Michael
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Eros led us to a set of humongous doors. He turned around in front of them, his hands on the door handles behind him.
"Michaela Triest, Katie Gardner, and Bianca di Angelo," he started. "Let me introduce to you, the primordial council!" He flung open the doors and stepped to the side to let us through. My mouth hit my breasts at the sight of all the beings in the room.
There were nine of them, all sitting in thrones in a circle.
The first one I saw was a lady with a dress that was void black, mixed with the colors of a space nebula as if galaxies were being born in her bodice. Her face was hard to see except for the pinpoints of her eyes, which shone like quasars. Once I saw it, I recognized her as the woman who had kidnapped us.
Next to her was a man in similar clothes, but his were purely black. His face shone with blackness, his eyes reflecting the light in a very menacing way.
After him was a man in a yellow and white button-up shirt and jeans. He had a rather kind face, with calm sky blue eyes. Next to him was a beautiful woman in shimmering blue-and-gold robes. She had long, golden hair that resembled the sun and her eyes reflected daytime.
After them was a man with gray hair and what looked like lobster parts sprouting from it. His eyes were the color of the deep sea, which is to say a very dark blue. He wore a chiton and robe that resembled sea foam. Next to him was a woman who was dressed similarly, though she had crab-claw horns sprouting from her head and frothy green eyes.
Next to them was a man with dark red eyes and bright white hair. His skin was the color of the landscape outside and he wore a black suit and tie. Next to him was Eros, then three empty thrones, then a man who had an incredible likeness to Eros, but he had pure white hair rather than inky black.
Katie and Bianca seemed rather intimidated by all the gods in the room, so I decided to initiate conversation.
"And you all are?" I asked, gesturing to all of them.
The man in the button-up shirt laughed. "Michaela Triest," he said, "we are the Primordial Council! The Protogenoi who make up the world you know, the most powerful beings of the universe! Even when compared to other Pantheons, we are still far more powerful than 95% of gods!"
"Enough boasting, husband," the woman beside him chastised. She turned towards me. "I am Hemera, the Protogenos of Day. This is my husband, Aether, the Protogenos of Upper-Air and Light. You have met my mother, Nyx, the Protogenos of Night. Next to her is her husband Erebos, the Protogenos of Darkness and Mist. This is my uncle, Pontus, and his wife Thalassa." She gestured to the couple on her other side. "They are both Protogenoi of the Sea. Then my Uncle Tartarus, who is the Protogenos of the Pit we now reside in. You've met Eros, the Protogenos of Desire and Love.
"I'm afraid that Akhlys, Gaea, and Ouranos could not make it here today. Gaea and Ouranos are both still asleep and Akhlys is opposed to our plans, and therefore refuses to be in our presence.
"After their thrones is Phanes, the Protogenos of Creation, Procreation, and New Life."
Still, Bianca and Katie were silent, leaving me to speak.
"Nice to meet you," I offered. "Didn't really know you all existed still."
"We will always exist," Erebos said, his voice dark and heavy. "Even if our essences are scatted to the edges of the universe, our physical forms destroyed beyond comprehension, we would still live. We are truly immortal. There is only one way for us to...pass on. That is why we have brought you three here."
"You want us to help you die?" I said, tilting my head in confusion.
"Not exactly," Nyx said. Again, her voice was soothing, making me feel so tired. "We do not wish to die. We wish to simply...pass on our powers. Unto you, the new generation."
"Us?" Katie finally said. "Us? You want to give your power to demigods?" They all nodded simultaneously. Katie added in a small voice, "Okay."
"We know it is a heavy burden," Hemera said, "and for that, we are sorry. But we feel that it is finally time. We are nearly all awake. Chaos has finally shown himself. We believe that you are the key to our final victory."
"'Final victory'?" Katie repeated. "What do you mean by that?"
They ignored her question.
"Long ago," Nyx began, "we were each given a small prophecy by Ananke, the Protogenos of Inevitability and Fate. It told us of who would take our place and whom we will share both mind and body."
"That is quite personal," I commented. "Alright, let's hear those prophecies and see if we can figure it out."
"Michaela!" Bianca hissed.
I glanced at her over my shoulder. "What?"
"Don't you think this is a bit...sudden?" she asked. "Not to mention suspicious. I mean, all-powerful gods are suddenly asking to give us their power? They'll share a mind and body with us? Doesn't that seem weird?"
I shrugged. "It sounds reasonable to me. Why would they lie?"
"Because they're gods," Katie suggested.
"Fair point. Think of it this way; if they wanted to kill us or use us, wouldn't they have done that already? Why keep us alive and tell us everything?"
"Sadism?"
"Let's just go with it," I told them. "I don't think anything bad will happen. I have a feeling about it."
They both looked extremely reluctant but didn't argue anymore.
I turned back towards Nyx. "Alright, prophecies. Let's hear them."
Nyx nodded and began to recite.
"For Nyx, Protogenos of Night,
Find one whose love shall reach three,
Born of Frost and Moonlight,
And power an overflowing sea."
