Book Three: The Heir and The Champions

XVII - The Chariot (Part One)

Dún Scáith

"I do not like this," Zoë says for the sixth time since Harry had told her of the Gate of Skye and what lies beyond it, she was once again dressed in her normal clothes, "How do you even know you can trust her? If she is of the Gaelic Pantheon, she'll be up to no good," Zoë says, her hand resting on her blade eyes looking around the throne room of Dún Scáith with mistrust in her eyes, looking for any signs of a threat.

Harry sighs, "She's not like that, Zoë," he says walking deeper into the throne room, it was currently empty, which while odd, wasn't a big deal, Harry knew Scáthach took trips down into the chasms below the castle to thin out the number of monsters that called it home, "She doesn't have any nefarious Motive behind helping me, she's a teacher, it's what she does," Harry explains for the fourth time before cupping his hands over his mouth and yelling, "OI, TEACHER! I'M BACK AND I BROUGHT A PLUS ONE!" Harry yells, his voice echoing through the empty grand halls of Dún Scáith.

"Foolish brat, do not yell in a place like this," Zoë hisses at him and quickly walks up behind Harry to cover his back in an unfamiliar place, "You don't know what may jump out and try to attack us, Like-" but before Zoë could finish berating Harry, another voice speaks up from behind Zoë.

"Me," it's spoken like a malicious Whisper, causing the older Hunter to jump, spin in place and draw her sword, the point leveled at the throat of the blood-red-eyed being that was the Queen of Dún Scáith. There is a moment of tense quiet after Harry spins around to see Zoë pointing her sword at the throat of Scáthach, Zoë's eyes narrowed at the Goddess, her body tense and ready for a fight while Scáthach was looking at her with amusement dancing in her blood red eyes and dressed as the Queen she was.

"Hey, Teacher," Harry says, raising his hand and waving to the Goddess, the corner of his lips quirking a bit.

Scáthach looks at Zoë for a few more moments before her eyes drift over to Harry and a soft smile grows on her face, "Hello, Graeca, it's good to see you return so soon, and you even brought a guest this time," she says looking back at Zoë, eyeing the hunter up and down, "How wonderful," she says with a purr and a smile.

"Um, yeah, I hope you don't mind," Harry says as his eyes flick back and forth between the two women looking at one another, "This is Zoë, Zoë Nightshade, she's the lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis, and Zoë, this is Scáthach, Queen of the Land of Shadows and my teacher," He introduces the two women but neither move nor say a word.

"Well, ah, I came because I have a problem," Harry says, looking between the two before he tries to step around Zoë, only for her to stop him and shove him behind herself, putting her in between Harry and Scáthach.

Scáthach's amusement grows as she watches what Zoë does and chuckles, "A girl in a silver jacket wielding a silver weapon being protective over you, Graeca, you draw the most amusing people to you," Scáthach says as she turns and begins to walk around them, Zoë moves with her, the point of her sword never leaving The Witch-Queens neck, as Zoë drags Harry with her, keeping him behind her.

"Do put that away, Hunter, it tempts me so," Scáthach says, her grin turning wicked as she steps past them and begins walking to her throne.

"Zoë, stop, I'm serious," Harry whispers from behind her, "She isn't a person you want to mess with, she's fought Artemis to a standstill," Harry tells her while trying to step around her, but Zoë would just move back in front of him as soon as he tried.

Zoë scoffs at Harry's words, "Let me guess, she told you that," she says, eyes never leaving Scáthach's retreating form, "She probably told you that to save face, as if some minor god could fight Lady Artemis to a standstill," Zoë says, defending her Lady's pride as Harry looks at her with wide eyes filling with Horror, and Scáthach stops, a foot on the steps up to her throne and slowly turns her head back to look at Zoë, all amusement gone from her eyes.