The Great Minotaur

A horn blows in the distance, startling me awake. All but throwing myself outside the tent, I find myself greeted by Chiron, Nessus, and Dionysus.

“Good morning, friends!” Chiron exclaims, “Have you prepared yourself?”

“I suppose.” I say, not thinking there is much to do. I turn back to the tent to see Solution throwing her bag over her shoulder. “Solution?”

“I’m ready when you are.” She says. I turn back to Chiron and nod. He turns his body to the side, and as we had yesterday Solution and I climb onto his back.

Dionysus jumps on Nessus’ back, who motions for two other centaurs to follow. Without hesitating, they take off, blurring through the forest. How they manage to avoid the underbrush I cannot tell.

I am enjoying the morning breeze in my face when suddenly a rainbow appears before me. It hovers before my face, keeping pace with the quickly moving Chiron.

In my head I hear words, “Hey, Aether, this is Zeus; it took us a lot of work and a ton of trouble. But we got you a present. It’s waiting for you on the ship.”

The rainbow vanishes, and I shake my head as a small spray of mist refreshes my face.

“What was that?” Solution asks, yelling in my ear.

“I believe it was a message from Zeus, sent through Iris.” I reply, yelling also.

“Iris?” Chiron yells. “I wasn’t aware that she was still delivering.”

“What did Zeus say?” Solution asks.

“He told me that there is something waiting for us on the ship. He said it was a present.”

“What sort of present could it be?” Solution asks.

“I am unsure,” I reply, “But I am certain that that is why they call it a present.”

“Whatever it is.” Chiron says, slowing down, “We’re about to find out.”

We burst out of the forest onto a large wooden dock. The ship is even larger than I had thought. Even Chiron has to crane his neck to see the deck. The vessel is ornately carved of a dark wood. The railings made of brightly polished bronze. The cloth sails are dark blue, with bronze tridents emblazoned on them.

The figurehead is the shape of a muscular man with the head of a bull. Most of it is the same dark wood, but for the head, which is capped with iron.

The centaurs accompany us to the edge of the dock, where a large wooden beam drops down from the ship. Looking up the board, I see Poseidon standing on its end, grinning at us with his hands on his hips.

“My friends!” He calls, “Welcome to the Minotaur.” He says. His voice is deep and makes me think of the way water crashes against the shore. His dreadlocks are the color of seaweed, and his skin is deeply tanned. Holstered on his back is his trident.

“Centaurs!” He exclaims happily, walking down the wooden beam. “Hold up…Chiron?”

We climb down from his back, and Poseidon smiles brightly, leaping forward to embrace the centaur.

“It’s been far too long, my friend!” Poseidon says.

“Yes, ages.” Chiron agrees, awkwardly patting Poseidon’s shoulder.

“Poseidon?” I say, “What exactly are you wearing?”

He turns away from Chiron, and looks down at his clothes, as if trying to tell what could be wrong with them. “It’s a pirate outfit from the 1700’s. Why, what’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing,” I say. He is wearing a white shirt and baggy pants colored black. Black boots are on his feet and covering him is a long dark blue coat.

“Can we…?” Dionysus says.

“Yes.” Poseidon answers, grabbing Solution and I by the hand and pulling us up to the deck.

We stumble onto it, trying to find our footing. When my legs steady, I look around in awe at the sight before me. This is a lovely vessel, with the deck made of a lighter wood than the outside. Three masts tower over the ship, with each sail identical but for their varying sizes. A cabin rises near the rear of the deck, and on either side of it is a staircase leading to a platform where the wheel atop an intricate pedestal stands. On the floor of the deck in the center of the ship is a large grate made of gleaming bronze, and on its end is a staircase leading below decks.

“Again I say welcome to the Minotaur.” Poseidon says, spreading his hands as we appreciate the ship.

“The Minotaur?” Dionysus repeats.

“Yeah, so named because it tears through water like the Minotaur charged his enemies.” He replies with pride.

“If you say so.”

“Now then, you all make yourselves comfortable. Dionysus, come with me so we can plot a course.” Poseidon says. He puts a black leather hat on his head as he turns.

“Hold on.” Solution says, and Poseidon turns back to us, “Are you the present that Zeus sent Aether?”

Poseidon smiles oddly, “No, but I’m flattered. The present is lying on the bow, passed out. You may want to run, Aether.”

Taking his advice albeit being unsure why, I run to the front of the ship and there, lying on the floor, a bow and quiver of arrows beside her, is Ana.

“Ana!” I exclaim, running to her side.

“Ana?” Solution repeats, “What is she doing here?”

“Ooh, little jealous are we?” Poseidon says.

