Hippocoon land

 “Of course, I have to grow up and get stronger.” yelled Dai. He puffed out his chest proudly. Heracles and Gwen almost burst in laugh but they could stop it.   “I feel good to hear you say that. I was afraid that you could not get used to living here.” said Amelinda ahead. “Don’t worry. I’m okay, just can’t appear in front of strangers.” said Lily. “I think it’s good for you and including others this moment.” Heracles spoke up. “Of course, I know it.” said Lily at one, “Honestly, I also don’t like to meet strangers.” She smiled. There had a simple wooden table with some chair inside the nursery. They were set under the foliage of an old tree. “Sit down.” said Lily. “So what bring you to here?” she added, looked over them. Heracles, Gwen and Lily took chairs and sat down. Dai promptly left Gwen’s hand, leapt on the table and hurriedly went to his seat. There had a set of table and chair small and lovely on that table. He stayed neatly on there. Some white bright spots gli...

It had been a week from the time since they turned back from Lerna and missed the most important time at the beginning of the new term. Their new term had begun. They couldn’t turn back to go to the All-For-You Shop to buy necessary items to use in the year. Fortunately, they only need some more new books which they could borrow at their family library or the community library. However, it’s not what they cared about at the time. They really felt strange. Instead of being blamed in front of all people, their family would had been taken away hundreds points and they might become sinners of Zeusia family then all Zeusias would isolate and swear them, there had nothing happened to them. Professors and members of families still acted as usual. They taught, they studied and seemed not to know what they had done. It confused Heracles and Gwen a lot. Whether professors needed more time to blame them, they asked themselves. The highest punishment, they could be expelled from Hippocoon. They ha...

  At an enclosed room in the castle Methonia, a meeting was taking place. A long table was in the middle of the room and Professor Finn stayed at one end of the table. With him Professor Genevieve, Linus, Oswald, Elfleda, the four family leaders participated and a few more people. “Roger can not stay in Hippocoon more. He knows the rules but he has broken. It’s not acceptable. He may be a Hippocoon’s future threat.” squealed Professor Linus. “I agree with Professor Linus though I Don’t think will be our threat. However, he has encouraged the children to buy magic items though he knows that it’s forbidden. It’s really dangerous. I think he deserves to be punished.” said Professor Genevieve in a tough way.  “Whatever, I think it’s not too serious. The children are still fine and Roger himself is the one who has brought them back healthy.” Professor Roger spoke up, “I think he has had a lesson for himself. Give him a chance.” “There will be no chance at all Oswald. We don’t accep...

Heracles, Gwen and Amelinda woke up at early morning. They had light breakfast with some bread and water before they arranged everything to go. The canvas was taken out from their tent frame, rolled then was tied up with a bag. The other things were put into their bags or their space rings. Later, they made their way to go, leaving at the place a tent frame and a pile of ashes beside a lying trunk. Short time later, they all appeared by the forest’s edge at a place in the west far away their tent then hurriedly walking inside the wood. Heracles went ahead leading Amelinda and Gwen to come to the orange trees. They stopped at the place for a little time, picked new ripe oranges then strode off. They followed the small path Heracles and Gwen had walked on before and quickly arrived to the stream. Gwen stopped at the shore to fill full his water-skin then made his way chase after Heracles and Amelinda who had waded pass to the other shore. It wasted Heracles and Gwen a while to find out t...

“But, how Heracles?” asked Amelinda, staring at her friend. Heracles turned in silence he really doesn’t know how to know where the walkway leading to. Amelinda took her eyes from him. “There had one thing I know surely that some people are living in the other side of this forest.” said Amelinda, breaking the silence. “What we need is to go straight, we will come to the other side.” When she was talking, she looked at Gwen and then Heracles observing them. Both Heracles and Gwen didn’t talk in seconds. Amelinda still watched on them. “Okay,” Gwen spoke up, “will follow your words. We will go in tomorrow morning.” Heracles also agreed with them.  Dew appeared some drops of water dropped on their shoulders. It was very cold outside. The decided to go in their tent and rested. Another night was going to pass another night they were kept to stay in a strange place. *** Meanwhile, in a place far away Heracles and the others, everything seemed very chaotic. Hurried footsteps, the calls f...

Winds blew harder and turned cooler in afternoon. One cold wind swept on Heracles’s face and made him wake up. He opened his eyes, managed to sit up then turned the side to see his friend. His friend, Gwen that moment had slipped off the trunk and completely lied on ground. His body shrank because of the cold. Heracles raised his hand up, reached on Gwen’s shoulder. He shook it. “Gwen,” he called, “Wake up. Don’t sleep on ground.”  Gwen’s body moved. He woke up and realized that he was lying on ground. Immediately he sat up. “Why do I lie on ground Heracles?” he squealed.  “I don’t know. You must slip off the trunk when you sleep.” said Heracles. “It must…”said Gwen, nodding. He raised his head, looked far away and suddenly saw a familiar figure standing between standing stones. “Ahh! Is it Amelinda.” he spoke up.  “Yes, she is.” said Heracles. His eyes rested on Amelinda’s back. “What is she doing there?” Gwen squealed, “Go and see what she is doing.” he added and immedi...

