I own nothing.
The next few days were just as uneventful as the first so I decided to prevent you from dying from boredom, not to write lengthy entries on those days. To keep ourselves from going insane we came up with names for our horses Xanthippus named his Bucephalus, named after Alexander the Great's famous horse, since he was Greek and they were both warlike I decided to give it to him.
"Makes sense." Bucephalus, after the steed of Alexander the Great
"Yeah,"
"Marengo." I finally said at once.
"I hate to break it to you but that horse doesn't look exactly fit for an emperor." he said looking over at my small weak Arabian.
"Napoleon had a different taste of horses than his officers," I said looking down at my horse, "A lot of his officers wouldn't be seen dead on the horses he rode."
"Than how did he become so famous"? Xanthippus asked.
"You try being the horse of one of the most biographed person in history." I responded.
"Whatever, anyway we're almost at the foothills of the Rockies', time to see what these horses are made out of."
I cursed myself silently; I would soon regret not trying to barter for a better horse.
When we started to ascend the foothills the horses started to act strangely, they would occasionally stop in their tracks start to turn around and would only return to the course after we made the necessary adjustments to the guide rope.
After a couple times of this I started to get worried, the horses had been perfect at following our directions up to here, I decided I would half to be on my guard.
As I unsheathed my falcata from its scabbard I motioned over to Xanthippus to do the same.
I slowed down Marengo and moved him closer to Xanthippus.
"What's going on with the horses"? I whispered.
"Hellhound at seven thirty, the horses can probably smell them."
I looked to my left and applied myself, unlike most Greek demigods Carthaginians weren't all known to have ADHD or dyslexia, this difference led us to our different fighting styles, and Greeks would rely on their instincts while we relied solely on our experience, so it took me a little while to notice the moving grass where the hellhound was hiding.
"If that thing is the first to make a move the horses will flee leaving us with no control." I whisper to Xanthippus, "We either need to pick up the pace or charge it now."
"Agreed, however I don't think we have much of a choice now." he said, turning Bucephalus to face the hellhound, who had just begun to run towards us.
"Dang." I said as I turned Marengo towards the hellhound with the lead rope in my left hand and my falcata in my right.
With that we charged.
Let me just say, two horses when fighting a monstrous dog is definitely better than one. Riding straight at a hellhound the size of a mini cooper was probably the only way we were going to make out of the mess alive.
Seconds before the hellhound leapt where we were just moments before Xanthippus and I split, Xanthippus running off to the right and me to the left. Seeing the beast's unprotected flank I swung my falcata resulting in a loud roar coming from it. Xanthippus had the same idea driving his Xiphos down into the beast's exposed right flank.
We met up behind the hellhound and charged the beast again keeping away from his front to avoid any counter attacks.
I thought it was going pretty good, wearing the beast down and he couldn't even touch us, that was at least until Xanthippus was knocked off of his horse by a blind strike coming from the hellhounds back paw.
I watched in horror as Xanthippus hit the ground with a nasty thud. The hellhound swatted him away to the right and turned his attention towards me and started walking as if it realized that it had already won.
I maneuvered Marengo to try to get the hellhound away from Bucephalus but before I could do anything the Hellhound roared in what I assume was pain and disintegrated into monster dust on top of human shaped mound with a spear pointing up.
I assumed that was Xanthippus.
"You're alive." I said leading Marengo over towards him, "How did you manage to get your spear after falling off your horse"?
"Easy, I predicted that the Hellhound would lash out at me, me because I'm the more dangerous one, and knock me off Bucephalus. So in order to still be able to fight I threw my spear on the ground." he said smiling.
"The spear was also knocked off of your horse wasn't it"?
"Yeah," he said, smile vanishing "thankfully it was." he said starting to rise to his feet.
"Ow! dang it I must have broken my leg, I think I have some Nectar and Ambrosia in my saddle bag, can you get it."
"Sure." I said riding over to the recently calmed down Bucephalus and grabbing the supplies.
I've always wondered what the food and drink of the gods tasted like, considering most Carthaginians aren't demigods, I've never had any, for fear of spontaneously combusting. I used to think it would taste like a Horchata.
