Chapter 38: the one who is reckless
[David's Pov]
Despite all odds, I didn't faint a second time.
"David!" A worried voice of my favorite hunter shouted, then a pair of soft yet sturdy hands helped me stand up. My legs wobbled like jelly. They weren't going to hold my weight any time soon.
Zoë was blinking furiously, a thin layer of tears quickly fading behind her eyelids.
"Idiot." She whispered. "Thou are the biggest idiot I've ever seen."
I couldn't help smiling.
"Well, that's some achievement, I guess."
"Don't ever do anything like that again."
"No promises."
Zoë made a noise, something between a whimper and a snort, and hauled one of my arms around her shoulders so I could stand up more potently. She handed me our last flask of nectar, which I drank down in one swig.
The other girl walked over with an odd expression—a mixture of astonishment, bewilderment, and a tinge of…jealousy? Not so sure about the last part. She looked between us for a good half a minute before opening her mouth.
"That was an impressive strike."
"I did say I usually fight better, didn't I?"
The corner of her lips twitched for a second, almost into a smile, but it faded before it actually happened.
Now that I've had a chance for a proper look, I realized that she was indeed one of the faces I've seen through Aphrodite. The same well-tanned skin, the same black hair that was braided like Zoë's.
Also, she was very beautiful. Like, no-wonder-the-love-goddess-changed-into-her beautiful. Or on par with Zoë, for short.
Suddenly something poked me in the ribs, drawing a pathetic groan from my throat.
"Thou are staring too much," Zoë said. She had poked me with her elbow.
Was it just me, or did she sound rather colder than usual? I guess she doesn't appreciate me being awestruck by a beautiful girl. You know, because she is a hunter and all that.
In my defense, Reyna was also staring at me the whole time. Though her eyes were more on the lines of dissecting an alien that landed in her front yard, rather than gawking over someone good-looking.
Not that I was handsome, to begin with.
"David Lee. Nice to meet you." I held out my hand.
The girl paused, looking down at my hand like she was worried that I hid a poisoned needle in my palm, then shook it.
"Reyna." She replied.
"That's it? What about your last name—"
Reyna scowled loudly before I could finish.
"Don't ask." She said firmly.
Well, I just waltzed right into a mine right there, didn't I?
An awkward silence settled down between the three of us. I half-heartedly hoped that the poison pulsing in my chest reactivated and passed me out, but no such luck.
Finally, Zoë cleared her throat to break the ice.
"Well, it was nice meeting thee. But we have places to go, so…"
"Actually, I'd like to ask some questions, if that's not bothersome."
"It is," Zoë said.
"Yeah, sure," I said.
We both looked at each other. Zoë's eyes were very distracting, but it wasn't distracting enough to look over the apparent frown on her forehead.
"David, we don't have much time to spare." Zoë whispered, "We only have 2-3 hours left at best to free Lady Artemis."
"We'd be dead if Reyna didn't come to save us. I think we can answer a few questions in return."
"That's—"
"Pretty please?" I pushed on. "We can ride my bike to shorten the time."
Zoë bit her lip, then murmured several curses in Latin. I didn't pick up much, but Reyna must've heard every word because she pulled a face at Zoë.
Finally, after a huge sigh, she gave in.
"Very well. But we can't stay for too long. We'll be quick."
The last part was aimed at Reyna, who nodded. Albeit discomforted by Zoë's attitude, judging from the lowered eyebrows.
We explained who we were, and what we were doing all the way out on the coast of California.
For whatever reason, Zoë kept avoiding mentioning anything that might connect to Camp Half-Blood, and stabbed me in the ribs with her elbow anytime I was getting close to the same subject.
Reyna also noticed this blatant information control. She tried her best to prize the information out from either of us, but Zoë was persistent.
"…Interesting." Reyna said.
"In conclusion, Lady Diana is in danger, and you two—son of Mars, and a follower of Lady Diana—have joined forces to rescue her."
"Yeah, that sums it up." I groaned, rubbing my sore side.
"And we really need to hurry," Zoë added.
"Let me help," Reyna said.
