5 Chapter 5 - Cruel Sun

Getting the girls out of bed, Zeus told them to get ready to leave immediately. Still half asleep the two of them had a bit of an issue trying to understand what was going on. Seeing the crossbow bolt in the guard's shield, the two of them immediately snapped to the ready. Throwing their clothing and equipment on, the two of them hurriedly got ready.

"Mael, just what are you-", Zeus said watching me compress a Fireball.

"Fireball!!", I shouted blasting the roof clean off our home.

Watching the fireball continue to fly into the sky, it took a few seconds before it exploded. Seeing the words "Help" form in the sky, everyone looked at me in shock. Using magic in this way wasn't something anyone had thought of before, but seeing it in action really made sense.

"Just what have you been feeding him!?", Hermes gasped, "How is a three year old using magic!?"

"Don't ask me.", Zeus laughed.

The explosion awoke everyone in the village, and startled even the attackers. Falling on their backsides as the entire area became illuminated revealing their positions. Giving the order to attack, commander no longer cared about stealth as their cover was blown. Seeing a group of six people rushing out of the forest, Hermes guard got ready to fight.

---Several Miles Away---

Celebrating a successful day of hunting the Artemis Familia was cooking dinner when a loud explosion shook their camp. Looking in the direction of the explosion, the group of women saw the message written in the sky.

"My Goddess, what should we do?", one of her Familia members asked.

"Someone is calling for aid, we must help them!", Artemis stated grabbing her weapon, "Everyone grab your weapons and armor, we are heading out!"

"Right!", her Familia responded.

---Battlefield---

Launching a barrage of Fireballs at the attackers, I was buying time for the villagers to flee. None of them were on par with the Adventurers barreling down on us so they needed protection. Right now I didn't want to change into either of my other forms as I had minimal training with them so I might accidentally destroy everything here. Focusing on providing cover for everyone, Zeus tapped me on the shoulder.

"Mael, don't exhaust yourself.", Zeus said, "You still need enough energy to flee."

"Don't worry about me, get everyone else away!", I remarked, "I can fight, they can't!"

'The boy is willing to put his life on the line to protect the villagers...', Hermes thought helping route the villagers, 'Just what has Zeus been teaching these two children. Willingly putting himself in danger for these people is quite a selfless act.'

Unable to make any head way into the village, the attackers were becoming irritated. They hadn't come with equipment to fight a mage because Hermes guard was a swordsman. Cursing their luck, the commander tried to think of a way to break through. Looking for any stragglers they could capture to use as shields, he spotted a young girl stumbling out of one of the homes near the edge of the village.

"Grab that child!", he barked.

Breaking away, two of his subordinates rushed towards the child who was frantically trying to catch up to her fleeing family. Doing a head count as they were running, the father realized they were one child short. Glancing back, he saw his youngest daughter running after them bawling her eyes out.

"Papa!! Momma!!", the little girl cried, "Don't leave me behind!!"

"Come here you damn brat!!", the first attacker said pulling a dagger off her hip, "Stop runaway damn it!!"

Instead of running faster, the girl dropped to her knees and covered her head as she saw the dagger in the woman's hand. Reaching her free hand out to grab her by the neck, the area to her left lit up suddenly. Turning her head to see what was going on, she saw my fist ingulfed by a Cruel Sun. Even though changing forms was off the table, using my abilities to my current max wasn't.

"Cruel Sun!!!", I shouted slamming my fist right into her face.

Feeling her face cave in under the force of the blow, I sent her flying into the forest before vanishing from view.

"Pride Flare!", I said pointing the Cruel Sun at the other attacker.

"...oh shit...", he barely said before being engulfed by flames.

Staring at me in disbelief, the man's expression was one of fear as he looked death straight in the eyes. Incinerating him in seconds, he couldn't even scream in pain before he were reduced ashes...and a wide area behind him. Turning around, I grabbed the girl and took off running towards her family.

"Keep moving!!", I shouted at her parents as she grabbed me tightly, "I got her!!"

Seeing the magic display, the commander panicked as two of his team member were wiped out in a matter of moments. Realizing that the odds were no longer on their side, the commander ordered the remember three members to fall back and regroup. Before they could get anywhere though the Artemis Familia arrived.

"I swear...trouble seems to follow you Hermes and...Zeus!?", Artemis said in shock, "You have been living out here this whole time? All of us thought you were in Heaven still running from Hera."

"More like hiding.", Hermes chuckled.

"Don't say that!", Zeus spat, "If she found out about this...I don't even want to think about it."

"So what is going on?", Artemis asked for clarification.

"We were followed by what I assume is Evilus members.", Hermes informed her.

"Who launched the signal?", one of her familia members inquired.

