Chapter Eight, Mastering the Oceans
"Uhh!" With a thud, Anak hit the ground. Again.
With a grunt, he got to his feet, again. He looked over at Poseidon, who was trying not to smile. He readied himself again, gripping the handle of the spear Poseidon had given him. Pointing at a nearby bucket of water, he shouted, willing the water to rise. It did, swirling up into a small spire. He controlled it with difficulty, then hurled the water at Poseidon.
With barely a flick of a freaking eyebrow, Poseidon blasted the water away, drenching Anak and knocking him down again.
They'd been at it all morning.
Poseidon sighed."You must try harder! The water is more than a tool! Treat it with respect, and it will do the same. Now, try to fix in your mind, that water is a living, breathing, and possibly angry thing. Try again."
Anak closed his eyes, and tried to focus on an image of the water moving as it wanted to. Water moved downhill, because Poseidon said it was lazy. You had to disipline the water, but still respect it. Anak pointed at the water, and willed it to rise, trying to fix it in his mind that it was the water, doing as it liked, not being commanded.
The water shot into the air. Before Anak could grasp it, it fell back into it's bucket. He growled in frustration, and tried again, this time using his anger to fuel the desire to shape the water. It rose again, fluidly, and he gestured, twisting it into fantastic shapes. He almost missed it when Poseidon moved.
Anak frantically brought the water together in a shield, just before the lightning crashed into it. He gasped, and the water started to fall. With a wrench of his mind, he kept it aloft, and threw it with all his might.
Poseidon raised a hand, and caught the water, condensing it into a sphere. He tossed it around, not actually touching it, and tossed it back to Anak.
It fanned out as it flew, and Anak quickly gathered it back together. It remained a ball. Then, it started to boil. Anak dropped it in suprise, and it slithered across the ground like a snake. Poseidon winked, and it flew back to the bucket. The sea god walked closer, and said,"Remember, Anak. You have complete control over the water so long as you remember that it is not a servant, but a partner. Even to me, the sea is as much my friend as my partner. And from the water we draw our power."
Anak nodded."But how do you control lightning? I thought only Zeus could do that."
Poseidon smiled faintly."I am the storm god. I can do anything a storm can. Zeus allows this. Anyway, continue with your practice. I feel you will need it soon." He nodded to Anak, and then dove into the sea. Anak sighed."He's always so . . . restless." He laughed."Of course he is! He's part of the sea, and the sea never stands still!" He turned back to the buckets that stood on the dock, and began manipulating the water once again.
Sirius
Sirius followed the sun. West , west, west. With each nightfall, he felt stronger, and knew it was the stars, fueling his power. He found that he could travel more quickly, by focusing the power of the stars into his body. It sent him flying across the sky, like a comet. It was exilerating, but dangerous. Sirius knew that Zeus could see him if he was in the sky. He could sense it.
His father had told him all about the gods, and a little about the Titans. Sirius hated the gods for what they'd done to his father. He practiced his archery in the daytime, when he wasn't sleeping. He hated the sun now, for some reason. He traveled only by night.
He quickly passed through most of the northern states, then felt an inexplicable need to rest. He set down just outside Helena, Montana. He quickly crossed highway fifteen, and walked down Boulder. He stopped on the irregular corner of Boulder and Helena Avenue. Walking down that, he soon encountered another intersection, 11th, Niel, and Main st. He looked across the roads, and saw a park. He crossed, and saw a sign that said, Mount Helena City Park.
Sirius climbed a tree to spend the night in. He looked up at the stars, and felt another strange feeling. He wanted to climb down from the tree, and go back into the town. Shrugging, he did.
He crossed Park Av., and started walking south down that. Then, it started to rain.
"Crap." He complained, and looked around for a place to stay dry. Hello, a library! He entered, and looked around. Very library-ish. Books, and a bank of computers. He sat in an old armchair, and tried to be patient. The feeling of wanting to walk the town was stronger.
And stronger. And he stood up, ready to get drenched, just to appease the urge.
Then the door opened again.
