Akhill

Chapter Seven: ThereAfter I

Death has been called by many names so far apart in genre but at Mr Zues' Olympus, the Cerberus' has the honour.

"Now, Now Children." A lanky figure with a black robe lined with Apple-red and eyes that seem to enjoy the sight of cruelty. "We all know it is an honour to be a Cerberus."

***

The boy held firmly the arrow aimed at the sniper but somehow it found its way stuck in Thetis's shoulder, where the first arrow shot by the sniper was pulled out from. Thetis pulled the boy close and remembered the words said to her long ago as tears mixed with blood and them two were one.

"Ease now my boy, I wouldn't leave ya side. I vowed it the day I saw these words inscribed on ya hand." The boy calms down as the dam that held his emotions together exploded and tears slipped— No gushed out without obstructions. "The fire you see is not you, you are stronger than the fire." The boy broke out louder not sure whether it was Thetis words or something else but for the first time in a long time of forgetting what tears are supposed to look like or feel like or even whether they existed, he couldn't control its outpour while the strength that bound him shattered before the bosom of the woman.

All have ever known was emptiness, All he has ever loved was hate, All through his life running and cursing was the memoir of a companion engraved in his left hand, recorded by his own blood mother saying"I left you because your father rejected you."

"Just let go." Thetis strobed the head of the boy who was trained to be an animal that knows nothing but blood and death and now he was unsure what he felt yet can't deny the words of this woman wrote something upon the streams of his existence, something he was certain was an unknown-unknown to him— The desire to hang on to life without fear of chains, A desire to hang on to the hands of another without letting go as more of his heart slipped into the hands of Thetis.

"Please" he sobbed. "Don't leave me, Th—The—Thetis." Thetis was a bit surprised by what he called her.

"I won't my boy, my words, my dreams, by the records. I won't." The sober two stood still immobile as the wind blew gently around them two, a memory of share existence worth capturing mingled in the songs of the chirping birds as they spoke long and dancings of the summer tree, a moment that—

"Well, that is touching Thet." The sniper said, removing his mask. "Come now, I am exhausted, help me up."

"Shut up Chirry!" Thetis snapped as the silent night yawned into battle."Jast, jast shut up Chirry, Urgh. This is ya fault." Thetis shoulders throbs.

"Me, oh no woman." Chiron huffed, throwing his leg like a child in a tantrum. "Argh! My side is yet to heal." He held his side as the wound which was inflicted on him by his wife when he and his daughter rested on the way to the north reopened.

"Serves ya right, ya horse fanatic." Thetis looked around for a good place to sit, when she found none, she settled for the ground. "Chirry, throw me the patch, I am losing too much blood. Bad for the baby."

"Patch, no way, can't you see I am—" The boy punched Chiron and took the wound patch from him. "Why you?" Thetis smiled for want of what to say.

***

"Thetis, I am afraid." A voice of a boy said, has he held tight to Thetis hand, as the thought of letting means death. Thetis' heart beating fast as her marble-grey eye scanned the room and the walls. Her nose bleeds and some ribs are broken and sweat chilly.

"I, I am al—" Thetis felt the boy's hand shivering then choose to discard her fears to keep him assured. She breathed out steadily as the oxygen level in the room dropped. "Amma stay till ya safe." She held him tight.

"Safe, really Thetis you must either be mad or you have lost your mind." A voice cut through the air, sending grime into the boy that held Thetis so much he moved even closer almost phasing into her as the boy who is said to have seen more bones out of the skin than most his age, with a manner more akin to death than living and eye emptied of every song that the minstrels of remorse can curate. Thetis moves a step back with the boy holding her hands, surrounded by falling room chambers and cracked floor. "Watch ya steps, I won't let go." Thetis eye stayed on the approaching boy, whispered to the child that held her.

"Everything here." The boy used his sword to stab one of the body's piled." Every single thing here is nothing but blood, rottenness and death." He dragged a body by the hand which he dropped at the feet of Thetis. "Death! Every passing day is death." He smirked, then bowed. "Your highness, Zeus' order is complete except for one thing." He rose with a drooling gaze for more blood as he pointed his sword towards the boy behind Thetis.

"Ya vile creature, Zeus only said his head, not destroy all his substance with him!" Thetis shouted, limping and alert, her scanning through roundabout for a possible appearance of an escape for the child that clings to her. The boy with the heart more given to death than life looked out Thetis awhile as though process then spat to his right on one of the bodies lying dead by his sword.

