One Year Later

  Hera could not remember the last time she felt warm... was it when she gave birth to Ares, her eldest? Or Further back to the first time she had been held by her Mother Rhea? 'No... it was when I saw Oceanus and Tethys holding each other... so soft were their eyes, looking at the other like equals, filled with love. I craved that, I wished to honor it, a bond between those that see each other as equals.' Tears fell down her face as she considered her Fate... and the cost it had on her. Her skin crawled, her Ichor trembled, as memories of Zeus flooded her...and her magic reacted, waves of potency that would have killed any lesser being had she not possesses unparalleled mastery over her own power.

  Distracted as she was, however, she did not notice the eyes on her... not until a soft silver light started to cascade over her, hope and healing trickling into her essence. Tears prickled at her eyes, she turned to the source and saw a masked figure, one with an aura of human magic and air of warmth about him.

  "Are you alright?" he asked her, truth in his tone. "I could feel your despair from blocks away..."

  Unable to stop herself, it was not Hera that Proud Queen that answered, but Hera the Goddess Of Motherhood. "I will be, child... what are you doing out this late?" She looked up, seeing the lack of moonlight before a smile crossed her face. "You are using the Darkness of this time to mask yourself from those who would stop you from using magic without allowance?" She actually giggled at his stiffening, before lifting a hand to her lips and blowing him a kiss... one that carried a subtle spark of her blessing, though a mage of level could never sense it. "I must thank you, dear boy... you stopped me from doing something foolish. I have... a temper and tend to lash out. Thank you..." Her eyes widened then ever so slightly, taking in his wand... a wand she knew all too well... 'That is Medea's wand, she has not been seen for centuries... could this boy...'

  Determined to get answers, she pushed her thoughts toward the boy, only to hit a wall of power that startled her. Much to her genuine awe, she could not even grip his thouhts, his mind was untouchable to even her.

  "I wouldn't do that..." he whispered. "My Mistress Calls me a Dream Mage, says I have an affinity for Cerebral magics. My mind is my sanctuary, it's really the most impressive thing about me." Shrugging, she swore she heard a smile in his voice. "It makes sensing pain like your easier... I hope I helped."

  With confident strides, she approached the boy half her height, kneeling with a smile. "I envy such a skill... for far too often are those in power able to tear away free will and far too few are willing to serve others. You did help me, my love... I must be off, Dream Mage... be well." And she walked away, only to allow a glamour to mask her form before following the boy as he strode through the city of Reign with a glamour of his own. One that, while not overwhelmingly potent, was still able to mask him as he moved toward something he seemed to be listening for.

  When he stopped, the boy waved his rose wand, opening a window before slipping inside. Walking through the wall, she watched as the boy kneeled by the bed a sleeping woman, ancient and weary, breathing with heavy strained movements. Hera, looking into her life line, knew the woman would not survive the week... but she also knew that, due to her children fearing losing her last moments to sleeping potions, she would linger in agony and weakness. A fate no one deserved...

  The subtle silver glow of the boy's magic, radiating the essence of peace and compassion, started radiating from his wand. Starting at her head, the boy whispered not a spell but a blessing.

  "I am not yet good enough to stem the tide of your illness, holding back death. I cannot give you youth or life everlasting... yet, through my meager magic, I can offer you freedom for I am a Dream Mage, and you will no more linger in life but in the paradise of your heart."

  As the woman left out a sigh, the boy's spell allowing her the gift of a gentle end beyond the torment of selfish love and terrible illness, Hera felt a tear welling up from her eye, as from the deepest, darkest part of her soul, she felt warmth flicker through her. With delicate hands, she lifted the tear from her face all the while gathering her power into her chest... and then she breathed on the tear, glistening the gold of divine power.

  The boy did not even notice as she flicked her divine tear toward him, not even as it sank past his cloak, skin... placing into him, a spark of divinity that would forever link her to the boy. His blood, red and very human... started to glitter with the essence of god, the power of Divine Ichor...

  'What did I do?' Hera gaped, looking at the boy before her... the boy she had just changed... into her demigod... the boy who was now bound to her divine majesty, inheriting her power and the burdens of her line. 'I did not know... I had only hoped to bless his life, how did I... wait, this is like when Heracles drank my milk... but a blessing forced is never as strong as blessing given,... and that is why the boy is now my son.' Fear burned through her divine soul, and yet so did pride. 'Two of my children were born to war... one is a reminder of the darkness burning through my soul... perhaps... perhaps he can be new chance, to understand mortals and my kin...yes... yes... but if the boy is learning from Medea, I best be off, less she smite him for being mine.'

  And so Hera vanished, praying to Chaos above that Medea could at the very least not kill the boy Hera had adopted...she would speak to Medea when the boy returned to her, she wouldn't be able to find her without help anyway...

  Pity Hera, with all of her insight, her power, could never have noticed the cold, hateful eyes watching her... always eager to lash out toward those that offended him.

  '''

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  'Hmm... this is a nice night.' Xander thought before a shiver washed through him, the oddest warmth in his blood. He was just a block from his Mistress' home, and starting to get very, very tired. 'I must be getting sick... perhaps it was from that woman I healed? Medea should be able to...'

  And then the world filled with heavy power, the stench of storms and unending rage. With skill honed from Medea's training, especially sparring the statues she animated for him to attempt to fight, the boy summoned the strongest barrier he was able to manifest, a pointless move as a torrent of lightning descended upon the land, erasing Medea's incredibly well warded home beyond oblivion. There wasn't even shrapnel, just a flash of lightning and then nothing...

