His New Weapon

"So you ride a pegasus a lot, Erithea?" Apollo asked her cheerfully, he was holding Atlas' reins while Erithea riding onto its back. The Pegasus walked not too fast as if to keep pace with the prince's steps.

"Not really, my father really likes Atlas. So he rarely lets us touch him. Apart from me, there are a few of his children who have ridden him. But I do ride the Atlas more often than any of my siblings," Erithea replied, she didn't think a little information like that would make any harm. She couldn't seem too nervous in front of Apollo. Or the archery god would suspect she was hiding something.

"Ah, Kairos really likes this Pegasus but he lent it to you? It looks like you'll be at Olympus for a very long time. Or maybe someone will pick it up one day?" Apollo Investigate. Erithea fell silent, trying to control her expression. Apollo, had a high curiosity. He was sensitive and could immediately guess the oddity of all of Erithea's testimony. Even though he acted like it was nothing and took it lightly— Erithea was worried again.

Apollo was walking, it seemed he didn't bring any vehicle. If Erithea ordered Atlas to fly, would she be able to escape him? If she had met Artemis— perhaps she would have been safe. Erithea couldn't stay with Apollo for long. Even though it was less than a day, the prince could already guess a lot about her. It was only a matter of time until he found out that Erithea might be being wanted by Zeus. Because she was his new rebellious concubine.

But it looks like Apollo had expected that Erithea might run from him. He led Atlas and Erithea to walk under a dense tree. A Pegasus could only fly after running in a fairly wide field. They need the right momentum to develop and flap their great white wings. With this narrow path, the big trees in the way and with Apollo holding the rope— Erithea couldn't escape by flying.

"Yes, I—" Erithea was a kind girl who never argued. Surely she had no talent for lying. She was very nervous right now.

"Oh, doesn't Kairos know that his daughter will become Artemis' follower? Hmm, Erithea are you actually being naughty child right now?" Apollo said it cheerfully without being judgmental. It wanted to make Erithea nod and say it all. But no, he was Zeus' favorite son. He must be on his father's side.

"Be—because he wants me to marry, when I want to live a virgin forever being a follower of Artemis," Erithea reasoned.

"Hmm, that means I'm helping a rebel princess. Kairos might be mad at me, but I'm not too worried. He can't punish me. So you can rest easy. You'll be safe with me," Apollo said again with a charming smile.

Erithea was pounding for something else. Apollo was very attractive. When he walked, it felt like she was watching a painting walk. The entire scenery around him, even though it was dominated by a gloomy and dark forest, somehow turned like a festival when he walked through it. Of course it was just a hallucination because of Apollo's strong aura. Erithea could tell that Apollo was confident, a little narcissistic but also knew how to carry himself so he didn't feel like a nuisance.

Even if he was being annoying—no one could hate him. Apollo was not hostile and did not take sides.

"I'm sorry, maybe I disappointed you," Erithea said, because Apollo was famous for respecting his father Zeus. Meeting a daughter who deliberately disobeys her father might make Apollo dislike her.

"No, Erithea. So what if once or twice a child argues with their father? They're not always right, are they?" Apollo said again. Erithea felt better after Apollo said that. She felt supported. Though his attitude might change once she finds out she was Zeus's runaway concubine.

"Your Excellency!" Pelias called out, following him. He had been deliberately slower to let his master chat with Erithea.

"What? Why are you bothering me? Can't you see I'm trying to persuade her to overturn her stupid decision to become a follower of Artemis?" whispered Apollo, annoyed. Erithea smiled bitterly, she heard some of his sentences. Did being a follower of Artemis sound that bad to the archery god's ears?

"There are Cyclops waiting for us, you want me to deal with it or—" Pelias informed.

Erithea turned scared. Cyclops, he says? She had never seen them in the wild. She only occasionally saw them at a circus show in a Titan settlement. Zeus kept the cyclops and wild monsters only in the mountains of Olympus. One of the gods was said to have controlled them from entering human settlements.

"Hmm, no need. Let me do it. I am also curious to try my new bow," Apollo said, massaging his shoulders and twisting his neck to get ready.

"Princess Erithea, you stay here. Pelias will take care of you," Apollo advised her.

"Didn't you say earlier that your clothes today are not suitable for hunting cyclops?" Pelias reminded him.

"Ah yes, I just need to do this then,"

Apollo took off his clothes which were like wide cloth wrapped around him. He showed off his perfectly sculpted physique, impressive muscles and slightly glistening skin with sweat. He tied the cloth to better cover his lower body part before putting his bow and arrows on His back.

Erithea reflexively covered her face and eyes with a slight blush. As a princess, her surroundings kept her pure. She had never seen a shirtless man so intense before.

"I won't blame you, princess. His physique is indeed very charming. I used to really believe that I was a true woman lover, until I met Apollo and it finally made me question my sexual orientation," Pelias commented on Erithea's reaction. He was half joking of course. Apollo easily fired and got rid of those who saw him with lust. He was too often seduced by both men and women and forced into love them because of his charisma, wealth and charming physique.

All the Titans consider him as a Trophy that they would be proud of if they manage to have him. That was why he now never let anyone have him.

Apollo didn't like it when the women he dated were too attached to him and would drift away if they started demanding more love.

A Cyclops seemed to be running furiously towards them. He carried a club which was a rotting branch of a large tree. He covered his private parts with a cloth made of bison skin. He looks like a fat man with a big belly. There was only one big eye in the middle of his forehead. His head was hairless and his teeth were smelly and mossy.

Pelias immediately led Atlas and Erithea away to a safe corner. He knew how Apollo fought. He was a man who moves swiftly because he was a ranged fighter who attacks with his bow and arrow.

Apollo jumped quite high as the monster's mace hit the ground hard. The surface beneath his feet even trembled slightly from his formidable power. Apollo stretched his bowstring, swiftly placed an arrow there and aimed at the Cyclops.

He was standing firmly on dry ground then he released his arrows. The first shot hit him straight in the eye. The monster roared in pain and swung its club recklessly. He broke some trees when he did.

Apollo fingered his bow, he found a button there and he pressed it. Then the arrow that was still stuck glowed red and flashed. After a few seconds a loud explosion occurred. The Cyclops' head was smashed.

"Pelias! You have to remind me to send a gift for Hephaestus! I love my new bow!" Apollo said cheerfully even though his skin and hair were now exposed to a few fragments of the skull and the remains of the brain that was still flowing with fresh blood.