[fanfiction/multi-chapters]: Myth - Chapter 8
Title: Myth - Chapter 8
Beta-reader: astrangerenters
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 (for violence, blood and explicit sex scene in future chapters)
Pairing: Sakumoto (main), Masatoshi,
Genre: AU, action, humor
Summary: The boys reached Thebes at least but when Sho's missing, Jun's strange behavior appears! (very bad summary ^^")
DISCLAMER: I own nothing. And the plot comes from Rick Riordan, a damn good writer!
***
Chapter 8
Once we heard the Fates’ voices we knew Jun was safe. The day had been hard and we’re all tired from the fight with Ladon. Fortunately Tweety (Masaki gives that name to the griffin, how original!) leads us to Artemis’s sanctuary; here we’ll be safe for the night, and Ariadne is more than happy because we save time. I watch over Jun the whole night. My friends fall asleep quickly because of the hard day and probably because of the fight itself. I’m tired too, but I can’t close my eyes easily as Jun’s sleeping peacefully in front of me. Since we arrived in the sanctuary, I’ve been thinking. I’m glad we saved Jun in time. I don’t want to even imagine how I would act if Jun was dead. His serene face, his warmth, his steady breath and his heart beating in his chest; this is all I need to be happy. As I stare at his beautiful face, a strange idea pops up in my brain, or rather an indelicate idea. Unconsciously and totally against my will, I bend over Jun and bring my lips to his. Just when our lips are about to touch, a loud and single thunderclap resonates in the sky, lightening the dark temple and sending me a frightening warning. I don’t know if it’s from the thunderclap or my stupid action, but I can hear my heart beating hard; I think it’s because I’m tired, and I should focus on watching over Jun instead and nothing else.
Naturally in the middle of the night I fall asleep (I’m pretty sure Satoshi is behind that, by the way) and my mind goes blank when I notice Jun’s missing the next morning. My other friends are still sleeping as I run towards the sanctuary’s entrance. I come to a sudden stop as a wonderful view stands in front of me: Jun is sitting on the stairs; his body is shrouded in the sunlight as the sun rises slowly. I let escape out a breath I don’t know I am holding and walk soundlessly towards Jun. As he shows me his back, I hug him from behind and inhale his hair’s nice scent. For once Jun doesn’t push me away or even jolt.
“It is good to see you alive,” I whisper after a while.
Jun rests his cheek against one of my arms that surrounds his neck. “I’ll consider this as a friend’s hug.”
We remain silent a few minutes; just enjoying this moment is enough for me. I have Jun in my arms, completely cured and more importantly alive.
“As long as you don’t hate me, you can do as you wish, Jun.” I need to say it. His last words hurt me last time. I can live with the idea that he doesn’t love me but not being hated.
“As I wish, huh?” He sighs and stands up leaving my embrace. I simply look at him when he faces me with a sad smile. “Friends can’t hate each other, right? By the way, thanks for saving me.”
So we’ll just be friends… I avoid his eyes by looking aside and forcing a smile. “You’re welcome.”
**
We arrive in Thebes by the end of the morning. The city is crowded, and it feels odd to see so many people from Ancient Greece walking by our side. For a strange reason that I can’t understand, people give us a weird look as we pass by. And the same thing occurs when we sit around a table in a little inn.
“People here don’t see guys with your faces often. Don’t mind it,” says Ariadne as she sits between Satoshi and Jun.
It’s true that we don't look Greek, but they don’t have to look at us as if we were monsters; though there are women who wave at us in a more than friendly manner, to Kazunari’s delight.
“Stay focused, you idiot! We’re not here for that frivolous sort of thing,” Ariadne orders angrily when Kazu winks at some waitresses.
“Who are you? My mom?”
Maybe Ariadne thinks that she’s really our mother because as we eat she details all the things we’ll do from now.
“First of all we need to buy weapons for Jun, Satoshi and the perverted boy,” she says without even looking at Kazunari, who protests with his mouth full. “You can’t fight Echidna the way you are right now, right? Then we will find a boat and reach Crete and-“
“Crete? Isn’t that the island where you live?” I ask suddenly, and it seems that Ariadne doesn’t like my interruption.
“Yes and then? People say that Echidna is in Crete right now; it’s just a coincidence!” she replies defensively. I don’t know why she’s angry at me; maybe princesses don’t like to be interrupted…
“So as I said before Mister-I-Know-Everything cut me short, we’ll reach Crete and then you’ll kill Echidna so I can have my reward from the Gods.”
A very short summary for a big task; obviously she’s not the one who has to kill that monster.
“Err excuse me but about Echidna…I’ve read she’s living in a cave in Arima,” I have to tell her. Maybe she’s wrong; after all, in Ancient Greece rumors and legends are common.
“She’s not! Are you calling me a liar?!”
“Calm down, princess! You’re not in your kingdom!” Kazu comes to save me. It’s not that I am scared of Ariadne, but she’s reacting strangely.
