Chronicles of the primeval gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: What was to come?

Chronicles of the primeval gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: What was to come? 

// he's slowly acknowledging the fear he feels because of Pride.

What was to come? Death, certainly. Death was to expect. Was it for him? Was it for Ayesha? Was it for his sister and her disgusting lover? He could feel Death coming but wasn’t certain of the outcome of the upcoming war. Since when did the god of war feel fear? He wished that he could wrap his hands around his sister's throat. He wanted Elpis to beg for her life and to apologize to him. He needed her to repent for her old ways and bad decisions. He needed her to repent and become his. Even now. Even now as all hope was lost, the new All-father was hoping for Elpis to relinquish her love for the sin and come back to her family. Was it really the feelings he had or wasn’t he just trying to avoid war? How ridiculous! He thrived when there was a war. He was the most powerful when there was a war. He was molded by it, was the embodiment of it, why would he be afraid? 

Still! Ishtar could feel Death coming and he had no idea if it was his own. He had never thought about his own mortality and believed that he could live forever. Who would have been powerful enough to defeat him? He closed his eyes and ran his hand through his black mane. He did not regret his decisions. He did not regret his betrayal, because if he did, then Ishtar would have lost all of his resolve. He wouldn't have been able to face her. Deep down, fear had settled into his heart. The God of war was afraid of Sin. He didn't want to die and be sent to oblivion. He didn't want to be trapped within the sword of sin, forced to serve him until all of Eternity. He didn't want to...What was to come? No matter where he looked, there was Death awaiting at the end of the line. The God of War was determined to make the best of the situation and to be the one who would claim his sister's life. he was determined to be victorious, even if there was nothing else but HIM in existence. He would be ready for that war! Let them come! 

COPG : TIME

 

COPG : TIME

 

A/N : Ayasha and Ishtar have yet another conversation. They both feel that they are lacking time. The urgency has pushed them to their worst behaviour and yet in the midst of everything, siblings are trying to find common ground.

Xxxx

 

Ishtar felt the salty wind blow on his face, making his black locks whip it hard. He stood stoically before the wild ocean, witnessing its anger, and taking its waves in full force, perhaps, to feel his departed brother’s “presence” in what was left behind. Leviathan was dead, there was no denying it. His own hubris led him to his death by the hands of the Sin. Yes, Ishtar took this death worse than he wanted to. He hated his brother, but he did not wish him dead by the hands of someone else, especially not by the hands of his enemies.  The ocean was angry, and so was the sky that had covered itself with grey clouds, charged with rain that had not fallen just yet. 

 

The god outstretched his arms from each side of his body, eyes closed as he was picturing his brother standing before him. The meatsuit he was wearing, was wearing a nice black suit that enhanced the otherworldly beauty of the god. He did not mind being soaked with water, for he knew that with a flick of his wrist, the fabric would be dried out. Instead, he only focused on Leviathan, who was standing in silence before him, looking sternly at him, as if he were already pointing fingers at him. What would he have said anyway if he had been alive? He had warned Ishtar about their sister and her devouring ambition. He had forced the god to face his emotions regarding Elpis, his desire for his sister and the jealousy and heartbreak that allowed for him to curse her.

 

Leviathan would have been angry at what Ishtar did with his pieces of advice. He didn’t listen to him, if anything, he did the opposite. How could he have reacted anyway, when most of the pantheon was gone? The action of two, brought the pantheon to the brink of extinction and it was too late to change things. The most Ishtar could hope for, was to have their mother, Gaea, forgive their action and have her come home. How could the Pantheon thrive without their All-Mother inside?  The New All-Father was hoping that his sister Elpis would be defeated -there was no reasoning with her and he understood it now- and he would be able to restore the pantheon to its former glory.  Yet, he could still feel the judgemental gaze of his departed brother on his frame and an anguish that was holding onto his heart. He snarled as he felt the gaze of his sister Ayasha. He sighed and turned around so he could face her.

 

Ayasha was indeed joining him, unfazed by the brutal ocean and the huge waves that were crashing down against the shore. Instead, she had both hands on her waist, her green orbs were darting at him. He lifted a brow, surprised that his sister didn’t even try to hide her anger at this point. He tilted his head to the side, his long black wet locks fell on his shoulders and he snarled at her. She wouldn’t come to him and have demands when he had demands on his own. They had just barely started to reconcile, why would she come and ruin their efforts?

