Unpleasant Sailing

Dionysus appears next to me suddenly, and I jump when he speaks. “Looks like you two had a good talk.”

“Yes.” I say.

“Ooh,” he slurs, “Methinks you’re in love.”

“Methinks you are drunk.” I retort. “And you have known for days that I love her.”

“Both accounts are true.” Dionysus says. He grabs my hands and starts swirling me around, humming off key.

I let go of him and he falls to the ground. “What are you doing?” I ask him.

“I could ask you the same question.” He says, struggling to his feet, “Wouldn’t make sense, but I could ask it anyway.”

“Go below decks and sleep it off.” I tell him.

The smile leaves Dionysus’ face and he stands up straighter. “Alright, fine. I thought you might be fun if I acted drunk. But whatever.”

“You are not drunk?” I ask him.

“Please, I’ve had like, one glass.” He waves his hand. “Drank practically that whole casket last night before I felt so much as buzzed.”

“Then what do you want?”

“To tell you something about the statue, and Mount Methana.”

“What about them?”

“For one thing, remember that Methana’s an active volcano. That means that when we get in there, we’re going to have to avoid falling into a pool of lava.”

“Helpful,” I say, “What else?”

“That statue, it’s really more of a carving. It won’t be easy to lift that thing out of there. Even if we go giant size, it’s awkward.”

“This mission is not to bring the statue out of the volcano.” I inform him.

“Right, you think you can just stand in front of the statue and your power will blorp back to you.”

“Not how I would word it but…is that not possible?”

“Honestly, Aether,” Dionysus says, turning to lean on the railing, “None of us know. Keep in mind this has never happened before. Your situation is completely unique. None of us know what’s gonna happen when we get to that statue, if anything actually does.”

“Are you telling me that this may be a colossal waste of our time?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

“So what do you suggest we do?”

Dionysus looks into the distance, a thoughtful expression on his face. After a while he shakes his head and fixes his purple eyes on me, “I say we try it. We don’t know if it’ll work, but we also don’t know if it won’t. If nothing happens, we had a lovely trip around Greece. If it works, you have your godhood back. I may not like you very much, but I know how it feels to be mortal as opposed to being a god. So I say that it’s worth the risk.”

“Hermes told me about that.” I tell him.

“Did he? Yeah, I was mortal for the first thirty-something years of my life.” He says, “After a while Zeus came to me and offered to make me a god. It’s been so long I can’t remember why he did it. But it was done and here I am, a few thousand years later.”

“Do you ever regret the change?”

Dionysus laughs loudly, “Are you kidding? I’m a god! I wield powers mortals can scarcely dream of! ‘Do I regret the change?’ what a stupid question.”

“I see.”

“Hey, Aether!” I hear Poseidon call. “Aether to the wheel! Hurry your a*s up!”

Dionysus and I start heading toward the wheel at a slight jog. Looking at it, I do not see Poseidon.

“Poseidon, where are you?” I call out.

He startlingly appears in front of me with a sound like bubbles popping.

“Hey,” he says, “I thought there’s something that you should see.”

“Okay, what is it?” I ask.

Poseidon grabs me by the wrist and pulls me to the side of the boat. Looking down, I gasp loudly. Below us I see five…women?

“What exactly am I looking at?” I ask Poseidon.

“Those are nereids.” He replies, “Water nymphs.”

“They are incredible.” I say. They are. They look like normal women, only their skin glistens like fish scales, creating a copper glow about them.

“Yeah, they were.” Poseidon says, “Look more closely.”

Upon closer examination, I notice that they are moving too quickly, almost ominously. One of them jumps out of the water, and I see that she has blackened eyes and long black claws.

“What happened to them?” Dionysus asks.

“Same thing that happened to everything else.” Poseidon replies, “They were corrupted by Erebus.”

“What do we do?” I ask.

“For now, not a thing.” He answers. “Unless they try something I think we should just leave them alone.”

“Then why alert me?”

“Thought you should know.”

I look over the side again, and fall down to the deck, resting my head on the bronze railing and sticking my legs out over the side of the ship.

Poseidon stands before the wheel and raises his arms. From between the wood a stream of water flows up and takes the vague shape of a man. It grabs the wheel and stands there, looking (looking?) ahead.

“With me here the ship will pretty much steer itself.” Poseidon says. “Not really much for us to do. Maybe you should get some rest?”

I look up at him, “I slept soundly last night, and I have only been awake for a few hours.” He nods and shrugs.

“Entertain yourself.”

I look back at the nereids, who continue following the ship.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

Darren’s eyes open slowly, the first thing in sight being his still bloodied hand. His emotional pain once again cracks his heart, and more tears fall. He had killed before, in the Dark City. But never before had he killed an innocent person who he thought had a promising life. He gets to his feet slowly, and tries to take stock of his surroundings. The trees of white wood command his vision, offering nothing else. He cannot tell where he is, or how far from the Fox-Hole. What he does know is that his time as a leader is over. His status, his friends…Krista. Everything he has ever cared about is back there. He leans against one of the skeleton trees, and buries his face in one hand.

