Chapter Twenty Eight

## Twenty Eight

There was a gentle rhythm to the shuffle at which the passengers moved through the aerodrome terminal as they boarded the airship. Children with their mothers or fathers, well-dressed business brokers, pilgrims, and various dignitaries were among the crowd. The advent of air travel in the last half-century had brought all walks of life together and compressed them into a metal hull, and that day, it would carry a hero of the old world to this new world's frontier.

Most would know him as Theseus, the uniting king of Athens and slayer of the ferocious Minotaur. As a young hero, his pledge at a temple to Poseidon where he vowed to slay the Minotaur saw him blessed by the god, making him a hero. Then, after a successful stint as an Argonaut, he came home as a champion of Hera.

Upon his return, Theseus brought the concept of *synoikismos—*bringing the various communities in a region and giving them a central identity with an administrative center—to Athens. Bringing Attica together under the banner of the city of Athens, creating a true Greek nation. This earned him the favor of Athena. Finally, establishing a cult dedicated to Aphrodite also earned him her favor and gave him a chance to woo Helen of Sparta.

There had been so much promise to him. He could have been remembered as great as—no, better than—the likes of Hercules and Perseus, whose legend fared much better in this modern civilization of the new world. But, though he was known for his bravery, cunning, intelligence, and heroism, he threw it all away for friendship and loyalty. He had made a promise to a friend and fellow Argonaut. But unfortunately, Theseus' following through with that pledge had cost him his kingdom, a chance at happiness with Helen, and more than a decade locked in the bowels of the depraved dungeon of Tartarus.

It had not been Theseus' only mistake, nor would it be his last. He had always regretted abandoning his first love, Ariadne, to seek fame and fortune with the Argonauts, and he had made countless blunders in his many new lives. However, his choice to help Pirithous was the only choice that haunted him every day. He knew he would do it again for his friend in a heartbeat, but that only made him angrier. He just wanted to know one thing: why had he been cursed with the burden of being a true friend?

But this life was meant to be different. He was not meant to be Theseus anymore. He had wanted to make a new name for himself, the one given to him upon his latest birth: Alekos of Dasaki. Yet, the intervention of the gods had once again denied him his plans. Granted, his dear friend Pirithous—or rather, Rouvin of Dasaki—had put them in the sights of the gods again. Alekos had to wonder if life would be better if the gods were no longer in the picture.

Boarding the airship, Alekos followed the crowd until he found the seat marked with his ticket number. It was a seat adjacent to the aisle, but he did not mind that, as it kept him from being cornered. He stowed his knapsack in the compartment beneath the three-person cushioned bench and then sat on the end.

As Alekos was starting to acclimate and grow comfortable, his pale eyes took notice of a nymph looking at her ticket and then looking at him. She was still working her way toward him at a slow shuffle, but the expression possessing her face told him that she would be sitting next to him. Sucking on his lip, he did his best not to show his displeasure. He did not have anything against nymphs. Nymphs were somewhere between mortal and god, much like heroes. However, nymphs had long lives. So there was a greater chance he could be recognized.

It was true he had murdered dozens of her kind, but it was nothing personal. Instead, it was a means to an end. Of course, he had no expectation of her being receptive to that justification, but it was what gave him comfort. That was unlikely to come up in casual conversation, though, so as she reached the bench, he stood up, offered a friendly smile and nod, and then let her scoot by him.

"Excuse me," said the green-skinned, green-haired, green-eyed creature of otherworldly beauty. Nymphs were amiable creatures, so this dryad maintained eye contact with him as she slid by him, brushing her breasts over his stomach. "I'm Chloe," she said.

"Jonas," he said with a smile, quickly recalling the alias he used in his travels. He lowered to the bench, only to return to his feet quickly as a girthy man of Knossosi descent in a cheap suit pushed toward the window seat on the opposite end of the bench.

