I Messed Up Big Time

The truly terrifying thing about being frozen alive the way I was, was that your mind is still active. You see everything before you. I had to watch Khione circle us, admiring her new prize decorations. Before long we were floated off by invisible forces, wind with a mind of it's own. Or under her control, perhaps. Whatever it was, I couldn't tell as I could only face forth.

All three of us were carried, finding where the rest of the town had gone. The Queen of Ice had made herself an ice fortress. Spikes of ice reached to the sky, walls reaching three stories high. She had said that she blamed mortals for something, so what better way to get back at them then to make a fortress outside a newly conquered town. We were placed in a large chamber among other ice statues, then left there. I had no idea how long it took before my mind finally passed out.

Being frozen while having a nightmare? Not the best predicament to be in.

I was surrounded by fire once more. Except it was different this time. In my hand I had my spear. At my sides were Tetsu and Émile, both appearing exhausted and wounded. Clumps of golden dust littered the area, and across from us he stood; the man on fire. Standing armored and strong, ready to keep fighting. I was sick of this...this thing haunting my dreams. Yet nearly every nightmare of recent I saw him.

Fire reached high around us. He held a flaming sword in one hand, pointing it towards us.

"Pathetic...pathetic! I expected more from you!"

I knew he was addressing me. The sword was pointed directly at me. A deep shuddering laugh erupted from his helmet, throwing his head back.

"The irony that the gods send you, to face me! Surely, they do not know!"

I felt a deep thrum in my chest. I felt as if what he was saying meant a deep, dark secret. Something I did not know myself. Something dangerous. It pained me that I did not know what he was talking about. It pained me knowing that if this nightmare was like the one with the vrykolakas, that this may yet come to pass. I hated the feeling that I had in this nightmare, that it felt all too real.

"A final lesson is due. Make note of this...make note of how you led your friends to die. That not even you could defeat me. Let it take hold of you, that you could have spared them of this pain. Know this, as you watch my sword cleave them in two!"

He raised his sword. I tensed, holding my spear at the ready. What followed was a flash of white and blue.

I woke. I had fallen asleep with my eyes open, still frozen. The area had darkened, I knew it was coming to night. A whole day had passed while we were here. Not being able to move, yet being able to see everything. If I was not already chilled by the ice, the fear would have done it enough for me. Being motionless, frozen to the spot without being able to do so much as stare.

I couldn't look around. I couldn't shift my gaze. Yet in front of me was Tetsu and Émile, one afraid and one fierce. And I felt guilt in the pit of my stomach.

Anger joined the feeling. This goddess was nothing like Terpsichore. She was hostile, dangerous, that she hated mortals and despised demigods it seemed.

The feeling surged through me. How much I wanted to make the goddess pay for all she had done. To make the goddess pay. Even if they were immortal, even if I wouldn't be able to make a dent on her. But I had to try. I had to save them!

I gripped my spear tight in my hand...

I adjusted my grip, pausing my train of thought. I flexed my fingers in the ice shell I was stuck in. A strange feeling for the moment, as I could not have moved before. But now I could. The space inside felt warm, and some water inside. I tried to think about how I could move. I retracted my steps. Holding the spear, thinking about my anger...my emotions...it gave me an idea. Maybe it would work, maybe just maybe I could save myself with this idea. A daughter of Apollo could surely be able to use such a power, right?

Come on Helene, come on...you'll beat Khione. You'll save your friends. You'll show that goddess...you'll show that goddess! I thought to myself. I felt water trickle down my arms and legs. I felt strong, warm. The area around me, I took notice of a glow. I could not quite understand how this was happening.

The ice was melting away! Somehow, my anger was causing it to melt away. Slowly, but surely, one part at a time I was freeing myself!

You'll beat her! Save Tetsu! Come on Helene! You...you won't be alone again! You found people like you, don't go out like this! Get. Yourself. OUT!

Suddenly ice shattered from all over me, parts having melted away. I was free. But I couldn't celebrate yet. Khione could be anywhere nearby.

That was when I took notice of the glow. My spear in hand, the golden warm glow reached across the chamber, yet I felt cold. Shivering. A drop of water drew my attention.

