Chapter 3: The Others

Altair's breath hitched in his throat. The monster lay crumpled a short distance away, its body dissolving into a thick plume of black dust that smelled of burnt earth. Only a jagged claw remained, half-buried in the wet grass, pulsing with a faint, fading light. The rain finally slowed to a light drizzle. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the sudden silence. He tightened his grip on the slingshot, the leather cold and slick in his trembling 's gone…but how?He'd fired stones that weren't there, drawn power from…he didn't know where. He clenched the slingshot tighter, a shiver running down his spine.

A figure approached, stepping lightly through the dissipating ash. Fear coiled in Altair's stomach. After everything that had happened—the storm, the stranger, the…magic—more strangers were the last thing he wanted to deal with.

"No need to thank me," the boy called out, lowering his bow with a flourish. He looked a year or two older than Altair, tall and composed, with blond hair gleaming in the scattered flashes of lightning. Confidence radiated from him like the rays of the sun.

Behind him trailed two others. One was a wiry figure with a slight limp and fluffy hair peaking from a sodden hood. His expression was neutral, but his eyes flicked to Altair with a spark of curiosity. The other was a lithe girl, her gaze sharp and alert as she scanned the surroundings.

The blond boy stopped a few feet away, brushing a stray raindrop from his cheek as if it were beneath him to be wet. A faint smile played at his lips as he bent to pluck the claw from the ground.

"Not bad," he said, turning the claw over in his hands. "Most civilians just freeze up entirely. Distraction is half the battle, I suppose." He glanced up at Altair expectantly.

Altair bristled but stayed silent. He couldn't decide if his hands were shaking from the cold or the adrenaline still coursing through him.

"Nice shot, Cassius," the girl exclaimed, already scanning the treeline for more threats. She turned to Altair, her expression softening slightly. "Are you okay?"

Altair blinked, his gaze shifting between them. He clutched the slingshot tighter. "Who… who are you?" he managed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Cassius grinned, spinning the claw between his fingers. "We're the cavalry, obviously. You're lucky we were tracking that thing, or—"

"We're friends," Said the hooded boy gently. "I'm Merrick. This is Cassius, and that's Julia." He gestured to the girl, who gave Altair a tight smile. "We came to help. You're… special. That's why the monster was after you."

That's when Altair saw it— Merrick's legs. Goat legs. Covered in coarse hair, ending in cloven hooves. His eyes flicked upwards, taking in the faint curve of horns barely visible beneath hood. His breath hitched. He stared, speechless for a moment, before finally stammering, "Y-you're…"

Merrick gave a small, almost apologetic smile. "A satyr. It's… a long story."

Altair shook his head. "And—What do you mean by special?"

Merrick hesitated, glancing at Julia, who gave him a subtle nod. "It's hard to explain," the horned boy said slowly. He gave Altair an apologetic look, then stepped closer, his hooves squelching in the wet ground. "But we can. First, though… is anyone else here? Family?"

Altair's breath caught. Pa. "My father—he's back at the house!" His voice rose in alarm. "He's hurt. I—I need to get back to him."

Julia put a hand on Altair's shoulder. "Take us to him."

Could he trust them?

He thought of the stranger who had appeared harmless, who Pa had welcomed into their home. He hesitated. Then the image of Pa crumpling to the floor flashed through his mind, and he swallowed hard. Pa was hurt— he couldn't handle this alone.

Finally, he nodded. "Follow me."

Altair led them back toward the ? What did he mean by that? And the slingshot…how did I…The questions swirled in his mind.

A wave of relief washed over him at the sight of the warm light spilling from the windows. It was quickly replaced by a fresh wave of anxiety as he noticed the door hanging slightly ajar.

"Pa!" he called, rushing ahead. "I brought help."

Inside, Pa was slumped in the chair where Altair had left him, his breathing shallow but steady. Relief flooded Altair, but he remained tense, his eyes darting between the newcomers as they entered.

Merrick knelt by Pa's side immediately, murmuring something to Julia, who nodded and began pulling items from a leather pouch at her belt. Altair watched them warily, hovering by the door.

Pa blinked up at the newcomers, his gaze lingering on Merrick's hooves before shifting to Julia's determined face. "What in blazes is going on?" he rasped.

"It's a long story," Merrick said, kneeling beside him. "But for now, let's get you patched up."

Julia helped steady Pa as Merrick worked, applying a salve that smelled faintly of mint and smoke.

Cassius wandered the room, his gaze flicking over the worn furniture and patched walls with thinly veiled disdain. His bow was slung over his shoulder, and the claw rested prominently in his hand.

"So, this is where you live, huh?" The blonde haired boy murmured, "Not exactly Olympus material."

Altair's gaze remained focused on his injured father.

"Andthat," Cassius continued, a pitying smile twisting his lips as he glanced at the slingshot. "is what you thought would stop a monster like that? Did you think you could, what, annoy it to death with pebbles?" He raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I hit it," Altair said evenly, though his voice betrayed his rising irritation. "In the eye."