"Mael, he is my adopted grandson.", Zeus said pulling me over as I rejoined them, "That was quite a stunt you pulled there. We are going to have a talk about doing such dangerous things again."

"I did what I had too, or she would have died!", I argued, "I can fight, don't try and stop me!"

Zeus was shocked I was talking back to him, but he didn't seem to understand how bad the situation was. My senses told me the girl was moments away from death...a two year old child that had barely had a chance to live. I wasn't about to let her die in front of me when I had the power to stop it. The power I asked for was for time times like this where I could use it to protect people from people like the Evilus, people that don't give a shit about anything but their goals.

"Mael, I...", Zeus started to say.

"We can talk about this later, we need to stop them before they get away!", I told him before turning to Artemis, "How can I help?"

Staring at me in shock, she wasn't sure what to tell a three year old child asking to help them.

"Damn it all!", the enemy commander said, "We are dead either way now, so we are taking as many of you with us as possible!!"

Pulling strange black vials out of their pouches, the four of them quickly swigged it down. Throwing the vials into the fire, the four of them started to hulk out while turning rabid. Not remembering this being part of the storyline, I wasn't sure what was going on.

"Beserker Potions...", Artemis spat, "Massive increase to their strength in exchange for burning their lifespan, they are definitely with the Evilus. Everyone be careful, they are probably a level or two higher now than they once were."

Watching them barrel through the flames, they didn't seem to care that their flesh was burning. I suspected that they had completely lost their sense of reason, and probably didn't even feel the heat. Bracing for the attack, the Artemis Familia stood their ground as the four monsters dove head first for them.

Impaling themselves on several spears, they kept thrashing around like rabid dogs trying to get a hold of anyone. To their credit, the Artemis Familia held fast but the difference between Level 2 strength and Level 5 was massive. Unable to keep them back for long one of the monsters managed to push through and reach for one of the Familia members. Jumping in front of her I slammed my fist into his face send him tumbling backwards.

Having overestimated the Artemis Familia, I really didn't want any of their blood on my hands so I had to end this quickly. Making a replica of Estarossa's sword out of Dark Matter, I effortlessly decapitated two of the four attackers. Avoiding my initial attack, the other member regrouped with his commander.

"We no last longer!", it complained.

"Me know!! We kill small one!!", the commander roared as the two of them went to attack me, "You die now!!"

"Who decided that!", I said, "Cruel Sun!!"

Forming a massive twenty foot diameter sun over my head, the two of stumbled over each other trying to stop. Glaring at them, I was pissed off that the slow life style I was hoping for with Bella here was destroyed. Now that they had spread word Zeus was here, we would have to leave and it was all their fault. Their deities decided that the villagers here were an acceptable loss if it meant they got both Hermes and Zeus.

"You come into MY village, and interrupt MY sleep just because you want to capture MY grandfather and Hermes.", I spat in anger, "Pissing me off was the last damn mistake you will ever make!!"

Swinging my hand down, the Cruel Sun slammed down on them. Trying to hold it back, the two of them started sliding away at a rapid pace. Feeling their hands burning away they screamed out in pain and begged for mercy.

"You won't get any mercy from me!!", I replied, "Now die!!"

Crushing them against the hillside a way from the village, I detonated the Cruel Sun creating a massive fireball that the reduced the immediate area to ash.

"Oh...my...", Hermes said trying not to faint, "Just...what just happened!?"

"I...I...I think a three year old just...just took out an Evilus hit squad by himself...", his guard laughed nervously, "Maybe...Maybe I need to hit my head on a tree."

"You did it!!", Bella shouted running passed everyone, "You beat the bad guys!!"

Turning around, Bella jumped on me to give me a hug. I suppose in her mind I looked like Hero vanquishing a group of villains, and that made her very excited. Rubbing her cheek against mine, she told me that I felt really warm which was an odd thing to say.

"Mael...how long have you been able to do that?", Zeus asked me.

"A while, but I never wanted you to know. I wanted things to stay peaceful like always, but now...", I said looking back at the forest, "We can't go back to the way things were. Your secret is out, and they will come back in greater numbers for you."

"It's our fault...", Hermes admitted, "If we hadn't come, none of this would have happened."

"Don't say that, they would have found us eventually.", Zeus stated, "Given the circumstances in Orario, I think I have to go back."

"Agreed, I think I can sway other Familia's to allow it so long as you don't try to add more members to your Familia.", Hermes told him.

"All I want is to raise my two grandchildren.", Zeus said motioning to Bella and I.

"I will vote in favor of you returning. It is the least I can do since your grandson risked his life for my familia.", Artemis advised.

With that settled we all started to make our way back to Orario.