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Never again will I trust anyone. This I swore to myself, ever since Evadne, my twin sister, betrayed and murdered our family, the House of Apollo. In truth, she was not to blame. I was.
The story began with the birth of two daughters: Evadne and I, Zohar. For a decade, we lived with our extensive family, the House of Apollo. But Evadne and I harbored a dark secret: we were not of the Apollo bloodline. Our mother was, but our father came from the House of Phoenix, our deadliest rival. And so, as fate wills it, we were born half-light, and half-dark. Evadne was blessed enough to hold more light, but I was cursed with the dark. And that alone made me an object of suspicion and animosity in the House of Apollo. Evadne was accepted; I was not.
For my entire life, I was forced to live in a tiny, dilapidated shack in the edge of the ancient, mysterious forest that stood alone to our west. I was only given leftovers for food when I was small, if there were any. When I reached 8 years of age, they told me to grow my own food. A young woman, enslaved from the House of Phoenix, was sent to take care of me as a child. I called her Amaltheia.
Amaltheia became more than just my guardian; she took the place of my mother, who had been murdered by her siblings. Amaltheia taught me magic, not only the basics and the advanced, but the secret, dark magic that her House practiced. I loved her as a mother, but of course my family noticed how close the slave and I had become. When I turned 10, they murdered her, and what is more, Evadne volunteered to do it.
I couldn’t control my anger when I realized what had happened. The dark blood in my veins overcame the light, and I lost all thoughts of mercy. Driven by grief and hatred, I took a grievous revenge. I summoned the dark magic that Amaltheia had taught me, and blindly choked my heartless sister with the torturous, unrelenting forces of darkness until finally, she lost her mind altogether. Upon waking, she called to the great dark lord Phoenix himself, and together, they massacred the entire House of Apollo. Then she disappeared with Phoenix, and I was left with the fruits of my revenge.
I was happy. My oppressors were gone, my wicked sister out of my mind, and Amaltheia avenged. I abandoned that miserable shack and settled in the forest, running free as the huntress does. For 7 years, I lived in bliss, among the trees and the wild animals. I never had to deal with another human, until I met Raiden.
~**~
It was nighttime when I found him on the ground, with the howling fury of a summertime hurricane overhead. He’d apparently been struck by a bolt of lightning. His skin bore charcoal-black singe marks, his hair stood on end, and a faint smell of sulfur hung in the heat surrounding him. As I regarded his unconscious form, shrouded in the nighttime darkness, I wondered what to do. I hadn’t met another human in 7 years, but I couldn’t leave him there to die. Could I?
Nah. The light in my blood pushed me into performing a hasty spell to lift his body into the air. After conjuring a thick umbrella to cover him, I silently towed my luggage to my new home.
I’d adopted it as my home after I’d left that decrepit old hut. It was a half-circle of towering pine and cedar trees, situated in a small clearing in the heart of the forest. The slick leaves brushed gently against my face as I set the strange young man onto a thick, warm blanket. I set about tending to his various wounds, healing him of the shock of the lightning, and just when I was about to go to sleep myself, I saw his neck. On it was the inscribed insignia of the House of Apollo.
My hand automatically went to my own neck, where I had stripped the tattoo off myself. How could there be a survivor? Evadne had killed everyone, hadn’t she? Unwillingly, my hand traveled to his neck, and touched the insignia. It was a simple rendition of the sun, with an eight-sided star in the middle. A strange tingling swept through my fingers. I felt my blood stirring, the light in joy, the dark in hatred. Frowning, I turned away and settled onto a blanket of my own. I eventually fell asleep, with the fierce force of the hurricane fading into a cold, wet rain.
~**~
It was around afternoon when my houseguest woke up. Good thing, too; I was curious. I wanted to know how he had lived.
“Top o’ the morning, stranger!” I said brightly to his hunched form. I had just returned from the river to find him sitting up, gazing around with an impassive expression. He turned his head, and raised his eyebrows when he saw me.
“Good morning, I think,” he replied uncertainly. I smirked, then sat down in front of him, studying him.
