It had to be something from a daydream, and not actually real. There was no way such beautiful items could all exist so perfectly while waiting to be claimed. The temptation was unlike anything I'd experienced before. I wanted to touch every single thing I saw; it was better than a new season designer shoe sale where everything was only available in your size and half price.
It was better than, well, a lot of things.
"So, see anything you like?" Apollo asked, clearly enjoying this as much as I was.
"Oh, maybe just one or two things." I shrug, trying to act casual while the giant smile I had in place was making my face ache. "How do you choose?"
"Some say they choose you. Take a couple, test them out back." The gnome following me chuckled. "All are spelled. They will not cause any harm to you or your opponent. Abilities are all blocked as well."
"What?" I hesitate.
"Relax. It's fine." Apollo assures me, yet the sparkle of rubies against the golden hilt of katana beside him grabs my attention.
"I'm telling Mum to come here when she asks what I want for Christmas." I pick it up, admiring the detail for a second, before going for another and another.
"If I knew how happy this made you, we would have come here last time you came to this world." Apollo smiles as I follow him out the back.
"Probably best you didn't though." I shrug.
The space isn't big, smaller than the gym at the Academy and I line up my new possible companions. There are a few target boards lined up on one wall, and some over stuffed dummies gathered in one corner. Feeling for my powers, they're still there, but nothing happens as I call a dagger into my hand. Picking them up one by one, I don't bother with the training equipment around the space. All of it looked like it was one hit away from falling apart anyway. I do a few warm up moves, swinging the blades at imaginary foes, but nothing about this seems to be helping me find a new companion.
"Why don't you try something else, swords are so last millennia." Apollo muses, looking at the line up as he sits on the bench.
"Like what?"
"Archery runs in your family as it does mine." He suggests a bow similar to Artemis.
"No. I feel that's a little too on trend for me, plus then you need the arrows and it's suddenly like a whole thing and I just can't be bothered with that." I shrug. "Plus I like to stab things when I'm angry."
Cain had made a good point. I was down a sword, and replacing Sobek-Ra's blade, the God Killer's sword, with one purely of my own made sense. Despite feeling myself again, I missed the stupid thing. It was just there for me to call upon, or was sitting on the bed, or in the corner of the room. That sword, connection or not, had become a part of me. I needed a new one, or at least a new something to fill the void left behind.
"Daggers are always good. They've always been my preferred choice." Two appear in his hands, and he does a little performance of stabbing the air with them, before turning back to me and eyeing up the sword in my hands. "Size doesn't always matter."
"Does it though?" I smirk. "Wanna test that theory?"
"Bring it, Bunny."
We start to spar, testing each other and the new weapons cautiously before I hit his arm, and sure enough, it's more like being hit with rubber than the deadly blade it was intended to be. Now that's been confirmed, it ends up being less friendly and more fueled with an intent to win. It was harder than I remembered now our powers were on hold. If you get knocked down, you have to get yourself back up. There was no shielding, teleporting or cheap shots of the magical kind possible. It was almost like training together, back in the old days when my biggest fear was my father's wrath, and the biggest risk I took was stealing his car for a joyride or stirring up werewolves.
I swap swords, trying to get a feel for the one I'd take home; even a dagger at one point after stealing it from Apollo's hand. I try the bow, some throwing stars and even a boomerang piece that I only end up hitting myself with. I'd just changed weapons again, when Kara joins us, getting in a decent kick that I don't block in time and fall onto my back. I stay down, getting my breath back as she takes my place with Apollo. He soon bests her, and I use the distraction to my advantage.
Only he wasn't distracted and as I jumped onto his back, he was ready and I ended up flipped over and slammed down onto the mat. His stupid dagger was positioned just under my throat as he pinned me down, looking way too smug for my liking.
"I expected more from you, I mean, as much as I love the position we find ourselves in I-" I slip my knee up, as I head butt him, pushing up and over, as he grunts and I pin him down. "Ow!"
"I expected more from you. You left yourself open for that, and your little blade did, little, to impress me." As opposed to the Viking looking sword I now balanced under his chin and across his chest. "I still don't think this is the one though."
