Welcome back. This is the second to last short story of the Demigod Chronicles. Only five chapters I know, but I am ready to get on with Book Two, and I know you guys are ready to read it as well. So here is one last short chapter, giving insight on past events.
Review and Response time.
Shadowhunter2077: "Now I want to see what happened on Olympus when both Malachi and Talon were "judged" because I think the only gods who would be in their favor would be: Zeus, Hera, Apollo and Artemis.
And please don't make Poseidon be the voice of reason in the trial, always hated that the Rick only make Poseidon be the only god that matured while the others are always portrayed as bad gods, people forget that earthquakes, Hurricanes that come from the seas, tsunamis are all caused by Poseidon throwing a tamper tantrum.
Sorry for the rant is just that this favoritism with Poseidon always pissed me off, yes Zeus is not the best ruler, but people forget ever since the ancient times Zeus always maneged to rule and protect Olympus for thousand of years (and by extantion civilization and mankind), and I liked that Zeus is still a powerful but also arrogant being in this fic, and that when he appear you know that things will get serious."
Response: I agree with you about Poseidon, although I like him in the Riordan verse, what you said is true. And the next chapter will cover the judging of Malachi and Talon, it will be the last short story in the Demigod Chronicles, and I will finally move on to Book Two! Anyway, thanks for the review!
W1rath56: "Aaand done! This was a pretty awesome fic and I have no idea why its so underrated. I had my issues with this fic but they seem to have all been resolved now. It was a wild ride and Im glad I found this. Now on to read Zane's fic."
Response: Thanks for the review, glad you enjoyed the story! Hope you stick around, because Book Two is on the way.
Jay: "Im gar for Talon. FYI Gar is not Gay"
Response: I know what gar means, and thanks, yeah Talon is pretty dope I have to admit.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.
This takes place on the Cursed Island, years before the first book. We see the first time Malachi, Sera, and Talon meet, among other things. Just to clarify, they are each about twelve years old here. And yes, you read it right, some will be in Malachi's POV. If he talks strange and formal, it's because he was raised by Ouranos, just remember. Same with Sera.
4. Tales Of The Island
Malachi's POV
Huddled up on a boat with a dozen other kids in chains, things couldn't get much worse.
I'm Malachi Stallard, the Son of Ouranos.
I hate him. When I found out the truth, about my mother, and about his real reason for even having me as a son, I tried to kill him. But I was helpless. He struck me and nearly burned me to a crisp, but I was left looking unharmed, although I didn't feel that way. It was like I had been ran over thousands of times by the biggest vehicle imaginable. My powers had been weakened tremendously. If I had my old strength right now, I would blast these guards off the boat and save everyone from the Island we were about to arrive on.
Father had said they would discipline me here, and that I would never misbehave again. I would misbehave as much as it took if it meant never going back to Ouranos.
We were coming to the Island, the main guard on the boat looked like one of the monsters father had me train with. He was big and muscular, a sleeveless chestplate on with camoflauge jeans, his head was buzzed, his face scarred and rough.
He stood up on the bow, smirking at us like we were cattle, which we might as well be.
"Alright scum, listen up and listen good. I want to make sure we are clear on a few things before reaching the Island."
All of us looked at him, not much choice given. Our chains clanged lightly at the movement, we wore them like handcuffs.
He chuckled at our situation, "From this day forward you belong to Lord Kronos, and no one else. He owns you, and you are to obey our rules under his command. You will work seventeen hours a day, you will be given food and water, and you will have a place to sleep. Sounds good right?"
I had no comment, some of the others mumbled.
"WELL THINK AGAIN!" He yelled, some flinched, I did not.
"Your lives will be hell here. You will break your bones working, sweat yourselves dry from the scorching sun, and if you step out of line..." He tapped the large sword on his waist, "You will be punished."
Without my full power, I wouldn't be able to put up much fight, so he did have the ability to punish me if given the choice. The others looked dead already, their faces sunken and lifeless, this was the end of the line for them.
"There will be no troublemaking." He continued, "If you converse with any slave other than yourself while working, you will be whipped. If you try to escape, you will be whipped, if you do anything to piss me or my colleagues off, you will be whipped!"
He proved this by uncurling the long whip from his belt, and cracking it at a kid who had to cough. The leather strip hit the boy's skin, he yelled in pain and rubbed the now red spot. He had to be even younger than me. The sight made me furious.
"See? As long as you abide by the rules, we should get along just fine." With that, we waited another few minutes, and finally docked near the shore.
We got off and walked single file up a sandy hill, the only source of shade being a few seconds of green canopy, but shortly going back to hot sunlight. I wore a blue t-shirt and cargo shorts, now slightly wet from the saltwater.
We finally made it to a flat opening, there were at least a hundred more kids standing about, guards surrounding them. The oldest might have been sixteen or seventeen, the youngest eight or seven. It disgusted me, the whole thing.