Zoë looked like she was about to explode for a moment.
"Pardon?" She managed to ask in a trembling voice.
"If Lady Diana is in trouble around this area, I'll be more than enthusiastic to help as the praetor of New Rome."
"New Rome?" I asked.
Thunder boomed in the sky. Zoë looked up with a concerned expression. I followed her gaze and was unpleasantly surprised to see a thick funnel of storm clouds hovering over us in a tight area.
"That's not normal, is it?"
"Obviously not," Zoë said through clenched teeth.
She muttered something mostly incomprehensible under her breath, about gods having an uneven pair of buttocks or whatever.
The clouds crackled with electricity. Every bit of hair I had stood up straight. Reyna rubbed over her arms, looking concerned as well at the weather.
"Reyna, I believe we've done enough. Said enough." Zoë said in a firm voice.
"Your sister said you were smart. It'll be best if all three of us never speak of this ever again."
"Why not?"
Zoë hissed at me to shut up, just like she'd used to do before we went on a quest.
I was still confused. Why was Reyna being treated like a taboo all of a sudden? It wasn't like she was someone evil in hiding, she saved my life while risking her own. And why couldn't I say a simple 'I'm a Greek demigod' to her?
However, Reyna seemed to have pieced…whatever was laid on the table. Her eyes were wide as her brain raced at million miles per hour, and now she looked at me as if I was a ticking time bomb instead of an alien.
"…Your friend is right, David." She said at last. "We weren't supposed to meet. How this did even happen is beyond my comprehension."
"As mine," Zoë said, immense relief in her voice.
However, Reyna wasn't done yet.
"Be that as it may, we have met. And currently, Lady Diana is in trouble nearby. I cannot turn a blind eye to the situation."
Zoë's relieved smile turned into a scowl.
"Reyna—"
"I'm sure the gods will excuse small inception. At least, in order to save their own member of the council?"
Reyna said out loud to the sky.
Thunder rumbled ominously. The air seemed to dry up, smelling like ozone. Lightning flashed in between the dark clouds. Zoë fidgeted with the edge of her braided hair as she looked up at the sky as well. Even I could tell this was a tense moment.
After seconds that felt like hours, the cloud parted away.
Reyna let out a sigh. Her shoulders eased down.
"I think we're clear, for now. I'm…sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry."
I tried to argue but both girls shook their heads in unison.
I wanted to complain. I understand that I was missing something crucial here. But whatever the case was, I couldn't understand why risking her life to join in a quest to save a goddess was something Reyna had to apologize for.
Still, Zoë was right when she said we had no time to argue about that. The moon was already tilting over our heads. If I remember correctly, that only gave us an hour or so.
"Luckily for us, I have a magic motorcycle!"
"Excuse me, a magic what?"
Reyna's question was drowned out by the roar of flames and my sweet B-day present. She gaped at the sleek vehicle that appeared out of thin air; if you ask me, I think she was impressed.
"I still don't understand how people miss this."
"It's because of the Mist," Zoë said.
I looked around. The air was clear. No mist around.
"There is no mist here, though."
Zoë rolled her eyes.
"David, we talked about this while we were being chased by mortal's helicopter. The Mist conceals the truth from Mortals; instead, they see whatever they can understand."
"Chased by a helicopter?" Reyna asked out loud, but I was more confused about what Zoë had just said.
"I thought you were being metaphorical."
"I wasn't."
"So, the 'Mist' is like an actual thing? Apart from the weather 'mist'?"
"David, we don't have time for this!"
"Fine, fine! Sheesh."
Then, another problem arose. My precious Harley was one heck of a bike, but it wasn't designed to hold more than two people at once. If only we had a sidecar…
I ran my hand over the various buttons on the panel. I brushed over a mysterious handle and suddenly, with a loud cracking noise that made everyone jump, a sidecar popped out into existence.
"I hate this thing!" Zoë protested.
"This is awesome!" I shouted and hopped onto the driver's seat. "Everyone get in!"
Reyna looked between me and Zoë, who was grumbling at the fact that she had to take this bike again, then slid into the sidecar.
