Raised From The Wild-Chapter 232: Apollo and Artemis

After an hour and a half of travel, the three pairs of humans and lions arrived at a clearing nestled in the mountains. It was astonishing to find such flat terrain halfway between the foothills of the Janai ranges and the towering peak of Mount Paraiso.

Marx, Vasquez, and Princess Amaya dismounted from the lions. The animals headed toward a nearby stream to drink while the humans took their water containers and drank from them.

Marx pulled out his mobile phone and opened a map app. Amaya leaned closer to peer at the screen, her subtle fragrance wafting toward him and momentarily clouding his focus. It took all his willpower to return his attention to the map.

"We’re here," Marx said, tracing a route on the screen with his finger. "This is Janai Este. From here, we need to traverse this path to Janai Centro. Once we get through, we’ll descend behind Janai Centro and begin the climb to Mount Paraiso."

"Why do you have a signal while I don’t?" Amaya complained while fiddling with her cell phone. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"This is a special cellphone. It can use satellite signal when there is no cellular signal." Marx explained.

"Boss, over there!" Vasquez called out, jogging toward them with urgency.

Marx and Amaya turned to follow his pointing finger. In the distance, a herd of horses grazed peacefully, their coats gleaming in the sunlight. Amidst the black and brown horses stood a striking pair of white horses.

Amaya’s only experience with horses was when she arrived at the Asteria palace. Her grandfather had given her a horse as a gift for her 18th birthday.

Amaya’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Is that the elusive white stallion?" she asked eagerly.

"I believe so," Marx replied, studying the pair. "It looks like a stallion and a mare."

Amaya hesitated. "There are no horses in Miraga. I don’t know if I can manage one."

"You can," Marx assured her with calm confidence. "They’re animals, just like any other. Trust your instincts."

Vasquez pulled a coiled rope from his backpack and quickly cut it into three lengths. He kept one for himself and handed the others to Marx and Amaya.

"If we’re capturing three, we’ll have to act simultaneously," he said.

Marx swiftly pulled up a video on his phone, showing Amaya how to lasso and subdue a horse. She watched intently before nodding, determination replacing her doubt.

The trio approached the herd cautiously, the crunch of grass underfoot muffled by their careful steps. Amaya turned the end of her rope into a lasso, her hands deft from years of practice under her father’s guidance. Her eyes locked onto the elegant white mare beside the stallion. She glanced at Marx, and in that moment, their silent understanding was clear—he would take the stallion, and she would handle the mare.

The mare sensed something, but before it could react, a rope coiled around its neck, and there was a sudden unfamiliar weight on its back.

Suddenly, chaos erupted on the grazing ground. The horses neighed, and thundering hooves were heard as they ran wildly toward the North.

Only three horses remained: two white beauties ridden by Marx and Amaya and a coffee-colored stallion ridden by Vasquez.

Vasquez actually targeted a black stallion. However, things became chaotic, and his lasso somehow landed on the neck of the brown horse.

The three horses were furious. They run wildly around and reared in the air. The mare even ran under a low-lying branch, hoping to dislodge the human from its back. Its efforts were futile.

The mare stopped running and neighed. It was exhausted and subdued. Amaya patted its neck and whispered words to comfort it. She then fed it an apple as a treat.

"You are so beautiful. I’ll call you Snow."

The horse snorted.

Amaya chuckled. "I guess you don’t like your name."

Amaya led her horse to Marx and Vasquez. Both were standing proudly beside their horses.

Marx, who spent much time in his grandfather’s ranch, subdued his stallion in half the time it took Amaya to tame hers. He was well experienced in handling horses, and the stallion seemed to take a liking to him.

Like Marx, Vasquez was an excellent horseman. He needed that skill as a mercenary. Besides, he has been a guard to Marx for a few years and spent time with him racing on his grandfather’s ranch.

"You guys are quite good. It did not take a long time for you to subdue your horses." Amaya said with a brilliant smile. She continued to caress the mare.

"What is the name of your horse, Marx?" Princess Amaya asked.

"Apollo!" Marx replied briefly as he ran his fingers through the stallion’s flowing mane.

"Oh right, I will call my horse Artemis instead of Snow."

The mare neighed happily.

"You like it?" Amaya asked while patting the horse on the neck.

The mare answered with another neigh.

Amaya laughed. "It is Artemis, then."

Marx and Vasquez both looked at Amya awkwardly.

Apollo and Artemis were twins in Greek Mythology. Her Dad, Ibrahim, used to tell her stories about Greek and Roman mythology before bedtime. Apollo was one of her favorites because of his versatility. She liked Artemis because she was the goddess of the wild animals. She was depicted as a huntress. When she was twelve, she even thought she was a reincarnation of Artemis in Miraga.

"Boss, the lions are gone," Vasquez announced, though his grin betrayed no concern. "But with these horses, we could travel much faster."

Marx nodded and released a small drone from his backpack. He guided it with his phone, scanning the terrain.

Amaya leaned closer, and she even held Marx’s hand to have a better view.

"Oh, it is a pride of mountain lions. I wonder if there is more than one pride. It looked like the king is old and will be unable to defend its position from the three newcomers." She exclaimed. "We can let go of the lion. Vasquez is right. We have our horses now."