Kara joins us, rubbing the back of her neck as I inspect the newest piece and throw it between my hands. It's too heavy, the hilt doesn't fit my hand right. There's a green jewel on the top I don't like. Apollo stays on the ground, rising up slightly on his elbows as he watches me.
"Not that one."
"I agree." I extend my hand to help him up and he shakes his head.
"I'm not falling for that." He gets up on his own and looks around. "I don't think there is much left here you haven't tried."
Kara inspects the small blade in her hand. "This is cute."
"I don't want, cute." I sigh as Deimos joins us, seemingly weaponless. "What have you got?"
None of the items Kara brought in impressed me much either. Maybe Deimos would hold the winning ticket.
"Nothing. I don't like these instruments. I have no use for them."
"What if you lost your powers?" My question seems to shock him.
"It will never happen."
"No?" I smile.
Apollo steps back, and realising where I was going with this, Kara does too.
"No." He answers flatly before motioning at the three of us as we all stand together sore, out of breath and sweaty. "And I do not understand the point of any of this."
"It's called training. Have you really never done any training or like rough housing?" Deimos just stares at me. "You were a twin, didn't you ever like, play around with each other as kids? Jordan and I would always be doing something to-"
"No. With powers like ours, there is little need for much else. I don't see the point of these, toys."
"Do you even know how to fight, like hand to hand combat?"
"I know a little. I have no need to know much else or to do training as you all seem to enjoy." He said training like it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Oh Deimos. Wow." I look at the other two and Apollo just shrugs while Kara shakes her head with a warning clear on her face. "So, here and now, in this room, you're powerless. We all are, and I'm going to say it. I could totally kick your ass."
His eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "No."
I throw Kara's cute blade at him. It hits his throat, making him cough but does no other damage as it bounces onto the ground. His eyes narrow and he touches his throat.
"You just threw that at me."
"Yup." I throw a couple of the stars I had, the result much the same yet the last one he catches. He looks at it in his hand, and then at me. "No powers. No ouchies. That's what the elf guy said, so it's back to basics here."
"It was a gnome. You do not want to engage in a mock battle with me, Elise." Deimos warns.
"So you do have some skills hidden under all those powers and power attitude, or are you trying to scare me off so you don't get beat by a girl." I taunt. "Twenty years without powers taught me a few things. What about you, Mr. I Don't Use Toys?"
Powers or not, the look he serves me with could have actually just turned my blood cold. I shiver as Deimos looks again at the tiny star shaped blade in his hand. Somehow I stand my ground and this time when our eyes meet, I smile which seems to just really piss him off.
"Elise, this is ridiculous." Kara huffs, yet Apollo grabs her arm and pulls her back a few steps as Deimos flings the tiny blade my way.
"Did you just do that?" I gasp, teasing him.
He bends over and picks up a few more that I'd already been hitting him with and slowly we begin to circle each other. He throws a few more at me and as I pass one of the swords, I grab it. Deimos mimicked my actions and our blades touched with a soft clink.
"Game on, God of Terror."
"Yes I am, aren't I. But who exactly are you?" He smirks.
"Ouch. Really Deimos, ouch."
He surges forward and the first few minutes are easy and fun.
Then I tap him on the top of the head and make an 'aw' noise that seems to trigger him into a rampage.
"Get him, Bunny!" Apollo calls.
"Show us what you're made of Deimos!" Kara joins in.
"Is she on my side or yours?" I manage to get out as he is making me really work now.
His steps are light and well planned, the strength behind each hit is felt in my arms. I don't like this sword, I change it to another, and notice Artemis joined Apollo. Deimos uses this to his advantage, tripping me up and before I can move, goes to take the kill shot. I barely get away, the blade catching my shirt which rips as I roll to the side. I sit up, going for his knee which buckles slightly and then we're somehow entering a weird wrestling competition. Again his strength is obvious as I twist and bend, giving up on winning and deciding to just get away. He was taking this way more seriously than I expected.
