Chapter 2

Chris

I woke up in a town. Not anything like your modern day Jaybird Street, or Madison Square; no, I'm seeing low, white buildings, red tiled roofs, and people riding around on horse drawn carriages. Every adult here is wearing full body armor, and holding a briefcase, talking on their cell phones, bustling down the street.

"Ow..." I heard a groan next to me. I looked down and saw Gracie, rubbing her hands together, her eyes closed. "I thought I was dying... and Crystal was there, grabbed by... skeletons?" She opened her eyes and looked around. "Where am I?" She asked, getting up.

"Where are we?" I corrected, and she jumped.

"Chris! I didn't even notice you... Where are we?"

"Why you're in Ogygia of course."

We both screamed and turned around to see a woman in her thirties standing over us. She wore a long white dress, and a silver tiara was on her head. She looked regal, like a queen.

"Oh I am sorry if I startled you." Her voice was kind, smooth like silk. "I am Hera, queen of the Olympians. I see you got my gift?"

"What gift?" I asked, she pointed behind us. I turned around, but nothing was there. "Where...?"

"Oh no silly!" She laughed, and pulled something off my back. "This." I turned around to see her holding a long bronze sword, with a leather grip and golden hilt.

"How did..." I started, but she put her hand up.

"Never question my powers, or motives. I gave this sword to you out of kindness. I expect you to use it. And you Gracie?" She turned toward her.

"Thank you." Gracie was holding a silver bow that shined like the moon and a quiver of arrows the same color. "Thank you miss..."

"Hera." She smiled at her. "Now you are just the sweetest little thing aren't you?" Hera patted Gracies' head. "I must be going now. But before I leave..." She waved her hand through the air, and an old fashioned scroll appeared in my hands. "Good bye children!" She disappeared in a flash of blinding golden light.

"How did she do that?" I asked. Gracie shrugged. "What does the scroll say?" I opened it up slowly, and tried my hardest to read the black, curly writing.

"Seek out Ogygia 2, talk to Ainee Garm, and Kyle Malice. Train there." I rolled up the scroll and put it in my back pocket.

"Who's Ainee Garm?" Gracie asked. "Who's Kyle Malice?"

"I don't know, but something tells me that we should find this place." I said, and put the sword back in my sheath.

We wandered around for a while, asking people if they knew how we could get to Ogygia 2. They all just scowled and muttered under their breath about a stubborn son of Nike.

"How are we supposed to find this place?" Gracie whined. Just after she said that, an old woman walked over to us. She was wearing a long, pink, silk dress, with a green sash around her arms. Her skin was purple and wrinkly, and her hair was curled and white as snow.

"Hello my dears. I heard you were looking for Ogygia 2." I knew that we probably couldn't trust her, but right now I didn't care.

"Yes ma'am." I nodded.

"Such a nice young boy. Here, I'll tell you what. I will give you something that can take transport you easily to their little fort if you do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Gracie asked.

"Oh it is quite simple. Just shoot in arrow, and hit that targets bulls eye." The woman pointed to a sack of hay that was hung up on a clothes line I didn't notice was there before. It had red and white rings on it, and a dark red center for the bulls eye; It was about ten feet away.

"Just hit the middle, and I can help you." The woman said.

Gracie looked like she was going to protest, or back down. I knew this woman wasn't trustworthy now and this test seemed dumb. What if she doesn't even have something that will help us?

"Alright." Gracie clutched her bow, and notched an arrow. I don't think she has ever done this in her life, but she looked like an expert.

Gracie let the arrow fly, and it hit just out side the center, partly on the eye. The old woman looked impressed.

"Tell me, is this your first time shooting an arrow?"

"Yes ma'am." Gracie answered politely

"Very well..." She studied her intently. "I keep my word. Hear you go." The old lady pulled a small blue bag out of one of the folds in her dress. She opened it up and took out a small container that you would put sardines in. The woman cracked the lid off, and sprinkled the black dust that was inside, on our heads. "Now think of Ogygia 2."

I didn't know how we would think of it, since we'd never gone there before, but I imagined the word in my head, doing back flips and summer salts in my mind. The black powder grew into smoke, and encased me and Gracie in the gloom.

If you've ever been on a roller coaster, think about that one, heart attack moment when you're at the top of a huge hill about to jerk forward, and you look at the loose bar and think: That is not going to help me. I'm going to die.

Now you know what I feel like. I was practically flying through the air at light speed; fortunately, I couldn't see anything due to the black shroud of smoke that still covered my body.

"Gracie?!" I tried to yell, but my voice wouldn't work. Whenever I opened my mouth, the black smoke crawled inside, stopping my voice.

I was like this for about thirty seconds, when my feet touched ground and the smoke cleared away. I saw Gracie standing next to me, her face pale as a ghost.

"What... where... how..." She asked.

"Hey!" A female voice yelled. "Hey over here!" I looked where the sound was coming from, a hill close to the horizon. There was a teenage girl there, wearing full Greek armor, and carrying a spear. Her helmet was under her arm, letting her brown hair flow loosely in the wind. It was almost a scenic picture, if not for the boy standing next to her. From what I could see, he had black hair, and was wearing all black clothes. He was doubled over, clutching his knees and panting.

"Let's go." I said, and we ran all the way to them.