"Excuse you," Chloe said with a scoff as the pushy broker knocked her to the bench. He said nothing, simply sitting down and unfolding his crier papers. Chloe rolled her eyes as she straightened her simple dress. It was a faded orange with bared shoulders and a simple yellow corset. She was barefoot, as most nymphs were, and she wore no jewelry or accessories. "Some people," she said in a whisper loud enough to ensure both men on either side of her heard.

Replying to her with a smile, Alekos sat down and tried to find that elusive comfortable position again. He had dressed similarly to the broker, in a cheap gray suit, brown vest, and tan dress shirt. In addition, he wore riding boots and had a leather motorist cap pulled down and angled to partially shield his face. He wanted to give the impression that he was a faceless Corinthian broker traveling for unremarkable purposes.

"So, Jonas..." said the nymph. "Why are you going to the Garden?"

Apollo's Garden, the destination for this airship, was a small city in southern Thrace with a distant view of Delphi. It had been built as a mission for Delphi two centuries ago but had found tremendous growth in the last two decades as it was the ideal nexus for refueling airships with clear routes to Rhodes, Corinth, northern Thrace, the Aegean islands, Delphi, and New Troy.

"Just a layover," he said. "Heading to Troy," he said with a grin. Of course, it was a bald-faced lie, but his delivery was flawless.

Nodding, she smiled. "That's exciting. Troy is beautiful."

Alekos nodded and folded his arms. "I'm sure it is, but I'm just going for business. It will be a quick trip," he said, hoping to prevent the conversation from delving into her suggestions for places he needed to visit.

"Shame," she said. "I could have told you about a few of my favorite places."

Alekos smirked. Called it, he thought. He kept his arms folded and lowered his feet as his feet gradually slid forward. Then, finally, he found that comfortable groove again.

"You're probably wondering why I don't just swim to wherever I'm going," Chloe said, wanting to talk about herself.

"Probably the same reason I don't," he said with a lazy grin. "It sounds exhausting."

Chloe giggled and nudged his arm in an obviously flirtatious way. Nymphs were tactile and affectionate creatures. Though they were hypersexual, carnal pursuits were not their only motivation. They saw flirting as fun, but it did not mean they wanted to rut with every mortal they encountered. In his experience, there was a subliminal mutual attraction between heroes and nymphs. They were both relics of another world.

"Well," said the nymph, "especially for me. I've never been an ocean nymph. I've never even spent too much time at the beach," she explained. "I've been a dryad my whole life," she said. "That's a-"

"Forest nymph," Alekos said, nodding. "I know."

She leaned in closer to him. "You're not that talkative, are you?" she asked, poking his shoulder.

Alekos sighed. "Just tired is all," he said with a smirk.

"Want me to wake you up?" she asked with a whispered tone.

With a sigh, Alekos cursed his heroic existence. He raised the short brim of his hat with the press of a finger, flashed her a grin, looked her right in the eyes, and then shook his head. "Sorry, doll. You lack... certain parts," he said as he gave her a wink with another flat-out lie.

While Alekos had been intimate with members of both genders, he had never had a sole preference for omophilic relationships. In fact, he was decidedly biased toward those with cunny rather than prick. In good conscience, Alekos could not be intimate with a nymph the same day he had butchered what could have been her siblings.

"Oh," said Chloe, sitting back and folding her arms. "Well, if you change your mind-"

"You'll be the first to know," he said, pulling his hat back down and letting himself rest through a portion of this long flight.

It was hours later when the stewardess shook his shoulder. He lifted his hat and opened his eyes. He turned to Chloe first, assuming she had roused him, but when he found her asleep, leaning on the fat broker in the window seat, his gaze turned to the uniformed cloud nymph in the aisle. It was not unusual for the airship to have several nymphs employed to aid in various emergencies requiring essence manipulation.

"Excuse me," said the steward in a hushed tone. "I was requested to escort you to your friend's cabin."

Alekos blinked. "My friend?" he asked, shaking his head. "I don't-"

"The charming Knossosi gentleman in the low-forward suite," she said. "He told me I would find you in this seat number."

