Artemis POV
'Aphrodite, for the tenth time,' I groaned in frustration. 'I wasn't making out with Perseus!'
After that bold decision I had made, Aphrodite indeed had detected the presence of "love" and she came to our rescue.
I breathed in again the air of freedom and enjoyed the morning light dancing and coiling on my skin the moment I got out of that pit. But that moment of bliss didn't last for long because of the two annoying persons behind me.
Chaos boils me.
My mind suddenly recounted the moment of impulsiveness in that pit. The skin on my neck still mingled with the touches of his lips and the skin of my waist was still warm from the touch of his hand. Heat raising up my cheeks while I attempted to subside that foolish and sickening desire. And what worse? Well that moment took the whole of me and I let myself ensnared into it. So when Aphrodite and Apollo came into our pit, Perseus lips were still on me and I was still moaning at his touch.
Yes, Aphrodite and Apollo had seen the entire thing. Even worse, that idiotic brother whistled at the sight and thus stopped us from doing something even worse.
I glared at the two most annoying people (which were now zoning out of Olympus) on the entire Universe.
"Earth calls to Aphrodite and Apollo" I knocked on their heads and rolled my eyes. "Can you guys snap out of it already? It wasn't like what it looks like"
The moment their souls returned to their bodies, Aphrodite was the first to make noise. She squealed so loud I could've heard it echoing many times in my ears.
"Finally after a two thousand years!!!!" She danced around me like a kid. "Artemis has found a lover! Artemis has found a lover"
"Shut the hell up Aphrodite!" I hissed as my hand reached for the dagger on my belt. Mercifully, Aphrodite stopped and walked closer to me. She suddenly slapped me on the arm. It was playful though
"Damn you Artemis" she pouted. "You could've told me you had a thing or two with him you know. So that I didn't have to get my hopes up for him. But to be honest, you are something else do you? Having him wrapped around your fingers in just after a day!? That is a pro's work Artemis, not for some immature."
"Can you not making up absurd speculations?" I snarled at her and yanked off the hand she had on my shoulder. "I was desperate to get out. It was just a method to have you tracking us down. If your tracking skills weren't that pathetic, there wouldn't be any of that-uh...'scene' for you to see"
"Is that all?" Her sultry tone irritated me as she gave me that sensuous and mischievous smile.
"I wonder how is Perseus thinking about it." She jerked her eyes at his direction. "The poor guy is suffering with the pain in his pants you know?"
I blushed at the thought. Damn you and your dark words Aphrodite. I willed wind and air to brush through me, sweeping away the disgusting thoughts.
I clenched my fists and stared at her.
"It's your speculation and can we stop discussing about this? It's already bad enough for my reputation to be ruined, much worse that Perseus has to be involved. The least thing I want is people on Olympus start to whisper about me and him."
"Fine fine, but this is not over ok" Aphrodite gave up when she saw the look on my face. At the point, my eyes already wet from the tears and I tried hard not to let them fall.
It was already so embarrassing and dreadful enough after having Aphrodite and Apollo to discover what I did. The thoughts of having everyone to know about it nearly had me wanting to bury myself alive. Much worse would be my own Hunters finding out and start to think their own mistress make out with a male and break her oath. The core principle of the hunt. I would just kill myself that happen.
I turned to Apollo, who gave me a blank face and I slapped his head. He sprang and looked what at me, still confused at what just happened.
"Hello Earth to Apollo!" I called.
He didn't respond, only to look at me with a amazed look as his mouth slowly spitting out words.
"Green grass breaks through snow,
Artemis making out in the dark.
The world has fallen."
That earned him a slap and Aphrodite being Aphrodite just laughing her ass off.
"Shut up with you and your stupid haiku"
"Ouch sis" he rubbed his swollen cheek and glared at me. Just after a few seconds, he straightened his back and gave me an insolent look.
"Well it's still better than you acting all that mighty, goodie and pure and orderly stuff. Who would've thought Artemis the Maiden goddess of the Moon and man-haters would go kissing in the public square like that"
Madness spread through me. I stormed towards him and lifted him up from the ground by the collar. He managed to swallow hard and shakily staring back at me.
