Time is Immortal
Prologue:
Looking back, to when I was normal, sometimes seems like a dream. Growing up in what is now considered 'Ancient' Greece had been fun, easy, -simple. I could go back and visit my childhood anytime I wanted, but it would do me no good to change the past now.
My name is Thanatos, which means 'death' ironically. I am of normal height and am 16- years-old. I have shaggy black hair that almost enters my range of vision. I have dark blue eyes, now specked with silver. People always think I act too old for my looks, if only they knew.
This is the story of my past, present, and future as Thanatos, or Death.
509 BC
Athens, Greece
I was running, from what I had no clue. My legs ached but stopping wasn't an option. I could barely see, mist clouding my sight. Dogs barking and screams of agony were the only thing I could hear, grating on my ears in the process. Faintly I could see the figure of a person, blurred by the gloom. I ran blindly towards them. The barking was getting closer.
"Help! Please help me!" I yelled, fear constricting my breathing. All I got in response was a deep chuckle. The emptiness of the voice made me shiver. When I finally got to the point where I was near the person, I saw a river behind them. The river was the color of living crimson, of blood. The water looked somehow twisted, like it was on fire. I couldn't bring myself to look at the person's face, but I gathered some information on them.
It was a male. He wore a black chiton that went to his ankles. It was embroidered richly with silver patterns at the bottom edges. Plain sandals adorned his feet. His skin was deathly pale. I could feel his eyes staring, burning, into me. I shivered violently despite the heat that was choking me. I came to a sick realization of who was currently standing in front of me. All the descriptions matched one of the many gods I had known of and worshiped traditionally since childhood.
"God Hades?" I wheezed, the humid air constricting my lungs.
'If this is Hades, then I am in the Underworld,' I thought with a chilling perspective, 'That river must be the river of hate, the River Styx.'
"Mortals may not enter, nor leave the Underworld. Only the dead and Gods may be here. Which are you?" Hades asked. I could hear the smirk in his powerful voice. I swallowed hard before answering.
"I am neither. I am merely a mortal named Thanatos. I don't even know why or how I got here!" I exclaimed desperately. Hades was not known for pity.
"Ah, young Thanatos, I have summoned you here. As your mother died giving birth to you," here I felt a pang of guilt, "she named you in my honor. Now I must make you fulfill a task for me." It was as if I had asked the million talent question. I paled suddenly.
'My own mother named me in Hades' honor? Hades is well known for his demented deals and tasks! Admittedly, I do not know much about my mother, but still…' my thoughts were cut off by Hades. He was talking, but I couldn't hear. I had a feeling he was saying something important too!
"I can't hear you! Please, help me. What's going on?" I tried to beg, but everything was starting to disappear until only Hades and the river remained. All the mist and gloom had dissipated. I finally heard something.
"I release the fourth seal of the Apocalypse! Go thee out onto the world, thou art my Pale Rider," was the only thing I could make out. My eyes widened as he pushed me into the River Styx. I tried to grab his still extended hand, but I couldn't. I finally saw Hades' face as I fell into a world of red. Short, curly black hair framed his angular face. His mouth was pulled into a chilling smile of glee. The main feature that caught my attention was his eyes. They flickered from pure black to pure red, the white of the sclera nonexistent. Then I was in the river. I was drowning, being thrown around in a world of red.
I woke up screaming.
"Master Thanatos, are you okay?" Alisa asked as I panted. I nodded at the slave-by-debt, knowing my voice would be too hoarse from screaming to talk yet.
"What happened?" I waited a minute before answering.
"It was just a bad dream, Alisa. I'll be okay…" I was cut off sharply.
"No you won't! You're going to be late to primary school!" the 41-year-old slave bellowed. I jumped out of my cot of a bed and started throwing on my clothes. I put on a simple off-white chiton, clipped the broach, and slipped on my sandals. I was about to run out the door, my mouth stuffed with whatever amount of breakfast I could fit, when Alisa called out.
"Don't forget your tablet and ruler, Young Master!" With a curse I ran back to my room and grabbed my supplies.
"Bye Alisa!" I yelled as I ran out the door and down the road to the neighborhood primary school, my supplies heavy in my tired hands.
"Watch where you're going!" someone yelled as I sprinted by them, almost knocking them over.
"Sorry!" I called back automatically, manners ingrained in my head. I nodded at my friend Ajax as he came to run beside me.
