"By the gods above, this can't be just a coincidence!" Cyd muttered, snapping off a branch that had brushed against his bundle. He'd been trekking through this dense forest for almost an hour, and there was still no end in sight. Now, five wolves were closing in on him. The wildlife here was a bit too abundant for comfort!
Cyd shifted his bundle to hang from his thigh and clapped his hands towards the wolves. "Alright, come on then! Let's see how agile you are."
The wolves, unable to understand his words but perceiving his gestures as a challenge, attacked. Four wolves lunged at him from different directions, aiming for his limbs, while the largest one went for his throat. Cyd could even smell the foul stench of the wolf's breath.
"Attacking my limbs is one thing, but you should at least clean your mouth, you filthy beast!" Pinching his nose with his left hand, Cyd grabbed the neck of the largest wolf with his right.
The wolf, now held by its neck, stared dumbfounded at Cyd, much like the two wolves biting his wrists.
"My pants are ripped!" Cyd exclaimed, looking at his leg where two wolves were still gnawing. Chiron had helped fix his animal skin pants where they had been torn.
"Really, you should learn some self-awareness," Cyd said, tossing the wolf he was holding. He bent his knees slightly, causing the ground to crack under his feet. "I'm not that hungry right now."
With a powerful leap, Cyd soared to the top of the tallest tree, leaving the bewildered wolves below. "Bye-bye."
In a graceful motion, he spun and kicked the wolves attacking his calves away, then landed softly on the ground, looking at the five wolves twitching on the ground.
"This body is unexpectedly strong," Cyd mused. He had been told that the human body held unlimited potential, and after six months of rigorous training with Chiron, he was beginning to see a glimpse of that potential.
But to what extent? Even Chiron couldn't say.
"I just want peace," Cyd shrugged. Suddenly, the sound of a branch breaking behind him made him freeze. He smelled blood.
Turning slowly, Cyd saw a giant lion enjoying the wolves he had knocked down earlier. "Taking someone else's prey is not okay," Cyd said, rubbing his neck.
The lion glanced at Cyd disdainfully before continuing to eat. "Although reason tells me to run for a peaceful life, I guess I'm just a foolish human." Cyd pulled out a bow and aimed at the lion's head, smiling wryly.
The arrow shot out and struck the lion's head at lightning speed. The lion roared in anger, staring at Cyd as if it had been stung by a bee. It was ready to teach this insignificant human a lesson!
"Don't want to let me go?" Cyd's expression turned sour. "Just perfect!"
As the lion prepared to attack, Cyd leaped backward and vanished into the dense forest.
"Roar!" The lion's furious roar echoed through the forest.
"Huh? What's that sound..." On the other side of the forest, a tall young
"By the gods above—this cannot be a coincidence," Cyd muttered, swatting away yet another clingy branch that tried to snag his pack. He'd been trudging through this overgrown forest for almost an hour, and so far, it had offered him nothing but thorns, mosquitoes, and now… wolves.
Five of them, to be exact. Closing in.
Because of course they were.
The forest was so full of wildlife, it might as well have had a sign that read: WELCOME TO GREECE. TRY NOT TO GET EATEN.
Cyd shifted his bundle, letting it hang off his thigh for easier movement, and clapped his hands toward the advancing pack.
"Alright, come on, then!" he said, voice tight. "Let's see how agile you really are."
The wolves didn't understand his words, but they definitely caught the tone. Four darted at him from all angles, aiming for his arms and legs. The fifth—clearly the alpha and breath like a sewage pit—lunged straight for his throat.
"Attacking the limbs is one thing," Cyd muttered, dodging left, "but could you at least brush your teeth, you mangy beast?"
With his left hand pinching his nose, he grabbed the alpha wolf's throat with his right. The wolf blinked, mid-lunge, completely baffled.
So were the other two currently latched onto his arms.
"My pants are ripped!" Cyd barked, eyes darting down to where two more wolves were tugging on his leg. "Chiron just fixed these!"
He sighed. "No respect for tailoring."
Tossing the alpha like an old rug, Cyd bent his knees. The ground cracked slightly beneath him. That was new.
"I'm not hungry enough for this," he muttered.
And with that, he launched himself into the air.
The forest blurred beneath him as he soared up—straight to the tallest tree. He spun midair, flicked his legs outward, and kicked the wolves off his calves with surgical grace. They tumbled like rag dolls.
Landing lightly on the forest floor, Cyd dusted off his torn pants and looked down at the twitching wolf pile.
"…Huh," he said, voice calm. "Guess this body really is strong."
Six months with Chiron. That's what it took. Half a year of bruises, trap setting, and sparring with angry demigods who liked to break trees over their knees. And now?
Now he could throw a wolf like it was a pillow.
He'd been told the human body had limitless potential. He was starting to believe it. But how far that went—even Chiron hadn't dared guess.
"I just want peace," Cyd said, brushing the dirt from his shoulder. "Is that so much to—"
Snap.
A branch broke behind him.
He froze.
Blood. He smelled blood.
Not the coppery sting of cuts and scratches—no, this was fresher, heavier, and thick with wild energy.
He turned slowly.
A lion. A massive lion, easily twice the size of a normal one, was happily feasting on the wolves Cyd had just kicked into next week.
"You have to be kidding me," Cyd groaned.
The lion raised its head, eyes golden and uninterested. It gave Cyd a look that said: Move along, peasant. Then went back to chewing.
"Taking someone else's kill is kinda rude, you know," Cyd muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But hey, reason says I should run away. That would be smart."
He unslung the bow from his shoulder, knocked an arrow, and aimed it straight at the lion's head.
"I'm not always smart."
He let it fly. The arrow zipped forward with a sharp whistle and thudded into the lion's skull.
The lion blinked.
Roared.
Gave Cyd a look that now said: You just made the list.
"Right. You're mad now." Cyd's voice dropped flat. "Perfect."
As the lion dug its claws into the ground, ready to charge, Cyd bolted. Backward flip, twist, and gone—vanishing into the underbrush like smoke in the wind.
The lion let out a roar that shook the forest.
Elsewhere…
On the other side of the woods, a tall young man paused mid-step. His brow furrowed.
"Roaring?" he muttered, looking in the direction of the sound. "That's not a bear."
His eyes sharpened.
"Found you."
frowned, looking in the direction of the roar. "Found you!"