Author Note:
Wow, it's been soooo long since I've updated! I hit a bit of a writer's block, and then I had a bunch of life changes that distracted me from writing. But I'm back! This is the longest chapter yet. And there is no Hades and the OC in this chapter, sorry!
Thanks for reading and your reviews!
Chapter 5
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Frantic
4 Months B.T.H
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right-right, left.
She was entranced in the rhythm, lulled by its repetition.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Everything faded away. All of her troubles, all of her worries, did not exist in this microcosm that she had created for herself.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right-right, left.
She was at peace. She could stay here forever.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right-right, left.
Right, left, right- WACK!
"Ouch! Gods!" she cried out, clutching her right shoulder in pain.
"Oh shit! Are you okay?" her brother yelled, running to her side in alarm. He tried to touch her shoulder gently to examine it, but she pulled away sharply. He winced at her refusal. "I'm so sorry, sis!"
"Christ, Caleb!" she exclaimed, rotating her shoulder slowly. It didn't hurt so much now, but she wasn't going to let him know that quite yet. She was still too angry. "What in the hell was that for?"
"Well," he started sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "I was trying to talk to you, but you were just so focused on hitting that punching bag. What did it ever do to you, by the way?" He joked, attempting to get her to laugh. It did not work - she only seemed to get angrier. He took a tiny step backwards.
"So, in order to get my attention," she growled, ignoring his question, "you thought 'Gee, I should just throw a hex at her'?"
"Well I tried calling your name, but you didn't hear me. So I thought I would shoot a mildcollision spell at you," he countered defensively, inching another step away from her.
"Mild?"
"The spell may have gotten away from me," he admitted with a shrug.
"Well, you now have my full and prompt attention," she snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "What do you want, Caleb?"
He flinched at her tone. He wrung his hands nervously, darting his eyes between her and the rest of the practice room.
"Ziggy's back. I thought you might want to talk to him," he answered cautiously. He took another slow step back.
Her moods had been wildly unpredictable in the weeks after the accident. She had woken up after the crash with a splitting headache, a missing boyfriend, and no memory of the incident. A Gray team had been sent in order to investigate. They had searched the scene, sent out a locator spell, and attempted to find a clue in her memories.
They had gotten nowhere.
The only lead that sprung from the investigation had been the presence of a memory blocking spell wedged in her psyche. Over the last few weeks, a variety of Magi, Gray, and even Augur had attempted to unblock her memory to no avail. With no progress being made in Noah's disappearance and having sorcerers tearing through her mind the last month, she had grown increasingly depressed, frustrated, and frantic.
"Look, I know it's been a hard few weeks for you, but the Gray will find him," Caleb reassured cautiously, not wanting to overstep and upset her further.
She let out a breath, feeling guilty for snapping at her brother. He had been nothing but supportive to her, and she had been throwing it in his face.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. She had finally noticed that he was now standing a full five feet away from her now. A small smile appeared on her lips.
"And you can step closer. I'm not going to hit you," she quipped.
"Oh thank the Gods, I was so afraid," Caleb said, relieved. He stepped close and put his arms out to hug her. She took a step back from him.
"Not sure I'm ready to hug you yet, though," she commented wryly.
"Fair enough, I did hit you with a collision spell," he agreed with a nod and a shrug. He nodded his head towards the door. "Ziggy's about to tell the Origin Story to some first echelons."
"Thank you," she said, patting his arm. With a small smile to her brother, she exited the practice room.
She walked the long corridors, heading to speak with her mentor. She knew the halls of the Temple like the back of her hand. The Magi Temple was the beating heart of the Magi; it was where they trained, pursued scholarly texts, and prayed to the gods. It was hidden to the rest of the world by a powerful glamor spell. It remained hidden to the Augur as well. Even though the peace treaty had been ratified, there was still an air of distrust between the two sorcerer clans. The Augur had also yet to reveal the location of their headquarters to the Magi. She had a hard time believing either clan was going to reveal their home bases to each other anytime soon.
She found the first echelon classroom and quietly opened the door to the back of the room. Ziggy, standing in front of the children , had just started the Origin Story. She leaned against the back wall, listening to his calming voice.
