"For the record and for the third time in a row, I did not agree to this!" Odysseus whined as he trotted gloomily towards his starting position.
"You may as well have if your Goddess sanctioned it. We live for the gods, we die for them. If you aren't willing to fall for your Goddess then you have no sense of Loyalty whatsoever." Zoe scowled at the man, as if he insulted her entire existence.
She has to fight such a buffoon? What did the Goddess Athena see in him?
"There's a difference between loyalty and throwing your life away!"
The sun rose high as they found a large enough clearing devoid of creatures. Zoe had brought out a simple but elegant hunting spear. Whilst Odysseues had his trusty sword and his bow.
Just from the choice of weapons it was clear who was disadvantaged. After all, Odysseus was just a mortal whilst Zoe Nightshade had the blessings of the Hunt.
As everyone settled into their positions, The duel finally commenced. Neither moved as Zoe raised a brow.
"So be it, Cowardly King of Ithaca."
Zoe charged forwards with her spear like a bull, using her superior physique to take Odysseus down as quickly as possible. Athena watched carefully and Artemis looked onwards impassively.
'Odysseus is not very good at countering spears. His small body isn't able to close the difference nor has the reach to strike. It will be a difficult match. Though he does have one card up his sleeve. I wonder if he can use it?'
Odysseus ducks a strike to his temple, rolling backwards as he gains distance to fire an arrow. But before he could, the spear twisted direction and swung upwards, cutting the tip of his nose and a few strands of hair.
"You could have taken my eye out!" Odysseus winced as blood flew into his eye. Zoe, seeing this, takes advantage but as she closes the distance, Odysseus throws a fist full of dirt into her face and sweeps her feet with the bow as she lands harshly onto her back.
He quickly switches to his sword, an action that was easily caught by Zoe.
"Your little tricks won't save you!" She shouts, kicking the sword out of his hand just as he began to unsheath it. She rolled, kicking upwards slightly and smashing the back of her heel into his skull.
Odysseus felt rattled as he blocked, his arms throbbing painfully. She grabbed his weapon off the floor whilst he recovered.
Zoe decides to take a few steps back as she now had both her spear and his sword.
"Give up. You are at a disadvantage now, you have no way of blocking my attacks without destroying your precious little bow." She spat.
"Maybe. Actually that would probably be the best plan, but I refuse."
"Then maybe you will be more cooperative when I sever your head from your shoulders. Perhaps you will lose your pride as well." She grins maliciously as her gaze shifts. Odysseus had the urge to cover his manhood lest it be cleaved in two.
"Are all members of the hunt like you? I really can't believe it, yet I have never heard of you, no myths nor tales come to mind. You seem to hate anything related to Hercules yet you hold a weapon of his." Odysseus talked, taking silent steps back trying to put as much distance as possible. Unaware of the growing anger.
A dangerous thought emerged.
"Was it lover's qu-"
Before Odysseus could finish his sentence, he heard ticking. As if the sound of a clock ringing directly in his ears. He turned toward Athena as he usually associated such a sound with her. The first thing that caught his eye was an unsettling grin, something usually out of place for the Goddess.
He turned his attention upwards as the flapping of birds slowed to a halt. Even the noisy Cicada's are quiet.
His gaze refocused on his opponent. Yet something changed. Like a magic trick, the spear she was holding a few moments ago flew.
It now appeared a foot or so away aimed directly at the middle point between his eyes. Air distorted around it as it slowed down further.
'If Athena had not intervened would I have died?' Such a thought shook him more than he cared to admit. Yet Artemis looked unbothered. Scratch that… She was now glaring at Athena.
He looked behind the spear to see Zoe Nightshade in a javelin pose, looking akin to a demon, her expression turned to pure rage as if she were the god of war, if gazes alone could kill, he'd be castrated ten times over.
He moved away from the spear yet it was not as expected. His body wasn't listening as he pulled his head away with all his might. Even as he moved every muscle, his legs, waist, back and shoulders, he could not move an inch as the spear slowly approached.
'COME ON! MOVE!' Odysseus shouted in his mind, if it was as he thought that would be a horrifying way to die.
The feeling of a spear slowly piercing your skull as you could feel it split apart your brain. He didn't even want to imagine that yet he had all the time in the world to think.
The spear inched closer and the sound of a ticking clock restarted.
As everything resumed to normal…
All of his muscles united, all being pushed at once. A joint effort like no other.
*BOOM*
A loud crack rocked his ear as the top chunk of his ear suddenly went missing. Blood spurted and popped from his ear, gushing downwards as he turned towards the aftermath, his eyes widening as he witnessed the result.
…
"I honestly can't believe you just did that." Artemis muttered, leaning backwards, almost in shock.
"I have done nothing. I have not disrupted the sanctity of the duel."
"I still can't believe you. Out of everyone, Him?!" She stuck both hands out, miming at Odysseus incredulously.
"Just as you are to your Hunters as he is to me. He is… rather charming once you get past the utter arrogance. A little funny too."
"Seriously? Athena he is Mortal! Does he even know what you have given him?!" She almost-shouted at her sister. A vein almost popping on her forehead as she felt the urge to strangle the Goddess of Wisdom.
"..." Her thoughts strayed back to his victory. As she 'high-fived' him as it were. He didn't even notice. How amusing. Artemis sighed at Athena's expression.
"Are you planning on telling him?" Artemis covered her own face.
"Nope!~"
"I suppose it makes sense at least, you are both as foolish and as ridiculous as each other. Let's see what the Champion of Athena shall do next. I hope this doesn't bite you in the ass, especially with Father." Artemis said as she brought her knee to her chest, sitting more comfortably.
With that Athena went a touch paler.
…
'It went through…' Odysseus shook in place as he saw the bottom of the spear and a boulder behind the tree completely obliterated. Blood began to gush from his ear as Zoe began to speak.
Yet he could not hear a word she said. He smacked the side of his head, but that just made things so much worse.
He felt dizzy, tumbling into and past the damaged tree as he shook his head. He glanced towards Zoe and saw her furrowed brows. Zoe briefly glanced at the 2 Goddesses sitting side by side, as if under a parasol.
They had not intervened yet. Zoe got closer.
Odysseus, stumbled backwards with his arm outstretched as he panickedly moved backwards in fear. He felt the stone behind him. He watched Zoe's lips.
"Give up."
He grinned a bloody smile and then he moved.