============================= CHAPTER VIII ============================
So here we were. No way to tell when this was. David and April could be dead by now. Unlikely. Well, likely. In fact VERY likely! No contact, no way of knowing. They were in Olympus. As dar as I can tell millions of miles away, if distance even existed in Everworld.
What was I doing here? I wasn't David. He was the one who should be plotting war on the Sennites. He was of military background. Who was I? Just another black kid from the North Shore. I knew as much about fighting as the girl who sits in the back of the class listening to N*Sync or whatever. In fact, by many means I would be considered a wuss. Not that I was, it was just that I couldn't kick anyones ass on command...I know that...the others know that. Christopher knows that. The Nordic gods don't.
We were screwed!
We were now being marched up to a castle which held Freya, the Norse goddess of Battle, Fertility, and Magic. I wondered if she saw through my tough act. Loki definitely did. I think they all saw how intelligent I was. Saw how much I knew about modern technology. I am screwed! Technology, sure. War, no! This was David's place of interest.
Christopher saw the worry in my eyes obviously, because he gave me a peckish pat on the back. I knew he couldn't reassure others. He was no good at sentiment.
"Hey, think of this way. If we die, you have an excuse!" He was thinking along the exact same plane as me. He was right. I have an excuse. I know nothing about war. I missed April. She was always better at sympathy.
Walking, walking, walking. Large marble floors, gold strung tapestries, large cathedral windows. Walking. My mind wasn't focused. I barely noticed that I was walking amid hundreds of soldiers. Didn't notice that Oller the Archer was flying in front of us. Only walking. It was like walking in between classes. You never really noticed what was going on.
Concentrating on friends, next classes, homework. Not noticing people talking, laughing, fighting. Not noticing the world of action swirling around you. Not noticing the two beaten, tired, tattered Real-Worlders standing at Freya's throne, looking like they had just went through hell. Not noticing April, spattered with blood, her own or otherwise. Not noticing David, Galahad's sword having a small chip in.
Christopher went running. I just stood there. What should I say. Happiness was what I was supposed to feel, but this was confusion. I didn't know why they were here, but should it matter. Should it matter that the very fact that there presence was a great thing, but it made me angry. Why were they here?
Christopher was walking up to David, mumbling something quietly. Must have been good to see you, otherwise he would have been loud an obnoxious. I did nothing. I didn't move. I did only what I though was necessary to shield my anger...nothing.
"Why are you here," I blurted.
"Well Jalil, no reason to sound so excited," called April with a small grin. I walked over. Walked over under the staring colors of Freya's eyes. I stopped. David was squatting on the floor, his knees bent so that he was almost sitting. His hand were flat on the ground. He looked tired. "We just got back from Athena," said David quietly.
"Oh, do tell," said Christopher in a mocking voice.
"She is pissed! The whole Greek entourage id pissed! They think we sold 'em out. Zeus was convinced that we turn-coated! Thinks we joined with Ka Anor. Thinks we're playing him for a fool," David yelled.
"Oh, well," said Christopher, still mockingly. "Gain an ally, lose an ally." He cocked his head playfully. Smug bastard!
"That's not how it works!" I yelled. "If we lose one ally we lose ability. We lose ability, we lose lives. We need to get them back!" I yelled. This was very irritating. Why didn't he understand.
"Fat chance there," said April loudly. "The Hetwan got there before we could convince them that we were their allies. I think we should steer clear of there untill Ares gets back, Deimos is dead." A few eyes widened, even Freya's constantly changing rainbow eyes. That make at least three gods down. Ganymede, the Daghda, and now Deimos, son of Ares. This isn't good.
"Mount Olympus is in chaos. Athena kind of believed us, but I wouldn't put it past her to want to stick her spear straight through my masculine area." April gave a cute little snigger. David pulled off his heavy boots. "The only good thing about this was that we met the dwarves. Seems you gave that Berglem a pretty good description of a gun Jalil. They found your diagram in your room. They made this. Here..." Out of the odd backpack slung over his shoulder he pulled an odd metal object. It looked like a thick triangle with a circle and a point. He handed it over to me. I examined it. It was a gun alright. It was a pretty crude gun. Like if the colonials had found the schematics for a Baretta Eagle.
I gripped it tighter. This was our tool, our new futuristic tool that we were using to fight the Sennites. To stop Ka Anor. Our time now clashed with theirs and this is the product. A callow firearm. I wondered if it worked at all. Maybe, but probably not that well, I had failed to mention refined ribs on the inside of the gun.
"It's just a prototype," said David with a small grin. "I made a few improvements on your sketches." He pulled a small notepad from his pack. On it was a very well drawn pistol. It had all the needed imporvements. It looked alot like an actual gun. He had two different diagrams. On of a revolver and one of a pistol with a clip. I didn't know what kind of gun, but it looked good.
"We have to go back to order mass production and so you can help them with there power." David looked agitated all of a sudden.
"Jesus, just tell them to go mine some Uranium and heat up their water with nuclear power," called Christopher.
"That might just work," April said. I was impressed he knew how nuclear power worked.
"NO!" I yelled. "Just what we need to give the Sennites, another viable tool for mass destruction." I meant it. We were already going into a war untrained. "We will need to learn how to shoot." Everyone stared at David, even Freya, who sat silently on her throne.
He let out a loud sigh. "Fine. But am not promising miracles."
Freya stood. "Than to war brave souls. You opponent is armed and dangerous, but the war is to well to waive. We shall fight." That was quite an unintroduced statement. Especially since she was not even really part of the conversation. Maybe she just wanted some attention. I felt like I was in a dream. Some odd war movie. I almost felt the background music pulsing in the air. "Armed and dangerous" was a bit of an understatement for the Sennites.