"Long ago, before mankind, the gods, and even the Titans, there was nothing. This nothingness was known as 'Chaos', a Divine Being. From this void, this Chaos, burst forth the other Divine Beings: Gaia - what we know as the Earth, Eros - what we feel as Love, the Abyss - what we fear as Tartarus, and Erebus - what we see as Darkness.
Gaia, the Earth, gave birth to the Sky, called Uranus. Uranus and Gaia brought to life the mighty Titans. After the twelve Titans were born, Uranus and Gaia agreed to not bring any other life into existence. Despite this agreement, two more children were birthed unto them. Uranus, furious at the births of the children, threw them in Tartarus to imprison them in eternal darkness. Gaia, when she heard of this vile treachery, became enraged by her husband's actions. She conspired with her son, the Titan called Kronos. Kronos, the youngest of all the Titans, had been consumed with jealousy of his father's power. Gaia formed a harpe, a great stone sickle, capable of killing Uranus. With this harpe, Kronos killed his father and became the ruler of the Universe."
The first echelons, ranging from ages five to eight, were completely silent, enraptured by Ziggy's storytelling. She smiled to herself, remembering when she was a child and hearing the story for the first time.
"Kronos and his wife Rhea, who was a Titan herself, sired the gods. Fearing his children would grow jealous of their father's power, just as he himself did with his father Uranus, Kronos devoured his children: the gods Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Rhea the Titan gave birth to their last child, Zeus, in secret. When Zeus grew old enough, he gave his father an emetic. The emetic, a vomit-inducing potion, caused Kronos to regurgitate the swallowed gods."
She chuckled as a chorus of 'Ew!' rang in the classroom, the children giggling at the story. Ziggy paused, patiently waiting for the children to quiet down. The children quickly fell silent, once again training their focus on the Master Sorcerer.
"Along with his siblings, Zeus battled the Titans for the fate of the Universe. Zeus and his brothers and sisters were victorious. Zeus threw his father, Kronos, and the other Titans in the Pit of Tartarus where they remain to this day.
Zeus and his fellow gods roamed the Earth for many millennia, birthing more gods and building the world we see today. Zeus felt that their creation was missing something vital: a being that could worship him and the other gods. So, he created mankind. He formed us from clay, and he breathed life into us. Zeus and his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, argued and fought over who would rule these new lands and new creatures. The brothers decided to divide the world into three parts: the Sky, the Sea, and the Underworld. The Sky, which houses Mount Olympus, went to Zeus; he rules over all of the gods in his domain, and he shows us his strength in the thunder and lightning during a storm. The Sea, Poseidon's realm, is all of the world's oceans, lakes, and rivers. He knows every inch of the waters and all of its inhabitants. He shows his power in the churning of waves and the bustling winds of a hurricane. The last realm, the Underworld, is where we mortals spend eternity after our earthly time has ended. Not much is known about this mysterious realm or its ruler. What we know is that Hades was Zeus' least favorite sibling, so he and Poseidon agreed to keep him down below, away from most of the other gods. We also know that this is the dwelling of our Goddess, Hecate. Hecate, daughter of the Titans Perses and Asteria, is the goddess of crossroads, light, and most importantly, sorcery."
Ziggy paused as the kids began to whisper excitedly. She grinned at their excitement, envying their wonder and awe.
"One day, a great and powerful creature, known as the Mage, escaped from the confines of the Underworld. This creature, a unique mystical being, was nothing like that which the Earth had ever seen. It was forged in the Den of Shadows, a curious and strange place in the Underworld. Many humans attempted to defeat this beast, but mankind's weaponry was no match to its dark magic. Even several demigods, children of gods and mortals, failed to destroy the beast. Hecate knew the only way to defeat the Mage was to fight back with sorcery, so she bestowed three demigods with the gift of magic. The demigods - Achilles, Penthesilea, and Perseus - fought and defeated the Mage using Hecate's gift. The Mage was sent back to the Underworld, forever remaining in the Pit of Tartarus.
Achilles, Penthesilea, and Perseus lived on to have children of their own. They discovered that their offspring also carried the gift of sorcery. That is where we, the Magi and the Augur, receive our magic. In our blood flows the magic that our goddess Hecate gifted our ancestors. However, our purpose as Magi and Augur differ greatly.
