Olympiad is Falling, The Rise of Artemis

I stripped my coat off and unbuttoned my shirt. This was going to take a lot of energy. I needed the privacy too, but my house was still being prepared no thanks to the idiot Avon so I requested an office. Still looked like a dungeon, but it had a chair and table which was all I needed for now.

I pulled out a pendulum from my pocket and held it above a bowl of water from lake Paradis. I took off my glasses and set them aside. I was bagging on this to find Raquel. I had a feeling I knew where it would take me.

‘Show me the girl,’ I ordered.

Slowly the crystal attached to the chain turned green and began to spin. At least it was working. The green hue began to dim, but the pace of the pendulum only gained. The clear water turned grey which wasn’t good then went red before the water turned to mud and turned black. The green light flickered and the glass burst.

‘Fuck,’ I hurled the chained across the room. ‘I knew it. She’s dead.’

No doubt Hera had her body disposed of somewhere. There was no way to find her unless Hera herself told me where to look. Artemis wouldn’t have this. She would demand proof. I shut my eyes and remembered the night I held her in my arms. I thought I sensed her fear.

‘Why would she be scared?’ I didn’t think I could sense her emotions. I thought it had something to do with the necklace I gave her.

‘What are you doing Artemis?’

I picked up my shirt and threw it over my shoulders. I didn’t want to wait to find out. If she was scared, then she needed me. The door burst open and Solaris caught me pulling on my jacket.

‘Care to explain why Avon was severely wounded by magic that’s constantly on you?’ She glared at me.

‘Why didn’t you ask him?’

‘I’m not fooling around Daylen. He could have been killed. What happened?’

I could have been killed too if it wasn’t for Artemis. Solaris made it clear she didn’t want me to be with Artemis and Storm had it out for her. I didn’t want Solaris finding out about her especially now when I was close to getting her out of the slums of the mage dimension.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about and honestly I couldn’t care less about what happens to Avon.’ I picked up my glasses and in a flash caught Solaris’s hand before it collided with my face.

‘Not today Solaris.’

She balled her hand into a fist.

‘That magic is all over you. Who the hell is this girl?’

‘She isn’t anybody.’ I dropped her wrist.

‘Nonsense. If Avon hadn’t come to me then he would have died. That power… it was as strong as a thunder bolt from Zeus himself.’

I brushed her idea away. It couldn’t be. Her healing powers were incredible and her power of destruction was massive too, but I wouldn’t put it that far. Though, Solaris did know power better than I did.

‘Maybe you should speak to your husband instead of me.’

‘Why were you too in the same place? Another me Daylen!’

‘Find them from your king!’ Artemis’ fear burned harder. Hang on, I could see the door.

‘I hate things being kept from me! This is my kingdom! No one attacks my husband and lives another day.’

‘You won’t do anything to her.’ I warned.

Our gazes each strained and furious shot each other daggers. I had to obey the siren call beckoning me down to the mage world. Solaris brushed passed me and picked up the bowl I had been using for the locator spell.

‘Who are you trying to find? Has your mage girl run away from you?’

I grabbed the bowl and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and its contains smeared on the grey wall. Solaris didn’t even flinch, but I on the other hand couldn’t lower my voice or keep my chest from heaving.

‘That’s none of your business.’

‘Watch your tone with me Daylen or I’ll remind you who I am. For your sake I never want to lay eyes on that girl. She has no place in your life or part in our world. Remember who you are.’

I balled my hands into fists. I knew the price I had to pay for my world. I knew the battles to come were vicious. I hated the woman that had been driving me crazy was in danger at the very moment and I was glued to the spot listening to my mother.

‘I did it.’ I said quickly walking away from her.

‘What?’

‘I attacked the king.’ She could punish me if she wanted, but I wouldn’t let her touch Artemis.

‘That isn’t true!’

‘You can’t prove it is.’ I pushed the door open and didn’t waste a second in opening the portal. Hang on Artemis. I stepped through the portal as her fear pounded in my eyes.

