Jonas followed the instruction. “This technique is called Quick Draw. Draw Fragment as fast as you can while channeling lightning through it. When it is out of the sheath, the lightning will hunt your target. Simple? Try hitting the miasma.”
Jonas imagined the lightning. As he felt the power hit the sword, he quickly pulled it from its sheath. The lightning slung toward the sky.
“Woops,” Jonas said.
“Try again. You must combine speed and accuracy. Be fast, be agile, be precise.”
Jonas sent more power into the sword and pulled it faster, but still could not direct the lightning.
“This is a lot harder than it sounds,” Jonas said as he sheathed Fragment.
“Of course it is going to be difficult, even for a skilled swordsman of your stature. The Quick Draw is not a new technique, boy. It was taught to some of your humankind years ago. The only difference between that and yours is the lightning. Focus on where you want it to hit. Let the lightning direct itself. Believe in it. It is like a serpent that moves so fast, one can barely see it. See it before it appears.”
Jonas thought about the words. See it before it appears. Was that possible? He closed his eyes and submerged himself in deep thought, debating the teachings of the technique. His eyes snapped open as he began to understand the idea behind the technique. Or at least he hoped he did.
He focused on the miasma this time, rather than the sword, and pulled Fragment softly but quickly. The lightning traveled to the miasma before he fully unsheathed the sword.
“Unbelievable. To think you would exceed my expectations so fast. Jonas Ariel, for now, I have nothing more to teach you. You must practice. If you cannot provide the blood and sweat, you will never master Fragment. Before I send you on your way, there is but one more item I will explain to you.”
“Please tell,” Jonas said, excited.
“That magic you used against Thor is called Aegis. It is not meant for humans to use, especially as recklessly as you did. If you exhaust yourself on the battlefield, your foes will not hesitate to take that opportunity to kill you.”
The area where Jonas stood ignited with several colors before he found himself back at the courtyard. The morning sun peeked through the cloudy skies as it rose. A soft breeze cooled the salty sweat that drizzled from Jonas’s skin.
“A morning practice session, I see.”
Jonas spun to see Medusa standing. She wore a black dress, matching shoes, and held an umbrella.
“You seem to hate the sun,” Jonas said playfully.
“Maybe a little,” Medusa replied. “Never mind that. Get cleaned up and meet me at the balcony. I want to take you somewhere.”
“What about class meetings?” Jonas said.
“We will be back on time. If not, who cares? A missing day affects nothing for you and me.”
“Give me a moment,” Jonas said. He sheathed Fragment, hurried back to his room, and cleaned up. He found clothes that he liked in the dresser. He tucked the medallion underneath the shirt.
“You sure took your time,” Medusa said as he stepped on the balcony floor.
“Maybe,” Jonas said.
“Come.” Medusa held out her hand. When Jonas grasped it, the world around them blurred. A familiar falling sensation reminded him of the first time he transported from his native realm to Olympus. The blurs of greens, reds, and whites cleared seconds later. In its place, the duo stood in an open field of white flowers. He noticed a large house yards ahead. “My sisters may be able to look into the calamity that targets your world. I’ve discussed this with them for some time, and they want to see you.”
Jonas felt a rush of excitement pounce into him. Finally, a lead to saving his own world.
“You really are great!” he said, and hugged Medusa. A scent of sweet roses messaged his nostrils. Medusa gently pushed him away. Her face displayed a slight blush.
“Now is not the time nor place. I don’t want my sisters getting the wrong idea and teasing me more than they already do. Follow me.” She led Jonas toward the house. “My oldest sister, Euryale, can see the energies of fates and answers. Sthenno can see and talk to spirits and visit the land of the dead as she pleases. If they can’t help, I’m not sure who can.”
When they entered the house, Jonas’s eyes locked on a beautiful woman dressed in white robes, giving advice to another woman that was on her knees in tears.
“Please calm down, go home, and think this through. You need rest.” The weeping woman nodded and hurried out of the house, wiping her face along the way.
“Euryale,” Medusa said.
