Frosted Hearts

The arrow swished dangerously close to Apollo’s face, as he moved just in time to avoid it. He turned to face the God of frost, as the latter lowered his bow, his head high with pride. "Do not try me, Sun god. I can do bad things." Jack Frost said, a half smirk playing on his lips. His voice, smooth as silk, fluid like a clear stream, resonated through the massive lit up empty halls. Apollo strolled lazily, matching Jack Frost's beautiful stride, towards the long table, where Jack Frost sat, pouring himself a drink before offering Apollo some, which Apollo rejected.

"I do not eat from the hands of people of which I do not care," he said, eyeing him, while pouring himself a cup. "Your cup might overflow, Apollo, and I will not be the cause of that. Just so you know, I do not care about you, either." With one move of his hand, Apollo swept out everything from the table leaving it bare. "You dare talk to me like that? I am the son of Zeus. I am the heir to his thrones. Only I. You are merely some village boy who got his powers out of luck. You are a lowlife." Jack Frost didn’t flinch, as he drank from the cup he had saved from Apollo's anger. "All you gods, strutting Olympus with false pride stemming from the powers gotten from diluted blood," Jack Frost slurred, then chuckled darkly, before he continued. "Especially you, Apollo. How many siblings have you, again? What exactly can you make or destroy? You simply go around looking like a glowing ball, and you call that being a god?" He laughed again, enjoying Apollo's body tense with anger and his fists clench.

"Let us duel, Frost. Since you are so sure of yourself." Jack Frost raised a slender finger and waved it. "You are not worthy of my friendship, nor will you be able to shoulder the burden of my anger. Just do your thing, while I do mine. I fully intend to avoid seeing your disgusting face as it is." He uncrossed his legs and stood up, tucking his hands in the pockets of his royal blue attire. As he made to leave, Apollo held him by the collar, drawing him back to face him. Jack Frost's eyes flashed a deadly blue before it turned its normal color. "Let go of me, Apollo." "The high and mighty Jack Frost is scared? I am not surprised. You were always a pushover. That's why you took your sister to that ice rink and drowned her." Jack Frost's eyes clouded, more from anger and a little bit of hurt and sadness. "Take that back." Apollo threw his head back laughing before pushing Jack Frost away. Jack Frost stopped himself from falling, his eyes flashing dark blue, very close to the royal blue of his attire. "I said take that back," he repeated. "I refuse to." Apollo replied, looking like someone who knew just how well he had played his cards. "I told you to take that back!" It was obvious that Jack Frost had lost his cool and was ready to attack. "I. Refuse. To."

Jack Frost adjusted his stance, and in a blink, Apollo had reeled to the floor from the impact of Jack Frost's ice. Apollo fell violently, hitting his head on the marbled floor. "Did you just use your powers on another god, Jack Frost?" It was the voice of Zeus, thundering from above. Jack Frost turned, his anger not even nearly satisfied, his eyes still shining blue, just in time to see Zeus float towards him. "You used your powers on my son?" Jack Frost swallowed. The presence of Zeus was a bit daunting. He turned to glance at Apollo lying on the floor and from the corner of his eye, as he turned back to look at Zeus, he saw Apollo open and close his left eye in a cunning wink. Jack Frost now had it figured out. He stood before Zeus. "Will you assume the form of the deaf gods, Jack Frost? Will you not answer to your king?"

"I do not have a fitting answer to your question." Zeus raised a brow. "You have always been disrespectful and prideful in your dealings with my son, but I never minded it since I was the one who had adopted you, and it had not extended to me. But today, it has." Jack Frost pursed his lips. "Be ready for tomorrow's royal court," he said, and swept his garment away. "I am sure you saw what had transpired between me and Apollo. I am also sure that you had seen him wink just now. I am also sure," his voice was raised now, and he swallowed hard before he continued. "That you know that he is faking." Zeus looked to Jack Frost's side where Apollo lay. "I do not care about all that. All that I care about is the undisputable fact that you have used your powers on him, violently. If he were not faking that, then it would be real!" "He is immortal." Jack Frost retorted, earning himself a slap on the cheek. He closed his eyes at the impact, and his hair flew in the opposite direction. He swept it away and turned back to a seething Zeus.

"You want to kill him, then? If he were mortal, would you kill him? Remember you were a mortal yourself! Do not think that because you were given this gift, you can come here and act like you own Olympus! " Jack Frost chuckled, without mirth. "Even if I stayed in my place, your overbearing son always felt threatened by me. He always hated me. You, on the other hand, always turned a blind eye. I never acted out of my position. This place was, in fact, never home for me." Zeus cut him off. "So, you are now degrading all of the favors I have done for you? I have never been more disappointed in you." "You were always disappointed in me," Jack Frost said. "You never saw me fit enough to be one of your own," Jack Frost said, with a tone of finality before he backed away. "I'll see you tomorrow at the royal court," he said and turned his back on him, before storming out of the hall.

