Twelve

ch 19: In The Presence of a God

Apollo watched through his Oracle's eyes as Scorpio and Capricorn fled the now burning house. He could see the essences of their zodiacs slipping away. It was too bad; the human side of Scorpio was a bit of a coward.

He continued to watch as the frantic pair ran down streets, making random turns. They were going to be so lost soon. He sighed. More work for him.

"Do you think she'll notice?" Hermes interrupted Apollo's observations. "Her bow and arrow are her most prized possessions. She'll kill me, bring me back from the dead, and kill me all over again if she founds them missing and then discovers that it was me; or worse, tell dad."

Apollo rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "I don't think she will realize their disappearance. I'm taking her down to Earth for an entire week. I certainly hope that a week is enough time for them to kill Orion once and for all and then for you to subsequently put her bow and arrows back."

"There are seven of them; I assume they will be able to finish him."

Apollo's lips pulled in to a frown. "Five. There are five now. Orion killed Libra and Aquarius a few moments ago."

Hermes tried to paint on an optimistic expression. "Five is still manageable. And he doesn't have the key still."

Apollo rubbed a hand across his face. This was slowly turning in to a disaster. His evergrowing checklist seemed to be growing in difficulty.

-  kill Orion
- make sure Scorpio doesn't die
- drop not so subtle hints on how to kill Orion without alerting Artemis
- take Artemis out to Earth for a week without realizing that her millennia-dead soul mate is roaming around killing his brethren trying to get back to her
- make sure Artemis doesn't realize that her precious bow and arrows are missing (which would lead to the massacre of their brother and also himself along with whatever punishment from Zeus)
- lead Scorpio back to his remaining siblings

And the list went on.

Apollo flopped dramatically onto a conveniently placed settee. The back of his hand was resting against his forehead and his eyelashes fluttering consistently.

Hermes snickered. "Are you waiting for someone to paint you?"

"Shut up!" Apollo grumbled. "You are supposed to be panicking!"

"I am, but on the inside."

"Oh just be quiet and go help those other scared fools find their siblings."

Hermes shook his head but a boyish grin emerged on his face. "There is no appreciation for my genius here; I shall leave."

Hermes was gone before the lamp that Apollo had conjured to launch at his brother landed its target.

-

Sci heard three things: his breathing, Cori's breathing, and the sound of their shoes hitting the ground as they ran for their lives. The moment they left the house, Sci could feel Scorpio slipping away. With him went any semblance of power and every emotion except fear. Oh, such overpowering, inexplicable fear.

Sci skidded to a stop so quickly that he fell backwards, barely catching himself with his hands. Cori halted as well, but managed to stay on his feet.

"Shit." The word slipped from Cori's lips. That single word described every single thought that echoed through Sci's mind.

Before the pair stood a glowing figure. While he was astonishingly beautiful, he was also absolutely terrifying. The figure did not eminate a dangerous aura, but his power was so overwhleming that in a mortal, it evoked the urge to puke. So that's what Cori did.

The figure made a displeased face. "Are you okay? Is he okay? Why did that stuff come from his mouth?"

"It's bile," Sci stuttered out.

"But why did it come out?" he questioned.

"You." That was all Sci could manage before he, too, threw up.

The figure studied his sick companions curiously. "Huh." Slowly, the glow around him faded.

Some color returned to the two zodiacs.

Cori spat, attempting to banish the vile taste lingering in his mouth. "Are you going to kill us?"

"Oh goodness no! Murder is so not my style! Honestly, I am a little hurt. I've been cultivating an iconic, carefree, fun-loving, slightly tricksterish vibe for millennia."

"Who are you?" Sci asked tiredly.

"Hermes," the figure replied simply.

Cori looked like a deer frozen in the headlights. "The god, Hermes?"

Hermes nodded enthusiastically. "Yep."

Cori continuted to gawk at the god, fear and awe intertwining. Even without the glowing essence, Hermes certainly was godly. Unlike Apollo, whose looks were based more on muscle, Hermes gave off an intoxicating boyish charm. His golden brown hair was strategically messy and his lopsided grin fit so naturally with his youthful face. His status as a god was made obvious not only through the perfection of his features, but by his eyes. His eyes flickered between endless shades, generally staying in the browns, making the shifting seem like nothing more than changes in way the light was hitting them. But every so often, there would be a brief flash of beautifully unnatural color, such as purple or teal.

"If you're not here to kill us, then what do you want?" Cori asked cautiously.

Hermes's boyish grin softened and became a more gentle smile. "I am here to help."

There was silence until Sci scoffed and shook his head. "Help, huh? Oh mighty god Hermes where was your help just ten minutes ago, when four of us were attacked and fought for our lives? When two of us were slaughtered? All the millennia and reincarnations before this one? All the massacres of the past?" With each sentence the spark in Sci's eyes grew stronger.

Sci's anger was immediately extinguished and replaced with pure sorrow when Cori lay a hand on his shoulder.

An emotion akin to guilt consumed Hermes's aura. "I have nothing to say that will appease you. I only implore that you accept my help."

Cori glanced down at his brother, who stared blankly at the ground. Sci was a broken mess. The truama of losing Sariu and Ra along with the fear of losing the others had hollowed Sci out into a pitiful shell.

"We accept your help."