“Why should I be?” Solution says.

“Oh,” Poseidon says, surprised, “Then I won’t tell you.”

Solution grabs Poseidon’s collar, “If you know something, tell me.”

“I don’t know, really!” Poseidon says, “Near as I can figure, Zeus thought she would be some kind of help to you guys. But he wouldn’t tell me why.”

“I know why.” Dionysus says. “But I won’t tell, even if you stab me in the eye again.”

“You stabbed him in the eye?” Poseidon asks Solution. She nods and Poseidon laughs loudly, “Oh sweet!” He raises his hand for a high five, but Solution does not oblige.

I turn my attention back to Ana. She is wearing the normal Resistance outfit, but the color scheme has gone from solid black to black and bright blue. She looks tired, as though she has been doing work that is too much for her. Nevertheless, I try to wake her.

“Ana. Wake up.” I order gently. She whimpers and opens her eyes. They glow white for a few seconds, startling me. I quickly get over it when the glow fades and her red eyes focus on me. I notice fresh blood dripping from a wound on her head, and worry fills me.

“Aether?” she says, “Am I dreaming again?”

“No, Ana.” I assure her, “This is real.”

She smiles, and then strokes my cheek.

“My white panther.” She says softly, “Where are we?”

“On the Minotaur.” I answer.

“Oh,” She says, and falls back down, fainting.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

Ana sits in the Great Hall, nibbling on an apple and watching the intense training happening before her. She watches as Maranda pulls out a hanbo and takes Luke’s legs out from under him. She smiles, taking another bite. Darren stands before Krista, who wields only a knife. He brings his hook swords down at her, but she rotates her body out of the way, bringing the knife to the nape of Darren’s neck. She kicks out his legs, and steps back as he ungracefully falls to the ground.

He gets to his feet, and smiles. Krista returns the smile with her eyes closed. Darren takes the opportunity and hooks Krista’s leg, taking her down. As she lies on the ground, Darren spots Ana, and his smile vanishes. He says something to Krista Ana cannot hear. She nods and goes over to someone else, attacking them without warning.

“Ana.” Darren says after walking over to her.

“Hi Darren.” She says.

“Last night looked fun.” He says.

“What happened last night?”

Darren laughs loudly, “We were both there. Even if you didn’t see me.”

“What happened?” She repeats.

Darren’s feigned smile vanishes, and he grabs the girl’s chin, forcing her to look at his scarred face. “You and Zayin are doing an excellent job of curing people.”

“What, are they sick?”

“Stop playing dumb, Ana.” Darren says, “Appearance to the contrary it doesn’t work for you.”

She pushes his hand away and, though her body argues, gets to her feet to face him. “We’re doing great work and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Darren smiles, “I know.” He raises the volume of his voice, “I’m just pissed to see someone actually getting good. How can I expect you to die if you’re getting so skilled?”

The others in the Great Hall stop their training and look over at the scene. Zayin is among them, Aether’s staff locked against Lucas’ mace. They drop their arms and Zayin sheaths his weapon.

“What’s going on?” Zayin asks, crossing his arms as he stands before Darren.

“Oh nothing.” Darren says. “But y’know, I have the same problem with you. In fact, I’m almost starting to regret making anyone train. I expect all of you to die anyway, so why take the chance that you’ll survive?”

Zayin grabs Darren’s collar, and gets in his face. “What are you doing?”

Darren winks at Zayin, who then looks startled. Without warning, Zayin doubles over Darren’s knee, which has been forced into his stomach.

Murmurings ripple throughout the group.

“Expects us to die?”

“This training was for nothing?”

“Please, Darren.” Ana begs,

“Please, Darren.” Darren repeats, mocking her. He turns back to the group. “It’s nothing, get back to training! Now!” They oblige out of fear, albeit slowly.

“Do you even want them to follow you?” Zayin asks.

“Mind your business.” Darren spits at him. He points back to the weapons stockpile, “Get back in the forge where you belong, you tool.”

Zayin bares his teeth, but Darren returns the gesture. The blacksmith backs down, and angrily turns his back to walk away.

“You’re even worse than usual today.” Ana says.

“Am I?” Darren says, “Fine.”

She stands up straighter, confidence filling her from somewhere unknown, “I’m sick of this.”

“If you want out, go.” He growls, “I won’t stop you. But I can promise that you won’t get very far. You’re exhausted, not to mention weak.” Ana backs down, lowering her gaze to the floor. Darren smiles. “Good. Now I’ve noticed a distinct lack of training from you today. We should rectify that.”

“Please, no more one on one!” Ana yells, she throws her apple at Darren, but he swats it aside.