 

“I have been looking for you. I should have guessed you would have spent your time here, close to our dead brother rather than with me.”

 

“Ayasha, your quips won’t get to me this time. Say what you want to say and let’s go from there.”

 

“Luckily for you, brother, I am not looking for a fight. We are running out of time.” -She admitted, her eyes averted from his face to the floor. - “I still can’t find Elpis, but I can feel that she is becoming stronger by the minute.”

 

“What makes you think so?” -He asked, furrowing his brows, and crossing his arms above his chest. -

 

“My minions noticed an unusual activity on Earth. I have investigated myself and could feel the sin’s energy signature and our sister’s. Elpis was there, on Earth and together they caused chaos...”

“Chaos you say?”

 

“Yes… I choked when I stepped into the place. I could feel their power  suffocating me out there.” -She paused for a minute and then looked back at Ishtar, her green orbs lighting up- “Why—why are you here?”

 

“I thought you had it figure out.” -He teased her, walking towards her so he could close the distance between the two of them.- “I needed a moment for myself.”

 

“In front of the ocean?” -She curbed a brow.-

 

“It’s the only place that seems to be in tune with me. The ocean is wild,free, and nobody can possess it.”

 

“Leviathan could.” -She walked towards him and closed the distance between the two of them. “But he is dead now." -He noted the lack of emotions in the voice of the goddess. it was no scret that she didn't like Leviathan and given how he didn't trust her, Ishtar understood why. She resumed talking. " I know he didn’t trust me, he never could but you are not like him, Brother. You are not him. I need to know if you do trust me Ishtar.”

"I understand, sister-mine." He said as he put both hands on her shoulders. she shuddered and rolled her head to the side. She was upset, as clear as day and she needed answer. she moistened her lips and then looked up to his face again. "You are cornered, we all are. I had issues with you, a lack of clarity as well. I saw through you. Leviathan might have been an asshole, he wasn't going around with baseless claims. You manipulated me. I understand Ayasha, but I'd like the truth for once. Why did you manipulate me into killing our father? into cursing Elpis?"

She didn't know what to make of his behaviour, he was serious and she could feel the power of his engulfing her. Maybe he had been waiting for her to come here and maybe he'd casted a spell without her knowledge. She started to panic at first, her eyes glowed even harder and her breathing became more laboured.

"We deserved better than what we had. With everything you were, you would have still been looked upon with disdain and I wasn't even considered. I wanted glory  I wanted to prove the whole universe that I was powerful and so were you."

"That doesn't sound like you, to think of me. I asked for the truth, Ayasha. I need the truth to move forward from now." -He manifested his  scepter, which made the goddess shiver and run her hand over  his chest. She was feeling danger, and realized that he was willing and ready to get rid of her if he didn't get the answer he wanted. what happened to him?-

"I--- I wanted all. I was willing to sacrifice anything and everything to achieve my goal. I wanted all.... I want the whole world, I want the universe and I want the universe to respect me." She furrowed her brows and lowered her head. "Khaos was limited, outdated.He would have prevented us.../me/ from getting what I really wanted. So yes, I did it because I wanted to get rid of anyone who would have dared to stand in my way." She paused and then swallowed a lump. "I chose you because you were just like me, you would not have been hard to convince. I knew of your feelings for our sister and used it to gain your trust, rile you up because you would see the truth." -She sighed and bumped her fist against his chest.- "I used you. I admit. I was vindictive and angry at the universe. I grew closer to you and some of the feelings I have are true. But Since you want to know the truth, I am not in love with you, I am not afraid of you... I think you can crush our enemies and we can be victorious."

"Finally, some truth from your lips. I was nothing but a pawn for you. Leviathan saw your devouring ambition and it took me a while to come to terms with the fact you don't love me."

"Are you mad?" -She inquired, her eyes looked up tohis face and she  swallowed a hard lump.-

"Not anymore. I can work with the truth. You asked me if I could trust you." -She nodded- "Now, I do. I hear you, we will need to ready our troops and prepare for our sister. Since we can't find her, I assume she would come to us, and we will meet her."

