Victory

Victoria. The Latin word for victory. For me, this word would come to mean so much more….

Silly me! I really should introduce myself, huh? Hello all! My name is Reina…Reina Victoria. That's right, Victoria, but as I said this word has a lot more too it. So, sit tight, dear audience, and hear my story if you'd please

"…Reina…Reina!" My father finally shouted. He was never one for raising his voice. He only managed it in times like this… whenever I went into one of my daydreams. "Finally, back to earth, huh?" What was it this time?" I sat for a moment, toying with my cereal. "oh, just playing out the competition, nothing major." His eyes lingered nervously on me, but he finally shrugged returned his attention to the May edition of Sports Illustrated. "Well, finish up, Rain Dance, we've gotta head out soon. There'll be plenty of time for daydreaming on the way, eh?" He teased, standing to rinse their dishes.

Stellan Parker hardly fit the bill of a man on the cusp of middle age. He stands solidly over six feet, with striking ice-blue eyes. His face was well angled and quite youthful, only the faintest laugh lines showed, as he was a cheery man. He looked like some sort of Scandinavian model with his athletic build, which is understandable given our family's Nordic history and a lifetime of Track and Field. "yeah, I s'pose" I managed. I was still far too caught up in my visions.

I wasn't as lucky when it came to the Danish genes. I stood a whopping five foot, four inches, weighing in at an impressive one-hundred and seventeen pounds. Impressive, aren't I? but don't feel too bad for me, I do at least share a build with my father, a result of good genes and, you guessed it, Track and Field. I even have his ice-blue eyes, but he always told me that mine have a certain glow to them, like my mom, and coppery brown hair… like my mom. It was a topic he always managed to skate away from with that upbeat attitude of his.

He never told me much about her, just that I looked a lot like her and that she was an amazing athlete. He told me that there were "complications" after I was born, and that she had to go back to her home (wherever that was), to straighten things out. Dad was always convinced that she would return, but after 13 years of missed opportunities, I wasn't so sure. The last thing she said to my father was that I was her "greatest victory" hence my middle name. But I was always a little bitter about that last part. 'If I'm such a great victory, why'd you give us up so easy?' I thought. But I usually snuffed that thought this second it roused. I had competitions to worry about! You see, in addition to multiple events in track, I also play softball, basketball, and I'm on the swim team. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm quite proficient at each of them. Don't mistake me, it was never for the attention, I just can't help but to get in on every sport I can. It's my drive! You know? Besides, with everything I participate in outside of track, I usually play second fiddle. I'm allowed to train with the teams, but I only participate if someone else is unable. For me, I couldn't ask for anything more. It brings me great pride to see other give there all and be so passionate about sports like me. By the way, that second fiddle remark is kind of two sided. I'm also a saxophone player in our school's marching band. Most saxophone players are very competitive, so it was right up my ally! It's also where I've made most of my friends.

I suppose I should also mention that this is the end of my freshman year. It may seem like it's a bit much for an underclassmen, but I adore the challenge. Plus, all my activities are an excellent outlet for a kid with ADHD, which if you haven't noticed… I have! For someone my age, I'd say I've had a great start to my high school career. I can compete to my heart's content and keep up my creativity in band. It helps that I tend to get along with most everyone. I genuinely love getting to know all my classmates and hear their stories.

At this point you may be asking yourself, "what's the catch? Sounds like you've got everything going your way, so where's the juice?" I'll tell you of course! But hang on to your shorts, it might be a bit of a doozy for most. You see, my father and I… we kind of believe in the Greek Gods. Now I know what you're thinking, "what about the big G? You know, the man upstairs?" Well, he's still there and all for us… I think. My dad says it's a bit too complicated for us to truly understand something so profound, but Greek Gods? Oh yeah, just like breathing!

According to my dad (the top history teacher in the southeast, by the way!), our ancestors have been competing in the Olympics for generations, even back to the very first games. That's correct, the very ones in Greece! So, it's only natural that we've maintained our attention to the Gods that have given our family their skills. My dad always says you can see them everywhere if you're paying attention. Zeus in hearts of storms and great leaders, Poseidon in the might of the ocean, Thanatos guiding the deceased upon their last breath. Now certainly science has an explanation for most stuff in the universe and trust me I'm not arguing! But as dad puts it, not all these events are caused by the Gods, but they each have their domain, and surely you can feel their presence in big events and places, wielding the power behind them. Sure, Haughton, Louisiana, center of the bible belt isn't too keen on our beliefs, but it's the only source of trouble in our lives, so we get by.

