Chapter 2 BEAST OF ADVENTURES

Greece, Parthenon 2 weeks later

Shouts echoed around the high walls of the room as the outraged sailors and merchants protested the ruling. "This is bullshit! That monster has cost me and my men a small fortune not to mention several lives! We can hardly leave Cape Sunium without being sunk!" One of the outraged sailors yelled.

Theseus held firm to his directive. "This is the will of the Gods, go against this order and you will be going against the god Zeus himself." He rolled out the script that had been tucked snugly under his arm and began reading. "The creature, being that of a god and one of Zeus's chosen heroes shall not be hunted by none other than the chosen son of Poseidon." He glanced around him, his eyes stopping shortly on the veiled men at the back of the room. "This decision was not met lightly and acts against it will not be punished lightly. Heed my words." He sat the script down in front of him and raised a hand and waved the men forward. Both men hugged the wall and the dark shadows there as they edged around the room. The larger of the men patted the other on the shoulder, as he stopped beside the last of the judges.

Orion glanced back at his father, who had insisted on being present for the reading of the orders, before pushing the veil of the heavy robe away from his head, letting it fall behind him. He stood large and menacing in front of the crowd. He hadn't needed the council members to tell him the crowd gathered before him was filled with various creatures who had all been either brought before these very courts as criminals themselves or under suspicion. His eyes fell on a particularly disgruntled vampire whose face grew more furious with every word Theseus uttered. This man would surely be trouble for him and this mission. When Theseus stood aside and nodded in Orion's direction, he stepped forward and cleared his throat. "I will hunt down this creature plaguing you and deal with it properly, you can be assured. I have gone up against many beasts and have yet to be defeated..." He smiled out at the group. "Nor have I lost a hunt to another. That record will not be changed now, so best you leave the creature to me." He winked out at the crowd making sure the glaring vampires gaze met his. "I'd hate to lug two heads back to Olympus." With that, he crossed his massive arms over his chest and stepped back. He listened as Theseus continued to speak before dismissing the group, and Selena finally stood to wave them away.

Orion turned to the council, "Any parting words of wisdom or helpful advice?" He asked directing his question to Prometheus.

"Go to the island of Ogygia. It is closest to the banks of Zacynthus, there you will find the creature you search for... but be warned things are not what they seem. Trust no one and take caution of beautiful women and children, for you'll find no others on that island." Replied Prometheus.

Orion arched his brow. "Always riddles with you, ol' man. If that's all then I shall be on my way then." He nodded to the other hooded figure still standing at the back of the group of council members. He made his way across the spacious halls and out to the sleek black stallion tethered out front. He quickly mounted the horse. "To Ogygia." He called out to it and the magnificent horse darted into a sprint unmatched by any beast alive.

The hooded man waited patiently for all other members to depart before approaching Prometheus. He didn't bother removing the hood as he spoke. "Tell me the fortune of my sons. Have I sent them to their death?"

Prometheus smiled. "They will each be consumed by the creature, and each lose a thing they did not realize they sought..." He hurried on when he saw the worry and irritation on Poseidon's hooded face. "They will not defeat this beast, not in body at least, only in showing their vulnerability will they find its."

Poseidon watched as the dust trail his sons had left slowly settled, leaving no sight of them. "I fear vulnerability is one thing neither of them shows often enough." His attention turned back to the hand that now rested atop his shoulder.

"It will not be a short or easy journey for either boy, their paths will forever be entwined with the beast from here on out..." He smiled as he stepped away, "And it shall be a very long path."

Once they were far enough away, Orion dropped the reins and let out a heavy breath. "This is insane, you realize this right?"

A snicker came from the horse. "Of course it is, but you know Father isn't going to miss out on an opportunity to sneak one past our uncle."

Orion huffed out a sarcastic laugh, "And exactly where does that leave us if his 'opportunity' is compromised?" He sighed, "Stop here, Arei, I'm tired of riding."

The horse laughed but did as Orion asked. "Fine but you can't very well charge across the sea in your form, now can you."

Orion arched his brow as he dismounted the beast. "And it's not going to be very inconspicuous if I ride a shape-shifting horse to shore either. Though you may not be as well-known, I'm sure the second I ride ashore on your back even the dumbest of nymphs will figure it out. I don't know what Father was thinking, sending us here together." He shook his head as he stepped out toward the waters. "We should separate here. Visit later if you must, but give it long enough that the gods won't be suspicious."

Arei shook his head, sending his long mane waving majestically through the breeze. "The gods are always suspicious, brother. What makes you think there is anything to change that? We should stick together and get the job done quickly." He pranced out into the water beside Orion. "Come on, Ry, you heard what Prometheus told Father earlier. We will not meet the wrath of Zeus but face the same fate that most great warriors face but never best nor ever have the desire to..." He used his head to splash water on his more serious brother. "Come on you're not the least bit interested to know what the man speaks of?"

