Akhill

Chapter Eight: MoonDay I

"By and By, I set the mark, not full of me, nor pulled back by time, neither by its strands nor the sickly crys. I sat me by, wandering why I came, running through the holes, staring at the water dance, riding heated call, yet all to one that I might live strapped by home." A piece of Rook's poetry volume, ripped out of its bunch, carried by the wind through the crevices, flowing above the rooms of the plush ears the dinner and out into the dark passage that lead into the Arena of Warriors.

"Just give up, ya hindrance is formidable. Mister 'I will give my life for Thetis'"

"I swear it, I will get them this time."

"I heard ya say that every time in the past twenty days."

"This time. I fe—"

"Ah, don't beat ya-self up. Athena won't even let me die in peace."

"Long live Athena. I will make quick work of those three imps and come over. Ah, Ah, Ah." The light from the Arena became closer as the steps of Thetis' partner draw towards it. "Know this Thetis, I will protect you." Thetis' partner entered the light of the arena, straight to his post of battle.

"Something is wrong with that boy." Thetis thought as she took her journey in the opposite direction towards the line drawn. "Maybe today," Thetis muttered as the line lifted off the ground and scenes of her exchange with Athena played before her. "That might work. She would—"

"Up here!" Athena called to Thetis from her throne and standing beside her Hermes as the seats surrounding the arena attract butts of seaters. "And that's your opponent. " Thetis looked around, wondering who Athena pointed to.

"What!" Thetis partner shouted. "My Lady, How will I protect her if she is my—"

"You fight to protect her. Let the greater desire be victorious."

"I did rather you end me, My Lady, My Lord help speak reason." Hermes stood deaf to his cry. "I can fight her."

"That also is a result of this exchange. If you really want to die, just stay immobile and let her have a go."

"But—"

"Just make her surrender!" Hermes said in irritation. "He seems to lack wit when it comes to her." He muttered. "I won't mind if you save Olympus the headache of a loose wheel."

"Oh. That would be—" Thetis partner blocked the strike aimed at his neck.

"Apologies ma friends bat. This will be ma win." Thetis shoulders. The crowd roars

"Either end this or end her. Your choices." Athena quipped, moving the cup in her hands gracefully then taking a sip.

"I cont shake off the desire. I jast want to rest in peace," Thetis stepped back to give the boy enough space to recover from his shock. "You are an obstacle." Thetis charged toward him.

"Thetis please, Let's think this through—" Thetis aimed for his neck while he evaded, kneel and turned behind her. "Please be cal—" She swung her sword backwards, which he stopped with his chained weapon.

"All I wont is ta find rest and if defeating you gives me that, so be it."

"We can find another way." Thetis's partner, dropped his guard to speak to her as equals but Thetis drove her sword towards his chest.

"If I can defeat ya, my wish will be fulfilled."

"You will have to kill me if you think I will let you."

"Don't worry, my dear partner, you won't be alone for long." Thetis took her stance to attack. "Let the underworld bath with our blood this day." She dashed, like one with a screw loose.

"That's it, crazy girl. Show that boy you are no weakling." Hermes shouted, lifting the passion of the watchers. "Still, my Lady." He dropped his tone, speaking to Athena. "Why this?" He pointed with an eye movement.

"William," she said. "Have you heard the sad debate between the Immovable and their lifelong enemy the —"

"The Unstoppable's. My Lady." Hermes spoke up, attesting he has heard.

"The debate always ends with an unanswered bit." She gulped the wine. "Do you have an answer to it?"

"I am not sure but I do have crumbs."

"Such is the case with this two." She looked away from Hermes and faced the battleground. "One who will turn on a brother to have her one desire and the other who would rather become a statement of ridicule than permit this one desire." Athena pointed her cup for a refill. "Who do you think is wrong?"

"The boy of course, right" A lady close by answered sharply as Hermes refilled the glass. "Everyone has a right to their life." The lady continued.

"So you are sure it wrong to pray for the long life of a cherished one."

"That not what—"

"I knew the girl was wrong," Hermes said, although in bais.

