“I don’t know I’msupposedto know any of this,” Terena grumbled. “I went to the oracle and?—”
“Psh!” Melanos waved a hand dismissively. “Pytho? She’s useless.”
“Ha!” Croak guffawed and Terena glared at him. “What? I knew she was full of shit.”
“Hmm,” Melanos said, smirking at him. “Smarter than you look.”
“What happens when I come fully into my powers?”
Melanos spread his hands. “I honestly don’t know. Hasn’t happened yet. I only know when you do, this one will no longer be tied to you. He’ll be mortal again,” Melanos said with a glance at Rydon.
Surprise widened Rydon’s eyes, and he sat back. “In truth?”
“Aye,” Melanos grunted. “But be careful. The closer she is to her majority, the closer you are to mortality. It’ll take longer to heal if you’re wounded. Once she’s immortal, she won’t need you.”
Terena pitched forward, her hand reaching out to grasp Rydon’s wrist. “Iwillneed him. I will need you, Rydon.”
Rydon grimaced. “I appreciate the sentiment, Ren. And I’ll continue at your side, if it is your wish.”
“Not that anyone’s asked,” Gabriol said as he puffed out his chest. “I will be with you as well.”
Croak snorted. “You’re only staying because of Rydon.”
Terena shot him a dirty look before she smiled at Gabriol. “Thank you, Gabriol. I definitely need you as well. We don’t know what will happen in the next six months until that time, and I will need all the help I can get.”
“So?”
Terena leaned back in her seat, confused. “So…”
“Do you want to hear my plan or not?”
“Huh?”
Melanos hung his head, then shook it and sighed. He lifted his gaze to Terena again and motioned with his hand. “Bethana?”
“Oh. Yes, of course.”
“Well,” Melanos said as he looked out over the selection of food in front of him, “since you only need the fangs, you don’t need to kill Bethana. You just need to take her fangs. You’ll need something large, like, I don’t know, a branch or something. Get her to attack you and then,” he slammed his fist down on the table, crashing plates onto the floor.
Croak jumped onto his seat, holding the chair arms as he shrieked in fright.
Melanos roared with laughter.
“She sinks her fangs into the wood,” Rydon said to Terena, “and you can pry the fangs from her mouth.”
“See? Even the Eudaemon gets it.” He pointed at Croak and laughed. “That was funny, boy.”
“Where can I find the serpent? Bethana.”
Melanos regarded her in silence for a minute. “There’s a warren of caves beneath the falls where she and I first met. That’s where Poseidon imprisoned her after turning her into the serpent.”
“And imprisoned you here.”
“As you see.”
“So, do I free you now or after I get the fangs? How’s that work?”
Melanos chuckled. “Your guess is as good as mine, Heir. Come see me after you’ve acquired the fangs, to be safe.”
