Ryan's POV

I gently rested my head against my arms as my mind began to drift off to sleep. I was just outside Katie's room. It's been two and a half hours past midnight. Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a few minutes, there's no harm in that.

No. My head suddenly snapped up and I quickly shook the drowsiness off me. Or at least tried to as the heaviness continued to linger. Katie could be badly injured, I need to be here for her now.

A hand was placed on my shoulder and I saw Piper frowning down at me. She had dark bags underneath her eyes, but she managed an exhausted smile. "Ryan, I doubt Katie would mind you taking a couple hours off to get some rest."

I simply stared back at her. "You first."

She unsheathed her dagger and looked back at her reflection. Piper placed a hand on her eyes and sighed. "Alright, I suppose we both need some rest."

Piper pointed at the rooms just down the hall which were cleared out for us by the villagers. I nodded reluctantly and started to walk down with her. Piper knocked on the door thrice before it creaks open. Sam steps out, rubbing his eyes with a bow slung over his shoulder.

"Are you taking the next watch?" Piper asked yawning softly.

"Ya," He notices me and nods reassuringly. "don't worry, I'll take good care of her."

Piper smiled and kissed him on the cheek. His face colored slightly, but he began to walk down to Katie's room. Despite my exhaustion, I managed a weak grin to Piper. "So when did the two of you become a thing?"

She flushed and glared at me. "Oh shut up Ryan." She quickly shut the door but opened it slightly a moment later. "I'll tell you in the morning."

I laughed and shook my head as I opened the door for my room. I barely even registered what was all around me before simply crashing onto the bed. It took me only about a few minutes to completely pass out.

It felt like I was only asleep for a couple minutes when Piper was suddenly shaking me viciously awake. "Ryan, Ryan get up!" She shouted and continued to shake me. I groan softly and rubbed my eyes.

"Katie is awake!" She insisted and nudged me again.

A jolt shot through my body as I shot upright and looked around, my eyes narrowing onto her as I threw the sheets off. "What? When?"

"A few minutes ago, the nurse told Sam and he told me," Piper explained as quickly as she could. "Let's go."

I didn't need to be told a second time as I quickly jogged with her down the hall. Thankfully I went to bed in the clothes I was wearing before so I didn't have to spend any time changing.

Brasidas was there as well, waiting for us with a couple of guards with him along with the rest of our guesstimates. He quickly opened the door and pushed it open. Before anyone else could even blink, I burst inside and looked at the bed.

Katie was sitting up on bed, almost casually as rubbed her eyes. The nurse was right beside her, waiting to check up on her at a moments notice. I froze suddenly as our eyes locked on with each other.

My body froze, seeing the icy blue eyes she had in the place of her brown ones.

"Hello there Ryan." She said casually, a smile slowly forming on her lips. It wasn't her usual Katie smile, but one that felt almost cold and distant. She waved a hand past the nurse and nodded. "I'm fine dear. You don't need to take care of me."

"What's with your eyes?" Mike asked bluntly and entered the room after us.

"Oh?" She asked and moved her hand to her eyes and rubbed them. Piper held up her dagger in front of her and let Katie see. "Oh that? I guess it's an effect by being attacked by a Storm Spirit?"

"What!" They all shouted suddenly and stared at her.

She nodded somberly as she eased back onto bed. "Well after I left to try and get out of the fight with Pallas, he unleashed some Storm Spirits after me to try and track you guys down. I managed to fight them off for a couple minutes but they eventually overwhelmed me and I got struck down."

Piper leaned down and hugged her. "Awww, poor thing."

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "How are you feeling Katie?" I asked and pulled her close to a hug as well.

"Thanks, guys." She said, and again there's something off with her voice. It contains only barely contained anger.

It was harsh enough to get me to back away in surprise. The others do the same as Katie casually rises to her feet. She glanced down and her clothes, and realized she was wearing one of the dresses that the innkeeper dug up for her.

To my surprise, she simply shrugged and walked past us. "Come on guys let's eat." She called back.

Brasidas looked at us and smiled. "So is your friend alright?"

"I'm honestly not really sure." I replied and started to follow him downstairs. Thankfully the innkeeper had always kept food on standby. So some grain and spice meat was placed out for us. Katie sat down and started to pick up a bowl of rice eating it delicately without a single hair out of place.

"Something is very wrong." I muttered silently to Piper who only nodded in agreement. I picked up a leg of meat and started to bite into it. The others soon sat around us and joined in eating the food.

Katie frowned. "Is there a problem guys? Something wrong with a little midnight snack?"

