Thieves Of Olympus

72

LIONEL

I put a wireless earbud on my left ears. In case one of the girls calls, I can signal them. Suot din ni Desmond and kanya na ginawa ni Mason. Cyrus rotates his head and roams his eyes around.

Nakita ko na ang pakay namin. Kaso parang mga langaw ang turista kakaikot dito. Hindi lang pala turista some of them are monsters in human form. We keep close to the area of armor and weapons. We pass by the group girls who tried to take a photo of us. I evade them by wearing a cold facade pero lalo pa yatang napukaw ang atensyon nila.

Shouldn't they be looking at the painting and stuffs around?

What are we marble statues?

"Kanina pa sila nakasunod sa atin ha!" bulong ni Cyrus.

"Just walk. Don't look back," mahina kong utos.

Damn this hybrids! Ever since we step foot in this place they are following us. Kanina ay pinapanood lang nila kami ngayon ay nakasunod na sila na parang mga aso.

Despite the human like faces we can see the Lamia and Scythian dracaena features that they had. Sharp teeth, scales on their neck and pale skin. One secretly licks her lips .

Tinitigan ko ang painting sa harap ko. Wherein a man attacks a dragon like monster. The spear is pointed on the monsters neck. It looks like it's screeching because of it's open mouth. The man in animal skin steps over a body of another man.

"Man Attacking a Monster," basa ko sa pangalan sa ilalim nito, "John Hamilton Mortimer, 1775."

I blindly aim at one of the monsters. Walang pasabi akong naglabas ng patalim at pinadaan ito sa pagitan nil Mason at Cyrus. It disappeared without a thud or noise. Cyrus is startled as much as the other hybrids are. Kalmado naman sila Desmond at Mason. They hissed at us and left us alone. Ang mga turista naman ay nagtaka kung saan galing ang patalim na nasa sahig.

"Tch."

Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad pabalik sa pwesto ng helmet at spear. The hybrid monsters left without a trace. I did not see their shadow or a single scale.

Pagbalik namin doon ay kumikinang ang mga gamit ni Ares. The shine is so different from the others. Halatang dito nito nilagay malapit sa camera.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I slide my finger on the screen without fishing it out.

[CCTV cameras are safe.]

Narinig ko ang boses ni Soleil sa kabilang linya. Desmond gives me a thumbs up. Nakita ko ang paglagpas ng grupo nila dala ang Aegis ni Athena. They blend in well-pati si Desmond-dahil may nakakilala sa kanila bilang parte ng isang fashion show at auction.

I summoned a spear but not a helmet. Magmumukhang natumba ang display na armor dito. But the truth is... I just grab it and change the spear. Magkukulang nga lang ito dahil wala ng helmet.

"Got it. We'll meet at the cars," Desmond speaks to them through the earbud.

[See you later. I'll be catching snowflakes!] Soleil giggles with the girls in the other line.

"See you. Don't freeze out there," paalam ko sa kanya. I cut the call and carry the items.

"Hindi talaga maninigas iyon. Mamumula lang sa kilig!" hirit ni Cyrus. Nang-aasar na tono niyang sabi.

"Gusto mo bang humiga sa snow?" kalmado kong tanong.

Natutuwa siyang tumingin sa akin. His eyes sparkled and grins at me, "Tara gawa tayo ng snow angel!"

"So an angel it is," natatawang sabi ni Desmond, "Let's go!"

We throw him down the thickening snow. Medyo malakas ang pagbagsak ng nyebe galing ulap. The dark clouds and crisp cold wind made us shiver even in our thick clothes.

Tumayo agad si Cyrus pagkatapos maglaro sa maputing snow. He even throw some balls of it but it hits no one.

Pagdating namin sa parking lot ay wala ang mga babae. They were the first one to leave the palace. Their shadows and traces are gone. But the car is still here.

Cyrus arches his brows in search of Rosaleen and the others. Tinignan pa niya ang loob ng sasakyan. "Baka bumili sila ng kape," sabi niya noong makitang walang tao sa loob nito.

"Maybe. Let's hit the nearest coffee shop. They might buy some drinks there," Mason calmly suggest. But his hands says otherwise. Dahil kinuha na niya ang cellphone at nagtipa dito.

After checking the nearest coffee shops we found none. Kahit ang sikat at madalas na puntahan ay hindi sila nakitang pumasok. The waitress and baristas has no idea with their appearances too.

"No shit. This is not a good joke," Desmond says.

Mason checks his phone again, "Hindi naman sila makikipagtaguan sa atin sa ganitong panahon."

"I tried calling Rosaleen but she's out of reach," nag-aalala na si Cyrus.

Tinignan ko din ang akin. I recieved no messages from Soleil, "They won't be covered in snow this time. It's just the first day of the it's fall."

Namumuo na ang usok tuwing humihinga kami. Namumuti na din ang mga ulo at damit namin. The people that come and go to and from the palace stares at us.

"We should go to the coffee shop first. Let's bring the car," Mason suggests. "I'll text the shop para sumunod sila."

Desmond nods, "Right. Baka tayo ang lamigin dito."

I have an unsettling feeling in me. I can't shake the feeling so easily. Imposible naman na umalis sila ng hindi dala ang sasakyan. They have the keys kaya pwede na silang pumunta sa hotel kung sakaling hindi na nila kami nahintay.

Napakunot ang noo ko sa iniisip. The wind bites and makes me feel colder inside. Panic creeps in slowly like freezing ice.

How can they disappear without any trace? And where is the Aegis?

Colette can open a portal. Pero napagusapan na sabay-sabay ang pagbabalik namin ng gamit. We can't disturb the Gods and Goddesses by going there one by one. Baka kami pa ang mapagbalingan kung sakaling nagkakagulo ulit sila.

"Don't call them anymore. Some monsters might trace us here," ani ko.

Bubuksan ko pa lang ang sasakyan noong may matapakan na matigas na bagay. I almost slip on it's surface dahil sa madulas na snow.

"Fuck!" I kicked it out of frustration. Gumalaw ito ng kaunti. Dahil sa pagkasipa ko ay natanggal ang ibang snow dito. Half of it is revealed.

My eyes grew a fraction when I saw it. I almost drop the keys at napansin nila iyon. They went to my side and stare at it also. The gold circular object is between our cars. I blink thrice and rub my eyes para manigurado.

The Aegis lays on the ground, covered in snow.