Chapter Five – The Annual Sports' Festival Part 2
Silence involved them all like a veil.
And thought suave, the air was stiff with tension that came from everyone. Unlike the competitions up until now, the crowd didn't yell or cheered, eyes fixed in Apollon, Thor and Isuzu.
Arisu chewed her sandwich without even tasting it anymore, as if all her being (mental and physical) was focused and existing only in her eyes. At her side, Dionysus seemed calmer and gave her a smile that carried a silence message for her to relax and trust that all would end well.
The girl hadn't forgotten her doubts or the conversation (if it could be called that), but it was far from being the focus of her attention now. Even if, deep inside, her feelings still lurked as mud in her blood and created a sensation that wasn't all pleasant.
Yui and Misaki were leaning forwards, the first had her hands on her lap and twisting the short's fabric as Misaki dug her nails deep in her knees. For a second, Yui meant to turn to Balder and Loki both sitting behind her and ask if Thor had any experience with archery (when it came down to weapons, she knew about his hammer, but it had occurred her that this didn't mean he didn't know how to use others), however there was no way she could force herself break from looking to the field and her vocal cords were too dry to produce any sound.
Thor raised his bow, arrow positioned. There were three targets in a row…
Near him, Apollon and Isuzu watched with the same attention than the audience. This could have distracted someone else, however the god didn't seem to even notice. His concentration, even in this situation, eliminated everything around.
He pulled the arrow… The bow's string followed his movement.
The arrow ripped air and silence.
The sound of the sharp's point piercing the target was harsh.
He had hit the circle around the last inner one.
Behind Yui, Loki breathed again. The girl held her air, it didn't matter, it didn't matter… It was just one target, and Thor hadn't hit the center. It wouldn't be enough to win against Apollon.
"It's like the swimming task, we all knew Takeru-san would win, it is the same principle now…" Her flesh ignored the thought.
Thor, still not showing any reaction, merely picked another arrow as he walked to the next target. Isuzu could almost see his muscles working under his skin as he got ready.
He seemed to have hit the exactly line between the third and fourth circle… But upon a closer look, the arrow was more to the third one.
The girl held her own bow, mouth dry. Even though Thor hadn't hit the center, he was going too well and his points would be high in the end. At her side, Apollon muttered.
"He is good"
All she could do was nod as she watched Thor picking the last arrow, wondering if he was as calm as he looked like.
"It's hard not to respect his concentration." It wasn't that the god's features were hardened, however it was possible to see in his eyes that nothing else existed to him but the target ahead. Somehow, even if this was a competition, something about it made her bones grow cold…
The arrow cut the air.
Involuntarily, Misaki covered her eyes and whimpered.
Some people yelled, it wasn't possible to now if in disappointment or cheering.
"And?" She asked, peeking between her fingers.
"Almost in the center…" Yui commented with a sigh that could be caused by tiredness or relief. "Okay, that's fine…"
"Nervous?" Loki purred as he leaned until his head was between them. Misaki hissed as a cat, backing away from him as Yui managed to smile.
"A little. Weren't you?"
"Not. At. All" He replied, shaking his head. "Why would I be?"
"I had the impression you were holding your breath" The girl said with a false air of thoughtfulness and a sweet smile, her finger against the side of her lips. Loki "tsked" with his tongue, still denying before putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Ahhh… I think you're just imagining things." And patted her shoulder. "How could I ever be nervous for such a thing?"
Yui was about to give some reply when Loki's attention went back to the others.
"Look, it's your friend's turn!"
Isuzu felt suddenly out of place. Those eyes were iron over her body, slithering inside her and her stomach reacted with a bitter taste that echoed in her mouth. This was one of the reasons she had never took part in competitions back at home… Besides, Aika Ayoama was the best of the archery's group too and now those eyes over her were too much like when…
She closed her eyes, the memory burning her eyes.
"Please, not now, not now, I don't want this now"
"You're too anxious, Suzu-Suzu." Apollon commented as he held her shoulder, getting a bit impressed at how her muscles felt and feeling her shiver as soon as his hand touched her. "You need to stay calm, remember?"
"Think that it makes no difference" A deep voice surprised her, for she hadn't expected that Thor would talk to her about that. Actually until now he had kept a polite distance. "You and your friends said you're taking part just for the fun of it."
"Thanks, Thor." She replied. The God just nodded and walked away again, watching from the usual distance and giving her space. Apollon whispered a "good luck" that barely held his excitation and did the same, though staying closer than him.
Shaking her head to get rid of the thoughts from before, her ponytail waving at her back, Isuzu got ready. Her left elbow was shivering still. She tried to focus on the idea that this was no different than practicing in the club.
"Just do your best" Only that thinking about her club also pulled thoughts from her old school.
Damn it all!
Her arrow ripped air and sound.
The second circle counting from outside in.
Isuzu groaned to herself.
No, this wasn't right.
Getting her second arrow, the girl made sure her arm was firmer this time. There was nothing. Just her and the target. Here and now, she repeated to herself, all that existed was here and now. Her heartbeat's intensity diminished.
Back in the stands, Arisu had her hands in the air before her, fingers intertwined in the air and was biting her right index.
Isuzu pulled the arrow…
Watched for the aim…
She let it go.
One circle away from the inner one.
But still she breathed in relief. This was better.