“If you don’t want to fight me, I can set you up against Lucas.”

“No! He’s even more cruel than you are! Plus he can read my mind!”

“How did you think I knew about you and Aether?” Darren replies, pulling a hook sword from his back.

He all but throws a knife at her and uses his sword to push her into the proper stance. Tears well in her eyes, and Darren laughs upon seeing them. He swipes at her, and she slowly dodges. She tries to swipe at him, but he nimbly jumps out of the way and counters with a sweep to Ana’s left leg. She falls to the ground and Darren uses the hook to painfully pull her back up.

“Again.” He says. “We go until you can’t stand or you beat me. Whichever comes first.”

Anger replaces sadness in Ana’s head, and with a guttural roar she rushes toward Darren, knife in hand. She swipes at him but he moves out of the way, before he finishes moving Ana brings the knife around and catches him. She feels success before realizing his shirt protected him. She glares at him and he stands up straighter. Ana looks up at him, her momentum still carrying her forward. Darren smiles and brings the hilt of his sword down on her head, the dagger end of it shallowly stabbing into her head, knocking her unconscious. In only a few seconds Ana is beaten.

“Tch,” Darren says, “You’re so weak.”

As Ana falls deeper into unconsciousness, her usual dream of cuddling with Aether in front of a warm fireplace begins. This time, however, the flames are white, and Ganny is sitting with them, playing with a ball of yarn. Aether and Ana play with him for a while. The only place where Ana has strength to play is when she dreams about the cat. It doesn’t happen often, for Ganny is a usual kitten, coming and going as he pleases.

Without warning, Ganny hisses at something before running off, and disappears through a window that appears in the wall.

“What is that?” Ana asks.

“I am not sure.” Aether says, “But I do not think it is a problem.”

Outside the window, three shapes appear. They are vaguely human and glow faintly, like Aether did when he visited her before. Aether vanishes, along with the hearth and walls. Standing before her is a man with long hair the color of fire, a woman who looks to Ana a bit like Solution; and the third is a winged man in blue robes with a frowning mask over his face.

“Who are you?” Ana asks.

“Dearest Ana.” The woman says, “We have a message for you.”

The man stares at Ana as if in shock. He gets closer to her, and then laughs loudly. “Aether was right, you are adorable.”

Ana rears back and punches the man in the face. He falls to the ground, but begins laughing again, “Yeah, he told me about that too!”

“Who are you?” She repeats.

The man stands up, and dusts himself off. “Ana,” he says, all humor gone. “I am Apollo, your father.”

“Is he serious?” Ana asks the woman.

“Oh yes.” The woman answers.

“Why are you in my dream?”

“For business that should really be hurried.” The man in blue robes says, wincing as if in pain.

“He’s right.” Apollo says, “We’re sorry to rush this on you, but we can’t be here for long. Waiting for you in the weapons stockpile is a bow and quiver of arrows. They’ll be easy to spot. Just look for the best quality set.”

“Then what?”

“Then you prove yourself, if you pass, we’ll send you on.” Aphrodite says.

The mist in the room starts growing thicker, a clear sign that the dream is ending and Ana is awakening.

“Prove what?” Ana asks.

Aphrodite starts fading away, but answers “Prove that you are as strong as you have claimed to be.”

Ana awakes and sits up suddenly. Blood drips from her head into her face. But she wipes it away, ignoring the pain in her head. Darren is still standing above her, glaring. She feels a surge of energy go through her, and jumps to her feet, tackling Darren. He stumbles backward as Ana jumps away from him, turning on her heel and sprinting toward the weapon stockpile.

“The hell?” Darren exclaims.

Immediately she spots the bow and quiver Apollo told her to find. It is beautifully crafted, made from olive tree wood. The quiver is filled with arrows.

“Ana!” She whirls around and sees Darren, now flanked by Lucas, Sammy, and Krista. He spreads his arms, “What the hell?”

Acting on instinct, Ana notches an arrow and fires it at Darren’s arm. He screams in pain, holding the arrow, her next shot hits his leg, and he goes down. The other three cluster around Darren, but he shakes them off. As he looks back at Ana, his green eyes again turn black.

“This is what you’ve chosen?” He says, “Lashing out with insanity?”

Ana does not answer, instead revolving on her heel and sprinting away.

“Are you okay, Darren?” Sammy asks. “What do we do?”

Darren stands and rips out the arrows, growling. He looks down at Sammy and smiles. “Isn’t it obvious?” His smile drops. “We kill the traitor.”

The three look at each other, unsure. “Darren.” Lucas says.

He gestures to the arrows, the blood now pooling on the ground. “She’s obviously lost it, what else do we do?”

