[fanfiction/multi-chapters]: Myth - Chapter 6
Title: Myth - Chapter 6
Beta-reader: astrangerenters
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 (for violence, blood and explicit sex scene)
Pairing: Sakumoto (main), Masatoshi,
Genre: AU, action, humor
Summary: A strange land, new encounters and Jun's weird behavior...
DISCLAMER: I own nothing. And the plot comes from Rick Riordan, a damn good writer!
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Chapter 6
The fall has been horribly long but according to the law of gravity, any object that falls touches the ground at the end. This is also the case for us. Luckily for me when I touch the ground it isn't as hard as I thought it would be; maybe it’s because I land on Kazunari’s body. Satoshi lands on me and I never thought Satoshi is so heavy or maybe he seems heavier because Jun lands on Satoshi?
“Are you alright guys?” Jun asks before he moves off of Satoshi.
Everyone replies affirmatively; at least the five of us are still alive.
It’s impossible to see anything in the darkness. It seems like we’re still in a cave, but with the lack of light we have to walk carefully.
“Slowly guys, okay? The ground could be slippery!” This is just my chance! Why do I bother giving warnings? Every time I try to be kind while giving advice, this kind of thing always happens to me!
“Sho!” I hear the guys calling me once I've moved down what seems like a slope.
“Yeah.” I turn my head and can see the light in front of me. “I’ve found the exit! Come down!”
The four others come down as well and little by little, we approach the exit. It seems that as we come closer, voices from outside can be heard. While seeing how bright the light seems to be despite the fact that less than one hour ago it was pitch black, Jun speaks suddenly about my clothes. What’s wrong with them? I look down and indeed there is something wrong with my clothes. First of all they’re not my regular ones, and secondly the others wear the same as mine. We watch each other and notice some differences between our tunics. Masaki’s goes down to his knees; the shoulder with his birthmark is bare while the other slightly covered. Satoshi’s is as short as a skirt, and both his shoulders are covered. Mine is as long as Masaki's but my shoulders are covered. Kazunari's looks the same as Satoshi's but with one shoulder free, and wears a petasus* on the top of his head (which he doesn’t want to wear, by the way). Finally Jun…
“Shin is right when he says that you look like a girl, Jun!” says Kazu as he refers to a classmate and looks at Jun from head to toe.
“That’s because he’s wearing female clothes.” Judging by what I see, his clothes resemble female tunics that I've read about. Though it’s true that Jun has always had this androgynous side in him.
“And why the hell am I the only one wearing female clothes?!”
Jun’s question is quickly answered but it’s not by one of our group. The man's voice comes from the exit of the cave, and we’ve already heard this voice in the past…
“That’s because you’re Aphrodite’s son. Now please come out, we don’t have the whole day!”
“Dad?!” Kazu says as he starts running towards the exit. We follow him quickly.
Once we’re outside, five people are watching us, more or less in a friendly way. We recognize two persons of the five. Of course the first is none other than Kazu’s dad: Hermes. My friend goes near his father without hesitation.
Then, there’s the woman who helped us escape the Stymphalian birds a few minutes ago.
She smiles at one of us in particular and opens her arms widely. “Masaki.” At first Masaki looks at her a bit lost, but quickly a huge smile crosses his lips and he walks slowly towards the woman.
“M-Mom?” The woman nods once, and Masaki throws himself into Artemis’ arms.
Another woman attracts our attention. She’s smaller than the other two women, but with a curvier silhouette: huge bright blue eyes, long and fine shiny blond hair, a small and delicate face. She stands up in front of Jun and looks into his eyes intently without saying a single word. Then she gives a slight smile before suddenly kissing Jun on the mouth.
“You’re way more beautiful up close, sweetie!” Seems like we've found Aphrodite.
Satoshi walks slowly towards a tall and bearded man who has a calm aura around him. My friend lifts his head and after a few seconds of studying the man’s face, he asks softly: “Dad?”