"You late too?" he asked. Ajax had light brown hair that was cut in a short military style. He had light green eyes that always gleamed with mischief. I nodded in response; too busy breathing hard to answer verbally. With a smirk from Ajax, a simple desperate sprint to school turned into a race.
'So close! Just….a little….farther,' I thought, pushing myself the last few yards to the primary schoolyard. Kneeling on the grass, we smiled at each other in congratulations. The tutor glared at us from the doorway, peeved that we had made it on time. Laughing with Ajax, I took my seat in the back of the room.
"Today we will be learning about Achilles. Achilles was the son of a nymph, Thetis, and a God, Peleus. When Achilles was a baby, it was foretold that he would die in battle from an arrow wound. To prevent his death, his mother took him to the River Styx and dipped his body into the water to gain invincibility. But, as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river. Achilles grew up to be a man of war who survived many great battles. Unfortunately, one day a poisonous arrow shot at him was lodged in his vulnerable heel, killing him shortly after. Still, Achilles is remembered as one of the greatest fighters who ever lived," the tutor ended his lecture. The talk of the River Styx made me remember my dream.
'So what now, am I going to gain invincibility?' I thought sarcastically. I started to zone out after that, only writing notes occasionally.
"You're not paying attention, are you?" Euclid said from the seat beside me. Euclid was one of the most intelligent 16-year-olds in the class, easily bypassing Ajax and me. He was unfortunately very shy, so he had few friends, me being one of them. His brown eyes stared at me with disappointment. With a goofy grin I nodded, causing him to smile reluctantly.
"What do you think of that Achilles story?" I asked the first thing that was on my mind. His face turned thoughtful.
"I think it was another great legend of our Gods," Euclid said vaguely.
"Thing is, I had a dream last night where I ...fell into the River Styx," I confessed, not willing to add that Hades himself pushed me in.
"You had a dream of the Underworld?" he asked disbelievingly, eyes wide, "That is one of the few places we have very little knowledge of as Greeks." I got slightly concerned but brushed it off.
"Well, it was just a dream, it didn't mean anything. I don't think I'm worthy to be contacted by the Gods anyway." I calmed him, Euclid tended to be very sensitive.
"I don't think any of us are," he added dreamily. I tried to look him in the eyes, but his wild blond hair covered them. I let the short, lanky boy drift off into his own world of thoughts.
'Sometimes I worry about Euclid, being so alone and shy isn't good for him,' I thought to myself. I would never tell him my true thoughts for fear of hurting his feelings. Looking up, I saw Ajax mouthing 'What's wrong with him?' In response I shrugged, clueless. He turned back around and for the rest of the class I just sat there, silent and bored. As class let out, the tutor once again glaring at us, Ajax, Euclid, and I started walking.
"Hey, will you two come with me to go pray at the Acropolis?" Euclid asked us. I considered it briefly.
"Sure, all that awaits me at home is a nagging slave," I answered jokingly; we all knew Alisa was one of the nicest people in Athens.
"I wish I could, but my mom wanted me to come home and watch Despina," Ajax said apologetically, looking displeased at the thought of Despina. Despina was Ajax's little brat of a sister so I couldn't blame him.
"Don't worry, maybe another time then," Euclid said, smiling in that innocent way of his. With a wave of departure we separated, Ajax going towards his home while Euclid and I walked the opposite way towards the Acropolis. We walked in a comfortable silence the rest of the way there. After reaching the building at the top of the hill that Athens was built on, we sat down and rested, the sun hitting our backs in a way that said it was almost sun set.
"Than," he used my nickname, "I have something to tell you. I had a dream too. Except…" Euclid began.
"Euclid, before you start spilling your guts, I didn't tell you everything about my dream. At the beginning, all I heard was screams and dogs barking…." From there I told him every aspect of my dream, even about Hades. He was shaking and very confused/ frustrated by the time I was done.
"That doesn't help me, if anything it makes me more afraid! Last night I had a dream too. In my dream I was walking in down an unearthly bright and beautiful street, which I now know was in Olympia, and I heard a voice. It was soft yet commanding. I followed it blindly. I soon found myself standing in front of a person. He was tall and wore a knee length chiton, embroidered with gold. A laurel wreath sat atop long, golden curls. Inhumanly light blue eyes stared at me with pity and affection. It was Apollo, God of prophecy and oracles, healing, plague and disease, music, song, and poetry. He told me that the balance of the mortal world was tipping and needed to be restored. He said only had I the right to be the White Rider of disease. Lastly, he suddenly pushed me off Olympia, back to the moral realm. As I fell, he said "I release the first seal of the Apocalypse! Go thee out onto the world, thou art my White Rider," or in other words, the same thing Hades told you," Euclid was panting, a tired blush on his face from saying so much at once.
