บท 31: Kronos: The Titan God
By evening, whispers of envy coursed among boys throughout the country because all the nine students selected in the lucky dip were girls.
As Clary, Candy, and Ariel engaged in a conversation in the last five minutes of the college hours, Rick and Allen came rushing to the classroom.
"Guys, don't worry that we were not selected in the lucky draw. Some computer science students are planning a night trek in Melanon in Elatias forest on Wednesday night. How about we also join them?" Rick asked, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
"Night trek?" Candy shook her head, denying it right away. "We have midterms starting on Monday, and we have only one week to prepare."
"Oh, come on, Candy. As if you will bury your head in the whole syllabus in a single night. We will have time to study on the weekend." Allen said.
"Wouldn't it be too dark?"
"Nope!" Rick explained with a grin. "It's full moon day on Thursday with enough night to hike on Wednesday through the wilderness. So, are you in for this adventurous trip?"
"I am not coming!" Clary's stern tone cut through the excited chatter of her friends.
"Why?" Rick and Allen exchanged confused looks while Candy and Ariel swivelled their attention to Clary.
Clary hesitated for a moment, struggling to put her fears into words. "I don't have a reason," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You guys can go without me." Without another word, she picked up her things and hurried out of the classroom. The thought of full moon in another four days was making her heart race in fear.
A concern fetched across the friend's faces. Candy said. "Did something happen to Clary? She looked so nervous and tensed now."
"I wonder the same!" Rick said, his voice low as he watched Clary's retreated figure. "I am dropping off from the plan. It's no fun without her."
"Me too!" The other also agreed. "I envy those computer science students."
Clary went directly to the archery academy, craving the solace of bow and arrow. As Uncle Ross dropped her at the academy entrance, he could feel something was wrong because she was not like the usual bubbling chatterbox throughout the ride. "Everything okay, Clary baby? You don't look good."
"Do I?" Clary nervously laughed, picking her bow. "Just a small run-in with my principal."
"Seems like that bald head needs another roasting from your father." Uncle Ross said with a wry smile.
"He can never recover this time," Clary said and made her way inside. Hours flew by in a flurry of bowstrings and targets until it was well past ten o'clock when Clary received a call from her dad that she returned home.
After dinner, she went straight to bed feeling bone-deep exhaustion. With a heavy sigh, she collapsed onto her bed and glanced over at the calendar on the table. The date read 27th August, Monday.
"Three more days." Clary counted and just as she closed her eyes, her mobile started ringing. Her face lit up, seeing the caller's name. "You finally remember me?" She complained, picking up the call.
"How can a brother forget his troublesome sister?" Clary heard her brother's teasing tone. "I heard your bald baby made you sit in the first row. You want me to come and pluck out his remaining hair as well?"
"It's just happened in the morning, and those oldies have spread the news already? Clary groaned. "I will have to educate them on the importance of keeping their lips zipped. By the way, how is your training going on with your ace director?"
"Having a hard time with his Latte, little sis."
"I want to taste a sip of that latte," Clary said, to which her brother responded 'don't even think about it. "So, when are you coming home? Get ready to get your butt whooped by Wazzy."
"Don't you worry. I am geared up for the show. Just Make sure grandpa is not off chasing golf with his sidekick Pepsi Jackson."
Clary sighed. "We don't have control over his reigns, don't we?"
They chatted for nearly an hour, their conversation filled with witty banter and playful teasing. But as the night wore on, Clary began to feel drowsy and bid him goodbye.
....
Leandre kicked open the door and entered his room after a fight with Pineapple. Day by day, the weirdo is pushing his edges to drive a bullet into his brain and shut that pea brain completely. He glanced around the room. Knox and Dustin lounged in the room as if his room was their personal oasis in a desert.
Knox was into the rabbit hole of scrolling through badassdinkle posts on Instagram. Finally, Xanth walked into the room. "Where the hell have you been since roll call?" Knox asked.
"Out for a breath of smoggy air," Xanth said, collapsing onto the couch.
Just then, all their phones dinged with an incoming notification mail. It was from yesyesohgodyes@gmail.com again.
"Ugh, not again today! This yesyesohgodyes is testing my self-restraint with a barrage of adult videos," Knox groaned, his face contorted like a constipated pug.
"You got the mail too?" Xanth exclaimed in disbelief.
"I too got it," Dustin said though he didnot bother to take a peek.
He then turned to Leandre and asked. "Did the mail also land in your inbox, bro?"
"I didn't pay much attention to it yesterday. Leandre's voice was carefully composed as he spoke. He began to piece together the dots now. "I took a closer look and traced the IP address, which led me to discover that it was sent from within our own academy. It's obvious that someone is trying to manipulate the trainees and throw them off balance. And there's only one person who stands to gain from this."
