#artemis of the loud chase the golden arrows?!?!?!?

[mstrchu]

the twins..

[honestsycrets]

Rut VI: Who is the Daddie?

❛ pairing | ubbe x reader x ivar

❛ type | multi

❛ summary | finally, ubbe and ivar have children. except, who is the father?

❛  warnings | abo, polyandry.

Ubbe always thought nature was better than life at home. 

The animals were quiet. They mind their own business, eat when they must eat, roam when they must roam. Ubbe likes it that way. No struggles for power and land that kings know hardly anything about… just… the simple life. 

His feet squish along sodden grass. The morning dew weighed it down prior and now, it’s squishy enough for him to past through with his bow. He would make you a good dinner, he decided. Late last night your labor began. It was painfully slow and spread through your core so that all you wanted to do was lay upon the bed stripped clean as you labored in peace.  

Ivar had been a mess all morning. His hands in his hair, drinking himself into a stupor while your favourite thrall sat beside you. She encouraged you on with small kisses to your forehead. Two alphas could rarely share the same house together. They would always clash-- who wanted a lay alone that night, what territory was whose and lately-- whose children you were pregnant with.

Ubbe was many things, but stupid was not one of them. Ubbe had spent much of the last heat you had away. Ivar spent days breeding you before he came home, scenting out your heat and finding your brother locked inside your warm, messy pussy. The likelihood that the child would be his… not so hot. 

“Master!”

He loosens the arrow from the string, sending it whizzing past the field into a tree; not the deer that he had been chasing all morning. Ubbe hisses his curse, turning to face the woman that ruined his kill. 

“Aesa.” He hisses, spitting it off of his tongue like a curse. “I lost my kill.” 

“But you’re about to have a birth. She is pushing!” 

A birth? Ubbe’s eyebrows furrow, searching for only seconds before it hits him. The babies. 

“(Y/N)?” He throws the bow over his shoulder and bounds off of the balls of his feet past her, sliding down the grassy hillside. The stains mark his trousers, green and fragrant. His feet feel weightless weaving past the oak to the home that Ubbe had built for you beside Ivar’s calculating eye. He laid the plans, Ubbe and Hvitserk supplied the labour. 

“Prince Ubbe she’s pushing!” The townswomen tell him on the way toward his cabin. Frigg, Frigg don’t let him miss this. He pushes past men and women outside his cabin, shoving into the great room. 

“Where were you?” Ivar barks.

Ubbe hangs up his bow and loosens the rabbit on his belt. A few seconds later, Aesa comes in wheezing. Ubbe hands off the rabbit and walks into your shared bedroom. It’s already loud with the crying of a child in one of the midwife’s hands. 

“Just about there. One more, one more.” The midwife tells you, timing it smoothly. “Now.” 

Ubbe’s ears perk, Ivar hot on his tail as he rushes to watch. Under the weight of a final groan, he hears your breath hike and release. Another set of cries match the first. Ubbe sways forward, chest raising and dropping. He hasn’t even dropped his bow nor quiver of arrows and smells of his salty sweat. 

“Boys.” Your eyes are heavy in maternal exhaustion. You usher both of them forward. Ubbe’s boots and Ivar’s pointed crutch. You look toward one of the midwives, carrying the child back to your arms. You kiss the top of the child’s forehead when Ubbe speaks. 

“Let me see my nephew.” He asks. Your smile brightens your cheeks as you hand over the child whose soft golden hair and sharp blue eyes gaze up into the air, whining still. 

“He’s not your nephew.” You say sweetly to your mate. The one that should have had the right first. “We have a son together.” 

Ubbe glances up from his soft face, running his eyes across the little boy in his arms. He can’t wrap his head around it. He… he shouldn’t have had a son. Ivar bred you time and time before he came in that night so many heats ago to find you in bed with his brother. 

“It looks likes it’s my nephew,” Ivar argues with his older brother. Ubbe glances over, sharp in annoyance. Of course, Ivar couldn’t let it stand.

“You were so sure that it was yours,” Ubbe notes. No way did Ivar get to make him miserable without this actually being his-- like he fought for a full nine months straight. “What if he is yours?” 

“He has your nose.” Ivar points out. 

“He’s a baby. You can’t--” 

“Boys!” You shout. You’re so annoyed that the boys can practically smell the annoyance, hormones that an omega exude when stressed, piquing to catch their attention. The two alphas quiet. After a day in labour, both know that pissing you off further would be a terrible mistake.

