The Lesser Dragon, The Nymph And The Problem

[Previously on Fate: Path To Magic]

The memories that the entity shared with him exhausted him — Although he didn't remember any of them it still left him mentally and spiritually exhausted.

[Currently]

" Embrace me, Atermis..."

Chapter 14

Icarus woke up with his whole body sore. It didn't suprise him to be honest, he just fought a fucking dragon — Although it's debatable whether if he fought it or not—

He sighed and got up from his resting place, and walked over the table in the middle of the room. He sat down, grabbed a pen and a book.

Of course it's not a modern pen that Artemis was used to. In this era Greeks use hard reeds and Mayans use bark for paper and quills,animal hairs for pencils or as they say brushes.

Even the so-called 'Book' , it's actually an animal skin. The principal vehicles for writing were wax tablets incised with a stylus or a prepared surface of skin, such as leather and vellum, or of papyrus written on with a pen. Other surfaces—broken pieces of pottery, lead, wood, and even cloth—were also used.

Papyrus. The word "paper" is etymologically derived from papyrus, Ancient Greek for the Cyperus papyrus plant. Papyrus is a thick, paper-like material produced from the pith of the Cyperus papyrus plant which was used in ancient Egypt and other Mediterranean societies for writing long before paper was used in China.

Times were harsh in this era to be honest. If humans discovered that paper can be made from cutting trees and even attempted that, well Demeter would have made to see the humans race extinct. That lady love nature.

—×—

"— Dragon?"

" Suprised me too." Icarus said tiredly.

" weird, is it not? the last sighting of a dragon was 100 or so years ago." Kyrillos murmured confusedly.

Icarus froze.

" A century.." There's definitely something wrong here. Was it an illusion? or whims of a God? but Icarus was sure it wasn't an illusion, it was too real for that. Even then If it's a go—

" What does it look it? appearance wise" Kyrillos said worriedly.

Icarus shook his head, dissolving his earlier thoughts. " well, it was big and had an icey blue hue colour. It didnt have scales though — And Icarus was confused about that, a dragon without scales? never heard of them— it was all leathery." Explained Icarus.

A look of realisation was on Kyrillos face when he said that. " What is it? do you know something?"

" How many legs does it?" Kyrillos said urgently.

Icarus stroked his chin and hummed. " now that you mentioned it, it only has the back legs — hind legs— only And wings." Icarus said.

Kyrillos look like he is a puppet that had its strings cut, he collapsed at the table with relief.

" Thank the heavens" Kyrillos murmured. He sighed and explained when he saw Icarus Perplexed expression.

" Well, that a Wyvern kid. An Phantasmal species that have a small bloodline of the Dragons— often called Lesser Dragons." Kyrillos explain.

" oho?, does a thing like that really exist?" Icarus was more shocked at that, he didn't know that! — which.. isn't a suprise, all things considered he doesn't know a lot of things these days—

Kyrillos noded.

" Well, tell me more I'm interested."

Kyrillos paused before clearing his throat. " Even though you know that the beast is a Lesser dragon, you still want to fight it?"

Kyrillos can't believe what he's hearing, is this Child — because that's what Icarus is, a child— really that Suicidal?

Icarus face twisted in a sneer " So what? a beast is a beast, it's just needs to be slaughtered like an animal it is." His words came out arrogant and full of pride.

A moment passes before Icarus Cleared his throat Awkwardly and turned his head to the other side of the room.

Kyrillos just looked at Icarus with a face full of disappointment and sadness

And he did not say anything after that.

Loud silence descended into the room for a while.

—×—

Icarus walked pass the huge gates of the village.

" Going out again, Icarus?" Cletus said. he is one of the guards that guard the village, they aren't that many but they took their duties seriously.

" Yeah, you know me." Icarus commented dryly.

" No, I actually don't." Cletus returned with a snark reply. "Don't come late, okay?"

" Yeah, yeah."

Icarus walked in the forest, down the beated path. It didn't take long before Icarus heard a rush of running water— indicating a river nearby.

He stopped and sighed when he got there. he sat down on a rock before—

The water— river— vibrated before ripples were created. Before long splash of water was heard, the river broke apart before a women came out to the surface.

A nymph, a water nymph to be specific, often called Naiads.

" How are you doing in this fine morning ,Alvineea?" Icarus asked.

" Greeting to you too, Icarus." The naiad, the river nymph called Alvineea replied dryly.

Icarus just chuckle and smirked. " And you didn't answer my question"

" I'm holding fine and you?"

Icarus stopped. Is he feeling fine? no, he's not. Ever since he found out that he's in ancient greece, he wanted peace— a distant part of him replied ' I want to die.'—

But he just smiled like he truly mean it—he doesn't. " I'm feeling great."

Why is Icarus so friendly to a nymph? well

For ancient Greeks, every waterway was protected by nymphs. These were invariably ageless young girls who existed even before the Olympic gods and long before the birth of mortals.

