"This is a large temple, isn't it?" Aileyne wandered around, the temple somehow illuminated by the flames surrounding it.
Nichs observed the temple, noting the columns representing different Greek towns. He also saw twelve large cauldrons filled with otherworldly firewood.
"Is that Pandora's Box?" Fris pointed towards a reinforced white chest. It was protected by stone figures with a bony structure, sharp teeth protruding from their heads, lizard-like bodies balanced on two legs, giant war axes in hand, and bodies covered in shiny bones.
Xalus, intrigued by the chest's flawless construction, started to move towards it. However, Wingo stopped him, sensing that the room was guarded by the gods' protectors.
Huber and Aileyne continued to explore the temple. They saw statues of legendary creatures: the hydra that guarded the entrance at Lake Lerna, Cerberus the three-headed dog, the Chimera (the three-headed dragon slain by monster slayer Bellerophon), and a giant egg behind the chest.
"Since there are twelve cauldrons, we just need to light them one by one," Nichs suggested.
"I agree with your suggestion," Valeria said, "but how can we ignite the cauldrons if we don't even know how to ignite the flames within us?" It was a valid complaint, but they didn't want to waste time inside the temple as the heat intensified.
Wingo picked up a piece of firewood from one of the cauldrons and ignited it with his bare hand. The others were amazed at how easily he could summon his flames. Orio followed suit, igniting another piece of firewood with his touch. They lit all the cauldrons, but just as Orio finished lighting the last one, the temple began to shake.
"Did we do something wrong?" Valeria asked, clinging to Nevadd as she hugged a nearby column.
The tremors subsided, and everything seemed normal. The cauldrons still burned with a bluish-violet fire, and most of the columns were intact.
"Has anyone seen where the statues went?" Azaire asked, a hint of fear in his voice.
A loud screech echoed from within the temple, followed by a powerful blast of fiery wind. They scrambled behind the columns for cover, barely escaping the scorching wind and the deafening screech.
"We need to get out of here!" Diumene yelled. "We've awakened something we shouldn't have!"
A bright light emanated from the source of the screech, which grew closer. The fiery wind swirled around them, almost melting the columns that provided cover from the approaching legendary creature.
"Run for the exit!" Diumene shouted, sprinting towards the only way out. But the fiery wind melted the columns holding the statue of Hades, collapsing the exit. As Diumene tripped in his escape attempt, he looked back to see a giant fiery bird guarding the box with its flaming wings.
"It's the Phoenix!" Diumene shouted in despair and ran towards Yisun.
"How in Hades' name can we defeat a bird of pure fire?" Huber said. "I've only ever shot at physical creatures, never a flaming bird."
"We'll find a way," Yisun said. He pushed Diumene back and ran towards the column representing Sparta. He noticed that some of the columns had erected monuments holding weapons. He grabbed the spear and shield displayed on the Spartan column.
"Wingo, go to the Cretan column!" Yisun instructed as he dashed back to the entrance column.
Wingo sprinted towards the column representing Crete and saw a long, one-sided sword. It reminded him of his own kopis left behind in the mortal world. He grabbed the weapon and raced back to the entrance.
"Huber, I saw a bow on the Ephesian column," Wingo said.
Huber and Orio charged towards the column of Ephesus. As they neared it, the Phoenix blasted a fiery beam at the Magnesia column. Undeterred, they kept running towards the fire. They reached the column unscathed and saw, coincidentally, two bows: one made of fine wood and the other of reinforced steel.
"I prefer traditional archery over Olympic," Huber smirked. He snatched the wooden bow and quiver and hurried back to the entrance column.
Orio sighed and took the remaining bow and arrows before rejoining the group at the entrance. However, near the column, he spotted a fishing spear by the Thera column and grabbed it.
"Anyone want a fishing spear?" Orio raised the weapon, getting everyone's attention.
"I'll take it," Nevadd said, approaching him. "I have history with this spear, and I'll use it against the gods."
"Did you see any other weapons, Orio?" Azaire asked, searching for something useful.
"There was something behind the Phoenix, but it's too risky," Orio replied.
"I'll distract the Phoenix with these arrows," Huber declared, then ran towards another column with a clear shot at the creature.
"Yisun, I'll go with you to the back of the Phoenix," Wingo suggested.
"Orio, come with me to the Thessaly column," Wingo instructed. "Nevadd, protect the others here at the entrance."
