*TW: Self-doubt, blood, violence (not too graphic), and all the goodness that fantasy-action books have!

[19 DAYS LEFT]

Ex (Evil Xisuma)'s POV:

For as long as I can remember I have always loved the sound of a siren.

I took it as a sign, a death of a mortal, maybe the incomings of a storm or an outbreak of a fire; for that exact moment that you hear the sound of a siren, you know that something's off.

Then I watched people huddled together in fear, in one unruly crowded place of nothing but fear. But yet, once you have forced us into a crowded place...

I often find myself turning around and falling in love with the emptiness of the streets, often finding myself just quietly rooting for the storm, for the end of everything I have ever known.

I think a part of me is tired of waiting, pleading, and asking for when the world will fall apart by anyone's touch.

-maybe by a lot, by The Fate, by the will of the gods-

almost daring them to grant your wish.

I reflected upon my own words and realized that I'm once again in the same situation of wishing for the world to collapse.

As I drown out the sound of the other Hermits laughing amongst themselves with the sounds of the ever-increasing rain outside.

From the bits I had heard, False seemed to be harassing Jevin and Doc for not speaking up about their... sticky situation, and my twin brother, Xisuma was just peeling her off of them so that Jevin and Doc can actually be separated.

Doc and Jevin are currently reacting the opposite of each other, Doc was silent just allowing himself to eat up all of False's words as he tries to pry off his robotic part from his limps.

Jevin... well, to be frank, Jevin was a bit louder than Doc. But to be fair, they were suggesting that they cut off the part of his slime skin that was stuck to Doc's limps and then scarping off whatever's left and just smearing it back onto the Jevin's arm.

I would probably also complain about his situation.

Eurydice seemed to be a bit dazed from well everything and took comfort sitting next to me just watching and listening to the rain outside as it poured on.

I guess that's a part of life that hasn't changed, as everything else becomes more of a game to the gods; a simple coin throw between what will happen. Some things will remain static, never fated to change.

Maybe in this quest, things will be unstable enough to change.

And I'll be here, quietly rooting for it to change until I can't feel my own pulse.

Even stranger in this calming madness of not being attacked yet, I don't feel on edge. In any other situation, I'll be on the lookout for a monster or something like that but in here I know that it will be coming, there's definitely a monster in this cave, it makes no tries to hide itself and every now and again I see it peek at us from the darkness.

It will attack and it knows that we know that it will attack so it's just calculating how to murder all of us in one swing.

As much as I hate being in a huge group at all times, I must say it is great for making monsters have a second thought on whether to attack us or not; if I was alone by myself, I would jump and dead by the monsters thirsting for the blood inside of me.

Honestly, unless you actively go at monsters for fun. All the monsters want is the glory of having a god's blood on their hands, but they can't go at the gods directly, so they turn on us.

I suppose revenge is revenge in any way shape or form.

It was only a matter of time before the beast that dwells in the dark be silenced by us.

So, to gain any sort of one-up on us, it decides to move its chess piece up and that turns out to be a swing of its bulged arms at us.

And when I tell us, I mean the stuck together Jevin and Doc duo, rising to my feet I decided to take my first real look at the beast that stood in the dark.

It was blind, that's the first thing that stuck out to me first, where its eyes should be is a large agape mouth with only darkness inside; its ears were like horns of a deer but fleshly and glowing like moss-covered it, every now and again it wiggles to sense the world around it. The rest of the body...was enormous with brute-like arms that slit near the shoulders to reveal its unhuman white muscles under it. Then there's the chest, it rips open in the middle to reveal its ribs and three glowing hearts, with each time it beats the glow shines and dims.

A warden.

The best way of killing this thing would be to slab all three of its hearts and run away, leaving it to dust, but it's pouring like some god up in Olympus was having a shower and the wet terrain leaves much to be desired.

So, we were cornered into the small and very echoic cave. Giving the warden just a bit more over the edge to even out with us.

With its towering figure and the smell of rot slowly filling in the space around us, we knew that we were in for a fight.

"How the Hades do you fight this thing?" I heard Tango scream from his corner, as with all his effort he swung and tried to slash the warden's back, a clear sound of wind whooping around the blades of the swords and the dull thud was a testament to the swords' duo blades; but the warden barely reacted.

I want in for a faint attack, to try and 'test' the waters per-say, a block then a sweep at its legs just to see how it may react to someone going for the weaker points.