"Do you believe we can defeat her?" Ayasha asked, her voice breaking and betraying her fear. Ishtar was calm, calmer than ever and he hit the trident against the floor sending shockwaves after shockwaves "Nevermind..." 

What else could she say, when her brother had demonstrated his power. He was ready to face his opponents and she was unable to see what he was really thinking of. perhaps the god of war and the New All-Father was thinking of punishing her after all was said and done. it was a gambit, to have told him the whole truth, but the blonde goddess knew that she had no other choice but to make this decision. Only time would tell what would happen next... and time was short on their hands. 

Chronicles of the primeval gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: All-FAther above us all.

Chronicles of the primeval gods: All-FAther above us all.

A/N : I'm channeling my dear Ishtar. He's been reeling in my head for a good while now.

XXXX

« I am the All-Father. The Alpha and the Omega.

I am the son of Khaos, the very first God, the very first being in the whole universe.

I am the all-Powerful, the one and only, the strongest there is.

And yet...She still has the power to bring me to my knees. »

Ishtar was sitting on his throne, a glass of hydromel in his hand. He was surrounded by the surviving gods of his pantheon, those who either truly served Ayasha and him. While they allowed themselves to be entertained, the All-Father was lost in his thoughts. He was still reeling with rage at the thought that his sister. Truth be told, Ishtar was uncertain of his reaction when faced with his younger sibling. He liked to think that he could stand up to her, not as Ishtar; the God of War who was helplessly in love with his little sister and killed her because he was jealous; but as the All-Father who could smash her with the back of his hand, if he willed it.

He wanted to be detached from her, to forget about his feelings for her, but they were deeply rooted in him. Perhaps it was a cruel joke from Khaos, who had created siblings who didn't care much for each other and even competed with one another until Elpis was born. With her, he learned compassion, empathy, and even learned to appreciate the moments he wasn't waging war. She brought light into his darkness and whether he wanted it or not, Ishtar was craving it today. He was craving her presence, he needed her forgiveness for what he did to her. How could he look at his reflection and forgive himself for what he did?

« I am the All-Father, the one above All.

And yet I was brought to my knees by the ghost of my sister.

For 2000 years I couldn't forget about her, not her smiles, not her bright eyes, not even her anger.*

And somehow, after all this time, I still carry my guilt. »

Why was he so upset at the idea of meeting her again? Why was he afraid? Ishtar started to hold his glass tighter. The idea of the all-mighty god being scared of his younger sister didn't sit well with him. He dreaded her return for he knew her vengeance would be far worse than his worst nightmare. He knew she never forgave him for his betrayal, for he was the god she was the closest to. He was the god she entrusted her life with, the one she blindly believed and followed; He was the one who was supposed to protect her, and yet, it was his hand that almost snuffed her life. It was his hand that deprived her of the very happiness she deserved. And perhaps, it was what hurt him the most. To be the one she most hated.

Chronicles of the Primeval gods: Life and Death of Ayasha and Ishtar :

Chronicles of the Primeval gods: Life and Death of Ayasha and Ishtar :

A/N : Long time no see. I'm so very excited about this new chapter. Finally, the sin is done with his siblings and can focus on the primeval gods. Finally, Elpis is going to be avenged.

Xxxxxxx

Pandemonium :

Ayasha rushed into the throne room, her blonde hair disheveled, her breathing labored as if she'd just seen a ghost. Her golden tunic was merely held together by a thin fabric belt, her hair was messily braided and fell onto her chest and the scandalous cleavage that barely covered her breasts. Under any other circumstances, Ishtar would have thought she was attractive, but her face forced him to reconsider the situation. She was worried. She walked briskly to the throne, her forefinger pointed at her older brother, the new All-Father and while her throat was still thick with the screams she refused to let out, her eyes were filled with ire.

 The whole body was shaking from the contained emotions, but her eyes spoke for her. She was distraught. The threat she thought was contained many moons ago surfaced again. The Sin came back victorious from his fight with its siblings and became the undisputed king of the Underworld. She heard of the war of the sins and received another visit from a black butterfly. It announced the death and she wasn't sure of which one it was. She threw the dead carcass of the animal on the floor before the feet of her brother and kept her pointed finger at him.

