That didn’t make me feel any better. “They will starve to death without their mother.”
“Well what do you want me to do?” he hissed at me.
“I don’t know. I just know that this feels wrong.”
Emotions warred within him and he struggled to keep them under control. Robert is a good man and under other circumstances would never even contemplate hurting an innocent creature, but the welfare of his girlfriend was at stake.
“I’m sorry Rachel, but I have to do it.” I watched in horror as he raised Kris’s sword and made to drive it into the dragon’s heart.
But his arm stayed raised. He stood there, looking down at his intended victim, listening to the continual cries of the hatchlings. (Is that the right name for baby dragons? I have no idea, but it sounds OK.)
Time seemed to stand still as I watched him, unable to move, unable to speak, all the while expecting the sword to move forward to pierce the skin and complete the kill.
But it didn’t. Eventually he lowered his arm, sword still in hand. “I can’t do it,” he said.
“Good,” a voice said, the word echoing around the cave.
I reached out and took Robert’s hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. To say I was scared is a huge understatement. The supposedly sleeping dragon had just spoken.
“You have passed the test. Famine wanted you to show your compassion and I am pleased to say you have done just that. Well done.”
“Are you talking?” I stammered stupidly.
“Of course,” the dragon replied.
“You were awake the whole time,” Robert said. His voice was high pitched. He was as scared as I was.
“Correct,” the dragon said.
“But I was going to kill you,” Robert continued, unable to believe he was really holding a conversation with a dragon. “And your children. Why didn’t you try to stop me?”
The dragon moved her head around so she was staring him right in the eyes.
“What makes you think you would have managed to get anywhere near my babies?” she asked. Robert swallowed nervously. “I would have killed you before you could even have lifted your sword.”
Neither of us doubted her claims. I think we were too shell shocked to react. We were talking to a dragon!
The dragon pulled her head back so she appeared less threatening. “My name is Campe. You must be Rob and Rachel.” We dumbly nodded our heads. “As your challenge is over, would you like me to give you a lift back?”
Was she suggesting what I think she was suggesting? Apparently so. She stood up and waddled out of the cave, pausing at the entrance to look back at us, her expression saying ‘are you coming or what?’
I think my mind shut down at that point. After everything I had been through so far it’s not really a surprise. In a trance like state I mechanically climbed onto the dragon’s back, with Robert’s assistance, and waited patiently for him to position himself behind me.
“Are you ready?” the dragon asked before taking to the air without waiting for an answer.
You’ve all seen the films showing people whooping with delight when on the back of a dragon. Well I can safely say it was nothing like that. It was the most terrifying experience I have ever had. For a start, there was nothing to hold on to. And she flew fast. The wind whipped against my face, making it hard to breathe. It was almost as bad as the free-fall part of sky diving. My mouth went dry and I couldn’t swallow. I just sat there, too scared to open my eyes, praying that the nightmare would soon be over.
The flight did not last long, thankfully, and we were soon disembarking onto Famine’s front lawn. Nobody was there to greet us. I know I should have thanked the dragon, but I was too numb inside to even notice her departure.
Robert and I walked into the kitchen, where we found Kris and Ankou helping Famine cook.
“You’re back sooner than expected,” Famine said, though she didn’t seem surprised to see us.
“Yeah,” Robert said in a nonchalant tone. “We killed all the dragons, as you requested, then ran back here. No sweat. All in a day’s work.”
“Liar,” Famine said, smiling at him. “I know you couldn’t do it. Please, take a seat. Food is almost ready and you must be starving.”
We hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but the thought of food made me nauseous. “I’m going to bed,” I said, placed Ankou’s sword on the table and left the room.
Someone made to follow me. I think it was Kris, but I can’t be sure. I heard Famine call him back. “Leave her alone for a while.”
I locked my bedroom door and changed into a nightdress before climbing into bed. I was so tired I thought I would go straight to sleep, but I tossed and turned for what felt like hours before finally giving in and grabbing my diary and a pen.
So, as you can see, it has been a rather dramatic day. I am beginning to feel better. I am no longer scared. It is amazing how much lying in a warm cosy bed helps. Maybe I will be able to get to sleep at last.
Damn it. Someone is knocking on the door. I bet that is Robert checking up on me. I supposed I had better go and let him in.
Day 12
It wasn’t Robert. Instead it was Ankou, carrying a tray laden with a plate of roast chicken, potatoes, some sort of green vegetable that I didn’t recognise and gravy, with a slice of buttered bread by the side and a glass of white wine.
“You need to eat,” he said as he walked into the room. I was suddenly feeling a lot better; well I noticed how good he looked anyway.
“I’m not hungry,” I said as he placed the tray on a table beside my bed that I am sure wasn’t there earlier.
I was expecting him to argue or just take the food away, but he didn’t.
“Maybe you just need to build up an appetite.” He smiled and my stomach flipped.