  Beyond able to understand his feelings, he collapsed to his knees, holding fast onto his wand. "Why?" He whispered, hoarse and dead... before another blast of lighting struck the earth and Zeus himself strode forward out of the light. Knowing the God King's face from Medea's memories, it was impossible to not recognize him. Strong and tall, with elegantly curled black hair that fell across his back, a perfectly trimmed beard streaked with white, and a body etched with flawless muscle and bronze skin. Unyielding power dominated the around him, making it impossible to move.

  "This... this mere mortal? This is the one that drew Medea and Hera's attention?" Laughing, Zeus' hands started to glitter with power, a deep blue of sky and lighting, power that could kill a lesser god let alone someone as meager as Alexandros. "Boy, what makes you so special?"

  "He has a heart, unlike so many, My Love." And Zeus stopped, turning to face the woman that Xander had met before, had soothed with a spell. She was tall and graceful, with potent muscles of her own, radiating almost as much force her husband... who she actually resembled, a lot. As in they could have been twins, only where he was all masculine, she was all feminine, Dressed in a goatskin cloak, holding her legendary Lotus Staff, she looked at Zeus with a level of challenge that only someone of her power really could Just being nearby left Xander's soul shudder. "You shall not harm him, the Fates have banned such interference."

  Zeus sneered. "And your claiming of this child? How is that not interference, Wife?" No one but Zeus could have said wife with such loathing.

  "I blessed him for his good deeds, though I did not... intentionally adopt him I do claim him." Turning to him, Hera's smile shattered the magic holding him down. "The boy is not threat, Zeus, and you cannot really complain about my having a child. How many bastards have you have over the eons? Most of the warriors and gods hold your blood! Xander is a healer by practice, and through me he will have a member of the Olympian Council to serve through."

  Turning toward Hera, Xander muttered. "You adopted me?"

  She sighed. "Yes... you are now my son, a demigod with my powers flowing through you. It is only right your name is Alexandros, for that is one of my titles... Defender of Men." Eyes, warm and brown, lifted his spirits. "As you are my son, blessed by my power and claimed by me as My Champion, Zeus can not harm you..."

  The King snarled. "My children and champions can! The boy's existence brings me dishonor, he will not survive those that serve me!"

  "Thank you for the warning Zeus..." And Hera, Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Marriage did something that would redefine history. Lifting her hand, she blew softly into her palm, making Zeus stumble back, eyes wide. "From the moment I married you, I have endured only sorrow... you raped me, Zeus, and abused me... I allowed shame and pain to turn me, quite frankly, into a toxin on the world. I had hoped that revenge would soothe me, my wounded heart, but through this boy and only this boy... Have I felt warmth once again. He is mine, Zeus, and should you ever come against him, I will remove you from existence, dissolving you as I have dissolved our marriage."

  With the purpose of a queen, she grabbed Xander.

  "Consider this your only chance, my one time husband... the boy is off limits." With speed he had never seen before, they were gone, the world blurring until they were in a cabin filled with sea shells and the smell of salt. Hera collapsed, shaking, tears in her eyes.

  Not caring she was a goddess, he hugged her, allowing his own tears to flow freely. "Thank you for saving me...but Medea?"

  "Zeus... she is scattered, struck with divine force, her very soul sent beyond Tartarus... Zeus sent her to Chaos. She is gone, dear..." And she too started to hold him, rubbing his back. "I am so sorry, though I have hurt so many, It was always... out pain, no matter how wrong it was. When you... when you healed me, and I watched you heal that woman, it... undid the sorrow, or rather loosened it. I could feel again, which I think is why my blessing manifested as adoption. Never would I have done it... knowing what it could have cost you."

  Shivering with sorrow, he looked at her with... understanding and a smile. "Medea was old, legacies rarely are immortal, no matter how powerful. I could feel her life force fading by the day, when you stretch yourself, as she did, with immortality spells... it comes a cost. Zeus may have been a bastard, but killing her wasn't something unwelcome. She no longer has to suffer from the Madness you forced Eros onto her... nor the spiritual strain of her immortal isolation. A gift among the shit, if you will." Stepping back, he sighed. "Do not mistake it, I will miss her, but I mourned her a long time ago. What is more important, and needs to come first, is the civil war you may have started... humans have already suffered enough from you gods, if you really see me as a son and Champion...help me mitigate Zeus' revenge."

  There was a pause, long and haunting, before Hera nodded with fierce eyes. "This place... is sacred, a gift from Tethys and Oceanus. Though Zeus individually is power, those two have unparalleled sway. This place is safe, this entire cove is... but not for long. You knew how strong Medea was, as a legacy and sorceress... with my blood and your magic... you will be-"

  "HELP ME!"

  Both Goddess and Sorcerer cringed as the divine, agonized voice of Hecate rushed through their minds... echoing with the taste of Zeus' magic.

  "Hera... She... Hecate saved me, awakened my magic, set me up with Medea. I cannot, will not.... we have to help her."

  The Queen stood, eyes filled with determination and eagerness. "Warmth, your warmth has thawed me out, and I see who I allowed myself to become. May this be... my first steps toward redemption. I cannot stay with you for long, tracking me will be easier than tracking you. I will speak to my Foster Parents, perhaps they can help now that I can no longer safely enter Reign... and neither can you. Child, you must be safe, be careful... and you must be smart. Rest, and when awaken, hopefully I will have a plan."

  And then she vanished, leaving the boy to all but crawl over to the nearest bed, where he would cry, not for Medea's death... but for all of the suffering Zeus would cause on his behalf...