Ishtar was still sitting on his throne, emotionless. Over the weeks, since his sister was reborn and sheltered in the Underworld, the new All-Father had been rebuilding his kingdom. He realized that he had to restore the glory of the primeval gods, those who remained alive and loyal to him had to feel a semblance of normalcy and power in order to keep ranks. He built up the glorious realm that once stood proudly above the Earth, in the Astral plane. It didn't take his mind away from his real concern. His beloved sister. He revisited the memories of his failed attempt at killing her, berated himself for his weakness for her. -his love held his hand back in the days and if impending doom was lurking, it was his fault.-

Ishtar still felt confident he could destroy the Sin. He was still an All-Father and he used his power to try and siphon the energy of the remaining pantheons. Some humans still worshipped multiple gods, the Indians, for example, were a great source of energy, but not just them. Many souls were animists, praying to elements and deities they couldn't name. Of course, those were the primeval gods, owning several names and growing in strength. Pride meant nothing. He set his blue hues onto the golden goddess of knowledge and snarled at her facial expression and the suppressed anger she was showing him.

« Speak, sister or I will force you to speak to me. »

« I was visited once again by a black butterfly. Someone is going to die again and it could be you or me and I very much don't want to die. »

« Did you come here to lecture me about not killing Elpis when I had a chance? »

« I wouldn't dare. » She sneered before she crossed her arms above her chest. « However, I can't sense her and this is a problem. She knows our realm, she could lead the Sin to our gates and we would be lost. »

« Why are you so afraid of the Sin? Do you honestly think that he could defeat me? I am the primeval god of War. I AM THE ORIGINAL! I invented it! I perfected it! I toyed with it for millennia. He can't come up with a better plan. He can't overcome me. I was /born/ prepared. »

The blonde shook her head and protested. Since when did her brother become so difficult to manipulate? He didn't want to listen to her, he didn't seem to be even receptive to her manipulation. Her rage increased and she snarled even harder.

« Then you are a /fool/ if you think that Elpis won't surprise you when she comes to our gates too. She is the elder goddess of Hope /and/ Despair. Don't you think that she would have a negative influence on our siblings? Don't you think she can't influence us? Do you honestly think that we can defeat her /and/ the sin at the same time? » She yelled at him, unable to refrain her anger any longer.

« ENOUGH! » He stood up and quickly walked to her. His hand squeezed her neck and started to squeeze hard. Ayasha's features were still defiant as she didn't want to lose an inch of control over her brother. Was it hubris? Was it the truth? She put her hands on Ishtar's hands and furrowed her brows. « I do not want to hear one more word from your mouth. You keep questioning me as if I didn't plan anything. You keep talking, over and over again. You keep talking and I keep thinking that all you want is to control me. So from now on : SHUT YOUR MOUTH! » He yelled close to her face. She shrugged and closed her eyes. For the first time, the goddess fo knowledge realized the true potential of her brother. He let his aura spread across the room and it was so powerful and so heavy that it would have brought her to her knees if she was standing up. « Leave me be, Ayasha. Leave this room and the next time you come back, make sure you have a better mindset. »

He released her throat and Ayasha coughed for air. She blinked and rubbed the bruised throat and hurriedly left the room. He was foolish, she thought because he didn't know the dangers that lied ahead. Her sister would soon appear again, and perhaps at full strength.. if not, with a strength that went beyond anything she expected.

-TBC-

chronicles of the primeval gods: life and death of Ishtar: "Anguish"

Chronicles of the  primeval  gods: life and death of Ishtar: "Anguish"

A/N: even villains fill up my mind. The New All-father is going through a lot.

Xxxxxx

The god of war had never been afraid of death. He was the one to inflict it on others. He was the one who waged wars, aroused the thirst for blood, and thrived off of the lives he ended. Ishtar went as far as killing his own father, siblings and nearly killed his beloved sister. Death was a companion, death was his partner and accomplice. And yet... and yet he became restless. He couldn't sleep ever since Elpis was set free. He still remembered her last words, said right before the curse had her body vanish.

