'Humans are terrified of death, yes, but they're also not afraid to live...'   

A Saviour's White

I woke with a startle.

"Goddammit, Alexus!" I slammed my fist onto the ground, nearly shattering my bones in the process. I scanned the environment. It was dark.

I was in the palace- Thanatos' palace. All the lights were off and the sky outside was a deep midnight blue. No stars were visible, just a crescent moon, but something wasn't right. The air was to warm and the wind was too low.

It felt like I was in a dream. The earth moved like a daze.

"Where am I?" I shouted out. I was in one of the long hallways. I think perhaps on the third floor? Every hallway looked the same, but I remember once getting lost in this specific area and having Alexus guide me back to my room. That was still during the first week when I'd arrived here- when she was so kind to me.

"Alexus!"

"Calm down." She stood across the width of the wide hallway, her back to the open balcony. I raced towards her, my hands ready to clench around her throat, but as I sprang up to ensnare her, her body wasted away under my touch.

A mirage.

"Fuck you!" I yelled and growled; "I'm not in the mood for you games! I have lives to save!"

"No."

"NO?" I laughed and waved my hand above my head; "No?"

"No, you have to see the truth first before your ruin this opportunity for you to be free."

I scoffed at the air and her mirage reappeared across the hallway. I eyed her with anger, knowing that if she really was here right now, I would want my hands around her neck. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you see?" She narrowed her eyes in confusion, as if the obvious was evading me; "Thanatos is the cause of all of this."

I growled in anger and swung my hands up to my head, but she paid no attention to my frustration; "You need to see how badly he's affected you; how twisted he's made you."

"You're twisted, Alexus! You are!" I shouted and felt my anger rise to a boiling point.

"I'm not innocent, but I can love you more than he can and I can help you get back to the sweet girl you were."

I glared at her, but my mouth fell open in shock. "You're crazy." It was a whisper but it was laced with so many realisations. "You are crazy, oh my gods. I don't know how I never saw it?"

"Aurora, please..."

"It's probably not your fault." I continued, not even speaking to her, just saying it out loud; "You were so broken and they all used you and, yes, there probably was something damaged in you before. I mean, you kind of committed suicide? Oh my gods, you tried blood magic before, didn't you?"

Alexus shook her head; "Aurora, let me talk-"

"Didn't you?" I shouted at her and she sighed.

"Yes, I have mastered it somewhat. But not entirely-"

"That's it." I shook my head, but relief was far off. "It broke you like it broke me and you didn't have the help I had. Oh, Alexus..." I wanted to cry. She looked so oblivious to the fact that she was acting insane. "You need help. I can give you help, but you need to stop this and let me take care of you."

"But not before I do the same for you." She smiled. It looked like she was about to pull a knife from her back. I shrunk back, her smile creepy.

"We can be together, Aurora. We can finally be rid of him."

Him. She meant Thanatos. She projected all her hate over the years and all of her madness into one goal- hurt Thanatos. Kill Thanatos. Because he was everything she hated. He was like the man who she was meant to marry all those years ago, he was like Hades, cold and detached. He was like Hypnos, the man she couldn't love no matter how hard she tried. He was the man who took her friends and who wanted to use her just like the rest. She projected him into this evil monster and she wanted me to see him too.

To see him as a monster, because I was pure and everything she wanted to be.

That's why she hated any of my other friends- she was jealous. That's why she hated my relationship with Thanatos- she was so extremely jealous.

I wanted to smack myself in the face. I was so cruel to her, rubbing it in her face and not knowing. But this was no time to scold myself, not while she looked so completely mad.

Alexus smiled widely; "I want you to see what I see- the truth."

She spoke like a cultist. I shivered and nodded; "Okay, and when I do, will you set me free?"

Alexus smiled in happiness as my compliance; "Oh, yes! Anything you want."

I nodded, not sure what I was getting myself into.

"Where are we?" I looked around the dark hallway. It was so ominous and scary at night. so dark and deep. "Wait-" Panic overtook my body; "Where's the Aegis?" I fumbled around, looking high and low for any sign of the mirror, but nothing. I screamed at Alexus, my one chance of giving Thanatos the advantage gone; "Where is it!"

She smiled and shook her head as if the question was unimportant; "With Hermes... Now, let's start."

"WHAT?"I had to steady myself against a pillar. "You set him free? With the Aegis! Thanatos!" I screamed and looked for a way out, but Alexus reappeared in front of me, her mirage blocking my path. I smacked a hand out to hit her, but she stopped me with a sick smile.