Sitting behind Arisu and near Takeru and Tsukito, Ren touched her lips with the end of her tongue as Isuzu picked her last arrow. Even if their results made no difference in the end, just for being taking part, they couldn't just be untouched by the natural tension that came with it. The girl wondered if this was because, unlike the tasks until now, they were going one at a time.
Once again, the sound of something sharp in the air.
Same circle.
Arisu jumped yelling her sister's name and laughing. Many of the spirits also cheered for the girl. Isuzu was deaf to it all and just sighed, turning to Apollon with a half smile, suddenly wishing this would be over soon so she could sit down.
"I really never want to participate in nothing like this ever again" She decided even with the warm wave that she felt when took notice of her sister yelling and Yui and Misaki waving their arms in the air with smiles.
The noise didn't last long, soon being killed by silence, like in a cycle in which one gave birth to another.
Without any care or tense, Apollon got ready for his turn. It wasn't like the one he owned, but it was good enough. With a seriousness that Isuzu had never even seen, the god pulled his arrow as if it was as natural as breathing.
Isuzu was surprised. Even her instructor had never been able to transmit the sensation that Apollon emitted now, arrow and bow being extensions of his body.
Back in the stands, Yui noticed this as well. If she had had the chance for doubts before, they would be mangled in the second the God held the bow. Like when Takeru had been swimming, those brief seconds showed a raw glimpse of a nature hidden under a mist of false humanity.
Arisu moved uncomfortably in her seat. The story of Niobe came back to her and now she could imagine Apollon in a field, corpses of children around him… And a merciless look in his eyes.
They all had killed. And they had no remorse.
When Apollon released his arrow, it seemed able to cut reality itself.
It pierced the red circle right in the middle.
Apollon didn't even blink, just picked the next arrow.
Arisu tried to ignore the coldness in his movements and tried to focus in the promised victory.
"He is good" She heard Takeru muttering and, at her side, Dionysus threw her a small smile, head held high. The girl nodded with the same expression.
"If he is that good being sealed as a human…" But Arisu knew she didn't want to dwell in this idea.
Another arrow made a perfectly right line.
It passed through the red circle, just at the side of the first one.
"Very good" Takeru corrected himself as Tsukito nodded as still as ever, not showing what he truly felt.
"Go for it, man…" Misaki whispered, but Yui heard and smiled to her, sharing her relief to see the Sun god's performance. It would be the first victory for their team. Behind her, Loki groaned.
Third arrow. His green eyes fixed in the target.
A ripping sound.
Once again, it hit the center.
"The winner is Apollon Agana Bellea"
The air shivered with the cries from the crowd. Yui and Misaki jumped at the same time, the blonde hugging her friend as they yelled in relief and glee. Balder laughed.
"Yes! Yes! YES!" The girl cried, holding Yui. "That's IT!"
"Thank goodness…" Arisu commented, relaxing and leaning her back behind as if stretching her spine. "Caramba…" If this was due to the ranking or because Isuzu had took part, she didn't know, all she knew was that this had been the most tense of the tasks for her until now.
Her eyes met Ren's.
"Just some more and my nerves wouldn't stand it" She commented with a smile.
"I know what you mean" The other replied with a sigh. Even with the promise of Apollon's victory, there had been no way to avoid the expectation. It hadn't ever been like this back in events of this sort in her school… True she never cared about them, but…
"But back there I was not under the threat of staying forever in a garden without ever going back home" She reflected harshly. As beautiful as the place was and even if it wasn't being as bad as it could be, Ren couldn't even imagine spending eternity there.
She just wanted to go home.
"We're still leading" Takeru commented as he stood up, ignoring the cheering around and leaving the stands with his brother. "We can still avoid all this nonsense of school"
Arisu groaned and looked from Ren to Dionysus.
"Isn't he the most likeable and pleasant person you guys have ever met?"
XxX
"You were worried, weren't you?"
Isuzu limited herself to nod in agreement. It was as if there was how he would believe a lie. Apollon touched her shoulder again, thought hesitating a bit since he remembered how her trembling upon the contact and smiled to her, his features soft and gentle once again. The girl couldn't stop comparing how different he had looked some moments ago.
"It was too obvious, right?"
"Well, not only by how you acted, but also taking in the difference between the first arrow and the two last ones…" The god answered as they went to their friends. "Yes."
"I was just out of focus, I suppose…" She shrugged. "I know we just spoke how we would take part for the fun of it, but when I was there…"
"The mood catches" Ren commented upon hearing the remains of the conversation. "It gets hard to ignore."
Isuzu nodded and indicated the god at her side with her thumb.
"But Apollon here was great! Glad we didn't depend of my results"
"You weren't bad, Suzu-Suzu. I mean, the first wasn't good, but then you got better" Apollon told her, but the girl shook her head in denial to the compliment and noticing that Arisu watched her in silence. In the instant their eyes met however, the girl smiled.
"I was too anxious at first" Isuzu commented without taking her eyes off her sister, though she knew Arisu wouldn't be fooled by that. "Now you all know why I never took part in competitions back home" She added as a jest.
"Takeru didn't seem to like it" Arisu commented with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hey, one more and we're even!"
"At least they are having fun." Balder commented with a sigh, hoping it would last. It would be better if they ended up cooperating from their own will for merely being present during classes wouldn't be enough and they all knew it.
"Where is Misaki?" Apollon looked around, not seeing the blonde. "And Tsuki-Tsuki?"
"Misaki went to the bathroom. Tsukito went with his brother. They must be back soon, the next task will be in a few minutes."
