All of the women around stared at Nikolas in shock.
"What?" Nikolas questioned.
"You have ichor." Artemis realized. "You're an immortal."
"That can't be." Nikolas shook his head. "I've bled before. No one has ever seen that before."
"I don't know what to tell you, but this..." Artemis stared at the golden liquid on her hand once more. "...is ichor."
Artemis shook her head. "Let me just wrap up your wound." She grabbed a piece of cloth and wrapped it around the bleeding area.
'How do I have ichor?' Nikolas scowled. 'And why? By having ichor, that means I'm...'
A dark look overtook his face.
'I'm one of them.' He inwardly thought, venom following each word in his mind. 'What will mother think..?'
He shook his head. Even if she hated him...
He needed her back.
That was all that mattered.
"So, I assume you're a minor god?" Artemis asked.
"I am nothing." Nikolas replied.
"Hm." Artemis hummed, a light smile on her face. "Alright then. Are you ready?"
"I am." Nikolas nodded.
"Good. We will be watching from the trees." Artemis stated, turning away. She was about to start walking, before deciding to lightly mutter, "...and...I wish you luck."
Nikolas didn't respond, but he clearly heard her words. She was being oddly nicer as time progressed. No, now wasn't the time to think about it.
Artemis and her group of women walked towards the trees, quickly climbing up them and perching onto branches.
"This man will quickly be humbled." One woman stated.
"But he's an immortal. He must be pretty strong." Another woman replied.
"Doesn't matter. All men are the same." The first woman growled. "Even if he wins, he will have surely overestimated himself."
'All men are the same...' Artemis thought.
. . .
"I swear on the Styx..." Nikolas had spoken, not knowing whether or not Artemis would do the same...
"Annoying." Artemis muttered.
"You as well." Nikolas replied without an ounce of hesitation...
"To show off." Artemis answered. It was a natural thing for men to do.
"And why would I want to do that?" Nikolas questioned, defying her very vision of the man he was...
. . .
'...but are they all, really?' Can at least one man be different?' Artemis came to an interesting conclusion in her mind. 'What are you thinking?! Stop that!'
Artemis sighed.
"Is everything okay, Lady Artemis?" One woman worriedly asked.
"I am fine." Artemis replied. "Nikolas has some considerable skill. Now we shall see how he fares against my boar."
One of the women gazed at Artemis with a curious look. 'She called him by his name, instead of man or the blind archer...'
YOU ARE READING
The Son Of Snakes
FantasyA monster. Cursed by the gods and feared by all. Medusa, the famed gorgon which turned those to stone with one look, had lost all hope in her life when she stumbled across that crying baby. She was ready to put the abandoned child out of its misery...