"Right. Well, whatever you did, it gave me a clean shot." He held up the claw, examining it as if it were a trophy. "Monsters don't go down that easy, farm boy. Trust me. I've been doing this a while."

Julia let out a small laugh, and Cassius's smirk widened. He tossed the claw into the air and caught it effortlessly. "Just saying, if he's supposed to be one of us, he's going to need more than that when the next one comes."

Altair's jaw tightened."Start talking," he said sharply, his voice steadier than he felt. "Who are you? What's going on? And what wasthat thing?" Cassius shot him a sharp look.

Merrick's fluffy ears twitched as he cleaned a cut on Pa's forehead. His voice, previously gentle, now had a harder edge. "Easy, easy. We're on your side."

Cassius tilted his head, his golden hair swaying. He was strikingly handsome, with an easy confidence. It was clear why Julia and Merrick deferred to him. "That was what we call a nasty piece of work,"

"Enough," Altair snapped, his gaze fixed on Cassius. He wasn't used to speaking so sharply, and the words felt foreign on his tongue. "You barged into my home. You know something about that monster. Start answering my questions, or you can all get out."

Cassius opened his mouth, but Merrick started talking first. "Fair enough. You deserve some answers. But first, we need to ask you a few things. This isn't something we can explain to just anyone."

Altair frowned, glancing at Pa, who nodded faintly as if to say go on. "What do you mean?"

Julia glanced at Cassius, who gave a small shrug as if granting permission. She turned back to Altair. "We need to know if you're… like us."

"Like you?"

"A demigod," Merrick said quietly, leaning against the kitchen table.

Altair blinked. "A what?"

Cassius let out a sigh, stepping forward. "Half-human, half-god. Demigod. Didn't they teach you this in school?"

Altair stared at him, dumbfounded. "God? You mean, like… The God?"

"No," Cassius said with exaggerated patience. "One of theothergods. The Greek ones. Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo…" He explained with a self satisfied grin, as if expecting a flash of recognition.

Altair's confusion only deepened. "The… Greek gods? You're saying they're real?"

Merrick nodded slowly. "Real. Alive. And very much still kicking."

This was impossible. Ludicrous. Yet, something in their eyes, in their serious demeanor, made him doubt himself.

Altair shook his head, a disbelieving laugh escaping his lips. "This is…impossible. Why would gods have children? Isn't that…" He trailed off, glancing at Pa, who looked just as bewildered as he felt. "I've never heard of anything like this."

"Let's back up," Merrick said. "That… thing you fought—it was a monster. Monsters can sniff out demigods. They're drawn to you."

Julia nodded. "That's why it came here. They don't attack at random."

Altair's head spun. "What are you trying to say, that I'm—" He stopped himself, his mind reeling.

"It doesn't mean it's you," Cassius interrupted. "Plenty of things attract monsters. A scent, a coincidence…maybe it was trackingus, and you just got caught in the crossfire."

Merrick looked at Altair. "Have you ever noticed anything…unusual? Strange things happening around you? Abilities you can't explain?"

Altair hesitated. "I…I don't know."

The response felt weak, even to his own ears. It was then that Pa stirred in his chair, the movement slow and deliberate, like a great tree finally yielding to the wind. His voice, usually gruff and jovial, was now soft. "He's always been different."

Altair turned to him, startled. "Pa?"

Pa sighed, rubbing his face. "I don't know about all this…god business. He paused, a long breath escaping him. But I found you, son. On a stormy night, crying in the middle of nowhere. You weren't like other babies. Stronger. Brighter." His voice cracked with emotion. "I always thought…maybe Heaven sent you to me. Never thought they'd come calling to take you back."

Altair's breath hitched. The air in the room felt suddenly thin. His world spun on its axis. He looked at his father, devastated. "You knew?" The question was barely a whisper, a fragile thing.

Pa nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. "Yes." He reached out, his hand hovering just above Altair's arm, then drawing back. "But you're my boy, Altair. Always."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Unnameable emotions danced within Altair's chest.

Cassius snorted, breaking the silence. "So he's an angel now?" He rolled his eyes.

Merrick shot him a warning glance. "Cassius."

Altair felt a flush of heat rise in his face. He wished they hadn't had this conversation in front of everyone. He forced his attention back to Merrick. "The monster… it said I smelled like fire and stardust. What does that mean?"

"Monster nonsense," Cassius interjected with a shrug. "They like to taunt people before they kill them. They're not known for their poetry."

Altair didn't feel comforted by that. "And if you're right about all this—about gods and monsters and whatever—what am I supposed to do now?"

Merrick looked at him, his expression grave. "There's a place we can take you. A safe place. Where you can live in peace."

"Safe?" Altair asked, his voice barely a whisper. "From what? Monsters? Gods?"

Cassius's blue eyes locked with Altair's. "Both. Look, if you stay here, more will come. It's that simple."

Pa sat forward, grimacing against the pain. "He's right, son. If they're after you, you need to go somewhere they can't follow."

Altair looked between them, torn. He couldn't just leave Pa. But…. Altair needed to know. He had to find out who he really was.