Among the crowd I spotted a few unforgettable appearances. A pair of dark skinned twins, about ten years old, looking depressed and slightly bloody, they must have already received a whipping. Another was a bright red haired boy with freckles. He wore no shirt and was sweating profusely, he might have been fourteen or thirteen.
Then I spotted the most recognizable person. A girl with pure white hair. I had never seen such a beautiful girl. Granted, I had never seen but a handful of women in my life, on the account of being secluded by my father, but I could tell she was exceptionally pretty. Her face looked like the princesses father told me about. He used to explain the world to me every night, and the way things were, sometimes he would get off track, and some of what he said made no sense. I used to talk with some of his men, and they would give me the real answer. So I wasn't completely oblivious to how the world worked, or what the terms male and female meant. I had never been to school, but I knew enough to not be considered stupid.
Anyway, she wore a white dress coming down to her knees, her long white hair below her back, it was whiter than the sand, and beautifully flowing like fire with the wind, her eyes were brighter than the sky blue, her lips soft and perfect, her skin tan enough to not be considered pale.
I had a strange feeling in my chest at her sight, but I ignored it, and instead focused on her demeanor. She looked terrified and nervous. She kept looking around, biting her lip and her body shaking. I concentrated on the auras of everyone around, which was painful, due to my interior injuries. I felt them though, most of the people were the same, they had basic demigod abilities and enhancements, but fatigue and fear ruled them. I felt no such thing. However again, due to my father almost killing me, I was only slightly stronger than them, and not as powerful as any of the guards. They were adults, and had more aura than any of us singularly. Had I my full power, I could sink this entire Island with ease. Being big headed is not my intention, but it's a fact. One bolt of lightning from my former self would be enough to kill the man with the whip. But sadly, I am now a shell of that self.
This girl's aura was weak at first glance. Her fear level was far higher than any of the other kids. She wasn't sad or depressed, she was scared to death, I could literally feel her shaking with my aura sense, her heartbeat fast and nervous. But when I felt further, I noticed an immense latent power, a power rarely tapped into. It was stronger than any of these kids, my current self included, and even the guards. She could wipe them out if she pleased.
So why didn't she? Was it her fear, was she that shy and scared?
Yes, she was. As I looked at her closer, I realized she was alone, and that others were looking at her funny. Some because of her white hair, the younger boys thought it odd, not paying attention really, and the younger girls admiring it's soft and bright pigment.
However, amongst the older boys, I saw a look of lust. I knew this look, I knew this feeling from the words of Ouranos's men. I had never experienced the feeling, or thought of any female that way, but I knew that it meant a sexual desire for someone. And the teenage boys were oozing it at her, I could sense it's disgusting presence.
There were many looking at her this way, with hunger on their minds, a hunger for something other than food. I could already tell this Island was going to be similar to what the guard said. Hell it would be indeed. Because these boys ranged from fourteen to seventeen, and the girl had to be my age, slightly younger than thirteen, so twelve. The stares at her white dress, a bit slightly see through due to contact of saltwater made her very uncomfortable. She knew what they were doing, and that only enhanced her fear.
I barely knew her, but if she had not one friend, I could be it. At the very least, not allow her to be raped or violated. I thought about summoning a bolt, but in this state, it would be hit or miss. My struggle was interrupted however by the Man with the Whip from earlier.
"Now that we've got you all herded up, time for work! Kronos needs stone for Mount Othrys repairs. So grab some pickaxes, and start getting to it!"
They came around and undid our chains, none of us had any energy to even think about retaliating. We just did as we were told and hacked away at the stone nearby, like we were mortal prisoners.
After a few minutes, I noticed to my right, a dozen people down, the white haired girl struggling to lift the pickaxe. Of course she would, due to my enhanced strength I felt little weight in anything normal, but I could tell by the size of these tools that they weighed thirty to forty pounds. She was skinny and fair, not a girl that trained a lot. She tried desperately to lift it, but couldn't.
After a few attempts, the man with the whip and another guard came over to her. I was sure they would give her a lighter axe, but of course, that was naïve wishing.
"What the hell's the problem, snowflake?" A nickname due to her white hair I supposed, no humor in that for me, but I heard some others snicker. The noise made me angry.
She looked up at them timidly, her voice light and sweet, like a small animal, "I-it's too heavy, sir."
The man looked at the other guard in mock care for her well being, "Did you hear that? Too heavy? Is that the problem, sweetheart?"
She nodded, "Y-yes sir. C-could I get a smaller one, by any chance? P-please?"
"Aw, she said please. Well, since you asked so nicely..." He acted like he was going to get another axe, but instead, he quickly brought his whip down on her arm, creating a red line, blood trickling. She fell to the ground, a yelp escaping her, along with tears of pain.
The man shoved her with his boot, "Listen you little bitch, you do it, or you don't eat! You want another whip?!"
