Where The Dead Ones Go Book 2 -Republic-

Chapter 13

"I don't know how I can ever thank you, Vivet..."

I shook my head as I try to calm down Zephyrus' son, who collapsed on the ground in relief as Morris urged him to drink water from his bottle.

"No need to thank me, we are even now, at least."

He then looked at me and then at my cousin before incredulously shaking his head in disbelief.

"Wait, you told me that you used your one wish from my father just because Erina and I gave you two our seat that afternoon?!"

I looked at Morris, who shrugged his shoulders as I inclined my head in response, "So what if I did, Zeron? It is my darn wish, and I can do whatever the heck I want to do with it. It's just we saw you two so sweet with each other that time and when your father is pushing us together, I can't afford to think that there might be a time when you have to separate because of him. Your father also mentioned that you have sisters. Feels good that I have helped my fellow girls in one wish."

"Unbelievable. Are you really "that" kind to do that for someone you barely even know?"

My cousin faked a cough and looked at me proudly, "Excuse me, Zeron, my studly man, you are talking to the firstborn of the goddess of hope herself. Of course, she is "that" kind. It's in her blood and very being."

The demigod of Zephyrus just looked at me in awe as if I have saved his own life, and he began to cry tears of joy, "You are the harbinger of hope. My future is in my own hands for the first time in my life. I am, I don't know how can I even start to show my appreciation to you. Erina and I, my sisters and their men will have their lives for themselves alone."

"The way you are saying it, you make it sound like I saved lives or something."

He then looked at me, and to my surprise, he grabbed my shoulders and shook it hard as if to make me realize the seriousness of what I did.

"Saved lives? Vivet, it's better than that! You set us all free!"

Morris and I were blown away when Zeron launched himself to the skies suddenly and unleashed powerful but fresh winds around us before flying out into the skies unknown.

"Okay, so tell me if I got this right, I just refused a marriage proposal from the most eligible guy in the Hellenic Citadel, set him and his sisters free from a life under the control of their father, and all I got is a blast of fresh air that blew me away?"

My cousin laughed out loud as he removed the specks of dust from his clothes and nodded at me, "That about sums it up, Vivet."

"I think I should be annoyed at the very least, but I somehow feel happy for them. So this is what the mother feels whenever she shines her light to those who needed it the most."

"Welp, that's the goddess of hope for you, cousin..."

-0-

"Do you feel it, Morris?"

"The sense of growing dread, Vivet? Why, yes."

"And they are following us, no less. Did you do something wrong?"

"Why are you even asking? If I did, then you would've already known!"

"Fair point. Maybe they want to rob us?"

"A pity we don't have anything with us. Kairos, have our bags back at the car."

"True. Now, what do we do?"

"I don't want to make a scene when I summoned my wings, let's head for the clearing at a park downtown."

"Right. Locals and tourists will think that your father is out to reap their souls if they saw you with your scythe."

"I know. Why did he have to act like that back at the parents' day? Now everyone maintains a safe distance when they learned I am his son."

"Well, I will also do it if I am a regular mortal, Morris."

"Anyways, they seemed to be following us. They are powerful. I can feel it."

"Yes. Better be on guard."

The moment we stepped at the clearing, I summoned my wings and staff. In an instant, Morris summoned his wings and scythe.

"Nemesis: Tragic Sword!"

"Elpis: Benevolent Shield!"

A dome made of pure and absolute light surrounded me as it blocked a steel sword from hitting me and pushing away the winged one who is wielding it several meters.

"Eris: Chaotic Lash!"

I looked above and saw a girl flying with her majestic, fiery red wings and sending a sharp golden whip on my shield's direction, which then surprisingly multiplied and lashed out on my dome mercilessly.

"Achlys: Miserable Shield!"

A large shield appeared from nowhere and bashed my dome with so much force, it produced a loud gong-like sound but still managed to protect me.

"Thanatos: Pitch Black!"

My cousin produced a flood of darkness that engulfed us all in death's shadows as he invisibly sneaked past above me and headed straight to the girl hovering above us.

"Elpis: Revolving Lanterns!"

I raised my staff, and from it erupted dozens upon dozens of light lanterns that served as illumination in this suffocating darkness.

With the help of its brilliance, Morris saw the girl who is currently and oddly using the darkness to hide her presence, and he raised his scythe to attack her, but to our surprise, she managed to parry it even though he is invisible.

"Now, now, that just won't do, my dear," she sultrily pouted as her golden whip entangled my cousin's invisible scythe, "No self-respecting man will attack a lady without even introducing herself."

"She got me, Vivet."

"And I got you, Morris."

"Elpis: Promised Hope!"

My lanterns floating around exploded in such sheer intensity, the woman screamed as she didn't close her eyes in time, and she got a full blast of my radiance. In contrast, Morris quickly gets away from her and heads inside my dome as the darkness was chased away by my light, and we finally saw clearly who is attacking us.

The two of us looked above as three winged demigods are slowly descending as the two boys are carefully assisting the girl who is continuously rubbing her eyes.

"Now that's just plain rude! She moaned in her distinct sultry voice as her whip turned into a golden apple, and Morris gasped.

"Spawn of Eris."

"Who else, Morris?" she asked, and then when her eyes finally recovered, she opened it and looked at the two of us rather fondly, "I know we only met once, but I am quite sad that you forgot about me already."

I don't feel any animosity coming from them, so I dispersed my shield so we can get a better look at her, and he is indeed familiar.

"Wait, you are the girl with Zeron at the bench!" my cousin exclaimed that made her chuckle.

"I prefer to be called by my name, Erina, thank you very much," she said gaily as she pointed at her two companions, "On my right is Ramnus, son of Nemesis, and on my left is Mireus, son of Achlys. We are just dropping by."