XxX
The cold water against her face helped to refresh and she let out a sigh, holding the borders of the sink.
Behind her, some female spirits were talking among them. The girl caught fragments and didn't take long to conclude it was a conversation easily full of school clichés with no substance. It wasn't even a talk, they were just exchanging words to each other.
Misaki knew well the difference.
She wondered how those spirits worked. Yui had mentioned how she had thought about them like the NPCs from some games and the comparison wasn't that far off.
Ignoring them, the girl dried her face and hands, taking a minute to look at the mirror and straight her hair a bit. Two tasks now. Despite all, she was starting to get worried about the results.
"Well, it is no use to just get like this now" She told herself. "We have our chances. See, Apollon just won, right? So there. It's not like I can do anything about it" The thought carried memories of how aunt Wakana used to talk to her. There had been a day she had held Misaki in her lap even though the girl was pass the age and had talked to her about not worrying in excess.
It was just a memory and nothing more, yet it worked to avoid an old bitterness full of sharp ends. The girl looked around, seeing the spirits that walked side by side and the stands of food, catching a glimpse of someone with dark hair.
Her hesitation to approach took a minute.
"Hi there, Hades-san!" She greeted him (a part of her wondering if he, being brother of Zeus and all, would demand a more "proper" treatment). Hades was sitting in one of the banks away from the stands and Misaki wondered why he seemed to be always avoiding everyone. Maybe he just didn't like crowds? It made sense, however somehow Misaki was under the impression it wasn't just that.
"So, what are you thinking of…" Before she could even finish it, the red eye of the god casted a cold wave over her being in a winter's whisper.
"Don't come near me."
Misaki stopped as the coldness touched so deeply that it was near her very soul. She didn't take any step near, but didn't turn back either.
"I should have expected this. It's the same thing he said to Isuzu and Yui" Even so… She couldn't help but feel something that was quite close to fear.
"What are you thinking of the event?" She insisted. The god studied her for some seconds before giving in.
"Interesting"
She decided to accept that as an acknowledgment that it was being fun, considering that Hades (along with Thor and Tsukito) was one of the quieter gods. A part of her wanted to get away, but she refused it.
"Why don't you come with me?" She risked. "You don't need to be all by yourself."
She didn't know how to talk with him. Her knowledge regarding Hades was very basic: Older brother of Zeus and God of the Underworld, the realm of the dead.
"Should I ask about him to Apollon or Dionysus?" It was hard enough to understand Hades just by how he behaved, so maybe if she tried to know more…
He looked at her in silence and without blinking. Perhaps it was how his eye looked like blood, but his gaze made the girl feel exposed as if he could see her heart, her mind, her thoughts… And somehow, she was sure he knew she wasn't comfortable in his presence.
"No" It was the simple answer as he averted his gaze before adding. "Thanks for the offer"
"But…"
The god stared at her once more. Misaki's voice stopped working.
"Didn't your friends warn you?" The question was a whisper that she heard as if there was no noise around. "You should just stay away."
Misaki was torn between two impulses: Approaching him or just turning away. Changing the weight from her body from a foot to another, she still tried.
"Why do you say this?" Maybe, like Takeru, he didn't like them. Not that this made a difference in personal levels, Misaki just wanted to understand. The god sighed, but not seeing traces of impatience or annoyance in his face, the girl didn't know what was behind it. It was hard to guess his emotions, when he had such a self control.
"Because, otherwise, you'll have disgraces" Before the girl could ask what he meant by that, Hades, aware that Misaki wouldn't listen to him, stood up and walked away. The blonde remained there, trying to decide what to feel about his words. She wasn't offended by him walking away like this, he had done it in a way that wasn't really rude…
But it was weird.
"Geez, what is up with him?" She wondered with a grumble, deciding to just go back to the group. "Stay away, don't come near me… That's all he has to say? C'mon, is he allergic to the living or something like that?"
Misaki still muttered with herself, deciding to think about Hades later. Calculating she probably had some minutes before next target, she wondered about getting something to eat…
"Aihara" A hard voice called her attention. Thoth was some steps away, near the stairs to the school's building. It didn't matter the situation, environment or who it was, Misaki's student instinct made her slight worried. It was never good news when a teacher called you like this, even if she had already understood that Thoth rarely (if ever) talked in a softer tone.
"Uh… Yes, Thoth-sama?"
The blue eyes of the Egyptian god were daggers on her. Even though she hadn't done a thing wrong, Misaki felt as a child being caught trying to steal cookies. It was a hateful feeling and she was annoyed by her inability to get rid of it.
"You are losing" The god stated in a firm tone. "And you have just two more tasks to recover the disadvantage."
"We know that." She muttered, feeling small under his eyes and also bothered. Thoth had called her just to say that? Something she knew already? "We'll fix this"
"Is there the possibility" Thoth hissed as snake. "For you to take things even just a little more seriously? This is not a game"
"We're taking this seriously!" Misaki replied, aware that she sounded like a child asking for comprehension and gulped. When she spoke again, her tone was more under control. "And we're going to recover. We're not in a big disadvantage"
"They won two competitions one after the other" Thoth carried on. "And all I see, are you talking and laughing as if there wasn't any consequences"
Misaki had to fight the urge to shrug, knowing that Thoth would interpret this as a gesture of disrespect but the teacher's attitude was getting in her nerves easier than most of the other gods. Besides, who he was to affirm he knew how they felt, having bases just in what he saw?
