XI

It wasn't too long until I had run far, far from Othrys. Then I fell to my knees with my hands upon my temples. "Khaos…" I uttered softly. Why had I been so foolish? It would only be logical the Olympians would attempt to pursue me. With those demigods following me, they were sure to find me. I cautiously glanced upward, possibly in fear that one of them would be there to greet me with a weapon of celestial bronze. "No, no!" I stumbled back, however, what I saw was far worse. The injury on my ankle caused me to collapse onto my back. I stared at the ruins in front of me. A deep, reverberating, and sly chuckle echoed within the deep recesses of my mind.

Now do you want vengeance? He spoke smugly. Oh, yes, I can sense you remembering. Remember this destruction? Remember all the pain? Her pain? Poor, poor-.

"Do not speak the name! Do not speak the name!" I bellowed to the air, as if that would halt my Roman aspect. There in front of me lay the ruins of old stone households and the clay roofing tiles. There sat in the center, the broken, desecrated statue that brought back the worst of memories. I felt tears beginning to brim upon my eyes. This town was once the epicenter of a community, the epicenter of a large, metaphorical family. Now, this once humble town was now destroyed, annihilated. I felt him urge me on and slowly I walked closer. This teenage form that I assumed was sore and weak. However, the true pain in my heart was the fact that no matter what form I attempted to take, none would fade. If I could have faded, on that day many years ago I would have allowed myself to burst into nothing and leave the world as it has no need of an immortal it cannot remember. I looked up at the statue. It was once so defined and chiseled. It was once so proud and glorious, yet humble and modest. Now, it was nothing more but a stone that was shattered on that day of fire and death.

Tears ran profusely now. Does my former argument still stand? Is retribution an option now? His voice was smug, venomous.

"Never. I stand by my words," I snivelled, surprised at my ability to speak despite the pain that shocked my very essence violently. The ichor in my veins boiled like magma underneath the crust of the earth. The pain that these memories brought burned my soul with an all-encompassing flame. I was shocked that I still refused to bring retribution upon the god that destroyed all of this. The god that destroyed this humble town, this city that I once called a home. The city that all historians never found. The city lost in the archipelago in the Aegean Sea. I looked up once more at the crumbling infrastructure. I bit my lip and entered one crumbling abode. I held my mouth as I immediately ran back out as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran further and further.

No! he bellowed within my head. I gasped in pain as I felt the familiar sensations of his presence once more turning me around. He wrestled control only briefly, but he forced me to look again. How do you not want vengeance? That fool destroyed this! That moron did this! How come you do not want to destroy that ignoramus? You mope around. You call yourself a being of Logic! Logic dictates that when one feels pain, they destroy the source of said pain!

"Enough!" I shouted clutching my head harder and harder as his presence became more profound forcing images upon my mind. "He knew not of his mistake. I have forgiven him!"

A snort comes from the emptiness. Forgive? the first time was simply a laugh, as if his tone had changed to mere jest. Then, his tone became so sharp, so sardonic that I cried out from the pain. FORGIVE THAT IDIOT? This time, it was pure agony. He drove nails into my mind as he forced me to watch what had happened eons ago. You and I share a body. We share a heart.

"Then you should understand that I for-," he ripped control from me once more. He clamped my mouth shut. My eyes began to dart around in utter fear. My right hand refused to respond to my command to release my mouth.

Forgiveness? I want to see that fool beg. I want to see him BEG for mercy. I release a yelp that was muffled by my own hand.

I felt tears run even faster. You think you are so transcendent. You are nothing more than a simple shell of your former self! You do not forgive that fool.

I shook my head weakly. I sobbed as he drove the image into my own eyes. I watched once more, the event now taking place in front of me. I cried harder, mentally begging him to stop, but he refused. I watched in more detail, the burning agony, the pain in my hand the searing white hot metal had caused. That fool that laughed not knowing the destruction he wrought. He laughed at met as I kneeled upon the grassy field, crying out in agony. The same action that caused all of this. The same action that caused my curse. However, I then saw my hand move as I took up my sword and plunged it swiftly into the fool's stomach and his blue eyes widening in shock, dilating, his lips opening and closing, seemingly unable to fathom what had just happened. Ichor dripped onto my hand, but it did not bother me. In fact... I enjoyed it.

A laugh echoed in my mind and I laughed with it. The laugh became louder, the laugh become stronger, and most of all, it became more crazed. I laughed at his crumpled body, the sword impaling him, coming out of small of his back, opposite of his navel. I grinned, a sadistic grin growing as I continued to watch the golden ichor pool around my feet. If I were to look upon myself in the third person, my pupils would surely be constricted, my green irises shining with madness. You never did forgive him… It was only a matter of time before I finally managed to make you realize that... Remember we share a heart. Deep down... you never forgave that lap dog.

I smirked up at the ruins, "Perhaps I never did. We must seek out our mirror."

Oh yes, with that, we can seek vengeance we crave.

"Yes… Hermes will suffer dearly," I grinned.

Oh man, things gettin' real. Things gettin' real! How was your Christmas? I had planned this to be the Chapter they had met Leto, but our little buddy needs some attention (kind of the whole reason he started this to begin with). But I have plans. Big plans. Now, guess what Hermes did. Guess.

Next Update is on January 11 Central Time