Akana smiled looking up at the sky before she headed into the house with a small yawn. She was tired and starting tomorrow she would have to set out to find a new lord to work for.

When Alexander awoke, he was surprised to see several faces hovering over him. "huh, wha?" he groaned. The next thing he knew, he was trussed up, and tied to a stick. Then they carried him into the house. When they walked in, he could see that they were pampering Shadow in the corner. some guard dog he thought angrily.

Akana blinked as she heard rustling and moving. She shifted pretending to be asleep as people came in carring something on a stick. Slowly her mind began to put things together. Like how noone but kids and girls could enter willingly. She grumble sitting up. "Girls?" She called looking at them sleepily.

"mmph mmmm m mm mnh!" Alexander yelled. They also, surprise surprise, had gagged him. lovely. He had been caught by little girls. how, oh how, could this day get any better?

Akana groaned as she got up. "Girls..put the stick guy down..." She said as the girls giggled and obeyed. Akana sighed going over and taking the gag off of Alex. "I thought you said you were strong?"

"Sorry, I was a bit tired, and slept rather soundly." Alexander grumbled, "This is exactly the kind of thing doofus over there normally prevents." Alexander glared at the dog in the corner. Then he sighed. "Oh, well, excuses won't help anyway." Then he looked at Akana "So, what the plan? You gonna stay here?"

"No....I have to find another lord to work for...." She said with a shrug. "It's what I always do...eventually I'll just get killed..."

Alexander paused at this, he could offer her his immortality. His father would be sure to ump at the chance, then give Alexander and even more dangerous task for another chance at it..... "I have an idea, if your not opposed" Alexander began "I could give you my immortality, and then do another task to get it for myself."

She looked at him not moving for a moment, "I'm not opposed....but...your Father..." She said with a frown wondering if it would work. "Do you think that he would?"

"Sure," Alexander shrugged. It would give him another chance to kill me. Frankly, he might offer you a reward for having me offer." It was strange for Alexander. This was the first time in his life that he was protecting someone other than himself...... and giving up immortality at that, he began to wonder if he was ill. Shaking the thought, he continued "It'll be a few days till we get to Olympus, so gather whatever supplies you need."

Akana nodded with a grin as she set about picking things up and putting them in a bag and getting food and other needed things together. "I haven't been to Olympus in a long while!" She said as she finished packing.

"Shadow, here boy!" Alexander called. He was filled with a guilty pleasure, at the look on all the girls faces as Shadow jumped up and surprised most of them. As they walked out Alexander saw that the path was blocked by a lone figure. "My lady" Alexander addressed Artemis

Artemis nodded and looked at him, "Your setting out?....with Akanatha?" She asked Alex as she looked at him. Akana picked up her pack putting it on her shoulder.

"Yes my lady," Alexander replied "I plan on giving her my immortality" Alexander was apprehensive. He wasn't sure what the goddess wanted.

Artemis remained silent looking at him, "Be-careful mortal...don't fall in love with Akanatha...and be wary of my brother...." She said.

Love? Alexander wondered is that what I'm feeling is called? huh, I thought it would feel different from this. NO! a different thought cut across his confusion. Whether or not you do love her, you were just expressly told off from it, so kill the thought now! "I will my lady. I mean being wary of your brother." Alexander felt himself saying.

"And for the second part too?" Artemis said sternly as Akana came out of the house.

"Ah...hello my lady..." She said curtseying.

"Hey Akana," Alexander said climbing onto Shadow he held out a hand to her. "Ready to go?"

Artemis started at him. "Your word human...or you shan't leave..."

Akana took his hand to get up on Shadow looking at Artemis. She had a curious expression on her face. "Yes...I'm ready..."

Pulling Akana up as quickly as he could, Alexander said "Alrighty then, lets go. Shadow, To Olympus." Turning quickly to Akana he said, "Hold on tight, close your eyes, and whatever you do, keep touching Shadow." As fast as thought, they melted into the shadows.... literally. Shadow travel is an ability know by few that hell-hound can use. The best way to describe it, would be, it was pure darkness, freezing cold, and it felt like you were going faster than the speed of dark (almost as fast as light). Then they emerged, they were looking at Mt. Olympus, off in the distance.

Akana kept her eyes closed, "Why must I keep my eyes closed?" She asked with a frown once she could move again.

"Because, if you leave your eyes open, the darkness reaches into your mind, and imprints your surroundings with your literal worst fear, and almost always it drive whoever sees it insane." Alexander replied. Looking around, he heaved a sigh of relief. "Good, it looks like there aren't any gods around."

Akana nodded thinking as she looked around the room jumping off of Shadow. "That is a good thing..." She said as she smiled looking back at Alex.

Alexander was torn in two. Go on, half of him said. you like her, she likes you at least a little for putting up with her, go for it. The other half countered, She's been claimed by a goddess, you don't know if she likes you like that, and you just bloody met her! It didn't help that she was smiling at him. "I'm gonna practice with my sword right quick." he said standing up. Not too far away, he began to practice his forms in the air, only it wasn't the air anymore, it was an army of enemies. His practices took him round and round, back and forth, and in general all over the place. Until he tripped. And landed on Akana.

Akana blinked as she tried to push him off. "Off you oaf..." She said half seriously, "Becareful how you move about...you do that in a battle and you would get killed..." She said as she finally managed to push him off and stand up brushing invisible dust off.