The flash of lightning appeared unexpectedly on the cloudless sunny afternoon. The sharply dressed businessman strolled down the busy street oblivious to the fact that his life was about to change drastically. The people around him gasped as the lightning bolt struck him and he collapsed to the ground. "Check his pulse.... Call for help.... Is he dead?"

*****

The sound of Chiron's hoofs on the marble floor echoed through the great hall as he approached Zeus. The god of lightning was seated on his throne, golden staff in hand and his pet eagle by his side. Chiron stood before the king of Olympus and folded his front legs to bow in respect. Few of the other gods were also present in the hall, and Chiron knew that trouble was afoot. "You summoned me Zeus?"

"Chiron!" he spoke in a thunderous voice. "Have you not heard the news. The mortals have started warring on one another. Millions are dying all around the world and our powers are weakening."

The other gods nodded their heads, a somber look on their faces. "Yes great one, I am aware of it," Chiron replied and he paused to gather his thoughts. "But this is common amongst men is it not? They take pleasure in slaughtering their own. Soon they will have a period of peace and begin rebuilding and the cycle continues."

Zeus sighed and he leaned back in his throne. "Alas I fear that will not be the case this time Chiron. I sense a foul presence coming from down below. Something vile lives amidst the humans." Zeus furrowed his brows and stared at Chiron. "That is why I have summoned you Chiron, I want you to head down to the human world and find out what you can about this source of dark power.

"I... me," Chiron stammered as he tried to form words. It was pointless to argue with Zeus once he had made his mind up and Chiron did not wish to incur his wrath. "As you command," he finally managed to say in a dejected tone.

"Find the hermit sage of mount Myoboku. He knows much about the human world and he might even know about this unknown evil." Zeus planted his staff on the floor and hoisted himself up. "You know the three rules of visiting humankind do you not Chiron?" Zeus took a deep breath and continued in a louder voice. "Do Not reveal your powers to them," he banged his staff on the ground with a loud thud. "Do Not mess with free will," the staff thudded once more. "And Do Not under any circumstance sire a child with a human," Zeus slammed his staff down one final time as his gaze shifted to Poseidon who averted his gaze.

"You are one to speak," Poseidon muttered inaudibly under his breath.

"I understand," Chiron wished that the had more time to prepare for his journey. The young centaurs and demigods under his tutelage would have to find another mentor till he returned. "I am ready."

"I have chosen a suitable vessel for you. Now prepare yourself," Zeus lifted his staff and pointed it at Chiron and waved it. A bolt of lightning flew towards him and Chiron started glowing before vanishing from the great hall.

*****

Chiron gasped for air and opened his eyes to see the human onlookers staring at him wide eyed. He brought his hands in front of his face and moved his fingers, trying to get a feel of this new body. A man nearby offered his hand and he stood on his two feet, almost falling back as he lost his balance. It was going to take time to adjust to this new vessel and time was not something he had to spare. After assuring the people that he was alright, he stumbled away from the crowd. He had no clue where the hermit lived and he started walking down the street aimlessly. As he turned the corner, a woman ran into him before sinking down to her knees. "Are you alright mort... woman," he offered her his hand.

The figure stood there towering over the shattered shadow .Weaving the chains that would bind her mind into servitude of the masculine domain. A feral beast she would remain, for the days to come , a lonely animal of instinctual desires.  Always backed in a corner snarling and growling with blood caked jaws and fear in her eyes. Heart better left void without the feeling of life abundantly filled with fleeting ideas of lighting through the veins of corrupted thoughts with deluded acceptance of pleasurable pain.

The father figure stood there towering over the small girl child. Weaving the chains that would bind her mind into servitude of the masculine domain. Loathing dripping from the brainwashing words of ugliness, loneliness and permanently being unwanted. Boiling water, beatings with cords, broken bones, shattered soul, splintered heart. Torn, bloody, broken and bruised. The physical scars that will always remind, the mental scars that never heal asking for more pain as that is the only sensation it has been taught, feeling empty and alone in a lonely nightmare.

