Dreamer

25

Orion.

My legs remain where they are, staring at the man who I least expect, to be in front of me.

"Octavius... You've arrived," Adele also as surprised as I am speaks.

"I have, Adele. I hope my absence hasn't been much felt?" Octavius speaks with a sense of humor cascading his words.

"Well seeing you two, it does seems things are still in control, isn't it Orion?" Octavius continues, facing me with a smile having not gotten a response for Adele, who is still staring perplexed, because as we know of it, it takes longer to get out of the forest of the dead, but here is octavius, standing right in front of us, just after a month of his departure.

With our gazes locked on each other, the appease feeling that octavius is back fills me, along with the dreading words of Queen Nadia. "We have a lot to talk about." Whatever thoughts of Queen Nadia's words, fly out the room, as a smile makes it was to my lips, finally speaking words to octavius.

"That we do, but first, I'll leave you to get dressed while I see a certain person." Octavius answers, while I chuckle knowing who he is speaking of.

"Aurelia?" I ask, as octavius nods his head lightly. "Good luck with her, you'll need it." I tell him still chuckling, knowing how Aurelia has promised to deal with him, for leaving without informing her.

But well, if he had, she may never have left him to go.

"Oh I know." Octavius smiles, yet, I can  still see the worry in his eyes of probably how he is going to face Aurelia, cause Aurelia can be a handful.

Octavius nods at me one last time and at Adele who's still standing at the same spot, as before he leaves I notice some physical changes the forest of the dead may have done to him. Such like, the grey hair growing at the tip of his hair strand.

"Octavius," I stop him before he leaves, as he turns to me. "Its good to have you back." I tell him sincerely, as a smile invades his face.

"Its good to be back."

---------------

I leave the room prepared to where I would find octavius and discuss properly with him, as we didn't get to have a discussion based on the situation he met me.

On the other hand, after octavius Left, as expected Adele also left, but not without slamming the door to my face of proving how much of a jerk I am to her, but the truth is, I am only being truthful.

It may have been fun at the very beginning, of how we were only there for each other to relive stress and it worked, but now, as everything gets more complicated by the day, that is actually the least of what I want, because what I want now is to kill Articus and finding Atheena.

Which makes me worry if the arrival of Atheena, is stirring me up more than I know.

I don't walk too far before I sight chief Kane, Ares, Aurelia, Adele, and octavius by the surveillance room.

"Good, you're here. Let’s being, we don't have time to waste." Chief Kane speaks as soon as I arrive.

"You wouldn't even let the guy rest, cut him some slack, he's coming from the forest of the dead for Gods sake." Adele speaks making my attention go to her, and to be reminded of how slefish we have been for not even considering the fact that Octavius will need to rest.

"I will, but now's not the time to rest." Octavius speaks.

"Of course its not, because you only think about yourself." At those words each gaze move to Aurelia, as her words do come harsh at octavius.

Oh, they still have a lot to work out.

"Aurelia," I caution her, because she of all people know he is doing this for the safety of us all.

"Don't brother, don't intervene, because if you were in my shoes  you definitely would not condone such." Aurelia speaks again taking me by surprise with her words.

"Lia..." Ares calls to her.

"No, she's right." Octavius cuts Ares short before walking slowly to Aurelia. "My departure was wrong without informing you about it and I apologize, and will correct my wrongs I promise you, but first, all I am doing is also to ensure your safety." Octavius speaks to her softly as the gaze of everyone stays on them.

Its no longer news that a man as old as octavius, whom I dated his daughter is now in a relationship with my Sister. Yes, its no more news and I have no issue with that, because one thing I do know is, octavius is a good man and as long as he is genuine and treats her right, I will be fine with it, not giving a care of what age difference stand between them.

People may speak about it, probably disregarding how octavius can birth the woman he's having an affair with, and call it illicit, which is why they hid their affair in the first place, until it came out abruptly by Atheena.

