Everything reminded her of the dark wolf and the upcoming battle that came with it. The wind filtered through her ears like the howls of ghostly wolves re-enacting a hunt. The once blue sky had weaved into a star-scattered darkness throughout the hours of their journey, reminding her of its sleek, glossy pelt. Within the distance glittering torches came into view – just like those orange eyes blazing in the dark.

Xavier had said he had to move fast before the king. Whether he could rid Red or not, he was coming. The conflict could be a early as tomorrow –  a few days at max. The not knowing exactly was torture – this could be her last night with Tamer.

The journey was suspiciously uneventful. Tamer raised his head in a sniff as if he sensed him too, a grim expression plastering upon his face. He said nothing, simply trudging on forward through the long plains of grass. Winter didn't ask him what he sensed; for now, she had her own battle to face.

As early as tomorrow, Tamer's life could be ended.

The hills of grass rolled into a golden warmth glowing on the horizon as the village came into view. The sight didn't comfort her as that temporary safe haven Lorelei had described, nor did it provide some mental relief to her aching feet. Seeing such a voracious gold reminded her of an even more powerful foe, like that absurd sunshine managed to dominate even within the night. The dark should have been a chilling, yet she felt heat surge through her body at the thought of him,the ghost of the god's soft hands inflamed with such delicate static ravishing her skin.

He's here.

Apollo. A being that clashed with her in every conceivable way; golden haired to her black, tanned skin to her white – the form of fire to clash with her ice. This being was so entirely contrasted from her own that she couldn't help but feel opposed to him, like they were in some sort of battle. She tugged at the collar of her dress, the ping of air bringing a momentary soothing chill to her skin. Even being anywhere near his vicinity was making sweat.

“Maiden of Ice Flowers.” The memory Apollo's lyrical voice sang throughout her mind. “How fragile you are that even the slightest tendrils of sunlight should bring you to your knees.”

With a shake of her head she scowled, trying her hardest not to melt yet somehow failing. Whatever game they were playing, she already felt like she was losing.

Walking towards that blaze of golden light, she felt as though she were walking directly into his hands.

“Winter?” Tamer asked. “Are You all right? You feel quite anxious.”

“I'm fine,” she said flatly.

What was she supposed to say? That she met a god and her natural instinct was one of anxiety, thus based on her premonition, they should give up their one sanctuary where Cerberus would supposedly not attack them just for this night?

He gave her hand an assuring squeeze.

“Try to relax,” he muttered softly. The golden gaze of his eyes under moonlight was usually such a beautiful sight, however, now they sent a more voracious pair of golden eyes flashing within her mind. “We've made it here safely. For this night, we are safe.”

Suddenly, a vortex of black mist swirling next to them drew a shriek from Winter, but it was only Lorelei, materialising into place with a content skip.

“I am also a wizard, by the way,” Lorelei said.

Winter double took – Tamer had a similar exhausted expression on his face. Magic was mostly considered a dead trade, but if you were rich enough, you could use it to light your house, heat your water – not, as she'd just saw, disperse into a cloud of black mist. She shook her head, deciding she didn't have the strength to chase it. As Tamer had previously stated, Lorelei was full of surprises.

The light of flames reflected across the pavement. The chilled crunch instead became a hollow tap as grass morphed into cobbled stone beneath her feet. The muffled sound of singing grew louder and clearer. The beat of tambourines synced with the beating of her own heart, the flutter of guitar strings weaved into a delicate yet jaunty tune. The air was ripe with high spirits and and sounds of folk singing –  an electrifying energy that was contagious. Groups of girls twirled round in circles with their arms linked, footsteps rhythmically tapping as their skirts whipped in a flutter.

"Do you think we'll get a room all right?" Winter asked.

"If need be, I will cover the price of a room for you two to stay, but forgive me for my rude behaviour, I fear I might be scarce tonight," Lorelei replied.

He smirked, baring a little glimpse of his fangs.

They stepped over the threshold. Winter felt that clammy heat clinging to her skin merge with the uneasy shudder passing down her skin. With each step onto that cobblestone, she grew hotter, her heart pumping blood fast through her body as her grim face became immersed in flickering light.

