Apologies for not updating last night, I needed to shoot some zombies! ^_^
To RandomFanAuthor- Sssh, you'll blow my cover! Also, I literally saved a list I found of all these gods, it's my go-to, I love it! ^_^
To HoO Fan- (Chapter 39) As much as I would have loved to put the Harry Potter lot in, does not tie with my plan. But one-shots, yes! I had some really old ones floating about somewhere, like REALLY OLD D: Let me do these rewrites, I will see what I can do after :P (Chapter 40) There will be a break, but not just yet! Give it about another 12 ish chapters? But I do like stressing them out as well :D And have a rummage in my favourites! I've read some amazing things over the years!
To Guest- (Chapter 39) Thank you! ^_^
To JasonGraceIsNAPPING- HAVE YOU MET ME? I HAVE FIXED IT, JASON IS AWAKE
To Anonymous Person- Aww, thank you! ^_^ I will do my best! As for Royals and Apocalyptic Love, Royals is definitely getting a rewrite as soon as I can get to it. Apocalyptic Love is up for debate at the moment :P Secrets- I honestly forgot what that one was, I just had to look it up- I can put that on my debate list as well! There's so much of my old stuff that's just eeesh to me, but I'm up for a challenge!
London Victoria was not the kind of place to drag a comatose dragon suitcase around. Everyone was cutting across everyone's path, crashing into each other, all bustling and rushing, avoiding eye contact. Calypso held onto both Leo and Louisa, squealing in protest at the claustrophobic setting.
They finally worked their way to an information desk and then onto Platform Four. Their train, thankfully, was already waiting, due to depart in six minutes.
"Please not another two hours?" Louisa whined.
"No. The lady at the desk said about forty minutes."
"Ugh, that's ages. Can we wake Festus up yet?"
"And burn London down?" Leo quirked an eyebrow. "As tempting as that sounds, I think I may still be wanted for burning down New Rome and Mother Earth."
"Aww, that must give you such a warm, fuzzy feeling." Calypso teased.
"Arson?"
"No. Being wanted."
"I'm definitely not feeling warm and fuzzy right now." Leo pouted. She snickered, kissing his nose and cooing. Leo blew her a raspberry and called on Louisa to help him get Festus aboard.
An hour later, they found themselves in Bexleyheath, outside a shopping centre. There were more shops all around them, a bus shelter and a fountain someone had infected with washing powder, now teeming with white, foamy bubbles. Louisa was currently playing with these, puffing them at passers-by or clapping handfuls at Leo and Calypso, covering them in a fine spray of bubbles.
"Lou," Calypso prompted, "we've got a job to do. Leave the bubbles alone."
"How dare you." Louisa demanded, appalled. She scooped up a teeming pile of bubbles, splaying them on Calypso's head. "Peasant." Leo snorted, palming bubbles from his shirt. Louisa noticed something past them, squeezing between the pair and chasing after pigeons.
"I promise, she's not normally like this."
"Like what?" Calypso spat out bubbles, swatting them from her hair.
"A hyperactive dog. She's normally more… an attack dog, but also a stray?" He shrugged a shoulder. "Lou!" He called. "You hungry?"
The restaurant that had caught Leo's eye was a fish and chip shop. It smelled absolutely divine, but he didn't quite put two and two together until;
"Monsters!" Louisa declared. "What did the fish ever do to you, ya'll monsters!"
"Lou, calm down!" Calypso squeaked, standing between the counter and the raging demigod. The young woman at the counter was watching, absolutely mystified. Her wide-eyed gaze flicked to Leo, who was no help, rather enjoying this.
"Leave the fish alone!" Louisa ordered.
