Akhill

Chapter 3: HillCity

Clang, Clang, Clang, the sound of metal running through metal, in a dark room filled with murmur and effervesced with human excrement of all sort.

"Hm, Hm, Hmmm." The clanging continued, sobs was covered with hands and fear a song from within. "La, La, La, La" The clanging rung on uniformly unhindered by the number of eye set staring with hate, sadness, sorrow, yet the will was far fetched to handle a rebellion. "Oh, Oh, Oh" The one clanging paused and looked through the metal bars that separated the one who clanged and the ones who stared.

"Uhm, Lord Ro, I mean Zeus, we have a problem." The one who clanged looked not in the direction of the voice.

"Uhm uhm." The voice continued. "Hera is hurt from the last delivery."

"Hera, Hera, My Lovely." The man let out tears but yet looked not in the direction of the other.

The man pointed through the metal bar at a dark figure with a marble gray eye and like a known fact when a king point you, The dark figure with the marble gray eye approached. The man pointed again at another and like the first, approached.

"Um, I see fire in your eye. Theyyyy are beauti—"

"They are waiting, Lord Rook." The voice that came reporting said.

"Tiiii-Full." The one who clanged the metal ignored and continued what he initially did. "Your name, hmm, you name, I will give Thet—"

"Da Child!" Thetis jolted from a long slumber. "Ah, Ma head" Lucille who was eating breakfast after along day putting the house in order, rsved towards her side as one who has been expecting Thetis awakening.

"Easy now, Thet." Lucille helped Thetis up from bed afterwhich she felt Thetis stomach.

"How is he."

"He Are ya serious, itz iz a She." Thetis still holding her head and one eye opened said.

"Why would my first child be a man." Thetis dropped her hand "I wanna a girl"

"Ah, The average woman want a male child first." Lucille sat beside Thetis where she ones sat. "Guess you have never been ordinary eh." She shoulder bump Thetis.

"True, dear friend true." Thetis nodded her head playfully. "Man or Girl, I don mind but I still wanna girl, yea."

"Maybe you wil—"

"Ugh." Thetis returned her hand back to head, for she felt a sharp prick.

"Are you fine." Lucille concerned asked. "Ya, jast abit air head."

Lucille went to make some concoctive portion design for the women in her shoes.

"Yea, and Luke has gone for the Protestant recruitment." Lucille said as though to answer the next question Thetis would ask.

"And da Little ones."

"Gone to play." Lucille emptied the liquid into a cup and brought it to Thetis.

"And ya Lucille, why did ya not go woth Luke." Lucille gave the cup to Thetis who was resistant to receive the cup.

"Hey, come on Thet, you know Luke would be sad, if you don't drink your daily portion." Thetis looking down without look up stretch her hand received the cup while making a weird face 'believe me her face was weird."

"And Yea, Luke would be down to earth unhappy if he can not assure your well." Lucille gestured to Thetis to drink up. "Thus my staying back."

"Ugh." Thetis shuddered in disgust, closed her eye as she drank up. Her tongue out of her mouth after drink. " why con dis din be sweet of smell nice." Thetis muttered.

"He should nat." Thetis returned her tongue into her mouth. "He neva listens. I con take car of ma-self."

"Uh hmm" Lucille raised an eyebrow. "So 'Oh great I con take car of ma-self' why did Luke bring you unconscious yester-night."

"Me, no way I came home ma—" Flashes came rushing as Thetis could make know meaning of many of them except.

"Da Child, Where is Da Child!" Thetis inquired, raising her voice has she stood up to grab Lucille.

"Lucy, Da Child."

"What Child? i see no Child. Wait is it time." Lucille bent to grab Thetis stomach.

"Nah, I still have Three months. I mean Da little one in Da Church."

"Thet, what Church."

" Da Catherdral, Childhood, Smal little, Big sleep. Snore snore, I mane A child small churc!"

"Thet, you don gone mad, you spewing nonsense. Eh" Lucille move closer, placed her hands over Thetis shoulders. "Breathe now, Pregnant Lady. I know how you feel." Lucille smirked.

"Understa—, No dath nor it."

"Okay, lead it on me, gradually. Big sister is here."

"Lucy! Am serious." Thetis sat back.

"I know you ar—"

"Da waz ah boy sleeping in da Church, Lucy!" Thetis shouted and created a cycle of heavy breathing.

"What!!!" Lucille said with every tease out her voice. "God! Why didn't you say so?"

"I did."

"Sure you—, fine where is he now?"

"A oh know." Thetis raised her shoulder up and down to express "I dont Know."

"Uhm, uhm, uhm." Lucille thinker abit. "Yea, I will go check the Cathedral."

Thetis stood to get ready but was shushed

"And where might you be going."

"Gonna go wid ya."

"I said, 'I will' and 'we will' Thet, 'I will' " Lucille gestured with her hands.

"Please Lucille." Thetis begged.

"No,No, No "

"Fine I will head to ma post then."

"What! No way."

"Why?!!"

