Chapter
IX

The journey back to Dionysus's hall was long, slow, and tiring. Not only did Artemis's blade refuse to give purchase due to its godly design, the journey became increasingly frustrating when the pleasure god admitted to being lost. Only after a conjuring of his agalma, or spirit animal, the bull appeared to guide the way, could the pair find their path. After Dionysus was less-than-ceremoniously laid into his bed, Kratos began his journey back to his own quarters, Athena's blade over his shoulder.

As he traveled the halls, Kratos saw the light of the sun grow lower and lower in the sky. It had taken considerable time to escort the prince of pleasure home. But there was little else to do, he thought. Eventually the peace and solitude of the palace eased Kratos's mind, putting him at a more leisurely pace. And even as he reached the doors to his own hall, Kratos did not stop. The walk seemed to be exactly what he needed to clear his thoughts. There were no gods, but only a handful of servants wandering the hallways. The air was crisp, and the only sounds were the occasional breeze through the hall and the echo of his footsteps.

It was strange to think about. In Pandora's Temple, as with any other situation of battle, Kratos regarded silence ominously. He had become so used to doing so in his many years at war, it was a shock to realize how it so calmed him now. The thought of a stroll through the fading light that would not end in a scream or a battlecry was... reassuring. And to think it could happen here, on Mount Olympus! To think he would so quickly begin to consider this place home. He wondered briefly if Sparta had changed since he had been there last...

After a time, Kratos stopped to consider where he had brought himself. Only the barest bits of sunlight now permeated the palace, and he was sure that the moonlight would not be far behind. He read the inscription on the nearest doorway, and found himself before the hall of Hestia, the hearth goddess. Of course.

He swung Artemis's blade down from his shoulder, which had begun to tire of the weapon's weight and texture. The thought occurred to him that, since he was here in the goddess half of the palace, he may as well return it to her. Remembering what Athena had told him about the position of the opposing gods and goddesses, Kratos took the appropriate path that would lead him to the opposite direction of Apollo's room. True enough, the hour was growing late, but the evening's events had emboldened him.

Soon he had, unmistakeably, reached Artemis's chambers. The archway was high, with a bright glowing moon at the crux of it, currently waxing. The frame on either side of the double-doors resembled a great stag raised on its hind legs. As he reached forward to open the doors, he saw the shine from the massive hunting dogs carved into each of them. Their eyes reflected with some kind of strange gem. He briefly wondered their purpose, and pushed open the doors.

There was no echoing creak, groan, or grinding of stone upon stone as he had been expecting. Instead, he heard merely the rustling of leaves and the minute creak of a tree in the wind. He allowed his eyes to adjust and take in the room before stepping forward. It seemed as though he had stepped through a portal directly into a forest. Each wall was covered with vines, shrubs, and various trees that all seemed to be living, rather than carved into the stone.

Like the Grand Viewing Room, the moonlight glowed from the top center of the room, surrounding by a sky of the deepest blue. With the aid of the light, Kratos noted that the hall ahead of him was very short, like a foyer, ending in a wall of leaves and vegetation.
Just as his eyes attuned to the scene, thus did his ears. There was a faint, whistling breeze from seemingly nowhere, rustling the various leaves and vines. And from somewhere he heard the distant gurgling of water, like a river or a waterfall. Could it be possible? The question only existed in his mind briefly. Very little was impossible here.

He approached the center of the room, hoping to find some sort of hall or doorway leading to other chambers, feeling the grass and soil crunch softly beneath his sandles. There seemed to be no exit from this room, but the way he had come. A ruse to ensnare the unworthy? Most-likely. Artemis was a goddess of virginity.

As he approached the opposite wall from the entrance, he noticed the wall move. Not just the leaves and vines, but the wall itself seemed to ripple in the breeze, and the sound of water grew stronger. He reached out a hand, and felt nothing solid. It was a wall of pure vine. A clever doorway.
His first instinct was to use the blade and cut through it. Who knew how thick it would be, or what enchantments lay upon it. But he resisted, instead sheathing the sword through his belt and pushing his way through the hanging greenery.

With little difficulty he reached the other side. The moonlight was the same, as was the decor. Only this room was much larger, lending itself to a small field rather than a mid-forest grove. A tree line, real or imagined, seemed to encircle the room. The breeze was much stronger here, as was the sound of the water.

To his immediate right lay a grove of trees and brush. But to his far left he could see a gathering of four trees. Making his way across the grass, he could see a bed, lined with woven leaves for sheets, the trees making an effective, and literal, canopy. The trees themselves were lined and detailed, as if they had been twisted and shaped to grow in a curved fashion around the bed. And surrounding the base Kratos could see the purple petals of amaranth, which he could now smell in the breeze.

From behind him, in the direction of the grove, Kratos heard a faint sound of laughter. He stood his ground as the trees ruffled and parted, allowing three shapes to step through; two smaller and at either side of a larger one. As they stepped out from beneath the trees, he recognized them to be Artemis and a pair of large hunting dogs, similar to thse carved on her chamber doors.

