Pantheon Book 2: The Way of the Tao

Sad Farewells

        Oliver keeps his eyes on the floor as he follows Ra through the now familiar twisting halls. With his heart in his throat, he can't help but brush his fingers across his hip, searching for the comforting warmth of Caduceus. Emelia squeezes his other hand, probably noticing his nervous twitching. He tries to force a smile to put her mind at ease, but nobody is convinced.

"It's alright, I'm sure you can handle it," Ra assures, glancing over his shoulder. He flashes a wide grin for emphasis, but Oliver can't meet his eye. His gut twists again, his shoulders slumping a little further. Of course, he should be worried about tomorrow. Melody decided that they'd be going to confront the Jade Emperor directly - someone who, according to Hermes's memories, isn't the most pleasant person to be around. There's also Sun Wukong, the ridiculously strong, impossibly high hurdle standing in their way. But that's not what's on his mind. And he hates that he's caught up in something so selfish.

For over two weeks now, he's felt like Melody's shadow. She's the one that negotiated the first terms of the treaty with Zeus. She's the one who faced the entire Ennead while he stood in the back, shaking in his winged boots. She's the one who challenge Odin to an impossible game - and somehow managed to beat him. And now, while he was away getting Julien, she managed to fix all of the Shinto's problems in one fell swoop. It's like there's nothing she can't do, and she makes friends with everyone she meets. Meanwhile, Oliver has felt alone.

Of course, he knows it's not Melody's fault. More than once she's gone out of her way to make him feel like a part of the team. But to Oliver, someone so outgoing and positive is downright intimidating. Not to mention their other companion - his former enemy that's constantly glaring at everything that moves. At least Marcus seems to have calmed down in the last few days, and his expressions have been softer than usual.

When Oliver reunited with Emelia after being away for so long, it was like he could breathe again. He wasn't walking on eggshells to avoid setting Marcus off. He wasn't pushed into situations he couldn't handle. Even when they got back to the Shinto, Oliver and Emelia had managed to sneak away so he wasn't overwhelmed by the crowd of people.

And now she has to go back to Empire with Ra.

He knows it's a stupid thing to fixate on, considering what they're trying to do. There are hundreds - thousands - of things he should be focused on. But all he can think of is how exhausting it's going to be, returning to just the three of them.

"Here we are!" Ra says, pushing the double doors open at the entrance. He steps onto the patio, basking in the warm glow of the rising sun. He sucks in a deep breath through his nose, letting it out through his mouth. "This truly has been nice - I should visit the other Pantheons more often."

"W-we could add it to the treaty," Oliver offers weakly. Emelia squeezes his hand again, her eyes narrowing. He turns his head away to avoid her questioning gaze.

"No, that's the sort of thing that can come with time. I'll need to build trust with the other Pantheons, as you have," Ra replies. Oliver sighs, hanging his head. That's exactly the problem. He hasn't gained the Pantheon's trust - Hermes has. And the only reason anybody wants him to help is that he holds Hermes's title. He's basically a walking entry pass.

"Oliver," Emelia whispers when he doesn't look at her. He forces himself to face her, hoping he doesn't look as anxious as he feels. She furrows her brow, her expression dropping into a scowl.

"Well, we shouldn't stay too long," Ra says, staring into the sun with a wide smile. He places his hands on his hips, taking another deep breath. "Emelia? Are you ready?" Oliver has to turn away again when she glances at him. He doesn't want to make her worry - especially now that he knows she can keep tabs on them through her dreams.