I personally love the myth's and stories of Ancient Greece and the Gods. They've always made me feel like I could truly be a hero of my own story, only fueling my burning passion for sport, competition, and just life in general. Dad would tell me almost every night that I would aide the mighty Zeus, that I could count on the Goddess Athena as my ally, and that the winged Goddess, Nike, was watching over me and all my victories. "Like my own guardian angel!" I would cheer with joy. But it wasn't until later that I would really understand what my father was telling me. This path to understanding began with those visions.

Before I knew it, we were pulling out of the driveway, just coming back from one of my daydreams. We have a lengthy driveway, lined on either side by towering pines and brush. Our house isn't far from the town, but my dad wanted us to have a little privacy… so he found a place with a driveway half a mile long! We were headed off to Haughton High School, the pride of our little slice of… well, nothing much. Haughton has a population of around 12,000 residents. Now I know that doesn't sound like much, but hey, Haughton is the fastest growing town in Bossier Parish as of 2024! Which is to say it's sort of able to hang on to a few people and gain a few more each year, unlike the rest of the Parish. What can I say? Louisiana is no New England. With its mild winters and blazing, humid summers, it's not exactly on everyone's list of top ten places to set up shop. I'm not even going to talk about the mosquitoes! Just know they're here, like eighty seven percent of the world's mosquito population I'm pretty sure! But despite all of this, it's home. Or at least it has been for the past 11 years.

Before Louisiana, it was Long Island. Why trade the big apple for Gatorland? I haven't the slightest clue. Dad says it was because he got a better job offer from a friend down here, and something about low cost of living. This always seemed like a partial truth to me, but I never pushed the bill. After all, I've made some amazing friends and the state has its own little homey charm that I've come to love.

Dad seemed a little distracted today. He kept glancing out through the windows. Bombers fly over frequently to the Air base nearby, but he was certainly used to those by now. Something was wrong. "Dad, you okay?" I asked, quite concerned at this point. He came to and stammered. "Wha-What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine Rain Dance, just a little out of it today I guess." He flashed that brilliant smile of his, but it faded just as fast. I was still worried, but I had to cheer him up. So, I teased "Looks like I'm not the only one daydreaming this time." He broke his silence and laughed. "I guess you're right." He turned up the radio, and we both sang along to Broadway show tunes for the rest of our drive.

Loads of Laughs and Lingering Looks

We pulled into the teacher's lot and began to get out of the car. I walked over and pulled him into my biggest hug, which is kind of a joke considering the size difference. "Have a good day at work, Dad. And try not to ramble too much, kay? The other students keep coming to me to gripe." I said playfully. "Alright, Raindrop" He said with a chuckle. "But those kids could learn a thing or two from my rants." I simply rolled my eyes and joined in his laughter. He took one more glance at the sky. "I'll see you at lunch, ok?" "You got it!" I yelled back, prancing over to the main walkway. We always have lunch together. My last class before break is American History, in the H-building. History, H, makes sense, right? And my dad teaches World history in the same building, so I can always head right over to his room.

I stood on my toes, as if it helped, looking for Lee. Lee is my best friend. Scratch that, he is THE best friend. We met right after dad and I moved here, and his family lives right down the road from us, so it worked out perfectly! So, we've got that typical best friend story, you know? The one where we had basically every class together, every year of school. We spent summers playing in the forest, and his family would even invite my father and I on their trips! We shared each other's success and kept each others' secrets. These were the things I would later come to cherish more than I ever thought I might.

Finally, I spot a towering figure smiling over at me, waving casually. Robert, Lee's boyfriend, was thankfully unmistakable in a crowd. As I pushed and shoved my way over, I finally saw Lee clung dutifully to his sweetheart's arm, Rob acting as his comforting ship in the maddening sea of people around them.

"Well if it isn't the Dynamic Duo" I said with gusto. "I have to say, Rob, Lee has smiled way more since he met you. Whether that's from you being a great guy or a shield for the hungry masses I'm sure I'll never tell." I joked with a cheeky playfulness.

Rob gave a hearty laugh, the sudden bass almost parting the waves around us. "I'd say you two already hold that title, Rainy. But we're definitely cuter." He said with confidence. Lee gave me a look, his cheeks awash with color. "At least I have a shield!" He interjected, sticking his tongue out for emphasis.

"Come now, Le Le, it's all in fun." I assured, nudging him in the shoulder. "I hope you two brought your raincoats, practice is going to be fun" I said dryly, gazing up at the clouds that were forming above. Our band director insisted we have one last outdoor practice today to get us in marching mode for the summer.

