My teacher is a 'snake-headed' monster.

I was following Will and Isabella towards the house of Hecate.

"Hey, why are going to the house of Hecate? Weren't we going to Stheno?" I asked.

"Stheno, lives there." Will answered without turning back.

"Wait a minute. Stheno lives with Hecate?" I confusingly asked.

"No. Adrian Hecate is a goddess. She has her own palace on Olympus. She doesn't live here. It's actually Stheno who looks over the valley in Hecate's absence." Isabella said.

We entered the house and opened the door. We stepped in and found Hecate comfortably sitting on a sofa. But seeing the thing sitting opposite to her, took my breath away.

It was a woman whose hands were made of brass. She had a terrifying demeanor and, according to me, her face was enough to scare the hell out of the bravest man on earth.

She looked at me and it sent a chill back my spine. Her gaze was stupefying. I waited for her to turn me into stone, because gorgons had that power, but nothing like that happened.

Her piercing gaze changed at once when she saw Isabella by my side. And her monstrous look transformed into a huge smile.

"Isabella dear, what's the matter?" she said with a motherly affection. I couldn't believe what I saw and heard. She sounded so pure...so innocent. There wasn't an ounce of lie in her voice. She addressed Isabella so concerningly and her eyes reflected truth and motherly love. Am I mistaken? No... that can't be. I have seen this affectionate expression a billion times on my mother's face. There was no way she could have faked such love. Is it... has she truly changed? It was hard to decide just now. So, I decided to go with the flow.

"Hello, I'm new here Umm...miss." I said and she smiled brightly.

"Your name, dear?"

"Adrian Crimson." I said and her expression changed to serious. She looked disbelievingly at Hecate, who just smiled.

"So, you were not joking, Hecate. It really is true." she said and looked at me again. "I never thought that Zeus of all people would break such serious oath. Styx becomes a bit personal when it comes to oaths. And she certainly has lived up to her reputation... she gave Zeus the most terrible curse of all." she lowered her face as she said. The sorrow was obvious in her voice.

"What curse?" I asked.

"Zeus has DIED. Can you think of a more terrible curse? For a god... you can't even begin to imagine how frightening this is. This is the most severe punishment anyone can give a god." she said without looking up.

"Stheno, Adrian needs your help." Isabella butted in.

"What help?" her eyebrows creased.

"Umm... he needs help with his fighting skills. If he is to fight Ares in the future, he has to get better." she said with utter confidence. Her words caught Hecate's attention and her comfort changed into seriousness.

"I understand you Isabella. But you are forgetting that we still haven't solved the main problem yet." she said.

'Main problem?' what was Hecate talk about? Now it was reaching it's limits. Every time I come to know something about myself and there's a brand new mystery that I don't know what to do with.

Come on already! Everyone here is aware of everything and I am only the one kept in dark. It's me, after all. Why everyone else knows more about me than I do myself? Ahh!! it's so damn annoying!!

"I know, but we can't just count on that." Isabella argued.

"Hey, I really hate to say it again and again but what are you talking about? " I said with a deep sigh.

"Adrian, no matter how much you train, no matter how strong you get, you still can't defeat Ares without the Sword of Fire." Stheno said. "That's what Hecate and I were discussing right now. No one knows about it's location...only... the Oracle of Delphi does."

As soon as she mentioned about Michelle, Will's face became pale and sad. I wanted to help him at any cost. I had already taken the oath to do so and I will.

"What exactly happened to Michelle?" I asked. And Stheno looked up, sadness was sure in her eyes.

"She went to New York to meet her parents. We were tracking her through magic but three months ago, she just disappeared. We sent many search parties to look for her, but they all came back empty-handed. Even now, three sendates are out there, looking for her." Stheno said and I could sense that she was holding back something. I got the feeling that this was just the half of what must have actually happened. But why were they hiding it? What was the problem with telling us everything?... unless it's their... fault that Michelle is missing.

Whatever be the case, I don't think they will tell me if I ask. I have to find it out myself. I still can't trust Stheno.

"Isn't there another way to get a prophecy?" I asked. I knew that the Oracle of Delphi wasn't the only one, there were four more. But I didn't tell them that I knew.

"Yes, there were other ways, but that was million years ago. Now, no one knows about the four other Oracles of Apollo." Hecate said and knew she was telling the truth. Even the books didn't know much I the others. They were not as famous as the Oracle of Delphi.

"So...nothing can be done now." I said with a dejected voice. I truly was feeling helpless. Then I decided something.

"Stheno, teach me all that you can. I WILL find Michelle, even if it demands my life." I said with complete determination. "PLEASE, be my teacher " As much as I hated to say this, I didn't had any choice. I had to get better. Even if it means that I will have to make a snake-headed lady my teacher.