over Phonos’s cries.
“Two…”
”At least let me find somewhere to put him where the tide won’t swallow him!” The beach was mostly on fire too. She couldn’t see any way to responsibly continue the fight with a child in her arms.
”Three!”
It became abundantly clear to her that Eris just wanted to win tonight. This child was her dirty trick to guarantee a victory. Surely, when she returns to the Crossroads she will have a wild animal or a stink bomb in her arms. It wouldn’t be the first time Eris tricked her with a glamor. Shooting her girlfriend a glare, she shouted:
”Return to shadow now!”
The sound of Strife’s laughter followed her to the Crossroads.
Melinoë tightly clutched the potential baby in her arms as they materialized outside her tent. Frinos croaked loudly in response.
“Woah, what’d you got there, Mel?” Dora hovered at the back of her tent.
The goddess in question looked down to her arms to see the same newborn that Eris spat out moments ago.
”Um, it’s a bit hard to explain but this is Eris’s son.” She couldn’t hide the shock at the notion that her companion had a child all of a sudden. An actual child. That would have to live with Eris being his mother.
“Huh? Didn’t you guys only start dating a few weeks ago? That’s a little quick for babies, donchya think?” The phantom stared at the now sleeping child, the quiet peace of Erebus likely having calmed him down.
”You think I’m his other parent!?”
“Well, yeah? Witchcraft is weird and he kind of looks you, I guess. If you squint. Also you are dating his mom so..”
Was this child also her’s? The thought made her head spin. Firstly, it didn’t make any sense. She wasn’t male herself, not that it’s strictly needed for reproduction when one’s a god. But even in those fringe cases involving two goddesses, there was some amount of intention behind them. Secondly, she did not want a child. Most thoughts of her own future ended at the act of killing Chronos and reuniting with her family. Marriage and children always seemed too restricting for her to ever seriously consider for herself. Though she knew for sure that she did not want to clean up this particular mess of Eris’s.
How could Eris not tell her any of their trysts could produce this result? Nyx had no need of a partner to reproduce, so it was possible she handed that ability down to her daughter as well. It was more than likely that Eris was just playing a trick on her, given her personality and track record. But something about her words rang true. The child did have similarities to herself that begged the question of his parentage. Why was his hair pale blonde instead of white like the rest of the male members of Nyx’s family tree? Melinoë wouldn’t be able to refute Eris’s allegation until it was confirmed through some test that she wasn’t the second parent of Phonos so his birth mother would take him back.
She grabbed an old brown shawl of her own, wrapped the baby in the same fashion as the family painting in her room and set him down on her bed. Toula, who had been napping on her pillow, woke up to sniff the babe curiously.
”Could you watch him for a bit, Dora?”
”Sure thing, Mel.”
She was feeling rather light headed and exhausted. As comfy as her bed was looking, she needed to know she was not obligated to a child before any attempt at sleep. ”I’m just going to speak with Hecate.”
The Witch of the Crossroads was thankfully standing near the cauldron, unoccupied. For the last few weeks, Melinoë had been able to beat Chronos and Typhon regularly, so it was unusual to see her garden still growing.
”Melinoë, you’ve returned earlier than usual. Is there anything you wish to discuss?” Hecate implored.
The young goddess laughed nervously. “Yes, um, I think it would be better if I showed you what’s happened.”
As the elder witch knelt down to fit in the tent, little Murder started crying bloody murder. “By the gods, Melinoë, what have you done?” Hecate demanded.
“He is not my son!” She winced at the immediate defensive outburst towards her mentor.
”If it’s not yours, then why is there a newborn in your tent?”
”Eris gave birth to him during our battle.”
Hecate pinched her nose bridge. “Blood and darkness..” Melinoë felt uncomfortable basking in her headmistress’s disappointment.
“Is there a way to determine if I am its other parent?”
