《Children of Bronze: Book One (FIRST DRAFT)》 Just Happened The sun sat in the sky hot and blaring it''s summer and it''s time for fun but this story isn''t about that fun in a room a rather dirty apartment sat mel foster who is staying inside since she doesn''t have any friends Insidr her room it is a mess clothes on the ground the bed is messy and there on the bed is mel who is fast asleep at 11 am her parents have gone to work so she is sleeping in An alarm blares it''s her phone she wakes up and realizes she''s hungry and goes to heat up the food that was left from dinner as she does she sees that it''s hard to walk but she pushes through She grabs the food from the fridge putting it in the microwave and setting the timer as soon as it was done she took it out but when she does that she doesn''t feel the usual burning but she ignores it and goes to the tv placing the food near her and turns it on After she finishes she goes to clean up the plate her moms might kill her if she doesn''t do it as she does she realizes that the new game she has been waitung for is out and she has enough money to buy it so she gets dressed remembering to get her bag with the money and heads out As she leaves her apartment she walks by her neighbors who greet her "hey there mel" and older man says as she walks by it''s her neighbor simon he is a smoker "Oh i''m getting a new game- wait i have to hurry see you later simon!" She says as she runs she is worried that the game may run out of stock She passes by the patch of forest near her complex she feels dizzy but keep running as she nears the game centre she trips and- This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Pain all she can feel is pain excruciating pain everywhere on her body it hurts she tries to scream but sound won''t come out she looks around her she isn''t the street she was just running on surrounding her was colour blood not her blood at least she thinks she hopes as the pain continues she falls onto a patch of grass in the forest ''What the heck just happened'' the pain had subsided enough for her to think she looks around trees and kids? There are four on them they''re her age as she looks closer she recognizes one of them ''she was on the news right? Yeah! She''s the governors daughter she thinks as she looks at the others she doesn''t recognize the rest of them The governors daughter wakes up screaming "Ack! Where am mom! Dad! Liam! Where ack!" She scream she is in pain ''She must''ve went thtough the same pain as me'' mel thinks to herself realizing this she gets closer to the girl "Um rachel right um do you know where we are?" She asked as she does the girl looks at her moving back "Who are you?! Are you the one that kidnapped me on you''re definitely gonna pay!" She says as she tries yo reach for her phone it''s broken it must''ve broke during the fall "Damnit who are you?!" She looks back at mel trying to look like she''s not on the verge of tears "if you''re here to hurt me-" she is cut off "What no! I''m in the same boat as you serious i don''t know where we are promise" she says in a soft tone trying to ease the girl the girl looks at her distrustful "Okay fine and my name is raquel by the way you got it wrong" the blonde girl raquel says in an annoyed tone trying to act as if she was scared Mel calms down and looks at the others they''re waking up it seems like she''ll have to do alot of questioning "hey look around if i were to kidnap you i would not have brought you here and look there are other kids our age so relax" "Relax? How am i supose to relax in this freaking situation we''re kids alone in who knows where my phone is broken and-" she gets cut off by one the others that woke up "Ow what happened... who are you guys?" A boy with brown hair says he is panicked trying to make sense of the weird situation A boy with jet black hair wakes up very panicked breathing very fast on the verge of tears he looks at them and trying to get as far away from them as possible he hits a tree holding his chest She looks and the final girl woke up she has ginger hair she gets up quickly and fell she is disoriented but she tries again until she does it she climbs a tree getting far away from them ''God this is gonna take awhile'' mel thinks as she lets out an exasparated sigh *END OF CHAPTER 1* What Lies Ahead They have calmed down well mostly still dstrustful of eachother they stay quiet not knowing what to say until "Sigh okay does anyone here know what''s actually going on" Asked the brown haired boy "Well i certainly don''t" says raquel in an annoyed tone "Okay how about we introduce ourselves first since not everybody here knows eachother" say mel trying to keep anyone from running out of panic "i''ll start my name is mel foster how about you" she looks as raquel "What oh i''m sure everyone knows me i mean i''m the governors daughter" she says in a haughty tone as if that''s a fact not an opinion "Her name is raquel devereux as she said she''s the governors daughter" mel says in a way to not make her sound annoyed "Okay my name is cairos thalion- i know weird name my parents are writers" the brown haired boy says in a jokey tone trying to lighten the mood "Okay my name is liora pixen i was heading to a birthday party when i suddenly got here" the ginger haired girl says in a tired tone "i really wanted to eat cake today" "Um okay how about you what''s yout name" mel looks at the kid with black hair The kid mumbles something under his breath very quiet it the other can''t hear him "Um what was that didn''t catch you there" mel says with a questioning tone "Yeah say it properly what''s your name" raquel says in an annoyed tone If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "I-it''s hollis m-my name is hollis lancaster" he says in an anxious tone it is very quiet barely above a whisper "Oh i see it''s hollis lancaster nice to meet you" cairos says in a happy tone holding out his hand for a handshake Hollis stretches out his hand he is very shaky and slow but he eventually shakes cairos''s hand "Well now that everyone is aquainted how about we get out of this forest" mel says clasping her hands together trying to get everyone to agree "Wait aren''t we supose to wait until someone finds us what if we get more lost" raquel says in a confused tone "Well we were teleported here right? So doesn''t that mean we''re in some kind of fantasy world?" Mel says apprehesively "And look at the sky night is coming we wouldn''t want to be here at night" cairos says "i''m also kinda afraid of the dark" "Okay but where are we supose to go exactly it''s not like we know where we are" raquel says as she looks around "we''re in the middle of a forest" "We go north" mel says looking at a tree "And where is north" raquel says "Moss grows more on the north side of trees