Static

XVIII

Clash! Jason's sword clipped another. He jumped back just in time because the other sword swooped at his gut. The other sword's wielder was hiding in the shadows of the temple of Athena Nike. It was nighttime, so Jason couldn't see his opponent.
     'Prohibere!' Jason yelled. 'Who are you?'
     'I am your greatest nightmare.' It said in a female's voice. 'I will destroy you when you least expect it.'
     With the last words, the voice faded, and so did Jason.

'Ugggh.' Jason moaned. He rolled over and fell off something.
'Be careful.' Jake comforted. 'You're already sore. You don't need more pain. Now, get back on the rock.'
Jake helped him get back on the rock.
'Argggghh!' Jason roared in agony.
Jake winced. 'Sorry.'
Jason moaned, and Jake got him back on the rock.
'Hopefully, you get better.' Jake muttered.
Jake lied down on another rock. He looked at Jason and hoped he'd be better soon.
'How's it going, thrown in a cell by a chimera?' Dakota asked.
     'Fine, I guess, but-'
     Dakota covered Jake's mouth.
     Footsteps got louder and louder outside the cell. The chimera peered into the cell and roared. Jake whimpered, but Dakota didn't let go.
Finally, the chimera walked away.
'Qui prope.' Dakota breathed a sigh of relief. 'The chimera doesn't tolerate talking- or noise for that matter- in her dungeon.'
     'Oh. T-thank you.'
     'What's going on, punks?' Clarisse shouted.
     'Shhhh.' Jake and Dakota shushed Clarisse in unison.
     'What?'
     Dakota said, 'The chimera doesn't appreciate noise in her dungeon.'
     'Whatever.' Clarisse yawned. 'How's Jason?'
     Jake began. 'Better, but-'
     'I'm fine.' Jason stumbled off his rock. 'Help me up.'
     Dakota rushes to Jason's aid. Clarisse just watched and Jake helped Dakota. Dakota wrapped Jason's left arm around him, and Jake did the same with his right arm. Together, they hauled Jason up.
     'You alright?' Jake asked.
     'Yeah, I'll be fine.'
     Both boys let go and, to Jason's surprised, he stayed up. 'So, how do we escape?'
     'I- I might know how.' A voice said in the shadows.
     Jason smiled. 'Dom?'
     Dom stepped out of the shadows. 'Yes. And I know a way.'
     Dom grabbed his pipes and began playing Come, My Friend by Gregory Norbet.
     After about ten minutes, Jason was convinced that nothing would happen, until a vaguely humanoid figure integrated in front of him. The shape solidified and it resembled a nymph. She wielded a staff that seemed to be constructed of the night- dark, but powerful. The staff had an emerald that blazed with dark fire or night fire. Her body was encased in flames, the same colour as her staff's emerald.
     'Hello, Żonë.' Dom kneeled. 'We require a portal to, er, where exactly?' He looked at Jason.
     'Um, guys?' Jason looked around for backup, but ended up with only pain from when he drained his power. 'Fine.'
     He thought of the prophecy and shivered and the line: To the heart they shall retreat.
     'Oh.' He remembered.
     He thought harder.
     'West.' He said.
     'Whe-' Before Dom could finish, the fire nymph lifted her staff.
     'West you seek, west you must have!' She pointed her staff at the rocky ground and chanted, 'Ekbeine shnokk.'
     Everyone, excluding the nymph, and Jason, tumbled through the portal.
     'Jason.' The nymph said. 'I am Żonë, the Eldritch Queen. I have my doubts you know who I am.'
     Jason was mystified, though he didn't know if it was just him or Żonë's emerald radiating power. 'No, I - I do not know who you are.'
     'I am here to give this to you.' Żonë handed Jason a piece of parchment. Jason eyed her suspiciously.
     'A scroll?' Jason asked.
     'Yes, and it will aid you in a key moment.' The Eldritch Queen said the word key as if it was meant as a metaphor. 'And remember: with great power comes great risk.'
     Before Jason could ask any more questions, the nymph witch chanted the spell and a portal swirled beneath Jason. He fell right through.

Jason woke to someone shaking his shoulder.
     'Wake up.' The woman spoke.
     'Reyna?'
     'Yes, it is I.' She helped Jason up. 'Why are you back so soon?'
     Jason rubbed his head. 'I just had a feeling.'
     'Hmm. Okay. But, do you know why? You don't, do you?'
     'Guilty.'
     'Come with me.' She grabbed Jason's wrist and dragged him out.

'This temple made in your father's honour' Reyna informed.
     'The Jupiter Optimus Maximus.' Jason recalled. 'The Best and the Greatest.'
     'Your father can be a real airhead sometimes, but he's still the king, and many worship him. And despite him being an airhead, he had to make tough decisions and think deep. That's what you have to do, make decisions and think deeper. Now, think about the prophecy, what Ella told you, any other information people told you or you might know. That will be that answer to your quest.'
     'So moving.' Jason sniffed.
     'Now do what I said!' Reyna ordered. 'Think deeper.'
     Jason closed his eyes and his soul was lost in deep thought.