The Olympian Throne

Chapter 17 - The Casanova

***

"Tea, maghubad ka nga."

"Ikaw din, Jack. Ang unfair naman kung ako lang."

Upon Jack's request, hinubad ko ang red striped sweater ko and I was left with my white shirt. Nang mapadako ang tingin ko sa kanya, he was already taking off his white cotton long sleeves and like me, white shirt nalang ang natira sa kanya.

Bakat 'yung mga ceps. Triceps, biceps, mga gano'n ba.

"Hoy Tea. Ang lagkit ng tingin mo sa'kin, ha?" pang-aasar ni Jack.

I rolled my eyes at lumuhod dito sa mabuhanging parte ng maze. 

Inilatag ko ang sweater at long sleeves para daw makalabas kami dito sa maze. Kasalukuyan kaming nandito sa Labyrinth and fortunately, siya 'yung partner ko dito. Tuwang-tuwa naman ako kasi syempre, kahit papa'no, crush ko kaya 'to.

"Huwag ka ngang feeler Jack," I dismissively say and ushered him to sit beside me.

Tinignan niya ako na may halong pang-aasar pero 'di ko nalang 'yun pinansin kahit totoo namang malagkit ang tingin ko sa kanya. Rawr. 

Pero joke lang talaga.

"Sa'n na 'yung gunting?" Jack asked nang makaupo siya sa tabi ko. "Kailangan nating manalo, Tea!"

Competitive pala 'tong partner ko.

"Kailan pa ba guntingin 'yung mga damit natin?" tanong ko sa kanya but handed the scissor, nevertheless na nasa bulsa ng skirt ko.

I'm wearing a white shirt and a black skirt na may leggings. I don't know why but when we got out from the dorm, Dion advised us to wear as many clothes as possible. Hindi ko naman alam 'yung rason but did it anyway.

"Yeah," sabi ni Jack and started to cut our clothes in a horizontal manner, carefully trying not to cut a relevant portion of it.

"Bakit?" I asked at napatingin sa taas kung saan tirik na tirik ang araw. Nasa may entrance pa kami ng Labyrinth when Jack told me to undress.

"The Labyrinth now is similar to the one where the Minotaur was locked up," sabi niya and told me na ako naman daw 'yung maggunting sa sweater ko.

Mangiyak-ngiyak ko naman itong ginunting. Sayang kasi, limang piso lang 'to sa ukay pero proud ako na nakita ko 'to noon.

"Minos, the king of Crete had a white bull na binigay ni Poseidon sa kanya for the purpose of sacrifice," Jack narrated.

Wait, teka lang. Parang low storage pa ang brain ko sa new information.

"His wife, Pasiphae, desired the bull," he said and shrugged.

"What? Hoy grabe 'yan!" I reacted. "S-She had a sexual intercourse? With the bull?"

"Yeah. At nabuntis siya. Enraged with his wife's foolishness, pinlano ni King Minos na ikulong 'yung Minotaur."

I think that's when Daedalus walked in the scene. Sabi ni Jack, King Minos asked Daedalus to create the Labyrinth to lock up the Minotaur. It grew up to be a brutal beast. Annually, the king would send children from Athens as human sacrifices for the Minotaur.

"Theseus, the prince of Athens was challenged kaya nagdecide siya na pumunta sa Labyrinth. Since King Minos' daughter, Ariadne, fell in love with him, gusto niyang maging safe ito. So she asked Daedalus for survival tips para sabihan niya si Theseus."

What love can do to us. 

Can't relate kasi single.

"Which brings us back to our situation now, Tea," sabi ni Jack. "Daedalus told Ariadne na makakalabas si Theseus using a ball of flaxen thread or yarn. He needs to tie this to the entrance and follow it when he returns."