Pandora's Curse

Standing up from my chair, heart thundering as I stood over the balcony alongside others who have awakened and dressed and their voices drone in a panic and confusion.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Is it the building?”

“No, it didn’t feel like an earthquake. Those don’t happen here...right?”

“Are you sure it’s trouble?” I glance at Dionysus who stands in front of his booth, arms folded over his chest as he regards the crowd around him coolly, assessing every section of the room and decisions flickering through his eyes. Without answering me, he turns to one of the serving girls with a muttered word and she runs off hurriedly. Another shake from above and the chandelier sways dangerously, chips of glass cracking off and shattering on the floor as the crowd moves away from the middle of the room.

“Dion! What in the blazing summer-night’s dream is going on!?” Pan appears through the crowd, shoving his way through and frowns upon seeing me. “What are you-”

“No time for this Pan.” Dion snaps sharply, and Pan straightens, his expression hardening. “We’ve got company and there are too many people here.”

“We’ve got the emergency exits. A couple elevators, able to withstand twenty people max and a extra pair of stairs.”

“It won’t be enough. Round them up. Now!” Pan doesn’t hesitate, shouldering his way through the crowd with shouts and no hesitation. My heart thunders in my chest and Dionysus frowns heavily at the crowd below. Through the crowd, several dozen figures dressed in navy blue with armour on parts of their body pushed through the crowd below, standing between them and the door to the ballroom which was closed. The soldiers below stood stock still arms at their sides as though waiting.

“Stratiótes! Proetoímase ton eaftó sou!” Dionysus’s voice echoed clearly over the room, he barely needed to shout at all. With matching hisses, weapons were drawn from each soldier who faced the door blankly. The crowd below was being pushed back by the workers in here towards the back. The rumbling had stopped I realized. The ceiling wasn’t shaking by the chandelier which was almost eye level with us on the balcony continued to sway ever so slightly and chips of dust dropped still as though something was moving above...

“Dionysus!” I stammer, backing up. “The ceiling-”

“I know.” His eyes were slits as he glared ferociously at the ceiling and then on the floor. “We’re trapped.”

My stomach dropped and my palms grew sweaty.

Trapped!

There was a shout and glancing over the edge, the soldiers tensed, backing up, weapons drawn and ready when suddenly the double doors to the ballroom opened with a heavy creak and heavy steps followed. Steps that sounded inhuman, the clinking of steel with them as something stood beneath us and faced a small army and terrified innocent people. They were were a large black hood that dropped to their feet making it seem like they were just gliding. The billowy sleeves hung beside them, lengthy nails inches long and black tipped at the end clicked ominously together.

A strange sense of vertigo hit me and my blood ran cold.

It was...it was the hooded creatures!

The head turned upwards, showing no face inside the hood but I could feel its eyes burning on me and the hood tipped back slightly, revealing a wide grin over half of its face, showing all jagged teeth and a beaked nose.

“HAPRPIES!”

The creature turned back to the army and with its arms raised, the soldiers stepped forward until with a tear and whoosh, blasting a gale of air all around that made hair and clothes fly back, giant grey and white feathered wings towered over the hooded creature, spreading apart on its back.

“Strix!” Dionysus hissed from behind me, pulling away from the balcony edge. “STRIX!” He roared.

The soldiers surged forward as the crowd screamed and the creature howled with a shriek.

“PREPARE FOR BATTLE!”

With a thunderous crash, the chandelier broke off the ceiling with parts of the ceiling, freeing a swarm of feathers and howling screams amongst panicked hysteria. A blast of air pushed me away from the edge, hair flying around me face as harpies and strix dove and swanned around the ballroom, reminisce of a red dawn several millenniums ago.

Not this again!

I ducked as a harpy flew straight towards the balcony, landing with a heavy thump on her clawed feet, pepper grey wings swiping at those in the way as she body slammed a screaming woman into one of the booths, disappearing behind the sheer and her screams cut off as splatters of red splashed through.

Oh Hera! Holy Hera! Oh dear God!