We all fall silent until the end of our meal, though I don’t eat a lot because of the way she is staring at me. I think I will not contradict her for a while.
Then Ariadne leads us into a tiny weapons shop as she planned. After a few minutes she excuses herself and tells us to wait for her at the inn. Masaki and I already have our weapons, and I doubt that we’ll find a weapon more powerful than the ones the Gods gave us. But Ariadne is right: for their safety Jun, Satoshi, and Kazu need weapons too. While the guys are choosing their weapons, Masaki and I decide to wander a bit outside. We sit against a wall opposite to the shop and just stare at the passersby silently.
After a while a strange couple consisting of a man and a young woman stops in front of us; the man seems a bit annoyed. “You’re sooo not funny,” he pouts.
“I’m wise, that’s all!” replies the girl.
“Astea!” The guy stomps his foot on the pavement like a little kid. “I’m not stupid. This is totally safe, I’ve even showed my invention to my dad!”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have faith in you or your father. Forget it already Icarus, this is ridiculous.”
“Icarus?!” Masaki stands on his feet as soon as he hears the name of the guy and shakes his hand vigorously with a glint in his eyes. “Oh my Gods, I can’t believe it! I admire you so much!”
The boy named Icarus looks at Masaki a bit surprised, I would react the same way if a tall guy like Masaki who I didn't know came up to shake my hand and shout that he likes me. Masaki is not an idiot, but I have to admit that I’m astonished to see that he knows who Icarus is; most of the time Masaki is more interested in creatures than people.
“So? You did it already?” he asks impatiently.
“W-what?” Icarus looks at the girl named Astea, but she only shrugs.
“Well, flying of course!”
Now I understand why Masaki seems to know him. It’s true that my friend has always dreamt he could fly in the sky like a bird. No wonder he knows about Icarus; the boy who flew in the sky with wax wings. I wonder if Masaki also knows that Icarus died because he flew too close to the sun.
“N-not yet. H-how do you know?”
“Great! Maybe I can try with you! Oh please! Pretty please!”
“You’re so not doing it, Masaki,” says Satoshi coming out from the shop with a shield on his back and a sword.
“But why?!” Masaki pouts and pulls on Satoshi’s tunic.
“Because I want you beside me, on the ground,” Satoshi replies with a soft smile while he pats Masaki’s cheek. Intent to close the topic, Satoshi pushes Masaki in the direction opposite Icarus and Astea. I notice that Jun and Kazunari also come out from the shop and follow my two other friends.
“Avoid the sun,” I whisper to Icarus as I pass by his side before joining my friends.
“Why do they all say that?!” I hear Icarus sigh.
The guys show us their new weapons as we walk in the streets. Satoshi has chosen a shield and a light sword. Kazu opted for a broadsword and a small dagger he hides under his tunic. Finally, Jun bought a long and sharp spear.
We’re on our way to return to the inn when I suddenly hear someone’s loud voice at the corner of the street.
“There’s no happiness without freedom, nor freedom without courage!” Huge shouts come after that.
When I turn at the corner of the street, I can see in the middle of what seems like the main place a man standing on a platform and speaking loudly to the crowd. The man seems old; he has a long beard and white hair. I come nearer and listen to him. This man is a prodigious orator. Everyone is quiet as he talks, and no one seems to disagree with what he says. I listen to his vision of democracy. For him democracy means freedom, equality and fraternity; no wonder why Greece was the cradle of democracy. During his talk I hear that the old man standing in front of me is none other than Pericles. The well-known Pericles. I now know why I’m so enthralled. As I listen to him, I see something on the right not so far away from where I am: Ariadne is talking with a young boy. Judging by his clothes he’s nothing more than a street boy, but he seems to listen to Ariadne’s words attentively, nodding from time to time. Ariadne then watches from left to right as she’s checking around them. I step back a bit and hide behind one of the listeners around me. Then she pulls out from her tunic a small purse and gives it to the young boy. She says something once again before the boy nods and runs away. She turns her head and it seems like she notices me (her two piercing pupils are fixed on me), but before I can move I feel someone pulling me, and one very angry Jun is now staring at me.
“What the hell are you doing here? Alone!” he yells at me.
“I-“
“Do you know how worried we were when we noticed you weren’t with us?! Don’t ever do that again, Sho!” I don’t have the time to open my mouth when Jun suddenly bites his bottom lip and hugs me strongly. “I beg you, Sho. Don’t go around alone,” he whispers. I can feel his heart beating fast against my chest.
What’s wrong with him? First he asks me to leave him alone and that he hates me, then he’s nearly crying as he asks me to not go by myself. I really can’t understand him at all and my power isn’t of any help when it’s about Jun; as if a strong mist envelops my mind when I try to understand him.
“See? I told you he wasn’t far,” I hear Kazu’s annoyed voice and notice that Satoshi and Masaki are there too. Jun breaks the hug and takes a deep breath. He seems more worried than angry in the end.
