The Death of Time

Tale as old as ...

On the way to judgement...

Ananke stood facing the Coliseum with Chronos by her side and the whispers of something vindictive floating through the air. They were calling and compelling, making the Father of Time shuffle hesitant steps forward as he tried to resist whatever power they had over him. Ananke didn't know what it was summoning him, but she did not trust this dark aspect; their words were all the warning she needed.

deciever....destroyer....come to us....satisfy with your pain....

Chronos' face was mottled with rage and 'nake could see him try to speak, to deny them the right to command him thus. And for once Ananke couldn't feel his rage burn her, as if being locked in his mind thus had muted his power as much as it had his voice.

"You owe us your pain and the fullfillment of judgement, bearer of Time." a dissonant yet feminine voice called out, the words aimed solely at Chronos as if the speaker was unaware of Ananke. "The Guilty do not speak! Your denials and justifications are useless here."

Chronos had stilled, his rage not in the least bit subsided but instead focused into a dangeous intent. 'nake didn't need to know of any history to know that he recognized the voice, and the awful potential it brought with it. Her peripheral vision caught sight of the Chimera again, pacing around the edges of the no longer ruined city streets, flames dancing silently in the gloom and murk. And her half remembered history classes quickly identified the Gorgons, the feminine bodies topped with coiling snake hair were sheilded from view in the dark but Ananke's keen eyes picked out enough to convince her to avert her gaze. Some of the myths had claimed that only men were affected by the hideous nature of the Gorgons, the myth of Medusa immediately springing to mind, but Ananke was cautious by nature and unwilling to risk being petrified here inside Chronos' mind. It would be an unpleasant experience to say the least.

Ananke's body slowly spun her to stand almost back-to-back with Chronos, instinct propelling her to pick out other creatures that had come to witness whatever fell events were about to take place. There was a rather large snake tail, coiling around the edge of one building. Ananke followed the tail's trajectory back and found not the giant hooded serpent head she expected, but instead the naked and perfected body of a female. There was nothing sexual about the breasts that crested the female torso, nor was the woman appealing despite her facial features as her face hissed and spat, once more silent while she watched Chronos' back, all unaware of 'nake. A feather drifted down and Ananke followed it up to see what had to be the Harpies clutching the top uppermost tiers of the buildings. Like the lamia, the Harpies were animal in extremeties but their torsos were undeniably female. "They're all female. And they're all waiting for your blood. No wonder you're a misogynist." Ananke stated softly, looking over her shoulder and expecting Chronos to still be there.

But he wasn't, the Father of Time was standing in the arched entryway into the Coliseum, visibly struggling to not take another step towards the voices pulling him onwards. Framing the entryway were four mares, their teeth impossibly wicked, gnashing at the air silently as if greatly desiring to sink their meat rending fangs into Chronos' flesh. Ananke didn't hesitate to turn her back on the blood thirsty feminine hoarde awaiting whatever fate lurked inside for Chronos; she stepped up to try and reach his side. But as she stepped to enter the archway, an invisible force resisted her and kept her away. These creatures and the disembodied voice might be unable to sense her presence, but whatever guarded the entrances was far harder to fool.

Chronos was incapable of taking a step back, but her turned his head to see Ananke there, trying to provide backup for whatever wicked deeds were coming his way. His eyes were seeting hatred, but it wasn't directed at 'nake, instead he gave her a curt nod, as if acknowledging that she at least tried to stand with him.