I felt my fists clench against my axe handle. I wanted to take care of the guards, but my new weakness didn't allow it, I would have to aid her in another way...
I immediately walked to them and said, "I'll do it."
They looked down at me, "What?"
"I said that I'll do it for her."
They laughed, "Not happening kid, she doesn't get to sit out from work."
"Then have her do work that fits her physical limits. Perhaps, gathering fruit? Kronos' army needs food right? And you aren't going to feed us the fruit on this Island, are you?"
The girl looked at me with wide eyes, like what I was doing was suicide. But the guards thought about it, and said, "And you'll do it for her, even though that's double work for you."
"Yes."
He laughed gruffly, "Whatever, as long as she does something, and you don't care." He shoved the axe in my hand, "A chivalrous bastard aren't' you? What's your name?"
"Malachi Stallard."
"Stallard? Sounds queer. Whatever then, get to it, you've got a lot to do now, faggard." I didn't understand the name, but I knew it was meant as an insult. I only nodded and began to walk back to my original stone pile, with the girl staring at me in shock.
After hours of picking and swinging, I'll admit that I felt tired and worn out.
In my current state, I was basically any other demigod, and I now felt even worse than I did on the boat ride. Every muscle ached, every movement stung, it was insufferable, but I kept walking along to the cavern in which we were supposed to eat.
There were rickety tables lined up, filled with the slummiest excuse for food I had ever seen. I can't even describe it. I simply sat down, next to a dozen other boys and girls, we mindlessly choked down the slop they gave us. A few guards stood at the openings of the cavern.
After a few minutes of relative silence, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, something happening to the girl. Her white hair stood out like a candle in darkness, and I saw the boys next to her giving her trouble, a thing I knew was inevitable.
They were attempting to touch and woo her, but she wasn't interested. Trying to bat away their hands politely, and declining. But they were persistent. I knew that boys of that age felt hormonal imbalance, and being stuck on this Island couldn't have helped, but that gave them no excuse.
I got up, while the guards were distracted, and made my way to them.
I tapped the one next to her on the shoulder.
He looked up at me, "What?"
"I don't think she's interested."
He scoffed, "What are you, her brother?"
"No, but you should leave her alone."
He got up, "I don't have to do anything you say." He pushed me, and I stumbled back. Reading auras is a rare ability, and he obviously didn't have it. In this state, I'm still stronger than him, so this should be quick. He attacked first for the record.
I concentrated, and within a few seconds, a small bolt of electricity shot from my hand and connected with his chest, not enough to kill him, but enough to send him flailing over the table. The others attempted to come at me too out of stupidity, the girl looking at me with wide eyes again, but the guards were already over there before anything could happen.
They grabbed and restrained me, as with the others, whipping them. They hesitated at me.
"Lightning? Who the hell is this kid?" The one holding me said.
The Whip man lashed once more at the teens, and turned to me, "Doesn't matter. Just means we got to work a little harder, and pay closer attention to him." He pulled out a piece of Celestial Bronze and secured it at the tip of the whip, he lashed it at me, hitting my chest. I felt a painful sting shoot up my body, he did this three more times, I groaned in pain, my chest felt like it was on fire. The white haired girl whimpered and covered her eyes.
He got his face close to mine and growled, "You stay put from now on, you hear me? You will not disrespect Lord Kronos!" He tried to strike me again, but this time I caught it, and pulled it from his hand, focusing on the air around me, I summoned a gust of wind powerful enough to knock him on his rear, giving me an opportunity.
I headbutted the guy holding me in the nose, he yelped and let go, I made my way to the exit, two guards blocking the way. I used my last bit of saved up energy and blasted them with electricity, the force nearly frying them.
I ran out of the cavern and sprinted down a sandy hill, my chest still stinging and burning.
Finally I found what I was looking for. A stream of running water in a grassy, rocky opening. It was easy on the eyes, and the water was cool. I applied it to my chest, and sat there for a few moments, regaining my breath.
I decided I would not go back willingly. If they found me, I would, but if they didn't, I would survive on my own.
Oh no, the girl.
No! I should've grabbed her hand and led her here with me! She'll be targeted now, since I helped her. The boys that probably now feared me will see that I left and will go back to violating her.
I had to get back, but I couldn't. I was so tired and my chest bloody from the metal whip, I simply didn't have it in me to get up. So with frustration, I rested there.
It was already evening when I arrived at this small body of water, and it was now sunset, darkness approaching.
I felt slightly invigorated, I figured by the time I got back I would have barely enough energy to fend off any attackers. But just as I was about to get up, I heard what sounded like footsteps...approaching me.
I turned, ready to strike, but immediately stopped when I saw the timid face of the girl.
I lowered my raised arm. I hadn't known I raised it, it was just instinct. She seemed to calm, as did I, and we just stared at each other for a bit.
