32 [Mt. Pelion]

Fate/Defiance

Chapter 31 [Mt. Pelion]

By theMadLad

Beta: Old Man of The Mountain, Kira (The Court Jester), Shub-Niggurath

Pain.

Pain the likes of which he had never felt before. The serrated edges of the feathers belonging to the Stymphalian Birds or the blunt force trauma of Heracles' fists had nothing on the agonizing, soul rending pain he currently felt.

Tears leaked from Icarus' eyes as his hand grasped the grass below in a vice-like grip while his head and his heart felt bloated, ready to explode.

Shakes overtook his body as blood started to leak from his nose, even his veins seemed to pop from his skin, causing them to highlight his body with jagged lines of pressured blood.

It was unimaginably painful.

His body ballooned as it reached its breaking point while seizing out on the floor, then his heart started to thud a thousand beats a minute alongside his brain, which repeatedly impacted the walls of his skull.

He could not think. He could not see. He could not breathe. Reality fell apart like shattered glass as Icarus could only pull his fractured psyche together for a single purpose.

Not screaming.

Not crying.

Not whimpering.

The pain drowned him as his body, mind, and soul finally reached their breaking point… and popped like a balloon.

But he didn't die.

No, his mind exploded… but not physically. It was his mortal limitation, his heart's mental boundaries that exploded like a great river finally breaking free from an impossibly large dam.

In response, Icarus' muddled mind felt pure bliss as a tsunami of relief flooded his brain, filling the idle organ with more use than he could have possibly imagined.

His body's quakes had abated as his senses expanded, while his heart and brain became something more, something greater—together.

His thoughts became two, and then became one.

His eyes burned, and then were relieved.

His heart beat with unfamiliar power, as Vital Heat ignited his body with warmth and comfort.

Icarus laid there with puddles of blood underneath his nose as dried tears tinged with red crusting his bloodshot eyes as the pain slowly faded away into a low annoyance as his muddied mind eventually gained a semblance of clarity.

Then he finally opened his eyes.

…and the world was never the same again.

(Image here)

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Pollux grunted as she swung her sword once more, and although she always preferred her fists… she couldn't deny the blade's practicality, nor her talents when wielding one.

…Not to mention how her brother often said that she looked c-cool when she used one.

Still, nothing was more satisfying for the Spartan Princess than her fists pounding against flesh.

Which brought another thought to mind.

Icarus, the boy she would often use as a punching ba—training partner, had changed.

It was a subtle change, for anyone that wasn't her.

Only days before she would lay waste to the boy, with him powerless to stop her blows until he succumbed to her superior strength and overwhelming skill. She even had to make sure to hold back in case she accidentally killed him.

But recently things had been different.

She remembered his eyes a few days prior, they were sharper that day, more focused, seemingly glowing with determination… and confidence.

That irked her.

Although she was more stoic than her brother, she still had her pride. Pollux was the Princess of Sparta and the daughter of Zeus, how could she stand a normal, mortal, and unarmed Icarus, stepping into the ring against her with brimming confidence?

Had he not seen the gap between them?

Although remembering the phantom pangs of pain brought by Icarus' bow during their first encounter still made her wince, it was undeniable that without his tools and inventions… Icarus was at her mercy.

A straight fight with nothing but one's fists was in Pollux's absolute advantage—she was completely in her element. Pollux lived and breathed boxing, it was undoubtedly her greatest skill. While perhaps not at a level of skill befitting legend, she was well on her way there.

Her unrelenting diligence in training ensured that.

Icarus was completely out of his element, so why was he confident…?

Pollux watched as Icarus brought his hands up in a guarded stance like she had taught him in their previous sessions, with both of his clenched fists being wrapped at the knuckles with thongs of ox hide.

Although their fights were entirely one-sided, she still taught him how to fight properly. Her pummeling him remorselessly was not without reason.