Imagine my disappointment when Xanthippus told me it tasted however the person ingesting it wanted it to taste.
Xanthippus took a bite of the Ambrosia and a sip of the nectar and started to rise before cringing and sitting back down.
"Gods, this was unexpected time bump. Help me up or we'll never get to New Rome."
"Right," I said dismounting.
"Oh, don't leave I just started to have good time, and now you want to leave"?
"What!" we both turned at the sound of the voice causing Xanthippus to groan in discomfort.
What I saw was a giant, about fifteen feet tall with brown hair and black eyes. I saw him look at Xanthippus with a look of … pity?
"A shame." he said looking at him. "I wanted to fight both of you but fighting him would be a waste of my time."
"Anyway," he said turning his attention back to me, "it's a nice wrestling match if you win I'll let you pass.
"If I lose"? I asked afraid I already knew the answer.
"Then you die, and I add your head to my collection."
"Oh we could always travel a different route; we didn't mean to bother you."
"Oh no, you're not a bother, I appreciate you demigods trying to get pass me, how else am I supposed to build a palace to my father made entirely out of skulls."
"Maybe you could order them on Amazon." I responded trying to think of a way keep my head.
"No, I tried them, they seem to have something against selling body parts, and besides I collect the heads myself father will praise my work.
"Antaeus," Xanthippus said looking at the giant.
"Änti"? I responded.
"Ah it's been a long time since anyone's called me by that name. I believe it was my late wife also a Berber deity."
"You're wife"? A confused Xanthippus asked.
"Tingis, I think.
The giant smiled, "You know, I like you, tell you what if you're able to answer my question I'll let you pass without the wrestling match.
"That would be preferable."
"Isn't that the Sphinxes job"? Xanthippus asked, still on the ground.
"Shut up. I'd rather have to answer a question then have to wrestle him and lose my head if I lose."
"Oh no, I'll be taking your heads if you lose either." the giant said.
"Gee, thanks."
"No problem." the giant smiled. "Hmm what's a good question, I know when Antaeus the black metal band formed in France was"?
…
…
…
"What"?
"What year was the black metal band, Antaeus formed"?
"Can I confer with my friend"?
"Let me see, no."
"My enemy"?
"I guess." the giant responded.
"Thanks, what year was the black metal band"? I asked the giant.
"Nineteen ninety th… wait a minute, you're supposed to answer the question." Antaeus growled.
"OK, OK I will Nineteen ninety three."
"Wow you're good." I couldn't believe how stupid the giant was, I mean really.
With that I helped Xanthippus back into his saddle and we started to head to the mountains.
Taking one back look back at the giant I expected to see him grumbling about not having a new addition to his skull collection, not him grabbing an arrow and a bow from the ground.
"Gallop!" I said giving Marengo a kick.
When I looked back for Xanthippus I saw Antaeus let loose an arrow at Xanthippus hitting him in the base of his neck causing him to fall over backwards from his saddle landing with a sickening thud.
I winced, I was about to turn around when I saw a shimmering image of a human, he was dressed in obsidian robes with a crown made completely out of precious gems at his head, "Forget your companion, for he is already dead, his death means nothing, continue on to your destination I am waiting my physical body." The image started to dim but before he was gone completely he said, "behind you lay the destruction of New Rome, follow the stars to and ask no more questions of your fate for the havens have it all laid out, the time of Carthage is coming and you shall be their leader." with that the last of the image was completely gone.
When I turned around to see what he had been talking about I was left speechless, a city, a city that looked exactly like Rome was on fire. A hydra was devouring citizens left and right, remains of what I supposed were legions, were either fleeing the city or joining in in a last ditch effort to keep the hydra at bay, but it wasn't just the hydra, a swarm of centaurs were massacring anyone fleeing, what appeared to be a battered Greek phalanx was either marching to defend Rome or destroy it, I couldn't tell, and at the center of it all was the leader of the Carthaginian pantheon, Ba'al Hammon.
The leader of the pantheon seemed to be staring at me while holding Ba'al Hadads twin clubs, there had been a disagreement Hammon had won and was rewarded Hadads weapons, Yagrush and Aymur, in English Chaser and Driver, to demolish a statue of Jupiter.
