Myths are real

Chapter 1: The Labyrinth and the creature

So, there I was. Bending back, trying my hardest not to fall from the crumbling cliff. The beast bearing its jaws at me, its nostrils flared. I looked down. That was also a mistake. I saw the burning, blazing lava flowing below. The red glow was the only thing lighting up the gloomy clearing. My little lamp smashed, as I ran away from the monster. But wait, why am I starting my first amazing adventure at the end? I might as well start over before I spoil the surprise of whether or not I die. So let me start, at the start of the day, 6:58am 31th December Saturday.

Hi! I'm Arianna, I'm 13 and I'm turning 14 at midnight, tonight. I live in Crete, it's a small remote Island, off the coast of Greece. I'm in my very tiny and uncomfortable bottom bunk bed at my even more uncomfortable boarding school, Undermist High School. My mom is at this thing in Athens, but I haven't seen her for ages so I just think she's dead or something. And my Dad died while I was young. Above me snoring slightly, is my BIFFLE (Best-Ie Friend For Life Ever). Lilly, the most enthusiastic, crazy person in this world. But guys still fall all over her for her soft, fiery red hair and her athletic ability. She's come first in high jump, long jump and 100meters for three years in a row, though she tries not to make a big deal about it. But she's still the bestperson in the entire universe.

Today was a really important day. I had only recently found a trap door, in the ruins and rubble of an old Greek church that burned a few millenniums ago. I hadn't gone in yet, I was going to go in it tonight. It was sort of a birthday present to myself. I loved adventures, in books and movies. Though I've never had my own, hopefully what's under that door is what I am sincerely hoping for.

There goes the alarm, for us to get up, get dressed and go enjoy some fresh air outside on the dry grounds. Well either that or detention, detention, detention. Luckily I had slipped out, on getting detention this week. Lilly wakes up as well, grunting and groaning happily that it's Saturday. The other girls in my dorm start to wake up too.

Jennifer, age, 12, description; a tall dumb blond who can't get off her fancy iPhone, iPod and iPad. Blogging and slabbering about everyone, even her friends, not that they act like friends.

Tabanita, age, 15, description; an ex-Australian model whose parents want her to have a more social and educational life, with beautiful tanned skin, loads of money and golden silky hair, likes football and paparazzi. Even though she's rich and famous she's actually quite nice, sometimes.

Lilly, age, 13, description; fiery red hair, short, bursting with energy and enthusiasm, has the cutest clothes, accessories and shoes. Is always ready to give a hug, lend a shoulder to cry on or help a friend.

And me, Arianna, age, 13, description; medium length, long, wavy/curly, black hair with silver steaks. Is the shyest girl ever. Loves all animals, nature and adventures.

I get dressed quickly. I tossed over my head, a batwing top with leopard print and a pair of black leggings with my fab black ankle boots, and head down to the dining hall with Lilly, who was wearing a cute red tank top, that matches her red hair, and skinny denim jeans and two pairs of gold hooped earrings. Unlike other boarding schools, ours takes both, girls and boys. Lucky for me, because I'd die, if I didn't see Paris every day. He's a boy my age, really cute, really fit and really smart. He has dark brown hair with mysterious cloudy grey eyes. I've had a crush on him ever since, we were little. We grew up close to each other, his father had walked out on him and when he was born and he and his mother lived next door to us so we shared a lot of laughs together. But he's going out with Jennifer. I don't see why he's going out with her. She only likes him because he's the most popular guy in the school.

For breakfast I had two pancakes with butter. "So where we going off to today," Lilly said enthusiastically. "Dunno," I replied, with pancakes stuffed in my mouth. "Lake maybe."

"Don't forget that Greek assignment we have to do by Monday."

"Uggggghhhhhhh." I grunted "Did you have to remind me? I've only been awake for an hour, give me time to get out of sleepy mode."