”Though it is abundantly clear that Eris is taking advantage of you, I’ll start it now if it will put your mind at ease. While it’s brewing, I believe you and I have some things to discuss.” Melinoë hadn’t felt so judged by Hecate since she lost her arm trying to help Icarus.
They sat in the taverna after the cauldron was covered. The air was thick with awkwardness as Melinoë refused to make eye contact with her. Shades, having picked up on the tension, watched the two witches while speaking in low volumes.
“I do not enjoy asking this but when was the last time you two laid together?”
”Last night..” The new table was suddenly very interesting. Was that olive wood engraved? She heard her mentor let out a heavy sigh.
“Take me through the moments leading up to your return.”
“I was about to beat Eris when she started coughing. It sounded rather painful so I tried to help her by slapping her back. Next thing I know, she vomits a baby.” Hecate’s unreadable expression made her feel even more self-conscious. “Then she congratulated me on becoming a mother and shot at us.”
Dora laughed. “That’s hilarious!”
”Dora, I thought asked you to watch him!”
”Oh, he’s fine, don’t worry. The little guy is knocked out. Continue like I’m not even here.” The shade faded away.
”Headmistress, Nyx is her mother so surely this is just a case of parthenogenesis?”
Hecate sat there in what was probably judgmental silence, as she usually did when the topic of her relationship with Eric arose. Though, the silence lasted a second too long making her feel as if the lack of response was a direct response to her question.
“Procreation for gods can be quite vexing at times, Melinoë. Any major interaction could result in the birth of a new godling. It could have been your frequent killings of Titans that gave the world a need for an incarnation of the act. And Strife is no stranger to murder either. Phonos could be your offspring, however it is still quite unlikely.”
“You really think so?” A child of her own was not a pleasing thought. She wasn’t exactly ready for one. Eris had once mentioned having a few kids of her own, incarnations of manslaughter, ruin, lies, and all sorts of similarly morbid things. All of these children were off causing mayhem now, making their mother proud. However inconsistent and callous she may be, Eris clearly proved to be a somewhat passing mother in the past. There had to be a way to get her to take the child back.
”Next time I face her on the surface, I shall bring her son with me so she can take him back.” Melinoë declared resolutely.
“And if this plan of yours fails, what is the recourse?”
“It won’t fail. If she doesn’t take him on the beach, she’ll retrieve him when I return after beating Typhon.”
Ares greeted them first as they arrived at Ephyra. The scent of blood emanating from the red trident was especially strong this night. Phonos giggled in delight from his place tied to her like a rucksack.
”Greetings, my kin. Allow me to be the first to offer you my sincerest congratulations on the birth of your heir. Eris told me the happy news yesterday. I even have a gift for him: the unblooded blade of a prince whose murder sparked a great war. A classic story, one I’m sure he will appreciate when he’s older.”
The war god’s smooth and gleeful tone made her stomach drop. Olympus believed they had a new relative and one gave a gift fit for one. The dagger was nearly as big as the baby and its quality of the bronze was princely indeed. The princess was very annoyed that Eris had somehow already lied to Lord Ares twenty four hours after having given birth. One would think she would have come to the Crossroads to collect her child before telling her friend about it. She couldn’t imagine her own relatives would be pleased by Eris tricking them again. The nightmare goddess stowed the dagger in her pack and continued through the necropolis before them.
The dead of Ephyra were numerous and brittle, as always. Xinth plowed through them with a practiced ease she was proud of. Using the bats, she spotted Lady Medea hunched over her cauldron, possibly on the verge of a breakthrough in one of her nefarious poisons. Cautiously, Melinoë approached the infamous witch before seeking godly boons. She stalked carefully as to not disturb her until the last ingredient was added.
”Hail, Lady Medea. How goes your night?”
Medea looked a bit surprised when she saw her. Her eyes widened ever so slightly when her gaze landed on the child. “Sorceress, what is that?”
”This is Eris’s son, Phonos. I’m taking him to his mother because she hasn’t returning to the Crossroads to take him back yet.”
