The Daughter of Fire and Magic

Chapter 17: Blood, Apologies, and Tears

The time comes for us to put our plan into action. Those of us old enough to go and fight set out for Canada. I use my powers to manipulate the Mist so we can slip through the border and into the park. Our plan now fully in action we attack Kronos's camp. They were ready for a fight, but not for the way we brought it. Most of the archers took to the trees and picked off the people below. The rest of us called on our powers or our fighting abilities.

The longer the fighting goes the more I can see that Kronos's people are getting the upper hand. I make the call for everyone to fall back and regroup. We run away and just as I look back I see several arrows land in Heron's back. Helena's step falters as she tries to help her brother up. I run to them to provide what cover I can.

"You have to leave me," Heron pleads to his sister.

"No! I'm not going to leave you!"

"Helena listen to me," Heron says calmly, "I am going to slow you down, you have to leave."

"No, I... I won't!" Helena says through sobs. The enemy is getting closer.

"Helena!" Heron yells, slapping her face. "You have to go, now." Helena shakes her head and Isaac comes over to us. "Get her out of here I'll slow them down," Heron says to us. Heron stands, an act that pains him. "Give me a sword." I give him mine as Isaac picks up Helena. "Take care of her," Heron says to Isaac.

"You know I will," Isaac says and we make our retreat. I take a look back to see Heron fighting as well as some one with perfect vision would, but as soon as we are a safe distance away, he gives in to the pain and I watch as Ajax cuts him down with his sword. When we regroup with the others there's something different about Helena, there's a fire in her eyes that I've never seen before. I can feel her hate and rage rolling off of her. Ryder looks at me and I shake my head. The loss of Heron hits everyone when we get back, but Kronos's allies don't give us much time to grieve. Soon they are at our position.

"When did the legionaries say they were coming?" Ryder says to me as he fights.

"Any moment!" I yell back. As we fight there's a loud thud from behind us. I turn around to find Elena on the ground, an arrow in her chest. Jason runs over to her and tries to heal her, but by the look on his face I can tell it's too late. I go over to them and so does Helena, but before either of us can provide them cover, an arrow whizzes by slicing open Jason's throat. My feet run faster and I make it over to jason, putting my hands over the cut in his throat. "Stay with me Jason," I say and I'm about to use my magic to heal him, but he takes my arm and shakes his head. "But Jason--"

"No, don't..." he gurgles. "I want... to...." I look down at his other hand and it's holding Elena's limp one and I remember a vision. I nod to Jason and take my hands away. I take my dagger and stab Jason's heart, providing him an escape from his pain. I get up and turn around to see Ajax, ready to throw his spear, Helena comes up behind me, bow drawn. I watch as the two analyze each other looking for subtle clues the other will attack.

"It's not too late, to join us Helena," he says with a smirk. "We might even let you clean our armor."

"You killed Heron!"

"He was a weak link, we would have been better off if that scorpion--" Helena released her arrow and it lands right in Ajax's groin. She draws another and sends it into his shoulder, and another into into his leg, and another and another. Finally I stand between the two and Helena stops.

"Stand aside," Helena roars.

"I can't Helena."

"He killed Heron! He deserves to die in agony," Helena says through her angry tears.

"And he will," I tell her, "but so will you if you continue." Helena's eyes grow wide and I turn around to see Marcus, sword ready to kill me. Ryder comes running in out of the corner of my eye and stops his brother's sword with his own.

"Hello, traitor," Marcus spits.

"Better than being a murderer," Ryder says back.

"You still bitter about Felix?" Marcus taunts.

"Well he was a better brother than you, I wish I had noticed it sooner than now!" Ryder gets the upperhand for the moment, then Marcus pulls a below the belt move. I watch as he cuts Ryder's chest open and pins him to the ground, stabbing Ryder's sword through his own arm. Marcus turns towards me and the look on his face is that of pure terror; my cracks glow and all I feel is pure rage; pure power. I run to Marcus arrows landing in my body, but I'm too far gone to feel any pain. When I get to his position I grab him by his neck and begin to squeeze.

"First Felix, then Heron, Elena, and Jason. I will not let you hurt or kill anyone else."

"If you do this you'll never be mortal again," Marcus says pulling out his last card, but it's too late, I was already saying the spell.

"In virtute praeditis, Tartaro aeternum damnare animam tuam!" Marcus lets out a scream as his soul is ripped from his body and flies off. I'm still glowing, but I haven't totally lost my form. Then he comes; Kronos walks up to us and his followers rally. At this time our reinforcements arrive. With the combined forces of what is left of us and the legionnaires we are able to beat Kronos's followers, but I know that we will not win until I put Kronos back into Tartarus again. I take one glance at a very injured Ryder. "I'm sorry my love," I say to him.