Uprising

The Lady Athena

Just outside the bathing room, Aella was looking in on the two. She stared straight into Artemis' eyes once, there was nothing but vast curiosity there. She felt her heart break, she had given her the sword that stood beside her to protect herself. A whim, if you were to look at the gesture from the outside. But Aella knew that there was more to it than that. She walked into the sun room and looked at the stars in the sky. “Myrine would never let me get away with something like that. I'm surprised she didn't notice it. The first time I did it.” She let her mind drift to things she had seen. Images of wars, of bloodshed, a mother crying for the loss of her daughter. Memories of things that have been. She could see Artemis training with Alkyone, the war front moving closer to Apocalypse Inc. Tired fighters trying to push back the oncoming army. And succeeding, for now. Images that could be considered the present, what was happening now. Aella's face grew dark as she looked on at the next images.

Mountains of the dead, led by the dead. Sisters falling like rain. Her own body, bludgeoned and beaten to death, as well as many other she could recognize, Alkyone the Western General, Hippolyta the Eastern General, and others...... All in the midst was a small girl, looking no older than at least fifteen or sixteen, screaming and crying louder than any tortured soul, the darkness began to wrap around her like a blanket. Images of what could be, But she had given Artemis the sword, and the sword would shake things up, and yet still the mountains of bodies remained. Aella only hoped that the girl would live, she didn't want to see this play out. Not again.

~*~*~

It has been two months since she started her training, and everything seemed to be getting easier for Artemis. Her sword skills lacked greatly but they were coming up in the world, her control had gotten much better. And it felt as if the girl would never cuss again. Except well, the sword training made her want to cuss out all the gods. And kill something. Since the darkness monster had arrived, Artemis had only fought him three times, she kept him alive, in her heart he needed to live. Even if he was a Man, male animals/monsters were different from actual Men, they had decorum and respected space. Alkyone had laughed when she told her that, but Artemis was serious. In any other occasion though, they just hid from him. She had named him Hercules, his strength was impeccable and outstanding.

Artemis' sword training was no easier but, since her control had strengthened, it was no longer difficult. She could now successfully barrage swipe the dummy. Alkyone had name the dummy, Perseus and had vouched that he was one of the only male dummies she'd seen live this long. Lady Aella and Alkyone seemed to once again resume their friendship, which had made the entirety of Armageddon Ind. have a less static nature. Today Artemis would be going on a scouting mission with Alkyone and Lady Aella to somewhere deep in the forgotten city. Which used to be called, New York...or something. Artemis had gone to the roof to see out over the city, because the Armageddon building was so tall, it was easy to see the city.

She now looked out over the building, and the dead tree forest, as far as she could see into the forgotten city. In her months of training in the sun room, she had almost forgotten what color the sky really was, and stared deep into the reds and darkish red that gave the sky its intense aura. Artemis felt accomplished, she hadn't lost her cool once, and had become great friends with both Alkyone and Lady Aella. She had sent, as she always did now, a letter that morning, of what they were going to do that day to her sister. It read:

Hippo!,

I'm going to go scouting today with Lady Aella and Alkyone. I had forgotten that the sky was red in my training, sister. You know I miss you and the red sky, nothing makes me happier than to know you get my letters! Tell Kara and Thalia that I'll get them a souvenir from the forgotten city. And maybe this time, actually write something different than “I'm glad you're doing well.” We'll talk soon, perhaps you'd be up to sparring with me then, eh?