APOLLO

A hundred two assignments…all of them about healing. And she gave them to me. Each time she was giving me to them with her cocky grin I couldn't help but hide away and laugh. She was giving me assignments that someone like me was capable of for centuries. Eleven if she did not believe in my existence, she sure believed that Paris would succeed.

No’ I slapped myself and Ares looked at me with a worried look.

‘’What happened to you? You look terrible’’

I cannot believe that I missed sleep. Typhon’s blood makes me more mortal than I thought. But all those nights this woman still gave me those long assignments. If I were a true Olympian now, I could heal any weakness and wound in a glimpse of a second. But one healing took me more than five minutes and a lot of energy. And yet, I enjoyed every part of it. Trying to hide from that stupid Myrto. She would search everywhere for me and she could almost catch me.

I was trying to heal a sick old woman when I felt that someone was rushing to me and I fell to the woman’s bed. Healing a few horses, I had to hide fast behind a few bushes. But her instinct told her to move to and so I threw a rock on the opposite side.

‘’Is this the first time people have followed you?’’She asked.

Go away or else both you and me will be in trouble. I felt the sharp sword of Themis ready to take my head off.

She let out a sigh. ‘’At least you help out, not like the last time…’’She started walking away.

Right, I did let them be wounded and alone. Even if I wanted that woman gone, that quiet girl was just a pawn for her, wasn’t it? And injured. And I left her.

‘’I am sorry’’I said.

She stopped walking. ‘’Apologising means nothing’’Her words were harsh. I had watched her around the others talking or shy and softly. But those words felt strange. Like they did not belong to her. Did she hate me that much because I left them?

‘’Actions do so…’’ Her voice became softer now just like she was talking back then. ‘’Hope you finish all of your assignments.’’

Crazy mortals. I snarled and tried to avoid Ares' curious stare. But instead of ignoring me or keeping sparing with his sword, he sat down in front of me.

‘’Talk’’said like a command.

I looked even further away.

‘’Come on now, Artemis and Aphrodite are far away now, they said something about hunting’’He mumbled. ‘’Now, talk.’’

‘’You will tell everything to your lover if I do’’I rasped and he smiled. ‘’Oh, I do not think she cares about your hatred of that mortal…’’He made a pause and pouted.’’Unless…’’

He jumped closer to me with his eyes staring at me amused. ‘’Oh, it is more than hatred is it?’’

I laughed harshly. ‘’Yes, it is loathing’’I admitted. ‘’The God of war should have known that.’’

But Ares seemed almost disappointed with that answer.’’You fought a decade with us in Troy’’His lips parted with a heavy frown. ‘’And you still believe that was is only hatred and anger?’’

I looked at him confused.

‘’War is violent, war is real, but the ones who make the war are not always angry. It concludes greed, anger, need for vengeance, and also’’

His eyes lit up and stared at me.

‘’Lo-’’

I put my hand to his mouth before starting to talk. ‘’You think that I love her?’’ I restrained my grin. Impossible. I could never fall for that mere woman.

He mumbled before he pushed my hand away. ‘’I was thinking that you're fond of her.’’He cleared his throat and smirked. ‘’But you said that you might love her…’’

My face turned in heat and stood up. ‘’Don’t be foolish. Sure she is smart, brave…’’

‘’Beautiful.’’He continued.

‘’Yes and…’’ My words cut and stared at him. ‘’You found her beautiful when you saw her?’’I tried to change the subject.’’What will Aphrodite say about it?’’

‘’Oh, when I told her she admitted that she is charming too.’’He laughed. ‘’Unlike you lovebirds, we don’t hide any secrets.’’

‘’We are not’’I spat at him as he was still holding his stupid smugness. I let out a heavy breath and clapped my hands together.

‘’Alright, I admit. I love…’’

His smile grew wider with heavy expectations.

‘’To hate her’’I laughed.

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His smile instantly disappeared.

‘’She is proud, arrogant, ignores every power, and her gaze is …’’ Chills brought down my spine.

‘’Terrifying.’’

‘’Didn’t you fall for that Spartan prince of yours a few centuries’’

I halted him. ‘’See, a prince. Not a mere liar ‘’My voice became higher as I moved my body and tried to talk. ‘’Who is literally killing..’’

‘’Alright’’He moved his hands around.’’You love to hate her I believe you. You want her humiliated,dead,’’

I kept nodding as he finally understood.

‘’Locked up in your room with you.’’

I nodded before listening to it completely.

‘’You are enjoying this aren’t you?’’I asked with a heavy tone. Ares chuckled. ‘’Maybe.’’

