UKKO

Standing a few feet away from the door of their previous room, everyone could see a woman with curls holding a carbine and pointing it inside the room. Immediately, Ukko realized who it was. But he had forgotten her name. So, instead, he shouted.

‘’You are the Mortal.’’ And pointed at her with his index finger.

Her eyes turned to him’’And you are the inconvenience’’ She mocked, returning her eyes to the room.

She clenched her fingers on the cold metal and was ready to pull the trigger once more

The soldier rushed to her side and looked inside the room. His eyes widened when he found Hephaestus down on their knees, covering their arms with Mordred who was sitting right behind them, wounded. Ukko's eyes opened wide, impressed.

‘’Don’t’’ Hephaestus said with a sudden rasp.

‘’He was heading to kill-’’ The woman tried to speak.

Then, she made a long pause and Ukko was able to see Hephaestus’ hands. Burned fingers as if they had placed them inside a fire pit. And then back to their eyes. Shattered glass, hiding their anger but showing their determination to protect him.

Ukko’s heart got stung into a tight knot. Thinking of how foolish they were acting right now- almost getting shot for someone, it was insane that he could only believe that they were brave.

The woman sighed heavily, lowered her carbine, and turned over her shoulder, looking at Ukko. She then faced the girls standing behind them.

‘’Follow me.’’ She insisted. Ukko narrowed his eyes. Lucifer took a step back and looked far from the woman.

So, she let out a heavy sigh once more. ‘’If you want to live you have to follow’’ She jerked her head and faced Mara.

''Am I right girl?'' she asked.

Both Ukko and Lucifer faced Mara whose hands were deep inside her pockets.

‘’She wants us out,’’ Mara said with her head up.

The woman shook her head and looked back at Hephaestus and Mordred. ‘’Pick yourselves up'' She shrugged and walked away.

In front of Hephaestus, Ukko smiled who was helping Mordred to stand up.

‘’You are alive’’ He laughed, leaving his hands at the frame of the door.

‘’You took your time’’ They looked up and down, noticing their change of clothing around him.

Hephaestus scoffed and rolled their eyes as they tried to carry the weight of the healer. Their mechanic leg started shaking, shrinking down before they almost fell to their knees. But when it seemed to fall, their hands slipped a dark jar inside their belongings. Ukko wanted to ask them what it was but it seemed the wrong time as Mordred started whining.

‘’I can do it myself’’ He grunted in pain.

Ukko laughed again and moved on to the opposite side of Hephaestus, helping them out with Mordred.

‘’Sure you can.’’ He mocked, resting Mordred’s arm on his shoulders and pulling them up.

''I heard that the worst paitients''Hephaestus pouted.''Are the doctors? It seems that it's true.''

Ukko laughed loudly and both of them grinned, watching the healer grunt in pain.

Now, they all followed the woman named Nephtys. Ukko kept listening to Mordred grunting, moaning from the pain, and complaining about the woman.

By pushing his head forward, he found Hephaestus' upset, tired gaze and the end of their burned fingertips.

‘’What happened to your hands?’’ He asked. Hephaestus laughed and tried to look away.

‘’I killed a council member?'' they whispered, changing the subject.

‘’Which one?’’ Nephthys eavesdropped, curious.

‘’Leviathan?’’ Hephaestus frowned.

Nepthys laughed relieved, ''Thank the Spirits. I never liked them.’’

‘’How did you do it?’’ Ukko asked them and kept looking at their hands.

Hephaestus stayed silent.

‘’They kept Leviathan distracted,'' Mordred said. ‘’While I found the opportunity to put a bullet in their head''.

‘’Oh,’’ Ukko hummed with a frowned mouth and turned to the right side of his shoulder, studying Lucifer’s nervous movements. Next to her, Mara was staring at Nephthys confused.

‘’Where are you taking us?’’She finally asked.

‘’Far away from this place’’ she replied in a hurry.

Walking further from the room, Ukko did not realize how cold the rest of the hall was even darker than before, with no statues, or paintings. Just dark purple marble walls.

Sudden chills dropped down his spine and looked at Mordred confused.

‘’Why can’t you heal?’’ He asked them.

‘’He can’’ Nephthys said. ‘’But the poison I put inside the bullets won’t make it easy’’

‘’You poisoned me?’’ Mordred grunted.

