Midnight didn't know why he had been so quick to swear to return to the Gaian camp, he still had not proven himself a true warrior, or regained his honour since what happened in the chosen, and he had not seen or heard of anything of the missing mall rats
"I promised Aphrodite, true Greek should betray here, even a warrior has not the guts to go against the goddess of desire for that matter." He thought, finally he decided he would have to find a way to prove his honour and reconcile his friends from the camp
Reaching into his back pocket midnight produced a letter he had written to Zhane on the one year on the anniversary of his friend's death
Dear Zhane, dreamer of the planet of ko-35
The time we had has flown,
Slipped quickly through my fingers like a leaf in an autumn wind blown.
Silly now remembering how wonderful things were then
how odd it feels to be crying Over "I remember when."
Why does no one treasure the moments until they are past?
Why is it we never cherish the times that can never last?
Still, I suppose it is better Late than never to see
that the things we forget to honour are the things we want always to be.
On the Battlefield you laid. You hope was gone. The planet Ko-35 that you loved so well, you shall see no more. And no more shall we hear the great horn of your mothers before you. The Great River became your grave, with the most honour your friends could give. Why Zhane did you go to that far off place where you know we cannot follow? But dear friend, rest in peace, for in dreams we may meet again.
Putting the letter away midnight began to think Reading the letter made him think of his own mother, and how, if she as Trudy had had lost and then regained her daughter that maybe she would have done the same as Trudy did, but them, as Midnight well knew, his own mother had died long before Karone had been taken, she had died of a broken heart after his fathers brutal killing at the hands of his grandfather.
Suddenly Midnight realised he was getting sympathetic and nostalgic
"What am I? A warrior or an innocent." He said, taking one of his daggers from his pocket sheaths he held it long ways across his wrist and pushed it down till it sliced his skin
"life's not a song, life isn't bliss, life is just this its living, and if you don't watch it one of the gods will come down while your moping over what can never be, you have a chance to find Karone, there is no way you can save your mother, she's dead. Idiot! There are battles to be fought, people to be slain and what are you doing? Punishing yourself for slipping?" Discord demanded appearing in front of him before slapping him straight across the face midnight jumped causing him to released the dagger which fell to the ground where it lay covered in his own blood
Midnight didn't reply, he was dizzy from the loss of blood at his wrist, it had been a long time since he had had cause to do what he had
"That's it, I'm staying with you till you get to eagle mountain, maybe the presences of a beautiful woman will give you cause for some action." Discord said grabbing midnights hand and dragging him along the road, Midnight allowed himself to be pulled along the road until he regained himself,
They were nearing Dakotas's tribe, and whether it was the fact the goddess of discord had his hand or that he could see his green blood running but Midnight began to think back on his pact to Patsy
Flashback
"I swear by the blood of every Karovan who has gone before me, I swear that the guardian will die for what he did to you Patsy!" he had sobbed
end flashback
and even though he had also taken the 'Gabriel oath' as Pride had called it, to not use his weapons to harm another living thing unless in dire need he had that old feeling of blood lust, but not for the blood of a normal innocent, no that was way too easy for someone the province tribes had dubbed 'the warrior prince' no, he had not long ago been confronted by the brother of his dead souls hate
But dare he take another life? Dare he go against what he had promised pride and ultimately screw his chances of ever gaining redemption in the eyes of the OTHER gods, just then discord stopped, she was a little way ahead of him, and Midnight guessed she had sensed her name in action
"Forget it discord," he said "I am not ruining my chances on a whim of yours." He continued, Discord looked at him sternly, but to his own surprise as well as hers he stood fast on what he was saying for he knew the discord she had sensed had something to do with Jaden Zoot,
Discord shrugged
"You're on your own then warrior boy, may your sword not break and your hearts not rust." She said before vanishing into a dark light which flew off towards Dakotas's tribe
"Wrong way round, but for me I guess it fits." Midnight thought producing a gourd of water from his side pack, he knew he had a long walk ahead of him, and an even longer one when he reached the camp
Continuing along the path midnight noticed that the sky suddenly seemed brighter and around him the flowers seemed to lean closer to him
"I guess Hestia and Aphrodite believe in me," He thought, smiling up at the sun
"and ofcourse Apollo, for without him, there would be no sun to smile on me." He continued, thinking of smiles made him think of Trudy which caused him to pick up the pace "is it wrong for one such as myself to speak so freely of love, if so then let Eros and Aphrodite come for me now for I am on my way to the one who brightens up those dark day till I find my sister and reunite our family in this life."
End of chapter 8