The Lost Sword of Olympus

Chapter 5: The Quest

Will felt a wind in the back of his neck as Emma slammed the door. He leaned against the door a little to register everything that had happened. What was I thinking about kissing her! Why did she kiss me back?-Though he was secretly happy she did.
-She's supposed to hate me! Everything I have done over the past 8 years is to get her to hate me.
He went back to his cabin, and into bed, but he couldn't sleep, too many unsure thoughts and memories were crossing his mind. But one thing he knew for sure was that no matter what his feelings were for her, he needed to keep his distance. For her safety! He kept telling himself over and over.
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A week had passed since the end of the tournament, more importantly since the
kiss. Will made sure they haven't spoken since. He needed her to stay away from him, to keep her safe, more importantly, alive.
They have gone through half of a school day and were now in math class. The teacher, Mr. Jones, was literally the most boring person who only talked in monotone. The whole class was almost falling asleep when the headmistress' assistant came in asking for Will and Emma to go to Agnes' office. When Will heard that he felt his whole body freeze.
Oh what now!
Will got up quickly and gracefully, he opened the door, and kept it open for Emma, afterall he was still a gentleman. But they walked in silence, with Will a few steps ahead. Will could feel her urge to talk to him, but he kept his face hard and his mouth in a thin line, and she took the hint to not say anything. They arrived at the office. Will felt his heart sink to his butt. Zeus was there, standing behind the head of the school that had a grim expression. He could see in the corner of his eye, the color in Emma's face fade away.
"Well you too are probably wondering why you were summoned here." Said the old lady in front of them,
"The sacred sword of Olympus has been stolen," Zeus interrupted in a thunderous voice,
"And I have requested that both of you go on a quest to retrieve the sword, before Olympus falls." Zeus said dramatically.
"And why can't you do it yourself?" asked Emma in a raging voice.
"You're never around, I haven't seen you in 8 years, and you only show up when
you need something. I don't think so. I'm not doing it!" Emma said before she stormed out of the office. The god of the sky gave Will a sharp look. And he knew what it meant. Will walked out to chase after Emma.
"Darhk!" he called but she continued on her fast walk. He sprinted up to her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to look at him.
"Hey!" she said, yanking her arm away.
"I'm not sure we have a choice here. We have to do this!" Will told her urgently. "You know almost better than anyone that I can't stand the guy, he never helped me with anything, and he was never there EVER and he just shows up asking for help!" said Emma in an almost pleading tone.
"We have to." Will said. Emma takes a deep breath and says "fine" in a reluctant voice.
"Fine, I'll do it." said Emma reluctantly.
"Glad you came around" said her father as Emma rolled her eyes so hard it was
difficult to believe she didn't get a headache after.
"Where do we start?" Will asked, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence.
"Well, I have a friend that knows everything that goes on in the magical world,
including crimes, so I think that you could talk to him," said Agnes.
"He is a very busy person, but he is hosting a black and white Gala tomorrow in
London, so I think you could talk to him there, I'll send him a message in advance. And I will send you both the address of the gala sometime tonight." said the headmistress, before sending us back to class.
Though Will still felt a little sick, subconsciously he knew there was something more that Zeus wasn't letting on. They went to class in silence and sat down in their seats.
"What did she want to talk to you guys about?" asked his brother, who was sitting next to him. "Later." said Will, turning his attention to the teacher, but didn't seem to hear a word he said. His mind kept wondering about the quest and the god.
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"Okay, hold on, so you and Blondie have to go on a quest to retrieve the sacred sword? Starting tomorrow night?" Asked Noah incredulously. They were both at Will's dorm. Noah was pacing back and forth in front of the bed, while Will laid horizontally on the bed staring up at the ceiling.
"Yeah that's basically it" Will said, still staring at the ceiling thinking. "I wonder why mum didn't tell us though." Will said.
"Maybe her Firefly is broken?" His brother suggested. A Firefly was a type of communicating device that you could use to communicate with someone from a different magical place. It was small, black, and looked like a typical phone, but it was far from typical.
"Maybe." WIll whispered
"Weird, though." Noah added as a second thought.
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Agnes had given Will the invitation to the Black and White Gala at 11 something at night the previous evening. It started at 9:00 pm, Emma and Will agreed miraculously that they would meet each other there, and travel via transportation. It was 8:45 and Will was finishing getting dressed. He was wearing a black tux with a white dress shirt with 2 buttons opened a little since he refused to wear a tie. Stupid thing! he thought It only serves to try and choke someone! His hair continued to be messy but neat at the sametime.
