Heirs of Olympus

Chapter 1

Her hand is still trembling, just a little bit but enough for her to notice and close her eyes to attempt to focus, when she reaches for the Chalice standing upon the table. She grasps it carefully and takes the smallest sip, feeling the warm liquid slide on her tongue, the flavor ever changing but always satisfying. She feels the steadying rush come over her as it touches her tongue and moves down her throat. The feeling of warmth follows the liquid as she feels the effect spread throughout her body adding to the momentary sense of control she desperately needs after the last several weeks.

She steps carefully across the cool, marble floor seeing her reflection moving along with her in the polished smooth stone of the walls of the room. Her reflection is much clearer in the mirror so she pauses for a moment. Her reflection clearly shows in her face the damage that has been wrought upon her by the current crisis and she knows that this moment of clarity is but a pause; only the eye in a much greater storm, solely granted by the exemplary heroism and the subsequent sacrifice of her daughter and that boy. Her brow furrows as she remembers the anger and madness that overcame her when she sent her child to achieve that which had claimed the lives of so many of her children before. The only solace she felt was that no more of her children would be sacrificed in this endeavor and that if successfully returned, the balance may tipped to their favor and save the world.

Stepping onto the balcony she looks over the gleaming city, quiet where once there would be music, laughter and joy; now there was a palpable fear hanging over the buildings and thick in the very air. Her father has closed the city to all, keeping them away from everything below in his misguided belief that hiding from the problem will somehow convince it to go away. She snorts, and knows that while it's very unladylike, it also fits her mood perfectly. She thinks of her brother always feeling constrained by the rules and she feels a rush of sympathy for finally knowing how utterly wrong her father is right now. Her father has struggled with adapting to these modern times and the changes that have come so fast and relentlessly. This last century has been a blur, even for them. They have seen so many changes, their understanding of the world, the inventions, and the..."shrinking" of the world was enough to cause serious concerns even here. If they didn't do something they would truly be as irrelevant as many believed them to be.

Narrowing her eyes, she focuses on a number of specific buildings and sees the ceremonial fires burning across the city, symbols that were to represent hope and warmth, that now were giving neither. She turns back and walks inside. Her fingers automatically reach up to gently brush the soft feathers on the head of the bird there on the stand pushing at her hand for attention. She pauses to enjoy the feel of the soft feathers and the responsive sounds he is making at her touch. "Do not worry Glaux" she whispers gently causing the bird to close its eyes in pleasure at her touch, pushing back to increase the pressure from her fingertips. She wishes everything could be as easily resolved as the desire for a scratch.

Stepping to her desk, she brushes her fingers to the glowing keys of the computer sitting there shining in the darkness. Unlike the rest of her family, she has never feared change and discovery. She loves the growth of new tools and technology as it thrills her. She has spent more time with the builders and dreamers of the last few generations and she has often been happily surprised by how clever and insightful they can be. But this computer, her computer, is special. Built by her brother especially for her, it has allowed her to truly understand and appreciate how far things have come in the world below and how quickly things are changing. But now she knows the answers she is looking for are not there. No...she knows the only place to look for the answers she seeks is not in the now of knowledge or the future of prophecy. No, what she is looking for is far, far back; so far back that it's been long forgotten by everyone who could or would help her.