and i think i hear some water and water leads to-" mel is cut off "Civilization yes! I read that in a book" cairos says excitedly picking up the things he dropped on the ground "Yeah exactly" mel says in a dissapointed tone ''i wanted to say that'' she thinks "So we''re going to keep walking until we find someone" liora says in an expectant tone "That''s the plan" mel says picling up her things the others following suit They walk for awhile seeing plants they have never seen before, some thinks it''s odd but they keep walking while talking until they happen upon a river it''s fast running so most of them drink raquel doesn''t since it''s forest water. After awhile they reach a cave, it''s night time so they decide to set up camp here waiting till sunrise "Hey don''t you find it odd that we haven''t seen any animals" Mel says worried as she but her bag on the ground "We''re lucky we didn''t see any, i don''t want to deal with wild animals" raquel says while trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep "No it is odd i mean we''re in the woods, we should''ve seen some bird at the very least" cairos says as he sets down a sleeping bag "Well no time to think about it now i''m tired night night" liora says laying on the ground snoring soon after Hollis sits on the ground in the corner hugging his bag tightly he us awake and still anxious "If you''re done chattering i''ll be going to sleep see you losers in the morning" she lays on a stone flat and smooth clean "Um well alright good night i guess" mel says leaning against the wall "Good night everybody" carios says laying down in his sleeping bag Later in the night, the cave is silent¡ªeerily so. Mel shifts against the wall, barely able to sleep. Something feels¡­ wrong. The forest was already too quiet, but now even the wind seems to have stopped. Then¡ªa deep, rumbling vibration shakes the cave. Mel jolts up, eyes wide. She looks around. Hollis is already awake, clutching his bag tighter. The others stir, groggy. Another shake¡ªlouder this time. Small rocks crumble from the cave ceiling. Liora groans, rubbing her eyes. "Ugh¡­ what now?" Then they see it. A massive, hulking shape at the cave¡¯s entrance. Dark fur. Heavy breathing. Unblinking eyes. The firelight flickers against a bear¡¯s towering form. For a moment, nobody moves. Nobody breathes. Then it steps forward. *END OF CHAPTER 2* On the Other Side There it walks circling them for awhile ocasionally snarling, it''s damaged arrows clearly seen on it''s hide and scars on it''s face. "E-everyone stay calm pick up your stuff and slowly move out" mel says her voice shaky her eyes don''t focus, staring back at the bear. As they do that the bear calms and lays down, it''s tired and heavily damaged, licking its wounds it barely acknowledges them as they stand and walk out. "Don''t make any sudden movements understand" mel says her voice firm but calm, as she picks up her stuff cairos goes towards it. "What are you doing do you want to die," raquel says says her voiced hushed as to not shock the bear, "it''s a freaking bear don''t get near it." "She''s hurt and we invaded her home first so it''s the-" cairos says getting closer to treat the bear, he is holding bandages and gauze, he is cut off by mel. "It''s a bear it is dangerous to do anything to it, let''s just leave" she says nearing the entrance of the cave "And it was clearly attacked by people so it might attack you if you touch it." "It won''t, i know it''s won''t look at her she''s old and very damaged," cairos says touching the bears scars "see it''s not attacking he''s tired." "What are you an animal expert or something, it might change it''s mind!" liora says quickly walking away, her voice is panicked but quiet. Cairos patches up the bears wounds "okay this might hurt for a bit but it''ll heal, um can someone help me i need to put pressure on the wound." he says looking around. Everyone is standing far, they''re apprehensive waiting for him to come to them, hollis walks closer carefully touching the bear. "Thanks now just hold his wound when i pull out the arrow cool?" Cairos says, holding the arrow "this might hurt for a bit, ready?" With a nod from hollis cairos pulls out the arrow quickly the bear groans but doesn''t attack, as he does hollis puts further pressure on the wound, hollis pours water on the wound and packs it with gauze then bandaging the wound. "Great job hollis, thanks for the help now the other arrows, can you help with these ones as well" with a nod from hollis they continue to help the bear. After some time. "This is crazy it''s a freaking bear it won''t do anything even if we help it!" Raquel says annoyed, they have calmed down a bit now sitting on the ground still far from the bear. "Maybe it''ll share some meat or lead us to food!" Liora says tentatively, getting out a cupcake from her bag and eating it. "I thought you said you were heading to a party not already at a party" raquel ask looking at the cupcake. "Oh i was i just always have a cupcake on me my mom''s a baker," she sats taking a bite out of the pastry "want some?" She hold out the half eaten cupcake. "Yeah no thanks, i don''t any if your bag cake" raquel says moving further away ''god why am i lost with weirdos'' she thinks. "Well more for me" liora says eating the entirety of the pastry. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Shouldn''t we be more wary of the bear that''s in front of us, what if it attacks us and you know kills us" mel says quite angrily sharpening a stone she got from the ground. "She won''t, i can feel that she wouldn''t do that" cairos says while wraping the bear with bandages, hollis is off to the side. "Oh yeah and this feeling is so trustworthy, listen i''m not trying to rile you up but this is a bear a wild animal it might attack us" mel says angrily, she looks out the cave "and we have to leave sooner or later we can''t stay here to take care of a bear." "We''ll just stay here ''till sunrise, that was the plan right?" cairos says as he tighten the bandage, the bear licks him "see she''s harmless." "Or it might be getting a taste of it''s next meal!" mel says glaring at the bear. Then a loud growl is heard, they look around mel looks at the bear pointing her sharpened stone "see it''s going to attack." "It wasn''t coming from her, it came from outside." cairos quickly looks out, there is another bear charging directly at them. "Watch out!" Mel shouts grabbing liora and raquel "great now we''re stuck with two bears." As the other bear charges the bandaged bear attacks the bear protecting cairos. "It''s protecting us...? The heck." Mel says then quickly picking the stone and stabing the other bears behind "come on attack it!" As she does this the bear pushes off the bandaged bear swiping at mel, but before it hits her liora