In Pursuit of Kronos' Scythe (Completed)

VIII - Battles of the Sea Deities - Part I

Princess Tharalea

The sailors dropped two boats into the sea. The sky darkened and the waves beat stronger. A surge of fear rippled through Tharalea as she saw the waves washing over the boats. Even the sailors frowned and gorged down their fright. They did that discreetly, not intending to scare the quest seekers, but Tharalea didn't need to possess the ability to read mind to know what they were thinking. From their naked expression, she knew their quest was doomed.

All of a sudden, Tharalea missed her parents at this near death instant. She felt miserable as she didn't even have the chance to bid them farewell. Father, mother, forgive me. I've failed to fulfill my duty as a daughter but I have to do this. I'll make you feel proud as I die an honourable death. She restrained her tears from flowing out of her eyes as she scrambled into the first boat with Piotr, Cytherea, and their pets. Rexon and his ram took the other.

The wind howled louder. It blew from all directions, assaulting the quest seekers. 

"Hu! Hu!" Tharalea could even see the wind's fat fingers trying to snatch their belongings and their lives away. "Hu! Hu!" The wind laughed again, louder, as if telling them that the chance of surviving equated zero. It sneered at them, boasting that this wouldn't be an honourable death. 

It would be ugly.

Swallowing his fear, the captain said, "It's rumoured that Poseidon and Zeus aren't getting along well. They mark their properties clearly. So, do not ever fly in the sky in the Water Kingdom. You'll be either zapped by lightning or turned into sea foam even before you realize it."

Another sailor added, "But of course, those gods don't exist anymore. It's just a rumour."

The sailors burst into a guffaw of laughter but halted almost instantly. The one with eyes like a panda said in a matter-of-fact voice, "But Circe exists... Look at how she'd treated us." Grabbing Piotr's shoulders, he warned, "Kids, I'll head home if I were you. The gods, they like to toy with us." He broke into a comical wept. "Oh no, the gods exist. What will happen to us?"

Tharalea recalled Hekate saying that humans believed that the gods were only myths. What would happen to them if they brought back the memories of Circe toying with them? They might turn crazy, and they might turn the entire realm crazy. Quickly, she rummaged the burgundy herbs pouch and brought out a fistful of poisonous seeds that looked akin to coffee beans.

Holding the captain and the sailors' gaze, she said, "We can't thank you enough for giving us a ride. There is, however, no turning back. We have to complete whatever we've started. Before we leave, we'd like you to have these magic beans. It'll grant you smooth sailing." 

With a broad grin, the captain ordered a sailor to retrieve the beans from Tharalea.

Greedily, they gulped down the beans. A rapturous look swept over their faces, followed by a gobsmacked expression. Their eyes became misty, and some of them jazzed on the deck as if they were having seasick. The captain rubbed his head and exclaimed, "What had I just eaten?" His eyes brightened as they landed on the quest seekers. "Who are you?" 

Piotr and the gang looked as perplexed as the sailors. Before Piotr could ask anything, Tharalea said, "You saved us from an island. There's a psychotic woman, Circe, who tried to poison us, and you brought us out of her grip. We're heading home now. So, do you."

The word "home" seemed to drive the point home, no pun intended. 

The sailors all looked elated. "Home, I miss home," one of them said. 

"I miss home-made muffins," the other exclaimed. 

"I miss seeing my hamster running on its treadmill at its home," chimed the other one.