Boxing was developed in Sparta, and was used to help one prepare for the inevitable blows they would one day take—particularly to the head; to the point that the early Spartans of this time even viewed helmets as unnecessary.

This was one aspect of Pollux's training to Icarus, training him to take blows.

Another was training him how to fight a superior opponent, which was demonstrated through the use of her divine strength and superior skill.

And the final thing she taught him how to fight correctly.

Such as how to throw a punch so that it displays its maximum possible damage, starting with staggered feet, bent knees, and a downwards chin, before using the entire body's movement, whether that be the feet, shoulders, or hips to compliment the punch. Or, How to use footwork to keep balance, lose or further distance in a fight, control one's spatial positioning, and even to create additional momentum for future strikes.

Of course there were more techniques than that, whether it be through basic offensive moves such as a Jab, Cross, Hook, or Uppercut, or basic defensive moves such as Slipping, Bobbing, Blocking, or Parrying.

Icarus' worst issue against Pollux was reaction speed. At a close enough distance, Icarus simply couldn't see her coming—she was too fast, too strong.

He couldn't react.

But that's what was different.

During their spars, Pollux would initially start out slow, with strength not too dissimilar from Icarus' own, at a point where he could still react to her strength and speed… before she quickly picked up the pace and forced him to adapt.

So, she noticed it immediately.

—The moment she threw her jab, he had already dodged.

Jab.

Dodge.

Jab.

Dodge.

Her brow couldn't help but rise at his actions, causing her to quickly pick up the pace and become faster and faster. Her jabs gave way to combos, which then gave way to even quicker jabs.

Hook.

Dodge.

Faster.

Cross.

Dodge.

Faster.

Uppercut.

Dodge

Faster.

Jab.

Dodge.

Faster.

Jab.

Dodge.

Faster.

Her fist audibly plowed the air as the full extent of her divine strength was being used behind the force of her blows.

Yet even then… Icarus dodged.

He was like a weightless feather riding the current of air around her punch.

Impossible to hit.

His head bobbed beneath her blows, with movements seemingly able to predict the future.

Pollux's stoic face lost its edge, giving way to sheer bafflement at what she was seeing. She asked herself, how could it be? How could he suddenly improve so drastically overnight!?

She didn't know.

"Haven't you… heard?" Icarus spoke between harsh breaths.

Pollux tilted her head as she threw another punch, one he still managed to narrowly dodge.

"Float like a butterfly…" He taunted as he bobbed under her jab, bending his knees as his body squatted under her fist.

Then he stepped into her guard.

"…Sting like a bee!" Icarus shouted as he immediately raised his body while bringing his fist up to give Pollux a devastating uppercut, even remembering to add a little twist in his form, just the way she taught him.

Pollux's eyes momentarily widened at his unexpected attack, but she quickly reacted, using her superior strength and experience to immediately pull her head back, letting the fist fly past her chin before she gripped his now over extended arm.

"Haven't you heard… don't talk during a fight?" Pollux spoke with a slight smirk.

Icarus gulped.

Then she slammed him over her shoulder and into the ground below, cracking the floor below with the force… alongside his ribs. Icarus immediately started coughing up specks of blood as he struggled to get air back into his lungs.

"Y-you just contradicted y-yourself there." Icarus choked out, unable to hold back on calling her out, or on having the last word.

Pollux's lips thinned as she watched him get back up on shaking legs, before he spoke, "A-again."

She didn't hesitate.

Her fist blurred forward as Icarus immediately reacted… only for her punch to suddenly stop.

—A feint!

Icarus' eyes widened with realization… but it was already too late, as Pollux's other fist burrowed into his face.

He didn't get back up that time.

Pollux felt very satisfied.

"I see… somehow you anticipate my attacks before they happen, or the moment they happen. But how?" Pollux asked curiously. She knew he couldn't see the future, or else he would have anticipated her feint.

So how?

But Icarus didn't respond… because he was unconscious.

Strange.