“I know.” Sammy says, “But still.”

“Sammy!” Darren yells, the blackness in his eyes spreads out, and when they do Sammy’s become black as well. “The girl shot me!”

“He’s right.” Krista says, she turns to the direction Ana had run. “Get her.”

They take off after the girl, running like a pack of wild dogs. Meanwhile Darren stands and rips the arrows out of him, watching in awe as his black blood seeps back into the wounds, healing them. He holds his hand up and commands the light in his palm, creating a ball of energy black as his own eyes. He smiles, knowing that this power is his own. He starts after the group, in no hurry.

Ana has lived in the Fox-Hole her entire life, and has never stepped outside of it. Now she realizes that she is going to have to say goodbye to her home. Still running, she maps out the Fox-Hole in her head, trying to remember where the exit is.

She can only think of the garage to exit from. She turns left suddenly, wondering where she is getting the energy to run from. After going through the entryway to the cave network, she finds herself lost in the darkness. As the door closes behind her, she stumbles forward, trying to hurry as much as she can. Finally she sees a light at the end of the tunnels, and bursts through it to see the small fleet of vehicles.

She ponders taking one of them, but she does not know how to drive. Even if she did, Darren is in possession of all of the keys. The others are not around yet, she considers slashing the tires, but then thinks better of it.

Surrounding Ana is a large cave where each wall is nearly identical. She goes to the wall the vehicles are facing, trying to find the way to open it. She hears the others coming upon her. Just as Sammy enters the cave, Ana finds the switch to open the gate. Unfortunately, it is painfully slow to oblige. With no other choice available, Ana notches an arrow and sends it straight into Sammy’s leg. The small boy falls, screaming as blood oozes out of him. By the time the others catch up, Ana is outside the Fox-Hole and running through the trees.

Ana has never seen the outside world in all her fourteen years. She does not focus on it until she is far away from the Fox-Hole. She continues to run until a lake appears out of nowhere. Stopping at its edge, she slumps to the ground and looks around at the dead world around her. Trees of white wood surround her, leafless and with thin branches that remind Ana of skeletal hands reaching up to grab at her.

Ana wonders why they are fighting for this ugly world. She was told it had been beautiful once, but that beauty has been effectively decimated. She looks up into the sky and can only see utter blackness. Her hands dip into the water so she can drink, but before she can she hears a screeching noise behind her.

Reflected by the water, Ana sees the same black creature that had attacked Aether in her dream. She turns around and screams at the sight of it. A horrible thing, it looks much larger than the one she had seen before. She pulls out her bow and notches an arrow.

The creature just stands there staring at her. She lets the arrow fly, and it sails straight into the mouth of the beast. Ana has a small moment of pride, but it vanishes when she sees that the arrow flew straight through the condensed vapor that makes up the monster’s body.

“I’m dead.” Ana says, her voice small.

The creature rears suddenly, and Ana sees a metal hook pierced into its back. Holding the weapon is Darren. He pulls the blade through the creature, who screams out in pain. Darren does the same with his other sword, pulling it through the beast’s throat. Its head is severed, and it dissolves. As it vanishes, it turns into smoke that goes immediately into Darren’s mouth. For a moment his skin turns jet black, the same color as the creature. His teeth grow pointed and black vapor dances around his shaggy blonde hair. Horns pierce through the top of his head, and his fingernails grow into jagged claws.

The darkness vanishes and Darren glares at Ana. She notches another arrow and aims it straight for his face.

“Don’t think I won’t fire.” She says. She tries to sound brave, but Darren can easily see through the feeble attempt.

“I know you’ll fire.” He responds, “But don’t.”

He makes a movement to put away his swords, but Ana mistakes it and sends the arrow flying for his stomach. It hits its mark, and Darren looks down in shock.

“I was going to spare your life, but now I’ll have to take it.” Darren growls. He removes the arrow from him, and the wound immediately heals as he does. He grips his swords, and pounces at Ana. When her sense returns, Darren is on top of her with the metal hooks around her throat.

“What happened to revenge tasting sweeter if it waited for later?” Ana says, barely able to breathe from fear.

“It would have,” Darren replies, “But now you’ve officially made it between us.”

Darren prepares himself for removing her head, when suddenly the ground starts shaking violently. An earthen hand emerges from the ground around Ana, and latches onto Darren’s throat. The hand rises higher, and with it comes a woman. It is impossible to tell if she is made of rock, or covered in it.

The woman throws Darren, and he goes flying away. She turns back to Ana, and the rock melts into skin, revealing a beautiful face full of the care only a mother can show. She kneels in front of Ana, and offers her hand.

Ana takes it, unsure of whom to trust. “Who are you?”

