What Now?

31 - Foreshadowing

 

Scythas was helping to get things ready for that night's performances when he started to feel little spiders of forewarning crawling up and down his spine. Scythas put down his paint brush and went to find the triplets. He didn't know what was going to happen but he'd feel better with his friends near.

Walking into the Sleeping Lion the feeling got stronger. Scythas snagged Jett from where he was chatting up a barmaid. Pulling him up the stairs to at a time Scythas explained his sudden feeling of apprehension. Jett nodded his understanding, in his business you learned to trust your instincts.

They found Joxer and Jayce in Scythas' and Jox's room. Jayce was trying to talk Joxer into doing another performance as the 'boy bride'. As soon as the door shut behind Jett, Jayce and Joxer stopped talking and turned toward their brother. "What?" They asked in unison.

"I've got this odd feeling. Like something is coming. Whatever it is I think we should stick together."

"Ok. But the show must go on as they say. Jox and I can continue our discussion downstairs. Jett?"

"I got to grab something, then we'll head down." Jett slipped put the door returning after just a moment. "Here. If something's going down then we should all be armed." Jett handed Scythas a wicked looking double edged knife.

"Thanks."

---

32 - Closer

Ares stopped in front of the Sleeping Lion Inn his eyes closed in concentration. Inside. Strife was inside. He could feel him. Ares hurried through the doors, Apollo on his heels. War looked around trying to spot the familiar face but there was too much traffic. People were heading in and out, upstairs and down, back and forth to the kitchen. Fuck! They'd loose Strife in all this chaos. Ares growled in frustration. Apollo caught his brother's arm, he had a plan.

They sealed the doors, anyone wanting to enter would suddenly remember a pressing task and pass on by. Those in side the Inn they froze. The two gods split up taking opposite sides of the room, working their way toward the back entrance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scythas almost ran into Joxer's back when the other man suddenly stopped on the stairs. Puzzled Scythas started to ask what was wrong when sparks of warning rose to a new intensity. Scythas looked to his right to see Jett unmoving, still as a statue. Moving slowly he looked at the room below. Frozen, all of them. Scythas swore under his breath.

Along the far wall he could see a man moving around. He was looking at the face of each person, obviously searching for someone. Waiting until the man had his back turned to the stairs Scythas crouched down. He moved up a stair and then around Jett and down, stopping just behind Jayce. It wasn't a perfect defensive position but it was the best he could do. Scythas tracked the moving man, letting out a slow breath when it seem that his maneuver had gone unnoticed.

---

33 - Found

Apollo might have missed the movement on the stairs but Ares had not. He sent a thought to Apollo, telling the other god about the person on the stairs and his plan. The Sun god continued around the room until he reached the stairs. He checked the couple standing at the bottom and moved up the steps.

Ares waited until Apollo was close the group of people where the movement had come from before flashing in behind the moved figure. He grabbed the man by the arms just as he lunged at Apollo. They struggled the man catching the Sun god across the stomach with his knife tearing the god's shirt but not leaving a mark on him.

Ares wrapped his arms securely around him, "Strife! Strife, stop. Stop. We're not going to hurt you. Calm down."

Scythas-Strife ceased trying to lash out but still glared at the god before him. "How do I know that? Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"I'm Apollo, the man holding you is Ares. We're your uncles. You were hurt recently, a goddess stole you from your sickbed and left you here to fend for yourself."

"Why?" Strife interrupted.

"I don't know, yet."

"Prove it. Prove your half ass story and I'll believe you."

Ares loosened his hold on Strife, "Come with us to Olympus, Apollo can make sure you're alright and we'll explain everything."

"No."

"What?" Apollo asked confused by the reply.

"No. I'm not leaving my friends. I don't know if you're telling the truth, I don't anything really - but I do know that they have been kind to me and that they will watch my back. I'm not leaving them."

"Fine. They can come with us. Agreed?" Strife nodded and slipped his knife back into his boot.

The six flashed out and the people in the Inn continued on unaware of their time spent frozen.

---