She tossed in her restless sleep  from the recurring dream drenched in her own sticky sweat as usual, her heart beating in her chest as she whimpered in her sleep. The woman  slept on as the  nightmare continued.

The young love of life as well is belligerent in the ways of true life and demoralizes the woman-child a little more as he keeps a choke hold on her conceived reality. Like any beast beaten enough she lashed out as a feral kitten scared of the world she hid in a rotten log. Till another came with false promises leaving her demoralized and with a babe to suckle. Lured and baited from the dark recess of the corners of life yet another takes her and binds her in the chains of servitude to will. Never to look in the mirror of life again for fear of the reflection looking back.

She woke  and sat bolt upright she swiped her arm across her face wiping sweat from her face then pulled soaking off as she crawled from the bed. Reaching into the draw she pulled out a dry tank top and pulled it over her head. Wiping the sweat from her face and hair and chest as she walked out of the room to check on the children. Finding all three of the soundly asleep she went t back to own bed.  Turning her pillow over so she would not lay back on the wet sweatiness she laid down and drifted back to sleep her nightmare continuing as usual.

The last was her nightmare incarnate accepted in a brainwashed state of deluded reality. Nightly stabbing of a bound spirit . Unable to move in feral fright bound by the chains of fear. His grunts of domination feeding the loathing bloody thoughts as his sweating desires break the beast from the inside out with his phallic device shoved mockingly down down each orifice he finds. Her silent screams excite him to pull her bindings tighter. Exerting a choke hold on a deluded reality. Finally the mirror so large it can't be avoided stares at her blankly. A reflection of hate and bloody desires. Murderous visions for the ones who did this. A fearful warrior.  Punishment of self for not awaking sooner to the masculine control of a wild feral spirit. Acceptance of the spiders that crawl along the skin of awakening. Pulling the web of fate as growth is permanent acceptance of self.

Suddenly she screamed out and sat bolt upright. She took in a deep sigh and scrubbed her hands through her wet hair. She wiped her eyes and suddenly felt the urge..

She found herself in her sweats and tank top just running wildly down the street the cool night air blowing through her damp hair had made the sweat on her skin become a sticky shield that kept her warm from the chill. The lightning clapping in the sky was fitting ambiance to how she felt inside.  Her legs pumped hard as her bare feet beat the ground leaving red prints behind. Her hands clenched in red fists pumped as she ran.  She just ran and ran  as hard as she could she ran her mind blank now and free of all thought when suddenly...

HRMFFF she ran into a solid figure crumpling she fell on her knees her  red hands outstretched before her she sat like this a moment her breath hard as her heart tried to escape her rib cage.  When her eyes finally focused on her red blood stained hands she remembered what she had she just done. her eyes welled up with tears as she thought  I hope my children will forgive me for killing their fathers... A voice broke her self centered moment and she looked up to see a man offering his hand.  Slowly she sat up and extended a bloody hand toward him, hoping that this would not too  become a nightmare.

When he grasped her hands and pulled her back onto her feet he noticed that his hands were stained in blood. The woman did not appear to be injured yet her hands were soaked crimson. Murder was forbidden in Olympus as much as it was down here and Chiron's sense of justice wouldn't let him ignore this crime.

"What did you do woman, whom did you hurt?" he took hold of her shoulders and shook her. She was like a lifeless puppet in his hands and he could not illicit a response from her. "If you will not answer me then you leave me no choice but to take you to the authorities," he gripped her by the wrist and pulled her along as he moved forward.

"Excuse me, where is the house of justice?" Chiron asked a woman who passed him by. She raised her eyebrow, muttered something about him being crazy and then walked away quickly. Whomever he approached, the response he received was similar and it frustrated him. The two of them wandered around, the woman staring ahead blankly in a catatonic state. "Zeus help me," he prayed silently knowing very well that the god of sky had more important things on his plate at the moment.