Through his fingers he sees that his shirt is torn, and around his belly button he traces the outline of the formerly white starburst around it with his eyes. The birthmark had always been fascinating to him, but now it has become a dark grey colour that strikes fear in him.

“So this is how you fail.” A woman’s voice says. Darren’s tears cease and he turns to see Nemesis leaning on a different tree, watching him. “Pretty lame if you ask me.”

Darren rubs the tears from his face and growls at the woman, “Is this what I was meant to do? Kill a person and lose my livelihood?”

“Yes.” She answers. Her wings flutter and she changes her stance, “To gain something, something must be given. Your life is a testament to that.”

“I’m well aware of the give and take principle.” He replies, “But who decides what’s equal?”

Nemesis smirks and then chuckles as her gaze goes to the ground. She looks back up at Darren, whose expression has not changed. She clucks her tongue, “I decide that. It’s my purpose.”

“And what gives you the right?”

She does not answer; instead she points a finger to the sky.

“I don’t understand.”

“And you probably never will. Point is I’ve watched your give and take. You’ve gained power in becoming the Resistance’s leader, and for that you lost your friend and mentor Julian. You suffered horrible pain at the hands, or rather blades, of your father. For that price you gained physical power like the kind the gods wield. Now you’ve lost your home and your family. Wait and soon you shall gain something else.”

“And when do I start to gain?”

“You mustn’t be impatient.” She responds. “We have a plan for you; all will come in its time.”

Darren draws his swords and marches to the goddess. She does not move, and her expression remains passive even as the weapons wrap around her throat.

“Who’s we?” Darren demands.

“We are none of your concern right now.” She says, “For now you will begin your trek. That way.” She points off into the distance to her right. “You will be guided, but remember how important balance is.”

Darren looks back at the goddess, but she has vanished. He hooks his swords on his back and, seeing no other option, he decides to take her advice and begins walking where she instructed.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“Now what do we do?” Dionysus says, “I’m really bored.”

 I bring my head up from its resting place on the railing, and shudder slightly as the cold air rushes against my forehead. How long have I been sitting here? Must have been hours for me to lose track of time. I look around the ship and my eyes suddenly feel heavy. Dionysus stretches behind me on his couch, taking a break from the reading of some book.

I get to my feet and stand by the water man at the wheel. I try to get close to his face, but he does not seem to notice. Can he even see?

“Are…” I begin, feeling slightly foolish, “Are you sentient?”

“No he’s not.” I hear Poseidon say. I whirl around towards his voice to see him coming up the stairs. He stops behind Dionysus, and in one seemingly impulsive moment flips the couch over. Dionysus tries to stop the fall, but he only flails about as he tumbles with the couch landing on him. Poseidon and I both laugh, and Dionysus all but throws the couch off of him. It vanishes at the zenith of its flight, turning into dim purple light.

“A*****e.” Dionysus says as he stands.

“I’ve been in the captain’s chamber.” Poseidon informs me.

“How is Ana?” I ask.

“She’s still sleeping.” He lifts his hat up slightly and with his other hand he brushes his dreadlocks back. “Man, she must’ve been through hell. Her life energy is seriously low. I’m amazed she could even stand, let alone fight off Darren.”

“What the hell are you going on about?” Dionysus asks.

“Her soul is drained,” Poseidon answers, “Looks are deceiving, cause we’ve got one tough chick in there.”

I nod and a smile comes to my face. “What of Solution?”

“She’s sitting on one of the bunks reading.” He answers, “Must be a good book, she wouldn’t even flinch when I talked to her.”

“How far out are we?” Dionysus asks.

“I’ve instructed the ship to remain in sight of the shore.”

“Then…” Dionysus looks around, “Where is it?”

Poseidon’s eyes go wide as he too looks off into the distance. “The hell? Where’s the shore?”

“Your ship doesn’t take orders very well.”

Poseidon rushes over to the water man, and absorbs it into his hand. “As far as the ship is concerned, we’re only a few miles out.”

“Well, we’re obviously not.”

“What is going on?” I ask.

Poseidon grabs hold of the wheel, and looks at me over his shoulder, “Something’s pushed us out of our way. I…I can’t tell where we are.”

“What do you mean you can’t tell?” Dionysus asks.

“That’s what’s freaking me the hell out.” Poseidon responds, “I’m the damn god of the ocean, but I have no idea where we are.”

From far below I feel a pounding noise. Voices call up from the water, challenging us to battle. I go over to the side and see the nereids throwing themselves against the hull. With each blow the ship rocks and my footing becomes less steady.