"I swear to all beings if you keep bringing up that shit up again" I hissed at his face. "I'll make your immortal life miserable"
He nodded furiously that I was afraid his neck would break. I released him and the god of the sun choked for air. How could he still be gasping for air when he doesn't need it?
"Well sis, I must say you have incredible strength despite your look" Apollo managed to form words at the end.
"Oh yeah?" I made a step closer. "You want some more?"
"Uh no" he shook his head. "But you gotta attend to your lover soon cuz he looks like he's about to flash out"
"APOLLO!" I screamed and threw my dagger at his direction. But the moron just winked at me and disappeared before I could act. My dagger flew past a column of resplendent bright golden light.
"Hm Art- " Aphrodite cleared her throat.
"What!?" I snapped immediately. At the moment, all I wanted was to hunt down that idiot and skin him alive. Least I wanted was some more mocking from the goddess of love herself.
"It's getting late so I'll be leaving-uh-you guys alone"
I gave a a look of confusion when she said 'guys'. But before I could ask, she already vanished into a cluster of pink smoke. I choked on the atrocious perfumes of Aphrodite.
Well that was for a long day. Now I have to figure out how to respond to my hunters. Mostly they wouldn't be curious about my absence. But I knew Thalia and Zoë. Those girls are like my arms and the moment something seems off, they would question me immediately. Since I didn't inform them about me not returning to the hunt for the night, they probably have already formulated some questions.
If it gets worse, I would just blame Apollo for ruining stuff and I had to stay back to clean up the mess on Olympus. They would understand.
About Apollo. Even though I had warned him about the consequences of divulging the embarrassing and dark secrets of mine. I still wasn't sure if he would comply. I mean we had a long history of getting back at each other. So I wouldn't be surprised that Apollo use this to play back on me. The least thing I wanted was to have father knowing about this. Perseus didn't actually impress him on the first day. So problems related to Perseus will put him on Zeus's bad-side. Much worse if he found out Perseus went kissing with his daughter. Gosh he would put Perseus on the black-list.
About Perseus, how come I haven't heard his voice yet?
Speaking of the devil.
As I turned back to check on the surrounding, I immediately came face to face with a mesmerising and beautiful features. He looked uncomfortable, by the fact that he kept shifting his legs. He didn't look at me, and I was glad. Right now I just wanted to disappear. Apollo and Aphrodite have already made it awkward enough between us that I wouldn't know how to face him in the future.
I was about to walk away in silence when the idiot decided to call for me.
"Artemis!"
I closed my eyes. Bracing for some more awkward moments.
I heard him approaching me from behind, and he came to a halt just a feet from me.
"What do you want?" My voice was hoarse, distant and cold. Perhaps that might get him off my tail.
It wasn't that I hated him or something. Well I still do but I didn't want to act like a jerk like that. After all, if it wasn't because of him, I wouldn't be able to get out of the trap. The least I could do was to say 'thank you'. The problem was I had never said the 'words' to any males in my life. Even to my father. Hence it became so foreign in my mouth that may jaw hardened the moment I thought of it.
"Are you alright?" He voice was no louder than a whisper.
But the word shot through me like an arrow. I stiffened with it because I knew what he was implying. Right now the least person I wanted to talk about it was him. Do you know how awkward it gets when the guy you just made out with a moment ago now wants to talk about it with you? I didn't know how that works with mortal, but if he starts spitting out about changing our current relationship. I wouldn't be responsible for my own action.
And so anger spread through me, and I showed him all of it.
I turned back sharply and he flinched with surprise. He made an attempt to step back as I stormed towards him. I grabbed him by the collars and spatted at his face.
"Shut up before something worse happens to you. Speak out what happened in the pit and you will never see the sun ever again."
He swallowed hard, sweats already forming on his foreheads as he stared at me with such concern in his eyes.
And it snapped in me.
He saw it. He saw through me.
Even though my appearance was strong and angry and it seemed as if only fire and wrath were ranging inside me. It was actually the opposite. My inside was now was as fragile as glass and they threatened to shatter any moment. Parts it were due to the fear of someone else finding out what I did, the resentment to myself, the disappointment and the mortification because my reputation and principles were broken.
So when I looked into his eyes. My muscles and mind trembled. My eyes suddenly stung and I slowly released my hold on his shirt. I turned my back and started walking away.
