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Chapter 10

Uncle Carl didn't seem to like the Training Grounds.

I could tell he was, at first, practically bursting with pride that his own son had built the entire clearing but, as soon as he saw Phe performing gymnastics on a beam ten feet up, he seemed to show an intense disliking for the clearing. However, while he mainly avoided it like a disease, my siblings and I couldn't seem to get away from it. In that clearing, I saw things that bordered on the edge of unhuman.

I watched Zach throw a lightning bolt with such precision only to have it appear in his hand as soon as it hit its target. I saw Haden crack the earth, a large crevice appearing with unimaginable heat radiating from it only to have Haden make it disappear with a wave of his hand.

The effects that the training had on us were instantaneous. In almost no time, I could split previous arrows from hanging, upside down, in a tree, my body constantly swaying from side to side. Henri was able to steal Phoebe's jewellery without her even realising that he was anywhere near her while Harry could conjure a glittering ball of fire into his palm.

None of us knew exactly how we did it. We just did.

We mastered these amazing feats with ease as if they had already been mastered by us which, to all extents and purposes, were true.

We began to start a schedule. We would train at the Clearing until noon unless someone was unable then, from noon to dinner, we would either spar or play what you might call mock battle games. After a few minor accidents, Uncle Carl decided to keep us in another week. He said our powers were still unstable, still a liability. I couldn't really find the strength to disagree with him.

However, everyone had their fears. Henri and Po refused to even attempt the flame stones, where you had to walk among the stones while avoiding the random bursts of flames. Phe and Harry shuddered when even thinking of water while Anna refused fight Aaron when he was armed with a spear. I myself didn't dare to even think of attempting the horizontal ladder or the high ropes course. I'm not very sure why it didn't appeal to me but every time I saw it, my life seemed to be on hold. As if there was nothing between me and that ladder besides certain death.

But then again, I just might be a pessimist.

That is, until Henri voiced a proposition.

"I don't understand why you're afraid of heights."

"I don't know why you're afraid of fire but I'm not bothering you about it, am I?" I snapped back, lowering my huntress bow and glaring at him.

He frowned. "That's beside the point. The point is that you should face your equally unusual and unnatural fear of heights."

Slinging the bow across my shoulder, I raised my eyebrows. "And what makes you think I want to face my fear?"

He grinned. "You want to face your fear because, if you do, you can help me get over my fear of fire."

I cocked my head to one side, my mind processing his words. It was a good deal but I never made a deal unless it was utterly in my favour. "If I overcome my fear," I began slowly, "I get to help you overcome your fear and I get your Swiss army knife."

"Fine," he snapped, "But we share the knife."

I raised my eyebrows, a teasing smile dancing on my lips, "Depends on your definition of share."

He scowled. "You're really difficult to deal with, you know that?"

"But you love me for it, right?" I said innocently.

Henri didn't answer. He just gave a strange look, turned on his heel and stalked towards the horizontal ladder.

My grin faltered slightly before following Henri, unlacing my bracers and dropping them into their designated bag along the way. I watched as Henri stood at the base of the tree before rising a few feet in the air and disappearing into the canopy, his face smirking the entire way.

"Show-off," I muttered.

I studied the tree intensely. The tree was easily twenty ft tall, the lowest branch just above my head. Each of the branches seemed sturdy and, despite the height, I could tell it was a fairly young tree. Harry probably had help from Deanna when growing the trees.

I took a deep breath. I was Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Moon and Forests. Climbing a tree should barely take my breath away.

Bending slightly, I leaped lithely onto the lowest branch, reaching my hands up and swinging onto the next. The bark scraped against my skin as I swung and leaped from one branch to another, turning my hands red and sore. I found I didn't care, though.

Until I looked down.

I was easily higher than ten ft and the ground seemed dangerously far away. I clutched the trunk heavily for support before making the final step onto the wooden platform. Henri was already there, leaning against the tree as if it was perfectly normal. But then again, knowing Henri, for him hanging out in a tree must have been a perfectly normal experience.

I clambered onto the wooden platform, moving my hands so that I was gripping a branch instead of the trunk. My grip was so tight that I was beginning to notice my knuckles were turning a shade of white. Henri looked at my hands in exasperation. "That," he said, pointing at my hands, "is not going to help you face your fear."

