The Saga of Tythoros Ch. 09

Tythoros attempted to grab his spear and move in for the kill while Dusedre was so distracted, but his moment had passed. Through her cloud of pain, Dusedre knocked the spear out of Tythoros' hand before beating him with the back of her other pincer.

The impact threw Tythoros into Callioa and the both of them against a cave wall. Fortunately, Athena and Artemis both worked to cushion the blow so it was not fatal, though Tythoros was still winded and Callioa had been knocked out. Thankfully, a mere glance was enough to show that she was still breathing.

Relieved by this knowledge, Tythoros slowly picked himself up and moved away from Callioa, hoping to distract the monster's attention.

Dusedre was limping with pain, and her tail dragged behind her, inert. "Where are my children?!" she shrieked toward the cave's entrance. "Where is my great horde of Myrmekes to kill these intruders?!"

"They are dead," replied Tythoros. "Many fell at the tip of my spear, others by the hands of my brave companions."

Dusedre turned back to face him, her purple eyes aflame with shock and fury. Moments later, a wild and fanged grin spread across her bloodied face.

"No matter," she purred. "You will father new ones for me. And then, after I give you such pleasure as you have never known, you will DIE!"

With the collective strength of four limbs, Dusedre leaped toward her adversary. She did not use her pincers, for fear of killing him before she could collect his seed. Without fear of those blades or of her poisoned barb, Tythoros charged toward his enemy.

He threw a mighty punch toward that deformed face, but one of the monster's plated hands caught his fist. Dusedre had deflected the blow, though the strength of Tythoros' punch was enough to shatter her hand in the process. She countered by attempting to grab hold of him with another hand, but Tythoros ducked under that arm for a swift and mighty blow to the elbow.

Dusedre's scream was so ear-shattering that it was enough to rouse Callioa from her slumber. She awoke to find the monster glaring at Tythoros, her two upper humanoid limbs hanging limply by her side. Callioa did not have enough time to act, or enough breath to shout in warning, before Dusedre brandished her pincers at Tythoros.

Such bloodlust was in Dusedre's eyes that Tythoros knew she would no longer wait to rape him before killing him. Even so, the former marble cutter from Athens felt no fear of her. The two mortal enemies ran toward each other with roars of battle in their throats.

In that brief instant, Tythoros brought forth the tragic memories of his wife. He recalled that burden of unspoken love for the woman lying defiled nearby. He thought of his brave friend Sidrophus and all of their adventures together. He thought of the doomed men lying around him, waiting to be vindicated. He remembered that this vain beast stood between him and a new chance at happiness. Fueled by these hopes and fears and sorrows, Tythoros let out a wild cry of rage as he charged toward Dusedre.

THWACK!!!

With virtuous Athena to guide his powerful strength and emotions, the son of Zeus ducked between the monster's pincers and landed a devastating uppercut. Dusedre's armored corpse flew backward and crumpled to the ground as her detached head traced an arc through the air. Fragments of shattered fangs rained down upon the cave floor.

Tythoros, bastard son of Zeus whose shield is thunder, stood victorious beside the monster he had defeated, among the countless men -- and the young woman -- who now lay avenged.

A moment passed before the heat of battle had left him. When it did, he finally remembered someone.

"Callioa!" he blurted.

Tythoros spun around to see that she was now awake. She was alive, and still unclothed.

Forcibly reminded of the crime he had witnessed against her, Tythoros averted his eyes. "Are you unhurt?" he asked softly.

"I am alive," she replied simply.

Slowly, Tythoros reached to undo his chiton. "Take this," he offered, blindly extending the clothes in her direction. She took it and began to dress herself in silence. Meanwhile, Tythoros began stripping one of the fallen soldiers around him. With prayers of thanks and apologies, he donned the other man's clothes. He remained silent the whole time, trying to avoid meeting Callioa's eyes.

"Tythoros?"

The warrior fell to his knees before her. "Dear Callioa, I profusely beg forgiveness. I could not bring myself to risk saving you, not while your slender wrists were trapped in that monster's blades. My heart broke to hear your cries as she defiled you, and I sat powerless to do anything."

"Tythoros, stop this," Callioa interjected. "The monster said herself that she would have continued were I alive or dead. But I am alive, and her act was interrupted, because of you. By your actions, we have both taken our vengeance and placed this abomination where no further punishment may reach her."

She kneeled down to place a hand on his cheek. It was a soft and tender touch, like none that she had ever given him before. Callioa raised his face to hers, looked deeply into his eyes, and hoped with all her heart that emotions could show what she did not have the words to describe. Instead, she could only say three words.

"I forgive you."

He raised a hand to return the touch on her cheek. Tythoros' heart soared to see her accept this contact with a bright smile of love on her face.

"I thank you," said Tythoros.

The moment ended when a new and fresh smell of decay, one even more potent than the others, reached Tythoros' nose. Plugging his nostrils, he looked sideways to the massive corpse of Dusedre. After retrieving his spear, he used the blade to finish severing the monster's venomous barb. From the nearby corpses, Callioa fetched a helmet to carry their trophy in, and a cloth to wrap the bundle with.

"Let us leave this place," said Tythoros, "and think no more of what happened here."

"But what of the Myrmekes awaiting us?" asked Callioa. "Did you speak truly when you said they were all slain?"

"That depends on Sidrophus," Tythoros replied.

***

Upon leaving the cave, a magnificent sight waited for the two companions. Far in the distance, they could see the animated orange lights of a massive pyre at the precise spot where they had set up camp.

Tythros pointed to the flame with pride and relief in his expression. "Look, Callioa," he said. "There is our sign of victory."

True to his plan, Sidrophus had lured the Myrmekes to the campsite, where huge piles of meat awaited them. Predictably, the beasts had gone after their bait, scrambling atop the gathering of wood, kindling, and animal fat that the travelers had built earlier that day.

The mindless creatures had rushed straight into the trap, launching themselves into the beacon lit by Sidrophus' fiery arrows. What few stragglers had remained were killed easily enough in combat with the Theban prince.

"Dusedre and her Myrmekes are vanquished," said an elated Tythoros. "Our quest is nearly at an end."

Callioa moved to hold his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "Then let us go to Thebes," she replied.

***

The story will conclude shortly. In the meantime, I look forward to your comments and feedback. Special thanks are due once again to dind, who graciously edited this chapter.

Thank you for reading.