A large building with the scales of justice was seen in the distance and Chiron's eyes lit up. "Thanks heavens for...." before he could finish, the woman started screaming loudly like the banshees of hades. Not wanting to attract unwanted attention he sidestepped into a side alley, pulling the woman along with him. He pressed his hand over her mouth muffling her screams, "Shh I am not going to hurt you but you need to stop screaming. Are you ready to talk now? Tell me whose blood is on your hands."

She shuffled along in a zombie-like  saunter behind the man as he pulled her along a slight smile curled her pale lips as her eyes stared blankly at nothing.  As he pulled her along people brushed against her form and she would look at them listlessly  with a small amount of drool clinging to her lips.   Her mind was flooded with images of her last act of karmic justice....

She took  the very hands that caused her harm and  so tenderly she  lay them  there flat as can be.
The meat cleaver in her  other hand swooshed through the air and THUNK,
his hands teeter on the edge of the table for a moment before falling useless to
the ground.

Just as the vision of  the hands of her perpetrator hitting the ground finished playing in her mind she screamed out.

 You will rest in the turmoil and sin you gave. 

She then  felt a firm hand cover her mouth as she felt herself pulled her into the alley. Fear fanned through  her veins like wild fire.

Where was she? How did she get here? who was this stranger ?

Her eyes grew wide as she realized she had blood on her as her incoherent screaming was muffled against his grip. 

Where had the blood come from? Was it hers? Where were her children? 

Her mind was reeling, her thoughts running through her mind like a Chinese fire drill. She stared with back at the man over his hand with wild eyes filled with uncertainty and fear.

Try as he might, Chiron couldn't get the woman to quieten down. He could see fear and confusion in her eyes. "Calm down and tell me what happened to you," he insisted but he felt her bite down on his hand. Left with no other choice he used his free hand to grip her behind her shoulder. Being well versed in the medicinal arts, Chiron knew almost all there was to know about the human body. A small amount of pressure on the correct spot was enough to make the woman lose consciousness and fall limply into his arms.

He wrapped one of her hands around his shoulder and started dragging her back out onto the street. On the other side of the street he saw a shabby inn that advertised lodging and meals. "Guess that will have to do." As he stepped out onto the road, he was met with the honking of an oncoming car. He paused and looked around before quickly dragging her onto the other side. Pushing open the door to the inn, he brought her inside the building and set her limp body down on a chair.

"Hi, my wife fainted out of nowhere. I think it must be this heat. Do you have a room for her to rest?" Chiron asked the receptionist, a bald man with thick glasses.

"Two dollars a day, sign the register," he said in a bored tone and pushed a register forward, barely looking at his companion.

Chiron scrawled an illegible name into the register and took the key from the man. "Thank you," he mumbled and walked over to the woman. Instead of dragging her up the flight of stairs he thought it best to carry her. He placed a hand under her thighs and the other behind her back and lifted her up. The receptionist was back to reading his newspaper as Chiron walked past him and up the stairs.

"202,204 ah there 206." The room was the last one in the narrow, dark hallway. The scent of mothballs and sweat welcomed him as he carried her into the small room. A double bed, a faded couch and a dresser with a chair were all the furniture that decorated the room. He set the woman on the bed, removed her shoes and covered her with the sheets. "What have I gotten myself into. I don't have time for this," he sighed.

Seeing as she was out cold and would remain so for a while he decided to step outside. Zeus must have sent him here for a reason. Would he find anything useful for his quest in this town? Was the hermit nearby? Or is this a colossal waste of time...

She tossed and turned all night mumbling in her sleep. Her dreams were not as disruptive to her mind as she dreamt of an old man  on a hillock just sitting there maybe feeling the wind or watching the clouds she wasn't sure.  It felt odd  calming and dissembling  at the same instance. She rolled over pulling the  sheet with her as she stirred in waking with the sun shining warmly across her face.  As her eyes slowly opened she gathered her surroundings realizing in her waking state that she was not in her own she suddenly sat bolt upright gripping the sheet to her as if it were a shield.