"William, you believe it is right to take away your choice from you."

"Not one bi—" Hermes swallowed.

"But someone is wrong, right."

"The victor will be the right one."

"In war, the one who is victorious is not always right but it happens he swung his sword an inch closer."

"That sounds—" Hermes caught a metal ball deflected from the ground approaching Athena. "Hey, watch how you fight."

"I doubt they can hear you, right." The lady said.

"Do remember one of the codes of war?" Athena asked, not bothered by the glitch.

"Pay you due in respect to your foe."

"What about a cherished one?"

"Respect them more, right."

"Exactly." Athena sat back resting and her head leaning on her hand.

"What is the purpose then?" Hermes asked, trying to figure out Athena's thought train

"No less for fun, right? No less." The lady said, readjusting Athena's armour arm.

"They might give me the answer I need to purge the sorrow of someone," Athena remembered the eye that bought her surrender.

"Ugh." Hermes looked at Athena lost, while the lady chuckled.

"If one dies, they both die." Athena signalled the lady who was now working on her hair, as she sat up to focus on the weapon exchange. "If one live, both live."

"Your words sometimes make no sense my lady. Right." "You are rig—" The lady's word caught Hermes off guard, as he stopped himself from completing the sentence and then glared at the lady. "How dare you." He thought, unwilling to cross sword with the right-hand person of Athena, who by some unknown sorcery was the second strongest.

"I wait for what corridor the wills go through," Athena muttered, fading out of her environment, immersing herself in the battle.

"Thetis please!" The boy shouted. "I can, I vowed to protect you."

"Then break it." Thetis swung a stave at him. "Break it! And set ya-self free." She aimed for his head and then legs, after which she planted the stave on the ground and kicked using the stave as a pillar. "I promise ya, I will nat hold it against ya."

"I can't, that is the only reason I am still here." He blocked her kick but was pushed back abit. "I can't." He dropped his guard and walked toward her

"Jast forgo and let me die!" She spinned the starved around her neck then her back and thrust the sword at him. He evaded, then punched the starve off her hand, after which he turned and land a blow on Thetis.

"That's my Boy!" Hermes shouted. The cry looked back at him, as though expecting an explanation for his statement. "What's wrong? Can't I say 'ouch my boil' anymore? Is my boil yours?" He readjusted himself, eyeballing the piercing eyeballs, recalling the danger that awaits any Hermes that becomes attached to Zeus's chess pieces.

"I hope you still remember Hera, right."

"Listen, I said 'ouch my—"

"You in luck Athena could care less. Right."

"My thanks to the gods."

"Oh, I, I am sorry. Are you, Are you hur— I don't mean to—" The boy apologies for his reflex. She jumped towards him and threw a punch, he evaded and spotted her face bleed.

"I don't mean to," he dropped his whipped-lash spiky weapon wrapped around his hand. "You are bleeding, you need to see the physici—" Thetis rushed at him, raining blows that sent the air running without making contact. "Thetis, listen. Don't give them the merry they so desire in a fight." Thetis stopped, as though to listen, then kicked up another of the weapons laying around, which based on her exchange with Athena was her second best of the three she is proficient with.

"If merry is what they desire. Let da dawn of ma death bring dews of merry to their post." Thetis continued her rampage, not giving the boy a window of escape. "Surrender or Die. Either way, I will die today."

"Not if I—" The boy stepped on a shield laying inside out, tripped and kicked Thetis who jumped backwards to evade the kick. The boy rolled up and kicked the shield away. "I am—" Thetis dashed and the rain of blows continued.

With Her life as the reward. She plunges into her enemy like a mad cow in the street of hay, not sparing any breath, slicing, pushing, kicking even headbutting while the audience raises and falling like waves in a high tide, singing woos and ahhs and heart running amuck at the rare grand battle before them, for never has Athena enforced a battle to the death though she trains the highest ranked warriors of the four-county. Lady Athena is to have a great grasp on life and would prefer a wisdom battle to that of a drawn sword.

