Students thronged into the main fighting arena of volataire, giddy with the expectation of an entertaining fight.
This fight was the final climax of all the others.
And so it was called TITANOMACHY.
The arena was enveloped in noise, students cheering as the instructor stepped forward to announce the namesof the first fighters.
"Are you sure that your name would not be called?" Merva asked Zeus with worry, her brows furrowing as she listened to the names being called.
"Avery Siner, a...and Jason Badoise." The instructor announced, and she sighed in relief looking at him.
"Thank the supremes." She told him, shyly reaching for his hand. He held her hand, their fingers entwining making her blush. She smiled at him before she turned and faced the ring.
Merva felt Zeus watching her intently, but her attention was majorly on the fight. She leaned into him, her focus still on the ring. "Is there anything on my face?" She whispered.
"No." He answered. She nodded in understanding and straightened up.
Avery Siner struck Jason down, and Merva and some of the crowd stood up to cheer.
She tried to lift up her both hands, but her left hand wouldn't budge.
She looked besides her agitatedly, a smile appearing on her face as she remembered that their fingers were still intertwined.
She looked behind her, checking that no one saw them.
They were in a luxury box, she had forgotten.
"Are you worried about being seen with me?" He asked her.
"No." Merva replied as she sat down. "They would already see us seating together, i guess i am shy about." She paused. "Holding hands in public." She whispered as she leaned in.
He chuckled, raising their entwined fingers up. "This?" He asked, his eyebrow raised.
She brought it down quickly. "Stop." She said looking around. "Have some shame."
Merva tried to focus on the fight, but Zeus kept pulling her fingers.
"Its ticklish." She giggled. "You should stop it."
She forced herself to focus on the fight, her face coloring as Zeus watched her.
"Why do you keep on looking at me like something you are trying to understand?" She questioned, looking him in the eye.
"You look beautiful." He said casually causing her blush to deepen.
She cleared her throat. "Ehem." Trying to hide her smile. "Only today?" She asked.
"Everyday." He said immediately.
"Jeez. Why are you so serious?" Merva said bashfully. "I was just pulling your legs."
He nodded. "I know."
He looked at her fingers now, letting her watch the fight.
Jason had been knocked out, and another took his place. Avery knocked out her new competitor, and they went on a break.
Zeus bought some snacks and had them dropped off in their box while he and Merva strolled about.
"Is there something on your mind?" Merva asked. She knew that his expression looked different, it was not the way he looked at her that made her want to hide her face.
He squeezed her hand gently. "Yes, there is."
"What is it?" She asked looking at him as they walked.
They walked in silence for a while, and then he halted, holding her from going forward.
The sun was too bright, its rays forcing her to squint her eyes.
She felt the ground beneath her slip, and he caught her by the waist as she grabbed onto him.
They were back in that shadow place.
"Is it better now?" He asked her.
Her eyes took some time to adjust, but she nodded nonetheless. It was better this way.
"How?" She asked.
"After that time, I figured you and I in it keeps it stable." He answered. He knew what she was asking.
She opened her mouth in wonder and closed it.
"Really?" She asked rhetorically as she looked around, but he answered her anyway.
"What did you want to tell me again?" She turned to him and asked, taking them back to the first topic.
He sighed and looked at her. "You wanted to know what I told my father."
"Yes, I want to." She answered, her curiosity piqued.
The shadows pulled at her but she pushed them away with her free hand.
"I told him that we are partially bonded." Zeus said, shocking her.
Merva swallowed, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly, nodding her head as what he said sank in. "I... I guess." She began and stopped.
She was speechless.
Merva expected it to be some random lie, but not what he had just said.
She stayed dazed, not hearing the rest of what he said.
"Can you hear me?" He asked, drawing her back to reality.
She tried to shake it off and focus on him. "Erm. Okay." She said softly racking her brain for anything reasonable to say.
"Did he believe you?" She finally asked and he shook his head negatively.
"He doesn't, but he has no way of faulting me right now since I said we have only done it partially."