Either it defends and leaves a spot open for us to brute strength it down, or it attacks, and we have to use tricks to get it distracted.

To my dismay, it did neither and stomped on my slide in and took my shield (with me hanging on might I add) and throw it away like a dirty old toy.

Being a child of Zeus, I could, in theory, form a wind current between me and the rocky cave wall that I am flying at seventy thousand miles per hour so that when I hit the wall, my spine will be protected slightly. But I am also an incompetent dumb-butt and just clashed with the wall. Ow.

A veil of pain quickly clouded my vision and I dropped onto the floor, my body unwilling to hold its own weight.

Feeling the rocks and moss of the cave cut into my skin as I dragged myself to my shield, I focused on the mob swinging my friends around like a puppet, for one point it seems like a rather slow creature; it's relying on the sheer muscles that it has.

And for two, it seems to almost hesitate before swinging its fist at us, never really attacking but just hoping to drive us away. That's rather strange behavior for monsters.

I got myself balanced on one knee despite the complaints of my back and threw my shield, watching if it will hesitate to attack a still flying object and as I guessed, the warden swung my shield down with no hesitation.

"Gang up and attack in close range! The monster falters with too many of us!" I yelled at the hermits that has not been swayed out of the fight.

Forming a tight circle around the blind creature, we wait for its guard to drop when it fumbled with what to do but it kneeled to us, hands on the ground and muttering dry screeches.

Like a monster, like a man: I hesitated.

Then the darkness took hold, waves of ink-like smoke shook through the ground in a circle, and just like that the underdog become the master of the field.

Instantly, my vision blackens until I couldn't see anymore, and panic took hold of my body, realizing that the monster had blinded us all with its magic; my body summoned a gust of wind, and I threw myself away from the fight, a coward moves if you ask me.

But it was much needed at the moment, as if I had stayed in the area where the Hermits still were, I would have been thrown away.

I would know because I heard the screams of the one that landed next to me, a higher-pitched squeak that could only come from Stress.

My vision finally lightens up a little and the first thing I saw confirmed that Stress was next to me, her pink jacket now torn and muddy and a motionless body.

The gentle rising and falling of her back soften my concerns just a bit, I stood in front as she slowly raised up to her knees.

"It feels like I had been hit over by a truck. Augh..." I heard the mutterings of the daughter of Demeter, and she looked roughly at where I stood and asked: "Any ideas that don't involve sight? I think I lost my vision."

The warden whines somewhere in the cave, meaning that it had been stuck somewhere and I felt the vibrations sent by the stomp of its feet.

"I think we have to play its own game." I answered and even if I was blinded at that moment, I could just feel Stress's stare of 'Are you nuts?" burning a hole where my heart is.

"Listen I have an idea, we need to overwhelm the monsters with vibrations so when we strike it, it could not tell where we are coming from." At that cue, the burning feeling grew stronger, but a savior come to my rescue in the form of Jevin. (And Doc because you know they are still stuck together)

"What else can we do at this point? We can only fail so much, Stress... it's now life or death." The slime man said, the unwilling Stress finally got to her feet with great difficulty and looked at the two men.

"I see." Was her only response to Jevin's plea, and we can't even tell if she is talking about my plan or she's talking about the darkness effect that covered her eyes.

As my vision cleared up just a bit more, I rounded up the Hermits that could still fight and told them of the plan.

Once a long time ago I told myself that I was never suited to be a leader, my brother was better at these things, talking with people, asking them the correct questions, and saying the right things with them.

But it was putting myself in a crowded space, I could turn around and realize that leadership is much more than being friendly. It's about being the head of reason and looking tough when everyone gives up hope.

As a show of hands, I made the first move: fisting my palm onto the mossy ground and erupting the ground with my largest gust of wind.

"Listen Hermits! We need to make as much noise as possible! Confuse the enemy!" I yelled out, not expecting anyone to come together as they are all wounded pretty roughly by now.

But in times of the greatest troubles, you can always rely on family to back you up.

"Just make as much sound as possible, we can win if we try." My twin said rather calmly in the face of the blind creature and raised his hammer.

And like that almost all of the Hermits were attacking all at once: water from Jevin, fire from Impulse and Zed, ice from Etho flew around like a colorful whirlwind.

Hypno and B-dubs seem to be charting something about the creature, as a magic circle of protection summoned by Xb. Cub, demigod of power punches the ground, and stones were thrown around by Tango.

