Heaven Burns

So It Begins

Artemis' POV

The throne room was in ruins. Lightning raged in a powerful cyclone and the ground shook with rage. Kronos was at the heart of the combat with dark clouds of matter swirling around his form in a protective cocoon.

Apollo let out a desperate cry beside me. His arrow swirled with a heat too powerful for a mortal to look at without going blind. It arched between protective tendrils and pierced the phalanx of Krono's armor.

"He's not yielding!" Apollo gasped, weakening with each charge of power.

"He's not going to." The words hardly left my mouth before a column blew apart and was forced in our direction. Jaw clenched, I ducked and wove through the flying rubble but a large chunk slammed into my side.

Apollo and I went tumbling across the destroyed floor and into a heap of rubble. In my peripheral I spotted a large owl diving into the cyclone with silver eyes glowing in rage. Shadows writhed across the walls where Hades darted in and out of sight inflicting hidden damage to his father.

It still wasn't enough. Each attack only fueled Kronos more. Apollo shook ash from his hair and clambered shakily to his feet. Golden blood raced down his jaw from an abrasion across his brow.

"We have to retreat," I insisted, watching as Ares was thrown like nothing more than a sack of flower into a brazier. His cloak burst into flames followed by cries of pain.

"We can't sacrifice the throne room. Our power will decrease ten fold!" Apollo cried, firing another shot in stubborn defiance.

"Our power will decrease if we don't make it out of here alive!"

Poseidon doused the brazier with water but Ares did not emerge from it. His injuries were too great for him to spring back into the fight.

"There's not enough time. If we fall back he'll kill us," Apollo's eyes held a panic I had only seen on one other occasion in our entire life span.

"Then someone has to occupy him." An idea began to form in my head but Apollo seemed to understand what I meant.

"No. You're not staying behind. I won't let you!"

"It isn't your choice!"

"It is my choice!" Apollo's shoulders straightened and he was alive with a new righteous rage. "I am your brother and I will not be the one to tell our mother what happened to you should your plan fail."

"Go." A husky and gravelly voice interrupted our argument. My gaze settled on a mangled and melted form of Ares. Apollo jumped in fear at the sight of the god.

Ares' armor had melted into his skin and his hair was burned replaced with blistered and charred skin. Still, his expression was one of defiance and anger.

"I will remain here. Gather Hermes and spread the news quickly. Scatter to the winds and remain there. No one is safe if you go in pairs. He'll know." Surprise rooted me to the spot for only a moment. Ares did not make sacrifices like this. Not unless circumstances were dire. "Go! Don't make me regret this!"

Blinking once, then twice, I abandoned the spot I stood in and shifted swiftly into a falcon. Darting through the chaos I spotted Hermes who was nothing more than a blur.

"Hermes! Spread the word. We're falling back. We need to scatter and stay out of sight for the time being. Ares will stay here. He'll give us time to flee."

"Are you sure?! "

"Positive. "

"Then I'll deliver the message. I'm going to hard it if my last mail delivery is a message of retreat!" For nothing more than a moment we locked eyes and there was a flash of determination in his features.
— — —

The commotion only grew louder as Kronos' frustration mounted. Ares kept his word and proved to be effective. Though Kronos was infuriated by our retreat he was pinned in a combat he couldn't afford to shrug off. Ares was a deadly force of nature when he wanted to be.

Apollo's breath was hot behind me and his sandaled feet slapped the ground with a smaller stride than my own despite the current height difference.

"Artemis! Artemis wait." His hand clamped onto my arm halting my run.

"We can't go together."

"Please? I-"

"Apollo, it's too risky. If one of us is found then it's two birds with one stone."

"But I've never gone anywhere without you close by!" He protested, looking very much like a lost adolescent boy.

"Yes you have!" I laughed. "Apollo, everytime you had the chance you ditched me."

"That's because I knew you were a call away. You were there if I needed you. This is different."

"I know, but we're wasting time. Valuable time. There are people I have to warn. People I have to take care of. Surely the same goes for you." His golden eyes searched my face for a moment.

"You can't go there. He'll expect it."

"You can't possibly know-"

"Yes I can! I've spent centuries with you. He'll find them and he'll find you. Don't go there. Promise me." His hands settled on my shoulders and I was reminded just how warm he always was. He radiated a type of heat many people despised but I didn't mind it. I had a knack for being cold.

"Then you promise me you'll stay hidden. You won't find me," I countered. His perfect shiny teeth chewed anxiously at his lip.

"Okay. Okay, I will." Apollo gave a curt nod before drawing me into a bone crushing hug.

"I can't remember the last time you've willingly hugged me."

"Neither can I," Apollo replied glumly. When he released me he shifted into a raven and took to the sky in a frantic flutter of wings and feathers.

"Safe travels, brother."