So here we were. No way to tell when this was. David and April could be dead by now. Unlikely. Well, likely. In fact VERY likely! No contact, no way of knowing. They were in Olympus. As dar as I can tell millions of miles away, if distance even existed in Everworld.
What was I doing here? I wasn't David. He was the one who should be plotting war on the Sennites. He was of military background. Who was I? Just another black kid from the North Shore. I knew as much about fighting as the girl who sits in the back of the class listening to N*Sync or whatever. In fact, by many means I would be considered a wuss. Not that I was, it was just that I couldn't kick anyones ass on command...I know that...the others know that. Christopher knows that. The Nordic gods don't.
We were screwed!
We were now being marched up to a castle which held Freya, the Norse goddess of Battle, Fertility, and Magic. I wondered if she saw through my tough act. Loki definitely did. I think they all saw how intelligent I was. Saw how much I knew about modern technology. I am screwed! Technology, sure. War, no! This was David's place of interest.
Christopher saw the worry in my eyes obviously, because he gave me a peckish pat on the back. I knew he couldn't reassure others. He was no good at sentiment.
"Hey, think of this way. If we die, you have an excuse!" He was thinking along the exact same plane as me. He was right. I have an excuse. I know nothing about war. I missed April. She was always better at sympathy.
Walking, walking, walking. Large marble floors, gold strung tapestries, large cathedral windows. Walking. My mind wasn't focused. I barely noticed that I was walking amid hundreds of soldiers. Didn't notice that Oller the Archer was flying in front of us. Only walking. It was like walking in between classes. You never really noticed what was going on.
Concentrating on friends, next classes, homework. Not noticing people talking, laughing, fighting. Not noticing the world of action swirling around you. Not noticing the two beaten, tired, tattered Real-Worlders standing at Freya's throne, looking like they had just went through hell. Not noticing April, spattered with blood, her own or otherwise. Not noticing David, Galahad's sword having a small chip in.
Christopher went running. I just stood there. What should I say. Happiness was what I was supposed to feel, but this was confusion. I didn't know why they were here, but should it matter. Should it matter that the very fact that there presence was a great thing, but it made me angry. Why were they here?
Christopher was walking up to David, mumbling something quietly. Must have been good to see you, otherwise he would have been loud an obnoxious. I did nothing. I didn't move. I did only what I though was necessary to shield my anger...nothing.
"Why are you here," I blurted.
"Well Jalil, no reason to sound so excited," called April with a small grin. I walked over. Walked over under the staring colors of Freya's eyes. I stopped. David was squatting on the floor, his knees bent so that he was almost sitting. His hand were flat on the ground. He looked tired. "We just got back from Athena," said David quietly.
"Oh, do tell," said Christopher in a mocking voice.
"She is pissed! The whole Greek entourage id pissed! They think we sold 'em out. Zeus was convinced that we turn-coated! Thinks we joined with Ka Anor. Thinks we're playing him for a fool," David yelled.
"Oh, well," said Christopher, still mockingly. "Gain an ally, lose an ally." He cocked his head playfully. Smug bastard!
"That's not how it works!" I yelled. "If we lose one ally we lose ability. We lose ability, we lose lives. We need to get them back!" I yelled. This was very irritating. Why didn't he understand.
"Fat chance there," said April loudly. "The Hetwan got there before we could convince them that we were their allies. I think we should steer clear of there untill Ares gets back, Deimos is dead." A few eyes widened, even Freya's constantly changing rainbow eyes. That make at least three gods down. Ganymede, the Daghda, and now Deimos, son of Ares. This isn't good.
"Mount Olympus is in chaos. Athena kind of believed us, but I wouldn't put it past her to want to stick her spear straight through my masculine area." April gave a cute little snigger. David pulled off his heavy boots. "The only good thing about this was that we met the dwarves. Seems you gave that Berglem a pretty good description of a gun Jalil. They found your diagram in your room. They made this. Here..." Out of the odd backpack slung over his shoulder he pulled an odd metal object. It looked like a thick triangle with a circle and a point. He handed it over to me. I examined it. It was a gun alright. It was a pretty crude gun. Like if the colonials had found the schematics for a Baretta Eagle.
I gripped it tighter. This was our tool, our new futuristic tool that we were using to fight the Sennites. To stop Ka Anor. Our time now clashed with theirs and this is the product. A callow firearm. I wondered if it worked at all. Maybe, but probably not that well, I had failed to mention refined ribs on the inside of the gun.
"It's just a prototype," said David with a small grin. "I made a few improvements on your sketches." He pulled a small notepad from his pack. On it was a very well drawn pistol. It had all the needed imporvements. It looked alot like an actual gun. He had two different diagrams. On of a revolver and one of a pistol with a clip. I didn't know what kind of gun, but it looked good.
"We have to go back to order mass production and so you can help them with there power." David looked agitated all of a sudden.
"Jesus, just tell them to go mine some Uranium and heat up their water with nuclear power," called Christopher.
"That might just work," April said. I was impressed he knew how nuclear power worked.
"NO!" I yelled. "Just what we need to give the Sennites, another viable tool for mass destruction." I meant it. We were already going into a war untrained. "We will need to learn how to shoot." Everyone stared at David, even Freya, who sat silently on her throne.
He let out a loud sigh. "Fine. But am not promising miracles."
Freya stood. "Than to war brave souls. You opponent is armed and dangerous, but the war is to well to waive. We shall fight." That was quite an unintroduced statement. Especially since she was not even really part of the conversation. Maybe she just wanted some attention. I felt like I was in a dream. Some odd war movie. I almost felt the background music pulsing in the air. "Armed and dangerous" was a bit of an understatement for the Sennites.