I glanced to my two friends, narrowing my eyes. Another drop of water fell from his face. Finally, it hit me. How could I not have pieced it together?! The spear, that was what had melted my frozen prison!

Moving the spear over to Tetsu, I held the point to his shoulder. The ice immediately began to melt away, the glow strengthening. I shivered all over, my breath glowing out from my mouth like steam. A cut formed through the ice prison, water dripping down to the floor.

"Come on, come on, come on" I urged the spear.

His frozen sculpture melted away until an arm was finally free. And it flailed, catching me off guard. I stepped back, stunned by the sudden movement...and smiled with tears in my eyes as I started to melt away the rest of the ice. This was working! I was freeing Tetsu slowly. But how long would it be until Khione returned? How much time did I have? I just had to not think about that too much.

It took too long, or to me it did at least. Eventually his top half was melted away and he fell forward. I caught him, holding the spear point to his legs.

"Tetsu, Tetsu I am so sorry" I cried quietly, wrapping my other arm around him.

He was dazed, blinking. Before his breath picked up, fear striking his eyes. It took the sight of me in front of him to stop from crying out.

"Hel...Helene, you're alive! I'm alive! We'-"

"Shhh."

He nodded, now watching as the spear melted the rest of the ice away. How it was doing this, I had no clue. But there was just no time to question the miracle at work.

"I-I-I-"

"I know...I know...I thought I lost you both" I quietly murmured, still crying.

"She fr-froze me...caught me."

"I know...she got me too."

My teeth chattered as I talked. Soon enough, Tetsu was finally free. The boy stepped forth out of the melted pool of water, shaking off any water left on him. In any other situation, I would have laughed.

"Tetsu, I need you to keep an eye out, okay?" He nodded, taking the responsibility. "And if there is trouble? Let me know. And then run, don't stay and fight. Run."

I couldn't risk Tetsu in danger, not again. He moved to the entrance of the chamber. With him keeping watch, I could work on Émile. I fueled my emotions, yet I felt cold once more as the ice melted away. Antiliakó glowed golden as Émile's ice statue was worn away by the warmth.

My anger drew on my rage towards Khione. He melted faster than Tetsu had, and I found I was also thinking about how he treated Terpsichore, how he tossed my ideas aside for his own stupid plan to get a stupid frozen car working. He owed me so many apologies after this. Maybe a favor or two. And I would make him apologize to the Muse, that I promised myself.

For a little bit of payback, I had started melting him feet first. If I could understand what his problem was, aside from the quest that he refused to talk about...

Finally he was free, stumbling from his place. I caught him, holding my spear in my other hand.

"Easy..." I may have held an amount of dislike towards him, but he was also my companion. My friend, on this quest.

He held onto my shoulder, gasping for air and trying to hold onto whatever warmth may be around.

"Th...thanks" he finally managed to stay, moving back on his own two feet.

He glanced at my spear, his gaze moving up and down the weapon, analyzing the warm glow of it's celestial bronze. By now, most of the glow was gone. Then he got to looking around the chamber we were inside, with all the townspeople frozen in place. When I began moving to one of them, he caught my wrist.

"Hey, what gi-"

"We don't have time" he said.

I narrowed my eyes in a glare. He wasn't wrong. Khione could come back to find we had escaped. Then she would freeze us, all over again. But we also could not just leave these people here, right? We couldn't just leave them as human popsicles. At least try to free some of them, get them out. But, begrudgingly, I had to agree. I wanted to ask if somehow we could help. It seemed he read my mind.

"We'll tell Chiron. Maybe...maybe he can get someone else to help."

Émile didn't sound so sure when saying that.

I took one more look at the townspeople. So many had faces twisted in frozen terror, pain. I hated that I was going to leave them, but we had to. We had a quest, after all. Émile was busy with other things, of course. Like trying to find our backpacks. Apparently none of us thought to have them on us, which meant only one thing.

"Our packs...they are back at the mechanic" he quietly seethed, holding back from yelling.

"Then we go back, grab them and run."

"One step at a time, please" Émile said as he began pacing.

He held a hand to his chin in thought, going back and forth across the ice floor. Tetsu remained at the entrance, glancing back between us and down the hall outside of the chamber. This was about the time I noticed how thick the walls were, yet they were still made of ice...made of ice.

