The sewers are dark and damp and cold, but I'm happy. I have got used to the dark and the damp and the cold in the past weeks, but for once I am free. Free from the clutches of the one I've been trying so hard to escape for my whole life.
The two men are talking about something, I don't know what. I am in the lead, trying to put as much distance between the Queen and I as possible. Ariadne walks with Jason, I think they're holding hands. I frown, and turn back to the speck of light in the distance that is our way out of Atlantis.
We appear at a grate, just wide enough for me to fit through without sucking in my breath - though over the past weeks, I've lost a lot of weight.
"Will we all fit?" I ask, looking at the larger man. He looks indignant, and walks forward, putting his hands on the bars and straining. Slowly, the bars grow wider and so do my eyes as I watch him bend metal with his bare hands. I must have underestimated him.
I smile as we fit through easily - the scrawny blonde mutters something about him being able to fit anyway, which I have to stifle a snort at. Ramos stays.
I watch as he turns and gives us one last smile before Ariadne drags me away from Atlantis.
We walk for what feels like forever. I learn a lot about Jason and his friends - firstly, that the fat man is called Hercules, and his scrawny accomplice is Pythagoras. They both stare at me when they find out that my mother is Pasiphae - even though it was common knowledge.
I don't tell them about the powers. I can't risk them knowing - if they know, then Pasiphae will stop at nothing to find out anything she can about them.
I stumble, and feel a hand catch me. I look up and see Jason smiling down at me. I grin back.
We stop after a while, and Jason hands Ariadne some clothes. "We didn't plan for you too," he tell me. I'm fine with it - I can run better in a dress than anything else. I've had practice running, so I'll be quick. Even with the malnutrition I've suffered recently. I smile, and try and comb out my hair - a failed attempt, but at least I tried. I catch them looking as Ariadne changes and I have to smother a smile.
"So...Deianira, is it?" I hear Pythagoras ask and I blush, looking at my toes.
"Just Deia. I hate everything my mother gives me - including my name." I reply, tying my hair back with a scrap of fabric I've just torn from my dress. He walks closer, looking curious.
"Why do you hate your mother?" he asks, and I roll my eyes.
"Isn't it obvious?" I sigh. "She...never treated me well, and when my father was assassinated -"
"Assassinated?" Pythagoras' eyes widen until they seem to fill his whole head. That draws a smile out of me and I laugh.
"Yes, but it was long ago now. I've...got used to the fact that it was most probably her." I tell him, as we set off once more, leaving Ariadne's dress, so identical to mine, burning.
The Mines of Pangeon loom above us, and Pasiphae and her troops are nowhere to be seen. The Oracle told Jason that they wouldn't think to look for us 'among the dead,' which frightens me. What could be hidden in the depths of these mines? More so, is our situation so dire that we must hide among the dead to escape capture?
Yes. I answer the question myself. Of course it's that dire - we wouldn't have to if Jason had had the guts to kill my mother there and then - I would have, if it were my choice. I would have plunged the sword deep into her throat and left it there. She has done that enough times to innocent people to give me the motivation to take my revenge.
But Jason says that something stopped him. I wonder what - his face closes up when he mentions it and I purse my lips, avoiding the fact that he tried to kill my mother, leaving me an orphan.
The mines are dark and freezing cold. Every step I take seems to weigh me down more. I'm tired, oh so tired. And so cold! I wish I could light a fire here to warm us up - but I can't show my powers. I'll be treated as a freak. They'll hate me forever. I'm not even sure if it'll work. They've only come when I've felt threatened - and unless the fact that the armies are chasing us counts as threatened, then I don't have much choice.
Something moves in front of us, and I jump back. What if Pasiphae's men have beaten us here and they're hiding in the shadows, waiting to pounce - No, the Oracle said that they wouldn't think to look for us here. We're safe. For the first time in my life, I truly believe I am safe.
We emerge onto a plateau, with a long drop to our left. I stay clear of that. I look around, at the huge dark ceiling that's far above, at the huge drop to our left, so I don't see them appear.
They are dressed in ragged cloaks, hooded so their faces are clouded in shadow. My breath catches in my throat and I stare as they get closer.
"I'm sorry - we don't mean to startle you," one says in a harsh voice, drawing apart from the rest of the group and stepping forward. I suppose he's the leader.
"Who are you?" Jason asks, his voice ringing in the cavern. I see the other cloaked figures shift, perhaps uncomfortably.
"My name is Tychon." he says, and pulls off his hood. I gasp. His face is familiar - so familiar, I can remember sitting with him when I was younger and watching the sun rise. He used to keep me safe from my mother.
"Father?" I whisper. "Father!" I call, and push through, past Pythagoras, past Ariadne and Jason, I squeeze past Hercules and throw myself at my father. "You were dead!" I shout, tears running down my cheeks. "You left me! You left me...with - with her!" I hug him tightly, so tight that I don't ever want to let him go.
"Elissa, please -" he begins, setting me down. I feel a lump grow in my throat, and suddenly all my anger from the past years floods out. I hit my father on his shoulder angrily.