I just sat there in shock, trying to process what he just said. I just couldn't wrap me head around the fact we both dreamed of Gods calling us Riders.
"Even though that dream was terribly intense, something even worse is starting to happen. I've been feeling bad all day and I fear I am getting a little loose in the mind. Everywhere I went today, everyone started to look sick, that is everyone except you," Euclid was almost crying by this point. I started to worry about him, now that he mentioned it he did have green-pale sickish tint to his skin. Seeing that it was dark now, I basically dragged him into the Acropolis. I was silently apologizing to the Gods in advance if Euclid threw up in their temple of worship. Euclid sat down, ironically at the feet of the giant statue of Apollo.
"Come on Euclid, calm down. Deep breaths, no fainting on me, okay?" I lightly smacked him, trying to keep him awake. He gave me a weak smile. I noticed he was starting to feel clammy.
"Please ever so merciful Gods, help him!" I begged, panicking. A high pitch voice filled the room, making me straighten up. Turning around, I saw a girl. She appeared to be 17, just a little older than me. She was dressed in a black chiton with a cloak covering her, making her formless. Hungry, sharp brown eyes stared at us. Thin, long raven hair shown rainbow in the dim torch light. A light tan covered her skin, making her appear to be normal.
"Is he okay?"
Her question shocked me slightly. Glancing at Euclid, I saw he was okay, still pale and clammy, but alive.
"He'll be okay for now, Miss…." I trailed off, not knowing her name. She blushed brightly, her over emphasized cheekbones even more noticeable.
"Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, I am Carlyn," she greeted nervously. I stood up, only now noticing how short she was.
"I am Thanatos. My sick friend over there is Euclid," I introduced. She nodded at Euclid.
"What happened to him exactly?" she questioned softly, as if she was afraid she'd wake him.
"We came here to pray and Euclid started telling me….some things, and he suddenly started to get sick," I explained, not quite trusting this girl enough yet to tell her about our earlier conversation.
"Lately, I haven't been feeling the best either," Carlyn admitted. With a look at how thin and small she was, I could understand why she hadn't been feeling well.
"You two look fine compared to me," Euclid attempted to joke. Carlyn blushed again.
"Sorry! I didn't know you were awake." It was funny watching her be so nervous and shy. Euclid still looked weak but, with some help, he was soon leaning against Apollo's ankles.
"Thank you," Euclid said gratefully to Carlyn and me.
"It was no burden, really," she replied, going and sitting at the feet of the Goddess Demeter. I sat down on the floor, staying as far from Hades as possible.
"You look tired," Euclid noted, watching how Carlyn slumped against the statue.
"I'm okay, just been having some weird dreams lately," at this, Euclid and I perked up, dreams being a serious subject with us as of lately.
"What are they about?" I tried to ask casually.
"They're just stupid dreams that don't mean anything," she hesitated before spilling it all, "In my dreams I am walking through a meadow surrounded by fields of crops. Then, there is this huge tree in the middle of the meadow. A beautiful woman calls me from her sitting place at the base of the tree. I walk towards her, sunlight blinding me. I was so happy that I almost felt like dancing," here Carlyn zoned off before continuing, "She said "Hello young one. I am sorry to burden you with the weight of the world, but I need you to keep balance. The mortals have grown greedy and only some know the pain of starvation, the pain of earning all they are given." Here she gave me a black scale. As I fell at her feet, I saw her appearance. Glowing brown hair flowed with auburn to her waist. Eyes the color of wheat stared at me motherly. It was Demeter, Goddess of grain and the Harvest, in all her glory. Before waking, I heard her call "I release the third seal of the Apocalypse! Go thee out onto the world, thou art my Black Rider." And with that, I awoke," Carlyn finished telling us.
It was amazingly nicer than what Euclid and I had dreamed but it was still the same, a God calling us a Rider with its own designated color. A twig snapping caught my attention.
"Who's there?" I thundered, scaring Carlyn and Euclid. A girl stepped out from behind a column. Carlyn flushed, now aware that her dream was overheard by more than just Euclid and me.
