The Titan's Daughter | complete

21. Dallas Gets Abducted

Thysía's POV

WATCHING AHOMANA WALK into that elevator was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

I swallowed hard as the doors closed and the red light above them flicked between floor to floor.

"Come on Dallas," I gently put my hands on her shoulders and steered her out of the Studios, through the spirits, and onto the street where Chrysós was waiting for us.

I guess one of my talents of being the son of Iphigenia was that I understood sacrifices better than others. See, my mother was sacrificed by her own father during the Trojan War.

While the Greek army was preparing to set sail for Troy, my grandfather, Agamemnon, caused the anger of the goddess Artemis, because he killed a sacred deer. So, she decided to stop all winds, and the ships would not be able to sail. One of my grandfather's seers realised what the problem was, and informed Agamemnon that to appease the goddess, Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia to her. Reluctant at first, Agamemnon was forced to agree in the end. He lied to his daughter and his wife by saying that Iphigenia was to marry Achillles before they left. The mother and daughter happily went to the port of Aulis, only to find out the horrible truth. Achilles, unaware that his name was used in a lie, tried to prevent the sacrifice, but Iphigenia utterly decided to sacrifice herself in honour and of her own volition. But Artemis substituted Iphigenia for a deer, and the deer, who was the only witness, remained silent. Iphigenia was then brought by Artemis to the city of Tauris where she became the goddess' priestess.

She stayed there for a few millennia, protected by Artemis' magic, before she ran off to have a kid with some mortal, resulting in me.

Dallas stayed quiet as we flew out of Los Angeles. I knew if anything happened to Ahomana she would blame herself. I hoped it didn't come to that.

The first time she spoke was when she was pointing out that we were being followed.

"Behind us." She said.

"What?" Like an idiot, and twisted around and notified our stalkers that we'd seen them.

There was a chariot, a lot like the one Ahomana had sacrificed to his mom back in Columbia. I wondered if they mass produced flying chariots.

Pulling the chariot was a jet black pegasus, and its wings kept covering who was following us. But I got a vague impression of a humanoid bear (didn't that guy die?) and a demigod with a helmet covering his face.

Flanking it was a large flock of metallic Stymphilian Birds, guided by yet another demigod riding a grey pegasus.

They were about three hundred metres behind us.

"Ok Dallas, can we speed up please." I muttered in her ear.

"Glad you asked." Dallas leaned forwards and made a clicking noise with her mouth, kicking at Chrysós's sides.

Chrysós shit forwards so fast I had to grab Dallas' waist and lean forwards, gripp my with my legs and hoping our duffel bags didn't fall.

I started to hear a sort of screaming clatter, like an army was sharpening knives at random times, and they were all amplified over a bad quality speaker.

I glanced back and urged Chrysós faster with my heels. The cloud of Stymphilian Birds were gaining on us.

I didn't want to die.

"Dallas, the birds." I said over the roar of the wind.

"I know!" She shouted back.

And suddenly we were engulfed by a swamp of metal birds. But they didn't attack us, they just hovered around us.

Apparently that was to much for Chrysós. He screamed and bucked in the air. Being inexperienced riders with no saddle of bridle, the two of us flew off Chrysós's back and the chestnut pegasus shot out of the bird cloud with our bags.

Dallas thought fast and grabbed me, before landing on one of her sunlight platforms. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand on them so I was left hanging as we monkey gripped our hands.

The birds dispersed and the guy on the pegasus flew past. I guess he was the Bird Whisperer lol Devon had been the Snake Whisperer.

The thought of Devon lowered my morale.

"I wouldn't run, if I were you." I heard a familiar say behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see that the chariot had halted behind me. The Brigadier was looking down at us, as well as the bear hybrid.

"Didn't he die?" I said, "The bear I mean."

I feel Dallas shiver as I mentioned it, and the Brigadier's green eyes flicked to her.

"This is Agrius' twin, Oreius." The Brigadier said. The bear guy, Oreius, whimpered at the sound of his brother's name.

"Ah." I said.

Suddenly my hands slipped a few inches down Dallas' wrists.

"Come, surrender your weapons and I can present you to Lord Atlas." The Brigadier said, then looked down at me, "Or you can let Dallas here drop you and you can fall to your death. Either way, you die and Dallas marries Atlas."

"I'm not marrying anyone." Dallas growled. The Brigadier met her gaze and she looked away.

"Dallas." I said, "Go."

"What?" She blinked.

"I'll be fine." I gave her a grin, "I'll meet you there."

"What? No!" She recoiled, "Is not letting you go."

"It's either both of us held prisoner probe of us." I said.

"You'll die!"

I open up my hands and let go of Dallas' wrists. She groped as hard as she could to mine.

"Wise choice, boy." The Brigadier said, "Your death would have been ten times more painful at the hands of Lord Atlas."

And then Dallas' hands slipped. For a dreadful moment, I regretted my decision. But it was too late.

I fell towards the ground like a comet.

I saw Dallas screaming as Oreius took her captive, and I felt bad for leaving her. But this way, I would be able to help her better.

I turned in the air and lay like I was skydiving. I brought one hand up to my mouth and whistled shrilly.

I heard a flap of air, and something grabbed the back of my shirt. I was yanked out of free fall with a painful jolt.

I was dropped and a huge chestnut stallion twisted past me as I fell again and caught me across his back.

I let out a breath of air as I slammed into him. I slow sat up into a riding position and petted the pegasus' neck as we caught the wind.

"Thanks Chrysós."