The woman smiles gently before revealing a voice full of the same care her face shows, “I have been called by many names. You may call me Gaia.”

“What are you doing here?” Ana asks.

Gaia’s smile fades. “I do not care for what Erebus is planning to do to me. So I will do all that is in my power to stop it. That means helping Aether, and therefore, you.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Sweet child,” Gaia says, body turning back to rock, “We are going on a trip.”

Gaia sinks into the ground, and Ana realizes that she is being pulled along as well.

When Ana comes to, she is laying on the bow of a ship, and a pirate looking man with green dreadlocks is grinning at her. Standing next to him is Aphrodite.

“What’s going on?” Ana asks.

“We brought you here so that you can help Aether.” Aphrodite says.

“We aren’t sure why, but Zeus says that Aether’s gonna need you on this quest he’s on.” The pirate says.

“Oh, okay.” Ana says. All that has just transpired washes over Ana, it is more than she can handle, and she falls to the ground.

“Ooh.” Aphrodite says, “What a wonderful position for Aether to find you in. Damsel in distress. A bit cliché, but still one of my faves!”

Ana does not understand what is going on. But she is too tired to care. The last thing she sees before her eyes close is her bow and quiver. They do not register, however, before Ana’s eyes close and she falls asleep.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“I just don’t understand why the gods would go through the trouble of bringing that girl her.” Solution says.

The six of us sit around a table in the captain’s quarters. Dionysus is drinking from his goblet, looking bored. He has his feet propped up on the table, as does Poseidon. Solution sits across from me, between the two gods, holding a glass of water. Chiron and Nessus are standing, with me sitting between them, feeling small.

“None of us do, Solution.” Poseidon says. “But Zeus is our king, so we try not to question his decisions.”

“After all this time,” Dionysus says, “Zeus usually knows what he’s doing.”

“Usually.” Poseidon says.

“Why is it you are here, Poseidon?” I ask, “Not to sound ungrateful, but I do not understand.”

“It’s a simple matter, really.” Poseidon replies, “A simple and probably childish matter.”

“That is?” Solution asks.

“It’s my ship.” Poseidon answers.

“You’re right,” Solution says, “that is childish.”

“Well, do you know how to sail a ship this size? Or any ship, for that matter?” Poseidon challenges. “Do any of you?”

“Fair point.” I say, “Glad to have you with us. I am not sure we could have made it otherwise.”

“That’s what I just said.” Poseidon replies.

“Can we get back to the topic at hand?” Solution says.

“Sorry, Solution.” I say, “What is the topic at hand, exactly?”

“What is Ana doing here?” Solution answers, as if it is obvious.

“Why does it bother you so much?” Dionysus says.

“Because…” Solution begins; she looks down into her glass, “Personal reasons, none of your business.” As if to accentuate her point, Solution pulls out a dagger and points it at each of us; challenging us to question her further.

“Anyway…” Dionysus says. “I think we should talk about what we’re gonna do when we get to Methana.”

“Methana?” Poseidon repeats. “What are we going to Methana for?”

“That’s where Aether and I hid his statue.” Dionysus says.

Poseidon looks at me, probably for confirmation, but I can only shrug.

“Why Methana?” Chiron asks.

“I dunno.” Dionysus says, “Aether didn’t tell me. I like to think he just chose a volcano at random. Maybe threw a dart at a map with his eyes closed.”

“I’ve studied Greek maps,” Solution says, “There really isn’t anything special about Methana. Come to think of it, that could be it. It wouldn’t be smart to hide it at a famous or special place.”

“I prefer the random map idea.” Dionysus says.

“I remind you that the only reason you have joined us is because I do not remember hiding the statue.” I say to Dionysus.

“Great.” Dionysus says, “I’m so touched.”

“You do not like me either, Dionysus.” I remind him; he shrugs in response.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I hear Ana say. Her voice sounds small and unbelievably cute. We all turn and see her standing in the doorway, rubbing her eye, evidently having just awoken.

“Good morning Ana.” I say. “Did you sleep well?”

Ana looks down at the ground, and a look of pain crosses her face, tears well up in her eyes and she starts to cry.

“What did you do?” Poseidon asks.

“Nothing!” I respond defensively.

Ana leaps forward and buries her face in my chest, still crying. I hold her closely and stroke her hair, almost instinctively. I can literally feel Solution getting angrier.

This is a rather awkward moment, and the tension in the room can be felt.

“Well,” Poseidon says, “I gotta get this ship moving toward Methana. So bye!” He all but runs out of the room.