She told him that she would find him again and would get revenge for his betrayal. The disgust in her tone achieved to leave a print in his mind and haunted him for millennia. He never told Ayasha that he imagined reuniting with Elpis and that most of the time, things went his way. She apologized, admitted being gullible and having been deceived by the Sin and begged for his forgiveness.

But everything changed when Pride broke her curse and set the goddess free. The brief moment Ishtar felt his beloved sister's essence was enough to induce despair into his soul. The very nature of his dreams changed. From a beautiful and vulnerable Elpis asking for forgiveness, the dream became a nightmare. He began hallucinating her and the Sin. Tonight was no exception. He had seen the sin once, on a battlefield. Even then, Pride's presence was overwhelming from afar. Ishtar still remembered the crushing aura that nearly got him on his knees.

The sin was tremendously powerful, and even then the god knew he couldn't face him and win.  Ishtar remembered the goosebumps that covered his body and the sweat that beaded over his skin. He saw his purple hues stare menacingly around him as he walked past the poor human souls that fought to their deaths. Ishtar felt danger through his bones. He knew that if it ever came to them, fighting, he would be the one to die. What could happen to him if he died? The void. He would go to the void and cease to exist and the mere thought of that chilled his heart to the core. Maybe that was why he wanted to destroy it before anything else. Maybe that was why he refused the romance between Elpis and Superbia. how could she bring Death to their doors?

Knowing Elpis was back with The sin fueled Ishtar with rage. Jealousy strangled his heart at the mere thought of them touching one another, kissing one another... killing together. His anger turned into fear as he saw both of them in front of him. Pride -and Ishtar could never admit it- was looking perfect as usual. His meat suit had always been carefully chosen, enough to be seen as perfect by anyone who would look at him. His eyes were cold, blue, but filled with malice. His costume was neat, royal blue and typical of a modern human with taste, complete with leather shoes and silver cuffs. Elpis was splendid. Her pink hair braided on the side and her curvy body wrapped in a red dress that would have mesmerized the god if he wasn't at their mercy.

"Do you know what true fear is like?" Elpis asked, in a cold voice.

In the hallucination, Ishtar was beaten up, bloody and chained to his throne. Pride was kneeling in front of him, khaos in his hand and glee he barely contained in his eyes.

"Fear? I know no fear.." Ishtar replied, spitting blood on the sin. "Get this over with,  Abomination."

Pride chuckled and smirked. His hues flashed a bright purple color and he took a handkerchief to wipe his face clean.

"I don't take orders from washed-up gods, Ishtar. I finish when I want to. I finish when she says what she needs to say."

"Washed-up god?!" He laughed and shrugged.

"He never was the brightest tool in the box wasn't he?" Pride chuckled at Elpis who walked closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"He never was. Always thought he was the most powerful, the brightest... the strongest. He betrayed me."

"Like the true coward, he is."

"How dare you judge me? You speak as if you could even understand emotions!"

"Resorting to insults? Weak." Pride didn't like what the god said, what all of these said about him. They all imagined he had no emotions. That he was an empty corpse with nothing, not even a conscious and he was driven by primary instincts. They couldn't be more wrong. He was more. He had always been more. Elpis realized it before and she realized it even now.

"You say you have no fear but I think you have one. You fear my anger." Elpis said walking closer to Ishtar and kneeling before him. "You fear my disgust of you... of your betrayal." Her hand cupped his cheek and she smirked at him. "You fear my love for him." She looked at Pride and gave him a softer smile.

"Why would I fear your petty feelings for him?" He asked, coughing blood on her hand.

"Because you fear him. More than my anger, you fear my beloved. You see... you robbed us from a future we wanted to share. You wronged him. And he doesn't like it when someone wronged him." She said cleaning her hand on his shirt.

"And you won't like it when I am angry." Pride took over, standing back up and extending his hand so Elpis could hold onto his hand and stand up too. "You forced Elpis to 2000 years locked away from the world. You punished her for loving /me/" he growled the last words, while his aura started to spread across the room. "You hurt her. You hurt the very one you claimed to love. You betrayed--"

"She chose you!" -Ishtar screamed- "she chose you!

I had to do something!"

"I never was yours!" Elpis screamed before she curled her fingers into balls. "I never was yours! You wanted me for yourself! You sick bastard!"