"Listen—" The sun rose and its light reflected the weapons, brightening the sand and sweat flying around the huge coliseum named The Arena of war, which was intuned to mastery of the war, so much the Aphrodites are scarce.

"But of course, Why would anyone frolic with the likes of the North? That Pig Poseidon still owes me an apology." Hermes remembered Lady Athena scolding her right-hand lady.

"Listen Thetis," thetis Partner said while evading daggers, "why do you even what to end yourself."

"Da noise, be too mash and quiet down when I harm ma self." She pulled her hand together and then threw a frontal kick while she spoke, pushing the boy backwards. "You waist ya time. Only death be ma salvation."

"Nonsense—" Thetis stuck with a dive of her weapon which missed by an inch—

"By the gods!" Hermes shouted grabbing hold of his genital, pulling his legs together and bending as though she struck him. "Savage." He shook his head imagining the pain the boy could have gone through.

"Ya luck is wearing thin," Thetis said as she pulled the sword out of the ground.

"Luck. I will outlive, to do anything for you."

"Fool. Again with this." Thetis shrieks. "If ya say anything then end my nightmare." Thetis jump and threw a punch aimed at the boy's face.

"I would rather—" Thetis fist interrupted, making contact with the boy's face, bursting his lip. "I would rather—" He continued after recovering his balance from the impact. "I would rather replace that nightmare with a dream." He muttered, shaking his head. Thetis rained blows on him and he stopped one or two, becoming a human sandbag, unwilling to respond in kind.

"If you keep this up, her will will swallow you up!" Hermes shouted, concerned about him.

"William."

"Apologies my Lady, Just," Hermes swallowed, " Do you really want them to kill one another."

"If I wanted that, I won't pitch them together."

"But—"

"Shush. Watch."

"I beg of you, Thetis—" The boy's ear has become deafened to the chatter of the audience, keeping his eye focused on Thetis as the hot air blows his lumpy, burst face, covered in red and eyes hazy from the blows. "Please don't—" He turned towards the direction of a raising gate.

"My Lady, I thought—"

"William, when the battle is boring, you release the Lions."

"But—" Lady Athena looked at Hermes with a piercing gaze that killed the word with him.

"Watch." Hermes swallowed, afraid for his own life, and turned to watch as instructed, while the streaming ecstasy of the crowd split in half, unsure how to react to the majestic beast that walked into the field, joining in the battle of life.

"Long life Athena!" The crowd roared as one inject with a high dose of ecstasy.

"Indeed," Thetis said, as she walked towards the Lions, ignoring the boy, dropping the weapons she held. "Long live Athena." She knelt a short distance from one. The Lion paced around her, as though confirming if the meal is not a trick then ran towards her to pounce but the Lion felt something spiky around his body, spinning it around and releasing it to hit it back on the wall.

"Boy!!" The crowd echoed.

"I dear you *cough*, I dear you beast!" The boy limping shouted. "I dear—" Another Lion came at him from behind, with a force he could not react to, forcing him to prepare for impact only for the impact to not arrive because Thetis had kicked the beast off. "Thank you, Thet."

"I am the only one that would die today." She picked up her knuckle weapon.

"Hmm." Thetis swooped at the boy's legs. He backflipped, landing on his hand, spinning like a fan to keep Thetis from coming closer to attack him. In a bit to vent her anger while waiting for the boy to tire from his spinning state, she looked at the stalking lion with a piercing gaze that unboxed an aura that could only be interpreted as "Cross that line and die." The Lion stopped and sat watching, reduced to a house cat.

"What, don't tell me." Hermes was surprised.

"That William is one of the things I wanted to confirm." Lady Athena dropped her cup. "Zeus always has an eye for valuables."

Thetis readjusted her knuckle weapon while moving around, planning her next move. "Ya choose this weapon." She flexed her hand around the knuckle ring. "No matter though barbaric, it is still ma best." She stopped. "Now what gain is it to ya if I live?" The boy looked gauging the distance from the concussive lion and studying Thetis as she spoke.