He had a strong face, young and alert, and his eyes were a shocking electric blue. He sported long tresses of dirty blond hair. He seemed to be about as tall as me, and from first sight, I could see that he had hard, compact musculature. He looked pretty impressive, but I wasn’t buying his intelligence. After all, the idiot had been wandering around the forest in the middle of a hurricane with copper armor on.
“So, mind telling me the fascinating story of how you managed to end up here of all places in this world?” I asked.
He chose not to answer. “Who are you?” he asked instead.
“True, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Zohar, and that’s all you need to know.”
At the mention of Zohar, his eyes widened. “Zohar? That means “light”! You’re a member of the Apollo bloodline too, aren’t you?”
“Past tense, bud. I was, before everybody kicked the bucket. Look, I’d rather not get into my personal history. I’d rather get into yours. How in hell did you survive the destruction of that House?”
“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? I managed to escape.” he replied.
I looked at him carefully. I admit, I was interested. How could anyone have survived Evadne’s madness, my revenge? “What’s your name?” I asked.
“Raiden.”
~**~
After that fascinating round of discussion, Raiden seemed to have taken my hospitality straight to his heart. He followed me around everywhere I went, staring, staring, and staring. Now, you‘ve got to understand, I’m not exactly the ugliest girl in the world. My hair was long and black, with a grey sheen. My eyes were as black as the night, and pretty big too. I was a bit slimmer than I would like, but I had muscles. Plenty of them too, as Raiden soon found out.
“Look you little Satan, or whatever your name is!” I glowered down at his prostrate form. I’d just knocked him to the ground, you see.
“Raiden. My name is Raiden!”
“Same difference!” I threw up my hands. “I’m only allowing you to stay with me until you recover. Then, you’re out of here, got me?”
He was sitting up now, and looked up at me with a careful expression. “Why?” he asked.
“Because I don’t want you to be anywhere me!”
“Why?”
“Because you’re an annoying little twerp!”
“Why?”
I growled. “Alright, you asked for it!”
Seconds later, I settled down to enjoy the sight of Raiden’s toenails shooting up into his nostrils. He didn’t go out without a fight though. He managed to pull off a neat trick of his own, sending a shock of lightning straight towards my face before collapsing on the ground, gritting his teeth in pain. I dodged easily enough, but I was impressed. This guy knew how to fight.
I let him stew in his agony for a few moments before I released the spell. He sat up, glaring at me over his swollen nose. I was too busy laughing, so I didn’t notice when he crept to my side and slid his sword out of its sheath.
I only noticed when he brought the sword down. By then, it was a bit too late to avoid his attack. I gasped as searing pain flashed over my ribs. The blade had broken them, and now hung limply from my flesh, blood gushing down its length. I heard Raiden catch his breath and crawl back, and I knew why: my blood was black instead of red, and now it pulsed with a hypnotizing violet.
My abrupt anger made me forget all about my wound. I stood up, towering over Raiden. I raised my hand to kill him when suddenly, I stopped. Raiden’s eyes traveled from my outstretched hand to my blood, and his eyes widened with shock. The black now pulsed with white, and as he watched, my arm fell to my side and I crumpled to the ground.
I hadn’t counted on help from the lug, but help he did indeed. Scrambling to my side, he tore off the sleeve of his tunic and wrapped it around my waist, pulling it tight enough to constrict my shattered ribs. I didn’t make a sound, and just watched him will dull eyes as he carried me to my blanket. He raised his eyes to mine and said quietly, “So, you’re that Zohar. The traitor.”
I didn’t answer, but just closed my eyes and went to sleep. I dreamed of that horrible night, when Amaltheia had been murdered, and I had tortured Evadne to insanity. The carnage of the House of Apollo came back to me, but this time tinged with guilt. I could have saved them. I would have let the elders die, the ones that had mistreated me so horribly, but what of the children? They were innocent; it was only their parents’ actions that had brought death upon them. I tried to argue with myself that they would have treated me better because I would have saved them, but I knew in my heart that no matter what, I would always be hated, wherever I went.
And so, with that wretched truth hanging in my mind, I slept. Only when I woke up did I realize the tears trickling from my eyes.
