When they finally reached the last temple Tracey was sure everyone was going to die of hypothermia and maybe oxygen deprivation. They were up high enough that they could see the curvature of the earth and she had the strange urge to transform into a bird. The last Temple was a sculpted marble creation that was so completely grecian it was almost comical given the six previous temples. Hercules strode in with no hesitation and everyone huddled together to wait.
Amphiaraus tapped Tracey on the arm and held a small object towards her. When she took it it was a wooden disk with a carving of a little bird worked into the surface then gave Artemis a wooden disk with a rabbit carved into it. He gave her a cheeky smile as he did. One by one the others started giving her and Artemis little keepsakes, Autolycus gave Artemis a set of tiny throwing knives, to Tracey he gave a small golden disk with writing stamped into it that she couldn't read but he assured her it was to ward off bad dreams. Atalanta gave Artemis a woven leather headband with bright beads worked into it, she gave one in matching colors to Tracey and even showed them how to tie them correctly. Iolaus flushed bright pink when he gave them each a scroll with their likenesses sketched in charcoal. Tracey had been rendered in soft lines standing on the precipice as she ran through her meditative forms. He'd captured the graceful lines and she almost expected the image to move. Artemis was all strong lines and intensity. He'd spent a long time on her eyes trying to capture the nearly overwhelming intensity in her eyes and she looked stern, dangerous and Tracey wondered if her namesake Goddess looked like this sometimes.
"Hercules isn't any good at gifts." Amphiaraus said and handed them each a twisted silver band. He got these as payment for a service he did two sisters and thought it would be appropriate to give them to you."
Artemis slide the ring onto her thumb and gave him a curious look. "Why the gifts now?"
He gave her patient look. "I see the future, You won't be around to see the end of this."
"Yes I didn't think that we would but here to see the end, but I believe we have done what we were sent here to do. We wish you the best of luck for whatever comes next and try to stay out of trouble." Tracey replied with a soft laugh and placing her silver ring on her finger with her high school ring with a smile. "Thank you all for these gifts, we will treasure them always..."
She tied the woven band Atalanta gave her around her forehead and tucked away the gold talisman into her satchel with the carved bird she noticed reminded her a lot like Nargis. The black bird figurine Artemis swiped from Sherlock back in London had also come to settle in her bag too. Tracey couldn't stop looking at her portrait and gave Iolaus a kind smile, praising him highly for his drawing abilities.
"An amazing and clever story teller who paints pictures in people's minds with his words, also has a secret talent for drawing too... I wonder what other talents you have that you're keeping secret from us."
He flushed a little and Autolycus nudged him in the ribs. "Poor lad, he's usually so verbose around the ladies and here you two have him tongue tied."
"They're different." Iolaus snapped. "Women here are one thing but these two are almost like the Gods themselves."
Artemis laughed and patted his arm. "We aren't Gods Iolaus but thank you for the compliment."
"We're a little bit more personable than the Gods and we can relate more to humans in so many ways they can't." Tracey answered, giving Iolaus a smile as she rolled up her scroll and tucked it away in her satchel. "Unlike them, we actually take the time to get to know the people we interact with on a daily basis and even the new friends we may make on the journeys we take."
She nodded and looked toward the temple before stretching upward and out.
"We always try to have a positive effect on others. Thank you again for the gifts and whatever happens after we leave, you should know that we will always be thinking about you and the friendship you've shared with us."
Iolaus opened his mouth to respond when the ground under them shook, they all looked over at the temple and stared as fire began seeping out of the windows flowing along the ground like approaching water. Artemis swore and yanked her basket of spell supplies off her back and started digging through it. The flames rolled along the ground like an incoming tide and Amphiaraus moved his spear to the crook of his arm. "Somehow I think that is a bad sign."
Artemis had a bag of something in her hands and was rushing around them in a circle leaving a line of salt behind her. She was muttering furiously under her breath. "Autolycus, a knife. Now."
He handed her a knife and she made a quick cut on her left forearm and dripped blood onto the salt. Tracey ushered them closer together and watched Artemis work, but also kept her eyes on the rolling flames that were coming at them.
"What are you doing Artemis?" Tracey asked before leaning over to speak with Amphiaraus. "Do you think Hercules pissed off the Gods?"
"Maybe not all of them." He replied mildly.
"I've got a circle of power up. Stay inside the salt circle everyone." Artemis said and started stood hands outstretched chanting under her breath as the fire spilled up to the edge of the circle and stopped, it flowed around the circle like water around a rock and the heat was nearly unbearable.
Tracey started to fan herself with her hand and wiped her forehead with the hood of her cloak.
"Damn!" She growled loudly, shielding her face and eyes from the flames as they burned the underbrush and vegetation around the ring of salt and blood. "I wish I had my elemental abilities like the first time we came to Ancient Greece then I too could help here."
The flames pooled and lapped at the edge of the salt circle and Amphiaraus eyes widened. "Two women standing atop Mount Olympus amid a sea of Fire." He murmured and Atalanta gave him a sharp look The Mountain shook again and they thought they could hear words being shrieked but it was impossible to hear over the roaring flames. And then the flames began to recede like the tide of some hellish ocean. Artemis was shaking as she kept chanting holding the circle as the flames kept receding, fading away. The Temple began to shimmer and Tracey thought she could see towering forms surrounding Hercules and a figure against a fading wall that was blackening and disappearing.
Amphiaraus suddenly turned to Tracey his eyes unfocused. "You have done well but your task is not yet done." His voice was his own but the words sent shivers through Tracey.
Tracey rubbed her arms, wanting to erase the goosebumps that voice always gave her.
"Gods above I really hate it when this happens." She muttered and looked at her comrades. "It looks like this is goodbye my friends. Be well and take care of each other... Atalanta, give Autolycus a chance because you never know, he may surprise you. And Autolycus, if you'd stop insulting Atalanta you might get somewhere with her... Please say goodbye to Hercules for us."
The last flickers of the Sea of Fire faded away. "You have done well but your task is not yet done." Amphiaraus intoned again and they faded out leaving the rest to stand staring at Hercules and the towering figure that could only be Zeus.
