Protogenos

Chapter 14: Archon

Chapter 14

Archon

The cavernous expanse of the chasm echoed with the raucous cheers and roars of monstrous entities, their clamorous jubilance reverberating against the vast walls cloaked in shades of obsidian and deep purple. The air thrummed with palpable excitement, tinged with an undercurrent of malice. Amidst the joy, the distinct sound of hurried slithering resonated over the orderly, bricked pathway, a sinister whisper against the stone.

Accompanying this serpentine movement were three creatures of nightmarish visage. Two empousai, their forms ghastly with wings like tattered shrouds and mouths that spoke of unspeakable thirst, flanked a figure whose chilling presence twisted the air with dread. Lamia, her eyes glowing a venomous green with slits, followed closely, her gaze darting around with a predator's caution.

The central figure, a being of towering rage and formidable power, hissed through a forked tongue, the sound slicing through the surrounding tumult. Her scales glistened under the dim, eerie light.

"Accursssed eidolons, foolish spirits lacking all patience. I ssswear by Tartarus, I shall pluck those sssickly yellow eyes from their sockets mineself!" She seethed with a venom at the failings of the spiritlike monsters.

"Echidna!" One of the empousa called out, her voice a chilling blend of curiosity and caution. "What wouldst thou demand of us now?" Her wings fluttered slightly, betraying a nervousness that belied her fearsome appearance.

The Queen of Monsters' response was a growl laced with fury. "Sssee to it that those wayward eidolons are punished for their incompetence!" She snapped sharply.

"Await their reformation—ensure it isss painful and remembered."

"At thy wish, m'lady," The winged monsters replied.

With a swift gesture of dismissal, the two empousai broke away from the group, their forms dissolving into the shadows as they set off to carry out her commands. This left Echidna to continue her path towards the looming structure of the colosseum with only Lamia by her side.

"Hath we angered the Allmother? If thee decree it, I shall take thy place in reporting to her." Lamia stated, her voice a hissing whisper that seemed almost concerned.

Her green serpentine eyes scanned the darkness ahead, alert to any threat that might dare approach her or the Queen of Monsters.

Echidna paused, her massive form casting a long shadow on the brick path. "Trouble not thyssself with my well-being, child," she answered, her gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the nearing colosseum.

"There isss much to be done, and I am not yet finished with this world or itsss would-be heroes."

As they approached the ancient colosseum, the cries of the arena grew louder, a symphony of chaos that awaited its conductor. Echidna's figure, formidable and relentless, moved with a purpose that promised retribution and terror. The stage was set for a spectacle of monstrous ambition, the echoes of which would ripple through the realms of gods and mortals alike.

The gates loomed ominously, their dark expanse swallowing light and hope alike, casting an elongated shadow that seemed to envelop the pair in an inky embrace. The darkness within seemed deeper, more absolute than any other part of the pitifully dreary Tartarus.

"Will thou be well, mistress?" Lamia's voice was a cautious whisper, breaking the heavy silence that fell between the monstrous roars of the crowd.

Echidna, with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, brushed her daisy-white hair back from her face with one clawed hand, her serpentine tail giving a slight rattle, betraying her inner turmoil. She glanced towards the black heart of the colosseum, her black eyes narrowing as she pondered her next move.