They reached the next temple just as the sun reached it's zenith and everyone was grateful for the break. The climb was getting progressively harder, the trailed narrowed and more than once they had found human bones battered and broken against boulders where they had slipped and fallen. The Temple looked dull compared to the others. A square building made of the same dusty gray stone as the mountain. No brasiers, no statuary, it could have been the home of any mountain dweller. Amphiaraus handed Hercules his spear. "This one is mine." He said simply.
"Be careful Amphiaraus... are you sure you can't take your spear with you?" Tracey asked completely out of breath, eying the temple warily.
Even she was grateful for the rest. Despite transforming into a large mountain goat and mastering the terrain by leaping from boulder to rocky outcrops, Tracey was tired and her muscles were starting to ache. She had slipped a few times because of the tricky slopes, but the recovery was quick and she found her footing again.
"I would think you'd be allowed after Atalanta took her bow and Autolycus had his knives."
He smiled at her and it was a warm expression. "And somehow I don't think it did them any good in their temples. No this is a struggle of a different sort. One of the mind and soul, not of weapons."
"Still I would prefer to go in armed with at least a dagger, much to my reluctance." Tracey replied, shaking her head but honoring his words and saying nothing else.
She plopped herself down on a large rock and tried to relax for the time being. Amphiaraus walked into the temple and Artemis sat beside Tracey. She reached over and ran a finger up the longest line of scar on her right arm. After a time Tracey's butt began to go numb and she slipped herself off of her boulder and stood at the edge of the cliff. The wind blew her hair around and then she began to slow her breathing until it was even. She didn't say a word and watched the clouds, smelled the breeze and began swaying and starting her meditation forms, something she hadn't done since she and Artemis left the Turtles in New York. Time seemed to slow while she moved and Tracey watched the sun for a time, noting its position in the sky, but caring very little. She was calmer now and nothing troubled her, her mind completely calm and focused on her meditation.
Hercules sat down next to Artemis where she sat contemplating a small figure in her hand. He glanced down at it. "I've never seen a bird like that before."
She held it between thumb and finger holding it out to him. "It's one of a kind." She said as he carefully took the object in thick fingers.
He looked at the tiny bird figure before he started talking. "What you did last night… took guts."
Artemis shook her head and pushed her hair back behind her ear while the wind blew the auburn strands every which way. "Nah. Putting up your weapons in the face of a half ton of very pissed off tiger, that's guts. Climbing a mountain renowned for killing people who try, that takes guts. Facing off against kings and gods alike, that takes guts." She looked up at him and he felt like some giant sitting beside her.
He was used to being bigger than everyone else but sometimes it still surprised him, she looked away and he handed her the tiny bird figure. "So if we all face our weakness in these temples, what do you think yours is?" He asked.
"That's kinda personal don't you think?" She asked but her voice held a teasing tone.
"We've been traveling at close quarters for weeks." He retorted. "And we're probably all going to die on this damned mountain. Doesn't get much more personal."
"True that. If I had to guess I'd say my weakness is my anger." She shrugged and rolled the figure between her fingers.
"Anger? I haven't seen you get angry the whole time we've been traveling. In fact you're always calm, like nothing ever bothers you." Hercules was incredulous.
"Oh things bother me. I'm just really good at keeping it to myself. When I was younger I used to explode over the littlest things, everything pissed me off and I drove everyone who ever cared about me away with it. But I got older and learned how to control it. I had to, it was destroying me from the inside out. But I was angry when that bastard took Tracey, I was so furious, I'm still angry over it to be honest."
"You killed him." Hercules said and she looked up at him her dark eyes full of something so intense he thought it should literally sear his skin.
"I pushed him off a roof and then just to make sure he was well and truly dead I stamped on his head until it shattered like a broken melon." She took a breath and her eyes took on a far off look. And what's scary… I don't regret it at all. It's the first time I ever killed anyone and I don't give a good god damn. And I'm pretty sure that makes me some kind of monster."
He looked around the camp at his friends, they had killed people one and all and in most cases felt little in the way of remorse over it. For the most part he didn't either but he didn't think now was the time for philosophy. He clapped her gently on the back and she blinked as he grinned down at her. "Nah, you're too pretty to be a Monster. I should know."
Iolaus dropped down on the other side of Artemis. "What about monsters?"
"Artemis said she could be a monster, I told her she's too pretty to be a monster." Hercules said.
"Right, I mean you've faced loads of them and even sirens aren't very pretty, sure they sing a great song but if you get a look at their faces, eck, all pointed sharks teeth and gills." Iolaus said and grinned.
Artemis grinned back. "Flatterers."
Tracey could hear the conversation from her place and was relieved that everything seemed back to normal. She paused in her movements and then looked over her shoulder at them with a smile before continuing again with her meditation forms.
"They speak the truth Artemis and they know what they're talking about." Tracey said with another smile. "You can't deny that you're more beautiful than most of the girls and woman we've met, and you've drawn many an eye since we've been shot from one universe to another."
Artemis wrinkled her nose. "Beauty fades. I'd rather draw attention for being kick-ass and interesting."
Autolycus smirked. "Oh you're interesting."
"And we both know that you are a kick-ass fighter, you beat Raphael who was twice your size and bulkier to boot." Tracey replied with a smirk as she stopped her movements and turned to face Hercules, Iolaus, Artemis and Autolycus. "That makes you mega ass kicker in my book... I'd really like to see Raph go up against Hercules."
She laughed and nodded in amusement.
"Yeah that's a sparring fight I'd like to see."
Artemis opened her mouth to say something when the temple vanished and Amphiaraus walked towards them his usual knowing smile fixed in place. "I see you were successful my friend." Tracey said with a knowing smile. "Well done, shall we continue up the mountain?"
He inclined his head and held a hand out for his spear, Hercules tossed it to him and he leaned against it. "Three more temples remain. The most difficult I fear."