Who are you? Where  am I ?   she demanded  as she rubbed the sleep from here eyes. She saw the red stain on her hands and held them out  palms up to the stranger.   She had fear and uncertainty in her eyes still but her voice conveyed a different emotion confused anger.

What have you done to me? 

She sat on  the bed in this unknown location her hands outstretched to this stranger who had unrecognized motives as her own mind sat in a desolate place of lost memories.

Who am I ?  Her last question was in a distant pleading tone as her shoulder slumped in defeat.

Chiron wandered through the busy city streets trying to locate anything that might help him with his quest. When was the last time he had been down here? Wasn't it during the dark ages, a time when humans continuously warred each other. Many a number of his vessels were killed during that period and compared to that this era seemed much peaceful. Maybe Zeus was worried over nothing.

A store window displaying some ancient artifacts caught his eye and he stopped in his tracks. This looks promising. He marched into the store and started searching for useful trinkets. An old lady with grey hair was behind the counter and she was starting at him. "Excuse me, do you have maps that chart out this place?" he asked her.

She gave him a quizzical look then turned around to rummage through some shelves. "Here you go, road maps of the city."

Chiron examined the maps but couldn't make heads or tails of the lines and writings on it. "This doesn't show the mountains or the lakes. Do you have anything else?"

The lady groaned and turned around once more. "You should have asked for a topographic map," she muttered and placed a few other maps in front of him.

This map was much easier to read, he could see the nearby mountain ranges. "I'll take this," he rolled it up. After buying the maps, a compass and other survival gear, he exited the shop. The sun had set and the street lights were switched on so he hurried towards the lodge.

"Hot dog, fresh hot dog. Sir would you like some?" a vendor called out to him.

The fact that mortals need food to survive slipped his mind. The hot dogs, whatever that was, smelled alright so he bought a couple of them. A half hour later he was back in his room and the woman was still asleep. He placed the maps on the table and unrolled it and started studying it.

"Who are you, where am I?," the woman inquired and he turned around to face her.

"Do not be alarmed you are safe. You are under my custody," he stepped beside the bed and looked at her. "I am sorry for bringing you here but you left me no choice. Perhaps you should get yourself cleaned up first," he pointed at her hands and her clothes. "Once you are done I have some food we can share and then you can tell me your story."

She squinted her eyes at the stranger as he approached her. The hairs on her skin rising as her flesh prickled with a clamy heat. Finally she started to comprehend what this strange man was saying to her.

Your custody!? First off who am I and who are you?

She spoke through his words needing answers to straighten her jumbled mind. Her left hand reached up and cradled her aching head in her hand.  Her thoughts would not cease in her mind causing a white wash of sound to reverberate through her skull.  As his continued to try and console her she calmed enough to asses what he was saying about her appearance. Lifting her left hand from her head she peered at  her hand in a moment of silent lucidity.

Her demeanor was complaisant when suddenly she sprang from the bed as if she had some purpose and strolled towards the bathroom she paused in the door frame and spoke before closing the door behind her.

You are quite right I do need to clean up.

She stepped from the bathroom pristine her skin had a glow to it as she sat the table. She had taken the bed-sheet with her and wrapped it around her torso tying it  into  a knot over her right shoulder. Still confused and uncertain as to who and where she was.

You said your custody? What did I do?  If I am in your custody then you know who I am. Can you at least tell me that?

"Do you not remember anything from earlier," Chiron asked with a raised eyebrow. He picked up the bag with their dinner and thrust it into her hand after taking out his piece. After taking a seat on the bed he recounted the events of the afternoon.

"My name is Chiron," he used his real name, mainly because he had no idea what his vessel was called. "If you have killed someone then it is my duty to take you to the authorities. Justice must always be served," he took a bite of his hot dog. The food felt cold and his tongue burned from the heat. He craved for some fresh bread and ale.

"Tell me whatever you remember. Try to recall your name," he ran a hand through his beard and pondered about this unusual situation. "In your sleep you were muttering something about your children. Does that ring a bell?"