"Luke said," Lucille reworked her composure to mimick her husband. "Do not listen to her even she begs with swollen eye, Eh, Dont let her of your sigh—" Lucille coverd her mouth as one trying to stop a word from escaping.

"No, No, Lucille. I beg of ya complete da statement." Thetis a face splited by a smile.

"If ya go to cathedral, amma be out of ya sight, Lucy." Lucille certain Thetis had found a loophole to roam free, surrendered to gravity.

"So to remain in ya sight, we have to go togeda."

Lucille is a woman known to be loyal to a fault to her husband and she hold his words as king. A woman with aqua marine eye, well defined pointed nose, a cherry rich lip with and a magnificently carved cheekbone which announced the beauty of her slender figure. About two feet above Thetis in Height.

"Fine, but you abide by my rule, Thet."

"Amma do all ya will me to, Ma Lady." Thetis took a squatted bow. "Lets go!"

"No way."

"What now!"

"We need to freshen up and you need to eat eh."

"I dont feel hun—," Thetis flinched. "Amma go eat first then freshen up."

The galloping of the hoof, the mooing of the cows and the occasional crowing of the rooster blendd as one to release the symposium of high sun.

"Uhm, Lord Ro— I mean Lord Zeus." The voice continued. "The prospect have arrived."

"Hm, I have ever told you why I slitted my last attendant for calling me Rook in here." The man with the voice that spoke swallowed as cold sweat crawled down is face in the dark room with one light source.

"No, my Lord."

"I will tell you. In here i am surrendered by" Lord Zeus pointed towards the cages that had lot of eye of different hue with body engulfed in darkness. "By gods and What better name then Zeus for the King of gods." He paused and walked to the entrance.

"My last attendant, disrespected my subject by calling them 'caged children' and me 'a mortal playing god'" Mr Zeus now infront of the new attendant he spoke with.

"He thought I was a madman and tried to run away with my beautiful sweet hero Hera." He taped the attendant his hand blood-gloved.

"He made My Hera unfit for showcase. He —" Mr Zeus tears pouring out his eyes.

"I will forgive you this once, Hermes." He called the attendant by the name He gives all such attendant in that role.

"I know you said the name of my business is that craftmanship of a sicko." Mr Zeus dropped his hand as he worked out. "If I hear it again, you will be the next in tartarus, eh."

Mr zeus worked out and the words carried by the wind was "welcome to my Olym—"

"One of that and that and—"

"Eh! Woman give way"

"Stop that child, He stole my—"

"I be late. You help me drop the price."

"The morrow's play, i look for—"

"The roast, believe me taste like chick—"

"Her wedding is by the—"

"I need to get a—"

"You there, come read your fortu—"

"Big Brother, I hate chick—"

"Stop this folly, The parle will start so—"

"What ah lively bunch." The voice of a woman with round protruded womb, walking with her friend said.

"Yea Thet, that is why i love this town."

"Yet before Agamemnon, dey be mute."

"Shush." Lucille covered her own mouth. "You know, you are the only one who faced off with Agamemnon and live to tell the tale. Every others are gone to the underworld." Lucille looked and with her hands created a route through the crowd-filled. "And may be Luke who was saved by you. One of his eye bear the scar of the encounter."

"But he be just another man."

"Yes Thet but to the rest of us, anyone that made an open show of the district Lords is no ordinary man." Thetis eye well up.

"No Thet, I am willing to die believing you." Lucille trying to stop Thetis from weeping with a thought of being alone.

"Just let's be patient with this folks, Thet."

The rest of the journey to the Cathedral had a heavy dose of silence…

"Finally," Lucille sat heavily on the bench, for the sun had did a number on her in exhaustion. Thetis walked to the front of the cathedral to the position the child laid for to check of by some miracle he still laid there but to no avail.

"Just cloth." Thetis mutter. She picked it up to observe as one seeking a map or hint to the direction of the owner. "Smells Familiar."

"Drop that," Lucille gestured from where she sat.

"First, how are still able to move after that long distance under the blessed sun. Second, why are you inhaling some random cloth in the cathedral."

"If ya ever lived where I grew, the distance is luxury." Thetis looked around for some other hint or possible place the Child had visited. "And it not random, It is for the Chi—"

A boy walked in bear-footed, wet blond hair in a tattered white turned strange coloured singlet and a knee length jagged trouser with a leg distinctive bright skin though tanned uniquely daily high sun of the district covered in black dots from his ankles down.

"That Child!" The cloth with Thetis dropped as she pointed to the Child who had his left hand cover in inscriptions as he turned to grab the wind by the hand in escape.

"Not again." The said as the air under his feet increased.

"What, What Child." Lucille whose reaction time was slower than the speed of the child looked back.

"Thetis there no one there."

"He ran, He ran—"

"Ran. Why?" Lucille rose up in haste to catch up with the the pregnant running after an empty space.

"Thet, There is no one there and even if there was eh, why would they run! Stop running I am lossing breath."

