Izroulia: Hunt for the Lost Pod

Chapter 39 | returning favours

Knowing that any day now the chaos gems would be taken back, the Merfolk had put them back in their boxes and onto the bedside table ready to return to Khaos. Now Izroulia was safe and in good hands with Haru, the next step was finding the pod.

They had a few ideas, follow lay lines since the pod would likely be around areas with stronger magic. Check each of the nearby islands off the coast of point break, as they were small and largely uninhabited. One of them was over run by seals and another by fairy penguins, so while those two may not be the place to look there were plenty of others.

And of course there was just going grid by grid on a map of the coast, although that would take forever as they'd found out when they tried that before. Either way, they had options. And when they found a lead they could just follow that which would make the hunt much easier.

They'd spend the past few weeks in Izroulia, aside from when the girls had to go to school and such. Finals were soon, so was graduation. Zagreus' family was already looking into moving back to Izroulia. Icarus was holding out for the one clue she needed about her fathers whereabouts to tell her mum everything. Pandora was still debating on telling her parents of her grandmother and Izroulia. And Aries was just glad to be home, spending time cleaning their childhood bedroom that had been left untouched when they left. Helping Momo with the orchid, and catching up after all these years. And of course, hanging around the castle with Haru and Micha.

They'd all agreed to get back to the human realm and pod hunting next week, giving the girls time to take their finals with no extra stress. As well as time for everyone to explore Izroulia more and help out Haru and Micha where needed.

Haru was hard at work drawing up all the new laws and regulations to better the land and undo the damage Agnemetra did. Micha was eagerly going through the archives and making sure everything in there was properly documented.

It was Wednesday, mid way through the week. The girls had been home in the human realm crunching the books in preparation for the finals, Zagreus had spent yet another day with Styxx at his lake. Aries was busy collecting grapes with Momo for the wine season all day. When the sun went down and it was time for everyone to head to bed, it was a warm night similar to the night they got the gems.

It night for the ceiling fans on and opening windows a crack. Kicking the blankets off, sleeping shirtless, breaking out the cropped summer pyjamas.

On the bedside tables and desks of the group, the chaos gems sat in their boxes ready to go home to Khaos. And tonight was that night. After they'd all fallen asleep, the boxes vanished in a small burst of sparks. But that wasn't all Khaos was doing tonight. They had plans to return the favour, has the gods did when mortals carried out a task for them.

So when Aries felt suddenly soaked, prompting them to wake up in confusion and found they weren't in bed anymore they knew something was up. When they opened their eyes they were met with a sky full of stars, like looking at one of those super high definition photos from a satellite. They sat in shallow water, seemingly over an endless void, too shallow to swim in. When they looked beside them, they were met with he other three.

"Hey- Zag... wake up" Aries said, poking the merman.

"Mhhh it's too early Styxx..." Zagreus muttered.

"Boy do I sound like your boyfriend? I'm not even a boy, wake up"

Zagreus stirred, sitting up and suddenly realising he was soaked. He opened his eyes, looked around and blinked in confusion.

"What the fuck...? I was just- I was just with Styxx how the-" He stammered.

"I think it's Khaos' taking the gems back from us. But I have no idea were we are. Can't be primordial chaos, no mortal can even convince of that..." Aries replied.