Hera Strikes Back Ch. 07

"Coffee! I need coffee, and lots of it," Hera sighed.

"Of course, divinity," Ganymede said. Seeing the stricken look on her face, he grinned as he added, "I may have a spot of good news, Goddess. I can see you are quite distressed."

"Good news?" Hera said. "That would be surprising. Today has not been a day particularly suited for any news other than the disastrous or cataclysmic."

"Well, this might make things a bit brighter," Ganymede said. "I remember how much you enjoyed your lattes, with your special milk, from a few months ago. As luck would have it, the new supply you acquired a few days ago all survived, and is chilling down in the cellar. Somehow none of the amphorae were—"

"HOLY FUCK! Zeus!" Hera screamed. "I forgot all about that!"

"What is it, Hera," Euphrosyne cried as she rushed over. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with Zeus?"

"Nothing is wrong," Hera said. Suppressing a giggle, she added, "and I am sure Zeus is resting fine." Turning to look up into the sky she cried, "Mother Gaia, in her divine wisdom has blessed us today. Or, at least I hope so. We are about to find out." Turning to Ganymede she said, "Go and bring every amphora of that 'special' cream and meet me at the sacrifice basin."

"The basin?" Ganymede said. "I don't understand. What are you going to—,"

"We are going to make the sacrifice of all sacrifices! We are going to hopefully restore much of Olympus all at once, right now, instantly, if my hunch is correct."

"Are you sure you don't want me to bring coffee, Goddess," Ganymede said as a look of concern splashed across his face. "Perhaps you should rest for a—"

"—Just do it!" Hera barked. "I have not lost my mind, trust me. But, I am kicking myself for my memory failing and not thinking of this earlier. This might just be the answer to all of our problems."

"Your every wish, is my command, Divinity. Each molecule in my divine body, throbs and vibrates only to enact each desire from your divine heart. The synapses in my brain, snap and crackle at your every—"

"Ganymede! Please, just shut the fuck up and GO!"

"Yes, Goddess," Ganymede said as he scurried into the ruins of the palace. Minutes later, Hera, the Graces and Ganymede stood round the sacrifice basin. Around them were hundreds and hundreds of amphorae of fresh milk, the pre-cum Hera had milked from Zeus in the time bubble. Hera's face beamed and her eyes flashed as she looked down into the bronze and gold basin. It was a pitiful sight. Once glorious and shining, the flames from millions of sacrifices feeding its inferno; now it was a mere smoldering tiny flame, barely a flicker. Nodding over to Ganymede, she pointed into the basin, and he uncapped the first amphora and poured the contents inside.

The liquid was thick and creamy, frothy and fresh, smelling of wild honey and steaming, as it still was hot. As the cream began oozing down the side of the basin, when it hit the flame, instantly it roared into life. Seeing the result, Ganymede smiled and opened up more amphorae.

Over the next hour, gallon after gallon oozed into the basin, and the fire grew larger by the second. At first, the flame rose to three feet, then ten, then fifty. As the flames grew larger, and hotter, Hera laughed as she watched her palace restore. The enormous bronze statue of she and Zeus shot back up to their upright position, and the crack healed. Missing tiles from the roof flew up out of the dust on the ground, reassembling in mid-air before reattaching to the palace. Walls grew strong and straight, and within ten minutes, no evidence of any war existed.

As her palace was restored, her powers were as well; and Hera could feel her manna replenish like a raging river of lava coursing through her veins.

"I AM BACK!" she bellowed as Euphrosyne, Ganymede and the other Graces looked on in complete and total astonishment.

"What the hell happened, Goddess?" Euphrosyne cried. "It is a miracle!"

"It was a good hunch, and, it paid off," Hera said as she smiled.

"But, I don't understand," Euphrosyne said. "What was in that cream? You, and your palace are completely restored!"

"Incredible," Thalia said, "and if you don't think it wrong for me to say this, but, Zeus was of no help! You did this all on your own."

"Yes," Aglagea added, "where is Zeus anyway? I am ecstatic that things finally seem to be heading in the right direction, but, it could have gone so much faster if the 'so-called' King of the Gods got out of bed to help."

Hera smirked, and said, "Well dear, in a way, he kind of did!"