"It's a bit late now, Lou," Leo said around barely contained laughter, "they're rather deep-fried." Louisa spluttered and cussed him out in Ancient Greek. Leo snickered, paying for three portions of chips and nuggets. The entire restaurant was focused on her, shouting vulgarities in a language they could not understand. Leo was rather proud of himself, somehow managing to keep his laughter down. He gathered their order in his arms, shoving into Louisa and helping Calypso usher her out. "Lou, breathe." He requested, handing out the food. "Cal, that's a chicken nugget, probably the best thing on this planet."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Louisa fumed, jabbing her finger in Leo's face. "I DO NOT EAT FISH!" There was a squawk overhead. A flash of brown-amber feathers on a body far larger than a pigeon and Louisa lost her lunch. She stared at her hand, closing and opening her fist as if to call her food back.
"Was that a harpy?" Calypso laughed in disbelief. Indeed it was- the harpy spiralled upwards, cawing triumphantly, landing two storeys up on the roof of the shopping centre. She gorged on her meal with ravenous delight. Realisation dawned on Louisa and she swore very loudly, stomping her foot and drawing the disapproving look of several pedestrians. "Here, Lou, have some of mine."
"At least one of ya'll is nice."
"I brought you food."
"Fuck that shit, it's up there now!"
"The almighty daughter of Poseidon, robbed by a harpy."
"I was distracted!"
"You were yelling at me!"
"Of course I was yellin' at you!"
"Lou, it's not cannibalism if you eat fish!"
"Yes it is!"
Calypso had to put up with them bickering for most of the afternoon. They explored Bexleyheath, visited many of the shops. Calypso brought herself a pink notebook and a set of gel pens, Leo acquired a new map. Louisa purchased a squishy dolphin toy from the toy shop, similar to the one she had wanted in Bognor Regis. Calypso also brought some headache tablets as Louisa berated Leo yet again- "Fish, Valdez, fuckin' fish. Ya'll know why I can't eat that!"
"Really? Why's that, Lou?" He smiled cluelessly. She protested wordlessly, pulling on her hair instead of throttling him. Calypso reached back, grabbing the front of Louisa's jacket and tugging her forward. She fired a warning look at Leo. He laughed, turning away momentarily to tug Festus over a bumpy bit of sidewalk. He really could do this all day.
Calypso kept Louisa with her, agreeing with her each time she muttered about Leo's idiocy, but only half-listening. They seemed to have left the main section of town behind, walking past a string of smaller cafes and knick-knack shops. It was a little quieter down this end, but that only made their silly argument seem louder.
"That's like askin' you to eat a donkey!" Louisa aimed a kick at him. He simply stopped, smirking as he stood out of range. Calypso pulled her onwards, shaking her head. "He started it! Let me smack him, just a little bit!"
"NO!" The trio froze, but at different intervals. Leo crashed into Louisa, getting elbowed in the stomach for it. Calypso gripped their arms, nodding in the direction of a little café. The shout did not come from Louisa this time, but from a woman hassling another woman, wrestling her for her teacup in the outside seating. "THE TEA LEAVES ARE IMPORTANT, GIVE ME THE TEA LEAVES!" The door opened, a man in an apron bustling out with a broom.
"This is the third time this week!" He reprimanded, brandishing the broom. "Away with you, get on now!"
"I NEED THE TEA LEAVES!"
"You need locking up!" He struck the bristle end against her stomach, pushing. "Naff off, lady, you're upsetting my customers!" Louisa twisted herself free, hurrying forward and waving.
"Aunt Vera!" She called. "I've been lookin' everywhere for ya!" The woman whirled round. Louisa crashed into her in a hug, smiling up at her. "Ya daftie, Mam's been worried! I'll take her away her now, sorry 'bout all this." Louisa coaxed 'Aunt Vera' away, looping their arms, patting her hand. She walked away from Leo and Calypso, further away from town.
The other two caught up outside a bowling alley, a little green area outside with benches under large trees. Louisa was sat on the furthest one away, holding tightly to the woman's arm. Leo parked Festus at the end of the bench. 'Aunt Vera' was a sight to behold- not one article of clothing matched, a clash of colours and patterns and eras, multiple layers of articles, different sizes. Her glasses were crooked, made from two separate pairs- the left side was a bright red, round frame encrusted with fake diamonds, some missing. The right side was a thin golden frame with a crack in the lens, patched together in the middle with plasters and duct tape. She wore one sneaker and one sandal, her feet looking several sizes bigger under multiple socks. Her greying blonde hair stood about her head as though under permanent static electricity, her hazel eyes frantically locked on Louisa. She held Louisa by the chin, her fingers digging into her cheeks as if trying to get her to spit something out.