"Now, now, you agreed, my love."

"Let go!" I ripped my hand back and backed off.

Alexus sighed; "We're in a dream state- the same place I kept Hecate and drained her of enough power to feed you her clues, just enough to get us all by to find the Aegis."

"And enough to keep you and everyone a secret." I sneered and Alexus nodded, impressed with her plan. I shook my head in disgust.

"I hope you know that I'm merely doing this to make you see the light- to help you. I know you'll be scared and broken, but you need to see this."

I hesitated, suddenly afraid of what I agreed to. This can't be good. Nothing in Alexus head is completely coherent right now. She snapped and her mind was unable to deal with all the stress. She was losing it. No, she had lost it already.

"See what?" She smiled and I pushed her for more; "Alexus, see what?"

"Him." She sighed and turned to leave; "For who he really is. I need to remind you so we can be together and you can see how much I care."

She was gone. Her mirage went up in smoke and the mist drifted away; with all my hope at escaping. I couldn't wake myself here, not without Hypnos' help, and he was out making sure his brother wasn't getting himself into shit. I damn-well hope he was.

I dropped my face in my palms and rubbed my temples. This is crazy. We're all crazy.

I knew why she'd let Hermes out of his cage- she knew Nyx wasn't going to end her own son she loved so dearly, so she went with plan B; a sneak with a heavy grudge against Thanatos and who most probably still had an alliance with Ares. And both of them had godly weapons to boot. I can't believe him stuck here while Thanatos and Hypnos and the rest of them are out there with god-knows what danger!

Fool!

I pulled at my hair and growled, but then suddenly, a beautiful voice echoed through the empty hallway. "Aurora..."

I swung my head around and locked my eyes onto his red ones. Thanatos stood at the end of the long hallway, the only thing I can make out was the dark Silhouette of his large build, his black cloak laying on the floor beside him and those red, almost neon against the black back-drop, eyes.

He looked... terrifying.

The features of his face were shrouded in darkness, but then he parted his mouth to speak and the glint of his white fangs caught the moonlight. I took a step back. This isn't my fiancé.

"My angel..." Even his voice sounded so frightening.

My throat went dry and I struggled to swallow; "Thanatos?"

He smiled, but it hid something menacing. Something dark. "Come here, Aurora."

I took another step back.

He followed with one boot forward and then another.

His cape followed.

I swallowed hard. This was like the first time we met- I'm terrified. "You're not him." I shook my head, but the monster wearing my lover's face crept forward and out of the shadows, its smile wide.

"You and your awful jokes..." How did it know that? I tried to compose myself, to keep myself reigned in. I knew Alexus had overheard some of our conversations in the past and Thanatos was always poking fun at me for my corny sense of humour- that had to be it. It had to be. This wasn't him.

"Come here, my angel." The thing that looked like Thanatos said softly, toning down its creepy smile. "I want to show you something."

"Show me from here." I nodded my head at the side of the hall where it stood and Thanatos sighed like he normally would, with a hint of dry sarcasm. "Always playing hard to get..."

I took another step back as he tried to hide his step forward with the suave casualness of a serial killer. "Don't be like that, darling. I'll ask one more time-" Thanatos smirked, but I noticed his hand ball into a fist; "Come. Here."

"No." I glared at it.

Thanatos' smirk fell like a curtain. "Don't make me angry."

I didn't move a muscle. Something was way off here. Thanatos tried again, his sickly sugary smile reattached and undeniably luring. He was blinding like this, almost like a gleaming hook to a fish. I knew he was dangerous, but good gods- he looked too good dripping in danger. I was in a daze.

With the speed of a viper he ripped out his scythe and I lunged back, stunned out of my stupor and nearly tripping over the carpet. I flung myself down the stairs behind me and covered my ears as he growled down after me, his boots clapping hard on the marble steps. He was racing after me.

"Aurora!" His voice as animalistic- almost demonic; "Don't think you can outrun death, angel!"

I didn't answer as I ducked around a corner and raced towards the end of the passage. As I turned around to see if he was chasing me, Thanatos slammed against the wall as he flew around the corner, his red eyes firmly locked onto mine. I yelped and shot down the next flight of stairs.

"Here kitty-kitty! Come here, Rora!"

I ignored his teasing echoing down the stairs. I nearly fell from the last flight, but quickly managed to pull myself right with the railing before I had the chance to plant face-first on the floor. Thanatos flew down the stairs like they were nothing. I was breathing hard, my chest heaving, but he looked like he was strolling through it all.

