Agamemnon's Dowery

Prolouge

It was the first day of the new year, and the New York City streets were slowly coming to life with an almost drowsy rhythm. As the sun took its slow, lazy trip to its peak, a sense of unnerving urgency was almost palpable in the air amongst the waves of people going from place to place. Street vendors were setting up for a busy day to serve tourists, the smell of car fumes, coffee, and the salty scent of the Hudson mingled in the air-a recognizable city musk. Delivery scooters zipped up and down the streets, and weaved through the busy traffic.

As the sun seemed to settle at its highest point in the sky, the weight of the air seemed to change. It felt almost electrifying, like standing in the midst of a thundercloud, cutting through the thick city buzz. Some paused, feeling the shift, the alarm bells sounding like a vociferous ringing in their heads. But as they looked around, unable to pinpoint any change in their surroundings, many dismissed it as an intrusive thought or merely a passing feeling.

On the Hudson River, as the noon sun beat on the gentle waves, a group of students were taking a class trip by boat to the Statue of Liberty. The class was uneasy, most feeling the unpleasant shift in the air and wanting to turn back, but the teacher brushed off their concerns, thinking they were just up to some trouble; but as one student gazed out onto the water, he suddenly saw a large oil tanker dip alarmingly fast below the horizon, as if it was sunk by a torpedo. Panicked, he looked down into the dark deep depths of the hudson, beneath them, it seemed to steam and bubble like a witches' cauldron. Slowly the waves grew choppier, and a light began to grow in luster.

Suddenly, the space directly on top of the water seemed to visibly crack open, splitting the Hudson River with a deafening roar, as if the surface of the water was covered by a thick layer of glass. A column of light, a myriad and mix of colors, exploded into the air. Ships, including the one the class was on, were being wretched into the giant chasm now spewing light and energy into the afternoon sky violently. Creatures and monsters of a fantastical variety poured out of the portal in droves: stunningly beautiful elves, malevolent demons, pompous and humble gods alike, divine almost luminous looking angels, nefarious giants, and all sorts of fantastical beings emerged, and began to attack the city in hordes.

People on the streets screamed and scattered in panic and fear, some pulling out their phones, in an almost idiotic attempt to capture the unbelievable sight, while others ran for their lives. The air filled with the sounds of chaos-screams, the roars of creatures, the iron scent of blood, the shattering of glass as giants lumbered through buildings, and the metallic clang of swords were heard as armored beings clashed and snarled with each other in a deprived melee.

In the midst of the chaos, a young woman shaking in a business suit stumbled, dropping her briefcase. Papers scattered around her in a whirl as a massive shadow loomed overhead. She looked up, and her mouth dropped in disbelief, she saw a behemothic dragon soaring above, its blood red scales glinting in the sunlight. With a terrified gasp, she scrambled to her feet and ran, her heels clicking frantically against the pavement, her fear railed her breath, making legs heavier with each stride.

A delivery scooter swerved to avoid a fallen streetlamp, its rider barely managed to keep his balance. The scooter's digital display flickered erratically, as the magical energy in the air disrupted its circuits. He sped past a group of children huddled against a storefront, some of their eyes were wide with fear and some with wonder as the sky lit up with beams of light and lightning.

Near the river, the class trip boat was slowly sinking, the students clinging to the sides as the portal continued to spew more creatures and light by the second shaking their vessel. Their teacher, pale and shaking, tried to keep them calm, shouting over the roar of the portal. One of the students, a girl with glasses, with one side shattered by the chaos, and a determined expression, pulled out her phone and began recording, narrating the events with a mixture of fear and excitement.