"We trust each other" Not in personal levels, fine, however they trusted each other as a team working with an objective in common and for now, this was as good as it would get. "And we are worried"
It wasn't a lie. The threat of never going home and its implications was above them all as vulture waiting the right moments to peck her mind, tearing pieces of thought and instilling fear.
Those moments until now were more frequent at night, when she couldn't distract herself and was trying to sleep. And she had seen the same thing in the other girl's eyes.
"Trust isn't going to be enough. This event isn't about that"
The argument left Misaki's mind in blank, even if she tried to search for a reply… Thoth was right and she knew it, it wasn't like this feeling would make them win. Unfortunately, this wasn't the question in competitions and she just nodded.
"No, but we are trying the best we can" She knew Apollon and the others were. "And it is all we can do. We still can win this." The words were slow and almost fragile. The way Thoth stared at her made her feel that any justification would be infantile and poor, but it what else there was to say? She still tried sounding more logical. "They won two, fine, but we can't say we lost yet, right?"
Thoth raised his eyebrows.
"Next task will be now" He warned her. "And try to remember the others of what means giving the idiots the right to not attend classes"
"I agree with the "idiots" part." She thought without giving any reply as Thoth walked away. "Right, I suppose the lesson here was: When the knowledge god speaks, you shut up and that's that"
XxX
"I didn't know humans also did things like that" Balder commented, seeming fascinated. "I know you explained, but even so!"
"Meh, it looks easy" Loki held a strand of red hair between his fingers as he often did, his silver eyes gleaming as he examined the next task. "Not as high as I thought it would be."
"Does he have to mock like this or he just wants to piss we off?" Arisu reflected as she rolled her eyes. "Honestly!"
The climbing wall ahead which, really, shouldn't be too high for him but just from looking at it, Arisu felt her blood's temperature go low and turned to Ren, who had one of the corners of her mouth turned down, as if she had bitten something quite bitter.
"Are you sure about this, Ren?" She asked. If it was with her, Arisu would refuse to climb that thing, security straps or not and even if Ren was pale, Arisu thought the other girl didn't seem very excited.
"Hey, do you really have to wear those things?" Takeru commented as he examined some black straps.
"They are for safety, Takeru, they are obligatory" Tsukito explained, to which the sea god just shook his head and muttered something about how uncomfortable they seemed. Loki agreed with a kind of smile.
"It would be more fun without those"
"Sure, then someone falls and breaks their head, are you insane?" Arisu asked without being able to control herself. Loki laughed and leaned to her, dragging the words.
"It would more in-te-res-ting. A bit of risk helps."
"I sincerely hope you're kidding." She answered, for if it was not a joke, then it was a pure moronic thing beyond everything she had expected. Climbing that without any security wasn't what she would call "adding a risk", it would be suicide. Loki continued with a small smile before examining the climbing wall once again.
"He, it isn't even as higher as a mountain"
"Have you climbed one before, Loki-san?" Yui asked with interest.
"Sometimes" The Nordic nodded and Balder completed.
"Near where we live there are some so high that their top is always covered in snow." He told. "They are beautiful."
Yui thought about photos of mountains she had seen and somehow knew they didn't live up to it.
"We climbed several together before." Loki commented as he turned to Balder. "And when we compete, I always win"
"I don't think so" It was the Light god's reply, his eyes sparking with sharp interest. "I specially remember an occasion. A week before Odin's commemorations? If I'm not mistaken, you almost rolled down the mountain…"
"I do not recall such event" Loki made a dispensing gesture with his hand as he picked the straps with the other, Thor helping him to put them in place. "You must be confounding things, Balder, no doubt."
"And you, have you ever done something like this, Ren?" The blonde god asked as he also got ready. Ren shook her head, the black braid moving just like a whip.
"First time…" She muttered, looking over the climbing wall as Yui helped to place the safety straps. "This is higher than I thought…"
"You don't need to do this if you don't want to" Yui told her slowly, for even if Ren kept herself as serene as she usually was, the girl was under the impression that the black-haired one wasn't comfortable with this.
"No… I want to." Ren sighed and shrugged. "Well, give it a try, at least."
"You who knows, just don't feel obliged to." Misaki insisted, almost giggling when realizing she had just repeated words her aunt had told her once. "Relax, have fun and whatever you do, don't look down."
"Great advice, Misaki" Arisu grumbled as Ren, Balder and Loki went towards the wall and the rest walked to their seats. "Now she is really going to look down"
Some spirits were standing, other sitting in the ground, the stairs or some chairs nearby.
""You took a while. Where were you?" Yui asked to the blonde as they sat in the first steps of the stairs. Misaki shrugged one shoulder with a groan.
"I tried to talk to Hades. He just said the same thing he told you and Isuzu, to stay away. Then Thoth wanted to talk to me"
"What did he want?"
"Just to ask for immediate results." Misaki muttered before assuming a serious expression and a deeper voice. "Think about the consequences of losing, they already won two tasks, yadda, yadda."
"Think about the consequences?" Arisu hissed in coldness. "Oh, of course, as if we could ever forget!"
"Thoth-sama is like that" Yui sighed, sharing the girl's weariness regarding the teacher, even if she was used to his nature. "Don't take him seriously." Internally, during the first week she had spent here, the girl had sometimes been grateful that Thoth was not one of the Gods she had to "help understand humans". He always seemed so distant that she felt awkward when talking to him.
"Be in position" The god's voice echoed, suffocating some muttering of the spirits.
There was a bang.