"Zoë, come on. You were the one saying that we had no time."
"Don't phrase it like I'm the pesky one here!" She snapped but fidgeted onto the backseat. I felt her arms tighten around my waist. One of her hands traced over my wound—it was nearly healed up.
Reyna raised her eyebrow as I started the engine.
"Hold on tight, this thing can accelerate faster than..."
My voice trailed away as my brain blanked out on any comparable things that accelerated fast. The only example I came up with was the sun car. I doubt Reyna would ever believe that I drove it.
So, instead of trying to save my joke, I cranked the throttle.
With a thick trail of sand dust following behind, we rode up onto the road and raced onward.
[Line Break]
Weaving in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge was much more thrilling than it sounded. To be fair, I was ignoring more of the obscure road rules—such as not switching lanes rapidly and not driving on the shoulder lane.
Look, I'd never endanger any people while driving. But we were in a hurry, and I'd rather save the world than follow the rules.
Nonetheless, Reyna pointed out all the street laws I violated as we drove past many angry drivers.
"If you ever get caught, your license will be banned." She concluded.
"Well, he doesn't have one. So add that on to the list." Zoë added from my back. Her voice was still salty from the fact that she was forced to ride this bike for a second time.
Reyna gripped the edge of the sidecar with a stricken face. She seemed to be pondering if jumping out was such a bad idea after all.
"Hey, my driving skills are completely legit. I told you; my dad is Ares."
"You mean Mars."
"Eh, potato potahto."
Reyna opened her mouth to argue, but a loud rumbling of thunder overhead made her close them.
I dared to glance up while I weaved in between the traffic. A steady amount of black clouds were still following us overhead. If I weren't so creeped out by the idea, I could've guaranteed that there was a stranded eye watching us through.
I had a funny feeling that the whole Greek-Roman shtick was a touchy subject for the gods. I couldn't understand why—they were basically the same deal, except for some minor changes; you know, like Athena getting split into two.
Yeah, I never liked the Wisdom goddess. Call me biased if you want to.
Soon, Zoë reacted the route out of the highway.
The roads quickly became insanely narrow, winding up in spirals through forests and up the sides of hills, and around the edges of steep ravines. I didn't slow down at all.
"Are the wheels on fire!?" Reyna's voice sounded urgent over the whistling winds.
"It's fine! They regularly catch on fire."
"What?!"
I chose to not explain the entire story behind my bike to her. Not only because I needed to be more focused on driving, but a rather concerned-looking Reyna was much more hilarious to glance at than I'd be willing to admit.
At least, until I found Zoë glaring at me through them.
"What?" I tried my best innocently-accused-victim voice.
Zoë huffed and hid out of eyesight. Her arms around my waist hugged on more tightly.
As we became closer to Mount Tamalpais, the mist became thicker and thicker. The flames surrounding the wheel tried to light up the area, but it only managed to flicker feebly against the moist air.
"That may be good in the long term. This forest is full of Eucalyptus trees." Zoë pointed to the huge trees whizzing past us.
"Isn't that what koalas eat?"
"And monsters," Reyna added. "For unknown reasons, many species like to chew on them."
"It's because they ease the pain," Zoë said, "imagine them as natural painkillers. It also helps them sleep when they have a nightmare."
I didn't question how she knew all that—especially the latter part. I'm not saying monsters can't have nightmares, but the vague wistfulness in her voice made me wonder.
If she was a Hesperide, she must've been alive on the earth much before Ancient Greek existed. Calling her 3000 years old would be vastly selling short on how much she must've lived.
I knew so little about her.
Zoë went oddly quiet for a long time. Which made me wonder if she was thinking about the same thing.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Thunder crackled right overhead.
Like, right overhead.
"Break!" Reyna shouted. I didn't need to be told twice.
The tire screeched into a halt. Zoë made a muffled grunt as her face was shoved against my back. For a moment, the hill was silent.
The next second: BOOM!
Lightning flashed in front of our eyes. I think I heard someone scream—maybe it was me, I'm not sure. When the blinding light subsided, there was a sizzling mark engraved three feet in front of us.
