Gates of the Unknown

Chapter Eighteen

BEEP

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SLAM

I look at the clock annoyed. "Can't I sleep in for once?" I groan out before getting up. I get up and brush my hair. I look in the mirror, dress in hand, only to scream at the black arms and legs I was now sporting. Athena runs in and gasps. "There is one more. A Shadow... those are rare. Davi looks at me. Don't panic, it'll make it worse. Just breathe and let him shift. It'll hurt but you can do it." And as if on cue a sharp pain shot through my head. I fall to the ground and the darkness consumes me until I blackout.

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Athena looks at the figure in shock. A black-skinned person, as dark as the deepest night, with white eyes that shine like the stars looking back at her. He was as dark as a shadow and seemed to absorb some of the light in the room, one of the powers of the Shadows. "Hello," He said in a hauntingly low voice, one that is full of sorrow, "I am Otis. The Prince of Shadows." He bowed but it seemed like he just blended into himself. "May I?" He asks politely and Athena nods. He absorbs some of the power in the room and like magic, his features were shown better. They were more defined and less like the shadow he was originally. "Thank you... What is your name?" She looks shocked. "Athena Rose. Leader of the Circle of the Light. Can I have your last name as to which royal line you are from?" Otis looks at her and gives a look that gives her chills. He bows once again, like it's second nature, and says, "Hale is the last name. Eldest son at thirteen, ma'am. I know you. You came to my little brother's Ceremony when he was born." Athena looked shocked but a big grin came upon her. "Oh gosh! I love the Hale family. Your uncle is my brother's Shadow. How convenient. We can use Matt and Conner as a training program, and since my brother is staying for about a year before his next mission, He can help Davi control her urges!" She says with a satisfied yet smug look.

Otis looked at her with what seemed like annoyance and grinned. "It'll be a lot harder than normal to control. With her being a goddess it will be difficult but strict training should get her prepared before her birthday. You know what happens on a kid's thirteenth birthday. Her forms are upgraded in power and it'll take a lot of strength to reign it in. Especially since her forms aren't all she has to worry about. Her Goddess form will also make a permanent shift to her adult form. Again, that'll be a lot of power to control. Most demigods can't handle it and destroy everything. Since she has a human form she needs practice shifting to make sure she understands how to use it properly. I know there are gods that live on Earth so we need to make sure she gets a god or goddess to train her." He took a deep breath when he was done, causing Athena to laugh rather obnoxiously.

Tammy came in and saw Otis. She had a worried look, before calling a house meeting for everyone except the kids. The adults were all shocked that the Hale line was a part of Davi's forms. "How? The prophecy says she is powerful but not that powerful. But we could be wrong. Hey Athena, can you get the scroll? We need to see what's gonna happen. Because something tells me it won't be good in the long run." Says Chelsea. Athena nods and says, "Well it's in my room because I don't want Davi to see it since it is too soon." She walks out of the living room where the meeting is taking place and comes back about 10 minutes later with a seemingly ancient scroll with golden dowels that seemed to be rusty from age. The dowels have what seemed like ruby and obsidian jewels engraved into them. Athena brings it in and sets it gently on the glass ottoman. "Sorry, it took a bit. I had to remember the password to the safe. Here is the scroll... remember this: Her future isn't set in stone and the scroll reflects that. This is a very rare type of scroll known as the IPS. Meaning Infinite Possibility Scroll, it will change with every choice she makes. Let us consult the scroll on her training." She says and opens it. "I see hope, trust, hardworking, and carefulness all in the next few months including on her birthday..." She continues after a breath, "Sensitivity and Empathy to those around her.... funny thing about that is that it is shown that that is always going to be a constant in her future no matter the choice. Indecision and doubt. Something will cause her to doubt herself, possibly a familiar face coming back. Something tells me she will move on from this point in her life rather quickly. But there is also bravery and love... what does this mean?" She gasps and shows the last piece of the scroll. It's a picture of what looks like gods holding her in their hands as if accepting her. She is in the hand of Selene the moon goddess, but behind the goddess, there is a dark figure... she was just standing there with an evil look on her face, her orange eyes glowing with wrath. Seeing the figure caused all of them to gasp. "Who is she?" Said Mitch and Jerry at the same time. "We don't know but we do know that it will be a bumpy start. Getting a god willing to train her is hard enough."

And as if on cue, as if the gods were waiting, a bright light appears in the middle of the circle. As the light dissipates two figures emerged. One, the god of fate, Shay. And then the goddess of chaos and evil, Eris. Both from different mythology but all gods and goddesses are very real, even the gods who overlap, they all form groups and make decisions together. Hermes poked his head out from behind Shay, "See I told you I would find candidates to help Dice in her path. What do you think? Powerful enough for ya?" Athena nodded slowly before everyone bowed to show their respect. "Thank you Hermes and in return, you get the potions you requested," Athena states and teleports three large vials of purple-ish blue liquids. "What are those?" Chelsea asks. "One of a kind healing potions only I can brew. It's for his animals. He saves tortoises, turtles, and birds. A few are having problems with their shells and the birds are having trouble with infections around their feathers, so we made a deal" Athena states. "Thank ya very much. Don't forget she needs to find her animal and symbols. They are there to separate and give identity to a god or goddess. Like I have been known to be associated with hawks and tortoises." Hermes says, causing them all to nod. "Davi has been fascinated with moths and dolphins. She seems a lot like her mother." Hermes nods. "Well, the reason why is because she needs to be sorted by 18. But what she stands for is such a gray area I'm not sure what she'll get. It depends on her family. And all I know is her dad is a Dark and her mother is Selene, a light."

The room was filled with shock. "H-How did you find out? We've been trying for years, and we can't exactly look at her and judge." Athena stutters. "We have been all over it and the only ones that were there at the birth was one of the Dark gods and the nurses and doctors. The doctors only gave us a hint but that's it." Athena nods. "Well Shay, Eris, shall we? We need to create a schedule so all aspects of her training are balanced, especially in regards to the school I'm sending her to." The two gods nod and Shay says in a deep voice, "Of course. And since we don't know what she is sorted into we should treat her as a gray god as that would give her equal opportunity. She will need combat training, mental training, and normal magic training. Of course, we will start with the basics... Let us hope she can and will improve fast." ." I agree we need a concise and thought-through plan." Says Eris, "I mean I'm usually all for chaos but she needs to learn and you can't do that. But let's get planning. Hell yeah!" And like that they all started to plan Davi's training plan.