Prime (Book 1 of the Godling Trilogy)

12- Down with the Teleportation Sickness

When people tell you to 'sleep on something' what they really mean is 'toss and turn all night until you come to a decision made at the most desperate hour'. This is what the gods had told me to do after I told them what the oracle had shown me, it took me quite a while to do this because I was so traumatized I could hardly speak, but I still managed to get the words out. After that they nodded, they didn't appear to be shocked in the slightest, this must have been an everyday occurrence to them. They told me I had a choice whether or not I wanted to accept this quest. It was a choice between going or letting someone else go. Neither seemed like a good option. Not only that, but the gods seemed convinced that I was the only one capable so sending someone else would only be sending them to their death. So at one in the morning I decided I would do it; I would save the world.

Looking back on it, I recognize that it was an incredibly stupid decision, but it's the one I made. I tried to readjust the covers around my legs to make me feel comfortable but I couldn't, I moved around so much it was almost like I was running in place. I fell asleep, only to be jarred awake before I could begin to dream. Sleep tantalized me for the first time in my life; it was always just out of reach. So, I got up, pulling on my clothes for the next day and packing my bags. They had only just been unpacked the day before but it was time to move along once again. I began to surmise that perhaps this was my life now; nomadic, with a partially packed duffel bag at all times.

I was supposed to go straight up to the throne room as soon as I woke up but since it was so early I figured I could stall a little and the gods would be okay with it. I went down to the training room, the door sliding open at an agonizing rate.

I was shocked to see that I was not the only one there. On the benches around the big mat sat Cloe, Ava, West, Deedee, Bash, Louis and Sara. When they saw me, they stood up.

"Lea," called Bash, "Come on, we've just finished packing too."

I saw that next to each fo them was a black duffel bag identical to mine, they were all wearing their training outfits but now they were accessorized with silver jewelry. Deedee wore a silver chain belt, Ava adorned a bangle, and Cloe a hairpiece, even Louis wore a silver ring. They all wore some sort of metal, except for Sara, but I assumed she just carried hers in her pocket or something. I recognized each of these trinkets as being like my necklace. They were all weapons, concealed in the guise of jewelry. Everyone here was ready for a fight.

"Wha-what are you all doing here so early?" I asked.

"Same as you, a quest was issued last night. We're headed to California," said Cloe.

"But, that's my quest. I'm the one who is supposed to be going," I sputtered.

"Self-centered much? It's not all about you," muttered Deedee before she was hushed by Cloe.

"You don't expect us to let you go alone?" retorted Cloe, with a small laugh.

"Leaving the newbie to save the world would get us all obliterated," joked Ava, standing up and punching my shoulder as she walked past me to the elevator.

The others followed, picking up their bags and heading to the elevators doors.

I leaned over and said to Bash, "I don't understand."

He chuckled, "Heroes always have their team. Odysseus had his crew; Jason had the Argonauts, etc."

"But in all those myths, don't all the team members die except the hero?" I questioned in hushed voice as I walked alongside him.

"Yeah, pretty much, but they die or get left behind in order to help the hero get to the end," reasoned Bash with shrug.

I stopped in place, my mind flashing back to the prophecy. I couldn't allow these people to go with me, if they did one of them would die. At least one, maybe all of them. I couldn't let these people die on a quest that is supposed to be led by me. I was okay with me going out and committing potential suicide to save the world, but I wouldn't dare out these people in danger. They were too good, they were content here, and they had lives and relationships. Unlike me; who had so little connection to Olympus if I was killed it wouldn't be so much of loss. Yet, they all seemed just as willing as me to go out into a world filled with things that wanted to kill them.