“Aesa, bring me the other.” You tell your red-haired thrall. She brings forth the other child that the midwife was tending to. She carries another child, blond as the day was long. You pull yourself up to sit in the bed, drawing down the gown that sheens with your sweat. Withdrawing your dress from your breast you take the child and watch him root for your nipple. 

“Come here, Ivar. Look at this one.” 

He limps around his brother, looking at the child. A small, broad nose and flat eyebrows. That much he can make out. His brother’s nose was so desperately different from his that he questions exactly how that… worked. 

“It’s mine?” He says, barely a whisper. Then delightfully he looks up toward Ubbe, laughing. “It’s mine! But how do two men and the same women have children like this?” 

Ubbe runs his thumb over his newborn son’s cheek, pursing out his lips before rolling them back into his mouth. It only takes a few seconds for him to come to his own conclusion about how this worked. 

“I told you, brother,” Ubbe says. “Some omegas need both.” 

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[cinanamon]

oblivion — wyk

pairing | yukhei x reader

genre | angst, tweaked myth!au, nymph!au, hunter!au, orion!au, unrequited love!au, falling out of love!au

word count | 3.5K

synopsis | You weren’t bitter when he left you for her; you just wanted him to listen to reason when it came to the repercussions of falling for her. Inspired by song by Bastille.

warnings | character death

There was a rustle in the undergrowth near where you were lounging against an overarching tree. Before you could even react, a familiar head of brown hair emerged followed by the muscular frame of the friendly giant.

You let go of the tension in your shoulders and leaned back again, a smile naturally crossing your face. “Yukhei, it’s so nice to see you.”

Yukhei was a hunter who had stumbled into your clearing while chasing a deer years ago, but had ended up staying and befriending you. Over the years, the line between friendship and lovers had blurred. He still came and went as he pleased, though upon his lips were words of promise, and his smiles were only ever genuine. He was easy to believe in.

He raised his head and made eye contact with you, a bright grin spreading across his face. “(Y/n)! I didn’t think you’d be here before me.”

“You’re almost always late, why wouldn’t I be?” You couldn’t help rolling your eyes playfully as you scooted over so he could make his way over and fill the spot beside you. He shrugged a little sheepishly.

“I don’t know the forest as well as you; maybe I get a little lost.”

“You can always call for me,” you looked at him with a friendly smile but you wouldn’t deny the light dusting of pink that laid upon your cheeks. “I can always lead you around if you need it.”

Yukhei chuckled lightly, one that rumbled in his chest as he pressed his face into the side of your neck, causing your hair to tangle. “That’s very kind of you; I would love to take you hunting with me.”

You slightly grimaced at that but managed to mask it easily as he moved his head away again. “Maybe not hunting, but sightseeing would be splendid.” He nodded his head, like he remembered that you were technically a part of nature too, so of course you wouldn’t be happy about him taking away from it.

“Tell me,” he mused, turning slightly so his shoulder leaned against the trunk of the tree—your tree. “Doesn’t the goddess of these woods hunt too? Does that not pain you?”

You had learned long ago that his questions meant no harm; he was a curious being, and you were more than happy to answer all his concerns. “She does, but she doesn’t kill to kill; she kills to give back, to honor. It’s like a rebirth; she doesn’t kill for sport, but to sustain the rest of the life here.”

Yukhei nodded his head and looked past you at the stream passing by your grove, offering a sense of tranquility. “I see. If I were to kill to sustain myself and others around me, do you believe she’d let me hunt here too?”

You blinked. You had never entertained the idea of another hunting in your sacred woods, another being who would take away from the surrounding life. You hesitated, but gazed at him thoughtfully. “Possibly; no one has before, but if you hunt respectfully, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. Of course, make sure you thank the animal for its death, and then Artemis for her generosity—”

“Of course, of course; I wouldn’t dream of not giving thanks!” Yukhei laughed almost too loud, and you could see a renewed excitement bubbling inside of him from the prospect of hunting in your woods. You were overjoyed over the thought of him being with you more, but it made you uneasy to think he’d practice his hobby in your home.

“Make sure not to shoot anything but the animal, Yukhei. You can’t hit the trees or any other source of life.”