quickly pulls her towards the others "so we''re fighting a bear now? This is so cool!" Liora says grabbing an arrow that was on the ground. "If this is the only way then let''s do it quickly," cairos says, apprehensively grabbing an arrow. "sorry other bear but we have to fight you." "This is crazy! We''re going to fight a-" raquel is cut off as the bear charges at her, hollis stabs the bears behind the other bear writhes in pain now decifing to charge at her. The bandaged bear bites the other bears neck, as she does so the kids stab the other bear with arrws as well as cutting it with the stone mel sharpened. The other bear moves back, it''s slower now breathing heavily foaming at the mouth. "It has rabies?" Cairos says questioningly, but before he does anything else hollis jumps on the bears back and stabs the bears temple with an arrow. "Holy cow hollis you didn''t have to do that!" Liora says shocked that he was capable of that. "I mean he did what needed to be done, so it''s fine." mel says kinda impressed. The bandaged bear licks hollis''s wounds that he got while fighting the other bear. "We beat a bear, we freaking beat a bear!" raquel says in disbelief. "Well we did, you didn''t do much other than run" mel says in a cocky tone. "I-i was distracting it you wouldn''t have been able to land a hit if ut weren''t for me!" Raquel says trying to regain her composure there is apparent blush on her face. "Well it''s over now right no time to dwell in the past," cairos tries to calm everyone down, after that he kneels to the dead bear. "To the Spirit of the Wild, You ran with the wind, you hunted under the moon, You drank from the rivers and knew no chains. Now, your body returns to the earth, But your spirit roams free beyond the horizon. May the trees whisper your name, May the stars guide your path, May the Great Cycle welcome you home. Run wild, soar high, swim deep You are never forgotten. Blessed be." "You''re religious huh wouldn''t expect anything less of a goldem boy like you, what was that prayer anyways doesn''t sound christian?" raquel says, plopping down on the ground soon after. "I''m a pagan- well was my my mom is pagan and taught me alot about it," cairos says petting the dead bear. "he was in pain." "It looks like it had rabies, that would explain why it tried to attack us." mel says, curiously. "we should probably go, the sun in rising and i wouldn''t want our parent to worry more than needed." Cairos stares at the bear then gets up and picks up his stuff. "yeah let''s go." As they leave the bandaged bear growls at them it didn''t seem like an aggresive growl more like a goodbye. "Goodbye miss bear!" Liora waves at the bear as they continue to leave the cave. "Well that was an eventful night- why are you draging the bear hollis?" She stares at hollis and raquel who are draging the dead bear. "I want to show my parents that i''m not their baby anymore, i mean i killed a bear!" Raquel says witha smug attitude. "Okay what about you hollis?" She looks at him questioningly. "..." for awhile he doesn''t answer her only draging tye bear then "r- raquel told me to" he answers barely above a whisper. "Okay then just make sure to not get infected by rabies" mel says worriedly. "Don''t worry it''s dead it''s not gonna bite us" raquel states "and we''re gonna get rabies shots anyways, right hollis." Hollis nods as mel sighs. "well don''t drag us down if you''re gonna do it." she says tired. They keep walking for awhile following the river they found yesterday, until the sun starts to go down, by now they''ve seen a couple deer all injured though they keep walking until they happen upon something. "Smoke! There''s smoke up ahead someone must''ve set a fire, we''re saved!" Liora says letting out a sigh of relief, "oh i missed my food so much i can''t wait to eat my body weight!" "I don''t think that''s possible, but whatever floats your boat" mel says sighing but relieved as well ''i''m gonna sleep in a bed again'' she thinks. "We all have our dream some want to be rich some wants to eat their body weight" cairos says brightening the mood, most of them laugh except raquel and hollis who are distracted with dragging the bear. When they are nearing the smoke they see people but they are holding bows and sharpening swords, there are spears on the side as well, they are all adults in really old timey armor and tunics. "Um are you sure we can trust them they seem dangerous" raquel whispers to the others, they are hiding behind trees just out if sight. In camp sat a couple hunters surrounding a campfire. "Tolm durm. Grakh ne" one of the kicking dirt he seems frustrated. Another shakimg his head while staring into the fire feeding it wood "Vrak ne. Dunn korr ne" he seems calm. "Mordak grakh durz..." another one rubbing his hands together he seem rather cold searching for warmth. "Hrukk korr" another said, he said fear evident in his voice tightening the cloth he is shrouded by. "What are they saying, do you know what language they''re speaking?" Raquel ask the others looking for answers. Then quite suddenly a spear penetrates a tree besides them and they hear "vorr ne. Tash ve drak." *END OF CHAPTER 3* Of Ancient People There they see a woman sneering at their direction, she is talll and broad shouldered with short cropped black hair and eyes that peered right through their souls. "God i think they know we''re here" liora says, she is scared obviously shaking, she was nearest to where the spear hit. "You think? She shot an arrow at us!" Raquel says, no longer in a quiet tone more panicked and scared. Then mel raises her hand to make herself visible and walks forward. "What are you doing?! You''re gonna get shot!" Raquel says irritated, to mel who is raising her hands to the hunters. "We''re just kids, we''re lost and can''t find our way back, we mean no harm we''re just looking for help" mel says her voice is firm but it''s obvious she''s frightened. Then a weathered man steps forward he look like he''s in his 40''s he has alot of scars on his face and arms, his beard is unkempt just like his long hair with streaks of gray, his skin is bronzed from years under the sun. "Vek tor, hrukk? Vorr vek ne chalcus. Eryx! Vorr vek drak tor lash" the old man says, mel is confused trying to figure out if she knows their language. Then a gaunt man with hollow cheeks and dark rings under his eyes comes forward, he seems to be some sort of shaman with the inked symbols on his hands, he looks at her his gaze is unsettling. "Ne drak lash vek. Vor vek nohk, Zahr-mordak" he says his voice just as unsettling as his appearance, with loud guttural noises he walks away. "Um do any of you guys speak english?" Mel ask, she is still quite frightened. "Vorr vek drok lash-mord tor?" The girl who threw the spear spoke, she sounds curious, taking