Alekos shook his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, there must be some sort of mistake," he said, sitting up and leaving his comfortable groove. "I don't have any friends on this-"

"Alekos of Dasaki," said the stewardess. "That is the name he gave me. He told me to tell you that the invitation comes from Alekos of Dasaki."

Sighing, Alekos stood up. If this was not Rouvin, this airship was about to have at least one corpse aboard. He pulled his knapsack out from the compartment. "Low-forward, you say?"

The nymph nodded. "Shall I show you?"

"I think I can find it," he said, stepping into the narrow corridor and strolling like a confident sailor, acclimated to the shifts of the hull. Air travel was much like sea travel in this regard. Every Argonaut would find the slight differences easy to adapt to, but for a champion of Poseidon, the adaptation was immediate.

Over the last decade, Alekos had plenty of experience with airships. He had often traveled as a Theocratic Inquisitor. Even though most of that was by boat or carriage, he had been on more airships in those five years than most mortals would in their entire life. For as much travel as he did for the clergy, he had more than doubled his travel miles logged in service of his new cause.

That said, he was not as familiar with the layout of this airship as he expected. It was nearly a maze, particularly on the lower deck where the cabins were found. However, he also had some experience dealing with labyrinths, so he eventually found the low-forward suite.

Alekos had enough funds on-hand and had considered purchasing one of these units for his departure from Thebes as it would allow him to remain out of sight. However, the passengers in cabins were documented on the ship's manifest, whereas those in the coach seating were simply part of a faceless number. He thought anonymity was the safer of the two options, but it seemed his 'friend' did not share the same view.

As he prepared to knock on the door, Alekos found it slightly ajar. Cautiously, Alekos placed his hand on the door and pushed it inward. It was a heavy hatch-style door with a locking wheel. It required some deliberate pressure to move it, and as he did, he stepped inside.

The suite at the front and lower part of the ship was a grand luxury suite with many amenities. It featured a stocked bar, a quaint galley, a curtained sleeping area, a lounge, and a railed open-air balcony wrapped around the front of the vessel. Front-and-center, across the suite and on the opposite side of the railing, was the ship's figurehead, a beautiful bronze statue of a winged goddess. Nike or Bia, likely, though it could have been a fury or harpy, or even a winged Athena. It was difficult to say from his view and with this dim lighting and the night sky as a backdrop.

As Alekos made his way in, he noticed a nook to his right he had not seen from the entryway: a small reading room. There, on a leather armchair with a glass of thratch in one hand and the other aiming a hand-cannon at Alekos, was a half-drunk Rouvin. "Gotcha," he said with a wink as he leaned forward and laid the firearm on the hassock in the center of the small space. "You took your time," he said with a scoff as he began to pour his friend a drink.

Shaking his head, Alekos set his knapsack beside an armchair across from Rouvin, then returned to close and seal the cabin door, making sure to engage the latch that locked it. As he returned, he took the glass and downed its contents quickly.

Rouvin gave a smile and a chuckle. "Ah, catching up to me, I see. I like it!" said Rouvin as he took Alekos' glass and topped it off again. "Please, sit," he said, gesturing to the seat as he handed his friend the filled glass. "We have much to discuss."

Alekos held the glass by its rim as he rested his forearm on the chair's arm, letting his hand hang limply over the end. Alekos let his eyes indicate his interest in discussing the spacious cabin. "Is this necessary?"

Sighing and sipping, Rouvin nodded. "I thought this was the better way to travel."

Alekos shook his head. "We were supposed to fly in separate vessels, separate routes, and then meet in-"

Swallowing his drink, Rouvin shook his head. "Technical difficulties on the other ship," he said with a damp smile.

"What sort of difficulties?" asked Alekos.

"The suite wasn't half as nice as this one," he said with a smarmy grin and a suppressed chuckle.

Alekos let out a long sigh. "They'll record you on the manifest."

Rouvin scoffed. "So?" he asked as he drank.

"Hades will know to check the manifest of all outgoing vessels," said Alekos. "He's a careful and deliberate god."

