43 Quick Escalations
/Last one for today. Sub to Patre0n for 2 more chapters. It'll be up there in 3 hours.
Patre0n.com/ShadowDrev
Goal: $69/$420
Discord:
https://discord.gg/39PmeFK
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Tak! Tak! Tak!
Autumn stepped over fallen branches and other such debris as she made her way over to the now ensnared women, turquoise colored eyes glancing from the barely hidden Luke to the three resort workers. Smiling to herself, the young girl closed her hand a bit. Almost immediately, the vines tightened in response, squeezing the trio and even causing them to cry out in pain. Opening her mouth ever so slightly, Autumn let out the faintest of laughs, almost akin to a giggle. It was almost as if their suffering brought her some joy, and it was this thought that made Luke shiver.
Whoever this Autumn was, he wasn't sure if he wanted to actually meet her up close and personal.
"You three look rather well," the young girl said, stopping in front of them. "Though I can see you're a bit tied up at the moment, so maybe I should let you be and collect your thoughts."
"Young lady!!! Let us down from here at once!!" Megan strained against the vines, visibily attempting to utilize magic to escape. Every time she tried, the vines would tighten and force her to give up on it. "Don't make me tell your mother about this. Or maybe I'll just have to inform Lady Circe about what you've been up to on the blasted pirate ship!! Halt this horseplay of yours at once!!"
"And what is she gonna do?" Autumn asked calmly. "Send me to my room? How would that be any different than living on this island?"
"The heck are you on-"
"Isolation. Surrounded by nothing but ocean on all sides. No one here to relate to. Did you ever stop to wonder WHY I climb aboard the boats and fiddle around with them?" Autumn shook her head. "Of course, you wouldn't understand what I'm saying. All you can comprehend is the meager world you live in, unable to truly see beyond the island and the pseudo sense of safety it can provide. Even if I broke it down for you piece by piece, you wouldn't care. I've been meaning to tell you and everyone this for so long. I guess now is as good a time as any."
(("Who is this girl?")) Luke wondered, moving from the cover of the tree. With the new arrival being able to control the vines, it wasn't as if hiding would do him any good. (("She talks kinda like Chion."))
"I'm leaving this island." The girl turned around and walked away from the three of them. "With these three newcomers, I'll be able to leave this prison and see the outside world. After I leave, only then will I let you down. Megan."
"Who the heck is Megan??!!" Megan exclaimed as she struggled even harder against the ropes. "You would leave your mother? Your friends? Lady Circe? You owe us-"
Autumn glared. "I owe you nothing. YOU all took me in. YOU all raised me of your own volition. Even when my mother gave me up after I was born. Only reason I was taken in was because of her being an Olympian."
Megan's eyes widened. "You knew??"
The girl waved her hand. "The most poorly kept secret ever.
"Oh? Then do tell. Who WAS your mother?"
Almost at the same time, everyone turned their heads in the direction the voice originated from, differing expressions appearing on each visage. There, just out of the line of sight of each of them, was Chion and Annabeth, calmly walking up as if it was most natural thing in the world to do. Despite having obviously heard and saw most of what happened, the white-haired individual seemed to be as chill as always whilst Annabeth looked quite disturbed. Odds were, she had even seen the part where Autumn had deliberately squeezed her three captives. Luke felt a strange sense of relief wash over him as the young teen moved into the picture. He had been quite confident in his ability to fight back but having someone powerful to back him up was more than enough to put his worries to rest.
Stepping out from behind the tree, the blonde made her way over to the two of them.
"Chion. Annabeth. Good to see you two looking well." Luke grinned. "It's been a while. We have SOOO much catching up to do."
"We just saw each other a short while-"
"Oh, Annabeth. You look amazing." Luke ruffled the top of the girls head. "Did you do something with your hair? No, that can't be it. It looks just like it always does. Maybe it's your aura?"
"Hardy har har." Annabeth rolled her eyes, her face blushing ever so slightly. "You're so funny."
"Dang, did Chion make the joke first?" Luke glanced over to the white-haired youth.
Chion merely shook his head as he stepped past the teen, patting his shoulder. "Nah, she's just not intelligent enough to appreciate our craft. We should find a new target, one who can actually comprehend the deep intricacy of our quips. Clearly it's being wasted."
"Did you just call me dumb?" Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He said it. Not me."
"Autumn Lowe. We meet again." Chion ignored Annabeths question as he moved towards the black haired vine manipulator. "How long has it been? Five minutes? Ten? Oh, how time does fly when you're stuck running across an entire island. I was almost certain we'd never see each other again."