Scar and Joe formed a music band with their instruments and somewhat disorganized harmony, Keralis and Stress doing... plants s-t-u-f-f. (I don't know too, ask them)

Mumbo and Wels clank together metal objects and making big ugly sounds, Gem and Doc made their respective animal noises... somewhat. Ren, Zed, TFC, Beef, and Pearl clashed their weapons and yelled at the warden.

At this moment, my view on life was on the side of a coin. Not wanting to end all that there ever was so that this magical moment can be eternal but at the same thing, was this not what I wanted? I could walk up to the creature and have my life be cut short, but...

I decided on a choice and slammed the coin down before it could be tiled over by the will of the Fates, and I took my life back into my hands.

...I decided that I will go on for another day...

"Charge!" I yelled and despite the madness of the situation we found ourselves in, Iskall understood my message loud and clear.

They went in for a deep stab to one of its three hearts, the warden screamed.

I almost feel bad for it, for a moment, it almost sounded human.

Realizing that I was the leader of the so-called group, the bleeding monster stumbled its way to me and struck me to the ground hard.

A hasty fog covered my eyes as a numb pain entered into my skull, I looked up at the monster in front of me.

It was shaking and I'm sure if it had eyes, it was crying. A thick black blood-like goop dripped from its mouth, the glowing of the other two hearts was much more rapid and it cried over and over again.

For a moment, time slowed down and through my head fog, I saw shadows of a man. Then the monster was knocked off of me by a lone Hammer. I sat up to look at my savior brother in the eyes and he gestured to the right side of his head.

I touched my forehead and felt something wet on my palms that made contract...blood.

Suddenly I hacked up more blood onto the cave floor, I must have broken a rib or two.

Xisuma took over the lead from there, he yelled for the hermits to make more noise but at this point...we were tired.

My plead to the world, my one chance to take control over my life and it was all for nothing. Now, I have a scar to prove the failures of trying.

But... I tried again.

Stumbling to my feet, my vision doubled as I looked at the sad warden. It had not attacked us regardless of the fact all of us were on end's wit, it was just waiting.

"Something is off with the behavior of this Warden... what are you?" I asked the warden didn't spare me a look. Irritated, I screamed at the Warden to look at me.

"Ex? What are you doing...?" I heard Mumbo ask and I looked up, staring at the Warden's wide mouth.

In some attempt to talk with us, the monster made a loud sound, devoid of pain.

I wasn't aware of the moss moving up my feet, I didn't know that the warden was moving its arms up, no idea of False's growing concern and unaware of the black and red pool down at the monster's feet.

Then, it swung at me. A familiar taste of copper entered my mouth as the walls slammed their rocky surface into my chest and I fell onto the ground.

Once the dust settled, my head jolted at the sound of metal against metal; a sure sign that the Hermits were fighting.

Focus. I thought to myself, but my head won't obey.

Stand. I raised myself to a sitting position, the ringing in my ears far outweighs the thoughts that seized to be.

Breathe. I looked at the heavens and tried and pull it down to me. Still...I stumbled, and my concentration broke as my lungs fought over my heart.

Fight. But I just couldn't, I couldn't even move, and everything hurt like hell. Fight.

Fight. I looked meekly at the hermits, who were all now exchanging hit after hit to wear it down. I looked down at myself because I couldn't join. I couldn't stand by their side and fight with them.

Fight, look at False. She's fighting and you are not.

As the thoughts said that False managed to get a successful stab to one of its hearts and the monster cried out in pain.

It sounded wrong, it sounded so human. Fight.

The monster was already down and out, why would I need to fight? The intrusive thought lingered within my head, no one else seems so obsessed with it. Fight.

I looked at the monster, I could have sworn that I saw a young man.

The young man looked Greek, he had a wide smile and was athletic with a strong build.

He looked at me and whispered a phrase, "Joy to you."

Fight. I don't want to... Fight. Fight. Fight, you know you want it, the hermit won't give you a chance to talk out these things, all you need to do is to trust me, you're ready.

"Stop. Wait..." I whisper-yelled to the group. Are you defying me?

Endured the never-ending ache of my head, I hugged the rock wall and cried out: "He's not a monster, that man isn't a warden."

Are you attempting to convince yourself that you're in control? "Ex what are you talking about, he tried to kill you!"