~**~
I slept until dusk, when I awoke to the sound of an eerie sound reverberating through the forest. Clutching my side, I hobbled over to Raiden where he knelt tensely in the underbrush. He didn’t look up at me as I approached. I knew instantly that now he knew who I was, he hated me as much as the rest. Probably more, seeing as it was my fault that his entire family died. Suddenly, the ache in my chest got worse. I was confused as to why, but then found myself wondering whether or not he knew the entire truth of why I had killed the House of Apollo.
“What’s that noise?” I asked in a whisper.
“I don’t know, but I saw something dark stalking around the camp,” he replied coldly.
I hissed in an impatient breath. “Oh, that’s great sentry duty! ‘Something dark!’ ”
His jaw tightened. “Just because you can do magic doesn’t mean that you’re the strongest, deadliest person around here, you know!” He sounded angry.
Just then, a new voice sounded behind us. “Quite right, young man. I am.”
Instinctively, Raiden attacked. He hurled to his feet and lunged viciously at the cloaked figure, but I managed to grab him in time. I hauled him behind me, and quickly worked the strongest shield spell I could manage with my wound.
Why? Because I already knew that voice. That voice from 7 years ago…
“Evadne.”
“Yes, Zohar. It is good to see you.”
“I‘ll have to disagree with that.”
~**~
I stood there, watching the two stare at each other. They looked exactly alike, with black grey-sheened hair and large, dark eyes. But somehow, they were different. Maybe it was that quiet anger in Zohar’s eyes, or the dark, impassive expression on the other woman’s face. “Evadne,” Zohar had called her. That mean “light” also. I recalled what my adopted uncle had told me. “Watch out for yourself, my boy. That Zohar killed your entire family, and she’ll kill you.”
My hand went to my sword, but Zohar lifted a hand to stop me. I relented, watching her as she spoke.
“I know what you’re here for. Phoenix wants me join him, right?” she said this with steely disgust.
Evadne smirked. “Of course. What else?” Her voice was feminine, with a heinous undertone. Devilish.
“Yeah? Well, go to hell!” A great, dark wind slashed down on Evadne, lifting the soil into a screaming whirlwind. Evadne swirled around, whipping a counterspell. But when the turmoil died down, we were long gone.
~ **~
I knew that I would never have a chance against Evadne in my current form. My strength was waning fast, my magic exhausted. I quickly worked a diversion to block us from sight, grabbed Raiden, and desperately conjured a teleport in the ground. Shoving him through, I followed suit.
We appeared in front of a large temple, built with snowy white marble. Elaborate columns supported the gables, and the Apollo crest protruded from the head of the oaken double-doors. Twinkling gems lined the ridges, and the wide curving stairs led through to a long, wondrous hall of splendor. I had taken us to the Temple of Apollo.
We hastened inside. The early dawn’s golden sunlight streamed in from the large, arched windows. The ceiling was carved with the tale of Apollo, and in the center, surrounded by a ring of columns, was a magnificent engraving of the sun. It was from this that a pillar of silver light shone down on the great throne of Apollo. A seemingly life-like statue of the great god himself sat serenely in the throne, staring ahead with stony, solemn eyes. A small fountain made of sapphire stood at his feet, but it was empty. It was here I stopped, Raiden beside me.
Slowly, I took off the strip of cloth around my waist. My strange blood began trickling again, and I winced as I heard the crunch of bone. My ribs still hadn’t healed completely, even with the help of my healing blood. I’d have to do something about that. I created a chalice of beaten gold, and filling it with my blood, emptied it into the fountain. Then I knelt down and began to pray.
I prayed for help against the Lord Phoenix and my sister Evadne. I prayed that I might someday find respite in this hateful word. I asked the same for Raiden, who stood in silence.
The light overhead intensified, and the fountain began streaming jets of molten silver. I took it as sign of acceptance. Relieved, I nodded to Raiden, and limped out the door.
I finally took a rest in a pavilion in front of the temple. I took a seat on a large, circular stone, and gestured to Raiden to sit down. He didn’t though, but stood in front of me, blue eyes flashing.
“The moment of truth,” I groaned and passed a hand over my hair. “Alright, fire away.”
He disappointed me. “Why haven’t you killed me yet?” he demanded.
……
What, tell me, what do you say to something like that?
