Omens and Doom

At the mouth of a cave.

"News got to you too."

Tahni was the first to start, of the six people present. Two couples and a mother and her daughter.

"Should we call it a sheer coincidence? Of course we felt the wave, but twas point in time we returned that things escalated."

Aynea had stolen the stance from the princess, her daughter.

"Don't say I speak out of turn, but how about your baby? Where is she/he?"

Miargos had a contention. His left arm was wrapped around Prium's waist. They were all standing at the mouth of a lone cave. A cave conjured recently by Aynea.

"Mother left him with the fairies back in her world. To be taught the art of magic and survival. We would return to him when the time is due, but at the moment, he's in right hands."

The princess explained. Tahni didn't seem really convinced. She edified,

"Fairies? It's not my place to argue about or discard the fact of their existence, but then, how could you had trusted them with your newly born son? Obviously he would only be just few weeks or a month old."

A silly smile stole the side of the Princess' lips.

"That was where I gave birth to him. And Grandma is also there. The few months we spent there was more than enough to prove that they ain't as deceptive as you humans. Even if I'd known them for a week, I would had left the child with them, rather than entrust him to a human. Especially not in this kind of condition in whose claws our great land is caught."

Tahni allowed herself to be defeated. While Joyo, who was closely by her side, holding unto her left hand, fingers entwined, spoke up,

"Now that we have everyone here. What's the next plan?"

Prium seemed to be getting tired. The kicking baby in her was enough reason for dwindling strength. She pushed her left hand down and swiped the air. And suddenly, there sprouted a log of bench beneath her bum. She sat down, while her lover did too; Miargos.

Tahni gasped at that view. She turned to hold Prium in the closest gaze,

"What just happened?"

Prium wielded a smile and muttered,

"How about this?"

She swiped her left palm over her face and suddenly, she transformed into Athena. Everyone around, except Aynea was moved.

"At first when I heard that someone was impersonating Athena at the palace, I thought twas my love. I thought twas Prium. Though she was always by my side, yet I thought she had been using some tricks and magic to deceive me. But I was wrong."

Miargos had explained. She glared at him with a remonstration,

"How could a loving husband even doubt his own woman?"

He took her face in his hands without words and sought her forgiveness in her lips. Tahni sneered, looking away. She had only kissed Joyo once.

As Miargos let go of Prium's lips, she was back to her form. The kiss had tucked in Athena's form.

Aynea came on again,

"The new moon is three nights from now. On the night of the new moon, my power will be at its peak, Prium's also, and the little tricks I've thought my daughter would be of use too. We shall all steal upon Ayla like slithering adders and feed her of our venom. That not only would she shed the borrowed form, but be bound never to rise again!"

"That's a very great plan."

Miargos stood up suddenly.

"But I won't have my pregnant wife join you in the quest. Allot to me her part, and I'll carry it out with all my life."

Prium held his hand and pulled him down. He sat back down forcefully. She stood in his stead and started,

"Pardon my love. Who wouldn't cherish a Jade under his roof. But he keeps forgetting that I'm no normal human anymore."

She stomped her left foot on the earth and suddenly, she transformed into Athena. She turned to Miargos, rubbing her stomach,

"There's nothing to fear, my love."

She gave the whole of her unfiltered smile. He stared down at the stomach. There was no pregnancy.

Miargos rose up quickly and kissed as though he would proof a thing. And as he let go of her lips, when she changed back in Prium, the pregnancy was back.

"Do we stay in this cave together until that day, in order that no one is found wanting?"

Tahni interrupted the lovers' plight.

"I don't think anyone has an objection to that."

Miargos came on,

"But seriously, Aynea, if I was told that you're the one, I would had argued. What did you do to yourself? This beauty is beyond the gods."

"You talk about her beauty? How about the mystery of a mother with same height and body structure as her daughter. Like they are twins birthed the same night."

Prium had stood up, and started walking away.

"I was just playing my love?"

Miargos hurried after her but she wouldn't wait.

"Those lover!"

Joyo chuckled. And as he looked away from them to his, Tahni grabbed his face without warning and taunted his lips passionately...

"Get a room."

The princess argued.

* * *

The Royal Chamber

~The Archetype and Vulcan~

"Shit."

Vulcan bit amidst moans as his firm hands on her waists slid down her butts and started aiding her movement on him, as she rode him passionately... going front and back rhythmically, then up and down.

He suddenly let his hands off her butts and grabbed both her titties, pressing the nipples with a pair of fingers of both hands as her gentle moans increased in tempo.

She was going down on him to teach his lips an art of pleasure when a bird landed on the windowsill of the chamber. The raven cawed in sequence.

She slackened her movement on him and threw her gaze to the windowsill. The bird had a pine leaf caught in its beak. And off the bird flew without dropping the leaf.

"Come on..."

He squeezed her erected mounds, moving underneath her. But she was no longer in. She climbed off him suddenly and readjusted her gown. She hurried out of the chamber.

"Athena?"

He sat up suddenly and cussed,

"By the gods!"

He slid himself into some clothings and hurried out of the chamber. Getting into the throne hall, he could already see her at the door of the palace.

"Athena!"

He called and hurried after her. Before he could get to his horse, she had gotten on hers and was riding off. He took suit.

In no time, they got to the Palace arsenal built several metres away from the Palace. Closely in the heart of the vast expanse of land.

He got off his horse and hurried after her, as she entered through the gate, the guards bowing for them.

"You weren't riding a horse from whose back you can get off all of a sudden."

He barked at her as she came to a stop at the sacred and inner door sealed with magic. Behind that door were all the magical creatures they had caught... which were under Vulcan's command... the command which he had recently passed to the surrogate.

"I'm sorry, my love. Sex can wait, but this can't. I didn't mean to insult you."

She pleaded, turning slightly to him.

"What are you talking about?"

He queried,

"A doom will strike soon, and mortal warriors will not do. A doom that will rip me away from you forever. But we will not let that happen? Will we?"

He shook his head raggedly,

"Of course not. But help me understand."

"By the next full moon... They'll come for me. I have no idea how many. But someone great and renowned is one of them. Someone who could bring an end to me in just a snap of his fingers."

"You're scaring me. I don't want to lose you."

Vulcan confessed.

"You won't."

She assured and took two steps back. She put both her hands up and began to chant.

"Afíste ton Anatolikó ánemo kai ton Vorrá na enósoun to karýdi kai tis mi, na spásoun to xórki kai na xorkísoun to spasméno. Óra na eisagágoume tous klitíres ton apelpisménon elpídon. Ánoixe!"

And then the door creaked firstly. Then opened to the numerous monsters!

ROARS...HOWLS...SCREECH...SNORTS greeted them. Then flames.