𝙆𝘼𝙄
Kai had been waiting for this morning for almost two weeks. The morning where a powerful breeze blew over the ocean, the breeze only sailors dreamt about. No matter how many times Kai had been told not to go in the ocean because of how dangerous it was, it never seemed to stop him. He had already missed too many perfect sailing mornings and he sure as hell wasn't going to miss this one.
It was a chilly and windy morning, causing Kai to shiver when the wind picked up. Once he pushed the small sailboat out into the water, he hopped onto the deck and casted the sails. Kai watched the waves lap on the bottom of his boat. As his eyes fell deeper into the sea, Kai noticed a silhouette that flickered in the water.
He studied it for a moment while doing his best to not fall over the edge of the boat. Kai tilted himself to get a better look at it and tried to make out what kind of fish it could be. What Kai didn't realize, was that a massive wave was now towering over him and his defenseless boat. Kai's eyes widened at the sight of the monstrous wave, but before he had any time to think of a way out, the wave cracked and swallowed him into its blue depths.
Kai desperately crawled his way to a piece of driftwood from his obliterated boat to the surface. He gasped for a breath and sat up in the driftwood. With a racing heart, Kai tried to pull himself together to examen the piece of his sailboat.
Kai's fingers brushed over the splintered edge of the wood. "What the-."
Kai quickly came back to reality when his grandfather, King Triton, surfaced from the water.
"FUCK!" Kai shrieked and fell back into the water.
Triton helped lift Kai back to his board. "Wow, you're quite jumpy."
"Hey hey hey," Kai defended. "It's been a weird morning."
"You saw her didn't you?"
"If you're talking about that like HUMONGOUS wave and that weird shadowy thing then yeah, I did."
Triton pulled a teel stone on a gold chain from the water. "Then you're going to need this."
•>~~~~~~~~~~~~~<•
𝙀𝙍𝙊𝙎
"C'mon kid, focus!" Phil shouted as Eros took a blow from the mechanical dragon he had been training with all morning. The wind was knocked from his lungs as his back smack flat on the ground. He groaned and smashed his fist into the dirt.
"It's okay, we can take a break," Phil sighed and powered down the machine. "You gotta think more and use your head." Phil pointed at the sword. "That thing has gotta be one with your movements."
Eros groaned and stood to his feet. "Why can't I just get this!"
"Hey now, it took your father a lot of practice."
Eros snatched his sword from the ground. "Phil, just look at him!" The tip of his blade pointed at the golden statue of his father, Hercules. "How the hell could I compare?"
Phil's eyes softened. "Eros don't be so hard on yourself."
Eros readied himself with his weapon gripped more firmly in his hand. "Turn on the damn machine."
Phil did so and watched the dragon's eyes glow a dark red. Eros made the first move by slicing at the dragon's neck, but his attempt was dodged easily. The tail of the machine knocked Eros to the ground, but the half god shot back up to his feet. This time Eros went in with a little more fire. His first swing caught the snout of the dragon, while the second cut its head clean off.
He sheathed his sword and watched the red light dim. "That's more like it."
Eros went to pick up the head but noticed that the eyes were now glowing black and a dark fog oozed out. As Eros kicked the head, a cloud of darkness took off out from the dragon, sped through Eros and out of Olympus.
With wide eyes, Eros cocked an eyebrow to Phil. "Now do you think I'm overreacting?"
"Uh you might wanna got talk to Mr. Lightning Bolt," Phil said giving Eros a nudge.
"Don't worry, I already saw," Zeus's voice boomed.
Eros looked up to where Zeus was seated in a chair in the courtyard. "Grandfather...she's
back," Eros spoke through a tight jaw. "What are you going to do?"
"Oh, my boy, I've already told you of the prophecy. This is your battle now."
"Y-You don't really mean that, do you?" Eros stuttered. "Why not send my father? He's the much better war—."
"Eros!" Zeus cut him off. "We want you." Zeus cupped a golden amulet with a silver chain into the palms of his hands.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
•>~~~~~~~~~~~~~<•
𝘼𝙓𝙀𝙇
The streets of Agrahbah were busied with merchants and townspeople, just as they were every day. Today, someone different was amongst the crowd, the prince of Agrahbah. Though he hated the status of being a prince, everyone knew who he was. The young prince maneuvered his way past the crowds and nonchalantly approached a vendor selling fruit.