We got off the bike to check. It was a symbol…or a letter of some sort, but I couldn't read it. Or even make out what language it was.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Did, Lord Jupiter—" Reyna swallowed her own words, a tinge of apprehension embedded in her voice.
But that was nothing compared to Zoë's.
"That's an invitation. And no, it is not from Lord Zeus."
I looked back.
Zoë was pale, her skin like a white chalkboard. She stumbled backward a few steps and nearly toppled over the bike. I reached out and caught her wrist before she did.
"Zoë, are you ok?"
"I—" A pair of coffee brown eyes scattered all about, then focused on me.
A firm, callused palm closed around my wrist.
Zoë bit her lower lip.
"—Yes, I'm ok. Let's walk the rest of the way.
We don't want to wake up anything from here on out."
Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road.
It was impossible to see much as three feet in front, much less drive through it with a bike. I had no idea how I even managed to navigate up to this point without making any mistakes.
Zoë observed the ghostly haze, then stepped into one of them. The fog closed behind her like a door, and when they reorganized she was no longer there. Reyna and I looked at each other.
"I don't like this," Reyna said.
"I can hold your hand if that makes it better."
I offered my right hand. Reyna looked down at it blankly. I had a foreboding sensation that she was contemplating whether she should take it or slice it off.
In the end, she decided on neither and walked after Zoë. I followed without complaint.
Somehow, the fog was much thicker. I couldn't see Reyna, who was supposed to be a step ahead at most. The air was difficult to breathe through. Hands made out of vapor tried to pull me away, to go back, away, and never return.
The fog cleared.
Believe it or not, I was still on the side of the mountain. However, it was not the same mountain I was on. Mount Tam had paved roads and steep cliffs. What I was looking upon was a…
"Garden."
Reyna was standing next to me, awestruck at the sight spread out in front of us.
And oh boy, what a sight it was.
The greenest grass I've ever seen embodied the boundless meadow that stretched into the horizon and beyond. Flowers with all the colors in the world were all around, and various trees had the biggest fruits hanging down them. To the side, a spacious amount of water was present. I couldn't tell if it was a lake or ocean. It looked like it could be both.
Reyna pulled herself out of the shock faster than I did.
"Why is the sun up?"
I looked up to where she was pointing. Indeed, even though it was clearly nighttime before, the sun was setting over the lake/ocean. What's weirder was, that the sun didn't move. It just hung there, as if it had been stuck after it first rose.
It wasn't just the sun. The grass and flowers on the meadow didn't waver in the slightest. They felt like normal grass when I stepped on them, but as soon as we walked past, they paused in the middle of unfolding themselves.
"Time…is not flowing here," Reyna concluded.
I held the obvious question; how is that possible?
Reyna was frustrated as I was. She even whipped out her spear and swung it against the air. The small currents of wind it made were carried over the meadow like a Mexican Wave at a stadium. As soon as the movement carried over, the grass stopped dead.
Then, I noticed someone was not here.
"Where is Zoë? Zoë!" I shouted.
My voice echoed through the garden. Nothing came back in response.
"Something is definitely wrong."
Reyna raised one of her eyebrows.
"I know I'm being obvious. Cut me some slack."
I thought back on her expression right after the 'invitation'. Wherever we were supposed to go, she was horrifically terrified of it.
She also regained herself after taking my wrist. As terrified as she was, she entrusted me.
"We have to find her."
"Fine. It's not like we can turn back now."
Reyna pointed over her shoulder. The thick fog we came in was nowhere to be seen. It was the same unending fields of grass.
"You are awfully calm about the entire situation."
"Why thank you," Reyna said with a stoic face.
She tapped my head with the butt of her spear and marched forward.
We walked on for what felt like an hour. At least, I think it was an hour.
It was hard to tell the passage of time when we were the only two beings with a sense of time. The scenery didn't change much aside from the arrangements of flowers and trees; the sun hung in the same exact place, and nothing else moved unless we made contact with it either directly or indirectly.
