Hades POV
I look at Karai as we dance. She looks radiant with her dress.
-You look astonishingly beautiful. How did you choose the dress?
K-Well, it was a contradiction of terms. You see, I wanted something sexy but that it didn't necessarily showed too much. So I went with a long tight dress loose enough so I could be comfortable as well.
-Fair. I have a surprise for you.
The song ends and I give her a big hug before I take her hands tightly.
-Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you.
She closes her eyes and I step aside as I pass her to another dance partner. She squirms a bit and I reassure her with a kiss on the cheek. I go away and I put on the music and they start dancing with it until I stop it for a moment. I go to her side again.
-Do you want to see who danced with you?
K-Yes please. Can I open my eyes now?
-Yes you can.
She opens her eyes slowly and when she sees who's holding her I can tell that she's happy.
K-I'm dreaming.
She jumps to me giving me a crushing hug thanking me over and over.
K-Thanks so much, I love you, you're the best dad ever.
-I know. Are you happy?
K-Very.
-Now go, he has agreed to be your dance partner for the day.
K-For real? The whole day.
I nod and she looks at him again. She fixes her dress a bit and he bows to take her dance again. The music starts and they start dancing at the rhytm.
When the song ends she thanks him a lot and excuses herself for a moment. She turns and looks at everyone with a smile.
K-Let the dance begin.
Hera POV
I watch as Karai invites everyone to start dancing as well. I see Persephone and Cerberus, Medusa and Chimera, Eryn and Hydra, Nemean and Meg, Aphrodite and Orthrus and many more couples forming already. Everyone starts dancing and everything's fine until someone tries to make an attempt of assassination on Karai. Everyone looks at the assaultant with their auras at the ready. Hades and I rush to Karai's side and we look as the assaultant takes one step forward. Hades stops him with a question, speaking coldly at him.
Ha-Who are you and what's your business here?
A-Aww, I know I been gone for quite some time but I didn't expect you to forget me so soon. I mean after what you did to me. It was memorable, bad for me but still it was memorable.
-Reveal yourself. Show us your face.
He takes off the mask he has on and I growl in disgust as I recognize the man behind it.
-Astraeus.
A-Is been quite some time little flower. Did you miss me?
-In your dreams.
A-Now, I want to speak with the birthday girl.
Ha-You have nothing to say to her!
K-Dad, I got this. Let me handle this.
Ha-Only because I trust you.
She nods and Hades takes a step back to let her through. I see as she steps confidently out of our reach and Hades's aura grows menacingly over him. Karai turns and points it out.
K-Dad, the reaper. Call it back.
Hades doesn't budge and she frowns at him and he calls it back. She resumes her walk and she gets in front of Astraeus. She stretches out a hand and introduces herself respectfully.
K-Good evening Astraeus, my name's Karai and I would really appreciate if you leave nicely and easy.
A-My aren't you an educated child. I appreciate your honesty and education but no, I'm afraid I can't do that. Not until I finish what I came to do at the very least. I'll leave after that's done.
K-Then I guess you leave me no choice but do it the hard way.
A-And what's a little girl going to do to me? Put makeup all over my face?
He takes her hand and I see Hades growl in disgust. She takes his wrist and smiles.
A-You're adorable.
K-Thanks for that.
She takes half a step back and throws him to the other side of the room. He lands hard on the floor and when he tries to get up Karai steps on him hardly.
K-I did ask nicely.
A-Yes you did.
K-Shut it, I'm speaking.
Astraeus nods obviously in pain and she continues speaking.
K-As I was saying. You got here uninvited, you interrupted my dance, you refuse to leave and worse of all, you're ruining my birthday party. You know what I can do to you?
He shakes his head and closes his eyes expecting the worst. She takes him by the hairs and walks him outside. She throws him outside on his back and she kneels at his side taking him by the colaar of his shirt.
K-Believe me when I say this, you don't want to get on my bad side. You see my dad there? Well, I'm the only thing keeping him from killing you this instant so is really your choice. Either you leave peacefully or I let him kill you slowly and painfully. Now, what will you choose.
A-I'll leave, for now at least. But I'll be back, sooner than you think.
She lets go of him and he disappears into thin air. She comes back inside and she smiles sweetly as she starts tidying up her clothes humming as if she didn't just frightened a titan.
K-Now that that's done, shall we continue the party?
Everyone starts chatting away again and doing other stuff as we go over to Karai's side.
Ha-Are you okay?
-Did he hurt you?