Chaos everywhere as harpies grabbed anyone in reach, fighting and tearing into people. The screams and hysteria tore through the room. I kept low, crawling behind the balcony stands following others ahead of me. Someone shouts ahead, and I see Pan, two short swords in hand, sweeping cuts low and high smoothly as he howls in delight and excitement, feathers and blood bursting around him as a couple harpies crash loudly onto the balcony with weeping shrieks.

He bounds towards us huddled for protection, shouting orders.

“You need to move quicker! Move! Move-DUCK!” I duck as a shadow swoops over us and Pan cartwheels out of the way, leaping onto the balcony edge.

“PAN!” I shriek, reaching out to grab on to him but instead he leaps off the edge, slamming into a harpy flying past, crashing onto it’s back forcing them to careen out of the air. The people in front of me start crawling again, sobbing and crying but soldiers appear, leaping out of nowhere, catching harpies and flying monsters in reach.

“Where do we go?” Someone hisses in front of me, glancing back over her shoulder.

“Keep moving!” I snap. “There are stairs and a back door!”

“They’ll catch us!”

“They’ll catch us if we don’t bloody move! So move!” I hiss and she shakily starts crawling ahead-

CRACK

A burst of dust and concrete and I fall back as a couple screams pierce the air around me. Wiping my now stinging eyes I look eyes on the blank pair in front of me as the light drains from them with a final gurgled gasp, blood bubbling from her mouth as the talons torn through her abdomen wrenched her through the blocks shielding us from view. My heart thundered erratically in my chest as I stared in shock at where someone had just been, trembling.

Oh God, Oh God. Move! Move dammit!

With a panicked cry, someone stood up, running ahead of us despite our yells-

A harpy swan dived towards him, talons outstretched and tore him off the balcony with a shredded body, shrieking laughter above us. A shadow swallows the rest of us whole as we kneel behind the balcony and see a harpy sneering down at us with a wicked gleam in her beady yellowed eyes.

I stumble backwards as the others do, cries and prayers chanting beside me. Another harpy lands next to it, hunched in together like a cat ready to strike. A woman starts to gasp and sob in prayer and my heart pounds wildly in my chest as I grab a now empty bowl of fruit and without thought, swing it upwards, catching one pointed nose with a crack.

She screams in fury, burnt orange blood dripping down its nose and chin but it smiles widely.

“YOU’RE MINE!” They lunge at us only to be hit aside with steel buried deep in one of their necks, crashing them upon the ground. The second one shrieks in fury, facing Dionysus with terrifying yellow eyes, nails outstretched as she stalks toward him.

“I don’t think so.” Dionysus mutters irritably as it mildly annoyed by the current situation. He swiftly and easily avoids her cuts toward him before backhanding it, releasing a sickening crack as the head snaps back brutally. The harpy collapses in a whump of feathers, the body crumpled and unmoving. Dionysus, scowling as he approaches us, grabs my forearm suddenly awakening from my shock. “The lot of you need to move now! You especially Pandora! Get out of here by any means necessary!” He shoves me forward and the group don’t hesitate, turning around to leave and Dionysus twists the knife around in his hand, before pushing me aside. “Get out of here, Pandora.” I turn to follow the group, jumping over debris and bodies littered around our feet’s. The group ahead of approach the stairwell when a harpy sweeps up from beneath the balcony, looming over them, talons reaching out.

No more! Not on my watch!

I’m still moving towards them but my body makes a detour. Having the knife Warren had given me weeks ago still with me, it’s already in my hands and my feet hit the balcony edge before I really think it through. And leap towards it. I grab its back, hooking an arm around its neck, my knees slamming into its back. The force of my sudden weight pushes it against the wall, wings flapping frantically beside me. It shrieks in fury and frustration, reaching back for me. My knife embedded in the back of its shoulder as it screeches in pain, its body spasming as we wheel around in the air. The air pulls at my hair and clothes as I grip onto it for dear life. It continues to howl, clawing at me over its back but I keep just out of reach. We reach the ground closer and with gritted teeth, my muscles straining, I twist the knife in its shoulder and it releases a wail that cuts off as we hit the ground with a heavy thud, throwing me off into a roll onto the floor.