He sensed your nervousness in the way you bit your lip, and he brought a hand up to caress your jaw, his lips finding your cheek in a soft greeting before he pulled away. “Don’t worry, love. I’m not here to ruin. I’ll be back tomorrow with my bow, alright? I’ll get to see you more.”

You managed a small smile, seeing that he was able to curb your unease for a little while at least. “Alright; I’ll be waiting on the outskirts for you!”

Yukhei kissed you one last time before he stood and left the forest grove, right as dusk fell upon your forms.

- - -

Yukhei came back early the next morning, just as dawn broke behind him, casting him in shadow and golden light. You were where you promised, waiting patiently by the edges of grove and he broke into a pleased expression as he drew you into a comforting hug.

After quick exchanges, he followed you back to the stream and across to the other side, where the trees were slightly sparser. “Remember, Yukhei: only shoot what is necessary. You don’t need the largest elk if the smallest will make due.”

And you knew Yukhei; the look on his face was gentle as he nodded. He was not the type to grow arrogant nor cross, he followed directions and only meant well in all he did. Maybe that is why you were willing to let him try and hunt in your woods.

“I know, (y/n). I promise I will only do as necessary.” And with your short nod of approval, he took a quiet step forward into the new terrain. You both seemed to hold your breath as he drew out his longbow; a delicately carved and beautiful crafted piece of wood.

He crouched and minutes passed in still silence as you two waited for any animal to cross his path. It took almost an hour before a poor deer stepped forward from behind underbrush a few yards away. You tried to steel yourself as he loaded his bow and aimed his arrow. Time froze in that moment as you waited for the final blow that would kill. He let the arrow go and it shot in a clean, straight line, piercing the young mammal’s side and causing it to fall on its side.

Yukhei put back the bow and quickly motioned for you to follow him forward to his catch, and you let your feet carry you in a daze. He kneeled beside the fallen animal and brushed its pelt in a sense of amazement. He jumped slightly as he quickly brought his palms together and you heard him murmur a prayer of thanks to the deer and Artemis but your mind could not process any actual words uttered. Your gaze was trained on the arrow in the animal’s side and how Yukhei gently pulled the weapon out of the clean wound.

“Who is that?”

You finally managed to lift your head to meet Yukhei’s quizzical look before you before following his gaze towards the back of the woods, where the deer had arrived from. In between two grand trees was a tall, beautiful woman with a dark braid and a golden bow in her hands; she herself seemed to be glowing, or at least radiating a powerful aura.

You could barely hear yourself as you met her strong judging yet curious stare. “Artemis. That’s our patron goddess.”

Yukhei’s eyes widened but he couldn’t tear them away from her as the goddess lowered her gaze to Yukhei and his catch below him. Was she angry over him hunting? Yukhei seemed to have the same concern as he audibly gulped. Before he could even spout some unheard apology, Artemis turned her head and began to walk away, disappearing among the underbrush again. You felt air enter your lungs again as you looked down at Yukhei. He sighed in relief too, an unspoken laugh shared between you two as he went to pick up the deer. “I need to get this back to my camp. Could you help me carry it?”

The nausea returned and you tried for an apologetic smile as you leaned against a neighboring tree. “I don’t think I can watch you hunt; i’m sorry, but I think I’m just going to go back to my grove.”

He nodded instantly. “Of course. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll meet you there after I’m done.”

You smile and take a step forward, sure to not look at the fallen animal as you place a hand on his shoulder and brush your lips over his. “I’ll be waiting.”

The walk back was quiet and already your discomfort had waned; most likely because you were out of view of the life you had let him take. You reminded yourself that Artemis had let him, but that didn’t make you feel any better personally. You would just have to wait for him to hunt before he could come sit with you under your tree again; the thought alone made happiness return to your visage.

You waited longer than you thought you would’ve had to for him; another hour or two before he came from between the trees, a grin on his face. You raised a brow in curiosity. “What are you so happy about?”

He shaked his head and seated himself beside you, leaning into your side. “Artemis asked me to hunt with her.”

Your head snapped to face him and you could only stare at him in shock. “You talked to her?”

“Yes! She seemed impressed by my skills and seemed glad that I’m respectful—oh my gods, (y/n), I can't believe it!”

“I can’t believe it either!” You tried to smile at him. This was an amazing opportunity, wasn’t it? “How long will you be gone hunting with her?”

