TAMING APOLLO | completed

11. the danake

G A Y L E

11. the danake

I HAVE THIS HABIT. It happens when I'm nervous or scared or just feeling uneasy.

I talk. A lot.

"So, you're really him. You're really Hercules. I mean, hasn't it been centuries? You look so young! You're not a god, though. How? Not that I don't appreciate how handsome you are," At this point I'm just rambling, and I can't stop myself. I'm just waiting for somebody to kick me so that I can stop, but Thalia's just glaring, trying to say something but stopping herself with a groan.

Her hand is covered in blood, but shes keeping it steady on her wound. Apollo is just observing me curiously, head turned in bewilderment as I continue to babble on.

Hercules has a self-righteous grin plastered on his handsome face, and it's like every word my mouth utters inflates his ego higher. He's standing in a hero stance, with his sword on his side.

"I like this one better than Ariel." He winks at Apollo, who rolls his eyes at his words.

"I – I..." Thalia tries to speak but begins to cough as she tries to hoist herself up. "I enjoy Gayle's babbling more than the next guy but I'm kinda bleeding out here so if we could..." she motions towards the shack, which now seems closer than it was before. Maybe it's all the running we did.

"We've been walking towards it for hours and the distance just stays the same. It's under an enchantment." Apollo states, eyeing the little shack.

Hercules puts his sword into the holster around his waste and shakes his head in disagreement. "It was under enchantment, but now that I've slain the harpies, we can go in. It's ancient magic, so I'm guessing he hasn't renewed his warding in a long time." Hercules states matter-of-factly.

I turn to the wheat fields around us. There's dust where Ocypete was slain by Hercules and also dust where Aello and Celaeno were fighting. "You killed them all yourself?" Hercules smirks at me, flicking his hands through his dark hair.

"Kill is a strong word to use in this world, my sweet." He says as he jerks Thalia's body over his shoulder as if she's just a bag of marbles.

My eyes widen at this gesture and Apollo rolls his eyes murmuring the words "show off.", before trekking on. Thalia murmurs a few choice words in protest, but eventually sighs and gives in, drifting off into unconsciousness over Hercules' shoulder.

"Monsters like Harpies never really die. They always reform from the ashes as a challenge for the next hero." He explains thoroughly as we walk through the tall fields towards the house.

I glance back at the ashes, then turn back to him. "You're saying that those three aren't dead?" Even as I ask, a chill raves down my spine at the thought of those grotesque fangs and talons.

He shakes his head. "No, they're dead. I'm saying that they won't stay dead." He says nonchalantly as if resurrection of monsters is just common knowledge.

Apollo seems to have a lot on his mind as he treads ahead of us all and reaches the shack first. He knocks on the door violently a few times.

There's no answer. "What are you doing here?" I ask Hercules, hoping not to sound too ungrateful that he just saved all our asses.