The Mood Phoenix Barn Owl

Jasper, the King's hound, was circling this strange building, which was surrounded by acres of hay. And with every move Jasper made, you'd hear the dead grass of the hay crackle beneath his paws. "Izabelle, where are you?!" Jasper called to his masters second "hound-in-command". He heard the fast rustling of the hay crackling, and the sound was rushing in his direction! He quickly turned himself in defense towards the obvious sound. He began to growl as it rapidly continued to rush towards him. Finally, at just a few feet in front of him. He barked and pounced. Both hounds hit each other and bounced back in a defensive stance. "AHAHAHAHA, YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD JASPER, I LIKE THAT!!" Izabelle was intrigued,only because she had finally caught him off guard. "It's all about using your surroundings to your advantage." she continued. "Wow, Iz, you really listen to the King don't you? He always says that!" Jasper was a little surprised. Even in his voice, you could tell. "But we should be a little quiet," he said "we're coming up on the abandoned shed!" Though they were already there, Jasper really meant that, now, they were headed inside. 

  This 'shed', was way too long to be an 'old shed.'  As Izabelle poked her red-bloodhound nose through this creaking door she said, "Uh Jaz, I don't think this is a shed.?" Jasper looked at Izabelle with a glare, knowing she was being sarcastic "I know Iz, you can tell from the outside," he replied. "Well what is it Jaz?", she asked, honestly not knowing. "It looks like an old chicken coop, Iz." Jasper was annoyed at the questions every second, by the second.

       As they crept down the chicken house "Whose there?" A voice erupted from the lightly lit darkness of the chicken house. Izabelle quickly jumped behind Jasper! "Please, do not wake the rebirth." The voice spoke again. "What the hell is the rebirth?" Jasper yelled in question. "Shut it MUTT!!!" The voice came from darting green eyes. And in an instant, they were staring dead into Jasper's dark-brown,blood-hound eyes. Jasper couldn't help but shake a little from the accuracy of this creature's speed. The light from the moonlight revealed him as a red-colored wolf with green eyes?! "With green eyes?! Iz?! What did the king say about 'green eyes'?" Terrified he asked his questions. "Uh, well, he said the protector has a red tint fur with, and I quote, 'Striking green Eyes'!?" She replied excitedly and nonchalantly. "Ah, yeah uh that's what I thought.."

               Jasper spoke those words and in an instant twisted his head and flopped his left ear in his mouth. The red wolf was confused and even cocked his head to the side a little. All of a sudden a nice "crunch" sound came from Jasper biting his ear, as a purple ooze busted out all over his left ear along with the mixture of his blood. "Alright 'Red Fang' haha hope you're ready for this?!" Jasper's voice was cracking as his hound dog's body began to change. Izabelle looked at Jasper with worry in her eyes. "Hear me wolf!? You will let us pass! We are here in ordnance with the king!" Jasper's voice deepened as his size increased. "I do not care?! You imbecile! Do not awaken the rebirth!" The Red Wolf warned again. "My master, the King, he gave me three potions to use in case of happenings like this! What you are witnessing is the strength of 10,000 greyhounds!" Jasper spoke with shivering moderation.

   The red wolf glared back at what was now a transformed bloodhound.  Intrigued by this challenge the red wolf said, "😂😂😂 You think that 10,000 greyhounds and one.. little bitty bloodhound is gonna defeat the speed of Hermès?!🤣😂🤣😂" The red wolf said with mocking animosity. "Hermès?! 😰You mean the messenger of the Gods😱?!?" Izabelle said in terror! "Yes, Mutt you are correct! I am the son of Zeus! And the right-hand messenger to the Gods! I have the speed of thunderbolts! And you think you can defeat me😂?!" Hermès mocked again.

      Something started to glow in the direction Hermès was protecting. Hermès glanced back at the glowing light and in a flash. Just like a lightning bolt, he jumped to the glowing light. Something began to growl. Somewhat like a dog, but not a dog.. "You hear that Izabelle?!" Jasper had heard this before. "Another wolf?!" Isabelle ask with suspicion. "No, Izabelle,

an owl's growl sounds like a short, low-pitched honk from deep in the throat. Barking owls also emit a dog-like snarling sound when defending their nest, but these sounds don't carry and are usually only heard at close range. I think that's the 'Mood Phoenix Barn Owl'?!"

        Then in an instant, Jasper's theory was concluded as a bright red flames formed of wings and only the shape of the head was what they could make out of this creature. It was The Mood Phoenix Barn Owl! And the bright red flames were the sign that this specific creature was infuriated! Not thinking about the consequences, Jasper pounced to capture this beast. And as he reached the tip of the flames on it, he bursts into his own flames of despair. "😰Jasper😱!" Isabelle called out to him too late. His mutant formed body was now a big pile of black ash. Izabelle rushed to the fallen ashes. Sniffing and weeping she said "you idiot! 🥺😭. That's why I didn't want to go with you. Cause I knew one of us was gonna die😓🥺 I just wish it would've been me!" Izabelle continued to weep as a shot of lightning came fast from a distance. " I can help you with that😈!" Hermès said closing in on Izabelle. With a direct hit to her ribs she made a wheezing whine as she was knocked to the front of the chicken house where she and Jasper had entered.

