Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Vretiel And Ragathiel

For a whole night, Artemis stares at what's left of the things that made him fearless and respected by myths and mortals alike.

"Could things have been different if I didn't oppose their marriage and wasn't sent away to reflect?" Artemis mumbles to himself.

"You opposed whose marriage?" Jin shivers next to Aguano near the campfire.

"If only I was more persistent in convincing them," Artemis squints and another tear drips down his cheek.

"Convincing who?" Jin sounds.

"Is this how Alosrin felt when he woke up after thirty years of sleep?" Artemis wipes his cheeks.

"Who's Alosrin? Why did he sleep for thirty years—"

Aguano covers Jin's trembling mouth, "Why is a powerful dragon like yourself can't stop crying and reminiscing about what could've been done differently? It's so not cool."

Jin pulls Aguano's hand down, "Dude, he can cry all he wants. You would cry in denial too if you see Aarth crumble in ruins."

"No I wouldn't! I would be thinking of ways to get back at those who did that to Aarth."

Artemis and Jin glare at Aguano dumbly, and Jin says, "Dude, you want this powerful dragon to exact revenge on us?"

Aguano sucks in his lips with unblinking eyes and buries his face in Jin's neck, "I need Borscht to tell me to shut up."

"Why do you need him? I can tell you to shut—"

"How can you be the one to tell me when I'm always telling you to shut up," Aguano snuggles against Jin. "Warm."

Jin pushes Aguano away, "Nope. It's weird if you do that now."

"Artemis. I didn't expect to see you around here with an old married couple," a voice echoes from above the cave opening.

Aguano and Jin look at each other with confused looks, "Ew! We're not an old married couple."

Artemis roars at the cave opening and although there aren't any sparks the path of the sound melts the snow in its way.

A few winged bodies fall onto the melted snow beneath them.

"Is that all you got?" A golden winged person appears at the cave's entrance.

"Are angels real?" The tone of Jin's voice sings like birds in the spring. As he runs to appease his curiosity, Aguano tackles him from behind.

"Are you fucking stupid? They're obviously enemies of the Queen's brother if not all the dragons," Aguano holds onto Jin tightly.

The golden winged person bursts into a hysterical laughter, "Is that what mortals think of us? Angels?"

"Why are you here?" Aguano asks with balled fists.

"I would gladly tell you, but I asked you the exact question first already," the winged person clicks his tongue.

Glowing veins and scales pop all around Artemis's skin, and for the first time in a long time, black radiating horns erect from Artemis's crown.

"You guys are such ugly myths," the golden winged person scoffs and materializes a glowing and transparent spear that seems to be made of light itself.

Artemis takes a step toward the winged people and they take on a fighting stance. And as soon as Artemis formed a stance of his own, the weapons that his opponents had materialized evaporate into the thin, cold air.

"I don't have time with little princes. Where is your father," Artemis reveals his fangs and claws.

The golden winged person forms a smirk, "Are emotions getting the better of you? Well, it doesn't matter. This time won't end the same way things always did. I've been training while you've been fooling around."