Aurelia scoffs, nodding her head negatively, with the length of hurt displaying in her appearance. Her gaze on octavius descending, before she speaks. "I'll get the briefing when I'm in a better scenario." Aurelia speaks leaving octavius standing, as she exits the environment.

The space becomes silent as after Aurelia's departure, no one seems to have anything to say. "Adele's right, octavius you need to get some rest, after then, we can talk about the matters." I speak first.

"There is no time for that, and resting would be a waste of time that we do not have." Octavius speaks.

"Stiil yet, we can always find time to discuss. You may not need, but your body does." I insist regarding the grey hair growing on him.

"You don't understand, I shouldn't be back now, but I did because the longer we delay, the more the worse comes, if its not already on its way." Octavius says.

"What do you mean. Speak clearly octavius. What happened during your training?" Chief Kane gives him a go ahead, disregarding him resting anymore. The look on octavius face reprimanded, while we wait for him to speak to us.

"I had another vision." Are his first words as when he speaks, so do my worry begin to grow. "And it is worse than anything I have ever seen." He adds.

"What did you see?" My voice coming solemn.

"Demons. I saw demons running around and killing innocents, as it rained with blood." Octavius answers making me take in a gulp.

"So what does that interpret?" Ares asks, speaking. "We all know it doesn't just go direct as he sees it. Just like his last vision where he saw Athena's blood being spilled, it turned out to be actually be true, but instead we are the one who spilled her blood and Articus spilled ours. So octavius, what does this vision means?" Ares continues asking octavius, as his gaze remains glued on him, as though he believes it is more than what octavius is saying.

"It means Articus might have found a way to have The chosen on his side and is coming for us." Chief Kane speaks up.

"No...no I don't think that is it." Octavius rejects.

"Then what is it?" I inquire.

"In my vision, I couldn't see his face properly, because his back was turned at me, but by his side, as who commanded the Demons and fought with them is Atheena, but she is not the Atheena that we know, rather this one is driven by power and cruelty." Octavius answers as my hopes being to fade.

"The person with her, are you sure it was Articus?" Chief Kane asks.

"Yes I'm certain now, because even if I didn't see his face, I did see the ring he possesses." Octavius answers.

"f**k!" I curse inaudibly under my breath, running a hand through my hair. "So what's the plan now?" I ask audibly this time.

"We stick to the main plan. We get her back either ways." Octavius says.

"And what if she's already sided with Articus, then we'll be walking into a deathtrap." Ares says.

"Do we still have the Demon's blood?" Octavius asks.

"Yes, we still do." I respond.

"What about the leaders, do we have their support now?" Octavius adds.

"Well, we can say we do, but they require your presence before first." Chief Kane answers.

"That wouldn't be a problem. Orion you should arrange a meeting with them instantly, I have to see them today." Octavius speaks.

"Look, I know we're in a haste, but let's not forget that we're also dealing with leaders of powerful clans here and you can't just summon them and expect them to listen immediately." Ares counters making octavius turn to him.

"You don't still understand Ares, do you?" Octavius gaze turning different.  "We have to rescue Atheena before the next three days." Octavius speaks grabbing each of our attention abruptly.

"What do mean? We can't round this up in the next three days, its not possible." I tell octavius.

"Why do you say so?" Chief Kane amidst all our surprise, asks lowly.

"Because in the next three days is a blood moon, and every blood moon a ritual takes place in the Demon world, whereby Articus reveals himself to his demons, and since that only happens every five years and is happening in the next three days, it only make sense that would be time Articus reveals Atheena to his Demons, and once that is done, there is no going back.

Th ritual which takes place only valids on every blood moon, and the only chance we have is,  before that day, Articus grows weak some days before, due to the effect of the coming blood moon, making him vulnerable, which is why we will need to attack then, because, once the blood moon begins, he becomes stronger than ever before, along with Atheena now on his side." Octavius explains, changing everything we though we know. 

"So Ares, except we do not want a global g******e, we must attack Articus before the next three days." 

Well, s**t just got real.