"No, nothings wrong," Aqua replied and said, her fingers tapping on the table. "It's just that you're acting a bit odd."

"Oh?" She raised her brow in mild confusion as she set her bowl down. Her new eyes flickered towards us dangerously. Her body tensed like she was ready to spring into action at any moment. "And what do you mean by that?"

Sam scratched the back of his head. "Well, you're acting all quiet and proper. It's a bit weird."

The others nodded silently in agreement. Mike cleared his throat and pointed at her dress. "And you don't seem to mind wearing that."

Katie glanced down at her outfit and frowned as if she couldn't spot a thing wrong with it. "And whats the problem with my dress."

"Katie what's your favorite season!" I blurted out suddenly and glared at her. The question sent the room to silence. Everyone looked at me except for Katie who took another bite from her bowl.

She then set it back down and wiped her lips delicately. When Katie finally turned, there was a coolness in her expression that almost felt mocking. A smile slowly started to tug upwards on her lips as she opened her mouth.

My heart started to thump in my chest my hand moved up to my spear and prepared to summon in.

"Winter."

I burst to my feet and whirled around, keeping my lance leveled onto her chest. Mike and Aqua were at Katie's side and grabbed each of her arms. Before she could even open her mouth they held her down.

Her cool expression instantly shattered. Suddenly her face morphed to one of pure terror. She opened her mouth and let out a terrified shriek. When Katie glanced up her eyes were wide and confused, almost like someone who didn't understand what was going on.

"Ryan!" She breathed out her voice breaking.

My arm strained as I lowered my weapon a fraction. A careful, cautious gesture to see how she reacted. She still looked as scared.

I glanced in Brasidas's direction. He was in a combat stance had his sword drawn out partially of its sheath. When he noticed my look, he gave me a determined nod. Whatever I did he was with me. "Do you have a priest here? Or some sort of magic wielder?"

He nodded and quickly vanished outside into the night.

"Ryan, please. Whats going on?" Katie sobbed.

Even though the sound of her voice like that wrenched my heart, I ignored her and looked at the door. A few minutes later, he was back with a man dressed in a white robe and a purple sash in tow. A priest perhaps.

"Whats going on?" He panted, taking a few heavy breaths as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"I think she might be possessed," I replied and pointed my spear at Katie.

The priest nodded and pushed his way past us. The guards were quick to make room for him to pass. "Set her down on the floor." He instructed to Aqua and Mike. They two nodded and hauled her off the chair as me, Sam and Piper started to clear the tables and chairs to make room for them.

Katie struggled against the bonds, gasping and groaning loudly as she fought to get free. "Let me go." She shouted and kicked. The priest ignored her and kneeled down in front of her.

He tapped her forehead with his finger and suddenly Katie her eyes rolled back to the back of her head and caused her to recoil back. I let out a small gasp in surprise as I saw this, but didn't move and forced myself to remain still.

He started to chant slowly, speaking of a some old greek hymn as he started to have his hands hover over her body, moving around until he tapped Katie's forehead again. Her eyes rolled back to their original position.

They were still icy blue.

The priest turned to us and shook his head. "I-I don't detect any sort of demon inside her." He replied and got to his feet. "What exactly happened to her?"

Quickly, I told him everything that happened. Even though it only took a few minutes, it still felt like it was far too long. After I finished, the priest simply nodded and seemed to understand. "Well perhaps she needs a bit of time to adjust."

I looked back at Katie, frowning as I nodded slowly. Katie would have done the same for me if that happened to me. "Alright then. I'll give her some time." I turned to Katie and hugged her tightly. "Do you think you can still finish the quest with us?"

Katie nodded. The priest smiled and patted me on my shoulder. "Excellent."

Brasidas got up and sighed with relief. "Well now that all of this business is settled, shall we get some rest? We should depart tomorrow with the supply caravan."

"That seems like a good idea." Mike agreed and yawned. "Now come on, it's getting late."

"What are you doing here?" The guard held up his hand to signal the wagons to stop and slammed his spear shaft against the dirt with his other hand.

Brasidas cleared his throat and stepped forward. He was at the front of the group, riding a simple chestnut plow horse. "We're just heading to the palace with our goods. Just some hay, oats, grain and milk."

Another guard stepped forward and grunted. He lowered his spear and hooked it under the tarp that covered the wagon and lifted it up. "Then you don't mind if we inspect these things?"

I tense and readied my own spear. These guys looked like they would do it regardless if there was anyone inside or not. He threw the tarp back and two more soldiers joined him. They leaped onto the wagon and began to knock things aside in their search, but after a few minutes, it was clear that there was no one there.