"If there would be a gain, it eludes me. All I know is I have always dreamt that I will save someone."

"Dream. You don go bonkers." Thetis ran at him, throwing an air punch than a hook and sometimes a jab— She fought like a seasoned boxer after going weeks against Lady Athena— and the boy evaded, avoiding any possibility of contact. "Every dream dies before it is noon, only Zeus lives."

"I will breathe life on it again." The boy said.

"Breathe life. Ya jest." Thetis punch missed by air. "It is foolish to dream. Jast give up and accept that we all dead the moment we were born." The boy stopped moving, making Thetis' punch connect with his face.

"Oooh." The crowd roared, as the crack of the Boy's nose sang to their ears.

"Dead at Birth." The word escaped the Boy's lips and Thetis jumped back. The boy looked bleakly at the sky that had lost its blue hue due to his swollen face and smiled as sorrow came down his dry dead eye. "I was sold by my own family because I was worth less than a day's meal." He looked down at Thetis smiling broadly. "I remember every word. 'That boy is a broken good.' They said." He continued, "unlike me Thetis, you lost all before you arrived in chains. I remembered every route and corner that tossed me in the cage. He bent and held a serious stance.

"What do you think William?"

"Same as everyone. That girl must have successfully provoked him."

The boy gestured for Thetis to come at him. She was excited at his changed demeanour and honoured his request, dashing at him with fake punches, testing to see what made her skin tap back in terror.

"Ya jast for show," Thetis said, seeing he did not attempt to hit her even when she noticed the remaining Lions cowering in terror at the air around the boy. "Let's end this." Thetis pulled her right knuckle weapon and fixed it in her left hand then caught the boy's head with her right, pulling in towards her left. " Dreams are for the dead in Olympus."

The boy stopped Thetis' left hand with both his hands. "All I have in Olympus is a dream, Thet." He muttered then spinned a kick at Thetis' belly. "Eyes dead I may be but why can't you see hope running down your eyes." She blocked the kick and pushed back. "Your life is worth more than your death Thet." He bounced back, as he noticed a Lion charging toward Thetis from behind, he tapped his feet and drove past Thetis, landing a rumbling punch at the Lion after which Thetis came at him to attack but was caught and her attack redirected to the Lion then shrieked "Not even Tartarus will stop me from save you, Thetis!" He pointed. "I vow to make you see the value of a dream worth living for."

"Cheeky." Thetis spat.

"What?" The voice gripped the seat, "Somebody, what he said?"

"Are you deaf or something?"

"I dare you to say that again. You blind fool."

"What?" The man stood up.

"You two shu'rap, the boy bin says 'I will be serious girl.'"

"No, you. He said 'I will stop you.'" The insulting man cut in.

"Old age ears and eyes be weird."

"What did you say you mig—" The second man covered the mouth of his argument companion.

"How long are you willing to live?" He whispered into his ear. "Oh my friends, forgive this old folk, pray tell, can you read the boy."

"Eh, my eye be the best amongst my brother and sister." The boy replied.

"Oo. What then is said?" The man whose mouth was covered spoke grumpily.

"Oh, she said, Zeus has always had a good eye." He told them with his eye lighted.

"Uh. Why would the boy be praising Zeus?"

"Ay, and why you call the boy, she."

"What boy?"

"That one you—" His argument friend stepped on him. "What?!"

"Oh Little friend, by any chance you are reading the lips of Lady Athena."

"O'cos, who knows when she will confess her love to me behind my back."

"Love what? You be like six."

"No, I be six and a half."

"Big man, you don become."

"I like you, mister."

"Me too. Pray tell my friend, what did that boy say."

"Oh, the boy. He said something about their dream."

"Dream, what Dream?"

"How would I know?"

"That's it you twerp. Who cares to dream in a place like this? If you step on me again, I will—"

"Shush, what if he—" The words became frozen water in his mouth as the boy lifted his fingers.

"Friend, little friend, forgive him for his ignorant nature."

"Ignor-what! I accept the challenge—"

"Foolish old man. Can't you see he is one of the three Hawkins?"

