A/N: Hey peeps! Sorry for the very late update! Honestly, I was being lazy. Plus... non one review so I was a little discourage and lost all motivation to write :( Just kidding. Anyway, my beta ready and myself have a very busy schedule. I'm not kidding. I'm an apprentice. Which mean I have to cramp lots of stuff into my already measly time. Studying and working is no laughing matter! Anyway. Scratch what I've mentioned before. Update will likely come once a week. If I'm in the mood, maybe faster evil grin*wink*review*wink*.
CHAPTER 03
True strength deep within.
POACAE, KLUSEV FOREST:
The beast stopped charging as it realized that its mark had scattered all over. The beast barked loudly every time it looked at any one of the soldiers. The beast charged towards Maia, who dodged gracefully and ran to another spot. Then the beast turned and saw Rudy running and mocking it. The beast does the same rushing forward thing but Rudy just dodged. This same pattern repeated itself for a while without the beast changing its target every single time as if they were playing the game of cat and mouse. Ulixes looked at Rudy and realized something.
"Schist!" Ulixes thought as he face palmed.
Ulixes raised his right hand, his pointer finger pointing towards the sky. Rudy and Maia spotted spotted the signal and joined up with Ulixes. Ulixes told them of his plan. One word, "Chain".
Rudy had been carrying a chain around with him since Maia pointed out that he was weaker when he fighting at a distance. To counter said weakness, Ulixes suggested that he should learn ranged tactical attacks. Hence, the chain.
After being told of the plan, all three of them separated to begin the attack. Maia went in front of the beast in plain view. Bait, distraction, Maia needed to do whatever it took to get the beast attention. Ulixes ran behind a bush and hid from the beast's sight. Rudy ran to the opposite side of Ulixes and waited for the cue. He looked at Maia. Every time it seemed like the beast's attack would connect to Maia, Rudy's heart raced quicker than a roadrunner. Maia, on the other hand, dodged every attack as if she was reading the beast's movements. Maybe she did. A sudden realization struck Rudy and he smiled. Besides him and Ulixes, Maia was the other one who earned an epithet to her name. Having an epithet to your name is a big deal when working for the Khaos League. Rudy realized that when he'd gotten his. Rudy stared at Maia with awe as he remember Maia's epithet- the butterfly on the wind.
Ulixes raised his hand again to signal the start of the plan. Rudy's chain has been laid hidden in the grass with Ulixes holding the other end of it. The beast swung its paw at Maia but Maia immediately jumped upward and in mid air, she crystallized the air below her foot and used it as a footing ground to move over the beast. As Maia landed behind the beast, she started running away. After hearing her land, the beast turned around and went after her. As Maia passed over the hidden chain and the beast coming up, Rudy and Ulixes brought up the chain, causing the beast to trip. Maia had already created a huge and thick wall of ice, which the beast collided head on into. The ice broke and the beast staggered around. While the beast was dazed, Ulixes rushed in with his sword, but the beast suddenly regained its composure and struck Ulixes without warning. It flung Ulixes towards a tree.
"Stupid overgrown beast…" Ulixes mumbled in frustration after he got up from the ground.
The beast growled at Maia. "Hey stupid dog!" Rudy taunted.
The beast turned, eyes glaring. Rudy had an "uh-oh" moment and decided to run away. The beast decided to chase after him instead of Maia. The beast let out waves of flames as Rudy hid behind a huge boulder. Rudy knew tactic this wouldn't be so effective. He look left and right and noticed the perfect tree.
"This better work." Rudy mumbled to himself. He swung his chain at the tree, with part of it stopping on the tree as the end continued swinging. The end of the chain flew forward and hit the beast right in the face.
"Hah! It worked!" Rudy shouted in excitement, not realizing that the attack was probably a slap to the face for the beast. Irritated, the beast swung its paw before Rudy could make an escape. He was thrown from where he stood to the far left, crashing into three to four trees in the process. When he finally hit the fifth tree, he stopped flying through the air and fell onto the ground. He lay there unconscious and basically saying "here Beast! Come eat me!". The beast slowly approached him. Rudy regained consciousness, but had trouble moving away due to a possibly broken ankle. As the beast neared, it growled to the sky and decided to eat Rudy. Everything went in slow motion for Rudy. It's like Death wanted him to savor every last second before his impending death. If Death had a sense of humor, it's definitely a morbid one. In that slow moment, Rudy could see the horribly disgusting inside of the beast's mouth. He frowned as Maia suddenly appeared in between with her right hand faced palm up at the beast. He could see specks of ice forming next to her hand.
"No!" Rudy thought when he realized that her plan wouldn't work. Rudy wanted to get up and pushed Maia away but he was too weak.
In a quick moment, the beast snapped its mouth around Maia's right arm and Maia was swiftly able to form a long and thick icicle, which sealed the beast's mouth. The beast yanked itself away from her, ripping off her right arm in the process. The beast quickly swung its paw at Maia and flung her to the boulder where Rudy once stood.
"Maia!" Rudy shouted.
"Use it…" Rudy heard a voice. "Use it!"
Rudy suddenly had a flashback of an event long ago.
He was around 6 or 7 years of age. He remembered being in an accident and meeting his mother, Bia, the Goddess of force, power, and might, for the first time. He stared at her in awe of her beauty and regality. Alongside Bia were Zelos, Kratos and Nike, her siblings.