Lee reached into his bag, pulling out two ponchos. "Way ahead of you Rain Dance. I'm offended you would even think I of all people would come unprepared" He handed one of the ponchos to Rob. Lee finally noticed Rob staring out into space, only to join his locked gaze. Whenever I turned to see what was going on, I noticed someone staring right at me. As soon as we made eye contact, she broke off and walked quickly into the Science building nearby.

I watched after her until she was out of sight, dumbfounded. Rob laughed once more, Lee joining in his merriment. "I swear, you two need to get a room. I still don't understand how you, the most outgoing of the three of us and a Leo at that, have still managed to not talk to her since she got here." Lee said with a smirk.

My face turned a violent shade of red as I turned to face them once more, both smirking. "It's… complicated, alright?!" I said in embarrassment as I stormed past them. "See you at practice!" They called after me in harmony, answered by a sarcastic raising of my hand. Lee knew that would strike a nerve. As close as we were, that kind of teasing was second nature. I finally broke into a smile as I made it to my first class.

The last day of school was just a formality for every class except band. My English teacher read silently behind her desk while my classmates rambled on about their summer plans. I might've joined them, but my mind had drifted to earlier this year, when Aurora Genovese graced this nowhere town.

She was also from New York; her mother was an artist looking for an escape from the big city. At least that's what the birds were whispering about. I first met her… well, saw her really, at the track meet. I was told later that she was interested in the team but arrived here after auditions had already been conducted. I was nearing the end of my final lap in hurdles but felt the urge to look up. Our eyes met for a moment. Her eyes were an entrancing shade of golden amber, their warmth shaming the sun beaming above me.

Of course, for the first time in my entire track career, I smacked directly into the last hurdle, falling backwards. I looked up in embarrassment to see Aurora's face fade from shock and concern to a gentle giggle. I was utterly embarrassed… but I found myself laughing right along. My coach gave me the chewing of a lifetime, but her voice was forever away. I was beginning to realize that my love for sport and competition was finally rivaled by something else. I had feelings for this girl.

Regrettably, she and I hardly saw each other after that. It seemed that any moment we might've been able to talk, something dragged us away. Our entire friendship, if you can even call it that, was a series of fleeting glances and pleasant smiles. I know it sounds "out there" but it almost seemed like something was preventing us from talking with one another. Of course, I never stopped to consider that maybe she didn't feel the same way and was perhaps trying to avoid me.

As much as I desired to get to at least introduce myself, the constant distance only seemed to make me appreciate what brief moments we did happen to see each other. I managed to have not exchanged any words with this girl for nearly five months and somehow felt more connected to her than 99% of this ghost of a town. Today was different though. She was intentionally staring at me, as if she were deliberating on whether to approach me, but her eyes were filled with a concern. Call me crazy, but you kind of learn to pick up on these things when your entire knowledge of a person is from a perpetual series of glances. That moment decided it for me; today was the day that I would talk to her.

The bell rang, and I gather my things whilst absentmindedly heading toward the H building. An hour and a half of small talk washed away my third to last class of the day. Waving goodbye to my classmates, I headed upstairs to my dad's room for lunch.

Humbling Talks and Deadly Walks

I approached the door only to hear my dad and someone else laughing from inside. I opened the door slowly, wondering who would possibly stay so late into lunch, especially on the last day of school. Sitting across from my father's desk, was the last face I ever expected to see. Those all too familiar amber eyes rose to meet mine in some dramatic, slow-mo. movie scene. Her olive-skin and sun streaked locks overwhelmed me and might've sent me tumbling to the ground had I not been death-gripping the door handle.

(Allow me to take a moment to elaborate. I don't know what you've gathered until now, but our relationship is strictly platonic! At least… I think it is? How am I supposed to know? I've never, well, "liked" anyone… Not to mention the locals would have a conniption, Lee and Rob have it bad enough… Ugh! End rant…)

My father glanced curiously between the two of us before breaking the silence. "Well hey there, Rain Dance. Miss Genovese here was just telling me about the fumble you had at the first track meet this year." He said with a laugh. "I guess I can understand why you wouldn't have told me, I imagine you were pretty embarrassed, knowing you."

I could only manage a very awkward series of "uh's" and "um's" before Aurora composed herself and cut off my mumblings. "Right" She joined in his laughter "Though I must say, you fell quite… gracefully, Reina" She gave me a smile, but her eyes were clearly saying something along the lines of "We need to talk".

I gave her a confused look before answering. "Uh… you...grace…too" I managed with a nervous laugh. (Gods this is a disaster) "That's me, forever the jester. Say, dad, would you mind if I borrowed 'Miss Genovese' for a moment?" I said, giving him a look saying, "Don't question it, I'll explain later." He narrowed his eyes before breaking into a smile. "Of course, I needed to head to the teacher's lounge anyways. You kids enjoy your lunch!" He gestured us out of the room and hugged me before departing. As soon as my father turned the corner, Aurora took my hand.