She gave  him a credulous look as he asked her, then answered in a sarcastic tone.

Do you think I would ask you what I did and who I was if I remembered?

She took the bag he thrust at her and pulled out a luke warm hot dog. The bread was half soggy and the sausage was wrinkled she managed to take a bite and chewed it while listened to the man.

She swallowed the last bite of the food as he finished asking her questions. She sat there for several moments in silence as what he said rolled through her mind mingling with the whitewash of mumbling voices.

 Chiron, her voice had grown abnormally deep when she spoke his true name, he said call me Delphi. She quipped as she tapped her  left temple and gave Chiron a wink.

Suddenly turned in her seat looking around the room a bright smile growing on her face. 

Children? She raised an eyebrow to him. Where are they? I don't see any. Her facial features grew soft as a joyous smile grew on her face. Wouldn't it be nice to hear children laughing and playing  right now. Oh maybe I should yell olly olly oxen free maybe  then they will come out and play with us.

Chiron's eyes grew wide on hearing the woman's new tone and manner of speech. Had she finally cracked and gone completely crazy or was she gifted with the oracle's powers? He prayed that it was the latter and that this was the reason he arrived in this specific place.

"Are you really her?" Chiron asked her and stood up from the bed. Taking her hand, he lead her towards the table where the maps were laid out. The oracles were supposedly gifted with great power's but they were very vague in their answers but Chiron had no choice so he asked her. "I need your help with something of great importance, do you think you can help me?"

Pointing at the map on which he had marked seven circles he said, "I am searching for a mystic hermit who lives in one of these seven areas. He prefers to stay in isolated places away from prying human eyes. I think you can help me locate him."

Starting from the east he began. "In the place they now call New York, there is an ancient ruined fort abandoned since the medieval ages. That is the only place I can think of where he might be in that area," the woman was staring at the map so he continued.

"Here in Philadelphia," her eyes lit up when he mentioned the place that was similar to her name. "I remember there being a forested area that was a source of pure energy. If the forest still stands he might be hiding out there."

His hand moved across the map to the central area. "Detroit had a beautiful lake, and at that lake is a triangular portion of land that humans avoid. It is a possible place for the hermit to visit."

The woman was losing interest. "Please stay focused, this is a serious matter. A cave near a waterfall in Chicago could be another favored spot for him. Do you think he is there?"

As she didn't respond he kept on going. "Sand as far as the eye can see and in the middle of the desert here in Las Vegas," he pointed at the map, "is an oasis which has mystical powers. Not there?"

"How about here in Los Angeles. I remember a snowy mountain with terrible blizzards and year round snowfall."

Finally he moved to Seattle. "This is the last spot I can think of. There is an island somewhere off the coast called Dead Man's Land and humans avoid it like the plague."

He turned to her and looked in her eyes. "Tell me are you able to sense anything? Is he in any of the seven locations?" Chiron was starting to feel like this was pointless, the woman was quiet and didn't make any noise as she sat at the chair.

Her face was soft as she smiled Apollo lets me sense many things. The best is the sense of the  sun on my face.  She moved her arm over the map her hand hanging like a pendulum from her wrist as it circle the map.

 Her voice grew deeper as the oracle spoke through the woman.The Hermit you seek has indeed been to the seven cities.

Her eyes fluttered as they rolled into the back of her head showing only the whites behind her fluttering lashes as she spoke.

The Hermit you seek enjoys his solitude, on a hillock, where he  plays among the corpses of the plagued children. 

Her eyes rolled back to show her irises and her  quiet voice came back to her as she continued  to look around for the children.

Hey little ones where are you?  come out and play. She lifted the sheet and looked under the bed for the children she could hear laughing in the static of her mind.

"A hillock and plagued children?" Chiron was flabbergasted by her reply. The local lore and traditions of this nation was not known to him. If he was to figure out the oracle's words then he had to learn more about this nation's past. Or maybe he might get lucky and she would reveal the exact spot but he didn't hold his breath.

