forum The Siren and the Chimera (with @Dances_with_Shadows)

Started April 12, 2019 by @PrettyLittlePyro

tune

He continued to hold her close, whispering reassurance as he saw each picture.

“I-I couldn’t save them!” She whimpered slightly.

Aquarius has been infected. As had Ford, and Bay was hurt. The gods had staged an attack on the camp, and many people had gotten hurt or died. Or gotten taken.

(No, worse.)

(Sorry, It's almost midnight and my mind's a little loopy)

He lightly grabbed her face so they were eye to eye. "It's not your fault. It's the gods. You can't place yourself at the blame for every wrong they've done. Put it all on them, where it rightfully belongs, and make them pay when the times comes. None of it is your fault," he repeated.

(I totally get it. It’s almost midnight here, and my brain hurts…)

She stared at him with eyes so bleak they seemed to suck the happiness from the room. “But I could have saved them,” she repeated.

"You can't save everyone, Tempest," he said softly, his chest aching when he saw the look in her eyes.

“But I could have saved them.”

"They're still alive, Tempest," he tried again. "We have gods here who can heal them."

“But they’re not here. The gods have them.” She sighed. “This was all my fault. I could have given myself up to the gods, and they wouldn’t have done that…”

"We can go get them," Lance said seriously, "And there's no way I'm letting Zeus get his hands on you."

She blinked sadly at him. “Alright,” she whispered, and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder.

He held her close, rubbing her back soothingly with one hand while the other cupped the back of her head.

Soon, Tempest was asleep again. This time, as she slept, she developed a plan…

He was afraid of leaving her again, so he carefully shifted himself so he was leaning against the headboard with her still in his arms. He wasn't too tired, so the lack of sleep didn't bother him.

She awoke some hours later, her mind made up. She would have to be careful around Lance. He would be too perceptive.

By then, he had somehow drifted off.

She sighed, staring down at him. He looked so peaceful. She didn’t want to ruin it. “I’m sorry,” she whispered silently.
Tempest tiptoed our of the room. The house was asleep, and completely quiet. She went out the door and to a nearby hill. She stood at the top.
“Zeus, I know you want me. If you do, release my brothers, and I’m yours.”
A rushing wind blew, and she vanished in a flash.

Lance woke up sometime later, and he instantly noticed the absence of Tempest. She wasn't anywhere near the camp, that he could tell. "No…" was the first word out of his mouth.

Tempest appeared in Olympus, winded and terrified, but trying not to show it. She found herself in the middle of a circle of tall beings with red eyes.
”So…” a beautiful female mused. ”The little Siren Princess has tried to bargain with us? She would give herself up for her brothers? Isn’t that sweet?” She smirked. Her voice was strange, as though it had been echoed over and over and over.

Lance got up and stalked through the house to find a particular goddess. Instead, he found Aurae–with two brand new slashes across her cheek–cleaning her pistols with her familiars wrapped around her waist and neck. "Aurae," he said, "You broke out of a prison in the Underworld, and then broke multiple gods out of their prisons in Tartarus. Do you think you could break people out of Olympus?"

She flicked her violet eyes up at him, pausing in her cleaning. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and some strands fell into her face, though they went unnoticed. "I mean, I might. But I would need some backup in case things went out of hand." She narrowed her eyes and set her pistols down to stand up, crossing her arms over her chest. "And why do you need me to break people out of Olympus?"

It was a hunch that he didn't want to voice, so Lance went with the most logical reasoning, not caring if Aruae heard the partial lie rolling off his tongue. "We need to get those captured by the gods back before they end up getting killed."

Hers strode into the room in all of her arrogant majesty, and Tempest blinked. Then she realized that Hera was in chains, led by other possessed beings.
But for some reason, Hera wasn’t affected.
”Do you think she was groveling?” Anotther goddess asked.

Aurae narrowed her eyes further, staring at Lance. "Fine," she finally said. "But on one condition."

"Which is?"

She smirked and put her hands on her hips. "You'll be the one to convince Nyx to join us."

His blood chilled at even the prospect of such a thing, but he swallowed down his fear and nodded mutely. "Very well," he said tightly.

”Possibly.” The first goddess gave a chilling laugh.

Lance left Aurae's room and searched for Nyx. No one could keep her prisoner. She was the night herself. You couldn't cage something like that. Shadows spread wherever they please.