Iris

Chapter 30- Michael

I decided to get some training into my schedule today. I found Aeolos in one of the training rooms. He was the best trainer in all of Olympus. I've only gotten him to meet the mat a handful of times in the thousands of years I've known him. He lived up to his name. He was fast, and I mean fucking fast. When the titans weren't evil little shits, he used to train with them. Whenever I asked about it, he said that they were the best opponents that he's ever had.

"Do you think I could hold my own against a titan?"

He barked out a laugh. "Now? No. Maybe back when they were a bit more human, but now they have evolved into monsters that are barely controlled. You know how all that went." I nodded my head.

"Do you consider me a challenging opponent?"

"You think too much. Fighting is something that needs some training to show different moves and procedures, otherwise it just comes naturally. You don't think when you fight, son, you feel." He grabbed a bamboo stick and handed me one. I guess were sparring today.

He crouched into position, holding his weapon out to the side of him facing me. I kept my weapon in front of me holding it straight up. "Get into position, boy!" I smirked, knowing what he was doing. There was a slight pause then he lunged.

Our sticks clashed against each other. His stick met mine. He went left and I went right. I swept low and he swing high. I spun and crouched, anticipating his next move. When he swung his foot to sweep my legs out I hit his knee with the stick. He grunted in pain. He recovered quickly and jabbed the end of the stick right into my solar plexus. Knocking the air out of me, I dropped my weapon. He kicked it aside, yards away from me.

Shit!

I gasped my breath and stood back up. Crouching into position this time. "You should bring that little brunette slice of pie down here. Maybe she could give a go?" I wasn't comfortable with the idea of Iris sparring with Aeolos. He could be vicious when he need to be, and I had the feeling that he wouldn't soften just for her. Poseidon did recommend some training though. I brushed the thought away, and rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure you would be thoroughly entertained." Aeolos was a notorious player in Olympus, and if rumors were true he also enjoyed the intimate company of demons from time to time

"You never know, maybe she's a natural fighter." I growled and charged after him. My arms burning and stinging whenever they contacted with the bamboo. I grabbed the weapon and threw it across the room with so much force it impaled one of the punching bags.

The man smiled. "Do we have a sensitive spot for her? Awe Michael." I lunged and got him in his collar bone. He took a few steps back from the force. His smile immediately disappeared. He lunged back throwing punches with precision, speed, and a brutal force. I guessed his next move was to go for the neck so I quickly crouched down and grasped the back of his knee and pulled forward. His leg gave out. I grabbed his arm and twisted it, almost breaking it off. He fell face first into the matts, I dug my knee into his spine. He squirmed and twisted harder, bending his arm upwards towards is head.

"I surrender." I immediately let go and got up. I held a hand out and he took it, yanking himself up. We collected ourselves. The silence was filled with thick tension. He took his shirt off and wiped his face with it. "What did it?"

"Pardon?"

"It's been what? Sixty years since you took me down? What hit the nerve? Her?" He pointed to the opened doors where Iris was having a deep conversation with Zeus. She looked breath taking. She had on a deep red gown with a very high slit. Her shoes were gladiator style and reached up right below where the slit ended. Her hair was piled up on her head in an elegant style. She turned a bit and I saw that the back was completely open except for a few straps keeping the gown in place. She had another tattoo on that soft, smooth, silky skin. An owl. A symbol of Athena who was also standing next to her. Probably providing answers.