Chapter 178

When Amaris was led back to the thrones on top of the dais the whole room looked different. The two huge cages were gone, and there were now enormous fence panels creating a large fenced arena in the center of the room. The two groups of prisoners and the group of vampires were pushed further back and now were in a single line around the outside of the ring. Inside this huge oval there were now huge bushes, small trees, and even boulders. There were stacks of hay bales, and a small forest of stone columns in the very center. The huge side door was again open, and this time there was what looked like a huge cattle chute running from inside the door and out to the fence.

The King walked up behind Amaris. "Sit down my dear, the show is about to start." He whispered to her. The guard who had let go of her arm, but stayed standing next to her, put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her in the direction of the chair. Amaris sat hard with a thump. She scowled up at the guard who had now walked back to his post at the back of the dais. Jason and his mate were no where to be seen. Amaris looked to the other side. Adam and Sveta were still there, but they had chairs brought in for themselves so that they were now sitting also. Sveta and Adam had made sure that their chairs were taller than the one that Amaris was sitting in. Sveta looked over at Amaris looking at them very hautily. Amaris just chuckled. This seemed to make Sveta angry and she started jabbing Adam in the ribs and frantically pointing at Amaris, which made her laugh even more. The King saw what was going on and he looked at Amaris with amusement also. It seemed he liked the fact that Amaris was annoying his petty daughter. The King stepped forward and raised his arms for silence. "It looks like we are all set for our next challenge. I would like to remind you that the winner of the challenge gets one point for their team. If the challengers do not complete their challenge, no points will be given." The King boomed out to the on looking crowd. "Let's have our next two challengers." The King looked to the two groups on opposite sides of the oval. The guards brought forward one man on each side to one of two sets of steps that were on the outside of the fence leading to the top where there was a small platform. Each man was brought to the top of his platform and left standing there for everyone to see. Amaris was now able to see the two men better it was Nikos and Michalis. They were twin brothers and Taji and Jason's cousins. Amaris was scared that they would have to fight each other. The King raised his hands for silence once again. The room fell silent as everyone was waiting to hear what the two men would have to do this time.

"We have a special treat for you this time. Since my bride to be is the new oracle. I would like to give a nod to the proud oracle heritage. It is said that after Hercules went mad and killed his two sons, he went to the oracle and asked what he could do to atone for his wrong doings. She sent him to his cousin King Eurystheus, where the king would set him 12 impossible tasks. Now, my friends, we do not have time for these men to complete all twelve. I would like to have my honeymoon sometime this year." The King said waggling his eyebrows, and looking back at Amaris. The vampires let out loud raucus laughter, but the prisoners looked solumnly at the persons on the stage. All of them knew that the labors of Hercules were so fantastical that no man would be able to complete even one. Amaris saw the two brothers look at one another with nervous eyes. The King continued on. "I have chosen one that will be a little more capable for a man, but still a difficult task none the less. Once again I have spared no expense and brought in a special creature just for the occasion." The King nodded in the direction of the guards at the cattle chute. There was the loud sound of metal and clanging. They were using a huge electric cattle prod to move something massive through the chute. Amaris could see the creature move and it was pushing the metal of the chute from side to side. The guards moved it right up to the door in the fence. The King seemed to see some signal from the guards. "I present to you the Erymanthian boar!" The King roared while throwing his hand in the direction of the door. The guards pulled the fence panel up and a massive boar emerged with tusks longer than Amaris' leg and probably thicker than her thigh. The boar stood there and must have weighed well over one thousand pounds. Amaris could hear its foor falls inside the enclosure. Everyone in the croud was engrossed. "Now to make this as authentic as possible, I am providing each man with a net to capture the boar with alive. Just as Hercules did. The first man to capture the boar and render it immoblile will win a point for their team." The King said to the watching crowd. Amaris saw the guards walk up the stairs and hand each one of the brothers a net. It was large and cumbersom. The two men both unfolded their nets and started looking to see how they could best use the net to catch the boar from their platform. Nikos held his net out over the side and put his arm out as far as he could to make the net stretch. From what Amaris could see, unless the boar ran around the edge of the ring, neither man would have a chance to catch the boar. They both started yelling at the boar to try and scare it into moving. "Oh yes! I almost forgot." The King said dramatically bumping the heel of his hand on his forehead. "You will be in the arena with the boar." With that, the guards standing behind each man pushed them into the ring.