Chiron and Nessus leave wordlessly, and then Dionysus stands as well, “Yeah, and I uh…I...f**k it, I just don’t wanna be in here right now.” He too, runs out of the room, leaving me holding Ana, and Solution staring at us.

Solution jumps up to her feet and says, “Alright, I’m gonna go stab Dionysus again,” and storms out of the room.

After a short while, Ana stops crying, and looks up at me with her big red eyes. She starts to blush and moves back.

“I’m sorry.” She says, sitting in another chair.

“It is alright.” I say. “I have to wonder, how did you get here?”

Ana’s eyes cloud over, and she shakes her head, “Can we talk about that part later? I don’t know what happened, really.”

“I understand; you do not have to tell me yet. What happened after I visited your dream?” I ask instead.

“Darren was really mean.” She responds, “He made everybody train until they couldn’t move anymore, every day. After he found out I wasn’t with him anymore, he kept me from group training, instead sparring one on one with me.”

At that moment I feel a shudder beneath me. The entire ship starts to move, rocking back and forth as it goes forward. “That sounds a lot kinder than I would have thought.” I say.

Ana shakes her head, “No, it was worse. He made me go until I couldn’t breathe. He told me he was gonna get me killed to get back at you.”

“At me?” I repeat.

“Yeah, he said that…” Ana’s eyes widen and she blushes, “he said that because you loved me, getting me killed would hurt you.”

“Oh.” Is all I say.

“Oh.” Ana repeats softly, “Anyway, he said we were gonna storm the Dark God’s castle. I was gonna lead the charge empty-handed, so I would be the first to die. And then, Darren was gonna find a way to send you my dead body.”

“That is...” Words fail me. “The rest of the Resistance?”

“Most of them were just as bad as Darren. No, worse since they don’t think for themselves. Except for Zayin.”

“Zayin?” I repeat.

She shakes her head, “Later. Anyway they follow all of Darren’s orders like dogs. They tried to…to kill me. They came after me, snarling and ready to rip me apart. I got outside the Fox-Hole, and then I was attacked by one of those monsters that attacked us in my dream.”

“Ana, you do not have to tell me all of it right now.” I tell her. “You said that you did not want to.”

“No, I want to now; it’ll make it easier to deal with if I get it all out now.” She says.

“If you think that you should.”

“Okay, anyway, the monster was about to kill me, I knew it was. Then out of nowhere, Darren came up from behind and killed it. I was happy at first, but then Darren sucked in smoke from the monster’s dead body and started to look like it a little.”

“How did he look like it?” I ask.

“His skin turned black, his eyes were glowing. Only not really glowing, like they were sucking in light. Also, his hair turned into black smoke.” Ana shudders from the memory of it.

“What happened next?”

“He turned back to normal, then said he wanted to kill me. He had his swords around my throat, and then this lady came up from the ground and threw him away.”

“A woman came up…from the ground?” I repeat.

“Yeah, she just came up, grabbed Darren, and chucked him. Then she told me her name was Gaia and pulled me into the ground. When I got up, I was looking at you.”

“She said that her name was Gaia?” I ask. Ana nods.

“She was made of rock, at least, I think she was, I couldn’t really tell.”

“Give me a moment.” I say, standing.

“Where are you going?” Ana asks.

“I want to ask the others about Gaia.” I tell her.

“No, please stay!” She cries.

I look back at her for a moment, into the pleading gaze from her soft eyes. It has been days since I have seen her adorable face, and now I am just going to leave her? What am I thinking? I return to my seat and sit back into it, relaxing my muscles.

I open my eyes and look at Ana. She is watching me, smiling slightly. “What is it?” I ask, returning the smile.

“Nothing.” She says, her smile widening. She leaps forward suddenly, embracing me again, though joyfully now. I nearly fall off my chair, but manage to hold myself in place. She buries her face in my chest, seemingly ignoring the armor. “I missed you.”

I raise my hand up and lay it on her head. I lower my own head and rest it on her’s. “I missed you as well.”

 

ɂɂɂ

 

Darren picks himself up, painfully. “What the hell was that?”

He looks at his hands and watches as the veins become black before returning to normal. He clenches and unclenches them, and feels his own power within him grow. He can feel a true smile spread throughout the scarred one. He gets to his feet and walks at a brisk pace back to the Fox-Hole. When he enters he sees Sammy lying on the ground, clutching his knee. Lucas and Krista sit at his side, dressing the wound.

“How is he?” Darren asks.

“I think he’ll be okay.” Krista answers.

“Keep me updated.” Darren responds, he kneels as he passes Sammy and briefly lays a hand on the boy’s head.

He continues his path through the Fox-Hole, absorbing the shadows as he passes them. When he enters the Great Hall, he is stopped by Zayin, who stands before him with his arms crossed.