Smirking, Rouvin shook his head. "Not anymore..." he said with a low chuckle. "Now, he's not the God of the Dead, so much as a god among the dead. Thanks to you."

Alekos shook his head. "I was meant to shoot him and his one daughter," he said with a scoff, his eyes looking away from his friend. "Adamant is powerful, but it is not well-suited for slugs. Its mass-"

"Enough," said Rouvin, shaking his head and punctuating with a sip from his glass. He swallowed, took a moment to bask in the soft burning sensation at the back of his throat, and then leaned forward, his striking brown eyes focused on Alekos. "You did what the Faith say is impossible. You killed a god."

Alekos took his own sip. He doubted Hades was dead. The gods were crafty, and he had shot the god within walking distance of a Great Temple. That meant his victim could easily have been treated by the Divine Surgeon Asclepius. It would be just Alekos' luck that the gods' physician had just been walking by and treated the downed god with such haste that Hades was already back on the trail of the heretics.

"That remains to be seen," Alekos said, swallowing his drink. "Did you at least use an alias for the manifest?"

Rouvin nodded. "I'm not an idiot."

"You gave my name to the stewardess," Alekos replied.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "However, on the manifest, this cabin is rented out to Sebastos Aleksander Kastellanos."

"Nobility, are we?" asked Alekos with a scoff.

"We were both kings," Rouvin reminded before taking his drink to his lips. Then, a moment later, he smiled and nodded. "You remember those days."

All too well, Alekos thought but did not answer as such. Instead, he nodded and sampled his drink. But, unfortunately, the Thracian liquor did little to settle his mood. So, as he swallowed, he decided to make the best of this situation. "Well, what is done is done. You want to talk, so talk."

Rouvin nodded as a grin creased his lips. "The Advancer bombing went off reasonably well. But there have been a few complications."

"The plan was engineered with multiple contingencies," Alekos said. "We knew going against the gods that we would need to expect some losses," he said, swirling what liquor remained in his glass as his eyes watched the process. It was a pleasant, idle distraction. "What sort of complications?" he asked after a few rotations.

"Well, let me start with our accomplishments," Rouvin said. "The explosive devices were dropped. Significant casualties and, as we wanted, the airship went down outside town. Its Athenian colors and insignia are clearly intact. Paints a beautiful picture for the Imperials and the crier papers—if the Spartan military doesn't issue a press black-out."

"The harpies did good work," said Alekos, nodding.

"They were spotted by the crew," explained Rouvin.

Alekos took his eyes off the swirling liquid. "They used the pulse lens, though, right?"

Rouvin nodded. "On all but one."

"Which one?" asked Alekos.

"I don't know," said Rouvin, shaking his head. "However, there are no witnesses among the dead anymore. The matter was cleaned-up once the body was taken to the temple for inspection. Pulse lens to the heart, as we planned."

Alekos nodded. "Good. They won't know why any ghost summoning isn't working until they do an autopsy," he said with a smile. "And most physicians wouldn't even catch that the heart has been contaminated. That should leave them chasing their tail for a while."

"However," said Rouvin with a sigh. "When our agent went to use the pulse lens, there was a hiccup."

"What sort of hiccup?" asked Alekos.

"Divine intervention," said Rouvin before quickly putting the glass to his lips.

Releasing a long sigh, Alekos shook his head. "They were caught... by the gods."

Nodding, Rouvin swallowed. He then stammered as he found the words he needed. "However..." he prefaced, "she was wearing a mask. Her identity is more or less secure... or at least, it was."

Alekos flared his nostrils. He took another sip of his drink, hoping it would calm him. It did not. As he swallowed, he glared at his friend. "Was?"

"I'll get to that," said the chubbier and better-dressed of the pair. "First, there was another complication concerning the Advancer."

Alekos nodded. "What is it?"

"Our agents in Athens were caught breaking into the archive," Rouvin said, biting the corner of his lip. Releasing a sigh, he continued. "They also got a little zealous on the stand. Before they were put to death, they defied Athena herself."

