The day I rided a griffin - chapter 21
Weeks had passed since Abyss defeated Erebus. Only Arthur knew the truth of that battle; the rest of the world remained blissfully unaware of the storm that had nearly consumed the realms.
Axel led Jack into the discussion room, the tension thick in the air. Jack's glare could have cut steel, aimed squarely at the Praetor.
"We need peace," Jack began, his voice steady but sharp. "So… what if Abyss shows up and whoops your ass, and your friends? Does someone reflect a faction?"
Axel smirked, his mind already ticking. He had considered this scenario.
Before anyone could respond, Zang, standing tall and bristling son of circe with defiance, interrupted.
"No! Absolutely not! We are not teaming with—"
Axel raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Approved," he said simply. "But it has to be earned."
Even Reyna, who had been first against the idea, finally nodded in agreement.
"A mini-game, then," Axel continued. "King of the Hill… or Capture the Flag. Something to test skill, teamwork, and… trust."
Two days later, the green flag was raised. The combatants gathered in the grand gladiator arena, usually reserved for the entertainment of gods. Today, it served as neutral ground, borrowed for a game of unity and challenge.
Representing the Romans, Axel stepped forward. For the Greeks, Clarita raised her hand, her voice clear as she began,
"May the best—"
A sharp, feminine voice cut her off. Diana. She stood poised, bow slung across her back, eyes glittering with intensity.
"Can we join?" she asked.
Axel raised an eyebrow. "Why should you join?"
Diana's eyes never wavered.
"If it's peace we're seeking, we might as well have a say in how it's decided."
The tension crackled, but her resolve was undeniable. For once, all parties—Roman, Greek, and divine observer—would face each other not in war, but in challenge. The arena held its breath though it didn't last long as Hermes appeared with his usual sly grin.
"Why don't we make this more fun?" he suggested. "Angila and Axel are the leaders—they can choose teammates from any faction. That means, Angila, you can pick from Rome, the Moonlight Hunters… anyone."
Both leaders lit up at the idea.
Angila stepped forward first, scanning the field.
"Arthur, Diana, join me. Leo, you stay back to guard the flag," she commanded.
Axel chuckled, shaking his head at her decisiveness.
"You really are a hawk," he said, smiling. "Fine. I'll take Zang, Clarita, and Ethan."
The game began.
Angila quickly outlined her plan.
"We take out Axel first," she whispered. The others nodded, ready to execute.
Leo stayed vigilant behind the flag, his gaze sharp. Suddenly, Axel appeared above, cracking the sky with a thunderbolt. He split the energy, directing one bolt at Arthur.
Arthur reacted immediately, using Diana's iron sword to redirect the strike. Sparks flew as the lightning collided with the blade. Arthur staggered but remained standing—then Angila's golden thread brushed against him, shocking Axel mid-strike.
Diana took the opening, quickly forming cross-like iron restraints around Axel. "Arthur, now!" she commanded.
"CRUCIFIED!" Arthur shouted, firing a ray of light directly at the iron cross. Axel grunted, trapped for the moment.
"Damn, you two got me… but not for long," he hissed, struggling as a thunderstorm from above lashed at their position.
Clarita and Angila exchange glance as Clarita tried to use her echo ability to echo Angila"thread of truth"though. Angila's threads vibrated as she wrapped them around the incoming attack, whispering softly:
"That was close."
Turning to Clarita, she teased, "Darling… is your power copying?"
Clarita smirked. "No."
The threads hummed—vibrating violently. Angila's smile widened, her voice sweet yet dangerous:
"One more lie, and I will shut down your brain."
Though at axel team flag arena it was different
Ethan and Zang were joking around, yapping about random things.
As Ethan said"no way your a griffin can I ride you"which Zang obviously refuse"I am a bird with dignity"
Though Leo suddenly appeared. The flag was left unguarded, his arms already scorched in flame.
"Lion Roar!" he shouted.
From his palms, a torrent of fire surged, shaping into a roaring lion's head. Ethan froze, too late to dodge—but Zang reacted instantly, morphing into his griffin form.
"Hop on!" Zang yelled, scooping Ethan up. His wings beat furiously, carrying them skyward.
"Leo's strong—we can't take him head-on," Zang warned.
"I know I am~," Leo smirked. With a punch to the ground, he launched himself upward like a blazing comet.
Zang countered, whipping up a tornado of feathers. They cut through the air like blades before his claws dug deep into Leo's shoulder.
Leo only grinned wider. "Woooh—battle scar. I like it."
With shocking agility, he grabbed Zang mid-flight, one hand locking around the griffin's neck, legs twisting onto his torso. In one brutal motion, Leo flipped them both and sent them plummeting toward the ground.
They landed near Axel—just as the cross of Arthur's light and a storm of thunder both struck. Leo caught the brunt of it, his body seared by divine power.
His eyes narrowed, fury overtaking his usual smirk.
"Okay. No more Mister Nice Guy."
The earth cracked as he punched down, launching himself straight at Axel. He dodged the thunderous bolts with pure reflex, his fists colliding with Axel in a devastating blow that sent him flying.
Midair, Leo followed with a savage kick—the flames trailing from his legs forming the head of a lion again as it struck. His attacks weren't elegant—they were brutal, raw, primal.
Zang shifted back to half-griffin, hurling Ethan toward Leo. The two collided into Axel together, Ethan's arm twisting painfully on impact.
"Damn it!" Ethan winced, clutching his hand.
Leo caught him, eyes blazing. "You got better. Thank me later." He slammed Ethan down swiftly, keeping him out of harm's way before turning back to Axel.
Axel rose, bloodied but grinning like a man possessed.
"Devastating Ray!" he shouted.
The ground split apart as a beam of thunder and raw energy shot forward, spiraling like twin serpents. It closed in on Leo—
—but before it hit, Hermes suddenly snapped his fingers. The attack fizzled into harmless sparks.
"The match is over," Hermes said lazily. "Angila already claimed the flag."
The crowd buzzed, some cheering, some booing, the tension electric.
Later, as the teams caught their breath, Leo confronted Angila.
"Your power… it isn't about truth, is it?"
Angila sighed, her golden threads dancing gently in the air.
"No. My true power is puppeteer—the beautiful threads to control people. But I hate manipulators. I hate being one myself. So I turned it into something else: forcing truth."
Her tone was both proud and bitter, the weight of her grudge clear.
Far where abyss standing in middle of grass filed
Abyss sat alone on the grass, silent as the breeze.
Suddenly an owl standed on his shoulder before it sit down turning to Athena
It was cold, tense, until she finally said softly, "Do you remember the day you almost ate me?"
Abyss frowned. "Don't phrase it like that. You were literally a bird."
"Owl," she corrected, voice sharp.
"Doesn't change the fact," Abyss muttered. Then his eyes narrowed. "I'm sure you're not here for memory games."
Athena's expression hardened. "Correct. I bring prophecy."
She unrolled a scroll, her voice low and steady.
"The Titans will soon rise. And a list of names… are written into fate."
Abyss scanned the names, his face unreadable.
"…Interesting."
The chapter closed in silence, the storm of destiny looming closer.