“What’s going on?” I hear Ana’s voice. I turn to find her leaning on the staircase, trying to keep her balance amid the rocking of the ship.

Solution comes up from below decks with Chiron and Nessus behind her.

“What’s happening?” She asks.

“We are being attacked.” I inform them.

Nessus makes his way up the staircase, stopping just behind Ana. The ship is rocked more violently than before, and Ana nearly falls to the floor. Nessus’ hand shoots out, steadying the girl. She looks up at him gratefully, and he returns the smile. He then looks up at me.

“I’ll get her below decks.” He says, “She’s still weak. If we’re attacked she’ll be in danger.”

I nod and turn to Poseidon. “What do I do?”

“Funny you should ask.” He answers. “My suggestion is: get cracking.”

“What do you me…?” I begin, but before I can finish the sentence Poseidon pushes me over the railing, straight down into the water.

Falling into water when you are unprepared is not something I would suggest for anybody. After I break the surface I discover that the ocean is salty, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The water is also dark and hurts my eyes, so I cannot see anything. And the worst part of it is: I do not know how to swim.

“I can purify the water and keep you afloat!” Poseidon calls, “Purging the nereids is up to you!”

The water turns blue in a ten foot radius around me. I start to sink, but a bubble appears around my feet and I float to the surface. The nereids swarm around me, and four of them latch onto my limbs. They try to pull me down below, but the bubble around my feet stymies them.

“Aether.” One of them says in a voice that screeches its way out of her throat.

“How do you know my name?” I ask them, struggling.

“We have been ordered by the master to kill you.” She replies, ignoring my question.

“The master, you mean Erebus?” I ask. The nereid screeches and slices my torso with one of her black claws.

“How dare you speak his name! Sisters, rip him to pieces!”

The nereids grip me tighter, their black claws only being prevented from the armor in my clothing. They give up trying to claw at me, and instead pull at my limbs. I start to scream in pain as they pull harder and harder, close to ripping my arms and legs from me. They seem less incredible up close, now that I can see the corruption more clearly. Oh well.

This hurts really bad, I should probably do something about it, but what?

Ares’ face comes to my mind for some reason, and I can feel a rage building up inside. I pull one of the nereids on my arm, and smash her against the one pulling on my right leg, I do the same with the ones on my left, and then I pull out my staff.

I try to strike one of them, but she catches my arm and as she stabs into it the staff falls from my grip, sinking into the water. I bring my fist around and land a punch on her, but the other seven swarm around me, landing blows all around my body.

“Enough!” I yell. As I scream the nereids go flying through the water. White lines burn around my body and the water starts to steam. I spread out my arms and the white lines trace through the blackness, wrapping themselves around each of the nereids.

A choice comes to my mind, I could destroy them. Condense the lines until the nereids burst. Or I can try to purge them. I can sense the corruption inside of them. It is not as strong as it was inside Ana, so it should be fairly easy to deal with. The white lines start to burn against the nereids’ skin, and they scream out in pain.

“Aether!” Poseidon calls, “What are you doing?”

I ignore Poseidon and focus on the task at hand. Black lines snake their way around each nereid’s body, burning right against my white lines. Everywhere there is not white on the nereids bodies, they are covered in pure blackness. I start to feel a burning sensation, and am nearly overcome with pain. Despite the heat, I continue my attempt, and one of the nereids starts to lighten in color until all of the blackness is gone from her.

I can feel the corruption leaving them when all of a sudden, my back arches and agony blurs my sight. The water around me turns black as ink, and each nereid regains their former state of corruption. I feel my consciousness start to slip away when an arrow suddenly pierces the head of the nereid closest to me. More arrows pierce the other nereids, and blue blood flows through the black water.

A long ways away I see a boat flying across the water. It is brightly colored and without sails. From the direction of the small boat I hear a sound like a thousand bees. No, that is the sound the cars made; the sound of a motor.

The small white boat gets closer, and I can see people on it.

“Onomáste ton eaf̱tó sas!” a young man calls from the small boat.

“One must give their own name before asking another’s.” Poseidon replies.

The bubble is still around my feet, but it pops as soon as the small boat stops next to me. Two people pull me up and lay me on the vessel.

“Eíste entáxei?” A girl asks me.

“What?” I ask.

“Oh, English.” She says, her pleasant voice thickly accented. “Are you alright?”

“Fine.” I reply.

“You’re safe now.” She says. “For now, at least.”

“What do you mean?” I ask her.

“Our leader doesn’t take too kindly to strangers.”

“Quit talking to him!” someone yells.

“Sorry.” The girl says, standing.

The young man who yelled at Poseidon comes over to me.

“�"noma?” He says.

“English, Lance.” The girl says.

He glares at me after she says this, “Fine. Name yourself.”