***

I landed in mist. What was she doing near the veil? I raised two fingers and the grounded heated up chasing the mist away. Bricks and probably wood collapsed in the distance.

‘Artemis!’ I’d be damned if it wasn’t her.

I found the mist was thicker the closer I got to the chaos. These were dangerous spirits. No doubt they were working for Hera. I couldn’t let them take her. I pushed my power out to cast the mist away, but I couldn’t fully penetrate it. There were too many of them and I couldn’t even see them.

‘Artemis!’ I called into the mist.

I heard her groan in the distance. I’d bring this entire city to its knees if anything happens to her.

‘Release the arrow!’ A man yelled.

I stopped but the mist was too thick and bright for me to see where anyone was.

‘What arrow? Does it look like I have an arrow to you?’ Artemis snapped.

‘Artemis, where are you?’

‘Daylen? I have no idea where the hell I am! There are spirits everywhere.’

‘Just let go of the arrow!’ The man yelled again. I knew that voice it resembled the tone of the man who put Marcus through the ringer.

‘Orion I don’t have an arrow!’

I felt the spirits hone in on me. It felt like a thousand eyes, whispers near my ear. They could lure a man into a watery grave or bury him alive.

‘Listen to me, you can call it from inside you. You command it. Order it to destroy the mist.’

‘You must be insane.’

‘Just do it!’

There was silence only the increasing sounds of the spirits chants. I clenched my fist and willing my energy to flow to one point in my body. An auburn light zipped in front of me and threw me on the floor. With every movement the mist returned to the ground. Artemis was a few feet away from me. When I looked at the surge of energy closely it did resemble a bow and arrow. It aimed right for Artemis.

‘Get out of the way!’ It was too late it hit her right in her chest, but she didn’t even flatter.

With the mist lifted I saw the spirits. Tall men in dark robes.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

‘Let’s get out here.’ Orion’s hand went right through an onrushing spirit. It vanished.

Artemis’s gaze found mine and I shook my head. She couldn’t leave with him.

‘I-‘ she started as I got to my feet. I let the serge of power building in my body and let it go. All the spirits were taken out from a mile away. It was just the three of us in a dark alley.

‘Why is he here?’ I asked her.

She shrugged, taking small steps towards me. ‘I got into a bit of a jam.’

‘We’re not staying let’s go.’ Orion said.

Like hell she was going anywhere with him. I was about to close the distance between me and her when a spirit materialized behind her and ceased her arms.

‘You didn’t think we would leave without our prize, did you?’ His grey lips curled up.

‘You don’t want to do this,’ I said. He looked more solid than the others. ‘Did the queen send you?’

He lifted a shoulder, ‘She may have, but all I can say is my employer won’t be happy if we return without her.’

Artemis tried to elbow him, but winced in return.

‘Fighting will only make it worse.’ He muttered.

My gaze darted to Orion who had shifted positions since the shadow creature appeared. He met my eyes and nodded. It didn’t mean I trusted him, but we had to save her. The shadow creature tightened his hold around her neck and dragged her into an alley. Her eyes pleaded with me for help.

‘It’s going to be okay.’ I said.

‘Keep telling yourself that. I wouldn’t try to follow us if I were you.’

I hadn’t a clue where Orion found a bow and arrow, but he held it up and aimed at the creature. I wasn’t sure that was the brightest idea considering it could go right through it and hit Artemis. He was going to do it and there was nothing I could do.

I nodded at Artemis and she frowned. ‘Get down.’

In an instant she wiggled out of her captors hold and hit the ground. Orion’s arrow lit up before it went through the creature, turning it to dust.

‘Are you alright?’ I asked.

She nodded and reached for me. ‘I’m so done-‘ She gasped when a rope wrapped around her waist.

Orion stood next to an open portal. The glowing light reached out from the door to another realm and dragged Artemis into it.

‘No!’

I narrowly missed her hand. In the blink of an eye she was sucked into a portal taking her who knows where. Orion jumped in after she was taken. The portal vanished and I was left in the dark streets of the veil.