"For Erebos, Darkness and Mist,
Born of riches and death,
Be one who is Moonlight kissed,
Who has been given new breath."
"For Tartarus, the Pit of Evil,
Find the one who found joy in son of the sun,
Who's life is upheaval,
And has yet to be outdone."
"For Aether and Hemera,
One whose head is that of marigold,
The brightest one of his era,
And best friend born of cold."
"For Eros, who is ever so desired,
Daughter of thy mother,
One who is greatly admired,
Who's heart is bigger than any other."
"For Gaea, The Mother Earth,
The daughter of the grain goddess.
Whos fertility is more than worth,
And womb shall never be childless."
"For Ouranos, man in the sky,
One that is forever loyal,
Who cannot say goodbye,
And destined to be royal."
"For the Protogenoi of the Waters,
Granddaughter of the Sea,
Sired by one who's seen horrors,
Eldest of one who's name is deadly."
"For Fate and Time, forever bound
Daughter of Death and Night and Life,
Two promised to her, yet to be crowned,
Promised to protect her from strife."
"For Akhlys, who's misery is boundless,
Thy daughter shall be thy's successor,
Who's early life was oppressed,
But shall become Queen, unlike her predecessor."
"For Phanes, who creates life so beautiful,
Thy heir be one born of great love,
Two loves be irremovable,
With silver eyes like stars above."
"For Elpis, trapped in your box,
The King be your heir,
Who's power is a paradox,
And eyes like his forebear."
It was silent for a couple of minutes as we digested this.
"Do you–Do you have any ideas as to who these people could be?" Bianca stammered.
"We believe we have found many of them," Nyx told us. "You three are among them."
"But for who?"
"'One who's love shall reach three, Born of Frost and Moonlight,'" Nyx repeated. "This talks of Michaela Triest. She shall be my successor."
"'Born of riches and death, Be one who is Moonlight kissed,'" Erebos continued before any of us could protest. "That is you, Bianca di Angelo."
"'Daughter of the grain goddess, Who's fertility is more than worth, And womb shall never be childless,'" Hemera said. "This one means Katie Gardner."
"We understand that this is a lot to process," Eros said comfortingly. "That is why we will answer any questions you throw our way."
"I thought you lot were evil," I said immediately. "Percy said that Gaea tried to kill everyone."
"We were created to favor the living," Nyx began, "but long ago, before Gaea birthed the Titans, we were corrupted. You see, our creator, Chaos, has a brother. His name has been erased from history and myth to make sure no mortal or unsuspecting god summons him, for havoc and destruction follow him wherever he goes. He implanted in us a need to destroy.
"This new goal clashed with our intended purpose so violently, that in order to save us from self-assured annihilation, we split ourselves into two persons. A moral, virtuous half, and a corrupted half. One that seeks to protect and propagate life, and one that seeks to wreak havoc and send the world back to where no life roamed the earth."
"To prevent these sides from clashing," Pontus picked up, speaking for the first time, "we would have one-half sleep and the other wake. This, unfortunately, would put one half in complete control."
"What's to stop us from becoming like that?" Katie asked.
"You are human," Hermera said. "You already deal with opposing thoughts on good and evil. And we know that whoever is chosen to be our heirs will not use their powers for anything less than the good of the world and its inhabitants."
Neither Katie nor Bianca could find a flaw with her argument.
"What do you want from us then?" Katie asked.
"We wish to train you and give you a taste of power," Aether said. "But for you, Miss Gardner, we have another who wishes to see you. One whose power has been fading for a while now and wishes to pass on."
Katie looked like she very much did not want to meet his person or god. I took her hand, which was slightly sweaty, and squeezed in comfortingly. Her eyes darted to look at me and I gave her a reassuring smile.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright," she said, opening her eyes. "I'll meet with him."
Nyx and Eros transported us to a beautiful cave system. The cave floor was mushy and wet from the water dripping off the stalactites. We were at the bottom of a slope and found ourselves in a large cave with huge stalagmite columns. Through the center of the room ran an underground river.
I looked around the cavern in wonder. The rocks glittered. At the far end was the entrance to another cave, flanked by gigantic columns of crystal that looked like diamonds. And beyond that entrance...
"Something powerful is just beyond that doorway," Katie said.
Nyx nodded. "He is powerful. Come, let us go. He does not have much time left."
Together we waded across the underground river. The current was strong. The water came up to our waists. I was lucky that I didn't feel the cold, but by the looks on Katie and Bianca's faces, it was like snow. Nyx and Eros just floated across the river, which was slightly unfair.
"I think we're in Carlsbad Caverns," Katie said, her teeth chattering. "Maybe an unexplored section."
"How do you know?"
"Carlsbad is in New Mexico," she said. "Mom likes New Mexico for its untouched wild places. Says it's good for growing plants that need bigger areas."