"In the end," He took a stance to attack. "Your highness everyone dies." He pulled out his second sword and dashed towards Thetis with the aim that she defends herself and leave the clinging boy exposed.

"Amma stay, ya just—" Thetis kicked up the ashes of burning while simultaneously lifting a sword lying on the floor that belong to one of the falling. She caught the sword and blocked the attack which pushed the boy attacking back.

The boy grinned as though one of his dreams is about to be fulfilled. He attacked again bending, twirling, squatting, so fast it was invincible to the normal untrained eye, yet Thetis blocked all the spontaneous, simultaneous attacks with one hand moving clinging boy back and forth—It was the clanging rain of skilled swordsmanship.

"This is nice—" Thetis kick the boy's leg with her broken leg and then headbutted him, busting his nose as red came down. "Ease down." Thetis said to calm her attacker. The boy smiled broadly, his smile so cynical Thetis knew he had entered his blood frenzy mode —This mode she knows too well.

Thetis moved back a bit and by some miracle the slanted hanging body, tripped on a hanging log that fell off, breaking through the window, forcing the wind to gush in creating a smile screen.

"That will do." Thetis pulled the boy to her and then pick up a log after dropping the sword at the bloodlust boy. He struck the log thinking it was the boy because he had intentionally left the area open but to his dismay, it was not. Thetis came limping with the clinging boy carried as she rushed as though to attack then threw the sword she had picked up at the window to create more space then—

"Find safety." She threw the clinging boy out the window instantly, assured that he will land in the waters surrounding the manor. The attacking boy end struggle with the log that his sword was stuck in and then dash to catch up with the boy in the air to cut him or at least detach a limb but Thetis drove, shouldering him, causing him to fly back, back colliding with the wall.

"You are safe." Thetis breathed out in relief as she had the splash but unknown to her, the child became unconscious mid-air and the waters he fell into flowed its course in the corridor of —

"You *heart beating and breathing fast* you" The boy whose eye has seen more bones out of the flesh than most his age, emptied of remorse, stood up.

"Stop naw, the child is—" The boy rushed at Thetis aiming for her head but she curled, rolling away from the attack. The boy ran towards to continue his attack while Thetis moved so fluid as though one with the wind then caught the boy's hand.

"What are ya doing, tell Ag—" Thetis headbutted him so hard his eye rolled and vision blurred while his body dropped in surrender, yet he was able to mutter "you still didn't use your weapon."

***

"Light out!" The bell of the cathedral rang loud to inform the folks in the county by order of the ruler of the count to cease work at a certain hour on that day.

"Well, the street will be clear in no time, even pacing," Thetis grumbled on the carriage, she sat in. "Chiron moves fast, do you want me to bleed to death."

"You— why am I the one pulling the carriage, I am wounded also," Chiron complained as he kept pulling.

"Because my dear friend, I con't let a child push me home and the carriage-men are scared to death of Agamemnon like everyone else. You on the other hand are a lucky one that he lent us his carriage." He turned to look at her dumbfounded. "And yes it is your fault I am in this condition, ya know a pregnant woman bleeding from an arrow through her shoulder." Thetis held her shoulder to act out a pain.

Chiron quietly pulled because Thetis was willing to use her condition though the bleeding stopped, against him. "You know if I don't they will send another and my family also will be in danger."

"I know and are quitting now," Thetis asked and Chiron intentionally pulled over a bump to evade the question.

"Eh, Mister ease now. If my lady is hurt, I will—"

"Kill me" Chiron completed his statement. "I know, you say that almost every minute. She not as weak as pregnancy makes her look." Chiron took a corner that leads to Thetis' home.

"No Chirry, I am staying with Luke and Lucille."

"What?!" Chirin stopped. "Luke, that, that man can not stand you being hurt." Chiron looked back at Thetis. "He is even more obsessed than this boy."

"No way, he is not!" The boy shouted.

"See." Chiron eye-pointed.

"Yes Chirry, he said 'no woman in your state should live alone without a family to run your errand.'"

"I knew it. That Thetis possessed freak."

"That would be me not him." The boy bout in.

"Thetis I think you need to tell me the spell you casted on this lot." Chiron resumed his pulling, changing his journey direction towards Luke's home.

"Uhm." Thetis held her head as she felt a prick.

"What's wrong?" The boy asked, watching her somewhat like a hawk.

"I think I need to get home fast or I might—"Thetis eye became dizzy.

"Your portion." The boy said as he brought out something from his bag-pack. "Here."