Orion wiped the water from his face. "Well of course I am, but we shouldn't put both our lives at risk until we know more."

Arei rolled his eyes, his large black ears twitched in irritation. "Fine then, let me give you a ride to shore, then I'll leave. I'll come back to check on you in two months and if you still haven't found this creature, we work together... deal?" He extended his hoof.

Orion narrowed his eyes at his brother's hoof. "I am not shaking that."

Areion laughed loudly, "Well fine if shaking the hand of a naked man is more agreeable than that of a horse hoof." Arei began to shift his form.

"NO!" Orion yelled out holding out his hand to block the view of his brother's shift. His eyes traveled to the heavens. "You will only risk giving us and Father away more by doing so." He rolled his eyes when the horse hoof jutted back out toward him. He let out an irritated sigh as he awkwardly took the hoof and shook it.

Arei laughed as he nudged his brother with his head. "Now was that so hard. Get on!" Arei shot through the water the second Orion was settled. "Fastest on land and water!" Arei shouted over the roar of the air and waves as they cut their way through.

Orion shook his head as he held on tightly. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you like this form better!" He yelled back.

Arei let out a pleased neigh then laughed with joy. "How could I not! It's amazing!" He shook and shimmied as he came ashore, Orion leaped down before he could be thrown.

Giving his brother a hard shove against the nuzzle as the horse pulled at his bag, Ry began walking toward the narrow path leading through an overgrowth of tropical vegetation. "With any luck, this road will lead to a soft bed, stout ale, and a willing whore... or two..."

Arei snorted as he trotted behind. "Is that all that's on your mind? If that's the case better make it two, and one willing to fuck a horse since I'm stuck in this form."

Orion shot his brother a wide crooked grin. "Come, brother, there are plenty of bar wenches looking for a nice large horse cock." He playfully kicked up a chunk of sand with his boot and kicked it in Arei's direction.

Arei purposely made a silly horse noise as he blew air out his wide nostrils and shook his massive head from side to side. "Women tend to frown when approached by a bloody talking horse."

Orion laughed, "Well then you're not offering enough ale first! You can get a man to do about anything with enough ale." He shot a wink over his shoulder.

Arei snorted a light laugh, "Yes, a man... unlike you, my tastes are a bit more restricting... and human women don't typically consider horses to be suitable lovers."

Orion sent him another wide sideways grin, "Well now that you said it, human. Have you considered horse pussy?"

Arei charged at Orion ramming his head hard into his brother's stomach. "I am not fucking an animal!" He yelled as they wrestled in the sands.

Orion laughed teasingly as he tried gripping Arei in a tight headlock. "Why not? The gods seem to stick their cocks in about anything that has an opening." He ground his knuckles into the soft jet black mane as he squeezed tighter around his brother's neck.

"Okay! Okay! You win!" Arei cried out as he pulled from Orion's loosened grip. "Not that I will fuck a damn animal but the rest for sure..." He shook out his mane and began walking through the clearing of the thick vegetation. He felt Orion bump into his backside when he came to a sudden stop. "Ry... I don't think you're going to find any of the things you are looking for here... this island has long since been deserted."

"What are you talking about this is where Prometheus said... isn't it-" His words trailed off as he took in the dilapidated state of the tiny building that was once a bustling market.

"I've heard the goddess of this island went insane with rage and grief when the gods made her release her lover, and she banished every last living thing from the island including her own newly born child." Arei repeated the old sailor's tale he'd heard during a rather intense night of drinking. "Honestly, I just took the ol' man as drunk and crazy..." He did his best to shrug in horse form, but it looked more like a limp than a shrug.

Orion pushed open the door of one of the crumbling buildings and leaned inside to look around. He stepped back out dusting the dust from his hand onto his thick trousers. "We'll not be bedding down here tonight, that's for sure. These buildings would disintegrate with the slightest use." He shook his head as he walked past Arei and headed back toward the beach.

Arei struggled to turn his large frame in the tiny confines of the ruins. Watching his steps he backtracked to the beach with Orion. "Didn't ol' Prometheus say Zacynthus is the nearest island to here? We could bed down there, maybe loosen a few lips with enough ale to find out more about this place and our beastie... bonus I wouldn't have to say in horse form."

Orion chuckled, "Yes, true enough but that wouldn't keep you from fucking an animal on Zacynthus. There's a huge population of creatures there. Most of the residents are lycanthrope."

Arei did another awkward horse shrug as he trotted into the waters. "Better than horse pussy!"

Orion laughed deeply, shaking his head. "That I'm sure of..." He chuckled as he through a leg up over the horse. "Lead the way oh faithful steed."

Arei bucked playfully as he began to pick up speed once again. "And you fuck off oh faithless brother."