"There aren't any children here. They have gone to sleep. We can meet them tomorrow," he patted her on her shoulder.The fact that this woman was channeling the oracle meant that she was broken, maybe even beyond repair but he had to try and help her. He knew not how he was going to find her family or friends but he would try.

"Let's get some sleep. You want to meet the children tomorrow don't you?" he guided her towards the bed and she reluctantly climbed into it. Chiron went back to the desk and started pouring through the books he purchased from the shop. History, geography and politics were some of the subjects he wanted to familiarize with. In between reading he turned around to check on the woman who at times kept murmuring in her sleep.

Zeus had a hand on his forehead as a hooded figure stood in front of him. "Pan's powers have weakened terribly. The weaker gods are starting to fade oh great one. How long can we survive if this evil power is allowed to grow?" Zeus listened to him then waved him away. The other gods were near him and for the first time in many decades the three brothers were in the same room once more. If they had put aside their difference then this threat must be quiet real indeed. "Chiron hurry, we don't have long..."

Chiron woke with a start from his dream. Sleep was not something he required but his vessel was growing weak and he had fallen asleep at the desk. Standing up he began stretching his hands to get the senses back in them. As he turned around his jaw dropped. The bed was empty and the woman was nowhere to be seen. He ran to the door and slipped out into the hallway in search of her.

When she heard there were no children there to play with  the bright smile on her face turn into a forlorn look.  As he guided her towards the bed a small smile graced her lips as she nodded her head in agreeance. She was excited she couldn't wait to play hid and go seek with the children.  She crawled into the bed and fell fast asleep.

She dreamt of an old man  on a hillock just sitting there maybe feeling the wind or watching the clouds. Not far from him she could see  plagued children playing ring a round the roses and some playing hide and seek.  She tossed in her  mumbling olly olly oxen free in her sleep. A her dream world changed and she could see waves lapping against a sandy and rocky beach. 

The sun had peeked in through the window and woke her with a gentle warmth on her face. She blinked her eyes open and crawled from the bed opening the  door of the motel room she then  stepped out into the cool morning air. She walked through the damp grass the  dew making the hem of  the makeshift  toga wet as she strolled along she suddenly knelt cooing as she picked up a head size rock. Smiling and cooing at the small the baby she found a bench and sat cradling the baby  and cooing at it . When Chiron finally found her  on the bench she held out her infant like any proud mother would.

 Olly olly oxen free. I found  one of the children. She pulled the  rock baby to her chest and cuddled it cooing a bit more then looked up to Chiron with a blank look in her eyes. The other plagued children are playing hide and seek with the Hermit. She turned her gaze to the child  she saw in her arms. Children are much braver than adults don't you think. She looked up at Chiron a beaming smile on her face.

Chiron sat beside her on the park bench and smiled back at her as she held the rock out to him. "Yes children are wonderful, they are little angels. Looks like this little guy is sleepy," he placed the rock beside him and turned towards the woman. To watch her slip further into her delusions was painful and he was not about to stand by idly.

He took off his coat and placed it on his lap, then took her hands in his and draped the coat over their hands. "Look at me, take a deep breath and keep breathing slowly," he had promised Zeus that the wouldn't break the three rules. That promise was about to be broken. The coat should prevent anyone from noticing it, he hoped. Chiron hummed quietly and channeled his energy through to her, his divine powers were capable of healing physical wounds as well as mental trauma.

As time passed by, the expression on the face of the woman changed from joy to confusion to shock. She gasped and let go off his hand then she stood up and walked away. Chiron called out to her but she ignored him and began running in an eastward direction. He followed her, trotting behind her as they passed by the city market. She turned into an alleyway littered with broken bottles and they arrived at the poorest part of town. "I'm coming," she mumbled and kept on running. 

Chiron grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Up ahead was a red brick house, in front of which were parked a couple of police wagons. A sizable crowd was gathered in front of the gate and he knew that something was amiss. "Wait here while I find out what is going on," Chiron made the woman wait near the entrance to a shuttered shop as he headed towards the crowd.