The man seems a bit surprised before he looks and pushes a man forward who had been hiding behind him.
“I know that you can control dreams, son, but don’t be dreaming. You’re Morpheus’ son, not Zeus’” The man laughs softly while patting Satoshi’s head fondly. The man seems really young. To tell the truth I would have never pictured Satoshi’s dad like that. He’s younger than what I had imagined, taller with deep brown eyes and hair as dark as the night.
There’s one person in the group who has said nothing until now. She just stands at her place, with a stern face and her arms crossed upon her chest. She seems really strict, and I don’t know why but I feel scared. She’s not as feminine as the other two goddesses; she has short, brown hair, piercing dark eyes and is the tallest among the women. She's been watching me ever since we emerged from the cave, and finally after a long and silent moment, she clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes before coming towards me.
“Mo-“ I’m about to ask her if she’s my mother, but her hands automatically adjust the brooch that hold my tunic, then she adjusts my hair and finally cups my face to look at me up close.
“That’s better!” she exclaims with a slight smile and softly kisses my forehead.
“I thought that Gods can’t see their human children?” Satoshi says out of the blue.
“That’s true in your world,” says the bearded man, “but in our world, the rules are different.”
Hermes suddenly flies in the sky above our head and happily says “Welcome to Ancient Greece!”
How is that possible? We can’t travel through time just by jumping into a hole!
“Nevertheless, Artemis interfered in the human world. She shouldn’t have used her powers,” says Athena sternly.
“And what should I do? Watch my son being killed in front of me by mythic creatures?” replies the Goddess as she hugs Masaki strongly and in a protective manner.
“Don’t mind her, Artemis. She’s just jealous because you did something first. She doesn’t like to lose face after all.”
“I’m not jealous! I just follow the rules! Something that you, Aphrodite, don't even seem to understand!”
“I’m a goddess! I don’t have to follow rules. I make them.” She shrugs and plays with Jun’s hair.
“ENOUGH!” Zeus shouts suddenly, and everyone falls silent. “I didn't ask you to come here to start a fight. We don’t have a lot of time, so be quiet and let the boys know what’s going on!”
The king of the Gods remains silent a few seconds to see if everyone understood his orders. Then he sighs and motions us to come closer.
“Listen boys. Because of Artemis’ action, your destiny is a bit messed up. However, we asked the Delphic Oracle about your future, and it remains unchanged. When you killed Medusa you were cursed, and the only way for you to live is to kill Echidna. If you are successful, Medusa’s curse will be lifted, as would any other curses on you, because once you killed the monsters’ Mother, no one in either of our worlds would have the courage to fight against you. All you have to do is to kill Echidna.”
Yeah, pretty simple indeed. Just tell me how we could kill a monster as tall as Tokyo Tower when we can't even defeat a bunch of birds.
Hermes comes down and looks at us seriously. “A long journey is waiting for you boys. It will be difficult; you will surely suffer mentally and physically, but we have faith in you and the Delphic Oracle…you’ll win.”
“Does that mean that you already know how it will end?” I ask as I remember my dreams.
“No,” Morpheus shakes his head. “You’re the masters of your own lives. Until now the actions you have made have led you to a bright and safe future, but who knows what will happen next?”
Artemis steps closer. “One single choice can change everything and decide if you’ll live or die.”
“We can’t help you even if we want to. Just like your protectors: now that you're in our world, they can't help you anymore. You’re alone. Just follow what your heart tells you,” whispers Aphrodite.
“Your head…” corrects Athena.
“Your heart!”
Head, heart, head, heart, that’s the only thing we can hear until an exasperated Zeus wishes us good luck, and all the gods in front of us disappear behind a soft golden dust. We remain silent a while, so our brains can figure out what just happened. We don’t really know where (or when?) we are. Is it really Ancient Greece? It seems so; the scenery in front of us is definitely not the one we’re used to seeing. The land is dry with some grass here and there. The sun is high in the sky and really warm and the lake from before is nowhere to be found. Not so far from where we're standing, there are some houses built with white stone, and also a few wooden cabins.
