Chapter 5
Returning Home
Then Perball hears a noise coming towards the two. When the ones who caused the sound arrived, one was a beautiful horse and the other an ugly boar, both of whom had wings. Their names were Pegasus and Chrysaor.
[Pegasus and Chrysaor glared at Perball, narrowed their eyes as Pegasus neighed and Chrysaor snorted]
Perball: [gulps] Uh...hi?
Clardusa: Boys. I want you to meet Perball.
[Pegasus and Chrysaor looked at each other and looked at Perball]
Pegasus and Chrysaor roamed closer to Perball, with the pet barking in the background]
Perball: [sweat drops] Look. My mother, the Queen, sent me here. And my men died in the aftermath. I know it's no excuse for attacking your mother, but I spared her after the revelation.
[The Pegasus neighed, and the Chrysler snorted while the canine emerged from the shadows]
Perball: [To Clardusa] Is that your pet?!
Clardusa: [nods] Yes. That's Dioskilos.
Perball: [thinking] I can only imagine what would happen if I killed her and these three unleashed from their cages. I know I would not survive the consequences.
[Clardusa slitters to her kids, and each roar]
Clardusa: [hands on her hips] Sons. Perball's not a threat. You too, Dioskilos. Yes, I know he attacked our home, but not without reason. And now, everything's cleared up. [To Perball] Right?
Perball: [clears throat] Yes. I've already laid down my sword.
[Dioskilos smelled him and sniffed him three times]
[Soon, Dioskilos sat, barking at the two. Pegasus and Chrysaor lessen their rage, but steady]
Clardusa: [laughs] Hm-hm-hm. That's a good boy.
[Perball slowed and touched Dioskilos' nose]
Perball: Nice doggie?
[Dioskilos barked but softly]
[Perball noticed the sons next to him]
Perball: [touched their legs like placing hands on shoulders] Um..water under the bridge?
[Chrysaor got close to him, snorting, while Pergusus exhaled softly]
Perball: I can tell they're having a hard time.
Clardusa: That's normal. They're very protective of their mother.
Perball- Wait, these are your kids?
Clardusa: [nods] Yes. From Poseiwin and I after our...forced connection.
Perball: Forced relationship?
Clardusa: [sighs] Yes. Poseidon offered a proposal I refused. Unfortunately, he didn't let me get away.
[Flashbacks to her screaming, forced to breed with Poseiwin].
[Flashback ends, and Clardusa cries]
[Her sons comforted her]
Perball: [ears flopped downward] That's terrible.
Clardusa: [sniffs] Yes. And as time passed, I faced the aftermath of his torment.
[Another flashback happens, and Clardusa is heavily pregnant, rubbing her abdomen. Then, another flashed, and she screamed, birthing the Pegasus and Chrysaor. They cried as they lay on the ground. Another flash appeared again, with Clardusa holding the two sleeping]
[Flashback ends]
Perball: I can't believe the Ocean God did that to you. And he had no idea about his sons.
[The two neighed and snorted sadly]
Clardusa: [closed eyes, sobbing] Indeed, they do not have a father figure in their lives. [open her eyes] As you can see, they are fatherless.
Perball: [sighs] I can relate to the pain of being disregarded by a god dismissive of his children. Rizeus did the same to me.
[The sons lifted their heads and looked at him]
Perball-[nods] Yes, you two. I've been there. So How long were you here, and why didn't they get turned to stone?
Clardusa- That I'm unsure about that but for now how are you going to get home without your wing sandals?
Perball: [shrugs] To be candid, I have no clue. [arms down, shakes head] I can't go home empty-handed. That was the requirement for the mission. [narrowed eyes] Hence, my troops retrieved my sandals and battle helmet. [looking down] Other than that, I don't have a way back. [sighs] I had not considered the consequences of my actions, as Larrius had correctly predicted.
[Pegasus galloped toward him and neighed]
Perball: What? Do you have something in mind?