They were not all immortal. Some died after living for centuries. Still, they existed in a magical world between mortals and gods. Nymphs were generally harmless, too, but not always. For a man, encountering a nymph while alone might put him in a precarious situation. The term nymphomania is derived from the word nymph. It means uncontrollable desire in a woman and stems from a belief that some nymphs would bewitch innocent young men, becoming their lovers and never releasing them.

And isn't that terrifying? Icarus want many things in life— like dying for one— but he doesn't want to be a plaything. Especially by this Nymphs. But she wanted his help, one morning when Icarus was going for a walk, to take fresh air he encounter this seamlessly 'Innocent' nymph. Icarus didn't buy her excuse of being 'good' but Icarus just figured that after he helped her, he will disappear. Sorry but not sorry, Icarus doesn't want to be a sex toy.

" The Water feel good, why don't you join me?" Alvineea smiled.

Icarus smiled too. ' Me, join you? woman don't test me.'

"No, I must prepared before going back again." Icarus looked at the woman like she grew a second head overnight.

"Oh." Alvineea exclaimed disappointedly. "you're going to save her, right?" suddenly as if a switch was flipped inside her, she said that worriedly.

" Don't worry, Alvineea. I'll save your daughter." Icarus consoled the young woman. okay so it goes like this, Nymphs represent the forces of nature. They are often divided into various broad subgroups, such as the Meliae(ash tree nymphs), the Dryads (oak tree nymphs), the Naiads (freshwater nymphs), the Nereids (sea nymphs), and the Oreads (mountain nymphs). Fortunately Icarus didn't kill any Tree Nymph when he was creating his inventions, talk about small mercies— A part of whispered ' Even if you knew they're alive, you'll still kill them nonetheless'.—

Back to Topic. Alvineea's daughter was frozen when the dragon first landed here. Nymph are the things they represent for an example if Icarus destroy a tree, the tree nymph of that particular tree will die too. So if Alvineea's daughter's river was frozen, then so will she be frozen. This is why they guard them with their life— because they're literally their life.

(A/N: Am I making sense? I hope so. lord knows I tried.)

—×—

Icarus was whistling walking with Milanion.

"Father told me." Milanion suddenly said, stopping.

"Told you what?" Stopping too, Icarus turned towards the younger girl.

" About the Lesser dragon."

Icarus sighed, he doesn't want anymore fighting. "Oh" that's all he said.

"Oh? oh? Icarus do really realized what you're facing with!?" Milanion shouted, her face confronted with worry and anger.

"I do, Milanion."

" Then why do you want to throw your life like that!?"

Icarus didn't respond to that. something may have shown on his face because Milanion started to sob.

" T- Thats what you want isn't it?"

' What a perspective young girl' Thought Icarus before he sighed.

" Let me tell something." Icarus dragged her until they were in her father's house.

Icarus sat down and gestured her to do the same.

" You see I'm not exactly normal." Icarus started. And Milanion just looked him with so much redicule that made Icarus to chuckle.

"Okay, okay. you see I'm what people call a Nihilistic person."

"What's that?. Are you creating words on the fly to confuse me?" Milanion looked at him like she didn't believe what she was hearing.

" No, No!" Icarus sighed. "Nihilism is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values, ormeaning."

" T- That...I still dont understand what you're saying."

Oh right, how can I forget that im still talking to a 12 y/o child.

Icarus pinched his nose in frustration.

"Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy." Icarus heard a gasp leave the young girl as she tremble, sobs and tears escaping her.

— Somewhere in his inner mind, a part of him rejoiced as the girl cries in anguish—

Icarus stood up and hugged the girl, comforting her. " Although I say im a Nihilistic, im a bit mild compared to other people. So you don't have to worry about me, I still care about you and I will never die on purpose." Icarus tried his best to comfort the girl, wiping her tears away.

Was it okay to reveal all that to her? she's still young, He found questioning himself.

Some may say that he's an idiot revealing all that to her but Icarus doesn't consider this as a Secret.

" H- Hey, promise me you won't d- die okay? please."

Icarus felt the air leave his lungs like he's being punched. He froze as he felt that a situation all too familiar like this had happened before.

— déjà vu, he recalled. a feeling that you've already experience what you're doing in present—

—×—

"Atermis, you can't leave your children alone!"

" Im not leaving them alone, darling"

" Then explain to me what you're doing!. Baby, please, I can't relate with your situation b- but..

Promise me you won't kill yourself"

Artemis didn't answer that.

" please husband, I beg you!"

"I promise, I won't kill myself." Artermis found himself saying.

The woman— his own wife— sighed. Artemis just leaned further on the couch.

" Art?"

"Yes?"

" I'm feeling cold all of the sudden. Can you embrace me?" Karen, his wife said.

Artemis know that she's not feeling cold. it's mid summer so it's hot, hot enough to melt a pig — not literally of course—

he knows what she wanted.

" Come." Artemis dragged his wife to their bedroom.

They didn't get out until 4 hours later.

—×—

Icarus shook his head, dispelling all the memories.

"I Promise, Milanion."

A/N: sorry for not updating the entire month. but i got problems IRL that i had to take care of and i entered a local Radio station literature competition— didnt win, im a poor author—

And my phone broke down, had to buy a new one and all that jazz.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!.