I start to reply, but he cuts me off. “Never mind, we’ll get that out of you later. For now…” He motions with two fingers, and a man whose mass reminds me of Shin comes towards me.

“Sorry,” the leader tells me, “Nothing personal, but new faces…they make me nervous.”

The big guy pulls out a gun, and hits me over the head with it, blowing away my consciousness.

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“What the hell happened with Darren?” Krista demands of Zayin.

He brushes her hands away from his breastplate as he gets to his feet. Most of the Resistance remains in the Great Hall, fear showing on their faces after Darren’s horrid outburst.

Zayin looks around at them; all of their eyes on him makes the blacksmith nervous. Jack stands next to him, and as he looks around he receives nods from Luke and Bubble. He takes a deep breath.

“Listen up!” He calls. He goes over to the Great Hall’s table, and climbs atop it so all eyes can focus on him. “There are some truths you need to be made aware of!”

The crowd closes in around Zayin. He feels almost threatened, but stays his ground.

“We have been lied to and our minds corrupted!” He starts, “For starters, the Dark God has secretly been among us all along in the form of Barth! He has corrupted his son, Darren, who in turn corrupted all of us! Most of you saw Darren a moment ago. He has become a monster consumed by the power of his father. And we have been trusting him to lead us? Foolish!”

“Darren’s our leader!” Someone yells.

“You would follow someone who has planned your death?” Zayin responds.

“What the hell are we supposed to do, then?” The same person continues.

“We continue on!” Jack yells out. He climbs up onto the table and stands next to Zayin, “Zayin has gained his own pure and righteous power! I myself and others have seen it at work. We can use his power and become stronger than we’ve ever been!”

Slow, overdramatic clapping puts a stop to the announcement. Barth reveals himself at the edge of the crowd, slapping his hands together mockingly. He smiles up at Zayin, and then vanishes. He reappears on the table in between Zayin and Jack, where his face changes. His form ripples, becoming that of Erebus.

“Excellent work, blacksmith.” He says. He turns to the crowd, his army now gone from him. He chuckles as he looks out at them. “You mortals. You dense, arrogant, fearful bags of stinking flesh. Your weakness and your senseless worry consume you. You dribble on in your pointless little lives, always looking for something to fight. Something to strike down. I don’t understand my brother’s desire to be among you. To know you. But we are beyond your understanding as well. Continue on, I won’t stop you. I’ve grown bored.”

He turns to Zayin, and pats him on the shoulder before vanishing, permanently this time.

Zayin stands frozen, unsure of what to do. He looks out at his people, and sighs. “I am not Darren. I won’t force you to choose or believe anything. You do what you believe is best. If you believe in me, then I’ll be in the forge, as is my place.” Having said his piece, he keeps his word and wordlessly walks to the forge. Jack follows him, and once they are there, they simultaneously sink to the floor, sitting across from each other.

“So…” Jack says quietly, “What happens now?”

“Well, my plan’s been shot to hell.” Zayin answers, “So now we just wait and see what happens.”

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“Do you honestly expect us to believe this?” I hear the stranger say.

“Yes.” Poseidon says.

As my eyes open, I find myself in Poseidon’s chamber. I sit in one of the chairs, sitting in front of the table. Standing next to me are Poseidon, Solution, and Chiron. On the opposite end of the table stand three of our visitors. I try to look over my shoulder and just manage to spot Dionysus’ leopard cloak behind me.

The girl who had spoken to me has light brown hair and delicate features, not unattractive. She smiles when she notices that I am awake. I return the smile, if only to be polite. The big guy who knocked me over the head has no hair and brutish looks. His bulging muscles and hulking frame show the result of much training; a gun is holstered on his back and a club hangs from his side. Sheathed in his oversized boot I see a dagger with a bull’s head on the hilt. He notices that I am awake and scowls at me as he nudges the leader.

“Oh, so you’ve finally awoken.” He says, like the girl, his accent is thick, his voice deep. He appears to be around my physical age, sixteen or seventeen. However, the worn look on his face would suggest that he is much older. His curly hair is long and, unbelievably, grey. He may be handsome if he lost the unfriendly look he is wearing.

It is then that I realize that the three of them are basically wearing rags. Their dark clothes are torn and raggedy. They also seem a bit…malnourished. Nowhere near starving, but they do not seem to get all of the food that they need.

“What?” he says, “Appreciating our attire? We cannot all be princes.”

“For the last time,” Poseidon says, “We are not royalty.”

“Well, technically, I was a prince while mortal.” Dionysus says.

“No, you were once mistaken for a prince by some idiot pirates. Most of which you turned into dolphins.” Poseidon replies.

“I spared one.” Dionysus replies.

The leader of the strangers looks at his peers, evidently wondering just what the hell these two are talking about. I wonder the same thing, as well as what exactly is going on.