His smile was wide and filled with sick giddiness at the chase. "There you are!"

I grunted as he swiped the scythe across the air, aiming for my neck. I shrieked and ducked down. Before I could shoot up and scurry off in the direction of the courtyard, Thanatos had his hands around my throat.

Fuck.

"Hello, delicious."

I breathed in hard, his hands too tight, chocking me; "Stop t-this!" I gasped for air, hoping he'd left go by some miracle, but I knew this wasn't Thanatos. This thing was only wearing his skin. This thing didn't have any love for me whatsoever.

Is this what Alexus saw him as?

"L-let go of m-me!" I kicked against him, his red eyes too familiar. I couldn't bear to look into them. Not like this. Thanatos killing me once was enough.

"You're so hot when you're dying..." The thing that looked like Thanatos leaned in and whispered to my face; "I'm so aroused."

I spat in his face. "Fuck off!" It didn't feel right, but then again, neither did him draining the life out of me.

Was this how things would have gone if Thanatos had never felt an inkling of love towards me when we'd first met? He'd have killed me like this- intimately and without mercy. Just like I knew he was capable of.

Thanatos snarled and dropped me. I coughed and wheezed, my lungs filling with air and my head dizzy with the lack thereof. A hand found my chin and suddenly those red eyes filled my vision; "I must admit, I do love the chase, so I'm going to give you a minute head start."

"How generous." I chocked, trying to suck up as much air as I could and my lip twisted up in disgust, but he paid no attention to it; "Sixty. Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight..."

I shot up and ran. I wasn't sure where I was heading, but his cackling fuelled me on. That, and the burning rage in my heart.

If this is what Alexus thought Thanatos was like towards me, she was more deluded than I thought. I wanted to snap her neck like he just tried to do. I wanted her to see how much of a monster I could be- and not because of Thanatos.

I'd find a way out of this, but first- I needed to survive my killer fiancé.

Great.

"Twenty-three..."

Time was ticking. This was some sick game of hide-and-seek. Motherfucker.

I ducked into a room and locked it. I was far away from him now, but just to be sure, I pushed the dresser in front of the door and quickly tried to pry open the window. It was about a two-story drop down to the gardens, but with my new immortal body, I could manage it.

I just needed something soft to land on-

THUD.

My eyes shot to the door. It cracked.

BANG.

Shit.

I panicked. He was strong- too strong. I watched in horror, with my one hand on the window and my foot on the railing, as the door smashed open and a large tanned hand curled around the lock.

Red eyes shone through like a demons. His fangs gleamed as he ran his tongue over them; "Gotcha..."

I didn't waste another second as the dresser was smashed back and the door ripped open.

I jumped.

"NO!" I tackled Apollo, pushing him down onto the ground and smearing my blood all over him. The iron smell was pungent, nearly entirely overshadowing the rotten odour of the old ruins.

The young king grunted as we hit the ground and froze under my heavy build. I kept his eyes covered, not entirely sure why. The deed was already done and now we were left with one of two consequences.

I thanked the gods that he hadn't turned to stone- yet.

"Thanatos..."

I lifted my head and stumbled off of him, clutching my stomach. It dripped more blood. I was meant to lie down on my back so it could heal, not on my stomach so more ichor could spill out. Dammit.

"Are you... okay?" I wasn't sure what to ask really. We'd never been in this situation before, where one of us was potentially about to turn into a statue. What on earth do I say? I'll try and keep the pigeon shit off you?

You were a good friend once...? Could've been a great king?

"I... I think so?" Apollo shrugged and looked down at his hands, his white toga and armour covered in a bit of my dried dark blood. "I'm not sure?"

"Dammit!" Hermes shouted and swung the Aegis at Poseidon, who was now trying to escape thanks to the little distraction. The god of trickery missed and the shield bounced back to him like a boomerang. He held it up to catch anyone's eyes, but we were smarter than that.

We avoided him completely, not giving in to the tempting glamour of the golden sheen.

"If you're not stone yet..." Poseidon landed next to me and pressed his hands onto my stomach, pushing down the wound so it could heal faster. It was helping. I gripped my friend closer, reassured at having him close and away from Hermes. "Then, how do you feel?"

Apollo shook his head; "I- No different?"

The god of trickery stood on the ledge, unsure of what to do now. Ares was dead, but would soon regenerate, but until then, he was in control of the other side of the war. So much pressure for a man who'd been out of the loop for the past few months.

It was almost comical how the ruins died down in drama as we just sat there on the bloody ground, waiting for something to happen to the king.

