"Well done Warrior." she said when she caught her breath, her voice soft like a bell. Her long blonde hair spilled out from her cloak and into the sunlight, shining like gold. Her eyes, swirling with color, peered into Perseus's like a looking glass. She smiled at his unwavering gaze, her white teeth and plump rosy lips drawing his attention. They looked so soft…..
"You have defeated me Warrior, do you plan on taking something else?" she asked tilting her head gently to the side. Perseus blinked, confused until his mind registered how close their bodies were. He had her pinned to the ground, straddling her small waist and holding her arms beneath his, and he could feel the rise and fall of her body underneath him as she took each breath. Feeling his face redden, he moved off of her, and stood. He took her arm and pulled her to her feet. She turned to the soldiers, watching their faces take on shocked expressions.
"A woman!" one hissed
"But she is so strong!"
"How could we have been defeated by someone like her?"
Others mumbled amongst themselves. The woman kept her head down, shying away from the attention of the soldiers she had easily defeated.
"I suppose that I will no longer be needing this." she mumbled, ridding herself of the heavy cloak. Beneath it, she wore black and red armor that accentuated her slight figure. Her attire consisted of bladed arm braces along with black leather-bound sandals that came up to her knees. A minotaur hide skirt stopped at her thighs showing off her slim legs, and a crimson armored corset adorned her lithe torso. Her skin was lightly tanned and her golden hair fell to her mid back in soft waves. She looked so fragile, but all the men knew how dangerous she was. She retrieved her blade that Perseus had knocked away, and once again came up to the demigod.
"My blade please." she asked sweetly. Perseus handed it to her numbly still shocked that this woman had defeated his comrades so easily, and had been among them all this time. She hid her wicked curved blades in their sheaths that hung at her graceful thighs. Though her body was slight, she was all muscle, strong and powerful. Finally, as if waking from a trance, Eusebios glared at her."Captain, she is a woman. She can not be allowed to continue on this journey. She and the hunters should depart, for she will only bring bad luck." the bitter soldier stated, looking at the woman with obvious distaste. The hunters came forward to stand at her side. They, along with the majority of the soldiers, sent him dirty looks.
"What is your name woman? How did you come to be so skilled with the blade?" the captain asked ignoring his rude, young soldier. The woman walked to the fire and sat. the men crowded around her as she stared into the flames and said,
"My name is Thea. My father, Astinos, was a Spartan general. We lived in a minor village a few miles closer to the coast than where Sparta's city lies. Many years ago our village was traveling to warmer climates before winter struck, when we were attacked by a hydra." Thea's face darkened as she relived the memory.
"It killed many men, including my father. When he fell, I left my mothers side where she was hiding and picked up my fathers sword. I slew the monster. How? Only the gods know, and for my bravery, I received a blessing from the war god, Ares. The mighty god himself bestowed upon me these blades as a reminder of my victory. I trained with the best soldiers from my fathers army for ten years. When my mother died, I left the village, meaning to travel to the Spartan city, but I met these two brave hunters along the way."
"She saved us form a Caldonyian Boar." one of the hunters stated. At this, Thea smiled at her companions sweetly.
"That night, Ares came to me in a dream. He said that my destiny would not lead me to Sparta, but to Argos. He told me to follow the demigod on an impossible quest, for our fates were intertwined, and that my heart's sacrifice would stop a war between the gods. If I do not succeed in my task, all of Greece will fall." she finished looking up at the soldiers to see what effect her tale had. The group of men let her words sink in. Her prophecy was not very comforting.
"Well then," Draco said standing, "you have proven yourself as a warrior, as skilled as any soldier I have, and I don't suppose having someone blessed by the god of war is a bad thing." he chuckled, "Though she is a woman, you all know she defeated you fairly. Though I am no fan of the gods and their rule, she was given a prophecy that stated she needs to be on this journey. Thea, you are welcome to continue on this quest with us." Some soldiers mumbled their agreement, while others, like Eusebios grumbled resentfully.
"Thank you Captain." Thea said. She stood up and found Eusebios sulking by the perimeter of camp. "I did win it, but I don't feel particularly hungry tonight Eusebios, you may keep your ration." she stated smiling, turning her attention to the setting sun. Thea unrolled her bedding under a sturdy tree and sat with her back against it. She closed her eyes, and emptied her mind, calling to the war god. She knew Ares loved bloodshed, but not amongst his own kin. That was the whole reason he had sent her on this journey, and why he asked so much of her.
"Oh, mighty war god." she prayed, "I have been accepted into the quest along with the demigod. What now will you have me do?". The sound of someone sitting beside her broke her concentration.
"So you've just accepted it?" questioned a husky voice. Thea knew who it was without opening her eyes.
"I have no choice, it is the will of the gods." she replied. His close presence was making her heart hammer in her chest.
