20 [Atalanta]

Fate/Defiance

Chapter 19 [Atalanta]

By theMadLad

Beta: Old man of the mountain

Rhoecus was flabbergasted.

Some fucking scary ass kid just showed up and killed all his pals like they were little girls.

And they were definitely, not little girls.

They were centaurs from Mt. Pelion, some of the toughest hunters that roamed all the land—who at one time received tutoring from Chiron. They may have been far from his equal, but they were by no means weak.

So, as he looked at the cold eyes of the little boy who butchered his men so casually, he wasn't afraid—no, he was enraged.

How dare this kid look down on him with such a condescending gaze?! He forgot all about the girl he was about to rape, as he was instead about to perform the last of the three acts he liked over all others.

And no, it wasn't pillaging.

So, with a mighty roar… Rhoecus attacked.

———————-

Oh fuck.

Icarus greatly underestimated how much speed a centaur could travel when only a few feet away. One moment he was there, and the next… he wasn't.

The four hooves of the centaur brought the man-beast in front of Icarus instantaneously, he only had the option to use his wings as a makeshift shield before he was slammed into with enough strength to instantly kill a man.

Just a regular horse from the modern era had enough strength to kick at a thousand pounds per square inch… and this wasn't some random horse from the age of men. No, this was a phantasmal creature from the age of the gods—and he hit much, much, harder.

Icarus went flying into the forest as he was kicked by Rhoecus, with the sheer force of the blow leaving him unable to stabilize himself in the air. His brief free fall soon came to an end as he tumbled to the floor, rolling on the ground for another few dozens of feet before finally stopping.

While his wings' magically alloyed material managed to survive the blow unscathed, Icarus could not say the same. He had felt one of his ribs snap during the process, breaking in two while the rest of his body became one big bruise.

While achieving their intended purpose as a makeshift shield, his wings could not prevent the aftershocks of such a powerful attack from reaching Icarus. The force of Rhoecus' blow affected him past the wings, and onto his small body as well.

He groaned in pain as he forced himself to stand up and get to his feet as fast as possible in desperation.

He was barely able to react and control his wings enough to escape as Rhoecus arrived a moment later, cleaving his axe into Icarus' previous position. Icarus quickly took flight and escaped, breaching the tree tops where Rhoecus was unable to reach.

He then swooped back to the area where the small girl was held, there he spotted the other centaur, Hylaios, guarding her as a hostage. The centaur looked nervous, rapidly scanning his surroundings with paranoia while aiming his bow at any slight noise. But, Icarus noticed that despite his tense demeanor, his hands were steady—showing his worth and skill as a seasoned hunter.

…The situation wasn't very good.

Icarus was lacking his bow which would have made this fight a walk in the park for him and he only had his wings which he was still rather inexperienced with. Normally, he would just retreat and prepare for another battle that was more in his favor—but he couldn't do that here.

They had the girl.

So, he could only grit his teeth and improvise his next course of action. His aim with his feathers was pretty good, but dropped drastically the further away the target was. Not to mention he only had so many of them, and had already used a great amount of them killing the other centaurs. If he used more of them he would eventually run out, and be unable to stay in the air—ending up stranded on the ground, defenseless.

And if that happened, he would most likely be captured… and considering this was ancient Greece, his fate would likely be the same thing that would have happened to the girl if he didn't arrive.

He shivered at the thought.

—He only needed one perfect blow.

But if he missed, he would not only give away his position, but also gradually lose the only offensive and defensive means he had available. He wanted to just blitz him and quickly steal the girl before retreating, but judging by how fast Rhoecus was able to arrive at his previous location… Rhoecus would be too quick to return and have the chance to sneak attack them while escaping.

It wasn't worth the risk until he could safely escape with the girl in tow, unscathed.

So with that thought in mind, Icarus landed near a tree to wait in silence for an opportunity—as without a true weapon, he decided to stay reactionary and analyze his opponents.

Like he expected, Rhoecus returned to the clearing moments later with Hylaios visibly sighing in relief as he spotted him, "Did you kill him?!"

Rhoecus shook his head in denial, "No, slippery little shit got away. Be cautious, those wings of his can actually fly." He then strapped his axe to his side before taking out his bow that was held on his human-half's torso, "Surround the girl, he most likely won't leave here without her."

Hylaios quickly followed his directions, practically strapping himself to the girl's side as Rhoecus did the same—although, the both of them made sure to keep distance from each other, cautious of Icarus lining up a deadly attack.

They then both started to circle the lush forest floor around the girl with their bows drawn, ready to unhesitatingly fire at any movement.

"How do you know he won't just fly off?" Hylaios asked as he scanned the tree line once more.

"Can't you tell who the boy is yet?" Rhoecus rebuked with sarcasm, "Who else do you know can fly while not even being a man yet?"

"...Icarus." Hylaios spoke as the answer dawned on him, "Shit! He was who we came here for in the first place!" His lips tightened to a scowl at the realization, "But when did he make wings?"