I peered up at him. “Why would I kill you?” I wanted to know.
“You murdered your own family, you bitch!” he spat. “Why wouldn’t you?!”
That got to me. “Oh, bitch, am I?” I straightened. “Murderer, am I? What would you know about it, boy? Do you think it was my fault that I was treated worse than an animal, just because what I was born? Do you think it was my fault that your family killed my mother and my father, and left me to take care of myself when I was only a child? Do you think it was MY fault that they murdered the only person who ever cared for me?”
I was on my feet now. My hands grabbed his collar and shook him hard. I was yelling. “Do you think it was my fault that my own family kept me imprisoned in a miserable old shack, kept me starved and weak, beat me whenever they wanted to? Do you?”
Raiden took my hands off his collar, but held them. “What happened?” he asked in a low voice.
“They never mistreated Evadne, just because her dark blood never showed. They hated me because mine did! They sent a slave to take care of me, because it was my mother’s last wish. A slave from the House of Phoenix. Amaltheia, I called her.” Angry tears streamed from my eyes. “She loved me, took care of me. She acted like my mother, but then they killed her! Evadne killed her! My own sister!” I wrenched my hands from his and flung them in the direction of the forest. “I took my revenge, drove her mad. She killed the House of Apollo, not me! But I was glad she did. They deserved to die! All of them!”
Raiden grabbed me again. “Why did you pray for me, then?”
“Because it’s not your fault that you don’t have a family! It’s mine! I know what it’s like to be left alone. I didn’t want the same for you. So I did what I could. Happy?” My throat was sore from shouting. I slowly calmed as he placed his arms around me.
“Yeah. I’m sorry.” he said quietly. I laid my head on his shoulder, suddenly very tired. Then, he asked, “Evadne’s your sister?”
I chuckled. “Yeah. That’s the bitch you’re looking for.”
~**~
Over the course of the next couple hours, we came to know each other. Raiden told me of how he had survived, by putting up a pretense of a bloody death. Evadne and the Lord Phoenix, it seemed, had passed right by him, coldly unconcerned with the supposedly dead body. I admitted that it was smart; well, smarter than trying to flee or fighting back. It had definitely saved him.
In my turn, I told him about my long past, of how my trouble started even before I was born. I told him long, wistful stories of Amaltheia and our eventful adventures together. When times were grim for us, even when we were starving and our muscles throbbing with the pain of many beatings, Amaltheia’s dry wit and cheerful reassurance pulled me through. I described my surrogate mother; her short, chestnut-brown hair, her curved brown eyes, and the thin, lean frame that had always stood between me and whatever misfortune came knocking. I talked about how she had taught me magic, and those exciting lessons of the darkest, deadliest magic, that of the House of Phoenix. Raiden and I spoke long, and it was only when the sun hovered in the middle of the sky did we finally drift off to sleep.
I dreamed something I never thought I would dream. As my unconscious mind took over my perceptions, the mental haze in my head cleared to reveal Raiden and I inside the Temple of Apollo. We stood before Apollo, but this was no statue. Apollo himself had come.
Apollo wasn’t in any hurry. He stood up from his radiant throne, a tall, golden personage with bright, long hair softly tied back. His robe of the sun blinded us, and only the vivid, intense silver light falling from the carving overhead enabled us to see.
Apollo first faced Raiden, and spoke softly. I couldn’t hear them, but the more I tried to listen in, the harder it became. Finally, I gave up altogether and simply stood, basking in the radiance of the sun god.
Almost at once, Apollo turned and smiled faintly at me. It made me feel better; the House of Apollo had been cruel, tyrannical idiots, but perhaps Apollo understood my plight, and my position in it.
He spoke to me then. I stood calmly, letting the soft, yet great, deep notes wash over my surrounding serenity. He didn’t say much, though.
“Zohar, you have been wronged all your life. Now is the time that you be given what you have been denied.”
That was it. I even waited to make sure, but he said no more, except to give us a mission.
“I charge you both to take revenge, for your loved ones and yourselves. Farewell.” With that, he vanished in a soft haze of white and gold. A faint scent of summer flowers wafted through my senses, then I woke.
~**~
“What do we do now?” Raiden asked me.