Piper glanced at my, still disguised in a dress given to her by one of the villagers. I nodded to her and the others in their own disguises. They repeated the same process with the other wagons and the man leaped back and pulled the tarp over, not even bothering to fix the stuff they knocked over.

"Alright, things seem to be in order." The soldier who started the search said. He waved his spear around. "Get going then."

Brasidas nodded quickly and started to order his team forward, the wagons started to move again and soldiers walked beside them. We continued down the dirt path that led towards the castle.

But as we approached the great rock that king Diomedes built his castle on top of, he suddenly signaled the convoy to come to a sudden stop. One of his guards nodded to him, a gesture which he returned. "This is our stop everyone."

"What do you mean?" Katie blinked in surprise as she glanced around at the empty road, looking for any guards. "There's nothing here?"

"Indeed." He smiled and started to walk off the road towards the dirt. "That what most people think, but a second look often changes everything. Come with us and follow."

I glanced at Katie and nodded reassuringly. She swallowed a breath and nodded softly. "Alright, let's do this then." With that, we started to move forward down the dirt as Brasidas and four men went ahead, the rest continued on with the wagons to finish the delivery.

Brasidas waved us forward, easily leaping from rock to rock as he looked at he rocky cliffs. He frowned and ran his hands across the place until he smiled. "Over here." He moved ahead and soon disappeared from sight.

We followed after him and found Brasidas crouching beside a small opening in between the walls. "Over here everyone." Without another word, he went inside followed by his guards. We soon started to descend down the hole, which actually seems more like a cave.

By the time we catch up with Brasidas, he had already lit a torch and was heading through the path. As we move in deeper, the walls become more smooth and like a wall instead. He glanced back at us and grinned. "This place was made as a secret entrance and exit to the castle, kings always like to have a place like this where they can sneak off to their more private activities, or to escape in the event of a coup."

Mike nodded, seeming to approve of that idea. He adjusts the rifle slung over his shoulder. We fall into step in a column. "This place looks so old." He said.

"Almost two thousand years." One of the guards said behind us. He glanced back and watched our flank. He spat on the ground as we walked by. "Diomedes used this place for all his sick games."

"Games?" Katie asked.

Brasiadas's face darkened under the torchlight. "He used to feed guests he invited into the palace to his flesh-eating horses, he made no difference between nobles, lowborn, local or foreigner. He kept them starved so that they would devour them mercilessly until That was until Hercules fed them his own body. After that they calmed down."

She nodded and continued to walk, before freezing suddenly. "Wait, I think I hear something."

Brasidas raised his hand in the air and signaled for the group to come to a stop. "What do you hear?"

Aside from the sound of water dripping from stalactites, I didn't hear anything. "Katie are you sure-"

"Shhh." She hissed and pressed her ear closer. Then I heard it, the scrapping of feet against rocks.

"Guards," Brrasidas confirmed, cursing silently to himself. "I didn't realize that Diomedes would still be patrolling these caves."

Katie pulled her sword out and grinned. "I'll handle this guy."

For a moment I saw a bit of the old Katie and smiled. "Go for it."

She nodded and jogged up the stone. She soon vanished into the rocks. After a few tense minutes I started to worry, Katie should have been back by know. I readied my spear and began considering going after her, but Brasidas simply smiled and held me back. "Don't worry too much about your lady. She looks like she can handle herself in a fight."

I grunted and crossed my arms unhappily. But I relaxed and kept my spear back, thankfully before long I heard footsteps beginning to head back towards us. I sighed with relief as I heard more than one pair of feet making our way back here.

Katie appeared back in sight with an odd smile on her face. She suddenly placed a hand on her forehead dramatically and pointed at us. "Guards they're over here! These are the people who tried to rape me." Suddenly a squad of guards rushed passed her with their weapons drawn and threw themselves at us.

Braisadas and his men shouted a battle cry and rushed to meet them. He had his sword out and parried a spear thrust aimed at him. He whirled around and brought his sword down at the spot between the helmet and breastplate that wasn't protected by his armor.

One of the men managed to fight his way through the other guards and ran up to me with his shield raised. met his spear with my own and reached for the rim of his shield. He growled and tried to ram me back. I caught the blow and brought my knee up to his chest. He stumbled to the ground enough for me to jab my spear into his back.

Mike rushed to Katie with his gun and bayonet ready. He stopped short of actually hitting her and instead just grabbed her hand and growled. "What in Hades are your doing Katie?"