“It is good to see you, my sister,” the blonde-haired woman warmly replied, her tired eyes glancing over both Jonas and Medusa.
“I have brought Jonas,” Medusa said, “he who carries fate.”
Suddenly, another beautiful woman, who appeared younger than Euryale, dashed from a room behind her and hugged Medusa.
“You’ve finally come to visit! I’m so glad you’re here! Missed you so much.”
“Okay, just get off, Sthenno,” Medusa said, attempting to break free from her sister’s grasps. Sthenno gazed at Jonas and then covered him with a hug too.
“You’re so handsome! You’re a perfect match for my sister. You have my blessing!”
“Enough foolish talk!” Medusa snarled, her face flushing of embarrassment. “You know why we’re here.” Sthenno released Jonas, a grin on her face.
“Well of course,” she said. “Still strays not from the fact that he’s so delicious that even I want him.”
Jonas hoped he didn’t blush.
“Let us go outside and begin the search for the answers Jonas seeks,” Euryale said.
As soon as they were outside, Euryale directed them until they stood in a circle ten feet apart.
Jonas noticed someone approaching in the distance.
“Who is that?” he said. A boy appearing to be Jonas’s age, dressed in white robes, a winged cap, and winged sandals, stopped in front of them a minute later.
“Perseus, hidden son of Zeus, what brings you here?” Euryale said.
Perseus pulled a harpe sword from a sheath strapped to his back. “I’m going to expel you from this world, Medusa,” he declared.
Medusa started to move forward, but Jonas stepped ahead of her, unsheathing Fragment.
“I think not.”
Chapter 37
Jonas blocked Perseus’s sword, pulled back, and charged him. They crossed swords again, sparks dancing, all eyes around focused on them. Perseus’s strikes were quick, but Jonas felt faster. He sped up his swings. Perseus defended. He leapt backward, creating a five-foot gap between the two, and tapped his winged cap. Right before Jonas’s sight, the boy vanished.
“He–he’s gone,” Jonas said.
“Watch out!” Euryale yelled. Jonas barely dodged a harpe sword swing that manifested from midair, disappearing seconds later. “That cap gives him invisibility.”
Jonas’s eyes moved left and right, searching for any signs of his opponent. He watched the ground, but the flowers didn’t seem to bend or rustle from any movement. Perseus had absolute invisibility.
“Your left!” Euryale shouted. Jonas dodged the incoming blade. “Keep moving! He’s coming to your right!”
Jonas waited for the blade to manifest again and then swung at it as hard as he could. Perseus still hung onto it as he pulled it back. Suddenly he became visible again, eyeing Jonas with intensity.
“Who are you, human, and what is your business here?” he said.
“Who I am matters not to you,” Jonas replied.
“Why do you interfere? This is none of your concern.”
“You’re trying to kill my friend. Do you think I’ll stand by like an idiot and let that happen?”
“You know nothing, do you? She’s carrying a deadly curse. In the name of my goddess, I must purify her before it gets worse.”
“Partially carrying it. You’re the one who knows nothing; you
haven’t heard the truth. It sounds to me like you’re trying to slay someone innocent for your own selfish reasons. That is nothing short of sick, cold-blooded murder.”
“Fool!” Perseus yelled as he charged Jonas. Jonas blocked his strike and attempted to counter. Perseus leapt very high into the air, his sandals glowing, maintaining his hover. “You are ignorant of what that curse enables her to do. I didn’t want to kill you, but now you leave me no choice.”
Jonas sheathed Fragment, his hand remaining on its handle. “It is too late to give up now. I handed you plenty of chances. Accept your punishment, human.”
Perseus swooped toward Jonas like a falcon. Jonas grinned, his focus on Perseus, unsheathing Fragment. The lightning moved true to Jonas’s wishes, striking Perseus hard enough to blast him backward. He fell back first.
“You know, if you were willing to listen, you wouldn’t have fallen for such an obvious trap,” Jonas said. Perseus struggled to stand, steam oozing from his body, his face reddened in anger.