The sorceress stepped closer to get a better look at the child. ”So Strife gave birth to Murder, how interesting. If his disposition differs from his mother, then I do believe I will enjoy working with him in the future.” Phonos babbled in agreement. “In fact, why return such a useful young godling to her? I know her type, those whom only think of themselves even when their own young are involved. You are better off without hi-her.” Medea paused thoughtfully, then spoke with an almost caring warmth. “Take this, to make her suffer tonight.”
It was an upgraded version of an old curse that was powerful enough to smite a weaker opponent and injure a greater one. The dark energy washed over her, making her feel appropriately equipped to deal with the nasty hordes of undead and monsters that blocked her path to the summit. “Thank you, Lady Medea.” She saluted before dashing to the next pylon.
Besides Ares, Hera and Demeter both seemed to have boons popping up frequently in the ruins tonight. The bats located a Daedalus hammer and a cache of Centaur Hearts east of the plaza. After collecting upgrades, she decided to get one of Hera’s boons first.
Upon the defeat of a particularly quick assassin, the elegant sigil of the Queen reappeared in front of her.
“Last night, I sensed a godly birth near the foot of our mountain. I must say, my dear, if you were intending on having children you should always marry first. Though given your partner, I suppose I can forgive your child for being a bastard.”
Melinoë huffed. Would she have to deal with these allegations all night? Eris would pay dearly for this.
In another chamber, Heracles decided to also make an appearance. She internally braced herself for another remark on the baby tied to her back.
“Really? A child on the battlefield? Aren’t you barely grown yourself? Ugh, let’s just get this over with quickly.”
The mightiest of men fought more carefully this eve than he had in the last few. It was quite strange for a brusque man like him be more thoughtful about how large the impact of his club was. Thankfully, that discrepancy had allowed her to snag more kills than him. Upon giving her share, the son of Zeus promptly bounded away.
Then came the chill of Demeter’s boon. “I never imagined you would be the one to make me a great grandmother to a godly child. Much less to something as unseemly as murder. Yet I know Persephone would love him regardless so I shall do the very same. Though I will say you are much too young and burdened by the war to raise this one properly.” Her disapproval stung though Melinoë knew this was not her son. “Please give him to Hermes when you reach the summit. I cannot bear the prospect of losing my family a third time.”
The emotional request from her grandmother only served to make her angrier at Eris. She knew what she was doing. This trick’s ramifications could cause quite a bit of trouble for them both if the Olympians gave into their petty impulses as they were wont to do. For Eris whom refused to take a side in the war and was already in bad terms with the gods, this was no big deal. If the gods were to withhold boons or take out their anger during her runs, it would make reaching Tartarus and the summit infinitely harder.
When she finally landed on the beach, Eris was leaning against a pillar, all nonchalant. “Heya, babe. What’s up?”
“Eris,” She tried to not let her frustration turn her speech into growls. “Take your son.”
”Our son, trouble. And why should I?” Oh gods, what reason did she have to be upset now? “Look how happy he is with you! I might as well not exist to him.”
”I’m sure he’d warm up if you actually held him, Eris.” She gritted out.
”Take the win, Trouble. You’re the fun parent. I’m the bad guy.” Eris sniffed dramatically.
”Wait, what? Eris, just take him and prove you’re the better parent.”
”So you can show me up the moment you take him back? I think I’ll stick with our roles.”
Phonos started giggling as the bloodbath began. If the events of last night had not occurred, Melinoë would have gladly joined in his excitement. Though fighting her used to be quite annoying when they first started, Melinoë had begun to enjoy the act of fighting as much as she longed for the completion of her task.