"You know that's not true. There is always a choice. You are so strong. Why do you let them control you?" he said, his voice angry. Thea opened her eyes to look at him, Perseus. His blue-grey eyes, the color of the sea, his strong jaw clenched in frustration.
Thea felt anger bubbling inside her. Couldn't he see the doubt that she felt, the insecure feeling of letting someone else control her.
"And what about you, Warrior? Are you making your own choice?…" Thea whispered, not letting her emotions get the best of her. Instead she focused on him, fascinated by the way the setting sun made his skin glow, like a gods. Perseus scowled at her and sighed heavily. He got up and turned his back to her.
"There is always a choice." he repeated before he stormed off.
Thea watched him go, confused. She was experiencing feelings that she had never had before. It startled her, that Perseus had such a strong affect on her. She once again pushed back her feelings and concentrated on the now darkened sky. There was no moon tonight.
"Apollo must be hiding his sister, things in Olympus are worse than I thought…" Thea thought as she gazed at the stars. She was soon surrounded by sleeping men. Thea kept the guard company working on a wooden flute she had been carving earlier that day.
Soon it was time for the watch to change shifts, but Thea was still restless. Perseus took the mans place. Thea tried not to stare while Perseus rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. After stretching, which made his unclothed back muscles swell, Perseus glanced back at her. Thea quickly looked at the fire, which had begun to slowly die. She berated herself for the feelings his presence induced.
"Thea?" her name whispered from his lips sent an electric current running through her body. She looked up as he came to sit beside her. She felt her pulse quicken as she eyed his bare torso and strong shoulders. She blinked and tried to clear her thoughts, once again turning towards the fire. As Perseus sat, she prodded the glowing embers in an attempt to give it life.
"I'm sorry if I distressed you earlier. I was just upset by your prophecy." he explained as he followed her gaze into the fire.
"You spoke your mind Warrior. I'm not easily distressed." Thea answered softly. Perseus gave her a sidelong glance.
"Why do you call me Warrior? The other soldiers have fought and trained longer than I have." he questioned. Thea smiled and turned to look at him.
"It is my countrymen's custom to only call those you have defeated by their first names. Not many have earned the right to do so with my name. Today, we fought and I lost, so for now I will call you Warrior."
Perseus looked up at her and caught his breath. The light from the fire threw a red glow into her golden hair making it look like flames, her ever-changing eyes, a radiant orange.
Thea looked away from his gaze, determined to keep her emotions in check.
"Why were you upset by the gods words?" she asked twirling her finished flute in her hand, the way she did with her blades. Perseus struggled to find an reasonable answer. In truth, he was confused about what had been said regarding the intertwined fates, and he was dismayed with the part concerning Thea's sacrifice. But he could not bring himself to tell the truth.
"I'm not pleased that the war god said that this journey was an impossible quest. The gods underestimate us in our abilities to overcome their obstacles." Perseus said after a few moments. Thea tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She nodded absentmindedly and played a soft melody on the completed flute. She played for a few moments, a hauntingly beautiful song escaping from the instrument. Suddenly she stopped and turned to Perseus.
"I want to answer your question." she stated fixing upon him an intense gaze. Perseus looked confused for a moment. Thea sighed and said,"About whether I make my own choice….." Perseus returned her gaze, waiting.
"I made my choice to follow the will of the gods. None forced me into this quest. I came of my own will-". Perseus cut her off,
"But the prophecy said all of Greece would be destroyed if you didn't. That's not much of a choice-". Thea interrupted staring into his eyes,
"But, it is a choice." the words seemed to echo in the silent darkness surrounding them. "I chose to save lives rather than run in fear of what is ahead. I hope for my life, the gods will spare others. If there is war in Olympus, all hope is lost for Greece, no matter which obstacles you overcome Warrior." she looked away, fearing her emotions would get the best of her. Inside, she was trembling. Still the terrified little girl watching in horror as a monster killed her father. But on the outside, she was the woman who had slain it, and many other monsters with ease. She scolded the part of her that was frightened into believing that she had everything under control, but staring into Perseus's eyes made her feel lost and confused. She was no longer in control of her life, her fate, her destiny. Perseus watched as her face changed with the internal battle that was raging inside of her. He wanted to help her, say something that would make all her problems go away. His eyes fell on the tiny scar on her otherwise smooth check. The scar he had given her during their fight. Without thinking, Perseus reached up to touch the scar. As his fingers grazed her skin, Thea relaxed. She leaned into his calloused fingers as he touched her cheek. With a start, she realized what was happening. Thea turned her face away, separating them with a curtain of hair. Perseus blinked and shook his head, not knowing what had come over him.
"I'm sorry…" Perseus started, but Thea left his side and walked to her bedding. She lay with her face towards the sky, trying to forget what had just happened. His touch on her skin, his body above hers. His weight, his heat, his gaze were all she could think about, as she stared at the stars until the first streaks of color lit up the sky.