"Pineapple!" Xanth and Knox said in unison, their hands itching to beat that fruit into a pulp for making their day miserable.
...
The next day, Clary settled down next to Myra in the front row for the Bald baby class. She was surprised to see her today since Myra's flight was supposed to be taking off tonight.
After class, Clary began to gather her belongings to leave when Myra's voice rang out, beckoning her over. "Clary, can you teach me the classes I will miss during the trip?"
"Me?" Clary's heart fluttered at the request, caught off-guard. Doesn't Myra know her lacklustre attendance records? "I_I I am not good at explanation_"
"No. You teach very well." Myra insisted. "Remember when you taught me about energy balance and thermodynamics concepts in the 3rd semester? I aced full marks in the subject. Please don't say no."
"Al_alright. I will." Clary hesitantly nodded her head. It's weird to hear people singing praises on her, though she is flattered by Myra's words.
"Thank you so much!" Myra beamed, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Is there anything you'd like me to bring back from the trip? Don't ask for big gifts, Clary. I don't have much money," She added, her lips puckering into a pout.
Clary's heart swelled with warmth at Myra's kind words. "You have such a big heart, Myra," She said, her smile growing wider by the second. No wonder she is the professor's favourite student. "Bring me anything you like."
"Okies!" She nodded with a grin.
Before leaving, Clary took a moment to remind Myra to be careful during the forest treks and waterfall explorations.
The friends found themselves with a rare, free hour in the afternoon after lunch, and they went to Archopholis Delphi museum at Rick's insistence since it was just a five minutes drive. "You have visited the museum already, don't you, Rick?" Clary asked as they queued up to buy an entry ticket.
"They're showcasing an exclusive exhibit of ancient Greek artefacts and Greek God sculptors that will only be available for a week. I don't want to miss it."
''You, and your obsession with Greek Gods." Clary sighed. Rick is obsessed with Greek gods and games on Greek gods to the point that, except when he is not flirting with girls, his time is dedicated to playing those mytho games.
Upon entering the museum, Clary took in the sight of the intricate stones and ancient monuments, from shining swords to ornate amulets. She moved to the left wing, which truly left her speechless. Towering above her were the massive stone sculptures, each standing at least four or five meters tall, yet all of them were naked.
''They are Greek gods and goddesses,'' Rick said. ''Beautiful, aren't they?''
Beautiful? She wondered if these Gods were too poor to afford clothes.
Clary's gaze fell upon a stone sculpture of a naked man with massive wings sprouting from his back. He held a weapon in one hand and a baby in the other. His mouth was agape, and his face contorted with an expression of fury as if he intended to devour the infant whole.
''That's Kronos.'' Clary heard Rick's voice.
"The titan god?" Clary answered with the little knowledge she had about Greek Gods.
''So Rick is going to be our Greek mythology guide today?" Allen said, placing his hands on Rick's shoulders. ''Who is Kronos? I am weak in mythology, bro."
"Let me explain. Kronos is the titan God of time," Rick began, his voice full of awe. "Legend has it that during the Golden Age, a prophecy foretold that his own son would one day overthrow him from his reign. In a desperate attempt to avoid this fate, Kronos resorted to eating his own children as soon as they were born. However, his wife Rhea was appalled by his heinous actions and decided to take matters into her own hands. When their youngest son was born, she tricked Kronos into eating a rock disguised as the baby. Unbeknownst to Kronos, Rhea secretly gave the baby to a group of nymphs who raised him in a hidden cave."
''Later?''
"After the baby had grown to maturity, he became a cupbearer at Kronos's palace. One day, he prepared a concoction of wine mixed with mustard seeds and served it to Kronos. The potion caused Kronos to vomit up the five children he had previously consumed, who had been growing inside his stomach. His children then rose up against him, and a ten-year-long war ensued. The children of Kronos ultimately emerged victorious, having defeated their father and cut him into pieces. The remnants of his flesh were thrown into Tartarus, an abyss in the underworld reserved for the punishment of the wicked, where no one could escape."
'What is this baby God's name in Kronos' hand?" Clary asked, her curiosity piqued. A familiar silhouette caught her eye as she scanned the sculptures around her, causing her heart to skip a beat. It couldn't be, could it? The memories of their encounters at the plant nursery and coffee house came flooding back. Is he following me?
Meanwhile, Rick proudly pointed his finger to the centre of the hall where a tall, enigmatic statue stood, holding a lightning bolt in one of its mighty hands. ''That small baby is the King of Gods. Lord Z_''
"I will be right back..'' Clary cut Rick off and sprinted in a direction to evade the eyes of a certain tall, imposing man, unaware that she was proceeding into a prohibited zone.
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