I shook my head and rubbed my eyes, I seem to be doing that a lot, and when I reopened my eyes all I saw was a victorious, sort of, Antaeus fading off in the distance.
I would be on my own from now on. One person to infiltrate New Rome find the stolen thing and free the god who had appeared before me who I recognized as Melqart, the god of the underworld.
I tried not to think about what he had said too much, that would always leave a mortal more confused than anything, and tried instead to think of a way that would allow me to infiltrate New Rome.
Finding new resting places had been getting harder, the farther west I went the more treacherous the environment was. A couple of Cyclops's living in the mountains prevented me from having a dry rest. I quickly descended to the lowest most accessible area that I could find. Only moments later lightning struck where I had been standing just moments before.
Another time a bunch of centaurs came out of nowhere wielding bows, reminding me of the companion I had lost recently, I had just enough time to get out of their way and behind a conveniently sized boulder.
Another time it was tourists when I apparently had wandered onto a hiking trail I was able to hear them ask why there were horse tracks in the mountains. I honestly thought my cover would be blown when one of them said
"Those are deer hooves." and they all left far too engrossed in their argument to notice me.
As soon as they were out of view I followed the path the tourists had been on. I had hoped I would be able to get something to eat but that's when it hit me,
All the cash was still in Xanthippus's saddle bags on Bucephalus, poor horse I thought. Hopefully he somehow made his way back to the stables that we got them from.
I eventually came to a parking lot with a visitor center where the trail started, or I suppose a visitor center with a parking lot but I was more interested in the parking lot as it would be able to lead me towards civilization.
I followed the road that came into the parking lot for a bit staying far enough in the woods to avoid being spotted by any mortals.
After about an hour later I finally made it to the outskirts of some small town, I dismounted and tied Marengo to the nearest tree.
I ended up wandering into an old cafe, I think I remember hearing somewhere that people would have to give you water if you asked, but I'm not sure, I've been living in Cuba for my entire life, astonishingly when I checked my pockets I realized I still had some money from the cafe Gisco my sister, Bethóc and I ate at before Himilco rudely stole me away from my normal life.
I quietly told myself that if I survive this I was going to thank Gisco.
I also found a small golden coin with the picture of Athena of the front and a note,
Apparently you were wrong, anyway in case we get split up ask the goddess Isis to show you me, it's an old Greek way of communicating. In order to see each other you will also need a screen of water
Xanthippus
"Well I'm not going to need this now that you're dead." I thought to myself. However I kept the coin, who knows maybe it can be used as currency somewhere other than ancient Athens.
When the waiter came to me I ordered what any self respecting Carthaginian would order couscous and a lamb kebab, I should have read the menu, apparently I was in some sort of vegan restaurant, my typical bad luck also ensured that everything was out of my price zone, I mean really, a salad that costs fifteen dollars?
I managed to quickly to excuse myself claiming, "This was the wrong restaurant."
After leaving the vegan restaurant I was able to find myself quaint little hotdog stand. I was able to buy a hotdog and lemonade for just five dollars,
Ha ha, eat it you vegan place. Sadly though, the vegan place had the last laugh when I realized that I hated hot dogs. Before anyone could notice I quickly walked up to a garbage can pretending to get a straw while I slipped the hotdog into the can.
I shuddered, if all American meat was this bad I was either A) going to have to buy a whole boatload of spices to cover up the meat's flavor, B) move back to Cuba or C) find some Middle Eastern food places.
Note to self, when I get back, ask Gisco if his father still owns a falafel place.
Anyway, I was thinking about heading over to a general store in order to buy a tarp to turn it into a makeshift lean-to but I decided that it would be better to conserve my money for something I absolutely needed.
I found my way back to Marengo untied him from the tree and mounted him. I made up my mind that I would stay around so I traveled back into the forest and dismounted.
I had noticed that the soreness from riding bareback had increased, and because of this I had to lie down on the ground for at least a good half hour while my horse nudged me.
"You really are a rough ride," I said looking up at him.
Eventually, I had recovered enough to rise to my feet and tied Marengo to the nearest tree, and eventually lay down against a tree and picked up this journal.
Goodnight, my writing, slash, sword using hand needs a break.