"Apollo." I narrowed my eyes at him and leaned in, examining his face. "Can you fight? We need to get moving and find the sickle before Ares wakes up-"

"Fight?" Apollo's eyes widened in fear and he started to tremble. "No, no... I can't fight."

Poseidon and I shared a look. Oh, no. This is bad. The king was scared shitless.

"Well," Poseidon shrugged down at the blood-covered stone; "At least he's not a sculpture."

I growled softly; "This isn't much better..." I fixed the young king with a look of assurance, my voice hard, but soft; "Apollo, you're only scared because the Aegis shot a shock-"

"I don't care!" He sprang up and fiddled with his sword, as if the thing was going to come alive and eat his hand off at any moment; "I can't fight! I'm the king. Kings don't fight! You fight for me!"

"Apollo!" I stood up, much to Poseidon's annoyance at trying to get my wound all healed, and smacked the king lightly on his head like when we were children; "Snap out of it, man! You never backed out of a fight before. Come on! I know you better than this!"

Apollo scoffed and stepped back; "But- but I can die! And, oh gods! Artemis could die! And Aurora, and you!" He pointed to me and his face scrunched up in horror. "You could die! Don't do this! Just give Ares what he wants!"

"What?" I yelled and shook my head, knowing it wasn't him talking- just his Aegis induced fear. "Listen to me- you need to overcome this! Are you going to let Ares get away with this? Are you?"

Apollo didn't know how to answer, his eyes wide and filled with dread. He looked down at his half-brother. His neck was healed; he'd wake up at any moment. We had to hurry.

"Apollo, listen to me." I grabbed his head and leaned in, our faces a few inches apart; "I know I always rile you up and you've always tried to mock me and insult me, but..." I hesitated, unsure of where I was going with this; "You're an idiot."

Well, that wasn't what I meant really. Poseidon eyed me with a confused expression. I was just as unsure of where I was heading with this motivational talk. Apollo waited for some kind of epiphany or remarkable words, but I was at a loss. I had none, but decided that just continuing my speech was the best thing to do right now, instead of letting Apollo run home with his tail between his legs; scaring off half of the army knowing their king was afraid.

"You're an idiot and you've always been an idiot. A spoiled brat with too much time on his hands, but-" It pained me to say, but I knew I had to; "But you're also extremely talented in everything you do. Where some of us had to work hard, you just had the natural knack for things. Zeus was a good king, but I think you could be better. I think you could be a great king, and you know why?"

He shook his head, in a daze at my honesty. Frankly, so was I. I sighed; "Because you're more human than Zeus could ever have been."

Poseidon nodded as he stood up to examine my wound, but I pushed him back a bit so I could get through to Apollo. "And humans are terrified of death, yes, but they're also not afraid to live. Right now- I need you to be as fucking human as possible and live. Fight." I cupped his square jaw in my palm and fixed him with a look of determination; "Be the king you know these people deserve. The one no one else can be."

Apollo stared at me for the longest time, his jaw hard in my hand and his teeth gritted together, as if he was physically trying to push down his fear. I could see it in his eyes- he would try. He was going to try; not perhaps for me, or for his damaged pride, but for his kingdom.

That's exactly the kind of motivation he needed right now to wield that sword.

"You're right." He whispered. "But I won't deny the effects of that shield. I'm petrified.-"

"So are we..." Poseidon said forcefully, his patience slipping; "We all are, but we need to move. Ares is waking up."

The sound of bones cracking back together brought forth a rush of anger. I wanted to decapitate him over and over- watching his head roll. But it was all useless. He awaken every time.

"I need the sickle." I whispered to no one in particular. I moved away and grunted as my gash tore a bit deeper. It had nearly healed, but my swift movements weren't helping the process; they were doing quite the opposite.

Poseidon eyed me and moved in the assist, but I held up my hand; "Go. Take Apollo back to Olympus; fight there and keep the palace secure. It's a strategic point and if his army breaks through-"

"Yes, I know." Poseidon nodded and gestured to me instead; "You need to heal. You can't do anything with half of your blood on the ground."

"I will manage." I glared at them both and turned to leave, keeping my eyes from Hermes, who was futile trying to come up with plan to turn this to his advantage. He was at a loss of course- no army to back him up, no Ares to help him out of any trouble and no way of escaping just yet.

I was heading straight for him.

Poseidon quickly rushed Apollo back through a portal the young king had created. They flew off to the palace; knowing the great fight waiting for them there. I just hoped that my words had hit a chord in Apollo. His army needed a strong leader right now- someone to follow. He was the last person we could afford being hit by the Aegis' mad trickery.