“Enough!” he says. He bends over the table and gets as close to me as he can. “Tell me the truth that your compatriots refuse to divulge: who are you and what are you doing in our waters?”

“I will gladly tell you.” I reply. “But first I ask that you give me in the same information about yourself.”

The leader snarls and backs away. He paces back and forth a few times before receiving a meaningful look from the girl. “Fine.” He says. “My name is Lance, and I am the leader of a tribe of survivors here in Greece.”

“You mean, a Greek Resistance?” I ask.

“We are resisting nothing, save the cold grip of Thanatos.”

“Thanatos?” I repeat.

“The Greek god of death.” Solution says, a friendly smile lighting up her beautiful face. “So, you lead a tribe. Speaking from experience, I know that must be stressful work.”

“What do you know of it, wench?” Lance says.

Solution’s friendly smile vanishes, “I am the co-commander of an elite group of fighters in what was once America. Our mission is to survive and topple Erebus, the cause of the world’s current condition. So I know what it’s like to lead a people.”

“Bah! Erebus?” Lance snorts, “Yes, we are well aware of the Dark God’s influence on the world.”

“You do not sound convinced.” I say.

“Because I personally find it to be…” He seems to struggle for the word, then shakes his head in frustration. “Malakies!”

“It is what?” I ask.

He looks at the girl, “What is the word in English?”

“Um…” the girl looks up to the ceiling, “Bullshit.”

“Yes, right.” He replies, “It’s bullshit.”

“You are incorrect.” I say, “I have personally seen and fought him.”

“Malakies.” He replies.

“Jeez, watch your tongue, kid.” Poseidon says.

“I will watch my tongue at my leisure!” He yells. He turns back to me and continues calmly, “Now then, would you kindly return the favor and tell me what I wish to know?”

“My name is Aether.” I tell him, “I am accompanied by gods Poseidon and Dionysus, along with the centaurs Chiron and Nessus. The pretty girl is Solution. We are on a quest to find a statue of mine; hopefully it will return my god status that has been taken from me by Erebus.”

Lance says nothing, instead turning to his companions.

“Eínai profanó̱s paráfro̱n.” He says to them.

“Akoúgetai eilikriní̱s.” The girl replies.

“Pistéve pragmatiká?” Lance says.

“Pistév̱o̱ stous palioús theoús.”

Lance shakes his head and looks to the brute. “Kai esy?”

He shrugs his shoulders but does not speak. Lance turns his head to the floor.

“Den pistév̱o̱ óti tha boroúsame pragmatiká na eínai ypó ti̱n parousía to̱n theó̱n . Eseís?” Lance says to the girl.

“Eímai trelós?” Lance makes a growling noise deep in his throat, and then turns back to me.

“Katalavaíno̱ ti léte.” Poseidon says before Lance can speak. “If you doubt what we say, we can show you proof.”

Lance snarls again. “I wish not to see parlor tricks performed by fools claiming themselves gods.”

Poseidon shakes his head and exchanges a look with Chiron.

“We are in the presence of a freakin’ centaur!” Poseidon says. “How is that not proof enough for you?”

“I have had dealings with centaurs in the past.” Lance responds, “They are all over this damned place, causing trouble for my people. Raping our women, stealing what precious food we have. Just because yours is docile does not prove your claim.”

“We don’t doubt the existence of the gods.” The girl says, “He just isn’t keen to believe that you are them.”

“Lance,” I say, “Believe me when I tell you that we are who we say we are. I understand your reluctance to accept it, but it is the truth.”

“I refuse to believe that this man could be Poseidon.” Lance says.

“Why are you so vehement about this?” Solution asks.

Lance glares at her, “Because that would make him my father.”

All eyes turn to Poseidon, who shrugs.

“Poseidon.” I say, “You have demigod children?”

He looks at me as though the question were ridiculous, “Of course I do. What, do you think I gave up sleeping with pretty girls just because the world as we like it ended? No, the world needs more of them; it’s always been up to the children of the gods to keep the world safe. So yeah, I think Lance is my kid.”

“You do not sound so sure.” I say.

“I got around, okay? I never really kept track of them.”

“You are hardly older than I am.” Lance says, “I want no tricks. Prove to me that you are the Earthshaker, the ruler of the sea!”

Poseidon’s body turns into liquid, and a hole appears in the side of the ship. The liquid moves across the floor and goes through the hole. Looking out, I see the liquid hit the dark water, which immediately starts to glow blue as far as the eye can see. As Lance goes openmouthed, the water returns to the ship and condenses back into the shape of Poseidon.

“That good enough for you?” Poseidon says.

Lance clenches his fists. “Hardly.”

Poseidon raises his hand, and Lance himself turns into water. After a moment his form solidifies back into flesh, and he falls to the floor, clutching his chest.