    Izabelle tried to open her eyes and as she did she saw a blue faint shimmer where Jasper's ashes had fallen. Struggling to get up, she tried lifting the front of her body with her first two paws, but collapsed. As she kept opening her eyes, trying not to pass out she faintly heard. "No?! Have you consumed the ash of the rebirth?!" Hermès screamed as the ashes of Jasper blew over Izabelle. She breathed in a bunch of the smoke from the ash, as she lie there unconscious.

The next morning, Izabelle woke up still in the same chicken house. But, to a lit fire? She jumped to her feet, immediately angry she began to growl vigorously. Hermès lay on the other side of the flame.

Izabelle looked around for the two potion pellets that fell out of Jasper's ashes. It's amazing that the king's mage, Cornelius, made the pill capsules indestructible with only a small amount of magic. "Why did you let me live?!" Izabelle angrily asked. "Well, good ole daddy said that I only have to protect one rebirth. So here you are, and here I am. At your service your highness." As the red wolf spoke he stood up and bowed towards Izabelle. "Get a hold of yourself your redness.!" She mocked. " I am no rebirth of-"

"Well, you're right. YOU are not. But soon you will conceive the little booger." Hermès cut her off. Acknowledging that she was right, but being sarcastic at the fact. "Well see I felt bad because you weren't trying to do anything, you were kind of just tagging along for the ride. So I asked my cousin, Brighid, to heal you and as you were being healed, there was an entity the same as the Phoenix Owl. So I knew you were carrying another being inside of you. And Brighid, being the healing goddess of the Irish 🍀, knew and told us you were with child." Hermès continued. "Wait, she healed me didn't she?!" Isabelle asked in shock. " we couldn't have the mother of the only Phoenix Bloodhound die on us could we?" Hermès explained. Again sarcastically. "If the ashes of the burnt hound would have entered your lungs and you weren't able to pass over the power of the Phoenix within the womb. You would have been turned to stone forever, and even the largest stone couldn't crush you."  Hermès continued

     "I didn't even know we were pregnant, and you just had to go and burn up on me🥺💔😭?!" Isabelle shouted in tears howling and weeping. "Look there's nothing you can do about that right n-" in an instant Izabelle's body started glowing from her stomach from the inside out and in a flash, like a lightning bolt. She had Hermès's throat in her mouth. "How did you-" he said choking in his struggle for words, as the air from his godly lungs was being interrupted by the clinching of Izabelle's jaws. She spits out the red wolf and he flopped on the ground like a whimpering dog. "You must be right it seems as if what little power my new offspring has, is helping me to move at your lightning speed.." Izabelle was intrigued by this new power. "We've got a lot of talking to do!" Izabelle continued.  "Yes, of course." Hermès agreed as he picked himself up off the ground. "I know your proclamation. I didn't know you were the messenger God, Hermès, but I know that the gods placed you here to protect 'a' rebirth as you say?! Then I proclaim this! YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY FIRST BORN OR ANY OF MY OFFSPRING, NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A GOD YOU ARE!" As she enraged a red flame appeared on her tail. Not burning her but stabilizing it's flame as if it were the hair on her back.. "But," she continued. We will find the Mood Phoenix Barn Owl. So, at least if I don't come home with Jasper, I can go back knowing he wasn't left behind. And you won't be left empty-handed. "Do you know how hard it is to locate a Phoenix, of any kind?!" Hermès exclaimed. "Even for me and I'm a God!" He continued.

"Believe it into existence. That's what the King says." Izabelle stood strong with the words of the King.

"You have no idea..You said I? I was tagging along for the ride?? I made the mission. Jasper was so ready to live up to the king's expectations, and so was I. He knew the king had no idea we were going cause we left as soon as we heard about the whereabouts of they mysterious barn owl. So I was just tagging along? No I was the mastermind of the plan. And so selfish I was." She wept again and then suddenly stopped. "But no time for that, we've got to find this owl!" As she spoke she sped out of the door of the chicken house. Hermès just walked a few steps. "Ill do the speed of you mortals. See how she likes that!" He mocked.

A purple bolt of electricity came shooting back through the door. The form of a brown-eyed- bloodhound stood in front of him once again. Izabelle darted an intimidating glare. "Let's go 'messenger of the Gods'!" she commanded. The Red Wolf rolled his eyes and flashed out the door.

