AND I AM BACKKKKK. JUST AS I PROMISED MY LOVELY READERS! DECEMBER 21! I AM FREEEEEEE! IM SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING. COLLEGE IS SO STRESSFUL I SWEAR. ANYWAYYY! HERE IS THE LATEST CHAPTER! HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY!
GrinchPants: HEYYYY LONG TIME NO TALKKKK! GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU, MY FRIEND! THANKS FOR BEING UNDERSTANDING AND IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME THAT YOU READ THE STORY AGAIN! THANKS, GRINCH, AND STAY SAFE.
THANK YOU ALSO TO nicoi230200 FOR FOLLOWING AND ADDING THE STORY TO THEIR FAVORITES. MEANS A LOTTT! THANKS!
OH ALSO, I GET CURIOUS AS TO WHERE MY READERS ARE FROM AND HOW FAR MY STORY REACHES. IF YALL WANT TO DROP YOUR COUNTRIES HERE IN THE REVIEWS THAT WOULD BE NICE. IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT, IT'S PERFECTLY FINE! I'M FROM THE PHILIPPINES BY THE WAYYY!
OKAY ILL STOP TALKING! ENJOY!
"I killed him…"
"I killed him…"
"I killed him…"
"Ophelia!" Damon yelled, grabbing his friend by her shoulders to stop her from rocking back and forth. "This is not your fault."
"I should have listened to you," Ophelia wept as she placed her hands over her face in shame. "If I had not been so stubborn, Uncle Achilles would still be alive."
Damon pursed his lips into a tight line as he was reminded of their loss. He lost his teacher and mentor. To others, he was a friend, a brother. To Callista, he was a husband. It has been two days since the passing of the war god and things were not going well. Many of the Olympians, mainly Achilles' siblings, have lost themselves in depression and anger.
Hermes no longer smiled nor cracked jokes. His sanity is hanging by a thread, Katlyn being the only one who could keep it within him.
Artemis would speak to nobody. She was nowhere to be seen during the days and would give anyone the cold shoulder during the nights. Since her emotions are tied to her domains, a lot of the forests have been restless and untamed. Trees would wither while the animals would mindlessly kill the hunters as they crossed their paths.
Apollo was faring no better than any of them. While he was overjoyed that he was able to retrieve his daughter, the pain of losing his younger brother was too much. The warmth from the sun would either blaze too hot for the mortals, scorching their lands and burning their crops or it would not provide any warmth at all.
Zeus and Hera failed to fulfill their jobs as the King and Queen of Olympus. Losing their son was something that had taken a huge toll on them. Hera, being the most affected, begged Hades that he open the gates of Tartarus and let her bring back her son. Hades did not let her, knowing that it would only result in Hera's own death.
"Listen to me, Ophelia," Damon said as he gently rubbed the young goddess' shoulders. "Achilles' death is not your fault. The only one to blame is the damn primordials...them and my damn traitor of a father."
Ophelia looked at him with pity as she had heard about Aeneas and what he had done.
"What did they do to you?" Damon whispered, his eyes still fixed on the floor.
Ophelia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before realizing what he meant. Flashbacks of the torture that they had put her through rushed into her mind. The sharp pain of Tartarus' whip still coursed through her body as if it was striking her yet again and again. The suffocating shadows wrapped around her while Erebus questioned her. They asked about her domain. When she said that she had none, they would strike her again.
"I do not wish to speak of it," Ophelia whispered.
Damon nodded in understanding before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Her face landed softly on his chest as the young goddess let out a small sigh of contentment. The warmth that radiated from Damon engulfed Ophelia within its grasps, providing her with a sense of comfort and love.
"We'll get through this. We will all get through this," Damon said softly.
Ophelia nodded against his chest but said nothing, not wanting to ruin the moment. Instead, she brought her legs to wrap around his waist, locking them in a tight embrace.
"Damon?" Ophelia asked after a long moment of silence.
"Yes?" he answered with a sleepy voice.
"What are we?"
He did not answer right away. The silence lasted only for seconds but to Ophelia, it felt like hours. Finally, his arms shifted, creating a small space between them so they could see each other's faces.
"I do not know the answer to that," was what he said. "But what I do know is that I care for you a great deal. I would move mountains and dry the seas for you."
Ophelia looked at him with wonder painted across her face. What did she do to deserve such a kind-hearted boy? With a smile, she leaned forward and softly placed her lips on his cheek.
"I care for you too," she whispered. They laid on the bed, inside Damon's room, the two young godlings quickly falling asleep in each other's arms. From the doorway, a broken love goddess smiled through her pain as she could feel the love coming from the two young godlings.