“Lance!” The girl shouts.

The brute moves toward Poseidon, but Lance holds him back. “You just showed me the ocean, all of it.”

“I showed you my kingdom.” Poseidon replies.

Lance gets to his feet, anger on his face. “This does not make you any father to me.”

“Good, it would be kinda awkward, since we’re like, the same age and everything.”

“Now explain to me how this boy could be Aether.” Lance challenges.

Without thinking I command the light in the room to grow in intensity before shutting it off completely. When all is black my body gives off a white light. The strangers shield their eyes and when I feel satisfied I return everything to normal.

Lance’s lower lip trembles, his denial fighting against our proof. He gets down into the chair opposite me, and rests his chin on the backs of his hands.

“�"los o kósmos mou échei klonisteí.” He says.

“Forgive me, I do not know your language.” I tell him.

He looks up at me, “You seem very human. Even considering...”

“We believe my godhood was taken from me. This quest of ours is to find a way to get it back.”

“A god can become mortal?” He asks.

I spread my hands, “So it would seem. Though my memory has also been stolen.”

“An amnesiac god on a quest.” He says. “The gods do not quest. They send mortals to do their work for them.”

“I am mortal now.” I say, “Circumstances have rendered certain things necessary.”

A thundering crash comes from outside. Lance and I jump to our feet and race outside to the edge of the ship. In the water I find Lance’s ship being torn apart by the remaining nereids.

“My ship!” Lance cries. His face becomes enraged and he pulls a pistol from his belt. He raises it at the nereids and a blast sharper than that of lightning comes from it. I watch as a small piece of metal shoots from the barrel with a blast of fire accompanying it. The bullet soars and at the end of its flight it finds itself embedded in the head of one of the nereids. He fires six more bullets, and after the ringing in my ears stops I again look over the side to see nothing more than blue blood mixing with the black water.

The remains of the ship are a few floating pieces of white wood and a single empty bag of burlap. Lance holsters the gun and leans over the railing.

“That ship was my livelihood.” He says, his voice quiet. “So many memories in it.”

“My condolences.” I offer. He nods, but does not respond.

I hear a rumbling noise from him. He grimaces as his hand moves to his stomach. A groan escapes his lips and he shudders violently.

“When was the last time you ate?” I ask.

He shakes his head, “I’m not sure, a few days.”

“Days?” I repeat. He nods. I realize I have not yet eaten today, nor has Solution. My stomach rumbles as if in agreement with Lance’s.

“Come with me.” I say to him.

“For what?” He asks.

“You are now my guest.” I say, “We are going to feed you and your companions.”

“Why?”

I offer him a smile, “Because, I have a good feeling about you.”

 

 ɂɂɂ

 

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Maranda says.

“Me too.” Luke agrees.

“I’m not sure what you want from me.” Zayin responds. “I don’t have the ability nor the desire to lead these people. They feel like they need a leader, but any skilled candidate is gone.”

“Here’s something else.” Maranda says, “What happened to Ana? Or Triton?”

Zayin shakes his head. “I’m not sure. I don’t believe she’s dead. Maybe…maybe she’s with Aether.”

“You’re worried about her.” Jack notices.

“Of course I’m worried about her.” Zayin says, “She’s like a little sister to me and Darren said she was ‘just gone’. I’m worried out of my head.”

“What about Triton?”

“He vanished shortly after Aether did.” Zayin realizes. “I can’t even guess.”

“There’s also that stuff with the Dark God.” Luke says.

“He seemed too friendly.” Todd finally speaks up.

“Why was he so nice?” Maranda wonders.

“I’m always nice.” Barth’s voice comes from the entrance of the forge. “You mortals just don’t get to see my softer side.”

The people in the room freeze, unsure of what to do.

“Relax.” Barth changes his shape into that of Erebus. “Guess that disguise is useless now. Shame, I kinda liked it.”

“What are you doing here?” Zayin demands.

“So hostile. And after everything I did for you.” He says.

“What have you ever done for me?”

“Giving you my blood. Letting you keep Aether’s staff. For instance.”

“To what end?”

“I believed in you.” He answers, “I knew that you could become something special and you did not disappoint. What else can you do?”

Zayin unsheathes the staff from his back, “I could shove this up your a*s.”

“Now, now Zayin. Let’s not do anything we’ll regret. I have high hopes for you and your…humanity.”

“What the hell is going on?” Jack demands.

“I know what will happen.” Erebus answers, “I just wanted to let you know I’m excited to see it.”

Zayin is about to say something, but Erebus vanishes.

“What did he mean?” Maranda asks after a pause. “Can he see the future or something?”

“It isn’t unreasonable.” Zayin says. He turns back to the small group. What’s going to happen…what will?