As they chat together, I try to look for Ariadne once again, but she’s already left. That girl is acting strangely; she’s always on her guard and I think she doesn’t like me. Just like Jun, when I try to understand her, it seems like there’s something that prevents me from knowing what she thinks.
We return to the inn where Ariadne is waiting for us. She orders some food and a few wineskins of water as she explains that a long way awaits us before we reach Crete. After that we exit Thebes quickly and dive into the forest. The weather is nice, and we enjoy the walk as the trees protect us from the warm sun and a soft wind blows at our faces. It would be really great if only Ariadne and Kazunari weren’t arguing all the time. Since we left Thebes, those two have been arguing about everything and nothing. When one says black, the other automatically replies white.
“They act like an old couple,” I whisper to Masaki, who giggles and agrees with me.
Jun hits the top of my head and smirks. “I am Aphrodite’s son, don’t steal my job.” Does he mean that Kazu and Ariadne…? I look at them carefully; there’s no way those two could fall for each other. They both have a bratty temper, and besides, Ariadne is already in love with Theseus. I could be wrong, but the princess isn’t Kazunari’s type at all.
As we walk deeper in the forest, a strange laugh resonates around us suddenly. We all take our weapons and form a circle around Ariadne as we check on our surroundings. No one seems to be there but the laugh resonates again, this time louder as if the unseen creature comes closer.
“Maybe…it’s just a nymph?” tries Masaki, but he knows just like us that if indeed it is a nymph the laugh wouldn’t be so ugly and creepy.
Everything becomes quiet but seconds later Ariadne yells and when we lift our heads, we can see the princess being held in the air. A huge bird-like creature is taking her away.
“Is it a Stymphalian bird?” asks Satoshi.
Kazunari makes his shoes appear and flies quickly in the direction of the creature. “This is worse! It’s a harpy!” he says, and we don’t need him to say more to follow him.
This is strange though; while harpies have bad reputations, they aren’t as evil as the books say. They’re just the ones who punish mortals and only when the orders come from the Gods themselves. Until now I don’t think we did something that would make the Gods angry at us. Or maybe is it one of the consequences the Fates talked about? Then why is it Ariadne who’s in danger and not me? But Kazu’s right: the body of a bird and the face of an ugly woman; this is indeed a harpy. Her laugh resonates once again as she flies higher in the sky and with Ariadne struggling to escape her claws. Masaki stops running and aims with his bow. The swift arrows land right in the middle of the creature’s wing and a piercing and unbearable painful cry replaces the laughter. The harpy lets go of Ariadne, who screams in her fall. Fortunately Ariadne’s fall is stopped by the trees under her and we run, following her voice. When we reach her she’s on the ground, crying and gripping her ankle. We hear the harpy calling as it flies away. What was that for?
“Are you alright?” I ask as I kneel by Ariadne’s side and wipe some blood from her cheek; she must have cut her cheek on a branch during her fall.
She lifts her face and looks at me with teary eyes. “It hurts.” I hold her foot and try to make it move a bit; she whines but at least it seems that it’s not broken, just a bit swollen. It could have been worse.
“This is not serious. Don’t move,” I say before going towards a tree and cutting some thin branches. Then I come to her side again, rip my tunic and make a temporary splint.
“If you don’t walk too much you should be fine within a few days,” I say once I’m done.
She looks at me in surprise and thanks me in a whisper. I simply smile at her. Then Kazunari comes near us and without saying anything, he helps Ariadne to stand up before giving her a ride piggy back. She blushes and argues about being able to walk by herself.
“You heard Sho? You should not walk. Now shut up and climb!” he orders, but Ariadne seems to hesitate, so Kazu doesn’t wait anymore and forces her to climb on his back.
Of course Kazunari isn’t what one can call "the gentleman type." During the entire walk, he just makes fun of Ariadne’s weight and the girl falls into the trap; they end up arguing until we reach a small inhabited inn. The night is falling and a long journey awaits us the next morning before we will reach the harbor; a good and restful night is the best thing for us.
We eat the fruits and meat Ariadne ordered before we left Thebes. She even took an amphora of wine and to tell the truth, I’ve never drunk such a strong wine before this one. I understand now why she advises us to mix it with water. In the evening we’re already tipsy and laugh about anything; even the smallest joke makes us laugh loudly. For the first time since we met, Ariadne is laughing genuinely with us. It’s seems like she becomes used to us. Princess Ariadne isn’t the princess type at all. She’s a bit tomboy-ish, smart, strangely honest and with a sharp tongue. If she wasn’t so cute and feminine we could consider her one of us. After the meal and when our stomachs hurt like hell from the laughter and the wine, we start to be a bit more silent and I should add depressed. Maybe homesick is more appropriate. One by one we start to explain what we miss the most from our world: our rooms, our friends, our human parents of course, and also little things we would have never thought we would miss such as the shower, television, video games or simply our beds.