Ren, Balder and Loki immediately started to grab and lean in the colorful saliencies, looking almost as strange four-legged spiders from the distance.
"C'MON, REN!" Misaki yelled as she made a shell with her hands around her mouth. "JUST CLIMB!"
Behind her, Takeru was yelling to Loki to go faster. Watching the red-haired god and Balder, Misaki had no trouble imagining them climbing a mountain. Their movements were agile and natural as if they had done this their whole lives. The experience made up for the limitations the shackles forced upon them.
Ren had all her attention in leaning her feet in the right spots and find others to go up at the same time she forced herself to not look down, but it was as if something weighted in her eyes and tried to force them to the ground. At a moment, her left foot slipped and, with the scare, the right almost lost its strength as well. Her hands' grip became stronger by instinct as if her body had forgotten she was wearing safety's straps and not in true danger.
"Why did I agree to this?" She wondered, forcing her face up as she tried to reach her arm as her left foot found another place to step. It wasn't that she didn't trust the equipment, but she had never done this before (actually, she had decided to try because of the new experience, but…).
Some steps ahead, Balder turned his face to Ren. Thought his breathing was faster and his face had a light pink over it, his eyes had no change whatsoever. No doubt he was having fun and remembering the mountains back in his home.
"C'mon, Ren! You can do it!"
The girl shrugged a bit to signalize she was trying here and shook her head for him to go on. It wasn't that it was not fun, but the uneasiness poisoned her focus and the pressure stopped her from enjoying the new experience as a simple game.
With the confidence of a cat, Loki climbed even if he could feel (now more than never) how limited he was with that shackle. There was nothing that even resembled tension, but the straps no matter how necessary, made him feel too contained for his tastes. Balder, almost at his side, had his gaze fixated ahead as he grabbed the saliencies. There was just a time he seemed about to slip in his hurry, but soon managed to avoid it.
"C'MON, BAL-BAL! JUST A LITTLE MORE!" Apollon cried, hoping the Light god would pass by Loki, they were too close to know who would arrive first.
Balder's concentration wasn't in anything that weren't his next steps as he propelled his body up. He needed to win this, he needed to. The others were counting on him.
"REN, C'MON! FASTER, GIRL!" Arisu yelled, for the Amaya girl was too behind the others. At her side, Isuzu had her fingers crossed and leaning forwards as she muttered.
"Do you think she is okay in there?"
Arisu stopped her cheering and leaned to her sister, unable to hold a giggle.
"Better than I would be, I bet" And went back to yelling.
At the top of the wall, there were bells shining under the sun which made them look like pieces of burning gold. Loki and Balder approached the ropes… They reached out…
Two bells rang, echoing loud through all campus.
It was impossible to know which one had ringed first.
There was a silence in which the two Nordic exchanged looks.
"Tie" Thoth announced without showing any emotion in his voice alone. Though Misaki guessed he could be either annoyed or surprised.
"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" Arisu screamed while behind her, Takeru had his shoulders down and still looked to the top of the wall as if still not believing what had happened. Meanwhile, Tsukito remained calm. Thor shook his head slightly, not that surprised with the result. Apollon and Yui looked at each other.
"I… I wasn't expecting this" The girl muttered. There hadn't been a moment, or even a second, during which she had indulged the idea that any of the tasks could have this sort of ending, though now her mind told her she should have at least considered the possibility.
"Bal-Bal was almost passing by Loki-Loki" Apollon commented as he showed a minimum space between his index and thumb, narrowing his eyes. "Just this little more…"
"Two for them, one of us and one tie… If we don't win the next task, we're done for." Yui reflected, avoiding looking at the podium, able to feel Thoth's stare threatening to burn them alive. Apollon noticed the worry blooming in her eyes and touched her shoulder, meaning to tell her that if they lost the event, they would think about some other solution and they could still end in a tie if they managed to win the next task, but his words wouldn't come off.
"I don't believe this…" Loki muttered, already back in the ground and getting rid of the straps. "How did that happen?" He had been so sure he would win, what would have been enough to warrant they wouldn't need to bear that stupid idea of "school".
"Happening" Ren replied mentally as she released herself as well. She had reached a bit after the half of the wall when she had heard the bells and the result.
"What did you think about it, Ren?" Yui asked the girl, hiding her worry about the result. "Was it fun?"
"Well, it kinda was, but…" She hesitated and shook her head, as if embarrassed. "I don't know if I want to try this again any sooner"
"If we ever do this again" Balder suggested. "We can try together!" And petted her hair. Taken by surprise by the touch and with a slight spasm running through her body, Ren's head backed away instinctively just enough to break contact.
"Maybe…" She muttered without a real reply. "Maybe someday"
Takeru and Thor were talking with Loki, the sea god doing most of it actually and still pretty convinced that they would win even if Loki seemed quite annoyed by the end of his task.
"I'm sorry I couldn't win" The Light god apologized, which Apollon dispensed with a wave of his hand. It wasn't a defeat and this made the others thing about a detail.
"The next task is the last one." Tsukito commented, observing the other group. "Should we win it, how is the winning team going to be chosen?"
"Then I suppose we're going to have another task…" Yui said holding her chin and trying to calm herself with that line of though. "If we win… Then we still have this chance"
XxX
The running track of the first task, meanwhile, had been modified. At the course there were now horses, tires positioned side by side, leaning walls and an area to be crossed by a rope.