“I’m fated to slay the dark goddess. That’s what she told me. That’s what I will do.” He turned around. “You will regret that you lack the power to kill me.” Perseus leapt into the air. “I will kill you, Medusa. I swear it.” He rose higher. “And you.” He pointed at Jonas. “If you get in my way, you’ll die too.”
“All talk,” Jonas said. “Yet you’re leaving me alive right now.”
Perseus’s face turned three shades of purple before he flew off in a rage, cursing them as he fled.
Sthenno dashed into Jonas’s arms, embracing him. “That delicious, heroic soul makes me want you even more. If you don’t marry my sister, I’m yours.”
“Enough already,” Medusa said. “Now that that interruption is over, let us get to what we came here for.”
Jonas was surprised that Medusa didn’t react to that encounter. He assumed she hid her feelings. Maybe she could deal with him herself. That didn’t stop the fact that someone had made an attempt on her life.
Euryale nodded. “Everyone reform the circle. Jonas, stand ahead of me.” When they were all in position, she closed her eyes, pointed at Jonas, and shimmered.
Unexpectedly, an invisible forced bashed her backward. Medusa and Sthenno rushed to her side.
“Euryale, are you okay?” Medusa said.
Euryale smiled as she stood. “I am.” Her eyes rested on Jonas. “You have some fierce trials ahead, some of which will spiral you into looking death right in its eyes. Stay true to yourself, fighting for what’s true, and you shall conquer a destiny so great that the reward will shine beyond the wildest dreams of both human and titan. Every decision you make will affect the form of that calamity. Even I cannot see it, as it does not live through time nor has it manifested.”
Euryale grabbed Jonas’s hand. “Jonas Ariel, you are welcomed here anytime. Please stay for dinner.”
Sthenno grabbed Jonas’s arm. “Please. I’d love to get to know my future brother better.”
Medusa pulled her off him. “No thanks, we must go. Farewell, my sisters.”
“Take care,” Euryale said. “And stay out of trouble.”
Medusa grabbed Jonas’s hand. The colors around them blurred, followed by the falling sensation until finally they were back at the palace’s courtyard.
“You get along very well with your sisters,” Jonas said.
“They are so embarrassing sometimes, but I love them to death,” she replied.
Jonas laughed.
“What?” She eyed Jonas.
“Nothing,” he said, feeling a new respect for Medusa.
Chapter 38
Riley sighed, bored after enduring yet another strategy meeting conducted by Prudus, in a dusty, abandoned one-window chapel. The war zone lay just ahead.
The building smelled of must, maybe rotting wood too. He swore he couldn’t go at least one minute without breathing in a mouthful of dust. The large, wooden table they sat around looked as if it would crumble anytime.
What more could Prudus want? Riley didn’t steal control of Prudus’s men. He didn’t order him around nor subject him to pointless tasks. He was the ideal leader.
Riley wanted to sneak away to do whatever he pleased, but something within compelled him to stay. Was it a lust for blood? No. Riley needed no such thing. He had the power to do anything. He felt like an arc commander even before the promotion. And once he’d proven Lord Abaddon’s innocence, Riley would wipe out the Twelve and rebuild it. All of them would serve Abaddon. Riley felt as if his lord didn’t need the power of the rulers. His original power should be enough, and when the sword holder was killed, Abaddon’s presence would plunge the realms into fear. He knew and loved the terror of Abaddon’s real power and couldn’t wait for it to cast its darkness upon every sky. Maybe then this would start the repentance of his own sin, not that Riley cared anyway.
“Prudus, as much as I love your plan, why do you not choose to surround Ares’s men instead?”
Prudus shook his head. “We’ll need surprise. I am certain he is used to your direct confrontations. His men will not react well to a strong ambush.”
Riley nodded. “There is nothing I can say to argue that. Ares’s men are strong but incompetent. I can’t wait to crush them like insects.”
“Hold on, newly appointed arc commander. You need not participate in this battle. You direct, command, and watch the results.”
“No,” Riley said. “I may be commander of commanders, but a true superior fights with his men. I may have earned this position, but I will not be retracted from battle.”
