One with the Gods

Chapter Six: Emerald in the Styx

Chapter six:

Emerald in the Styx

Andromeda slipped off her Pegasus who was named Hercules after the god who guards the gates of Olympus. "Where are we?" She asked. Aeros slipped off the Pegasus and looked around. "Check the scroll it might tell us something." Aeros said. Andromeda pulled out the scroll and tore the seal. The scroll contained a list of ten tasks. She read the first line.

Find an emerald stone from the river Styx

"We need to find an emerald stone in the river Styx. Then we must be near the river Styx." Andromeda said. She showed the map to Aeros. He read the words carefully then looked around the woods. Faintest of sounds Andromeda could hear a river flowing. Andromeda looked up at the sky. It was pink and orange. "The sun is setting we need to make camp before we do anything." Andromeda said. She reached into her pack and found a sleeping mat, a blanket, a full water canteen, and a satchel of bread.

She went on the other side of Hercules and pulled a silver sword with a golden hilt out of its leather sheath. "I'll go hunting you collect fire wood." She ordered. Aeros began to protest, but gave up since it was an argument he could not win. Andromeda went into the woods and stepped carefully and dare not make a sound. She lightly touched the bow and quiver of arrows on her back. Suddenly up ahead she saw a deer. It was a doe with no fawn or buck nearby. She slid the bow of her back and pulled an arrow out of the quiver. She notched the arrow on the string and took aim. She took a breath then fired.

She returned to Aeros to find him sitting by a blazing fire. He looked up at her and nearly fell over in shock. "Did you kill that?" He asked gaping at the doe. "What do you think?" She teased. He shrugged and stood up to help skin the deer. They roasted the deer meat on the open flames just as the sky turned dark. "I didn't know you knew how to hunt." Aeros said breaking the silence. "I didn't know either. I must have gotten it from Zeus." She said. "What is it like being the daughter of Zeus?" He asked. "Really I don't know. I discovered new abilities and new powers, but I never get to talk to him. He is always busy." She answered. He smiled at her warmly and leaned in a bit. "I think we should get some sleep Aeros." She said.

She unrolled the sleeping mat and pulled the blanket over her as she lay down. She could feel the heat of the fire on her feet and the coolness of the woods on her head. She shut her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Castolla saw the glow of Andromeda's fire in the distance. She dare not lite a fire for she feared being caught. As she sat wrapped up in her wool blanket she heard something. She pulled a silver dagger out and stood up. Suddenly a shape jumped from the shadows and at Castolla's feet. Castolla jumped back and pointed the dagger at the thing. "Please don't kill me I am a god!" The creature said. It was a young woman and she had a white pleated tunic on. "Who are you?" Castolla asked. In the girl's hands a stone began to glow. "Are you crazy they will see us!" Castolla exclaimed. "No they won't. This light has a protective barrier so other people won't see it." The girl said.

The young girl was as tall as Castolla and had long curly black hair. She had a sheath on her leather belt for a sword and dagger. "Let me introduce myself I am Dian daughter of Poseidon. Your mother sent me to help you." She said. "Before you tell me to go back to Olympus let me say that I really want to come." Castolla shrugged and let her continue. "I have never left Olympus. When I was born my father said I was so beautiful and strong that I should stay with him. I grew up with my father keeping me locked away and trained me for the worst. I begged him to let me join you and if I do not succeed then I will have to stay on Olympus until he gives me another chance. So what I am saying is please give me a chance." She said. "Alright you can come but if you are any trouble then you have to go back to Olympus." Castolla warned. Dian squealed with joy. She ran up and hugged Castolla. She quickly let go and began to set up her sleeping mat.

Andromeda dreamed of her mother sitting in the middle of a lavish garden. She wore a silk white gown and had flowers in her hair. She smiled warmly as she picked more flowers around her. She suddenly woke to the sound of a Hercules stomping his feet near her head. She sat up and she saw Aeros fast asleep cover in a wool blanket. The fire had gone out and only a few embers still burned brightly. She packed her sleeping mat up and her blanket and gathered the dry deer meat left over from last night. Andromeda went over to Aeros who was sound asleep.

She grabbed the canteen that hung from his saddle. She opened the lid and poured the water on his face. Aeros shot up and spat and sputtered. He let out a cough and wiped his face with his hand. He looked up and saw Andromeda smiling at him. "My wakeup call I am guessing?" He said. She nodded as he got up and packed things up. "We don't have a lot of food. If we find a village we need to get food before we run out." Andromeda said. She carefully stroked Hercules mane. Aeros just shrugged and continued packing. Andromeda mounted Hercules and started to head to the sound of running water. She turned back to see Aeros galloping towards her. He slowed to a walk beside her and kept a steady pace with her.

"So our first test is to find an emerald stone in the river Styx. That should be rather easy." He said. "Not really there are two problems. First is that there are thousands and thousands of perfectly round stones in the river Styx. Also after Achilles, Zeus poisoned the Styx so only souls, Charon, and the god Hades could enter the waters." She replied. "So how do we get around the waters?" Aeros asked.

"I don't know exactly, but I better find out quick."

"Why is that?"

"Because we are here."

The Pegasus' stopped at the edge of a grey clear river with silver and black stones. Andromeda and Aeros dismounted and walked to the edge. "Have any ideas?" She asked Aeros. Aeros looked at the waters confused. How can someone retrieve a stone in the water if they cannot touch the water? Andromeda thought. As she stared at the water a shadowy figure's reflection appeared in the water. She looked up and saw a skeleton of a man wearing a black cloak with his hood up. It was Charon. He docked the little boat on the bank and climbed out of it. He stood in front of them and held his hand out. "Pay me to cross. If not I leave you here to rot." He said. His voice was a low smooth voice, but was it made one feel uneasy.

"Charon guide of the underworld we ask for your help." Aeros said stepping forward. "Do you have payment?" He asked keeping his open palm out towards them. "No we do not. We are on a mission from Zeus." He answered. "Zeus means nothing to me if you have no payment then leave me be." He ordered. Andromeda ran over to Hercules and pulled out three gold drachmas out of a pouch of hundreds she brought. "Wait, will this suffice your payment?" She asked placing the golden coins in his hand. His bony fingers wrapped around the coins and he gently placed them in his pocket. "What do you ask of me?" He said. "We want to know how to retrieve two emerald stones from the poisoned river Styx?" Andromeda asked.

"You mean these?" He said. He lifted his open palm again. A black mist went over his hand and two perfect emerald stones appeared. "If you placed these stones in the river they would melt. If you answer this riddle you can have them. Whoever answers first will get both of them." He said pulling his hand back. "Then what is the riddle?" Aeros said. He was growing impatient. "What is pure white for only a second and beckons you with one sound?" He said. Aeros bit his bottom lip in concentration. Andromeda repeated the riddle over and over in her head. What was Zeus playing at? Wait pure white for a second, and one sound. That means one thing for Zeus. She thought. "It's lightening. The answer is lightening. It is white for a second and makes one sound." She said. Charon motioned her to hold her hand out. She lifted the palm. He set the two gems in her hand. The emeralds were cool and smooth to the touch. Charon nodded and climbed back into his boat. He shoved off and rowed down the river into a cave that led to the underworld.

They went back to the horses. She looked at Aeros and tossed him one of the emeralds. He caught the emerald and smiled at her. His smile was charming and made Andromeda feel warm inside.

Dian and Castolla hid in a tree looking down at them. "What do we do now?" Dian whispered. "We follow them to the next task." Castolla answered. "What is the next task?" Dian asked. "It's to steal a golden rose from king Midas's garden." She said.