"The last task in the Annual Sport's Even is an obstacle race" Thoth's voice announced in the same timber of always. Yui wondered if he would keep this self control should they lose.
"I can imagine the lecture. Or more." She recalled of when she had met him and expressed her opinion regarding Zeus and how Thoth had cornered her against a wall and hissed that the Greek god has the interests of gods and humans alike in his mind. In another occasion he had told her that finding a means to make the "idiots" (his term) attend class was her duty.
Not that in the moment a lecture of Thoth was even near the top of her biggest worries.
"I don't know if I want to do this…" Misaki whispered at her side, watching the track with discomfort as they came near it.
"So don't." Arisu replied at her side and shrugged. "You said yourself that Ren didn't need to climb if she didn't want to, same thing applies"
The blonde touched her lips with her tongue. It was true, she had said that, but Ren had insisted in at least trying. Wouldn't it be kinda of… Annoying if, right on her turn, she decided to not take part in any competition? All of the others had.
"Yeah… But…" Her eyes went through the track again while, nearby, Dionysus and Loki were getting ready to run. Takeru was with the trickster god and for what it looked like, he wished he could take part in this as well. Thor was muttering something, to which Hades merely nodded.
"I insisted because it was my choice." Ren told her, perhaps seeing something in her face. "You don't have to do anything, if you don't want to"
"Exactly, Misa-Misa!" Apollon agreed unaware that he had just made a new discomfort to be born in the girl that had nothing to do with the competition.
"The point is to have fun!" Arisu recalled. At least in was the objective in their participation, once just the results of the gods would have meaning. Misaki hesitated. Ghosts of old words tried to echo in her mind, but the girl kept her attention in the reality and, though still feeling a bit bad about it, truth was she didn't want to run. Let alone in an obstacle track.
"Then… I' won't. Sorry, but I'm really not into this"
"You don't need to apologize, Misaki!" Yui seemed even shocked with the idea. "You said it yourself, no one here is forced to do anything."
"More or less, right, Yui?" Isuzu commented, since the last thing they need was for Loki or Takeru to hear that and start complaining some more. She turned to Dionysus. "We're counting with you, Dionysus, it is the only way we can still get a chance."
"Meaning" Arisu didn't reach quite his shoulders, so she merely touched his back. "Win or die trying"
"No pressure, of course" Isuzu completed in the same tone, making the god laugh.
"I'll do my best"
"Just this task more and we're free of this mess" Loki muttered as he and Dionysus got in the start line. Arisu was about to hiss something when Isuzu held her shoulder and shook her head slightly. It wouldn't do any good to reply the comment. Arisu scoffed. That attitude was for her immature, selfish and it annoyed her to no end.
"Could it be that he thinks that we're all just merrily leave by the end of the year?" She wondered in a low voice. "He is always saying that shit."
"Just let it go, Arisu." The sister replied, still denying. Maybe Loki just wanted to provoke then or, with the promise of not having to come to class, wasn't thinking about the consequences. She had no way of knowing since she had already realized that, regarding Loki, it was hard to be sure of what went through his mind.
Arisu turned to her sister as they took their seats, remembering how she had had a bad aim with her first arrow in her archery task. It could be nothing to someone else, but she was quite sure of what had caused it… And while Arisu wanted to ask if Isuzu was alright, in another hand, she thought if she should mention it at all or just be quiet and let her sister try to push it away.
Both options had their white and black traits.
At their side, Ren and the others waited for the whistle. Some spirits around still whispered among themselves. Yui had her hands closed in fists on her knees, Apollon had spasms that agitated his body forward and backwards, as if he was the one about to run and his body couldn't keep the energy for long.
Ren had her eyes in the running gods, mentally wishing and praying with all she had that the Greek would win. She didn't want to think about what would happen otherwise.
A whistle cut the air.
The two red haired went on a run.
Fingers crossed on her chest almost as if she prayed, Misaki bit her lower lip, digging the nails in the skin between her fingers with such strength that the knuckles were white.
"C'mon, c'mon…" She muttered, unable to scream or blink anymore.
Loki hadn't gotten tired in the climbing, at least not tired enough so he couldn't run faster than Dionysus. The screams were around him, but Loki didn't mind them and jumped over a horse easily, never diminishing the strength invested in his legs.
Dionysus did the same. It wasn't hard, it was almost like running through the forest… He had done that before with his entourage of followers and sometimes with satyrs as well. Since the swimming competition, he had had time enough to rest.
When he noted Loki passing him, he tried to run faster. He needed to take this seriously. He had to win.
Apollon cried his half-brother's name along with Arisu, who agitated her legs and hit her feet in the floor, almost as if she was running too.
"FASTER, GO FOR IT!"
"YOU CAN DO IT!"
Their screams danced with Takeru's and even Thor and Hades seemed anxious than before.
Loki ran over the leaning wall, a cat that wouldn't be stopped by anything. Dionysus was a bit behind… Isuzu had her teeth piercing her lower lip and Ren had her nails back on her elbows with a whimper. Seeing the distance forming between Loki and Dionysus, Takeru punched the air with a yell not unlike of an animal. Arisu realized the fury from before was back in his eyes again…
It could be happiness, but it didn't make it less frightening.
"C'MON, DIONYSUS! SHOW HIM!" She cried, not hearing that there were traces of despair more than cheer in her voice.
They both grabbed ropes they were supposed to use to cross the distance between two pillar-like structures. Under them there was a large couch and falling would mean losing… So, even if still fast, they took more caution during this time. Ankles crossed over the rope, they impulse their bodies to cross it. Dionysus managed to cover the distance between him and his opponent.