He didn’t seem too concerned, cocking his head slightly as he shrugged. “A few hours a day, maybe? Maybe even at night? I don’t know, I’m just going to come more often!”

“You’ll spend that extra time with me though, right?” You try and laugh, a soft but hesitant sound passing between your lips.

His excited features softened as he cupped your face and nuzzled your noses. “Of course I will; I come here for you, don’t I?”

That calmed you down; he always seemed able to do that. You covered his hands with yours as a smile naturally crossed your mouth. “Indeed you do. Well I hope you enjoy yourself; just make sure to always come back to me, yeah?”

He smiled a wide, lovesick smile that crinkled his eyes as he moved forward to press a peck to the tip of your nose. “Always.”

And he stayed the night there beside you, curled around each other like proper lovers, a shared caress of trust woven between your figures.

- - -

You probably should have expected it, or already did and just didn’t want to admit it when Yukhei’s object of affection shifted. It started in his eyes, how they would become unfocused while you talked, how the wonder trapped inside had broken through and dispersed when it came to you. Then it was his lips; his genuine smiles weren’t as bright, didn’t hold the same lovesick essence to them. His kisses grew progressively less heartfelt, less enthusiastic until they stopped altogether.

You watched as Yukhei switched from the kind, curious boy who loved you to a confident young man. But you couldn’t hold him responsible for him falling out of love with you; he probably didn’t even realize. He was an oblivious mortal, and you’d rather suffer in silence then ruin his shelter in you, no matter how painful it was.

One thing that hasn’t changed in him was his ambition; it’s the one thing you wished he lost. For now that you weren’t his conscious object of affection, someone else was.

Yukhei had fallen in love with Artemis.

You noticed it when he would come back terribly late in the day when he had left early, seemingly forgetting about you and his promise. You would forgive him too easily, for you were just relieved to see him; maybe him falling off the path was partially your own fault. That’s when he would sit you down and tell you excitedly about his adventures hunting with the goddess. Maybe that was your first clue to learning that it had become more than platonic for your lover. He talked of her in an infatuated, enamored state, his image of her romanticized to the point where you would grow uneasy and gather him in your arms just to get him to see you again, shower him in your loving words and kisses. He would come back to you for that short period of time but yet again fall to her charms when he left at dawn.

When you realized the shift, you were filled with dread, not just in a personal sense. To fall for her was a death sentence for him; she was a maiden goddess, and love was off the table in terms of her affairs. Yet you knew Yukhei would never hear or listen to reason; his obliviousness would be his downfall, no matter how good his intentions.

It was all you could think about.

It’s why you only absentmindedly brushed your fingers through his hair, his head rested on your lap while he gushed about his day spent with the goddess; you barely heard any word he said.

“She’s so still when she shoots; like a statue. She stops breathing, I swear, and how does she always shoot straight? It shouldn’t be possible to be so perfect.”

“She’s a goddess, Yukhei; that’s what she is.” You responded in a soft yet dull tone, ignoring how his hands move as he talked, only glancing to meet his eyes briefly. You hadn’t been able to look him in the eyes recently.

“Perfect? That’s not fair. I want to be like her and I can’t become a god, so—“ He finally dropped his hands and sighed dreamily. “I love her so much.”

Your hand freezed in his locks. You blinked a couple times to try and gather your bearings, feeling a wrench in your chest as you think over his words again. “Yukhei, you—“

“I love her,” he sat up before you can try and talk sense into him, and the smile on his face was a lamentable echo of his old grins towards you; the look is his eyes was far away and you were afraid you had already lost him. “I’m going to tell her.”

“That’s not wise, Yukhei, you can’t.” You sat up and placed a hand on his shoulder, finally meeting and searching his gaze. “She’s a maiden goddess. You can’t love her.”

“But I do. How can I fight Eros’ arrow?” He questioned, pulling away from your grip. He began to gather his belongings, as if he was already going to go tell her. A panic set itself deep in your bones.

“Wait, Yukhei,” you pleaded, rushing to place another hand over his, stopping him from placing anything else inside his bag. “At least wait for morning, please. Could you give me that?”

He looked at you and it felt like the first time he’d really seen you that whole night. He shifted his gaze to the item in his hand and sighed softly, nodding and placing his bag back down. He barely muttered anything else, and you hesitantly reached out and brushed your hand over his, waiting for him to close his fingers around yours. He met your eyes softly and your breath hitched as you slowly pulled him back to your spot under your tree, easing him back against your side, molding his body around yours.

