THREE.

Rode didn't utter a word after hearing the brief history of their past relationship, coming into light in the presence of her twin brother, she felt ashamed and a bit repulsed for falling for such a filthy creature of pure negative Character.

General Ching Shih stands up from the queen sized bed, she drops the satin sheets allowing the sun to glow on her nude slender body, walking out of the room like a prideful peacock, who had won the battle of words, she shot a deadly glare at Rode as she walked by, enough to slice the tensions in the atmosphere.

“What in Heras name do you want, Rode?” said Tiki, as he found his voice, he could never call Rode his sister in public, such was his pride.

“I wont speak of your perverse sexual entanglement with the general. But for what else are you thinking, nitwit? The trials are going to start soon, you idiot, the trials for the Heraen games! Surely you haven’t forgotten so soon, have you?” She asked.

“I don’t think I follow. This is news because? replied he.”

“Because you oversexed dumbass! We planned to go to the tournament together remember, or have your recent mindless fornication with the general, rob you clear of your memory? I never thought she had that effect,” she said sarcastically.

“Don’t you dare push me, yeah? I remember quite alright, said Tiki, feeling a tad bit too silly. But hopefully I presumed . . . I thought we had given up on that quest, because mother wouldn't dream of allowing us.”

“Yes. Of course she wouldn't. The Heraen games are always so dangerous and scary and at most times death threatening, but we have to do it because its our dream, remember?”

“No. its your dream! replied Tiki snappily. Never should you say that, Rode. You've always wanted to go and participate, and you always gave a big speech about how I'll help you achieve that dream,”

“Then help me achieve it then, the time is now!”

Tiki thought about for a moment, his face etched into a handsome frown, then he stroked his chin in a dramatic kind of way, but before all that he had already decided to help his sister, that part of him was mostly in built, for ever since they were just babes he had always been his sisters helpmate in the conspicuous crimes and their many punishments. Okay I'll do it, but just because I promised before, I never go back on my word, yeah, said Tiki, putting on his leather boots.

And it wasn’t too soon after that they were gone, both walking out of the palace, their destination was the ‘Forest of Terborg’, where the trials for the Heraen games was to be held. The Forest of Terborg was actually an overgrown garden that had been metamorphosed in time into a small forest, where the most dangerous of wild and uncultured animals called home; it was the darkest place in the city where no one dares to trespass, but it also held a secret just like all dark places do. The Golden tree of immortality was planted in the center of the Forest of Terborg, according to the ancient traditions and history of the lands, the patron goddess of the city (Aphrodite) planted the tree herself to restore her beauty and youth, when the need arises.

The trails objective was to find a Golden apple from the golden tree, and return it to the Regent without being mutilated or hauled, eaten or killed by the many illustrious, overzealous and hungry wild animals that frequented the forest, while also competing with other frightful characters thats seek the golden apple for themselves. The collectors of the Golden apple were thus destined to represent the city of Ishtar in the glorified Heraen games.

It wasn’t that simple and they knew it, but where they going go through with it? Yes, that much was certain. They made a brief stop at the weapons inventory to be well equipped for the dangers of their quest, Rode carried her blade sword ‘Merciless’ which she missed more than a severed limb, and when she held its hilt and admired the steel, she felt like herself again. Tiki was a trained spy; his choice of weapon was that of a dagger, to him it was more light weight and stylish for the rigors of battle.

Through the hilly terrain of Tentacion, past the canals of Tigrasia, south of the shrubbery of Aelian, where the deserted baths of Lupicicians. Which is famed as the bathing place of Aphrodite herself in ancient times, they proceeded by slow pacing towards the village of Marcianopolis, a good distance from the banks of the Danube, through the rocky villas of Journades. Where historians debate its legitimacy as the procreation area where the goddess Aphrodite met her multiple lovers.

At last their horses arrived at the Forest of Terborg, feeling motivated and focused on their goal, but under their brave facial expression a sense of doubt lingered beneath them, so they began contemplating who will be first among them to pass through the rusty gates of the forest.

“Let’s go inside.” grunted Rod, as she creaked open the gates, clearly not taking the wordings of the plaque engraved on a dark-brownish wood, which laid at the top of the entrance of the Forest and read OMISSA SPE OMNES QUI INGREDIUNTUR translates ‘ABANDON ALL HOPE, ALL YE WHENTER'

The thorny hedges and overgrown trees in the garden made it difficult for the competitors to find where the rightful walking path was, Rode and Tiki had to rely on their instincts while scouting through the forest. They made quiet nibble steps, while being alert most of the times, not wanting to be attacked unaware by wild animals or other competitors wiling for the same golden apple.

Fear shivered through the duo spines as the thought of the danger they may face circulated their now feeble minds, and because of the rumors circulating that nobody had entered the Forest of Terborg and remained alive, except the goddess Aphrodite of course, their fears elevated more slightly. The forest was damp and noise filled its atmosphere, with the many croaking of an army of frogs nearby, the minute chirping of distant birds, the nifty scurrying of shy squirrels, coupled with the dense dew that fell on the broad leaves, and the foggy mass that whispered and slithered along the forest, all coming together to create a sort of effects and instruments in a grand orchestra.

“Where do we go from here?” asked Tiki, feeling the cold air snip through his pale olive skin.

“Shesh! Be quiet. Just stay alert and behind me,” answered Rode. “We don’t know what’s in here.”

Skulls and fleshless bones littered the grass beds sending a clear message of retreat to both Rode and Tiki, after a while walking rather unharmed, except for some aching cuts and bruises gotten from the thorns of the trees on the skin, the duo came across a little stream with muddy banks that flowed from a source deep beneath the forest. They surmised they were close because the Golden tree must have a source of hydration for it to keep on surviving.

At first flight Tiki scurried to the stream with a hurry to better quench his taste, thirst had brought languish and it fueled the unnerving hunger that trolled his belly, while bending down and scooping a drink without a hint of care in the world, Rode stood guard having a gut feeling that they were being followed, but by whom or what she knew not. She had relied on this gut feeling in the past, and it had seldom stirred her wrong.

She wasn’t tasty either not now at least, not with all the captivating thrills of the task ahead, of course to her the prize wasnt in the reward but the fervent journey itself, irrespective of the many aches that rummaged her muscled body. The brief halt didn’t last too long, before they saddled back on the unclear path on their way again, bleakly following the source of the stream.

The path which the siblings followed, carried them to a thicker part of the forest, where the broad leaves of the tall trees permitted no light to escape into the forest, creating a dim façade to the horrific sentiments of the forest, it was becoming harder for them to see anything any longer because puffs of clouds tried their best to hide the sun in the noon sky, They came upon a quiet place filled with overgrown hedges and marshy terrain, they halted to rest a bit, a fog of silence dwelt on the duo as they did, as they both felt some things are rather left to the thoughts of an individuals mind than to be uttered.