Barbaric realms

"You fought hard, Shai. Are you well?" 

Athena wrapped new bandages around Shai's midsection. She placed the old ones on the ground, Shai looked at Athena but heard Ares talk about her with Zeus,

"She strong enough for the weapon," Ares said 

"Yes, she is. How they fight is remarkable. As if they were talking through the fight," Zeus told him, 

Athena glanced at Shai and noticed her listening to them, she let out a soft hum, and Shai looked down at her, Athena finished wrapping her midsection and stood up. She stared at Shai,

"There something in her eyes," Athena thought

It had a glow to it that she couldn't explain. Shai stared back at Athena, confused,

"Why was she looking at me like that?" Shai thought

"You've done well, Shai," Athena said

"I wouldn't say that. Just something that I had to do," Shai told her, 

"You should talk of it so lightly," 

Athena placed a hand on hers, Shai looked at their hands. Did she say anything wrong? From Athena's reaction, yes, Athena glared into her eyes. They looked as if they could smite her. 

"You have fought me, Hermes, and now Ares, you won Shai; you should take pride in that. Not many can say that, but they couldn't say if we are real or not either," Athena said 

Athena let go of Shai and felt a gush of wind go past them, Shai felt an arm wrap around her, pulling her to him,

"That you are right, Athena," 

Shai looked at him, and Hermes stared at her earnestly,

"Why question what you have done?" Hermes asked 

"I'm not questioning it, but this is surreal, like a dream." 

Shai stared at the gymnasium drained, but she couldn't help but look in awe, the clouds floated around it a bright white and the rubble lay on the ground didn't change the beauty of the gymnasium,

"I guess that would make sense. If I were in your place, I would feel the same, " Hermes told her 

"You have done tremendously, Shai. Don't doubt what you have done this day. For what it makes, we will remember," Athena said 

Hermes swings with her, giving her a grin, and Shai smiles at them. She lets out a chuckle and holds onto him, but Zeus yells for Shai,

"Shai, I want to ask something of you," 

Zeus walked to them with Ares not far behind him; Shai loosened her hand on Hermes, and she noticed the look in Zeus's eyes. Zeus was up to something. Shai didn't like the feeling she getting from him, Zeus smiled at her standing in front of them and asked,

"Would you like to fight me?" 

Shai lost her grip on Hermes. The feeling had gotten worse. It felt as if her heart had stopped. It's worse than with Ares. Shai didn't realize that she stopped breathing until Hermes patted her back, She glanced at him and then turned her gaze to Zeus, 

"Huh?" 

"Would you want to fight me?" Zeus asked

"Haven't I done enough fighting?" Shai inquired 

"You have, however, I saw how you fought. It was quick without hesitation. You knew what was coming. You read them like a book,"

Zeus pointed at them, and then at her, with a smile, he said,

"I want to fight you to see what that world has in store,"

Shai let go of Hermes and observed the lighting crackle off of him. Shai stared at him, nervous,

"I don't know if I can fight him," 

Shai touched her wrapped side, but she felt something cold. She glanced at it, and her weapon was the thing she touched, Shai heard a chuckle from Zeus as the weapon glowed under her hand. It wanted her to fight him. Shai looked at it perplexed.

"It wants us to fight him. I've gone through three fights. I don't know if I can?" 

The weapon shakes, causing Shai to look at it, and it shakes again, telling her to stop. You can fight. They observed this noticing the weapon acting differently. Zeus knew what the weapon was telling her. That is not right. It hasn't done that before. Ares Athena and Hermes noticed Zeus's expression. It was interesting,

"It talking with her again? That's intriguing. Why would it convince her to continue fighting," Zeus thought 

It shook again, making Shai look at Zeus. She saw him stare, intrigued by it. Shai felt her side stop throbbing and felt the wetness from the blood start to dry. It was odd. How can she heal that fast.

"I will fight you," 

Zeus grinned and looked at her with a shine in his eyes. Shai had a smile of her own, not noticing Athena and Hermes looked at each other, cautious. Ares stared at them amused. He wanted to see how Shai fought against Zeus, It was tougher than he first thought to win against Shai. He was mistaken to think low of her. Shai fought with her thoughts and instincts, and Ares commended her for them. Athena and Hermes thought It would be difficult for her to win against Ares, but she did, and she beat their expectations. They trusted her with the weapon until she perished. 

