ONE HELL OF AN EXHAUSTING DAY, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?

When I opened my eyes, I sat up and found myself on my bed. My body was as good as ever. Pain seared through my limbs, and it felt as if my insides were going to rip out. I laid back in bed as I couldn't stand up. Somehow, I forgot how I ended up like this. I remember leaving Circe's home and setting sail on our new ship, named the "Black Pearl" by me. I recall seeing the Sirens and fighting them. I figured an attack from them would make me bleed, yet I had no bandages on me. Did Vittoria use healing magic? In any case, I was too tired to care. I curled into a ball and closed my eyes.

My subconscious felt like being a jerk to me because my dreams reminded me of what happened. Brian punched the hell out of me in the gut. I then became too weak to keep his shadow chained to mine, and as a result, the siren took him from me. If it's possible to cry while dreaming, I believe that's what I was doing. I tried to grab Brian's hand, to warn him that he would die, but he just punched me again. I opened my eyes, tears flooding down my cheeks. I gnashed my teeth in frustration, but then I sighed. Lamenting in my bed won't fix anything. The pain dwindled, so I was able to get on my feet now. I opened the door to my room and scanned the water below me. I was too miserable to see Vittoria for the moment, considering whether my ineptitude would get her killed too. I hadn't experienced the loss of someone I cared about since five years ago. It was just as devastating as when I lost my mother, maybe even more so. I discovered I'm too weak to protect Helen as I am now, and certainly if the gods go after her. When I joined Kronos, I was made aware of the powers I had. Initially, it pained me to know that I could have saved Mother back then if I had just stopped time. I resolved then to use what I have to protect Helen. With Brian's death looming over me, was I even capable of doing that? I didn't know, and I fixated on the sky as if I thought it had an answer, but obviously, it didn't.

I sighed. For some reason, my mind exhibited tranquility. I suppose it was because of the quiet atmosphere. Aside from the occasional gusts swooshing past me and some dolphins playing around, there was no noise. Well, until Vittoria joined me in my moping.

I thought she would try to cheer me up or lighten the mood, but she didn't. The look in her eyes was one of regret and sorrow. "Brian's dead, and you're just glaring at the sea. You're mad at me, aren't you?"

"If I said I am, how would you respond? Apologetic or mad yourself?"

"Honestly, I think I would be mad." Her eyes bore into mine. "Mad not at you, but for me. I could apologize all I wanted, but I don't think that'll bring Brian back to life. Yiannis, tell me something. If I hadn't asked to listen to the Sirens' song, could we have saved Brian together?"

"We would have a better chance of doing so, but that's not a guarantee. Besides, both Brian and I were aware we couldn't count on you for support. Even if you had helped, I don't think you could have stopped Brian from looking at the Sirens. Even if you defended me, could you have withstood Brian's fist? The guy's a brute, you know."

"I know," she smiled wanly. "But I could have killed the Sirens controlling him."

"There were plenty of things you could have done, which you chose to not do. I won't call you out for your judgments. After all, the brunt of the failure lies with me," my voice cracked. "I'm the one that failed to keep Brian safe, Vittoria. If anything, you should reprimand me for it. We had decided on our plans, and I couldn't manage to follow through with them. In short, I'm too weak. If only I were stronger..." I turned around and faced the sea again. Vittoria walked closer until her body was an inch away from mine. "Yiannis, you may not be the strongest, but you are certainly not weak. Not at all."

"Sure, but Brian went bye-bye, and it was because I was too powerless to help him. If I can't protect the ones close to me, how am I-"

"How am I going to keep Helen safe?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Am I that easy to read?"

"When it comes to your sister or those you care about, then yes. Tell me, how do you feel?"

"I think you can figure that out on your own. Horrible, if you can't. How about you? Until recently, Brian had always tried to make you miserable."

"Yeah, well, h-he made an amazing turnaround in the end," Vittoria sniffled. "I wished he didn't. Then it could have been a bit easier losing him."

"You would still grieve for him, even after he tried to make your life miserable at every corner?"

"As I said, he's not a horrible person, Yiannis. He had some decent qualities, which you saw for yourself since you became friends with him." Vittoria was right. Brian wasn't someone outstanding, but most people aren't. He was kind enough for me to like him. We had promised to play video games together when we got back, but now...

"Vittoria, what did you see?"

"I'm sorry, Yiannis. What exactly do you mean?"

"You said listening to the Sirens' song gives you knowledge about yourself. I want to know whether it was worth the experience." Then, Vittoria did something totally out of the blue. She took my head and cradled it in her chest, stroking my hair. "So you do think it's my fault, don't you? You're angry at me for that, right?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Partially, anyway. So, um, what exactly are you doing?"

