Chapter 1: The Goddess of War

    Ari “The Lioness”, the Goddess of War, sighed out in boredom as she gazed out of her giant glass window at her lush garden.  She could only wish to be out there, either polishing her sword skills or simply enjoying the multiple different colors of the flowers.  The sword and daggers that hung around her waist jingled from striking each other as she shifted uncomfortably.  Her long silver hair that reached her mid-thigh was tied in a secure ponytail.  Her crystal blue eyes saddened at the thought of being unable to go outside.   She noticed a group of young angels giggling and admiring her precious flowers.  They looked directly at her then instantly hushed and walked away.  Ari sighed sadly as she watched them go.  Despite her beauty and kindness, everyone in all of heaven, except for three or four people, hated her to the core.  She knew why but convinced herself that they just simply don’t know her.

    She grew tired of sitting around so she got up from her window sill and walked around her large open room.  She’d made the walls and ceiling to her room a dark navy blue with the design of stars painted across the ceiling.  She sat down on her large fluffy bed and grabbed her black boots and slipped them on and tied them.  She went her mirror and checked herself.  She made sure that her pure white tunic was straight and neat while her tan breaches were dirt-free.  She decided to not wear her lightweight, golden armor and refused to wear any jewelry except for one earring that had a thin metal chain with a light blue gem at the end of it.  It was one of her most prized possessions.  Her best friend, who just happens to be the Prince of Heaven, gave it to her when she was young.  She admired the gem then fiddled with it while continuing to check her appearance.  When she was sure that her appearance was satisfactory, she quietly stepped out of her room into the hallway.  The hallway buzzed with the chatter of angels, gods, and goddesses, however when she appeared the hallway hushed.  Many whispered as she passed and some cruelly snickered comments. 

    “There she is!” a voice whispered.

    “Scum!” another voiced.

    “Hush!  She’ll kill you!” a third stated a bit too loudly for Ari’s comfort.  She ignored the names and sneers she received but her heart still ached form the pain, even now.  She’d always been treated this way for her whole life however she still had a heart and feelings.  She pretended she didn’t hear the names and continued to walk towards her destination.  She made many turns and stops but finally came to a light blue door and knocked quietly.  She opened the door and asked quietly, “Kilet?”  Inside she found the Water God feeding his pet fish while talking to them at the same time. 

    When he heard his name called he looked up and smiled.  “Ari!” he called and dropped then fish food on the ground and running to her.  He hugged her till her bones cracked.  “How are you, my love?” he asked sweetly.

    “I’m not your “love”. Will you stop saying it?  I’m not in the mood to fight with you right now.”  Her eyes saddened and heart dropped.

    “Did they call you names again?” Kilet asked quietly and led her into his room then closed the door behind them.  He offered her a chair and she accepted it quietly.  She looked at his light blue, painted walls and sighed.  Kilet brushed a piece of blond hair out of his eyes and sat down next to her.  He handed her a cup of tea and she accepted it silently and sipped it. 

    “I hate it here.” she whispered quietly and bluntly.

    “I know you do.” Kilet agreed.  He hated the fact that his best friend was always being shunned and hurt.  His dark blue eye looked down, not sure how to comfort her.  It always happened this way he wouldn’t know how to comfort her whenever she cried or became sad because he didn’t know what it was like to be hated but almost everyone in his life. 

    Ari took in a deep breath then stated, “I’m gonna leave for awhile and go somewhere where I can be alone.” 

    That surprised him.  Usually she would cry then apologize and then leave.  “You can’t!” he cried, he didn’t want her to leave then get herself in trouble.  “What if something happens?  You could get hurt!”

    Ari frowned then stated in a small voice, “No one would miss me.  If I leave, it’s not like you’ll die.  Plus you’ll stop getting bullied.”  She stared him down.  “I know that you get picked on by the other gods, I’m not stupid and blind.”  She finished her tea then stood and the chair slid back with a small screech.  “I just came by tell you that.  I’ll be back in a few months.  His Majesty all ready approved of the vacation.  I’m just going to go travel the worlds and survey how some of the wars are coming along.  I’ll even give some of them a little help.” she stated with a small smile and a wave goodbye.  “I’m leaving tonight if you wish to say goodbye.” she called and left through the door and was gone.  Doesn’t she know her value? Kilet asked himself silently.  While shaking his head, he got up and cleaned the spilt fish food. 

Ari was packing quietly when suddenly she heard a soft knock on her door.  She looked up for she’s never had a visitor before.  She opened the door to find a blond haired god with bright green eyes at her door.  She smiled and let the Prince of Heaven, Fiel, her best friend, into her room.  He didn’t return her smile and simply walked in and sat on her bed with out a word.  She noticed his change in emotions walked over and sat next to him worriedly.

    “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

    At first he refused to answer her but then he snapped his fingers and sound proofed the room with a spell before yelling at her angrily, “Are you an idiot?!  Why are you leaving?  Why didn’t you tell me earlier?  Do you seriously think I would just you let walk right out of heaven so you can die?”  He continued to shout questions at her and she merely listen to her friend vent his steam.

    When he stopped scream, she smiled and asked in a calm and quiet voice, “Are you done?” she smiled in satisfaction as she watched him nod reluctantly.  “Good.  Now let me explain.”  She sighed and flashed a fake smile at him.  “I want to travel to all the different planets and “supervise” how the wars are turning out.  I might even lend a helping hand to some of them.  I need to get out of here.  This isn’t a very nice place to live I’m afraid.  I’ll come back in a few months… or years, I haven’t decided yet.”  She watched as his expression dropped even lower that what it originally was.  “I’m sorry but it’s not like you exactly know what it’s like to live as me, a half breed.”  It’s true her mother was a goddess while her father was a devil.  Not just any devil, her father was prince, or so she was told.  Her parents were killed right after she was born.  The demons and angels worked together to make sure her parents died and then they were about to kill her when the king of heaven and hell stopped them and began to fight over who got custody over the poor half breed.  Fiel’s father won and made her the Goddess of War.  She found out later that she was special.  No one could harm her, literally.  It seemed that with the combining of the two bloodlines resulted in her body naturally producing a shield so that if anyone that came at her to kill her, the shield would instantly reflect the attack.  The only way the shield will stop is if she concentrates to lower.

    Fiel gave in.  He knew that he could never truly understand what it was like to live as her and it dampened his heart even more.