“Having had very little sleep last night, today I had to trek half way to Outer Mongolia to have a conversation with a mythical beast, who then gave me a lift home. I think I have had enough excitement for one day,” I said.
“Are you really sure about that?” he asked. God I loved listening to his voice.
“I just want to go to bed.”
The look he gave me can only be described as smug. “That is exactly what I had in mind.” He moved closer to me and I collapsed back onto the bed. He was so sure of himself, of the situation and of my reactions, but with a face and body like his, who could blame him?
“I have seen the way you look at me,” he continued. “Like a tigress watching her prey.” I started praying that nobody else had noticed. Then he began to unbutton his shirt.
All of my self-respect flew out of the window as emotions coursed through me. I have never felt anything like it in my entire life. Every inch of my body screamed out for him to touch me. I know I should have told him to go away, but I didn’t want him to leave. I tried to tell myself that if I allowed him to remain I would be nothing more than a common floozy, but the moment he took his shirt off all of my resistance fled. His body was incredible; firm and muscular without being over-developed. His torso could easily have been the model for Michelangelo’s statue of David. My hands began to tingle as it took all of my self-control to keep them off him.
Oozing confidence, he lay down on the bed beside me. He didn’t say anything; words were not needed. He gently ran his hand up my bare arm, causing me to shiver with pleasure.
Then he leaned forward and kissed me; soft at first, then slowly becoming more demanding and passionate. Wow, he was good. If it wasn’t such a disgusting expression, I would say he left me panting for more.
The nightdress I was wearing had thin straps and he pulled one down, kissing my shoulder as he did so, while I caressed his bare back. He skillfully flicked my skin with his tongue, working his way across my collar bone and making me gasp in anticipation. I couldn’t believe I was about to make love with such a perfect male specimen. (OK, so we had only just met so it was going to be nothing more than meaningless, fantastic sex, but I can make it at least
sound more romantic can’t I?)
When he started nuzzling my neck I couldn’t hold back any longer and called out his name.
Only it wasn’t his name I called. It was someone else’s. I have no idea why I said what I did and that one word completely ruined my night.
Ankou pulled away from me, a strange look on his face. Without saying another word, he got off the bed, picked his shirt up from the floor and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I was left staring after him, wondering what the hell had just happened. How could I have screwed up so badly? I was about to get intimate with the most gorgeous man I had ever lain my eyes on and I had to go and mess it all up by calling out the wrong name. How stupid am I?
As you can imagine, I didn’t get much sleep that night. My mind was whirling with questions. How would I be able to face Ankou in the morning? Would he tell Robert and Kris? If I went to his room now would he give me another chance?
I was dragged from my reverie by my stomach rumbling. Ankou had not taken the food away when he left and I found myself contemplating whether to eat the cold meal or go the kitchen and risk running into him. It wasn’t a hard decision.
I picked up the tray and returned to the bed with it, placing it on my lap once I was comfortable under the covers. To my surprise the food was still hot. Better yet, the glass of wine was still cold. How the hell? Oh yeah – I was in the house of a demi-god; I suppose anything was possible.
I have no idea what time it was when I finished eating and decided to try once again to get some sleep, but it was getting dark outside. Sleep came eventually, but when I woke I did not feel refreshed. I kept having dreams about Ankou. Each time he got close to me I would say something stupid and he would walk away, with me calling after him until my shouts woke me up.
It was still early when I gave up trying to get back to sleep and got up. I took a quick shower and was pleased to find my jeans and t-shirt had miraculously been cleaned overnight.
Robert was already in the kitchen when I entered.
“You look like shit,” he said. You have to love his honesty. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Not much.”
“Talking to a dragon blows your mind a bit doesn’t it?” I relaxed. Ankou obviously hadn’t said anything to him.
I nodded. “Feel like an omelette?” he continued. Again I nodded my head without saying anything. I don’t have a lot of faith in Robert’s cooking usually, but he does know how to whip up some eggs. He added in mushrooms and a few minutes later I was tucking in.
I had just finished eating when Kris joined us.
“What did you do to Ankou yesterday?” he asked, looking pointedly at me. I froze. What did he know?
“Nothing,” I replied.
“You must have done something,” he continued. “One minute he was taking you some food, the next he was packing his bags and leaving.”
“He’s gone?” I asked, not sure if I was happy or sad.
“Yes,” Kris said, scowling at me. “Without any explanation. So I will ask again. What did you do?”
“Nothing,” I lied again. “I swear.” Kris grunted. He obviously didn’t believe me. “Why are you so concerned, anyway?” I continued. “I thought you didn’t like him.”
“What made you think that?” Kris asked, his scowl turning into a frown. “He’s family. I love him like a brother.”
“All the dark looks you keep giving him for a start.”
“I have my reasons for that,” Kris said quietly.
“And they are?” I prompted.
“None of your business.” He then turned his attention to Robert. “We can leave as soon as you are ready.” With that he left the kitchen.
“What was that all about?” Robert asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I have absolutely no idea.”