“Your world seems fantastic,” Ariadne says with admiration. “What is it like?”
We all fall silent as homesickness hits us really hard. Will we ever see our world again? What if we can’t find Echidna or kill her? Will we have to stay here until we die?
“I…” Kazunari says suddenly as he leans over the table. “Would you come with us to see it with your own eyes?” he asks Ariadne seriously. His eyes are shining (mostly because he’s drunk) as he stares at Ariadne and waits for her answer. The girl just turns her head and says nothing. Kazu chuckles and stands up so abruptly that he almost trips.
“I think I’ve drunk too much!” he laughs before climbing the stairs. “I’ll sleep with Jun tonight! I’m scared that the princess will attack me in my sleep!”
“You wish!” is her reply.
Jun follows shortly after him, just like Masaki and Satoshi. I’m alone with Ariadne, and we remain silent for a few minutes. I can’t bear this uncomfortable atmosphere and suggest we do the same as the guys.
“Hum. You can go first. Good night,” she says with a soft smile.
“You don’t want some help? With your ankle, climbing the stairs will be a bit hard you know,” I offer, but she simply shakes her head and smiles at me once again.
“No thanks. I…” She stops suddenly and seems to think hard before she continues. “I have something to do before going to sleep.”
Something to do? In the middle on the night?
“Sho,” she sighs. “Can I ask you a favor?”
I simply nod and wait for her to continue.
“Today in Thebes I know you saw me with some boy.” So she really saw me earlier. “This kid…he’s the son of a sailor. The money I gave him is for the ship we will use to reach Crete. I have to see him tonight and give him the rest of the money but…” She trails off and points at her ankle.
“Don’t say anymore, I understand. Where’s the meeting place?”
She smiles at me and takes out a purse from her tunic that she throws at me. “Not far away, just at the bottom of the cliff.”
I nod and kiss her forehead. She seems surprised by my gesture; as a princess, she must not be used to this kind of thing. I smile at her, but she bites her bottom lip.
“Maybe you should ask someone to go with you?” she says worriedly.
“Nah! I’ll be fine! I’m a grown up man and a demigod after all,” I laugh. “My skill is to know when something dangerous is around me!” I say proudly before tripping over my chair. All I can do after that is laugh as I feel ashamed of my stupidity; I should have drunk less wine tonight.
As I’m about to exit the inn I hear Ariadne’s voice once again. “Sho.” I turn around to face her and can notice that she’s still worried. “Come back quickly, okay?” she whispers, and I don’t understand why she worries so much over such a simple task.
The fresh air of the night makes me feel good, and I reach the meeting place quickly. I sit on the sand and watch the sea in front of me, listening to the calm and steady rhythm of the waves. The moon is high and clear in the dark sky. I can see the stars and constellations so clearly. Unconsciously I bring my wrist in front of my eyes, and it takes my dizzy brain a few seconds to register that watches don’t exist yet.
After a while I hear some sound coming from behind, the creak of a branch you walk over. I stand up and watch in the direction of the sound, waiting for the guy to appear but no one comes and everything is silent again. Maybe this is my tipsy state but I feel something isn’t right and my broadsword appears in my hand.
“Who’s there?” I shout but there's still no response, just the sound of the soft wind and the waves behind me.
“I’m here instead of Aria-ouch!” I’m cut short as an arrow brushes my arm. I cover the thin cut with my free arm and look in every direction around me. I can’t see anything or anyone.
Other arrows are shot at me, and I brilliantly avoid each of them.
“Show yourself if you’re a real man!” I yell and the next second a sharp pain hits my neck. I grab the thing that hit me and see that it’s a tiny arrow. Everything around me is blurred, and I can feel my eyes rolling. My body is heavy and the only sound I hear before everything becomes black is my broadsword falling in the sand.
[ Previous Chapter] - [Next Chapter]
***
Note : I know…I ended it with a cliffy ^^”” Sorry!
How is the story so far? I hope it’s not boring…I’m the kind of person who likes a lot of description and events in stories so I put every little idea that comes through my brain…but sometimes it can make the story longer and boring. Sorry if that’s the case!
Anyway in this chapter we learn a lot of things! (Well I know what I’m talking about because I’m the one writing it but maybe it’s not clear for you, readers XD) First Ariadne…I don’t know why but I picture her with Nino’s face XDD I gave her the same temper ^^”
As for Jun….Yay! At least a hug!! And it happened on chapter 8! Whaaat?! You wanted a kiss?!...Just wait ^__^
Just to apologize for the mean cliffy here I’ll tell you more about next chapter: It will be Jun-centered, so yes you’ll know everything about Jun (and Sho as well)…or maybe not XD
Anyway I wanted to thank all of you who leave comments. I’m not the type who asks for comments but I have to admit that it helps me a lot! Sometimes I’m too lazy to write but your comments make me energetic. So thank you very much!