I had to get away quick before those salty droplets start to pour out from my eyes, must be quick before I hurl up the emotion that was yearning to escape from my hollowed chest.
"Artemis please..."
"SHUT UP!?"
I screamed. It was too late. Tears already flowing out and there were a lot. I hated when I cried and hated even more when he had to witness it. It made me weak and vulnerable. I wiped my eyes, but they never stopped flowing.
"What ever it is I'm sorry ok." His voice was pleading, as he attempted to make a closer step.
"Shut up I don't want to hear it. Just shut up!" I screamed again, and thunder crackled across the sky.
Then the first droplet fell. No it wasn't salty, it wasn't warm. It was heavy, and it was cold.
"Can we just-" he attempted but I cut him off
"Shut up! Just shut up"
Rain became heavier and until it was flushing down on us. My head and clothes and face were drained; and the heavy feelings atop my head slowly cascading down my body along with the brain. Sometimes I was glad being a child of Zeus. Because storm showed our emotion, and rain and wind were our companions. To us they never talked, never smiled and all the time, they came with one purpose. To bring our pain away.
I turned back to him this time, and my tears mixed in with the rain as they both rolled down my cheeks.
"I hate you Perseus!"
Lightning ripped the dark sky in half.
"Why did you come here!? You have turned my life into a mess. You have made me breaking everything I have sworn to hold. Why did you even exist!?"
And I ran. I didn't know the destination. My feet just carried that soulless body forwards, through the waning tree, through the wetted marble stoned path, through the white valley of buildings and into the mist of rain beyond.
We hadn't talked weeks after that. No, I hadn't left my tent weeks after that. Part of it because I didn't have the courage to come out and explain to my hunters. Of why I returned to camp crying. Now I feel stupid of why I cried over a male like that. It wasn't worth my tears. Perhaps because I felt humiliated and I acted upon my pride. Yet, I had now made things more awkward between Perseus and me.
I understand his intention was to apologise, his intention was to make sure if I was okay. He was worried about me. And yet I acted like a jerk and even told him to fuck off. The last thing I told him was a hard blow. He was a good guy, at least decent enough to call a man with his honesty. Yet now perhaps I have ripped through that whatever bond between us forever. Just like the emotion I had that was shattered like glass that day. He probably hated me now, even Hestia wouldn't be pleased with my action.
But sooner or later, I had to decide quick. I couldn't just let a male hold me down like this. Beside I hadn't been moving the Hunt around lately. It would be dangerous to become stationary as monsters would strike us at any moment. They wouldn't if I was here, but who knows in my absence. My hunters were skilled, but they were outweighed by numbers.
Chaos above.
As I though about it, a sudden roar jolted me from my bed. It wasn't any roar, it was from a Minotaur.
I arrived outside the camp boundary along with my hunters. The rolling hills stood before us now looked shady under the afternoon sun. Between us and the hills was a clear flatland carpeted with green grass. I hated camping in this area since there weren't a lot of trees. Hence it didn't work into our advantage since our fighting style was ambush not open field battles.
We all looked around confusing until the ground started shaking and the rocks beneath my feet started to jump.
First it was a shadow of pikes. Then at the lips of the hill, the joint between the blue sky and the green grass was now replaced by shadowy figures from different sizes and shapes. They came closer and got bigger. Atop of the hill, a massive army of monsters emerged and they poured down on us.
There were thousands of them with every type of monster I have killed. Look like they were released earlier then usual. My hunters already looked paranoid with the size and numbers of the enemy.
"Hold your ground" I barked an order.
The hunters got back their composure and starting getting into defensive positions. They summoned their bows and with a raise from my hand, arrows were notched and aimed high.
"Fire!"
A volley of silver and white gleamed under the sun. Deadly and precise as they rained on the army of monsters. Dozens of them disintegrated at the touch of godly metal. Their formation immediately undergo disorganisation. But the Minotaur didn't let that dragging on. A swirl from his enormous axe was enough to bring down a disorganised soldier and that effectively got the troops back into their positions.
I greeted my teeth at since when did Minotaur become so smart? We sent them another volley but they were readied this time. Any monsters had shield and knew how to use magic blocked themselves from it and the arrows bounced harmlessly off from their formation.
