The Captive Titan [ManxMan]

Chapter Thirty-nine: Hold it Together

"I won't do anything stupid," is what I say instead, leaving the truth unsaid because I know he has already figured it out; he likely just hopes that if I admit I am not certain that I will be able to avoid an episode, then I will be more open to further suggestion that I remain behind.

However, his efforts combined with Gwyn's have done nothing to sway my choice over the last few weeks, and I am not about to change my mind now.

Just have to hold it together for one day. Just one day.

Atlas sighs and rests his forehead against mine. "For both our sakes, do your best to stay safe."

I lean lightly into our touching foreheads. "You had best do the same," I murmur. "In case you've forgotten, my last traipse into Tartarus wasn't very successful."

He drops his hands from my shoulders and captures my hands in his. "Is that a promise to come save me again?" He asks with the start of a smile tugging at his lips.

Though it is a teasing question, my answer is quite solemn. "Always."

Atlas leans back before bringing my hands up to his lips to kiss my knuckles. There is a moment of silence as he stares at me while I stare back before he closes his eyes and presses his face to my captured hands. "Don't go somewhere I can't follow, love."

Don't die, he doesn't say.

"Then don't lead the way."

He does not look at me, but he still gives a jerky nod of his head. "This is still a horrible idea."

- - - - - - -

The moment my feet brush over bricks made of marble rather than the dirt courtyard we just left, I am on high alert, scanning the area Atlas brought us to - I have no ability to enter Mount Olympus on my own, but the Titans apparently still do. I quickly scan the road that is leading away from a distant lake and through a dense forest up to the glistening, golden arches of the gate directly before me. Before I can look beyond the road, though, the rest of our band - the Dagda, his grandson Mac Cuill, Gwyn, and fourteen Titans who were well enough to participate - either fades or pops into existence around us, as Atlas and I were apparently the first, despite having been the last two to leave Faerie.

Teleportation can be weird like that sometimes.

Still, while it is not all that strange for magic to not always work linearly, that does not mean that anyone looks happy when they realize that we were the first to arrive, as we were supposed to arrive last for reasons of allowing the more battle-skilled Titans - such as Cronus, Pallas, Hyperion, and Iapetus - to arrive first. After all, though we all chose to teleport to the outskirts of the city of Olympus for the reason of hopefully gaining the advantage of surprise, there was no way of knowing who or what would be waiting for us. And as the first to arrive, we would have borne the brunt of any attack.

Only, even beyond the road, which is empty, there is not a soul in sight.

That, of course, does not mean that there is no one around. After all, just because there is no one visible, that does not mean that they are not there, just out of sight. There could be dryads inhabiting the trees or styrs hidden amongst them. Spirits in the wind, invisible to all but those who know to look for them. Naiads, carefully watching from a distance in the lake far behind us. Harpies, crouches behind roofs. Centaurs, just beyond the gates.

Gods, lying in wait.

The only thing that really eases the discomfort the uncertainty of our safety brings is the knowledge that I am not the only one on guard. There is not a single member of our band that is not aware of the dangers - in fact, most of them are likely more intimately aware of the danger than I am - and everyone is keeping their eyes open and limbs loose in anticipation of a fight. And if our brief journey to where we can only hope Zeus still is ends in battle, then I know that there will always be someone who will have my back.