Ancient Ruins

Temple Of the Goddess

"Zoe, get in the car! You got a doctor's appointment!" my mom shouted from downstairs.

"I'm coming, give me a second!" I shouted back.

I quickly put on my boots, and looked in the mirror. I was wearing a black tank top, and camo pants. My long black hair was in a ponytail, and my green eyes sparkled in the reflection. I was pretty tail, and skinny. I noticed some pen ink was on my arm. I tried to rub it off, but it only smudged on my pale skin. I grumbled and ran downstairs, the automatic door of my bedroom closing behind me.

I saw my mom was already outside in the car. It hovered in the air. I ran to her, and hopped inside. We drove to to the doctors. When we entered I noticed a big bright sign that said:

"Europia City- celebrating 100 years! This weekend on New Year's, when the year becomes 3,100!"

The doctor called us into her office. I sat down in the floating chair. At the end of my yearly check-up, the doctor asked me a question.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Do you have any visions?" The doctor looked at me funny. She had something carved on her forehead. 

"N-no." I replied, and walked off. Visions? Why would I be having visions?

My mom dropped me off at the city library. She knew I always like to come here to read. I browsed through all the books. I mean, I've already read them a million times, but they were so cool! Who doesn't love to read from an electronical hologram. I picked up a book. It was a small pad, that had a title on it, and a button. I sat at a table and pressed the button. The hologram appeared in front of me. I used my finger to swipe through the pages.

When I finished, I put the book back. I walked deeper into the library, when something caught my eye. One of the white, metal floorboards was loose. I pried it opened with my hands.

Inside of it was a something that looked like a book. I pulled it out. It was covered in dust. It did have a title on it.

"Where's the button?" I asked myself aloud. I picked up the book. It was really heavy, and I dropped it on the floor. It seemed to open up. I looked at it. It had words. I flipped through the strange book that wasn't holographic. 

There were pictures of really weird creatures. They looked like humans, but had dragon wings, horns and a tail. One held a sword in her arms. Next to her was one with emerald green eyes like mine. Another one held a baby in her arms. The last one held a dagger.

I took the book and put it in my bag, and exited the library. I bumped into a boy on the way out, dropping my bag. The book fell out. The boy stared at the book, like he had seen it before.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." he said, and picked it up. The boy seemed about my age, with brown hair and black eyes. He was a little taller than me. The boy bent down to pick up the book.

He rose back up, and handed me the book. The boy looked into my eyes, and I stared into his. I felt myself blushing. He did too.

"My name's Zoe." I told him.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Jack." he replied. "That is one strange book you have..."

"Heh, yeah. I found it in the floorboards."

"Well, nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too."

I exited the library, and slumped down against the outside wall. He was cute. I took out the book, and began to read it. Something about gods and goddesses, dragons, and a bunch of other stuff. One picture had a women that had strange markings on her forehead. Just like the doctor I had seen today...

Under the picture was a caption. It read: "Petra, an evil person who sought to destroy the gods and goddesses of this world."

I closed the book and put it away. Then I walked home.

***

I stood in the City Square. The mayor was giving a speech about the 100th anniversary of our city. I saw that boy again. He walked over to me.

"Um, hi again." I said stupidly.

"Come, I want to show you something."

Jack took out a remote, and teleported us to a strange place. It was a temple, covered in vines. We went inside. On the walls were the same pictures I had seen in the book. It seemed to depicticate a story of some sort. 

"What is this place?" I asked, my voice echoing in the corridors.

"The temple of the Beast Goddess." Jack replied.

"The who?"

"Legend has it, about a thousand years ago, she was a hero. She started out as a mortal. Now her temple is here. I don't know if she really existed or not, but it seems so. That book you found was mine. I have been studying the legend. They say that book was a first-hand account written by the goddess herself."

"Cool!"

Jack motioned for me to follow him. He brought me to a large room. There was a huge stone statue of a women with dragons wings, horns, and a tail. She sat on a throne, with a sword in her hand.

On the bottom of the throne, was a name carved into the stone.

"Noelle." I said. "Was that her name?"

Jack nodded. "Wanna help me uncover more?"

"Sure. That anniversary thing is boring anyways."

We both laughed. Jack pulled out more old books, and we began to read them in the quiet room.