Thalia tsked at my side. "The fly of the arrows was to obvious on opened field. Anyone could've blocked that."
"Draw them into the forest." My eyes stilled focused on the army as I spoke. "My might stand a better chance ther-"
But my sentence didn't finish coming out before a sudden volley of fire was shot to the sky and it darkened it. The arrows did not land on us, which I sighed in reliefs. But soon I realised the purpose of the enemy's aims. The fire arrows immediately lit up the forest behind us and my hunters looked back in panic.
Now we had only one option left was to charge up to the monsters and fight them in open field since the ambush tactic was shattered completely by those flaming arrows.
They advanced closer, thousands and thousands flooded down from the shady hills. They roar and snarled and their teeth thrash for flesh. At the moment, I wasn't afraid of their sheer number. I was concerned about who stood behind this. The monsters clearly were aware of my presence because I could sense it through their heart beat. But there was a greater fear in their heads that overwhelmed the fear of fighting an Olympian. So the monsters kept advancing, even though they knew they were plummeting into their deaths. Whoever stood behind this sent shiver down my spine. If I could get out from this fight, I would've to really prepare for a bigger fight in the future. Possibly facing an army ten or even hundred times larger than this. The battlefield might not be here or open flat land but Olympus itself.
The feelings of that battle to come now lingers in my chest that made me unfocused.
"Lady Artemis!"
A sudden scream got me back to reality as I farted my eyes around in confusion while search for the source of that voice.
Next to me, Zoe was pointing her finger at the hills and nostrils sent out uneven breathings.
She was scared.
I turned to the direction of where she was pointing...and my blood ran cold.
Hundreds of Telekhines, Serpentine-female and Empousa rose their bows with arrows notched in place and all aimed at us.
No...
Before I could react, a Harpy barked a tremendous order that ran through the sea of monsters.
"Fire!"
And hell was released upon us. My hunters at the moment already out of formation. We had no where to run or hide. The forests, our protection from those arrows were now burning behind us. Around us was surrounded by layers upon layers of beasts.
This flat open land would be our tomb.
I could easily teleport away. Those arrows would sting if contacted with my skin but would not kill me. And yet, my hunters did not have the gift of gods as I did. The monsters knew how to hurt me, not physically but mentally. They knew each of my hunter's death would tear me apart worse than any punishment combined. So if this rain of arrows, of death wipe out my Hunt. Then the goddess of the moon would fade from existence due to grief. A strike that kills two birds with one stone.
I would never let that happen.
I gathered my energy, from within my vein, from the soil and air and the forests; from the animals, the moon and my hunters themselves. I felt my vessels exploded, my muscles and bones cracked as they fought to become bigger. My skin grew, larger and larger along with the size of me. Until at last I was a giant under the sun, a shield that would protect me beloved hunters.
"Hide under me girls!" I commanded them and I rushed in under my shadow.
I squared my giant back, extended as much surface as possible so none of these arrows would touch any of my hunters but me. On Olympus, turning into gigantic form was as easy as stepping into the pool. But upon the land of Gaia, turning into this size requires magic and power. And I even made myself bigger than that would be on Olympus.
"Hold on girls." I told them and and closed my eyes, readied to embrace the pain of those arrows on me. Some hunters gripped on my pants and some hugged around my ankles as they cried on it. They knew the decision and sacrifice I was about to make and yet they could not do anything to stop it. Even Zoe just closed her eyes with silent tears.
One...two....sweat rolled down my cheeks...three....four.....five....six...seven?....eight.....
The arrows should've landed on their target. Yet I didn't feel a thing. Did my father wiped them off the sky to save me? That was a low possibility but I actually hoped for it.
Out of curiosity, I peaked opened my eyes and turned around to see the spectacular. The arrows, those that darkened the sky and kept darkening it for eternity. That was because they were frozen on mid air. No, not frozen by ice, but literally stopped on mid-air.
I looked down to the monsters, only to see a bunch of shocked faces as they stared up that the sky in confusion.
Then a sudden scream came. Followed by a clash of metal and an explosion.
At first I though it occurred somewhere in the forest, but the screaming and exploded came closer and actually from behind the army of monsters. Then finally, at the top of the hill, an explosion came in the middle of their army that shot several monsters rocketing to the sky.