"It's terrible. Did you see. No but I heard it looks like a scene from a horror movie in there. He was chopped up and the blood. How could anyone do something so heinous. Those poor kids, I hope they are alright. Someone from social services are keeping them company," the murmurs were endless as Chiron pushed his way through the crowd. The cops had cordoned off the house and the ambulance workers were carrying something off in a covered up sheet. Chiron strained to hear the conversation.

"We have put out an APB. She won't get far. Tell the officers to check every hiding spot in the house in case she is still inside." The voice was that of a man in a trench coat wearing dark glasses. "She might be mentally unstable so approach her with caution." Chiron had heard enough and he raced back to where he left the woman.

No don't stop me.  She yelled at Chiron as she  weakly slammed her free fist into his chest. I have to check on my children. She tried to pull away from him but his hold on her wrist was firm. He let her finish her fit as the stood in the alleyway. Once she realized her struggle was futile she calmed with a worried but sullen look on her face.  Chiron convinced her to wait for him as he went on to find her children for her.

She sttod in the doorway of the brick building her small form fitting snugly behind the door jam as Chiron had instructed her stay out of site till his return.

Chiron came back several moments later with a look in her eye did not understand. She immediately thought of her children and bound towards him in a flurry. She gripped his shirt with both her fists and demanded  to know of her children.  

What did you see? Did he hurt them? Where are my children?

She suddenly gripped her head, the static white noise filled with  voices  was back and had gotten louder flooding her mind making it hard for her to think. She groaned out in frustration at the sound in her head.  Then looked to him with  searching eyes.

Chiron looked at her  with curiosity in his  eyes as he spoke.

He is dead. Your children are okay.

She grabbed him by the shoulders and looked deep into his eyes. You saw my children?  He shook his head no and her face became crestfallen as she let him go and  her body slumped as depression flooded her.

I had hoped that what I done to their father made their lives safer and mine.  I need to go see my children. She started to push past Chiron  as he stood like a wall in front of her.  She stomped her feet on the ground like a child throwing a fit and clenched her fists.

Let me go Chiron I need to see my children are okay.

Cool story, like it

"Wait, there are men looking for you," Chiron relayed to her what he had heard at her house verbatim. When he had met this woman he wanted to bring her to justice but after watching the oracle's powers in her, he knew that she was innocent. Whatever she had done was done for the safety of her children and justice had been served.

"We need to leave this city be....," he became silent when he heard approaching footsteps. Standing in front of her, he shielded her from their view.

"Man did you see those chicks in the front row, they were hot. Did you see the knockers on that chick with the red skirt," one of the passerby commented, adding, "Anyway what did you think of the movie?"

"Cool story,like it..." his friend replied as they walked past Chiron.

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the woman. " We need to hurry. I read about these railroads connecting different cities. We should get to the nearest one and head far away from here."

"My children," she cried.

"Yes we will find your children first, I know where they are," he assured her. "They are with the group called social services. I saw them being herded into a vehicle near your house. I'll take you there. Keep your head down and follow me," he took her hand and guided her closer to her house. They blended in amongst the crowd, staying out of sight from the policemen. "That is their vehicle, do you know how to operate it?" he gestured towards a black Cadillac. 

That is their vehicle, do you know how to operate it?  he gestured towards a black Cadillac. I do,was all she said as she grew nearer  she felt it would be best just to walk up the Cadillac and crawl in while the officers and the social workers were distracted talking . As her and Chiron crawled into car the  first thing she noticed  was they had left the car idling. Then she saw her children her face suddenly beaming as a glow seemed  to surround her form  as her laid upon her children in the back seat huddled together  squealing at the sight of her.

MOM

Shh yes my little ones quiet for now we are getting out of here. She winked at them through the rear-view mirror as she took a deep sigh of relief happy  that the vehicle had been sitting there idling or this would have been harder. Just as they started pulling away someone in the crowd yelled at the officers and social workers.

Hey someone is kidnapping those kids!!!