"You left me! She - she's tried to kill me, father!" I cry, sinking down to the floor and covering my eyes.
I feel hands snake around me and hug me tight - I know it's Ariadne before I open my eyes and see her. The tears come thick and fast and I don't know how to stop them. I want to stop, I'm just embarrassing myself and wasting precious time - but I haven't seen my father for years and I have believed him to be dead...
It is only later I calm down enough to speak normally. The first question Ariadne asks (with Jason, Hercules and Pythagoras watching) is:
"Why did your father call you Elissa?" I sigh - it was going to come sometime anyway.
"My...birth name was Elissa." I say with my head down. "My mother - Pasiphae - changed it when my father was killed," I look pointedly at Tychon - even though I don't remember his name as that. It must be an alias. "I don't know why. I'm not Elissa anymore." I say quietly and fiddle with a strand of hair that's come loose. Ariadne squeezes my hand.
"You never told me," she says quietly. I nod.
"Pasiphae would have killed you if she found out that I had told you." I whisper. "I was Elissa for the first few years of my life, and then Pasiphae changed my name to Deianira, telling me that I would pay if I told anyone. I don't know why she changed my name though."
"Elissa -" my father calls, and I look up.
"It's Deianira now." I tell him, leaning my head on his shoulder. He nods, tasting the new name.
"Deianira - you do know...why I had to leave?" he asks and I shake my head.
"Pasiphae -"
"She's your mother, Deianira." he tells me quietly, and my jaw hardens. She's not my mother. I tell him, and he frowns.
"How is she my mother?" I retort angrily. "She has attempted to kill me more than once! She imprisoned me for over a month, with hardly any food!" I stand, ignoring his protests and stalk over to Ariadne, who is sitting alone.
"What is it, Deia?" she asks and I turn, my eyes blazing.
"Pasiphae is not my mother." I tell her hotly. Her expression softens and she rubs the back of my neck.
"Deia -"
"No! She's not!" I yell, and suddenly one of the men in cloaks - lepers, Pythagoras called them - appears, and he shouts:
"They've found them! Quick!"
It's chaos. My father has led us through winding, dark passageways until I'm sure we're lost, while the other lepers try and stop Heptarian and the troops. My heart is pounding and I can feel the sweat pouring off my forehead. They had caught up to us, the Oracle hadn't told us they would do this! We were meant to be safe -
"I have to help my people." I hear my father say and I turn to see him disappear back into the darkness - and that is it. I've lost him again - the one person I am certain I love.
"NO!" I scream, trying to run back, to get him back, but he's gone, and Jason catches me, throwing me back to the exit -
"Deia, go - go, don't look back - GO!" I hear Ariadne yell, and then we're running. Through the woods and off.
Trees fly by, in one long green and brown blur. I hear feet pounding on the pine needles, and I don't know if they're mine or one of the soldiers or someone else. Frankly, I don't care. I just want to get away, get as far away as I can.
After what feels like forever, I stop. I am alone - in an area I don't know.
"Ariadne?" I call nervously, my eyes flicking from tree to tree. I imagine Pasiphae walking from behind the trees and catching me. She'll never forgive me if she catches me.
No one answers. I am most definitely alone. I shiver in a sudden breeze that blows the pine needles away. I'm cold in the thin dress, designed to burn well. I feel the bile rise in my throat and I swallow hard, beginning to start back the way I came.
"Deia?" I hear, and I whip round, seeing Jason looking from behind a tree. I rush over to him.
"Where's Ari?" I ask quickly, looking around.
"She's gone north. You need to go too -" he says, before I explode.
"No!" I shout. "I'm not running away - my friends are in danger, I can't just -" I stop when he grins suddenly, his forehead creasing.
"You're not like your mother at all, you know." he grins, despite the situation. I glare.
"I take after my father." I say haughtily, trying to avoid his warm brown eyes that keep catching mine. "But I'm not going." I say, raising my chin. Jason smirks, one side of his mouth curling up into his well-defined cheek. I blink.
"The evil side shows itself at last," he smiles, looking out from the side of the tree and freezes. I feel my body start to seize up. She's found us. They're on horseback, we're not...we have no hope. I take a deep breath. "We have to run." Jason whispers. "Run, and don't look back, I'll hold them off -"
"No!" I hiss, my eyes darting from one side to the other like a little bird. I can hear the clanks of soldiers getting closer and closer and impulsively, I grab his hand and hold it tight. "Okay. After three, we run. Zigzag, they can't aim as well. Um," I try to recall as much of the training I've heard the guards talking about. "Oh, and whatever you do, don't engage in hand to hand combat, they've been trained for that." The clanking gets louder and I close my eyes, sending a quick prayer to the gods. "One," I say, squeezing his hand. Silently, he hands me a dagger and I feel its cold weight in my hand. I nod.
"Two," he whispers and I let go of his hand and prepare to run. My senses feel heightened, and something is wrong but I can't place it...
"Three." I finish and we run.