"You know, you're just going to get bigger once I take you as one of my divine animals," Raven mused out loud, getting an excited grin that was all teeth from the massive wolf. "So much for the runt of the litter," the goddess added
...
Akira rumbled in response. It was a bit of a touchy subject for her after all. Wolves protect their own, but they can be pretty rough and unforgiving at times. Still, Akira had been a fighter, even as the tiny thing that barely managed to shadow jump into Percy's mindscape the first time Raven went there.
Raven could still remember spotting the little cub struggling to play with her and all the others, always lagging behind, but never giving it up either. While all the cubs had been vying for her attention and showing what they could do in their own, childish ways, she'd always kept an eye on the one smaller than all the rest. She never backed down from the playing even if she was outweighed and sized at every turn and in doing so, won Raven over.
She could even remember seeing those violet eyes widening in disbelief—a sign Akira had high intelligence from the beginning—as Raven had picked her up and told her father that she'd keep her. Raven had also then blushed in happy embarrassment at the look of pride her father had given her then. Since then, Raven had been steadily training with Akira within the mindscapes or out in small excursions.
Akira was usually somewhere in either Percy or Rhea's mindscapes though, making use of the time dilation to speed along her growth already boosted by her bond made to Raven. Now that she thought about it, the young goddess couldn't help but wonder just how her companion would change too.
"I hope your eyes stay the same though," she mused as she ran her hands along Akira's snout.
The bonded wolf gave what passed as a shrug to her comment, though Raven could sense that Akira was of similar mind.
The goddess remained silent as she continued to lavish affection onto her wolf, letting the motion of her hands draw her away from the near constant aches of her mind. The minutes still crawled by for her but after some time, she felt a shift in the world around them. A light chime was heard from everywhere, a consistent announcement that her mother had returned.
A few moments passed before she heard knocking. Given where they were, that was more of a curtesy that Raven appreciated all the same. She turned over to look at the door just as it smoothly opened, her mother's smile and a warm, glowing lavender eyes focusing on her as the primordial entered and made straight for her.
"Hi mom," she greeted, sitting up somewhat.
"Hey there Raven, how are you feeling?" Andy returned as she sat beside Raven, her hand resting on the young goddess' forehead.
"Better than before, but still a little achy," Raven answered as she shifted to leaning against Andy's shoulder.
Her mother hummed in response, one her free hand idly going to Akira's head as the wolf moved around the bed and laid her head on the primordial's lap.
"Do you want to rest for a little longer then?" Andy asked but Raven shook her head and looked at her mother levelly.
"No, you already gave me plenty of time off. I'm ready to pick up where we left off."
Andy sighed at her answered. "Definitely get that from your father." At Raven's look, the primordial elaborated. "Sometimes he'd curse like a sailor when Tartarus and Nyx were particularly grueling with him, but he was always ready for more even if he only got small breaks." The primordial gave a slight giggle as she added, "I used to tease him about being a bit of glutton for punishment."
"But the results speak for themselves," Raven pointed out.
"True," Andy conceded before her gaze focused more on Raven. "But are you sure? You've almost completed your mindscape structure. Once that's done, all that's left is for you to take the Moon for yourself …"
"… And it's going to be painful," Raven finished for her, almost wincing at what she knew was coming.
Percy and the others had years to train their mind during their time as heirs. Each of their mentors and new parent figures worked steadily with them to prepare, including using forms of mental attacks and pressure so the new primordial would be ready for the sudden expansion of their minds. Even then, Raven had heard stories of her father and co taking time to adjust, both mentally and physically to all their changes.
Raven didn't have that time and worse still, her ascension to full godhood will sever much of her links to her parents. They won't be able to lighten the load in any way until she aligned herself to one or both of them, and she couldn't do that until she stabilized herself after assuming divine form for the first time.
And she'd heard some all manner of stories of what the first time could be like.
A rush of power like nothing else could compare. To be able to influence, interact, and determine the nature of an aspect of reality around them. A feeling of nigh invincibility that was so enthralling, so addicting, that it was no wonder some gods were so full of themselves even after coming down from the high.
On the other hand, it could be disastrous. Some domains and what they connected to was like finally seeing behind the curtain of the world and witnessing the horror underneath. Emotion based domains were especially infamous for it. And that didn't even account for the pain of essentially exploding, literally tearing off the mortal facade and pushing one's divine body to the furthest it could go.
Raven couldn't help but shiver at the thought of what would happen with her.
The Moon was powerful already, and with the mortals aware, even more so. Regardless of what happened, she knew her ascension was going to be … eventful.
"Hey." Andy got her attention, taking Raven's hands in her own as she gave off a soothing air. "I know it's a big step, but your father is going be there every step of the way. Remember that."
Raven could only nod as her mother pulled her into a hug and Akira licked at her hands. She smiled lightly at that before thinking about the looming change. She'd made lots of progress and at this point, the sooner it was over and done, the better.
So, focusing on Andy, she asked, "Hey, what time is it outside?"
Her mother blinked at the question before humming as she glanced off to the side.
"Fairly early, around 9 or so, why?" Andy returned.
"Because …" she started, taking a fortifying breath as she looked into her mother's eyes. "… I think I can be ready by tonight."
...
The crackle of fires by torch was the only sound that Allen could hear, his eyes nailed to the document in hand as he marked another report with the bottomless pens they'd stocked. His fingers were still grimy from days of toiling away around the camp, leaving smudges on the papers but he just didn't care. Bellona wanted reports on the conditions of the army and how each division was doing, but she probably wouldn't care for neatness either.
And if she did, it wasn't his problem.
A heavy sigh escaped him as he stopped for a moment. As tedious as the work was, he could appreciate why Bellona was demanding it of the commanders. It was something for them to do, to focus themselves after the last few harrowing days. The sight of bodies burning in funeral pyres, the stench of burning flesh filling his nose as smoke and ash billowed out. The memories were there, constantly just at the edge of his mind as he kept his body moving.
He'd been numb as he stood there for seeming hours, just like many of his other peers.
Brothers and sisters, friends and family, lovers, and rivals. It didn't matter what they'd been, they all ended up in the same fire after losing their lives. His fingers curled; his knuckles almost white at hot tight his grip was getting at the thought of all those lost in a war that they didn't even need to be fighting.
He felt a seething hatred for the Olympians rise up from what had always been a small pool of bitterness he held towards the gods since he learned what he was.