I think I died.
Of course, when the lycanthropes didn't lunge to attack me, like most monsters did, I thought we might have an easier battle. So much for that theory; the moment James shot an arrow at them, one caught it between its jaws and another leapt toward us, snarling. Two arrows appeared in its shoulder, but the humanoid lupine ignored them and snapped at Orinda. She countered with her sword, but the lycanthrope adjusted at the last second and bit down on the flat of the blade, ripping the sword from her hand and tossing it away.
"Orinda!" I shouted, running forward.
"Erasmus, duck!" Lore cried. I slid to my knees and bent down as a second lycanthrope shot over me. Though it missed its original target, the monster didn't seem fazed; it whirled and slashed at Lore. Nico met it, claws to sword, and easily lopped off its paw.
"Sword!" Orinda bellowed, ducking under her opponent's swipe and rolling up beside me. James chucked his full force at her. It wasn't very big, and he never really used it, but I was suddenly glad he still carried it. "Stay down, Ras." I obeyed, gripping my sword as the oncoming one flipped end over end toward us. Expertly, she moved her hand with the spin, grabbed the handle and swung it around to block the lycanthropes next swipe. With the werewolf momentarily stunned, I flipped my sword in my hand and slammed it into the beast's side, straight between the ribs and into the heart. With a deafening screech, it exploded into gold dust.
"Yuck," Orinda muttered, spitting dust out of her mouth. "Why do those things taste so nasty?"
"No clue," I snorted, standing and shaking the dust from my clothes. "Come on." Jumping right back in, I dove at the lycanthrope attacking Willow, Kohn, and Justin. Kohn kicked at the beast's face, landing a solid hit that snapped its head to the side. Willow immediately shot two arrows into the lycanthrope's neck, making it yowl in pain, but it clawed the arrows out, raking huge gouges in its own flesh and snapping the arrows.
"Justin, now!" Kohn shouted. The son of Dionysus gestured, concentrating, and large grape vines appeared in front of his hands to shoot out at the monster. The lycanthrope, distracted by the arrows, grunted in surprise as the vines wound around its body, pinning it in place. Willow raised her bow, aiming straight at the creatures head, but the lycanthrope, smart as it was, whipped its tail around to knock her into Kohn and Justin. It struggled against its bonds, snapping them, and I knew the demigods wouldn't be able to organize themselves before the lycanthrope broke free and killed them.
"Hey, werewolf!" I shouted, stopping short just behind it and banging my sword against my shield to catch its attention. It worked. Too well.
Not only did the lycanthrope I was facing turn to me, but so did two of the other three. Well, great; looks like I'm official on the menu.
"Shit," I muttered, crouching and turning circles, trying to keep them all in view as they began circling me.
"Erasmus!" Nico raced toward me, Orinda and Clarina hot on his heels and several other demigods behind them. I was relieved to see backup, but the last lycanthrope jumped between us, cutting them off and leaving me to battle three monsters. Alone.
One leapt at me and another swiped at my feet while the third stretched out its neck to snap at my middle, all in sync. Summoning the Mist, I shoved the first off to one side, jumped up, pushing off the second, and kicked the third as hard as I could between the eyes. The first scrabbled to a stop, gouging trenches in the soft dirt. The second growled in frustration as it yanked its claws out of the earth. The third yelped in surprise and stepping back, dazed, to shake its head. I landed easily and raised my sword; I may have survived the first round unscathed, but these beasts were smart, and it wouldn't be long before they figured out how to beat me.
Using the Mist for cover, I darted back and forth between the three as they slashed, snapped, bit, swiped, and lunged, working with amazing teamwork to attack me. I quickly lost track of how many wounds they inflicted on me, but for each one they added, I returned one to each.
By the sounds of battle I noted around me, I knew that Nico and the others were having problems with their opponent, and when one of mine joined theirs, I worried more for their safety. I could hear the children of Ares and Kohn shouted orders back and forth, and often heard shouts of victory when something went right. But more often than not, I heard screams and cries of pain as one demigod or another received some injury. My battle with the other two wasn't going much better, and I feared as much for my own life as I did for everyone else's.
I began to lose hope; the lycanthropes were wearing me down too quickly, and I was afraid they'd finish me and then kill everyone in the camp. I thought of little Kin, and Samuel, and Angela, and all the other young ones. They were all so young, so innocent. And they were going to die because two werewolves were ganging up on me.
Suddenly, Clarina came to my aid; she'd broken through the lines long enough to make it to my side, and her claws sliced at the creatures bearing down on me, doing as much damage as her dagger and her hoof, which she planted several times into one or the other of the beasts' faces.
We exchanged looks and I nodded my thanks, managing a weak smile before we threw ourselves back into the battle. The lycanthropes were bloody with wounds now, but they still hadn't exploded into dust. I knew it took a fatal blow to kill them, but it discouraged me to think that none of my attacks had been even close to what was needed. Though Clarina and I moved with deadly speed and accuracy, swapping targets and helping each other with a skill that looked choreographed, it wasn't enough; the werewolves moved with equal speed and accuracy, and with each blow we landed they learned. It wouldn't be long before they figured out a way to defeat us both.