It was 8:50 when he teleported to the center of London, and to the venue where the gala would be hosted. He waited a few minutes outside, holding the invitation waiting for his "Date". He finally spotted her coming towards him in her long black sheath one shoulder long sleeve dress with a high slit on her right leg. She had on a pair of lace up high heel sandals with a transparent front strap and drop waterfall diamond earrings. And her hair was up on a bun with loose strands on the front and back Wow he thought while he looked her up and down.
"What are you staring at? Do I have something on my dress?" she asked while she checked her dress.
"No you just-just look beautiful, is all." he said, still looking at her before he composed his cold sarcastic demeanor.
"Shall we?" Will said as he offered her his arm. She took it hesitantly, folding her hand in the crook of his arm. As soon as she touched him he felt his stomach flutter, but mentally slapped himself and told him to shut up.
He handed the bouncer the invitation and they both walked in. The space was huge, it had black and white draped curtains on the ceiling. A white and black checkered dance floor with white tables around it. The DJ was standing in front of the dance floor. The bar was at the corner of the room with a door and a big looking bodyguard in front of it. Will nudged Emma to look at the security guard. She looked at the guard, took in a deep breath and looked away.
"I'm gonna go get drinks. Vodka Martini?" she asked and Will responded with a "sure" still examining the room. They had a soft jazz song playing and some couples dancing on the dance floor and near their tables. Emma returned with their drinks and handed him his. He took a sip of the drink.
"Yuck! What is this crap?" he asked, disgusted with the drink. Emma was trying very poorly to hide her laugh.
"It's a vodka martini, it's good." she said after her giggles got under control.
"Well it tastes like olive juice mixed with pure alcohol." Will said while putting his drink on a random table.
"Come on gentlemen, grab your special lady or guy, I don't judge, and bring them on to the dance floor." The DJ said with a calm and soothing voice.
"Come on, couple in the back, bring your lady to the dance floor and show her the time of her life!" said the DJ, and it took a few seconds for Will to realize that he was talking to him and Emma.
"I'm not his lady!" Emma whispered while taking his hand pulling him to the dance floor. She put her hands on his shoulders and guided his hands to her waist. And they started to dance.
"Well, well someone's eager to dance with me," said Will cheekly.
"Shut up! I'm only doing this to keep cover" She said, rolling her eyes and looking down flustered, which made Will smile a little and pulled her to him, closing the space between them, so her hands now rested on his chest. She looked at him with wide eyes filled with wonder. Half of Will's mind was screaming at him to push her away. But a bigger part of him was telling him to seize the moment because it could be the last. Their faces were inches apart and he felt himself leaning into him, their lips were about to meet when,
"Mr. Darhk, Ms. Gray!" said the guy Will assumed was Agnes' friend Vycemyr Burton. He was a short, bald fat old man, in a bow tie tux. He also had white handlebar mustache.
"Actually I'm Darhk, He's Gray." said Emma with irritation very clearly in her voice.
"Oh, my bad," He laughed,
"Come both of you, this way." He turned around and walked toward the door with the big bodyguard.
They walked into the room. It was a golden fancy office, but filled with magical artifacts, and a golden desk in the middle. Mr. Burton went to stand behind his desk, while Emma and Will stood in the center of the room.
"So Agnes tells me that you are here on important business. What can I do for you two lovely people?" Said the old man in front of them.
"We are here to see what you know about a recently stolen magical artifact," Will said,
"It is crucial you give us every piece of information." Said Emma finishing his sentence. "Aww, so cute, finishing each other's sentences! Ah, to be young and in love." Said Vycemyr, gushing.
"Excuse me?!?!" Both Will and Emma shouted at the same time.
"We are NOT in love!" shouted Will.
"Yeah I hate this guy and he hates me, that's not love that is called loathing
someone!" said Emma indignantly.
"Ah, denial! But if you two don't want to admit it yet, so be it!". Vycemyr threw his
hands in the air as he said it.
"So, what is this stolen artifact you need help locating?" He asked. Emma took a
deep breath and said "
The Sacred Sword of Olympus." As soon as she said it Vycemyr Burton went
deadly pale. But quickly recomposed himself.
"Ah, yes terrible terrible tragedy. I don't really know who did it but I know someone in Dreyvina that might have a clue about who did it." said Vycemyr, in a nervous voice.