At one point, Eris dropped a few Harpies on to the beach to get further on her nerves. As the birds fell to the ground, Phonos laughed in delight at the immediate slaughter. She started to feel exhilarated as more bodies hit the sand. The feeling was more than it had been in previous nights. She had a sneaking suspicion the godling on her back had something to do with it. But her paitience had reached its inevitable limit, so the princess pulled out her last resort when Eris dropped bombs from the air:
“You keep aiming those bombs towards us then you’re just as good of a mother as Nyx!”
Just saying that, even though she didn’t believe it, made her feel like she was to be struck down by the Night’s countless children for the disrespect. It clearly was worth whatever consequences came because Eris’s face contorted in genuine rage for the first time ever. Melinoë felt a keen sense of schadenfreud at seeing her in torment after having to clean up her mess all night. Wordlessly, something Melinoë did not know Eris capable of, the winged goddess instantly shot her in the face. She was launched backwards by a few feet and half of her vision fizzled out. Perhaps poking at that wound was not the smartest move she could have made, but definitely the most satisfying one.
Delirious, she stood up and heard one of her eyes softly plopping down onto the sand.
“That was kinda gross, Trouble.” The goddess landed in front of her. “Glad you finally grew some fangs though. Made me actually angry for the first time since.. well, a long time ago!”
”Will you take him now?” Melinoë rasped.
”And give into your demands? C’mon, babe, who do you think I am?”
The battle ended swiftly, with Eris “dying” from a particularly charged punch from Xinth.
“I’ll get you for this!” She yelled as she was dragged into the Crossroads.
In the aftermath of the heated battle, she felt Phonos squirm against his bonds briefly and remembered why she had came there in the first place.
“Fuck.”
What if this plan did fail completely? Will Eris be as agreeable in the Crossroads? Or worse, what if this child was theirs? What are the chances that Demeter would drop Phonos off the mountain if she gave him to her before knowing his exact parentage? Should she just return now and wait for the test to be ready?
She ultimately decided to slay Typhon before returning with Phonos. At least that way, something tangible would have been accomplished tonight. Boons from Hera and Demeter had strengthened her Olympian sourced attacks, making the upward climb uneventful, except for a brief interlude with Lord Dionysus whom thankfully seemed too out of it to notice the child with her. Prometheus, on the other hand, was painfully sober and quite adept at observation.
”I foresaw this outcome and still I did not believe it would happen. A vain hope, you see. Murder is the ultimate crime of stealing another’s life. Tch, how fitting that it is the perverse product of both lines of god.” The righteous Titan sneered. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
”He’s only a day old, what grievance could you possibly have with him? He cannot control his sphere.”
”Neither can the mortals control their position below the gods but you do not mind defending that injustice, do you?”
”The gods could do better but I seriously doubt a child-eating Titan would treat them any better.”
”Whatever crimes Chronos did unto the gods does not compare to the endless suffering they inflict upon all those around them. Don’t take my word for it, merely watch this one grow into a fully fledged god and you will realize what depravity is.”
Something in her felt indignant at that insinuation. He was writing Phonos off purely due to his nature. She thought back to her conversations with Moros and Eris, how both of them felt resentment towards their respective domains. Mortals feared them while most immortals avoided them. Their lonely existences had clearly hurt them. It felt unfair to her that they were to be saddled with that fate and blamed for it, especially when their spheres existed before them. A part of her worried that Phonos would end up the same way as his mother. Just for the Titan’s indolence in this regard, Melinoë fought with a renewed zeal, striking Prometheus down in a strange form of retribution for her friends and this unfortunate godling.
Upon reaching the palace, Ares and Demeter waited with the royal couple. The war god was visibly more excited than her grandmother was to see the child. She really hated that Eris had told them such lies.
”Melinoë, I must say congratulations on beating that monstrosity again and also your new son. Though I must ask how did you bring him here unscathed?” Her lord uncle’s voice greeted her at a booming volume.
She cringed internally as she explained her situation. “Thank you, uncle but this child isn’t mine, he is a son of Eris. I brought him along so I could force her to take him but that did not end up happening. As for how he managed to remain intact, there are certain protection charms I use for smaller animals that are easily transferable to children the same size.”
