ashlynflagg

Content Warning:

Spoiler

deliberate misgendering

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Chloe

In an instant, he was on me. I just barely managed to catch his sword on the shaft of the spear.

Wait. His sword?

Before I could process what was happening, the hammer in his left hand came flying towards my temple. As I twisted to avoid it, the sword disappeared, replaced suddenly by a net weaved from golden threads. RIght, it was just like he’d done with his bow earlier. This was going to be tricky.

“How are you going to shoot me when your bow is lying in the dirt, boy?”

“Shut up!”

Don’t listen to him, Chloe. Just focus on the fight. Just keep living and pray that Enthumematikos does what you asked.

That was easier said than done though. He was fast and skilled, more so than Sophia had ever been. It was only thanks to the spear’s enchantments that I’d lived this long, and I’d be lying if I said the misgendering didn’t hurt. It was strange. I’d managed to keep those feelings buried for so long, but after my brief period living authentically as Chloe, it suddenly hurt so much more.

A sharp impact to my shoulder snapped me out of my reverie, and pain blossomed through my body. What did I say, Chloe? Focus!

The spear quickly dulled the pain, like it did for my ankle, and I resumed my defense. Blow after blow after blow kept raining down upon me. Sometimes it was a spear, others a sword, and others still were weapons I couldn’t even name. Try as I might, there was only so much I could do. It seemed there was a reason we’d been chosen for our specific weapons, after all. Bit by bit, I could feel exhaustion creeping its way up my arms, and every so often a strike would make it through. The spear protected me from the worst of it, but even still, I could feel my strength and resolve wearing away.

Think, Chloe. Think! There has to be something you can do, some way you can stretch this out. Every minute, every second counts. Just try to buy some time!

“Why aren’t you fighting in Troy?!?”

He froze. Blade and shield at the ready.

“What?”

Bingo.

“Idomeneus, undisputed king of Crete is leading this island’s forces in the war against Troy at this very moment. Why have you not joined him? Did he leave you behind? Did he believe you to be a burden? Or did you hide when he sought you out, too cowardly to follow him?”

“I’ll not be lectured to by some cowardly thief in the guise of a woman! To dare to entreat me for xenia in such a deceitful manner, to rob my stables, and then to call me a coward?!? Your every breath brings dishonor to Artemis’ name!”

Stay calm. Keep him talking. Catch your breath.

“I know who I am, and what I believe. I serve Lady Artemis with my whole being, with everything I have. I know who you are too. Darius the coward. All the blessings of Ares on your side, but still so afraid. Only brave enough to stalk a pair of young women after denying them the kindness all travelers deserve. Darius the fool! Darius the coward! Darius the-”

“Shut up!!!!!”

He howled with rage, and in a flash, he was upon me once again. This time though, his movements were sloppy, uncontrolled, and animalistic. He flailed and pounded and screamed, and for once, I could actually keep up. Like father, like son. There’s a reason you don’t want Ares fighting alongside you. I still couldn’t see myself winning this, but even a few seconds could make the difference.

Hurry, Matikos.

Sophia

I was floating, weightless and blind. Was I dead? This didn’t seem like Asphodel though. I could hear the sounds of water, and now that I thought about it, I think I felt a little bit soggy. Ohhhhhh… I was in a river, and my eyes were closed. That’d do it.

Even with my realization, it didn’t seem like either of those things were going to change any time soon. I was barely conscious, barely breathing, and I barely had the strength to wiggle a toe, let alone keep my eyes open. At this point, I was barely anything at all.

I drifted through the water an indeterminate amount of time. It could’ve been seconds, it could’ve been hours. I had no clue. After who knows how long, something changed. I was no longer moving with the water, instead, it flowed around me, and there was something on my shoulder. Something warm, and soft, and gentle.

A hand?

“Well done, Sophia. You made it.” Lips brushing against my ear, a low, quiet voice, and the tickle of warm breath. “Are you ready?”

Whispering, tittering voices all around me. Dozens of people, I could feel them. Waiting. Watching. I tried to say something, but my throat was dry, my tongue tangled, my lips unwilling to part. It was Artemis, right? She had me, safe in her arms. I let my mind do the talking for me.

Yes. Absolutely yes.

“Good.”

WIth that, the other presences closed in around me. Dozens of hands on my shoulders, my hips, my ankles. Every inch of my body being held and caressed with such tenderness it made my dying heart flutter. Then, as one, they pushed me slowly beneath the water’s surface.

Part of me wanted to struggle. To writhe and kick and scream with what little strength I had left. That part of me faded fast.  I said I wanted this, so I was going to trust in my goddess. I was safe in her arms. Her’s and all the others. Dozens of nymphs still clinging and stroking and whispering reassurances. Telling me I’d made the right choice, that I was safe, that they were happy I was here to join them.

I relaxed as I placed my full trust in them, and as I relaxed, I did what felt the most natural. I took a deep breath in.

Water flooded my lungs, and the hands that held me squeezed just a little tighter, restraining my involuntary kicks and twists, the instinctive panic of drowning only barely offset by the soothing timbre of their voices. Then one voice rose above all the others, Artemis herself.

