The way you find a Titan's palace, if it isn't on Mt. Olympus that is, is by walking .You walk and walk and walk in whatever direction that palace is, all the while keeping your destination in your mind. In this case, my brother's palace lies on the eastern-most horizon at the edge of the known world. So we walk east.
And we keep walking east.
And we keep walking east. For five days.
The thing about traveling towards the palace of a Titan is that as soon as you start your journey, it knows you're coming. And it knows if you're welcome or not. It can literally change the landscape around you to make the journey easier or harder - adding extra rivers and lakes to prevent passage or removing entire oceans so you can get there faster. Sometimes it's a test of determination, sometimes it's because the Lord or Lady of the house likes or dislikes you, and sometimes the journey lasts three years just because immortals think it's fun to play with mortals. But the rule is, so long as you keep your destination in mind, you will get there someday.
The day we leave, I send a prayer to Helios to make the journey short and easy.
On the third day, although we have hit no uncrossable terrains, we have somehow managed to get stuck in a desert. I say another prayer to my brother and then, thinking perhaps our journey is proving difficult because Perse is blocking our path, I say a prayer to her as well. I'm sure she enjoys it too, the thought of me on my knees, pleading for her help.
On the fifth day, we've found our way to a large mountain range. I couldn't tell you how we got there, only that the path was steep and the roads rough with sharp rocks. I'm carrying my daughter on one hip and my youngest son of the other when I hear a yelp from behind me. I turn and see Endymion has slipped and fallen and is lying on the ground clutching his foot. I set my son down and hand my daughter to one of the triplets before running to his side.
"Are you alright?" I lean down and inspect the wound. It's deep, tearing through his sandal and the bottom of his foot. Blood pours from it and I quickly rip a strip of fabric from the bottom of my tunic and wrap it tight around his foot.
"One of the boys was about to trip," Endymion says, gesturing to a sharp stone in the middle of the path. "I tried to push him out of the way."
"You did. He's fine." I look over to where the child is playing with his brothers, completely unaware of what his father had just done for him. I don't even realize I'm clenching my teeth in anger until Endymion takes my hand, entwining his fingers in mine.
"It's alright," he tells me, smiling softly though I can tell he's trying to ignore the pain. "I did what any parent would have done. He shouldn't carry the guilt of that."
"But now you can't walk."
"I suppose you'll have to carry me then."
Rolling my eyes, I help him to his single working foot and, his arm draped around my shoulder, I help him hobble to the top of the mountain where we find a small cave to rest in. I'm helping Endymion find a comfortable place to rest his foot when one of the boys starts shrieking.
"Mama, I found it! Uncle's palace, I can see it!"
I run to his side and, sure enough, there it is, golden and shimmering on the water's edge. I crouch down next to my children.
"Do you remember what we must do now? We must all think very hard for Uncle Helios's help. Can you do that?" The five of them nod and we gather in a circle, all praying as hard as we can.
A bright light appears in front of us and for a moment, I think it's Helios and joy bursts in my chest. Then the light fades into the figure of a woman and my heart falls again.
YOU ARE READING
Cry of the Moon
FantasyHave you ever looked at the moon? Not just at a passing glance or to admire how bright it is that night, but really looked? Have you ever wondered where the marks on it came from? How the mountains and valleys and craters appeared? Have you ever won...