“My dear, if Eris is cheating, you need only say the word and I will pluck her from the sky myself.” Hera said it quite lightly but there was a sinister undertone as her gaze trailed towards her nervous husband. Melinoë nervously thanked her before approaching Ares and Demeter.
“Why shy away from being this one’s sire? I have it on good authority that you are his other parent. If it is his domain that makes you hesitate then I would remind you of your task. Murder is a wonderfully broad word. Do we not all kill in some way, shape, or form?” Ares said.
”You need not hide this child, I’m not ashamed of him and you should not be as well. But do not feel pressured into keeping him, Flower. I am always willing to take any burden off your shoulders.”
She wanted to furiously rebut their assumptions. She’s the god of nightmares, she would never reject her spawn for having a darker or difficult sphere. The problem was that Phonos was not her son in the slightest, it was impossible. Why should she, or any of her relatives for that matter, get stuck taking care of a child that should be with his real mother? It would be unfair to Phonos just as it was unfair to her to be raised far from her own family.
”I thank you both for your support but Eris lied to you, cousin. Phonos is not mine. This burden is Eris’s to bear, not yours, Grandmother.”
Demeter gave her the softest stern look.“Whenever you come to terms with this, I will be there.”
Melinoë barged through her tent and went straight to the cauldron upon returning to shadow. The paternity test would be ready by now. It was a bowl of liquid that when two strands of related hair were added, it would change color.
She set Phonos on the ground and pulled out his dagger. When she turned it towards his head to cut a piece of his hair, he started bawling and struggling against her hold. For a newborn, he possessed surprising strength and lungs.
“What the fuck are you doing to him, princess? If you’re sacrificing that kid for some weird ritual, I’ll have to beat your little ass!” Nemesis called from her post.
“Don’t worry, I’m just trying to cut his hair!” She called back. “Erg, hold still or I’ll cut you.” Melinoë growled in frustration.
”Goddess, may I be of any assistance?” Odysseus asked. He had experience with holding infants, but famously not for long amounts of time so perhaps she should politely refuse and just ask Nemesis for help.
“There’s no need,” Hecate said to the shade, “Melinoë, hand him to me.” The Titaness outstretched her hand. She gladly gave the child to her mentor whom promptly snagged a pale blonde lock of hair and dropped it into the cauldron. Melinoë then took the dagger and cut off exactly one hair so as to not mess up her hair.
This was the moment of truth. The moment that would decide the rest of this child’s life and at least the next few days of her own. There was no chance that Phonos could be hers. Hecate, Hera, Dora, all of them were mistaken. There was no way in Chaos’s universe that she would be obliged to take care of a child.
The liquid bubbled as her hair was added. The bubbled grew dangerously and some droplets dripped down the sides of the cauldron. Her stomach turned as the dark green color changed to a hideous red color, indicating their shared blood. She stopped breathing for a moment and just stared stupidly at the result.
It was supposed to stay green.
Melinoë muttered “I need to think” as she hurried away from the cauldron to the training grounds. For a while, she ruthlessly destroyed various dummies and Skelly until her arms were tired and her tears of frustration had dried. The skeleton had picked up on her stormy mood and gracefully refrained from speaking to her. As she killed Skelly for the umpteenth time, she decided to collapse next to her familiars. Her mind refused to quiet down. She’d have to be a parent to a child she never wanted. Whatever that meant. If she were to abandon him, he would merely come looking for her when he was grown and demand her presence later. But raising an unwanted child often makes resentment grow in both parties as well. It was quite the conundrum Eris had landed her in. She was probably laughing at her from her corner next to the Fishing Pier.
Far away from her thoughts, she heard Hecate calling her name. Then the Titaness suddenly entered her field of vision. Hecate stood tall above her with her face hidden from view as always. Phonos was no longer in her arms. Briefly, she wondered who her master had handed her son to, hoping it wasn’t Odysseus. Even if he had proven himself to be a good friend, it didn’t negate old clumsy habits.
