Our plane lands approximately 2 in the morning, Mike's birthday has passed and come to think of it I didn't get him any present maybe this is the right time to shop for his present too, because if all he said was true he's gonna need something.
"exactly 2 hours from now we will leave to maldives" celine said "So genius ready to start your training?" she added.
"Really nicholas you'll leave me with her, I would prefer you teaching me, she might kill me" Mike said.
"though we demigods are hardwired with the best battling capabilities but why shouldn't I? learning more is good and Trust me mike if anyone could be your teacher that would be The daughter of the goddess of wisdom and war, I don't think of anyone who can teach you in the fastest phase possible, cause time is not really on our side right now" I assured him "And Celine won't kill you probably" I added "but you two should probably come with me instead" I insisted.
"Nicholas Why? I'm looking forward on beating the pulp out of this gardener" Celine argued with my decision "Last time I checked even if you have the Sharpest tounge you can't possibly harm a makhai with it" I said and Celine looked at Mike "Oh yeah! I hardly noticed that genius here is naked" she said.
"Hey I'm perfectly covered, it may not be decent but I'm not naked" Mike argued with Celine "I mean you don't have your weapon yet genius!" she said "Yes Mike I think its time for you to choose your weapon but not just ordinary weapon an enchanted one, And I know where we can safely get one, hurry we don't have much of a time" I said
'καλωσορίστε στο εμπορικό κέντρο του Ερμή' I finally saw the sign I was looking for. its a greek sign that translates for 'Welcome to mall of Hermes'. its in an unreadable scripts for mortal even greeks can't read it. by the way Hermes the messenger of the Gods, The God of Wealth Hermes not the Luxury Brand though it was named after him because of he is the sign of wealth after all.
I quickly touched the walls where the script are engraved, the moment I touched it a rotating door came out from nowhere. its a bit fancy now before this enchanted mall is just a market full of enchanted things and only accessible by Gods and Demigods that are guided by Gods themselves, but now I guess the low turnover of Heroes made Hermes decide to open it publicly to those who knows it.
enchanted stores everywhere, there's even a Rent a Pegasus now, that might be handy but that's not what we're here for, as we stroll around I finally see a familiar shop "Farriers and Anvil" or in our term Sword Shop, though in translation farriers are horse shoe maker but those are the original blacksmiths anyways.
as we entered the shop, searing hot flames radiating from their furnace smell of burning coal and metal welcomed us, yes they still use this on this shop for authenticity purposes and that's one reason why I kept on coming back and buying here.
"Good Day! Gentleman, Milady and Nicholas" a Familiar voice it was the Shop's manager and the smithing expert, the personal helper of Hephaestues the God of Forging and Flames the Cyclops named Giles.
"Giles my friend!" I greeted him same as always "Been a long time since we last saw each other" I added.
"The last time is when you bought the Drakon's Dagger for the gir that's with you" Giles said "and here she is now Giles all grown" I said.
"Oh yeah my eye is kinda blurry now all of this metal works, it strains my vision" giles said "May I see that one of a kind Hydra's Fang Dagger" Celine handed her dagger "Ahh one of the most perfect creation of our hands, I can still remember our hardships to get this fang, But its all worth it, isn't it a Beauty!!" Giles said "And this young girl has some taste this is the one she picked, amongst all the weapons I showed her" giles added.
"Ahmm Giles we're here to get this boy a weapon" I pointed at mike.
"Hmmm, let me see?" Giles scratched his head "Boy! follow me" Giles said.
"Mike go follow him" I said "on my Own?are you serious he is a one eyed man!" Mike whispered "Giles is friendly didn't you get it yet?" I smiled at him "But..-"
"of course genius here didn't get it yet and he is a Scardey cat anyways but you have to follow him man up and choose the best suited weapon for you and deciding it is part of your fate and we are not allowed to intervene, I hope you get it now" Celine sarcastically said and how can I argue, after all she's the daugther of the Goddess of Wisdom.
"Celine is right mike so go ahead, Giles will take a good care of you" I added "Okay if you both say so" Mike agreed.
20 minutes has passed "Mike sure takes a lot of time deciding" I said "And its not helping! we are in a time sensitive situation here and we also have to catch our flight to see the Goddess of love" Celine added.