"Okay." She said after some time. "But what was his reaction?" She was worried that their reaction had been severe, but she somehow knew that Zeus would not really tell her the truth.
"He didn't do anything much, but both him and my mother want me to break it off."
They didn't talk much about anything else, and when Zeus felt the short break was over he had them appear directly in their luxury box.
"Were we being followed?" Merva asked him as they sat down.
"Yes, and our conversation was being listened to." He added.
'Oh. So that was why.' Merva thought, frowning at him.
Zeus smiled, he knew what she was thinking. "That was part of the reason." He assured her. "I saw the sun was bothering you and decided on us going into the shadow."
"Okay." Merva replied nonchalantly. She did not like feeling like an unreasonable person. "But I didn't ask. I wasn't offended just so you know."
"Don't worry, I know you are not unreasonable." He assured her, struggling to keep his smile in place.
Merva glared at him from her side vision again trying to figure out if he was making fun of her or just simply oblivious.
Zeus handed her a smoothie and cupcake. "Don't overthink it." He said gently.
'Hmm. He was right, why bother herself.' She thought. "Straw please." She told him.
He opened the pack and took out the straw for her, putting it in her drink and she smiled. "Thank you."
The bell tolled, the fight was about to continue.
"Aren't you hungry?" Merva asked, wondering what Zeus was looking at.
"Not really." He answered absently.
"The final round is an open challenge." The instructor announced. "Whoever is willing should step forward." But no one did.
Avery stepped into the ring, her eyes going through the crowd.
"I challenge Zeus Aera to a fight." She shouted. "Are you willing to accept?"
Merva chocked on her drink, dropping it on the table as all eyes were on them.
She wanted to sneer at Avery, but she didn't.
"Is she allowed to do that?" Merva asked Zeus facing him.
"Yes." He answered. "She can do that when nobody challenges her."
"But you won't accept it right?" She asked, hoping he would say yes.
His father had instilled in him that he had to protect his name as the future heir.
Zeus had started rebelling against his father, but he was still not used to it.
"I have to." He told her as he stood up. "She has made it public, I cannot refuse."
Their eyes locked, and she nodded.
"Don't get injured." She told him.
He nodded. "I will meet you once I am done, wait for me."
He vanished from their box to the ring, and the crowd began cheering.
This was his first open fight since the dome.
Minerva appeared besides Merva, looking at her worried expression.
"Do you think she will beat him?" Minerva asked.
"Ahh." Merva screamed, nearly falling to the floor, her face looking like she had seen a ghost.
People were staring at her like she had lost her mind.
She glared at Minerva as she turned her face to her, wishing she could shout at her openly.
'Seriously. You had me scared.' She said telepathically, seating cautiously on her seat to make it look like she had been stung by something so that they will take their attention off her.
"Do you think she will beat him?" Minerva asked again.
'No.' Merva answered grudgingly.
"Then why are you worried?" Minerva asked in wonder.
'I don't want him to get hurt.' Merva said matter-of-factly.
They both glared at each other and looked ahead, Minerva hissing at Merva's blatant show off.
Zeus was not dodging Avery's attacks fully, it was clear to the crowd that he was trying to save her some face.
The crowd booed at Avery, many getting agitated and shouting at her over all the missed chances that Zeus had given her.
"Pass me that smoothie and cupcake when no one is looking." Minerva told Merva. "I am hungry." And Minerva nodded.
They watched everyone cautiously, Merva picking up the unopened smoothie and cupcake.
"Who is that woman that is dressed like a mismatched rainbow, and why dies she keep glaring at you?" Minerva asked, pointing at the other side of the crowd.
Merva squinted her eyes, trying hard to recollect where she had seen the woman before.
'Its our Lady, Zeus mother.' Merva told her as soon as she remembered.
The bell rang, Zeus had knocked Avery out in one strike.
Merva took advantage of the crowds distraction and handed the food to Minerva. She felt her heart sink to her stomach as she looked back at Metis who nodded at her.