HELLOOO! HERE'S THE NEW CHAPTER! THANK YOU GRINCH, MY EVER-LOYAL REVIEWER, FOR YOUR LATEST REVIEW. I'M GLAD YOU LIKED THE LAST CHAPTER. ANYWAY, PLEASE ENJOY THIS ONE AND ALSO FORGIVE ME FOR ANY TYPO. IT'S 2AM AND I'M SLEEPY. ENJOY!
An arrow sailed past Hermes' head as he charged forward. Ducking under the Draugur's bow arm, Hermes slashed his sword in a mighty swing, severing the limb from the body. Rising back to his feet, Hermes thrust his sword forward, stabbing the last of the monsters in the chest. Hermes sighed as he used a clean cloth to wipe the nasty dark fluid that came from the monsters. The appearances of the Draugur had become more frequent thus causing more of the gods to spread out and take care of them.
"Ya' fight well for a boy," Thor commented. The god of thunder had not meant for the comment to be offensive or anything but Hermes had a sore spot for being called boy all the time. Sure he looked younger than almost all the gods but he still didn't like it when they looked at him like a child. He had fought battles, defeated titans, and even led an army. He couldn't really blame them though. He really did look like a kid. Especially being shorter than all his siblings. Hades, he couldn't even grow a beard. Even Achilles had a short beard stubble that ran across his lower face. The war god usually kept a clean shaven face but with all the new problems, he just didn't have the time.
Hermes glared at the Norse god before answering, "I don't need your comments.". With that, the young god turned before walking away.
Thor raised an eyebrow at the hostility before brushing it away. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned back to come face to face with Achilles.
"Don't mind him. He just doesn't like being treated like a child." Achilles commented.
Thor grunted. "He does look like one. Besides, I feel like he daena like me very much."
Achilles let out a small chuckle. "He's just not used to...outsiders. Trust me, he's a good kid."
Thor merely nodded before making his way across the forest where many Draugurs laid. He spotted a certain sun god trying to lift his hammer.
"Come on you stupid hammer. Just get off the ground." Apollo grunted as he used all his might to try and lift the weapon. One could see that he was clearly trying as the veins in his neck were visible and so were the ones on his arms.
Thor chuckled before lifting his arm and recalling the weapon. The hammer flew from the ground, knocking Apollo on his feet, a bewildered expression on his face. "Why does the hammer listen to you and not me?" he asked.
"Yur not worthy." Thor simply said before clipping the said hammer to his waist and walking off, leaving Apollo sitting on the ground.
"Not worthy?" Apollo muttered to himself. Shrugging the thought off, he got up on his feet before surveying the field. Taking a closer look at one of the dead draugurs, Apollo scrunched his brow in thought. These monsters were exceptionally harder to kill than others. One arrow wouldn't do and not even two. He had to use three. Shaking his head, Apollo sighed before flashing back to Olympus.
The sun god found himself standing on one of the many courtyards of Olympus, the warmth of the sun greeting his face. He had had one of the other gods fill in for him that day on driving the sun chariot since he had more pressing matters to attend to. As he walked, his thoughts drifted to Rory. She was the sun to his life, he thought before chuckling. That was cheesy, even for him. In all seriousness, he cared deeply for her. They had gotten together quickly after the battle with the titan army, Rory making the first move and asking him to dinner. There was just something about her that made Apollo want to be a better person. After admitting his feelings to himself, he only had eyes for her. Hades, he even stopped flirting with the nymphs.
His daydreaming was interrupted when a pair of hands grasped onto his shoulders, stopping him from crashing into the person.
"Woah there. Might want to watch where you're going." The person said teasingly.
Apollo looked up to see Rory and his d=face immediately brightened. "Hey!" he greeted, before grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer. Rory let out a squeak in surprise as Apollo leaned down and kissed her but soon melted into it herself. Breaking apart, the two smiled as their foreheads rested their foreheads on each other's.
"I thought you were in The Underworld?" Apollo asked, pulling away but still keeping her in his arms.
Rory gained a nervous look before she started to shuffle nervously. Apollo noticed this, his brow furrowing in concern. "Are you ok?"
His girlfriend looked at the floor before looking up to face him. "I uh...I have to tell you something."