Well, other than me.

Hermes tried, but I kept my eyes cast down as I raced towards him.

The god tried to duck out of my range, but I quickly duplicated myself tenfold and surrounded him. The young god snarled as one of my mirages pulled him back and the other two attempted to grab the shield from his hands. Two looked up into the golden mirror and instantly, like watching a magic show, turned to stone.

I slammed my scythe against the statutes and they crumbled easily into dust. I growled and grabbed him by the collar as my mirages took hold of the shield, tucking it away under a cloak. Hermes' collar was still stained with blood from all of my unrelenting torture.

I saw only hate in his eyes, but I knew mine matched his well enough; "Where is the key to the sickle?"

He spat in my face. With a tight squeeze around his neck Hermes coughed and wheezed for air; "I don't like repeating myself- or did you forget?"

Hermes whispered something, but naturally, having no patience and zero tolerance for games left, I leaned in, my hand still firmly fixed around his neck. Not the smartest thing I've ever done.

The sharp jagged end of his dagger flew up into my chest, ripping through muscles and flesh and creating a new wound.

"Oh, I remember..." Hermes laughed as I dropped him, my hands instantly flying up to rip out his dagger from my upper chest. More blood leaked through, staining the ground and my hands with rich red. I coughed and pressed my palm up to my mouth, pulling it back, dripping with sticky crimson.

"I remember everything you did to me." Hermes sneered at me as I fell back, my head growing dizzy from the lack of blood. I saw him move closer, his smile sickening, but the image as blurred.

I swung my hand out to push myself back up from the ground, my former gash ripping slightly, but almost healed. The new cut was deep and in a much more vital area. My heart beat was jumping erratically. I tried to keep my movement limited, to stop the endless supply of blood, but as Hermes moved his cape to the side, revealing his side, I knew there was no use.

I grunted and struggled to fall back as the god of trickery pulled the sickle from his belt, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"How ironic would it be- me, killing death?" He laughed and strolled forward as I tripled back. I slammed against a pillar, my hand clutching down onto the cut.

I looked up at the dark sky. Fuck.

I wasn't going to die here- not now. Not while Aurora was somewhere, probably in so much danger. And Hypnos was off fighting in my stead, with Apollo and Poseidon and- shit. There's too much at stake.

I can't die here.

"You're looking a little pale there..." Hermes chuckled and sliced a gash across my arm. I yelled in pain. The burn of the sickle was immense.

This cut, I knew, would not heal.

"Feeling a little woozy?" He eyed me as I stepped back, trying to get away as he circled closer. I nearly tripped over a stone, but caught myself against a small altar at the centre of the theatre's top balcony. I seared blood onto the white marble, ducking behind it and separating myself from the sharp blade.

Hermes shook his head and flicked his tongue; "Tsk, tsk, tsk... It's so strange not hearing a witty remark from you. Are you feeling alright there?"

I glared at him, my anger so vivid and hot that it only made me dizzier. I gasped for air, my lungs filling with what tasted like blood. My cut was deeper than I thought. It could still heal, but not with all of this damn moving. The burning sensation, where the sickle had sliced, on my upper arm was only growing.

"Look at you," I grinned, my white fangs smeared with my blood; "Even with a weapon that can kill me, you're still so afraid to even get an inch closer."

Hermes growled and I chuckled softly, biding my time, letting the wound heal; "I'm going to enjoy cutting you up!"

My tongue licked up a bit of Ichor from my chin as it dripped down from my mouth; "All bark; no bite-"

"Start with his pretty face." Ares dark, cold eyes glowered as he stepped up onto the ledge and extended his sword. He cracked his neck, sending a sickening sound through the dark sky. Crows cackled in the night air.

My body felt cold- so very, very cold.

I sucked in a ragged breath. I wasn't about to let them win now, but...

Ares laughed as he stormed towards me, the silver of his long-sword glaring in the moonlight. Hermes sneered and went around the other end, forcing me back over the edge of the large balcony. The cliff down was extremely high and stones fell as my boots scrunched at the edge, hoping for some miracle to take me.

I drew my blades and tried to correct my stance, but the movement was too much for my body to take. That left me with one option. I wasn't about to let Ares win by letting Hermes cut me into pieces; never to heal again and leaving Aurora to defend herself.

So I did what any rational man would do.

I shot out my scythes at their heads and fell backwards, over the darkened chasm.