And when they did, I experienced something that I'd hoped I'd never go through again.
I was literally wrestling one of the lycanthropes when it happened. My opponent had clamped its teeth down sharply on the blade of my sword and was trying to rip it from my hand, but I had wrapped my shield arm around its neck and kept a hold on it while it shook its head back and forth, attempting to dislodge me. Clarina cried out, distracting me, and the lycanthrope threw me, nearly yanking my arm out of its socket as it wrenched my sword from my hand and tossed it aside. I landed harshly and rolled several times before coming to a stop. Immediately, I was up on my feet and searching for my sword, but what I saw made me freeze and a pang of horror shot through me.
The other lycanthrope stood, tensed but victorious, over Clarina's still form. I knew she wasn't dead yet, or there'd be nothing but gold dust, yet I knew she was moments from it.
"CLARINA!" I screamed hoarsely. My hand jerked up and the lycanthrope flew backward. I dashed over and dropped down beside her. Her blood red eyes fluttered open and she looked at me, trying to focus.
"Young master..." she murmured.
"Clarina, don't you dare die on me," I said, my voice shaking as I ran my hands over her body, trying to find the wound that was killing her. "Do you hear me? T-that's an order; don't die!" I found the wound; a gaping split on the side of her head that ran down to the base of her neck. Blood flowed easily, and already her skin was pale and chilly.
"I... I'm sorry, young master," she said, her voice soft and weak. "I had hoped to stay a while longer..."
"No... no, no, no," I choked out, feeling heat prick at my eyes and overflow onto my cheeks. "Damn it, Clarina, stay with me!" I turned my head to the side, blinking rapidly to clear away the tears so I could see. Her ka appeared, the gentle yellow-orange flowing slowly, pulsing faintly, in time with her declining heartbeat. I found the wound easily; a huge pool of red spreading through her ka.
"Y-young master..." she whispered, gripping my hand loosely. "I... I'll be back... I p-promise..."
"No, Clarina, stop it," I sobbed. "S-stop... I don't want you to die..." A small smile spread across her lips and she reached up with a shaking hand to brush back my sweat-soaked hair.
"I will return," she promised, as strongly as she could. "I'll bring Doris... and others..." I nodded, but the sorrow I felt digging at my heart crushed me, pouring down my face as I grabbed her hands in mine and held them tightly, watching helplessly as the red devoured her ka. The last touch of yellow-orange at her heart throbbed brightly one last time before drowning in the red. She closed her eyes and dissolved into gold dust.
Anguish tore at me, but was immediately replaced with an all-consuming rage. Standing, I tilted my head back and screamed my pain to the heavens. Pure, raw emotions penetrated my war cry and filled the camp with unbridled heartbreak.
A lycanthrope darted at me, and, in my anger, I took it head-on, dodging its claws and tackling it, taking it to the ground. We rolled and thrashed, stirring up small puffs of dust. I got my hands on its jaw and slowly pried its mouth open, fury lending me strength as I opened its mouth as wide as it would go and then forced it wider. The werewolf yowled in agony when its jaw snapped under the pressure, and then vanished in a cloud out gold dust.
The other lycanthrope caught me unawares, attacking when I turned to see how the others were doing. It collided with my back, sending me sprawling, and pounced, pinning me with both paws on my spine, claws jabbing painfully into my skin. I cried out, feeling the punctures.
"Erasmus!" Nico yelled, terrified.
"Porter!" Orinda bellowed moments later. The lycanthrope on top of me growled, slowly shifting, like it was savoring its triumph. I twisted and writhed, trying desperately to escape, but the beast had me firmly held down. Shuddering as its hot breath tickled the back of my neck, I closed my eyes and tensed, waiting for death.
...A horrible way to die, Heka noted, startling me. I jumped sharply, offsetting the werewolf enough to make it readjust.
Damn you, Heka! I spat at him. Of all the bloody times to show up...!
Would you rather be alone in your last moments? he demanded angrily. Geez, I try to do something nice for you and this is how you respond... You're such a brat.
This coming from the child-god? I snapped back. I felt him bristling, but he contained himself.
You're lucky I like you, Erasmus, he said, his voice low with threat.
You're lucky I existed in the first place, Heka, I retorted, mimicking his condescending tone.
...Touché, he said, grudgingly amused. Look, Ras, this is it. In just a few minutes, you'll be standing before Hades and Osiris, where you'll be judged and sent to one of many different places, Greek or Egyptian.
Your point...? I scowled. He sighed.
My point, he said, is that I'm glad I met you. I've enjoyed my time with you, and if you do die, I'll be sad to see you go.
Since when do you gods care about us humans? I snorted. The lycanthrope settled and I again felt it breathing down my neck, getting ready to rip off my head.