The Daughter of Hermes moved like a Cheetah pouncing on her prey. She twisted free of his grip and whirled around before lancing a blow into his chest. As he doubled over, Katie threw her leg up into a vicious kick to his face.

"Oh you mortals are so predictable." She laughed in a sickly sweet voice and raised her hands. Her eyes gleamed dangerously as she raised her hands. Suddenly a flurry of ice shards came shooting out of her hands directly at her. I crouched down and began to weave a shield of shadows.

The ice disappeared into a darkness and didn't reappear again. She drew her sword and advanced at me. "We had a priest look at you. He said you were fine."

Katie took a step back and looked over the group. He spotted the priest in the back, cowering softly behind some of the guards. She simply waved her hand and an icy dagger flew out of his sleeve and impaled itself onto his chest. He dropped to the ground without another sound. "You mean that priest? I simply hid myself and showed you what you believed to see."

"Well, I want to see you out of my girlfriend's body," I growled and leveled my spear at her. The others did the same and prepared to attack, but Piper simply held her hand out.

Katie readied her sword and pointed it at her. "Stay out of this Daughter of Aphrodite. This is none of your business."

She smiled sweetly as she brushed some hair from her face. "Now, now. I don't even know what this business is. If you could be so kind as to tell me everything that is happening here."

She clenched her fist and started to advance. "Your Charmspeak will not work on my girl."

"Maybe not you, but Katie might be more willing."

The thing inside her laughed. "Do you truly wish to appeal to your friend inside her? She is lost now."

I tightened my spear and snarled. "Katie if you're in there then please five is a sign."

Her expression faltered for a second. "Ryan," Her voice was barely above a whisper. "there's something inside me." She stumbled to the ground and screamed, clutching herself. "It's too powerful, I don't think I can fight it for long."

She screamed and suddenly the cruel expression returned. "Please whoever you are, we mean you know harm. Why did you posses our friend?"

"Foolish girl!" She shrieked. "Do you not recognize me? The power I emanate?"

A gust of cold wind was blown at her direction, nearly knocking her and the guards over. Sam cried out and loosed an arrow straight at Katie. To his surprise she simply caught it in midair and clenched her fist, snapping the arrow in half.

"Khione?" Piper gasped, wiping her lips and getting to her feet.

The ice queen smirked and nodded her head. She spread her arms out and an icy dagger appeared on her free hand. Suddenly, she charged at us with her weapons in hand.

Some of Brasidas men were the first to meet her. They raised their weapons and shields to meet her. Khione moved like a whirlwind and easily parried their attacks before reaching out and grabbing one of their shields. First started to spread from the rim towards the base, the soldier screamed in surprise as he let go of it before it shattered into ice shards.

She moved her hand up and drove the knife into his heart, easily ripping through his armor and into his heart. Her sword swung around and lashed out, cutting through the other man's neck.

"Get back!" Brasidas shouted and waved his sword.

It was too late as the ice queen charged forward and came at the rest of us. Mike managed to parry with his bayonet while another soldier raised his shield up and drove his spear at her feet, forcing Khione to do pivot back.

I jabbed my spear at her armpit. It forced her to parry but it was all I needed. Aqua wrapped her whip around her arm. She tugged it hard and forced her to drop her sword. Sam swung her short sword and tried to smack the pommel at her hand.

Khione grinned and easily parried it, but Mike smacked her over the head with the stock of her rifle. He wrapped his arms around hers and held her down. Piper closed her eyes and focused on her. Khione screamed and thrashed around, but Mike easily have twenty pounds in her.

Piper smiled and touched her shoulders. "Come on now, let's be rational and discuss this. Katie please, don't fight it."

Katie slowly started to calm down and relaxed onto the ground. "Alright then."

Suddenly she started to struggle once again. She screamed in anger as she blew ice at them. Piper easily blocked it with a shield and smiled. "Come on Katie, you're much stronger than that ice bitch, fight her."

Two voice warred in her throat, changing back and forth like chancing two radio station. They screamed and roared, causing everyone else to back away nervously. I leaned in closet and tried to grab her. "Please Katie, don't let her take over!"

I stared into her eyes, the icy blue one that glared back carefully at me. A bit of brown starred to return from the corner and moved further to begin overcoming the rest of it. Katie screamed once again, her voice desperate but fully hers. One more explosion of ice escaped her throat before she slumped against the ground and passed out.

I quickly caught her before she hit the ground and ran the finger across her cheek as I cradled her body. Piper and Sam were at my side and leaning down next to her, Sam started to chant a healing song.

"It's her." Piper sighed with relief as she slumped down. "Khione is gone now."