Chapter Eight

Meanwhile, Nero and Pyrrha were walking through the woods. While walking, Nero was trying to roar, but no luck.

"I stink at this." exclaimed Nero.

"You can't just roar." said Pyrrha. "You just need to feel in your throat. Trust me. I had the same problem with one of my neighbour's dog."

Then there was a growling noise. It came from Nero's stomach. "That's my stomach." he said. "I'm starving."

"Don't worry. I know a restaurant nearby."

They followed the path to a wood-made restaurant. They arrived, but there was a sign over the door that states "No Animals". They looked at each other to think of an idea.

With a brilliant idea, Nero said "I got it. Just wait here. No peaking." He borrowed Pyrrha's blanket and hid behind a tree. While waiting, Pyrrha looked away, waiting. Then Nero said "Now you can look."

Pyrrha turned tail and eyed at Nero wearing the blanket like it's a robe and a bowtie. "Nero?"

"A random fancy-man."

Pyrrha started smiling… then giggling… then laughing aloud. "Nero! You didn't have to!"

"Hey, I'd like to go into a restaurant." said Nero extending his hand to Pyrrha. "Now do you wanna stand there and laugh at me, or do you wanna go on a date with the emperor?"

She replied offering her own hand "I would love to." Nero pulled her to his arm, making them look like a dating couple.

Entering the place, they noticed no one is seeing he's actually a lion. They sat down together on a seat by the window and an waitress came over.

"Welcome to Caesar's Meat Hut, home of the meat of the gods." she said. "What'll it be?"

"Ahem. We'll have two specials." said Nero playing his role. "Is that all right, babe?"

"Oh," said Pyrrha, "you know what I like."

The waitress leaned over to Pyrrha and whispered "You've hit the jackpot, girl." Saying that made Pyrrha blush of embarrassed. "So that's two specials. Anything to drink?"

"Yeah," said Nero, "she'll have water, and I'll have sheep's blood- I mean, water here too."

With the orders taken, the waitress rushed over to the cook. "Ordering! I need two broken legs and a deep-fried cow on table twelve!"

Believing the plan actually worked, the two broke out laughing aloud. "Sheep's blood?" said Pyrrha.

"Sorry," said Nero, "that might be the lion in my taste buds kicking in."

"So I'll admit this was a good idea."

"When will you learn I think of good ideas?"

"Well, I thought you going into the woods by yourself, facing a pack of wolves, lying to me to take you back to Rome, were all really bad ideas."

"Anything sounds bad when you say it like that."

The waitress came over with two plates of legs and offered them to the two. "Hot and crispy bull legs for the happy couple. Enjoy."

As Pyrrha began to eat with a fork and knife, she looked at Nero, gobbling up his food with no table manners whatsoever. He snapped out of it, thinking he's embarrassing her. "Sorry." he said.

But Pyrrha didn't say anything negative. She just smiled, and gave him a sauce bowl. "Try this one with the meat."

Nero, excepting Pyrrha's option, grabbed the bowl with both paws and nicely poured it on the bull leg. He took a bite of it, but reacted like he didn't enjoy the taste. "Hmmm. This is like no sauce I've ever tasted." He said before getting off his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to slip into the kitchen and have a word with the chef."

"They'll kick us out if you do."

"Please. With this disguise, I'm a celebrity."

A woman at a bar watched Nero walk by then gave Pyrrha a thumbs up and she gave the thumbs up back.

Then Vulcan and Mars walked in and sat right behind Pyrrha. "We've been walking around in circles for Vesta knows how long." said Vulcan. "That is the last time we take directions from a squirrel. Why couldn't I have done away with Nero myself when I had the chance?"

Overhearing them, Pyrrha choked on the food she was eating and began coughing.

"Uh," said Mars, "cause you'd find that too easy."

"That was a rhetorical question!" growled Vulcan knocking his fork down.

"Uh-oh. I'll get you another fork, Vulcan." Mars turned to Pyrrha, who looked nervous. "You using that fork there, miss?" Pyrrha handed him the fork, then Mars started staring at her face. "Hey, don't I know you?"

"Uh… no. Never met you."

"I think I have. Somewhere."

"I don't think we've ever met, but I've gotta go." Pyrrha got up and began walking away towards the kitchen.

"Don't worry, I'll think of it."

In the kitchen, Nero was talking to the cranky-looking chef. "Look, all I know is the sauce tasted iffy. I'm not the only one who thinks that, I'm sure."

Pyrrha, from the doorway, whispered "Psst! Hey!"

"So, I'm just checking to make sure you're going to take the main course up a notch."

Back with Vulcan, having trouble choosing on the menu, puzzled "Is there anything they have that's not swimming in gravy?"

"Wait here. I'll go ask the chef." said Mars leaving.

Back in the kitchen, Nero continued talking to the chef "It's a simple question. Is there or is there any tastier sauce on this menu?" Then Pyrrha pulled him back. But she looked through the door window, saw Mars coming, she gasped in a panic and ran into the back room with Nero in there. "Hey, I haven't gone through the dessert yet!"