Jack Frost yanked off his favorite cloak from where it was hanging, then rummaged through his giant closet. He found winter headgear and a muffler which he kept aside. He then took out his royal blue boots. Scoffing at the intricate gold threaded designs on the boots, he flung them away, where they landed at the feet of Hades. "Packing up, boy?" he said, flexing his body and looking down at him. Jack Frost's eyes narrowed, but he kept mute. Hades kicked the shoes to the side, and came in the room, standing in front of Jack Frost who was on his knees. Jack Frost stood, and even though Hades towered above him, he kept his head up, meeting his eyes.

"It is about time. I was already tired of keeping up with your annoying cold," Hades added and smirked. Jack Frost just sighed lightly. "It is sure sad to see you go," he added, mockery lacing his tone. " You are such a cute flower. But this is not a garden. This is not your place." "Sure, sure. I know that already," Jack Frost replied. "So, Hades, it would do you good to take the remaining respect I have left for you, and all the other gods of Olympus, and walk out of my sight." Hades’ eyes bulged with anger, his neck muscles tense with the force he was applying on his lower jaw. "Impudent bastard." Jack Frost laughed. "I guess you should take that particular complaint to Zeus. He should know better, should he not?" Hades clenched his fist, trying hard not to swat the annoying bug in front of him. "He is not your father." "Hmm, but he adopted me, did he not? I cannot be a bastard till the day he dies. You want to cut his immortality, Hades? Already? When did you leave your imprisonment in the underworld again?"

Hades was reaching his breaking point now, and his knuckles had turned white from all the clenching. Jack Frost smiled, first at Hades, then at Zeus who was standing by the door, pale. He then grabbed his cloak, muffler, headgear and, from an old wooden box under his bed, a pair of worn-out boots, and stormed out of the palace, leaving the two god brothers staring at each other, uncertain.

The snow was wild, just like his anger, and he waded through it with relative ease, pushing his hands in his pockets and climbing higher. When he reached the peak, he stood, his eyes squinted against the snowstorm his own emotions were causing, and stared down at Olympus, his mind reeling with images of everyone and everything that had made him hate it there. So engrossed in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice someone pull up beside him with much difficulty, breathing hard. "Jack Frost must be angry," the female voice said passively, and since she made no indication of referring to him, he kept quiet, observing the scenery before him.

"Mister, you are a traveler, are you not? It’s cold out here. You must be cold. I am cold too," she said and chuckled at her own gibberish. There was silence for a little while before she spoke again. "Are you lost? What are you doing out here?" "Breathing," he said curtly, and she looked rather surprised, before she pressed further. "You can breathe anywhere; it doesn’t have to be in this freezing cold." He lowered his head for a moment. "Where I come from, you cannot breathe there. It is way too suffocating," he said, and he meant it in more ways than she would ever know. She nodded, before straightening her dress. "Let us sit. Our behinds may turn to ice, but I am way too tired to stand." He chuckled, humor dancing in his eyes, and the snowstorm reduced.

"Oh look. Angry Jack Frost must have gone to bed," she said as she adjusted her legs under her dress. He sat next to her. "What made you say so?" She shrugged. "The snowstorm reduced. That means he has gone to bed and is sleeping peacefully." He studied her face. "If Jack Frost sleeps angry, the world as we know it would be covered in snow come morn." "No, I don’t think so," she said, shaking her head. "When you sleep, you feel nothing. And all, I mean, all emotions, negative or positive are non-existent for that short while. So, when I feel really bad, I sleep. Because sleep heals it temporarily; time heals it permanently," she finished calmly, one finger drawing patterns on the snow. He nodded and gave her a polite smile.

"What is your name, traveler?" she asked, looking up at his facial features. But even Apollo would not recognize him this way. "Well... my name… my name is Jack." "Wow, you are Jack Frost's namesake," she said, laughing. "Do tell your namesake to stop being so angry all the time, will you?" he nodded, chuckling, and she smiled. "What is your name, my lady?" "Althaia" she replied. "Althaia." The name rolled off his tongue like honey, and she nodded at his pronunciation. "I have to go now, Jack. My father awaits. Where do you live? You can come with us." He shook his head. "There is no need for that, Althaia. I will do just fine." She smiled, showing her dimples, or maybe it was just the first time he noticed them. Honestly, he wouldn't be able to recognize her face if he saw her somewhere else. "Lest I forget, Jack. You have a really nice voice." He smiled. "Thank you, Althaia. I will remember you." "Please do," she said curtly and started to make her way down, trudging slowly, and turning only when she had reached the bottom. She waved, and he waved back before she turned and was soon out of sight. He sighed, the sadness that had subsided a bit returned with his loneliness. He lay on his back, staring at the sky, willing himself to sleep. "The sleep would take it away temporarily." He could use that temporary bliss right now.