She broke the silence, "H-Hello."
"Hello." I replied, noting her soothing voice. How on Earth did she end up here in the first place?
"I-I'm sorry for bothering you, I just thought maybe, um, that you came this way..." She looked at the ground as she spoke, fiddling with her fingers. I had never encountered a person so shy and timid. Something about it made my chest heat up, she was...what was the word?
"Yes. I needed to heal this wound. Forgive me for not taking you with me, everything was moving too fast."
She shook her head quickly, "N-No! Don't apologize! I um, I j-just wanted to thank you...for helping me out back there, a-and with the axe."
"It was nothing. You needed assistance, and those people needed a beating."
"Y-Yeah, but we...don't know each other. S-so why?-"
I interrupted her, the answer already on my tongue, "I noticed you were alone, and obviously a target to those boys. You were going to be walked all over, and I...well, I felt compelled to help you. Forgive me, perhaps I should've minded my own business..."
She waved her hands in front of her face, "N-No! I-I'm glad you helped me! I was scared of them...they were trying to...hurt me."
"I know. And you are welcome by the way. If you need any more help, don't be afraid to ask."
She nodded, her cheeks rosy all of a sudden, "W-What's your name?"
I was a bit stunned, but I replied, "Malachi Stallard."
She smiled at that, and said, "That's unique! I like it. Mine's Seraphina. Seraphina Griffith."
I chuckled, "Yours is more unique I would say. It's pretty, the name of a flower? Or am I wrong?"
She blushed, "I-I don't know about that. I-I never liked it."
I knit my eyebrows, stepping closer to her, "Why? It's a good name."
She met my eyes, surprise filled in hers, "Y-You think so?"
I nodded, "Of course. But it's a bit long, how about Sera? Would it be okay if I called you that?"
Her face went red for some reason, but after a second she grinned from ear to ear, which then made me go red, "I like that! Like a nickname!"
"What's a nickname?" I asked.
"It's like a name that your friends call you. L-Like if someone was blonde, you could call them blondie."
"Oh...I suppose that makes sense." I then registered that she said the word friend. "You said, a name that your friends call you...does that mean that we're friends now?"
Her face stayed red, she wouldn't look at me, and began playing with her hair, "U-Um, well, you s-saved me, and you seem nice, so I-I thought...yes?"
I smiled, a rare sight, and said, "I agree Sera. New friend."
She nodded, a bright smile on her face, she pointed at me, her face etched in thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "Kai! That's your new name!"
"Kai?"
"Yeah! Like Mala-chi, Mala-kai. Get it?"
It made sense. The last part of my name, it was short and still sounded like a name, so I thought it was fitting. She seemed to be smart, to figure that out in a short time.
"I like that. You're smart, Sera."
She blushed profusely at my praise. Was the heat of the day getting to her, or something else? I placed a hand on her forehead, to which she yelped at. I immediately removed my hand.
"I'm sorry! I was just checking for a fever!"
"Um, I-I don't have one! I-It's fine, I'm just a little hot, that's all!"
"Oh, well...okay, sorry about that." I scratched my head, now a bit nervous myself. A silence passed between us, to which I was disappointed at. I had no intention of making her uncomfortable.
I then noticed her cut, "Your arm..."
She looked at it and winced, "I-It's not as bad as it looks." But she was lying.
"Come here, I can help with that, the water heals." I offered her to come to the small body of water.
She nodded, "O-Okay."
That night, I helped her wound, we talked about various things, the conversations easy, and sometimes involving laughter, a foreign sound to me, but I enjoyed it. We decided to go back, for sure that if they found us the punishment would be worse than if we turned ourselves in.
Turns out, they let us off with a warning, surprising me. They found out what the other boys were up to, and the reason why I attack everybody and went berserk, so I considered myself lucky.
For the next two weeks, things weren't as horrible as I expected. Granted, it was awful still, but the companionship of Sera gave me some happiness. We couldn't talk during labor, so we would instead converse at eating periods and during sleep time. At eating periods, we sat together, the other boys taking note and not messing with her. And at sleep time, well, we had assigned bags on the hard sandy ground by the cavern, and we were not close by, so whatever she went through at night, I did not know about, that is...until two and a half weeks after we became friends.
One night, I was laying down, not as huddled together with the people next to me as you would think, there was about three feet of distance, so we had some space. But that night, I was wide awake, thinking about my father, wondering if he had gotten a replacement for me yet. Probably had.
I was interrupted when Sera sneaked over to where I was, not waking anyone up, as they were still snoring and breathing heavily. With a lot of people, you will get that, and It honestly was annoying.
I noticed the top of her white hair over me, and I sat up.
"Sera, what's wrong?"
She was shaking, "I-I don't want to sleep over there...those boys, they...I don't like them."
I was now angry, "What did they do?"
"N-Nothing, but I know what their thinking, and I just...I can't sleep. I-I'm scared, Kai."