"I will take care of them, Achilles. I swear it," Callista whispered to herself, wiping a tear that had escaped.
Ω
Athena sat on a chair beside a long table where a body was wrapped in clean sheets. The scent of roses and oils filled the room and entered her nose with every sniff that she made. Her powerful grey eyes were dull as its edges were rimmed red from the tears. The candlelight shined on her face, revealing her pale skin and midnight hair.
She was in the catacombs. A place where they buried the remains of gods and goddesses when they are no longer to return back to them. A place where they had buried Nike, Magnus, and soon, Achilles' body.
Her head turned to gaze upon the wrapped figure of her brother. They were never close. Never did they have the same bond as Achilles had with their other siblings. It made sense as he embodied the pain and brutality of war while she symbolized its strategy and battle planning. The polar opposites of war.
Knowing this, Athena did not expect the pain to be this deep. She was never one for emotions either but for some reason, this hurt more than anything she could imagine. She was far older than Apollo and Artemis and much more than Achilles. She saw him as a child in her eyes. Even if he had defeated Typhon and slain countless titans, Achilles was the little boy she would see running down the halls, a dangerous weapon in his hand with a beaming smile on his face.
"Are you at peace brother?" she asked, even if she knew that he could not hear her.
"Has the pain left you? Has the chill of death disappeared from your spine?" Athena continued to speak, her voice quivering as she did. Tears began to fall against her cheeks as she placed her hands on her brother's body.
"I am sorry, brother," Athena wept. "I had taken our time together for granted and now when you have gone, I feel the loss."
The room remained silent, nobody answering her depressing words. Athena stood, taking in a deep breath as she willed the tears away from her face. Even if she did feel the pain, she would not allow others to see it.
Just as she was about to walk away, a gust of wind blew past her hair. It was so gentle that she had barely felt it. Her spear appeared in her hand in an instant while she turned. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Her eyes squinted and she soon spotted a silver glow beside Achilles' wrapped body.
Cautiously, Athena inched closer, her spear gripped tightly in her hand. Her guard soon dropped and her emotions were replaced by shock as she stared at the blade next to her brother's body. It was Achilles' short sword. But how? Who had brought it here?
Next to the sword was a piece of paper, words written on it. Athena kept her spear and reached to grab the paper.
It read: "Be at peace, sister, for there is nothing to forgive. If you would be so kind to hand this to Damon. It is his now. Goodbye, Athena."
Tears began to fall from her eyes. Athena turned her head away to avoid crying onto the paper. Achilles had heard her from wherever he was he was still with them in spirit. But gods end up in the void once they have faded do they not? So many questions ran across her mind and for the first time, Athena did not know the answer nor did she care. All she knew was that Achilles had heard her.
She reached for the blade and grasped it within her hand. The balance was perfect along with its length. It was a beautiful weapon, with its silver gleam and gold handle. If Athena could remember correctly, Zeus had given it to Achilles when he had come of age. She could recall the young boy squealing with excitement as he grasped the sword for the first time. Never had she seen him without it. Only when he had passed was the time where she noticed that his blade was not with him.
"Goodbye, brother," Athena whispered, this time with a smile on her face. A sad smile but a smile it still was.
Ω
CRACK
The sound of Damon's sword slicing through the dummy's wooden arm echoed across the arena. Around him were several more pieces of broken parts and pieces from the past dummies that he had destroyed.
The young god breathed heavily as he gripped his sword so tight that his knuckles had gone white. Beads of sweat trickled down the side of his head, his long brown hair sticking to his skin. It had been hours since he had stepped into the ring but to Damon, it had only felt like minutes. The rage and bitterness that coursed through his godly blood were immense, making it hard for him to control his strikes.
After he had left Ophelia to rest, he had thought about confronting his mother about Aeneas. He had so many questions. Why did she not tell him? Did she know who he was? Were they in love or was he just a product of alcohol and lust? These unanswered questions filled him with even more rage than he could ever imagine. Sadly, he could not find his mother to question her. She had fled Olympus days before he had returned.
The emptiness that filled his stomach was heart-wrenching. She truly did not want him. He meant nothing to her. Even if he now sees Callista as his sort of second mother, it still hurts him that his true one did not want him.
"Damon," a voice called that made the young god stop his training.
He turned around to see someone that he did not expect nor want to see.
"Ajax," Damon greeted with a poisonous tone. He was not in the mood for this now.