"You brought it with you."

"Yes, my lady, If I don't I should be stone for being a failed aid more than once."

"How beautiful, all you need now is a smile boy. Your eye betrays your heart." Chiron teased as he pushed.

"I forgot you ar a cer—" Thetis stretched to hit Chiron's head from behind.

"He is not. At least no longer Chirry. Shut up and pull faster you weak man going around harming a defenceless pregnant woman."

"Would you let it go!"

"Nah, amma torment ya till ma heart be filled." Thetis drank more of the liquid portion handed to her by the boy as Chiron put muscle to his pulling enterprise. "Faster ma horsey!"

***

"We are here." The accompanying Hermes said, looking back at the unconscious teenagers. He returned his gaze to scan the vast landscape till he heard the air escape the awakening Thetis lip. "Well good riddance." He step off the chariot and got him a hook and line from the weapon carriage then took his journey to the flowing river a sight-ale distance from the cross-bridge.

The wind blow gentler than its usual stiffed nature, carrying the ashes and fragrance of Styx into the consciousness of the least discerning; even them that lay quieted, drawing closer to the rivers of the living.

"Hmm." Thetis opened her eye, seeing everything in a blur and her memories mumbled-fuzzy with certain words replayed over nonstop. She gradually pulled herself up to sit straight, eye-clearing and body still far from the shore of fully awake. She scanned through the interior of the chariot, noting the wood coating then her eye caught a gleam of a figure in a distance hunting fishes in the flowing river beside the cross-bridge to the west. "Wha—"

She felt the chariot shake, shifting her gaze inwards and spotting a boy around her age— with a hair and frame that looked more familiar than her mind could paint yet her heart held close-lying unconscious. Thetis moved closer to confirm if he was alive, placing her ears close to his nose. "Live, Thetis, your life is worth mor—" The unconscious boy muttered and Thetis jolted as the remembrance of an unknown scene rush scattered through her gradually waking mind at the voice texture of the boy, and a whisper found its way into her ears from the scattered memory trigger "... won't leave your side…"

"Ya were— who are ya?" Thetis looked at him like a caveman observing fire. "Why were ya—"

"So you speak," Hermes said as Thetis turned with speed to instinctively attack the intruder but was disarmed before her body perfected the attack.

"Ease down you." The fueled adrenaline fizzled out at the grip of Hermes. "I am not an enemy." Thetis eye caught the distance as she noticed the figure she saw afore was missing. "Yes, Zeus' plaything. Me no enemy." Hermes let go gently.

"Who is he?" Thetis asked calmly as she moved away to create some distance between herself and Hermes.

"Him, that boy is— well he says he is your partner." Hermes replied rubbing his jaw. "And I am not such why but he might be up to something." Hermes kept talking to himself keeping his excitement for the boy that had earned his respect or at least accolade at bay.

"Ma partner for what?" She broke the unending mutter of Hermes as she stared at the boy.

"Have your memories being lost in the dump." Hermes walked toward the boy to check his state. "I guess he will be up soon." Hermes ignored Thetis.

"I, I don't know, where, where are we?" She looked around, the subject changed as the gentle morning breeze grazed her smooth caramel skin.

"We are heading to Athena." Hermes walked out, moved towards the carriage and pulled out a bag then threw it at Thetis. "Go bath over there and change your cloth. I am making fish and you have to look your worth of Athena's presence." Thetis stood staring at the bag filled with a complete dress set. "Make haste if you don't want me to come to bath you." Hermes threatened as he looked at the unconscious boy again. "Why waste it on this one." Hermes' forehead wrinkled as his vein draw a path and his teeth cliched. "What a—"

"Where should I—"

"By the gods, I know you still remember how to bath yourself— wait, do you."

"Yes, I still do."

"Then go down the river and wash. Say you know you are a girl and you were crafted different from us both." Hermes pointed at himself and the boy with his gaze fixed on Thetis. "So do as you please."

"But I don't—" Hermes stomped into the chariot and out another side, straight to his fishing site, having had enough of Thetis' amnesia or scrambled memory. His stomp jerked the chariot making the boy turn, closer to asleep than being unconscious. "Thetis please live." The boy muttered, pulling Thetis attention from accessing the cloth in the bag to look curious at him then she walked towards the river hidden from public sight, committing Hermes' warning to sight though she was not bothered because she grew up in a cage filled with mixed gender and the only coverage they had was a robe of thin fibre, the stories of Mr Zeus and the comforting anger of escape or death.

