Chapter 12: An old friend

"Where am I?" I silently muttered to myself, I felt calm and relaxed, in a room with a couple of candles in each corner. I made my way into a dimly lit area that felt strangely familiar. Dusty frames with no pictures lined the walls and empty bookshelves. I rubbed my arm, an acute pain rushed through my entire body and I sensed that something wasn't right. Candles in the other room flickered and slowly died out, the room was pitch black and suddenly very cold. An uneasy sensation ran down my spine as I gripped my blade that was held firm in my hand, suddenly reality hit me. Forge.

I ran down the empty corridors not caring about anything else. It was a maze, some corridors seemed to never end. I saw an open door with a only a few candles lit inside the small room. I crept over to it and a tall figured wrapped in a black cloak towered of my sleeping brother.

"I'm glad to see that you've-" it hesitated, "recovered. I wish I could say the same for him. He hasn't recovered from the...incident."

"Wait who are you?" Are quickly reached for my weapons and felt nothing, they had disappeared. I scanned the room and saw them laying by his side. "How did-"

"Sometimes I think that you're more of a danger to yourself than anyone else." It abruptly said.

"Why did you bring us here?"

"You do know where we are, right?"

(Flashback)

Her arms wrapped around me and everything around me felt so small and meaningless. I could faintly hear Forge's voice talking to someone but couldn't make out who. I saw myself running in the corridors and tripping on something. I remembered how much fun I used to have and how I wished it could still be that easy. I hit my head and felt tears running down my face, I felt her warm, gentle touch pick me up. She whispered some of her last words to me, "it's ok, don't worry."

(Flashback end)

I was suddenly pointing celestial defensively at him, "Why did you you bring us here- more importantly who are you?"

"Me? an... old friend,"

"What, I've never met you?"

"I wouldn't expect you to remember, you were so young."

I strapped celestial to my side and slowly walked up to him. He stared at me with cold eyes, a faint red tint could barely be seen under his dark cloak.

"So I take it that you knew our mother."

"Yes, she was..." He clenched his fist tightly, "a good person."

"That's good to hear but I guess we'll just leave," I slung Forge over my shoulder and he gave an awkward groan.

"Wait don't leave just yet, I need to show you something"

"We have really important-"

"I can help you find Zoë,"

"You know where Zoë is?"

"I can find here but on one condition."

"What?"

"Follow me."

I laid forge down and followed him into an open room. With intersecting corridors at each opening. We zigzagged through many halls and passages finally arriving into a dilapidated, old room. Out of all the rooms in this massive place this one was the worst but the most familiar. You don't remember any of this do you?

No but somethings not right.

I continued to walk around then he took off his cloak which revealed long dark brown hair, and a bulky face with red eyes and a small mouth.

"This room used to be hers, you know."

I stared at him intently, waiting for him to say something else but he never did. I walked out of the room, I couldn't bare to face any more horrific memories. I teleported to Forge and tried to teleport us out this hell hole. The man's thoughts were projected into my head.

Crap, the walls are too thick. Where the hell are we?

Couldn't bare it, could you.

Can you just help and get us out of this place.

Why in such a rush?

Zoë needs us and I owe it to forge to save her. I couldn't live with myself if we don't find

her.

Whatever

We instantly found ourselves back in the forest. I laid Forge near a tree and knelt down. The following morning forge was already awake and cooking something by the campfire.

"So, what happened?" Forge said.

"Well, where do I begin." I replied.

"How did we get out here?"

"I met "an old friend""

"Really, who?"

"Don't really know but he knew our mother."

"Oh."

An awkward silence spread across the forest and I could tell that neither of us were in the mood for a conversation right now.

"Well, let's just focus on finding Zoe and figuring out what's happening to her." I reassured him.

"That's all we can do right now, I guess." He sighed.

I was relieved for once in this whole screwed up journey that Artemis and her henchmen weren't chasing us. We continued to travel for a couple of hours before dawn, rested and continued to Athens. It would take few days until we got near there and could camp there while figuring out where Zōe is.

Just as I thought that everything seemed normal, clouds of smoke rose from the tall trees and burnt ashes fell on the path in front of us. We instantly ran over to the burning trees. Surprisingly Artemis wasn't there, instead there were the hunters. Luckily none of them saw us. I could sense the tension and Forge stupidly ran and towards them and took them on. A dozen of them pointing there bows at us, not one them was Zoë. After several of them laid on the ground, he was eventually defeated. I had to help him and took the rest on and we left before anyone found us.

"What the hell was that?" I asked

"We couldn't of just left them there, anyone could of gotten hurt." He replied.

"Artemis could easily track us down, we have a few hours before they wake up. We need to leave, now."

While we were bickering, we found ourselves surrounded by innumerable hunters, we've been ambushed and there was only way out. I summoned Celestial and Forge, Westenra. I grabbed the hilts and furiously ran towards them. Suddenly I felt an infinite amount of energy and anger serge throughout my entire body, it was the most immense power I have ever felt. The feeling was indescribable and on my back, six gold wings sprouted, three on either each side, my hair turned completely white, celestial extended and felt lighter than a feather. I cant believe how much power I'm experience. I gripped Celestial tighter and blew back several hunters, my wings spread and I felt the wind carry me beneath my feet. Cecilo communicated to me.

What's happening to me, this power? I asked confused.

I have combined my power and yours.

Dozens of hunters laid beneath me and I was furiously cutting through dozens more. Making sure not to kill just knock out. I got attacked from all angles and fell to the ground. My powers were diminishing and I felt normal again. I was physically drained and could barely stand. Through all the confusion, only one face stood out and there she was.