“Let me look into my crystal ball,” was my sarcastic reply. To my annoyance, he only grinned through his blond hair. “What’s so funny?”
“You are just about the most intractable female I have ever met.”
Oddly, I saw the humor in it. “It’s in the genes, kid. My old man was a comedian.”
“Really?”
“No.”
He laughed and gave me a shove. I smiled to myself.
We were walking along the vast temple’s courtyard, being decidedly lazy. It was such a beautiful afternoon, a kind I hadn’t seen in a while. The sun shone with a cheerful, bright gleam. Huge, lustrous clouds curled up against a wistful blue sky. The long green grass brushed against my ankles, and I could hear the chattering of the birds. Most of all, there was Raiden beside me, laughing and talking. I’d found a friend, and that was something unexpected. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but the tangible warmth emanating from him wrapped around me, and I suddenly laughed, happiness bubbling even in the darkest pit of my heart. I knew that somehow, things would work out.
“Why are you laughing?” Raiden asked me.
“I haven’t felt this light since I don’t know when,” I answered.
He turned his head up to face the sky. I knew he was smiling as well. “Same.”
~**~
We would have stayed in that haven forever, but duty called. Late in the afternoon, we left the Temple of Apollo. Raiden and I didn’t quite know what to do at this point. I mean, really! Given a mission by a guy who wears a woman’s robe and long, bright hair to take our revenge and kill some old, evil maniac who never had a life along with a traitor of my twin sister?! It wasn’t something I’d ever imagined doing. All in all, our condition didn’t make for the most fascinating conversation in the world.
“Where do we go?” Raiden asked, gazing around us.
“If I knew, I would tell you,” I answered. Turning around, I shaded my eyes against the now setting sun. By temporarily possessing the visions of a few birds overhead, I saw the forest to our northwest. Well, why not?
“Heya, Raiden?” I called.
“Yeah?”
“Since we have absolutely no plan at all, why don’t we just go back?”
“To the temple?” He gave me a confused look.
“No, I mean the forest,” I amended.
“Ah… I’m not so sure about that!”
I glanced at him. “Why?”
“Well, Phoenix and Evadne probably set up a trap. They’d expect us to go back, wouldn’t they?”
I mulled it over. “True, but then, where do we go if not there?”
He frowned. “I think, Zohar, we’d better visit Rosalind.”
~**~
“Wow!” I commented.
Raiden didn’t respond. He stood there, gaping. After some awkward moments, I waved a hand over his face, unsure of his sanity level.
“Hello? Anybody home? Mother Earth to Raiden, come in Raiden?”
He swatted my hand away, annoyed. “I can’t believe it!”
“I sure can. It’s really an improvement, if you look at it in an environmental way.”
We stood at the edge of Rosalind, what was left it. *note to confuzzled readers: Rosalind is the capital of the land*
The towering castles, domes, and spires of the largest city in our world lay in ruins all over the Earth. Massive blocks of stone blown apart were scattered everywhere. The houses were all demolished. Only the monument of Zeus, patron of the city, stood untouched. Beside him, the city lay destroyed.
“Okay, so Phoenix thought of that plan too,” I concluded. “What now, O Guru‘s Wisdom?”
“Well, it’s obvious! Come on, let’s go!” Raiden was already running into the city.
Startled, I propelled after him. “Where?” I shouted.
His reply floated back to me. “To Zeus!”
~**~
We’d reached the great statue, and I had sat down on the ash-laden ground, watching Raiden scrutinize Zeus.
“What are you looking for?” I asked him.
“Quiet! I’m trying to concentrate!”
Unnaturally obedient, I shut my mouth. I could wait, I thought. Suddenly, I saw something unexpected. Or not…
Scrambling to my feet, I yanked Raiden away from the statue.
“Hey!”
“Hay’s for horses,” I informed him. Then I pointed above. Raiden looked up.
The air around Zeus was starting to glimmer. Two forms appeared. I tensed, thinking of Phoenix and Evadne, but I told myself I had nothing to fear. As it turned out, I didn’t.
“Calm down, Zohar. You have nothing to fear,” Apollo informed me. The irony, I thought.
Standing before us were the two famed twins, Apollo and his sister Artemis. I stared at Artemis, who I’d never seen before.
