Olympians Prevail! Book 1: The Cursed Blade!

Chapter 2: I Visit Olympus

I woke up on a bus. George was sitting beside me. I sat up on the seat and stretched.

"Oh, thank goodness your up!" George sighed. "How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Only about an hour." he answered. "An hour?" I exclaimed! "Holy cow!"

"Well, that isn't that long-" George began but was interrupted by Uncle Bran up at the front of the bus clearing his throat.

"Attention students!" He began. "I know that you know that we have had a catastrophic explosion in room 112,"

Great! I just got here and I'm already causing trouble.

"But since we cannot re-enter the school, the grade 9 trip to the Empire State Building will happen." The whole bus cheered at this.

I smiled and turned to the window, watching the streets of New York whiz by.

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The bus pulled up in front of the Empire State Building. All of the other kids were antsy to get off the bus.

When I got off, and stared up. The Empire State Building was huge! It reached up to the sky from the looks of it!

We walked into the lobby. It was huge as well. There were benches against the walls and the desk was at the end of the room with an elevator on each side.

Uncle Bran wheeled up to the desk and began talking with the clerk while we chatted amongst ourselves.

In a minute, a man in a black suit came out of the elevator. Uncle Bran wheeled up to him and shook his hand.

Uncle Bran turned around and announced "This fine man will be our tour guide today! I expect you all to listen to him!"

He then wheeled behind the group and listened as the man explained rules and regulations.

As we began loading the elevators, I realized that Uncle Bran, George and I would have to take the next elevator.

As we waited, the desk clerk cursed and went off to find the copy room for more paper for her printer.

We were alone.

I was about to ask when the elevator would come when suddenly, there was a hiss behind me. The hiss of a snake....

"Medusa!" Uncle Bran cried, covering his eyes! Medusa? But she's only in mythological books.

Or apparently not, because as I put on my sunglasses and turned around, I was met by a women about 30 years old maybe with a head full of snakes!

I jumped back and found Uncle Brans hand in mine.

With the pocket knife.

"This is for you." He said calmly. "Use it well!" I looked at the camo pocket knife in my hand, and flipped open the knife blade.

Turning it into a sword.

I cried out a battle cry, and charged, slashing at Medusa's neck. She screamed as her head came off in one clean chop!

The body dissolved, leaving only dust. I stared down at it, and closed my sword. Uncle Bran put his hand on my shoulder, and said "It is time you knew."

"Knew what?" I asked, but he just turned to the desk where the clerk had returned. "600th floor please!" he said. "There is no 600th floor!" I said confused.

They both ignored me and the clerk asked my uncle "Identity please." "Richard Bran, Centaur!" my uncle said.

"Centaur?" I said. "What do you mean? Whats going on?" but Richard just grabbed the card that the clerk had offered him, waved to me and said "Just get into the elevator!"

We all got in, and the doors closed. My uncle slid the card through a reader by the buttons, and on top of the top button, another button appeared.

600!

"But, that's impossible!" I exclaimed as my uncle clicked the 600 button. The elevator began rising. Slow at first, but then quicker!

Soon, we came to a halt and the doors opened..........

And I was facing Olympus.

It was exactly like the pictures in the books. Even the throne room. Uncle Bran wheeled his chair onto the path in front of us, and stood up out of his wheelchair.

He smiled at me and said "Now that you know the truth, you may call me Richard."

It was only then that I realized that my uncle was one of the mythological centaurs. Regular, human upper half, black stallion lower half. He began walking, George in tow.......

With furry goat legs and hooves! I stumbled after stunned. My friend was a Saytre. I followed them into the giant throne room.

I was met by a room full of bickering gods sitting on thrones. I recognized Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Athena, and the rest of the gods.

"Excuse me." Richard said calmly. One by one, the gods quieted. "It is I, Richard the centaur!"

Zeus stood. "What is it that you have done, Richard?" he growled. He pointed his finger at me. "Why is it that you have brought my son here?"

The other gods began to murmer to one another.

"Son?" I thought. Then, I said it aloud.

"Son?" I called. "I'm not your son. I am the son of Julie and Mike. Although, my dad died in a freak accident at the school where he used to work!"

Zeus lowered his finger and turned to me. "No." He said simply. "That is where you died."

I stumbled back as if someone had pushed me. "What? No! Otherwise, I wouldn't be here!" I cried out.

Zeus just growled again. "You shouldn't be here. You need to leave!"

With that, he picked me up, and began walking out side.

Richard ran beside his huge leg. "Put him down! Drop him! Zeus! Please! You don't have to do this!" He yelled with George bleating nervously behind him.

Zeus kept going.

He walked to the edge of the path outside and held me hanging over the edge, over the clouds which I would certainly fall through.

"Leave! And never return to Olympus, Cole Drake!" He stated. The way he said my name sent a tingle down my spine.

"Zeus! Let him go!"

Hera suddenly came storming out of the throne room.

"Drop him!" She yelled.

Zeus turned to her. Then back to me, dangling from his fingers.

"Fine!" He grumbled.

And then he dropped me.

I heard gasps as I closed my eyes.

And fell!