The boy was older than him. Mabye around sixteen. He had long blonde hair, and wierd gold flecked eyes. He looked around, and shook his head, showering water everywhere, and earning a dirty look from the librarian. His gaze swept the room again, then came to rest on Sirius. His eyes widened, and he walked quickly over. Sirius was slightly alarmed for a minute, then he felt recognition. Go west. Find the other, the son of Hyperion.
The other boy stopped in front of him, smiled, and said,"I found you."
Sole
Sole walked out of Spokane. He walked down Trent, and was soon in the country. He hesited, then held out his thumb. No reason to walk east. He didn't even know where he was going.
A car slowed, and to Sole's eternal bad luck, was a police car.
Sole almost ran for it, but he decided to stay calm. He was the son of a Titan. Why panic?
The policeman pulled to a stop."Going somewhere, son?" He got out of the car, and Sole's anxiety meter went a notch higher. He kept a calm poker face, though."Yeah. I'm headed to . . . Idaho. Could you give a ride? I ran away from home, but now I need to get back. I live in Kellogg."
The policeman relaxed."Of course I can. You just get in. I'll have you home in no time."
Sole hesitated, then got in the car. Luckily, the policeman allowed him to sit in the front seat. He sat, and looked out the window as the policeman pulled back onto the highway. He drove in silence for a minute, then said,"You know, you're being rather mature about all this. Most kids wouldn't ask a policeman for help."
Sole grunted noncommitingly. He tried to ignore the man, but then he said,"It's going to be a long drive. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"
Sole looked at him, and said,"No, thanks. I really just want to go home."
The officer didn't back off."Well, we're on our way. Why don't you tell me why you ran away in the first place?"
Sole glanced away."I . . . . I can't talk about it." He wasn't exactly lying. Talking about the Titans was against the law. He glanced out the windows, and was suprised to see that they were in Idaho already. Sole had been to Kellogg before. He knew how to get there. So he was suprised when the policeman took a wrong turn, onto a small, dirt road.
Sole looked at him, a question on his lips, when he stopped,and the doors clicked. Sole grabed the hadle, and pulled. The door was locked. He turned again, to look at the policeman, and said,"What's going on?"
The man returned his look calmly."Why don't you tell me the truth? You don't live in Kellogg. Why did you lie to me?"
Sole wrenched at the handle, reluctant to reviel himself."None of your bussiness."
The man's face darkened."In that case, I think I'll take you to the station, and you can spend the night there. Then I can call your parents. I'm sure that they're worried."
Sole smiled. Father, are you worried?
Hyperion's voice answered, I am not, Sole. Remove the mortal. You must hurry.
Sole smirked."I think I'll go on to Kellogg by myself then. Good talking with you, Officer." He poiinted at the lock, and the door burst open. Sole climbed out, and started walking back towards the highway. Then the policeman caught up and grabbed his arm.
Sole turned and blasted him with energy. He convulsed, body burning, then fell to the ground and was still. Sole smirked again, and started walking.
My son. Use your power. Travel faster.
Sole frowned. How? He could use his power, sure, but what could he do to go faster? He grinned. He could fly.
About ten hours later, he landed at nightfall. For some reason, he couldn't fly in the dark. Oh. Right. Hyperion. Titan of light. Of course. He landed on what appeared to be highway 12, in Montana. A sign ahead read, Helena, seven miles.
Sole shrugged. He headed off in the direction of Helena. The walk was silent, on his part. His footsteps couldn't be heard. Though there wasn't much traffic, which suprised him. By the time he got to Helena, it was almost midnight.
He entered the town, though it might have been a city. He ignored the first few streets, then turned onto Niel. Going south, he passed a few other people, but none looked at him. Then, to make his day complete, it started to rain.
Swearing, Sole hurried along the road. He left Niel, heading down Park Avenue. He looked ahead, and was relieved to see a library in the distance. He ran, and bolting inside.
Sole shook the rain out of his hair, eanring and ignoring a look from the librarian. He looked around, but froze when his eyes came to rest on another boy.
He was standing near the armchairs, and he was staring right at him. His strange black-silver-flecked eyes bored into Sole's. His black hair was strangely windswept, as though he had been riding a motorcycle. He didn't look away, and Sole felt a strange sensation come over him. Recognition.