*****

Constantine held his hand up and covered his brow. The glare from the bright late afternoon sun was blinding, made worse by the ocean of white sand stretching in all directions. Sweat poured down his face into his eyes and the scorching heat of the Egyptian desert roasted his skin like he had just wandered into a blast furnace.

"Here, wear these," Yasmin said as she passed him a pair of ray bands, "I hope they fit." She winked as she added, "I guess you didn't think you were going to need sunglasses when we had dinner last night."

"No, I didn't," Constantine said as he put on the shades and they continued treading across the sweltering tarmac. The heat was so intense, he felt the rubber soles of his shoes begin to adhere to the boiling asphalt.

Yasmin pointed across the shimmering blacktop at a long black limo waiting at the end of the runway. "I see the Temple sent the car for us early. Thank merciful Hathor we won't have to wait! It will be nice to get into air conditioning."

Constantine said nothing, but nodded and followed. Feeling his skin roast, he had to agree. A/C would be fantastic right now.

"Welcome to Luxor, Dr. Demopolous," the driver said as they approached. Constantine smiled. The driver, like his mysterious guide, was gorgeous; tall and curvy, and delectably dressed in a short black dress with an amulet of Hathor swinging around her neck. He wondered if all of the women he was going to meet on this adventure were going to be so attractive. He could only hope so.

"Thanks, but, I am not quite a doctor yet," Constantine stammered as he got into the limo with Yasmin.

"Well, Mistress Anut does not care much for technicalities," the driver said. "She is most excited to meet you."

Once in the car, Constantine's glasses completely fogged up, the cold air conditioning hitting his lenses created a thick layer of condensation on the glass. He took them off and smiled as he glanced around the compartment. This was first class all the way, just like the private plane. To his left, a bottle of champagne was chilling in an ice bucket. To his right a platter of hummus and pita bread, along with various fruits and cheeses had been arranged. It was all topped off with a floral arrangement of stargazers. Whatever else he knew, he knew this. He was getting the full VIP treatment.

"This is quite luxurious, Yasmin," he said.

"Mistress Anut wanted you to be very comfortable," Yasmin said. "As the first Priest to join the divine order of Hathor in over a millennium, it is a special day."

"About that, I am not sure—" Constantine stuttered.

"—Don't worry, Constantine, you will be. I am sure once you have talked with Mistress Anut, and truly understand our mission, you will be more than willing to join. Really, you should be very flattered. Mistress Anut is very discriminating. Your work has intrigued her and she is convinced you are the only man who can help us. It has been ordained from the Great Goddess Hathor herself, hallowed be her name." She grinned as she popped open the champagne and poured him a glass before pouring herself one.

He smiled and took it, enjoying the cold bubbly as they drove. As they continued, the lunar-like landscape became even more desolate. The few buildings he had seen earlier now disappeared, replaced by mile after mile of flat, scorching sand on either side of the highway. An hour went by, maybe more, before Constantine started to get anxious. He truly was out in the middle of nowhere and the sheer craziness of his situation started to rush over him like a waterfall. Who was this mysterious woman? What does she mean about being initiated into the Priesthood of Hathor, what is involved with that? Most importantly though, his options were growing limited. If he wanted to escape now, here, miles out in the middle of the Egyptian desert, he couldn't. He wouldn't last an hour out in that boiling inferno. For the time being, he would have to go with the whatever whims Yasmin and the mysterious Mistress Anut planned.

"Yasmin," Constantine said as he cleared his throat. "How far away are we from Luxor now? This seems very remote."

"Oh, it is. The Temple does not like having unexpected visitors, especially ones with probing eyes. Luxor is about 80 miles behind us, give or take."

"Eighty miles! But, uh..., how much longer until —"

"Oh, it's close," she cooed. "Very close. I am sorry it is so remote, but, well..., Mistress Anut does impose strict security. It will all make sense once you arrive. It really is quite a privilege you have been granted."

"Well," Constantine said as he glanced out the window. "I can't say I am not intrigued by all this; but, I really do have to get back to New York by Tuesday. I have a class to teach and—"

Yasmin reached across the limo and touched his knee. It was electric, and Constantine felt his cock twitch as her soft fingers teased his leg through his pants. "Don't worry, Constantine. You will get back to New York with time to spare." Pointing out the tinted passenger window, she said, "And, as fate would have it, see. We should be at the temple in just a few minutes."