K-I'm fine, he didn't hurt me. Now let me go fix myself and then we can really continue the party.
She bids us farewell and goes to the rooms to fix herself. As soon as she disappears inside I nudge Hades on the side.
Ha-This is still not finished.
-That was too easy.
Ha-Almost too easy.
-Not to sound too worried but, I recall Astraeus saying he will be back.
Ha-You definitely sounded worried.
-Should we go with her?
Ha-We should.
-Just to make sure she's okay.
We nod and we go towards the room but before I can open the door the door stumbles down with great force. When we check inside the room we see that Karai is fighting Astraeus for a second time. I reach out to help but I'm blocked by Karai's aura. The fighting stops and she turns to us.
K-Both of you, don't interfere.
Ha-What?
-What?
K-No interference. One on one, he and me, no one else.
Ha-You can't expect us to just sit and watch as you fight him alone.
K-You have to. He made a formal request to challenge me and I accepted it. Sorry, at first I thought he wouldn't dare after what happened. Seems I was wrong.
She turns to Astraeus who's playing with his sword and with confidence high she speaks.
K-Astraeus, I'll accept your challenge only if you agree to leave afterwards when a winner is declared or one of us can't keep on fighting.
A-Deal.
K-Now, dad. Keep him steady while I go change into more suitable clothes. If he tries anything you can do as you please to him.
Hades nods and he takes Astraeus away to a more open space. I stay with Karai as she changes clothes.
-Why would you do that? I mean, challenging Astraeus like that, what were you thinking?
K-Mom, I'll be fine. He can't overpower me, you trained me for the last eleven years in my aura and remember, I have the most powerful gods as my parents.
-I know but that doesn't mean I can't worry about you.
K-Do you trust me? Do you trust I can handle this by myself?
-I trust you but......
K-I will be fine, besides, I'm really looking forward to kick his butt again but harder this time.
-Then let us go, show us how strong you have become. Put those skills of yours to practice.
She nods and we head outside to where everyone is now waiting for us. We go towards Hades and Astraeus are and we explain a few rules on how the fight is going to be.
Ha-So there will be the three usual matches. First is a hand to hand combat followed by an armed combat and then finalizing with a match with your auras. Do you both get it?
A & K-Yes.
Ha-Then take your places.
We take our places respectively.
Ha-Take your stance. Ready?
A & K-Ready.
Ha-Fight.
Karai POV
I take my stance and ready myself for battle.
-Ready.
A-Ready.
Ha-Fight.
I block as Astraeus dashes forward with incredible speed and I groan as I stop him. He jumps back and out of my reach. I look at him as he rubs his forearm with a smile.
A-Oh my, and here I thought you liked me. You know, I get the impression that you don't like me that much.
-You don't say.
He turns and he blows a kick to my face. I block it with both arms as I pull him down with me to the floor, I give him a headbutt before jumping backwards away from him. He gets up and I see there's blood coming down his face and he growls in disgust. He throws a lot of punches randomly at me but their so frantic that I manage to evade them all by a hair. In an evade I manage to give him a kick that throws him so out of balance that I can manage to pin him down to the floor with a knee on his back repriming his arms one over his head and the other one behind his back. He screams in agony and I only let go when they declare me as the winner of the first match.
They bring out a table with weapons for us to choose of to fight for the second part. He takes the tiniest sword and I take a middle range sword to fight with. I take my place and I growl in disgust as I fidget with the sword to a comfortable position. I'm not good with weapons but, I can try to use them but I don't feel good using them as it doesn't feel so natural as a hand to hand combat would. You could say that weapons are my weakness. I take my stance and the match starts and almost everything I do is block and defend. I can't find an opening to make the initial attack. He takes a step back and I take a chance throwing an assault at him and he evades it swiftly and I jolt further ahead and at the last minute I twist around with my feet and he gives a simple strong hit that throws my sword out of my hands and out of my reach and I fall to the floor on my back. He puts his sword at my face declaring victory and when he's declared winner he offers me his hand to help me up and I push it aside with a growl cursing under my breath as I stand up on my own. I take the sword I was using and we both put them back at the table and I grit my teeth as I just realize I lost the match, I really hate losing. I hear as he talks.
A-You did good, but I did better.
I growl in disgust at his comment and go back to my place and he goes to his as well.
-You'll pay for that.
A-Will I?
The match begins and he calls forth his aura at full power but I don't. He looks surprised for a moment before he smiles and speaks.
A-Are you not going to call forth your aura?
-You're not worth seeing my full power and is enough with how I am right now.
