The Runaway Rebels- Book 1

Chapter Nine: Separation

After they had got me down, Dawn was the first to speak. 

"Look, Professor, you were never meant to get involved in this, I'm sorry. I'm not even sure if we could get you out now." 

I was quiet, for a moment, then I spoke, my mind jumping ahead of me to push the words out,

 "Don't worry, there are bigger problems to deal with here." 

Pandora nodded, staring at me intently, and then spoke, looking around as she did. 

"I think you should stay here. The problem is we can't stay with you, and my parents have Harpies roaming the corridors, so you can't stay on your own," said Pandora stiffly.

Ace nodded in agreement, but then I took a deep breath and said, 

"You either leave me here, where I may get captured, or even killed, or you take me with you, where I may still be captured or killed. I'd slow you down too, you can't take me with you, and I'm not letting you three split up for me," I said, my voice shaking a little as I spoke.

The three Goddesses looked unsure, but I continued before they could protest again. "Look, I'm just one person, there are bigger things going on here than trying to save me, I would rather risk myself getting hurt, or killed, contrary to letting myself live and risking the lives of who knows how many others."

"A noble choice indeed, you're braver than I would be," Ace laughed, barely cracking a bittersweet smile and giving me a pat on the back. Then, she turned back to Dawn and Pandora, who crowded in an uncertain circle, whispering for a minute, before turning back to me.

"Stay safe Professor," smiled Dawn, Pandora giving me another slow nod from behind her as the three moved on.

I don't know exactly what happened on that walk into Hel, I didn't want to pry into their conservation. 

However, as the three friends were on their way into the centre of the Underworld, I heard a shrieking noise from my side, and froze, not moving an inch. Then, a lined women's face appeared at my side, attached to the body of a feathery bird.

A Harpy.

I'd studied these creatures before.

With the heads of women, jagged teeth, slitted eyes and a mass of feathery hair. Their bodies are the final clue, the bodies of birds, arms spread wide with feathered wings reaching clawed hands at the end of them. 

As the Harpy drew nearer, her yellow eyes blazing through her wild hair, my heart jumped.

I could fight, I could run, I could try and surrender, perhaps?

Each option seemed just as unhelpful as the last. 

But the sudden dive from the creature spurred on my decision in a millisecond.

I ducked as the Harpy soared over me, and grabbed it by the feathers of one of her wings, in something I could call a moment of sheer stupidity, reckless bravery, or a mix of both.

Spinning from my pull, the Harpy careered right into the wall in front of us. The hard 'crack' noise lulled me into a false sense of security as I made to run, turning on my heel only to see a fellow Harpy flying right at me. 

This time, the duck didn't work.

The Harpy grabbed me, claws tearing at my skin as I was pulled into the air. If my stomach hadn't recovered from the earlier trips up and down the Underworld walls yet, it certainly wasn't about to now.

I struggled to no avail as we picked up speed, anxiety merging with the horrible feeling of motion sickness as we plummeted into the depths of the Underworld corridors.