Constantine turned to look, and he inhaled sharply at the sight. It was fantastic. There, butting up against a cliff of impossibly sharp and sinister looking rocks was the most amazing building he had ever seen. The Temple of Hathor was the length of at least two city blocks, and if it were not located in such a remote spot, he would swear it was some sort of conference center. It was surprisingly modern; gold tinted glass covering the entire structure and everything curved, no sharp edges appearing anywhere on the building. With the sun now setting in the west, the rays reflected off of the gold glass and gave the temple, and the whole surrounding area, a warm glow. Nine stories tall, with each floor narrower than the one below it, the temple formed into a curving step pyramid. At the very top of the structure, a red glowing Ankh pulsed at the apex of the sanctuary.

Yasmin, seeing the Ankh, closed her eyes and lifted her hands in silent prayer. Constantine said nothing, but felt his stomach churn. What in the hell have I gotten myself into?

After the limo parked, Yasmin and the driver led him through two large black onyx doors into the temple. As soon as he entered the building, Constantine felt his head go light, and everything got fuzzy. He could not believe what he was seeing and all of his senses were instantly overloaded with the sights and sounds surrounding him.

The inside of the temple was huge, and seemed to defy both physics and logic. From observing the structure from outside, Constantine guessed it was possibly 100 yards wide. Certainly a large building, but not this large. Now inside, everything was disorienting. It was as if once he passed through those two black doors, he had entered into another world entirely.

Directly in front of him, a surreal landscape stretched out to the horizon, disappearing into a vanishing point that appeared miles away. This can't be real. It must be some sort of mirage. This can't all be inside, can it? He rubbed his eyes, and blinked, expecting to have things make more sense once he reopened them. When he did, he was just as astonished. If anything, he grew more confused.

Despite supposedly being indoors, everything around him had the appearance of being outside. But not just outside, in the dry desolate Egyptian desert he had just traveled across, but outdoors in some sort of ethereal otherworldly paradise. Amazing! Simply amazing!

Water was everywhere; bubbling up in streams to his left, gently gurgling in a river that flowed out of a rock formation beneath his feet, and falling from waterfall above in the ceiling. This was the most astonishing sight of all as it seemed to be thousands of feet in the air. How is this even possible? It just doesn't make any sense! The waterfall and the other streams and fountains cooled and refreshed everything inside, making it a pleasant 70 degrees. It was pure bliss, and such a dramatic contrast from the scorching inferno outside.

Constantine saw no walls or columns inside the temple, only a natural paradise around him, as he, Yasmin and the driver stood on a long flat black stone overtop of the flowing river. The ceiling above them was blue and curved, designed to resemble a crisp, clear autumn sky. If he didn't know any better, he would think he was back in Vermont on a sunny lazy October afternoon.

Along the banks of the river that flowed beneath their feet were thousands of palm trees and flowering plants of all sizes and colors. He closed his eyes again and breathed in deep, the intoxicating scents and the cool breeze off of the waterfall almost chilling him. Never had he felt so refreshed. I must still be sleeping back on the plane.

"Dr. Constantine," a sultry voice called out from behind him. "It is such a pleasure to meet you."

He turned and smiled. If he thought Yasmin or the limo driver was beautiful, they were nothing compared to the vision in front of him now. The woman, dressed in a form fitting jade dress, was the most gorgeous Goddess he had ever seen in his life. Her hair was coal jet black and hung loose around her shoulders, and her dress strained to contain what looked to be the most spectacular breasts he had ever encountered. He swallowed hard and felt his cock twitch in his pants as his reptilian brain started to imagine what those delicious globes would look like uncovered, and bouncing in his face. Dangling from this beauty's neck, nestled right in her enticing cleavage was the same amulet of Hathor that Yasmin and the driver wore.

"It, it..., it is a pleasure to meet you too," he stuttered, his brain still boiling with all of the sights and sounds around him. "And you are—"

"I am Ra-Ka-Ma Kibiri Hapshepsut Suma Anut, the 1,843rd High Priestess of Hathor; she, whose life giving milk gives life to us all, whose beauty is unsurpassed in all of the universe, whose love cascades over us all in a warm shower of erotic joy." She grinned after taking a deep breath, and said, "But, you can call me Mistress Anut."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mistress Anut," Constantine said. "I am just astonished by this temple!" Pointing out into the endless room before them, he said, "How? How is this possible? This must be some sort of amazing optical illusion."