"Oh - don't get the wrong idea. I just wanted to comfort you, is all. You used to be really quirky, and I miss hearing your puns. Right now, every time you talk, I can observe the life being drained out of you, and it's not a pleasant sight. Your voice sounds like a dying old man's, slowly fading into obscurity as his life closes. It hurts me that I'm to blame for making you like this, even if only partially." It was the third time Vittoria surprised me. I felt her body tremble, and I felt a water droplet hit my cheek. I took it for a raindrop, but then I recognized it was Vittoria's tears. She was crying, and guilt washed over me. Why was she crying? I'm the one who failed to save Brian, not her!

I wrapped my arms around Vittoria's waist and gripped her tightly. "I told you it's not your fault," I patted her head. "So stop crying already. I'm the one who's solely to blame." I blushed when I realized what I was doing, and Vittoria was too. "Oh..." She buried her face in my chest. "Still, I feel responsible for your current condition. It hurts me to see you the way you are now. If you're solely to blame, then I'll admonish you, just as you asked me to do." Vittoria took the corners of my mouth and stretched them into an artificial smile. "Hey, what are you doing? Ow, that hurts!"

"Sorry," she giggled. "Ok, I've come up with your punishment. Yiannis, I decree that you be happy." I wasn't sure whether to follow along and appreciate Vittoria's efforts or be mad at her for joking around when I wasn't in the mood. But she seems to have caught this. "I know this is not a good time to be lighthearted, but I'm not kidding about being happy. At the very least, move on from Brian's death."

"That's easier said than done," I grumbled.

"I know. But Brian would have wanted us to do so, for our own sakes. And I can't bear to see you mope for much longer. So please, Yiannis, smile if you can." She pasted another smile on my face, and I had to say, Vittoria's genuine smile is striking. It was as lovely as Helen's, maybe even more. And this was ignoring the fact that Vittoria was becoming more and more attractive with each passing day, even though she didn't need the extra beauty. Plenty of girls her age would be envious of Vittoria for her looks. I realized I was gaping awkwardly and shook my head. "Sorry, I spaced out." Vittoria clasped my hands, and I let her lock her fingers with mine. "Look at that. You're showing me that radiant smile I've come to love."

"Yeah," I nodded. "It's all because of you." I brought her close to me in a tight embrace. "I can't really repay you for this, but...thank you, Vittoria."

"You're welcome," she seized my shoulders. "Yiannis, when we come back, there's something I would like to tell you. Just the two of us."

"Alright," I let go of Vittoria, and she did the same. "Can you not tell it now?" She shook her head. "Well, actually, there are two things I would like to tell you. The first is a long story. The second will be terser, but it's knowledge I only want you to know and remember. You better not tell anyone, or I might cry."

"I promise I won't," I smiled. "You have my word."

"Thank you. I'll murder Helen if you betray me."

"Hey!" I mock protested. "Threatening is going a bit too far, don't you think? You're so cruel."

"Well, it's absolutely justified," Vittoria smirked. Her face lightened up as her smile grew to a wide grin. "Glad to have you back, Yiannis."

"Glad to have me back, too. Wait, how's the ship steering? Did you use a spell?"

"Well, I needed help from Circe, but yeah. I can move the ship at a whim, so don't worry."

"Even when we're asleep?"

"Mmm-hmmm. As I said, have no fear. I slept last night, and nothing happened, did it?"

"That's like saying an oil rig isn't dangerous because it didn't explode or there wasn't a notable spill yet. But I won't argue. I trust you, Vittoria."

"As you should," she smiled. "Anyhow, there's an island nearby. Our food supply is kinda low, so let's scavenge for some in continuation of our island tradition, shall we?'

"I'm all in. By the way, how exactly does the whole-sleep driving thing work with the ship?"

"Oh, thanks to magic, I can do it in my dreams. Well, steering a ship has been the theme in my dreams ever since we left Circe's home. More importantly, island and food." Well, Vittoria somehow overlooked the orange giant robot standing on the shore. By giant, I mean a skyscraper. It had humanoid features, such as a head, torso, arms, and legs, and it was covered to the brim in armor. In the back of its helmet, a glittery silver tube extended out and embedded itself into the right ankle of the giant robot through its greaves. Was it the robot's weakness? Did it transport something vital across the robot's body? Whatever the case, I didn't want to fight it. If I was right, the chances I had of beating it were slim.

I turned back to Vittoria, who cursed like she was a rapper in these "modern" times(by that, I mean nothing came out of their mouths but a new curse word). "Talos?" She cried. She stomped her foot in frustration. "Goddamm my rotten luck!"

Vittoria had confirmed my theory. Talos was the immortal automaton created by Hephaestus, the blacksmith god. It was designed to guard the island it was installed in, to protect some lover of Zeus. Was there a way to bypass it without having to fight? Judging from Vittoria's reaction: that was unlikely. "Hey, Vittoria, is there a way to kill it?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "You see that tube? That's its one vein. That's what circulates ichor, the golden blood of immortals, through his body. If you cut it, he'll die."