She was dressed in a silver tunic that reached her knees, with crisscrossing black lines and embossed with a crescent moon. Her golden hair was tied back in a spiky ponytail. A large silver bow hung around her neck, and wickedly sharp silver arrows were strapped to her back. “Nice outfit,” I complimented her.
Unexpectedly, she grinned. “Thanks.”
Raiden coughed lightly. “Um, can we help you?”
“Au contraire; we are here to help you,” Artemis replied.
Apollo nodded. “You can see that Phoenix and Evadne have already been here. They have killed thousands of innocent people, and doubtless they will again. You must stop them.”
“Why can’t you? You’re gods, surely you can beat the heck out of him!”
“Olympus conduct does not allow us to fight each other,” Artemis informed me.
I was bewildered. “I don’t see Phoenix following Olympus conduct.”
“Yes, but Phoenix is not of the Olympian bloodline. He does not feel obliged to follow the rule of Zeus,” Apollo said.
“Ahem! If he’s going to kill everybody, surely Zeus can make an exception?”
Artemis shrugged. “If the gods fight, we will start an inevitable war. Humans won’t.”
“Oh, that’s very fine and noble!” I fumed. “You just don’t want to get your butts handed to you!”
Raiden punched me. “Sorry sir, madam. You were saying?”
Artemis snickered, but sobered at Apollo’s glance. “We are not completely ignorant. To help you, we will give you our weapons. They will help vanquish Phoenix for good.” So saying, brother and sister slung their bows and arrows over their heads and handed them to us. Raiden and I took them, dazed. With that, the twins disappeared. Suddenly, Artemis reappeared.
“As an afterthought….” she snapped her fingers, and our clothes were suddenly replaced with new ones. “Good luck.” She vanished again.
I glanced down at myself. I was now dressed in a short, sleeveless tunic, made of a strange fabric. I touched it; it felt cold and hard. Mail armor, so fine it looked like cloth. Hanging down my back was a thin red cloak, presumably more armor. My hair was swung up in a spiky ponytail not unlike Artemis. Hanging from my neck was a serpent necklace, one I’d only seen Amaltheia wear. I knew that advanced magicians used it to store magic over time.
I sensed Raiden staring at me. I returned his scrutiny. He was dressed similarly, except his armor was blue, and his cloak black. His hair had been left down.
“Funky girl, isn’t she?” I asked him. He laughed.
~**~
With our new attire and weapons, we left for the forest, where we thought we could find Phoenix and Evadne. Raiden thought I should use the portal like last time, but I knew it would cost me a lot of magic to bend space, all of which I needed, so I settled for flying.
“This is crazy!” Raiden shouted to me.
“Yeah, it’s really fun!” I returned.
Okay, so maybe conjuring a gigantic bird to carry us there wasn’t a very smart method. But hey, who was the magician here?
Dangling crazily from the sharp claw, Raiden didn’t look very happy. He opened his mouth to complain some more, but I didn’t listen. I had my hands full.
Guiding the bird was no easy task. First, I had to see where we had to go, and the weather wasn’t cooperating. Rain, rain, and more rain. How was I supposed to see where we were going if sheets of rain were pouring everywhere? My magic couldn’t stop the weather! And the second annoyance: Raiden’s hair. It was flying everywhere, into my face, into the birds’ faces. I tried to quickly cut it off with my magic, but I only succeeded in slashing the bird’s leg, which squawked angrily. Losing my patience, I abandoned our course.
“Hey, where are we going?” Raiden asked loudly.
“Shut up, I’m trying to concentrate!” I stared hard through the rain and the web of tree trunks, thinking. Whizzing through, I led the bird out of the forest. Coasting along the edge, I finally gave the bird the sign to stop, in front of an old hut, dead and abandoned.
Jumping down from the bird’s grasp, I pushed Raiden through. I waved my hand, and the bird vanished. Then I stepped in myself.
~**~
“I never thought I’d have to come here again,” I said glumly.
“Is this where you lived?” Raiden asked, looking around.
“Yeah, where I was forced to live.” Getting up, I looked out the window. Amaltheia’s gravestone was still there. I turned back to look at my old home.