My head throbbed when I saw my own blood spilling onto the floor, I know I could die, I've seen people try and spare monsters. You are fighting a useless tug of war with sense; how can you look at that and call this... thing... a man?

"He was human, a warrior. Right... Philippides?" I asked the fallen soldier, and he smiled at me.

The ghost of the young man stood in front of the body; he crooked his head and smiled, once more he said, "Joy to you, you've won." Then ghost faded back into his body.

The Hermits looked at me as if I was nuts, then again yeah, from their eyes I must look like a dead-mad man so all the rights to them.

The man-turned warden seemed happy with his past name, I felt bad for calling it a monster all the times before. The signs were always there, the way the muscles strained and pulsed as if he still had a heartbeat, how it looked at both directions before attacking and gasping for air to enter its lungs when stabbed.

We were the monsters for not noticing the pain of the ancient Greek man.

"Then... why does it-he looks like this?" Keralis meekly looked at the man-made monster before us.

A small suspicion grew in my head as Philippides looked up at this mossy cave roof and without a shadow of a doubt, I joked out loud:

"Raise your hands if you think the gods are in any way responsible for this," I said through damaged breaths, my vision blurred, and I can feel my hand slipping down the rocky surface I held dearly.

Good-guy-Xisuma came and quickly sat me down, using his back to block the other's view, he slipped off my helmet and cleaned off the dried blood on the side of my head, and bandage it up before putting it back on the headgear.

(Did you really think I was going to describe how I look like under the helmet? Ha! You wish. But no, keep dreaming folks.) [Also, where the heck did the idea that I got white hair come from anyways? Sometimes I have red highlights but a good 60% of fanart of me has pure white hair, I'm not some anime character, I'm literally made as an April-Fool's joke then got turned into a character by the fandom.]

(Wait. what was I talking about again?)

While he was working on cleaning and icing the large bruise on my arm, I tried to push him away, but he just held his grip on me. "I don't want to lose you too brother, just... hold on for a bit. It's embarrassing for me too 'kay?" His lip shivered at the word brother.

I stared at his purple helmet through my own haze-filled eyes, but as dizzy as I felt even, I can see that Xisuma is wounded as well, so I grabbed a clean gauze pad and begin wiping the rather deep gash he got at the side of his arm.

We didn't speak to each other while we cleaned each other up, my twin knew if he wanted me to be treated that he himself will be treated to his own wounds as well.

For as long as I can remember I have always loved the sound of a siren.

I took it as a sign, a death of a mortal, maybe the incomings of a storm or an outbreak of a fire; for that exact moment that you hear the sound of a siren, you know that something's off.

Casting my twisted knee for another layer of bandages, looked at my brother in the eyes and whispered: "Thank you..."

But the only thing is that, if that siren is going to a loved one then I began to fear. A disaster had been stroked near and for once in my life... I pleaded for the sirens to never come back.

The man-monster looked scared at the sight of me limping around with one-fifth of my body covered in dressings. He seemed to be sorry that I ended up in the state that I was.

Looking around, the other Hermits seemed to have the same idea as X and me as they were all bandaging each other up with Pearl running delivering more cleaning wipes.

Like how I guessed, Pearl and Gem seemed to be the least wounded out of all of us, maybe because they couldn't fight back. (As soon as we get back Grian and Cleo, I am giving Pearl a gun. I DON'T CARE WHAT THE COPS SAID- JUST WATCH ME-)

"We are supposed to follow Orpheus in this condition. I could barely stand." Impulse winced at the sight of growing blue-ish black skin on his sides.

Eurydice sat at the mouth of the cave, the rain had stopped by now, allowing her face to be masked by the rays of the incoming sun.

In this light, I really saw the body of an ancient Greek woman, someone that didn't belong here. Iskall stood just behind her, muttering something that I can't catch.

"Sunset, Orpheus wouldn't dare to step out. Being the son of Apollo will set a rather large wave of rage, even if all he got from his father was his musical skills." Iskall looked at us with a relieved gaze, their amber eyes now shone a brilliant scarlet in the light of the sunset.

"Don't diss my husband like that! Also, I said the fact he doesn't have any weapons to fight back with!" Eurydice rambled to the Swedish person right next to her.

In response, Iskall picked at their ear and walked away to ice their knee. (I swear I saw Eurydice go up in flames with the way Iskall dismissed her.)

The rest of the Hermits dropped dead onto the ground with that information, I looked at the warden for a truce.

