Greece

"What I told you before... was not entirely correct. Alea's mother was not killed as a result of her using magic in a evil way, it was arranged."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alea looked around, feeling anxious, "Hurry Xander..."

"Almost there" Xander said dropping down to the smaller cliff. "Alright, careful now."


"Arranged, by whom?"

"By me..." Hecate replied after a long pause.

"And all that has happened to Alea since, is that your doing as well?"


"That's it you're almost there" Xander said "Now just let go, I'll catch you."

"I don't think so, you'll see up my dress!" Alea replied, "I'll be right, I'll climb down."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No... punishment. A long term feud that occurred between Apollo and I."

"Apollo" Apollonis said clinching his fist


"Carefully then" Xander said

Alea looked around after finding one rock to rest her foot on, but there wasn't any others nearby, "You better have good arms, if I fall... I will be smacking you for not allowing me to simply jump!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We are both at fault. Apollo and I...we created a beautiful nymph between both our skills and when it was formed, I named her Scylla. Apollo and Poseidon though were fighting and in a fit of rage, he decided to take Scylla as she bathed in the ocean. I pleaded with him, but Apollo wouldn't give into the demands for her release, and she was transformed into a monster. Years passed, and one day a hero killed her, and I discovered the hero bore the sword of Apollo. After confronting him, he tried to make excuses that he didn't know it was my Scylla transformed. Regardless, I wanted my revenge and waited to find a way to make Apollo pay.

The years went on, as did the summers and winters until Apollo began flirting with a clever and gifted young witch. He foolishly told her that she had magic to rival me, and remembering my rage and revenge, I set the girl up as a murderess witch, and had her executed by pushing her into the volcanic lava pit. Apollo then came to me, outraged... telling me that I had taken a mother from a child, a daughter they both created.

I told him, our feud would be over if I take the girl as my own, a daughter of mine, Astoria's and Athena's, and together we raised her. But it was hard, Apollo cursed her so that bad things would happen every time she found happiness, and she would return to him to find comfort. That has not happened..."

"Do not worry, I've got you" Xander said helping her down.


"So who do I kill first" Apollonis said "you or my father?"

KariganGladheon wrote:

Alea kept watch, checking the roof of the pavilion-type structure. She heard them but they were keeping themselves hidden this time to avoid hurting themselves again.

"Better be quick on your feet, Xander," she called out in warning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Apollaine reached the top of the hill, and found Ares waiting for her still carrying on his disguise but with a sword by his side.

"Do you think you could possibly stop me, little girl? I'm a god."

"So are we", Aridonis said walking up with Callisto.

Callisto nodded drawing her sword.

awHOOOOOOOOOO.....awHOOOOOOOOOOO....awHOOOOOOOOOOO

Warhorns blasted in the distance as Orion's vast army prepared it's assault on Mount Olympus.

Demetrios lead his men in thier attack.

Ares raised his sword shifting his disguise from him like a veil.

"why am I not surprised?" apollaine said angrily.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Alea looked down though at the waves below them.

"Watch out" Xander said


"So who do I kill first" Apollonis asked "you or my father?"

"Neither... you could try to plead with Apollo... your father... maybe he might reconsider what he is doing to the girl. But it will come with a hard bargain, everything does."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We can't reach the boat!" Alea said in panic.

"We'll make it" Xander said tieing the rope around her waist


"Fine, I'll talk to him" Apollonis said

"But my warning stays," Hecate added, "She could still use her magic for evil and there will be no coming back from it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alea nodded, "Even if I have to swim, I'll be fine."

Xander lowered Alea down to the boat as far as the roap would take her.


"Right, whatever" Apollonis shrugged.

"Maybe you should change your mind about this", Aridonis said to Ares.

"of course that is not all," Hecate said suddenly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alea dropped down landing in th boat but not too gently, looking back up to see how he would fare. While she watched him, she checked him out and smiled happily.

The rope snapped sending him to the ocean, "Xander!"

Xander struggled back to the boat against the waves finaly managing to clmib aboard


"What is it this time" Apollonis sighed

"May I introduce you to Mereida, former Queen of Arcadia?" Hecate announced holding her hand to the shadows and a white hand emerged taking her hand. Stepping from the shadows was a beautiful woman with black long hair, and a flowing red dress adorned with rubies and diamonds. She wore her crown and while being a ghost she still looked every inch colourful.

She took another step forward and smiled to Apollonis, a smile that matched Alea's own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Quite the contrary... I want this very much..." Ares said striking hard against Apollaine's sword. She winced and pushed against him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alea helped him into the boat, "I didn't think it would be half as easy. But if that's all that Ares can do, he must be weak."

"His magic ends at the ocean, which Poseidon rules..." said the sea goddess returning to them, "We will help you return to the shore."

"Who is this?" Apollonis asked


"Thank you" Xander said

(thinking one more reason for Xander to call on Apollonis for help, which won't happen, and Apollonai to step in is all that's needed to push Xander towards her)

Hecate smirked, but the Queen approached him slowly, smiling.

"Do you not know? A mother's face is often so similar to that of her daughters," she told him with a quiet voice.


(apollaine will be hurt in the fight against Ares. So when they reach the shore, it won't be a happy scene they were expecting.)

"And what do you expect me to do with her" Apollonis said "send her back to Elysium or whichever part of the underworld you dragged her from."


(Uhm, okay)

Hecate strode over and looked over the ghost removing its crown and dropped it in his hands which disintegrated into mist, reforming on the Queen's head.

"Alea should have what is rightfully hers, a kingdom and a family. That is what Apollo wants to keep her away from, the reasons I am not sure of, but seem really twisted. Should he not be proud to have a daughter that will rule a kingdom? I think he wants her under his watchful eye, confined to the quarters of Mount Olympus!"