The Daughter Of Night (Original Version)

80- Apollo Teaches A Class On Shakespeare (In Hell, To His Own Son)

Apollo

I hesitated for a few moments outside the shrine before taking a deep breath and hurrying inside. When I stepped through the door I immediately spotted him. His back was to me meaning that I couldn't see his face, but I could see his mop of blonde hair. He was leaning on the altar, with his head in his hands, running his hands through his hair and seemed to be lost in thought, as he had not noticed me entering.

"Hello," I said, very quietly, not wanting to startle him.

Unfortunately, it seemed that he was very easy to startle because he seemed to literally jump half a foot, as he whirled around to look at me, drawing a sword from nowhere and pointing it at me.

"There's no need for that," I stuck my hands in the air in the crude mortal sign of surrender.

"Who are you!" He demanded forcefully.

"Who do you think I am?" I enquired, meeting his gaze directly and keeping my hands in the air.

"No games. I'm the one with the sword here!" He reminded me, "tell me who you are or I'll kill you."

I almost burst into fits of laughter, I had imagined him sounding like Ri, using the same tones as her, the same words. But here I was having a discussion with myself. Every sentence that Caius said, had me echoing through his words.

But there were Ri's eyes staring out at me, and her nose, and her spattering of freckles. It was exhilarating, both wonderful and sad at the same time to see these features that I loved so much about my wife on my son.

"Okay, there's no need for poetic justice, it is not kill or be killed here!" I assured Caius, "my name is Apollo. I'm your-"

"Father?" Caius finished, a stunned expression crossed his face, and his eyebrows furrowed in the same way that Ri's did when she was confused or angry.

"Yes, I'm your Dad," I dropped my hands and grinned like a maniac.

Caius slowly dropped his sword, but he did not stow it away. He kept it held loosely in his left hand, hanging limply at his side. "You're really my father?"

"That's what I just said."

We stood in silence for a moment, each of us regarding the other, drinking in their appearance, trying to figure the other out.

"Well, I suppose you're here for the same reason that I am then," Caius broke the silence, but still kept his eyes locked on me.

"I am here to avenge your mother," I agreed, "Nyx has to pay for her actions. Like many Shakespearian Tragedies state, blood must have blood. It is as if I am Hamlet avenging the death of my father, however, I will not procrastinate about killing Nyx, I will strike without hesitation. Nyx took my wife from me, and in return, I will take life from her." 

Caius stared at me, with his mouth slightly open forming an 'O' shape.

"Ah, you mustn't know who Shakespeare is. He is a brother of yours, he was very gifted with his words. He's one of the most famous playwrights to date you know. He's dead now, of course, he's actually one of the rotating judges for the Judgment Pavilion in the Underworld. His words still resonate through the years with modern day life though."

"You talk a lot," Caius stated.

"Well, I am the god of poetry, so of course I talk a lot, my head is very full of words which I simply must share with the world, it would be a crime for me to keep my words to myself and deprive the world of my insight."

"Uh... okay," Caius nodded, frowning slightly. I smiled, he looked just as disinterested at what I had to say about poetry as Ri always had. "Maybe we should get moving?" He suggested, "the quicker I kill Nyx, the quicker we can get out of this hell hole."

"Excuse me Caius, but what do you mean 'the quicker I kill Nyx', I think you will find that I will be the one to end that immortal bitch's life."

"Can't the god of poetry think of a better word that bitch?" Caius began to make his way out of the temple, I followed after him.

"How about disgusting horrible hag?" I suggested.

"I like that better," Caius agreed. He went a few steps away from the temple before he stopped and turned to look at me with a sheepish expression, "you don't know how I get to Nyx's mansion do you?"

"We go that way," I pointed the opposite direction to the one that Caius had started off in, "we need to go diagonally towards the darkness."

"Okay, let's go that way then!" Caius began striding off in the direction I had gestured in. I hurried after him, and I fell into step beside him.

"Cai and I go on
an adventure. To kill a
goddess. Lots of fun!" I declared, with a big smile. I could almost hear Caius rolling his eyes, just like his mother would have done if she were there.

Cai and Apollo finally met! Do you think they will get along? Will they be able to kill Nyx?
Remember to vote, comment and be amazing!
~Em xx