Nevadd acknowledged the plan and gathered everyone together. They took their positions. Wingo signaled Huber to finally shoot at the Phoenix to divert its attention from Azaire. Huber fired, hitting the Phoenix's right wing. The creature screeched in fury, turning towards Huber and blasting another fire beam at him. Azaire and Yisun seized the opportunity and sprinted towards the column behind the Phoenix. Suddenly, a massive war axe swung at them, tripping them up. The bony figures guarding the box had stopped them.
"It's the Aeternae!" Yisun recalled the time he and other Spartan hoplites were attacked by a group of them while patrolling their camp.
The Aeternae growled and swung their heavy war axes at the two. Yisun and Azaire barely dodged the attack and stood ready for another.
"Azaire, I'll take their blows," Yisun said, taunting the Aeternae to get their attention. "You need to run towards the column as soon as they raise their axes again."
"May the gods favor you, friend," Azaire said, waiting for his chance.
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The Aeternae lifted their axes, and Azaire seized the opportunity, sprinting past the creatures. Yisun took the hit directly on his shield, knocking him to the ground. He pushed the axes back to create space and stand again. He fought the Aeternae for a while, trying to find a way to kill them. He aimed for their knees and other weak spots, but their lizard-like nature allowed them to regenerate instantly.
"What in Hades' name is this good for?" Azaire shouted in frustration.
He spotted a Spartan hoplite helmet lying nearby. Though unsure of its usefulness, he picked it up. The Phoenix heard his outburst and turned towards him, screeching loudly as it flew to the column searching for him. It reached the column but couldn't find Azaire, who was now wearing the helmet. Confused and scared, Azaire noticed something on the Phoenix's neck – an amulet that seemed to be burning and protecting the creature.
"Orio, fire now!" Wingo yelled, charging towards the Aeternae that were preventing Yisun from helping Azaire.
Orio launched an arrow engulfed in flames towards the Phoenix's back, distracting it from Azaire. The flaming bird screeched in pain from the hit and turned towards Orio, charging a powerful fire bolt at him.
Seeing Orio in danger, Huber didn't want to lose another companion. Memories of his brother's brutal death at the hands of Orthrus and a Cyclops while hiking in the Thracian mountains flooded his mind. He vividly recalled the day his brother was ripped apart by the Cyclops, his body parts devoured by Orthrus. Filled with rage, his heart pounded and his body burned. Flames erupted from him, and he aimed his bow at the Phoenix's head, firing an arrow engulfed in Olympian flames. The flaming projectile struck the bird directly in the eye, halting its flight and eliciting a screech of agony.
"Yisun, hit it in the chest!" Wingo commanded as he slashed the arm of one of the Aeternae.
The Aeternae retaliated, slamming its long tail into Yisun, sending him crashing against the wall. He tried to rise, but his mortal body struggled with the sudden impact. The Aeternae charged at him, roaring and raising its axe. Just like Huber, Yisun's body burned, flames erupting from him and pushing the Aeternae back. His voice boomed like a hundred men as he declared, "You are creations of the gods, and the gods shall pay for the deaths of thousands of hoplites who fought for their cause!"
Yisun rose slowly, his wounds healing as the flames engulfed him. He grabbed his spear, which was also ablaze, and stood tall, a warrior reborn in fire.
"The Elysian Fields were a false hope," Yisun said. "They were all sent back to the mortal world as roaming spirits, pawns of the gods."
The Aeternae remained unfazed by his words and continued its attack. However, Yisun was ready. As the creature approached, a group of hoplites formed a phalanx, extending their burning spears towards the Aeternae's chest. The flames pierced through the steel bones protecting its heart. Seeing this, Wingo finished off the Aeternae he was fighting with a swift slash to the head and a stab to the back with his flaming blade.
"The flaming bird wears an amulet around its neck!" Azaire shouted as he ran towards Nevadd. "It's using its own fire to protect it!"
Orio heard this and tried to shoot the burning amulet, but the Phoenix immediately shielded it with its wing. Yisun hurled his flaming spear at the Phoenix's right wing, pinning it in place. Huber took another shot, aiming directly at the amulet this time. The Phoenix, determined to protect it, shielded the necklace with its body and screeched in pain, intensifying the flames spewing from its mouth, melting the temple columns.
Wingo took the initiative. He used his kopis to pin the other wing to the ground, further disabling the Phoenix from protecting its amulet. The flaming bird, though restrained, was desperate to live and protect the necklace. It unleashed beams of fire in all directions, filling the temple with flames.
