Leon POV

"...So she can't run away, can't harm us...lots of things, so she's now a useful hostage, nice."

"Anyway, we should start moving, we can just walk for now, but it's going to take us more than a month due to us having to be chased and switching routes." Merith suggested as she looked outside the cave, "We also don't really know what we're looking for since Artemis also doesn't have access to information regarding the end. So we'll just deal with this at the Duat."

We then just started moving across the desert with not too much discussion, trying to do a certain movement from a certain movie franchise didn't really help either, luckily there are no death worms or anything like that to swallow us up. Diana also talked about why she was down here in the first place, there was some really great blacksmith who was on his way to being a god if it weren't for his psychotic brain, apparently, he's the descendant of Hephaestus and Ares.

That could be useful for us if we plan on having to go through Tartarus since I do have this Plotinum thing. But that would mean that we have to go back in reverse, and I hope that such a scenario doesn't happen...I just raised a flag, didn't I?

----------------------------------------

"I keep forgetting that you mortals tire quite easily." Diana commented as we rested near a lake.

"Can't you like out a word in and have out of here?"

"No, gods do not have such authorities."

"Then what the hell do you have?"

"Knowledge, beauty, strength...etc."

"Etc?"

"Can you not like fight with every goddess that comes in your way?" John asked, "Besides, she agreed to help, you should be grateful...I get that your relationship was rocky, but let's be appreciative, they'll be sending gods to hunt us down, and let's be glad that she's not one of them because we'll be instantly dead."

"Gods have weaknesses, it's pretty easy, you just gotta target their ego."

"He's not wrong there." Lux muttered under her breath, "But the guy saying it is no better himself...Anyway, are there any gods that we should learn of since they'll be participating in this search? I know a few minor gods, but with you as a hostage, I doubt that they'll send gods who never actually participated in a hunt."

"Hmm...it would be Skadi and possibly my twin, Apollo. He's not much of a hunter, but his archery is enough to make up for it, and you captured a goddess as a hostage is never done before, at least...not successfully, so there might be more, if I wasn't caught, I would have definitely volunteered to help the poor goddess...except that poor goddess is currently me...who's also helping you out...this feels a bit like Stockholm syndrome."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"So who is this Skadi?" I asked.

"She's a Norse goddess, one of Odin's wives."

"...Oh shit."

"Well...Leon, do your thing." Betsy interjected.

"Do what thing?"

"Seduce that goddess and get her to help us too."

"If you think I'm going to seduce an enemy who's also someone's wife...we clearly need to hang out more often, I ain't that type of guy."

"You got Evelyn and Artemis, you are that type of guy."

"One is someone who I clearly need to know better, and the other...an old friend of mine described her as a bag of chips."

"Bag of chips?" Diana questioned.

"It was CJ, he said that your push-up bra is like a bag of chips, half good and half disappointment..."

"WHAT?!"

Well, he was kinda wrong. Half is quite a generous assumption.

----------------------------------------

Aphrodite POV

"I told you," I began, swirling my cup of champagne, "I told you that girl was a goddess in disguise. She had no records, and she was just way too convenient of an existence...Like she could resist his strength and hold on for way too long when they arm wrestled."

Hera, sitting across from me, shot me a glare so sharp I almost flinched. Almost.

"You didn't tell me anything, Aphrodite. You suggested in your usual flippant manner, and I ignored it." Hera replied.

The more I looked at her, the more differences I spotted between her and her children. Of course, being a mother goddess, she will birth a variety of different-looking children, but in her form, she was one of the more beautiful goddesses, she was about 170 cm tall and had dark luscious hair and brown eyes. Currently, she planned on meeting me a lot more since Leon made the first move, so we have to pay constant attention now since anything can go wrong.

But that's not what's important to a goddess of love.

"But isn't Artemis technically his step-sister?"

"Don't...Don't utter any more of your nonsense." Hera warned as her champagne bubbled up furiously.

"...help me, I'm stuck, step-"

"One last time, and not only will you be bald, but I will also no longer get in Zeus' way when he tries to woo you."

Tch, scary woman. My hand instinctively reached up, brushing through my hair. The thought of losing my precious, radiant locks made me falter, and I swallowed the rest of my retort. Going bald wasn't worth rubbing my victory in Hera's face...at least, not today. Hera's lip curled, but she didn't press further. I let out a breath, thankful I wouldn't be sporting a shiny scalp anytime soon.

Still, I couldn't help but think about Artemis. That girl had always been so composed, so...independent. Yet here she was, tripping over herself because of some mortal. Well, not just any mortal...Leon. Even I had to admit, there was something about him. But I would rather not go too deep into it since his mother would make me bald, and my daughter is also going after him. I glanced at Hera, but she was already lost in her thoughts, probably planning her next move in whatever grand scheme she had going. Typical.

Meanwhile, I was inwardly urging Evelyn to make her move. Come on, girl. You've still got feelings for him, I can see it in the way your face flushes whenever he's mentioned. And I know Leon still has that spark for you after working with each other for so long, it's nowhere near a romantic spark, but love can always take time. You two are far from over.

"Aphrodite, who are they sending?" Hera asked.

"Nemesis, Apollo, and Skadi."

"What about the minor gods?"

"None."

"Good...that's good for us."