"I'm guessing that won't be that easy."

"Nope. Since that's his weak point, naturally, it would be the most protected. FYI, Talos wears no armor, as his body is made of celestial bronze. That tube, on the other hand, is pure steel."

"If you used fire magic, could you melt it?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think I can shoot flames hot enough to do the job."

"Ok, then can we avoid engaging him in a fight? If I'm correct, he was made to be the guardian of the island he's on. If we don't attack, will he let us through?"

"Perhaps. But it isn't a certainty. Since you can stop time, I'll be able to assess whether we're capable of killing Talos. It won't be the best analysis, but I'd rather get rid of such a threat than risk betting he'll let us through. If there happen to be other monsters on the island, we may have to end up fighting them and Talos. Yiannis, do you remember the time spell I taught you?"

"The lines, yes. Will that suffice?"

"Yes." Vittoria curled her arms around my chest from behind me. "We'll do the same thing as in the Isle of Lemnos. I'll provide a power boost with a spell of my own, and you cast the time spell. As of right now, I'm directing the ship towards Talos. When we reach the shore, cast the spell and stop time around Talos only. I'll jump off the ship and attack that tube."

"Got it." Like last time, I absorbed anima from my surroundings. A clock appeared in my mind, its hands ticking forward. When we were right in front of Talos, I used all my willpower to stop the minute, second, and hour hand. Talos was now perfectly suspended in motion, and hopefully, Vittoria managed to hop off the ship safely. I couldn't tell, as I couldn't get distracted; otherwise, Talos would be able to move again. All I could do was keep the giant static for as long as possible. If Vittoria concluded Talos was unkillable, she'd shoot a fireball at his face.

I collapsed on my knees. Talos roared when he realized I was in front of him, and he raised his club. However, before he rocked it down, he lurched to his left and then smashed face-first into a rock. His tubular vein was severed, and golden blood spurted out. Vittoria held both thumbs up with a huge grin, and I nodded as I lay on the Black Pearl. I wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. I couldn't even feel my arms or legs, and I dozed off.

I woke up in my room. I am grateful that Vittoria cares about me enough to transport me to somewhere comfortable to sleep. Once I got up and washed my face, the two of us departed for the island. Vittoria said she had already anchored our ship, and I assumed she did that with her mind.

The island was like Circe's home: a lush jungle. It was filled to the brim with food, and we happily glutted ourselves with whatever we deemed safe. Vittoria stored as much as she could in her backpack as we merrily wandered around the island. And then a big "problem" surfaced.

You see, it turns out this island was home to a tribe of Gegeines or six-armed giants. Aside from being wholly jacked, they made Shaq O'Neal look diminutive in comparison. They had so much body hair it wouldn't be far off to call them "Bigfoot," and they wore nothing but loincloths. Then, there were their clubs, which looked to be made of iron or steel, spiked, and had spears on their backs. The biggest concern was the difference in numbers: Vittoria and me versus twelve men, excluding women and children. Add to that the fact that I was worn out after the whole Talos thing, and it's now suddenly one and a half against twelve.

Vittoria drew her knife, but I shook my head. "As skilled as you are, even you can't take on that many alone." To this, she raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Alone? Are you ditching me here?" She gazed at my leg and understood. "I see. Yeah, it's gonna be hard fighting all of them and protecting you, not when you're in no condition to fight. Alright, then we'll-"Vittoria spun her body, barely avoiding a fatal blow from a propelled spear. I was too drained to control time efficiently, so I had to rely on my umbra powers and fashioned an AK-47. I would like to say that in the ancient Greek world, using a gun as a weapon was a terrible idea. I know the quick rebuttal would be that in a world where everyone uses swords and bows, it would be easy to win with a gun, as they are far superior weapons. Well, not so fast. You see, when in serious combat against powerful monsters, demigods, or gods themselves, the fighting is so quick-paced that stopping to reload may get you killed. Even if you can ready your gun in time, you'll still have to hit your opponent with bullets, which will be very difficult. But as I said, this only applied to relatively strong beings. I didn't think the Gegeines fit into that category, and I hoped I was right.

Sadly, I wasn't. Well, I was somewhat. The Gegeines had quick reflexes, and they actually managed to dodge my bullets. However, they weren't as fast as most demigods or gods, so I managed to make a dent in them as I fell back, increasing the distance between us. I had Vittoria behind me, and when I ran out of bullets, the Gegenies charged, seeing this as an opportunity. However, I had expected it, and so I let Vittoria take my role while I went on a time-out.