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“Poseidon? I believe now is a good time to feed our guests.” I say as Lance and I reenter the room.

“Do what?” He replies.

“They are starving.” I tell him.

“Aether,” Chiron says, “I’m proud of your altruism, but…”

“But what?” I respond. “It is impolite to leave a guest hungry.”

“Uninvited guest.” Dionysus says.

“No longer.” I declare.

“Aether.” Lance says, “What do you expect us to eat? We have caught nothing on this fishing trip, and my comrades have found no food in this ship’s stores.”

Solution takes the horn of plenty from her bag and hands it to Poseidon.

“Ever seen a horn of plenty at work?” He asks Lance.

“A what?”

Poseidon does not answer, instead he points the horn at the table. From nothing an entire feast appears on its surface. Our guests stare at the food in shock, their eyes wide. This day has been full of surprises for them, I realize with a smile.

“I’m not hungry,” Poseidon says, “Dig in.”

“You offer us a feast from a magic horn, and you refuse to partake of it yourself? Do you think me a fool?”

“I would if you didn’t accept an oh so generous offer from a god who happens to be your father.” Poseidon replies, handing the horn back to Solution.

Lance is about to respond, when the girl cuts him off, “Lance, the old stories are full of terrible punishments for refusing offers from the gods.” She looks at the food and swallows, “This feast is a most gracious offer, the likes of which we have never seen. It would be foolish of us not to eat.”

“Huh,” Poseidon says, “So one of you does have some sense. What’s your name, girl?”

“Kara.” She answers, “Daughter of Athena.”

A shudder runs through me and I lock eyes with Solution.

“And who’s the silent one?” He asks.

“He is Demos, son of Ares.” Kara says.

“Why can’t he introduce himself?” Poseidon asks.

“He was muted at a young age; a satyr cut his tongue out.” For proof, he opens his mouth and reveals a mess of scar tissue.

“Why?” I ask.

“Something about Demos offending Dionysus.” Kara responds.

“Huh?” Dionysus splutters.

“Enough chatter.” Chiron says, “Eat.”

“You wish for me to indulge my appetite while my people starve?” Lance replies.

Kara goes over to Lance and hits him on the head. He whirls on her, but she puts her hands on her hips and Lance backs down. He throws up his arms and Kara and Demos fall upon the table, eating like starving animals. Lance is hesitant at first, but soon he starts eating as well, albeit slower and with better manners than his friends.

Solution and Chiron join into the feast, and I pick at a plate of grapes.

“What is life like for your people?” Solution asks Lance.

“We live in hardship.” He answers, “Scraping by to find whatever food and shelter we can scrounge up.”

“We’re nomads.” Kara adds, pausing to breathe.

“Where are the rest of your people?” Chiron asks.

“Waiting for us ashore.” Lance responds, waiting to swallow his food before speaking. “We have been gone for two days, hoping to find food in the sea. But these waters provide nothing.” At these words he glares at Poseidon, who does not seem to notice.

“We will help you.” I say to them. “We will take you to your people and give you the horn of plenty.”

“Why would we do that?” Poseidon asks. “Sounds like a waste of time.”

I pause before answering, “Their boat was destroyed. Where do you expect them to go? Into the water?”

“You didn’t say they lost the boat.” He responds.

“The nereids destroyed it.” Lance informs them.

“Son of a b***h.” Poseidon faces Dionysus, and they share a silent exchange. Dionysus tries to convince him of something with his eyes, and Poseidon throws his arms in the air. “Fine, we’ll take you back to shore. As for the horn, we can get another one.”

“Thank you.” Lance says, going back to eating.

From deep within the bowels of the ship a scream pierces the air. It echoes across the sea, conveying sheer terror.

“What was that?” Lance asks.

“Ana!” I yell. I jump to my feet and bolt out of the door.

Bursting out of the captain’s chamber, I scan the deck, but see nothing. I rush down the stairwell, nearly tripping over the steps, and run down the second level of the ship. Beds line the walls, but I take no stock of them. At the end of the level is another stairwell, which I take down to the lowest part of the ship. The lowest level is a long and narrow corridor with various doors leading into many rooms.

I hear voices coming from behind one of the doors, and sprint my way down the hallway until I reach it. The voices are muffled, but I can hear that Ana is in duress. Fear making me hesitant, I open the door to a scene that will surely haunt me.  

In front of me, I see Ana and Nessus. Ana lies on the floor, her shirt in tatters and tears rolling down her face. Her right eye is bruised and she tries uselessly to strike him. The centaur keeps her from falling by holding her hair while he struggles to remove her skirt with his other hand, which she holds down tightly. Nessus laughs in obvious delight as she squeals out a sob.

“Come on, girly!” Nessus says, still laughing, “Just give in already.”

Ana spots me and cries out, “Help me, please!”