Sole walked over to the boy. He appeared to be mabye fifteen. His eyes widened as Sole neared, then he relaxed, and simply watched Sole stop infront of him.
You shall go east. Find the son of Krios.
Sole smiled."I found you."
Anak
"Augh!" Anak shouted in frustration. The water refused to heat up. He'd seen Poseidon make the water boil, and he couldn't even make it lukewarm! He threw the water back into the bucket in disgust.
"Sup' Cuz?"
Anak spun around. A man stood on the dock, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. He had short brown hair, and warm brown eyes. He was handsome, but had an impish gleam in his eyes. Then Anak noticed the wings.
Two pairs of wings, one on the man's baseball cap, the other on his shoes, fluttered happily. They were white, and feathered. He winked, and held up his hand. He was holding a ballpoint pen.
Then the pen elongated, and two snakes appaered, twining arounf the staff. There were carved wings on the top. Anak recognized him now."Lord Hermes."
Hermes grinned."Hey. You know, you're actually learning fast for the son of a diety. Why, my children had to start stealing when they were five to be experts by six. A whole year! And I was barely an hour old when I stole a whole herd of cows! Ah, well, we cant expect that musc of our children. They're not gods, after all."
Anak nodded carefully, then asked,"Why are you here, My Lord?"
Hermes' eyes narrowed."I hate it when people call me 'Mt Lord' all the time. Call me Hermes. I came to see how you were doing, and to give you this."
Hermes handed him an envelope. Anak took it, and asked,"Who's it from?"
Hermes laughed."Read it and find out."
Anak opened the envelope. The letter inside was written on thick, expensive paper. It was written in ancient Greek. Anak threw a glance at Hermes, who nodded to the paper. When Anak looked again, he could understand it.
Son of Oceanus. Know well, you are to bring about events that you cannot fathom. We enclose a copy of the ancient prophecy. May it light your way.
C.L.A.
The second sheet had a longer verse.
One day, when the world weeps, a child of the Elder Titans shall rise, and overthrow Olympus. The Gods shall fall, and the world shall be locked in the state of evil that was the Titan rule.
The Golden Age will return, when the sons of Oceanus, Hyperion, and Krios again stride the Earth. They shall waken the Titan King, and he shall blot out the light.
Anak read the letter several times, while Hermes waited patiently. Then, he looked at the messenger god."I'm part of this prophecy? I'm going to bring the Titan King back to life?"
Hermes took on a thoughtful look."Hmm. Supposedly. But you have to join the sons of Hyperion and Krios. Then you have to find the Titan King's spirit. He's not dead. He can't die. But he has to have a mortal form, otherwise, he can't return. So the odds are against something like that. I would know. I'm the god of gamblers, too."
Anak gave a forced laugh."So, if it's possible, why am I still alve? Why didn't the gods kill me already?"
Hermes shrugged."No idea. I don't think they're worried about you. I wouldn't be. Anyway, most of them are busy. A small war has erupted between Athena and Ares. Aphrodite and Apollo are backing Ares, though Apollo by force. Zeus, Hepheastus and I are backing Athena. So far, there hasn't been any real fighting. We're just arguing. Anyway, I've got to go. Behave, and keep practicing those skills of yours!"
Hermes winked, and there was a bright flash. Anak looked away, and when he looked back, Hermes was gone. Leaving him clutching an ancient prophecy, a spear, and having no clue what the heck was going on.
A/N: Hey everybody! Wow, three chapters in one day. I astound even myself. All self pride aside, though, isn't Anak kinda slow? I know, he's my character, but still, he's not the one I would pick to save the world. And yay, Sirius and Sole have met! Now we can get to the good stuff! All the gods arguing, and the world really hasn't changed much in three hundred years, has it? Well, four hundred years, but who's counting? To those of you in Helena, Montana, I'm sorry if I fumbled your geography. I've never been there myself. I do have a cousin there though. She works at St. Peters.
Next update mught be a while, but with how short the chapters have been, it might be tommorow. Thanks for reading, now Review!
