DEMIS (A Clash With Lightning)

24

Keith groaned when the sun started to shine especially bright in his eyes. He'd been sleeping on the deck while they traveled to Circe's island. He turned to lie flat on his stomach, resting his head on his arms as he thought about everything that had happened so far. The Empusa had been an entirely different monster from the Cyclops. She was sneaky and calculated. She had completely fooled him. Of course, it didn't help that he'd been so high under the influence of the lotus flowers.

He frowned as he thought about how, even though Josh had also been under the influence, he had still been able to think about Jasmine in the moment. Keith decided he needed to be a better teammate and friend moving forward. He'd been so focused on what he wanted in the moment that he had completely forgotten the entire purpose of the mission was to retrieve his armor. Rose and Ban had done it for him. He could still feel the extra power coursing through him, and make no mistake, it felt good, but he also felt a tinge of shame because he'd done nothing to earn it.

He opened one of his eyes when he heard the door to the cabins creak open. Josh and Ban were talking as they made their way to the deck. Keith sat up and waved to the other guys.

"Good morning!" he greeted.

"Good afternoon, more like it," Josh commented. "It's two o'clock."

"What is it with you people and the technicalities?" Keith groaned. "I can't say anything without getting corrected."

"How are you feeling with the armor?" Ban changed the subject.

"I feel great," Keith said honestly. "Like I've got more energy."

"You should test it out," Ban suggested. "See what you can do besides fireballs."

Keith stood up and slipped on the armor sitting next to him. He concentrated on the way the armor fit, and everyone gasped in surprise when a bow appeared in his hands. Keith held the bow up in mild surprise. He'd somewhat expected to wield arrows since his father's domain included archery.

He looked around in confusion. The bow hadn't spawned any arrows with it. He pulled on the string, and his eyes widened when an arrow made entirely of bright yellow light appeared. He stared at it. It was solid in his hands, but he was sure it was just light. He aimed the arrow into the sky and released it. The arrow soared into the air several feet before exploding midair.

They plugged their ears at the loud noise and watched in amazement as the explosion created a firework-like effect, sprinkling shards of light into the ocean. They whipped their heads around to see the girls still in their pajamas at the cabin door. Rose held her chest as if she were suffering a heart attack.

"What the hell was that?" Jasmine shouted. "We thought we were under attack!"

Keith gave them his award-winning smile before holding up the bow. "Sorry, ladies! Just testing out my new powers."

Rose's eyes lit up. "Show me! I want to see."

Keith fired another arrow, and both girls let out "oohs" and "ahhs" as the arrow exploded in the air. They passed some time testing different things Keith could do. They discovered he had unlocked supersonic speed, enchantments, and the ability to form a shield made of light that could reflect aerial attacks back at an enemy.

By the time the sun began to set, they were testing one more theory. Ban held a knife to his hand and pushed the blade into the tip of his finger, puncturing the skin until a bead of blood surfaced. Keith held his hands over the wound, and a whirl of light began to emanate from his palms. Their eyes widened as the skin patched itself back together, closing the wound. Keith dropped his hands, and Ban stared at his pointer finger. There wasn't even a mark left.