See you soon!
Beta-reader: astrangerenters
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 (for violence, blood and explicit sex scene in future chapters)
Pairing: Sakumoto (main), Masatoshi,
Genre: AU, action, humor
Summary: The boys reached Thebes at least but when Sho's missing, Jun's strange behavior appears! (very bad summary ^^")
DISCLAMER: I own nothing. And the plot comes from Rick Riordan, a damn good writer!
***
Chapter 8
Once we heard the Fates’ voices we knew Jun was safe. The day had been hard and we’re all tired from the fight with Ladon. Fortunately Tweety (Masaki gives that name to the griffin, how original!) leads us to Artemis’s sanctuary; here we’ll be safe for the night, and Ariadne is more than happy because we save time. I watch over Jun the whole night. My friends fall asleep quickly because of the hard day and probably because of the fight itself. I’m tired too, but I can’t close my eyes easily as Jun’s sleeping peacefully in front of me. Since we arrived in the sanctuary, I’ve been thinking. I’m glad we saved Jun in time. I don’t want to even imagine how I would act if Jun was dead. His serene face, his warmth, his steady breath and his heart beating in his chest; this is all I need to be happy. As I stare at his beautiful face, a strange idea pops up in my brain, or rather an indelicate idea. Unconsciously and totally against my will, I bend over Jun and bring my lips to his. Just when our lips are about to touch, a loud and single thunderclap resonates in the sky, lightening the dark temple and sending me a frightening warning. I don’t know if it’s from the thunderclap or my stupid action, but I can hear my heart beating hard; I think it’s because I’m tired, and I should focus on watching over Jun instead and nothing else.
Naturally in the middle of the night I fall asleep (I’m pretty sure Satoshi is behind that, by the way) and my mind goes blank when I notice Jun’s missing the next morning. My other friends are still sleeping as I run towards the sanctuary’s entrance. I come to a sudden stop as a wonderful view stands in front of me: Jun is sitting on the stairs; his body is shrouded in the sunlight as the sun rises slowly. I let escape out a breath I don’t know I am holding and walk soundlessly towards Jun. As he shows me his back, I hug him from behind and inhale his hair’s nice scent. For once Jun doesn’t push me away or even jolt.
“It is good to see you alive,” I whisper after a while.
Jun rests his cheek against one of my arms that surrounds his neck. “I’ll consider this as a friend’s hug.”
We remain silent a few minutes; just enjoying this moment is enough for me. I have Jun in my arms, completely cured and more importantly alive.
“As long as you don’t hate me, you can do as you wish, Jun.” I need to say it. His last words hurt me last time. I can live with the idea that he doesn’t love me but not being hated.
“As I wish, huh?” He sighs and stands up leaving my embrace. I simply look at him when he faces me with a sad smile. “Friends can’t hate each other, right? By the way, thanks for saving me.”
So we’ll just be friends… I avoid his eyes by looking aside and forcing a smile. “You’re welcome.”
**
We arrive in Thebes by the end of the morning. The city is crowded, and it feels odd to see so many people from Ancient Greece walking by our side. For a strange reason that I can’t understand, people give us a weird look as we pass by. And the same thing occurs when we sit around a table in a little inn.
“People here don’t see guys with your faces often. Don’t mind it,” says Ariadne as she sits between Satoshi and Jun.
It’s true that we don't look Greek, but they don’t have to look at us as if we were monsters; though there are women who wave at us in a more than friendly manner, to Kazunari’s delight.
“Stay focused, you idiot! We’re not here for that frivolous sort of thing,” Ariadne orders angrily when Kazu winks at some waitresses.
“Who are you? My mom?”
Maybe Ariadne thinks that she’s really our mother because as we eat she details all the things we’ll do from now.
“First of all we need to buy weapons for Jun, Satoshi and the perverted boy,” she says without even looking at Kazunari, who protests with his mouth full. “You can’t fight Echidna the way you are right now, right? Then we will find a boat and reach Crete and-“
“Crete? Isn’t that the island where you live?” I ask suddenly, and it seems that Ariadne doesn’t like my interruption.
“Yes and then? People say that Echidna is in Crete right now; it’s just a coincidence!” she replies defensively. I don’t know why she’s angry at me; maybe princesses don’t like to be interrupted…
“So as I said before Mister-I-Know-Everything cut me short, we’ll reach Crete and then you’ll kill Echidna so I can have my reward from the Gods.”
A very short summary for a big task; obviously she’s not the one who has to kill that monster.
“Err excuse me but about Echidna…I’ve read she’s living in a cave in Arima,” I have to tell her. Maybe she’s wrong; after all, in Ancient Greece rumors and legends are common.
“She’s not! Are you calling me a liar?!”
“Calm down, princess! You’re not in your kingdom!” Kazu comes to save me. It’s not that I am scared of Ariadne, but she’s reacting strangely.