The most annoying part of this treacherous journey was, that it was hard to stay focused or even worried in such a peaceful environment.
The faint smell from a diverse set of flowers eased my muscle. Fruits glistening against the setting sunlight were so tempting, that I had to keep my fists balled to not unknowingly reach out for them.
Even Reyna seemed to wear off of the smooth nature of the garden. Her hardened expression was slackened, and her spear was dangling in her hand half-heartedly.
…When was the last time I had a proper rest again?
It was on the train to Cloudcroft, I think. After that, things after things kept happening without as much a breathing room.
…maybe, just maybe, we could take some rest.
Time wasn't going anywhere here, anyway. What're a few minutes of composure going to harm?
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot across my chest. I doubled over, choking on my breath. Reyna snapped out of her daze and caught me before I fell first onto the grass.
"Your wound. It's open again."
I looked down at my chest. The large gash mark, a wound that had been healed before, was gushing out new blood, tinging the edge of my torn shirt red.
Strangely, an image of Dr. Thorn came to my mind. The thought of that Sasquatch hitting the ceiling made me laugh, despite the stinging pain. Reyna looked like I went crazy, but I stood up straight.
A voice came from ahead.
"A kinship with a monster? How peculiar."
Reyna snapped her head up and hefted her spear. I drew my sword, as well as four figures, shimmered into existence with the biggest tree around the garden.
It was a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples.
At the beginning of the famed Trojan War, I always found it weird that three Olympian goddesses went lustful over the golden fruit. Compared to many magical artifacts and monsters that inhabited the world of Greek Mythology, a golden apple didn't necessarily stand out.
Now that I've got to see the real thing, I could understand their behavior.
The most disturbing part? I can't even describe why they were so appealing.
As soon as I smelled their fragrance, I knew that one bite would be the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted, but that was only a small fraction of the might of this glorious apple.
The fruit radiated a sense of…righteous power. If I took a bite out of it, it won't just be the best thing I'll ever taste; it would fundamentally change something within me. Elevate me into something superior.
The realization hit me.
"That thing can make us immortal."
"As such." A cold voice came from ahead.
Reyna and I both readied our weapons, but we couldn't resist taking potshots to glance over at the golden apple every few seconds.
Five figures shimmered into existence. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders.
For a moment, I stupidly thought Zoë somehow managed to multiply herself up to five.
Soon after, I noticed the more subtle differences between the real Zoë and the other four young women surrounding her. Their heights were slightly varying with Zoë being in the middle.
Their eyes were each a different shade of brown. The tallest had a drop of ocherous red, like a harsh, untouched part of the earth. Another had a dark blue in sync with the deep depths of the ocean, another with a tinge of green as deep as a rainforest—and so on.
In comparison, Zoë's eyes seemed to fall in line with the color of the dragon coiled around the tree trunk. I tried to get a better look at her face, but Zoë, for whatever reason kept her head down and avoided any eye contact.
Instead, the tallest woman stepped forward.
"Welcome, heroes, to our garden.
We are the Hesperides. And I am Erytheia, the oldest."
Erytheia glanced at Zoë with a sense of loathing.
"There is an impurity amongst us at the moment, but please excuse—"
"Hold up."
Erytheia stopped in the middle of her speech with a deep frown. Her amber eyes squinted in my direction with much more viciousness than Zoë had ever shown.
However, I was busy wracking my brain for the correct piece of information in my head.
5 Hesperides….5…with Erytheia being the eldest….
"I got it. You are Asterope."
The second tallest, and I'd guess the second oldest Hesperid blinked, taken aback when I pointed at her.
"I—yes?" Asterope stammered.
Zoë mouthed 'What are you doing?' with utmost terror, but I was on a roll.
"Hygieia."
The fourth Hesperid nodded slightly, her greenish eyes arching into a tiny smile.
"And finally, Lipara."
"I'm impressed," Lipara admitted, taking a glance at her oldest sister, who still looked furious.
"When was the last time a mortal remembered all of our names?"
"Never before," Asterope muttered. "This is the first time it has ever happened. I'm surprised there was still a 'first experience' left for us.'"