There’s something musical and so enthralling about the highest levels of spellcraft. Words taken from a language even older than Mycenaian strung together with deep, thrumming rhythms that come from the beat of your own heart as your body sings in time with the spell’s power. Even if I couldn’t understand the words themselves, their meaning tangled with the very fibers of my soul, inscribing themselves upon me for all eternity. Loyal service to my goddess, a promise never to lie with a man, eternal life, cut short only by blade or claw. To be a huntress, from now to the end.

The water didn’t frighten me anymore. To drown was mortal, and I was not mortal. Water, air, it didn’t matter. Strength began to flow through my body once again, the festering wound in my shoulder was now nothing more than a scar, and my eyes finally opened. I saw the world as an immortal for the first time, and I smiled at my goddess.

“May I?”

She smiled back.

“This challenge was meant for the both of you. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” She pressed a kiss to my brow. “Go save her.”

Chloe

My arms were burning and my legs were like lead. Cuts and gashes and bruises all blended together in brutal harmony, enveloping me in searing pain. I glared through teary eyes, body heaving with labored, gasping breaths, as Darius strode towards me. He was toying with me now, like a cat playing with its food. He’d already won, we both knew it, but he wanted to drag this out. I’d insulted his honor, after all.

That suited me just fine. It just meant more time for Sophia to succeed. I dragged myself to my feet, leaning heavily on Sophia’s spear, only to be kicked to the ground once again.

Just get up, Chloe. Keep getting up. The moment he thinks he’s broken you, the moment you stop struggling, you will die. Just keep. Standing. Up.

As I started the slow, laborious process of clambering to my feet again, I was surprised to find Darius crouching at my level.

“Why do you struggle, boy?”

Still levering myself upwards, I met his eyes.

“I’m only gonna tell you this once, I don’t-” Dry, painful coughs tore through my throat, dropping me back to the ground. When they finally subsided, I took one breath, then another, and resumed my efforts once again. “I’m not gonna answer… to boy. My name… is Chloe. I serve Artemis… and I’m not… a man.”

“This again…” He grabbed my chiton and hauled me to my feet. “Your disguise is long gone. Why continue this charade? I’ll not engage in your perverted delusions.”

“Then I guess you’ll never know… I’ve said my piece…”

A gleaming bronze knife appeared in his open palm, and he pressed it to my throat.

“I guess not.”

He pressed forwards, the razor edge of his knife just barely piercing the skin.

And then he was gone, and I was left lying on the forest floor.

Sophia

Bastard.

With one hand, I ripped the knife from his grip and with the other, I grabbed him by the throat and flung him across the clearing.

“Sipriotes, take care of Chloe please.” A gentle brush against my mind was all the confirmation I needed. Chloe would be fine. I turned my attention towards the confused man before me. “You hurt my girlfriend. I’m going to kill you. This will be easier for the both of us if you surrender.”

“A nymph? But you were-”

Enough words.

In a blink, I was within his guard, and before he could even think to react, my fist was slamming into his gut. I struck again and again and again, battering him with everything I had. Eventually he managed to get his shield up, but by then it was already much too late. The exhausted demigod could put up only token resistance as I broke through his defenses again, ducking around his shield and slamming my fist into his jaw.

Before I could go any further though, before I could finish him, I felt a presence behind me. Darius’ eyes widened in fear and realization as he finally understood who stood before him. Artemis brushed a hand against my shoulder as she moved to stand between Darius and I.

“Easy there, Sophia. Chloe made this gentleman a promise, after all. ‘May Artemis make it so.’” With a flash, Chloe’s bow shimmered into being in Artemis’ hands. “Her arrow will find your heart, Darius, but that doesn’t mean she has to be the one to fire it. Now run.”

And run he did, scrambling madly through the undergrowth, stumbling his way back to Khania. When Darius finally disappeared from view, Artemis turned towards me, her radiant smile washing my fury away.

“I won’t have you take a human life. You’re a few hundred years too young for me to give you that weight, you and Chloe both. Like Chloe promised, Darius will die by her arrow, but I will be the one to loose it. Now go to her, and meet me by the river. You’ll want to be there when she changes.”

Then just like that, she was gone.

Chloe

Sophia had me.

I didn’t know much else. I had no idea how the fight had ended, I had no idea how long it had been, and I had no idea what was happening now. All I knew, all that mattered, was that Sophia had me. I was safe in her arms.

She was talking to someone. Her quiet, soothing, husky voice was the backdrop to my wandering dreams.

“... This is a special day, y’know? I just think it’d be nice if the others let us have some privacy for a bit. We have no clue how she’ll look when it’s all over, I want her to have time to figure herself out before she has to deal with other people.”

“Alright then, “ Another voice. Probably Artemis herself responded. “You should know though, the change can be… difficult. Both to watch and to perform. You had dozens of nymphs ready and willing to support you however they could. You’d be taking that responsibility on yourself. Are you sure about this?”

“Completely.”

Sophia already explained the process well enough, so I won’t bore you with the details. The magic was beautiful and enthralling, my soul was marked by my goddess, and I felt the power building within me. There were two things that separated my experience from Sophie’s. First was the intimacy. There weren’t dozens of nymphs on all sides, there was just Sophia, Artemis, and myself. In Sophie’s strong, comforting embrace, I allowed the magic of Artemis to wash over me.

