17 Greece (2): Theater, boat trip, and 'monster'

Apologies for the delay; the beginning of the month is tough...

Well, as always, if anyone wants to support me or just read three chapters ahead of my two stories, that's possible on my (P)(A)(T) for just 2 dollars.

If not, I still appreciate you reading my stories, thank you very much!

As always, a good night and happy reading!

(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori

[...]---[...]

POV: Chiron.

"Sorry for the question, Mr. Hunter." If Lord Hunter was bothered by the way I addressed him, he didn't let it show on his face. "But I noticed that you seemed interested in the Medusa monster. Would you like me to gather information about the monster's location?"

I might not have been up to date with what was going on, but obtaining such information would be easy. I also had some ideas of where this being could be.

Even without paying full attention, I had heard some rumors about a place called the Shapeless Isle...

"It won't be necessary; I already know where Medusa and her sisters have taken residence." Sisters? "But I would appreciate it if you could prepare a small boat, something simple that can be handled by just two or three people." Lord Hunter requested.

It was somewhat gratifying not to receive orders but requests. Of course, I wouldn't refuse them, but it was liberating to have that option.

"Of course, I can accomplish such a task quickly. May I inquire when you would like this boat?" I could cash in some favors, and before nightfall, I would have this boat in the water.

Lord Hunter glanced at Lady Doll for a moment before responding.

"No need to hurry, a week is fine. Let's enjoy the city in the meantime, explore the theaters and attractions." Lord Hunter looked at the sea again for a second before starting to walk.

The faint glow in his eyes when he looked at the sea reminded me somewhat of Lord Apollo and his prophecies.

"Do you know of any good theaters in Athens?" Lord Hunter asked politely, without taking his eyes off the street ahead. "Any that are open at this time of the afternoon."

This question seemed to catch Lady Doll's attention, as I saw that she seemed to have part of her focus on the conversation, as if expecting my response.

"I know of a few, one in particular I saw on a poster about to start a play. I can take you there if you'd like." I offered to guide them.

I highly doubted that Lord Hunter hadn't seen the same poster as I had, but if he was giving me the opportunity to act as a guide, I wouldn't refuse.

Lord Hunter waved his free arm, the other held by Lady Doll.

"Lead the way; let's see what it's all about."

And so I did.

 ~ Fate/The Hunter and His Doll ~

POV: Doll.

"Tell me, Good Hunter, why ask Chiron for a boat?" I asked the Good Hunter, my attention partially on the play we were watching.

It was a curious tale, of a king named Laius and a prophecy involving his son Oedipus.

"Your doubt is why not use Madaras to sail the sea?" The Good Hunter asked, and when I nodded, he continued. "I don't want to attract too much attention when we go to the Shapeless Isle."

"Shapeless Isle?" I asked.

The Good Hunter briefly shifted his gaze from the play, turning to face me.

"That's the 'name,' so to speak, of the place where Medusa and her sisters currently reside." The monster? No, the way the hunter refers to this "Medusa," she seems more like a woman than a monster.

Perhaps someone cursed?

"Why a week?" If the Good Hunter had any curiosity about this "monster," we could have gone today or tomorrow.

"Two reasons." The Good Hunter raised a finger. "You seemed interested in Athens, in the theaters and plays. Let's spend this week enjoying the best the city has to offer without worries." The Good Hunter's voice was light, content.

"And the second?" I didn't bother to contain the smile that had appeared on my face and the joyful emotions within my chest as I asked.

"For me to have my final verdict." The Good Hunter's eyes briefly gleamed with insight before returning to their normal blue color. "To know if what exists on that island is still human or has succumbed and turned into a beast..."

"I see..." I nodded, returning my attention to the play.

A test? Or was the Good Hunter giving a chance to this "monster"? I was tempted to ask more but chose not to; in any case, I would know the answer in a week.

Still, after a few minutes of watching the play, I couldn't help my curiosity and asked another question.

"Is it normal for humans of this time to marry and have children with their own mothers?" Perhaps Oedipus didn't recognize his own mother, so he committed such an act? Or did he like her in that way?