As they were on their way to find the Mood Phoenix Barn Owl, Izabelle had to stop. She started coughing and vomiting. She had thrown up some kind of ooze mixed with some leftovers from earlier that day. It looked like glitter shimmering as her eyes glanced over it in the moonlight. "Ah I see. it's taking a toll on you using the power of the Phoenix." Heremès explained. Noticing that she had also gotten slower as the hours were passing. "We still have to get to the Barn owl.." she said coughing up more ooze. " well I can't have you die on me. Besides, you're not a Demi. So not only do you not know how to control the power that you don't even possess, your body will deteriorate because it wasn't built for 'God-like powers'. So to keep you in check for my Phoenix Bloodhound. Just in case we don't find the owl." Hermès wasn't trying to fool her, but something was up that Izabelle couldn't pinpoint just yet. "Fine, we will do it your way for now. What do you suggest?" she complied, with darting eyes toward the Godly mongrel.

   " We need to rest for a few days. I'm guessing that the first Phoenix, in the legend, was like the God of the Phoenixs', or maybe God of the animals. As my family and I are Gods of mankind." They did need to rest. The rest of the words that came out of Hermès' mouth were just utter rambling.

   As the pregnant bloodhound lie on her side, she began to hear a faint sound of a soft flute. The sweet tune sounded like a swan gracefully gliding across a pond, and the ripples of the water looked as if they were painted just for the swan.

   Izabelle fell asleep pretty hard and didn't wake up until about 4'o'clock post meridian time. Hermes had built a fire and had 16 fish cooked on a huge skillet. And what looked like to Izabelle to be, herbs. Fresh from a garden? "Where did you get fresh herbs?" Isabelle asked, sniffing the air. "1437 miles from home." She thought to herself.

Izabelle, not only the second hound in command of the 24 court guards, but also what made her second in command was her smell and almost the exact distance predictions from any direction she's already been.

   "Do you know where we are?" Hermès asked, taking his front paws to put the fish on a well-made china plate. "I know we're about 1,437 miles, in my estimate, from Camelot." She replied.

"Ah yes, a tracker that's what you are." He picked at her. "And a pretty good one at that." She said in retaliation. "Ok. Well , at least since we'll be here for three days, We can maybe get to know one another." Hermès was being kind for once. "What are you trying to pull? I'm not dumb." She scoffed. "See I know the real stories of the Greek mythology Gods, as it seems they weren't myths at all." she continued with a daring look in her eyes. "Then you know about Thebes?" He asked. " Thebes. Thebes bred the undeniable hero Hercules. However, the only reason he was deemed "the hero of 12 great wonders" is because, Hera, the step-mom Goddess of Hercules. Which wasn't even what his real name was when he was born." she continued. "Alright, alright. Let's move on." Hermè insisted. " Why? You've done some unGodly things yourself." she mocked. "I know all of my flaws, some I regret. But right now we have to get you ready." He sad with emphasis. "Ready for what exactly?" she asked, irritated andnotwilling to negotiate. "Look, mutt. We are here because Thebes is the best place for a hero to grow." he began to grow weary of her insults. After all, he was going to show her how to use his power. "😩 let's just sleep. And we will begin tomorrow." Hermès slowly walked to a small hammock he'd made for himself and jumped in it. "Start what tomorrow?" she asked. Hermès said nothing. "And what do you mean a hero? I don't want to be a hero?!" she continued. Again Hermès said nothing.

          Izabelle finally took a chance to look around to see that even though the town of Thebes was a wreck, even after Hercules. It still had joy. She watched as a man was playing with his son. Picking him up and twirling him around. Stop in hand throwing him in the air catching him on his way down.

    Then a female mixed bred with her pup. And, Smiling with them, not too far behind was what looked like a male bull terrier. But instead of muddy, he was clean. He was also dragging a basket of what looked like meat falling out. " He took food from his house to feed his pup and his mistress," she spoke to herself. "Reminds me of some of the things that Jasper use to do for me." she began to weep. "Jasper I do miss you, I'm sorry. I was always trying to play all the time on our travels together!😭". She cried lightly so that hopefully no one would hear her.

The next morning, Hermès had breakfast cooked again. And again it was fresh fish barbecue. "Do you know why fish is the meal everyday?" He asked Izabelle. As she started to wake up from the sizzling from the fish. She slowly starts to open her eyes. "Because the water purifies the fish and gives not only your body nourishment but, the soul as well." He continued, sliding the China plate towards her.it hit her left paw. Like he slid it over there to wake her the rest of the way up. She smacked the plate with her other paw and rolled over on her back to go back to sleep. "🙄 it's time to start, get up mutt!" He demanded. She turned back over to see him glaring at her. She stood up, shook herself off, and finally said "fine, then."

He gave her a cockeyed look and said " we have to find Philocthetes." He continued.

"You will not find him,I guarantee that. Not here anyway." A large deep voice erupted. "Calm down, little Hercules. Or I'll throw you back in the river. WHERE RATS BELONG😈!" As Hermès threatened, what looked like to be a little brown mouse. His lightingbolt speed shot across the small cave under the tree Hermès had made his hammock. The little “rat” just so happened to be Hercules. He had caught Hermès off guard and his muscular “Rat-like” being had slammed him to the ground. As rubble flies all around them, Hermès was coughing. Grasping for air…

To be continued….