"You shall have the blessing of the Winged Enforcers," Bia said. "After you are blessed, will be much stronger." She then approached him, knelt down to his level, and placed her hands on his arms. "In the first act, it will grant you the bodily strength to withstand great force!"
Kratos approached Rudy and place both of his hand on Rudy shoulders. "The next stage of the blessing is insurmountable strength. The second act of one who's under the will of sovereign."
"The third act: the stage of rivalry. Let them watch in silence. Let them envy as you act in the emulated light!" Zelos said as he placed his right hand on Rudy head.
"And lastly, the final act. The stage of determination which has been carved, for the path of victory will be onto you." Nike said as she waved her hand over Rudy. "But remember, dear nephew. Whether it's before or after, for every victory, there's a equivalent price that needs to be paid."
Rudy didn't really understood anything be he smiled with an innocent looks. "Okay!" The siblings smiled at the sight.
"Go now, my child. This is not your time." Bia's voice began to echoed.
"Mum?" Rudy frowned. "Mum!" Rudy eyes open to see his father face with scratches and a stitch on the left cheek.
"Oh gods, Rudy!" Ted, his father, went to hug Rudy.
"Dad? What happened?" Rudy asked in confusion and realize that his father right arm was in a sling.
"It's alright, buddy. Everything fine…" Ted assured Rudy.
"Dad… I saw mum…" Rudy said.
Ted frowned and then smiled. "Really? Your mother is beautiful right?" Ted asked. Rudy nodded and smiled.
POACAE, KLUSEV FOREST:
Rudy slowly rose. He appeared to be half awake, with his eyelids half closed and his eyes looking slightly dull and glazed over. The beast saw Rudy and decide to whack him with its paw again and finally kill him. It swung its right front paw at Rudy, but he stopped the paw with his left hand, not even moving and inch from where he stood. The beast pulled its paw back and swung again, trying to make the kill. The same thing happened.
"First act… to withstand great force…" Rudy mumbled.
Rudy rushed forward and jumped above the beast. He clenched both of his fists and struck the beast's head. The impact was so strong, that the beast's head crashed into the ground. Rudy rushed to the beast's tail, grabbed it, pulled it a little, swung the beast around a few times, and slammed it on the ground.
"Second act… the will of sovereign…" Rudy mumbled again.
Rudy didn't stop. The attacks kept coming down on the beast like meteorites. The beast didn't stand a chance. Ulixes looked at Rudy. He was covered in a flaming auras of all kinds of reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows. His eyes still remained dull and glazed over. He knew of Rudy's special blessing, but he didn't know it was this powerful, amazing, and...terrifying.
"Third act… light of envy…" Rudy mumbled.
The beast had grown considerably weaker from Rudy's repetitive and unavoidable attacks.
"Rudy!" Ulixes shouted at the top of his lungs.
Ulixes jumped above the beast and stab his sword into the nape of the beast's neck, with only the tip of the sword going through its skin. Rudy, on the other hand, was already in mid air. As he came down, he readied his right hand. He remembered Nike's blessing and warning. "Final act… path of victory!" Rudy shouted as his fist made contact with the pommel of the sword. Ulixes backed away at that exact moment. With Rudy's punch, the rest of Ulixes' blade went through the beast's thick skin and cut the bone. The beast growled loudly and slammed to the ground, with blood oozing all over the ground and it showing no sign of getting up. The auras around Rudy diminished. Both him and Ulixes caught a quick breath and ran towards Maia.
"Maia! Come on! Wake up!" Rudy shook Maia strongly but gently as soon as he got to her.
"She's losing too much blood…" Ulixes mentioned with concerned etched in his voice.
"Maia!" Rudy shouted.
Maia regained consciousness and shakily brought her left hand over her right shoulder. Ice began to crystallize the wound, stopping the blood from flowing out.
"Are we done?" Maia asked with a quiet and shaky voice. Her face was getting slightly paler as time went by.
"I've got an idea." Ulixes snapped his fingers. He took out a black golf ball and said something to it. The ball dematerialize and, a minute later, a portal opened.
POACAE RANK, ASSEMBLY HALL:
"I don't care what you do. Have your best medic save her or else!" Ulixes let the threat hang.
"Men! Prepare the Grand OR. I'm coming in," The commander of the Poacae rank instructed. "Whatever happens, do not get interrupted or you're going to have a dead girl on my watch," the commander said although he was a little hesitant on the threat part.
A few minutes later, a loud scream from Maia was heard. Rudy wanted to go in and help her, but Ulixes stopped him. Rudy went to a wall and punched it, causing a huge crack to form. Ulixes sighed. All he could think of that he was still weak being unable to protect his comrades. If it weren't for Rudy, they would all probably would've been eaten. He still hadn't let go of his weak past self… the one people used to call him. The great hero, savior of Olympus, Perseus "Percy" Jackson…
So that it for now! R AND R!
Also, I'm looking for another beta reader. PM me for the spot! My current beta reader is most probably busy with her own stuff and I don't want to rush anyone.
To my current BR: Don't worry! You're not fired! You still have use for me, minion! evil laugh
Review please!
DifferentKindOfAsian!