CHAPTER 18: DAD WASN’T DEATH
He paused and, stroking the griffin, Athena braced herself as Ericarni continued.
“The sun beat down and the griffins went to cool off in a lake called Psychí. They played, splashed and basked in the morning sun, thinking that it was another blissful day. Of course, they were wrong. This particular griffin’s whereabouts was unknown and remains that way, except to him. After a rather long, time consuming hour, the Minotaurs launched a surprise attack on the innocent. They came in the masses, swinging their trade-mark clubs left right and centre. Some of the griffins were killed instantly, their blood forever stained on the injurious ground of mass inequitable destruction. Others managed to escape. They fought back of course, but the slaughter was becoming so many that they retreated. To the griffins life of others has and always will be of more importance than triumph or conquest, in this particular context anyway. Presumably, they retreated to what some call ‘safe-spot’, others call it melody waterfall it is however, Hope Fountain. However, in the fleeing this griffin hid, for such a small creature at the time, he was lucky, like you and the manticore, he was lucky to still be alive and only escape with a scar that time forgot to heal.”Athena briefly and mindlessly touched her arm. “Where he has been hiding all this time is a mystery to us all, it remains unsolved. But what’s important now is that he’s safe from harm, for now.”
“Sorry to interrupt” Athena murmured “but why hasn’t anyone restored the land of ‘slaughter’ and called them back?”
“They have restored the land, but they cannot call them back because the current whereabouts of Hope Fountain is unknown. Many have tried to find it, and failed, a vast majority question whether its entity even exists”
“They don’t believe it’s a real place?”
“It appears not”
“Do you believe that it’s a real place?” Ericarni did not look deterred by the question. A moment of prolonged silence passed before Ericarni spoke.
“There is no reason to suggests that it exists, likewise, there is no evidence against its existence”
“But do you...” Athena persisted
“Yes. I do place confidence in its resting. I am in fact convinced of its existence” more silence, Athena thought he sounded a tad sarcastic, but she guiltily wondered whether Ericarni even understood sarcasm.
“What are you going to do with this griffin?” Athena pressed on
“That is why we are here. You see, there is something else, this griffin shares the same birthday as you”
“So...”
“And when the minotaurs attacked, it too was the third of September”
“I don’t follow...”
“The prophecy foretold something else...”
“What...?”
“This griffin is your destiny too”
“But I have Jemeanii”
“And you need this griffin too”
“You mean he’s mine!”
“Yes”
“What’s his name?”“That is up to you, it has been so long since he has been labelled that I doubt he’d remember any previous ones anyway”
“Hmm” Athena thought, scar? No, too lion king. Hope? A tad girly. Naming was hard; at least Jemeanii’s name was in black and white. Then it came to her. “Psychí”