The warden understood my glance, he looked at the dark summons of his cave and walked in.

"I think the Warden allows us to rest in this cave... just as long as we don't step too far." I guessed with the Warden's body language.

"I swear if fights like this keep happening, I might need a new suit soon. Maybe something elf-like to cover up all the moss stuck on my horns." Scar said, picking on the moss that was stuck on his goat horns and ears.

"Do you think that pretending to look like one of them will stop them from fighting with us? Say, I have snake hair and look more... uh... like a zombie, would I be attacked?" Cleo asked, playing around with her hair.

"No, well- Monsters rely on smell and waves in the air to sense where we are, but if we need looked like them... I think they may hesitate on attacking us as they can't really tell if we are of their kin." Ren explained.

Hesitate and not prevent so clearly that method is not the best. I sneered at the idea of moving my body around to find a good place to rest up my body for the night. (Did that one fight really take the whole day? Gods, I am time blind...)

Jevin can be heard sobbing in the background as he got a small chunk of his slime-like skin ripped off onto Doc during the fight, Stress is... being her usual happy therapist self to them.

Aside from those three, all the hermits just laid in whatever spot they were standing in beforehand to catch their breaths.

Joe looked at me, his right eye bruised and nose broken, and asked me how I knew. (Be more specific lords Joe! Geez, you are an enigma.)

"Knew what?" I asked, my chest now just settling into a soft numb pain and breathing a bit more even.

Joe stared at me as if I was supposed to be all-knowing when it comes down to his brain, and continued: "You knew about Philippides? How? I can't tell that he was anything but a monster in flesh and blood."

Pearl buzzing her nose into our conversation for an especially important question, "So... uh, not to be rude but... who is Philippides?"

Ren peered up from taping his glasses which got broken during the battle but got denied his free speech with a quick slap on the wrist by Cub.

While I would have loved not to explain who Philippides is, Cub is a bedwetter... at least we didn't have an hour-long story from Ren-Diggy-dog. Grian and Cleo promised me that they didn't have taught Ren any charmspeaking, but the dog man has a way with his words.

"Philippides is a Greek person that ran... what was it 200 meters?" I looked at my gloved hands, and suddenly I had forgotten all of the day runner's story, so I stared at the ripped fabric of my dark gloves.

A deep growl came from within the walls of the caves, a dim heartbeat flashed in the dark.

Gem rubbed her antlers, "I think it's saying that you are wrong dear."

"What-! And how would you know? I get Jevin understanding monster talk but you-?" I yelled in surprise until my ribs threatened to crack.

Gem wagged her ears, her freckled face and green eyes stared at me with a bored expression on her face, "I am a monster too you know? Stags, you know symbols of my Patron Goddess?" Gem sighed as if I should have known this since when I first saw her.

"Stags? As in male deer- oh, I got you now." Iskall looked absently at Gem, her face reddening into a faint shade of crimson.

"I'm still a hermit, that much would change." Gem declared; her face reddens even more.

"Nah, there's no problems of you being you, you egg." Cleo softly punched Gem's arm, they giggled together.

I felt a small smile creep up my face, it was... nice you know; looking at the Hermits joking together, knowing more about each other by the moment, bonding... ugh, that sounding so cliché.

But the feeling of Pearl staring at me with a burning curiosity in her eyes caught me back into what I was talking about before.

"Right, uh Gem... what did Philippides say? I'm not good with monster speak." I scratched my neck, looking a bit off focus.

The monster growled a bit more and that made Gem cracks into a fit of giggles, I was getting a bit annoyed at the lack of response, so I just whipped the wind right at her face to symbolize a slap.

"Hey! What the that's no way to treat a lady." Gem hunch forward to meet eye to eye with me but I am much older than her, so I didn't take the bait. (At the sorry state I'm in, I'll lose to even Gem of all people)

"Hpf-! I'll guess I'll help you this one time just because you are beaten up, Philippides said that he ran 240 miles then died." Gem supplied helpfully then she turned her back and walked away like a true bad@? #. (Censor brought to you by my annoying brother Xisuma)

Pearl gives a deadpan face, "So to honor his death, we chose to run 262 miles and not kneel over and die? I don't know it sounds dumb..."

Pearl had a point, it was the worst way to honor the runner then again Jesus was honored with the cross as if he didn't die on it, I get that he 'died to save us' but if I was the son of God (with the capital G) I would not want to near a cross ever again.

