The Book of Gemma VOL. 2

43: ODD WORLD

We had searched for Edna the next couple of hours and I feared for her safety as I saw the sun setting, night was about to come and leave her blind. Hercules had found a cave for us to rest after hours of flying, Aries refusing to take a break and still soaring overhead. I see Deecon tightly gripping a sharp rock in his hand as he tries to work out his anger, Hercules trying to map out what land we had covered in the dirt with a pointed stick.

"You don't have any deadly beasties in your forests, right?" I asked him and his silence was answer enough. I walk to the opening of the cave and listen closely. Birds chirping, a couple low bellows from larger mammals like boars and.. The hissing of a snake.. A screech of a creature that made me take a step back into the cave.

I don't even look at Hercules, I keep my eyes on the opening. "Hercules... Was the story of Aeternae a myth?"

Hercules stopped scribbling in the dirt and stood beside me, looking out the cave and listening closely. Now the screech sounds closer to us and Deecon jolts to my side, "Aeternae.. I was never told that story." He swallowed harshly. Hercules now whispers, "We need to go.. Right now." He slowly grabs his sword and sheathed it into the holster, making light steps outside the cave. Deecon goes to levitate but Hercules pulls him down, "They will spot us more clearly in the sky and begin to hunt anything in their forest.. Edna could get caught if she is in these woods."

Deecon nods to him, following close behind and as we trek out of the forest. We climb over logs and cut through the thick brush in our path as quietly as possible, the screeches a good distance away now. I see the ocean in sight as we make our way out and I look up to see Aries lowering himself down. "I still can't find her, maybe she went to the city. I don't see her passing up a drink and music to dance to."

He was right, we needed to start thinking of someone who wants to get away from God's and more with the people, even if the Greek's soldiers were still stronger than humans. I thought maybe she wanted to hide from us completely and march into the woods like I would have done.

"You and Aries can't come into the city. One look of those pink Zodiac eyes and the whole town will grab their pitchforks. Remain here, Triton and I will go look for her."

Hercules ordered and I grumbled a bit but knew it was the right call.

EDNA:

I kick the pebbles under my feet as I walk up to the main strip of the city. I guess it was a city, not extravagant like the kingdoms those Greek assholes hold themselves in and not up to date like Darus but.. It did have people lining the streets in good fun. Soldiers clink their cups full of wine as they chant a song, women dancing with their tops off like a show to them.

What am I doing?

I shouldn't be too far from my friends on this foreign planet, what if-

No.

If I want to prove to them that I am not the weak human they see me as, it starts with doing things myself. Aries won't let me cut my own fruit because of the size of the knife, Gemma-..

I ball up my fist at the sound of her name. She always has to have everything, the choices people make, the actions she wants them to do her way, every man falling to her feet from just a glimpse of her face.

Gemma gets everything. Everything she wants she can have and she has til the end of time to do it. I am just a human that lives in her world. Even Aries fell in love with her before me.

I don't care that they slept together, Aries had many partners throughout the on and off fling we had... I just thought maybe he was the only man who would see me over Gemma. That he would put me first instead of Gemma's ridiculous tasks. It's never just me.. It's always her or pieces of her that every man lets shadow over me. The double dates with Deecon and her, I would notice the wandering eyes my guy would have. Stealing glances at her, laughing harder at her jokes than anyone at the table, the small touching of the shoulder. Even Deecon would fume with me as we watched Gemma just be.. Gemma. Irresistible, charming and having this natural gravitational pull of every person around her. She knows what to say, how to act and even picks the best things on the menu on the first try. Even with that pendant on, she was still a better human than me.