Groaning, my muscles aching, I roll to my knees, crawling away from the unmoving body I crash landed on when suddenly something grabs the back of my shirt, hauling me up. I throw my elbow back but the woman from earlier snaps in my ear.

“Back down!” Shoving me back behind her as a harpy lands where I had just kneeled on the floor with a crack, talons breaking through the carpet and stone floor. The woman shifts, arm outstretched as the harpy twists, one wing cutting across towards her. The woman catches it with the palm of her hand and a burst of fire lashes out from within the grey and white feathers. The harpy screeches in terror, wings flapping hysterically as she storms away. The woman turns to me with glowering eyes.

“They want you dead!”

“Yep!” I stammer. Oh God, I should’ve told Warren at least where I was!

“Then get out of here and find the box and save the world, kiddo!”

Before I could say anything, the woman turns back to the chaotic crowd, jumping towards a bunch of harpies standing against a couple of the guests who were fighting back evenly. There was flickers of fire around the room, bodies, shredded, in pieces and screams pierced the air and air and feathers lashed around me as Harpies dove and landed around the room. A shadow swoops over me and I just barely duck as glinting talons graze through a couple tendrils of my hair. It laughs a shrieking laugh as it glides past me and towards the ceiling, circling around, diving for its prey. My eyes following it pass across the balcony where three harpies stand against one man who effectively avoids and cuts them down, as though he is toying with them instead.

Except a fourth figure dressed in a black hood creeps behind him-

AELLO!

“DIONYSUS!” I try to scream over the din. He barely acknowledges my shout and thankfully I don’t seem to have alerted another harpy except the one still swopping around, its front stained red from its victims and it twists in the air, diving for me.

Oh Christ no!

With a shout, I jump aside as the harpy crashes into the tables and wall instead. Ignoring its furious howl, I run through the crowd, pushing and shoving through towards the stairwell. A brief glance up at the balcony, I only see Aello getting closer as Dionysus remains distracted.

The harpy who crashed after me, screams in fury after me, her nails barely catching the back of my shirt as I leap into into the stairwell, as her wings hit the walls. I take the stairs two at a time, leaping up them, avoiding a couple people who run down the stairs or the bodies still slumped inside and arrive to the top of the balcony.

“DIONYSUS-”

Dionysus slashes a harpies throat, the body crumbling to the floor as the figure behind him raises up at the same time. Dionysus swipes behind him, knife slashing out-

“DION!” Someone screams aloud. I rush forward, heart thundering in shock, almost stumbling to a stop as Dionysus crumbles into himself, grunting loudly and suddenly a rasp of air crashes around the room like a wave. Talons, long and black, sticking from out his back are pulled out with a heavy squelching sound. Running forwards, heart pumping and a fury burning through me, the harpy barely realized me as I slammed against its body, crashing us back onto the floor.

That was gonna hurt later!

With a shriek, the harpy howled and twisted beneath me as I struggled to hold it down, gripping the knife in hand but its strength overpowered me, rolling over us as it laid above me, nails reaching for my face as a shadow suddenly rolled over us-

CRACK

The harpy slumped down onto me but Dionysus grabbed the back its neck and hauled it off me, its head hanging awkwardly as Dionysus threw the body aside.

“Dionysus, you’re-”

“In in a bit of a situation...” He groaned, his green eyes glowering with fury and pain, a hand pressed against his front as he slumped to his knees. Jumping to my feet, I hurried over to him and through his hand, spilling out in rushing rivulets was...

Gold?

“Hah, you look as though you’ve never seen a god bleed.” Dionysus snorted mockingly but groaned as he slumped against the balcony.

“Well, of course not...I’ve never actually met a God before...oh Zeus, this is bad! You can’t die-”

“Foolish woman!” Dionysus scoffed, glowering at me though the pain in his eyes. “I’m a God, an Olympian. I cannot die. I’ll just...heal elsewhere as the body dies briefly. Almost impossible to kill a God unless hit where...it hurts.”