Of course, Kratos also did not go unnoticed. The dogs' ears immediately leapt up and forward. They bared their teeth and he could feel as well as hear a deep growl. He sneered at them. They were but puppies compared to what he'd seen during Poseidon's challenge in the temple.
"Stay your fangs" came Artemis's voice. The dogs ceased growling, but their ears remained alert. "So, you found me after all. I was beginning to wonder how long it would take." Artemis approached, her dogs trailing a short ways behind her. As she did so, Kratos noticed she wore a fine white gown... no, it was no gown. A blanket perhaps? But as she neared, he could see water shine on the bare, revealed skin of her calves and face. He then realized: she had been bathing. And the gown was a towel... seemingly of fine sheeps wool.

"I came to return your sword" Kratos announced. He unsheathed it slowly and held it in both hands as she came to a stop before him. "Hmm" came her reply. A curious and impressed sound. "You have certainly put it to good use. The spirit of combat has rejuvinated its edge." She approached, examining the blade as Kratos held it, running her fingers carefully along the edge. As he watched, Kratos noticed a small drop of blood fal from her finger. He then followed as she plced it in her mouth, sucking away the crimson liquid. It was only after she had finished did he realize that she had been watching him, watching her. Her eyes slitted and a corner of her mouth creeped up in an evil grin.

Lifting her chin, Artemis motioned over Kratos's shoulder. "Look there." Kratos turned, at first only his head but then his entire body. In the distance, at the seemingly illusiory treeline, stood a family of deer led by an immense stag. Kratos felt Artemis stand just behind him, pressing against him. "I have a proposition for you" she whispered. "Oh?" he grunted in reply. She pressed herself more firmyl against his back, lending the shape of her body to his skin, even through the wool. "Bring me the head of that stag, and you may watch me disrobe."

The idea coursed quickly and intensely through his mind. It would be simple with the sword. All he would need do is chase down the creature. He had seen Artemis's outline earlier in his chambers. It was enough to make his blood stir. But like a candle burning twice a bright, the thought died almost instantly.

"It is only a stag. Killing it serves no purpose. I refuse." Kratos spoke very simply, in a matter-of-fact fasion. He watched Artemis's grin turn downward, and her head nod over his soulder. "Good. Very good, Kratos." In a flash, he felt her hand move over hsi shoulder and around his neck. The point of a dagger touched his skin. "If you had chased that stag, you'd have been lost in the enchantment of my hall. And had you actually managd to kill it, I'd have hunted you down and killed you, just the same." She also spoke very matter-of-factly, with only the faintest trace of venom in her voice.

As quickly as it had come, the dagger was removed. Artemis began walking past Kratos, toward her bed. He noticed her bare arm tucking the blade back beneath the folds of her towel. "Thankfully you are not like Ares, or many other men I've met, for that matter. The thrill of the kill, the spectacle of a bared goddess... there's hardly a man alive that wouldnt find it maddening. And I know you are no eunich."

Kratos merely grunted in reply. While what she said was true, he was unthreatened. "I did not think an honorable hunter such as yourself would kill a sheep for its wool." Artemis turned back to him, only the barest flash of anger shone in her eyes. "If you are a good enough hunter, the sheep will give their wool willingly."

Thoughtfully, Artemis turned back toward him, speaking as she stepped. "You have honor. Willpower. Respect for nature. And a fine mind. Now all I need test is your skill in combat." She stopped before him, beyond arms reach. A fighting distance. "Here? Now?" Kratos asked warningly. She stared into his eyes, and he into hers. His muscled tensed, as did his grip on the sword. He could see the towel shifting ever so slightly.

Until after a moment, Artemis spoke. "No. Not here. But I have a place. A grand stadium where you'll face warriors and beasts to stunt your imagination." Kratos raised an eyebrow in honest curiosity. "Where?" he asked. She smiled and turned back toward her bed. "Hades, of course." Kratos's eyes fell. Damn. "Speak to him" she continued, "and then return here. I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about."

As Kratos turned to leave, already brooding, he heard her voice call him back again. "Leave the sword with my hounds, if you please." He turned to see the two dogs, waiting patiently but with attentive ears. They did not trust him. But by their masters word, they did not show aggression. He held the sword in one hand and stuck its blade into the earth. He watched as the two dogs gripped the dull half in their teeth and began carrying it over to Artemis, who had only just slipped the wool past her shoulders when Kratos stepped from through the vines, the foyer, and back into the now-darkened halls of Olympus.


Author's Note: Sorry I seem to have been slacking these past few weeks, folks. Things are coming down to the wire for me and I rarely have opportunity to sit in front of a computer anymore. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to extend it, but I found it short, sweet, and to the point. Also, you'll notice that my writing style has changed a bit. Sorry about that, but I know you'll get used to it. I'll try and change the previous chapters to reflect this style as well.

See you again soon! I hope.