The hermits buzzed back into a lively atmosphere, treating the last of the wounds and drifting off into their sleep.

And as much as I want to sleep, as much as the dull aches in my body continue, a dull pressure drove into the back of eyeballs, a small creeping voice. And just like that, you are going to break their trust by not watching over them at this night? There are always more monsters out there you know?"

But thank the Gods, Xisuma slapped me back into my mind.

"If you're worried about them, I can ask Gem or Pearl to take the night shift, they been worried that they haven't done enough for us." Xisuma softly whispered at me.

Oh, course they wanted to help more, that what every single one that had joined this group is always worried that they won't be of use... but all of them failed the realize that, as long as you call yourself a 'hermit' with the most joy on your face, you are one of us.

No questions are needed.

I only can smirk in response, but either way. None of the hermits beside them were in the right shape to watch over the night shift, half of us can barely stand without our legs shaking in pain. So, with no other options, my hands behind my back and my head held low: I give way to my brother's demands and let Pearl and Gem have the night shift.

And so, the world fell asleep with me.

...

[18 DAYS LEFT]

...

Another dreamless night, I'm starting to wonder if Apollo got turned into a human again.

The night shifters of Gem and Pearl were just kneeled over asleep at the cave's mouth, we should start training them in the art of staying awake in the Hypnos children's cabin.

The moss no longer gave off the soft light and the warden's snores echoed from down below... Did we all just fall asleep at the same time as others?

Oh, for the love of all the gods up in the sky, what the heck happened? I thought as my rib begin throbbing in pain, it almost felt like someone threw me into the walls.

Wait, oh right. The Warden did do that: the memories of what happened last night came back to me. Carefully stepping over the sleeping bodies, I broke into the daylight of the sun in the outside world. And trust me, it felt like heaven if heaven existed.

The breeze of the wind was cool but not freezing, the grass and trees all seemed to be waking up around me, even the cave behind me now was brightened by a new type of energy, I looked up.

The sky was a soft baby blue with hints of cyan within the limitless air, if Grian was here, he would surely be flying, cutting the air with his robotic wings.

I wonder if Etho would try that as well?

Grian, Cleo... wonder where they are. I looked over at the sun which was in the middle of the sky.

...Wait.

Middle of the sky, it can't be noon now, could it? GODS FU#? @! I ran back into the dark walls of the cave. (I think I stood on a bit of Gem's hair, sorry Gem!)

"GET UP YOU DEMI-BUTTS, IT'S NOON. WE HAVE SLEPT IN." I yelled at the still asleep group.

All I got back was a comical snore from TFC, and the soft muttering of Zed going five more minutes.

In a time of horror like this, I ran to my brother and shook him around.

"Wake up, we have little time left! There are only 18 days and Orpheus can and is on the move, we might miss our last chance to stop him.

Xisuma's unamused face can be seen even without taking off the helmet, he just slurred out: "Chill bro, it's 18 days, we have lots..." He stopped to yawn in his sentence, "... of time."

The trouble with time limits is that we always think we have enough time or too little time, in this case, it was the former.

As angry as I was, I genteelly dropped him onto the ground.

And by gently, I mean hard enough for his helmet to go 'BANG!'.

That was enough for the Hermits to finally start to awaken, as Xisuma quickly sat up with his hand on the side of the helmet as if he was holding a wounded head.

"What the Hades' bloody womb was that?" Xisuma sounded like his pride has been injured, weirder was that he said the sentence with a British accent.

I crossed my arms and looked at him, I'm sure everybody can sense the fury through the red tilted glass. "Good noon y'all." I sneered at the rest of the hermits.

The hermits all wore a face of fatigue, some were relying on others to support their weight. We were in no shape to take on Orpheus at this stage, but still the world...

Didn't I start with the idea that the world wasn't worth saving? Wasn't it me who will root quietly for a storm and destroy the earth?

The idea of the world is gone for good sounds... great. The hermits can sleep for just a while longer.

Even if... this world of mine is gone, what will be the meaning of my actions now? After all, in the grand scheme of things, I'm just a clog in the machine.

But we're still needed.

I'll save the world for the sake of saving another day with the hermits. I'm not doing this because details in my dream seemed off, I'm not doing this because the gods had screwed up, I'm not doing this for the strangers that don't even know me.

I'll do this for myself and my friends only.

"Are we all almost good to go? We've wasted a lot of time." I grinned at the sleepy group, cracking my knuckles just for the effect.

