FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 115: Rising Tide

...

From out of the dark, violet clouds that surrounded the top of the Acropolis, a bright, white light began to peek out from within, like a lighthouse in a storm. It built and built, not only breaking through the clouds but overpowering them, replacing them, forming a brilliant sun in its place, rising from the darkness as if a breaking dawn. Like a bursting bubble the light grew to a breaking point, then erupted into a shower of starlight as Geryon broke free of Dionysus's domain, platinum wings spread wide, sword strong in hand.

"Caster!"

He pushed his wings back, a breaking echo announcing his fast approach,

"This ends here!"

Caster, Dionysus, Bromios, slid his hoof across the marble cobble, turning his dark grimace towards his opponent, the runes in his hands breaking into empty sparks.

His sharp teeth arranged themselves into a wicked grin, "Radiya! Welcome our guests!"

The shadow of the Parthenon leaped out, her tattered cloak leaving a trail of darkness behind her, her empty smile and wide, forced-open eyes peeking out from the cover of her hood.

Within the sea of his mind, 'Who is that? A human? His Master?'

'No. She's just a pawn. Not even human anymore.'

'What's the point of that?'

'To test our resolve. He thinks we'll hesitate to kill an innocent.'

'Why should we hesitate in putting her out of her misery?'

The once-person, the maenad called Radiya, leaped into the air, her left hand cloaked in pure death: a miracle, a technique of her clan. A touch that guaranteed the end. She laughed wickedly, as if this were all just a game-

A shield appears between them. Its large, red eye stares into what's left of her soul. Instantly her body goes limp, totally paralyzed by the eye of the Gorgon. Her momentum, however, keeps her forward. She faceplants into the shield, falling backwards and, as the shield evaporates, Geryon charges through the hole it left, raking out with his sword, catching her abdomen and continuing up her body, slitting her down the middle from her pelvis to her jaw, all without breaking stride.

Caster's eyes darkened. He summoned his thyrsus, his staff topped with an iron pinecone, to his hand.

The white light of Geryon's eyes gleamed briefly through his blindfold, "You're next! You'll pay for what you've done to her! To us! To everyone!"

The corners of his lips curled towards his ears, even as his final opponent careened towards him at rapid pace, "We'll see about that."

Geryon raised his sword, washed in white light that poured off the blade like a crashing wave, bringing it down with the full, titanic might of a tsunami upon Caster- just in front of the pillar of light, the tabernacle.

-But the blade failed to find purchase. Cutting uselessly into the marble cobblestones, Geryon was left crouching in the place where Caster had just stood, apparently alone.

The hair which formed Geryon's blindfold untangled itself, falling aside and revealing the full brilliance of his piercing white eyes, whose irises seemed to refract infinitely within themselves. He quickly surveyed the area, searching for his quarry, but as much as he searched, high and low, left and right, he was alone. Caster was neither invisible nor hidden by an illusion so far as he could tell. Indeed, he wasn't there at all.

-And yet, his voice rang out, as if echoing inside his own head, "Insolent brats. I've offered you Heaven on a silver platter, and yet you insist on fighting on Hell's behalf. You will regret this day, I promise you that."