Was all she heard as the tires car roared down the street . She slammed the car into gear the engine revving up as she pressed  the gas pedal to the floor.

Hold on kids she said smiling she was in her element behind the wheel.She looked into the rear view mirror and saw flashing blues and reds  behind them. She  geared the vehicle down and lifted her foot  from the gas pedal briefly as she turned the steering wheel and slid around the corner. Shifting up gears again as the turned into the corner she pressed the gas pedal to the floor again as they sped down the the new street.   Sirens could be heard in distance when suddenly three cops car had come around a corner and were right behind them. She lifted her foot from the gas and shifted down a couple gears slowing the Cadillac as she swung the steering wheel and went down an alley way trying to the lose the cops. One of the cops managed to set chase down the alley as the Cadillac exited to the street turning left she slammed down on the gas as the vehicle straightened and flew down the road. In the rear- view mirror she could the police vehicle exiting the alley only to crash into and oncoming car. Taking her advantage she slowed and turn left down the street and then right down another alley bringing them out on to the south side of town.

Looking at Chiron she smiled.  Thank you for helping me get my children back.

The static voices in her mind started up again and her expression grew blank as her voice changed momentarily   we are not going to the rails we are going the docks. The plagued children are waiting for you with the  Hermit. They are the only ones brave enough to visit him.  Just as quickly as the oracle had taken over her body she had left. The tone of her skin grew flushed as her blank stare became a joyful one with  the sound of her children in the back seat  bringing her mind back to herself.The children squealed with delight as they had never been on a boat before.

She pressed her  foot down on the gas pedal as they finished the drive to the docks.

Chiron clung to the door handle for his dear life as they sped down narrow alleyways and against oncoming traffic. Riding atop a pegasus seemed safer than what he was going through at the moment. As they turned a corner, he could smell the scent of the ocean in the air. Without warning she stepped on the brake and his body lurched forward, his head barely missing the windshield.

"We are here, let's go kids," the woman announced and climbed out of the vehicle and Chiron followed suit. The five of them ran towards where the ships were anchored. The sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance which made them hasten their steps. "That one..there," she pointed at one of the big boats with smoke rising out of its funnel, signalling that it was about to depart.

"Halt !" a gruff voice sounded behind them. It was that of the detective at the crime scene, in the trench coat and dark glasses.

"Get the kids on board, I'll hold him off," Chiron stated and faced off against the officer who was running towards them. He was tall and well built yet fast and agile. Chiron began running towards him, building momentum with each step and the two of them charged at each other like raging bulls. Even though their physiques were similar, Chiron was unaccustomed to his body and was sent flying as a result.

The detective was on him in a flash. Powerful arms wrapped around Chiron's neck and under his shoulder, restricting his movement. The officer applied pressure around his neck in an effort to knock him out cold. The shrill whistle of the ship sounded nearby, momentarily distracting him and Chiron seized the opportunity to elbow him in the abdomen. Like a deflating balloon the man crumpled down to his knees and Chiron being freed from his grip, gulped in fresh air. Turning around quickly, Chiron swung his arm in an arc and connected with the officer's face.

"Hurry Chiron hurry," the woman called out from aboard the ship. The boarding ladder was about to be pulled away from the boat and Chiron sprinted towards it. Just as he was about to grab hold of the ladder, the detective tackled him from behind and the two of them rolled around on the concrete ground. They were on their feet in no time and began trading blows. Chiron suffered a blow to the side of his head making his ears ring but he countered with an uppercut to the man's jaw. 

More police vehicles approached the dock as the ship pulled away from land and Chiron knew it was foolish to stick around. The officer was still recovering from the blow which gave Chiron the opportunity to slip away. He zigzagged in between rows of crates and huge containers, making a quick escape from the docks.

The hermit was still out there and so was the woman with the oracle's powers. Would he find the hermit in time or see the woman again? He knew not the answers to these questions. The only thing he was sure of was that the fate of the world was in his hands and he wouldn't give up...