Chapter 5 Tales Under the Glittering Carvens


    Artemis''s POV


    "We''re here" he said.


    In front of us was the entrance of a cave. It was opened at the side of a cliff. It was wide, with diameter


    of two meters and high about one. One either sides, crystalline rock had been shaved into Grecian


    columns. The arch was glittering with little diamonds or some kind of precious rocks. At the top, moss


    and some kind of seaweed nts dropped down like curtain. The aroma of sweet and freshing out


    from the cave really caught my attention as they assaulted my nostrils.


    Next to the cave was the cliff, few meters below of white limestone. The sea shed its wave on the


    rock, but instead of the roaring crashing sound, it sounded calm and pleasant like a sequence of piano.


    The ocean sent a tinkling breeze of cool air and little of sea water to my skin. The sun was now starting


    to hit the horizon far far away. It mixed its orange and golden colour with the blue clear sky.


    I turned to Perseus to see his annoying grin. "Youing?"


    He set the natural seaweed curtain aside for me with a gesture of inviting.


    I huffed "And why should I?"


    "Well if you don''t want toe" he said. "I''m going. There''s something I want to show you."


    He stepped inside, not thinking of what I was going to say next. I gave him a red and looked away.


    There''s no way I''m gonna enter that cave. Get along with him in one room. That would tear down my


    reputation. He has already slept with me on the same bed, I wouldn''t want anything simr like that to


    happen again.


    But the moment he''s gone. The warmed sun turned dark by the clouds. The breeze from the sea turn


    to strong winds wielding in. I shivered from the contact.


    Really? Do you really have to do that Fates? First my mother wants me to go with him, now you want


    that to happen to?


    I stared at the cave. True the smelling out from it was so drawing and fascinating. It wouldn''t hurt if


    I paid a visit anyway. Besides, this cave could block Leto''s vision. I might have a chance to decapitate


    Perseus in there or bless him a bit of torture.


    As the thought, I slowly entered the cave.


    The seaweed curtain swept aside and I immediately being sted by a warm breeze of fresh and


    sweet air. I looked around, my mouth formed an ''O'' at the view of it.


    The walls glittered with crystals—red, green, and blue. In the strange light, beautiful nts grew—giant


    orchids, star-shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the


    crystals.


    The cave floor was covered with green moss. Enormous chasms with various flowers grew up from the


    soil bed below. Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a gxy of stars.


    In the centre of the cave was an massive chasm filled with water. It''s source came from the line cracks


    between the wall, flowing and wriggling around the big boulders, making a stream. The sunlight outside


    came through the seaweed, reflected on theke surface creating a green and purple screen of water


    with theke glittering of stars.


    Perseus stood at the edge of theke, looking down at the bottom. Some how, his features fascinated


    me. The messy ck hair always made me want to curl around and y with my finger. His tan skin


    opposite with my pale and that red lips made him more of catching attention. That sea-green eyes of


    his always looked so innocent yet piercing that I never made eye contact with him for long. His


    eyebrows knitted together made him look even cuter than-wait what the Hades!? Why am I having


    those negative thoughts now? Twice I have thought about a male, twice my heart twisted and the weird


    feeling happened. So far I could control it, perhaps from thinking about my personality and conservative


    mind, also from the fact he was my brother. But whenever I stared at him for too long, those guards just


    somehow slipped away. Like I couldn''t tense with him long enough for him to scare me. And that was


    really frustrated.


    Perseus turned to me and smirked, his eyes sparkled that I took all my will not to smile back at him.


    "So you came after all" he said in a singing voice.


    I folded my arms and huffed. "I don''t know what spell you casted out there Perseus, but don''t think that


    you won this time."


    "Ok firstlydy, I did that to help you from getting away from mum''s observation. I could''ve let you being


    scowled when you return instead, but I brought you to this ce despite the fact that I might be in


    danger staying alone with you. If you don''t like it then fine, suit yourself and go outside, I bet some of


    mum''s pets already waiting for you at the entrance." He turned back to theke, his eyebrows knitting


    as a sigh of frustration came out from him.


    I scowled under my throat. Why does he have to be so annoying? It''s not like I wanted to hurt him or


    something, it just the way I treat males. He knew that was my nature. I couldn''t hold myself from hurting


    them. Why can''t you just be a girl Perseus? I might like you that way.


    He didn''t give me a look back. Suddenly, a cold chill came to me as the cave got darker and darker. I


    guess the air in here somehow rted to the mood of people. At that moment, I felt that I''ve overdid it.


    He was right in the first ce. He could''ve just let me be outside instead of letting me in. He knew that I


    could easily attack him without the watch of Leto. Yet, with normal people and being selfish, I wouldn''t


    be standing here right now. Perseus was brave enough to allow that.


    Suddenly, my judgement for male being selfish just being wiped off the list by his action. Gosh how can


    he just slowly erase my judgement for him so easily!?


    I knew I had hurt him, disappointed him to be exact. I guess an apology should be enough, but yet, I''ve


    never apologised to anyone. Maybe cheer him up would be better.


    I made my steps forward, faking to look around.


    "Nice ce in here don''t you think?" I said, ncing at him for reaction at the corner of my eye. "How


    come I didn''t notice it before?"


    "I made this ce" he muttered with out looking back. "Now I have regretted it."


    "Wow you made it?" I tried topliment him. "I didn''t know you had that ability to build."


    Right again, it turned out to be a sarcasticpliment. Ok Artemis, cheer him up not turn him down.


    He turned to me sharply, his face was increasing temperature. I stepped back nearly fell into the


    excavated pit behind me.


    "And I didn''t know that you would be that unpleasant and repulsive!" He snarled.


    I felt bad for hurting him now, then again, my blood also boiled up a bit from getting insulted. He was


    the first also to be thest.


    "Just stop whining already!" Iined. "You know it''s my nature to hate you. How would you expect


    me to be nice to male. It''s against my own personality."


    "Right ''personality''" he mimicked me. "It''s just that you are stubborn to ept our presence that''s all.


    Nothing is wrong with having male in this world."


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    I red at him. If because I didn''t feel guilty and a bit sympathised for him, I would''ve shot few arrows


    to the middle of his head. Not even Zeus would humiliate me this way. Yet this single male, three time


    humiliated me.


    "Why do you have to be a hard head anyway!?" I yelled. "It''s not like I hurt you that much. You''re just


    exaggerating stuff."


    "Don''t push me to the edge Artemis!" He turned back and step closer. "You wouldn''t be standing here


    right now after all of the insults for me. Don''t erase the image of Artemis that I always thought of!"


    I stared at him in shock. How could he know about me? Whenever I came to the ind, I always found


    his presence missing. So now, how could he possibly imagine me.


    "Y-you what?" I stammered, my voice suddenly dropped.


    "I used to like you ok!" He screamed at the ground. "I used to admire you so much that I always


    dreamed to talk to you just for once in my life. Now I have actually regretted for hoping and waiting. It


    wasn''t worth any of it. I hate you!"


    I stared at him with my mind trying topromise. Perseus red at me onest time before jumping


    down into theke and disappeared under the purple water.


    "Perseus wait..." I tried to call him, but it came out just as a soft whisper.


    He was gone, left me alone in the dark carven.