The Mythos Trials

Chapter Two, Part One

Three days had passed since the Spectrum had fallen, and it seemed to Gwen they were no nearer to a solution than they had been then. For the last twenty minutes, she'd been listening to Phenex, Forneus, Lyka, and Asclepius go back and forth over what must be done next, each suggestion being shot down as quickly as the one before it.

Gwen shook her head, and released a pent-up sigh. Shortly after they had found themselves in Geminus, watching the sky with mingled horror and despair as the Spectrum's colourful aura had given way to muddy greys and browns, the Inari had come upon them. The fox god and goddess duo had quickly brought them to meet with Cybele and Thoth afterwards, declaring that if anyone had a solution to their present predicament, it would be them.

Gwen cast her gaze around the large sitting room, past the potted plant in the far corner to her left, and beyond the row of glass shelves that took up the majority of the wall to her right, all manner of decorative bauble lining it from top to bottom. The house by and large was similar to the ranch-styled houses that had been so popular during the 1950s—or so Gwen remembered her great aunt telling her on more than one occasion, having lived in one herself for as long as Gwen had known her.

"We should try to get in contact with the other commanders," Lyka insisted, standing with her back to the bay window on the opposite side of the room, heedless of the rain pattering against the glass behind her. The red markings on her cheeks and forehead were a stark contrast to her ivory white complexion, dark eyebrows drawn together as her red lips puckered in a frown.

"We still don't know who else escaped, assuming anyone," Phenex pointed out from his position on Cybele's couch, looking somewhat out of place amid the cream-coloured cushions.

The displacement was even more pronounced by the clothing he wore, courtesy of the nature goddess. Instead of his usual jeans, leather jacket, and T-shirt ensemble, Phenex had been forced into a pair of slacks similar to Forneus's; only instead of navy blue, his were a charcoal grey. Polished black dress shoes adorned his feet, a pinstripe dress shirt visible beneath an unbuttoned waistcoat of black silk. A frock coat matching the grey of his slacks had been flung carelessly over the back of the sofa.

If not for the two gold hoops in his right ear, he might have passed for a different person entirely. Still, Gwen couldn't help noticing he carried the slicked-back hair just as well as Forneus, the clothing fitting his broad shoulders and tapered waist almost as naturally as his usual clothing did.

"Regardless, we can't sit idle." Asclepius's response brought Gwen out of her inspection of Phenex's attire, and she took a quick sip of the tea Cybele had provided to hide the pink tint she was sure coloured her cheeks.

Forneus shifted on the loveseat beside her, absently swirling the contents of his goblet as he looked first from Phenex, then to Asclepius. "He's right. The longer we wait, the greater the chance that those trapped within the Spectrum will be lost to us."

"We've attempted contact with the other realms," said one of the Inari, the white fur of her fox ears tinted blue from the stained-glass lamp on the table next to her. "Unfortunately, our attempts have been met with failure."

Her male counterpart nodded gravely from his position between her and Phenex, dark amber eyes peering out from a face of snow-white fur, the whiskers on either side of his narrow canine snout twitching.

Both Inari reminded Gwen of Arctic foxes, only they bore red markings around their eyes—much like Lyka—and were a great deal larger than their earthen cousins. Gwen had wondered at first how they managed to watch over Geminus as Cybele did without rousing suspicion, and had quickly learned that when in the public eye, they played the part of Cybele's 'exotic pets'. If the Inari found this demeaning, they never said so, and she couldn't help wondering if it was because they preferred working under the radar, anyway.