Just as the fisher fished and the bushes dance to the fancie of the graceful wind, bracing the case that guided the dignity of the caramel-skinned damsel, washing every imperfection off her into the river that flowed through the leaves, hitting the rock that croaked hymn of the frogs hopping from and the grandiose gallop of the fishes, disrupting, ever so slightly the matching song of the rolling river. Yet all the boy could create at the rising from the nother is —

"Thetis!" He jolted from slumber, running out like one enlightened. He looked around and found no one around the chariot. "Where is—" His nostril trapped the smell of roast and his eye drove to it different. "Lord Hermes!" He ran towards Hermes, adding pressure to his side to temper the pain from the bleeding and broken rib. He ran like one chased by Tartarus, gasping for her and the pain rose. Halfway through he lifted his head and noticed Hermes was missing, only to be knocked out again by a wack to his neck.

"Fool." Hermes carried the boy. "You won't die at my watch." He walked to his fishing spot.

The boy jolted up after a while with the same song on his lips. "Thetis!" He looked around and his eye locked with Hermes'.

"Boy, Is she all you think of."

"Ugh, is she, where is she— hm." He held his side at the pain raising with his voice.

"She is—"

"She is what?" Hermes gave a stern gaze at the interruption.

"My apologies my Lord, I am just worried."

"Worried." Hermes shook his head. "She is in good health and has gone to bath, I expect the sam of yo—" The boy jumped up and intended to run to find Thetis but Hermes caught him by the leg and pointed to the bag containing his change of cloth. "Give the girl her privacy in the bath at least boy."

"What if she—" The boy as though deafen by desire was interrupted by Hermes. "Go get ready. She will join us."

"As you will my Lord." The boy still uneasy, picked up the bag and took his journey in the direction of Thetis.

"Don't you dare think it. She will never forgive you."

"EeeYes." The boy's innocent thought bubble busted. "My Lord." He changed his direction a stone throw from Hermes as the morning sun rose and the clearness of the sky brightened, the girl bathing, saw an inscription on her right arm close to her shoulder which flowed to her shoulder blade a name she could read as she remembered the day a voice cemented it and it became her's "Thetis" and the echoes of the word of the one that gave it "Burn it upon her, the beauty of a nymph that grew to be feared."

"Who was that?" She wondered as she moved her hand around the scar that had borne her name.

***

"Chiron you—"

"The Children, Luke, the Children." Lucille stopped Luke from spewing the numerous curse words his era knew.

"You, four-legged, human, centaur, neighing, hoof-footed, I feel like strangling man. Why would you do this?" Luke found words to replace his original ones, rambling on about the features of a horse since the last thing he committed to memory was a carriage pulled by Chiron instead of a horse.

"I don't understand what Luke is saying, Lucille." Theophile ever so curious asked.

"My boy, Luke is expressing his love for horses eh. Come now, children let's head to bed."

"Is Thetis fine?"

"Theophile, she had a long day and tomorrow is a long, long day. Head to bed now." The Children gave Thetis a good night kiss.

"And you also."

"Me?" The boy looked around as though Lucille spoke to another. "You mean Me?"

"Yea you, who else is with a bag-pack looking blank at the discussion of the elderly."

"That would be me." The boy answered, blinking in plead.

"So, chop chop, eh."

"No way, I will leave her side." Lucille looked at Thetis who looked away, not in the mood to explain.

"Why would you do that, to a pregnant helpless *chuckled* woman no less." Luke steaming at Chiron.

"For the hundredth time, if I don't, they will send another and this time my family also will be in danger," Chiron explain. "And Luke, pregnant this woman maybe, she is nowhere helpless. Look at me I am in a worse state than her."

"Still can't you aim for somewhere less—" Luke looked at Thetis accessing where possible. "Still her shoulder why Chiron."

"Mr Luke, Mr Luke. If may where else do tell, do I shot my arrow."

"I don't what about—"

"Old men, please no more arrow talk. I am fine and hungry ya know." Thetis said as Lucille came in with supper for the bunch as Luke treated Thetis right shoulder which bears the inscription of her name.

"Your ha, ha, hand *yawn* your name." The boy's eyes heavier than he can keep them open. He lifted a spoon and the journey into his mouth seemed ridiculously far as his very hand had become too heavy for him to lift. "I, I must not *yawn and nodded* sle…" His body was dragged down as he slept by Thetis feet.

"What happened to him? he seem awfully clingy than usual," Lucille asked.