Rhoecus chastised him for his words, "Does it matter?! He can fly and throw those damn feathers, keep your guard up at all times! If he gets too close, just kill the girl." He dismissively… neighed, as he darted his eyes across the surroundings once more with his bow drawn.

Damn, Icarus wasn't sure what to do. He had the confidence to kill one of them with a sneak attack, but the other could just kill him or the girl in retaliation.

But, as he looked at the girl lying low while waiting for any opportunity… he made a decision.

The sun was about to set, so Icarus was unable to use his mirrored feathers to branch a fire spell to kill the centaurs—well, he could, but it would be too weak to do anything and merely give himself away.

But, it would still be a great distraction.

And if he paired it along with the sunlight to aim for their eyes, then it could become a game changing move. But he had to be precise, not only having to carefully choose the timing, but also when he did it and who he did it to.

He couldn't get both at once.

A moment later, he chose—finishing his decision, and making his move.

Icarus took off from the tree he was hiding behind and flew above the treetops where he could get at a better angle with the sun.

He then aimed towards his chosen target… while the centaur Hyliaos, who seemed to be the more clumsy of the two, might have made more sense to target, he wanted the more pragmatic Rhoecus distracted instead.

—As the more competent Rhoecus might have a better chance of retaliating or dodging his attack.

So, after angling himself properly, the sun's ray of light shined onto his mirrored feathers before being reflected onto Rhoecus' eyes, "ανάβω." (ignite)

Icarus' words reverberated as a command to the World's life force, casting a spell of ignition that latched onto the ray of sunlight directed at the centaur below, borrowing the concepts of the sun as it set the man-horse's eyes aflame.

"—Ahk!" Rhoecus cried out in immense pain as his eyes caught on fire, bucking his legs to the floor in reaction to the immense pain. Hylaios shouted in concern, confused by Rhoecus' sudden actions… all while Icarus made his move.

He tucked in his wings while tilting his body and head downwards before dive bombing towards Hylaios like a meteor, using his full weight and momentum to accelerate to an unprecedented speed.

He flashed by Hylaios in an instant, outstretching a single wing as he passed—decapitating the centaur in the process. Icarus had also dropped a small object by the girl, before burrowing through the skies above, having difficulty decelerating while unable to change his direction.

Without a head, the remainder of Hylaios' body collapsed to the floor. With only a sputtering fountain of blood gushing from his neck, along with the sudden spasms from his body signifying his final moments.

Rhoecus yelled out a war cry filled with wrath as his burnt vision eventually abated—with the accumulated mystery within his phantasmal body able to resist the spell quickly enough for him to catch a glimpse of his final ally dying before him.

His burnt eyes darted to the culprit, squinting at the flying figure of the boy with untold focus while his eyes stung like a mound of ants was biting into them.

Then he aimed his bow, and even with one of his eyes going blind in the process due to the damage caused by Icarus' spell… Rhoecus fired.

He put his all into the shot, using his brief moment of aim to display his decades upon decades of experience as a hunter from Mt. Pelion. The arrow that launched from his bow tracked Icarus like a heat-seeking missile, splitting the air in its ascent while predicting his path of movement.

Icarus had quickly maneuvered himself towards the sky, intent on escaping but unable to risk hiding within the trees due to his dive bomb enhanced speed. Rhoecus' use of his supernatural strength allowed him to stretch his bow to its greatest possible degree, maybe even beyond its limits— with the sheer force of the draw enabling the arrow to even reach the rising Icarus.

But, Icarus' wings were simply too fast.

Rhoecus' killing shot only resulted in a glancing bow, merely clipping Icarus's wings and throwing his body into temporary disarray.

Rhoecus clicked his tongue in rage as he watched Icarus readjust himself in the air, "Dammit!" He could only silently seeth in fury as he watched Icarus escape, until he remembered that his anger had a perfect outlet to disperse itself with… the girl.

While he may have lost the war, he still won the battle—and he made sure to let Icarus know that through his taunts, "The girl is dead now kid! You hear me?! You failed hero!"

Jeez, Icarus felt like he was being insulted by a comic book villain, but the taunts still hit their marks regardless—he had failed that girl.

But, he had faith that she wouldn't fail herself.

He had suspected her identity for some time now, after all how could a little girl no older than him be in these woods?

The nearest town was almost a day's travel by foot, and he would know, as he not only traveled there but also scouted the surrounding area from the skies above. Not to mention her unnatural strength that managed to snap a centaur's arm in two…

There was only one answer.

The daughter of King Iasus, and the abandoned Princess of the Kingdom of Arcadia.

—Atalanta, the future Chaste Huntress and member of the legendary Argonauts.

She wasn't some princess waiting on a castle for a hero to save, no—she was a princess who had survived the harsh wilderness belonging to the Age of the Gods, a little girl who was raised by the feral beasts within the forest of Arcadia.