"I'll admit, I didn't expect to see you for another minute or so." Autumn didn't seem the least bit surprised to see the youth. In fact, she look just as calm and collected and Chion himself. "I thought breaking out of my vines would've taken a bit longer for you."
"Pft. They were just plants. Nothing a little ice couldn't fix." Chion raised a hand, palm facing the sky. On the word 'ice' he allowed a bit of his magic to escape the center of his hand, blue eyes glowing briefly. "I heard you wanted to join our motley little band of misfits and help us leave the island. I still kinda wanna know who your parent is but I'd much rather know your-"
GRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
It was difficult to tell what exactly the sound was, something akin to a whale call and an overwhelming screech, but it was almost a given that everyone on the island heard it. It pierced the ground and the air, the vibrations traveling everywhere, to the point where Chion could feel it in his very core. In all his life, or at least on what the youth could remember, the white-haired teen had never felt a surge of fear and alertness compared to when that sound emanated from the oceans depths, drowning our every other sound. Everything else suddenly became meaningless. Circe and her resort, the quest, Chions past, Autumn Lowe. It paled in comparison.
"What the f*ck is THAT?!" Chion immediately looked towards Luke, recalling the reason he had moved in that direction in the first place. "Luke. Explain!!"
"Some kind of beast," Luke readily replied, looking just as shaken up as Chion. "It had tentacles larger than a damned cruise ship!!"
(("That creature from before.")) Chion cursed internally. (("So it didn't give up after all. How did it know that we'd be here?"))
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
//A scent that strengthens with further power, a choice to leave or be devoured//
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
"No way....." Chion whipped around on his heels. "We're leaving. MOVE IT!! Aututmn, you're with us!!"
"Okay," Autumn happily replied, immediately lowering her hand.
On cue, the other three women were dropped onto the ground as the vines loosened and disengaged from their victims. Luke and Annabeth quickly looked at each other but didn't say anything as they quickly raced to catch up with the now sprinting youth. They were clearly confused with the situation but the screech from the ocean was more than enough of a reason for them to hold their objections for the time being.
"So, why're we running?" Autumn asked, surpassing Chions' compatriots. She was running so casually it was almost like she was jogging, breathing evenly and with very little effort. "A special event?"
"That's the Kraken." Chion said simply. "We leave or die. You think a small island like this is keeping a THING like that at bay? Better chance of barracading a tree house and hoping it survives a nuke."
"The KRAKEN??" Luke and Annabeth shouted in unison like it was scripted, putting on a bit of speed to match the other two.
Right on cue, something slammed down behind them, a shadow rapidly descending from the sky to slam down inches from Luke's back shoulder. The ground beneath them rumbled as the tentacle rapidly retreated back toward the edge of the island, slipping into the ocean. Chion didn't need to provide any more explanations as two more tentacles shot down from the sky, forcing the runners to scatter, barely managing to save themselves. For such a giant creature, it seemed to have pinpoint accuracy in where Chion was located. The next two attacking tentacles proved this as it followed the youth even after he separated from the other demigods.
"Tsk. Annoying bastard!!" Chion glanced towards the other two. "You three head to the harbor!! Take the pirate ship and head out to sea. I'll find you when I get the chance!!"
"But-"
"We can't-"
"You CAN and you WILL leave me," Chion cut off as he rolled away from another tentacle. The creature didn't seem to be getting tired of missing its target. In fact, it seemed to be getting more frustrated as more and more of its appendages were revealed. "It's only a matter of time until it shows its actual body. If you wait, it'll be too late!! It's after me so just GO!!"
"If we can get to the ship, I can get us out of here," Autumn said. "I've been studying it my whole life. You know he's right. We need to go."
Luke punched the ground. "DAMN IT!!! FINE!!"
"YOU BETTER NOT DIE FROSTBITE!!" Annabeth immediately turned around and began sprinting in the direction of the dock. "I'll kill you myself!!"
"We'll meet again Chionothýella Pagos," Autumn said. "You don't seem like one to die so easily."
"She's right!! We'll wait for you to join us!!"
Chion let out a small laugh, filled with bitterness for the situation. Ignoring the flailing tentacles for a second, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Sparrows Compass. Without another word, he tossed the thing towards a running Annabeth, of whom caught it in surprise.
"It's your quest, Owl Head." Chion gave her a salute. "Make everyone proud."
Without another word, the white-haired youth turned around and ran in the opposite direction of the docks, back towards the forest.
"Alright Kraks old boy." Chion grinned. "Let's see who comes out on top."
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
//Last one for today. Sub to Patre0n for 2 more chapters. It'll be up there in 3 hours.
Patre0n.com/ShadowDrev
Goal: $69/$420
Discord:
https://discord.gg/39PmeFK