Nessus looks up, and annoyance crosses his face. He lets go of Ana, and she falls to the floor, curling into a tight ball. Nessus steps toward me, towering over me menacingly.

“You got a problem?” Nessus says, pushing me back into the hallway. He steps out and looks down his nose at me. “Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt a man when he’s…getting busy?”

“You…” I begin.

“Don’t worry.” He says, “Nothing’s happened yet. Just a little…foreplay.”

I want to say something, but rage and horror hold my tongue still. Nessus grabs me by the throat and lifts me into the air. He pulls me close to his ugly face and playfully snaps at my nose. He laughs loudly at my enraged expression.

“This is quite a girl you got here.” The centaur continues, “Not as curvy as Solution, but much cuter and a hell of a lot weaker. She’ll do just fine.”

At that I lose any semblance of control. White lines burn across my skin and Nessus’ eyes go wide. He drops me to the floor and rears up, trying to kick me with his hooves. I pull out my staff and whip it across his legs, he shouts in pain and I follow up the strike with one to his shoulder. Another to his front left knee, and as he drops to the ground I strike him on the head.

Nessus tries to rise up, but I hit him so hard both of his front legs break. He cries out in agony and I push the button. The staff extends into a spear, which I level at his head.

He looks up at me in anger. “I was gonna be gentle with her, but now forget that.”

I thrust the spear into his side. As hot blood cascades from the wound, he cries out. I take out the spear and stab it into where his two aspects meet. More blood pours out, turning his brown fur red. I remove the spear and again stab him, this time in the arm.

“Please, have mercy!” Nessus begs, all bravado vanished.

“You deserve no mercy for this.” I whisper. I plunge the spear into Nessus’ torso and his screams grow louder.

The white lines extend from my arms and travel down the staff. It glows white, and the shining lines spread throughout Nessus’ body. This pain is clearly too much for him, as he stops screaming, instead whimpering pathetically. The white lines condense around him and soon he is merely the shape of a pure white centaur.

“Please…spare me.” Nessus whines. I do not hear his words, and he erupts in a flash of blinding light.

I turn and see Poseidon and Chiron staring at me in horror.

“Aether,” Chiron says, “What have you done?”

“Get away.” I say, but they do not move, so I scream louder, “Get away!”

I can tell that the hallway is growing brighter with the light coming from my body. Both Poseidon’s and Chiron’s faces fill with terror, and they turn around, heading off quickly.

I drop the staff and the light in the hallway dims to what it was before. Going into the small room, I see Ana still lying on the floor, half-naked and hugging herself. I remove the coat from around my shoulders and place it like a blanket over the poor girl.

She looks up at me, and then into the hallway, where white soot marks the place where Nessus fell. “What happened?” she asks me.

“I destroyed him.” I answer, kneeling beside her.

I sit on the floor next to her, and she puts her head in my lap, she moves up closer and hugs me, still crying. “He…he was…he tried to…”

“I know Ana.” I respond, “But I took care of it, do not worry.”

Ana begins to cry harder, and I hold her close. What Nessus tried to do was beyond reprehensible. I hope his essence is burning in Tartarus right now, and whatever that means I hope it is horrible enough.

Ana and I sit that way for a long while, she cries and I stroke her head. Finally, she wraps the coat more closely around herself, and sits up. She looks me in the eye, and smiles.

“You tore him apart.” She says, “You really are my white panther.”

“White panther.” I repeat. “Is that what I am to you?”

Her smile dims, “Do you not like it?”

A smile spreads across my face, “I think it is cute, I love it.”

“You just saved me again, you know that?” she says.

“It would seem that I have.” I respond. “And I always shall, whenever you need me to.”

Suddenly, Ana leans forward and presses her lips to mine. Her kiss is more gentle than Solution’s. While Solution’s kiss was passionate and fiery, Ana’s is gentle and sweet.

I let her kiss me, and within seconds I find that I am kissing her back. Solution kept her kiss short and electrifying, Ana drags ours out, letting us both savor it.

After what feels like a long while, she pulls away, and her head falls onto my chest. I do not know what to say. Without a thought going through my mind, I find myself saying “Thank you.”

Ana giggles, then starts to laugh her sweet birdsong laugh, “Did you really just thank me?” she continues to laugh and I join in.

Ana hugs me again, and then gets to her feet shakily. She shudders upon seeing her tattered shirt on the floor. She attempts to pull the coat tighter around herself, but it is as tight as it can be. I put my hand on her pink hair and rub it.

“Worry not, Ana.” I say, “Nothing bad will ever happen to you again, so long as I can help it.” She smiles brightly up at me, and my heart fills with pure joy.

 

Author's Note

The parts in Greek I must admit came from Google translate. If you know Greek and can correct any mistakes for me, I would be highly appreciative. I hope you review and tell me what you think.