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(Fate) Chapter 221: Nyx: It's been a while!
🕑 Added 2024-12-08 17:00:44 +0000 UTCAtalanta’s voice rang out, halting Promise in his tracks as her bright green eyes locked onto him, unwavering.
"Is there... nothing you want to say to me?"
Atalanta’s question made Promise pause, his face showing genuine confusion as he turned to her and tilted his head, asking in confusion.
"Is there something I should say to you?"
The heroes also looked at Atalanta in confusion, wondering why she said such a thing.
However, Atalanta ignored the others, her intense gaze fixed solely on Promise.
It was as if she were searching for something in his expression, something different, something unspoken...but everything seemed so normal, just like always.
"Will you... come back?"
Atalanta stared at Promise and asked the question word by word.
The latter froze, momentarily taken aback as he heard her words.
At that exact moment, Pegasus descended with a soft whinny, flapping its pristine white wings as it landed before him.
"What are you talking about, Atalanta? Isn’t this just like always?"
Promise smiled at her as he spoke, then without waiting for her reply, he turned around and sat on Pegasus.
"Yeah, what are you even saying, Sister Atalanta?"
Helen also helped as she spoke enthusiastically, "Big brother Promise will definitely come back! He’s just completing another oracle from the gods like he always does.
We’ll all bring glory back to our homeland together!"
As Helen finished her words, Pegasus spread its wings and carried Promise away from the Argo.
Atalanta, however, paid no mind to Helen’s words.
Her emerald-green eyes remained locked on Promise, as if she were a huntress unwilling to let its prey escape, no matter what.
Pegasus halted in front of the Argo, flapping its wings to create a powerful gust.
The winds gently pushed the ship from the shore back into the sea, little by little.
As the Argo floated once more, Promise took out the painting of Poseidon, the god of the sea and offered a prayer to the god of the sea.
"Honored and mighty Poseidon, hear my plea. Protect these proud friends of mine. Please, see to it that they return safely to their homes."
The waves swelled gently, lapping against the Argo with a melodic sound.
Clearly, the lord of the seas had answered Promise’s prayer.
With the ocean’s blessing, the ship and its heroic crew began their journey homeward.
Promise sat atop Pegasus, silently watching the Argo as it sailed further and further away.
"Farewell, everyone... safe travels!"
Then, he shouted these words with all his strength.
My friends, may your lives ahead be smooth and blessed!
After those words, he signaled Pegasus to turn around as the winged horse carried him skyward, soaring back into the starry night, disappearing from the heroes’ sight.
"Brother Horse, are you asking what I’m doing?" Promise’s voice sounded casual, as if he were chatting with Pegasus.
He pondered for a moment before smiling and answering with a carefree tone,
"Honestly, I’m not sure myself.
But I feel like if I didn’t do this now, someday in the future, I’d regret it deeply."
Pegasus tilted its head in confusion but soon dismissed it, continuing to gallop through the glittering night sky.
On the Argo,
At this moment, only Atalanta's eyes were following the direction where Promise left until she could no longer see him.
Everyone except her believed this departure to be no different from all the others and that he would complete his oracle and return.
Only Atalanta... sensed something was different, though she wasn’t certain why.
Reaching into her belongings, she pulled out a silver leaf.
She stared at it briefly before lifting her gaze, her eyes following Promise’s disappearing silhouette.
Atalanta wasn’t just watching Promise leave—she seemed to be staring at the "end" of something between them.
The moonlight bathed her, the favored child of the moon goddess, in its glow.
Clutching the silver leaf tightly in her hand, she whispered softly:
"Promise... safe travels."
Atalanta’s soft voice lingered in the air, but her blessing was swallowed by the sound of waves crashing against the shore.
The night breeze tousled her waist-length teal hair as she stood still, watching Promise disappear into the horizon.
.
.
.
.
After bidding farewell to his friends, Promise flew through the starry night sky on Pegasus, heading toward the sun god Helios.
But unexpectedly, though not entirely surprisingly, he encountered a goddess along the way.
Draped in the cloak of the night and adorned with flowing, waist-length hair as dark as midnight, stood Nyx, the primordial goddess of the night and one of the five oldest deities in Greek mythology.
Nyx came over to Promise and invited him into her chariot of the night.
Even Brother Horse, familiar and at ease, joined the shadowy steeds of the night, running alongside them.
"Child, it’s been a while."
As soon as Promise sat down in the carriage, the goddess of the night, Nyx, came over and touched his head lovingly, appearing to be very intimate.
In fact, even considering Promise’s current status, the presence of Nyx carried significant weight...no she was an irreplaceable figure, deeply influential and commanding immense respect.