"You got her good, De! Don't let her up." Kara calls out this time.
I hear Artemis say something, but not clear enough. Whatever it was has Kara telling her to shut up.
"I think, that would, be, my side." Deimos grits out, and I wonder how much pressure my shoulder can withstand before popping. "Admit I win."
"Never." I growl.
Going limp I let him bend me around; his knee is soon my back as my arms are still trapped in his hold. Looking around, there isn't much I can do to help myself, and seeing his leg beside me, he's almost squatting over me more than anything. The pain that should be where his knee doesn't register which means he's holding back and doing a great job of balancing. I try to wiggle again, and realise my legs are free.
Glancing up at our trio of spectators, I smile and despite the stink coming off the mats lay flat.
"Look out!" Kara warns, but it only helps me as I feel his grip weaken on my arms.
It's a slither of a distraction, one I really needed and I move my legs. I bend them back as if I'm trying to hit my butt, only it wasn't mine I reach thanks to the way he's positioned. One, two; he wobbles, losing his balance as I expected and the third kick quickly follows. It does the job as I hear him grunt in surprise and well, a bit of pain. With my arms free I squirm forward, roll onto my back and throw my boot into his stomach.
He falls.
I pounce. The dagger is scooped up as I go, finding his throat as the sword is raised and pointed down over his chest.
"Admit I win." I throw his words back at him.
He looks furious as he glares back at me, yet the emotion doesn't stick. He brings his hands up, one on my forearm that holds the dagger, and the other onto the blade of the sword.
Damn these weapons being spelled so they don't hurt.
He holds onto both, and pushes back. His strength outweighs mine, and moving, he manages to get free. He pulls the sword from hold and tosses it aside, blocking the hits I throw his way as we stand up. We're both breathing heavily with the effort of it, but I'm soon out of tricks as yet again, I'm at his mercy. I don't even know how it happened, but I'm seeing black spots in my vision and I can't breathe no matter how hard I try to.
Everything feels numb.
"Fine." I gasp. "You win."
Instantly I'm free and trying to suck in as much air as I can manage. The trio ran over, throwing a load of praise at Deimos which, damn him, was all true and well deserved.
"That was, just, amazing to watch." Kara exclaimed, hugging Deimos before jumping back. "Next time, it's me and you!"
Catching a look at the God of Kicking My Ass, I swear he just blushed or maybe it was leftover flush from the fight. I was glad to see he was as much of a sweaty mess as I was., but my ego had the bulk of that beating.
"You good?" Apollo asks cautiously.
"Yeah." I look at a very smug Deimos and shake my head. "If that's a little, I'd hate to see what you count as a lot."
I hold out my hand and he takes it. "You fought well. I had almost forgotten what it was like to actually enter a combat situation."
"We were on a battlefield a few weeks ago. Does that not count?" Artemis frowned.
"Powers, remember?" I tell her, as he lifts his shirt to see the bruise forming on his stomach. "Sorry about that, Apollo can fix it when we get out of this room."
"I apologise for those too." He says and looking at my arms, my own bruises are fast forming.
"Eh, don't even worry about it. But seriously, can we do this again? Best training ever." Deimos surprises all of us, and laughs.
Then he just walks out.
"Guess that's it then?" Artemis shrugs, and we all move to follow him.
"So, decided on anything?" Apollo asks as we go.
"No. I do have my powers, so I'll just use them like Deimos pointed out. You don't really do much more than use yours, right? I know Art has her bow, but most just throw a bunch of magic stuff at whatever they're fighting and hope for the best. Long term, it could be good that I don't have a thing. What if I lose it or it gets broken? Days of hibernation until I get over it again?" I sigh. "Deimos was also right when he asked what am I now. I'm not anything. I don't need a fancy weapon of my own. I don't need an Artemis bow, or a God Killer sword or like Posideon's Triton thing."
"You will always be something, Bunny. A name is just a name. It doesn't change who you are."