The hermits all sighed dramatically, even though I know that they will drop every drop of blood in them to finish this quest... but asking them to wake up after a tough battle is the line they drew at, it also doesn't help the fact that we have to hike up a mountain for Orpheus who may or may not take another day or more just to get here.

"Ex, you have a beautiful face but sweet prince, will you just allow us to stay... just a bit longer?" Keralis looked at me with his sweet eyes.

"Yeah! Yeah! Just a bit, we'll only stay a bit more." B-dubs popped into the exchange, the moss of his jacket was starting to fall off, but it retained its shape.

Now normally, this request wound be sent to Xisuma or TFC, and knowing those two, they won't stand a chance with the pleading faces of both Keralis and B-dubs. However, I'm Ex. So those tricks won't work on me.

"No, get up you all. Broken bones or not, we are getting to the top of that mountain." I replied with a dry tone, picking up the nearest stick to be used as a walking stick.

Now, do I need to say that people should not walk around if they have broken bones? If anyone has a broken bone, I suggest them to rest up, because under the tough exterior I have on currently is a man whose life slips a bit farther away each time he takes a step, or in Lameman's words, it hurts... a lot.

Like all good demigod-children, we decided to take a hike right under our parent's home and not visit them. I'm sure they were watching us now that we were on their grounds.

Family or not, they will kill us if we dare to speak out.

On the way up, we spotted a vending machine that sold drinks, which is good because I can hear Ren panting like a dog behind me.

"Gods Ren, get a grip of yourself." I heard Ren muttering to himself.

One look at the sun or the lack thereof is enough to tell me that we should pause for a bit. At this point, we are at a bit more of the halfway point of the mountain, and at a spot where we can look down and up the mountain without the trees blocking the paths high and low, the only bad point in this area is that we were at a rather flat area of the mountain.

The small shallow forest is behind us, and the front is wide open. If we were to get attacked, we would be cornered.

Our best option is to hide for the night, we're still healing from the last fight and blindly charging into the forest would mean death.

I explained that to the hermits and they seemed to be not thrilled about hiding away.

"The forest is too thin to hide in, we would be noticed!" Stress told off Iskall's idea of sleeping in the trees.

"Well, you could just always plant more trees." Iskall said to the smaller Hermit.

"On the god's turf? Are you joking?" Stress crossed her arms.

Zed pushed them apart to explain his amazing idea, now get ready for it! Zed's grant idea is... to hide in the trash bins! (If that is not the Zedaph thing for Zed to do, I don't know what is.)

"The ones over there... that seafoam colored one. I think that's big enough to fit at least three hermits." Zed pointed wildly at a small row of trash cans, and from my vision... the trash bin was brownish in color.

However, Jevin picks it up right away, further adding to Zed's nonsense: "Oh that one, I think if we squeeze, we might fit four hermits in the seafoam one."

Impulse opened the lid of the third one in the row and looked rather confused. But Zed shook his head and went: "No Impy, that's Spring green. That's rather small, I think a shorter hermit can fit that one no problem."

Cub pointed at all of the trash bins and went "They all look the same? I don't know what you guys are on?"

Zed once again, shook his head and denied it.

"That's parakeet at the front, then turquoise, then spring green, then emerald, green then-" I slapped the talk out of Zed.

I guessed I looked rather annoyed because Zed quieted down after one glare. "Are you all dumb, those rubbish bins are clearly brownish?"

Xisuma sighed and pushed up the red glass piece of the helmet, I looked at the rubbish again and yep, they were green.

As I played with my glass piece like a kid. Xisuma assigned a rubbish bin to all of us.

When I first heard of Demigods and their quests, I didn't think about the fact that I may be sleeping in a trashcan one day. I thought to myself, my dearest brother was generous enough to assign me to a single-man trashcan.

Welp, whatever I don't care. I rested my eyes and fell into emptiness...

...

Well until I heard footsteps getting louder.

Orpheus, it had to be him.

Who else would come at the break of daylight?

[17 DAYS LEFT.]

...

TLDR:

Lachesism: The desire to be struck by disaster.

Author's Note:

In my own head-canon, I always thought of Gem as a deer, she had all the vibes to be one after all. Then I realized that only male deer had antlers... and that was how I accidentally made Gem a cool trans character!

ALSO, HERMITCRAFT SEASON NINE BABYYYYY-