We got out of the water and kept walking. As the crystal pillars loomed larger, I started to feel the power emanating from the next room. I'd been in the presence of gods before, but this was different. My skin tingled with living energy. My weariness fell away, as if I'd just gotten a good night's sleep. I could feel myself growing stronger, like one of those plants in a time-lapse video. And the scent coming from the cave was nothing like the dank wet underground. It smelled of trees and flowers and a warm summer day.
We stepped into the cave, and Bianca said, "Oh, wow."
The walls glittered with crystals—red, green, and blue. In the strange light, beautiful plants grew—giant orchids, star-shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the crystals. The cave floor was covered with green moss. Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a galaxy of stars. In the center of the cave stood a Roman-style bed, gilded wood shaped like a curly U, with velvet cushions. Animals lounged around it—but they were animals that shouldn't have been alive. There was a dodo bird, something that looked like a cross between a wolf and a tiger, a huge rodent like the mother of all guinea pigs, and roaming behind the bed, picking berries with its trunk, was a wooly mammoth.
On the bed lay an old satyr. He watched us as we approached, his eyes as blue as the sky. His curly hair was white and so was his pointed beard. Even the goat fur on his legs was frosted with gray. His horns were enormous— glossy brown and curved. There was no way he could've hidden those under a hat the way other satyrs did. Around his neck hung a set of reed pipes.
"Pan, my old friend," Nyx said sadly. "I am sorry we have taken so long, but we have finally found her. Your true heir."
The god smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Nyx, beautiful night, it is alright. I have waited thousands of years. These past few years have been nothing."
"You...you're Pan!" Katie exclaimed. "The god of the Wild!"
Pan laughed. It was a wonderful sound, like the first breeze of springtime, filling the whole cavern with hope. The tiger-wolf sighed and rested his head on the god's knee. The dodo bird pecked affectionately at the god's hooves, making a strange sound in the back of its bill. I could swear it was humming "It's a Small World."
Still, Pan looked tired. His whole form shimmered as if he were made of Mist.
"You have a humming dodo bird," I said stupidly.
The god's eyes twinkled. "Yes, that's Dede. My little actress."
Dede the dodo looked offended. She pecked at Pan's knee and hummed something that sounded like a funeral dirge.
"This is the most beautiful place!" Bianca said. "It's better than any place I've ever seen."
"I am glad you like it, dear," Pan said. "It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I'm afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed...for a little longer."
"Only a little longer..." Katie repeated. She seemed to remember why we were here and her mood dampened. "You are dying."
Pan's image flickered, momentarily turning to smoke. The giant guinea pig scuttled under the bed with a terrified squeal. The wooly mammoth grunted nervously. Dede stuck her head under her wing. Then Pan re-formed.
"I have slept many eons," the god said forlornly. "My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end."
"He's dying," Bianca murmured. "He should have died long ago. This...this is more like a memory."
"But gods can't die," Katie said.
"They can fade," Pan said, "when everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Katie, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it. My realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the Council of Cloven Elders. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan is dead. Tell them of my passing. Because they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself. Each of you must—"
He stopped and frowned at the dodo bird, who had started humming again.
"Dede, what are you doing?" Pan demanded. "Are you singing Kumbaya again?"
Dede looked up innocently and blinked her yellow eyes.
Pan sighed. "Everybody's a cynic. But as I was saying, my dear Katie, each of you must take up my calling."
Pan looked straight at me with his clear blue eyes, and I realized he wasn't just talking about satyrs. He meant half-bloods, too, and humans. Everyone.
"Michaela Triest," the god said. "I know the pain you have faced. The doubts you have for being chosen for such a task. But you still have a kind heart. I know the promise you made last winter. To restore the wild, to restore its beauty. It warmed my heart to see one so determined. You will do well during your reign.
He turned to Bianca. "Daughter of Hades, your time is coming. You have a difficult path ahead of you. But I assure you, when the time comes, you will not fear death."
Finally he turned back toward Katie. "My dear demigoddess," Pan said kindly, "will you carry my spirit and my message?"
"I—I can't."
"You can," Pan said. "You are the strongest and the bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in love and growth more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message, and why you must be the first to release me."
"I don't want to."
"I know," the god said. "But my name, Pan...originally it meant rustic. Did you know that? But over the years it has come to mean all. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan's spirit. Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."
Katie wiped her eyes. Then slowly she stood. "I've spent my whole life thinking you were a myth. Now...I see you, and I release you."
Pan smiled. "Thank you, dear heir. My final blessing."
He closed his eyes, and the god dissolved. White mist divided into wisps of energy, but this kind of energy wasn't scary like the power I'd seen from Zeus. It filled the room. A curl of smoke went straight into my mouth, and Katie's and Bianca's. But I think a little more of it went into Katie. The crystals dimmed. The animals gave us a sad look. Dede the dodo sighed. Then they all turned gray and crumbled to dust. The vines withered. And we were alone in a dark cave, with an empty bed.
A sniffle drew my attention. I looked over and saw Nyx dabbing her eyes with a solid black handkerchief.
"Sorry," she said. "It is hard to see an old friend like him go."
Eros nodded beside her. "Come, you three. Today will be a day of mourning, but tomorrow, we start training."
