A Fight Against the All Powerful Divines and A Mortal by sarahwhitney (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

One sunny day,a baby was born.He was raised by his parents and grew up to be strong and handsome. He was also an amazing warrior. His name was Ariston. Ariston knew his strengths and bragged about them constantly. His parents begged him each night to stop his ignorance but he would just brag more. Ariston said he could defeat all twelve Olympian gods single-handed.
He told this to every passer by who would listen, eachtime the person would look at him in askance and
then scurry off. Ariston would just laugh at them. Finally, Ariston’s ignorance proved Zeus’ patience very little. Zeus called all eleven gods and goddesses together. He put Ares and Athena as the leaders of the charge. Apollo would
lure Ariston to
the battlefield with his lyre and Hermes would sound the trumpet when the battle would begin.
Zeus decided for the battle to be halfway between Sparta and Athens. He would go to each Athenian and Spartan family and tell the news of war. The people would just stare at him in awe. Once the news was spread, Zeus returned to Mount Olympus. There, Zeus prepared for battle. After every lightning bolt was ready, Zeus sent Hermes to send the message to every god and goddess that a mortal was soon going to be punished.
The big day came and all of Athens and Sparta gathered. Zeus led the army of gods and goddesses on the field. He towered over Ariston, but Ariston had already been to the Oracle of Apollo who told him he would fight today. Ariston was confident
that he would win. He knew every trick and move of Athena because his dad had done Athena a great favor. In return she had taught him her skill.
The trumpet sounded loud and clear.Zeus immediately aimed for Ariston's shoulder, but missed.
Ariston slashed back and three gods left, their pride deeply wounded. Athena did a move, but then Ariston would quickly deflect the attack and attack back. When this happened, Ariston either stayed even with her or she would lose a god. One by one the gods left until only Ares, Zeus and Athena had stayed for battle.
Then Ariston made a fatal mistake. He taunted the gods that remained, angering Zeus who struck him down. Ariston wasn’t prepared and fell down hard. Ares then bounded Ariston up, ready to kill him. Ariston pleaded for mercy. Ares showed mercy and let Ariston go. He warned Ariston severely and also said from now on, in any war his city-state was in, they would always lose.
Once this punishment had happened, Ariston was kicked out of Athens.
The Spartans refused to take him as a citizen and didn’t let him enter the city gates either. Ariston stayed alive, by stealing from traveling merchants.
Years passedand Ariston had forgotten about the curse and the warning. He was invited to come into city-states and eat and drink his fill. Ariston started to brag again.
Zeus was furious, he sent Ares down to soundly punish him. When Ares came, Ariston was in Athens. “Ariston! Have you forgotten my warning?!” he boomed. Ariston squinted at Ares and asked,” Who are you stranger?”
“I am Ares, god of war!” he said. “I see you took no heeding of my warning” he added. Then Ares sprinkled the dust of dove’s wings and the ash of wood onto Ariston.
Ariston felt himself shrinking. His head shaping into a small oval and nose growing out.
His mouth turned into his nose and his arms felt lighter. He went to scream but instead a caw came out.
Ares smiled in satisfaction and said, “Now you may fly around the world, telling people of your great victory over the gods through the one sound of a caw.” Now when you see a crow, think of the ignorant Ariston who can now brag to the world of his victory, just as Ares told him he could.

Publication Date: 05-06-2011

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