Yui sighed in relief seeing this. Her heart was a bird trying to get free from a cage of bone and flesh as energy turned her nerves into glass.
They passed by an area covered in tires, somewhat clumsy at first.
They were near the finishing line.
Misaki let out a sound that was at the same time a whimper and a growl, hiding her face o her hands (no difference, since she peeked between her fingers). It was their only chance… The idea of never seeing her aunt again spread through her mind, the poison bringing forth other sceneries… The friends she wouldn't ever seen again, the dreams she wouldn't even get the chance to try to achieve…
Which had been her last words to aunt Wakana? Or to Hideki? And Rika, Rika had been talking about the college she wanted to go to and…
Dionysus almost growled, running side by side with Loki…
But his body was getting tired now, legs throbbed and his breathing had become harsher. Energy seemed to falter and he almost got behind… Still, he forced his body to go on, keep the speed.
Loki took deep breaths, trying to not get behind or stop. His nerves and bones were burning, but not with the usual fire. In that moment, he hated that human body with all his heart.
The white line shivered in front as if mockingly.
They were side by side. At some moments, it looked as if one was some steps ahead, but no one could be sure.
At the last second, one of them was ahead…
The sound of the white thread being ripped echoed louder than the screaming.
Loki stopped, shivering and fighting to breath. Dionysus leaned his hands on his knees for a while before standing straight, sweat dripping in his face.
Silence now, higher than the cheering.
"The winner…" Thoth spoke. Yui crossed her fingers, Misaki's nail dug deeper in her flesh as if thirsty for blood. Balder was still.
"Dionysus Thyrsos!"
"YEAH!" Arisu yelled with relief and glee. Yui let out a nervous laugh as she hugged Misaki, both girls being then hugged by Apollon and Balder stood up and pulled Tsukito along. Ren sighed and relaxed, face lying on her knees, a puppet whose strings had been tore apart.
"That was close…" Isuzu muttered to her sister. "Too close"
Loki made a gesture of punching the air near his stomach, clearly displeased and Takeru crossed his arms.
"Very well, so what, we end in a tie?" He scoffed. "Nothing changes"
"By any means" Tsukito corrected his brother. During all this time, he remained inexpressive as if all the agitation around couldn't touch him. "We will have another task to solve this"
"So I can still have hope" The god stood up. "So, which will this task be?"
Already standing as well, Isuzu beckoned them to follow her.
"Let's talk to Thoth-sama" Truth was, she didn't know the answer herself. They hadn't thought about a competition to use in the eventuality of a tie, but there had been some tasks suggested when they were deciding that hadn't been used. Well, now they could, there were several which didn't need much preparation.
Balder was complimenting Dionysus as he drank a bottle of water offered by Apollon. His face was still red, but his breathing was steady again.
"It was to win or die trying, wasn't it what Hironezumi said?" He repeated with a wink to Arisu, who shrugged with a smile full of fake innocence.
"Well, the incentive worked, didn't it?"
XxX
Yui, Misaki, Ren, Isuzu and Arisu watched the gods, anxiety again dominating their bodies, which already felt the exhaustion of the roller-coaster of emotions from the day. Though, if comparing with the usual Sport's day from their own schools, this one had been relatively short and with few tasks, those waves of calmness and nervousness were too much to bear.
"A bit more and my nerves won't stand it" Arisu had told her sister, who had just agreed. Though similar, this Sport's day was still too different from what they were used to. Oh, there was will to win and tension back there too, but far lighter if compared to this day.
Now, it was the final task.
So, Thoth had decided it would be better one in which all the gods would take part. The final choice had been something known as a "chicken fight" or "shoulder wars" and consisted of a group carrying someone, whose objective was to push down the opponent.
"This is a recipe for disaster" Ren whispered, making Arisu turn to her at the same moment, eyes wide.
"Oh, just shut up!" In another occasion it would have been funny, but not now and the girl went back to the gods, who had decided their group's organization.
Apollon was being held by Balder, Tsukito and Dionysus while Hades was being lifted by Loki, Takeru and Thor. Misaki had thought they would choose Loki or Takeru, since they seemed lighter, but then again, they would need someone who was strong in other to push the other team down.
She wondered if Apollon would manage it.
"Ready…"
There was a bang. As one, the teams went against one another. Hades and Apollon held hands, trying to make each other lose their balance while the gods holding them fought to keep themselves firm, going ahead or backing away.
Arisu bit her tongue, nails scratching her palms.
"PUSH HIM, APOLLON!" Isuzu cried, voice higher than usual. "GO ON!"
"PUSH THEM DOWN, PUSH THEM DOWN!" Misaki's scream had almost a rhythm of its own.
The two gods seemed to be on equal footing. Apollon had his back hardened, leaning all his strength and weight on his hands to push his uncle, but Hades didn't seem affected in the least and resisted. The other gods helped, advancing against the other team as one.
Yui noticed that Hades and Apollon seemed to be talking among them, but at that distance and all the noise around, she couldn't even read their lips. It made no difference. Nothing was important, except those minutes…
Apollon boosted his body forwards.
Hades resisted.
The gods groaned when they fell.
Apollon whimpered, leaning one hand in the ground and massaging his forehead. Tsukito sat, having fallen badly over his left leg but except for a frown and a moment of weakness when he tried to stand, there was no show of disturb or pain.