"Well, it's helping me maintain my sanity." I snapped.

He shrugged. "Whatever."

He took a step closer to the ladder, treading carefully onto the first rung before perching there, perfecting balanced. He eyed me mischievously. "Are you coming?"

I eyed the rung warily. "Should I?"

Growling impatiently, Henri leapt from his perch and onto the next rung. He sprinted across the ladder, flying over empty air like a bird. He landed safely on the opposite side with a soft thump! turning to face me with a triumphant smile. It sickened me.

"Take one step onto the ladder and just make your way steadily across. It's easier the faster you go," he called, his smile genuine, "Don't worry about falling because, while I'm watching you, you won't."

"I feel entirely safe now," I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice like honey.

He frowned. "You know," he pouted, "I should just stop being nice to you if this is the treatment I'm going to get. Now get on the ladder."

Giving him the best glare I could muster, I unwound my hand from the tree and stepped onto the first rung.

Almost instantly, the world around me began to twirl. A rational part of my mind told me not to look down but I ignored it, glancing down anyway. I gasped.

Though I knew I wasn't that high, I felt as if I was on the tallest of cliffs. Aaron, who usually towered over me, was now about ten ft below. He almost reminded me of an ant.

Henri's voice woke me from my trance. He was yelling encouragement to me, his body leaning towards me as if to sprint forward and catch me if I did actually fall. Slightly reassured, I took another step, then another. I had no trouble balancing. I never had nor will I ever. I had once thought it as another one of my strange talents but I knew better now. A God was meant to be perfect, not meant to fall when balancing on a beam.

"Mia?"

I froze. The voice was nothing like Henri's. In fact, it sounded suspiciously like...

I glanced down. Alex was staring up at me with a look of barely contained horror. "Mia!" he shouted.

I blinked, my concentration lost. Once again, my world began to spin around me. I tried to take another step but my foot missed the rung. I fell through the gap.

All breath left me. I didn't scream. My fear of heights blinded me.

I clawed uselessly at the air, hoping that I might just be able to catch onto a rung. I was aware of Alex yelling my name as I fell, his words offering no consolation. Suddenly, I felt warm hands encompass mine. Strain pulled at my arms at the sudden jolt.

I looked up, my eyes gazing wide eyed at my saviour. Henri, hanging from a rung by his legs, was holding onto my hand. I could the see the strain in his arm as he gritted his teeth.

I clutched onto him with both hands, the panic evident in my eyes. I knew that the fall most probably wouldn't kill me but I still didn't fancy falling ten ft to the ground.

"Mia," Henri breathed, "I need you to let go of my hand."

I blinked, his words taking their time to actually penetrate the fog covering my brain. Then I actually realised what he had just said. "What!" I screeched.

Henri winced and I dropped a few centimetres, my hand slipping.

With his eyes closed, he hissed, "Trust me enough that I'll save you when you fall this time. I just can't save you in this position."

I studied his face intently. His skin was now flushing an almost unnatural red, veins tracing through the skin on his arm. His hair was plastered to his face and had an almost unhealthy tinge to it.

I sighed. He so owed me.

I let my hand go limp, allowing it to slip through Henri's fingers. I snapped my eyes shut, squeezing them tightly. Fear washed over me like water, dulling my senses as the wind rushed around me. However, piercing through the pain was an odd feeling of serenity.

Before I could investigate the feeling more, however, strong hands caught me, all air in my body leaving instantly.

I expected to keep falling, to crash into the dirt and feel every bone in my body shatter but I stayed in place, cradled in someone's arms. A slight fluttering sound announced that I was somewhere near wings and the way I was sluggishly rising up and then down almost proved my current theory.

I opened my eyes warily, blinking against the intense light. A face loomed in front of me, a face that was filled with concern and worry. "Mia?" the voice asked, "Did you faint?"

I frowned as my vision became clear enough to tell who the face was. "No, Henri," I replied dryly, "Amazingly enough, I didn't faint."

He stretched his mouth into a grin, his eyes dancing. "You know, sarcasm is only used to hide true feelings."

"What can I say," I shrugged as Henri slowly flew us higher, "I use my sharp wit to hide my inner pain."

His feet landed softly on the wooden platform and I nearly kissed the floor in happiness except for the fact that I was still in Henri's arms. I smiled charmingly at him. "Henri," I said sweetly, "You can put me down now."