a closer look at her she appears to have a long scar running down her forearm with bronze arm bands on her wrist, she also has a red sash on her hip seems important. "Vorr vek. Tash ne sharr vek¡ªhruuk mordak vek ne. Vorr vek!" The shaman man speaks quite in a frustrated tone, he seem to be quite annoyed, with a closer look he is wearing a cloak made of dead animal hides and his tunic is roughly stiched. "Sharr vek, Lysandra. Eryx, drok lash-mord tor." The older spoke, he seems to be agreeing with the woman and calling over the shaman. Mel just stands there not knowing what to do, her hands are still up in the air, then the shaman man approaches her. "Damnash, tash hruuk vek drak lash mord tor." He seems really angry now , mel prepares for an attack but one never comes her way instead the man hold out his hands and his eyes roll back into his skull. "Zahr-lash vek, drak sharr vek. Nohr vek ne, korr vek sharr. Lash-mord vek tolm!" A glow appears surruounding her and the glow also appears on the mans hands it stops. Mel feels dizzy not as dizzy as when she was transported here but still dizzy, the shaman man leavea going into his camp, mel is left there confused then. "That should work, thanks eryx!" Says the older man as he waves at the shaman who appears to be named eryx. Mel takes a step back shoked and in disbelief ''wait i thought they couldn''t speak english and what was that light, what is happening?!'' She think to herself. Then suddenly the other jump out of the bush pointing the arrows they got from the bear well most of them raquel still hides in the bushes, they are shaking quite visibly. "There were other kids? God how many of you are there?" asked the hunter woman in an irritated tone. "Calm down lysandra, i''m sure they have a proper explanation for eavesdropping on hunters, am i correct?" The older man looks at mel quizzically, his face in calm but his words are harsh. "Y-yeah we do have an explanation" mel says arms still in the air. "we are lost and don''t know our way back, can you please help us." "Lost you say? I see, are all of you a sibling or something else" the older man speaks, he looks at mel then the others. "No we just so happen to get thrown into a forest" mel says as she finally puts her hands down. "Are you chastising me child?" The older man ask, his voice now has a more frustrated tone. "What? Oh no i''m being serious! We really got taken at rge same time and ended up together" mel says trying to calm the man down. "Fine, tell me your names now" the old mans voice us firm and commanding. "Isn''t it bad etiquite to ask someone elses name before stating their own?" Mel asks, before walking backwards to her friends. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "You''re really testing your luck kid, fine my name is theras of mycenae" the older man said with a sigh. "And i''m lysandra of thebes you better remember the name little girl" lysandra said as she walked toward mel then to the others. There in front of them stood mel who was in disbelief ''aren''t those really old greek cities?'' Was all she could think of right now. "Mel are you okay?" She looks behind her seeing cairos with a worried expression. "Yeah i''m just kinda shocked, i mean they saud they were from cities in the bronze age" mel says to cairos who looks at her oddly. "Wait you can understand them?" Cairos says shocked that mel knows their language. "W-what no they''re speaking english-" mel says confused, but then she remembers the light. "If you''re done chattering, tell us your names. Now" theras says his voice has a much more rough tone. "O-oh yeah o-okay um- i" mel tries to get out words but that was all she could muster, her sheer confusion was too much. Then a younger man with maybe around 18 approaches her "kid you better do what the captains orderin you to do, and do it fast" he says his voice threatning and he has a spear strapped on his thigh. Mel takes a deep breath and moving away from the young man "alright, my name is mel foster" she states at the hunters in front if her. They stare at her confused. "Have you ever heard of a city called foster?" The younger hunters asked theras. "It may be a smaller city or a city from beyond the ranges" theras states, he look at her then the others"And those kids? What about them and tell them to put down those arrows." "Mel what are they saying" cairos looked at mel with a worried expression. "Put down the arrows first ''kay" she tells them, after they do so she says "tell them your names okay." "A-alright, hello my name is carios thallion" cairos states to them, they looked at mel. "Tell us what he''s saying mel of foster" lysandra says looking at mel. "He''s saying his name is cairos of thalion" mel said after thinking of what to say. "Of thalion? Mel what are you talking about" cairos looks at her quizzically trying to figure out why she put ''of'' in front of his surname. "And he us hollis of lancaster and she is liora of pixen" she looks at hollis and liora who are equally as confused as cairos. "I se is that all of you?" theras said in a calmer tone, as he says that he goes back to his sitting down. "No there''s one more, she''s just pretty scared of you guys" mel says putting emphasis on the scared part. "Whatever" he says taking a drink of his bottle then pointing at the sky "look at that big star and follow it until you can find a city, or just keep walking down the river." he said. The other hunters have calmed down as well going back into their positions before they were interupted. "Can we stay here for awhile, i mean it''s dangerous during night" mel says trying to hide the desperation in her voice. "What no of course not, just keep following the river" theras says, he us annoyed that she would even say that. "But it''s dangerou-" mel tries to say before being cut off by theras. "So what do i care if a couple lost kids die, i mean what would we get if we do care for you" theras says looking at her, he is angry. "We''re kids and it''s dark" mel tries to get a word in before a spear is thrown at her, nearly hitting her leaving a small scar on her cheek. "Next time i won''t miss, so get gone" the younger hunter says looking at her with annoyance like she''s a bug on the wall. Then a sudden scream is heard they all look around trying to find tge source, then they see raquel who fell into the line of view the bear carcass now visible. As she looks back at the hunters, they are shocked and suprised to see the carcass. "That''s the bear of Taygetos, kid did you kill that beast" lysandra says getting closer to the carcass. "Yes we did it attacked us and we had no choice but to kill it." mel states leaving out the part where another bear helped them. "Lord agamemnon will be impressed if we bring him the beast head" theras states then putting a hand on