She was a hero in her own right… and Icarus would never underestimate a hero.

And sure enough, as Rhoecus turned around he wasn't confronted by some frightened meek little girl waiting for death, no he was attacked by a wild animal in the form of a little girl.

His now blind eye was unable to anticipate her offensive, as Atalanta jumped him with mania, bringing up a bronze knife before repeatedly stabbing into his body with craze.

His magical hide was easily pierced by the feral strength of the wild child, with blood splattered from his wounds as Atalanta refused to stop—venting all of her frustration, resentment, and rage into her strokes, sinking the knife back and forth into the centaur's side.

"—Bitch!" Rhoecus roared out in pain, with her small agile form leaving him unable to reach her with his arms as she darted around his animalistic backside.

He had no choice but to flail and buck in desperation, with the agonizing pain of the knife digging into his side and skinning his hide while eviscerating his organs being more than enough encouragement for him to get her off as quickly as possible.

"FUCKING! Little shit!" Rhoecus screamed in panic while trying to throw her off. Atlanta growled in response as she desperately held on while continually stabbing into him without remorse.

But she was eventually flung off, as Rhoecus managed to hurl her from his body with enough power to knock the air forcefully from her lungs as she impacted her head on the ground below. Atlanta groaned in pain as she laid on the floor, and although her body was in immense pain, her feral constitution managed to keep her from breaking any limbs.

But that didn't stop her from becoming disoriented… and unable to escape as the centaur approached.

Rhoecus was heavily injured—but alive.

Blood spilled from his body as flesh and skin peeled out from his side, while his organs were displayed as they hung freely from his wounds. He took heavy breaths as he gathered himself together with an immeasurable force of will.

While normally such wounds would be enough to kill a man—Rhoecus was no man. The fatal injuries on his horse half were unable to fully finish him off due to the support from his human half, which remained unscathed.

…Although this was only temporary, as soon enough, such grievous wounds would do him in regardless.

—But, it was enough.

He spat out a wad of blood as he arrived in front of Atalanta. Just the simple visage of the girl brought him a profound rage that would not abate with a simple murder. His legs, no longer able to support him due to his injury—regardless of his will—gave out… but it didn't matter.

His mind was clouded by anger, so much so, that the unimaginable pain he was under was merely an illusion.

—An illusion he didn't believe in.

Rhoecus bent over and savagely punched the small girl in the face, fully knocking her unconscious while breaking her nose from the force.

He shivered with glee as heard her bone snap, watching on with vindication as she started to bleed from her broken nose and bruised face.

…But he still managed to calm himself down enough from the action to realize that Icarus would soon return, and with him, the option to finish off the girl.

He knew he was going to die—but that didn't mean he wouldn't let Icarus pay the price in blood that was not his own. He took panting, rapid breaths as he equipped the axe tied to his back with slow, uncoordinated movements.

Rhoecus didn't speak as he raised his axe up high.

He was simply in too much pain and just wanted to die already, so with his final spurt of strength, he coiled his hand around the axe as he stared at the downed girl with the intent to brutally smash her brains into paste and avenge his brethren.

But just as he brought his downwards in motion… he collapsed.

—Dead.

And it wasn't due to his wounds—no, Rhoecus was a phantasmal species entrenched in mystery, an unnatural and nonsensical combination of man and horse. Such wounds, while enough to fatally wound him and guarantee his death… weren't enough to kill him so quickly.

No, what did him in was the dagger—or more specifically, the coat of poisonous shit from Paimon on the blade.

It was one of the poisoned daggers that Icarus had made from the leftover bronze feathers, which he had stored within the inside of his wings.

He had left it as a guarantee in his absence, one which would allow Atalanta to defeat Rhoecus even in the event of an unexpected loss—because while Icarus believed that Atlanta had a chance at killing Rhoecus, he wasn't one to leave things up to chance.

He then arrived moments later, to a clearing with multiple dead centaurs, with one beheaded and another poisoned, along with an unconscious bleeding little girl.

Icarus quickly rushed to Atalanta and made sure she was alright, taking some time to make a nasal splint to help set her broken nose. He then placed her in a more comfortable position while carefully nursing her.

After making sure that she would survive, Icarus then looked towards the two dead centaurs that had caused him so much trouble, before also glancing at the rest of the centaur corpses in the vicinity while speaking some final cheeky words with a strained smile, "…It's lootin' time."

…Although the words rang more than a bit hollow in that dark forest clearing filled with corpses.

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Author's Notes

Hopefully you guys enjoyed the chapter. I wanted to have Atalanta shine on it while alluding to bits of her experience out surviving in the forests of Arcadia.

As for why she lacks a bow and such, well it is explained in the next chapter.

I also owe you guys a chapter! Thanks for reaching 1st place last week (even temporarily.) I meant to have it out today but I've been very busy. Sorry for the inconvenience, but expect it soon.

Leave a like if you enjoyed it! And comments, comments make me happy.

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