The other difference was what came after that first spell. For Sophia, once she was made a nymph, the magic was over, and she entered the world as an immortal. For me, that was just the beginning. I’d been changed, totally and completely, remade into an immortal companion to our goddess, and then I kept changing. I found myself enclosed in something warm and dark and cozy, and within the confines of this strange place, I felt my body twist and contort and remake itself. Even if I couldn’t see a thing, I could feel each change as they happened. My body that had once felt bulky and unwieldy now became slender and toned, a sharpened blade, ready to strike. My flat chest now sported a pair of small breasts, my throat tickled as my voice became higher and softer, just like I had imagined, and I felt a strange sucking sensation as everything downstairs was completely reconstructed. I lost a few inches in height, but not as much as I initially anticipated, leaving me just a bit taller than average. There were other, lesser, changes as well. The muscles in my shoulders and back were reinforced and strengthened, my eyesight was sharpened ever further, and even my perception of time became fluid. The perfect archer.

Eventually, the changes stopped, and I found myself compelled to escape this cozy place. With time and effort, I eventually managed to punch a hole in one of the walls, a hole that I widened further and further until I could finally squeeze out. I emerged to find Artemis standing nearby, a confident smirk on her face, and Sophia staring at me with stars in her eyes. I rolled my eyes as I emerged fully.

“An egg? Really?”

“It’s good to see you too, Chloe.”

“Yeah. It’s nice to officially meet you, Lady Artemis.” I slid off the top of the egg, landing in the river with a splash. “It just dawned on that this is our first time properly talk-”

“OHMYGODSCHLOEYOULOOKSOCUTE!!!!!!”

I was interrupted with a bear hug from behind as Sophia picked me up and clung to me tightly.

Maybe a little too tight, actually.

She was crazy strong now, wasn’t she?

“Thanks… babe… but I looked cute… before too… didn’t I?”

I eeked out what words I could with my currently limited lung capacity.

“Oh yeah, of course you did! But your voice on the outside matches the one in your head now, you have some really nice back muscles, and honestly, there’s just this life to you now that there wasn’t before.” She turned me around towards her, looking deep into my eyes. “From the moment you climbed out of that egg, there was this comfort and confidence to you that I’ve almost never seen before. You’re beautiful, Chloe, and it looks like you finally see it too…”

"Well thank you for seeing it first... Sophia. Before me or anyone else... you saw that I was pretty. You saw that in me... and you didn't let me forget it... Just... thank you.

Thank the gods I didn't have to worry about breathing anymore. She seemed to realize at this point that I currently couldn't breathe if I wanted to, and loosened her grip slightly. The two of us just sat there together, holding each other close and letting the river flow around us. That is, until Artemis cleared her throat, tilting her head towards the river bank. We had an audience.

The other nymphs, it seemed, had gotten tired of waiting, and were now gathered together at the river's edge, just watching us quietly. Right at the edge of the group, a smaller nymph with dark hair gave us an awkward wave.

Hey Sipriotes.

Hey Chloe, you look good.

I grinned. I really did look good, didn't I? There were no words necessary, not even mental ones for the communication that next occurred between Sophia and I. Sophia leaned back in the water, floating, with her arm still wrapped around me as she slowly opened her mind to Sipriotes once again.

Wanna join us, Sipriotes? The hunt went well, after all. You've more than earned one of those fantasies I shared with you. If you want it, that is.

It would turn out that Sipriotes did, in fact, want it. Without an ounce of hesitation, she bounded into the water and wrapped herself thoroughly around Sophia's (formerly) free arm. The three of us lost ourselves together, in our own little world, even as the other nymphs took to the water around us. We held tightly to one another, all of us relishing in the sensation. The physical touch, of course, but also the sense of family, of belonging, of safety.

And then Sophia kissed me, long and sweet, and I was once again thankful that I no longer needed to breathe as she took my breath away.

ashlynflagg

And there you have it! I'll be writing an epilogue to this story very soon, but this is the last, big chapter of Agrossa Thrinakie! Thank you all so much for going on this journey with me, this was an honest pleasure to write.

Now how about one more fun fact for the road. Ancient Greek heroes can be broadly sorted into two categories. You have heroes of strength, like Heracles and Achilles, and you have what are known as metis heroes. Metis was the name of the goddess of wisdom, a goddess that Zeus feared, so he ate her. It was as a result of Zeus eating Metis that Athena was born. A metis hero, then, is someone who is clever, wise, and quick witted.

Sophia and Chloe were both written to exemplify these two types of Greek heroes. Sophia is the strong, aggressive, straightforward hero of strength, while Chloe is the clever, silver-tongued metis hero. That's really what the inspiration for this whole series was. It started with the question of what would happen if these two types of heroes traveled together and also kissed sometimes? The answer? Sapphic stuff.

I hope y'all enjoyed. This semester is kicking my butt, so I'm gonna be focusing on Scale of Sapphire for a while, but I have plans for other series in the works, so keep an eye out!