"No way he is—"

"Shall we approach Athena to seal the battle?"

"Did he just call our Lady Athena by name?"

"Yea, fool. Do you know why?"

"He has a death wish."

"Nah fool. Apologise, my young friend. Please make us good before your queen." He said to tease the boy away from the challenge request.

"M'kay."

"What are they saying now?"

"Uhh, Zeus, what story awaits you."

"Is that the Lady Athena's word?"

"Ay."

***

Lady Athena muttered as she remembered the words of Mr Zeus and his dream which he held dear to his heart before the days became evil and he embraced it.

"What is it, milady?" Hermes asked.

"The course of the battle just changed."

"Ugh."

"William, even if I told you, you won't understand let you see it yourself."

"See what?" Hermes asked.

"Milady, I doubt this Hermes as the needed eye to see." The lady standing beside Lady Athena said eye stayed on the arena.

"Yea, I doubt it, some Hermes be blind to see what we the blessed can —" Lady Athena looked at him, making his smile dry up, wondering 'what did I do wrong?

"Hermes."

"Milady."

"Watch."

***

The Lions sat fear-stricken by the sight of Thetis.

"Come Thetis, come at me." Thetis's partner said as he stood up and walked towards Thetis. The distance between them got closer after which a clash echoed through the arena, cutting the air, and rumbling the audience.

"You seem serious, my Friend." Thetis spat, while the boy's breathing rose and fell like the waters of a high tide, his face covered in the blood-soaked golden sand of the arena under the exiting sunlight.

"I will make you see Thetis." His breath came high out of his mouth, wrapping around his thumb firmly in his weapon. "I will make you—"

He dashed towards Thetis, picking an isolated shield, eye focused on Thetis who seem to be having a hard time seeing.

"Thet!" He shouted, his voice snapping her back to alertness. She threw a punch aimed at his nose which he evaded, caught her hand and turned through, holding her close to himself, raising the shield and casting a shade from the iron teeth of the sun.

"What are you—"

***

"What nonsense!"

"Ay, I bin think they be enemies."

"I am getting fed up. Come now kill something already."

"Why is he doing that?"

"Kill already, mi wife will kill me for miss out today. Why I be bored here too. Just kill something anything."

***

"Why milady?"

"Why what?"

Hermes pointed at the rain of arrows pouring down into the arena.

"That," Athena smiled looking at the lady by her side, "A little spice won't hurt."

***

The boy held Thetis so tight the fibre of the sky gods ripped in wonder at what will happen next. The arrows dropped, every tip, dropping like the dew escaping its gentle nature as it struck the ground ever so lovingly, throwing up the sand, with the song of freedom and scars.

"Isn't this peaceful." The boy smiled, eye looking sternly at the base of the shield.

"Maybe—" Thetis pulled away, squatted and kicked the boy's leg then aimed a punch at his face but missed him as he rolled away.

At that action, the crowd who longed for blood roared in ecstasy.

"Jast stay still, I been tired of this," Thetis said in raised frustration

"Not yet."

"Why Jast let me—"

"Tell me Thet, what you saw when Kronos fell, do you remember?"

"Yea, A city…" Thetis held back as a flash ran through her mind. "...burning and a child crying."

"I see."

"What do you—"

"In my home, they say, if you look above the fire, you see something else."

"What rubbish you be—"

"Have you tried looking above the fire?"

"Why would I—"

"Please try looking." His word though harmless met a heart with raised defence, so much it was a battle within Thetis. She recalled the scene slowly yet in so much detail, from the fragrance of the roses that surrounds the garden to the soft touch of the water that spews from the fountain, the giggle of the children running around the manor before the arrival of the gentle fire that grew into a furnace that swallowed up the fountain and devoured the smiles, leaving behind a chokey smell which eroded the garden and the voice echoing 'protect, protect, protect'. She held her head tightly, releasing a shout "Protect what!"

"Maybe," The boy said. "The Life you desire to end."

"Which Life, yours?"

"Nay, your life."