The burn of eyes was immediate; the sound of guitar strings being plucked grew to almost instant stop. Then fell the others. Although, it wasn't exactly her they were looking at; more so straight through her as several of the dancing girls' mouths fell open at the sight of them. Finally, everything, jaunty music included, came to a halt.

Tamer scratched his neck awkwardly. While the final night of the full moon was sheathed in cloud, there was still this faint luminescence that bathed his skin. And he was so tall he stuck out like a sore thumb. His face got redder and redder by the minute as he realised he was the centre of their curiosity.

"W-what are they staring at?" he stuttered, looking like he was about to spontaneously combust.

"You," Lorelei replied. "They can sense there's something about you that's not quite human. They probably think you might be Apollo."

"Wait what?" Tamer spluttered. "Y-you can't be serious! I mean, I know you said but I didn't realise – I can't deal with all this attention from humans!"

"Tamer," Winter said, tapping her foot. "Be nice to them, okay? Remember, the aim of the festival is to be nice to everyone in case someone is the Apollo – I don't want to be held accountable for any irritated deities that might take it out on the townsfolk.

Tamer's head slunk low. "Am I really that strange?"

"It's not that you look strange," Lorelei replied with a bemused grin, "it's that you're – "

"Gorgeous!" squealed a random girl who'd broken away from the crowd. Tamer froze up at the sight of her, great fear on his face as a woman entered his general vicinity. Her braids bounced excitedly as she teetered before them. "You are so handsome! Are you Apollo? You must be Apollo – no human could be this beautiful!"

Tamer hid his face with his hands, yet, somehow, Winter could almost feel the burn of his cheek searing through. "N-no, I'm not..."

"No?" said a blonde girl touching his arm."I don't know, 'no I'm not Apollo' sounds suspiciously like something that someone who is Apollo would say!"

"Ahh, you're so tall and muscular," cooed another girl, looking like she'd been struck by love at first sight. "Can you take your shirt off?"

"Wait what!"

"Maybe you should take your shirt off Tamer," Lorelei insisted. "You know, just in case it's the will of the god."

Lorelei caught some attention as well: two girls edged close to his proximity and a crowd formed around them.

"Oh hello there," he replied fondly. “You two a very nice looking ladies!”

Meanwhile, Winter folded her arms. This was a bad idea. She knew this was a bad idea from the start. She had a feeling she was going to hate every minute of this.

She didn't hear those footsteps in the commotion; silent, like his walk was some sort of graceful glide. It was the great, golden light sliding up the stone path like lava that snapped her out of her daze; the sudden of blossoms of inflamed static tickling her flesh as a cataclysmic heat grew thicker through the air.

"Oh, my, my," a dry, yet rhapsodic voice teased. "It looks like someone isn't the centre of attention. How tragic. Will the eyes of the sun god suffice for the dear Maiden?"

As she looked up, light burned her eyes. Her stomach lunged at the sight of him; as her eyes finally adjusted to his blinding aura, realising she was face to face with the very person she'd been dreading. She recoiled, gasping – his beautiful light had dazzled her like she'd stared straight into the sun.

"Ap– "

Apollo gently played a single finger to her lips, making sure she got sight of those aureate eyes shearing with frost.

"Hold your tongue," he whispered. “You wouldn't want to spoil the miracle of someone in need, now would you?”

Her heart raced. Drawing back, his gaze was petrifying. When he removed his hand she immediately sought the assistance of Tamer who didn't even have seemed to have noticed as girls tugged at him. Having his own lesser dilemma, he shot her his own plea for help before another girl tugged his arm, demanding his attention.

There was no way any one would mistake Apollo for a human. How could any one mistake Tamer for him while he literally radiated heavenly light?

"Can... can they not see you?" 

Apollo regarded the human girls with an uninterested shrug. "It's not so much as they cannot see me, so much as they cannot see me as you see me. Once I've shown my real form to you, I cannot perceive myself to you in the image of any other. Which would be why you currently see me as my true self." He chuckled, displaying a rather unusually human amount of bashfulness. "This is rather embarrassing I am afraid, but I'm borrowing the image of one of their comrades at the moment. They currently see me as a woman."