Apollo remained to stare at her in confusion. He placed a hand on her forehead, trying to check if she was sick. "Are you sure you're ok? You do seem a bit warm."
Rory slapped his hand away before pulling away from his arms. "I'm not sick. I just...Agh." she groaned in annoyance before leaning to his ear and whispering something. Pulling back again, she stared at her boyfriend, scanning his face for any emotion but Apollo just stood there, his eyes wide and frozen like a deer caught in headlights. Rory nervously poked him, trying to get any sort of reaction but Apollo stayed still.
"I-...Uh….Wha-...When di-..." he spluttered but couldn't form any complete sentences. Giving up, Apollo went back to standing still before his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Rory watched as her boyfriend fainted and crashed like a sack onto the ground.
"Well that's just great," she muttered flatly.
Ω
Thor, Achilles, and Hermes walked into the throne room, ready to give an update to Zeus regarding their progress. Their footsteps echoed across the room making it kind of like a dramatic entrance. Achilles and Thor seemed to be pleased with themselves as they walked, thinking about the progress they had made today while a scowl presented itself on Hermes' face. Achilles spared a glance towards his brother. He lifted an eyebrow in wonder but did not speak. He was not a fool and could clearly see that Thor and Hermes did not get along. He guessed that it was a matter of personalities. They were clearly opposites. Thor was huge while Hermes was small. Hermes relied on speed and Thor relied on brute strength. Hermes was lowkey while Thor seemed to be a bit too prideful. Achilles shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside as they reached the center of the throne room where Zeus was, deep in conversation with Hades.
"Father." Achilles greeted, clearing his throat before speaking.
Zeus raised his head and smiled as he took sight of the three gods before him. "Ah, It's good to see you. Where is Apollo?" Worry taking over his features.
"Don't worry father, he's perfectly fine. He's somewhere around Olympus." Achilles replied, easing his father's worries.
Zeus breathed a small sigh of relief before gesturing for Achilles to continue.
"Well, we found another horde but we were able to finish them quickly. Thanks to Thor, we don't really have to do much when he swings his hammer around and just annihilates them." Achilles informed, excitement in his eyes. After all, he was still the war god so the prospect of pummeling things made his day a tad better.
Zeus let out a hearty laugh before turning to Thor. "That's good! I see you know your way around with that hammer. Good. We're going to need it."
Thor bowed his head in thanks before speaking. "Aye. Thank you, Lord Zeus."
The King of the Gods nodded before he gained a solemn look. "Your father would be proud."
Thor nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The sound of footsteps echoing brought them back to their senses, Achilles turning his head to see Hermes storming off.
"Did something happen?" Hades asked, nodding to Hermes' retreating form. Thor grunted before nodding before Hades and Zeus and taking his leave.
Achilles sighed before turning back to his father. "I'll talk to them later."
Zeus nodded before dismissing his son, turning back to Hades and continuing their conversation.
As Achilles exited the throne room, he spotted Thor walking across the courtyard with a blank expression. He quickly descended down the steps, taking two at a time before fast-walking and finally reaching the Norse god.
"Hey, what was that about? Back there in the throne room?" Achilles questioned causing Thor to look at him with a bored expression.
"Sorry lad, but ever since A' got here, yur brother has been nothing but a pain in my arse." Thor growled, his brow wrinkling in mild anger.
Achilles looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Thor sighed before pulling his beard to show that part of it had been smoldered off, most probably by fire. "Ya see this? Yur brother thought it'd be funny to burn part of ma beard off!" Thor was now shouting, causing a few nymphs to look at the pair as they passed by.
Achilles turned to them apologetically before facing Thor. "Are you sure it was him? It could have been anyone."
"A'm positive. Saw the little runt run away after A' woke up." Thor grumbled.
Achilles lifted an eyebrow at the insult that was thrown towards his brother but decided to let it slide for now. Hermes was at fault here. Sighing, he placed a hand on Thor's shoulder. "I'll talk to him. I promise he's a nice guy. A bit mischievous but his heart is in the right place." he promised.
