✤ 𝙋𝙍𝙀𝘿𝘼𝙏𝙊𝙍 ✤ [𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱]

Chapter 5

Mew stays back at the dinner hall, not following Gulf this time. Kragen informs that Gulf left to the shed to see his horse. Gulf needs the space. Mew continue sipping his wine, looking emptily towards the bowl of berries. Gulf's 'choke' isn't that choking as Mew's. Mew felt worse that time. He was young, he was barely 12 when he was sent to the Underworld. Gulf's suffocation is not as bad as Mew. Mew know if he could have just revealed everything to Gulf, things would be easier, easier for both of them. But that wouldn't be interesting, and Gulf needs to learn his surrounding and environment first.

'Mew... Come meet me.'

Mew hears a message in his head. He taps his finger on the table, 'Grandmother.' He replies amused that the old goddess remembers him after such a long time.

'Bring Gulf.' She continues.

It's been so long since Mew last seen his grandmother. The Goddess wanders around the world to ensure the earth could stay strong against the human's manipulation. She is Goddess of the Earth or Mother Earth in simple words.

'He's sulking mother.' He tells her, with a smile on his lips. He calls her mother since she is more mother to him than his own mother.

'I can imagine his pout.' She says and Mew could imagine her smiling endearingly.

'He doesn't pout anymore mother, he glares angrily.'

Mew chuckles to himself and he's sure the Goddess is laughing too. 'Hurry. I will wait at the main palace.'

~/~

Mew heads towards the stable to meet Gulf. He dismisses Kragen and the servant leaves his master alone. Mew spots Dinus alone in the stable. Gulf is nowhere to be seen nor his horse. Mew walks towards Dinus, petting his horse but his eyes searches for the prince. "Where is the prince?" Mew asks Dinus. But the horse doesn't reply like he usually does and it irks Mew.

Mew walks out of the stable to search around it for Gulf but his eyes find footprints of horse heading out of the stable. Mew looks along the footprints and it begins to gain distance among each footprint.

Gulf left the palace.

Mew runs to Dinus, furiously climbing up his horse. "Find me the Prince, Dinus." Dinus neighs at Mew's instruction, speeding up at a lightning speed following Shelly's trail. Gulf is so rash, so foolish to roam around the hell without protection.

"Stop killing me Gulf."

--//--

Gulf decides to clear his mind by taking Shelly for a ride. Dinus was neighing angrily, standing on his back legs trying to stop Gulf. But Gulf ignored the black horse and left with Shelly. He did not inform The Furies about him leaving neither he informed the servants. Shelly speeds up at first but slows down when he understands Gulf has nowhere to go but actually wants to be away from the palace. Gulf jerks Shelly to take the other path on the split road. One heads towards the waterfall and the other sparked Gulf's curiosity. Gulf takes the unknown route.

The soil under Shelly's legs starts to disappear slowly revealing the red river and burning souls. A chill runs down Gulf's back. He accidently met his eyes with bleeding soul from the river and it screams at him. Gulf jerks Shelly to move faster. There are more souls on his left and his right. Gulf could see the whacking marks on their backs and red meat dangling from their cuts. They look beyond horrible and terrifying. A bile starts rising from his stomach.

The souls start noticing his presence. Shelly lets out an angry grunt when they advance towards him. With each step, they advance nearer. Gulf freezes when he notices what is happening. Their eyes are dark and ugly, fear starts crawling on his skin forcing Gulf to jerk Shelly to speed off further to nowhere. He wants to return back to the palace but when he turns around to look, the pathway is blocked by those souls trying to reach him. They are screaming, roaring angrily, trying to break away from the chain attached to their legs to reach to Gulf.