“Where is Ana?” The blacksmith demands.

Darren smiles, “She’s gone.”

Zayin steps forwards and grabs Darren’s collar with both hands, gripping him tightly. “What did you do?”

Darren’s real smile does not even flicker, “I didn’t do a thing. She’s just…gone. Live with that.”

Zayin reaches back and throws his fist across Darren’s face. As Darren feigns going down he brings out his sword and uses it to trip Zayin while simultaneously pulling himself back up. With Zayin on the floor, Darren stands above him, his sword at the man’s throat.

“I know all about what’s going on with you.” He says. “Drinking my father’s blood, curing the people. I wonder…” He dangles the blade over Zayin’s body, “What would be the worst piece to remove from you?”

Zayin pulls a knife from his belt and plunges it into Darren’s leg.

He pauses for a moment, unsure what has happened. He looks down and when he sees the wound, spots dance before his eyes. Only then does the pain hit him, and when it does an enraged scream bellows its way from his very center, rolling across the Fox-Hole, going unheard by no one. Rage contorts his features into that of a ferocious animal. Black energy surges to life around him, and as before his fingernails elongate and harden, turning black. Multiple spikes grow in his hair, dominated by two curved horns on the top of his head. More spikes grow on his forearms, and still more tear through the armor on his back. He reaches down and slams his hand into the ground beside Zayin’s head, cracking the cement-like dirt.

His eyes become black and his teeth sharpen. The power spreads out into the intricate lines that yet again decorate his face over the scars. His blonde hair becomes black, and his voice comes out as a guttural growl. “You will pay for that.”

Someone screams when they see the demon growling over Zayin. She rushes forward and with a club nocks him off of the defenseless blacksmith. He lies on the ground, clutching his stomach. The light-haired girl drives the cudgel into his back, cracking one of the spikes and making Darren cry out. As she swings again he throws his hand out to stop it, and catches the weapon. He crushes it as he gets to his feet, glaring at his attacker.

He does not remember her name, but it matters not as far as he is concerned. For a moment all turns red, and when it clears the girl’s body lies on the ground before him, and his left hand is covered in blood. Her neck is invisible under all the crimson wetness pooling on the ground around her. Rage still consumes Darren, and claws first he tears into the girl’s chest, breaking through her ribcage with hardly an effort. He continues lambasting the girl with his dagger-like claws, turning her torso into a pile of bloody ribbons. He rears his head back after finishing his work and roars the cry of a maddened beast having conquered its prey.

Pain erupts in his side, and he looks down to see a knife embedded just under his arm. He turns his head and finds the outstretched arm of Jack, whose face is consumed by fear. He looks down at himself, his clothes bathed by the dark crimson as a result of his terrible deed. He then looks around, seeing nothing but faces filled with fear and anger. Darkness clouds his vision as he melts into the shadows, as his father does. The cold and dark wash over him, and when his senses return he finds himself surrounded by skeletal trees. His body has returned to normal, but the innocent girl’s blood still drips from his hands and clothes. He brings the hands to his head, cradling it. He falls to the ground, and cries bitter tears.

“I just…killed an innocent girl.” He whispers through his sobbing. “Her name was Naomi.”

 

ɂɂɂ

 

A long while passes with no words spoken by neither Ana nor myself. I stroke her head, and then hear her mumble something unintelligible. Has…has she fallen asleep again? I move her head slightly and see her eyes closed. She is asleep!

I pick her up and gently lay her on the bed in the corner of the room. As I exit the chamber I look all around and see the shore far to the distance as the ship moves through the grey water. Looking above me, the black clouds look thicker than I have ever seen them, making the judgment of time all but impossible. I rotate on my heel to see Poseidon at the wheel of the ship. Dionysus is lying on a couch next to him, eating grapes. Looking to the bow of the ship, I see Solution, staring ahead.

“Hey, Aether!” Poseidon calls.

I go up the stairs and stand beside the god.

“How’d it go?” Dionysus asks me.

“Ana told me what happened to her.”

“And?” Poseidon asks.

“It was terrible; she has been through a lot.”

“Poor girl.” Poseidon says. “Speaking of poor girls, you might want to talk to Solution.”

“Why?” I ask.

Dionysus sighs, and Poseidon takes his hands off the wheel and puts them on his hips, “Ana jumped on you and you held her close. Last night, you told Solution that she’s really important to you.”

“How do you know about that?” I ask.

“Don’t worry about it.” Poseidon says, waving the question aside, “Point is, Solution’s a bit hurt. She’s a tough one, so the hurt is really bad if guys like Dionysus and myself can read it on her face plain as day.”