After that we went outside, to the lake, like I said. We sat on the dry, brownie-colored, grass, talking gossip, as the recurring, current, slaps at the ground below us, the fish being pushed up and down by the water. At the end of our conversation, we were talking about rhinoceros, and I can't remember how we ended up talking about them. Something about why they lived in Africa. Anyway, we went back inside to start on the holiday homework that was pilling up fast. I passed Paris on the way, he smiled at me, and I smiled back, sure my face was burning up. Lilly nudged me with a sly look on her face, and I started hissy slapping her, until we ended up in fits of giggles. Lilly put our favorite song David Guetta She Wolf, on her Samsun Galaxy, as we did our Classics homework in the common room. In Classics we were learning about the Greek myths. I find them really interesting, but Lilly almost falls asleep in class so I have to nudge her when she starts to snore.

I look down at my strappy, blue and black watch. It was 2:00 already! Lilly and I dashed down to the dining hall to get lunch. But it was too late, by the time we got there, everyone had eaten their lunch, and the canteen was sadly closing down, until dinner. So we started making our way, back to our dorm. Lilly always has a secret stash of sweets and food, you know just in case. "Mm, so what's up with you and Paris these days?" Lilly asked suspiciously as we walked through the dull corridors. I sighed "Nothing, sadly."

By the time we finish, it's around 3:30. We went down to the girls' changing area, and grabbed our tennis rackets, for a little light playing on the courts. "So is there a reason we are going to play tennis?" Lilly questioned. "No," I lied.

"This isn't about you stalking Paris and just happening to know that he comes down to the courts on Saturdays with his friends, is it."

"Shut up, I don't know what you're talking about, you fancy that friend of his Theo."

"Shhhhh," she urged. "They're right there!"

Paris was at the courts, with his friends, Louise, a very tall, very skinny guy, with long locks of dark brown. Hobbies include; wrestling and athletics so he and Paris go well together. Theo, Lilly's knight in shining armor. About medium height and although I haven't carefully studied them I think has deep blue eyes and soft bouncy long hair like an Australian surfer. And Jake, Paris's BIFFLE, who has curly black hair and as I hear, has a thing for gardening. They were all playing doubles on the closest green court to me and Lilly.

Lilly's really good at tennis, well, she's good at everything. "Go easy on me," I pleaded.

"Awk come on, I want to impress Theo as well."

"Well Theo's single so he's easier to get and you have loads of stuff to impress him with."

"Tis very true," she said stroking her chin with her fingers like some famous politician. "Very well, I accept your offer and so, will go easy on you," she announced clapping her hands together. Someone else might have turned and ran at Lilly's strangeness but I take it as a laugh.

We played a few games. I won 3 times and Lilly won 2. In the end we got bored and walked up to the canteen, determined not to miss dinner, since we ate most of the secret stash of food. We were the first there, but better first than last, right? I got bacon and roasted potatoes, while all Lilly ate were some bananas. She keeps going on about wanting to lose weight, but I can't see her argument, she's one of the thinnest girls in school. After dinner, we headed up to the common room, (Saturdays were movie nights) to find out which, sad or idiotic movie we were forced to watch, for another two hours (my life is sad).

It's 11:10pm. Lilly and I had just been caught, for talking after hours. I think she's asleep now, because she's starting to snore. The movie we saw was War Horse, which I guess is an okay movie, there could've been a worse choice. I'm waiting for Mistress Dawn, who's really soft for a boarding school Mistress, to go back to her dorm/room, so I can sneak out. For she guards outside, to intimidate us into sleep. But I'm drifting and the room's getting darker…

Wooow… I wake up. My palms were sweating and the wind howled outside. I look at my glow-up-clock reading 11:45, in a dazzling, bright, white, light. Thank the heavens, I didn't sleep for too long. I pulled off the dirty school quilt and took out my long, black coat and put it over my blue and white pajamas. I grab my antique, little lamp. I put my ear to the wooden door of the room, to listen for Dawn. But I heard nothing. I snuck into the wide, windy corridor to all the girl dorms. The boys sleep in a different building.