…She remembered that he was able to take a lot more than that in their prior spars. Even pondering over it now, days later, she still couldn't figure out how. What changed? After that day he still came to their spars, but less often than usual, not to mention that his improvement suddenly went through the roof.

But in the end she just shook her head, dismissing it entirely after chopping it up to him being a genius.

…Her eyes twitched at the thought.

Hmph.

Pollux then started to train an extra hour everyday.

—————————-

Mt. Pelion.

Icarus thought it looked rather beautiful, but also quite normal. It was covered in thick forest, with oak, maple, and chestnut trees featuring most prominently. There were also olive and apple tree groves surrounding the various water springs, gorges, and streams.

He couldn't help but wonder how it looked from above.

…Damn, he missed when his wings actually worked.

They all kept close to Chiron as they arrived, with Heracles leading from the front and Icarus following from behind. Soon, the sounds of distant laughter and boisterous voices mixed with the thudding of hooves in the grass came clear for them to hear.

It was the centaurs. A band of them quickly arrived, galloping towards the group with a fervor foreign to men, as they seemed as wild and barbaric as untamed horses. But, upon seeing Chiron they quickly fixed their behavior, and welcomed him in without issue.

They left quickly after that.

Chiron led them up the mountain, where they waded through the various centaur encampments, whose occupants eyed them with a mixture of emotions… with the more negative ones quelled through an intimidating glare from Paimon. Icarus had to keep Atalanta calm as they eventually reached the mountaintop, where any centaurs didn't dare to enter.

As it was Chiron's home.

"Here we are, this is the place where your training will truly begin. We have finally arrived after a long journey so, you all can take the remainder of the day as a break and get some rest." Chiron spoke, causing all of his students to sigh in relief as their straight backs slumped with exhaustion.

Heracles, Jason, and Asclepius immediately walked off with tired grunts as they had headed into their cabins which were already set up due to them having lived here prior.

"You can set up a tent and make a cabin of your own at a later day." Chiron directed for Castor, Pollux, Icarus, and Atalanta. Chiron then waved them off as he left to drop off the various supplies strapped to his back, "And don't forget to get a good night's sleep… because tomorrow, you'll need it!"

They mostly ignored his words, as they were obvious, and besides… that's exactly what they wanted.

To be the best, even if they had to suffer for it.

There was no two ways about it, other than Jason, it wasn't wrong to say that the rest of them were masochists.

"To be honest, I was expecting more." Icarus said as he broke the silence between them.

Castor grunted with a faint nod while Atalanta tilted her head in confusion.

"So were we." Pollux murmured, "But it does seem to have its own… charm."

"C'mon Pollux, this is literally just a forest clearing!" Castor yelled out in response while waving his hands around in the… forest clearing.

Atalanta nodded to his words.

"See, even the feral child agrees with me!"

"…I don't think she has ever even seen anything other than a forest." Icarus spoke as he rolled his eyes.

Pollux snorted.

"But look on the brightside, even though there is nothing here, it doesn't mean we can't make something worthwhile to put!" Icarus yelled out with a cheer.

"That's right, Chiron did say we would build our own cabins…" Castor muttered before he turned to Pollux, "What do you think sister?"

Pollux was busy thinking about their arrival, with her mind wandering to her upbringing in Sparta alongside her brother, which was rather unorthodox in comparison to other Spartans.

It was due to their status as Children of Zeus that they avoided many of the prerequisites necessary of a normal Spartan, else they would have never been able to train under Chiron in the first place.

It was only Chiron's famed reputation that allowed them to study under him. Yet even then, the twins had been put through a brutal enough childhood of training needed to make them worthy of the title, 'Spartan.'

She shook her head as her thoughts returned back to her brother's inquiry.

While perhaps not as prestigious as the training grounds in Sparta, with its barren barracks and open ended courtyards, the mountaintop of Mt. Pelion still contained, as she said prior, its own charm.

But, she couldn't help but take the opportunity to tease Icarus, "I'd wager that you would make a large wall, just as expected from someone originating in Athens."