"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help myself," she pleaded. Hair, a deep maroon and hid half her face, drifted to mid-back. Her only visible amber eye glinted with honesty and wisdom. She looked to be 16. She looked to be a little taller than Carlyn. Like me, she was adorned in an off white chiton and plain sandals. Lean muscle showed years of working on a farm.
"What do you mean you couldn't help yourself?" Carlyn asked, flustered and slightly angered.
"Just like you, I had a dream too. In mine, Athena, Goddess of war and wisdom, said "I release the second seal of the Apocalypse! Go thee out onto the world, thou art my Red Rider," before I awoke," she told us.
"So that means we've all had weird dreams," I said. Carlyn was slightly surprised seeing as we never got around to telling her about our dreams.
"Who are you exactly?" Euclid asked the girl gently. She smiled brightly.
"I am Andra, pleased to meet ya!" she introduced cheerfully.
"I am Carlyn, that is Euclid, and lastly that is Thanatos," Carlyn introduced us, pointing at Euclid and I when she spoke our names. Sitting down at the feet of Athena, Andra told us more details of her dream. After she was done, Carlyn turned to Euclid and me, glaring.
"So what were your dreams about, seeing as you didn't tell me even after I told you mine," she said coolly.
"First seal of the Apocalypse, White Rider, and my God was Apollo," Euclid summed up. Andra and Carlyn were slightly miffed he was so vague so I told them every detail about my dream to satisfy them. After I was done we all just sat there in silence. I was finally sitting at the feet of Hades after we all agreed to sit at the feet of the God in our dreams.
"Well, nice to see you all know each other."
A familiar voice teased us. I jumped away from the feet of the statue, seeing as the real Hades was standing directly beside it.
"Why, aren't you jumpy today Death?" Hades addressed someone called Death. After a minute of silence I replied to the God.
"Me?" I pointed at myself, confused.
"I don't see any other Pale Riders around here so yes, you," he said sarcastically.
"Quit being so cruel Hades," a female voice echoed. There stood Athena, right behind a wide eyed Andra.
"I think my White Rider has passed out," Apollo said, shaking Euclid slightly.
"Well, these poor dears still have no clue what's going on so it's understandable," Demeter explained from beside Carlyn.
"What the Zeus is going on!" Andra asked disbelievingly.
"I like her, she has enough courage to use my arrogant brother's name in vain," Hades commented, now standing beside me.
"Well, she has to have courage to be the Red Rider," Athena said dryly. A now awake Euclid, Carlyn, Andra, and I all huddled back-to-back, facing our respective God.
"Answering your question dear, we have come to give you all your formal titles," Demeter replied to Andra's somewhat forgotten question.
"I'll start! Thanatos, you are now Death, the Pale Rider of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," Hades told me, a hand on my shoulder. From there I zoned off, mentally shutting down. The only other thing my confused mind absorbed was that Euclid was Pestilence, Andra was War, and Carlyn was Famine. I came back to reality when I felt heavier. Looking at myself, I saw I looked different. I was now in black pants and a black shirt, pale silver armor covering me. A beautiful scythe rested in my hand. A long, beautifully decorated in silver, black handle secured a sharp curved blade.
I felt a slight breeze hit my face. I looked up to find a horse in front of me. The horse was pale white, the color of a corpse. My eyes barely could peer over its back.
"As Death, you must ride upon your warhorse here. You must also handle the power of your scythe, the power to control and manipulate time, the power only death can have," Hades explained to me, "Immortality is another perk too." My horse nuzzled the hand I extended to pet it. I sqeezed the scythe slightly, aging to 18 on accident before turning back. With a smirk, I turned to see how the rest of my Riders were doing.
"Get back here you evil demon!" Andra shouted at a blood red horse, chasing after it with a ruby studded, silver sword.
"Horse giving you a hard time there, Andra?" Carlyn laughed, a pair of scales in hand. A glare was her only reply as Andra was still trying to get on her warhorse.
"Personally, I'm happy I know why I've been feeling sick lately," Euclid stated, smiling slightly. A crown of thorns encircled his head.
"This scale is very unbalanced," Carlyn commented.
"We need to balance the scale, it represents the state of the world," Euclid explained.
"How do we bring balance?" Andra wondered aloud. On instinct, I took control and answered, never knowing it would prove true for many years to come.
"War, you must begin and end the wars of the world. Famine, you must starve and feed the people of the world. Pestilence, you must heal and plague the world. And I, Death, must use time to fix, begin, and end the world itself."
Well, hoped you enjoyed. I might write a sequel for this, but till then, reviews and flattering get you everywhere!