I creep down the corridor, making my way, to the burned church. I come out from the large, yellow double doors at the front of the school. I feel a cool chill run up my spine, as I step on the cold concrete, the darkness surrounding me. Taking me. I forgot about shoes. I ran across the grass. Lightning starts to strike, but no rain falls. It was beginning to really creep me out. Like in a movie, where it all turns dark and mysterious, right before something bad happens.

I reach the small door, it had a Greek delta sign on it, painted in bright blue. I place my hand on the smooth rusted handle. All turned silent. I lift the heavy door, covering my ears with one hand as it squeaks loudly. Before me, are stairs, heading down, under the ground. I kick a stone onto the stairs. It clangs quietly, as it hits each small step. I count out twenty-seven, before the clanging stops. I pace onto the first step. It crumbles away as I put my weight on it. I fall a few steps, stopping after like the eleventh, step. Echoes travel up and down the lone stairs. I bum-skootch the rest of the way, resting, from the shock, at the end.

The bottom of stairs, lead to a long, cramped tunnel. It smelt of rotting corpse. The air was damp and made it hard to breathe. I watch, as cockroaches scamper away from the light of the lamp. At least I hope they were cockroaches. I walk down the pathway, the chilling wind from the stairs, blowing on my back. Then, I come to an intersection. The air becomes damper, as I think of which path to choose. I watch as more cockroaches scramble away, when something white catches my attention. I stride over to it. Using the lamp, I see it in more detail.

It looked like a small, ball of thread. A silver, small, ball of thread. I picked it up and weighed it in my hand. It was as light as several feathers. I took the end of the string, walked back a bit and placed it on the floor. At least I'll be able to find my way back easily. Who knows how many cross-paths there are. I looked at the paths again, and choose the one on the right, making sure the string wasn't being pulled along. I was right, when I thought there would be more cross-paths. Only after a few paces, another intersection showed in the light. Keeping the string close to me, I took the path to the left.

That's when it all went bad.

I stopped walking. I could've sworn I heard a roaring sound. I turn. Then I hear a second one. Closer, louder. Then it turns into galloping. Before I know what I'm doing, I turn around again. Running faster than I've ever ran, probably faster than Lilly. I drop the lamp, causing the blackness to grow colder and darker. I slam hard into a wall, falling back and grabbing my nose. I feel the dark red blood drip onto my fingers as the pain, shock and fright surges through me. I stagger up, still holding the ball of string. I hear it. I hear it, behind me. Slowing, as if it knows I'm hurt. Smelling the blood, that's mixing in with the disgusting smell of before. I start striding towards the wall I hit. I hold my hands and feel its soft, crumble. I make my way across the wall, wishing I hadn't dropped the lamp. I pick up the pace, starting to see a low glow of red light. I pick up the pace even more, making it into a fast jog, the light getting closer.

The light leads me to a large clearing. A small cliff bears over the red glow. I look around, seeing bones of people. Young people. Old people. Also of shields, swords, javelins and maces. I hear the raging roar of it.The galloping starts up again, echoing through the area, like that thing wants to get out of this maze place, and thinks I'm the answer out. My hand suddenly hurts, I look down at it seeing the strain I put it in to hold on to the silver ball of string. I drop it and it clangs quietly on the floor. I look around again, looking for a way out.

I feel a cool, chilling breath. I slowly spin, and see the monster in detail for the first time. Where its feet were supposed to be, were replaced by large, misshaped, hooves, covered in thick, black, fur that spreads up to its waist. Then blends into the dark, rubbery skin of a person, only far more bulked. It had short arms, with huge fists, in which held a long wooden stick with an axe on top. At its neck, it started growing its thick furry hair again, going over the rest of its head. Its nostrils came outwards from the face and were big and hairy, its eyes were slits with brown pupils. At the top of its head, jutted out two, pearly white horns that glinted in the light, I could see the sharpness of them, as they blinded me. I instantly knew where I was, and what it was. I was in the labyrinth, where the Greek king, Minos fed people to the Minotaur, and that's what it was.