"Hey." Leo said, tapping the lady on the shoulder. She startled, head snapping round. "Um, hi. Could you, uh, could you let our friend's face go?"
"The lines cross, the lines cross!"
"That's nice?" Leo tried. "We're hoping you're the right lady, you sort of fit the bill. Do you have a sister called Postverta?" The lady squealed confirmation.
"I am Antevorta, I see the futures! The lines cross, have you got tea leaves, this is not good!" She focused back on Louisa, hand unclamping. She pinched Louisa's nose, inspected her eyes, pulled on her ear, her hair, grabbing her by the wrist and examining her palm, picking at her clothes. Each inspection brought Antevorta closer, which only moved Louisa backwards, until she was lying back on the bench, the goddess on top of her. "Keep still, keep still, did you have breakfast, you must have breakfast in this one!" Louisa kneed her in the stomach and shoved her off, scrambling away. She clambered over the arm of the bench, clinging to Calypso's arm. "Did you have breakfast?"
"Uh…" Calypso squeezed Louisa's hand reassuringly. "A harpy stole her lunch." Antevorta clawed at her face, wailing loudly.
"No, no, no, that's not good, not good!" Her gaze landed on Leo and she jumped to her feet. "The lines cross, the lines cross, that is good!" She lunged forward, catching Leo by the hand. She bustled Calypso away, grabbing Louisa's hand and pressing it into Leo's. "Yes yes yes, I see it! You and you!" She infolded their hands in her own, tightly enough to make them both wince. "Good lines, good lines, powerful children! But you!" She carted Leo over to Calypso, trapping their hands in the same situation. "But this is good too, strong lines! Fearsome daughter, yes yes yes, but the god-killer…" She let go, spinning on her heel. "Such grief, such anger!" She flung an arm out, trapping Louisa under her point. "Do you remember your middle name?"
"I have a middle name?"
"Ooooohhhh, we're doomed, we're doomed!" Antevorta collapsed to her knees, curling her hands in the grass and wailing. Calypso looked down, jolting and throwing Leo's hand back at him. He was rather red-faced, not meeting her eye.
Hands clasped Calypso's ankle, nearly startling her into falling backwards. Antevorta stared up at her, baring her teeth in what she must have thought was a smile. "What colour is your hair tie?"
"My-? What?"
"Blue." Leo said. "It's blue."
"Oh!" Antevorta was on her feet, clapping. "This is a good day! But you, you, you," she waggled a finger at Louisa, "you needed breakfast today, you needed to eat the pancakes, how could you not eat the pancakes this morning?" Louisa blinked at her. "That is bad, that is really bad!" She began pacing between them, almost doubled over she was so intently focused on the ground. "Bad lines!" She yelled. "Bad lines, bad lines, we are doomed, such grief, such anger, such death! Can't stop it, can't stop it, they could stop it, but the lines cross, not the good cross, the bad cross, but it could be the good cross, that would stop it, but it won't stop it because it'd be the bad cross unless- what colour are your socks, are they green? Tell me they're green, they're not green, this is bad, that's the bad cross, the lines are bad cross!" She spun around, marching up to Louisa as if to headbutt her. "You can't stop it, you can't save him, he will die, there's nothing you can do, but if he dies, we die, we can't die, but they can stop it, his socks need to be green, you needed to eat pancakes, THIS IS THE BAD CROSS!" She clutched Louisa's shoulders, forehead to forehead with her. "We need the good cross, you need to let the good cross happen! Powerful children, yes yes yes, of fire and sea, that's the good cross, the good path, but there's the other one, fearsome daughter, fire and magic, those are strong lines! But strong lines means the bad cross, the god-killer will advance, no no no, that's bad, that's really bad, but there's the other one, there's always the other one, that is a good one, I like that one, you like that one, you will like that one, but for the good lines, there's a price to pay, HE WILL DIE AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP IT!"