We all fall silent until the end of our meal, though I don’t eat a lot because of the way she is staring at me. I think I will not contradict her for a while.
Then Ariadne leads us into a tiny weapons shop as she planned. After a few minutes she excuses herself and tells us to wait for her at the inn. Masaki and I already have our weapons, and I doubt that we’ll find a weapon more powerful than the ones the Gods gave us. But Ariadne is right: for their safety Jun, Satoshi, and Kazu need weapons too. While the guys are choosing their weapons, Masaki and I decide to wander a bit outside. We sit against a wall opposite to the shop and just stare at the passersby silently.
After a while a strange couple consisting of a man and a young woman stops in front of us; the man seems a bit annoyed. “You’re sooo not funny,” he pouts.
“I’m wise, that’s all!” replies the girl.
“Astea!” The guy stomps his foot on the pavement like a little kid. “I’m not stupid. This is totally safe, I’ve even showed my invention to my dad!”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have faith in you or your father. Forget it already Icarus, this is ridiculous.”
“Icarus?!” Masaki stands on his feet as soon as he hears the name of the guy and shakes his hand vigorously with a glint in his eyes. “Oh my Gods, I can’t believe it! I admire you so much!”
The boy named Icarus looks at Masaki a bit surprised, I would react the same way if a tall guy like Masaki who I didn't know came up to shake my hand and shout that he likes me. Masaki is not an idiot, but I have to admit that I’m astonished to see that he knows who Icarus is; most of the time Masaki is more interested in creatures than people.
“So? You did it already?” he asks impatiently.
“W-what?” Icarus looks at the girl named Astea, but she only shrugs.
“Well, flying of course!”
Now I understand why Masaki seems to know him. It’s true that my friend has always dreamt he could fly in the sky like a bird. No wonder he knows about Icarus; the boy who flew in the sky with wax wings. I wonder if Masaki also knows that Icarus died because he flew too close to the sun.
“N-not yet. H-how do you know?”
“Great! Maybe I can try with you! Oh please! Pretty please!”
“You’re so not doing it, Masaki,” says Satoshi coming out from the shop with a shield on his back and a sword.
“But why?!” Masaki pouts and pulls on Satoshi’s tunic.
“Because I want you beside me, on the ground,” Satoshi replies with a soft smile while he pats Masaki’s cheek. Intent to close the topic, Satoshi pushes Masaki in the direction opposite Icarus and Astea. I notice that Jun and Kazunari also come out from the shop and follow my two other friends.
“Avoid the sun,” I whisper to Icarus as I pass by his side before joining my friends.
“Why do they all say that?!” I hear Icarus sigh.
The guys show us their new weapons as we walk in the streets. Satoshi has chosen a shield and a light sword. Kazu opted for a broadsword and a small dagger he hides under his tunic. Finally, Jun bought a long and sharp spear.
We’re on our way to return to the inn when I suddenly hear someone’s loud voice at the corner of the street.
“There’s no happiness without freedom, nor freedom without courage!” Huge shouts come after that.
When I turn at the corner of the street, I can see in the middle of what seems like the main place a man standing on a platform and speaking loudly to the crowd. The man seems old; he has a long beard and white hair. I come nearer and listen to him. This man is a prodigious orator. Everyone is quiet as he talks, and no one seems to disagree with what he says. I listen to his vision of democracy. For him democracy means freedom, equality and fraternity; no wonder why Greece was the cradle of democracy. During his talk I hear that the old man standing in front of me is none other than Pericles. The well-known Pericles. I now know why I’m so enthralled. As I listen to him, I see something on the right not so far away from where I am: Ariadne is talking with a young boy. Judging by his clothes he’s nothing more than a street boy, but he seems to listen to Ariadne’s words attentively, nodding from time to time. Ariadne then watches from left to right as she’s checking around them. I step back a bit and hide behind one of the listeners around me. Then she pulls out from her tunic a small purse and gives it to the young boy. She says something once again before the boy nods and runs away. She turns her head and it seems like she notices me (her two piercing pupils are fixed on me), but before I can move I feel someone pulling me, and one very angry Jun is now staring at me.
“What the hell are you doing here? Alone!” he yells at me.
“I-“
“Do you know how worried we were when we noticed you weren’t with us?! Don’t ever do that again, Sho!” I don’t have the time to open my mouth when Jun suddenly bites his bottom lip and hugs me strongly. “I beg you, Sho. Don’t go around alone,” he whispers. I can feel his heart beating fast against my chest.
What’s wrong with him? First he asks me to leave him alone and that he hates me, then he’s nearly crying as he asks me to not go by myself. I really can’t understand him at all and my power isn’t of any help when it’s about Jun; as if a strong mist envelops my mind when I try to understand him.
“See? I told you he wasn’t far,” I hear Kazu’s annoyed voice and notice that Satoshi and Masaki are there too. Jun breaks the hug and takes a deep breath. He seems more worried than angry in the end.