The movements of the Good Hunter froze for a moment, as if he had turned into a statue, before doing something I hadn't seen him do in a while: sigh.

"I knew I should have skipped Greece..."

I tilted my head to the side, confused...

Did I ask a strange question?

 ~ Fate/The Hunter and His Doll ~

POV: Third person.

"Ready to go?" Chiron asked Hunter and Doll.

It had been a week since the two had arrived in Greece. A week since they set foot in Athens and heard rumors about the "Monster."

Hunter nodded, heading towards the small boat on the shore; Doll followed, soon sitting beside him.

Chiron was the last to board the boat. The centaur had procured a small boat that could easily accommodate the three, including his real body.

"The journey should take a few hours," Chiron spoke, about to start rowing, taking the boat to the Shapeless Isle, before being surprised when the boat started sailing on its own.

"What?!" The centaur exclaimed. He couldn't feel the divinity of Poseidon in the waters, nor any blessings from the gods.

"Sit down, Chiron." Hunter waved for the centaur to sit. "As you said yourself, the journey should take a few hours; enjoy the view, the sea breeze."

Chiron seemed confused before nodding and sitting as advised.

The centaur wasn't sure if it was Hunter who was making the boat move, or perhaps it could be Doll. He couldn't sense anything in the waves, no kind of energy or power.

It was as if the waves were moving on their own, happy to guide them through the sea like servants.

Even after sitting, Chiron remained alert, periodically looking around on guard, searching for any kind of sea creature or monster... He found none.

In fact, he could barely see any marine life; it was as if all the fish, marine mammals, and crustaceans had disappeared.

The only source of existing life in the water was plants, algae, and some corals, but even these seemed to be moving slowly.

The lack of marine life bothered Chiron more than if the centaur had seen a huge sea serpent or worse monster.

The silence was calm but felt... wrong.

Hunter and Doll didn't seem to care, both silent, peacefully enjoying the view.

Chiron sighed, lowering his guard and taking this strangeness as something Hunter himself had done.

Since he had met them, Chiron discovered that the duo seemed shrouded in mystery, especially Hunter. Such a thing should already be normal to expect, but still, the centaur couldn't help but be surprised.

If someone asked Chiron if he had the desire to unravel the mystery surrounding the duo, the answer would be only one: "No, I'm fine with my ignorance."

Chiron was wise, and even though the phrase wasn't identical, it was close enough to resemble the words that would be spoken centuries in the future.

A phrase uttered by a renowned English playwright and poet.

Ignorance is bliss.

 ~ Fate/The Hunter and His Doll ~

The journey proceeded smoothly, without interruptions, and a few hours later, the trio landed on the stone beaches of the Shapeless Isle.

Even around the island's coast, numerous stone figurines, statues in human form, could be seen.

Some statues wore armor and wielded swords and shields; others had bows in their hands and quivers on their backs, some even had chains on their wrists, as if they were slaves or prisoners forcibly sent to the island.

But all, without exception, had something in common besides being human statues. Every statue had an expression of terror on their faces.

The three observed the statues with varied emotions.

Chiron seemed uncomfortable, on high alert and partially in shock, realizing that the statues were not just statues but rather people transformed into stone.

Doll looked at the statues with a saddened face, quickly realizing the same as Chiron, that the statues were cursed humans, turned into stone.

Hunter, unlike the other two, showed no emotion, neither sadness nor shock. His face, even covered, was expressionless, blank.

Hunter almost instantly noticed that some statues were cracked, as if something had squeezed them, trying to break them before giving up. A hand, judging by the mark many statues had on their shoulders, a feminine hand.

A few statues also had two small punctures on their necks, shallow holes, as if something had bitten them to suck their blood but gave up halfway.

These specific statues were more cracked, the handprint on their shoulders deeper, as if whoever did it was applying more force in the grip.

"Curious..." was the only word Hunter said, being the first to disembark from the boat... and the only one.

Before Hunter could offer his arm to help Doll down, a projectile came flying towards his head, something all three noticed instantly.

A dagger, the projectile was a dagger, attached by a chain, flying quickly from behind one of the many stone pillars on the island.

