ATN 3: THE JAR IN THE MAZE

THE CHAMBER OF THE SIGNS

After some times away from it, we were back inside the hell-hole of a Labyrinth. Gods knew how many days it would take us to find the box, open it and return. Whatever it was, we needed to move on.

The inside was as dark and quiet as I remembered. I and Tina were in our Atlantean armors, except for helmets. Urwa was wearing a bronze breastplate, arm guards and leg guards with a red cape. She held her spear in her hand. Gerard was in a similar get up. The two had their helmets tied by their waists, just like us. Gerard said that with his eyesight gone, he could hear doubly well. However, Urwa and Gerard stuck together, while I operated the string. Tina was looking around, all ready with both her swords out.

The string was taking us in turns. We turned right, and skipped two small spiked wheels. Then we encountered a chamber full of weird noises. We ran away from it, kind off, because Gerard was hearing everything amplified, and loud noises could break his neurons.

The tunnel went down, as it took us even more underground. And then, we encountered a general knowledge room. Why? Let me tell you.

We came inside the room through a door. On the other side, there was another door. However, in between, there was no floor. We looked down, and figured that this would lead us to Earth's core probably. However, there were walls. To our right was wall on which letters appeared, which said, "Answer the questions right, and you gain right to go past us."

Then, the letters changed. They read, "My brother was a mortal. However, I was a demigod. We were princes of Sparta, and were excellent warriors. When my brother died, I asked my father to kill me too. But he turned us into stars, constellations, so that we could live together forever. Who are we?"

Gerard was listening to everything as we read them. As soon as it was over, he asked, "How do we answer?"

The letters shifted, and now read, "Just scream the answer."

Gerard screamed, "You are the Gemini twins. Castor and Pollux."

Four platforms rose at the same level, side by side to each other. They were at a distance. So I let the girls jump in first. They did. The problem was with Gerard. He couldn't jump, since he couldn't see. I had a certain responsibility towards him. It was to save my powers that he gave away his eyes. So, I moved my hands, and lifted him with my telekinesis. He landed safely on a platform. Then, I jumped on the last platform. Then, the letters shifted again.

"The Argonauts went to get the golden fleece of this animal in Colchis. It was a son of Poseidon and Theophane. Name the animal."

"The golden Ram." Tina shouted. The platform moved slightly forward. The letters shifted again.

"A wrong answer will take the platforms out of under your feet. So answer correctly. This satyr accompanied the Muses, and was an excellent archer. Name this satyr."

"Crotus." Tina screamed. The platforms moved further.

"Do you see where this is going?" Urwa asked us.

"Yep. I do." Tina said.

"Zodiac signs?" I asked, "Gemini, Aries and now, Sagittarius."

"Right." Urwa said, as a new set of letters arrived.

"Current cup bearer of Olympus. Name the guy."

"Ganymede." I shouted, and then, said to the others, "Aquarius."

The platforms moved again. The letters changed again.

"There are seven goddesses related to the scales. Name all seven."

We got stuck at this. None of us could really get the answer out. Then, suddenly, I was reminded of something that had happened in our breakfast table in Atlantis about a year ago. "Nemesis!" I cried, "Nemesis." That opened the floodgates.