"I think I want it to though. Now I've given them up, I want to go back to just Elise Bunting, Hunter, sometimes, when I feel like it maybe. If I go back to my normal, everyday life, void of gods, war and whatever else, and just be boring and off the radar, then what reason do the Fates have to keep meddling? Maybe this is what Hecate meant when she said I would find happiness. I'd go back to basics and that's the end of that?"
Apollo goes quiet, and drops an arm over my shoulder before giving me a hug. We go back inside, and take one final look around at the armoury.
"So what's the deal with the Fate thing? Surely Portia will put in a good word or two with the others?" He asks.
"I don't even know what her game is anymore. Mostly I just seem to piss them off, firstly by even letting Portia be the Third, then rejecting being Queen and oh, despite fulfilling the vision, Cain is still alive. Plus you and I broke up which goes against some grand plan they had, and they're not exactly loving the prospect of me and him."
"They can join the club." He adds, holding his hands up innocently. "I'm all for a truce, but I'm not a hundred percent behind you two either."
"Noted." I sigh, stopping by a triton and think it over. "Anyway, I'm hoping that if I just do nothing, be as mortal as I can be, eventually they'll just move on to the next guy or girl who they can fuck with as much as they want. Like when Jordan used to bug me so I'd snap and then Mum would tell me off, but if I didn't bite, and ignore him, he'd just go away."
"I can't imagine you ever not biting." Apollo laughs as we go through another door the others had disappeared through.
"It happened. Once or twice."
I freeze by the cabinet of diamonds and jewels. Rainbows dance from every carefully crafted facate of dazzling necklaces and headpieces. Rings are spaced carefully in rows upon rows with more bling than I think any celebrity in my world could even imagine. Artemis is admiring a pair of chandelier style earrings, and gnome after gnome stops in front of me with offers to touch and try on anything I'd like.
"Are you done here?" Kara asked, joining us as I'm not sure I should accept the offer of putting one of the black diamonds around my neck. "I've always preferred emeralds."
"What do you think of this for Olivia?" Forcing myself away from the jewelry, I hold up a small knife that's not much better than a letter opener. It's gold and has a sprinkling of diamond stars through it. "Baby's first weapon?"
"Not sure how Raya would feel about that, maybe wait for her third birthday." Kara frowned, and Apollo failed at hiding his smile.
"You're probably right." I smile at the gnome and point at it, deciding to get it anyway.
"Are you getting anything else?" Apollo asks.
"I don't think so. Not today anyway." We go through to the main shop front, another jeweler though nothing like what is out the back.
It's busy, three couples are in each corner looking over trays of rings, tiny compared to the ones I had just been admiring while an older lady; inspects the rubies around her neck. Others are just browsing. Gnomes rush around, greeting each person as they enter, pre-empting exactly what everyone is there for.
"Super busy." I point out to the gnome, as Apollo sorts the bill.
A box full of pear tipped arrows is shown to him briefly, and I see Artemis' mark on the outside engraving. She appears beside him, the pair whispering as she reopens the box and gives them a closer inspection.
"The soldiers have returned home. Many have big promises to fulfil." The cashier chuckles as he answers me, before another appears with the baby knife. "Good for business."
"I can tell." I smile at him.
"That and where else would they go?" He gloats, moving on to the next person.
"I'm guessing you guys don't have a Tiffany's or Cartier nearby?" I ask, admiring a few more, normal, pieces as we pass.
"This is pretty much it. All pieces are handmade, guaranteed one of a kind. Rumpel is one of the most respected craftsmen in this land. He treats the gnomes well and in return they protect all his treasures, those out front and what was back there." Artemis tells me as we go to leave. "He's been serving us for centuries, and for an Other to come here shows off their status."
"Like, Rumpel as in Rumpelstiltskin?"
"Not who you're thinking. This is technically Rumpel Senior, no one talks about his son. Sensitive subject and not worth going into." Apollo quickly clarifies as I'm ushered outside.
"Oh." I'm not sure what to say to that.
"What now? I know they're still celebrating, well everything. We could go to a party. I haven't enjoyed myself for far too long!" Artemis twirled in the street as we exited. "What do you all think?"