Alekos shook his head. "Is it too much to ask they die with discretion?" he said, sipping his drink. "What damage does this cause to our plans?"

"None that is direct," said Rouvin. "However, it seems to have brought this matter to the attention of Athena herself. She was the one who nearly caught our agent in Sparta."

"Athena was in Sparta?" asked Alekos.

Rouvin nodded. "With Hermes," he said, taking a sip of his thratch and emptying the glass.

"So, even if I did kill Hades," Alekos began, "there's a good chance that Zeus' favorite children will be waiting for us at the Thracian aerodrome?"

Shaking his head, Rouvin chuckled. "You're being dramatic, friend," he said, leaning forward to fill his glass again. "If they're in creation chasing these leads, they won't hear about Hades' death until much later. There's nothing directly connecting us to the..." he stopped, his eyes shooting over to the curtained sleeping area on the opposite side of the suite.

Alekos looked over his shoulder to the curtains, curious what Rouvin might be looking at. "What is it?"

"Do not worry about it," said Rouvin with a chuckle, affixing the glass stopper atop his decanter. "Do you have anything to discuss?"

Shifting in his chair, Alekos returned his gaze to his dear friend. "The harpies. We need to discuss them."

"What of them?" asked Rouvin with a raised eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair.

"We need to cut ties with them," Alekos said.

Scoffing, Rouvin shook his head. "I don't think so. Did you not hear me when I told of their success with the Advancer? They're not the reason that had a few hitches."

Alekos shook his head. "Hades spotted them."

"Where?" asked Rouvin.

"At the Orchard House."

"Are you certain of that?"

Alekos nodded. "Yeah, the Stygians came out of the tenement across the street shortly after the harpies left."

Rouvin slumped in his seat. "Well, he didn't grab them so-"

"They're compromised," Alekos said. "They're not true believers. Maintaining their loyalty would be an undue expense and require logistics that would impair their effectiveness. We should be rid of them."

Chuckling nervously, Rouvin again glanced over to the curtained sleeping area. As Alekos took a second glance, Rouvin sat up and drank his glass empty. Then, with moist lips, he took a deep breath. "If what you say is true," he began in hushed tones, "then the gods will take care of them for us."

Alekos shook his head as he returned his gaze to his friend. For the time being, he put his curiosity concerning that corner of the suite to the back of his mind. "It may tip our hands sooner than we like."

Rouvin scoffed. "How would it do that?"

"Moros didn't make the rendezvous," Alekos said with a furrowed brow. "If his mission wasn't successful, and he was captured..."

Blinking, Rouvin shook his head. "Listen to yourself. Moros is not going to be caught. He's a Titan and-"

Rolling his eyes, Alekos scoffed. "The least of the Titans."

"But a Titan still the same," Rouvin said with a grin. "Like I keep telling you, just because you got a small prick, it's still a prick. It works the same as all the others."

Alekos scoffed. On principle, he refused to chuckle at his friend's jest. Instead, he rolled his eyes. "He was going into the Arcadian. Nowhere has more divinity per square mile than that forest... and he was going into the heart of it. A million things could have gone wrong."

"And he'll handle it," Rouvin said with a grin. "And if not, he's too stupid to compromise anything of value. This is a non-concern. I will remind you that he's part of the Children because of his experience and brute strength, not for his intelligence. We knew this when we welcomed him into the inner circle to appease his ego. We deliberately kept him at a distance and ensured he was not privy to crucial details."

That was a good point. Alekos nodded. "He's got the heart, though."

Rouvin scoffed. "We don't need that anymore. We got more of the elixir than we will ever need, brother. We know the secret to its creation. The heart is little more than a memento now."

Taking a deep breath, Alekos nodded. "I suppose you are right."

"Of course I am," Rouvin said with a smirk, shifting subjects quickly. "Did you remember to leave the door to the dungeon unlocked?"

Alekos quirked his eyebrow. "Yes. I made sure to partially break the door, too. Made it appear as though we were in a frantic hurry."

"Good," Rouvin nodded. "Do you think they've found our gifts yet?"

