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The word dragon was derived from the Greek word Drakōn.
Ancient Greeks applied the term to large, constricting snakes.
The Greek Drakōn was far more associated with poisonous spit or breath.
Though fiery breath is still attested in a few myths.
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I stepped back. The distance between Pharoah and I was seemingly not enough. The weight of the Sin's stare could reduce anyone to his or her knees. And normally, I would've brushed his statement off as something pointless. But after seeing his manipulative behavior, I was quite fearful.
"Where's Liam?"
He ran a clawed hand over one of Raph's horn-like projections. "He's fine. Probably with Eros."
I needed to leave before he changed his mind. Taking a deep breath, I searched within, trying to tap into my ability. A slight tingle reverberated back in response. A sure sign I could teleport.
It didn't make sense, especially with Liam at a far distance. I stole a glance at the Sin only to find him smirking back. His expression was enough to answer my puzzlement. I could draw my abilities from him the same way I do with Liam.
I flicked my wrist and immediately conjured up a portal. Pharoah made no move to pursue as I stepped into the swirling vortex. The last thing I heard was Raph's soft whine before the scenery changed.
The portal spat me back into the forest that surrounded Wyatt's home. It was a few meters away from our previous meeting point. I tumbled to the ground and rolled to a stop, groaning and spitting dirt from my mouth.
I really need to work on my teleportation skills.
My muscles tensed, hearing footsteps approaching. "Shit! She found us."
I rose a head up, my hair partially covering my eyes. A group of four men surrounded by five fully transformed Manticores stood a few distances away. And judging from the constant change in eye color, I knew the four men were Crocottas. Their irises kept switching between yellow and orange before morphing to dark blue and back.
"It's Henry's girl." One of them said.
Henry's girl? What the hell?
It was still dark out and the treetops kept casting shadows, obscuring my view. Nevertheless, I noticed a short figure struggling against them. His wrists were bound behind him as he grunted. The boy lifted his eyelids, exposing golden irises.
Hunter?
Hunter scrunched his eyebrows as recognition settled. He rolled his eyes.
Well...nice to know he's alright.
"Grab her. Henry needs both of them." A buffy guy ordered the Manticores while holding Hunter securely to his chest.
"Are you crazy? We already have someone on our asses. The others can't hold him for long." One Crocotta glared at his companion, finding his idea absurd.
Buff-guy wanted to argue but froze when an agonizing scream pierced through the forest. I could literally feel the guy's pain, knowing he was going through something horrifying.
Fear shot through the men when Buff-guy announced. "Fine. Let's--"
Before he could finish, something sharp jutted from the ground between his feet. It gashed up his body and straight to his brain. His eyes were wide, lips parted in silent shock as black blood spilled from every opening. In less than a second, he crumbled to dust. Hunter slipped away, completely unharmed. His eyes held so much fear and stupor.
The others screamed as sharp numerous spikes emerged, spearing them like barbecues on a stick. I stared as one Manticore was gutted with multiple spikes, almost like they had a personal grudge against the creature. They pierced with so much emotion.
One I could easily read...
Anger.
Looking closely, I realized they were made of sharp bamboo stems. More of them sprouted at different angles, piercing a guy in the chest like they knew exactly where he stood.
A female crocotta grabbed Hunter's elbow, dragging him unceremoniously close. It all ended when a bamboo spike pierced below her jaw and out one eye. After a few seconds, she dissolved to ash.
Hunter stumbled away, his clothes stained with crocotta blood. His Nike shoe caught a tree root, causing him to tumble over. He hit the ground hard, shoulder first.
"Hunter," I rushed to help him.
"Don't!"
I was only a few feet away when a spike shot up before me, scratching my nose by a centimeter. If I had been any faster, I would've been impaled. I retreated, seeing my life flash before my eyes.
Hunter struggled against his bound wrists, trying to sit up. "Don't come any closer. Dimitri doesn't know it's you."
Looking at it now, the spikes pierced anything within ten feet of the triplet. I stepped back. "Are you okay?"
He nodded and I noticed something slowly growing around him, forming a wide ring. The triplet mumbled. "Judging from what's happening, Dionysus is conscious and he doesn't look happy."
Ya think?
If there's anyone who would get bloody over Hunter being hurt, it's Dionysus.
"Find him. He needs to effing chillout." Hunter said as vine-like thorns sprouted, forming a wall while increasing in size and height.
Its inner surface had leaves with purplish flowers while its outer surface jutted out in fierce sharp angles. Almost like it was protecting the triplet while keeping intruders out. Taking Hunter's advice, I rushed in the direction of the screaming voices.
I stumbled against the rocky ground but recovered quickly. The screams grew louder followed by the sound of ripped flesh. My boots slid to a stop as I gazed at a Crocotta being torn apart by vines. Another was slowly being crushed by a tree trunk. Blood spilled from his nose and lips
"Dionysus!" I screamed.
A hand grabbed my neck, twisting me around to meet two purple irises. They didn't belong to the god of wine but Dimitri. Surprise left me speechless. Anger spilled from his features with the intention to kill. It's the first seeing him in this state.
