Her Quest

Chapter thirty four

While the three of them walked down another much narrow, darker tunnel, Penelope waved her hands together and produced a large ball of fire to light up their pathway.                                                                                                                        She walked side by side with Tartarus to ensure the route ahead of them was filled with light. They passed a gate of screaming prisoners, it seemed like they were arguing or fighting.                                                                                                             “Silence!” Tartarus roared and immediately the prisoners quietened down. Penelope gazed inside at the countless prisoners who stared back at her with blank expressions on their faces.                                                                                          She continued following Tartarus with Adonis right behind her. They passed another cell.                                                                                                                                     

This one was quiet and mostly empty. She stopped to peer inside.                                                                                                                                                                            “He is whom you seek” Tartarus voice was heard behind her ear. She turned around to face him.                                                                                                             “Who are you looking for, Penelope?” Adonis asked.                                                           “Let the ball of fire roll through the gates of the cell if you are hesitant” Tartarus advised, and Penelope turned back to look in to the cell. She looked back at Tartarus who nodded encouragingly.

Penelope let the fire ball roll off her hand and onto the floor. Her eyes followed the ball until it stopped at the feet of a man hunched over in the corner of his cell.                                                                                                                                                         The man seated on the ground slowly stood up from his position and walked over to the gate of the cell. His hands gripped around the metal bars and he brought his wearisome face to the gate. Her uncle, Menoetius looked up at her and smiled faintly.                                                                                                                                    “I thank you, Tartarus, for allowing my niece to visit”.                                                             “Adonis, let us give them some time alone” He said and guided Adonis further down the tunnel.                                                                                                               “Penelope, when you are done, walk until you reach the end of the tunnel and then turn left”. Penelope nodded and then looked back at her uncle.                                                                   “That scar. Is it from Zeus’ lightning bolt?” She asked him and pointed her finger to his chest where she saw a burnt scarred flesh.                                                                                  “Yes, consequences of fighting against the deceitful Greeks” He answered her with an annoyed expression.                                                                                        “Deceitful? Are you talking about what they did to my father and Epimetheus?”.                                                                                                                                 “No child. I am talking about how they cheated to win the war”.

Penelope felt the fire within her pulsate through her veins, angering her. Did the Greeks not have any morality? If they cheated to win the war, it would only make sense, because, although outnumbered, the Titans were much stronger, larger and wiser than all the Greek Gods and Goddesses put together.                                                                                                                “How did they cheat?”.                                                                                                             “King Cronus imprisoned the one-eyed cyclops along with the hundred armed creatures; the Hecatonchires in Tartarus with another Campe as their guard. Zeus’ cheated by killing the Campe and releasing them to help the Greeks win the war”.                                                                                                                                   Penelope released an internal wave of water throughout her body to calm herself down. She was just so tired of hearing of their dishonesty. The Titans were honourable fighters, and clearly the Greeks were not.                                                                     

“Be very wary with who you associate yourself, dear niece. The Greeks cannot be trusted. Adonis is Greek”.                                                                                        “His intentions are pure, Uncle and so are the other Greeks that I know”.                                “As long as you know who you can trust. Look at what happened to your father and Epimetheus when they thought they could trust a Greek God and made a deal with him”. Penelope nodded and then sparked out a few short flames out of habit.                                                                                                                                   “I feel so helpless. I couldn’t do anything for you or Epimetheus”.             


Menoetius smiled softly and then nodded.                                                                                                     “How is my brother?”.                                                                                                              “He’s in the Elysian Fields, but he has long ago lost his mind”.                                                    “Perhaps that would have been better than dying or being imprisoned down here in Tartarus”.                                                                                                                                         “I’m so sorry, for everything”.                                                                                                             “There is no need to apologise, you haven’t done anything wrong. But very soon, you will get the chance to put things back to what they should be, I can perhaps count on you to make the correct decision?”.                                                                                                                “The war? I don’t think I am capable of leading an army into battle”.                                    “Of course you are! You are the descendant of one of the twelve original Titan lords! The remaining Titans will fight by your side; I know it”. Penelope looked down the dark tunnel where Tartarus and Adonis had disappeared.                                                 “I should be going”.                                                                                                                 “Yes, it does you no good to keep someone like Tartarus waiting”.