"Athena, Hermes, and Ares go to the ledge, then we will start our fight, Shai," Zeus told them, 

"Good luck, Shai," Hermes said 

Hermes pats her shoulder, smiling at her, then flies to the ledge, Athena walks past her, glancing down at her. The look she gave Shai concerned her. Athena warned her,

"This will not be as easy," 

Athena walked on a cloud to the ledge, Ares walked beside Athena but glanced at Shai, saying,

"This time, I agree with her, If you thought I was difficult, this would be a true challenge for you," 

Ares jumped onto the ledge and turned to them, Zeus looked at Shai, lighting came off of him, and the clouds around the gymnasium changed to a dark gray with lighting in them casting a blue glow. Zeus lifts his hand, and a lightning bolt strikes his hand. Shai watched him and had a sense of dread, He caught it and admired it, telling Shai, 

"I won't hold back because you are the holder, Shai," 

Shai felt the weapon shake beside her and pull it out. She gave him a grin of her own and twirled the weapon. It glowed red and green, 

"Then don't," 

The clouds, thunder, and lightning came from them. Shai observed the clouds moving to them, and Zeus watched her to see what she would do or if she would figure out what he was planning. Shai felt the weapon shake around. Shai glanced at it bewildered but then looked at the clouds.

"I can't move it will shock me. He doesn't want me to evade him,"

The clouds were next to her, and Zeus aimed the bolt of lightning at her, Shai stared at him. Her eyes glowed from the lightning around her, the weapon shook, it's white with blue and green in it. Shai pointed the weapon at him. Zeus saw her aim was off and made the clouds move in. The clouds could touch her when they shook. Shai had her finger on the trigger when Zeus threw the bolt at her. Shai shot it, not knowing where it went. She witnessed the bolt heading to her with the clouds being so close that she could touch it. Shai watched the lighting close to her face, but a huge gust of wind took the bolt into the clouds, and the clouds swirled around Shai. She looked around, breathing deeply. She watched The lightning and the clouds, the clouds grew around Shai, and she muttered,

"This is so cool... but weird," 

Shai heard another bolt come in the clouds, he tried to hit her with another bolt, stared down at where she last saw him and the weapon shook, Shai looked at it and it a blue, Shai aimed where he should be,

"This should hit him,"

Zeus watched the clouds swirl in front of him; he could see her in the middle of the storm.

"She found something new," 

Zeus smiled and walked to the clouds, which were a tornado, Shai saw that Zeus had moved, and it gave her the signal. Shai shot the weapon and moved the bullet to his feet. The clouds stopped swirling for a moment, rapidly moving at him. Zeus held out his hand to dissipate the tornado. He stopped by vines that came from under him and placed his hand back at his side. Zeus pulled at it, but the vines didn't break. The tornado swirled at him. Shai watched it engulf Zeus, but she saw his shadow. 

"I've never seen anyone do that before," Hermes muttered 

Hermes has seen other deities fight Zeus but not use his clouds against him. He's seen them make Zeus's powers disappear, but not this. Not turning his powers against him. Athena observed, stunned, but it didn't show. She wanted to see what happened next. They were both clever. Ares watches them not expressionless. This is different from before.

"He's going to get out of it," Shai muttered

The weapon shook, agreeing with her, and the tornado slowly dissipated,

Zeus stood watching Shai fall onto the ground, the vines still clinging to him. The tornado didn't affect him badly. It only singed his beard. Zeus looked at Shai amused and pulled away from the vine, 

"I haven't seen that in a long time..." 

The vines started to shrive and fall, Zeus shook them off and made another bolt, Shai pointed the weapon at him and thought. 

"Just trust your instincts and fight. You'll find a way," 

Zeus rushed to her far left and shot the bolt at her, Shai moved and missed it. She looked at what it left behind. A crater with light coming from it. Shai looked back at him. He threw another bolt. Shai backed away from it and barely missed the bolt. It scorched her jacket,

"You can not keep evading Shai," Zeus yelled out, 

Shai fell onto her knee. Looking at him, she felt the heat left in her jacket, taking it off her, Shai noticed the weapon glowing again. It was dark. Almost looked black. Shai heard him dashing words. She and Shai pointed in the direction and shot the building, but it hit the ground below him. Shai stared at where the bullet was, then looked down at the weapon, it glowed again.

"What was that one?" 

The weapon shook vigorously, trying to tell her something. Shai didn't hear Zeus beside her, a hand raised to hit her neck.