"I'm sure," Alekos said with a non-expression. "I still think we were being a bit overly dramatic. So much of that seems unnecessary. I mean... Kheiron was a mentor. Not only to me but also to many of our friends."

With a loud scoff, Rouvin shook his head. "He was a centaur. None of them deserve our mercy."

"He arranged the safe return of your wife," Alekos said, setting his glass on the hassock between them. "Not to mention he made sure no harm came to her when-"

"We made sure that no harm came to her!" Rouvin said through gritted teeth. "We did that. Not some filthy hoofer."

Alekos did not like this side of Rouvin. While Theseus had killed more centaurs than he cared to admit in his first life, he had not killed any more of their kind since. But, unfortunately, he could not say the same for Pirithous. Still, for the sake of their friendship, Alekos kept his tongue and searched his mind to change the subject.

"We should discuss the certainty that the gods have found our gift-wrapped prisoner..." Alekos said in preface before taking a long pause, waiting for Rouvin to compose himself. "If they have Iris in custody, then we should discuss what we do about Apate."

Rouvin glanced across the suite again. "Funny you should mention that."

With a loud scoff, Alekos abruptly got out of his chair and turned to approach the curtained sleeping space. "What is it that you are hiding from me?"

As Alekos left the reading alcove, he saw a slender female form step out of the shadows, sauntering in their direction. Naked as the day she was born, she had a body with the sort of perfection that could only be found in a goddess; to say otherwise was not only blasphemy but also aggravated stupidity. She had long platinum blonde hair, mismatched eyes of blue-gray and amber-gold, and wore purple lipstick. The only thing marring her beauty was the scar beneath her ribs and its matching tissue in the middle of her back, which Alekos got to examine as she strolled past him with a wicked grin.

"Hera's cunny..." Alekos sighed as he looked to the ceiling of the cabin. "What is she doing here?"

"Getting a drink," said the goddess as she helped herself to Alekos' glass and topped it off.

Rouvin leaned back in his chair and folded one leg on the knee of the other. He had a satisfied grin on his face. Alekos knew what that grin meant.

Sighing, Alekos shook his head. He fecked her. That smug bastard bedded a goddess; worse, he was proud of it. He wasn't just a heretic; he was a hypocritical one. "Unbelievable..."

"Believe it," said Rouvin, nodding with a toothy grin. Then, behind the goddess' back, he locked eyes with Alekos. *'I fecked this!'* he mouthed silently as he pointed to the goddess' shapely backside, following up with wild pelvic thrusts in his chair as he bit his lower lip.

Alekos let his gaze wander from his perverted associate. He did not even want to consider the possibility that Rouvin was his friend at that moment. Then, as his eyes met the goddess's gaze, Alekos stepped forward. "Arce, would you like to get some clothes on?"

She smirked as she lipped the rim of the glass. She lightly shook her head as she sipped and swallowed. Then, with a refreshed grin, she blinked and stared deep into his eyes. "I'm good. Would you like to get out of our yours?" she asked, tugging his belt with her free hand. Her divine strength caused his hip discomfort as he was forced to stumble forward and bump into her. She giggled as their bodies bumped against each other.

Alekos took a deliberate step back, swatted her hand away lightly, and then moved to a distance outside of her arm's reach. Looking at her now, if she were appropriately clothed and acting accordingly, it would be nearly impossible to tell her apart from her twin sister, at least with mortal senses.

The old god Thaumas had seven daughters with Electra, the immortal leader of the Nephelae—a tribe of cloud nymphs. The two oldest had been born as twins, Iris and Arce. The other five, usually known as the harpies, were born together as quintuplets later. Unlike her sisters, Arce was not willing to buy into the authoritative regime of the Olympians. Before she was ousted, she had a brief career as a member of Hera's harpies. She later served with the Furies of the Underworld, but whatever falling out she had with them led the Olympians to believe she was dead. Judging by the wicked scar Ambrosia could not heal, Alekos could see why they'd make that assumption.

