All credit goes to Mr. Riordan. Nothing funny this time, sorry.
Chapter 7: Ain't No Rest For The Wicked
In my dream, I was standing in a meeting hall. Six enormous beings sat around a giant oak table, discussing in low gruff voices. From a window near me, I could see the castle of Minos in the distance.
"What about Hades? Does he wish to join us?" asked Hippolytos. How did I know his name? Well, it was written on their chairs.
"No, he decimated our messenger," replied Ephialtes with a serious tone. I recognised his voice. "He may be exiled by Zeus, but his loyalties still lie to Olympus."
"No matter, we aren't short of allies," announced Polybotes, his cloak consisting of seaweed and his head covered with a bandana. "Oceanus has allowed me to command what remains of his legion, and I see the Cyclops army growing by hundreds every day! Other wild folk will follow. I will see to it personally that sea monsters side with us."
"Our army is strong," agreed the hooded figure, at the far end of the table. "But it amounts to nothing when we cross blades with the ten thousand immortal Olympian blades. We need numbers, greater numbers."
He continued, "Call upon the centaurs and karpoi. Round up the dragons and telekhines. Tell them that Gaia calls. Periboia, what word from our prophetic prisoners?"
The only woman among the giants replied, "The Gray sisters have foretold the coming of the Huntress. She is weak, mortal, but not to be underestimated."
"We already know that," interrupted Ephialtes. "Artemis will not be a problem, My brother and I will take care of her."
"I wasn't done speaking," she snapped. "They also told the coming of another Gigas."
There was silence in the hall for a few seconds. The arrival of another Gigas would mean a lot of things.
"Who is he?" questioned Polybotes. "Is he one of our kind?"
"No, he's…different. His upbringing was different from ours. He's…a wildcard, one that can change the tide of the war. I say we find and persuade him."
"Indeed. Send out word to look for him." The hooded figure spoke up, "Enceladus? You seem awfully quiet."
"Gathering strength is one thing," one of the giants said, sitting straight up in his seat. "Making mortals see is another. Numbers won't help us if the people still have faith in the gods."
"Stocking up on war supplies isn't as easy as it sounds, my brother. It will be some time before we reveal ourselves to the world."
I had gotten enough, and I was just about to leave when a voice rasped behind me and made me jump. "You see, Artemis? You see how powerful we grow?"
"Who are you?" I asked cautiously.
"My name is Thoon. But to you, I am an ally. Someone who can give you back your old life."
It was a tempting offer. "What's the catch?"
"Surrender. Kill the one that travels with you and sacrifice his blood to me. In exchange, I will ensure your safety throughout the war into peacetime."
I felt numb. Really numb. Not just because I was scared, but I was tempted.
"Think about it, goddess. Freedom from the clutches of the Fates."
Line Break
The morning passed quite uneventfully. I told Trent about my dream, but left out Thoon's offer. I mentioned the new Gigas and asked him if he had any idea about it. He shrugged and said that he had none.
The past few days had seen light rains. Halfway through the afternoon, we came across a pond. I was determined to continue, but Trent said that he needed to take a bath. We argued about it for a bit, and just as I was about to win, Trent told Bartholomew to stay put. That effectively made the argument useless.
I fumed on, while Trent removed his shirt. Across his chest, all the way around the back was a black mark, etched into his skin. The brand seemed so real, that I could hardly believe that it had once been burned into his skin. It was composed in Godly Runes, a dialect of Greece that only immortals could fully understand. I tried to read it, but it made no sense to me.
Trent turned to me and saw me staring at his chest.
"What…happened to you?" I breathed, stepping closer to him. I reached out to touch it but Trent jumped back.
"Oh this?" he said, gesturing to it. "I call it Orio-Trent's Belt. I'd love to tell you what it's for but that's a long long story. Another time maybe."
Saying that, he turned away from me and walked towards the water. "You know, you should join me." I rolled my eyes.
When Trent was done, I told him to take Bartholomew and go far far away while I took a bath. He nodded and did what I asked. Goddess or not, no man may see me naked. As I washed myself, I thought c
of the mark on Trent's chest.
It wasn't just any mark, it was a curse. It marked the person carrying it as an enemy. I knew this because I had seen my father curse Prometheus. It had stripped away his divinity and turned him weak, when Hephaestus and Ares grabbed him and chained him to his punishment. If Trent bore that mark, it meant that someone had their eyes set on him. I was frustrated. Too many questions remained unanswered and too many problems arose.
Calm down, my other half told me. Figure it out later, now just relax. I did as asked, and put my head under water. Everything went quiet and I felt at peace.
'WAKE UP ARTEMIS'
My eyes fluttered open as the voice shattered my mind. I gave a little scream before realising that there was no one around me. I quickly dressed myself. This voice…it belonged to-
'BEWARE, THEY ARE NOT FAR BEHIND.'