“It’s too long. Where did you go?” squealed Amelinda. She was impatient. “You said that you only went in short time but it has been noon now.” she added. Her voice was still high. “It’s because of them.” said Gwen grinning. He moved toward her, put his bag down, opened it and showed her yellow oranges inside. “Where do you get them?” squealed Amelinda. “In forest.” Gwen answered, “We found many orange trees there and spend time to pick them. They are planted by someone. Oranges are sweet and succulent”  “It also didn’t take you much time like that.”  Amelinda spoke. “Yes, it’s not all.” said Heraccles calmly, “We found some paths there and decided to follow them and take a look. One of them is very long. I think it’s the path leading cross this forest.” “Are you sure that the path leading cross the forest.” said Amelinda quickly. “No, I’m not sure but I believe.” said Heracles. “I and Gwen did explore it about half an hour but we can’t ensure the thing.” he added. “Amelinda.” ...

“It’s sweet and succulent.” said Heracles, chewing. “Yes, it is.” said Gwen. He completely agreed with Heracles. “At least, they are the planted orange trees, not the wild orange trees we found yesterday.” he added, still focused his orange tree’s brand. With one hand pulling the branch down, he managed to pick as many as ripen oranges he could. Short time later, Heracles and Gwen picked about forty or fifty oranges. They put them into a bag then strode heading deeply into forest to explore and also find some water. Heracles and Gwen discovered a small walkway as they passed the orange trees. Though grasses did covered on the walkway, it’s still found out. They decided to follow the walkway. Stepping on grasses they went. Shrubs and sprigs growing outwards made the walkway turn narrow. They had to push shrubs and sprigs aside to go. They slowly went in deep forest and at last to be prevented. There had a stream at the end of the walkway; it’s wide and looked not too deep. They stopped ...

The night covered upon whole the place. Three lights emerged out from the forest. Amelinda then Heracles and Gwen walked toward the trunk laid in front of their tent and sat down as they reached on it. Some firewood was still there. They stacked a pile of firewood and the fired it. Heracles, Gwen and Amelinda kept staying by the fire, took out some bread and milk to eat. It was very simple because they had no time to prepare. Quickly they finished their dinner and stayed still by the fire talking until it turned much dewy and cold they made their way turn in the tent. The fire outside lived a short time then turned off. There were three shadows of Heracles, Gwen and Amelinda laid on the tent; they still didn’t sleep, were sitting conversing. Amelinda’s scepter was still stood at the corner of the tent lighting whole the place. “It’s the second days we are here. I guess people found out we are not in home. They must worry about us much.” said Gwen. “They will turned much more worried if...

A whistle spread out. The slid was pushed up then slipped aside. Steam came out from the cauldron. The things inside was boiled. Amelinda immediately stood up, moved toward the fire “It’s boiled. What should I do now?” squealed Amelinda, looking to Gwen. Gwen raised his head “Stir it well. I’m coming.” he said loudly then bent down to slice the remaining herbs. Amelinda turned to the cauldron, looked at the slid which was moving up and down because of steam. Loudly whistle still emitted with a lot of hot steam.  “Do you know how to stop the thing?” said Amelinda, pitifully turned to Heracles. “Let it to me.” said Heracles. He hurriedly took firewood from the fire. It made the fire turned gentler at one. The whistle stopped and there also didn’t have to much steam coming emitted out. Then Heracles grabbed on the lid, pulled it up. A cloud of white steam flew up when the lid was taken off. Laid it on ground, he grabbed on the big wooden spoon and started stirring.  “Okay, let it...

“Not too long Gwen.” said Heracles, “Just enough to decide to explore the forest.” “Oh, let’s go. I also want to explore that place.” said Gwen immediately. Then Heracles and Amelinda stood up. They made their way head to forest. Heracles and Gwen did go in the forest but it is the first time Amelinda went. The first thing she got that the forest was an ancient forest and completely wild. Trees were really big and looked really very old their trunks were covered black shaggy bark or green mosses while boughs which were as big as normal trunks. They were grabbed vines which were as big as a person's calf. Sometime she even saw vines which were as big as a human body. The forest was really humid. It made the temperature inside dropped. Amelinda could feel cool air swept on her skin whenever she stepped. Sometime, it made her creepy when winds blew passing her. Sunlight was very weak in there it had to break the foliage upon their heads. Under their feet the ground was covered by rott...

“What do you mean?” said Gwen at one while Heracles chose not to speak. He kept silent, carefully observed. “You mean that the symbols are a sorted by rank, right?” said Heracles, raised his voice at the end. He kept looking on Amelinda. “Yes – It’s what I want to say. You can see – the thunderbolt, the most powerful symbol belonging to god Zeus is placed at the center while the trident, the symbol of god Poseidon and the Cap of Invisibility, the symbol of god Hades have to stand around it. Then eagle, owl, vulture, bull and Cerberus were next to them. The farther away from the center the less famous symbols.” said Amelinda gently. “And,” she stopped, looked toward a standing stone. “There on the standing stones also have symbols of the twelve Olympians.” she said slowly. “Really?” said Gwen, gave her a suspicious looking. “You can see them.” said Amelinda. Her eyes took on standing stones.  Gwen stood still looking to Amelinda for a while then made his way to one of stan...