Athenians and Spartans, a rivalry as old as time. It was a competition that she couldn't help but flame when with Icarus, as it never failed to make her lips quirk upwards with a smirk.

She normally would act more reserved around others, but Icarus had earned her respect enough to see this side of her. He had repeatedly taken her brutal training without complaint, and had endeared himself to her.

She judged others through their actions, not words, and he was far from some Athenian silver tongued scholar who knew nothing other than flowery words. It was one of the main reasons Spartans tended to look down on Athenians.

They believed wisdom should be shown through the actions you display through your life, not through some words put to writing after an afternoon of thought.

Thankfully for Pollux, Icarus had proven himself to have inherited his city-state's patron's shared aspect with her own unlike most of his brethren.

"That's a fool's gamble! …Although I would definitely make much more than just a simple wall, perhaps a moat or two. But even that's only after the second or third wall." Icarus replied with a cheeky grin.

Pollux couldn't help herself, she laughed.

Even though there were some similarities between them, he was still very much from Athens.

Castor sneered, "As expected from cowards, we Spartans don't even need walls, our enemies wouldn't dare to provoke the might of Sparta."

Icarus looked so dumbfounded that Pollux's giggles failed to stop, "What? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! …It is a pretty cool flex though."

Flex?

Neither Castor or Pollux understood yet his expression was definitely a sight to behold.

Castor smirked, "Our walls are our men, and our borders are their spears."

Pollux smiled at her brother's boastful tone, both of them held immense pride in their home.

Icarus smiled with a nod, "That's a cool quote… but here's a wiser one, 'We make war, so that we may live in peace.' Although your city-state admittedly breeds the greatest of warriors, it lacks the wisdom to realize that war and battle is not the end goal, merely the means to it."

Icarus continued before they could interject, "There is a reason we follow Athena and not Ares, war is merely an aspect of our culture, yet it is the entirety of yours. That isn't to say that you are necessarily wrong, as it works. Yet, without a greater pursuit, it may lead to stagnation."

Castor and Pollux frowned, but then Icarus chuckled as he waved them off, "Agree to disagree, it's not as if my own views reflect that of Athens anyways."

Which was more than true. The current Athens was not the cultural breadbasket it would become, it was a kingdom prone to heavy corruption, littered with ignorance, and filled with slaves.

Such a place was difficult for someone like Icarus to take pride in, yet even so, it was where he was born.

"…Then what do you believe in?" Pollux asked.

Icarus laughed, "If you are looking for some greater philosophy, then there isn't one. I live freely, how I wish to live, that's all. Help others when I can, protect those I care for, and most importantly, never stop improving."

Pollux would have taken his words at face value… but, she didn't believe Icarus was so simple. His wisdom spoken earlier was definitely an indication of that.

"I don't believe you." She spoke stoically as her brother gave her a quizzical glance.

Icarus merely smiled, "We are similar in some ways, but there is one thing I agree about with you over all others."

Pollux stopped as she waited for his response.

Then he spoke, "…That actions speak louder than words."

Huh, she wasn't expecting that.

Then he started to leave.

Icarus gave them a wave as he walked off, "Well, it was a nice talk, but I've got a workshop to plan and inventions to make… also a hungry little feral girl and crazy man-eating metal bird to feed." He put a chin to his hand as walked, before he murmured, "Man, that feels weird to say."

"Let's go Atalanta, Paimon, it's time to leave!" Icarus yelled out as the girl in question quickly sped over to him with bouncing steps while the bird followed from above.

Castor looked over at Pollux before he spoke, "Well, at least things are interesting."

Pollux snorted, "With such people all jumbled together, it would be strange if it wasn't. We should also leave, we have a cabin to build!"

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Author's Notes


Hope you enjoyed, I meant to have this out yesterday but it wasn't to be, but Merry Late Christmas regardless, and I hope you all had a great holiday!

Special thanks to Verbessern/Neoile for the image!

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