It wasn’t much. Only a large blanket spread on the grimy wooden floor, and a large wicker basket where we kept our stuff. I remembered Amaltheia making it invisible every time my family came to make sure we were suffering miserably. Reaching out, I opened it and looked inside.
There was only one thing: Amaltheia’s serpent necklace. I took off the one Artemis had given me, and replaced it with Amaltheia’s. It tingled with the magic Amaltheia had put into it. I felt stronger, ready to face Phoenix and Evadne. Well, almost. I glanced slyly at Raiden, who was still looking around. He caught my gaze. “What?” he asked, looking unnerved.
~**~
“I can’t believe you did that!” Raiden grumped.
“Trust me, kid, I’m not about to let your hair mess up our mission,” I returned.
He glared at me over the mirror I was holding up. His ungodly long hair had been shortened by two feet, courtesy of none other than me. Short, blond spikes flopped around his head. “I liked my hair the way it was!” he snapped.
“Aw, come on, cheer up! Besides, you look cute!” He froze and blushed at my words. I rolled my eyes, and stood up. “Come on, I think the rain’s getting worse. We’d better get going before this old hut collapses.”
Before I could reach the door, he caught me. “Hey!” I was surprised.
“Hay is for horses,” he informed me, turning me around. Before I knew it, his arms slid around me, and his lips covered mine.
~**~
A blast of dark magic suddenly exploded through the hut, interrupting our little moment. I threw my cloak over us both as the violent impact sent us crashing through the wood and onto the ground some yards away. I felt splintered wood thundering over us, yet miraculously, the cloak protected us from harm. Raiden and I glanced at each other.
“God, they have perfect timing,” he grumbled.
“Shut up,” I told him. “You’ll get a chance after this.”
“I’m holding you to that,” he warned. I didn’t answer as we scrambled to our feet. The hut was ablaze with dark flames, and in front of us stood our enemy.
~**~
The Lord Phoenix’s dress sense was a study. He was dressed in the classic vampire outfit: glossy black tuxedo, with a red cape and even a rose in the buttonhole. He had on a iron black helmet, with dozens of spikes protruding from the crown. In his hand hung what looked like a nunchaku, but with odd yellow and green studs on each stick. He looked like an idiot, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.
“You look like an idiot.” Okay, so maybe I did tell him that. It was stupid, but what could I do? Telling the truth is the right thing to do, right?
His helmet turned toward me. “Now you will die!”
“Oh, I’ve got to see this.” That came from the woman standing beside him. Evadne.
She was dressed similarly, except for a long gray skirt instead of trousers. She casually brushed off some wood fragments from the fabric. I could swear she was smirking, even with that helmet on. She sported a ridiculously large mace.
“You both look like idiots,” Raiden commented. I could see him tightening his grip on his sword. He threw me a meaningful glance, and I understood: save the bows and arrows for last. If they knew we had the divine weapons, they would not give us any chances; the light was fatal for them.
I conjured two long, sturdy scimitars, brandishing them fiercely.
Evadne snickered at me. “Really, sister! You could not hope to match our power!”
“Oh yeah?” I replied. “Show me, you batty old shadow!”
~**~
Maybe it wasn’t smart to insult them. You see, in the House of Phoenix, calling a dark magician a shadow is one of the worst insults you could give, for the bizarre reason that it implies the magician is unworthy of darkness, and is really a fraud, nothing but light trash. Amaltheia had taught me that, and she had later sincerely regretted ever doing so, but that is beside the point.
“You little brat!” Phoenix lunged forward, hurling his nunchaku around my throat. I just managed to throw up my scimitars to block the chain from slicing through my throat. Behind me, I sensed Raiden fighting with Evadne. I tore my mind away from him, though, and concentrated on dodging another assault.
~**~
Exhilarating stuff, it was. Hand to hand combat, with some magic and blood thrown in. Fantastic stuff, really. Only one itty bitty teeny problem: Raiden couldn’t do magic; the least he could do was toss up some measly little sparks, courtesy of his encounter with that bolt of lightning. So it was only in a matter of minutes that I had grabbed a dazed Raiden and was dragging him with me as I backed away from the advancing Phoenix and Evadne, both of them crowing with triumph.