"That my friend is a long story. Give me more." Chiron said, pointing his plate at Lucille. "Just pretend he his Luke's junior cousin."

"Sure." Lucille giggled as she collected the plate for a refill.

"You two know I am nothing like that."

"True Luke you are not." Thetis jested at the over-protective nature of Luke. "Don't do that, don't touch this. No no Thetis, pregnant women should not—

"Five star to Theti—." Luke threw a cotton roll at Chiron who caught it with his spoon. "That will be extra supper for me, Lucille." He collected his refilled plate

***

"Of course, my Lord, we have a real feisty bunch and one who seems out for blood." Chief Hermes said.

"Hmm." Mr Zeus a bit absent-minded, as the chief wine and dine in the throne room.

"Any expectations my Lord."

"Chief, They say the sun also is a star yet it commands so much power while the moon the captain of millions of stars still depends on it. Why is that?" Mr Zues stared blankly with his face leaned on his palm.

"That my Lord is how the gods would have it." Chief Hermes answered as he ordered the table set in order.

"Yes, the gods will. No fighting chance." He paused."I have but one expectation, that the stars be given a chance to earn the throne. Let the last one stand before my sun, even the weakest."

"Won't that be too loose, my Lord?"

"Choosing at random as my pen calls would birth arrogance, a thought of being special instead of humility, a heart sold to services." He stood up from the diner and walked towards the window while the chief Hermes remain seated sipping his drink. "Let their works show them worthy that their arrogance is justified."

"Funny you would say that, I have eye on one and I will be betting on him." The chief Hermes said.

"Him you say. Hmm."

"I will prepare the betting poll to heighten the expectation."

"Hmm"

"I wait to see who my Lord would bet on. I might win again this time." The chief Hermes gulped his drink and stood up with a smile.

"Let the emergence decide my victory, my friend." Mr Zeus said as he walked towards the Chief Hermes and they exchanged their signature handshake.

"Don't forget Zeus, I might be your downfall." Chief Hermes held thought.

"Umph." Mr Zeus smirked. "That also I wait to see old friend." They let go of each other go as the air busted with bloodlust.

"I will be leaving now, my Lord." Chief Hermes said as he bowed

"Hmm," Mr Zeus gestured.

***

This is, Argh!" Ajax's partner throws a stool at the wall in heated anger. "My heart can't take this anymore."

"Boy, I told you not to get me killed with your tantrum, please brother remember what happened on our arrival." Ajax calms his partner down.

"That's the problem, I can't get it out of my head Ajax. They all have the same weak smell, every last one of them, yet, yet— Argh!" He threw his empty hand at the air.

"You, wherever you are called, stop the shenanigans, we need our beauty rest," Eris said. "You, Uhm, *snapped her fingers* Ajax. Why are you not from Poseidon? You have the qualities"

"I could care-less missy, though you are dangerously beautiful my heart is dying to hug. I have my eye only on my lady Artemis." Ajax spoke bluntly, not hiding his smitten state.

"Really, so if I say come lay beside me, you would reject right." Eris turned the seductive charm on— Aphrodite 001.

"Really, do yo—" Ajax's partner smacked Ajax's head. "She has got you wrapped around her fingers in seconds."

"No, she hasn't. I am perfectly fine."

"Ajax look your legs are moving closer to her bed-chamber."

"Punch me, please pun—" Ajax's partner sent him flying with a punch to his face."That should calm you—"

"Why you! I said punch me not kill me." Ajax stood, nose-bleeding. "Mr sweet, sweet nose. I walk hard to keep this face nice for my Lady Artemis you know!"

"You will thank me later." Ajax's partner went to his bed-chamber.

"I hear no Aphrodite in the east and west of Olympus is that true," Eris asked

"No my sweet beauty, there Aphrodite in the east but not accessible not even seen at all but the west none, not even one," Ajax replied. "So how does an Aphrodite fight, you people are said to be Olympus deadliest assassin."

"Not the deadliest, most refined."

"Show me," Ajax asked. Eris clapped and another Aphrodite jumped out of bed, she was also as equally sexually alluring as Eris walked towards Ajax who just stood staring as one stung by paralysed, not sure what to do as she closed the distance between them, placed a hand on his chest and lean close then said.

"Wait boy. Till the emergence." She smirked and walked back while his heart raced fast and cold sweat on his forehead then he seem blank unsure what just happened.

"You are dead fool!" Ajax's partner throws the Pillow at him to snap him out of limbo.

"What? how?"

***

"We are set."