"Put sam energy to it. Lucy. I don't want—" Thetis paused looked at the horde of footsteps presented by the many people transacting in the district special s***h price day. The s***h price day is an annual celebration-like market day where everything sold is slashed by a minimum of 50% per goods and has always been the most busiest day of the yea— 'Enough explaination'

There she stood, unhappy with the fact that she lost him again.

"Where would he be—"

"Thetis, remain me why I am here again."

"Ya in search of a boy I told ya about and I'm here so you can keep an eye on me. Yea." Lucille catching her breath again, thought of the possible way she could bend Thetis to a chair, so she could not keep using her words to have her way.

"Right, I search and Keep on you and you stay put, eh."

"Yea, Ma Lady." Thetis bowed. "So ma Lady, I lost his track but his scent I left at the Cathedral." Thetis started walking back but Lucille held her.

"I said, I search and You my eye." Lucille stood upright , still holding Thetis.

"But, The Child." Thetis words was emptied into the mumblesof the slasher as Lucille lifted up a cloth she remembered holding in the Church Cathedral.

"Ya took it." Thetis eyes lit in excitement. "Lucy, yoa know it is theft to take someone thing with no telling." Lucille in an attempt to jump out of her skin to wack the mole on Thetis head for what she said, caught herself and thought 'pregnancy side-effects.'

"What was I to do, eh." Lucille dropped the cloth on Thetis head. "The child is the owner and you track also by smile even your smell tracking is wack of week now because of your pregnancy."

"Hey, don blame ma baby. Ma tracking senses is still greater than the average ya know." Thetis took the cloth and inhaled then paced awhile.

"This way ma Lady." Knowing run would only put her in trouble with the easily exhaustive Lucille.

"Sit My friends, Olympus welcomes all who can afford."

"Eh, Roo—"

"Tch Tch Tch Tch." Lord Zeus shaked his head and hand to correct the radiant marked face prospect.

"Here in my Olympus, You call me Zeus because I am the father of the gods you are here to appraise." He crossed his legs and position himself as majestic as can be described on his throne.

"Out there, I am but a humble man and you can call me Rook but here, be warned."

"My apologies Zeus." The marked prospect bowed. "Where is Hera? Why is she not by your side?"

"Oh, Oh, Oh, my friend." Still sitting as the king of the gods that he saw him to be.

"The storms of betrayal allure her into the embrace of one of my Hermes. The tears of the sun burnt the bond of her strength when she tried to stop my brother's cerberus."

"You sent those blood thirsty guard dogs of you to attack her—" Another prospect lifted his voice.

"Tch Tch, no my friends, I sent them to return her to her first glory, her first love but she chose to fight." He paused to reminisce. "Feisty little beauty she is." He drank in his remembered scene.

"She returned with the head of every last one of them to save the ungrateful Hermes that stole her from. Me!" His anger rose but his voice nor expression changed as the air in the room became deadly.

"Where is she now?" The first masked prospect ask, picking his words carefully as Zeus signalled the Hermes to set the wine on the table.

"She, My Hera Lay, unconscious and wounded in her new chamber, close to the one she chose over my lavish love."

The prospect went to the seats with their names on it, as the Hermes' set the table grand style, ordering the platters before the prospect, Zeus napped his fingers bore to the bones ready to commence business.

"Bring me Poseidon's yester-gifts."

"Oh Poseidon's gifts have always been the best quality when seeking pleasure that is forbidden." A prospect with a voice of a female said drinking the aroma of the wine with a grin embedded in lust.

"But I love Mr Calver, I mean, Mr Hade's gift. That gives a new name to ruthlessness. They are the perfect dungeon keeper." Another said with a slightly younger voice than the others onseat.

"I know son, Hade is the god incharge of the biggest underground deadliness business branch of Zues' Olympus." The man speak, took a sip, "that is where the Cerberuses ar breed."

"When can I get my own Cerberus father." The eye of the marked youngster spoilt to his root sparkled.

"Your Mother must not know I brought you here or I would have been fed to her beloved Cerberus." The boy, disappointed , gulped up his drink.

"Too bad little ma—"

The strings of the orchestra rose and the air, the fragrance of the music escaping the vocals, gave bloodlust an alluring touch. The prospect feasted, wanting for the arrival of the gift and Zeus drank in sorrow of his best toy —Hera— who has chosen another not equal with him over him.

°…I am Love said the Blood,

I bring blood said the love,

Why the tears singing red,

Pour me a drink from that wine,

That I may drink and float in Love.

For I am love said the Blood…° music

The instance air that enveloped Zeus, faded into the memories of Hera's love, Her she brought him the head of a shadow county Lord who boasted of the arm of his army, only to lay prostrate weeping till his head sat upon a platter before a girl more than one third his size.

"I am—" Zeus jolted up from.his reverie. "Clear the centre!" He ordered.

"Ohhhh, Father it is time."

"But I thought he doesn't do that himself again."

"Do what?"

"Just watch, it's going to be an emerging."

"What?"

"Just watch."

°… for I am Love…° music