‘’Believe me boy,’’ She pressed her lips. ‘’If it weren’t for your friend’s recklessness I would have shot you three more times;’’

‘’Why?’’ He panted.

‘’Because your boss is an ass and I don’t trust him.’’ She replied with her head turning back with a smile. ‘’And I don’t trust your way to follow his commands.''

''Apologise that my loyalty bothers you.'' He groaned with a mock.

‘’Apologie has been taken’’ She grinned and kept moving with small jumps.

‘’I did not apologize’’ Mordred whined.

‘’You just did’’ She played with him again with a cocky smile.

‘’So, why are you helping us?’’ Ukko asked as all five of them caught up with her.

A heavy violet perfume was exploding from her body. Her eyes were blue and yet green as if Ukko was staring at two sides of a lake.

Her hair, silk and beautifully placed together high, exposed her slender neck as she was wearing a golden necklace with a red ruby in the center of it. Her shoulders were stiff and yet her face was gentle.

‘’You are betraying Babel’’ Mordred gasped and tried to gather his strength to his hands so he could take the pistols.

‘’I love my life’’ Nephthys mocked. ‘’I like living here’’ She arched her brow. ‘’When no crazy people are trying to kill one another ‘’ She explained and kept walking in a hurry.

‘’So, it is better to send you outside’’

‘’There is something more’’ Ukko stopped walking. ‘’Isn’t it?’’

Nephthys stopped her steps and turned back to them completely.

‘’Take my kind gesture boy,’’ She replied. ‘’Because this the only thing I will give’’

Ukko grunted between his teeth and turned to the others. Mistrust of the woman’s actions. Especially from the healer whose face was still unfolded, unmasked.

Nephthys sighed and kept walking, ignoring all of their demands.

The soldier let out a boring groan and faced Hephaestus' posture. Their cane was missing, yet they could still move clumsy and loud. He tried to offer a hand, but Mordred was faster than him as he wrapped his arm around their waist, pulling them closer to him.

‘’You are making too much noise’’ He complained in a whisper.

Hephaestus smiled softly and tried to lift their mechanic leg, causing fewer noises from the cogs than before.

So, Ukko decided to return to Lucifer and smiled at her. She remained cold.

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‘’I hate it when you do that,’’ He complained.

‘’When I do what?’’ She replied with a question.

‘’When you ignore my charm’’ He smiled.

And Lucifer smiled back. Or at least she forced it. Ukko could always read her perfectly. Or that she was terrible at hiding her mistrust. And now, the one who was not to be trusted on her list was the woman who was guiding them far. But not only her. She had grown accustomed to being suspicious of the world and now, it seemed, Ukko was just another part of it.

They ended up looking right in front of a tall and wide door. Nephthys knocked five times with all of her strength.

She then took five steps back and faced all of them.

‘’He will open the door soon’’ She said with her eyes searching, studying all of them for just a few seconds. Ukko could read her desperation, her hope for them to get out, clear as a book.

The door now opened with Lancelot’s eyes looking at all five of them at once. He let out a breath of relief, holding a small smile.

‘’You are all here’’ He sighed and looked behind Nephthys.

She shook her head before she took one more look at them.

‘’Be careful’’ She wished and walked back to the way they came from.

When she was now gone from Ukko’s vision, he turned over his shoulder, looking at Mara.

‘’Can we trust her?’’ He asked and waited for her to answer.

‘’She wants a lot of things’’Lancelot interrupted and showed the door with a tilt of his head. ‘’Seeing you dead is not one of them’’ He moved aside, clearing the way for the room.

All of them agreed in silence and took a step front.

Inside the room, the word mess was not enough to describe it. A pile of clothes around the bed and the velvet dark couch. Documents, books, and plants are scattered on the floor and a small desk.

‘’We don’t have time’’ He panted and rushed to pick up a big bag and started taking every book and clothing. He even found containers with food down the mountain of fabric, shoving it inside the bag. But Ukko noticed him watching one specific book carefully, more than the rest of the theme. Lancelot noticed the soldier staring at him too. He narrowed his gaze and placed it inside his bag.

But Ukko noticed him watching one specific book carefully, more than the rest of the theme. Lancelot noticed the soldier staring at him too. He narrowed his gaze and placed it inside his bag.