Well, first of all, you said yourself that One does, Heka replied, a slight note of jealousy in his voice. I wondered why he was jealous of God when he was the one that spent so much time with me. And secondly, I've always cared... I've been hiding away for thousands of years, Ras, because no one on earth interested me, not like they did my fellow gods and goddesses. But you... You were different. Even when you were just a baby, I knew there was something special about you, and not just your multicultural background.
...What are you saying? I asked softly, already feeling touched in a way I didn't know was possible.
I'm saying, he answered slowly, gently. I'm saying that you're an amazing human, Erasmus Porter. You're strong, powerful, capable, and yet you're gentle and kind; you lead with an ease that would put even Ra to shame. You inspire and encourage, and nothing fazes you, not even when you're faced with death. You stood up to Gaea, alone, and defeated her. You gathered almost two dozen demigods and protected them better than Chiron himself. In all my immortal life, I have never, ever seen anyone like you. You're one of a kind, Ras. You're a three-way bridge made of gold and fortified with steel.
I was speechless. I had never thought of myself as anything but normal. Or at least, as normal as a demigod could get. But Heka was suggesting that I had lived a life worthy of the history books. Was I really that special? If I was, getting eaten by a werewolf seemed too pitiful a way to die. But at the same time, if it meant the others would survive, then I just hoped I had done well enough in life to earn a place in the Fields of Asphodel.
Pain shot through my body as the lycanthropes teeth pierced the skin of my neck and I could no longer feel my legs. Its teeth sank deeper and I lost feeling in my arms and torso. My throat felt raw and an incessant ringing pulsed through my head. I realized I was screaming in pain, but that pain was numbed by the loss of feeling and my scream faded into a groaning whimper.
Suddenly, the weight of the lycanthrope lifted from my back and I heard a thunderous cry of anger and pain. Shadows melted across my darkening vision, telling me someone had killed the monster, and then that someone dropped down in front of me. I barely registered myself being lifted and cradled, but every sense was dulled, and my feelings were subtle.
"Erasmus!" Nico's voice reached me through a haze, like listening to him call out from the opposite side of two-inch-thick glass. "Please, open your eyes; look at me, Erasmus!" I had little, if any, control over my body, but I managed to pry open my eyelids to look around, though I was unable to focus on anything.
"...co... Nico..." My lips refused to move, and my chest weighed down on me, feeling like something large and heavy that I had to push against to get even the tiniest of breaths.
"Stay with me, Erasmus," he pleaded, pulling me close. A drop hit my face, which was the only part of my body that I could still feel, and he gently kissed my forehead. "S-stay with me..."
"di Angelo!" Orinda. I could vaguely see her drop down beside me, across from Nico. "Bella, over here!" The daughter of Asclepius hurried over and knelt beside my head. She took me carefully from Nico's arms and began running her hands over my body, feeling for wounds. When she touched my neck, I arched, moving automatically, and screamed.
"Hold him down!" Whoever said it had enough authority that four or five pairs of hands instantly pinned me. Bella continued her inspection, focusing on my neck, but even I knew it was too late.
"I... I can't do anything about it..." I heard her choke out. "The monster almost severed his spinal cord, and he's lost too much blood..."
"No!" Nico pulled me away from the others. "No, Erasmus, no! Come back!"
"Stop it, di Angelo!" Orinda spat. Pain bit through her sharp voice. "...It's no use..."
"No! I refuse to let it end like this!" Nico cried. "I love him; I'm not letting him go!"
"You're not the only one who loves him!" Even my fading emotions were stunned; gasps rang out around me at Orinda's declaration. She hesitated. "Y-yes, I love Erasmus. And don't you think for even one second that I'm alright with his death!"
"Then why didn't you save him?" Nico snapped. "You could have broken through and gotten to him, like Clarina did!" I could feel his anger flowing out from him, calling out, and I could sense the dead responding, probably because I was so close to death myself.
"I didn't see you by his side!" Orinda retorted, bringing my thoughts back to the present.
"I'm not a child of Ares!"
"...stop..." I murmured weakly. I couldn't stand seeing them fight. That wasn't the last thing I wanted to see before I died. Nico pulled me closer and I noted his glare at Orinda when she scooted closer. "Nico... Listen... to me."
"Yes?" he asked anxiously, turning his attention back to me. I met his gaze, trying to focus on him.
"Don't fight... Rin... in charge now... Help her..." I said. His face hardened in jealousy, but he nodded slowly. I slowly rolled my head to face Orinda and met her gaze. "Rin... be... nice..." She barked a wry laugh, tears streaking down her face, and nodded.
"I... I will," she promised, reaching out to brush her hand across my cheek. "For you." Satisfied, I closed my eyes and turned back.
"I'm... sorry..." I breathed, my consciousness on the brink of the abyss.
God, please welcome me with open arms, I prayed.
A new thought occurred to me and I called to Heka. He didn't answer.
Heka, I tried again. If you ever get this, as a message or whatever... I just want to say thank you. You taught me so much, and without you, I'd be so much less than I am. Much less than I could be. Thank you. Good bye.