Vittoria's preferred weapon was a dagger(she had all the aspects of an assassin and would be perfect for an Assassin's Creed game). However, was no way a knife would be effective against a man who gripped a heavy club with each of his six arms in close quarters combat. Naturally, being a kind, considerate friend, I prepped a sword for her to use. And use she did. She may have lacked strength, but she more than compensated in agility and skill. While she danced marvelously around her opponents, the Gegenies were dumbfounded. Two of them were killed instantly. I knew the Gegenies would try to surround her(it was the optimal tactic), so I fired shadow bullets at them, getting some solid headshots. If the giants moved to encircle her, I would fire at them, and if they came after me, their backs would be turned to Vittoria, who was sure to cut off their heads. Defeating the seven Gegenies left would be a tall order for many demigods. Fortunately for me, Vittoria was among the best fighters in DGH. With my assistance and her magic, this was just another walk in the park for her.

Vittoria's blade cleaved one of the Gegenies's clubs in two. She swiftly wreaked havoc on the giant's legs and even cut off an arm. Vittoria finished him off and moved on to the next one, the next, and the next. I shot down two more, and a terrified Gegenies was all that remained. The giant roared and made a gallant charge, but he was diced into pieces.

I clapped my hands. "Well, done, Vitti. Could I call you that?"

"If you want. We're close enough. What should we do about the rest of the Gegenies? They might come attack if they find out we did this."

"Sure, but that's if the tribe notices. That fight happened near the village, and no fellow Gegenies seemed to notice. Either we intimidated them, or they've decided to launch an all-out attack and declared war. Which do you think it is?"

"Either is viable, Yiannis. Although, the likelihood of the second one is slightly higher. I wish my performance made them pee their pants in terror, but it's more likely they took us as invaders/murderers. In which case, they're going to assemble a mini-army to attack us. Even I won't be able to fend off a whole village of six-armed maniacs with magic alone unless you're capable of fighting on your own now."

"Nope, my legs are still a bit quaky. But have no fear, Vittoria, for I have come up with a plan: we're launching a surprise attack."

The two of us hid the bodies of the dead Gegenies in thick bushes, shrubs, and trees, each in different locations far from the other. If nobody witnessed the fight, then the Gegenies wouldn't know their fellow kin were murdered, and they wouldn't be on high alert, making an ambush easier. If they didn't, well, we were launching a preemptive strike for a reason.

We confirmed that the Gegenies were indeed preparing a counterattack. Since Vittoria could control the mist and use illusion magic, we managed to walk into the village without anyone noticing(we disguised ourselves as flies). What I found unusual was that fog wreathed around Vittoria's body. It was as if she was sucking it in, something that wasn't happening to me. Since she was manipulating the mist, I assumed it was an aftereffect of doing so. But then I remembered Julien doing the same thing, and I didn't see fog surrounding his body. But I'll figure that out later.

This village was something out of an RPG. The houses were built out of wood, and everyone wore animal skins for clothing. Their weapons were just spears, knives, or clubs, and I'm guessing they had no clue what armor was, which was good. Massacring them all would be much easier.

As per the plan, Vittoria nullified the illusion magic she was applied to me. All the Gegenies drew their arms, but I didn't charge. Instead, I ran around the village. Since I couldn't fight(I could run for a while even in my current state), my purpose would be to keep the giants occupied while Vittoria started a fire and fanned it with a flame spell. Pretty soon, the entire village was engulfed in flame. Vittoria then used elemental magic to harness the fire into a tornado that sucked up all the Gegenies and roasted them, along with a swath of trees, quite nicely. I wondered why she doubted whether she could kill Talos when she could command much power with the tips of her fingers.

Vittoria used the time spell she taught me to restore the trees to their former state, without the flames. I was compelled to applaud. "That was masterful, Vittoria. I can't believe you actually thought you couldn't break Talos's vein."

"Well, it never hurts to be cautious and have backup plans," she smiled. "If I hadn't forgotten my bracelets, you wouldn't have had to run around in your current condition. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," I brushed her off. "The result was what we wanted, and that's all that matters, right?"

"I suppose. You have the food we secured on you?"

"Yeah - hey!" I caught Vittoria as her knees buckled, and she fell on me. "I guess you're worn out too, huh?"

"Yeah. Controlling our ship in my sleep exhausts me. Even with extra sleep, I'm still tired."

"And I made you use a lot of powerful spells. That must have tired you out, right?"

"Somewhat," she admitted. "Of course, this isn't your fault. I'm the one who asked you to utilize that time spell to immobilize Talos."

"It was the best way to deal with him. Could you walk?"

"Yeah, thanks for the assist," Vittoria yawned. "I say we knock ourselves out. You?"

"Totally on board with that one, Captain Vittoria. We'll resume our journey tomorrow."

"Agreed."