mel''s shoulder "kid if you can hunt like this we''ll bring you to your home." Mel sat there suprised ''if we hunt more animals we can stay'' she thinks before looking back at the others "fine but cast a spell on the others as well." "Of course! Come join us tell your friends to relax" theras states inviting them to eat. "It''s okay guys you can rest" she look at the others relieved that they can rest safely. "Are you sure?" liora ask "they seem pretty dangerous" she looks at them then at mel. "It''s fine we can rest for tonight they said so, if we hunt more in the morning" mel says quickly saying the last part. "Wait you want us to hunt more? We were barely able to hunt this one if it weren''t for the other bear helping us!" Raquel stares at her expecting answer. "It''s either that or we''re forced to walk the river at night." mel says with a stern look on her face. "Fine, cairos give me your sleeping bag" she looks at cairos who is unfolding his bag. "What? No this is mine" he states looking at her confused. "Whatever" raquel says before laying down on the bear carcass. "Okay now that that is settled rest up we''re gonna hunt in the morning" she look at hollis and liora. "Cool cool" liora says before climbing a tree then sleeping. "Hollis you okay" she looks at him, he nods and sits on the grass below the tree liora is sleeping on, clutching his bag he just waits for sleep to take him. "Okay i''ll be going to sleep now" mel states looking at the hunters. "How about you join us kid tell us your story" lysandra says taking a bite out of meat. "Yeah come join us" the younger hunter states while getting the spear he threw. Mel sits with them specificly beside lysandra who is eating a huge piece of meat. "Your name is mel right i''m myron of crete nice to meet you" the younger man named myron states, with a closer inspection he has a muscular frame and curly hair he also doesn''t have many scars only small ones unlike the other hunters. "Yeah nice to meet you as well" mel says hesitantly "um is this all of you." "No theres aion of phthis he''s standing over there cheking if there are beast, he doesn''t really speak only when needed to" theras states taking another huge swig of his bottle. "I see and are you guys hunters?" She ask while looking at aion who is tall and wiry, with green eyes that seem to simewhat glow in the dark and his face is marked with what appears to be ritualistic scars. "Hey kid tell us your story" lysandra says looking at mel. "Oh me i''m just your average kid nothing special about me" mel says trying to sound innocent. "Kid you killed the taygetos that is not your average achievement for a child" she says her voice sounding impressed. "Well that''s unless you''re from troy but you''re not right?" Myron ask mel. "Oh no i''m not a trojan i just come from a family of hunters" she states. "I see alright youcan rest if you want, you look tired" theras states. After that she goes to rest sleeping near hollis and liora. In the early morning they are awakened by the hunters. "Wake up kids we just found our prey" lysandra says splashing water on them. Mel is the first to wake up followed by hollis. "Okay okay we''re up wake up your friends as well and follow us, we already cast a spell on them" lysandra states. Mel stirs awake walking over to cairos and raquel shaking them, on the other hand hollis hessitantsly shakes liora, liora wakes up jumping down from the tree landing on hollis. "Raquel wake up" mel says shaking raquel hard on the bear, after awhile she wakes up with a groan. "What is it" raquel''s voice is groggy, she looks at the sky "the sun is barely up, why in the world am i being woken up." "They found the ''prey'' they were looking for and we need to help them" mel says she is also pretty groggy. Raquel slips off the bear landing on her back "ow god this is the worst!" She cries out. "Uh what''s going on" cairos says already woke up because of the noise raquel made. "We''re going out to hunt" mel said now fully awake, grabbing her bag. "Oh okay" cairos says packing up his sleeping bag and putting on his bag. After awhile they get to the hunters who are getting ready for the hunt. "Hey you kids ready for the hunt" theras says as he is putting on his boar tusk helmet and bronze greaves which are dented from past battles. "Yes we are" mel says confidence in her tone. "Good just remember we won''t protect you you''ll be out there on your own" lysandra chimes in picking up a small bronze axe, behind her are dual-pronged spears. "Understood ma''am" cairos says in a cheerful tone "wait... i can understand you" he says suprised the others are suprised as well. "That''s thanks to eryx, come on let''s go" theras says. They starts going to the spot of the beast leading them is aion who ocasionally stops and listens to tye trees, there they see a huge lion fur as black as a starry night licking it''s paws it''s a beast like no other. "That is The Black Lion of Taygetos" aion says. "Good job aion, everybody ready?" Theras says looking at all of the them. "We''re fighting a fricking lion?!" Raquel says holding a bronze short sword she was given. "Yes we are, now" he pushes raquel into the line of sight of the lion "go." *END OF CHAPTER 4* The Meaning of Strength Before she could protest, she felt a rough shove on her back. Falling on the ground. She barely had time to lift her head before she locked eyes with the lion. It had already stopped licking its paws. Now, it''s watching her. The golden eyes narrowed. Then-it moved, slowly just staring at her each step careful and planned. Raquel''s stomach turned, she wanted to barf every step wanted to make her cry, scream, beg, but she can''t because if she does it may pounce. It walks closer, much closer close enough for her to feel its breath, hot heavy, then it sniffs, sniffing her repeatedly, it opens its maw, she can''t think or move it''s neither fight nor flight it is freeze. But before the beast feast on the young girl it gets stabbed in the back by the hunters. The beast roars in pain swiping at the hunters who jump back from it''s claws, the beast jumps at them but they dodge leaving the beast to destroy a tree. There we can finally see it''s size it is at least 8 feet muscles can be seen bulging from it''s legs but somethings wrong the place where it was stabbed it''s clean no marks of the attack. "Raquel are you okay! Raquel! Raquel!" Mel shakes her trying to get her to stand but she can''t, her legs feel like someone elses only able to feel the hot tears running down her face. Mel picks her up barely dodging the beast who pounces at them, the others start attacking the beast with fallen arrows and rocks they found on the ground. The hunters use rope and tie the beast neck but the beast cuts the rope using its sharp claws. "Shit! God damn it, this