'ARES?' I tried to think back, 'WHAT- WHERE-'
'NO TIME!' he replied, 'YOU'LL FIND ME IN THE LABYRINTH!'
'WHAT-'
'GO TO THE MOUNTAINS! ONLY THERE YOU STAND A CHANCE.'
A bush behind me rustled and I grabbed my cutlass. Trent emerged from behind the bush, Bartholomew not far behind. Both of them were staring at me, with confused looks.
"Jo are you okay? I thought I heard you scream…"
'LOSE THE HORSE.'
"Yes," I breathed. "Yes I'm okay. But we have to leave. We're being followed."
He nodded. Quickly, we were off towards the mountains, Bartholomew galloping at great speed. I told him what had occurred.
When we reached the foothills, we bade the horse goodbye. It was getting dark, and as if that wasn't enough thunderclouds were starting to fill the sky. We started walking along a thin trail that seemed to lead the way.
"And in your vision from the war god, he didn't say who was following us?" Trent asked in a low tone from behind me. I was clearing the path ahead, cutlass in my hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice; whereas he brought the rear with his own sword.
"Nope," I simply replied, biting my lip.
"This is just hilarious. Warn the mortal about danger but don't tell them how to deal with it. Why are immortals so…dumb?"
"We- they don't see it that way. Giving a straight answer isn't in their nature." Explaining this to him would be a fool's job but gods are less attached to reality than mortals. Kind of like nymphs and dryads. Some of them are shy, and others are outright dangerous. But they see the whole truth.
Trent cursed under his breath. The sun had almost set, and heavy drops of rain began pouring. The strong wind made the fauna swing, making it near impossible to cut through them. My companion dropped the rear and helped me clear the path.
"Do something!" he shouted, as it thundered overhead. "You're a daughter of Zeus, do something!"
"It doesn't work like that!" I yelled back, although I wasn't sure. I had no knowledge of my powers, as they had never presented themselves before.
He grunted and focused on the task at hand. A few minutes later, we emerged on the other side of the overgrowth. The path became clearer, and the rocky top of the mountain was visible. We wasted no time and hurried towards it. The rain slowed us down, made our steps slippery and drenched us in mud. We kept going, in the hope that we might find a shelter to pass the night. The peak of the mountain was our best bet.
I was out of breath when we finally reached the top. Trent collapsed and groaned loudly. I almost snorted at his theatrics, when thunder tore across the sky, making us both wince in fear. Night had fallen.
"Alright," he said heavily. "Alright we need to…"
He squinted his eyes and I could've sworn that they turned bright red. He continued to look around.
"I think I see something there," he pointed. "Might be nothing more than a cave-in but we better-" he paused abruptly.
"I sense it too!" In a fraction of second, we stood back to back, weapons held outwards in a tight grip.
Two enormous bears slowly emerged from the shadows. They were six feet tall, with sharp claws, their eyes glowed red and their expression of malice and rage. They slowly advanced towards us.
"We've been following you, Huntress," one of them rasped, brandishing his claw.
"You will pay dearly for what you did to our mother!" growled the other.
What? my brain tried to process what they had just said. It was an unspoken rule of the Hunt- never harm an expecting creature. Nature does not take kindly to such cruelty, and there are always consequences. Hera's suffering after our birth was a fine example.
"Jocasta…" my companion muttered. "What are they talking about?"
"I have no idea!" I whispered. My mind raced through all the women that had ever wronged me. None came to my mind, unless…
"Don't you!" growled one of them. "Don't you remember her, you foul girl! She who devoted her life to serving you, she who ran with you on your hunts? YOU ABANDONED HER AND LET HER SUFFER!"
The owl, the strix owl!
"Polyphonte…" I whispered. "Poor Polyphonte… I'm so sorry… "
Polyphonte's face formed in front of my eyes, her sweet and innocent laughter echoed in my mind. A distant memory resurfaced.
"P-please, milady. Forgive me."
"Get away from me!"
"Please, please Artemis! You're all I have left…"
"GET AWAY!"
"Such pretence!" one of the bears spat.
"I almost want to let you go," said the other. "Your wretched deeds will come to light when the New Order takes over. But no…we have waited too long for this."
"Oreius!" he called out to his brother. "Kill the spare!"
Trent's eyes flashed crimson red. The one named Oreius took a step backwards.
"Are you sure, Agrius?" he called out. "His brethren would not respond kindly to this."
"It doesn't matter, he's an outcast!" Agrius bickered.
But Trent had enough. Without saying a word, he jumped out at Oreius and slashed his sword across the monster's hide. Oreius roared out in pain.
"JOCASTA! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Trent yelled, as he slashed his blade against Oreius' knife-sharp claws.
Agrius tried to lunge at Trent but I ran towards him. This got his attention and he turned to face me instead. He swiped his hand and I was thrown backwards.