You held him like he was still your lover, took care of him as if he was still a young child, and yet saw him like he was worlds apart and fated to never crash into you again.

- - -

When you awoke the next morning, Yukhei was already gone. The dread and fear from the night before came back tenfold and you scrambled up from where you were sleeping, his warmth still lingering on the expanse of your skin.

You hurried out of your grove, worriedly looking around the clearing and between trees. He couldn’t have gotten too far, for the sun had only just risen, cloaking you in its golden rays and lighting the ground beneath your feet. It acted as your guide as it shone a path upon the undergrowth which you readily followed until you ended at a stream; across from the very area Yukhei had killed his first deer.

Before you could walk out to examine the area for traces of your beloved mortal, you caught sight of two figures stepping out from between the trees ahead of you. You quickly hid behind the trunk closest to you and peeked around it; the unease from earlier bubbling in your chest again.

Artemis seemed to be speaking to him, who was nodding in agreement as she kneeled by the stream. She washed her face with the flowing water before standing when Yukhei hesitated. They exchanged words that you strained your words to hear, becoming more desperate when you watched Yukhei grasp her hand and that same lovesick expression crossed his face.

All your senses screamed as you could only helplessly watch Artemis’ expression turn stormy and she yanked her hand away from his. Her tone grew in volume and ferocity but still you could not understand any word spoken. Yukhei’s face fell and turned uneasy and almost-horrified as she gestured towards the other side of the forest, across the stream.

Yukhei had gathered his bow in a rush as he scrambled up and through the stream, splashing the water in his haste and disappearing among the evergreens. You looked on in a state of shock as your goddess angrily turned on her heel and ran a hand through her hair.

And then she drew her bow.

You felt a scream lodge it’s way in your throat, horror dancing in your eyes and disbelief seizing your limbs. You wanted to beg her to stop, you wanted to warn Yukhei of his fate, but only managed to continue staring as the beautiful immortal fitted an arrow into her bow, slowly lifting it and drawing it back.

Finally, your legs had kicked into action. You seemed to shock the goddess because for a second, her bow lowered and her eyes widened, head turned to watch you shoot past her, your feet padding through the stream in quick, measured steps before they met solid ground again. From there, your damp feet collected dirt, dust, and undergrowth, progressively becoming dirty and painful to set upon but you kept running until your lungs screamed and your lifeforce begged to return to your tree.

But you didn’t even think of slowing until Yukhei came into view, his fleeing form solidifying around the edges. The heaviness in your heart lifted just a little and you frantically called out to him, a sense of urgent fear and relief flooding your system.

And when he turned, that feeling exploded like a dam. You wanted to cry and laugh, push him forward to keep running at the view of his messy hair and wild eyes, chest heaving and yet so beautifully radiant and young. Your heard your name forming on the edge of his voice, a soft exhale of the first syllable.

Before you could decide on an action to perform, anything to connect yourself to your old lover, an arrow whizzed past your side and struck him through his exposed chest; it struck his heart.

Your faint traces of a smile slipped off your face as you watched him fall; his eyes instantly glassy and face locked in an expression of soft surprise, his body slumping and head lolling, landing with a soft thud upon the earth.

You didn't even notice your knees give out, or the sob that ripped itself from your throat as you reached out and grazed the slowly-coldening skin of his cheek. You whipped your head back the way you came and there, all the way back by the river, past each tree and obstacle you had maneuvered around, was Artemis, and she met your tearful eyes. Her own gaze was guarded, angry, and yet remorseful; she had lost her friend, but fulfilled what she thought justified. She leveled her gaze for a second longer before she turned and passed through the forest brush, gone from view.

You faced Yukhei once more and tried to blink away all your tears; you didn’t want your vision to be obscured of him for even a second. The hunter had become the hunted; he had been taken from you.

You had stayed and cried beside the fallen hunter for days and finally your patron goddess had taken pity on you and allowed the earth to retake his body, dissolving it into the ground to be reborn as a grand tree.

But it was not enough for you; you never went back to your own tree, causing you to slowly lose your strength and lifeforce until you took your last breath lying beside Yukhei’s evergreen.

Your body was retaken by the earth and, finally, like you had wished for since he was killed, you were reunited with Yukhei as lovers in death.