Suddenly Jun sighs and slides against a big stone. “Please tell me this is not real.”
Among the five of us, Jun seems the more troubled. What bothers him so much?
Satoshi looks like he understands why Jun’s hopeless and sits by his side, an arm wrapped around his slightly trembling shoulders.
“I know Jun, but you have to remember what Morpheus told us: we are the masters of our own lives.”
Jun nods slightly with a sigh, and both of them turn their gaze towards me. Have I done something wrong?
I try to ask what they’re talking about, but Kazu cuts me short and forces the other two to stand up.
“We have to go. The sooner we kill that Echidna, the sooner we’ll be back home. There’s that baseball game on TV I don’t want to miss!”
Kazunari takes the lead, followed by Masaki and Satoshi who chat happily, then me, and a few steps behind, Jun. I don’t like the feeling of being watched; it’s disturbing and somehow embarrassing.
The sun is high and warm, and between those gigantic, deserted lands the atmosphere feels heavy. I glance from time to time behind my shoulder and notice that Jun’s always behind me. We all suffer from the heat, but Jun sweats more than us, tiny beads of sweat sliding along his temples. His outfit is the longest one; it must be tough for him. We walk quietly for a while, only surrounded by the sand and grass. I can hear Jun quicken his pace and feel his hand on my shoulder as he reaches my side.
“Someone’s following us. Be careful,” he whispers, then he walks faster again until he reaches Kazunari and whispers something into his ear.
We all stop when Kazunari disappears and form a circle to watch the entire land around us. Something’s strange, it’s true. I can feel it. Masaki’s bow is in its owner's hand, just like my broadsword as we wait for any signs of Kazunari.
We don’t have to wait too long because a piercing scream resonates among the stones. A female one. After that Kazu comes back, pulling a girl behind him. She hits Kazu on the chest until he lets go of her.
“So? Which monster is it this time?” asks Kazu, crossing his arms.
I try to get closer to have a better look, but Jun stops me suddenly and pushes me away. “Don’t come nearer!” he says firmly.
I know it was the same with Astarope, but this girl doesn’t seem to be dangerous. In fact she’s quite pretty. Long, blonde hair, tiny but profound blue eyes, a thin waist and generous…ahem! She also wears the same outfit as Jun (which is logical since she’s a woman) and has a lot of jewelry on her arms and neck. If I remember correctly, Greek citizens who wore jewelry are from rich families and most of the times royal families.
“Watch your mouth! I’m not a monster,” says the girl angrily.
“They all say that…” Kazu rolls his eyes and sighs.
“Why are you following us, then?” Satoshi asks.
“I know who you are. I’ve heard the conversation with the gods. I can help you if you want. I know where Echidna is.”
“And why would you want to help us?” There’s something strange about this girl.
“For two reasons,” she says with a smirk. She comes closer to Masaki and checks him out from head to toe. “First, I find him cute.” She points at Masaki who only giggles shyly. “Then, if I help demigods, the Gods will reward me.”
“Is that so? How kind of you and totally devoid of concern,” Kazunari sniggers.
The woman turns around and stares at Kazunari defiantly. “I don’t like you.”
“That’s great. Me neither,” Kazunari laughs. “Let’s go, guys.”
Kazu starts to walk again, and we follow him without giving the girl a glance. However, she doesn’t seem to let us go so easily. She runs and stops me, resting her hands on my chest. Jun quickly shoves her hands away and stands between the two of us.
“Seems like your girlfriend is pretty jealous,” she smirks.
“I’m not his girlfriend! And I am a man!” At least he doesn’t deny he’s jealous…why am I thinking that?!
“Listen kid, we don’t have the time to play with you.”