"Hey, pal," said Mars entering the kitchen, "what special orders you got without any gravy?"

All of a sudden, in such a cranky mood, the chef said "All right, buster, that's it! You want a special order, then you make it! I quit!" He began packing his things and leaving the building. "Y'know, I do all I can do, but there's no respect for anyone with vision. Well, that's it! That's it for me and that is that!"

"Hold on." said Mars. "I never said-"

Interrupted the moment, the waitress said "Ordering! Three ham combos, extra bacon on the side, two cheese plates, a basket of onion rings, a catch of the day, and a steak cut in the shape of a heart." She paused to be sure the "chef" got all that. "You got all that, honey?"

Being the chef now, Mars said "Three pigs in pants, plate of hot air, basket of grandma's breakfast, and give the bull a heart attack, got it." He set the stove and started making the food.

Back with Vulcan, waiting impassionate for Mars, moaned "What is he doing there? Smooching?"

Meanwhile, in the back room, Pyrrha was trying to pry the window open out.

"What's going on?" asked Nero.

"Getting you out."

"In a minute. I'm still hungry." Nero left the back room without realizing the chef was Mars. "Okay, I'll make it simple for you. I'll just have a cherry fountain in a mug. You got it?"

"Can do."

Once Nero left the kitchen, Vulcan waltzed in and said "What's taking so long?"

"Order up!" said Mars offering food for the waitress.

"Mars! What in Jupiter's name are you doing here?"

"Making food."

"I can see that. But what happened to the chef?"

"Quit with an attitude."

"Oh, very well. While you're at it, make me the special. And hold the gravy."

Vulcan walked out the kitchen and sat down at his table looking through the menu. Nero was directly across from him, eating his bull leg (without the sauce). Every time one of them lowers their menu/meal, the other raised it.

Pyrrha exit the kitchen without Mars noticing her. Seeing Nero and Vulcan, she came over to the waitress. "Excuse me." she said. "You see that man over there?"

After Pyrrha whispered the rest to her, the waitress said "No problem, hon. We do that all the time."

Vulcan still looked through the menu, but something grabbed his attention. He saw Nero in front of him, then multiple waiters came down singing him a birthday song and offering him cake. Nero finished his leg, then Pyrrha pulled him away out of the building.

Hearing the song, Mars came out of the kitchen and said "Ha ha ha! It's your birthday?"

Pyrrha managed to get Nero out the restaurant before anyone would see them. Once they hid in the trees, Nero, puzzled and confused, asked "What's the hurry? I was about to get my cherry fountain."

"Look," said Pyrrha, "there's two guys in there looking for you."

"What?"

"A centurion and a scarred man."

"Wait. Was this guy's scar on the forehead?"

"Yeah."

"That's my cousin Vulcan." said the joyful Nero as he removed his disguise. "I'm saved."

But Pyrrha denied "Trust me, they're not here to save you. They're trying to kill you."

"Kill me? They'll take me back home. Thanks for your help. You've been great. I can take it from here."

"No, I can't let you!

"What? Wha-" Nero paused for a few seconds, then he started to think of something. "…oh, I get it! You don't want to take me back. You want to keep me stranded out here forever.

"No, that's not it." said Pyrrha.

"This has all been an act, and I almost fell for it."

"Will you just listen to me-"

"No, no, you listen to me. All you care about is your stupid cliff!"

"What?"

"You don't care about me. Now, just get out of here. Go!"

"But-"

"Go on! Get outta here!"

Beginning to grow tired of his attitude, Pyrrha angrily said to the leaving lion "Fine! Who cares about you anyway?!"

As Nero walks back to the restaurant entrance, Vulcan and Mars came walking out with Mars carrying half the cake. "Augh," growled Vulcan, "this is all your fault."

"What'd I do?" puzzled Mars as Nero began eavesdropping their conversation through the bushes.

"If you hadn't been so soft-hearted, Nero would be dead long ago! There'll be no more diversions until we track that lion down and kill him! Even if he does have nine lives."

Hearing that gave Nero a shocking, meaning Pyrrha was telling the truth all along.

"Said I was sorry. Can't we just let it go? Not even on your birthday."

"Well… luckily for you, cake always calms me down." Vulcan climbed up his tent before Mars gave him the cake. "Now, hop to it, you bloke. Nero must be eliminated before things get out of hand."

"You've got a point." agreed Mars pulling the tent on his back. "But… nobody really seems to care that he's gone, do they?"

Nero heard all of this then ran off looking for Pyrrha. "Pyrrha! Pyrrha?!" But no luck of finding her. It seems she's really gone.

With regret, Nero shamelessly walked through the woods… alone. As the sun set, Nero walked out on a ledge and looked forward to seeing a view of Rome. It was just a few miles away, but Nero didn't feel like going. Not after what happened that day. He then collapsed to lay on the edge of the ledge. Milkweed floss was stirred into the air by his flop.