I realised the fire from the explosion. The green mystical and unmistakable fire that can only be found in Greece.
Greek Fire.
Sure enough, some water-typed monsters tried to stop the fire from devouring their troops could not help since Greek Fires were nearly impossible to extinguish.
Suddenly, I felt a presence of magic next to me and before I could react. A portal opened and a figure stumbled out from it. I turned to it and my eyes widened in astonishment.
Perseus was there trying to contain himself from puking on the ground. I noticed he had two jars of Greek Fires at his hands.
"Hey" He greeted with a grin. "I thought you needed some help."
"Where did you get the Greek Fires and did you just use teleportation?" My brows lied low.
The second question was more important. Since when did he learn to teleport. Sure he was living with Hestia so no doubt she would've taught him a thing or two. But teleportation wasn't an easy thing to comprehend. It requires years to practice and newbie always need a supervisor. That was for in case of emergency because amateurs sometimes unable open the exist portal and thus would become stuck in the mid-world of space and time forever.
"Well since Hestia is a goddess of fire, it's not a surprise to find a few of these toys laying at the corners." He raised one to show me while twirling the other jar to inspect it. "And to the second question, I'm still practicing though. Been teleporting short distances here and there thanks to Hestia"
"H-how did you know I was in trouble?"
He just shrugged at me. "I was in the garden on Olympus and suddenly felt something was not right. So I decided to search for the course with my guts and I teleported to the outer-skit of the camp. A few miles from here actually."
At the point, I suddenly felt angry again. Not because I hated his presence, in fact, I was relieved to see him here. I got angry because of his stupidity. The stupid action he just told me suddenly had concerns filling me up and my heart just skipped for a second.
"You idiot!" I snapped at his face. He cringed back in surprise. "You are inexperienced in teleportation. Yet you dared to follow your gut to teleport without a definite location in your mind. Do you know how dangerous it can be in Between World without a destination in your head? You might get stuck in that place forever you Dirt Brain!"
My eyes suddenly burned at the thought of him go missing forever there. I didn't know why my heart suddenly beat fast, why I become so concerned about his safety to the point I nearly cried for it.
"But I came just in time didn't I?" he gave me that stupid grin again.
"In time for what" I grumbled, trying to avoid that eyes.
"Save you from those arrows" he raised his brows as if that was the obvious and I was too stupid to realise it. So I snapped at him.
"I'm a god. I can't die from the arrows you idiot."
"Well you could've been hurt"
And that was it. He said it like throwing a stone into the water following a smirk on his face. This was the second time he threw away his life just to prevent me from experiencing pain. The first was in the pit, when he held me in his arms and used his entire body as a as a shield for me. This time he didn't even mind getting lost forever in the Between Worlds.
I was astonished, perhaps because of how indulgent he was and then that impulsive and foolishness. My eyes stung a bit and my stomach sank. I hated being in debt and so far I've owed him twice.
"Fire!"
The sudden command brought me back to reality as another volley form the monsters was rushing towards us. There were two Olympians present and those monsters did not retreat. Oh Chaos, whoever is standing behind this assault can probably launch another one on Olympus.
Perseus ran up before us and spread out his arms. What is he going to take on the arrows for us? Sweat rolled down my cheeks as I swallowed hard. No you idiot.
"What are you doing?"
He didn't say, didn't bulge. The only moment on him was he sweats rolling down his cheeks. He was concentrating, but for what. The arrows were coming closer and closer. Right when I was about to push him aside and take on all arrows, a thrum of energy surged out from him and he came the brightest being on Earth. His whole body was incandescent, as if he was the sun itself.
Then I felt it.
The power, so much power rushed out from him and it brushed on my skin, sending chills down my legs. I tried to move to him, but the moment of my hand now was slow, so slowly to the point of irritation. It wasn't heavy, just slow. And then like a giant wave before the coast, like the lava in an erupted volcano. That golden power surged towards the arrows upon the sky. Tendrils of light like fingers competing to reach the rain of arrows first, wrapping and pushing. And once the first tendril of that power reached the black arrows, they exploded into million stars like fireworks, and the stardust illuminated the arrows.
