บท 58: Getting pets

[Elysium, April 16th 2005]

"Yessss, yesssss!!" I yelled in triumph being backed up by the copies of my dad and the rest of our audience.

I fell from my horse onto my back just yelling over and over "FINALLY, 8 FUCKING MONTHS! I DID IT!"

"ThAT'S MY BOY!"

"YES 2 MONTHS OF BETTING ON THE KID FINALLY PAID OFF!"

More screams of joy mainly from me, rang through the arena, before a hand stretched out over me to help me out.

"Looks like you beat me."

"Thank the gods for that I don't think I could have lasted more loses." I replied as Hector helped me up.

"Wanna go for a rematch?"

"Hell no. I just won once against you, I don't believe I could do it twice in a row." I sighed while patting my horse companion that had been my steed over the past few months.

"Whatever you say, Ozzy it was nice sparring against you, but we have been together for almost a full eight months and I believe it's time for me to spend some time with my wife."

Hector waved back as he left the arena with reins and spear in hand. The copies of my father melded into one before appearing in front of me.

"You did great kiddo but you still have two more labors to do, so let's celebrate today before you get back to your quest."

"Thanks dad." I replied, honestly while I couldn't really say I liked my godly parent and always thought that my only true dad would be Chiron but I guess I was wrong in the end, even though he hadn't raised me I could truly say Erebus was my dad such as Edna was always my mom.

My father pressed his hand on my shoulder before we sucked into his shadow appearing once more in the Isles of the Blest where my mother was waiting for me.

"Hey mo-"

Before I could even get my words out my mother rushed at me and hugged me while lifting me like a springboard.

"Edna please don't kill Ozzy with your hugs he is still alive."

My mother smiled awkwardly at his words letting me down on the floor.

"So Mom." I started "I've finished all my objectives in here, so I will, be leaving soon."

"Guess it had to happen soon or later, still I think it we spent our time together well though I did waste those three months."

"Yeah." I replied while scratching my head.

"Well son, your mother and I still have one more thing to give you thought it is mostly from me." My father started speaking, before my mom hit him in the gut with his elbow.

"Koff, so your present while I still can't give you color to your eyesight, there is something I can give you." He finished two huge shadows appearing at his sides, from one a fox a little smaller than an elephant and a Tibetan mastiff looking dog as big as a lion, two green auras surrounding both.

"These cute boys, are Swiper the Teumessian Fox and Lailaps the dog that always catches its quarry. Swiper was a fox that could never be caught while Lailaps was a dog that always caught its prey, they were sent after each other but from the paradox they made Zeus turned these cute buggers into stone. I thought they would make a good farewell present from us to you."

Looking at the animals their auras started changing from green to blue the intensity growing as well leading to both of the, jumping onto me licking my body, which honestly felt like a warm bath.

My father grabbed both by their collars taking them off my body before my mother spoke "So you like them," my mother asked.

"I love them." I answered walking towards the fox and stuffing my face into its fur.

I spent the rest of the day with my mother father and my new pets talking about our stories or anything else we could come up with, even after months we had never gotten bored with each other.

Going back with my father to Elysium I started felling sleepy, which was followed soon after by me falling onto the paved road unconscious or asleep whichever way you wanted to look at it.

[Odysseus Dreamscape, Unknown Time]

"Come on dad really, we were next to each other why did you have to bring me here?"

"Shush it's tradition." My fathers voice more primordial than ever echoed through my dreamscape.

"Besides you're already here so we should get started. Your eighth labor is going to be simple you must fix your name holder's greatest regret, your hint is-"

Before he could finish I spoke after all I already talked to Odysseus tons of times some already knew his biggest regret "Retrieveing Achilles' armour and handing it to Ajax right."

The eyes surrounding me fell slightly as if he was disappointed that he couldn't finish his words.

"Okay know it all, you're right but you got one thing wrong, you need to place the armour in Ajax's grave. Now leave you have ruined my fun."

"Wait before you teleport me somewhere could you please repeat the hymn you said before I can only seem to remember the first verse Οπάλιον σβέσον τὸ φῶς σου (Opal dim your light)."

"Don't worry about the hymn you will remember the rest in time, it wouldn't matter how many times I repeated it, honestly I didn't think you would have gotten this far by now."

"Okay then." I sighed slightly disappointed at his words after all each time I remembered the hymn I could feel my connections to shadows grow much stronger the more of it I sang.

"Oh come on don't be like that, I'll give you something else."

I was then sucked into the floor beneath me, when I opened my eyes once more I sense that I was in a place surrounded by walls which looked like an aqueduct. I also sensed something else inside my shadow, two live presences on it.

"Come on out."

From my shadow Swiper and Lailaps, Swiper was almost too big for the tunnel so in my amazement I saw how Swift started shrinking quickly until he was the size of a house cat before jumping onto my shoulders as I scratched his chin.

Jumping onto Lailaps I scratched her head, before yelling "Let's go guys."

[Greek Myth Fact (Short chapter I know the next ones will be longer I promise): The Teumessian Fox was a giant fox sent by the gods to ravage the countryside of Thebes as punishment for some crime. Creon, regent of Thebes, commanded Amphitryon destroy the fox--an impossible task for the beast was destined never to be caught. The hero solved the problem by setting the magical dog Lailaps on the trail, for it was destined to always catch its quarry. Zeus, faced with a paradox of fate--an uncatchable fox being pursued by an inescapable dog, turned the pair to stone, so freezing their contest in time.]

Chances of Ozzy at beating Hector:

Spear: 9 in 10 Battles

Swords: 7 in 10

Bows: 10 in 10

Short Swords or Daggers: 8 in 10

Horse Riding: 2 in 10

Shields: 5 in 10

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