By Olympus, did teenage boys have no self control? They simply look at a girl and think foolish thoughts.
"It's okay. Do you want me to sit up and watch you?"
She shook her head, fiddling with her hair again, a nervous tick she had.
"N-No, I was wondering...if maybe, I could um, sleep with you?"
I wasn't expecting that. But it made sense. She would be safe, and I could keep an eye on her, and no one would dare mess with her if it were me, so...why not?
"Um, sure. I don't see why not." I made room for her, and she laid next to me, her face red, but her aura much calmer.
She put herself very close to me, causing the strange feeling to return. I felt compelled to put an arm on her protectively.
"G-Goodnight, Kai."
"Goodnight, Sera."
And we slept, somehow peacefully.
Sera's POV
I was excited for today, because Kai had something planned.
It was one week after that night, and every night after that, I stayed with him. He made me feel safe, he cared about me. I had never met such a person, I only knew my family. And they were always so mean, for no reason. Why do people have to be that way?
Kai was like a breath of fresh air. He was such a nice person, and well...very handsome.
I hated having to pick out the boy I wanted to marry back at home. They began the process this year, having a line of boys in front of me, all from different wealthy families, and told me to pick one. It didn't matter about their money, they all had it, no, to my parents, It was my choice based on looks. Well, I didn't think much of those boys, they weren't very good looking. But Malachi was. He had such hair that I never thought a boy could grow! I wanted to touch it one night, and he allowed me, the feeling was like touching a bird's soft feathers.
I come from the Griffith Family, a horrible set of people that you will ever meet. They are only wealthy because of their dealings with illegal business. They have killed, and conspired among other things. They have no sympathy, and no love. It's hard to believe they are human. Which well, they are only half at that, and half god.
We are a clan of demigods, all born under the Snow goddess Khione. We live in a large estate, in a mansion that holds too many of us to count. It was my father, my mother, my grandparents, my great grandparents, my four siblings, and all of our extended family, like aunts, uncles, and cousins. Not to mention the legion of butlers and security guards. Although the use of security guards seems pointless, because my family is very scary.
We can control snow and ice. I...can, but I don't like to use it. I remember shortly after the five of us were born, our parents began training us intensely, risking our lives and seeing if we would survive. My siblings did perfect, displaying their abilities efficiently, while I did awful, and nearly died every day, always being rescued by father or mother. But what came after made me wish otherwise, as they would yell and hit me for being weak. My father and his father considered me one of the "Disposables" meaning that I was one of the rare offspring of theirs that didn't adapt to their ways, and was to be put to death. It had happened, I remember my siblings trying to scare me with stories about it, the proof was a special room meant for executing young unfit Griffith children. The thought was on the table for a month, while my mother and grandmother hated me, they still convinced my father and grandfather that I could at least be used for my beauty, and be forced to...um, do certain things for money. To which they agreed and spared me.
I had never known care before Kai. If a girl at school wanted to be my friend, my family would have a word with that child's parent, cutting it off. And if a butler even smiled at me, or asked if I needed anything, they were banished...or killed.
My siblings mocked me, my parents and grandparents were vocal about hating me, my extended family the same, and my great grandparents ignored me. They were well over one hundred years old, both of them, they had drunk juice from an apple of Hesperides, and it gave them enhanced life spans.
I could never do anything I wanted. I had taken an interest in drawing. Well, my siblings would either steal them, or burn the paper in the manor, not letting me. At one point I wanted to help with the garden, to which I was told I would ruin it, like I ruin everything else, and lastly, I loved to sing. I still loved to sing, but at home, if I was heard, I would get a beating for making too much noise.
It made me cry a lot, I would often not sleep, out of fear for someone to attack me. It still makes me cry to this day. My own family...hate me. They are the ones that sent me to this Island. They finally had enough of me, and gave me away to be a slave. The last straws were this year, when I refused to abide by their beauty procedures, and pick a boy with whom I wanted to marry. So instead of killing me, they sent me here as punishment.
But it didn't turn out as bad as I thought, because I had made a good friend in Kai. He was amazing, and I admired him.
He had something planned for us. He said it was a surprise, and that we were to sneak off during the eating period. I was very nervous, like I usually am around him, what was the surprise?
I found out when eating period arrived, he motioned for me to follow him. He had studied when the guards look at certain slaves, and we took our chance when he looked at another group. I followed close by him as we ran down the grassy hill.
After a while of walking, I was getting tired and hot, I kept asking where we were going, but he wouldn't tell me.
"Just wait. It's a surprise, I think you'll like it." He told me.
I believed him, and waited patiently. I was rewarded when we finally arrived.
The sight was beautiful. We had come across a large waterfall. Green moss and grass littered the landscape, a pond sized pool of water churned and flowed at the gushing fall, it exited through a stream, that I guessed ran to the sea.