"Haha boy you have a fine Choice" I finally heard giles' voice, as he walks out the door I saw Mike's choice.
"Now look at that, Giles is right all along that's a fine looking weapon mike" I said "I don't know I just picked it and it seems like I'm good at it" Mike added.
"Hush now genius, do you really know how to use that?" Celine said "and what so special about that toxō?" she added.
"if I'm right on what that Tóxo does that would mean we might get a fighting chance" I said "Is that the Tóxo of Illio and Fengar?" I added.
"Illio and Fengar? you mean sun and moon" Celine said "Yes Celine have you heard about that weapon?" I said.
"Apparently your age proves how wise and smart you are nicholas!" Giles said "It was indeed the Bow of the Sun and Moon! The bow that is been made by half chrysos and half asimi and ..-" Celine interrupted "Its a bow Made from mix of gold and silver what made it special" she said.
"Let me finish lassy" giles said "Lassy here is good at translating anyway its not only mixed of Gold and Silver, This bow contains the Ichor of the Siblings, The Titan God of the Sun Helios and The Titan Goddess of the Moon Selene, so that's why it's so special" Giles said "And if I'm correct Giles this weapon is so special, its the one who chooses its owner? am I correct?" I said "Correct Nicholas you proved once again that your smart as well and you know weapons like this is not cheap" Giles added "I know giles lets talk about it later, I'm curious since it was the first time someone wielded this Bow and knowing it has the ichor of the immortalis, what does it do and where are the quivers?" I added.
"Haha! better show them its power lad" Giles patted mike "Okay sir" Mike said and he pulled the Bow's string and a Searing Arrow came out from now where and when he lets go of the arrow it immediately hits the far end of the store.
"as you can see this bow doesn't need Arrows cause its magic!" Giles said "so it has the suns blessings, it shoots fiery arrow, is that it?" Celine said "No and Yes lassy the bow has added features the ichor of Selene the moon deity invoked this Bow with some nasty power, And I bet the boy knows what I'm saying" Giles giggles.
"I think this Bow is somehow alive and not at the same time" Mike said "What do you mean mike?" I asked.
"It's speaking to me, giving me some advice on what to do or who to hit, I don't know its hard to explain but it seems like it" mike added "Yes! that lad is correct!! the moon goddess is not only the one who brings the moon but part of her power is to blessed someone with intuition ability, or we can a say very helpful adviser and combined with the searing arrow you wont miss" Giles enthusiastically said "But be warn that bow isn't that all powerful without a price it may seem that its leaking power but its not the Bow's ability to shoot searing arrows are limited to the number of minutes when the sun hits its peak so in my calculations." Giles counted "Around 150 Arrows and I may also suggest that you use it when its morning to maximize its power and..-" Mike interrupted giles "What happen when I used all the 150 Arrows? will I need some normal arrows then?" Giles replied "Yes child that's why this Tóxo I made comes with a Magic Gloves that deploys normal arrows when you run out of the Solar Arrows or Solarrow" Giles giggles.
mike then tried the gloves and it did deploy an arrow one after another but quite slow like the normal quiver bow relationship.
"Mike, You really is the one" I said "I can feel that somehow you're already ready on what could possibly happen" Mike nodded "A bit yes but I need more time to grasp on it all" mike said.
"Don't worry we are here to guide you" I said "Don't forget Celine offered a free tutorial" Celine grins "That excites me a bit" Mike looked at her "You're creepy! Please nick you teach me I don't like her she always want to pick a fight with me" Mike said "Scardy Cat!" Celine said.
"Mike, Celine lets go I paid the weapon and we need to hurry we need to catch our plane." I said.
we found our sit and I suddenly felt the urge to use the bathroom "Guys I just need to go to the washroom, Okay Celine don't kill mike" I smiled and left them.
I was walking towards the washroom where I noticed a guy is waiting at the end of the door, the guy is on his mid 30s definitely on his prime muscular and tall, when I'm about to enter the room he blocked me with his arms "Nicholas" the man said, as he lift his head I can feel the heat surging thru his body, it's like I'm talking a bath of lava - his pupils are glowing gold and his smell, he smells like the burning metal and coal and that's when I realized this man in front of me is a God - Hephaestues The Smith God of Fire, My body is tense prepared to anything that might happen.
