Down in Flames [OC Demigod Fic]

Chapter Twenty-Five: "Zagreus"

Dennis is the first to react.

"Zagreus, now is your chance to leave. If you think these girls won't take you down, you've got a big storm comin'." I wish I could thank Dennis for his words of encouragement, though I have my doubts about them being truthful. It is strange to see the brother of Rhodes in the flesh, just as crude and horrid as he appeared in my vision.

With the flick of his hand, Zagreus whisks Dennis away, making him disappear as he stares at me worriedly, mouthing the word 'no'. He treated my friend as if he were as insignificant as a bug.

"Pesky ghosts. All talk and no fight." He cracks his knuckles and sizes the two of us up. "So, this is the revered daughter of Hephaestus I have heard so much about. Eh." He shifts his gaze from me to Pearl and says with a snarky smile, "And it looks like she's brought a friend. How sweet. I'm not even going to ask who she is, since it's completely irrelevant." The daughter of Timor is now glaring at him with an intensity like I have never seen before. I wonder how she will ever get her mouth open again, her jaw is clenched that tightly.

Fortunately, she is able to speak. "My name is Pearl Elizabeth Carraway, daughter of Timor. And I have a feeling you won't forget me for a long, long time."

"Is that so?" He wears a presumptuous smirk that makes me feel sick to my stomach. "Sadly, I have business to take care of with Sardine, and if you get in my way, I'll have to put those pretty eyes of yours to sleep forever. Kapeesh?"

"Sabine. Her name's Sabine," Pearl clarifies calmly as she makes painfully slow movements. She's buying time to get her weapon out. I'm suddenly aware of the Swiss Army knife sitting in my pocket.

"What is your deal with names?" Zagreus questioned her, knitting his bushy black eyebrows together.

"I can answer that," I pipe up, calling his attention to me. "We are in fact proud of the names we've been given. That's a concept you probably don't understand, Zig-Zag. And because of that, I truly feel sorry for you." My sympathetic pout seems to bother him considerably. Pity must not be a concept he is familiar with.

Zagreus shifts his weight and replies, "I am also proud of my name! Zagreus means 'great hunter', and that is what I am," his eyebrows raise as he puffs out his chest, then flexes a bicep to show his muscles off. I roll my eyes at his exaggerated display of masculinity.

During his moment of distraction, Pearl lunges towards him and before he can blink, she has Zagreus in a headlock, her dagger inches from his neck. The god struggles to get her off of him, and succeeds in throwing her onto the ground, her dagger only nicking his shoulder blade slightly as she falls. While he takes out his sword, Pearl rolls away from him with a warrior's finesse and grace. She angrily brushes disheveled white-blond hair out of her
face.

I now realize why people say she is a demon in battle. Never before in my life have I seen a more ruthless expression.

Turning around, Zagreus swings his sword at her, but is tripped by the petite girl, who had swiftly swung her leg out at an alarming speed to do so.

I use the moment to rush forward with my sword, aiming straight for his heart. Zagreus, however, is quicker than I perceived him to be after falling on his back. His foot strikes backwards at my sword and roughly kicks it out of my grasp. Next, his other leg rears back and a hard boot pierces my gut, sending me to the ground, reeling in pain.

Pearl leaps at him ferociously while I struggle to keep my dizzy head aright, barely able to watch the scene unfold. She slashes his chest with her dagger, but Zagreus merely gives a wretched grunt before pulling her small frame off of himself.

Several minutes pass, though I thought my eyes had only been closed for a moment. Instinctively, they shoot open when I feel a large hand circling around my neck tightly. Zagreus' face is dangerously close to mine as breathing becomes increasingly impossible for me. I feel my face turning purple and I cannot sit numbly any longer.

My two small hands wrap around his wrist, tugging helplessly. A heat surges through my body, fighting, doing anything to survive this. Steam sears from my fingers— a blazing fire of determination takes over, physically making my skin as hot as a furnace. Zagreus yelps in pain, his grip releasing from my neck. He pulls his hand away, the wrist of it now burned red as a ruby. I gape and gasp for breath as the god lets out a wounded cry.

Pearl seizes the opportunity to shove him to the floor, and together we pin him down. She winds her arm back and punches him square in the jaw. Then she punches again. And again. And again. She lands another powerful blow to his nose, which begins to ooze Ichor. The golden substance drips down his chin.

He cries out again as my bare hands make contact with his legs. I barely noticed that the heat burned through his cargo pants, leaving holes in the shape of my hands. I wonder if his flesh will begin to sizzle in time. Wouldn't that be a fun experience— not for Zagreus, of course, but definitely one I'd find enjoyable.

"Make— her— stop," he spat out to Pearl. She nodded at me, and I let go of him. Unsure of how to cool myself down, I warily step over to the sink, not losing eye contact with our attacker as I turn it on. Ice cold water pours from the faucet as my companion runs her dagger across Zagreus' cheek threateningly.

"If I ever see your face again, I'm going to torture the living daylights out of you," Pearl growls. "So I suggest you leave, now." He bobs his head up and down repeatedly.

"And if you even think about following us," a bubbly laugh escapes her throat, one that sounds innocent enough to send a shiver down my spine.

Pearl stands up and joins me by the sink, her eyes stalking Zagreus' every move like a hawk observing an unsuspecting mouse.

He crawls away to a dark corner of the room, enveloping himself in shadow and at last disappearing altogether.

Once we are certain he has shadow-traveled, Pearl and I begin to clean up the room and pack our things. It isn't safe to stay here any longer than necessary

We leave the hotel room in silence, walking to the jeep arm in arm.