Thor nodded stiffly before patting Achilles on the arm and taking his leave. Achilles stood there for a moment, trying to figure out why those two despised each other. It's not like Hermes and Thor had met before the Norse god had come to Olympus. Groaning in frustration, Achilles wiped a hand over his face before setting out to find his brother.
Ω
Hermes entered the pub, taking in the smell of wine and ale as he walked in. The place was packed with gods and nymphs, all of them drinking and eating. Music greeted his ears which were being played by a couple of goddesses who sat on the corner. He scanned the crowd, noticing a few familiar faces. Magnus, son of Hephaestus and minor god of the forges sat on the table with another god, the two chatting as they drank. Hermes sent a small wave towards him and the god replied with a friendly smile and a raise of his mug. Hermes smiled before turning back to the bar to see Dionysus behind it, serving a couple more gods.
"Hermes! What can I get you?" Dionysus greeted as soon as he noticed his brother.
Hermes gave a half-hearted smile before taking a seat next to a god that he didn't bother to look at. "Ale with a splash of nectar. Thanks."
"You got it!" Dionysus said before winking and going over to the side of the bar to carry out the order. Hermes sighed before turning to the right, his eyes widening when he saw the god sitting next to him.
"Apollo?" He asked.
The blonde looked up from his drink before his eyes widened slightly. "Oh, hey Hermes. Didn't see you there," he said, slurring his words a bit.
Concern flashed across Hermes' features as he placed a hand on Apollo's back. "You ok?"
Apollo took another sip of his ale before letting his hand drop the mug back on the table lazily, an audible thud sounding as the mug hit the wooden furniture. "Yea. Just have a lot to think about."
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
Apollo shook his head causing some of his blonde locks to sway. "You'll find out later. I'm sure it will come up at the meeting tonight."
"Ok…" Hermes said, still confused. Before he could question further, a mug suddenly slammed on the table before him.
"Here's your drink!" Dionysus said cheerfully. Hermes turned to his brother before smiling. The wine god's face was a bit red, no doubt from some of the wine that he had had. Hermes chuckled before grabbing the mug and taking a large gulp. Feeling the effects instantly, Herme felt his head begin to spin.
"This is good." Hermes smiled, as he took another sip. Before Dionysus could reply, a hand clasped around Hermes' shoulder, causing the young god to turn around. Hermes found himself coming face to face with the glaring features of Achilles.
"Well hello there," he said stupidly.
Achilles narrowed his eyes at his younger brother before grabbing the mug and taking a sip for himself. His eyes widened as he felt the ale sink down his throat. He turned to Dionysus with an angry look.
"Why did you give this to him?" He questioned, his voice on the verge of shouting.
Dionysus didn't seem bothered at all as he replied with a mere shrug before saying, "Hey don't look at me, I'm just the bartender."
Achilles growled. "That's not the point, you're supposed to- Apollo?" His rant was cut short when he noticed his other brother beside Hermes.
"Oh hey, Achilles. What brings you here?" Apollo replied, clearly drunk.
Achilles sighed before running a hand through his hair. He placed both hands on each of his brother's shoulders before lifting them up to their feet. "I'm taking both of you home."
"Home sounds nice," Apollo muttered dreamily while Hermes only hummed. Achilles rolled his eyes before gently pushing the two forward towards the exit but before they could reach the doors, a god bumped into Apollo causing the sun god to stagger back into his chair.
"Watch where you're going punk." The god sneered.
Achilles ushered Hermes behind him before confronting the god. "Hey, it was clearly your fau- Aeneas."
Aeneas smirked smugly at Achilles. "Well if it isn't the mighty Achilles. I must say, I didn't take you for a drunk."
Anger bubbled inside Achilles' stomach but he knew better than to answer back knowing that it's what Aeneas wanted. "Whatever, your opinion doesn't matter along with all the fucks I give." With that, Achilles helped Apollo back up onto his feet before brushing past the god.
"Well, I guess you won't give a fuck when I take my chances with that girlfriend of yours."
Everything went silent. The music stopped, along with all the chattering and laughing. Achilles turned around, eying Aeneas dangerously. "What did you say?"
Aeneas smiled smugly since he knew that he'd hit a nerve. "I said, that I'm going to take my cha-" Before he could finish his sentence a fist collided with his face sending him crashing onto a table.