A-Overconfident much?
-I'll use it when I feel is necessary.
A-If you so wish.
He takes a stance and I use my speed to slip through his legs and when I'm behind him I put my hands around his head using my feet to jump over his head and when I'm in front of him I use my hands to pull him over me and we both land lying down on the floor and I take a jump out of his reach in front of him and when he gets up with his nose bleeding I smile at him.
A-You little......
-Told you I didn't need my aura but just this once I'll use it. After all, I can't afford to give you any advantage over me. I call forth my aura and it grows forth as it coming out in real movement. It starts coming out from me slowly. First the head then the body with its wings and lastly it tails before it flaps its wings floating on top of me and then it squeaks loudly and I stretch out my arm to attack and my aura goes forward menacingly but before it touches him I call it back to my side as I realize what I almost did.
A-Why you stopped the attack.
-Because I can't kill you.
He smiles and speaks again.
A-What do you know? You do care about me.
-Don't flatter yourself, I'm only following the rules. Remember them?
A-No killing, no cheating and no helping of any kind.
I nod and he backs away a bit putting himself in position that equilibrates attack and defense equally. I too take my stance and I see as he sprints forward with a punch coming straight to my face and I stop it with my hand and with my other hand I stop another punch that comes from his other hand and I struggle for a bit as we come a bit closer. He winks at me and the next thing I know he's kissing me. I jump out of his reach while pushing him away as I cover my mouth. He licks his lips with a smile and I stand straighter. I clean my face and my mouth before I look at him again. I spit on the floor by my side as I feel my aura growling loudly reflecting my anger.
-You dare? You DARE!!!!!! You have no right to do that. You'll pay for that.
My aura grows exponentially and he speaks calmly.
A-It was only a kiss.
I laugh bitterly at him.
-Only a kiss? Ha. YOU'LL REGRET YOUR VERY EXISTENCE.
I wipe an arm around and with my aura I throw him upwards and then with my other arm I make another flow of aura take him midair and I throw him against the wall. He falls to the floor and I jolt him up with my aura and when he's up high I hold him there with my foot pressed against his neck as I throw and arm back and I punch him on the face hard enough to break the wall a bit. I put down my foot and he falls to his knees holding his throat. He looks at me smiling and I growl.
A-Perhaps another kiss would calm you down.
-You wish.
I put my hands on his shoulders and as I jump over him I take him and throw him over my head in front of me hard against the floor. He coughs and I feel a muscle tense up on the back of my neck. I hold it for a moment and I turn back to him. He attacks me once more and as I try to hold off my arm out in a defensive position as I attack with my aura while with my other hand I rub the base of my neck at the same time that I step backwards. He gives a kick that manages to pass through my defenses as he knocks me down but luckily for me I land away from him. I grunt in pain as I get up to my knees and as he comes forward I somehow manage to get up. I feel something wet on my nose and I check and I see that I'm bleeding. I realize that I have got to end this as soon as possible and I study every part of me to see what is the most effective way to win the round and when I get it I launch forward to him. I pin him down with a foot pressed hardly against his arm stretching it out as a put my other foot pressed down at the base of the back of his neck and I press my whole body weight on top of my leg to make pressure as I hold his other arm down with my strong arm. I press harder and I watch as he twists in agony and I press a bit harder and he let's out a painful scream but I keep pressing until they declare me the winner and I relax my grip with a sigh and I let myself fall to the floor by his side. When my hurt arm hits the floor I scream in agony and I hold it as if it were going to disappear if I don't hold it. I open my eyes and I turn to see Astraeus as he looks at me with that smile and I frown at him.
A-Looks like I lost.
-Remember what you have to do if you lose?
A-Yes.
-Then do it.
He nods and with a pained expression he disappears. I close my eyes and I take a deep breath before I feel a hand on my head. I open my eyes and I see as mom and dad look at me worried. Dad helps me sit up and he gives me a kiss on my forehead before he asks.
Hera POV
Hades and I go to Karai's side and when she sits up with his help.
Ha-Are you okay?
K-I'm fine.
Ha-It sure was a memorable birthday.
K-Yes, although the party was cut short I did enjoy it while it lasted and it was a good opportunity to test my power.
Ha-You did astonishingly well. Now, let us go home now.
K-Yes. Let's go home and rest. I'll tell you everything tomorrow. Can you.....
Karai looks at him with puppy eyes and he smiles as he takes her on his arms. She grunts a bit but he doesn't says anything to her and she tugs closer to him as she falls asleep.
