Chapter Text
Zeus and Hera are preparing to take a walk around Olympus. They have just said goodbye to Clarisse and Loukas, who stayed the night for a sleepover. Ares picked them up about half an hour ago, taking them to the arena for training, though that just means more play fighting for Clarisse after Loukas’ lesson is over. Sometimes, their walks take them pass and they keep their granddaughter company while cheering their grandson on.
Today, they decided to take a stroll through some of the tree groves surrounding Zeus’ temple, wanting some peace and quiet. Walks don’t need to mean conversations, sometimes just being in the presence of each other and silence is worth the time, relaxing them. This morning was going no different. However, as they are exiting Hera’s temple they pause. Just as the hair stands up on their necks, both of their guts give yanks. Turning quickly, they see the infamous vortex.
They share a glance before quickly moving to enter it, having the bags Apollon and Artemis prepared, as well as the jewelry designed by Hephaestus and blessed by Hermes already on their persons. As they had discussed all those months ago, they always have these items on them, never taking them off unless absolutely necessary. They activate the blessings as they cross over, the only thoughts running through their minds being getting to the child as quickly as possible, their safety paramount.
Zeus lands in a spot of land covered in trees, a forest perhaps, with no building in sight. He immediately hears the distressed voice of a child yelling out, “Jason?! JASON?! MOM WHERE DID YOU GO?! BRING HIM BACK!” The voice grows increasingly desperate the longer it screams. He immediately turns towards that direction, making haste to reach his child. And who is Jason? ‘No matter, this child is my priority,’ Zeus thinks. He can hear their frantic movements, and soon stumbles upon a clearing, entering it without thought.
Hera does not land with her husband. Instead of a forest, she lands in front of a dilapidated building, seemingly being a huge mansion. The air around it feels heavy, and she can already sense the presence of another god nearby. ‘Not good, especially if my child is in the building. We never discussed what to do if a god is already present, not absent. An oversight on our parts,’ Hera thinks, concerned as well about her missing husband. This child will obviously be his, but hers by default as well.
Looking around, she cannot spot the other god, nor is any child in sight. Suddenly, a cacophony of wolf howls echo from the building. Hera enters the tree line as a safety precaution to not be spotted. Yet, no wolves come out of the building. Perplexed, she takes in her surroundings, wherever she is, is extremely isolated.
‘Why would the wolves howl from inside the building? Could the nearby god be associated with them? Perhaps Apollon’s counterpart? But no, this is not even close to how he would portray any of his domains.’ Hera thinks through her options of how to proceed, if her child really is within the dangerous building.
Just as she begins thinking up a strategy to get into the building, this not being her strong suit and her wishing her daughter Athena was here to help her, she begins hearing the sound of babbled words and footsteps coming her way through the forrest. Focusing on the direction from which is comes, she prepares to engage. If her thoughts are correct, that babbling is her and her husband’s child, and she will not be leaving without them.
She watches as a woman enters the area in front of the building, setting the child down, and she comes out of her hiding spot.