For a moment of tendering breeze and then everything became still. Like a work yard of sculptures and statues. Even the wind was frozen and lost in time. My eyes shifted to the sky, which was darkened by those arrows and yet they never landed. They were all stopped in time.
A groan came before me and I quickly recognised it. Perseus stumbled to the ground before me, breathing hard as if his lungs were filled with fire and toxic gas.
I rushed towards him and knelt at his side.
"Hey are you alright?" I tried hard not to show too much concern on my face. But my eyes betrayed me.
He only looked up at me once, and the corner of his lips tugged upwards.
A commotion was heard amongst the sea of monsters. The dread was shown on their faces as if they recognised the power of Perseus. And at that moment, the moment I hoped since the beginning of the battle.
The monsters started to drop their weapons and fled.
But the Minotaur, despite the fear in his eyes still stood high on the boulder and barked out command. It swirled its axes and turned dozens of fleeing monsters to dust. They disorganised troops stopped on their track.
"Charge!"
A roar and with that, like a flood that broke the dam, thousands upon thousands of them poured down upon us.
My hunters drew their melee weapon, a short sword at their left and a dagger at their right. Some hunters fired a volley of death and took down several monsters upfront. But that did not delay their advance.
I notched an arrow, and aimed straight ahead, shooting point blank and the single arrow I shot turned into hundred little arrows. Every arrow landed on the target. I didn't have to aim, it was just too many of them that it was zero chance for any of my arrows to miss.
They came closer. Soon enough we would be fighting in melee against them. But we would be really overwhelmed. There were too many of them that even if we could fight, we would be tired out eventually and that would be our end.
"Go" Perseus groaned next to me. His voice was hoarse and painful. He tried to get on his feet, but his knees crumbled and he landed knee-first on the ground with a loud thud. I winced.
He coughed and groaned again. That last performance took too much of his strength. Yet he still wanted to fight, to protect me.
"Perseus!" I knelt immediately next to him the moment he tried to stand up again.
"You should rest" I demanded with a soft voice. My hand laid on his chest while the other gripped at his arm to support him.
He was too weak now. By the way he tried to stand, the weight of him was solely leaned on me as if he had no strength left to support himself. He was a new god, his power was only unlocked recently. Even though his godly essence was eternal and so his power would be. But those internal powers take time to express and some would take years, even centuries. So now with only little amount of power got expressed in him, he was no stronger than a powerful demigod. If he did not use the power correctly, he could exhaust himself to the point of fading.
The thought of him fading turned my blood cold. I had heard of the account of some god fade away into nothingness. Though I've not experienced it, the thought was already terrible enough to see.
"Go" he groaned again. "I can slow them down for you. Kill as much as you can while I still hold on to it."
"Don't push yourself. You can die from this" I warned him, concern filled up in me. Clearly I didn't want to lose his beautiful face.
"Don't worry about me" he turned to me and smile. His lips were bloodless and dried. A pale colour of exhaustion and...death. He was hanging on, to whatever life force he still had left in him.
"No" I breathed as I stared at those eyes. At that moment, I realised I didn't want to lose him...or in fact I couldn't lose him. Couldn't afford to.
"Please" he begged, sweats rolling down his sides. "The longer we take, the more dangerous it will be to the hunters...and to you. We can't waste time to argue about this."
And he was right. The monsters were so close to us now that Thalia and Zoe already fought hand to hand combat with them. I never doubted Thalia with her skills in melee. The shield Aegis was so terrifying that the Medusa head sent the monsters fleeing in all directions. Every time she hurled her silver spear, golden dust of the monsters coated her. Zoe on the other hand fought as if she was hacking hays. Her double-bladed weapon spin with such lethality and precision that monsters one after another got chopped in half before her. But they couldn't hold on for any longer, the two skilled hunters already looked tired from all the killings.
"Go" he pushed me gently towards them. "I've got this."
The determination in his eyes gave me the courage not to be concerned about him. He smiled at me and I only responded with a nod. I pulled out my dagger, and it glowed in silver light until it extended into a sword. With that, I charged at the already terrified monsters as tendrils of light which would stop time exploded behind me.
It didn't take long for us to eliminate the monsters. All thanks to Perseus magic that froze them like statues. This allowed us to slay one monster after another like cutting hays. My jacket damped in sweats as I teleported and stabbed; teleported, slash; teleported swirl. Heads one after another landed besides me as I moved, golden and black dust coated my arm and clothes.
