The world over, people talk of 'The Fountain of Youth'. Many have tried to seek it out, but failed. Some argue that it went down with the lost continent of Atlantis, while some say that it does not exist; that it is simply a myth.
But the Greeks have a legend. A legend of not a fountain, but a chalice. A clay chalice that, no matter where it comes from or how it came to be there, any liquid poured into it will immediately hold the pour of eternal youth.
Legend has it that the all-powerful God, Zeus, fell in love with a mortal named Hera. He wanted to make her his wife, but found he couldn't; because of her mortality, she could not enter Mount Olympus. Zeus had a chalice made, created from clay. He used it to give Hera immortality & she became his wife, bearing him a son, Hercules, and a daughter, Athena.
The story continues that the chalice was stolen by Zeus' evil and selfish brother, Hades, who believed that the power of this chalice could break the bonds which kept him condemned to being the God of the Underworld. However, when he drank from the cup, a most incredible thing happened. The water inside it choked him, filling his lungs and killing him. The chalice shook in his hand and exploded, the pieces scattering out across the world.
Zeus sent out his Gods to find them, but when they did so he decided that they should remain where they lay, so that no evil could take hold of it. He had two maps made; one which would lead a person to the pieces & one which would lead a person to death. These he took and ripped into four pieces each and scattered in the wind. The Legend remained.
* * *
"Don't move…" Sydney held her arms out, trying to balance herself, "One step could kill us."
"Really?" Nigel replied, sarcastically, "I hadn't noticed." He looked at depths of the whirlpool beneath them and gulped.
"Sydney, I should've known you would be here." A figure loomed in the shadows, hidden from view, but Sydney recognised the accent.
"Oh, for god's sake." Sydney rolled her eyes.
"Who is it?" Nigel asked.
The figure stepped out & smiled.
"François." Nigel frowned and tried to keep his balance.
The French man smirked, "Good to see you too Nigel. However, I am not in a position to make small talk. I am here to take that relic." His eyes shifted past them to the piece of pottery behind them.
"Why would you want that? It isn't gold & it can't be sold on the black market without the other pieces." Sydney asked.
"I don't want that. I want the gold beside it," François paused, "She wants the pottery."
A girl stepped out from behind him.
"And she is…?"
"I don't have time for this," the girl held up a hand. She looked at the revolving bar that Sydney and Nigel were balancing on. Slowly she backed and ran towards them. She launched herself over the gap, planted her hands upon the bar and swung onto solid ground. Running forward she grabbed the pottery and turned to them. "I'd get off that bar if I were you."
The ground began to shake and Sydney turned. Her end revolved towards Francoise, close enough for her to jump to safety. She turned back to Nigel, "C'mon, jump!"
"I can't, it's too far."
"If you don't jump now, you'll fall."
The girl ran and jumped, landing perfectly on the bar. She grabbed Nigel's wrist and forced him to jump. The bar collapsed into the whirlpool & the four turned & fled, as walls crumbled behind them.
Out in open air, Sydney bent over to catch her breath. She stood up, "Right, François…" her voice trailed off as she looked around for him. She looked up at a hill in the distance, where François turned and waved before running over the top.
