Blei's Point of View

Kanina pa kabog nang kabog ang dibdib ko sa nangyayari. Dash was driving so fast to get away from Chimera. Ubos na ubos na ang enerhiya namin dahil sa pakikipaglaban sa minotaur at apat na harpies kanina.

And now Chimera na naman?

"Kung minamalas nga naman oh," Dash commented.

May gasgas ang dalawa niyang kamao. Habang walang tigil sa pagdurugo ang sugat niya sa kaliwang pisngi. Kaming apat may mga sugat at galos. Me, on the other hand, was trying to tend the cut on my left arm.

I can't focus on healing them because of how chaotic it has been since we left at the academy.

Kamusta kaya ang iba?

I scoffed. I bet they also struggled.

"The Chimera disappeared."

Napalingon kaming tatlo sa sinabi ni Nkri. And for heaven's sake, she uttered those words calmly. Muli na namang sumikdo nang mabilis ang dibdib ko.

I prayed to my father, Poseidon. "Father, help us . . ." Me praying while catching my own breath. "Just this once. We don't have enough energy to face these monsters."

My shoulder immediately dropped when I received none. Poseidon wasn't responding. Biglang sumagi sa isipan ko ang sinabi ni Nkri. And all that happened. Olympus was closed. And we didn't know exactly why.

My heart almost leap out of my throat when a new four new monster appeared in front of the car. Chills dreadfully race down to my spine. Nakadagdag sa takot ang kanilang mga laway na nagtuluan sa kani-kanilang bibig. Especially their red glowing eyes.

"Minotaur, Harpies, and Chimera, now four hellhounds?! What the fuck is happening?" Blaze couldn't help himself but cursed in exhaustion. "Hellhounds . . ." But he was also quick to change his emotion from one after another.

"It's getting obvious," Nkri once again commented.

But this time it's full of certainty.

"What's obvious?!" Dash voice suddenly dominated, panicking without breaking his attention to the four hellhounds.

He screamed like a woman when the monsters started attacking us. On our left, one was trying to break the car's door. So as the other did in the opposite direction. There's one in front of the car's windshield. And the remaining hellhound was on the roof.

"Dash, don't be dumb." Nkri told him. Mas lalong lumakas ang sigaw niya nang mabasag ang aming windshield. "Who is the deity who has the absolute control over these type of monsters?" Nkri remained calm while throwing Dash a question.

Blaze summoned a sword. And tries to intimidate the monster with it.

Dash remained silent as the fear slowly devoured him.

"Dash!" Nkri slapped his shoulders, bringing him back to reality.

"Who?"

"The triple goddess," Nkri and Blaze answered him in unison.

Napatango ako sa sinagot nila. They have the point. But Hades also had the control over them. Napailing ako sa aking naisip. Why would Hades turned himself against the realm?

Nkri effortlessly kicked the hellhound right in front of our windshield. Tumilapon ito palayo sa kotse. Both of our car's doors finally get destroyed with the monster's sharp fangs. While the roof seems the next.

"Snap out of it, wild plant!" Nkri yelled. "Can you do it?"

Dash nodded. With the exhaustion we've been feeling, we don't have the choice to rest. Nkri and Blaze blasted both doors. Kasabay ng paglabas namin. Nang makalabas ay mabilis na hinawakan ni Dash ang lupa.

Before the monsters could attack us again, plant vines immediately emerged from the ground. And bind them with it. With Dash's remaining energy, he strangled them and never hesitated to snap their necks.

Tila nabunutan kami ng tinik sa lalamunan nang unti-unting nag-dissolve ang katawan nila. Dash fell his butt to the ground. Pinunasan niya ang pawis sa kaniyang noo bago kami tinignan sa mata.

"I miss my bed," pagod na pagod na komento ni Dash.

Napatingin ako sa sasakyan namin. My shoulder dropped in an instant because of the thought. Will that bring us to our destination?

"May I help you, young ones?"

Sa sobrang gulat napalingon kami sa aming likuran. There we saw a woman with curly waist-length hair, and a fair skin. Nkri's eyes squinted to the woman with suspicion.

A woman suddenly appeared in the middle of nowhere?

Inside of this seemingly normal forest?

"Who are you?" Blaze asked the woman.