beast is so fucking hard to kill" lysandra screams frustrated by the beast. "Eryx you did sacrifice that deer to artemis, correct?" Theras says readying his massive hunting spear with an ivory tip. "Of course i mean what sort of dumbass would forget to do that" eryx says using a bronze sickle to cut the beast behind. "It keeps fucking healing!" Myron said while throwing his spears with an annoyed tone. Aion on the side shooting obsidian-tipped arrows with his recurved bow carved from yew, but it doesn''t effect the lion and the lion keeps healing. Lysandra stabs the beast with her dual pronged spear and while the beast roars in pain she uses her axe to slash as its open mouth. The beast scratches her chest but she just kicks the beast face, lysandra is scarred in the chest the scar isn''t too deep but the blood stains her studded leather cuirass. "Take that you-" she couldn''t finish her sentence. The lion lunged, with terrifying speed, its massive jaws closing around her head in a sickening crunch. A wet, gurgling sound-then silence. The beast teeth had sank into her, puncturing her face. The skin on her face, or what was left of it, is streched and torn. Blood sprayed in all directions. Her body collapsed, faceless, twitching as crimson soaked the dirt beneath her. Through the open cavity where her mouth used to be, Her tongue half severed, lolled uselessly as the beast chewed, swallowing the her face Silence. Then-theras'' voice, rough and strained. "Lysandra''s gone" The hunters didn''t speak. They didn''t have to. The blood-drenched ground said everything. "Everyone on guard!" Theras screams, the hunters holding up their shields. The lion slows clawing at the ground, it is disoriented growling in pain shaking its head spewing the leftover blood and teeth on the ground. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it On the other side raquel belches after seeing the scene and the body of lysandra, mel closes her eyes while the cairos freezes, hollis and liora throw dirt into the beast eyes. The beast scratches at its eyes and aion shoots head repeatedly making it slam into trees. "Great job kids now finish the job!" Theras screams at the kids readying his bronze short sword. Aion and myron using lysandra''s red sash choke the lion, it cries in pain and trues to attack but its continous pain from the sand in its eyes and heart. Theras steps forward, breathing heavy. The stagerred its golden eyes still burning with fury, it wouldn''t die. It refused to die. With a snarl, theras lunged, driving his short sword into the roof of the beast mouth. The blade pierced up, tearing through flesh, sinking deep into the monster''s brain. The lion convulsed. A final, shuddering breath. Blood spews from on theras hand, chest and face "cut off its head quickly" Hollis picks up lysandra''s axe and hacks at the lions neck continuously crying while doing it, myron finishes the job using theras''s spear. The head falls followed by the body, then my takes the head picking it up. Myron laught victoriously "finally this foul beast is dead rejoice lord ares!" He holds the head high while praising the gods. Theras pats hollis''s back "great job kid you did good out there i see how you killed thst bear" then goes to aion telling him to bring the beast back to the camp. Eryx muttered a quiet chant over lysandra''s body, his inked hands moving slow, practiced gestures. His face showed no grief, just duty. The kids try calming down after the horific scene, but the blood was still fresh, the air thick with the stench if blood. The lion''s massive form being tied with rope, its dark fur soaked in crimson. Lysandra''s body wasn''t far, lifeless, unrecognizeable. Raquel wiped at her mouth, but the taste of bile still lingered. ''We just watched someone die. A real person. Not a story, not a game. A person. Her hands wouldn''t stop shaking. Mel sat in the ground, gripping her knees, staring blankly at the lion''s corpse. She should feel relieved. They survived. They won. But instead, her stomach twisted. Cairos was pacing, running a hand through his hair. "We-we did it. We killed it. Right? It''s really dead?" His voice wavered. "That thing-lysandra-" he stopped himself, breathing too fast. Hollis had collapsed onto his knees, staring at his own hands. They were still wet with blood. Not just the lion''s. Lysandra''s. He used her axe to cut through its head, her axe stained with her blood- her fresh blood that dripped from her face, his hands killed today. Liora sat against a tree, clutching her bag to her chest, her usual carefree expression gone. Her eyes were hollow. She hadn''t fought-hadn''t been able to. She had thrown dirt after seeing a woman get her face bitten off. Theras was already giving orders, as if this was another hunt. "Aion, myron are you finished securing the carcass." Then going over to eryx and lysandra "she fought well," theras said, his tone too steady, too practiced - like he''d said it too many times before. "The gods will honor her." Eryx finally looked at him. "We did what was needed. We always do." Mel exhaled sharply, standing up on unsteady legs. "Can we just - just get out of here?" Theras nodded. "We leave before sunset. There are worse things in the woods than lions." Mel didn''t ask what he meant. She didn''t want to know. They walk back to the camp, the hunters clebrating draging the lions carcass on the ground, as well as lysandra''s body. The kids didn''t speak, they didn''t know what to talk about, when they reached the camp the hunters brought out the drinks, then lighting a fire, sitting around it and drinking. "You did well kid!" Theras said, hugging hollis who was uncomfortable, theras was drunk and kept trying to give the kids drinks. Hollis slips out of theras''s grasp, falling asleep near the fire. The others partying and praising the gods, hollis sits under the tree where he slept yesterday. Eryx on the side skinning some deer they hunted on the way back. Mel laying on the grass looking at the stars, thinking if home, thinking of her parents. Near the slain bear who is now attracting flies sat raquel who is drinking water, she looks at her broken phone trying to turn it on. Cairos ate some meat that was given to him, he ate slowly he was still bothered by the hunt. Liora went over to hollis who was under the tree, she doesn''t speak just sat beside him, she needed to be close to someone right now. After awhile they fell asleep, some with tears in their eyes, some close to eachother. In the morning they are getting ready to leave for the city, myron by his shoulder being carried by aion, theras and eryx who are dragging the lions carcass as well as its head. The kids pulling the bear using some rope they were given, after awhile they stop to rest and refresh. "Hey want me to skin that