Kai gestured to it, "Quite something, isn't it?"
I nodded, speechless, "Y-Yes, it's amazing."
We took in the view for a moment, when out of nowhere, Kai starts to remove his clothes.
I blushed at his exposed skin, I had never seen a boy like that besides my brothers. And that was only for swimming training, and testing our limit to freeze exposure by wearing nothing but our undergarments in an ice cavern.
This was different, it was Kai, and well...I like Kai.
"K-Kai, what are you doing?" I said, more curious than anything.
He looked at me, like it was obvious, "Swimming. Don't you want to? The water's perfect, I already checked it."
He stood only in what I guessed were...boxers? I wasn't sure, as I had never paid attention to the topic of boys clothing. But the sight still made me blush.
"B-But what about-"
"I don't want to get the clothes wet. Since we don't have extras, I'd rather just take them off."
He had a genuine confused look on his face, like there was no problem. Which I couldn't see any problem with it either to be honest. It was reasonable, we didn't have any extra clothes, and if they got wet, it would annoy us all day, and would take hours to dry. But still...something about it made me nervous.
He seemed to realize, "Oh! I'm sorry! I um, wasn't thinking. No, um, we don't have to swim. This was a bad idea..."
His face was red, and he sounded very sorry. I hated hearing his voice like that, I wanted him to be happy, and to tell the truth...I really wanted to swim too. The water looked nice and cool, as opposed to the burning sun above.
I waved my hands in front of my face, "No, no, it's fine! I want to! I'll um, I'll just look away!" I covered my eyes as proof. As curious as I was, I felt I might burn up if I saw anything more of him.
"Oh um, well...if you're sure..."
"I am! Go ahead!" I was, I mean, it was really hot out, and who cares, right? It's just the body. Not like a terrifying monster or anything. I didn't know much about Kai's past, but I guessed he wasn't very educated on social interaction, because if something like this wasn't unnatural to him, he must've not been trained on how to interact. I wasn't very good either, having no friends and only my awful family. But I was aware of nakedness being a shameful thing.
But why? We were just children really, and that water looked very enticing...
I soon heard him take off the rest of his clothing, and after a moment, a splash fifteen feet below, Kai had jumped in, and he was laughing and whooping.
I couldn't let him have this much fun without me.
I uncovered my eyes, and saw him below, waving at me. I smiled, his smooth hair was now plastered to his face, his tan skin gleamed in the sunlight, I was a little envious, I always thought my skin was rather pale.
"I-Is it cold?" I called down.
He felt it, "Not really. Like I said, perfect!" Then he frowned, and looked next to him, he waited for a moment, and just when I was about to ask what was wrong, he thrust his hand into the water and pulled out a fish.
He looked up at me, holding it, "There's fish in here!"
I laughed, "I see that!" He started to move the fish around and made like it was talking, but it was really him, saying things like how I should get in the water, and how the man with the whip is a jerk.
I was laughing uncontrollably, "O-Okay, I'll get in!" He smiled and turned away, putting the fish back in the water. While he was doing that, I took off my dress and undergarments, the sun hitting my bare body, It got even more hot. I felt a blush on my face at the fact we were both now nude, but all of that nervousness was lost the moment I jumped and felt the cool water.
With a splash, I submerged under, shortly feeling the coolness over me, and then reemerging with a grin.
He laughed, "Feels good, doesn't it?"
I nodded, "Yeah!"
For another hour, we were like little children that had discovered a swimming pool for the first time. We splashed and swam, jumped and dove, our exposure not even a concern anymore, we were having too much fun to notice.
When we decided it was time to stop, we climbed out, still laughing. He dried us off with his wind abilities. I supposed he was a child of Zeus, with those powers. But to be honest, I didn't care, they were handy either way. After that, we put our clothes back on, not even bothering to look away, we were too comfortable around each other to care. I did feel butterflies in my stomach at that last thought however.
He said he had something else to show me, so I agreed happily, and followed him to the shore of the beach. I was greeted with an even more amazing sight than the waterfall. It was a perfect sunset, the red and orange glowed across the sky in harmony, making me gasp.
Kai was gazing at it too, "Great, is it not?"
I nodded, breathless. I couldn't believe he had brought me here, it was so amazing, I nearly came to tears.
We found ourselves sitting down, our arms brushing up.
He suddenly turned to me, a bit nervous, and pulled something out of his pocket.
I looked at what he was holding, and the sight made me lose my breath, covering my mouth with my hand.
It was a beautiful necklace. Made of vine and pearl. It was...wow. There were three pearls, looked like they had been found in the ocean, they gleamed and shone in the dim sunset light. Had Kai...made this for me?
"Oh, Kai. I-It's beautiful..."
He handed it to me, "I wanted to give you something. And I thought you might like a necklace, I...know it's not very pleasing to the eye, but I wanted to thank you for being my friend on this Island somehow. I wouldn't have kept my sanity if not for you, Sera."