"Elpis! You were in love with that thing--"

"Enough!! You said you didn't know fear? You had no reason to be afraid? You lie. You lie and you know why?" She pointed fingers at him but Pride pulled her against his frame and cupped her cheek with his free hand.

"I will handle this from now. Did you say your piece?"

"No. No, I didn't. Ishtar, of all the siblings I had, you were the one I respected the most. I loved you and you betrayed me. I have nothing but contempt for you. Nothing.." her eyes glowed brightly and she looked at Pride, overwhelmed by her emotions. Pride stroked her cheek and planted a kiss on her lips, on purpose to rile the god up.

"Take the best seat, Elpis. It is my turn."

Ishtar was faking a face of bravery while in fact, her words impacted him like he was stabbed by a long knife. He felt that the sin's aura had spread on the room, and was suffocating him. His wounds were opened and hurting, his throat was dry and almost closed off and he had trouble breathing. Pride hated to see his goddess upset. He knew that her anger was the tip of the emotions she was feeling. Her heart was broken and the pain was plastered all over her face. He hated seeing it and it fueled his anger to the point that he wanted to avenge her. Like he Promised.

"You made her cry." Pride said, igniting khaos with the fire of Tartarus.

"You caused her demise." Ishtar said chuckling darkly "I am not afraid of you. I am the All-father."

"Keep telling you telltales Ishtar. The truth is.. you are terrified." He turned around, his eyes now purple flames as he twirled his sword and started to cut the god's chest with the tip. Which elicited painful cries from him." You know I will end you and there is nothing you can do about it." He kept cutting the god with the tip of his sword. "I wanted to punish you like I did your brother, but I realized I didn't need to trap you to steal your power."

The cuts he had been doing were, in fact, a sigil taught by Elpis. The sigil of Khaos the former all father. Elpis started to chant a spell that activated the sigil and started to siphon his energy. The god screamed as it was painful, and tried to set himself free in vain. Pride then looked at Elpis. They agreed that this power was his but because of the spell, only Elpis could give it to him, he never doubted her loyalty to him and this was a moment of truth.  She smiled and whispered "I love you" before sending the power inside the sin.  Pride felt his power increase, the surge of energy inside of him cause da bright flash of light to blind everyone in the room. That was horrifying for the god. To feel his own power slip off of his body and watch his nemesis become powerful in front of his very eyes achieved to induce fear in his heart.

"So this is how an all-father feels?" Pride mused before he resumed twirling Khaos. "How exciting! How... perfect." He said as he gave Ishtar a slasher smile. "How does it feel to be killed by someone who just de-powered you?" He said, grinning widely.  "Oh? You can't speak? No need to."

 Ishtar knew he was going to the void and started to scream and tried to move back as he saw the sin come closer.  Pride laughed so hard that when he lifted the sword and was about to stab him, the god woke up. He was sweating and put his hand onto his chest to calm his heartbeats. What was that? What was this feeling that made him feel like it was the end of the world? That was fear.... pure fear.

Chronicles of the primeval gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: Pitfall

Chronicles of the primeval gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: Pitfall

A/ N: Waking up to the primeval god's new All-Father's voice in my mind:)

xxx

«Leviathan, old fool. »

Ishtar was at the balcony of his luxurious palace, his azure eyes were looking at the gorgeous garden below them. It had been weeks now since his brother was defeated by the Sin and not once his anger had decreased. Leviathan was powerful, that was certain, but he was as arrogant as his power was phenomenal. God of the oceans, father of the typhoons, master of the monsters that lived underwater... none of this mattered when he was defeated by a Sin with a god-slayer sword. The new All-Father expected a defeat, but he was taken aback by the death of his brother. Their relationship was complicated to say the very least. Leviathan and Ishtar were rivals, they always wanted to be on top of the other, be revered by their brothers and considered the most powerful gods. They encouraged each other into being the best versions of themselves so the honor and glory they would get from their victory would be greater. They also loved each other. Leviathan was born before Ishtar and had always taken care of his brother for as long as Ishtar could remember. He would guide him, raise him when Khaos would not give them any split second of his attention.