“Ariadne!” she says angrily.
“Of course! I know I’ve seen you somewhere before! You look exactly as you’re described in the books,” I exclaim suddenly as I realize who the girl is.
“She’s Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos.” As I see that my friends don’t really understand my point, I resume. “You know…Theseus, Minos,…”
Still there’s no reaction.
“The Minotaur?”
“Aaaaah!” At least they know that. My friends have been a bit too much into creatures recently. But all those things mean that Ariadne is definitely not a monster.
“So,” Kazu approaches Ariadne suddenly and wraps an arm around her neck. “You’re a princess?”
Ariadne pushes him away and crosses her arms. “Yes, and don’t think we will become friends. I need you, and you need me. That’s all.”
“Fine. I hate princesses,” he grunts as he starts to walk again.
“Does that mean I can come with you then?” she asks hopefully.
Masaki nods and motions for her to follow. But she quickly says that it will be dark soon and suggests finding a place to rest for the night. It’s a good thing because I’m awfully tired and I bet I’m not the only one. Jun doesn’t seem well at all.
We walk for an hour or so until she shows us the place where we will stay for the night. For a princess, I thought she would show us something luxurious and clean such as a palace but she enters into a small and old cowshed. The place has been uninhabited for a long time except for some spider webs here and there. It seems the place is used by travelers because there are a few couches made with straw, and a candle at the entrance. Ariadne is the first to enter; of course she takes the best spot. Kazunari follows and sits next to Ariadne while whining he’s hungry. She replies that there’s nothing to eat for now and that we will look for food after some sleep. According to Ariadne, nights aren’t safe and the best moment to start our long journey is at dawn. Masaki and Satoshi isolate themselves in a corner, out of reach of inquisitive stares. I choose the nearest place for myself and Jun the opposite one. If he wants to tell me that he doesn’t want to see me, I think I’ve clearly understood.
Though we've only been in this other world a few hours, it's clearly exhausted us, and my friends fall into a restful sleep. Except Jun. I can clearly hear him moving around and shivering with cold. I’ve seen how hard the weather is on him but the temperature is rather good tonight, at least not as cold as Jun’s sounds make me think. Soundlessly I leave my couch and crawl toward Jun. He sits up suddenly, and I just have the time to cover his mouth with my hand to prevent any sound. I motion for him to be quiet and when he’s calm again, I force him to lay down. As I thought, he has a slight fever and he’s covered in sweat. No wonder he’s cold. I lay down next to him and try to hold him in my arms, but he struggles as expected. I grab both his arms and stare at him until he understands my action. We don’t have any covers, so the second best choice we have to make him warm is my body. He doesn’t like it, but we don’t have another choice. Finally (and with a grunt from Jun), we lay down once again and this time I can hold him in my arms. I can feel Jun tense up, but slowly my warmth must make him feel good because he stops shivering and falls asleep. I tighten my hold around his body until I fall asleep lulled by Jun’s steady breath.
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*Petasus: Definition: A petasus is a flat felt hat with broad round brim worn by Hermes, introduced into Greece, along with chlamys, as a distinguishing mark of the ephebi (youth) (which is perfect for Nino don't you think? XD)
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Note: Hello and SORRY FOR THE LATE! >___<
Thislast week had been horrible for me at work! With the last week before Christmas and the Christmas' party to prepare (believe me kids from 2 to 5 are CRAZY @_@ and noisy and tiring....) it was really tiring >_<
Anyway here is chapter 6!! As I said in the previous chapter the story takes a path I haven't planed at first and I really hope that it doesn't bother you. I thought they would come in Ancient Greece a few more chapters later...put the blame on Aiba,not me! XD
A little development for Sakumoto here (and the next chapter as well, and the next one, and so on and on...Sakumoto is the main pairing after all 8D)
Merry Christmas to all of you in advance because I don't think I'll be able to post the next chapter before the 24th ^^"