[Pegasus nods]
Clardusa: My son is offering you a ride home unless you know the way already.
Perball: My home is on an island. The last thing I want to do is show up without anything. My mother would be hugely tense about what happened if I'd done that. Furthermore, a gorgon, a pegasus, a chrysaor, and a canine appeared from thin air. The possibility of this causing an alarm is present.
Clardusa: [scratches chin] Good point.
Perball: If I survived my journey out here, Heracole offered to restore my vision. To behold your beauty, I'll suggest her immunity to your gaze.
[Clardusa blushed]
Clardusa: Perhaps I can help you with your problems. [slitters to him]
Perball: How?
[Clardusa whispered to Perball's ear]
Perball: Are you sure that would work?
[Clardusa whispers again]
Perball: Okay, so I'll carry you to my mother. But what about your sons and pet?
Clardusa: Oh. They'll come in handy.
[Time passed, and Perball returned to the island with something in hand]
[The guards stood nearby, seeing the warrior]
Guard #1: Halt! Who goes there?!
[The guard walked towards the warrior until their jaws dropped]
Guard #2: What?! You're alive?!
Perball: Yes! I'm here to see my mother!
[The guards and Perball walk toward the queen's throne. The rest of the guards nearby and some residents quietly discussed his disappearance. The queen's jaw dropped, with pupils shrunken. She shook her head in response]
Queen: [gasped] What!? You're alive?! How is that possible?!
Perball: Although I thought I had no chance of succeeding, my mother, I can now happily report the gods have blessed me, and I am here to prove my worth!
[Perball placed the stuffed linen sheet on the table and revealed what was underneath. Clardusa all chained up, with eyes covered]
Queen: [stuttered] The g-g-gorgon! Son, you're supposed to bring the head, not the entire body!
Perball: [crossed arms] I surmised that the situation is already chaotic. I didn't want to make a mess, so I chained her instead.
[Larrius enters the scene, gasping]
Larrius: [panting] You're still alive?! And you did it?! You did it! [froze for a second, sees slashes and chains on her body] You decided to chain her up instead?
Perball: I found the head hard to gain, so I chose to take her prisoner and left her in this state.
Larrius: [scratches chin] Fair. The Gorgon is notorious for her cunningness.
Queen: [hissed] Which means your death was a lie. [screamed] BETA!
Beta: [entering the scene] Yes, you majest-[sees Perball] No... No, no, no. I saw the event! You were right in the line of sight of the monster!
Perball: [growled] If you hadn't run away with my helmet, I would have ended the situation quicker.
[The Queen glares at him, and Beta gulps]
Beta: [shaking] By the gods...
Queen: [hissed] You fabricator! Men, take him away!
[The guards take Beta away, leaving behind the helmet]
Guard #2: I'm sure this belongs to you.
[Perball takes the helmet]
Perball: I should also mention what became of my sandals.
[Larrius gulps]
Queen: Excuse me?
Larruius: [shaking] Oh, no.
Perball: Larrius took my sandals when we were making progress. However, I decided to let him go after witnessing the deaths of my warriors. He didn't want to sacrifice his precious life. I respected his decision.
[Larrius calm down]
Larrius: Uh...thanks?
Queen: I couldn't believe it: the creature who had caused so much destruction over the years captured by my son. [sighs] The gods must be smiling upon you as no one had ever gotten as close to her as you have.
Perball: Yes.
[Queen narrowed her eyes]
Queen: Wait. Your eyes. What happened?
Perball: [ears flopped downward] Despite being sightless, I was lucky enough to defeat the gorgon before Heracole paid a visit after I gave her the truth.
Larrius: [gasped] You went to her temple blind?!
Perball: [nods] Yes.
Larrius: [scratches head] So, that means... [gasped] The gorgon's technique didn't work, and you took advantage of that.
Perball: It didn't benefit me at first, but I quickly learned to use it to defeat this beast.
