Chereads / The Mitigate / Chapter 7 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7

I watched her as she gently brushed her fingers across the back of her sleeping beast. 'Twas thunder and strikes of lightening above us----I could only assume it was the anger of Zeus that compelled this. We were lucky to be safe and dry beneath these cave walls. 

The cave was illuminated with flowers that grew from the walls. They grew in hundreds, each single one shining a shy, yellow as they came to full bloom in the dark. This woman, Chanda, had expressed her relief of finding such things the first night she stayed here. I could not argue that they were not reassuring. 

My eyes traced towards the intrance of the cave as volumptuous pellets of the sky's ocean made the illusion of a wall between us and the outside. And it was also creatures she had spoke of---the ones who arise at night. She had not much to say about them; they were great in size....and intelligent. But yet have I seen a glance of such things, one might have reason not to believe her. However, deep in my mind, I found that I did.

Involuntarily, my eyes fell on her once more. She looked quite....odd. They way she dressed, the dark markings on her skin. When I observed her face, I noticed jewelry on her nose and through the ends of her eyebrow. She was unlike the smooth, cream colored women I have ever met. Thinking back, even the ones of her same race were not as odd.

She set her lizard down and met my eyes. "Why do you look sad?"

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He looked at me for a moment and then looked away, raising his eyebrows. Blinking, he ran a hand through his hair and layed his arm across his knee. Damn, this dude was so elegant.

He turned to stared at me again, seeming to not know how to answer that. Damn, Dream Guy was...taking a bit to answer that. He is in my dream, right? 

I shrugged and stretched out my legs. "Eh."

He stretched his legs too as we both leaned against opposite cave walls. We were on the cold, almost damp steps and wind from the night air blew in from the cave opening. I glanced at my feet. His sandles and my crusty ass Timberlands were almost touching, but at this point, I didn't even care. I was more worried about the creatures....and how we were going to defend ourself. i mean, I didn't tell him this, but I was pretty sure there was something further in this cave. But I wasn't surree.....

Also, this silence was killing me.

"Do you know why I am here?"

I glanced at him and then looked away. Everytime, it was almost like he was staring me down. Like, I never met someone who had such steady eye contact. "No. Why?"

He blew out a breath and glanced at Dave before turning to look at the rain poring down in front of the cave. "Apollo wished to show me a prophecy. Do you know of this?"

I raised an eyebrow. I mean...based on what he's wearing, that story was a lot less shocking. Okay...so Apollo was...a god. And I....knew of prophecies. Like....I knew what the word meant....and maybe we could, you know, help each other get out of here so..... 

"I think I do."

He didn't say anything for a second as he looked at me. "Then you shall show me his wisdom once this rain ceases."

I stared at him as I tried to come up with an excuse to back out an agreement I had barely stepped into. "You know----"

I glanced towards the cave's entrance as something just ran past. 

....

Well, fuck, this wasn't good. We both stood up and I slipped Dave back into my pocket.

Looking outside, it was barely morning. They were still out? Why were they still out? Oh shit....Oh shitty shit shit....

I jumped as I felt a hand on my arm. "I...what?"

Alexander squeezed my shoulder as he stared at the entrance, alert. "Where---?"

"Your squeezing my arm a bit, aren't you?"

He glanced at his hand and clicked his tongue. "Ah...."

I didn't look, but he moved his hand to above my elbow. Squinting, I just stared forward. "Oh! Oh my god, it just ran past again!"

He pulled a small dagger from out of his toga thing and pushed me behind him. "Tell me what it looks like. Tell me again."

"W-well." My hands fidgeted as I glanced behind us further into the cave. "I-It chased me in the dark. But I think it has more than one head---"

"What else?"

"U-um----"

"Speak."

Um. Ex-cuuuse me, that's what I'm trying to do!

"It's big. Four legs. More than one head----"

He suddenly turned around. I blinked and stepped back.

"What is it you are doing?"

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. "What are YOU doing----?"

"Go!" He turned me around and pushed me towards the steps. "Further into the cave!"

I turned and darted down the stairs, feeling slightly salty. That decision was probably for the best, but why was he so bossy---?

"By the gods! It is Orthrus."

I glanced behind us and saw an enormous, two-headed dog. It was at least four times my size in every direction and had just enough room to fit inside the cave entrance. Oh my fucking god....!

It barked, sound coming from both heads as it echoed across the cave walls. It was a bit dark in here, the flowers were beginning to close up again and I don't think it saw us. But it was smelling the air---it was going to find us sooner or later. I turned and darted away from the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the creature jump forward.

A screech escaped my lips as I zig-zagged around mounds of moss. Somehow, Alexander ended up in front of me and a new fear squeezed at my chest. Girl, your thick ass better run!

He suddenly skidded to a stop. "What in the fu---!"

I let out a 'oofh' when I collided into him and the ground dropped beneath our feet. We both went tumbling forward.

"N---!"

"AHH!! Ah, fuck----!"

My body hit water and I instantly felt like there was this huge weight  that was pulling me under. F-fuck, I couldn't brea---!

I felt myself sink even further, the paddling of the creatures four legs right above my head. It's swimming motions was pushing me further away from the surface.

But no, I couldn't give up now. I had to survive! And what was down here? The Kraken? Oh my god, please don't be the Kraken...please don't be the Kraken....

I frantically kicked my legs forward as I pushed myself towards the surface---something brushed against my leg. I screamed and a whole bunch of water filled my throat. Oh no, no, no, no, no.....it was the Kraken o-or Scylla!

I flapped my arms and legs faster as the chase to the surface became even more desperate. Swim, swim, paddle, paddle! Please...I don't wanna die...I don't wanna die!

My head broke through to the surface and I paddled towards a nearby rock, caughing and spitting up water as I tried to keep my head from sinking under. I reached out and shakily pulled myself out of the water. 

I layed across the dry rock as light shown in into the cave, illuminating one side of my face. A little ways away was Alexander. He was sitting up with his arms on his knees. He had deep scratch marks across his back and arm and blood stained his soaked toga. He turned to look at me with this fierce look as we both tried to catch our breath. He was closer to the light so it created a shadow off the smooth bridge of his nose and reflected off his brown eyes, making them look hazel. Him sitting like that, I could properly see the muscles in his shoulder and his thighs.

I mean....damn.

He clinched his jaw and gave me a weary look before turning away.

Oh. Wait, why was he mad---?

"Are you numb-brained?" He turned to me again, his eyes darting over me with a sceptic, cynical look. "That creature was Orthrus."

I sat up and looked at him. "I'm...I'm not numb-brained---what the fuck?! How was I supposed to know what that thing was?!"

He glared at me and pushed himself to his feet before turning to limp away.

"What?! Ex-cuuuse me, sir!" I pushed myself up and strided after him. "I don't know who you calling 'numb-brained', but I---Oh."

I  paused and looked forward. The sun had died down to reveal a huge island in front of the intrance. There were box-like houses staked oddly about the piece of land and they were all lit up to glow a bright orange. It was like...a little village.

There were people here.