As they chat together, I try to look for Ariadne once again, but she’s already left. That girl is acting strangely; she’s always on her guard and I think she doesn’t like me. Just like Jun, when I try to understand her, it seems like there’s something that prevents me from knowing what she thinks.
We return to the inn where Ariadne is waiting for us. She orders some food and a few wineskins of water as she explains that a long way awaits us before we reach Crete. After that we exit Thebes quickly and dive into the forest. The weather is nice, and we enjoy the walk as the trees protect us from the warm sun and a soft wind blows at our faces. It would be really great if only Ariadne and Kazunari weren’t arguing all the time. Since we left Thebes, those two have been arguing about everything and nothing. When one says black, the other automatically replies white.
“They act like an old couple,” I whisper to Masaki, who giggles and agrees with me.
Jun hits the top of my head and smirks. “I am Aphrodite’s son, don’t steal my job.” Does he mean that Kazu and Ariadne…? I look at them carefully; there’s no way those two could fall for each other. They both have a bratty temper, and besides, Ariadne is already in love with Theseus. I could be wrong, but the princess isn’t Kazunari’s type at all.
As we walk deeper in the forest, a strange laugh resonates around us suddenly. We all take our weapons and form a circle around Ariadne as we check on our surroundings. No one seems to be there but the laugh resonates again, this time louder as if the unseen creature comes closer.
“Maybe…it’s just a nymph?” tries Masaki, but he knows just like us that if indeed it is a nymph the laugh wouldn’t be so ugly and creepy.
Everything becomes quiet but seconds later Ariadne yells and when we lift our heads, we can see the princess being held in the air. A huge bird-like creature is taking her away.
“Is it a Stymphalian bird?” asks Satoshi.
Kazunari makes his shoes appear and flies quickly in the direction of the creature. “This is worse! It’s a harpy!” he says, and we don’t need him to say more to follow him.
This is strange though; while harpies have bad reputations, they aren’t as evil as the books say. They’re just the ones who punish mortals and only when the orders come from the Gods themselves. Until now I don’t think we did something that would make the Gods angry at us. Or maybe is it one of the consequences the Fates talked about? Then why is it Ariadne who’s in danger and not me? But Kazu’s right: the body of a bird and the face of an ugly woman; this is indeed a harpy. Her laugh resonates once again as she flies higher in the sky and with Ariadne struggling to escape her claws. Masaki stops running and aims with his bow. The swift arrows land right in the middle of the creature’s wing and a piercing and unbearable painful cry replaces the laughter. The harpy lets go of Ariadne, who screams in her fall. Fortunately Ariadne’s fall is stopped by the trees under her and we run, following her voice. When we reach her she’s on the ground, crying and gripping her ankle. We hear the harpy calling as it flies away. What was that for?
“Are you alright?” I ask as I kneel by Ariadne’s side and wipe some blood from her cheek; she must have cut her cheek on a branch during her fall.
She lifts her face and looks at me with teary eyes. “It hurts.” I hold her foot and try to make it move a bit; she whines but at least it seems that it’s not broken, just a bit swollen. It could have been worse.
“This is not serious. Don’t move,” I say before going towards a tree and cutting some thin branches. Then I come to her side again, rip my tunic and make a temporary splint.
“If you don’t walk too much you should be fine within a few days,” I say once I’m done.
She looks at me in surprise and thanks me in a whisper. I simply smile at her. Then Kazunari comes near us and without saying anything, he helps Ariadne to stand up before giving her a ride piggy back. She blushes and argues about being able to walk by herself.
“You heard Sho? You should not walk. Now shut up and climb!” he orders, but Ariadne seems to hesitate, so Kazu doesn’t wait anymore and forces her to climb on his back.
Of course Kazunari isn’t what one can call "the gentleman type." During the entire walk, he just makes fun of Ariadne’s weight and the girl falls into the trap; they end up arguing until we reach a small inhabited inn. The night is falling and a long journey awaits us the next morning before we will reach the harbor; a good and restful night is the best thing for us.
We eat the fruits and meat Ariadne ordered before we left Thebes. She even took an amphora of wine and to tell the truth, I’ve never drunk such a strong wine before this one. I understand now why she advises us to mix it with water. In the evening we’re already tipsy and laugh about anything; even the smallest joke makes us laugh loudly. For the first time since we met, Ariadne is laughing genuinely with us. It’s seems like she becomes used to us. Princess Ariadne isn’t the princess type at all. She’s a bit tomboy-ish, smart, strangely honest and with a sharp tongue. If she wasn’t so cute and feminine we could consider her one of us. After the meal and when our stomachs hurt like hell from the laughter and the wine, we start to be a bit more silent and I should add depressed. Maybe homesick is more appropriate. One by one we start to explain what we miss the most from our world: our rooms, our friends, our human parents of course, and also little things we would have never thought we would miss such as the shower, television, video games or simply our beds.