"How long has this been going on?" Alekos asked, leaning to one side to look around the bare goddess and address his friend.

"She's been here... What? Two hours?" he chuckled.

"Closer to three," she said with a smirk. "I arrived shortly after launch."

"After launch?" asked Alekos. It then dawned on him, and he sighed. "You came in through his balcony, didn't you? With Iris' talaria?"

Arce sipped and nodded as her free hand reached behind her and grabbed her hair, pulling it off her back and neck where her damp, sweat-soaked skin had caused it to stick to her flesh.

Shaking his head, Alekos walked around the goddess and the hassock. "It doesn't matter. It was not what I was asking," he said, approaching his friend. He squatted close and pulled his friend's sleeve, bringing him in. Then, whispering, he locked eyes with Rouvin and asked, "How long have you been fecking the enemy?"

"The enemy?" awkwardly asked Arce, tipping her head back and gurgling her liquor. She swallowed and turned around with a chuckle. "I'm the enemy, am I?"

"You're a god," said Alekos, shooting a glare over his shoulder.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Not by choice," she said, as the hand holding the glass fell to her side and the other hand perched on her hip. "You chose to be a hero. I never asked to be a goddess."

"Great," said Alekos with a sarcastic tone. "Well, just stop drinking Ambrosia and Nektar and then I'll forgive you."

She scoffed and leaned forward, putting her face closer to the level of the squatting hero. "My divinity is the only way we get away with this. You remember that. You heroes with problems with the gods are an obol for a dozen. I can replace you. Can you say the same about me?"

Alekos glared at her. He put his feet under him, bringing himself to stand taller than her thanks to his lanky Corinthian build in this life. "You want to be accepted by us mortals? Well, mortals wear clothes... Go get dressed," he said with a snarl of his lip.

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she gave Alekos' gut a swat with the back of her hand. It was a fraction of her divine power, but Alekos felt he'd be punched in the gut. Stumbling backward, the hero's hands grabbed his belly as a reflex. Arce giggled before she turned and unceremoniously walked away.

Alekos lowered himself to the floor to catch his breath. He glared at Rouvin, whose gaze was transfixed on the goddess' bum. "Rouvin-" he hissed in a low whisper.

"What?" asked Rouvin, hesitantly giving his friend his attention. "She's a goddess, but she's no Olympian. She's on our side."

Alekos shook his head as she clambered back into his armchair, still wincing in pain. "All immortals need to die."

"All of them?"

"All of them."

"Nitsa?"

"..."

Rouvin chuckled. "Yeah. I figured."

Taking a deep breath, Alekos reached into his vest and retrieved a small device, roughly the size and shape of a pocket watch, with a lens on one side revealing a small but potent essence crystal at the center of its internal clockwork. "No... Nitsa will get to live, but as for Pythia?"

Rouvin's expression shifted from grin to concerned confusion. "Wait... That's not one of our normal pulse lenses... What's that?"

"I made some modifications," said Alekos as he slid the device back into his vest's pocket. He then let out a long sigh. "We should have held on to Iris longer. I would rather have her infiltrating the Olympians. Her being with us has too much risk of exposure. Gods draw attention. It's what they do."

Scoffing, Rouvin shook his head. "Hades was better than we initially estimated. We had no choice; we had to sacrifice the Orchard House to stall them. It's fine, though. Before she left, Arce incriminated Hera."

"Incriminated her how?"

"I was going to let her tell you," Rouvin began, "but I guess I can tell you. Pythia gave Apollo one of the letters the order sent you."

Alekos let out a long sigh and folded his arms. "How did that implicate Hera?"

Rouvin shrugged. "I guess Arce convinced them that Hera wrote it."

Shaking his head, Alekos scoffed. "That doesn't matter, Rouv. They're going to realize that the Iris they have isn't the real one."

"Why would they do that?" Rouvin asked with a smirk.

Alekos blinked. He leaned forward and furrowed his brow. "What did you do?"

"I sowed doubt," Rouvin said with a menacing grin.

## Characters

### Heroes

* Alekos
* Rouvin