— "Are you still upset, Noctua?" I kindly ask her.
— "Leave me alone— I feel dishonored. Me, an all-knowing owl, worshipped by many, has been used as a shield. No, not to block an attack, but piss. Trust me, Arthur, when the time comes, my revenge will have a bitter taste." Noctua's monologue gives me shivers.
One thing is sure, I hope I'll get back to my timeline before she gets the occasion. Now the atmosphere of our travel is getting colder. Maybe there is a way to lighten the mood.
— "You know, when the time comes, you'll be remembered as a hero. I'll make sure everyone knows of your worthy accomplishments." I try to praise her.
— "If you talk to ANYONE about THIS, you'll be a dead man, okay?!" Noctua hits me with her beak.
— "Okay, okay, I understand! I'll make sure no one ever knows about these events, it'll be a secret between us, pinky promise?" I say, holding out my pinky finger.
— "Promised," she responds, locking her sharp talon around my pinky.
— "So, there are monsters patrolling the road. Maybe we should take another route. What do you think?" I propose.
— "That's not a bad idea. I know someone who can help us in these woods up ahead. The problem is, no one's heard from him in ages." I notice a little sadness in her voice. "But if he's not there, we'll manage on our own," she adds cheerfully, hiding the earlier sadness.
— "O— okay, then lead the way."
While we continue our journey to reach the nearest forest, in that same forest, someone is being chased by monsters.
— "Leave me alone!" screams a young girl with a basket full of fruits.
— "Come back here if you want to stay alive! Tell us where you found those fruits!" shout the monsters in armor.
Sadly, the girl hits a dead end, cornered against a cliff. The only way out is to climb, but the pack catches up to her. Their mouths salivate so much it's dripping onto the ground.
— "Give us those fruits. Don't try to fool us, we know these are divine fruits. Anyone who eats them can achieve divinity," says the Wolfman, reaching for the basket.
— "They're not for you! Leave! My mother is sick and needs one to heal. They're not for stupid monsters like you!" The girl is now crying, holding the basket tightly.
The pack of soldiers laughs until their chief nearly suffocates. The atmosphere tenses up again until a gust of wind blows the soldiers behind the chief.
— "Who's there?! Who dares attack the mighty army of Typhoon the Titan?!" The Wolfman draws his sword from its scabbard.
Another gust of wind blows away another soldier. They're now reduced to three, counting the chief.
— "I— If you don't show yourself, I'll kill the girl!" The Wolfman grabs the girl, holding her hostage.
As he does, the two remaining soldiers are blown away. The Wolfman shivers, and his armor rattles.
— "Try me, whoever you are! I am the mighty Wolfgang, the Wolfman!"
But no one answers his threats. Instead, a shadow is cast over him from above the cliff. The Wolfman looks up, but it's already too late.
— "You're—" The Wolfman falls unconscious.
— "My, my, I hope you're not hurt, young lady." A man's voice asks, extending his hand to lift the girl.
— "Thanks to you, I'm fine, and I'll be able to return to my mother's side. May I know your name?" asks the girl kindly.
— "This, I cannot disclose, but if you are ever in dire need again, whistle three times, and I shall arrive," the voice says, fading into the wind.
Back to Arthur, they have now reached the entrance of the forest. A breeze of wind blows by them.
— "I can sense him. He's here. Follow me, Arthur, but don't lose track of me, or you'll be lost forever."
— "Maybe the road isn't a bad option. Oh look, no soldiers ahead, ahahah."
Noctua's talons grab Arthur by the collar, dragging him into the forest without leaving him a choice.
— "We took this route to come here. There's no going back!"
Deeper in the woods, the foliage of the trees nearly covers every source of light. In front of them lies a patch of light with pretty flowers lining the ground.
— "Oh sweet, flowers!" Arthur runs towards them.
Thanks to Noctua's knowledge and refined sense of danger, she grabs Arthur once again before he reaches the flowers.
— "You idiot! This is a trap! Vine monsters lie beneath these flowers so they can trap unprepared soldiers. Soon after, you'd be decomposed and eaten." Noctua's gloomy voice echoes in my ears.
— *Gulp* "Thanks for saving me. If I hadn't known, I would've been caught."
— "Follow me without any more unnecessary actions, please. This mission is of the utmost importance, and you're taking it way too lightly. Geez, I'll ask Athena to pay me double— no, triple— what she promised me!" Noctua curses to herself.
After walking for a while, Noctua and I reach a giant tree marked with a symbol on its bark.
— "Wait here. It won't take long." Noctua flies to the trunk of the tree.
She closes her eyes and whistles three times. A gust of wind circles Noctua, and from there, a human with long, flowing hair appears.
— "My dear Noctua, how long has it been since we last met?" The man wears a kind smile.
— "Zephyr, I'm glad you're alright. I was worried you'd been captured too." Noctua rests on his shoulder.
— "I am the wind; it's hard for them to catch me. Even though Typhoon is a formidable foe..." Zephyr touches his waist. "I tried to free them too, but Typhoon left a terrible wound on me. If I don't find Ambrosia soon, I fear it will be the end of me."
— "I didn't know you tried to free them too. As far as I know, all the Ambrosia has been seized by the monsters and sealed in Tartarus." Tears begin to flow from Noctua's eyes.
It's true, I've taken this quest too lightly from the start. It all felt so unreal that I didn't care to understand this world and how the lives here are impacted. This is a war, and people are dying. I have to do my part too.
— "And who is your friend back there? I don't sense any divine energy from him." Zephyr points at me nonchalantly.
— "He's Arthur. You could say he's our last hope to free the gods."
— "Nice to meet you, Zephyr! I've read countless stories about you, but I must say, you're even prettier up close!" What am I even saying?
— "Follow me. It's dangerous to stay here. Monsters know I'm wounded, and they're coming after me more and more."
Thus marks the point where we gained yet another ally to accomplish my destiny.