“Now you will die!” Phoenix held up his nunchaku, gloating.
I quickly checked Raiden over; he was still fazed after his brush with Evadne’s dark magic, but I knew he’d be okay. Time, I thought. I just need some time.
“Is that your battle motto? Pathetic! Here, let me give you some advice: never go for the stereotypical ending. It ruins the moment.”
He growled. “What would you know about being pathetic?”
I exaggerated a huge grin. “Exactly, I don’t know a thing about it. It’s pretty obvious you do.”
“I‘ll have your head for that!” he screamed.
Uh oh… Maybe I should polish up on politeness. Eh, nah! Insulting is more fun.
“Yeah, and what’s with the pretty little flower? Can I have it?” I asked sardonically, discretely shaking Raiden to awareness in the meanwhile.
“Shut up!”
“Oh, please? With sugar on top?” I wheedled.
“You’re asking for it!”
“Duh! Does ‘please’ ring a bell in that ugly coconut of yours?”
“You’ve got some nerve!” He was getting pretty mad. I was astonished; this guy was supposed to be the deadliest guy on the block, but he was pretty stupid. Ah, must be in the genes.
“Come on, tall, dark, and gruesome! Give me all you got!”
“ARR!!” he screamed, lunging forward. Evadne followed, bearing that menacingly large and spiky mace. I gulped. Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not the brightest candle on the table. But at least I have some intelligence.
Hurriedly, I threw our cloaks over us. I wasn’t absolutely sure if the armor would be strong enough, but I had faith in Apollo and Artemis. But I saw that the magical mail wasn’t going to hold against their strength, coupled with their magic. Quickly, I garbled out a quick spell of strengthening, but by doing so, I was draining myself of energy. I fought to keep it up; if I didn’t, we’d both die.
Just when I was about to say my prayers, Raiden reached out to me. I gasped as his hazy eyes tried to focus on my face. Reaching out, he touched Amaltheia’s necklace. Of course! I mentally slapped myself. I held up the serpent necklace, took a breath, then drew out the stored magic within.
Both the cloak and necklace began to pulse with energy. The spell I was creating to strengthen the armor was drawing on the powerful magic. As soon as the spell was done, our enemies hit us.
I heard gasps from Phoenix and Evadne, and I knew what had happened. Instead of the weapons running through us, the impenetrable metal had abruptly stopped the force, sending it straight back at them. They were stunned by the immense force of their own hit. Grinning, I threw the armored cloak off, and brought out Artemis’ silver bow and arrows. Beside me, Raiden was already aiming Apollo’s golden weapon.
Our arrows flew straight and true, with light trailing behind them. I launched at least a dozen, more than eager to be rid of the two forever. The arrows flew right through the dark, evil bodies, like a knife through butter. Gaping holes, tinged with the pure light, sunk into the horrified villains. Evadne desperately blasted us with darkness, but the light blocked it and swallowed them whole. They were gone.
“And that is why you should never try to run through strong metal with weaker metal,” I commented.
“A job well done.”
We spun around. Behind us materialized our favorite twins, Apollo and Artemis. Artemis glanced at me ruefully. “I see you were exceptionally eager to use my arrows.”
I gave a careful cough. “Well, it was a majestic weapon and I, um, just got carried away, I guess.”
She half-smiled. “Acceptable excuse.”
I bowed. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Apollo was smiling. “Wonderful work, you two. I am in your debt. I will do what you can to repay you.”
I raised a hand. “How about a big bath and a tub of chocolate chip vanilla cookie dough ice cream?”
Apollo laughed. “I’m afraid you’ll have to stick with a prosperous and happy life.”
I grinned. “That’ll do!”
~**~
After the twins had reclaimed their weapons, thanked us once more, then left, I stretched. Dawn was approaching. “All in a day’s work, eh Raiden?”
He didn’t answer, but suddenly slumped to the ground, eyes closed.
“Raiden?” I knelt over him, reaching to take his pulse, when suddenly his arm shot around me. Pulling me down beside him, he held me close.
“You owe me that kiss, remember?” His voice was deep.
“Yeah, unfortunately.” I smiled.
~**~
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