“I cannot risk that, Arc,” Prudus said. “Lord Abaddon—”
“Your order will be to accept my decision,” Riley interrupted. “I never used my magic in battle, but this time, Elite Commander Prudus, you shall be the first to witness it. Do you really want to pass up this opportunity?”
Prudus shook his head, curious. “Of course not. This I must see.”
“Now that you understand, please mobilize the troops. We shall not waste another minute.”
When Riley felt pleased with the ranks, he gestured for them to march. He led them by horse. The journey, which consisted of traveling past several hills, through swamps and forests, took two hours. Riley smirked, wanting his men and Prudus’s men to feel the march. They were demons, but after an hour, even they could feel some pain. He halted them with the raise of his hand.
“A platoon of Ares’s men should be here to patrol within an hour,” Riley said. “Use this time to reinforce your weaponry, your spirit, and your desire to ascend our great lord Abaddon.”
Riley and Prudus climbed off their horses, eyes meeting.
“Arc, are you really going to use your magic?” Prudus asked.
“Is that a question you really need to ask?” Riley said. “You want to see it. Therefore, you will get your wish. Unfortunately for the enemy, well . . .”
“I see,” Prudus said. “I look forward to this.”
As soon as Prudus rejoined his men, he sighed.
“Arc, when are we going to kill things?” said a woman that looked to be slightly older than Riley. She pulled off her helmet, revealing long, velvet hair, mixing perfectly with her beauty. Her mischievous blue eyes peered through Riley’s soul. Those eyes, he figured, knew too much.
“Oh look, a pear,” he said as he leapt to the tree to pluck off his snack. He pulled an extra and tossed it to the woman. She caught it with one hand. “Pandora, just stick to keeping your precious little black box safe.” He walked over to her. “You may know about me, but try not to speak as if you and I are the same. And if you tell anyone, I’ll lop your head off and make it a trophy.”
Pandora laughed. Seconds later, Riley laughed too. “Worry not, as the time almost approaches,” he said after they calmed. He could not help but enjoy Pandora’s company. Like him, she also took nothing seriously, feared no one. That’s why he made her his lieutenant. The fact that she knew all about Riley through her abilities, excited him.
She could expose his past anytime she wanted but chose not to tell a soul. She kept him on the edge, and he loved every moment of it.
The two sat, isolated from the rest of the army.
“Arc.”
“Hmm?” Riley met Pandora’s gaze.
“I’ve always been curious about you. Like who you really are, your motives, your goal, everything.”
Riley grinned. “Loyalty to my master is all that matters. I will carry out his goals and crush anyone that gets in his way. I don’t run on curiosity.”
“Hearing that from you makes me even more curious,” Pandora said. “What if they find out?”
Riley gently lifted Pandora’s chin so she couldn’t escape his gaze even if she wanted. “If they barge through Lord Abaddon’s defensives and come, will you fight with me?”
She smiled. “I will fight with and for you.” She leaned over, but a loud shout interrupted her chance to kiss him.
“The presence of the enemy approaches! Let us take positions,” Prudus shouted.
Riley shifted his gaze from the rushing men to Pandora. “You’re curious about pesky human emotion, huh? You’ve definitely got the wrong man, as I’m no master of love, but if you survive this battle without a single scar, I’ll show you what I know.” He grinned. Pandora laughed.
“Very well, your deal is accepted,” Pandora said. “As if the enemy could scar me anyway.”
Riley stood up and rallied his men around him. “Alright, do great things, not die, and you know, win or die in the name of the Great Abaddon. That is all; go hide.”
Ten minutes after they hid, the sound of an approaching army covered the area. No horses but clanging armor, shields, and rhythmic marching grew louder.
Riley waited until he felt it was a perfect time: a large gap within the enemy’s ranks.
“Kill them,” he said nonchalantly.
The demons yelled their battle cries as they charged into battle, swords out, ready to kill. The sound of slain men, swords clashing, shields blocking, and battle cries filled the air. Riley smelled the air as he slayed another enemy, a smirk on his face. He nonchalantly made his way to Prudus, killing every enemy in his way with a single swipe of his sword.
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