In the middle of the ocean of death, in the palace of Hades on the island of Tartarus.
The room was filled with an eerie silence, punctuated only by the soft clinking of teacups as the monsters present took a sip, following their king's lead.
Hades Olympus, the King of the Monsters, sat regally, his eyes fixed on the red teacup in his hand. – Aphrodite, superior leviathan number seven. I know you've infiltrated his court. Gain his trust and influence faster. Use your vampires to seduce him if necessary! – he ordered, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority.
Princess Aphrodite Olympus, the goddess of beauty, pleasure, attraction, desire, and fantasies, and queen of vampires, the second most beautiful woman in the world, knelt before him. Dressed in a red kimono and a black tunic, her long hair and pink eyes with pupils shaped like the number seven added to her ethereal allure. – I'll do it, my uncle. – she replied, sweat forming on her forehead.
"How does he know that?! I haven't even turned anyone into a vampire yet, and I've been as cautious as possible. Damn it! My plans!" she thought, marveling at Hades' clairvoyance while trying to maintain her composure.
The king of monsters turned his gaze to Yer, his servant, with a serene yet menacing look. – Yer, leviathan number five, I know you faced the Treadway at my son's request. I didn't accept you for you to be a bandit or a gang leader. You are the king of Alcantra, so act like one! – his calm voice echoed through the room, carrying an implicit threat.
King Yer, kneeling in royal robes and a golden crown on his head, smiled. – Live forever, Your Eminence! – he replied, looking at his cup. "The lord is right, our mission is to ensure the balance of all things, not to play games with inferior beings." he thought, taking a sip of tea.
…
Arthur, far from his camp, sat in a meditative position in the serene forest of the white elf's territory. He controlled his breathing, feeling the flow of his inner Qi throughout his body.
"Titans absorb Heavenly Qi. Heavenly Qi is the divine and supreme form of energy present since and used in creation. It is the purest and most potent form of Qi, it is infinitely superior to the ordinary Qi found in the natural world. This Qi is imbued with the essence of the Creator, of the One who is above all. It is the source of supreme power and enlightenment for cultivators and martial artists who follow the path of Light." the Spirit of Justice explained.
Arthur, deep in thought, asked aloud. – What are its characteristics? And how do I absorb it and have a breakthrough?
The Spirit of Justice laughed. "You look very good like this, meek. Heavenly Qi is incredibly pure and potent. It enhances practitioners' abilities and powers to extreme levels, transforming and elevating their physical, mental, and spiritual state, leading to significant changes and breakthroughs. It contains the essence of the Father of all, granting even mystical abilities. However, its supreme and pure nature make it rare and difficult to access. Only those with determination, talent, and the right conditions can absorb and use it." the Spirit explained.
Continued. "Now, do as I say! Understood?" the Spirit of Justice asked, in a soft but firm and strong voice.
Arthur's veins pulsed as he meditated. "I see..." he grumbled, feeling his ego wounded by his future self's harsh truth.
Laughing, the Spirit of Justice sighed. "Great! Now, calm your mind. Enter a deep meditative state and align your body with Qi. Use the breathing technique of the Solar Emperor Art."
Arthur, controlling his breath using the Solar Emperor Art, entered the state of Heavenly Concentration.
"Great, that's it! You're not so stupid! Free your ambitious mind and connect with the Light. Open yourself to it." the Spirit encouraged, using the energy of the Essence of Light to create a connection between the Light and Arthur.
Arthur, with his eyes closed, felt himself in the presence of a being as intense and bright as the sun at its peak. From this being came a golden mist that entered his body, the connection was created. "Is that...?! Is that God?!", he thought.
"Of course not! You are really foolish. This is the Essence of Light within you. You would die if the Light itself gave you its power, you donkey! Feeling the Essence of Light means you are already connected with the Light. Now, absorb Heavenly Qi and circulate it through your meridians and dantian, or core, calmly, controllably, and harmoniously." the Spirit of Justice whispered in Arthur's mind.
…
That same night, on the royal ship of the Amazons at Camelot, in Hera's quarters.
Hera Olympus, dressed in a simple and light pink dress with her long, deep white hair loose, looked at herself in the mirror with a red face and tears filling her eyes. – The goddess of perfection, of divine and stunning beauty. The most beautiful woman there is. All men look at me like this, I could always perceive the looks...
– Don't think about it...– Queen Andromeda, standing beside her in a brown dress adorned with jewels and a flower crown in her hair, said as she approached Hera and hugged her.
Looking at the mirror with the queen's arm around her, Hera sobbed. – Mother queen, you know what I'm talking about, don't pretend you don't know! I remember what it was like when my first period came. Queen Cassandra's look and yours, you both looked at me as if I were a stranger, a girl with a woman's body... – Hera vented, glancing at her white and voluptuous form.
– I understood. My body wasn't for a person my age... My face, my chest, my butt, my hips, everything developed quickly because of the changes my father made. The look of astonishment you gave me whenever you saw me. The looks men give me to this day, even women, remind me that I am a man's fantasy. My body was made to give pleasure. It is not me, it's not who I am! – Hera said, covering her face with her hands as she cried and sobbed.
Andromeda embraced her tightly and rested her head on Hera's. – Hera, don't dwell on your past. You weren't to blame. Don't let it affect you. – she said, running her hand soothingly on Hera's back.
Hera brushed her hair aside and lowered her dress to reveal her scarred back. – It's easy to talk when you don't have all these scars... – whispered, reviving the pain of each scar and mark on her back.
The queen, seeing the marks, raised her hands to her mouth. – These scars always hurt me when I see them... But that's part of the past. It's over... – she said, pulling Hera's dress back up to cover the scars.
– Tortures are just coins compared to the price I had to pay to be the woman who gives pleasure just by being seen. – Hera whispered. – Every day, I notice the looks. The way they turn me into an object. Arthur is the only one who doesn't even bother to look at me. It's always been like that. I think that's what caught my attention about him... – she said, looking at the queen.
– He's never looked at me for more than three seconds. He's never complimented me. It's like he knows I hate compliments about my body. And I started to notice the same about our friends. They treated me like a normal person. Although I always noticed Qin-Shi's looks, at first it was always when I turned my back, but then, right in front of me, he turned me into an object with his eyes, the same with Persival, with the elders, everyone...– Hera vented, wiping away her tears.
The queen placed her hand on Hera's chin and turned her face towards her. – WHAT?!... Does Eleanor know that Qin-Shi does that?! Does Arthur know?! – she asked with the face of a furious mother.
She was right. Zeus made her to give pleasure. Her body was design, she was design to give pleasure. Her talents, her knowledge, her physique, everything was for pleasure.
Zeus wanted a better queen, not like Hera I that he killed because of her jealousy. He wanted a queen that did not speak nor feel, a woman that only gave pleasure, that was his goal.