[i-am-church-the-cat]

Chapter 4: Maybe It’s Love

My name’s @i-am-church-the-cat and this is my fanfic, and all other fanfics...are just as good in their own right and should be respected as such *air horn blasts*

——

Jonah and Walker had pretty much mastered the art of hiding from mortals. The two boys had both had many failed relationships, neither of them catching a break. Eros had turned Walker first, but it wasn’t more than a century later that Jonah had been recruited. Walker had been Jonah’s mentor in all the messing-with-people’s-love-lives thing. They were both cautious in the beginning but after some arguments, two loud confessions, and lots of tears, they had found someone to entrust their hearts to. They didn’t really like messing with people, but something told them that this time was special. It was their friend, Cyrus, after all!

Cyrus had been working for Apollo for a little over a century when the couple had met him and his two friends. They had seemed nice, but it took a while before Buffy trusted that the to boys weren’t going to mess with their love lives, and the promised they wouldn’t! But when Walker and Jonah had seen the interaction between their friend and the handsome prince, they took it upon themselves to be the matchmakers.

So that’s why they were following the four heroes at a distance, swerving in and out of trees to keep from being seen by the younger god. It was difficult to maneuver their large wings in the dense forest, but Jonah thought he was doing a pretty good-

SNAP!

Cyrus’ head snapped around, searching for the producer of the loud sound. After a moment, he and his companions resumed their trek through the woods. Behind the wide trunks, Walker was holding Jonah to his body, pressing his wings down as he kept both of them aloft. When Walker was sure the party had gone far enough away, he let go of his boyfriend and setting them both softly on the ground. Walker looked at the younger boy and folded his wings away.

“Come on”, the older said. “Let’s walk. Don’t want to snap off another tree branch.”

“How was I supposed to know that the branch was going to be there”, Jonah grumbled, though he was given away by the small smile on his face.

Walker laughed and gave his boyfriend a quick peck on the nose. “Come on. We got to catch up.”

~

Cyrus was worried. He knew he could be unlucky, but if Eros or one of his agents got involved, then he had pissed off the wrong god.

When he had seen a flash of white feathers out of the corner of his eye, he likened it to a bird or paranoia.

But when he had heard that tree branch break, he knew that he was-

“Hey”, a voice said, breaking Cyrus out of his thoughts. The god turned to look at his companion, the prince smiling brightly. Cyrus promptly forgot what he was thinking about.

“Hey”, Cyrus replied, returning his smile. TJ seemed to glow. “What’s up?”

The golden-haired boy shrugged. “You seemed tense. Is everything all right?”

“Oh”, Cyrus said, surprised at the concern in TJ’s voice. “Well, the situation isn't great, but we’re fixing the problem quickly, so I say things are pretty good.”

The prince nodded in agreement. “You know, there is one good thing about all this”, TJ noted after a moment.

“Oh yeah?”

“I got to meet you”, TJ said, flashing another heart-stopping grin.

Cyrus couldn’t help the blush that dusted his cheeks as he turned back to the path in front of us. Cyrus still hated how flustered he got around cute guys, especially ones who were flirting with him. That was something that hadn’t changed once he had become a god. Cyrus was about to risk another glance at the gorgeous boy next to him when Amber and Marty came riding up beside them.

“So, Cyrus. How did you end up working for Apollo?”, Marty asked.

“Well, he was walking through my village, disguised as an old man, when I offered to feed him. He ate all my food and on a whim, turned my friends and I into gods. My friend Buffy joined the Hunters after meeting Lady Artemis, and my other friend Andi became the handmaiden to Lady Persephone.”

“And Apollo just, what? Claimed you?”, Amber asked.

“Pretty much.”

“What’s it like?”, TJ asked. “Working for the sun god?”

“Well”, Cyrus began, wondering why he was so open to talking to people he just met. Maybe it was the kinship of all being in the same prophecy. “It’s pretty cool honestly. Apollo’s usually off chasing after pretty men and women, or arguing with another god, or getting into some other form of mischief. Mostly, I just watch over humanity and take care of the Oracle, though I have a bunch of other smaller tasks.”

“Watch over the Oracle?”, Amber asked, hesitantly.

“Yeah”, Cyrus said softly, knowing this was a sore spot for her. “I take care of the Oracle when their transitioning and I’m usually there until they start taking people’s questions regularly, just to help them settle in. I’ve been the personal helper of all the Oracles for the last three hundred years.”