Dimitri has always been a lively person with a bright face but this side of him was completely new. Crocotta blood drenched his clothes and face, creating a menacing aura.
I gently rubbed his wrist. "Relax. Hunter is alright. It's me, Penny."
Recognition seemed to flicker through his eyes as he caught on. He released his hold and stepped back so fast. His forehead scrunched up in confusion. "What are you doing here? I could've killed you."
I smiled, trying to shrug it off while my knees silently shook. "Really? Who would've thought."
He scrutinized my clothes, looking for injuries. "Did Braidguy hurt you?"
I straightened my hoodie. "His name is Pharoah. And no, he didn't do anything dangerous."
Dimitri sighed in relief and sat back against a boulder, running a hand through his curly black hair. "I'm so sorry Penny. I didn't know what to do. Hunter was..."
"It's alright. No need to feel guilty about it." The indiscretion of leaving me had probably contributed to his anger. It also confirmed one thing...
There are certain parts of Dimitri that he keeps buried; hidden from the rest of us while fixing something sweet up front. It keeps leaving me unsettled every time I draw near.
Shaking the thought off, I stretched out a hand. "Come on. Let's get Hunter. He's probably wondering if you killed me by accident."
Dimitri smiled and took my hand, accepting the help. I pulled him to his feet.
"Sorry you had to witness all that." He slipped off his blood-drenched jacket, exposing a tight-fitting black Puma shirt. His wine-colored irises watched me closely. "I got carried away."
That's kind of an understatement but what's done is done. "Let's just forget about it."
He agreed and we both descended a slope, heading in Hunter's direction. Something dashed over the treetops and judging from its serpentine nature, I knew it was Raph. Pharoah might probably be on his back looking down at me with indifference.
At least he knows how sensitive a sin's tail can be.
We reached Hunter in time to see him sitting upright. The thorns surrounding him were slowly receding. He glared at us with a small pout then glanced at our clothes. "You both look like shit."
Dimitri scoffed a smile. He knelt on one knee before his friend, ruffling his hair. "And you are one notorious trouble maker."
"If my hands weren't tied up, I would've given you the middle finger." Hunter tried so hard to bury his excitement.
Dimitri smirked and leaned forward. "Then I guess it's best to leave it tied up."
Feeling like a third wheel once more, I fidgeted on my feet, desperately needing a distraction.
"Feeling left out?" The sound of heavy wings grew louder as someone familiar landed behind me.
Liam.
Without thinking, I rushed to hug him. He froze, completely caught off guard. His arms wound around me followed by his two tails. I breathed in his ever-present rosy scent, missing it. "Are you okay?"
He scoffed. "Yeah. Raph's breath smells like grilled fish."
I shivered, feeling my greek mark throb from his presence. My fingers brushed over his chest, feeling the smooth skin. Scales emerged at the touch and I smiled, knowing what it meant.
Lust buried his nose in my neck, his chest kept vibrating in a low growl. "You smell like them."
Pharoah and Raph.
I frowned and before I could stop it. He tore my hoodie apart. I squeaked, covering my sports bra but it didn't last long. Someone handed him a red shirt and he slipped it over my small frame. Lust adjusted the huge clothing like a father dressing his kid.
"Much better," he mumbled, pulling me close for another warm hug.
I glanced over his shoulder to find Eros wiggling fingers at me. He was responsible for handing over the shirt. The god winked. "Don't mind his sinful side. After all, dogs will be dogs. Or should I say uncivilized beasts--"
Lust aimed a palm at his chest and the next thing I knew, Eros was flying deep into the forest at top speed. Telekinesis.
The god spread his wings and shot to the skies with a chuckle.
"Ignore him." Lust's lips trailed up my neck, finding the spot where he bit earlier and sucked. My thighs shivered as I clenched my tongue, stopping an embarrassing noise from escaping. We weren't alone. And Lust didn't give two hoots about that.
"Sheesh! That was hot." Dimitri sat cross-legged on a patch of grass and carefully undid Hunter's bonds. "Have you kissed anyone yet?"
Finally free, Hunter massaged his aching wrists. The greek tattoo on his shoulder illuminated in a purplish glow, acknowledging Dimitri's presence. "You already know the answer to that."
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You're a virgin." The was loud 'oomph' as Hunter elbowed his friend in the ribs. I smiled at their banter.
"So what happened with Braidguy? Did we get what we came for?" Lust spoke over my head as Dimitri and Hunter rose to their feet.
I stepped away from his embrace, needing space to clear my thoughts. "I'll tell you everything. But first, we need to call Zion."
There was a lot to explain -- some good, others not so much. Our mission wasn't a complete failure. Because as of now, I could finally teleport to Pedro.
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So I was scrolling through Pinterest looking for two fluffy boys to represent Hunter and Dimitri. After long hours of searching, this is what I came up with🙈
You are still free to imagine however you want.
A big 'thank you' to all the kind and beautiful words in the last chapter. It really made my day and I could never thank you enough. 💜💜💜
You're the best readers a writer could ever ask for. And I wish you the best, lovelies. Stay gold💜💜💜