APOLLO

The scar in her palm, her indescribable voice. It was that woman from before no doubt.

And she was the fake prophet who made everything worse. A filthy mere mortal.

Her hands were shaking like a pathetic little mortal. No matter how beautiful or how fierce she looked she was still-

‘’Hahahahaha’’The woman started laughing hysterically.’’I can’t believe that I am alive.’’

My eyes opened wide as I turned on Hermes who was chuckling like an idiot.

‘’She is entertaining isn’t she?’’He asked and pointed his finger at me.’’Now, I will be watching you, making sure everything is in place. ‘’

He took out his hat then the ribbon covering his eyes, revealing the countless tiny eyes he was hiding from it.

After our visit to my room, Hermes flipped the coin and now me, Artemis Aphrodite and Ares returned on our banishment with our old trapped forms. Hermes was on our side laughing and chuckling.

‘’Well, good luck brother’’Hermes laughed and he vanished with a flip of his coin.

I narrowed as I still had a grin on my face.

Artemis galloped close to me with a concerned look as her eyes went down to the flask.’’Is that what I think it is?’’

‘’Is he trying to kill you?’’Ares growled with Aphrodite flying on his side.

But I could not stop laughing at what I had learned.

After we all sat down I told them everything. About why ‘Father’ was furious about the girl and about what Athena offered to ‘Father’.

And about that woman.

I moved the fingers of my free hand, making the all-so-slight light around me even greater. But I could not believe that this was almost making me tired. Back when I was…not banished I could make the entire valley in the image of what I wanted them to see. But now that was only that as I showed from a light orb that woman.

‘’That’s her?’’Artemis almost scoffed as I did.

Aphrodite, now stinging on Ares’ helmet was moving her head to the left, trying to study the woman.

‘’Yes,’’I said, clapping my hands and I let out a laugh. ‘’And I know just the way to make her pay.’’

‘’Come now’’Artemis scoffed.’’I know that she defied you but punishment?’’

My joy faded as I heard those words coming from her. My own sister, a god of her own, thought the punishment would be cruel. As if she hadn’t done the same over and over again.

She did not feel the pain. She did not feel that quick poison lurking in my body trying to remind me I was banished.

Her eyes blinked as she realized what she said.’’I am just saying that you need to be careful of the punishment you choose.’’

‘’What if you just kill her?’’Ares suggested.’’A quick death none will find you as guilty.’’

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I agreed at first. But it seemed that some people believed in her lies and in me in that village. Taking that away would be a quiet problem like me dying even faster.

‘’We can try and help you’’Artemis now suggested, standing in her own two hooves and her hand trying to reach for the flask. ‘’I can call out a herd to after her and make her leave the village or Ares can make people hate her or Aphrodite can’’

Her fingers were so close to it but I backed away. ‘’No, this is my job, and I will do it of my own.’’

I took one more glimpse of the woman who was destroying me. I could only see her on that orb but it was not enough. I wouldn’t just watch her from that light no.

I opened the flask and pressed it on my lips.

‘’Apollo wait’’Artemis tried to warn me but it was too late.

Before our banishment, Themis gave us a few drops of it to make sure we wouldn’t be as powerful as we were once. Typhon’s blood, the titan who almost destroyed ‘Father’. Now his blood is our punishment.

Bitter and painful. Thick like slime as it fell on my throat, burning it slowly, making the air vanish. I never needed to breathe but now, I could only wish I could. I feel my body getting attacked with a million swords. Just like I could remember. Unfortunately, the pain was worse as I was now weaker than before.

I almost felt myself vanishing to oblivion.

Artemis and Ares held my body down as I tried to not look at them. I did not want their pity. My eyes looked back at the light. To that woman.

After the pain vanished I could finally gasp for air. My fingers flickered making the light vanish and stood up, pushing Artemis and Ares away. I checked my fingers which had lost the bright color I once had, making it almost look paler.

‘’I will be back’’I whispered with a rasp and walked away.

I managed to find the temple easily. It was like I saw it before on the lake. A reck. As it was I could see nothing but an empty place. None would even see me. I kept walking and walking till I found the room that I was after. My feet were echoing to the steps as I watched the spiderwebs forming in the corners of the temple. The suddenbreeze brought chills down my spine. Wait, chills? Me?

''The poison will kill me.''I gasped.

Heavy with plants and flowers in her room, the woman seemed to be asleep.

Heavy asleep as if nothing happened tonight. The moonlight threads were falling to her face as the clouds vanished from my 'Father's' rage. Even up close,the woman was wildly beautiful. She could have been a soldier covered in a dress. She could have been a nymph disguised as a mortal but no. She was a thief dressed in lies. She is the first mortal I have seen since...

My lips curved with anger as I could see how peaceful she was.

Kill her, they suggested, Make her walk out of this play they suggested. No, it was not the right punishment for her.

‘’How pathetic’’I whispered and got on my knees close to her and my fingers played with her curls.

As much as I hated her she was a mortal. The first mortal I was so close to was a hundred years ago. The last one before her was that filthy priestess who blinded herself for the sake of her land. She defied me and I punished her as it was destined to. Now.

There was a mumble from her, and her hand found my face with a harsh slap.

‘’Not now’’She hushed.

I moved her hand back to her side and I moved my fingers on her bruised neck.

Kill her, they suggest.

‘’You are no condition to be a foe of mine.’’I said, closing my eyes and giving a tiny wave of strength of mine to her.

When I opened my eyes I felt my head all so light as her neck was now completely healed.

‘’A priestess of mine shouldn’t be looking like that,’’ I said laughing, and then moved for her wounded hand.

Beeswax. Seemed she knew her herbs. But the wound of my sister’s bows would not heal from mortal flesh. Not without the help of another god.

I flickered my fingers and the wound had now healed completely.

‘’I will make you a symbol’’I said, standing on my two feet.’’And when the time's right your lies will be revealed. All your glory will be your end, your despair. ‘’I grinned as she was now sleeping so carefully while a god was standing right in front of her.

‘’And I am going to enjoy every part of your end.’’