"You... you didn't hurt the girl who's appearance you're borrowing, right?"

"Of course not." He drew a single finger down her spine just to watch her shudder, his softly spoken words tickled the hairs on her neck like a hot summer breeze. "I'm not a threat to anyone but you, Winter."

Winter was frozen. Even without touching his presence radiated as a heat upon her skin. She met his gaze with a fearful glance; the god chuckled pleasantly in response before stepping back from her. The softening of his demeanour literally cooled the air by a few degrees.

"Relax Winter," he said, smiling deviously as he swept his fingers through his loose waves of golden hair. "I heed no ill will to you this fine night. Bar, of course, toying with you, which is fast becoming a favourite past time of mine."

This fine night...

She took a deep breath, trying to quell the nerves in her stomach. Along with the heat in the air the light around him began to diminish, leaving what could be perceived as a mortal being standing before her.

She didn't like how easily her body could become captivated by him. Perhaps it was the normal response of a mortal in the presence of a god, but she didn't like how easily his charm could make her lose her wits.

She made a decision to constantly be on her guard around him.

"I had actually come to request your presence," she said quickly, deciding to get this over and done with so she could be rid of him forever. "If it is to your pleasing, I was hoping we could converse. I have a few things I'd like to ask you.”

“Hmm,” Apollo muttered disinterestedly, scrutinising her up and down,  He took a gigantic swig of alcohol straight from the bottle. “The mere sight of you is so offensive to me that I can hardly stand to look at you. Who are you trying to convince wearing all that white?”

Did... did Apollo just imply I'm slutty?

A vein pulsed on her forehead.  So that was how it was; he was going to be as rude as hell to her all because she knew she was forced to be as nice as possible to him.

Her smile was venomous. “Why? What colour would you suggest?”

Once again, his eyes lingered upon her, leaving a trail of heat like flames in his wake. “Red.”

Winter laughed. “You know, white doesn't exactly suit you either. May I suggest you wear a black shirt instead?”

She saw Apollo crack a smile – a exceedingly wry one that curled with a slow, devious smirk. “You may be right about that one.” He gave a dramatic sigh. "I suppose I could put up with your prescience for awhile.”

Wait, why the sudden change?

She recalled how he'd rolled his eyes when she'd tried to address him formally at their last meeting.

Wait a minute. Could it be that this god actually likes being talked back to?!

Apollo had a glint in his eye – shaking her head, she tried to ignore it. She was about to ask him what the catch was. By the rules of the festival she was supposed to show him kindness in return, but before she could ask, he turned his attention to the girls swarmed around Tamer.

"Ladies," he said swiftly, completely ignoring Lorelei to turn his attention to Tamer, "perhaps you could allow the young man some space to breathe? No doubt he is very weary and could do with a place to rest – if he is Apollo, I doubt this is the kind of behaviour that would please him."

The girls retreated with a disappointed chorus of mumbles. Tamer looked as though he was about to heave a sigh of relief and thank Apollo, but there was confusion in his eyes as their gazes snagged; from the frown on his brow it seemed as though his senses caught whiff of some sort of deceit, but it quickly faltered, replaced by a look of gratitude.

"Th-thank you," he laughed awkwardly.

"Perhaps someone could offer them a place to stay the night?"
The young blonde girl who had previously touched Tamer's arm near bit his hand off in excitement.

"They can stay in our inn!" she exclaimed. "I doubt mother and father would mind!"

Even disguised as a human Apollo retained his authority. The reluctant crowd of onlookers began to retreat as he waved them away.

He was quick in addressing Winter before she could return to Tamer's side. His arm brushed against hers as he made his way in the opposite direction; the touch sent electrical shivers down her spine.

He leaned in, breathing softly down her neck, "You wish to know your destiny in relation to Artemis, am I right?” Winter's heart accelerated. “Come find me after the dance tonight. Perhaps, if I'm in a good mood, I'll enlighten you."