“Wha-”

“I’m worshipped and known. Like your protector. War cannot die because war lives on in this world. There is no time for this, Pandora! You need to go and save yourself and find the box!”

“But I don’t-” Dionysus grabs my collar suddenly, sneering up at me, his eyes flickering painfully.

“Don’t!” He hisses at me. “No buts! No excuses! All I can do right now...” He flinches, eyes squeezing shut as I press hard against his wounds to help stop the flow. “Ga-Gal...” He gasps, eyes fading as he flinches as though an ache rushes through him.

“What? What is it?” His jaw gritted tightly, he turns to me with pain filled eyes and the green darkens as though light is fading.

“Galáteia.”

“Galáteia?” I question and he grunts, nodding his head. Gold trickles from the corner of his mouth as he wheezes and he glances up suddenly over my head, and suddenly grabs my collar in his gold blood-soaked hand.

“What-” He yanks hard on my collar, gripping my arm, flinging me across his body with a pained grunt. I land on my side, rolling away from the sudden force, the world spiraling for a second. I roll to a final stop on my stomach and glancing back at Dionysus whose arm is still outstretched from throwing me aside and everything just happens so slowly as a curved foot slams into his chest, a splatter of gold bursting from the open wound.

Dionysus gasps a soundless scream, blood flowing down his mouth as he gurgles painfully, his body jolting as the talons bury deep inside his chest.

NO! No he’s not dead! He said God’s don’t...

He turns his head to me slightly, green eyes glinting and fading in and out.

“Find that box, Pandora...find...War...You’re...on your own now, kid...” He gurgles, blood spitting out before turning to his assailant with a wheezing gasp as he smirks cruelly. "Pígaine ston Tártaro, skýla!" His eyes go grey, the light fading from within as he slumps against the wall, staring blankly at them with a sneer. His body jolts, my body flinching in horror, as the talons are wrenched out of his chest, the blackened talons and foot stained completely in gold. Dionysus's skin grows grey, black cracks creeping over his skin and in my horror, his body collapses into a pile of dust in front of them, some fluttering around due to the activity around.

Killing a God.

Gasping in horror, heart thundering loudly and slowly as I stare at the pile of dust and ash of a god and the clawed talons which slam on the floor, a thunderous boom through my ears and in a split second, I jump to my feet.

Aello stares at me from within her hood which covers her completely, I can't see a thing within but her body is larger, taller towering over me and awkwardly shaped.

Not her human form.

Her feet much like a hawks, with talons that could shred apart metal or wood, long black nails peek out from her sleeves dripping colors.

I didn't have a chance!

I spun around quickly, jumping over fallen bodies and items, hastily running towards the stairwell when an explosion of air hit from behind along with a loud tearing and hysterical scream of laughter. I trip over the carpet, sliding to my knees and hands, scrambling to my feet, my breathing becoming heavier and-

Whump!

A talon foot slams beside my head as I roll out of the way staring into-

"I don't think so!" Gasping as her hand wraps itself around my throat, carefully not nicking my neck with her nails as Aello slowly hauls me up until my feet dangle a foot off the floor. "I've been eager for this for months! I'll admit, I so wanted to kill you that night in the alleyway and I really could've." Aello grins down at me. "But where would the fun be in that!"

"Not a really...original plan...Aello!" I grunt, digging my nails in her hand as Aello grips my neck. Despite the struggle, I was terror-struck by her appearance. Having not seen a harpy up close, especially the first harpies, all I had known was they were far more superior in appearance and strength. But dear Athena!

The lower half of her face sneered down at me, jagged teeth glistening white, partially covered by the swarms of wings which was the upper half of her face with yellow and black eyes blinking down at me on those wings. Aello's body was pure snow-white, feathers running along her arms and chest and giant pure white wings loomed over us, covering us in the dark.

"You know, I was so eager," Aello hummed. "Eager to see your expression when you found it was me all along. Must've hurt, knowing you had me at one point and you had no clue at all. I was laughing behind your backs the whole time."

"Fuck you Aello! We know now, so we'll stop you-"

"How?!" She pressed her face against mine, her wings of eyes over the top half of her face fluttered excitedly. "How are you going to stop me now!? Not when I have you here! Not when War can't help you!"