I ventured over to one of the walls of the chamber, feeling around. I had somewhat of an idea as I tapped the spear to the wall. Émile immediately looked over. His eyes shot a warning, but I did it again. This might work, despite Émile's immediate disagreement. If only he knew what this spear could do.

I focused through my emotion. But I couldn't feel angry again. I felt colder than before, like I should have frostbite by now. I felt weak. Yet I kept trying, kept pushing my emotions forth.

The spear glowed to the amazement of Émile who had approached when he took notice. Tetsu must have got a read of what I was doing and came right over, still keeping an eye out. I huffed out warm air from my cooling body. Water dripped down the wall.

"Helene...what are you-"

"Shush. I got this" I snapped back, feeling agitated already. These aggressive emotions that drove this spear, however it worked, I had not realized till now that it had made me such a grump. But that only made sense.

"Helene, I really think you should-"

"I. Said. Shut up."

"Helene, you're freezing. Whatever it is you're doing, stop."

I felt compelled to stop...so I did. I was only halfway through the wall. Émile walked to the half melted wall, tapping at it with his dagger. Then he took us by surprise, stabbing at it with his dagger. The sound echoed through the chamber. A few tries, and the thinned ice wall shattered.

Feeling weak, like I had run a marathon in sub zero temperatures, Èmile took the spear from my grip before pulling me close. It surprised me, till I spied Tetsu as well in his grip. No doubt I blushed lightly. Then I looked down, and my eyes widened. We must have been four stories up!

Down below the snow piled up. The night sky above, the moon low to the horizon.

I immediately knew his plan.

"Èmile, wait now, hold on" I urged. Too late for that.

"Geronimo!"

Whether anyone in the ice castle heard, we didn't know as Èmile leapt with us.

The wind rushed up against us, striking cooly against my face and hands. The snow mounds reached up for us, or we reached down to them. Then pouf!

We landed in a shower of powder. I ached all over from the impact. Èmile was already getting up, dusting Tetsu off and getting him to his feet. We got out. But we weren't safe.

The wind howled above, a shriek following. I gulped.

"Run! Back to town!"

That sounded like suicide. He had our bags on his mind, but what we needed to do was get as far away as possible! But I was in no position to argue, still chilled to the bone. With spear and dagger in hand he took the lead. A breeze went over us, a nearly unseen wisp of snow flying over us.

"Duck!"

I ducked my head as another billowing snow breeze flew over. I got a closer look, seeing it was not all snow. It had a face, features distorted among the flakes.

Every step threatened trip me over, my knees would no doubt buckle. My teeth chattered, skin covered in goosebumps.

It didn't make sense. The whole time in this blizzard, it had only felt like a chill wind. Like an early autumn morning, yet now I felt as if I could turn into a frozen statue once more. My arms gripped around my sides, pushing on to follow my friends.

When did it start, when did I start getting cold? I tried to piece it together as we finally made it to the garage. I barely took notice of the swirling wind outside, or how Èmile was strapping my backpack over my shoulders while Tetsu used the sling at the wind spirits. Everything seemed a blur to me.

A shape formed through the billowing snow. The white dress, pale skin. She found us.

"I do not know how you mortals escaped. But I won't make the same mistake a second time!"

Her words carried through the wind. Èmile shouted something back, Tetsu readied another bronze ball. But my gaze settled elsewhere. My hand reached out to Èmile's hand. In a moment I held the spear, without anyone noticing. I felt the chilling breeze bite at my skin as Khione must have been preparing her attack.

Everyone braced out of the corner of my eye.

I realized now why the spear had been known as the bane of my father. I knew why I grew cold when I had used it. Days first light peered through the clouds above, timing couldn't be more perfect. A warmth wrapped around me. Strengthening me, surging through. My friends braced while I held the spear out before me. It began to glow. It all appeared to move so slow, how the cold began to replace the warmth. How Khione's wave of ice came for us. And how it then seemed to dissipate when arriving to the warmth of the spear.

Everything grew quiet and still. I stared ahead at Khione. And pointed the spear toward her. I didn't need to say anything. The goddess understood the threat; leave us alone, or I'll melt everything she has and leave her with burns.