“Your world seems fantastic,” Ariadne says with admiration. “What is it like?”
We all fall silent as homesickness hits us really hard. Will we ever see our world again? What if we can’t find Echidna or kill her? Will we have to stay here until we die?
“I…” Kazunari says suddenly as he leans over the table. “Would you come with us to see it with your own eyes?” he asks Ariadne seriously. His eyes are shining (mostly because he’s drunk) as he stares at Ariadne and waits for her answer. The girl just turns her head and says nothing. Kazu chuckles and stands up so abruptly that he almost trips.
“I think I’ve drunk too much!” he laughs before climbing the stairs. “I’ll sleep with Jun tonight! I’m scared that the princess will attack me in my sleep!”
“You wish!” is her reply.
Jun follows shortly after him, just like Masaki and Satoshi. I’m alone with Ariadne, and we remain silent for a few minutes. I can’t bear this uncomfortable atmosphere and suggest we do the same as the guys.
“Hum. You can go first. Good night,” she says with a soft smile.
“You don’t want some help? With your ankle, climbing the stairs will be a bit hard you know,” I offer, but she simply shakes her head and smiles at me once again.
“No thanks. I…” She stops suddenly and seems to think hard before she continues. “I have something to do before going to sleep.”
Something to do? In the middle on the night?
“Sho,” she sighs. “Can I ask you a favor?”
I simply nod and wait for her to continue.
“Today in Thebes I know you saw me with some boy.” So she really saw me earlier. “This kid…he’s the son of a sailor. The money I gave him is for the ship we will use to reach Crete. I have to see him tonight and give him the rest of the money but…” She trails off and points at her ankle.
“Don’t say anymore, I understand. Where’s the meeting place?”
She smiles at me and takes out a purse from her tunic that she throws at me. “Not far away, just at the bottom of the cliff.”
I nod and kiss her forehead. She seems surprised by my gesture; as a princess, she must not be used to this kind of thing. I smile at her, but she bites her bottom lip.
“Maybe you should ask someone to go with you?” she says worriedly.
“Nah! I’ll be fine! I’m a grown up man and a demigod after all,” I laugh. “My skill is to know when something dangerous is around me!” I say proudly before tripping over my chair. All I can do after that is laugh as I feel ashamed of my stupidity; I should have drunk less wine tonight.
As I’m about to exit the inn I hear Ariadne’s voice once again. “Sho.” I turn around to face her and can notice that she’s still worried. “Come back quickly, okay?” she whispers, and I don’t understand why she worries so much over such a simple task.
The fresh air of the night makes me feel good, and I reach the meeting place quickly. I sit on the sand and watch the sea in front of me, listening to the calm and steady rhythm of the waves. The moon is high and clear in the dark sky. I can see the stars and constellations so clearly. Unconsciously I bring my wrist in front of my eyes, and it takes my dizzy brain a few seconds to register that watches don’t exist yet.
After a while I hear some sound coming from behind, the creak of a branch you walk over. I stand up and watch in the direction of the sound, waiting for the guy to appear but no one comes and everything is silent again. Maybe this is my tipsy state but I feel something isn’t right and my broadsword appears in my hand.
“Who’s there?” I shout but there's still no response, just the sound of the soft wind and the waves behind me.
“I’m here instead of Aria-ouch!” I’m cut short as an arrow brushes my arm. I cover the thin cut with my free arm and look in every direction around me. I can’t see anything or anyone.
Other arrows are shot at me, and I brilliantly avoid each of them.
“Show yourself if you’re a real man!” I yell and the next second a sharp pain hits my neck. I grab the thing that hit me and see that it’s a tiny arrow. Everything around me is blurred, and I can feel my eyes rolling. My body is heavy and the only sound I hear before everything becomes black is my broadsword falling in the sand.
[ Previous Chapter] - [Next Chapter]
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Note : I know…I ended it with a cliffy ^^”” Sorry!
How is the story so far? I hope it’s not boring…I’m the kind of person who likes a lot of description and events in stories so I put every little idea that comes through my brain…but sometimes it can make the story longer and boring. Sorry if that’s the case!
Anyway in this chapter we learn a lot of things! (Well I know what I’m talking about because I’m the one writing it but maybe it’s not clear for you, readers XD) First Ariadne…I don’t know why but I picture her with Nino’s face XDD I gave her the same temper ^^”
As for Jun….Yay! At least a hug!! And it happened on chapter 8! Whaaat?! You wanted a kiss?!...Just wait ^__^
Just to apologize for the mean cliffy here I’ll tell you more about next chapter: It will be Jun-centered, so yes you’ll know everything about Jun (and Sho as well)…or maybe not XD
Anyway I wanted to thank all of you who leave comments. I’m not the type who asks for comments but I have to admit that it helps me a lot! Sometimes I’m too lazy to write but your comments make me energetic. So thank you very much!
See you soon!