“How did you get that job?”

“Well, I’ve found I’m pretty good at taking care of people and advising them. The person who did it before me was glad to give it up because they had responsibilities of their own domain, while my powers are just a subunit of Apollo’s, you could say. Plus, people trust me”, Cyrus explained, proud of the honor he had. And if the last sentence was a barb at some people who might’ve been flying around trying to mettle, well, that was up to him.

—

“I did it once and it just sort...stuck”, Cyrus finished with a shrug.

Marty looked at the young god. He appeared younger than them, but he talked with the wisdom brought about by many lifetimes. Though, that seemed more like his personality than the fact that he was over three hundred years old.

Marty has never really trusted gods. Sure, they were okay, but they treated humanity the way humanity treated sheep. Something to be watched and used and sometimes used to play tricks on. He didn’t enjoy it. But Cyrus seemed like one of the better ones, and by the way TJ had talked about him, Marty could tell that the minor his already had his prince’s trust. Now this was a hard thing to accomplish. It took Marty nearly five years of fighting beside TJ to get where they were today.

Marty had been left at the palace guard station when he was two. He had been taken in by the master of the guard and her wife. Marty had seen people doubt the capabilities of his adopted mother as the captain, but Marty had learned quickly that a woman can defeat someone in a fight just as well as a man can. Sometimes even better. And the fact that she was a woman married to a woman didn’t seem to matter to the king either.

Being the adopted son of the captain of the guard meant that he was always getting into fights with the other boys in the yard. He didn’t mind a brawl, but Marty had learned how to dodge and get out of one, which was sometimes the better option. He had soon became the fastest one out there, both in running speed and the speed in which he handled his sword.

Marty had met TJ when he was sixteen. Yeah, he had seen the prince around and at feasts sometimes, but they’d never been formally introduced or anything like that. Marty had thought he was a pompous arrogant loudmouth, and he pretended to be on the surface, but it wasn’t long before Marty saw the real him, the side of himself he tried to hide away. In the beginning, it only came out when they would duel against each other, but as their missions together became more frequent and the time they spent together not training grew longer, TJ started to let Marty in more.

Now, here they were six years later, on a quest with a light god and two more expected to arrive. They were going into what may be their last battle, and TJ had trusted Marty to come along and protect him and his sister. A far cry from the two boys who had punched it out in the courtyard a year after they met.

“Hey”, TJ called out, kicking at Marty’s ankle to break him out of his reverie. He raised his eyebrows, a silent question in his eyes. Marty nodded and showed a reassuring smile. TJ still seemed a little unsure, but he turned forward where Amber and Cyrus were talking quietly in front of them. They seemed to be deep into their conversation. Marty hoped Cyrus could help the princess. She had always struggled with her gift and if Cyrus was as good as he said he is, than maybe she would become more comfortable with it.

Marty, about to be lost to his memories once more, was snapped to attention a loud roar cut through the forest. The traveling party was immediately on edge, Marty and TJ both drawing their swords. Cyrus was rigid straight, scanning the forest as if seeing something the others couldn’t. The four of them were on edge for severally heart-stopping moments. As Marty began to relax, a hellhound landed in front of them.

The hellhound has several bleeding wounds, all from different forms of attack. It had broken off arrows protruding from its hide and claw and teeth marks from wolves and birds of prey. It was easily three times the size of their horses, teeth and claws as long as Marty’s forearm. Sensing the new enemy, it turned to glare at the four of them. A low growl escaped from its maw, but before it could attack, a barrage of arrows fell on it, followed by a pack of wolves.

The animals and arrows were soon followed by a brown-haired girl who jumped on the back of the hellhound. The monster tried to buck her off, but she held on fast. She reached behind her and pulled out a dagger, careful to keep it away from herself or the wolves. Finally, she plunged the blade into the monster’s skull. The monster dropped and the girl rolled off, effectively pulling the bloodied blade from the monster’s head. The hellhound lay still and the girl slowly rise to her feet. As Marty’s eyes fell on the girl’s face, his heart stopped. She was beautiful, and for a moment, Marty just sat there in shock, wondering who could possibly be so incredible.

“Buffy!”, Cyrus exclaimed as he jumped off his horse and ran to hug her.

Oh, Marty thought. That’s who.