Achilles stared in shock as Hermes stood over Aeneas with an angry look. "Don't talk about her like that!"
Aeneas quickly got up and tackled Hermes towards the bar. Just like that, chaos erupted. Gods came flying out of their chairs, some of them making their way to help Aeneas but were soon tackled by other gods who went to help Hermes.
Apollo wriggled free from Achilles' grasp before stalking forward and launching his fist towards a god's face, knocking him out. Turning around, Apollo ducked under a swing from another god before kicking him and sending him flying across the room.
Hermes raised his arms to block a punch from Aeneas before moving his head to the side to dodge another one. Aeneas screamed in pain as his fist collided with the floor but Hermes quickly shut him up with his fist. The god's head snapped up allowing Hermes to push him off before reaching for the table to help him to his feet. Everything was spinning but he didn't care. Right now he just really needed to punch something. He strode forward, towards a god that he recognized as one of Aeneas' friends, pushing him off another god that he was pummeling.
Achilles dodged and swerved, avoiding the fights as he made his way towards the bar. "Apollo! Hermes! That's enough!" he shouted but his pleads fell on deaf ears. He spotted Apollo, who was currently on top of the bar wrestling with another god who was clearly struggling under the weight of the sun god. Achilles decided to make his way towards them but was cut off when a god was thrown against him, knocking him back to the side of the bar. He hissed in pain when the edge of the table came in contact with his side.
"Fuck it." he cursed before grabbing a mug and chugging all its contents before launching it towards a god who was trying to sneak up on Apollo. Achilles skillfully took on any god that tried to stand in his way, easily finishing them with one or two moves. He side-stepped as one of the gods tried to gut him with a broken bottle before grabbing the god's wrist and reversing it. He pushed forward, impaling the god with the bottle that he carried on his own hand before shaving him aside. The next god that challenged him was finished even quicker. Achilles didn't wait to be attacked but instead took the god by the neck and smashed his face on the table, taking satisfaction as he heard the audible crack.
Hermes knocked out Aeneas' friend with a bottle, smashing it over his head. He turned around, spotting Achilles, and watched as his brother smashed a god's face on the table. Deciding to make his way there, he staggered forward. A god approached him, clearly another one of Aeneas friends, before said god sent a swift punch. However, Hermes was faster. He dodged under the punch before bringing his knee up to the god's crotch sending him crumbling to the ground.
Achilles finally made his way to Apollo who had successfully knocked out the god that he was on top of.
"Ok that's enough fighting for one day," he muttered before pulling Apollo off the table and setting him on a chair. "Don't move. Stay here," he ordered before scanning the crowd for Hermes. He spotted his younger brother who had brought a god down with his knee before smiling. At least he's winning his first bar fight, Achilles thought. Walking across the pub Achilles reached out to grab Hermes but was tackled into a table.
Aeneas brought his fist down, colliding it with Achilles' face. He used his other hand to wrap his fingers around Achilles' throat then proceeded to squeeze. The war god began to choke as he tried to free himself from Aeneas' grasp but was failing. Two of Aeneas' friends were holding his arms down while Aeneas choked and punched him.
"Not so mighty anymore, huh?" Aeneas taunted but was soon silenced when a large hand grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him across the room. Magnus smiled in satisfaction as he watched Aeneas crash into a wall before dropping to the ground unconscious.
Achilles saw his chance, turning his head before sinking his teeth into the arm of one of Aeneas' friends. The god howled in pain, clutching his hand but also letting go of Achilles. With his free arm, Achilles unsheathed the knife from his belt before sinking it into the thigh of the other god that held his left arm.
"Thanks, Magnus," Achilleas said before ripping the knife out of the god's thigh then headbutting him.
"Anytime man," Magnus replied before turning back and scanning the pub. Multiple gods lay unconscious, some of them still awake but bloody and injured. "We better get out of here."
Achilles nodded in agreement before groaning as he lifted an unconscious Hermes from the floor. "Can you take Apollo?" He asked.
Magnus chuckled before nodding and walking over to a sleeping Apollo. He gently picked up the god and slung him over his shoulder. "Where to?"
"Medbay." was all Achilles said before limping out the door, Magnus close behind him.