I turned my back on him and walked away.

‘’Does it mean I won?’’

‘’It means I got tired’’I yawned and jumped fast onto a tree.

Unfortunately, his words fell on my dreams. I could see a memory of mine when I found her at the lake. Her hair was down until her bare back. Her fingers played with the water like a nymph. Her body was devoured by the liquid as her skin was being kissed by the sun. Her lips, and her voice let out a sound of pleasure.

Another memory was inside the temple. Her eyes now were glowing with Alexious’ work. Green smoke and light coming out of her like an actual prophet of mine. I could see everyone’s gaze at her, admiring her, fear and I could not believe that I had the same reaction as them.

One more memory. I Was talking with a wild girl, Thais. She seemed to be interested in me and I admit that if I could, some fun with her would not mind. But the only thing I could see was that woman watching us from the affair…was she jealous?

I woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain attacking me.

Time is running out. I could not think what she was thinking about me. Fondness? I could not…Not for her.

So the next few days I tried to ignore her. And she seemed to try that too. I was glad that she did but each time I was passing away from her I could listen to her heavy breath. Her breathing became harsher…

When she fell down I knew. She was sick. I carried her with all my strength inside the room and tossed her into the bed.

‘’How stupid can you be?’’I whispered to her as I saw the sweat showering her face.

‘’You can’t die here, listen to me, I have plans for you’’I slapped her face multiple times. She had a high fever. I moved my hand, ready to heal her.

Is that you, Patron of healers? The blade kissed my neck.

Have you forgotten your oath…Didn’t you think I would find out?

My eyes darted.’’She is sick, I just need to heal’’

God Apollo, your punishment.

‘’She cannot die here and you know it. Her judgment is not now’’I let out a panting whisper.

She started groaning from pain as dry cough escaped her lips.

Her judgment will come just like it is meant to be. And you can watch it.

‘’Does this mean?’’

She will live. And you can watch her fall. But if you try to interfere, you know what will happen.

The sword now vanished and so did Themis' presence but a vision came to my mind.

Fire danced bright on this temple with familiar faces being drugged out. The place changed as the woman stood in front of Perseus’ house drinking from a cup while he looked at her with a gaze filled with rage. After she drank it I noticed her clothes were white, not black.

After she swallowed it all, her gaze turned to me.‘’ Tomorrow’’She spat with blood.

And everything returned and gasped for air. Tomorrow? I looked at her. No, she could not die. Not yet. Not when she is still just nothing. It will do nothing for me. I tried to heal her once again but my throat began to close up like once again Themis was watching me. I could not …I could not heal. I could not heal her.

Don’t be like that now. If she dies then it won’t be a problem, you can wait for two hundred years and you will be back to normal. You won’t die because of her. She won’t kill you.

But my pride was stronger. My loathing for her was burning my skin. If I could not heal her I could warn her without Themis figuring it out.

I turned back to her belongings and waited for her to wake up. She had far more carbs than I expected. Some of them were not even from this place, far to the north probably? Yes, they were growing to harsh mountains. Inside a bag I found a few familiar flowers…were those autumn crocus from Crete? Once again they were growing in dangerous places and yet she…

‘’You are a fascinating woman.’’I gasped and kept searching around. I found tablets with a clear sculpting but it was unlike the others she had. Were these hers? I kept reading them quietly. Half of them seemed to be personal about her life in the temple of my brother and then there was…

‘’Oh’’My lips parted with a pout and smirked at her. ‘’And I thought Hermes was the most perverted person I knew’’

She finally fell asleep normally after I told her that she will find my reward tomorrow.

Stay alive oracle. Stay alive.

I moved my hands, creating peonies and aconite and one gladiolus. The sword appeared again.

‘’I am giving her flowers’’I rasped to Themis.’’If her fate is sealed, it would be nice to believe that someone cared for her.

And the sword was gone and my hands cupped her face.

‘’If you don’t succeed’’I whispered, hoping she could at least listen to me. ‘’Your friends will die. Your work will be destroyed and you will die like a dog, swallowing the hemlock from the cup….You will die as if you were nothing.’’

She mumbled. And I could only see her raven curls covering her beautiful face.

The pain in my body once again awoke, burning every part of my skin and golden blood.

I restrained my screams as I watched her. If I interfere I will be gone and If I stay any longer around her I might actually won’t hold this entire charade.

Maybe I should not appear near her tomorrow. Not like Paris. I rested my shoulders down and let my fingers touch my lips.