Deimos and Kara are talking quietly behind us, and both freeze as they realise we're all looking at them.
"Not for me. Thank you." Deimos is gone a second later.
"Same. I've had enough for one night. I'll talk to you later, Elise." She vanishes too.
"So are they-" Apollo starts.
"Kara doesn't date Powers." I tell him, making Artemis laugh.
"Maybe our new queen is smarter than I thought."
"Art." I sigh.
"I was being nice. Anyway, let's do something! It's so nice to be home, and look at how happy everyone is."
She had a point, there were still colorful banners decorating the street, and all who passed us were smiling and laughing. You could feel the change in the air, and I thought back only a few weeks ago when I had paraded through town. It hadn't been anything like this. Passing one of the God Killer shrines, I stopped. Fresh flowers decorated the base of the statue, and the woman above us bore no resemblance to me or anyone I knew. The crown on top of the statue's head looked new.
"They put too much faith in a myth and-" Artemis began to mumble.
"It was all they had." Apollo cut her off. "She is all they have."
"But Kara isn't this. No one is." I add.
"She doesn't need to be. In time, this idea they have will change. Reality will update the past and the legend will exist separate from the fact. It will just be. Just as it was with our sire." Artemis shrugged. "With all of us at one point or another. We live here, walk among them and yet, they don't see us. They see and believe what they want."
Sure enough, there was a banner promoting Artemis, The Huntress. It was what I'd expect to see back home, not here. The Powers lived here. They originated from this land in this world. Going closer, she had a point. Even in their home world they were just as mythical as ever.
"They love the God Killer, and in time their Queen will take her place in their hearts and minds. They will be one and the same, but different."
"Kara is going to be fine." Apollo assured me.
"I know." I wanted to believe them.
Artemis sighed. "It'll all work out, Elise. I know it will."
"I'm pretty sure you said something like that to me last time too."
"And hasn't it all worked out?" She winked. "I'll see you two later. I'm not feeling as festive now."
"What happened to family bonding time?" Apollo teased.
"To be honest, with our family, that never ends well. I am going to check in with some of my nymphs though, and see how the new girls are doing." Artemis' disappeared.
"Then there were two." Apollo looked around at the dark street. Noise came from the top of the corner and we started in that direction. "Fancy a drink?"
"No, I think I am just about done with tonight as well. Thank you for everything. Again."
"Any time, Bunny."
He disappears and I drift back down to the statue.
"Is that regret I detect?" Internally I groan, and turn to see Portia coming up behind me.
"You should know, you've had plenty more experience with it than I have." Her dark eyes narrow as she stops beside me. "I don't regret any of it. Things are how they should be."
"Perhaps."
"I'm not biting."
"Is it part of your being as mortal as you can be, plan?" She taunts, picking up a rose from the pile of flowers and sniffing it. "Your little game with the Terror God left you very distracted."
"You were there." It wasn't a question.
"I'm always somewhere." She threw the flower to the ground. "I don't think it will work."
"What won't work?"
"They're not Jordan. Ignoring them won't make them go away. They will only try harder to get your attention."
Okay, so I was biting. "But why? What exactly do they want from me in the first place?"
"I don't know."
"Bring them here. They can have all of my attention, for as long as they want it. Let's sort everything out."
She shook her head. "If it were that easy, would we even be having this little chat?"
"Who knows. I don't, you don't. How about we all just-"
"Call a truce?" Portia smirked.
"Yes!" I shouted. "Call, a fucking truce! You three are The Fates. The all knowing, all powerful Fates. Surely you have millions of more important things to be doing than fucking with my life. If I knew how much time you'd get to waste on doing nothing at all, maybe I'd have stayed as the third!"
Portia opened her mouth, but promptly shut it.
"You're looking like the weak link here, Portia. What would the other two say?" I taunt.
This time she didn't need to say anything. I felt the change in the air, the rage she tried so hard to hide. Somewhere nearby a loud bang, like a gunshot, sounded out before light exploded above us. Fireworks filled the night sky and we both looked up, only when I looked back to her, she was gone.