Iridescence

Chapter Six (Artemis)

CHAPTER SIX

ARTEMIS

I stood in the woods preparing for the first lesson. My idiot brother was standing nearby watching me but not interfering. He's a fool, but he is smart enough to know not to get in my way when I'm working.

I'd chosen these woods because I knew them well. Kissena Park was large, but not nearly as large as Alley Pond. I could control the area better because it was familiar to me.

I was a little concerned the girls wouldn't come, but I relaxed as I saw five of them heading toward me together. Jenna led the way looking both determined and curious. Faith and Krissy both seemed eager to begin, and Vanessa had a peaceful expression on her face as she approached me. Eliza looked incredibly nervous.

"Welcome," I greeted them. "Today, we will begin your training as a team."

"Looking forward to it, Artemis," Faith replied with a grin that was nothing short of flirtatious. I ignored that.

"What are we called?" Jenna asked.

"What do you mean?" I replied in confusion.

"If we're a team, we must have a name, right? What is it?"

"I... That's not important," I replied firmly. "This isn't some school club, girls. We are here to work."

"Iridescence," Apollo replied.

"What?" I demanded.

"We'll call them Iridescence."

"Why would we call them that?"

"Because iridescence is a symbol of hope from the heavens, and these girls are the only hope the world has of defeating a great evil. Besides, physically, iridescence is the effect of light on colors that causes them to appear to change based on different angles, and between them, these girls cover a lot of different angles. The six of them are very different."

"There are only five of them here, Apollo," I pointed out.

"Actually, Sis, there are six," he replied with a grin.

Emily slowly walked through the trees toward us. My heart filled with a bit of pride as I saw her. I knew how difficult this was for her and was pleased she'd already decided to come back to us. "Emily, welcome," I said with a smile. "You're just in time."

"Welcome to what, exactly?" Emily demanded. "I came for answers. That doesn't mean I'm staying."

"Welcome to Iridescence," Apollo replied cheerfully. I sighed, realizing we were stuck with the name. My brother had a love affair with pretty, flowery words. Once he'd chosen it for the girls, it had become binding. Names had power. We couldn't change it now.

"Iridescence... I like it," Vanessa decided. "It suits us."

"Yeah, even if it is a mouthful," Krissy added.

"There is a great evil rising, girls," I explained. "I am afraid we're still working out some of the details, but what we do know is that this world is in danger, and you six are destined to help save it from ruin."

"No pressure or anything, right?" Faith joked. She winked at me.

"I will turn you into the warriors you are meant to be," I promised. "Each of you will learn to control your unique magic and to work as a team. You will also learn to engage in physical combat. I will oversee your training and the other deities will assist as needed. Now, to begin, I want each of you to choose the weapon which calls to you."

Faith immediately picked up an enchanted sword which had an aura of flames when at its full power. I smiled, unsurprised by that choice despite the fact that she couldn't see the flames yet. Jenna chose a javelin. Krissy selected a trident. Vanessa selected an athame. There were many other weapons available, but Eliza and Emily hesitated.