SWNOVELS Chapter 8 Chapter 8
"On that hilltop, you will find an elderly man with a carved wooden staff. My pack refers to him as the Oracle and he has been able to help in many of our times of need. He may know how to help you too," she said gesturing to the peak of an inclination in the relatively flat land about a mile away. "Good luck on your quest,” she added with what appeared to be almost a smile and in a much less solemn tone.
"Thank you Alpha..." I began before realising I didn't even know her name.
"Silvia. Alpha Silvia," she answered.
I nodded before she left Max and me to make our way to the so-called “Oracle’.
"She was nice," I commented.
"If creepy and grave is your idea of nice..."
I elbowed him in the stomach.
"She didn't hand us into Leonardo and she has shown us to someone that can help us. You ought to be more thankful,” I said.
"Do you have to talk to me like I am one of your sons? I lost my mother when I was fourteen. I don't need you to replace her now that I'm twenty-seven,” Max replied walking faster ahead of me.
I rolled my eyes and kept going at my own pace. I gave up trying to civilise him weeks ago and accepted the fact that we would never go more than five minutes without bickering.
As we made our way up the dusty hill, my mind began to wonder, as it did at least ten times a day, to my home and family.
"What are you doing?” I had asked Leo as I walked into the living room early one morning. He was shirtless and appeared to be doing press- ups.
"Working out. Isn't it obvious?" he replied between deep breaths.
"You never work out. You don't need to," I stated, admiring his perfectly toned natural muscles.
"You won't be saying that when I'm forty.”
"But you're not forty. You're twenty-five and it's fifteen years until you're forty."
"It's also fifteen years until Cato turns seventeen and takes over the Alphaship so I have to keep up my strength until then,” he explained as he continued you to complete more and more press ups.
"Your great great great great Grandpa is still alive at 120. I don't think you need to worry about turning forty in fifteen years.”
"When Antonio was my age, he looked like this too," Leo said now doing his press-ups with one arm. "Have you seen him now that he is forty-two?"
"I can't say I have ever seen your father shirtless, to be honest.”
"Well, he is still Muscular but nowhere near how he was. He had me when he was much younger than I was when we had Cato so I have to keep this whole Alpha thing up for longer meaning I have to keep my strength up for longer MEANING I have to work out.”
"Whatever," I said with an eye roll. "You do whatever makes you happy but does it have to be in here? With all the sweat and panting.”
"I'm hardly sweating,” he pointed out.
"That's because you don't need to bloody work out,” I said as a little person waddled into the room.
"Mama, what is Dada doing?" Cato asked.
"That is a very good question, Bambino," I said as he stood next to me watching Leo continue to push himself towards and then away from the floor with his arms.
Our eldest child then toddled forward and as Leo came down he took a seat on his back only to be lifted up again by Leo's press up.
Leo and I both laughed as he sat casually on his father's back as he
continued to do his press-ups.
"Is that more of a challenge for you, Alpha?" I asked.
"A two-year-old? He doesn't even weigh 30 pounds,” Leo replied. "What about a nineteen-year-old weighing like 110 pounds,” I questioned picking Cato up and sitting on Leo's back with him on my lap.
"Is that more of a challenge for you? 140 pounds?" I asked as the front door swung open.
"In here Luca!" I called knowing immediately who our visitor was.
"Oh my, this looks like a fun game,” he said his eyes casting to Cato and me. "Can I join?"
"No," Leo stated. "Absolutely not.”
Luca looked at me, then Leo again and then me again before giving in to temptations and lurching forward.
“Luca, no!" Leo hissed as he slid himself onto Leo's back beside me "Luca!"
I burst out in laughter as Leo shook under the weight of the three of us. "Come on, Alpha,” Luca encouraged. "Give us ten."
"Is there any point calling me Alpha if you are going to ignore my every command anyway?" Leo asked breathing heavily as he completed another slow push-up.
After exactly 31 more, Leo collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
"Get the fuck off me, Luca,” he snapped as I stood up with Cato leaving Luca happily seated on Leo.
"Don't swear in front of your two-year-old, Alpha,” Luca scolded.
"Get the FRICK off me before I ...." Leo shouted even louder than the first time before trailing off and looking at Cato. "Brain you,” he added in a whisper.
Luca jumped to his feet and allowed Leo to catch his breath in peace. "At least now you know that you can do 32 press ups with 350 pounds on your back," Luca said optimistically.
"Will I be as stwong as Daddy one day, Mommy?" Cato asked.
"Of course you will sweetie," I replied placing my hand on his little cheek. "Maybe even stronger,” I whispered in his ear.
"Yay!" he squealed in excitement. "And Mommy?"
"Yes, ma bambino."
"What does “Fuck’ mean?"
"Well this is the top,” Max said pulling me out of my blissful daydream. I looked around to see a very bare and dry landscape with the only shade being provided by a single tree. Underneath the tree sat an old, withered-looking man sat with his legs cross and his eyes closed in some kind of mediation.
"Are you the Oracle?" I asked as we approached him. I felt bad for disturbing whatever he was doing but at the same time, we had no choice.
"I am the one you have been searching for yes,” the old man replied in a hoarse voice with his eyes still closed. "But I've always thought that the term “Oracle’ is a little far-fetched."
"We need your help.”
"I am aware but I'm afraid I am unable to give it to you," he said after a little pause. "I have not had the Amulet for thirteen years. Not since those men from the city snatched it from me.”
"Do you mean the Mafia?" Max questioned.
"That is what they call themselves. Savage brutes more like."
"Do you know where they keep it?" I asked and he finally opened his eyes to reveal two gleaming green orbs.
"Take my hand, child,” he said. "It is easier if I show you."
I exchanged nervous looks with Max.
"You too, young man," he added holding his hands out to both of us.
I cautiously crouched down and took his frail and bony hand.
"Both of you close your eyes," he commanded as he closed his again We did so and it felt as though we had been transported away from the hilltop and into a room. Infront of us was the amulet in a glass container. I only had the chance to get a quick look before the vivid image zoomed out to reveal the guard filled hallway, a stairwell, the old building it was in and then finally a split second glimpse of a street sign Within seconds of its start, the vision was over and we were brought back into reality.
I gasped at what had happened sunk in.
"It's in Venice?" I clarified looking at Max's shocked face.
"It appears you have a long journey ahead of you," the oracle deduced. "And if we succeed in retrieving it, then what? How do we use it?" Max questioned.
"Great good can come from your sister's power, but also great evil, Maximus. It can be both a gift and a curse. Even an object of great virtue, such as the Amulet, can not miraculously save her from the otherwise inevitable doom she faces. It will control Millia's powers for the good but only if that is her wish. If control for the benefit of her pack is not what she truly desires then the power of the Hecate's Amulet will go to more sinister uses and there is nothing you can do," he explained as he pulled himself to his feet with the help along wooden branch-like stick he then turned his back to us and took a slow step.
"Wait, why would she not want to use her power for good?" I asked as he walked away.
"Mirus's Father asked me to the same thing 1658 years ago," he replied not looking back. "Some of us are simply different.”
He then disappeared off from the hilltop leaving Max and I a little dumbstruck.
"He's 1658 years old?" Max said staring vacantly into space.
"At least,” I answered my eyes still wide.
Am I going insane or am I right in thinking that we just had a conversation with a psychic wizard that is thousands of years old? "Shall we go to Venice then?" Max asked casually haven pulled himself together.
"Alright," I replied shrugging
We then walked away from the hilltop and began to make our way back to the town to find a bus stop.
Nothing really surprises us for long anymore.