« Your arrogance got the best of you. As expected the Sin took advantage of that and now you're dead. »

Leviathan's death was certainly a shock for the primeval god. It was sudden and despite the rage-filled relationship they shared, and as hard as it was to admit, Ishtar was devastated. He had lost a brother, one who planned to overthrow him at the first chance he got, but one he still loved. Leviathan was a fool who was destroyed because he wasn't as careful as he bragged he was. He didn't have a chance to say goodbye, let alone give him proper funerals. Leviathan's body was nowhere to be found, which frustrated the All-Father. So he drank himself to sleep and woke up gulping down the precious ambrosia as if it was going to quench his thirst, appease his soul and heal him. It did not. Instead of forgetting his fallen brother, it forced the all-father to look at the situation with a clearer mind and realize that the Sin was actually a far bigger enemy than he thought he would be. Pride was dangerous, not only did he have a god-slayer sword, but he also had the unbreakable love of his sister. Another frustration for the god who let a growl escape his lips.

« I wished you would be the one to handle Elpis. Turns out I have to do it myself. »

And he would. Ishtar might not have made peace with his feelings for his sister, he still would destroy her should she try and come to her pantheon. She betrayed them first, the day she fell in love with a weapon and despite his true and deep love for Elpis, Leviathan couldn't allow her to endanger his pantheon with what she thought was « love ». She didn't love Pride, she was rebelling against her own people. She didn't love Pride, she was confused, that was all. Real love was what he -Ishtar, the god of war- was feeling for her. Torture, pain, endless hope to have her turn around and forgive him. Endless hope to see her smile again at him, in spite of him stabbing her and cursing her away. He was hopeful...him...The god of war..Hopeful. The emotion felt like a sting in his heart and he crushed the glass he was holding in his left hand. What a fool he was. A fool in love.

-TBC-

Chronicles of the Primeval gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: Resentment

Chronicles of the Primeval gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: Resentment

//He spoke to me! so I let him speak!

It only was a matter of time before Elpis was finally free. Only a matter of hours before she emerged from her vessel. What were hours compared to the life of a primeval god? Nothing, mere dust. Primeval gods existed before life ever happened on Earth. They brought life, they brought civilizations, they were at the dawn of the universe so truly, a couple of hours meant nothing to them, less than a grain of dust. Elpis, arguably, was already there. Her upcoming arrival achieved to fill the New All-Father with worries. He had nipped rebellion to the mud, effectively killing the last of Elpis' supporters so he didn't fear an uprising. What he feared was more vicious. He feared his own memories. He was overwhelmed with guilt from the moment he stabbed his beloved sister. He watched as she disappeared, cursed by the dagger of Fate but very aware of what had just happened and what Ishtar took part to. He justified his action with the preservation of the Pantheon. Elpis' love was dangerous. Elpis love was almost bringing the enemy at their door. Elpis' love was reckless. Stabbing her was the right thing to do, wasn't it?

"Maybe when she comes back, she will not be mad." Wishful thinking that was. The god of War knew that his sister would seek revenge. She would want to destroy him for what he did to her. Anguish and regret quickly left room for anger. The god of War knew that his hand was guided by something else than just concern for his pantheon. He stabbed Elpis because he was jealous and angry. It was no secret that he wanted Elpis but unlike Leviathan and most of the Gods of War, he would never have forced himself on her. His frustration was better spent on the battlefield where he would slaughter the lives of the guilty and the righteous the same. He had always seen her as some sort of a saint. The last born of Khaos and Gaea who used her warmth to calm her siblings and Hope to motivate gods and humans alike. She was good at her core, delicate, sweet and very much his opposite. He wanted her like Khaos craved Gaea's balance. He wanted her like darkness wished he had Light. And then Superbia happened.

Ishtar didn't like Leviathan but he agreed with him on one thing: Pride was the scum of the Earth. He was nothing more but the wet dream of Hades that came to Life. He wasn't an abomination because that would give him too much power, no, he was an aberration. A mistake. An error. He was the regrets you felt after a peculiarly drunken night. He was the accidental murder you committed while your life was thriving. He was a mistake that should never have happened. Hades created something that escaped his control and went on a rampage against him and the Greek Pantheon. To have something like Pride sweep Elpis' off of her feet made Ishtar nauseous. Was she this blind? Was she this naive?  He tried to reason with her but she refused to listen to reason. She was in love, deeply in love, to the point of risking everything, including her life for that love. When he looked at his sister, it wasn't the innocent and pure goddess he used to see. She became the whore of Babylon, soiled with the Sin's essence and ruined forever until the whole father decided to make her clean again. She was a whore, not a saint and because she was that meant he had to punish her. Stabbing Elpis became an option he considered. Ayasha convinced him but it didn't take a lot from her to do so.