I began to cry tears of joy. No one had ever given me anything with true care, let alone made it themselves. Kai gained a look of concern at my tears, but I cleared up any confusion by throwing my arms around his neck, embracing him.
"I-I love it. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Th-Thank you so much."
He chuckled, his arms holding my back, my face turning red at the contact. He muttered, "Good, I'm glad."
We pulled apart, to my slight disappointment, and I began to feel giddy. I had never received a gift before. And the jewelry back home was forced upon me, I never got to pick it out.
"C-Could you..."
"Oh! Um, yes." I turned around, and he placed it on my neck, fastening it. It rested there comfortably, I looked at the reflection in the water, it fit nice, and looked good.
I looked at him, beaming, he smiled. We stayed like that for a moment, nothing else a concern.
Well, at least for a minute.
We were interrupted by a gruff shout. A guard had caught us.
Too late to run, he had grabbed us by the scruff of his shirt and my dress, picking us up. I noticed another guard, holding a boy's arms behind his back. The boy was our age, with dirty blonde hair, black shirt, jeans, and an angry look on his face.
"And just what the hell are you two doing out here? Trying to escape huh?"
We were given no time to respond, the guard yelled, "Take him to the pit! The girl will go in next." He grinned wickedly, frightening me.
He handed Kai over to the other guard, his right hand holding the unknown boy. I began to panic for him, I had heard about the worst form of punishment on the Island, it was something called the Pit. If that's where he was taking them...Oh no.
Talon's POV
Everything officially sucked.
First I get kidnapped, and my master is no where to be found, now I'm here, on some fucking Island, as a damn slave.
I didn't want to be here any more than the sorry bastards that had come here earlier. I had made a little scene when we docked to prove this. I had headbutted the guard, bloodying his nose, and kicked him in the groin, bloodying his balls.
That didn't sit too well, he beat the shit out of me, to which I felt no pain at all. See, I can't feel pain. I can't die either, unless I...Well, it's a long story, my father's real special.
Either way, they were taking me to the pit, when we see some scene out of a romance flick, two kids my age sitting on a beach together, which apparently wasn't allowed, and made me a little bitter, because it reminded me of Mary and I.
Oh, Mary. That girl had been something else. I will miss her every day. I only wished I could've made that damn basilisk suffer. The sight of her being killed by it haunts me. Fuck Master for making it a quick kill. A chamber of celestial bronze rounds to the head, dropping it instantly, when I wanted to torture it for taking her away from me.
Shit, I'm getting off track. No one cares about my love life, excuse me.
The guard had reprimanded both of them, sending the pretty white haired girl away, and the equally pretty boy with me. Seriously, he looked like a kid model or some shit. And her hair was a bit weird, but hell, I've seen weirder things than white hair, so who am I to judge.
We were being shoved to the Pit, whatever that was. If I had to guess, it was a hole. Yeah, big shocker. They would probably leave us to rot in the sun for a few days without food, and that would be the end of it. These guys weren't tough, they didn't know how to dish out real punishments.
The boy next to me was an inch taller than me, the same age, or a few months older. He had medium length blonde hair that parted in the middle, making him look like a surfer. He wore a blue shirt and cargo shorts.
I said nothing to him, cause I had nothing to say. He'd be dead in a bit, or...maybe not. I couldn't really tell. His eyes read a bitterness and sadness similar to mine, and I was getting a hint of immense power, but it was being blocked because of a devastating wound. But he looked fine, maybe a little tired, but no cuts or bruises.
After what felt like forever we arrived on a summit, overlooking a deep pit, with vines and spikes and all kinds of bad stuff. Alright, maybe this would be worse than I thought.
"Have fun, shitheads." The guard said, and tossed us in, we fell fifty feet, landing hard on the solid ground below, reeking of death. I looked over, and sure enough, human and monster bones alike were littered everywhere.
That boy didn't seem to fazed by the fall, proving he was tougher than he looked. I heard the guard's voice coming from above, "We'll check on you whenever! HA HA, later you little dicks!"
I flipped him off, "Come down here and say that fatass! I'll rip your lips off!" I had actually done that before, and gained a rep in town for it. A couple of teens were pissing me and my friend Mateo off, so I simply walked up to them, grabbed their lips, and literally yanked them clean off. Blood and gore erupting from their mouths. It was awesome, and this asswipe deserved the same.
He waved me off, "Whatever. See you faggot." Wow, you're a grown man calling a kid a fag? Dude, I ain't even gay. What kind of jackass insult is that? I've heard better from the kids back at the rez.
I slumped down, groaning. The boy was focused on something, like he was trying to fart.
I laughed at the sight, "What the hell are you doing?"
He didn't say anything.
I don't like being ignored, my face went from humorous to annoyed, "You deaf? I asked you a question."
