Mercury came for me, as threatened promised. I dressed formally but simply and was escorted to the Palace of Gold. The interior looked like a pretentious weaving of Imperial Rome, New York gaudiness, French extravagance, and the emptying of all the vaults in all the worlds.
Gold.
Midas would castrate himself just for a chamber pot.
If it was metal, it was gold. If it was cloth, it was purple. Imperial Purple.
But everyone wore masks within. (Golden masks, of course, but still.) No one was allowed to have an identity separate from the very cogs and pillars that made up the palace.
No one, but Jupiter. Gold circled his head, but only his magnificent beard covered his face. Nothing could hide those eyes, or the fires that burned in them.
This was not my Silent Harlequin. And this was. I was confused.
“Why do you not appear as you are?” His words boomed like thunder down from the throne. The percussion rattled my joints and made my ears ring.
I bowed. “I am many things, Lord Jupiter. Why put on airs before you, when you can cut through my bluster faster than your lightning bolts cut through the sky?”
Mercury remained standing behind me. Jupiter summoned one of those very bolts and pointed it at me. “You are making yourself appear small in hopes I will not test you.” The concern had crossed my mind.
I blinked. As my eyes closed, I felt motion before me. He had hurled the bolt in his hand towards me after all. Before I had consciously registered what he had done, I reacted.
His bolt bounced off the warshield that Esse had forged for me. My appearance had changed before my blinking was complete. My sword hung off my hip. My shoes became gladiator sandals that hung layers of reinforced leather. Stiff leather armor covered a girt gown. My hands were reinforced by war gloves.
I lacked a helm to make the uniform complete.
Lord Jupiter’s countenance hardened against me, but his eyes burned brighter.
“You are led by Mars, I see. Since you don’t know what to be, perhaps he can bring out what you are. Go.”
Mercury stepped closer to me to whisper in my ear. “You have been dismissed. Bow, take a step back, then turn. I will lead you out.”
I have been out of the military for over twenty years, and gawd fucking dammit, if I’m not back in one way or another. I did as Mercury suggested and did my best to keep my expletives as thoughts only. I was angry enough to split mountains, but unsure of why I felt like crying as well.
Outside the palace, Mercury noted I did not have enough time to even introduce myself to Mars. “But, I have it on good information that you know how to reach the drilling fields better than most. Perhaps you should introduce yourself when you next have the opportunity. Somehow I don’t think you’ll need handholding there.” He smirked at his “suggestion”.
Contradictory emotions tapdanced through my spirit. The good news is I have to go through Geburah anyway. The bad news is the Fearless Legion is not going to be so kind to me if they have to challenge me again. The ugly news is not having any idea if I can swallow my pride and my eagerness for violence long enough to not piss Mars off.
Just how the hell does one act peacefully around the god of war?
Fuck.
My wand better have developed super abilities by the time I’ve gotten it back.