"My Life from what?" She looked at him, head tightly on her head. "from what?!" She released her head, folded her hand into a fist and drove it to strike herself. The boy stopped her hands as though in a dance. "I said let me die!" Thetis pulled away and sent her finger towards his eye. He evaded and the fight-tango continued.

"Ease Thetis." The boy backflipped over. "Why is the fountain missing when the fire started?" He asked.

"How would I know, all were burning."

"Why is the fountain that was so clear, missing when the fire star—"

"Jast shat hap." She staggered back as she remembered the fountain and a voice rolled into her ears, of a slim figure with chestnut brown, plain eyes blinked across the barred prison she sat in, listening to his bass voice carved out stories so alluring it pulled her in, away from the cage, the chain and sorrow, it burnt hope into her eye.

"Protect, Protect." The word echoed. Thetis turned to look away.

"Don't," The boy said, "don't fight the memory, just let it—' The wind blew through enveloping the arena, whisking away the voice of the most verbose, leaving the watchers unsure what to make of the girl in emotional turmoil and the boy with his guard down, approaching her cautiously.

The memory flickered and settled, connecting the dots back to the voice that described a girl running dressed in red-hood towards the raising smoke born from the fire that swallowed the manor, she believed was home.

" No!" She shouted, "why?" She turned, "I will kill ya for, whoever you—" she turned and saw a face carved in beauty but eye deep in sorrow. "Zeus!" She shrieked, "I will kill ya!" She picked a weapon, and aimed it towards the boy, as though at Mr Zeus.

"Thetis! Zeus is not the enemy!" The boy shouted to get through to Thetis, protecting himself. "Zeus is evil but he never destroyed your home." His word snapped Thetis out of her frenzy.

"So who, if nat him?" She asked, her ear desperate for an answer." The still boy bent, protecting his neck from the Thetis' unyielding blade, recalled every scene she saw in so much detail, pointing out the reality of it being one of the many stories Mr Zeus told and his paintings he occasionally displayed before them whenever he visited the cage.

"He made most of us wish—"

***

"What is going on, milady." Hermes whispered, not to break the silent air.

"A Breakthrou—"

***

"Shut up, " Thetis shouted, pulled back her weapon and struck the boy again to break his defence and cut him down.

***

"Maybe not." Lady Athena thought.

***

"How dare ya, say it was jast a story. I remember it as clear as day. More real than ya and ya say it was a story told to me by that," she sobs, "that murderer."

"Can you even remember the faces of one in the flames?" The boy asked, hand bleeding from the strike of Thetis.

"They are, they look—"

"You can not, can—"

"Quiet I know what ma family look like." Thetis tried to retrace her memory to get hold of their faces but found only Zeus' voice layering words to build worlds. She turned and saw in instant eye colours of different shades, embraced in darkness. "Why cont I—" she opened her, looking down at the boy. "Ya were there?" She lost her grip slightly. "Why were ya there?" She pulled back. "Ya, Ya. No Ya," The flames of anger rose within her, as the thought of him being an enemy flooded in," Ya work for Zeus." She struck harder, to cut down the enemy, she thought was a friend.

"What? I am chained like you. A prisoner of Mr Zeus like you." They rolled out from the edge of Thetis sword. "Listen and calm down, please, I was present when all the stories were said. I arrived years after you but it seems I have lived in chains longer than you." The boy spoke with the alertness of a mother calming her wild child."Thetis please list—"

"Why would this voice stop!" Thetis dropped the weapon, and held her ringing head which echoed "Protect."

"Thetis please Listen to my…"

"I jast want to be free." Tears rolled out of Thetis eye, red. "You." She glared at the boy, through her red lenses. "It's all ya fault." She said, desperate to end the links to her suffering. She walked without care, approaching the boy, ignoring the Lions laying around.

***

"Shouldn't we stop them?"

"You sense it too Hermes."

"She might actually kill him this time."

"Not yet Hermes. I want to see his decision."

"But—" The lady standing beside Lady Athena, glared at Him. "Forgive my folly milady."

***