The larger god moved forward and placed his hand on Damon's shoulder. Thinking that Ajax would try to hurt him again, Damon grabbed the god's wrist and twisted it, causing Ajax to sink to his knees. The prodigy of Achilles swiftly brought his blade to the throat of his former bully and pressed hard.
"How does it feel?" Damon growled. "To be one on his knees feeling powerless?"
Ajax gulped as his eyes widened before a sorrowful look took over his face. He tried to speak but could not as the blade against his throat was rather painful.
"What was that?" Damon mocked. His eyes widened as he was suddenly pulled into his own thoughts. He was becoming the monster that Achilles had warned him about. The thirst for blood and revenge filled him and now here he was, just a swing away from ending one of his bullies. The range in him was soon replaced by disgust. How could he let this happen?
With a deep and long breath, Damon removed the sword from Ajax's throat.
"It feels good right?" Ajax asked. "Putting someone down because you can."
Before Damon could speak, Ajax held a hand up as he rose to his feet.
"But that feeling is not pleasure. It is pride. I used it to cover up my insecurities and for that, I am sorry. I am sorry for everything."
Damon stared at the larger god in shock. This was not what he was expecting.
After a moment of silence, Damon spoke. "Thank you," he said softly. "I'm sorry about your throat."
Ajax smiled as he placed a hand on the small cut that had formed. "Don't be. I deserved more than this anyway."
"I better get going but, thank you for apologizing," Damon said with a small smile as he patted the larger god's arm.
Ajax nodded. "It was the right thing to do."
"I'll see you around Ajax," Damon said as he began to leave. Ajax smiled and waved, thankful that the young god was very forgiving.
Ω
"When will they come?" Zeus asked from his throne. The sky god could not look any worse. The bags under his eyes were deep while the wrinkles on his face were much clearer. It had been a very long time since he had gotten any sleep.
Beside him, Hera did not look any better. Her skin was pale and the once beautiful brown hair on her head was disheveled. The skin on her face clung tightly to her bones as she had lost much weight from lack of eating.
"We believe that the primordials would be here by daybreak," Hephaestus said from his throne as Katlyn nodded her head in confirmation.
"Daybreak…" Zeus muttered in disbelief. He glanced around the throne room and the feeling of hopelessness filled him. Every god did not look ready. Artemis sat silently on her throne, her eyes fixed on the floor as if she could see through it.
Apollo and Rory sat together with a depressed Ophelia. There seemed to be a strange glow around his granddaughter but Zeus was too tired to even notice.
The rest of the gods all looked the same.
"We must be ready," Athena said, although she did not sound very confident.
"We are going to war without a war god," Aphrodite muttered from her spot on her throne.
The gods' shoulders sank as the death of Achilles was still a fresh wound within their hearts.
Athena sighed as she nodded before standing. "We do not have a war god but we have something else."
"And what might that be?" Hades asked, speaking for the first time.
Athena reached to the back of her throne and revealed Achilles' silver blade. "Damon, Son of Achilles, this is for you."
The young god who was invited to the meeting by Hermes raised his head in shock as his eyes widened at the blade that Athena held. Confusion filled his head.
"My lady?" he asked, those words being the only ones he could come up with.
"I fail to understand how this will help us," Hephaestus grunted from his throne.
Athena turned to stare hard at the god of blacksmiths. "This appeared over Achilles' body when I was there. There was a note and it was stated that Damon shall receive the sword."
"He is just a boy," Hades commented.
Callista was about to stand and defend Damon but Hermes had beaten her to it.
"And so was I when I defeated Hela. I was a boy when I mastered the ways of the sword. I was a boy when I slew the titan, Pallas." The god of messengers said, glaring at the two gods. "Damon was trained by Achilles the same way I was. I have full confidence in him that he is worthy to wield the sword. I have seen him fight and slay enemies with ease."
Hades lifted an eyebrow before nodding, content with Hermes' response. Hephaestus narrowed his eyes at the god of thieves but did not speak from the glares of Apollo, Rory, Callista, and Ophelia.
"So be it," Zeus announced. "If it is his wish that Damon shall wield his sword, then we shall honor it."
Damon was still in shock at what had just happened but did not have time to think about it now. Athena had stepped down from her throne and walked towards him. With a twirl of her hand, she spun the blade and offered it to Damon, handle first.
The young god reached up with a shaky hand before wrapping his fingers around the handle. His hand fit snugly on it, as if it was made for him. A hand was suddenly on his shoulder and the young god turned to see Hermes smiling sadly at him.
"He would be proud,"
They were four words but to Damon, it meant a million.