She smiled. That smile gives me chills. We can't just trust a person who suddenly appeared. Pinasadahan ko siya ng tingin. She was wearing a green flowy dress embroidered with serpents.

"Don't be afraid." Her voice gradually got eerie. Something is off. "My son and I are here to help you to fix your broken car," she continued. "Those hellhounds are obnoxious, really."

"How did you know we were attacked by hellhounds?" Nkri stepped in.

"Oh, as clever as your mother indeed." The way she speaks is comparable to a deity. "Son!" she called.

The fear was once we felt it come back when the Chimera she called son appeared. Chimera's lion's head bellowed. His serpent tail was hissing. And the goat's head was dreadfully looking.

"No way . . ." Napaatras ako nang mapagtanto. "You're Echidna, the mother of monsters." I cannot hide how stutter I was when I realized who she was.

The moment I mentioned her name, she smiled so widely it could reach to her ears. Nkri and Blaze's palm turned to fist. Somehow, napansin ko ang nanginginig nilang mga kamao. Dash's lips was trembling in fear.

"Clever, daughter of Poseidon." Napasinghap ako nang panandaliang nagbago ang mata niya. From a normal eyes of a mortal, it changed into green with a vertical slit pupils. Similar that to a serpent. "Pardon, I stumbled upon the wrong demigods." She cunningly laughed.

Habang kami naman ay nanatiling alerto at tahimik.

"I was after Heshiena, I believe that was her name?" I gritted my teeth. "A goddess who is rumored to be more powerful than the king of the gods?" she continued.

Naglakad-lakad siya. Habang nakahawak sa kaniyang baba.

"I wanted to leave but . . ." she glanced at the Chimera, "my son was bored. He was looking for a playmate." Tumawa ito ng malakas. It was then followed by the monster's roar.

Napaalerto kami sa sinabi niya. Blaze summoned his sword. While Nkri summoned her spear. Ako naman ay napatayo nang matuwid. Dash tried to stand, but to no avail. He cursed helplessly.

The two offspring of Athena was the first one to attack. But before they could reach the monster, napatilapon sila pabalik nang lumukso ito't sinipa sila. The next thing the monster did was breathes fire.

I quickly manipulated water and solidified it and turned it into a virtually impenetrable shield. Echidna's face was amazed. But not long enough when she smiled as if considers her son a victor of this battle.

Biglang ibinaon ng ahas ang pangil nito sa ginawa kong shield dahilan para mag-iba ang kulay ng tubig.

The moment we realized what it was, mabilis na lumayo kami.

Sa sobrang pagod, halos mawalan ako ng balanse. Thanks to Dash when he grabs my left leg. Compared to this formidable opponent, we are in disadvantage. But the offspring of Athena still fiercely stood their ground.

The Chimera made his move, attacking us this time. Pero pumreno ito nang biglang may pumagitna. The ground shattered with the impact. Sumilay kaagad ang pananabik ko nang makita ko ang pamilyar na physique.

"Hey there, Anostatos." Sabay-sabay na nagpakawala kami ng malalim na buntonghininga. "Seems like you joined a race where losing is not on everyone's vocabulary," she jokingly commented.

Nkri responded her with a thumbs up. Dahil dito ibinaling niya ang atensyon sa kalaban. But to our surprise, Echidna and the Chimera disappeared like a bubble.

"You arrived just in time!" she exclaimed. "Can you still walk?" she asked.

Tumango kaming tatlo sa tanong niya. Habang si Dash naman ay nahihiyang umiling. And with that response, Miss Rocky snap her finger twice and a plant vines emerges to the ground. Those vines supported Dash's legs so he could regain his ability to walk.

Napaka-useful ng ability na 'yon sa mga taong hindi makakalakad.

Umalis kami sa daan at papasok na ng kalikasan. Silence dominated. Ang tanging nag-iingay ay ang mga naapakan naming tuyong dahon. A couple of minutes of walking, we arrived in front of this two big trees.

Miss Rocky clasped her both hands, and a door covered with vines appeared between the two trees. Dahan-dahan itong bumukas. And a light temporarily blind our eyes, causing our visions to blur.

The moment we entered, the greenery soothes the pain we are feeling from the tragedy we've been through.

"Welcome to Gi City!"