Smirking, Henri let me down slowly, his hand brushing along my thigh. I nearly shivered from the contact but as soon as Henri put me down, he took a step back, his face carefully blank.

"Ready to try again?"

I pivoted, scowling. "No!" I exclaimed, "I nearly fell to my death and I do not want myself to try again! I've had to many near death experiences today."

A ghost of a smile whispered across Henri's lips. "Yes, you nearly fell to your death but it's not you that I want to try again."

I blinked. "What?"

"I want Artemis to try the course."

I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly do you mean?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I bet you that if Artemis did this course, she would pass it in seconds. It is only you that is terrified of the course. But Artemis and you are the same person. You should be able to do anything she can do."

I turned away from him, looking out across the horizontal ladder. I had never looked upon something so daunting.

He was right though. Artemis and I were the same person and, if she could do it, then so could I.

I took a deep breath and mentally searched my mind. In the furthest reaches, where the shadows lay, was where Artemis had hidden throughout my life. However, the door that was once sealed was now slightly ajar. I pushed the door until it swung, gaping, outwards. Artemis rushed in.

"Tell me, Apollo. Did you enjoy it?"

The eleven of us, Zeus not included, was gathered on the edge of a cliff. Across the endless expanse of nothingness was the edge of another cliff, a thin horizontal ladder serving as a bridge across the wide chasm. I could tell that Persephone had finally been welcomed home to Demeter for the grass was a vibrant shade of emerald and the sky was a cool, cloudless sapphire. There was barely a breeze to soothe us from the heat that seemed to press down on us harder and harder until we, the gods, began to sweat from the heat. I pressed the knife deeper into Apollo's neck, urging him to reply while my family merely watched, grateful for the amusement.

He grinned. "Enjoy what exactly, my dear Huntress?"

I scowled. "You turned my wolves orange, Apollo! Or have you inexplicably forgotten?"

"Hermes could've done it."

I snorted. "He has an alibi."

"He always has an alibi!"

"Apollo! Just tell me why!"

He shrugged, leaning slightly away from the glittering blade of my knife. "Your wolves, my dear sister, are dreadfully lifeless and dull. I thought that with the change of seasons, your wolves should have a brighter coat underneath the layer they shed. I do have to say, though, they do look quite entertainingly festive."

"My wolves are meant to inspire terror," I hissed, "Not perform acrobatics with orange fur so that my opponents are entertained whilst I kill them!"

Apollo frowned at me, the lines at the edge of his mouth deepening. "Has anyone ever told you that you're quite morbid?"

"Enough!"

I froze and, giving a final glare to my dear brother, turned to face my stepmother. Hera glared at me, her gaze so cold, ice particles began to form in the air around her head. Her shimmering honey coloured hair was pulled back into a regal bun at the top of her head, a glistening Polos adorning her head. "I have had enough of your rivalry. Zeus has asked us to complete this so complete this we shall. Let us get this over and done with so we can be ridded of this terrible heat!"

She narrowed her gaze, a malicious smile creeping its way up her face. "Artemis, my dear, you go first."

I scowled, trying to convey every ounce of hatred I had for that foul women into a simple expression. By the way Hera's face instantly darkened, I had a feeling that the message had been conveyed.

Smirking slightly, I crossed the jade grass until I was at the beginning of the simple, stick ladder. I took a deep breath.

I wouldn't let Hera have the satisfaction of watching me fail. However, it would be dearly satisfying to watch her as she watched me achieve. Spectacularly.

My eyes fluttered open, a smirk that had been previously decorating Artemis' features now decorating mine.

Taking a deep breath, I sprinted towards the edge, leaping lightly onto the first rung. I let Artemis guide me.

She led me through flips and various acrobatics I had never seen before in my life. I twirled through the air, my and barely touching the rungs. I felt exhilarated. Powerful.

I felt like a god.

The wind rushed around me, roaring in my ears as I lost all sense of which direction was up and down. I laughed at the air, feeling my muscles move to support myself with every trick and flip I made.

I landed gracefully at the other side, my breath even and calm. In that brief second, the power still coursed through my veins, sending my mind into a frantic frenzy. But, too soon, it was over.

I spun around, facing Henri with a smirk on my face. He was staring at me in amazement, mouth agape.

"You're turn."

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