Chiron quickly drew his bow from his back to shoot at the dagger, but he was stopped by Hunter's voice.

"Do not interfere." Hunter's voice echoed as he moved.

Almost lazily, Hunter reached up and caught the dagger with his fingers.

The chain attached to the dagger instantly tensed, with the thrower pulling it, trying to retrieve their weapon but without success.

No matter how much the thrower pulled, the amount of force they used, the dagger didn't seem to move an inch, nor did Hunter, who remained calmly still.

"Tell me. Why did you turn everyone else into stone, but you attack us with weapons?" Hunter's voice was calm, polite, and somehow, even without yelling, it could be heard throughout the island.

The thrower did not respond; the only noise that could be heard on the island besides the waves hitting the stones was the metal squeaking from the chains attached to the dagger as more and more force was applied to it.

Before the chain broke, shattered by the force put into it, Hunter let go of the dagger, which flew quickly back from where it came, pulled by the thrower.

Hunter waited for a few seconds, but when he saw that no more attacks were coming his way, he turned towards the boat.

"Stay here; I'll take a walk." Hunter waved his hand, his arcane reacting instantly and creating a barrier around the boat.

Doll waved calmly, sitting back down, watching what would happen quietly.

Chiron hesitated, his muscles tense, ready for battle, but he ended up sighing and relaxing.

The centaur still seemed on alert, not having put the bow back on his back or sat down, but aside from that, he did not move, as if he were standing guard.

Not that it was necessary.

As he began to walk, a weapon appeared in Hunter's right hand. Not the Saw Cleaver, but a lighter and faster weapon...

"A cane?..." Chiron's voice was confused.

... Threaded Cane would be perfect for this situation.

As Hunter walked, the only sounds heard throughout the island were those of the Threaded Cane hitting the ground and the waves.

Hunter walked calmly to the center of the island, then stopped, waiting for the next attack, waiting to see how the "monster" would act.

The "monster" moved almost instantly when Hunter stopped, breaking two pillars around Hunter, which fell in his direction, one on each side.

Hunter struck the Threaded Cane on the ground before pulling it up, the cane extending and splitting into several parts.

Hunter's arm blurred, the sound of a metallic whip echoing as the Threaded Cane moved in a circular motion, hitting the two pillars almost simultaneously.

The "monster" took advantage of the short moment when Hunter was attacking the pillars to move, running quickly and silently towards his back, where his blind spot should be.

Almost as if he had eyes in the back of his head, Hunter turned, the Threaded Cane returning to a single piece, blocking at the same time the two daggers that the "monster" wielded, one in each hand.

As sparks flew from the clash of the two weapons, the appearance of the "monster" could be seen by everyone watching the battle from afar.

The "monster" was actually a beautiful woman, with long purple hair swaying behind her slender body, covered by a luxurious-looking purple dress, something worthy of royalty but seemed worn.

Interestingly, the part that drew the most attention to Doll and Chiron, who watched the battle from afar, was not her beauty, which could be mistaken for the beauty of a goddess... but her eyes.

The woman's eyes glowed in a reddish-purple tone and pulsed with divinity and massive magical energy.

Eyes that widened when Hunter's blue eyes stared back at them, not turning them into stone or even slowing down his movements.

"Pleasure to meet you, Medusa."

With Hunter's polite words coming to an end, the battle resumed.

[…]---[…]

[Illusory threads from the moonlight - A Pale Mirage - Rank: A+++]

A veil of energy, coming from another world, that protects the marionette inhabited by [ERROR].

Even greatly weakened, the veil protects the marionette from any change of state, be it petrification, paralysis, charm, and etc...

~ Few things can touch a dream... Even fewer can affect it... ~

[…]---[…]

A quick explanation: The FATE timeline in Greece is a complete mess; some things are ahead of others when they shouldn't be, and some don't even exist. I'll take the liberty to rearrange some events here and there.

Well, regarding the chapter, I decided to leave a little cliffhanger and focus the battle in the next chapter since it will be longer. After all, Hunter is conducting a little... "test."

Let's see how Medusa handles it.

As always, good night to everyone and happy reading!