ATN 3: THE JAR IN THE MAZE

OUR MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION

Rahul took us to the royal workshop first. There was the chariot, as big as an aeroplane. It had a drawbar that could fit one carrier (whatever that was). The carriage was huge. It was made of wood and Atlantium. It had at least thirty seats. Our nineteen demigods, Iris and the werewolves would all fit in it, with some seats left. The seats were not just seats. They were Barcaloungers. "Like them?" Rahul asked us.

"Well," Tina said, "You focused on comfort."

"How did you manage to get that?" Dadai asked Rahul.

"Jay da's Mom made a visit. She turned those normal seats into Barcaloungers with immovable foundation."

"Mom." I said, "Wish I could see her once before leaving."

The wheels were huge ones, completely made of Atlantium. I could guess that our chariot was going to be superb. Rahul's forge work was magnificent. He was so good with creating stuff that he left us all in awe. I patted him on the back, congratulating him for his efforts. "Your father would be proud." Riya said to him.

"I wish." Rahul said, "He never tells me if he is. He doesn't even show himself."

"He will, one day. He doesn't show himself much anywhere, except for the Council meetings." Dadai said.

"Yeah, I guess." Rahul brushed his hand through his own creation, "Anyway, lets go see who our carrier is." Rhian nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the royal garden. "He is in the garden, grazing." Rhian said.

"What is he?" I asked.

"Come see for yourselves." He said, and walked on. We followed him.

When he stopped, we saw a horse. He had hazelnut coloured skin, black mane, and black eyes. He was a majestic stallion, and was slightly bigger than a normal horse. He looked at us and nickered. Then, he focused back in his grass. Rhian said, "Let me introduce you to my half brother. Meet Arion, son of Poseidon."

Arion. The super fast immortal stallion of Olympus. He was born of Poseidon and Demeter. He was the brother of Despoina, goddess of mysteries. So, he was also related to Jared Wilson. Rhian started explaining how Poseidon had promised help when they met in Olympus. Rhian went to ask for a favor after the battle, and Poseidon had summoned Arion for help. Rhian and Arion bonded, given that he could understand horses. Then, he brought him here. Tina stepped up, and gave Arion a pat. I wasn't exactly great with horses, so I didn't know how to read his expressions.

That afternoon, after lunch, I went to Mom's place. Not that far away, Hecate's witch-house. The entrance to the underworld was almost next to the palace's garden. On my way, I saw Rhian and Trent speaking to Arion. I waved at them and left. I preferred to go alone, for I needed Mom's undivided attention. 

When I reached Mom's place, I could hear her chanting spells. I knocked on the door, it opened automatically, but Mom's eyes were closed. She sat on the floor on an altar, surrounded by dead skulls. In front of her, there was a book, levitated in air, with empty pages. The room was dark, since the candles that lit up her room were out. Once she was done with the enchantment, she opened her eyes. The candles lit up. And now with light, I could see a spell appearing on the book on its own. Then, the book fell on the ground. I figured that magic was so vast all around us. I had just covered the few spells. I had covered whatever Mom had taught me, and according to her, there was nothing for me to learn anymore. She said that now that I could draw power from nearly anything around me, I was a full fledged sorcerer. Proud moment!

Mom saw me, got up, and gave me the tightest hug she had given. I said to her, "Thought I'd pay you a visit before I leave for Themiscyra."

"Yes, of course. Just promise that you'll come back." She said.

"Of course, Mummy. I promise, I'll try my best to come back." That won me another hug. Mom wasn't exactly the person who got emotional much. The last time I saw her cry was about two months ago, when she had seen Dad on video call. Well, goddesses aren't exactly emo type. And if you are the goddess of witchcraft, emo isn't always your thing. 

She picked up the book that was on the ground. She handed it to me and said, "I made this one for you. It is full of dark magic spells."

"Mom, I don't exactly do dark magic."

"You need to, honey. Its gonna be a huge war this time. The giants have nearly risen. Even if you hate it, dark magic is a part of you. Its not the best part, its still an important part in a warlock. Plus, knowing these also means fighting against these. Come on, give it a read, while I get you a something."

So, I decided to impress the goddess of magic. I placed the book on my lap, and uttered, "Gnosis!", the spell for absorbing knowledge. Funny how, this spell only ever worked for magical items. The book levitated in air, glowed golden, and fell on the ground. Suddenly, I felt like I knew all the dark spells inside it. I knew how to use them, what counter-spells to use against them, and how to control the urge to use them. Pretty cool, huh?

After a fresh mango yogurt, I left Mom's place. I thanked her for the Barcaloungers, to which she said that she couldn't bear the fact that the kids would have to sit on metallic chairs for the whole journey. I hugged her again, and bade farewell. 

As soon as I returned, I got ten minutes to pack, before Iris called us in the garden. I looked outside the window. The sun was down. The time to leave, perhaps for the last time, had arrived.