Olympiad is Falling, The Rise of Artemis

It had to be passed midnight and I couldn’t sleep. I kept tossing and turning in the small cabin given to me by our hosts who had generously fed me. It was one of the best meals I had in years and also the first meal I had in days. Orion had been given a cabin too, I couldn’t figure out his relationship with Scylla. It seemed like she hated his guts. He could be a brut sometimes I wondered what he did.

That wasn’t what was keeping me up at night, though. In the middle of the night alone with my thoughts I was coming to the conclusion Rocky might really be dead. There was nothing left for me back at the mage dimension. Then I thought about Daylen and the mages who suffered there.

I was a goddess something I came to terms with when I healed a forest and spoke with my twin brother. I was a goddess and I was sure there was a tone to learn but one thing I was certain about was I had to do something. I wasn’t sure about Daylen… I hadn’t even told him what I was. Would he believe me or think I was crazy?

Then there was the complex of us. If the mage dimension was safe again would there be an us? Would I be able to stand him? I almost gave him a part of me I held sacred for my whole life. I didn’t even regret letting him get that close.

Okay, Daylen made up a bulk of the reason I couldn’t sleep. Still going back to fight for the mage dimension and finding Stella were important too. The fact is I couldn’t stay here and hide which was what Orion wanted. He wanted to be ready for when he was called to go back to Olympiad and fight. I had to fight too.

I kicked the blankets off and darted out of my room. He and I needed to talk either that or I needed to learn how to conjure up a portal and bust out of here. A soft stroke of wind wrapped around me like a hug the second I walked out of the cabin. I wanted to hug them back but I was faced with thin air. It lasted no longer than a few seconds.

I think I had an encounter with someone. I shook it off and pressed on to Orion’s cabin. I stopped short of the dark cabin a few hundred feet from mine. I cringed, I guess I had an idea of the nature of Orion and Scylla’s relationship.

I didn’t need to see it the sound of skin smacking against skin and heavy moaning said it all. Orion’s cabin was a no go area. I backed away as quickly as I could, Scylla’s moaning getting smaller as I returned back to mine.

“Can’t sleep your highness?”

I whirled to find Eager, wandering around with his stick, pipe stuck in the side of his lip. I glanced at the love cabin we could still hear them. I bit my lower lip, it was awkward for me I couldn’t imagine for him.

“Uh, yeah I- was just heading back to my cabin.” I chuckled nervously.

He smiled and grinded his cane into the ground.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked.

Getting away from the couple’s ear shot.

“Oh, nothing at least. We should get back inside.”

He laughed, “Don’t mind me. I’ve heard it all before.”

My face burned bright red and he laughed more.

“Alright, tell me child, what’s on your mind? Did you need to see my son in law?”

Son in law? Orion was married? Someone actually married him. Seeing how Eager made me feel safe and he fed me I felt inclined to talk to him.

“I did. It’s beautiful here. I’d love to stay and all, but I can’t. Olympiad is falling, but the mage dimension is dying. I’ve seen the suffering how can I just stay when I know I should be making it right?”

The corners of his mouth lifted, “Spoken like a true princess. Your mother would be proud.”

“You’ve met her?”

He nodded and started walking ahead of me. I followed. I wish I had even a picture of her my mind had always been blank when it came to her. I’d always wondered if she was like me, if we had the same eyes or shared the same smile.

“I’ve met her plenty of times. She doesn’t come around as often none of the gods do not even Apollo.”

“Does it have anything to do with the war?”

He stared at the grass we trampled on, “Yes and no. Gods don’t well among humans anymore, just the way it is. Now gods are being killed and our worlds are dying.”

“I have to go back.”

“You could get captured.”

“I know, but I’ve already lost my sister to this war and I can’t imagine what more someone else has.”

Eager stopped to look at me. “War isn’t a pretty thing and from what I’ve heard Hera is making advances every day.”

I looked at the old man carefully and realized he had bags under his eyes.

“She could be here any day right?”

He nodded and looked away, “I know what you did for this land. So I know what you can do for others Artemis.” He leveled me with his eyes, “You can do more than you think all the world’s boarders aren’t enough to contain the possibilities. Artemis, you’re the goddess of the hunt-”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Artemis!” Orion stood on the doorframe with his hands on his hips, his eyes boring into me.

I groaned. He really should put on a shirt.

“We’re not leaving.”

“You can stay. I won’t”

I stepped down and marched towards us. “My mission was to bring you back. What makes you think I’m going to let you head back into the mage dimension and get killed. We just have to wait it out until the portal opens and head back to Olympiad.”

“You know we’re sitting ducks here too right?”

“It’ll take weeks even months for Hera to reach this dimension that’s if the gods don’t stop her first.”

“Not at the rate she’s going.” Eager mumbled.

Orion sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re not having this discussion. You can’t open a portal and you’re not going back.”

I placed my hands on my hips, “We can’t stay here while hundreds of mages lose their lives. You know what it means to fight for your people why won’t you help?”

His face went grim, “I know what it means to lose it the hands of war too. We can’t take on an entire army alone. We need my men. Without them my hands are tied.”

I balled my hands into fists, “I’m still not staying.”

“Is this because of the dinemus?”

“What? Of course not! My best friend was replaced by some thing! I have to save her. Not to mention Rocky…”

“You can’t even defend yourself.”

We’d see about that. He obviously forgot the time I beat his ass at the bar. That was the day Stella started acting weird. Whatever took her must have done it there. Intent on proving to Orion I could defend myself I raised my arms, ready to slam them together and blast him across the field. He grab before wrists before I even made a move.

He smirked, “I’ve sparred with your sisters. I’m sure I know all your goddess tricks.”

Kill joy. I could call on nature. I could call on nature! The lights went on in my hand. Orion stared into my eyes, having won this little battle or so he thought. I beckoned all the roots in the ground, I asked every twig to come alive. The ground shook beneath us, Orion let go just as green roots wrapped around his ankles and dragged him along the ground. He clawed at the ground, but the roots captured his arms too.

I stepped back. I wasn’t sure that’s what I intended to do. Orion slammed against a tree and the roots finished the job by tying him up. He groaned.

I placed my hand on my hip and smiled. That should do nicely.

“Looks like she can defend herself just fine to me.” Eager commented.

“What do you say Orion?” I asked.

“We leave at dawn.”