I fell back and started to scramble for the nearest shield. I held it above my head, my hands in the middle. The Minotaur swung the axe straight through the shield, cutting it into two. The blade only, narrowly missed slicing off my fingers. I threw the half-shield at its head. I turned on my side, not knowing whether or not I hit it, going for a sword. I grabbed one tightly in my left hand, I spun quickly, pointing out the sword and aiming for the chest. It wailed in pain. But it didn't look like I did much damage. I surged up and jumped at it (probably the most stupid thing I've ever done, and I've done a lot of stupid things). I grabbed at the horns. The Minotaur staggered back and started shaking his head violently. I hung on with all my might. I guess the Minotaur figured I wasn't letting go that way, and started to charge at a wall. In my mind I thought that was dumb idea, but I suppose if you're a ten feet tall monster, running into a wall isn't the worst that could happen.

I jumped out of the way at the last second. The Minotaur kept charging and completely smashed down the wall. It shook its hairy mane, and looked around for its food. I froze not daring to move. It mustn't have good sight, because it looked straight at me and didn't seem to take in that I was there. I took a small step back as quietly as I could. It seemed to hear better than see, because it turned straight towards me.

I ran forward, towards the cliff. Mistake. I nearly hurled myself over the edge. So, there I was. Bending back, trying my hardest not to fall from the crumbling cliff. The beast bearing it's jaws at me, it's nostrils flared. I looked down. That was also a mistake. I saw the burning, blazing lava flowing below. The red glow was the only thing lighting up the gloomy clearing. My little lamp smashed, as I ran away, from the monster. It towered over me, and I cowered at its horrible breath.

Suddenly, it staggered and started falling forward. It yowled painfully and fell straight down. I ducked and crouched into a ball as the mighty Minotaur tumbled over me and the cliff. It screeched loudly but lava covered up its mouth as it made a small eruption. Its body burned brightly, smoke filled the clearing. Before the rest of it turned to ash, I glimpsed at the spewing blood coming from its back. Someone saved me. Someone saved me! I repeatedly turned to face the person I least expected.

'Mom,' I gaped.

Anyone who has seen my mother has said we look exactly alike. I inherited my mother's curly black hair with the silver streaks, she and I shared the same silver piercing eyes and the unnatural pale white skin. We had the same toned down body and full lips. Everyone also says that we have incredibly close personalities, as far as I could tell my mother is just as shy as I am, she has always cared for the environment and we both stayed up late after then sun goes down, as if it was our time of power. My mom wore her normal, how would you put it? Black jumpsuit only up to her knees and elbows? Anyway, over that, a white veiled cloak. Many thought my mother was beautiful, she had this glow about her. Like the light of the moon. She insisted my friends and I, never called her by her name, Nyx. She always insisted we called her just Miss or for me mom.

Tears started swelling in my eyes, I'm not exactly sure if they were tears of joy or heart ache. Ever since I started Undermist High, I haven't seen my mom. Lilly's parents took me in on the holidays and I never heard from her again. A year ago it dawned on me that she was dead, that no one had thought to tell her daughter that her only family had passed away. Over that year I was warming on that explanation, but the woman standing in front of me was definitely my mom, dead or alive. She held a bright silver knife, where she had stabbed the Minotaur. She too, fell forward, but she thrust her arms out in an embrace.

We sat there crying forever, in each other's arms, though eventually my mother pulled away. "I have been so worried!" she sobbed. All I could do was nod. "Are you hurt?" she asked, checking me for bruises and scrapes. She picked at the blood that was still slowly dripping off my upper lip. "I'm fine," I finally managed to say.

"What are you doing here?"

I felt a pang of guilt. I hated to get my mother angry or sad. "I… I was, exploring." I muttered, rubbing my arm. "Wait. What are you doing here?!" She sighed and lowered her head. "I suppose you deserve to know, now that you're at age." She whispered.

"Huh?" I looked back down to my watch. It was four past midnight. I was finally 14.

"Here" She held a silver necklace with a heart on the chain in front of me. Etched on the heart was the single word Night. "What's this for?" I asked.