Mistress Anut snickered, and said, "Actually, just call me Anut, if you wish. Mistress sounds so..., kinky."

Constantine felt his balls flicker again as Anut visibly licked her lips as the words kinky left her mouth. When she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, the flicker became a flutter.

"I am sure you have many questions, and..., so do I," Anut said. "We have been following your work for quite some time, Dr. Demopolous."

"Oh, I am not a doctor yet," he said. "But it is in process."

"Well, despite my grandiose title, I have little interest in "official" proclamations. The work you have done on the myth of Chronus astounding, it is just astounding."

"Thank you..., Anut," Constantine said. "But, I am curious. What is your interest in the myth of Chronus? It is a very obscure topic. Frankly, even the academically minded are rarely interested."

"My interest is of a..., religious nature," Anut said.

"Religious? I am confused. I mean..., Chronus is just a myth of course."

Anut curled her lips into a half smile and said, "You have much to learn, Constantine. Much to learn. But, there will be plenty of time for that. Now, for a practical issue, and one I know you will be most interested in; there is an object that was found that we need your expert assistance with."

"An object? What kind of object?"

"We are not sure, actually. It is a sphere. Not very big, perhaps the size of a golf ball. We have spent millions trying to determine the materials used, but have come up with nothing. It is a true phenomenon."

"A golf ball?"

"Yes, but, it was found in the ruins of the ancient Temple of Hathor, and we believe is highly significant. In fact, it was prophesized. Now, what I am sure will intrigue you the most is the fact that on this "golf ball" was inscribed the most amazing hieroglyphics discovered in archeology. Hieroglyphics that have not been used in nearly 6,000 years."

"Incredible! But, I am confused. Exactly what does this have to do with—"

"—Chronus? Well, one of the passages says, and I quote, 'oh mighty Chronus, send thy sword to your benevolent children. Only the tip of your weapon of time can open this prison of our daughters and release them from their torment'."

Constantine's face instantly beamed and he felt his heart begin to race. To have such an ancient relic refer to the sword of Chronus, especially in Egypt, was astonishing. This was proof that his theories about the Myth of Chronus were true, it was not limited to the Greek world, but spanned all world pantheons. His mouth went dry, and he struggled to formulate his next words. Anut smiled as she saw him grow increasingly excited.

"I see you are intrigued."

"Oh yes," Constantine cried. "Beyond intrigued! This..., this might confirm all that I have hypothesized in my dissertation! Now I fully understand why you brought me here." Licking his lips, he said, "I, I hope I am not being too forward here, but, can I see it? I am dying to see this discovery of yours."

"Oh Yes," Anut said, "we very much look forward to you assisting in unlocking the orbs secrets." Her face dropped, as she added, "but..., there is a small problem."

"A problem?"

"Yes," Anut said. "You see, the relic is in the main sanctuary, lying at the feet of the statue of the great Goddess Hathor, hallowed be her name. I am afraid it cannot be removed. That would be a great sacrilege. And, I cannot allow any person, especially a man, inside the sanctuary unless they have been purified."

"Ah!" Constantine said. "That explains what Yasmin was saying on the plane."

Anut frowned and jerked her head over to glower at Yasmin. "Oh? And what, pray tell, did my lovely acolyte tell you?"

"Oh..., uh, well," Constantine stuttered as he felt the tension rise. "Not much really, but, she did indicate something about an initiation? She divulged very little details."

Yasmin glanced over at Constantine, and the relieved look in her eyes told him that his words were well placed.

"Good!" Anut said. "Our rites are ancient, holy and very secret. She, as a priestess to the great Goddess knows not to divulge the—"

"Oh, High Priestess Anut," Yasmin said. "I did not tell any of our sacred mysteries, I promise! After all, he has not been purified yet."

"Mistress Anut," Constantine said, "I really do want to help unlock the secret of your relic. What do I have to do to see it? What is involved in this..., initiation process?"

"Well...," Anut said as she glanced back at Yasmin and winked. "To become a full priest is quite a ritual, and takes many months. Only the most deserving can hope to be embraced by the love of the Goddess."

"Months? But, is there any way I can—"

"—But!" Anut interupted as she raised her hand. "You did not let me finish! If you have at least begun the process of initiation, Goddess Hathor, hallowed be her name, will consent to allow you into her sanctuary. Given certain precautions of course."