“Point taken,” I say, and I hang my head, slumping down to the floor. “I do not know what to do. This is hurting me as much as it is them, I am sure of that much.”

“Look, in my experience, it doesn’t matter what the girls are like. If you choose one, you hurt the other. You can try to be with both, but that isn’t gonna create a pleasant situation for any of you. Believe me; I know what I’m talking about.”

“I appreciate the empathy, but it does not really help my current predicament.”

“Sorry, buddy.” Poseidon replies, “But I haven’t really had to worry about the future much. If I was with a mortal girl, my wife got pissed, sure, but the girl was just gonna die eventually anyway. My wife gets me for eternity.”

“You have a wife?” I ask, getting to my feet.

“Yes, Amphitrite. Daughter of Nereus, former ruler of the sea.”

“I thought she was the daughter of Oceanus?” Dionysus says.

“Was she?” Poseidon asks, looking to the sky, “Whatever, anyway, she was a gift to me from her father. I guess it was to show that there were no hard feelings for taking over his realm of power.”

“I wish all the titans were defeated with as much grace as the sea ones.” Dionysus mutters, swirling his glass.

“You weren’t there for the Titanomachy, Dionysus.” Poseidon says. “Back to the main point though. Solution’s hurting, so go talk to her.”

“I understand that,” I say, “But I cannot talk to her without hurting Ana. I do not want to hurt either of them.”

Poseidon puts one hand on my shoulder. “Life’s a b***h.” He says, then pats me and goes back to manning the wheel.

“Thank you Poseidon.” I say, “That really…helps.”

“Do you want my advice?” Dionysus asks.

“No,” I tell him, “Where are Chiron and Nessus?”

“Below decks, studying a map and plotting the best course to Methana.”

“Do you really need them to do that?” I ask.

“No,” he answers, “But they were uncomfortable up here and they wanted something to do, so yeah.”

“Alright.” I say.

“Would you quit your stalling and go talk to her?” Dionysus says, “I’m getting really sick of looking at you.”

“Okay,” I say. I look again at Solution, staring at the grey sea before her. My feet carry me towards her, but slowly. How long is this thing? It feels like it takes an hour before I am standing behind Solution.

“Hey,” I greet her, “Can you tell me about Gaia?”

Solution does not speak for a few moments. Finally, without turning around, she says, “Gaia is the Earth. Why?”

“Ana told me that it was Gaia who brought her here on behalf of Zeus.”

“Why would Zeus want her brought here?” Solution asks, still facing away from me.

“I am not sure.” I lie.

“What does Ana mean to you?” She asks suddenly.

“I do not understand what you mean.” I lie again.

“Back in the Fox-Hole, it was made very obvious that you liked me.”

“It was what?” I all but shriek.

She does not answer and still faces away, instead looking down. Though I cannot see her, I know that she has closed her eyes. I can very nearly sense the tears forming in them.

“Then I saw you kneel before Ana and twirl her round and round with the biggest smile on your face.”

“That was…” I try to begin.

“I heard the gods whisper about Ana on Olympus, as if she were really important. And now she’s here, somehow a present to you from Zeus. With everything I’ve heard…you love her, don’t you?”

“How could you think that?” I ask. She is not entirely wrong, but…how could she have jumped to that conclusion so quickly? What do I do?

“I could see it in your face.” Solution replies, “When you held her, the look in your eyes…sheer affection. Not the way you look at a mere friend. She was holding onto you with the same look on her face. Even if she was crying, I could still see it. And her crying and clinging to you for comfort is all the more proof.”

I am caught, what do I do? “Solution. I...I.” what do I say? What can I say to make this better, if anything?

“You said I was really important to you.” Solution continues. “You’ve been really kind to me since we met. What is it you’re trying to do?” I can hear the sadness in her voice, the bitter despair. Since when does she show despair...why does she care? Does she…?

“Solution.” I say, “You have become dearer to me than anything. I hold the very thought of you as close to my heart as I can without making it burst.”

Solution whirls around suddenly and pushes her lips to mine. Her arms come around my shoulders and I feel only surprise. As I realize what is happening, I tilt my head, closing my eyes as well. I hold Solution closer, and I feel a raging inferno blazing away within my chest.

Solution pulls away, slowly. She still seems to be crying, but I can feel she is also fluttering. “You mean a lot to me, too.” She says.

Solution begins walking and I watch as she goes below decks. I stay where I stand, unsure of anything. I turn and lean on the railing, enjoying the sea breeze on my face. I put my fingers to my lips, and can feel the tingling sensation left behind from Solution’s soft lips.

Author's Note

As always, I'd appreciate a review telling me what you think.