Across The Ages (On Hold)

VI

"Riptide!" a voice called out.

He turned to look at whom had called him. It was Zoë. "Come to tell me more about how useless and despicable the male species is? Huh, I don't want to hear it. Apparently the past matters not to you, or that wretched goddess turned you against me. Either way, I have no time to listen to how much you hate me."

"I'm not interested in dealing with that. I want to know what you know about where Lady Artemis is."

Again, Riptide's eyes took an a hardened look. "Why do you want to know about her? It seems there is no changing you back is there? She did a number on you, didn't she, my flower?" he whispered the last part more to himself.

Zoë, still being a former nymph, had no problems hearing him, said, "Who are you really? If you don't tell me, so help me, I will gut you like a fish."

Riptide whirled on her, "Is that it? You want to know who I am? Will it finally change how you see me? Or will you still be this hateful, brainwashed version of who you used to be?!" In a flash of uncontrolled fury, he pinned her to a tree a ripped off his hood. "Get a good look at the MAN you left behind, and forgot about, Zoë Nightshade!"

Her eyes widened, and she began to tear up. "Perseus? But...you died. They said you died protecting Achilles homestead. She said that you were confirmed dead by even your father."

"And you listened to her? I told you, I would come back for you no matter what it took. But where does it leave us now? Because I doubt we could ever go back to what we were. Not after everything she's done. I have half a mind to leave her where she is. Too bad she is needed later on, or I would."

With that, he turned on his heels and left, as the huntress sunk to the ground, tears pouring from her eyes.

-/-

Perseus sighed. Maybe he had gone a little over board with how he handled that situation. But he was really pissed off. It wasn't his fault that he had spent most of the last two millennia in that stupid hell hole. Granted, he could have left at any time, he hadn't recognized how much time had past. And he'd been collecting important information on the enemy's plans. Something that was over two millennia in the making. Possibly since his original defeat at the hands of the gods.

'Oh well, no use in dwelling on it,' he thought. He walked towards the Big House, where Chiron had offered him a room. He'd be staying here for a while. At least until he figured our how to get Zoë back. He had no intentions on giving up the only thing that had kept him going all these years. Not yet at least.

-/-

The next morning, the campers were slowly getting up, though some seemed a bit more excited upon seeing the large crowd gathering at the arena.

Upon entering, Zoë saw two men clad in Ancient Greek armor. One in the typical Spartan garb of chest plate, skirt, sandals, and helmet; and the other in a typical myrmidon armor of something very similar. The biggest difference in the outfits were the styles. They both wielded  shields and spears and had a sword strapped to their side. The man in myrmidon armor was glorious. It was gilded gold and stunned the campers.

The two men were fighting as if their lives depended on it. And really, for one, it did as he was not quite invincible. The man in the spartan armor lunged at the man in gold, and they exchanged a flurry of stabs and jabs. To the campers, they looked like two gods fighting at incredible speeds with uncanny power and technique.

The man in gold made a powerful stab, but the other man, Riptide as the campers quickly realized, side stepped and smacked the man's wrist with his shield, sending the spear flying across the arena. Without missing a beat, he whipped out his sword and cut Riptide's spear in half. Riptide grunted and tossed his broken spear away and pulled out his own sword.

Now, the two men seemed really into the battle, using both sword and shield as weapon and defense. Back and forth across the arena the battle flowed. Their shields started to buckle from the blows each of them were giving. It was clear the man in gold was being "tagged" by Riptide's sword every now and then. But no blood seem to show. Riptide for his part seemed to bend and weave, unable to be touched when he wasn't fast enough to block.

Suddenly, the man in gold dropped his shield, grasping his sword in both hands and brought it down on Riptide's shield which folded under the immense force of the swing. Riptide tossed his useless shield to the side and engaged his partner in a straight up sword dual. Back and forth they went again, neither seeming to land a "finishing" blow.

And then they locked swords and with a flick of his wrist, Riptide sent the gold clad challenger's sword flying.