In Pursuit of Kronos' Scythe (Completed)

V - Crashes of the Love Interest - Part II

Piotr Mikolaj

"Wake up, Cytherea! A bird has caught Tharalea!"

"That's good news for us." A streak of saliva dribbled down the corner of Cytherea's mouth as she tossed her body around. "Poor bird though."

"It's not funny!" Piotr dragged her and her luggage up before mounting Hercules.

Koby hopped up the automaton without a second word.

Cytherea was mumbling curses as she was disturbed from her sleep, and Piotr stuffed a rag into her mouth. How could he be so reckless? How could he let some unknown monster abduct Tharalea? He should've stayed watch with her. Cytherea wasn't feeling any better. She threw the rag at Piotr and brought her mirror out to check her puffy eyes. Piotr wanted to scold her, but suddenly, he spotted a fleck of a metallic-gold feather in the distant sky.

His alertness resumed and he urged Hercules to fly faster. He could now see Tharalea and Calyssa wriggling in mid-air, gripped by the monster's talons. The monster looked back at Piotr with its devilish red eyes. Once Piotr saw its bronze beak and the red feather crown on the head, he knew instantly what their attacker was. It was the Stymphalian Bird - one of Ares' pets. The bird squeaked again, like a noise created by the cymbals in a drum set. It made a pirouette in the sky and kept looking back at Piotr as if wanting him to follow it.

Piotr's heart raced as he thought of what Ares would do to them. He wasn't a good diplomat if he was going to deal with Ares. Well, no one would, if their opponent was the God of War. The Stymphalian Bird squeaked again, relishing Piotr's nervousness. It flapped its sharp-tipped wings and released acidic purplish dung to the nearest tree, burning the leaves.

Piotr, Cytherea, and Koby pinched their noses, trying to block the odour. Tharalea and Calyssa, which was in the lynx form, balled their bodies, avoiding the poisonous dung. The bird flapped its wings more vigorously, as if proud that it had performed some amazing stunts.

It continued to perform the stunts until they reached a ring of mountains shone with burning lights. Iron fortresses adorned with boar booty lined the edges of the mountains, creating a fierce and Goosebumps-raising look. Even the moon and stars hid behind the clouds for protection. The Stymphalian Bird flew over a red dome and halted in front of the dark grand palace. Screeching, it dropped Tharalea and Calyssa on the hallway before flying away.

Piotr steered Hercules into the hall and helped Cytherea to dismount the automaton.

Though he was wearing Hephaestus' sneakers, he could still feel the coldness released from the black-and-white marble. Despite the cold floor, the ambiance was hot, a projection that an argument was prone to happen. His curious eyes scanned the surroundings. The hall was instantly lit by the red eyes of the divine sentries. Shimmering figures with no feet, in white togas, appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them. They sniffed at the newcomers before disappearing into the red pillars. The carvings on the pillars magnified until they formed a three-dimensional beastly face, like human faces contorted to wolves and bears'.

"It's so creepy here," Tharalea said amid salving Calyssa's bleeding neck with some herbs.

Koby patted Calyssa's head as she meowed in pain.

Though Piotr wanted to escape, he knew the only way of going out of this palace, was to walk deeper into it. There must be a reason why Ares had heralded them. As they ventured further down the hall, they saw long grey fields on both sides. White Drakones' fangs were sown in the fields, and skeletal servants in black cloaks kept watering them with blood. The fangs drank the blood and grew bigger until they formed an army of armored warriors.