As foreign as something like this was for me, the internal screaming had no time to escape my lips as I was dragged relentlessly to the back stairwell, out the door, and straight toward the forest near the school. We walked for several minutes before Aurora finally stopped. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face me. "Hi" She offered much to my mismatched feelings of bizarre bliss and bewilderment. "...h-hi" I managed in return. I couldn't bring myself to say that I had been waiting for her to just say even that one word this entire year. "So, I…" She held up a hand, glancing frantically in every direction.

As if reading my mind, she said, "I'm sorry that I've been so avoidant this semester, believe me, I've really needed to talk to you, but it was safer if we kept our distance…" Her eyes met mine once more, a sense of urgency in them. I was floored. This girl, who I hardly knew and yet has held my attention for multiple months all at once admitted to avoiding me and that she needed to talk to me? My mind was racing! Why was it safer? Did she have… feelings for me? And what on earth was this look I was getting?

"Wait... really?! I feel the same way… I mean, I get that this area isn't the most forward thinking but…" My sentence was cut short by a look of total confusion. "Reina, I'm sorry, but I haven't the slightest as to what you're talking about. What I'm trying to say is we're out of time… they've found us."

There it was, the proverbial blow below the belt. Here I was blabbing off about emotions I was nowhere close to understanding… only to find out I'm way out in left field, just as predicted. I shook off the confusion (and disappointment) and responded with earnest. "Found us? Who?"

Aurora brought her palm to her face. "As I thought… you have no idea, do you? I thought for sure that Stellan would have told you?"

"Idea of what?" I said, slipping further into lack of understanding "Told me what? And since when are you on a first name basis with my father?" There was a twinge of anger in the last few words, realizing there was something being kept from me not only by this girl… but my own father?!

"Look, Reina, we really don't have any more time. We have to get"… Deeper into the woods, a chilling howl ripped through the trees and Aurora's words. Her eyes widened as she grabbed my hand. "Run!" She shouted, dragging me back out of the forest. Something was bounding after us at an unbelievable speed, the sound of demented growls and snaps were closing in on us.

As we broke the tree line, I realized we had somehow, thankfully, appeared in the abandoned part of the school that was under construction. Aurora let go of my hand, turning to face whatever was approaching and shouting "Stay behind me!" I stopped in my tracks and stared at her in disbelief, whatever was pursuing us was monstrous, and that was from sound alone, why would she even think about turning toward it.

From her satchel, she pulled out what looked to be an antiquated scroll. She swiftly unfurled it, simultaneously exclaiming "κλῦθί μευ εὐχομένου, θεά Ποινη" A brilliant light flooded the area, forcing me to shield my eyes. When the light dimmed, what appeared to be a battle hammer took the scroll's place in Aurora's grip. "How did you…?"

"No time to explain" she jabbed "Look" Emerging from the forest were three, HUGE black bears. No, they couldn't be bears. These things look as if they were fashioned from the shadows of the forest and were snarling like "Dogs...?" I muttered. "Hellhounds" Aurora corrected, ice encasing her words. The three hellhounds made their way toward us, two of them beginning to flank us just like wolves in the wild.

I cursed under my breath, how on earth was I going to be any help against hellhounds? If my theoretical knowledge of them served me correctly, I was sorely ill equipped to face off against a pack of demon dogs. As if responding to my uncertainty, Aurora began bringing her oversized sledgehammer about in arcs, confidently defying the hounds' advance. They kept their distance but continued forward toward Aurora and I.

Time seemed to stand still as the hound in front charged toward Aurora. She wailed bringing her hammer down toward its head. One of the other hounds stalked behind her, looking for an opportunity to attack. For reasons I still can't explain I charged toward it, screaming "No!" as I jumped onto it's back, wrapping my arms around its neck. It bucked in defiance, but I kept my grip, I was not letting this thing near Aurora. The third hound tried in vain to snap at me, but my ride was far too rambunctious.

A sickening crack resounded as Aurora's hammer contacted the hound's skull. It went airborne, landing a few meters away, struggling to stand. The third beast howled in response to its comrade's pain and pounced on Aurora as she barely managed to wedge the hammer's handle into the mutt's muzzle. It snapped and growled but seemed to be at bay. I was too distracted by what was happening to Aurora I stopped paying attention to my grip and was consequently thrown to the ground like a rag doll.