"Okay, but we were told that you knew everything that went on in the magical world, but you don't have any clues on what might have happened in the biggest crime of the century?" Will asked incredulously.
"Well the magical world is very big!" Mr. Burton said defensively. "Okay, fine, what is the name of the person you know?" Emma asked
impatiently.
"Alynafae, is her name, I'll send her a message right now." Vycemyr said,
grabbing his Firefly.
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A few moments passed in silence while they waited for an answer from Vycemyr's friend.
"Yes, okay she responded and said you two have to go to Dreyvina tonight and wait 'till morning there. She will meet you both in the forest in the morning." Vycemyr said, still looking at the Firefly.
"And how do you suppose we get there?" Emma asked harshly.
"Well you both have to go to the Amazon rainforest. You'll have to walk east
until you find a cave. When you find it you have to go 'till the end of the cave, then you'll know what to do. Now go!" Vycemyr said while pushing them out the door.
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They exited the gala and went to an abandoned alley behind the venue, to get the gear they left there if they needed it. They both changed into their clothes, one on each side of the dumpster. He had to help unzip her dress, and he did so quickly and with his jaws clenched. Will changed in 5 minutes while it took Emma hours to change.
"Okay let's go!" Said Emma a little breathless. She came out from behind the dumpster wearing ripped black trousers with a black turtleneck shirt tucked into her pants, a black leather jacket and the same boots she usually wears.
"Finally!" he muttered under his breath, and got hit on the shoulder with her rucksack. He laughed it off and grabbed her hand so they could teleport to the jungle in South America together.
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They arrived in the middle of the jungle. It was so wet Emma slipped and almost
fell, but luckily, Will held onto her waist bringing her into his chest, steadying her. When she finally regained her balance, they both looked at each other and shoved each other at the same time, creating a large distance between them.
Will cleared his throat and said "Let's go find the cave".
"Mhmmm" she responded. They both headed off in opposite directions.
"East is that way." said Will, pointing left.
"No it's that way!" Emma contradicted, pointing to the right.
"No ,it's not!" Will said irritably.
"Look, there is only one way to find out who's right, I'll climb up that tree and see who's right, 'kay?" Emma said.
"Fine." he responded, rolling his eyes.
Emma goes to a tall palm tree next to them and tries to climb it, but it was too slippery. She takes a deep breath.
"Do you need any help?" he offered her cockily
"No!" she growled, while whipping out her hand swords and using them to climb
the tree.
"I don't need your help." He watched her climb the tree, impressed. But it did sting a little the last comment.
A few moments later she jumps down, with an angry face.
"East is that way." she said quietly, and set her mouth in a thin line, while she
stormed off. She tripped on one of the rocks, and let out a small shriek. She took in a breath, and flipped her hair back, continuing to walk normally. Will let out a chuckle while walking behind her.
"Shut up!" she shouted angrily.
They walked east until they reached a cliff, with a waterfall a further right from them.
"We've walked god knows how many kilometers and still no cave! That guy is sending us off on a wild goose chase!" Will said, frowning.
"Wait, wait-wait, look! Behind the waterfall, it's the cave!" Emma said, excitedly. They climbed down the cliff very carefully to not slip. After a half hour, they finally reached the waterfall. He got down to the ground of the waterfall and offered to help Emma down, but of course she shoved his hands away stubbornly, and got down by herself. They got a bit, well a lot, wet having to pass through it to get to the cave. The entrance of the cave smelled like rain and fish. Both he and Emma wrinkled their nose in disgust. It had a few small boulders that they had to jump over. There was a little shallow water that eventually ran out as they walked further into the dark cave. Though they still had to watch where they were going to not fall, since the floor was rocky and slippery. Emma pulled out a match and lit it as they walked into the dark cave and away from the light.
They reached the end of the cave, and Will took the match, gently, out of her hand and lit a torch that was next to him. The dead end had a large circular engraving and a seven sharp-pointed heptagram star engraved in the middle.
"What do we do now?" Emma asked. "I don't know," Will said, shrugging.
"Maybe we have to touch it?". Will went over and touched the symbol but nothing happened.
"I think someone with fairy blood has to touch it." Emma said, thoughtfully. She went over to touch it and suddenly the symbol started to glow. They both looked at each other with wide eyes wondering what's about to happen. Will started to feel the ground beneath his feet feel a little softer than it was supposed to be. Will looked at the floor and suddenly there wasn't a floor anymore. He heard Emma scream as the ground disappeared from beneath them. All of a sudden they fell in water with no surface to swim up to for breath.