Khione narrowed her eyes, her eyes staring daggers. I could imagine she was planning every way for me to meet my demise...but we came to a mutual agreement. The last thing I saw before everything started to go dark was her flying away, and my companions moving to me.

It was strange, being out cold without a dream. No haunting figure of the man on fire. No Telkhines in the caldera. No friends nearly dying. But I could feel the chill all around. When I finally awoke, Tetsu was sitting by me. A small fire was in front of me, crackling with shadows dancing around. In the sky, it appeared to still be early morning, but it was still cold. I could tell because Tetsu's teeth chattered.

I sat up, blinking. I was warm again, despite the cold around. There was still snow around, yet there was no blizzard. I had a confused look. Where had we ended up now?

Èmile approached from elsewhere with a dagger in hand, mirror in the other. He took notice of my expression.

"Khione, she left us alone. I don't...I don't know what you did" he said, kneeling down by us.

"I don't either..." I responded, moving my knees close to myself.

I recalled everything I did. And yet? I don't recall doing it myself. It did not feel like I had been in control, it was like I had been on automation.

"That spear. I understand it. It uses my warmth, my energy and uses it. I think I scared her off? That seems strange, right? That she just ran?"

"Yeah, I don't know. I'm just as confused as you are."

"Lucky she did" Tetsu finally said.

"Lucky..."

At the back of my mind, it was nagging at me. I had nearly died twice in one day already, all from a goddess. I had thought gods could be trusted. That they were on our side. And that wasn't the only thing bothering me... I gotta do it, I thought to myself. I nearly died. I have to tell them.

"I...I have to tell you guys something..."

I sighed shakily. I was scared. They both leaned in, waiting.

"In ash and smoke, the world will be taken by fire. Unless it is faced with its greatest ire..."

"...Helene? What was-" Èmile cut Tetsu off in a hushed voice.

"That's a prophecy line. One I don't know..."

I watched him piece it together. And his expression shifted, glaring. I already regretted saying anything.

"You...kept...a line of the prophecy...to yourself?"

"I was scared. I mean, listen to it! World, engulfed by fire! And greatest ire? That sounds ridiculous-"

"It's important! Helene Miller, that is by far the stupidest thing you have done in this entire quest!"

That shocked me, deeply. I felt like I had been slapped. Even Tetsu fell silent completely, not even looking at either of us.
"Every line of a prophecy is important! Lives depend on it! You...you idiot!"

"I don't even know how any of this happened! Three days ago, I was going to a new school! Then I'm told I'm the child of a god! That I am going to have to fight monsters!"

"And you think that makes it acceptable?" he asked back.

"Oh, woe is me! I have to abandon my old life to fight monsters. News flash! You have to take responsibility!

You have to make sure everyone is on track, that every possible detail is put forth! Or people die! You understand? People. Die!"

I felt tears welling up. I wanted none of this. I did not want any of this! This quest, that goddess, this...this insufferable son of Aphrodite! I pushed myself off the snowy ground, taking my spear.

Èmile frowned at me, holding on tight to his blade. He was angry. And I could understand why...but he couldn't understand my reasoning. That line scared me deeply. The implication that the world would be on fire. The man on fire was involved. And it would be on me. How terrifying must that be to a young teen, with so much on their shoulders? The fact that not only might they die, but so might the world.

"I never wanted this" I said back. I packed my spear into its capsule form, putting it into my pack.

"You keep going. You have experience, they should never have sent me. They should have sent someone else."

"Helene-"

"No, no don't. I'm...I'm going home. Back to my life. Tetsu, let's go. Maybe the experienced demigod can call help from camp. Here."

I started off, tossing the walk-man at his feet. The fact that Èmile had not listened to me once, always thought he was in the right...I was blinded by rage now. I stormed across.

That's when I noticed that I could only hear my footfalls. I turned back. Tetsu hadn't moved, but he was staring at Èmile. My heart, it broke. I knew now that I had lost two friends. I couldn't bear it.

I turned my back on them and kept walking. If only I had known how selfish and how much of an idiot I truly was.

This was a tough one to write. Got hit on s snag, but glad I got through it now. Only a few chapters to go for this!