And now Elpis was mere hours away from him. Mere hours away from his grasp. The guilt that never left him was still palatable, but so were his anger and disgust, so was his desire for her, so was his hatred for the Sin. He would welcome "it" properly and nip the Sin to the mud. He would make him watch as Elpis would be tortured and killed in front of him, punished for escaping her prison and for foolishly being in love with something that couldn't love him back. He would make her pay for the humiliation he felt, the anger, the resentment he still had towards her and when he's done, he would lock the sin's soul away somewhere he couldn't break free. He had plans. .. He had plans.

Chronicles of the Primeval Gods: Life and Death of Ishtar: King of Ashes

A/ N: Ishtar is hurting, somehow, he still can't shake the memory of his sister and the heinous nature of his crime against her.

Xxxxxx

Leviathan words were still doing a number on Ishtar's mind. Maybe things would not have been this dreadful if he had killed Elpis instead of cursing her. It would have solved many issues, made his life easier. He would have ruled the primeval gods' pantheon with an iron but just hand. They wouldn't rebel against him because he cursed the last born. They wouldn't rebel against him because of the torture he inflicted on those who refused to serve him because he wouldn't have to do it if he went through with the plan. Elpis would die without knowing who did it and why they did it. He would have stabbed her from behind, held her in his arms as she would die in a matter of minutes. He would have cradled her body to bring her comfort as she vanished into the void. It should have happened this way. Her existence would have been completely erased from the world and the god's memories and he wouldn't be tormented the way he was by the memory of her. He would be free.

Ishtar was the king, but given the circumstances, he was the king of ashes. Cursing Elpis started a civil war with his siblings and despite not remembering the reasons for their fight against their new All-Father, it kept going. Their rage against Ishtar was stronger than the curse, strong enough to bring unrest to the Pantheon. Ayasha found a way to break them into submission and as Ishtar progressed, he nearly would have wiped out the rebellion if only Elpis had not scratched the seal. But she did. She did and along with it, the memories of the whole World and the gods were restored. They remembered everything and with just a scratch, the civil war took another turn for the worst. It already cost him two siblings he cared deeply for The goddess of Love, Sitäa and the Messenger of gods, Khrön. They deserted their ranks, went against marching orders to reach out to Elpis and ended up dead when Ayasha found them. He wouldn't question his sister's goals and motives but the death of these siblings hurt him more than he wanted to say.

Ironically, War made him stronger. It was the mold that shaped him, the very essence of the god. The cost was greater than he could have imagined and it was starting to take its toll on him. Ayasha denied Leviathan's accusation of manipulating Ishtar, faced his criticism without flinching and explained that she stood by him because she was in love with him. It should have made him happy and it probably did but everything was ruined when Ishtar claimed her. As he did, his true desire started to manifest itself, juxtaposing Elpis on Ayasha's body. It was a truth he couldn't hide or bury. Ishtar loved Elpis and had loved her for quite a long time already so, of course, she was in his mind when the whole time he was with Ayasha. Understandably so, Ayasha was upset and as she walked away from him, Ishtar apologized and promised he wouldn't leave her side. 

He was a man of his word and he wouldn't leave Ayasha alone, not when she devoted her whole existence to him, not when she needed his protection and love, not when she only had him. He wouldn't abandon her, but his heart did belong to someone else. Someone he cursed. Someone who would escape from her prison and would want to avenge herself. He created her fury and from this point only added to it. Elpis had the power to level pantheons and he knew that it probably was a matter of time before she came here and destroyed everything. Maybe he would be able to defeat her, maybe she would crush him and everyone else and it would be a sweet irony. He tried to kill the one he loved, but it was Love that killed him. Love she had for someone else, Love which fueled her desire for revenge.