"Don't doubt me!" I snarl, slamming my foot against her abdomen and she hunches over slightly but hissing, she slams me against the wall, my body jolting painfully.

"I do doubt you. I don't plan to kill you, or maybe I'll just leave pieces of you." Aello's face grows mellow and her other hand reaches up to suddenly trace my face. "How it might kill War when I...break you." Her eyes burn with a frenzied glow as a tongue flicks out. "Just like he broke me!"

I scratch and claw at her wrist, squirming against her as the hand tightens slightly and gasping painfully for air, my vision doubling, seeing flurries of movement, the screams and roars of fight and battle sound like a drone, like water pulling me under. But my heart thunders powerfully in my chest, I can hear the rush of my blood pulsing through me like a river, a tingling heat and rush of energy, pulling me up through the surface-

"AARRRGGHHHH!"

I drop to my feet, air slamming into my chest as I gasp and cough for air, eyes stinging as I stumble away from the spasming pile of feathers before me. Aello slowly stands, facing me, rolling her head as they click their tongue at me.

"Well, you're not as weak as I thought." Aello's expression hardens as they grin only teeth at me. "But I tire now. I'd like to leave a gift for that horseman now." She stalks towards me and a flurry of heat grows in my chest.

"You can try!" I scowl and nails and a hand swipe across at me and I barely duck away as they continue to retreat after me, swiping for me. I stumble back over a chaise, losing my footing and a sharp flick of pain lashes over my shoulder as her nails cut through my shirt and flesh.

"Is that the best you got?" I scowl up at her and Aello grins wickedly, her winged face fluttering wildly as those eyes blink over and over ferociously at me. I roll out of the way only to lose my foot on the floor as the balcony jolts and suddenly my body tipping along with everything else. With a shriek, Aello stumbles back, falling against the balcony barriers as the pillars snap beneath our feet. I'm angled above Aello I realize just as she does and thinking I had the best chance of survival by...by loosening my hold and landing on her.

She grunts breathlessly as I slam against her front and the balcony topples over. I slipped off Aello just as we hit the floor seconds before the balcony crumbled on the marble floor. Everyone screamed as they ran in a panic but there were less harpies swan diving around us and more bodies around us on the floor.

My chest struggles to breathe as I climb to my feet, coughing heavily as the air becomes harder to breathe and I realize there's smoke around the ceiling. Fires are settled in sections of the room, growing hotter and bigger as people hurry to escape out the doors. Stumbling after them, coughing hard, eyes stinging hotly, I briefly glance over my shoulder to see a looming white figure, their glowering yellow eyes watching me excitedly.

"We'll see you soon, Pandora!"

Turning back, I follow after the crowd who are struggling to climb up the stairs as the smoke grows thicker. People begin to panic, the screams echoing in fright and terror, pushing and shoving each other, stumbling around me. My lungs feel as though they are trapped in a box that grows smaller with every breath I try to take.

"Keep moving!"

"Someone help us!"

"Gods! Anyone! Help us!"

People scream and pray as we struggle up the stairs, the smoke growing thicker until it was a layer around us and below the heat grew insufferable, burning orange and red flickering from the stairwell door we just escaped through.

We didn't have a choice.

"Kee-" Voices screaming were cut off as the smoke hacked into their lungs, my vision grew blurry, my hands sweating as I gripped the stair rails, my body slumping over in a hunch as I tried to calm my breathing. My heart was pounding erratically, fear starting to set in. The climb up the stairs was slow and bodies started to slump more and more and the voices dimmed down...

Or maybe that was me. I couldn't hear anything except the roaring fire below and my wheezing breaths.

"Hel-Help...Help us..."

"Gods! Zeus! Pray for...our souls...please..."

My body barely able to stand anymore, my fingers numb and searching as I felt for my phone which blinked pointlessly at me. Shaky and my vision blurring as I tried to find Warren's number but the further I stared into my phone, my vision shrank further and darkened, dropping further onto the staircase as the screams of desperation echoed around me until it went quiet.