"I came no harm but by the look on your face, I think you already know me I guess - so no formal introduction needed but still Hephaestues at your service, I just came here to warn you" he said "warn me? about what?" I asked.
"I'm here to warn you about meeting my wife Aphrodite and to that Weapon, that weapon the boy chose" I looked back at mike and Celine's direction where I caught a glace of them and it looked like they are arguing "what's with the weapon and your wife?" I asked.
"I guess you don't know the catch of that weapon? do you think that the titan sun god and titan moon goddess will simply give someone a drop of their divine ichor?" his words made me think something that precious must came with a price "enlighten me Hephaestues" I said "It's true that the accuracy and destructive powers of that Tóxo is Unrivaled but its a double edge bow, the blessing that the blood of the moon titan goddess bestowed is not only to help the wielder but also to destroy, that voice of intuition will grow stronger and stronger and it will consume the wielders own perception and the power that the sun titan god bestow well you may guess it, it will destroy the owner when the arrow runs out even if you used the magic gloves it will burn the hands of the wielder each arrow will cause pain greater than the first one and to correct giles the bow is limited to 60 arrows on noon only, Zeus feared that on the wrong hands that bow will be a grave threat on olympus so he decided to lessen its power" he said "why did you put it on display then if that's the price to pay?" I asked "Demigod who befriended the time have you forgotten my Shops Motto? the hero will wield the weapon, but the weapon will choose its wielder - clearly the weapon chose the boy in all honesty It's been eons since the bow was last chose it's victim ..-" I interrupted "Victim? what do you mean Victim?!" I asked "in all honesty again, it may chose him as the Hero if all things goes well but that bow is a nuisance on my weapon shack" he said.
"Okay, Okay seems like I cant do much about it but at least I can think a contingency plan if ever things goes out of hand, how about your wife?" I asked.
"About Aphrodite, your age serve you right for choosing my wife to asked for aid, because as good as I seems as I look, I'm not the type who wants to be involved on things such as war I don't want to anger her.." he stopped "Who are you talking about?" I asked "Don't mind what I said, What I mean is even if you able to persuade Aphrodite for guidance and assistance you know that no Gods or Goddesses will help mortals for free? so prepare for what ever she will asked and don't ever negotiate too much with her she hates it, I want you to have this" he handed a Flask with glowing Green flame "is this the ancient greek fire?" I asked "Yes Nicholas! use it wisely" he added "You said that Gods nor Goddesses won't help for free then why you are now" he shrugged his shoulders "lets just say it's part of the Warranty with the bow and Giles always forgets about that and my about my wife its just a free warning because you paid extra" he smiled "Thanks God of the Flames for the help and freebie, we will appreciate everything" I said.
he smiled "May Zeus be on your favor" a pillar of flames swallowed him and a piece of paper was left behind to where he disappeared, I picked it up - Thanks for shopping this is your invoice for returns and repairs just go to your nearest Farriers and Anvils shop! happy shopping amount and ID of the item and bar code is also included at the back.
PS : May the Gods be in your favor
I'm Glad at least one of the Gods is in our side, as I'm using the washroom, I Kept on thinking about the bow how powerful and dangerous it is and I glanced at the Flask Hephaestues gave me if history is correct this thing is capable of destroying cities, so I snatched the Flask and hid it in my pocket where its safe.
as I went back at my sit I talked to mike and explained the curse of the bow.
"Wait wait wait! so you met the God who helped forging this bow and he let me chose it knowing that this is a cursed weapon!" Mike is hysterical "Mike calm down as long as we know how it works we can manage to befriend its curse" I assured him, Mike calmed down - This is what I liked about this boy he knows when to talk and when to listen.
"So Im limited with 60 shots per day and I shouldn't rely on the Bow's auto pilot mode and I have to train using it so nothings go to waste? did I got all correctly" I gave him a thumbs up "Yah so is the offer of free fighting lessons is still up Celine?" I asked and she nodded "If genius here can catch up, I won't hold back you know" I laughed this kids made the situation less serious thanks the Gods they're with me.