Mercury's Trails

Chapter 7: Philoctetes

Meghan spilled everything, and she said that they were going to either attack this morning or tonight. I was afraid, I didn't want to go into battle, I didn't want to lose anyone I just met. Sugar shot up, and she grabbed each of our hands. She raced us down the hallway, past our bedrooms, and she lead us to a door. The door was carved out of a beautiful white wood, and it was like a pure soul. I opened the door, only to find myself in even more amazement. I walked around, and looked back at Meghan. She was staring at my feet. I almost cried. I was standing on a small circle that covered the bottom of my shoe. That circle was the only thing keeping me from falling to my death. I was hovering over a chasm so deep, I couldn't even see the bottom. I was frozen in place, my limbs wouldn't move at all. Meghan slowly made her way over to me, all the while, her skin losing color with fright. When she finally arrived, she helped me up, and I almost threw up. Sugar helped us figure out the controls of the circle which was called the korin. We tilt our hand downwards to go down, or upwards to go up. As we descended, I started to see the bottom, and I was amazed. There were so many people, but we were so high, they all looked like ants. We reached the bottom, and there were tunnels leading every which way. Sugar guided us to one of them and said something in another language. A door opened and we walked through. A figure was sitting behind a desk and Sugar said something in that language again. I could partially understand what she said. "___ has come here ___ the new arrivals ______ need to hurry". The figure rose to look at us closer, and he said, "newcomers, I welcome you to your new home. I hope you understand the circumstances that you will face over the next few weeks. Fighting, training, and getting ready to go on a quest." "A quest! Like where you go and fight bad guys and you get a prize if you win!?" Meghan asked. "Kind of...except more bad guys and the only prize is you and your buddies lives." "Awesome, I'm ready!" I said. "Not yet little sprout, you are close. My name is Philoctetes, I am the headmaster of this place. You can call me Phil. He walked over to us, and we shook hands and we said that we were glad to be "working" together. He did the same to Meghan. He made an announcement that each room shall come at different intervals to come get the "gear."We briskly walked into another tunnel. Philoctetes touched the wall, and it opened up. We walked into the room and it was a hallway filled with different metals. We were handed pieces of metal, and Phil explained that if we hold different metals, we will find out what our god/goddess parent is. If it heated up, that was our parents' metal. Phil gave us a piece of quartz, for Zeus, the ruler of the sky. He placed it in our hands, nothing. Good I didn't want to be a birdgirl anyways. Next, was lapiz lazuli, for Hera, Zeus's wife, queen of the gods. Nothing. Then, lolite, for Artemis, goddess of the moon, nothing. Next was topaz, for Athena, goddess of wisdom, Meghan screamed, "ow, ow, ow, ow hot, hot, hot.....Wait, what? I thought that we had the same mother?" She said. Anyways, next peridot, for Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Nothing at all. Then sphene, for Apollo, god of the sun. Nothing. Then fire opal, for Ares, god of war. Absolutly nothing. After that, Sphalerite, for Hephaistos, the God of blacksmiths, nothing. Then sapphire for Hermes, the god of travels. Nothing. Next was aquamarine for Posiden, god of the sea. Nothing, dang I love water too. I would've been so happy. Then opal for Iris, goddess of color. The stone grew too hot to handle and I dropped it. The stone was hot to the touch. Well we know one thing, but that doesn't make sense, our mom is gone. Phil looked at me sadly, you will see her soon enough. Lets try one more thing though. there was obsidian, for the dark one, Hades of course. The last resort. Meghan screamed again, and dropped her stone. I gasped as soon as it hit my hand, it stuck to it and became warm, as if it welcomed me home. It grew and a emerald grew out of it, and Phil looked surprised. "Don't do that often, it drains you. He offered me a square, and pulled it out of the air like Sugar did. I took a bite, and hoped not to die. Instead of pain, warmth flowed through my veins. I felt strong, and for once, alive. Meghan reached out for some, "it looks like honey, I want some." She said. I looked at Sugar, she nodded. I gave Meghan some, and she looked at me funny for a moment, and then looked away. Phil lifted his hand, and he vanished. A few seconds later, he was back. We talked for a few moments, and I was wondering about Iris and our mom. "Why did mom leave and why is Iris my mother, and not Meghan's. Why would she lie to me? And why Hades?" Phil looked at me, gently took Meghan and my hand. "Close your eyes." Phil said. As he let go of my hand, and looked around. We were in a dark room with a faint light glowing from a fountain. Phil gave us coins, and he whisked away. Whispering to think of who we wanted to talk to, and throw the coin in the fountain. Meghan said I could go first, I stepped up to the fountain, closed my eyes, thought about my mom, and threw the coin. I open my eyes, and there she is. My mom, after all these days, standing two feet away from me. My mom, a goddess...i stumbled towards her and stopped dead in my tracks. She looks at me, "who are you sweety?"