"You're all staying in a garden where time is literally frozen. I doubt anything new happens here."
I waved my hand through the still air.
The three Hesperides, apart from Zoë and Erytheia, watched the small ripple of air travel across the air with interest; like a child looking at a butterfly fly past by for the first time.
Not going to lie, I was feeling proud of myself at that moment. I've successfully guessed three names in a row—now, if I had that luck during any of the tests at Westover Hall, I might've gotten out of there by this spring.
Erytheia cleared her throat loudly. The three elated Hesperides calmed down at once.
"As the guardian of the Golden Apples, we are obligated to offer everyone who reached this place a chance to take one of the apples."
"How is that a guardian's job?"
Sounds a bit counterproductive, if you're asking me. Erytheia, however, curled the edges of her lips up into a cold smile.
"Because you will fail and die. Unless one of us thinks otherwise."
Zoë flinched as if her sister's word physically stung her.
Before I could ask for further details, Reyna stepped up.
"We are not here for the golden apple. We are on our way to rescue Lady Diana. We need to reach the top of Mount Tamalpais."
Erytheia paused. She looked up and down the demigod with a slight frown.
"Very well, Roman. You may pass. I have no use for you, anyway."
With a simple wave of her hand, Reyna vanished without leaving a trace behind.
"Where did you send her?"
"To where she requested: top of Mount Tamalpais. I hope she's smart enough to stay low.
Now, hero. What about you? Are you going to take the challenge?"
Zoë shook her head from side to side. I looked over the hundred-headed dragon breathing in and out through its hundred nostrils.
"Why would I take it?"
Erytheia raised her eyebrow.
"Is that a no?"
"I'm just asking. As tempting as that apple may be, I'm not a huge fan of immortality. I'd rather take your sister and go."
"Ah, but that's where the golden apple plays in."
The first Hesperid clapped her hand. A set of golden chains appeared around the ankles of every Hesperides, including Zoë.
"You see, hero…We aren't guarding the tree because we chose to do it. It is a punishment, a curse bestowed upon us by our mistress Hera.
All because we were the daughters of Atlas—the Titan of the sky, and the first general of Kronos's army."
I tried my best to not look too surprised. This was a backstory I've never heard about.
Erytheia cackled and shifted her chained foot. A collective of deep scars was visible beneath her cuffs.
She tried to get rid of the chains on more than one occasion, without success.
"Gods don't tell these stories, do they? Especially Hera; she wouldn't allow a fable to exist as long as it has a chance to paint her in a negative light.
There is, however, a way for us to be freed.
If a mortal gets the golden apple by themselves and hands it to us, we'll be free from our duties. That's how that one escaped last time."
Her head snapped towards Zoë. The huntress looked away
"We were so close that one time," Asterope said, her voice becoming misty.
"Such a handsome guy, too. What was his name again? Her—erm, it started with Hera, didn't it?"
"It's Heracles," Zoë answered miserably.
"Oh, right. That's the one. It was a real shame he ran away."
Lipara snickered behind her hand. "Zoë had a huge crush on him."
Hygieia put an arm around Zoë.
"To be fair, we all did. Zoë was the one who did what we were all thinking.
I'm sure it was more of a tragedy that only one of us could've been freed by Heracles."
"That's enough."
"Oh, Erytheia. We all know you were the most disappointed when he chose to free Zoë instead of you."
"I said, enough!" Erytheia shouted, then whirled around to face me again.
"That's how it is. Either you get the golden apple, or she stays here with us."
She announced the two choices as if there were an ultimatum. And my answer was already settled firmly, but before I could say it Zoë stepped forward.
"This is ridiculous; David! Don't be an idiot! Go save Lady Artemis with Reyna."
"What about you?"
"I'll—" Zoë's voice broke.
She looked around the garden. The beautiful, lively garden without any change.
It made me wonder if she really choose to leave with Heracles just because she was in love with him.
I recalled how much fun she had while skipping over a batch of snow. Or how excited she was at the prospect of hunting. How she made friends
Similar memories seemed to pass by in her mind as Zoë looked around the garden.