Until the last was killed, and the remaining monsters started to flee, catching and crawling on one another.
I stared at the ground, breathing hard as if I was blowing out fire. I surveyed the carnage, where lifeless bodies of thousands monsters and their dust accumulated up to piles. In just a moment of clashing swords and screams, the green field now turned golden by the dust. I turned to my hunters, most of them was trying to catch their breaths. They had minor injuries here and there, not it wasn't serious. I was glad none had perished in that battle.
Then my mind drew back to him. To a certain boy that had prevented my Hunters from perishing. I swirled my whole fast as lightning and what came to my vision nearly made me sob.
He was now like a fleck of shadow. Of a soul from the realm of Hades. His face was pale and the blood had withdrawn from those lips. His eyes were red, with every vessels in that cholera pop under the sun. He had used every ounce of energy in him, to the point that his essence was struggling to keep him on that wobbling legs.
He only smiled at me. Once because crumbled like a mountain. The light stopped radiating from him.
Swift like lightning, I teleported right at his side and supported him. He had done so much, so much for me.
"P-Perseus?" I stammered, the concern clogged my throat.
"Hey" He managed a smile. My eyes watered at his voice. It was no louder than a whisper.
I was glad we had finished the fight sooner. Because I knew Perseus even though had exhausted his strength, he would hurl up every last of it, even exchange his flesh and bone just for a little more magic. All of that was for me. He had to suffer to this point because of me. He would've faded if the battle took a little longer.
Perhaps this is the biggest dept I've owed him. And I didn't know how to repay it.
"Why?" My lips were trembling as I breathed out those words. "Why did you suffer that much for me? For what worth?"
He only smiled, his eyelids fluttered and looked heavy.
"I can't...I can't afford to lose a friend"
And my heart just warmed from it. Since the day we've met, I hadn't talked to him as a friend would. He here he was, throwing away his life just for a person that hates him. Guilt wrapped and squeezed my heart as I sighed.
Then It snapped into me. It was his flaw, his fatal flaw. It was loyalty. Immortals don't have fatal flaws, but Perseus...but I didn't doubt it, because he was different to the others. He was...special.
And because of that flaw, my affection towards him had changed, my trust towards him had changed. No, it didn't get bad, I got better. Because that flaw was the confirmation, that he would never betray me like other people I've been with in life.
"Let's get you to Olympus" I smiled at him. The first true smile I've given to a male I just met. "Apollo will heal you."
I tried to help him to his feet. But suddenly, he wrapped his hand around me and embraced us close. My cheeks heated before I could respond to his action. Then as swift as lightning despite his strength, he twisted us around.
I looked at him in confusion until his eyes widened and a scream of pain came out from that bloodless lips. I only stared in horror as he crumbled to his knees, Ichor gushing out from his throat.
Then my eyes slowly darted around him and the sight made my heart sunk. On his back, that muscular and beautiful back now had a black spear protruding out from it. I looked up and saw a I whispered to him and flashed up towards the hill, where a terrified Telekhine now stood. Anger flashed between my eyes. He was the one that threw the spear. I notched my arrow and shot it at him. The arrows split into thousands and they buried on the flesh of that filthy beast.
I rushed back to Perseus, whom now had laid on the ground, near unconsciousness. My hands shaking as I inspected the wound. I intended to pull out the spear, but as my hand contacted that black obsidian-like metal, numbness spread through me. As that spear had nullified my power and magic for just a heart beat.
I gasped in horror the moment I recognised that metal. It was Scythian, that dark materials found in Tartarus. The same metal that was used to make Kronos's scythe. The metal that could nullify all immortal magic, could suck out the soul of its mortal victim.
And now that metal had pierced through him. I watched in horror as the tendrils of darkness spreading out from the metal, as it crawling on his skin and sucking away him immortality.
I couldn't believe how would I feel if that spear had struck me instead. He had saved me again, time and time.
His appearance suddenly flicker.
No, he was fading, was dying.
"Perseus" I held him, tears swelling up my eyes at the thought of not seeing him again. "Perseus don't you die on me, just hold on!"
And I flashed us both to Olympus.