"A birthday present, you didn't think I'd forget did you?" I took it carefully, from her pale hand. "Put it on," she insisted. I placed it over my head, and pulled my hair over the chain. I immediately felt stronger, more powerful, like a door had been opened to another section of my brain. "Do you feel better?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah I do."

"Good."

"So about this, explanation?" I questioned. She sighed and lowered her head again. "You're studding the Greeks in Classics, aren't you?"

"Yea, wait, how do you know I'm studding Classics?"

She chuckled. "Classics are a family specialty I guess."

"Wooow is this about dad, because if it is I don't want to hear it."

"No, your father was a simple mortal."

"You say that as if you're not." I said, eyeing her suspiciously. She stayed quite, waiting for me to figure out the truth. "You're… you're not. Wait. Wait..." Images surge around my brain. My mother's beaming smile, as she looked down on me, the moment I was born. My father's burial ceremony, that day my mother had vanished, only to be replaced by a pinch of silver dust, and return at the end of the ceremony with more dust all over her. My 5th birthday party, when my cake exploded with black dust. The way my mother's eyes light up when she was angry. My Classics class, when we learned about the eldest Gods. The heart on the silver necklace and the single word, Night. Nyx. I made invisible lines with my fingers as my mind struggled to make the connection. Nyx, night, Nyx, night, Nyx the Goddess of night.

"You're Nyx the goddess of Night."

"Yes."

"Does that mean my grandparents are Chaos."

"Yes, all beings emergerd from Chaos. Even order"

"And… and am I, a goddess then?"

"No, only half."

"Only half?! That sucks."

"A demigod to be precise."

"A, a demigod?"

"Yes."

I let that sink in. "Like those heroes in the stories, they're real?"

"But of course. How do you think you're civilization lasted without our watchful look over."

"I dunno." I said slyly, "electricity?"

"No." She laughed. "Us, the Gods, with some extra help from our children, in times of need."

"It seems you need your children to do a lot of your chores." I whispered

"What are you talking about you never did my chores for me when you were a child." I giggled, and soon it turned into laughter, and she joined in to. "Look at you, so grown up and mature now."

"Are you sure about that? I almost fell off a cliff into boiling lava."

"True but even the greatest of demigods have they're life-and-death moments."

"Wait didn't the Minotaur die thousands of years ago? Wasn't he defeated by… by…?"

"By Theseus, Son of Poseidon, yes, the thing about the Minotaur and other Greek creatures is that they regenerate. When we kill them their soul is sent to Tartarus, but the body turns to dust. After years and years the soul of the Minotaur has been gathering up it's body and when it gathers it all up, it rises from Tartarus and walks in the mortal world." "Oh," I said, feeling dumb in my mother's presence. "What else should I know about the world?"

"Well what else do you want to know?"

"Are there others like me? I mean demigods?"

"Yes there are many demigods, but most live on Hellenismoy."

"Hellenismoy? What's Hellenismoy? It sounds like a made up word."

"I assure you Hellenismoy is very real."

"And it is…"

"You'll have to find out for yourself."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"You have 6 days to pack and say goodbye."

"Goodbye? Goodbye for what, exactly?!"

"You will be accompanied by Jennifer, Paris, Theo, Lilly and Jake."

"Can you please tell me what's going on?"

"Good luck my flower, follow that hole in the wall," she pointed at the hole the Minotaur had created. "A friend of mine, Tamar will be waiting to take you back to Undermist so you can begin to back. I love you very much, but I must leave before my daughter Hemera comes out."

"Wait you have so much to tell me. Who's Tamar, and who's Hemera? Where and what is Hellenismoy? Why only 6 days? I'm so confused!" But I was talking to thin air, there was no trace of Nyx, just a pinch of silver dust like at my dad's funeral.

I got up and walked towards the hole. If I was ever going to get answers I'd need to get out of the labyrinth and find that Tamar my mother was talking about. But I guessed that my life was about to get a lot more complicated.