Ukko finally snapped out.‘’What do you mean?’’ He asked.

‘’He will send more,’’ He explained. ‘’And you are weak to fight them’’

‘’We just took off two’’ Mara said to them, looking at Hephaestus. ‘’And one of them was supposed to be strong.'' She laughed.

‘’You only managed to kill and take out Leviathan because their anger and envy took the best of them’’ He said, turning to Hephaestus and Mordred. ‘’If they wanted to end you would have been both dead’’

Both of them shared a simple glance and moved away from each other.

‘’And you'' Lancelot jerked his head to Mara. ‘’Did you really think that whoever you killed was strong enough?’’

Send someone to kill them. Wak enough to give the arrogance. And then someone else, to break it instantly. A reckless yet usually successful tactic. But whoever decides this must know the risks. It couldn't be just a noble or a royal. Ukko traveled inside his thoughts. Probably a general.

‘’You are telling us that someone is playing with us?’’Ukko arched his brow.

‘’He is always playing’’ He said, now tying the bag’s end with a rope and moving to their side. ‘’And he doesn’t like losing.''

‘’How do you know?'' Hephaestus asked them. ‘’How do you know any of this?’’ Their voice was shaking like a leaf.

Lancelot’s bright pale eyebrows made a concerned frown as he kept silent. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth.

‘’I have lived long enough to see warlocks, demons, and mortals die, watch kingdoms fall’’He made a long dramatic pause.

‘’So when I say that we have no time.'' he threw the bag at Ukko who grabbed it instantly with reflex.

‘’Means we need to hurry’’ He moved in front of them, showing a dark crystal.

‘’We are going nowhere’’ Lucifer stood and took a step closer to the demon. Mordred followed her slightly. ‘’Hestia told us…’’

‘’Hestia didn’t think that you would do something insane like this’’ He interrupted her fast with a shout. Lucifer flinched and took a step back. ‘’You shouldn’t have done it’’ He muttered disappointedly and looked back at the crystal.

A few seconds passed for Ukko to find trees around his figure with a pierced strength attacking his lungs.

He let his eyes search everywhere he found the rest of them gasping for air as Lancelot stood still with his eyes investigating the forest.

Night, Ukko thought as the cold rush of the wind drew close to his sweaty brow.

‘’Let’s get moving.’’He ordered.

‘’Where?’’ Ukko gasped, fixing his posture. ‘’Where are you taking us?’’

‘’Far from here’’ Said in a rush, stepping further from the rest.

But none followed. Ukko moved to Lucifer, trying to help her stand but she placed her hand on the center of his chest, letting her free from his grip around her waist. Hephaestus and Mordred did not move from their positions as Mara was still down on the ground, with her legs, laying down straight and relaxed.

Lancelot saw it and grunted.

‘’We do not have time-’’ He repeated.

‘’And you are hiding something'' Hephaestus explained.

‘’Am I supposed to listen to you?’’ Lancelot frowned. ‘’As if you also hide something of importance’’

Hephaestus took a deep breath and stretched their left wrist as Mordred faced them concerned.

Lancelot sighed and stretched his neck. ‘’Ma’at, The scientist is after only one of you’’He admitted.

Sudden silence dropped from all six of them, letting the music of the trembling leaves follow them.

‘’Ma’at..’’ Ukko thought out loud, thinking he had heard this name before. His head spun around from just the thought of it.

‘’Why one of us?’’ Mordred asked.

‘’How do you know any of this?’’ Hephaestus now demanded rough.

‘’It does not matter’’

‘’It does’’ Mara stood up. ‘’Do you work for him?’’

‘’Of course, not’’Lancelot hissed, moving his head closer. He groaned again, tired. ‘’For now, you need to stay safe’’

‘’We cannot’’ Mordred interrupted. ‘’He has one of the daggers.’’ He sounded eager, desperate as his eyes did not look far from Hephaestus. They also looked down, skeptical as their fingers were a few inches far from his.

Oh. OHHHH. Ukko observed something that the Inventor and the Doctor had not yet realized themselves. He wanted to smile deviously at them.

And then, his mind returned to the sentence Mordred announced. Daggers?

‘’What?’’ Lancelot gasped before blood started raining from the sky.