Work Text:
“Kill the girl-”
“WAIT!”
I shouted startling Caligula and his guards. Caligula eyed me impatiently as if wondering how in the name of my father I planned to get out of this mess.
“And, why exactly should I Lester? I doubt you can kill me, let alone yourself in your present state. What exactly do you think will convince me to let your friends go?”
Good question I thought desperately searching the sludge that was my current mortal brain. I could offer to kill myself, I had the arrow of Dodona close at hand…but if there’s one thing I know about Medea besides her being a conniving piece of…work is that she’s a dang fine healer. I could have a godly burst of strength and rip Caligula into two with my bare hands. No, that was unreliable at best and probably wouldn’t even work regardless what with the Pandai with incredibly quick aim everywhere I could see. What would-
“If…if you let my friends go, all of them. Then I’ll…surrender myself to you. No complaints, no struggle…you can do your ritual with no setbacks or difficulties… you’ll…you’ll be the new sun god guaranteed.” My whole form quivered at the idea of Caligula rising as the new sun god. I couldn’t even imagine the cruelties he’d institute in his name. As the rightful god of the sun, I knew the cruelty of the sun’s flames weren’t meant to grace the Earth. It is supposed to be kind and healing, allowing all to prosper and grow under it. Providing life and warmth to the tiny creatures the sun helped create. I highly doubt that Caligula would see the ancient practice as anything less than a way to show off his own light and burn those who did not bask in him.
Caligula pondered my offer, tapping his chin in thought as Medea desperately attempted to keep her venti under her control. Meg was banging against the winds still, tears circling around her as she yelled to me, most likely ordering me to stop. I had to push through, I had to save my friends.
“Well…a promise would be nice…but an oath on the river Styx would be even better, wouldn’t you say Lester?”
“I-I swear on the River Styx that I’ll serve you if you let my friends go.”
Thunder rumbled and crackled throughout the ship and the California coast. Sending a burst of light through the room. I could make out Piper’s horrified face, Caligula’s unsettling smile, Inciatus’ spectator amusement, and Meg’s look of pure unadulterated horror.
Caligula turned to his guards, “Guards, keep two of them alive for me, will you. As injured as possible.”
“-but” I tried to protest. But it was too late. Piper threw her blade at Medea distracting her as Meg and Jason broke free from their cages, weapons in hand and stances ready. Meg charged at the Pandai, parrying, blocking, and cutting their arrows as they pulled out their own swords to meet her in combat. Jason used the spreading out venti and controlled them, pulling him forward and hitting Caligula as he staggered and rode atop Incitatus. Crest flew up into the air, avoiding the rest of his fellow Pandai’s arrow fire. At least he escaped, I thought dejectedly as another gust of wind hit me and knocked me to the ground. I tried to stand on wobbling feet as I looked around and scooped up some abandoned arrows dropped by the Pandai surrounding Meg. Many reacted and blew them away as they let their guard down allowing Meg to swoop in for the kill. The rest either Meg or I plowed down ourselves.
Piper was currently dodging and weaving as Medea through spells and venti at her before turning on the defense after grabbing her knife near Medea’s feet. Medea summoned a few bottles from her bag and threw that at Piper, one almost grazing her with the help of Medea’s venti servants.
Jason and Caligula, however, were the most terrifying duo to watch. Jason waved his hand in the air like he was stirring a pot of Mac’n’Cheese before a large gray stallion made of winds, a tempest, appeared. He expertly mounted the horse and charged at Caligula, parrying and blocking blows across the too short room. My tongue seemed to be logged in my throat. I tried to scream, I tried to draw my fingers, but they felt as limp and as weak as gummy worms.
Jason charged one final time, swooping down past Caligula’s blade, his eyes met mine. His young, blue, identical eyes met mine full of determination and a silent embrace of death.
“GO!” He shouted, his vocal cords straining to be heard over the multiple Venti and the now sinking ship. “Remember!”
I reached my hand out, desperately trying to summon my godly power or perhaps to be closer to Jason as Caligula’s spear met Jason’s chest dead center. Jason’s eyes widened, he lightly clutched the spear sticking right through his ribs before toppling onto the ground. He tried to open his mouth, looking up at Tempest before Caligula slipped past him, grabbing the spear once again and stabbing it through Jason’s face. The sound of his final scream and glasses shattering are perhaps the most clear memory I’ve had since I’ve been mortal. Piper’s screams and my sobs cut through the air like glass as Piper charges to Medea knocking her to the ground. Caligula’s head turns to me in the chaos, pinning me to the ground with his almost lecherous grin. “See Lester? This is what happens when you mess with me. People have to die.”
Tempest crackled and charged at Piper, scooping her up just as Medea’s potion was about to hit her chest, sending it flying to the ground causing the floor to start bubbling and crumbling in on itself. The boat groaned and started collapsing inwards, sliding monster dust and Jason’s body into the sinkhole. Meg screeched and stabbed her blades into the floor boards as Tempest ran by scooping her up and charging after me. I raised my hand to catch his neck when-
Snap
I screamed in pain as the skin on my air twisted and bent. Caligula squeezed harder making my see black and crumbling to the ground. He held up my hand like Persus, displaying me as a trophy, something he won. He dangled me close to his face, turning my chin forcefully to watch the gaping, sobbing faces of my friends on Tempest’s back zipping away back to the bay. He dropped me unceremoniously on my shattered arm. I once again cried in pain.
“You…you swore you’d let them go…” I said, more defeated than I thought was possible. “You…you killed Jason.” I expected some big godly strength to appear, maybe some holy fire. Maybe I could burn Caligula to ashes and show him the true power of the sun god. But instead I felt a cold and utter emptiness where there should have been rage.
“I’m counting 3 aren’t I Lester.” Caligula turned to me, his smile wide and just as red and a blood moon, I let your friend’s’ go, just not all of them.” He bent down and grabbed my chin, pulling my face towards his. His cruel eyes darkened, and the smell of iron and electricity went up my nose. “You really should have been more careful darling.”