The hound began clawing at me, it's claws effortlessly slicing through my uniform and into my skin. I wailed in pain. Just as the beast was about to clamp its jaws into me a blurred mass smashed into its head, sending it flying. Aurora had managed to break free and ran to my aid.

The hounds began gathering themselves once more and closed in on us. "Oh Gods, Reina… damnit, I should've been more prepared for this… I should've reached out to you sooner; this is all my fault." She kept her stoic demeanor, but dread filled her voice and I couldn't fully grasp why. I lifted my hands from my stomach, a vibrant red liquid dripped from them. Oh… I was bleeding. I finally realized, the adrenaline masking the full extent of my wounds. She frantically dug through her satchel and pulled out a vile, dripping its contents into my mouth. As the substance touched my tongue I was greeted with a warm and comforting taste. This was nowhere near as bizarre as the sudden rush in energy I felt, the pain starting to slip away.

Before I had time to respond, my blood ran cold as I heard a familiar voice call "Reina!" I sat up to see my father holding his "decorative" Greek Xiphos blade, charging toward us. The hounds stepped back slightly in confusion to the imposing new combatant. He threw what appeared to be a bronze cylinder toward us and charged onward to face the hellhounds. "Reina! Take hold of that weapon, I wish I had time to explain, but we have to survive this first!" Aurora caught the cylinder, staring at it momentarily before quickly placing it in my hands and stepping back. The cylinder began to glow, Greek letters appearing to carve their way into it. The glowing got brighter, the light finally consuming my form.

When the light cleared, Aurora, Dad, and even the hounds were gawking at me. Not only that, somehow, I was much taller than Aurora now. No… not taller. I could feel the wind being dispelled from around me and looked up to see magnificent, alabaster wings keeping me airborne. The cylinder had expanded into a large spear. I slowly touched down to the ground.

What I felt was indescribable. Like a veil had been lifted from me. With an odd certainty, I gave a look of confidence to Aurora. "Let's finish this" She nodded with a smile; her confidence restored. The three of us charged the hounds. With the numbers even now, we made quick work of the creatures. Aurora brought her hammer down on the first one's head and I thrust my spear into its side, sending the creature screaming away before it crumbled to dust. My father fended off the third hound… barely. I rushed to his aide, jabbing at the beast, distracting it enough to allow him to strike it down. We turned to see Aurora pummeling the last of them to dust.

There was a long silence that followed, all of us too exhausted to say anything else. We finally collapsed to the ground, laughter breaking the silence. A ringing resounded in the distance, the final bell of the school year sending everyone home.

Belated Beginnings

We made our way back to my dad's classroom, now to frazzled to really eat anything yet. My wounds were still extensive, but with a little more of the odd liquid that Aurora called Nectar and some handy bandage work from my dad I was able to get around. I listened intently as the two of them explained what they knew to me. As my adrenaline died down, fatigue set in, but I still had enough spunk to raise my temper.

"So, let me get this straight… Aurora is a Half-God, Half Human. A demigod? And evidently, I am as well because mom is a Goddess?" My head was reeling. Given all that happened today, I really shouldn't have been surprised, but with every new revelation she felt like her entire knowledge of her life was being up heaved. "And you didn't think to mention something like this even once before?" My words were laced with a touch of bitterness and disbelief. Though, I suppose dad had given me plenty of hints throughout my childhood. Of all the Theoi, he spoke of Nike more so than any other.

My dad hung his head in guilt, but Aurora quickly jumped to his defense. "Don't be so harsh on him. It's as I said before. I couldn't talk to you either, there was danger enough for me being out and about, but if you had found out about your heritage, countless more beasts worse than those hellhounds would've been after you."

I looked out the window, my anger beginning to quell. It's not as if I didn't believe what they were saying. I was far angrier that I had been kept out of the loop for so long by both my father and my cr… my friend. How on earth was I supposed to take this information? I turned back to them.

"Alright. Just bear with me, alright? This is going to take some time to sort through" I sighed rather loudly, a slight grin returning to my face. "So, I'm a demigod, huh? I guess all of those track wins were a fluke than." My father's face lit up slightly at my remark, pulling me into a hug. "Don't ever say a thing like that, Rain Dance. Half-God or not, you're remarkable for who you are, not for your heritage." I hugged him tightly. Ever the optimist, my father. I pulled away, finally asking the most important question.

"So, what now? If what you say is true, no one is going to be safe so long as I keep around here." It was an awful truth, but truth, nonetheless. Aurora piped in with a new energy, as if this was the question she was waiting for.

"This is what I wanted to talk to you about before the Hounds showed up, I know a place where we will be safe.