“How are you feeling, Melinoë?”
“Tired, Headmistress.”
”What shall you do with the boy?”
”I’m not sure. I don’t know the first thing about raising children and I’ve never wanted to. I still don’t want to.”
“Then I believe you are in luck. Demeter just sent Hermes to retrieve the boy. You do not have to raise him and it would be entirely understandable if you opted not to. Need I remind you amidst this hubbub that you already have an important task to complete?”
Hesitantly, she asked:”If I give him up, am I the same as Chronos?”
She heard her master exhale deeply. “I do not see the connection. Please explain.”
“My parents gave me to you because of Chronos. He robbed me of a home, parents, a sibling, and all the rest that came with having a family. Would I not be robbing this child of his two mothers(I suppose if Eris sticks around), and all that we could offer him?”
”Melinoë,” She heard the faint pity in her master’s now softer tone and she felt a blasphemous urge to angrily ignore her. “Those are two completely different situations. Just because you could raise him doesn’t mean you should feel pressured to. It’s not like you chose for this to happen. I’m sure Demeter would be glad to have a great-grandchild she can spoil firsthand. When your task is complete, you can take him back if you so wish. The choice is always yours to make.”
She sat up. “So if I chose to keep him here, then you would not protest?”
Hecate’s glowing eyes visibly widened. “Why would you do so?”
Melinoë gained an inexplicable aura of mania and grinned widely. “Leverage.”
Slightly concerned, Hecate pretended to nod her head in understanding. “As long as this doesn’t impede your killing of Chronos, I suppose he can stay here until you’re lucid enough to make a decision.” As she left, Melinoë could have sworn she was muttering “I’m sure Nemesis wouldn’t mind a different job now and again.”
The next time she faced her lover, she took Xinth in Nyx’s aspect. If Eris would not listen to nicety, then perhaps it was time to be meaner than before. Apollo, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite sent their boons, congratulating her on Phonos’s existence again and again. It’s not like she knew what exactly she did to “father”(if it could even be called that) him in the first place. It had gotten tiring after the third congratulation.
Eris marginally narrowed her eyes as they took in the sight of her wielding her estranged mother’s weapon. She craned her neck as if to see if there was anything behind her.
”Where’s the baby, babe?” The goddess said with an uncharacteristically stern voice.
”You were right, Eris. As much as it pains me to say it, he is our son. The test came out positive.”
”I’m going to ignore that little comment and take this moment to say I told you so. You know how much I love saying I told you so, Trouble! Though, who’s taking care of him if you’re here?”
”Nemesis, I believe. You know how Headmistress loves assigning her jobs.”
“You let Nemmie near our son?!” Eris yelled in outrage. Melinoë smirked, her plan was working.
”What else do you expect me to do? Carry him on my back all night? Don’t be ridiculous.”
”Well, yeah! That’s why I gave him to you in the first place! You’re so stupid sometimes, you know that, babe?”
She dropped her playful smug tone. ”Explain or else Moros will babysit him next. I tire of this back and forth.”
“Do I really have to spell this out? You’re a murderer! You’ve killed so many in the last few hours. Besides, even if you are boring about it, any god can appreciate being surrounded by themself.”
”Your siblings also kill, so get to your point.”
”They only kill when they’re told by the Fates or in Nemmie’s case, some arbitrary moral code. That’s what I love about you, Trouble, you don’t care about that stuff, not really. It’s us or them whomever they may be.”
“If I do this, you will come and see him when we’re in the Crossroads or in twenty years you will find a vengeful incarnation of murder chasing you with a spear.”
“Threatening me with the son I birthed is a really bold move but sureee. Now let’s fight until the sand is permanently stained with blood and ichor!” Eris excitedly aimed the Rail at her face once more.