"Dropping by, by stalking and attacking us?" I asked carefully that made the daughter of the goddess of discord laughed seductively.

"Well, we don't know a proper way to greet you two," the son of the goddess of misery said, who looks anything but miserable as he grinned at our direction while scratching his tousled hair and stretching his acid green wings.

The son of the goddess of revenge bowed and spread his orange wings as far as he can, "We do apologize for the sudden attack. We are choosing between groveling at your feet or attacking you without warning. As you already know, we chose the latter.

"But what do you need from us?" Morris asked carefully as the three looked at each other and shook their heads in disbelief.

"You two already know who I am, dears, should I spell it out loudly why in the republic I am here instead of enjoying my weekend with my boyfriend?"

We blinked at the girl who exudes such confidence and self-respect. I am getting jealous already just by staring at her right now.

"Wait, you are Zeron's..."

"Yes, my dear Vivet, I am his," she answered sweetly before biting her lower lip as she tried to hold back her tears, "Who would've thought that giving you two our seat that afternoon would have changed our lives and future forever? I don't even to begin, ugh, let me get my hands on you!"

Before I can even react, she already flew towards me in such speed, and it took her only a split second before I was already in her arms tightly as she began to cry without a care in the world as her two companions flew towards me and groveled at my feet while calling as well.

"Morris, I think they are..."

"Yes, Vivet, without a doubt..."

"Thank you for everything! You could've wished for anything, but you have to be as nice as your mother before you," Erina screamed as she continued to moan in my shoulders and cry continuously, "We will not take this sitting down, no. Our parents hate to owe Elpis anything, so we are at your beck and call from now on. That is a vow on the river of Styx."

I gasped when the two boys at my feet promised the same to the river of unbroken promises and quickly shook my head, "No! No, no, don't say that! I want Zeron and his sisters to be free because I know myself how painful it is to be thrown around at boys just because I am a promising trophy wife."

"Hush, Vivet. We already made a vow, and dozens upon dozens of Zeron's sisters and their fiances already did the same," Erina announced that made me and my cousin gasped in shock.

"Wait, dozens upon dozens? Surely you are exaggerating?" Morris asked tentatively as the girl hugging me begins to calm herself down.

"Exaggerating? Oh, far from it. Zeron has forty-nine sisters that you have just set free yesterday, Vivet," she said clearly as I just began to realize the gravity of what I have done, "Free to love the ones they truly love and free to live their lives the way they want it to be. You, my dear ignorant girl, has just gained a hundred demigods and mortals prepared to be of assistance no matter where, when, or how you need it."

"I... I don't know what to say..."

Mireus and Ramnus got up with my cousin's help as they tearfully thanked me once more and kissed my hands in gratitude.

"You even let someone as miserable as me to have my happiness in the future. I am in your debt until the end of my breath," Mireus said gratefully.

Ramnus nodded and smiled at me loyally, "Say the word and me, and my girl will face even the worse nightmares come true for you. As long as we are together, we can do it. And we are together because of you."

"It will be a huge disrespect to turn them all away when they are offering themselves to you in return for the future, freedom, and life that you have given them all, Vivet."

I looked at Morris, who said that out loud as I glanced at the three waiting for my response in bated breath.

"Then I will accept graciously and hope for a future that is bright for you all..."

The three bowed lowly before wiping away their tears.

"So, we know that the Cup will be happening soon after your immersion, and if you wouldn't mind, we will be more than happy to help you train, Vivet," Ramnus offered that made me smile expectantly.

"Your defense is a tough nut to c***k, but when it comes to offense, well, no offense, quite literally..."

Morris laughed out loud at Achlys' son, who poked fun at my complete and utter lack of attacking options.

"My dear, as a self-respecting girl, you can't just leave the attacking to your beloved foster brother here," Erina said in a teacher-like voice as she returned to her confident self that I so admire of, "You have to learn to attack yourself! Why, if for some weird instance that he is too lazy to attack, then you will sit inside your sparkling bubble and hope that your enemies will tire themselves out?"

I nodded sadly and heaved a sigh, "I know. But no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to bring myself to attack and willfully hurt anyone."

"Even if that someone will kill Morris here while you just sit by and do nothing?"

I looked at Mireus, who said that simple, and I felt a fit of inexplicable anger inside my heart.

"No."

Erina nodded and turned her golden apple into a whip once more and started to fly above as she began her training.

"At least we are clear on that, Vivet. But before we go to the gruesome and bloody part, I have a question. Why are you not flying?"

I just shook my head and stared at my white wings sadly.

"Remember, Erina, Elpis stayed behind..."

The daughter of Eris looked down on Ramnus and nodded, "Indeed. But she "can" fly, and my dear, our first lesson is that. Fly. You have wings, and you will fly."

"But..."

She lashed her whip next to me so hard it cracked and almost made me deaf, "Zeron told me that you looked up to me when it comes to grace and confidence and I will not end this day without pounding those two qualities to your head. Now, fly."

My cousin flew above together with the boys as they all looked down on me.

"But I..."

"FLY, VIVET!"

Erina commanded harshly, and I took a deep breath and summoned all the confidence and belief that I have before spreading my wings and willing it to take me to the skies.

And it did...

I shot up to the sky so fast, I overtake my companions, and when I reached the heavens above and spread my wings as far as I can before letting it unleash a blast of potent radiance that is so bright for a second, I become the second sun.

Erina, Ramnus, and Mireus shed a tear when they looked up at me as I see from Morris' mind's eye as the daughter of the goddess of discord said something that I can never forget.

"I told you all, hope has wings..."