bear?" Eryx said, while drinking from a river. Mel sat drinking from the river as well a couple times, she was distracted when he said that. "Wha- what? Oh the bear?" "Yeah want me to skin it?" He said again, readying his sickle to skin the bear. "Oh sure but can you teach us how to do it as well?" Mel said hesitantly. "Sure, you know? I think your friend over there will be a great soldier," he points at hollis who was putting water into his bottle. "Maybe you''ll catch up as well." "Oh sure, yeah." She said, after that she started to hang the bears body on a tree. "Okay is it tight," Eryx said, getting out his bronze sickle, "okay first cut their ankles, then cut open their bellies from neck to groin," he said so doing it soon after, "then pull the skin carefully, cutting the connective tissue while doing so, scrap the fat and off, this is usually done using a dull blade but we''ll use my sickle." He said, then doing it. After awhile he finishes, fully skinning the bear, discarding the fat and muscle tissue. "Um thanks, eryx." Mel said, she is now pulling the bear skin. "When we get to the city i''ll introduce you to a great artisan." He said, now going to the others who are preparing to leave. "Hey mel," cairos said, walking over to her, "When we get to the city, what next?" He said, hesitant but questioning. "I don''t know, but this may be the only way to get back, i mean how else are we supose to find out how we got here" mel said tired. "Okay, um if you need to talk-" he tried to say but was cut off. "No- no thank you, i''m fine um you should talk to hollis, he was the one that cut off its neck" mel said, trying to sound okay and that there is no problem. "Alright," he said, walking away. "But if you need to talk we''re here." "Thanks, thanks cairos" mel said, though she is hesitant she accepts his help. After some time they reach a road that is surrounded by rocky hills these leads to the walls of mycenae, the sun hung low, casting the massive stone cyclopean walls in a golden glow, their sheer size is incredible towering even the largest trees. From the diatance they see the lion gate - two great stone lions standing over the entrance, watching all who passed beneath them. "Oh my god," liora muttered, tilting her head back to take it all in. "This place is massive." Raquel, still pale from the hunt, huffed. "So this is mycenae, huh? These guys must really like walls." As they neared the entance, they can see warriors clad in bronze armor patrolling the walls, their helmets gleaming from the setting sun, the air smelled of sweat, iron, and smoke - the scent of a city preparing for war. Theras strode ahead without a sigle sign of hesitation, barely sparing a glance at the guards who were currently approaching them, when they reached the Lion Gate, the soldiers clad in bronze cuirass and bronze helmet stepped forward, their spear barring them. "Thers of mycenae, returning from a hunt." Theras said simply, his voice carrying the weight of experience. The guard eyes flickered to the massive black lion head behind his shoulder. "Lord agamemnon will want yo see you immediately." At the mention of the name, mel felt her stomach dropped. "Agamemnon?" She whispered to cairos, " As in the guy ftom the illiad." Cairos just as stunned, eyes darting between the guard and the walls. "I - i think so," he muttered. "I don''t think this is just some mycenaean city, mel. I think we''re in the capital. Theras turned his his head back at the kids, his expression unreadable. "Stay quiet follow me, don''t make a scene," he said, before striding past the guard, into the city. One by one, the kids followed, stepping beneath the watchful stone lions and into the city of agamemnon. *END OF CHAPTER 5* King Agamemnon As they enter the giant walls, their senses are bombarded, tthe smell of burning wood, sweat, and iron in the air, mixing with distant screams of people fighting and clashing bronze. The streets themselves were full of people, traders bartering loudly, warriors sharpening their weapons, slaves carrying jugs of water, and nobles draped in the finest embroidered linen and jewelry. Mel kept a close eye on the others, making sure no one were to attack them on their way to the king, but no one did, no one even bat an eye to them, it was strange. Raquel muttered under her breath, arms crossed. "This place smells like a barn." Cairos shifted his gaze sideways and remarked, ¡°This place reeks of war.¡± His voice was softer than usual, and his eyes were glued to a bunch of soldiers in a nearby open space rendering their spear thrusts with intensely purposeful savagery. Every action was automatic and precise¡ªthese men were not merely getting into combat; these men were seasoned fighters. Mel was not so sure what to think as her heart began racing and her fists clenched. She anticipated some hostile looks, perhaps some questions like trying to discern who the two of them were. But no such thing happened, no-one showed any interest whatsoever, including looking towards the direction they were coming from. The feelings she had were not satisfaction. Rather, they were discomforting. "Is there a reason no one is looking at our direction?" she quietly asked Theras, who was currently guiding us further into the city. "Because nobody is interested." His reply was curt, bordering on irritated. "This is Mycenae. If as a person you do not have value, then you are nothing." She did not expect those statements to hit that hard. Under silence, Hollis walked, still clutching on his bag tightly. Ever since seeing the lion, he had become more tense, the way he kept glancing towards every man in a weapon in the vicinity. However, he was not the only one looking so stiff as it seems. A few steps ahead, a couple of men were pulling a bound soldier through the streets. His tunic was torn, his face was swollen by bruises, and a thick lace rope was wrapped around his neck like some ferocious animal. In front of him a soldier yelled some random orders while pulling him forward, the poor man''s future was a mystery but my word, it was indeed grim. Liora could not help staring "this place is brutal." "Welcome to the worlds greatest kingdom," theras said, pride in his voice as if this was a utopia. They walked higher and higher through the city, past stone buildings, open air forges, and wide courtyards filled with men and women who had long accepted this life. Eryx, aion, and myron seperated from them, going to send word that lysandra had died, as well as selling whatever else they hunted. Finally, then the city opened up, the palace which could have been seen from afar was now apparent. The great palce atop the citadel. It loomed over them, its massive columns rising into the sky, decorated with red and gold murals of warriors, chariots, and gods. Torches lined the entrance, their flames flickering against the painted stone walls. At the very center stood two great bronze doors, guarded by men in polished armor, spears at the ready. Theras stepped forward without hesitation. "We bring a prize for the king." One of the guards, his helmet¡¯s cheek guards framing a stern face, eyed the group before his gaze landed on the severed black lion¡¯s head. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. A beat passed. Then, without a word, he turned and pushed open the doors. "Enter." The palace swallowed them whole. Inside, the palace had a thick scent of oil, spicef wine, and thick aged stone. The flickering flame from the torch cast a long shadow against towering columns, their surfaces adorned with murals of warriors past, figures forever locked in battle. The palace was built for people, it was built to show the owners power and wealth. Their footsteps echoed against the far too polished stone floor, as mel and the others followed theras the ceiling loomed high above, dark wooden beams stretcing across its vast expanse, slaves stood against the wall, some standing some bowing, but they all have the same look in their eyes. Guards watched them in full bronze armor, silent, spears in hand. At the far end of the hall, a massive throne sat atop a raised platform. Gold and ivory adorned its frame, but its grandeur did nothing to soften the man seated upon it. Agamemnon. He was larger than life broad-shouldered, draped in embroidered robes of crimson and gold. His dark beard was streaked with gray, his eyes were sharp, cold. A king forged in war. He did not look pleased. Mel swallowed hard. This was the man who led the Greeks against Troy. A conqueror. A flawed king. And they were about to stand before him, out of place and out of time. "Speak," the king said, his voice deep and commanding. It wasn¡¯t a request. "I return with a prize, my king," Theras answered, stepping aside to reveal the massive, severed black lion¡¯s head. Gasps rippled through the court. Even some of the guards shifted, whispering among themselves. The kings gaze flickered over the lion¡¯s head, then toward the strange group of outsiders standing behind Theras. His expression didn¡¯t change. "Who are these?" he asked, voice calm but edged with curiosity. Theras did not hesitate. "They are hunters." Mel forced herself to stand taller, even as her heart pounded. She couldn¡¯t let him see weakness. Agamemnon¡¯s eyes landed on her. Studying. Measuring. "You," he said suddenly. Mel flinched but she kept her voice steady, she had to. "yes my king." A pause. Then, with a slow delibarate voice, he asked. "Tell me, child... are you hunter? Or are you prey." The words hung in the air like an axe, waiting to fall. The room was silent eerily silent. Even the whispers of the court had stopped. All eyes were on her. She forced herself to meet Agamemnon¡¯s gaze, though every instinct told her to look away. His stare was sharp, heavy with expectation. This was a test. Not just for her¡ªbut for all of them. Hunter or prey? She couldn¡¯t hesitate. Hesitation was weakness. Weakness was death. Mel straightened her back, puffed her chest, pushing down her fear. "A hunter," she said firmly. The king¡¯s expression did not change. His gaze flickered to the others, measuring them as well. "And the rest of you?" Raquel stiffened beside her, shifting uncomfortably. Liora looked down at her hands. Cairos swallowed hard. Hollis looked about ready to cry. For a terrifying second, Mel thought they would be executed for not answering. Then, Cairos stepped forward. His hands were clenched at his sides, his knuckles pale, but his voice was steady. "A hunter," he said. Mel let out a sigh of relief. ''No one''s gonna die.'' Hollis let out a shaky breath. "A hunter," he echoed, though doubt was evident in his voice. Liora sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean, at this point, yeah. A hunter." Raquel looked around, then hesitantly answered with a nod. "A hunter." The court murmured again, a few warriors chuckling among themselves. Agamemnon leaned back in his throne, his fingers tapping against the armrest. His eyes had not left them. "And what have you hunted?" Mel¡¯s mouth felt dry. A lion. That should have been enough. They killed the Black Lion of Taygetos. That was proof, right? But she could see the contempt in Agamemnon¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t just about what they had hunted. It was about why. She exhaled slowly. Say the right thing. Say the truth. "We hunted because we had no choice." Her voice was even, steady. "We hunted because we wanted to live." A pause. Then, to her surprise, Agamemnon smiled. "Good." It wasn¡¯t a kind smile. It was knowing. Calculated. Mel¡¯s stomach twisted. Agamemnon looked to Theras. "They have the instincts of hunters. But instincts are not enough." He raised a hand. A guard stepped forward, bowing. "Take them to the barracks." The king¡¯s voice was final. "If they wish to call themselves hunters, let them prove it in the trials." Mel barely had time to process his words before guards surrounded them. "Wait, trials? What trials?" Raquel asked, panic creeping into her voice. "You will learn soon enough," Theras muttered. He didn¡¯t look at them as they were led away. Mel¡¯s pulse pounded. What had they just agreed to? And more importantly¡ªwhat if they weren¡¯t hunters after. The guards led them to a large open roofed terrain, the floor was covered in marks of fights, the ground stained with blood. Wheat dummies lined the edges, ridden with gashes from swords and arrows. Other warriors were already there, some young, some old but they all stared at them. Some with amusement, some with boredom, but a few looked... eager. "I don''t like this." Raquel muttered, she has her arms crossed. "I don''t think we''re suposed to." Liora said, shifting uncomfortably A man stepped forward. Tall, bald, built like a stone pillar. His brown tunic was dirty covered in dirt and blood, and his arms were covered in scars too numerous to count. This was not a man who merely survived, he thrived in battles. "New recruits?" His voice was like gravel, and he eyed the group, like a butcher looking at meat. "Trial initiates," theras corrected. "Truly?" The man looked unimpressed. His gaze flickes towards mel, raquel, hollis, liora, and cairos, and for a moment, his lips curled slightly, barely hiding his disdain. "You want to be hunters?" He asked, stepping closer. No one answered. "I said do. You. Want. To. Be. Hunters?" Mel forced a nod. "Yes." "Then fight." Before any of them could react, the man grabbed and hurled a spear towards Mel. She barely had time to react, the weapon spun through the air like a bolt of lightning, whistling towards her chest. **END OF CHAPTER 6**