"It's over" Thoth announced while Hades stood along the others. While they were falling, they hadn't paid attention in who had actually be pushed.
"Red team wins!"
Arisu let out a beastly cry of victory.
"They did it! They did it! They did it!" Misaki's repetitive yelling fell into a cadence almost being sung. Balder laughed and Dionysus cheered while Ren let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, as if distancing herself from everything around.
"Congratulations!" Isuzu laughed as she approached the gods. Apollon soon hugged her and went to hug Yui soon after.
"We did it, Fairy-chan, we did it!" The sun god laughed, almost lifting Yui in his arms. Arisu patted Dionysus' back after a moment of brief hesitation while Misaki congratulated Tsukito, who merely accepted it.
"It has to be a joke" Loki mumbled, displeasure scarring his face. His eyes were more then never those of a wild cat and sparkled with danger. "Can't we demand another match?"
"Hey, you all made an oath!" Misaki turned to the others at hearing this, unable to not be scared by the idea of them actually finding a loop to avoid the consequences. "We all agreed on…"
Loki "tsked" to her with despise, measuring the girl up and down. Thor didn't seem annoyed (Or at least wasn't showing it) but Takeru was almost furious.
"Yeah, yeah, we know it!" He threw the answer back, his harsh voice making it clear that the day hadn't changed his feeling in any regard, at least in personal level. Misaki couldn't help but to feel bothered by that furious look… Which made her wonder why Takeru behaved like this. It wasn't as if any of them had done anything to him.
Hades merely sighed, shaking his head with eyes closed, resigned.
"Could it be that this day really didn't change anything?" Isuzu wondered, noting their attitudes as well. Maybe Arisu was right: They had just relaxed a bit due to the chance of getting free of attending classes.
"You'll see, it isn't that bad" Apollon tried to reassure the others, but Loki rolled his eyes now with disbelief as well and a scoff. Yui sighed with herself, that behavior was starting to pass the point of bothersome. It was almost as if dealing with a child having a tantrum for not getting the toy he wanted. Even so, she fought to keep her temper under reins. At least now they would be attending school.
"And the rest we'll solve with time… No point in hurrying up what we can't" She told herself as Balder tried to invite Takeru and the others to join them for the rest of the day, being denied. He looked quite disappointed at it.
"You know, no offense to anyone" Arisu hissed between her teeth. "But they are getting on my nerves"
"Well, think about it as an incentive" Her sister replied, attracting her eyes.
"What the hell are you talking about, sis?"
To her surprise, Isuzu laughed.
"One day with them and you already want to rip their hair off." She winked. "Imagine eternity with them."
Arisu made a pretended expression of shock and horror, bur laughed. The sound was lighter than before.
"One step at a time" Yui told them upon hearing the conversation. Arisu nodded. If she had been alone, she wouldn't have stood all this… Still laughing, she passed her arms around Yui's shoulders, the tension of before seeming to join the remains of anxiety that had held her during the day and, slowly, evaporated from her blood.
Ana: Aaand, one more chapter. Not much to tell, except those about the festival were very hard to me. I'm NOT a sport's person and I don't have much experience describing them either.
Apollon: Even if everyone already knew what the results would be...
Ana: I thought that would make those chapters boring too. I mean, what is the point of suspense if they knew you guys would make it? Hope it wasn't too boring at least.
Arisu: It's over now anyway. Let's move on with the plot.
Ana: Also, English is NOT my first language, therefore, if I made any mistake or some sentence sounds weird, please warn me.
Guest (CameronEmma): Wow, one of the best reviews I got in this entire fic! I admit, while I'm not seeking attention or anything, the lack of feedback can get a bit upsetting! Reviews like yours keep me going!
Dionysus: I did that? Why? I just told things how they are...
Ana: That was my intention. One thing that kinda of annoyed me in the anime even if I liked it, was how some details of the mythologies could have been used and weren't. I always loved myths, so in this fic I'll try to dwell in their differences as well.
Arisu: You're telling me... They look human but they are far from it.
Ana: Exactly. Plus, Dionysus was seen as quite dangerous god, due to the madness he could bring and the loss of identity. Believe me, there WILL be more conversations of this. Problems and issues cannot be solved in just one talk and there is a lot of things they need to solve.
Tsukito: You do treat us sometimes as scary, I noticed.
Ana: Well, without those shackles, you're beings who lived far, far more than any person can actually conceive (we can imagine, but it's not close enough to true) and with powers that can crush us in the most unthinkable ways just by wishing it, which you did in the myths. So there.
Loki: You're weird.
Ana: About how they see the girls, yes, I'll deal with this to. There will be pairings of course, but this will take a long time. As Arisu said, they are too different and since they got distanced from humans, they aren't used to dealing with them anymore. Oh, Apollon and Balder are all happy and anxious, but this doesn't mean they fully comprehend them (otherwise they wouldn't be in this academy).
Balder: We're trying our best, though!
Misaki: No doubts about it...
Ana: As for the other gods... While they won't appear, but will be mentioned like Artemis, they don't have many issues with humans like the others. Zeus won't be taking part of the lessons, but since he is watching them, I guess you could say he will end up learning some things too.
Arisu: Like how your position is NOT excuse to kidnap?
Ana: You're still on about that?
Arisu: Wanna know when I'll let that go? When I'm back home.
Ana: I'm so happy to see that you're excited! I'll do my best to update faster (even if college is kinda keeping me from it). Once again, thanks so much for the review!