Nevadd, reminded of his helplessness when the Scylla attacked his family ship in the Strait of Messina, saw the chaos. He remembered his father heroically throwing a spear at one of the creature's tentacles, a futile effort. He gripped another spear, channeling his anger at the gods who had abandoned him after the attack. The tragic memory fueled the flames within him.
"Orio, Huber, silence it!" Nevadd commanded, charging towards the Phoenix with his flaming fishing spear. Orio shot an arrow at the bird's lower beak, while Huber aimed for its neck.
Nevadd slid under the bird's head, searching for the amulet. He spotted it amidst the flames and lunged forward, raising his spear to strike. But the Phoenix reacted swiftly, slamming its body down, engulfing Nevadd in its fiery aura.
"Nevadd!" Fris cried out, fearing the worst.
Orio and Huber unleashed a volley of arrows at the bird, which screeched in pain but remained unyielding. Suddenly, a roar of anger erupted from within the flames. A spear shot out of the Phoenix's neck, its tip bearing the coveted amulet. The flaming bird let out a final, ear-splitting screech as its body brightened like Helios himself before vanishing into thin air. Silence descended upon the temple. All that remained was their objective – the chest.
Huber, Yisun, and Nevadd collapsed, drained by their first experience wielding the flames in battle. Their bodies, exhausted from the immense energy expenditure, succumbed to unconsciousness. The others, unharmed, rushed to their fallen comrades' aid.
"Finally, we can open the box!" Nichs declared. "We need to hurry. The commotion might attract Hades' attention."
Wingo agreed. He picked up his kopis and the amulet from the Phoenix and approached Pandora's Box. He rested his hand on the reinforced chest, searching for a way to open it.
"Are there any slots for the amulet?" Aileyne asked, cradling Yisun in her arms.
"No, not that I see," Wingo replied, examining the chest for clues.
"We lit all twelve cauldrons," Diumene complained. "What else could be the problem?"
"Physical gestures won't open this chest," Xalus interjected, stepping beside Wingo. "According to what I recall from the writings in my home, it requires the tongue of the gods."
Wingo was intrigued. This was his first encounter with a chest that couldn't be opened by physical means.
"Really?" he asked.
"The amulet," Xalus explained, taking it from Wingo and inspecting it. "To open this box, we need to speak the language of the gods."
The revelation shocked the eleven. While they agreed with Xalus's reasoning, the gods' level of caution was unsettling. A box requiring the gods' tongue to open meant a simple physical gesture wouldn't do.
"None of us speak the tongue of the gods," Diumene said with annoyance. "That means we can't open it!"
"There are inscriptions here in an unfamiliar language," Xalus said, studying the amulet. "Nichs, you were a physician who celebrated at Delphi. Can you decipher this language?"
Nichs approached Xalus and examined the inscription on the amulet. He scratched his head, struggling to recognize the language.
"Isn't it Greek?" Wingo asked. He assumed it would be a local language, but Nichs' inability to understand it piqued his curiosity.
"You're a foreign god," Xalus said doubtfully. "You probably wouldn't understand the inscriptions either."
Wingo glanced at the inscription and remembered encountering something similar. He had studied it for three days while sailing with the merchant guild on his way to Crete.
"The inscription says 'Open the box of Pandora,'" Wingo stated.
"How do you know that?" Xalus asked in confusion.
"I encountered these inscriptions and learned to read them on the ship heading to Crete," Wingo smiled, still processing his feat. Learning an entire language in just three days would put most philosophers and physicians to shame.
"Go ahead," Nichs instructed. "Speak the inscription in the tongue of the gods and open the box."
"ανοίξτε το κουτί της Πανδώρας," Wingo spoke fluently. As he uttered the words, all the flames from the twelve cauldrons were absorbed by the box, which then glowed with the same fiery color.
"Let's see what's inside," Wingo said, lifting the lid. A burst of flames and countless souls erupted from the box, soaring into the mortal world. Chaos erupted throughout the underworld. The temple began to crumble as the titans imprisoned in the pits of Tartarus, having endured Hades' torment, broke free from their chains. Crius, the titan believed to be the Pillar of the South, carried the twelve away from the collapsing temple towards the underworld's exit.
The mortal world descended into chaos. The release of flames and knowledge weakened the gods, depriving them of the prayers and offerings that sustained their power.