He replied, "And are you blind? I am trying to get us out of here."
I was stunned at the comeback, actually impressed by it a little, but I didn't let him know that, "It looks like you're about to shit yourself."
He shook his head, "Do you always curse every sentence?"
I nodded, "Pretty much. Good way to get the point across that I hate everyone and everything."
He sighed, and slumped to the ground as well. "It's no use. I can't fly out of here."
I stared at him for a sec, thinking he was kidding, I started to crack up, but when he didn't join in, I figured he was either an emotionless psycho, or serious about being able to fly.
I went with the latter, "You can actually fly?"
"And summon lightning, yes."
"Dude! You're a Son of Zeus. Holy shit, you must be strong as fuck."
His face darkened, "Um, yes, let's go with that."
I didn't know what that meant, but I didn't really care enough to push further.
"Does this place suck as much as the guard made it out to be?" I asked.
He nodded, "Pretty much."
"Damn, looks like I got on the wrong cruise ship."
He knit his eyebrows, not getting the joke.
"It was a joke man, I was kidding."
"What are you talking about?"
"A joke. Are you fucking serious? Oh man, I'm gonna have some fun with you."
"Fun? We've known each other for a minute...literally."
I shrugged, "So? You seem alright. A little feminine but alright. Besides, you and that girl seem to have the guards tripping over their asses, I want in."
"You want to be our friend?"
"I don't know about that, but consider me an ally."
He studied me, a little confused, but after a moment he just nodded.
"So who is that girl anyway?"
"Seraphina Griffith."
"Woah, sounds fancy. She British or something?"
"British?"
"Yeah, you know, like with the accent." I did my impression, "Ello, govnah! Good day we havin yeah?"
He just looked at me like I was stupid, this guy was stiff as a fucking board. I needed to teach him how to lighten up.
He shook his head, "No, she's not British. She's a girl I met three weeks ago, and she's my friend. I saved her from some people trying to mess with her."
"I see. She not know how to fight for herself?"
"I suppose she could if she really wanted to. Her latent aura is strong. She has power over ice, she showed it to me one night."
"Ah, I see."
We sat in silence for a moment, when all of a sudden, two dozen giant snakes emerged from the holes surrounding us.
I got up quickly, so did he, "Shit, that's what those big ass tunnels are for!"
"I don't know if I can hold them, my powers are weaker than normal." He said.
I summoned some power from within, concentrating on the revolver I wanted to appear, with a slight drain of energy, I felt it materialize in my hand, I gripped it comfortably.
He saw it, "Wh-where did you?-"
"Handy little ability I have. And I'm used to monsters, I got this...um, what's your name?"
"Malachi." He held out his hand.
I shook it, "Talon."
I aimed bloodlust at the serpents, sending images of snake skins, snakes being killed by humans, and all kinds of stuff they hated. They hissed and shook their heads, I took the chance and shot two dead, but many more came at me, knocking the gun from my hand, I was nearly knocked to the ground, but I grabbed on and slammed one's head into the rock nearby, snapping it clean off. I noticed Malachi on the ground, apparently knocked over from one, he groaned.
I couldn't get over there in time. Two snakes had me pinned, the coiled around me, and struck quickly, I felt no pain, but I couldn't do anything either. I was lost on what to do, when all of a sudden, I heard a primal shout, and a big bolt of lightning came down from above, striking the snakes, and frying all of them instantly.
That was Malachi?
Holy shit, I had never seen such a display before, this dude was the real deal. I had to ally with him now, we could overrun the guards easy.
He fell to one knee, breathing hard. I went over to him and clapped him on the shoulder, "Damn man, you are strong!"
He nodded, "That was the last of it. Damn this wound!"
I laughed, "You're already being influenced by me. Cussing like a sailor, look at you!"
He groaned, "Do I really have to be your ally?"
"Yep." I said, chuckling. If he had wind powers, he could get us out of here, but he was weak right now. Then another thought came to my head.
"Stand back, man." He did, and I concentrated hard, thinking of what I wanted to create. It took a few minutes, and I used a bit of energy, but after I was done, I had spawned a large cannon. Like the kind those daredevils use.
He looked at it in disbelief, "How in the world did you?-"
"Told ya, a little ability of mine. Now get in!"
"In that?!"
"Yeah! You're too weak to use those Zeus powers, and I got a perfectly good cannon right here! You want out, or not?"
He thought for a moment, and then finally groaned, climbing in but making sure to grumble at me on his way.
I climbed in too, creating a lit match from my palm, and lighting the fuse.
"Hold on tight!" I yelled, he didn't say anything, he was probably just wondering who the hell I was.
Within a few seconds, a boom was heard behind us, and we were long gone, soaring in the sky and straight towards the sea.
He yelled, not able to control the wind, and I simply whooped with enjoyment.
I could tell this was the start of a beautiful friendship.
(000)