"Mortality suits you, you pathetic girl," he growled. "I will make your end slow and painful, after I'm done with your friend."
I got up to my feet and realised that I was dangerously close to falling off the cliff. I regained my balance and saw Trent being surrounded by both the bears, turning warily as to keep an eye on both of them. I gripped my cutlass.
Trent jumped at Agrius, which was a mistake. Agrius caught Trent's left hand in his jaw and pinned him to the ground. Trent had let go of his blade, and his expression had panicked as he tried to dodge the monster's jaws. Agrius threw a punch at him and knocked him out.
I ran towards him, but found my path blocked by Oreius. He swiped at me, but I dodged. I slashed my cutlass towards his unguarded side. He groaned in pain and pinned me to the ground as well.
This was it, this was the end for the both of us.
"Look up, Artemis," Agrius commanded. "I want you to watch this."
Saying this, he dragged Trent's unconscious body towards the cliff. I struggled under Oreius' tight grip.
"NO!" I screamed, closing my eyes. I felt fear like I had never done before. I felt a tug in my gut, and a deafening boom echoed throughout the valley.
When I opened them, Orelius was nowhere to be seen. All that was left of him was golden dust.
"NO!" Agrius roared. I quickly got back to my feet and sprinted towards him. He was holding Trent by his hand letting his legs dangle in the air.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT ARTEMIS!" saying that, he let go of Trent.
No, no, no don't do it Artemis, screamed my mind. DON'T DO IT AAAAHHHH!
But I had already jumped. I was plummeting down towards the earth, screaming through the night. Trent was in my reach, and I grabbed him by his collar, before wrapping both my hands around him. If we died, we died together. I could not go on without him.
Suddenly, the rush of air quietened and Ares' clear voice rang through my head.
Fall, not downwards.
Crazy as it sounded to me, I closed my eyes and imagined that I wasn't falling downwards at great speed, but falling backwards towards the sky (if that made sense).
Any minute now…
I waited for the impact, Trent's body still held close to my own. But it never came.
I opened my eyes and the howling wind filled my ears again. I was flying towards the cliff! As soon as I realised this, I was threatened with a downwards jerk. But I regained control over it.
I flew over the cliff, scaring Agrius out of his wits. I gently dropped Trent's body far away on the ground and returned to the monster.
"HOW!" he exclaimed. "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?"
"I'm sorry about your mother," I apologised to him. "I should not have abandoned her. At the time, I did not know about Aphrodite's involvement, nor about you and your brother. It was only years later that I had realised what had conspired, and till then it was too late."
"You think that apologising will suffice?" he growled, trying to jump up and grab me out of the air.
"It won't," I replied, weakly. "Your mother was my first love. When I found out about you, I felt…betrayed. I'm sorry that I can't make things right, Agrius."
"DON'T SAY MY NAME WITH YOUR FILTHY MOUTH OLYMPIAN!"
"Go now," I pleaded. "Don't make me kill you."
Giving me one last look of hatred, he began to retreat.
"This isn't over, goddess. We will meet again, and I will have my revenge."
Saying that, he disappeared into the dark night. When I was sure that he was gone, flew towards Trent and touched down beside him.
Foolish boy. He had bite marks on his left hand. His nose was broken from where Agrius had hit him. It was bleeding.
"No no no no no…"
I saw his backpack lying a few metres away. Trent had told me that he had some cubes of ambrosia left for emergencies. I found them and popped one of them into his mouth.
"Swallow it," I pleaded. "Please."
His breathing had slowed down. I got up and ran towards the forest. This time, I felt no fear as I gathered medical herbs from among the bushes. The moon was shining above me, and the jungle seemed livelier than before.
When I arrived, Trent was stirring.
"Don't move!" I bent down and held his head in my hands. He looked at me and muttered something. "Everything is fine, everything's alright." I assured him as I applied the medicine on his wounds.
I managed to find the spot that Trent had pointed out earlier, and dragged his unconscious body towards it. I pulled out spare sheets from either of our backpacks and draped it over him. After the rain, a cold wind had followed, making the air chilly. I was afraid that I had caught a violent cold, and did not wish that for my already injured partner.
I brushed his hair out of his eyes to get a good look at his face. Sleeping, he looked peaceful than ever as if a great burden had lifted from his shoulders. Again, my mind wandered to what I had seen today.
If it was true, if word had gotten out about me being a mortal…
Today's incident was only the beginning. I looked at the entrance of the cave, and saw the strix own stare at me one last time before taking off.
I climbed inside the warmth of the blanket and let myself fall into a dreamless sleep, fully aware that the next morning I would wake up to a freaked out Trent claiming that I had slept with him.
Well, there you go. Really need to stop making promises about future chapters. I was too lazy to proofread this one, so if anyone finds any error, please PM me :') I'll give you a shout-out in the next chapter. Until then...
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage The Elephant