Badlands ♡ muke

1 ⋇ apollo

Apollo

god of oracles, healing, archery, music and arts, sunlight, knowledge, herds and flocks, and protection of the young

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Luke had never felt more useless than he did when Ashton and two other boys grabbed Calum and carried him to his mother's temple.

He should know better. And he should know what to do now when the demigod who saved his life was in pain because of him.

The cup from which he would drink if he wouldn't have been stopped was lying on the floor. Michael was kneeling next to it.

Only now, Luke saw the water wasn't as clear as it should be. It was green and it smelled like lemons but stronger.

Michael took an olive branch and dipped it into the spill. It sizzled and the wood ignited immediately.

"Careful," Luke said.

Only then the boy realized he was being watched. The black-haired boy stood up and hurried to the temple.

Luke was a few meters behind and just as he entered the temple, he heard a scream.

Fearing the worst, he ran after Michael. He thanked all the gods his mother wouldn't oppose when he saw Calum was still alive. In pain, but alive.

Another scream followed as green leaves were placed over the wound.

Luke knew all the herbs and plants they used and he knew nothing in Athens could heal that kind of evil.

"It is good that the wound is on the outside, if the poison would be consumed as it was intended the death would be immediate."

Luke almost threw up.

"Who did this?" Ashton asked.

"The guards didn't see anyone suspicious. But it could be anyone. It wouldn't be the first time the children of gods tried to prove their right by doing something wrong." One of their teachers had said.

He was a demigod himself, Luke's half-brother. He was full of knowledge but Luke knew he was also jealous of his brothers and sisters who could leave the temple. Their mother bound him to Athens.

"Good thing one of you could see through it."

"How did he know?" Luke asked and looked at Michael, annoyed that the boy was ignoring him. "Speak!"

He never raised his voice, especially not in Athena's temple but he had to know.

"Leave him alone," Calum said with a week voice that got everyone's attention. "Michael doesn't speak." With the help of the healers, he was raised to the point where he was half-sitting. "He always notices the bad, I only noticed when he pointed it out to me."

"I-I." A rush of embarrassment rushed over him. "Y-you tried to save me. That's why you threw a rock at me."

Michael nodded only slightly, holding the eye contact for less than a second before turning back to the son of Apollo.

"Thank you," Luke whispered but he knew nothing he could say to either of the boys would ever make it up unless he could save Calum.

For the first time that day, he knew what he had to do. He stood up and spoke up.

"I'm going to the oracle."

"Luke, I don't think that's wise," Calum said weakly.

Luke was seventeen. Too young for battle, too young to leave the school. But Calum was too young to die.

"I must," He insisted, looking at Calum. "Your father is the god of oracles, healing, knowledge, and protection. I trust he'll guide me to his temple where his priestesses will help me save your life.

"But Delphi is at least a two-day walk away," Ashton argued.

"You'd have to bring the boy with you." His teacher stood up. "I agree, this might be the only way. But they will only help you if the demigod will be with you."

"I'll carry him myself," Luke said.

"That won't be necessary. You can take horses."

Calum raised his voice. "Michael will come as well, there's no point in telling him not to. He won't listen."

"Good," The teacher nodded. "Inferis can see through lies and deception. We don't know if this was an attack on you, son of Athena, or the injured one."

"It could be someone else, maybe it's an attack on the school, the temple." Luke couldn't see why he or Calum would be a target. They weren't important enough.

"That is true, but you will be more vulnerable out there."

"We should get ready," Luke looked at Michael.

He didn't know how he felt about going on the road with a complete stranger but he wasn't a stranger to Calum.

When Luke stood up and turned, Ashton was standing right behind him. "I am going as well."

"Ashton-"

The boy shook his head. "I can be spared here and you need at least one decent soldier."

He couldn't disagree, his father was the god of war and he was strong. But he was also strong-willed and stubborn. Luke knew it wasn't his decision to make.

Ashton looked at Calum. "I know you'd do the same for me."

Calum smiled and it was set in stone.

His aunt was the goddess of the moon but they would wait for the next sun to rise before leaving the town.

Luke had never left Athens, the city named after his mother, the city he called home. And he never imagined leaving it for the first time would be to return a favor as big as this one.

To save a life before more could be taken.

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oracle - a person or a place with prophetic abilities

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thank you so much to all of you who will give this story a chance! i will include some definitions but if anything else is confusing, do not be afraid to ask. (:

thoughts on this chapter?

first muke moments?

michael not talking? his friendship with calum?

luke deciding to try and save calum's life?

the entire 'gang' going on a 'trip'?

any early predictions on who was the target and why?

Love, Lucija ♡