In fact, when he was deciding which deity to devote himself to, Promise had seriously considered making Nyx his patron goddess.
She was, after all, a choice that even the gods would find difficult to dispute.
As one of the five oldest gods, and with the special identity of being the adoptive mother of the god-king Zeus, the goddess of night, Nyx, was not only qualified, but could even be said to be completely beyond the standard.
More importantly, her unwavering affection and assistance toward Promise rivaled that of any other deity.
Since the time Promise painted Artemis’s masterpiece with the night as his canvas, Nyx had taken a particular liking to him.
She had personally guided him to meet Hades, delayed the rising of the sun for his sake, and even shrouded the entirety of Mount Olympus in darkness at his request.
If Athena, Clotho, and the other three deities intertwined with Promise’s fate were the most important in his life, Nyx was undoubtedly next in line, surpassing even Apollo and Artemis.
Though her appearances were infrequent, her presence was never absent when it truly mattered.
Had it not been for Helen’s earlier ordeal and his teacher Chiron’s wise reminder, which helped Promise solidify his resolve and make his final choice, Nyx would have been the ideal option for appeasing the gods with a 'wise' decision.
After all, she was undoubtedly one of the wisest choices.
"Have we really not seen each other in a long time?"
In this situation, even though the person in front of him was an ancient and terrifying god, Promise naturally did not feel any psychological burden.
He smiled and said, "Don’t we see each other every day? Wait... am I the only one who feels that way? I greet you every night, Goddess Nyx!"
"Of course, you do," Nyx replied, pinching his cheek lightly with a playful smile. "And I’ve always been listening."
She laughed, her expression growing even fonder. "It’s rare to find a child so thoughtful... By the way, I hear you’re going to help Helios drive his solar chariot?"
'I only just learned that myself. Where did you even hear it from...
Wait, were you eavesdropping?'
While this thought flitted through Promise’s mind, he off course, didn’t let it show. He nodded earnestly and quickly explained the situation to Nyx as the latter listened in silence.
After Promise finished, she spoke in a gentle voice.
"Child, do you realize that driving the solar chariot is an incredibly dangerous task?
The sun is a blazing inferno.
When you ride the chariot, its flames will scorch your body.
Even with the specially prepared sacred balm, it cannot completely shield you from the sun’s heat.
While it may not cause you permanent harm, you will endure the searing pain it brings."
As she spoke, she gestured toward the silver-black steeds pulling her night chariot through the starry sky.
"And unlike my gentle children, the sun’s steeds are not so easy to handle."
The celestial horses neighed softly as Promise glanced their way, acknowledging him with friendly whinnies.
"Born from the heart of the sun, they were captured and harnessed by Helios. But their fiery tempers and wild desire to run free are part of their nature.
Even Helios struggles to control them fully. If it were you..."
Nyx’s starlit eyes gazed at Promise with genuine concern.
But when her eyes met his calm and determined gaze, she softened, her lips curling into a gentle smile.
"But child," she said earnestly, "I believe in you. If anyone can tame even the blazing sun, it’s you."
"Goddess Nyx, you are flattering me too much, aren't you?"
Under the gaze of the Goddess of Night, Promise said a little embarrassedly.
"I'm not exaggerating, but I really think so, because I have always seen everything you have done, and..."
She chuckled, her tone teasing. "You’re the one who painted that masterpiece on my body—the artwork that stunned all the gods."
Promise scratched his head awkwardly at her playful tone, then said sincerely, "Thank you, Goddess Nyx. You came to see me because you’re worried about me, right?"
As he spoke, hr bowed slightly to express his heartfelt gratitude, subtly steering the conversation in a different direction.
"Of course. You’re a child dear to my heart—it’s only natural,"
Nyx replied with a smile.
"But aside from that, I do have a favor to ask you..."
Before she could finish, Promise quickly responded, "Goddess Nyx, whatever it is, I’m willing to do it!"
Startled by his immediate reply, Nyx blinked in surprise.
However before she could even speak, Promise continued, "Whether it was during the matter in the Underworld or the events on Mount Olympus, I’ve never forgotten how much you’ve helped me. I’ve often thought about how to repay you.
I’ve even consulted other gods, but no matter how long I think about it, I can’t figure out what offering would be worthy of someone as noble as you."
Promise’s gratitude and earnest desire to repay kindness had always been one of his defining traits.
He never took the gods’ aid for granted, even when it came from someone as mighty as Hera.
This quality was one of the many reasons why the gods cherished him so deeply.
Nyx, who had observed him all this time, knew this well.
So, her gaze grew even softer as she looked at him.
She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated as her mind replayed Promise’s words.
"Anything"?
"Really?!"