Less than half an hour later we were back on the road, having said a warm farewell to Famine. Our next destination was War. This meant Kris was taking us to visit his home.
We travelled all day, passing through some beautiful countryside. There were green fields and natural lakes, all filled with wildlife. If it wasn’t for the fact that I knew we were travelling through Hell I could easily have believed we were in Heaven.
Ankou was not mentioned again and the day passed pleasantly. Despite the fact that I did not get much sleep last night, I was still wide awake when Kris decided we should stop for the night and stayed up with him, talking by the fire long after Robert had retired to his tent.
Initially the conversation was about trivial matters, but after a while it became more personal.
“Can I ask you a question?” Kris asked me.
“Of course,” I replied, biting back any comment about the fact he already had. “On the condition I can ask you one.”
He hesitated for a moment before agreeing. “Why does the fact that Hades is my grandfather bother you so much?” His question was blunt and to the point.
“I don’t really know,” I replied, not sure if I was telling the truth or not. “It may be because you lied to me about who you really are.”
“I never lied,” he said, but I stopped him from saying more.
“But you didn’t tell me the truth.” He reluctantly agreed with this statement. “Or it might be the fact that you are not human.”
“But why would that matter?” he asked. I had no answer for him.
“I know nothing about you,” I went on. “Every time the topic of conversation is about you, you change the subject.”
“Can you blame me?” he asked. “It’s hard enough living in Hell without being part of The Family.” He made it sound like the Mafia. “Don’t get me wrong. The underworld is a great place to live; some parts of it are truly beautiful, and The Family are good, loving people, mostly, but it’s hardly something you can talk about. Can you imagine me going up to someone in the street and saying ‘Hi, Hades is my grandfather and War is my father. Nice to meet you.’ They would probably scream, faint or hit me. Either that or they would assume I was a lunatic and want nothing to do with me. I had the chance to pretend to be something else for a while and took it.”
“You could still have told me,” I said. Why did I say me instead of us? I meant both myself and Robert had the right to know who, or what, we were travelling with. Thankfully Kris didn’t pick up on my slip.
“Really,” he said sarcastically. “And how would that have gone? ‘Hi. I’m Kris and I will be your guide through my grandfather’s domain and though I’m not human and have powers you can only dream about, you will be perfectly safe with me, I promise.’ Yeah. I can really have seen that working out well.” He was beginning to get angry. I could see his point.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?”
I shrugged my shoulders. Then I smiled slyly as a thought occurred to me. “On one condition.”
“What’s that?” Kris asked suspiciously.
“You tell me all about yourself.”
He grimaced, then sighed in resignation. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“It’s getting late. Maybe this should wait till tomorrow.”
I wasn’t going to let him get off that easily. “No way Buster. Spill.”
“I need a drink,” he said and pulled a bottle of wine out of his no-longer-so-magical bag. After pouring us each a glass, he began his life history.
“As you know, my father is War. My mother is Queen Boudica. I have two sisters, both younger than me.”
“Hold on,” I said. “Go back a bit. Did you say Boudica? As in Queen of England many hundreds of years ago?”
Kris smiled. “Yes and no. Yes, she is the Boudica you are thinking of, but she was never Queen of England. She ruled the Iceni tribe when her husband was killed. She fought the Romans and was a great warrior. You can understand why she caught my father’s eye. This all happened back in the first century AD.”
“I thoug
ht she killed herself after her daughters were raped and murdered.” The words were out of my mouth before I realised what I had said. This was his mother I was talking about. “I’m so sorry, I never meant−”
Kris held up a placating hand. “It’s alright. I know you were talking about some figure from ancient history rather than the woman who gave birth to me. It’s going to take a while to get your head around it. There are many stories about my mother. Most of them are fictitious. Some say she grew sick and died, others that she drank poison. Both of her daughters by the King fought by her side and were killed. She survived and my father convinced her to join him in the underworld. He had disguised himself as one of her seconds in command and they fell for each other long before Boudica’s forces were defeated.”
“You make it sound romantic.”
Kris chuckled. “It was hardly the time for romance, but they have definitely made up for it since. Now where was I? Oh yes. My sisters. Annoying is a good word for them. They both inherited our father’s blond hair and our mother’s green eyes and consider themselves extremely attractive. They used to say they could easily be mistaken for daughters of Aphrodite, until she overheard them. I have no idea what she said to them, but they have never compared themselves to her offspring since. But that hasn’t stopped them going through men like a hot knife through butter whenever they visit the mortal world. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t sleep around, but they do leave a trail of broken hearts behind them wherever they go.”
Kris’s voice had softened as he spoke about his siblings. “Despite their lack of modesty, you love them very much.” He nodded his head.
He then spoke a little of his aunt and uncles, but never mentioned his only cousin; Ankou. He talked about his more distant family, all of the other gods of Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology and their multiple offspring. It seemed like only Hades kept his number of children in single digits.
Diary of a journey through Hell Page 12