"—I can, I will stay here."
"Zoë. It will never snow in here. Ever."
"I know."
"There won't be any wind. Or anything to hunt."
Zoë clutched her hands over her chest.
"…I know. David, just, please…"
I looked up at the tree again.
The golden apples tantalizingly sparkling in the unending sunset, the massive dragon with 100 heads ready to snap up any individual who was stupid enough to try and steal the prize.
Then again, I wasn't known for my smartness.
"I just have to get the apple, right?"
"Correct."
"No!"
Zoë tried to huddle forward, but the chains around her ankle nearly made her topple over. Asterope and Hygieia caught their sister and held her back, all the while watching me with a mild curiosity.
"David. This is where I belong! I was born a Hesperide. You can't—"
"I don't care."
"What?"
I didn't dare to turn back and look at Zoë. I'm sure that the expression on her face would make me second guess my decision.
And you do not want to get weak minded when you are planning to do something dumb.
"I told you before; I don't care what you are.
You'll always be Zoë Nightshade to me. Nothing more, nothing less."
While Zoë went silent, probably struggling to think of a retort, I took the chance to swiftly make my way to the tree.
The dragon Ladon started to stir in his sleep. Some of his heads opened their eyes and roared in alarm, alerting the other heads that some idiot with a sword was approaching.
Soon enough, the mighty dragon Ladon writhed upwards, showing off his impressive height that matched up against a skyscraper in New York. Even the Calydonian Boar felt small compared.
Air lashed around fiercely as dozens of heads whipped around, untangling themselves from other dozens of heads. Several of them opened their maw. The collective sound of hissing sent a shiver down my back, and that was before his breath hit me.
To put it short, it was acid. The breath made my eyes burn, my skin blister, and my hair stand on end. Breathing the air made my lungs burn like I've just shoved down twenty lighted cigarettes down the windpipe.
Compared to this monstrosity, something like Hydra or the Nemean Lion felt like an angry poodle you might run into at a nearby park.
Hands down, the most intimidating monster I've ever faced.
And all I had was a sword that wasn't even big enough to be its toothpick.
"Hey, before we start fighting, can you maybe allow me to get one apple? It's for your, erm, friends?"
HISSSS!
"Alright. We'll do it the old-fashion way."
For whatever reason, I was a lot calmer than I'd expect from myself.
Maybe it was because I've knocked on the doors of death an hour or so ago.
Or because I, for once, had a plan on getting the apple.
Or maybe because this fight was worth every penny.
Ladon bellowed with hundred voices in harmony. Making the ground shudder, the air tremble with its might.
It completely mowed over my own battle cry, but I lunged forward nonetheless.
I lost the first draft I've written for it, and I'm pissed because that one was much well written.
Oh well, you can't have everything in your life. Never forget to save your work! Hope nothing feels too choppy.
The entire scene with Hesperides were less than, I think 2000 words in the original book. Which is natural because it was only the passing points to Mt Othrys. Also a nice peek at who Zoë was before a hunter.
But here, Zoë has much of a bigger role than a companion. So a garden containing both of her birth family and her most distant past needed some more attention, and I've ended up with the 'enslaved' idea.
The concept was driven from Calypso, who had been punished because she stood on the wrong side of the war. It's the same deal here. The Hesperides were on the wrong side way back when, and this is their punishment. The only difference is that one of them managed to be freed from their prison. That is, of course, Zoë.
I'll probably go in dept with the technicalities of how that was possible when the inevitable Olympus Council scene happens (I hope not many of you are die-hard fans of Hera), but to briefly explain, Heracles technically didn't get the Golden Apple just on his own, which was why the spell that bind the Hesperides(the golden chains) couldn't be broken for all of them.
Henceforth, that's why Zoë was the only one who made it out, and why Erytheia is furious with her younger sister.
Not just because she got the man, mind you, but that definetly takes a part in.
That's all I have to say, for now.
I hope I can write a fight scene with a hundred headed dragon much better than I did introducing it.
I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, I'll see you all in the next chapter.
Ta ta~