"One pound of oranges, please," Axel asked from under his hood.
The seller caught a glimpse of the boy's face. "Your highness!" the man exclaimed delightedly and bowed. "What a pleasure it is to see you."
"You're too kind, but please call me Axel," he pleaded.
"As you wish, one pound coming up... Axel," the man winked.
When the man returned with the bagged fruit, Axel threw a bag of money on the table.
"T-This is more than enough, much more than enough," the vendor stammered in disbelief.
Axel took his bag. "I know, thank you, sir."
Axel returned to the chaotic streets and started towards a less busy part of town. He recognized the area, it was where the less fortunate lived if you could even call it living. Axel knelt next to two kids that were playing in the sand and offered them the bag of oranges. Their eyes lit up as they grabbed the fruit and raced to their mother. The woman smiled down and her children and mouthed a 'thank you' to Axel.
The boy nodded a 'you're welcome' and turned to the way of home. All was peaceful until a black cloak hunched in the shape of a person appeared to his right.
"Can I help you?" Axel asked.
The figure did not respond, instead, the cloak deflated to the ground and a shadow raced out of the fabric and into the sky until Axel couldn't see it anymore. After realizing what had just happened, Axel took off into a full sprint in the direction of the kingdom. He shoved the tall doors open and searched for his grandfather.
"Grandfather Cassim!" His voice bounced off the walls of the castle.
His mother appeared on the staircase. "Axel wh-."
"Where is Grandfather?" He interrupted.
She pointed outside. "He's sitting out by the fountain."
Without saying another word, Axel bolted to the fountain where his grandfather sat quietly.
"Grandfather Cassim," Axel said as he stumbled down the stairs. "I saw th-this shadow in the city streets. It has to be her. It has to be Morana."
"I know," Cassim sighed. "I have something for you. Sit."
Axel obeyed and took a seat next to his grandfather.
Grandfather Cassim placed a silver chain with a turquoise jewel on his neck.
"You have much trouble ahead. This will help you through it all."
•>~~~~~~~~~~~~~<•
𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙍𝙀𝘼
"Be home before dinner!" Merida called out as her daughter, Andrea, saddled her horse up.
Andrea swung her leg over her horse, Hagan, and gave him a soft kick in the ribs. "No promises!" She called over her shoulder.
The horse's speed increase to a gallop, carrying Andrea deeper into the woods. Andrea tugged the reins to the right and approached a fallen tree. Hagan leapt over the trunk was ease and continued to barrel his way through the forest, weaving through trees and boulders. Andrea swung her bow off her shoulder and took it in her left hand. Without a second thought, Andrea drew an arrow and fired it at one of the targets that hung from a tree branch. She then stood and straddled her feet on the ends of the saddle, firing three more arrows one right after another, each hitting their target dead on.
The princess of DunBroch watched carefully as a low hanging branch came closer and drew another arrow. With perfect timing, Andrea jumped over the branch, twirled around and fired her arrow into a thin branch behind her. She stuck the landing and seated herself back into the saddle.
"Did you see that Hagan?! I finally got it! That was amazing!" Andrea said, beaming with excitement.
She stretched her arms out into the wind with a big smile but her smile quickly disappeared when a dark figure floated at the end of the tree line.
Andrea leaned down to the horse's ear. "I know you have more speed than this."
As if the horse could understand her completely, Hagan jolted forward with great speed as he raced to the opening ahead. Andrea raised her bow and slowly drew an arrow. She pulled back the bowstring and sent the arrow whizzing through the air, but the shadow disappeared before the arrow could strike it. As soon as she reached the opening, her eyes desperately looked for the figure but found something else, it was the Will of the Wisps.
"Darkness," the wisps whispered. "Ruin. Evil beyond imagination."
The small blue spirits now surrounded her and Hagan.
"Morana," Andrea muttered.
The spirits made Andrea's palm turn up as a maroon gem with a silver chain floated down into it.
A final collection of whispers filled the air. "She's coming."