"SHUT UP!" Louisa shoved her hands between her and the goddess. A flash of green, a ripple of thunder. Antevorta slammed into the grass, rolling and landing on the cobbled path. Louisa clamped her hands over her ears, breathing hard, doubled over as green sparks encased her. Calypso took a step towards her, but another strike of thunder kept her still.
"Lady." Leo said, crouching by Antevorta. She was muttering to herself, grasping his shoulder as soon as he was in reach. He winced, but pressed on. "Lady, who's going to die?"
"You call them paths, you like the paths, the good paths, the good lines, you like that one, huh, young man? Yes yes yes," she pulled herself up, using him as leverage, "yes yes yes, you like that one, those are the good lines, fire and water, powerful children." Louisa looked up as they approached, moving away, clutching her hands to her chest. She shook her head, closing her eyes. "Broken down!" Antevorta laughed. "Broken down, Aphrodite said it, broken down to nothing more than a shell of your current self, that's what she told you, she warned you, but there is a price to pay for the good lines, you must pay the price, daughter of Neptune! You were warned, yes you were, broken down broken down!"
The sparks were getting worse, more erratic, brighter, hungrier. Antevorta hardly noticed them, reaching out to poke Louisa in the forehead, keeping her finger there. "But what if the other things happen, you will kill us all, you will die by your father's hand, we will die by yours, there's too many, too many! Such grief, such anger, such death! He dies, you know! You can't stop it, you can stop it, he will die, he won't die, daughter of Poseidon, if he dies, we die! No no no, the other one will stop that, the other one will not allow it, if he dies, we die, you can't stop it!" The goddess lunged, once again capturing Louisa's face in her hands, digging her nails in. "GOD-KILLER!" She screamed, ignoring the tearing green up her arms, ichor dribbling from gouges in her skin. "GOD-KILLER, HE WILL DIE, PRICE TO PAY, POWERFUL CHILDREN, GOD-KILLER, YOU CAN'T STOP IT!"
"Cal, quick!" Leo threw his arms around the goddess from behind. Calypso crashed in beside him, doing the same. Together, they pried the pair apart, tumbling backwards. Ichor splashed to the ground, staining Antevorta's clothes, sliding from her fingertips. Louisa covered her eyes, trembling. The grass around her feet was withering, the sky darkened with distant thunder.
"Go home." Louisa ordered, voice wobbling. "Go home." Antevorta didn't move, sitting between her saviours, rocking and mumbling to herself.
"Can't save him, he will die, price to pay, god-killer, can't save him, he will die, price to pay, god-killer, can't save him, he will die, price to pay, god-killer…" She repeated this twice more before Louisa lost her temper. Antevorta didn't notice at first, dipping her fingertips in her own immortal blood. Thunder shook the ground, rattled the windows of the bowling alley so forcefully, the sound imprinted itself in Calypso's mind. The heavens opened.
"GO HOME!" Louisa bellowed, the rain steaming around her, not a droplet touching her skin. "GO HOME! NOW!" Green light snapped, slathering down her arm. Leo and Calypso dived to either side. The attack struck the ground, missing Antevorta by a hairsbreadth. She had already gone.
Louisa stared at the space the goddess had been, knees giving out. Her hands hit the floor and she tipped forward, contact with the earth absorbing the last of her light. The whole section of grass was yellow now, the rain like leaden sheets of ice. "I'm not the god-killer." She sobbed, steam dissipating as the rain finally caught her. "I'm not, I'm… I'm not, I'm not, I'm not…"
Neither Calypso nor Leo moved, watching her curl up under the weight of her storm. "I'm not, I'm not-" she choked on her own unconvincing. "I'm not the god-killer, I'm n-not the go-god-killer… I'm n-no… I'm not…"