The Hybrid [malexmale]

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Wake up, shitfuck!"

Whoa. For a second, I honestly thought I was waking up to that when I realized I was dreaming. I opened my eyes, relieved to find it was a dream I recognized and not one of the warm visions that put me at unease. This one was so familiar that I could still smell the stench of blood wafting through the air around me, the hot sand burning my face, Menoetius's steel toed boot jamming into my ribs with the force of an elephant.

"I said up, hybrid whoreson! On your feet!" This time, his foot slammed into my nose and instantly agony shot through my skull. I snarled and rolled onto my feet, grabbing Menoetius and shoving him up against the nearest object, which happened to be the post that I had been chained to overnight. Menoetius bared his fangs in my face and shoved me back. I stumbled, then hissed as the chain choked me and I breathed hard, reaching up to wipe the blood away from my nose.

"You have balls attacking me like that." Menoetius sneered, taking a step toward me. I pinned him with a withering glare, but said nothing. Speaking only infuritated him further and I was in no mood to deal with his perpetual PMS mood swings. Even though I wanted to point out that he was the one who started it by kicking me awake.

"As much as I'd love to leave you chained here for the Greeks to find," Menoetius growled, moving to the chain around the post, "Father wants you on the front lines as we lay waste to the Atlantean-Greek port of Dionsus." I said nothing, narrowed my eyes on him in silence as he severed the chain and used his magic to dissolve it. I rubbed at the welts on my throat from where the chain had dug into my throat while Iapetus dragged me around by it last night. Menoetius spat at my foot, then raked me with a disgusted sneer.

"Clean your face up. You look disgusting."

Whose fault is that? I wanted to snap back at him, but I withheld it as I watched him saunter off, looking high and mighty in his gold and burgundy armor that glinted menacingly in the sunlight overhead. I turned away and headed for the nearby street in the woods we were camped just outside of. The smell of pine needles, of the olive trees in the distance, of the sea air spreading throughout the trees. I could hear the soldiers rousing behind me at the camp, chatting and shouting, horses nickering and stomping at the ground, of prisoners whimpering pitifully.

I ignored the sounds and drifted to the stream, sinking down to my knees and scooping handfuls of water into my face, taking occasional sips to soothe my parched throat. I threw my head back, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes to enjoy the short moment of peace, the warm sunlight against my bruised face.

I heard a twig snap and my eyes flew open. I was on my feet, whirling around with my sword drawn and the tip of it just barely grazing Epimetheus's face. He curled his lip and whacked the sword aside. I said nothing as I sheathed it.

"Damn, hybrid," He said mockingly, "You have some shitty aim."

Trust me, asshole, if I was aiming for your throat, I would've slit it before you even had a chance to notice.

"We're at the front lines today. And by we, I mean you, and we'll be right behind you. So get a move on. Take a couple prisoners with you and set them loose. Kill them before they reach the fortress in Dionsus, understood? Otherwise, they'll know we're coming." Epimetheus explained. I frowned at that, unsure as to why he would want me to set the prisoners go, then kill them... until it sank in and I forced my expression to remain stoic as Epimetheus gave me one last disgusted sneer and stalked off.

Let the prisoners go, make them think they've escaped, then crush their hopes... along with their internal organs.

It was sick, but I didn't dare disobey an order. Iapetus had me whipped in those days and I hated it. I wasn't sure what about him kept me from disobeying. Even with whippings, we both knew I had enough power to take him down, yet I couldn't.