Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

Chapter Seventeen

And for himself.

Turning from the Greek she'd just killed, Bethany froze at the sight of her chosen Atlantean dead on the ground. Shocked to the core of her being, she gaped as she watched the Greek prince retrieve his shield and move on to his next opponent.

What had just happened? Her champion had never been defeated before. Ever. It was why she'd turned away for a few minutes to fight others.

"Tough break, old girl," Athena said to Bethany as she appeared beside her. "Now you know why I chose a soldier so young. He's fearless and bold. Indefatigable."

Bethany turned to punch the goddess, but Athena was already gone.

Fine, bitch ... I'll show you power.

She wasn't just the goddess of misery and wrath. She was the Atlantean goddess of the hunt.

Bethany manifested her bow and took off after Styxx. Before this battle was done, she was going to bathe in his blood. She aimed at his head and let fly her arrow.

Just as it would have cleaved his skull, he lifted his shield as if he knew it was coming at him and blocked it.

No ...

How was that possible?

She tried again. This time, he dodged the arrow, and the next one he cut in half with his sword.

Someone a lot more powerful than Athena guarded this one. It was an old power ...

Chthonian?

If she didn't know better, she'd say it was primal in source. But there was no way a primal power would waste itself on a young human prince. Not even one so pretty.

Summoning her horse, she joined ranks with her great-grandfather to go after Styxx and end his putrid existence.

Misos's glowing green eyes widened in surprise of her sudden appearance. "What are you doing?"

She pointed to Styxx. "I want that one dead."

"He must be Athena's."

"Get him, Tattas!"

He smiled at her. "Anything for you, my precious."

Prince Zerilus bellowed as he saw his cousin Xan lying dead and Styxx moving away from his body. Intent on vengeance, the giant Atlantean made straight for the Didymosian prince.

Styxx knew something bad was about to happen as the men around him shrank back, including the Atlantean he'd been fighting. He practically ran away from Styxx.

This cannot be good.

He turned to find a mountain of a man charging him like a stampeding house.

Aw shit ...

Suddenly, he felt like he was ten-and-two again and Galen was hammering him with blows while he lay helpless on the ground, unable to counter them.

The giant threw a spear. Styxx turned out of the way, but it passed so close to his body that it scraped his bicep. He'd barely lifted his hoplon before the mountain brought a sword down on him with enough force that he thought he'd broken his arm. No, not broken ...

Shattered.

Hissing, Styxx rolled away then checked to make sure his arm still worked.

It did, but it wasn't happy about it.

The giant lunged. Styxx stepped aside then brought his xiphos down across his opponent's extended arm. His opponent rolled and met the stroke with his own sword.

Turning, Styxx stepped back. The giant was breathing hard, labored. That was his key to surviving this. While the man was insanely huge, he was a lot older, and he was tiring. If Styxx could just stay out of range and wear his opponent out a bit more, he should be able to take him.

But he'd only have one shot. If he missed ...

He'd be testing that immortal claim again.

Lowering his head, Styxx charged in then darted back, making the man overextend and step quickly after him. As he did so, he realized that all the men around the two of them had stopped fighting so that they could watch them.

Great. An audience for my humiliation and probable death. Just what I craved ...

Whatever you do, old man, don't throw me down on the ground in front of everyone and feel me up before you kill me.

His worst fear, other than losing his head, was that someone might have seen Xan groping him.

Styxx arched his back as the giant made a swing that narrowly missed him. Then he brought his xiphos up. The giant stepped back and slammed his smaller round shield into Styxx's bruised side. More pain exploded and his sight dimmed.

His ears buzzed so that he couldn't hear anything other than his heart pounding in his chest.

Laughing, the giant stabbed straight at his chest. Instead of trying to deflect the blow, Styxx lifted his arm and allowed the sword to pass between his elbow and side. He clamped his arm down on the soldier's forearm to hold the giant in place and dropped his own xiphos to the ground. With one swift move, Styxx yanked his kopis from his waist and drove it into the giant's side, between the laces of his bronze cuirass.

With a ferocious hiss, the giant stumbled, bringing his head within Styxx's striking range. Before the beast could shove him back, Styxx drove the kopis into his neck.

The giant fell like an oak, dragging Styxx with him. For several seconds, no one moved. Not until Styxx caught his breath and rolled from the giant's body.

A loud, fierce cheer went up among the Greek troops. Gaping and confused, the Atlanteans remained frozen.

Still shaken by the closeness of that fight, Styxx retrieved his xiphos and hoplon, and waited for his next attacker. But no one seemed eager to take him on now. Rather, the Atlanteans shrank away as if terrified of him.

All of a sudden, voices rang out. "The Atlanteans are retreating!"

Stunned, Styxx looked up as the cry rushed through their ranks, and the Greek charioteers and cavalry rushed past the hoplites and archers to give chase. The Atlantean troops were running for their ships and pulling back. He couldn't believe it. To his knowledge, no Atlantean army had ever withdrawn from battle.

He started to run after them, but he was too tired and sore to try. Really, all he wanted was to sleep for a month or more.

Galen laughed as he joined him and clapped him on the back so hard, Styxx stumbled from the blow. "You survived, boy. And in one piece, no less. Good for you! Good. For. You."

"Um ... thanks. Way to boost my confidence, old man." Styxx snorted at Galen then grimaced at how bad his head hurt. The gods' voices had been merciless during the battle and one in particular had been after him.

"Galen? Have you ever heard of Bet'anya Agriosa?"

"The Atlantean goddess of misery and wrath? Oh yeah, young prince. She's not one you want to invoke for anything. Once she's set on a course, she's relentless. Why?"