Penthesilea was an Amazon; she was the sister of the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta. After the battle against the Mage, Penthesilea returned to the Amazon homeland, called Themyscira. One day, Hippolyta and Penthesilea went out on a hunt. The deer they were hunting was particularly evasive; simple tools were not enough to kill it. Penthesilea sent a hex to kill it. The spell, instead of hitting the deer, hit her sister. The spell killed Hippolyta. Penthesilea was overcome with grief and anger. She cursed Hecate and the gift that she was given. She swore that her and her kin would stop at nothing to kill Hecate and the other gods. Thus, the Augur were established. They studied and perfected dark magic, all in the hope of one day achieving the goal of destroying the gods.
The descendants of Perseus and Achilles made a promise, an oath: they would thwart every Augur attempt to harm and kill the gods and the rest of mankind. This is where we come from. We, the descendants of Perseus and Achilles, are the protectors of the earthly realm and the path to Mount Olympus. We are the faithful servants of our goddess Hecate. We are the Magi."
She laughed as the children let out a large cheer and clapped for the Master Sorcerer. As the cheering died down, the first echelons started hurling questions at Ziggy.
"So does that mean we're all related?"
"Why was Uranus so mean?"
"Kronos was mean too!"
"Yeah, why were they so mean?"
"Why does Hecate live in the Underworld?"
"What else is in the Underworld? It seems scary!"
"Children," Ziggy chuckled, holding up a hand to call for their silence. They immediately quieted. "Your questions will be answered another time. I must speak with our fifth echelon about an important matter."
Their heads whipped to the back towards her. She grinned and gave them a small wave. They whispered excitedly amongst themselves - being in the presence of fifth echelons was a big deal to the younglings.
"Now, go find Jeremiah. Maybe you could direct all of your questions to him," Ziggy commanded.
The children shot out of their seats, running out of the room to find Jeremiah. When the children had left, she walked to the front of the room.
"He's going to be so annoyed," she said amused, referring to Jeremiah.
"Ah, he deserves it," Ziggy smiled. Ziggy searched her eyes, and his smile fell. The light atmosphere between them was quickly replaced with a tense energy. They both knew what she came to ask him.
"Our mission was unsuccessful," Ziggy answered her unspoken question quietly. Her jaw clenched, and she gave a terse, disappointed nod.
While Ziggy was not a part of the Gray - he refused to use any dark magic whatsoever - he still went out with them for particularly difficult investigations in order to lend his expertise. The team had left two weeks ago in order to search for leads, any leads, in Noah's disappearance. She had desperately wanted to join them. She was denied - not that she expected them to actually let her go - and she had been in agony waiting for them to come back with good news. It seemed that this was not going to be the case.
"So there really wasn't anything?" she asked, her voice small.
"Well," Ziggy started, his voice apprehensive, "we did find something."
She perked up at this.
"What? What is it?"
"There was a small, almost nonexistent, magical imprint left on the car from where the spell hit the vehicle. We were able to decipher that the spell was dark magic."
"We figured that already, didn't we?"
"Yes, however this was unlike anything we had ever seen before. We have never seen this kind of magic actually practiced; only ancient texts describe anything similar to this type of sorcery. It must have come from someone, or something, that the Magi have not faced in a long, long time."
Her heart sank. She turned away from Ziggy, not wanting to see his expression when she asked her next question.
"Do you - do you think he's still alive?" She asked, her voice almost inaudible. She trusted Ziggy as much as anyone, and he always told the truth - she almost didn't want to hear his answer.
Ziggy sighed, grabbing her arm gently and turning her back to face him. He ducked his head, making sure to look her in the eye. "Please, do not give up hope just yet. Despite the fact that a locator spell could not find him, that does not mean that he is not alive. And we did not find a body - that is also a good sign. The Fury, if that is indeed who is responsible for his disappearance, would have left his body somewhere if they had decided to kill him. They have not been shy about leaving behind others that they have murdered in the past."
"Why would they take him in the first place?" she asked, running a hand over her face in frustration. "He wasn't even in the Gray anymore, not really. Did he know something?"
"Noah is a very gifted Magi who traveled the globe for the Gray. While he is no longer active in the Gray, he has accumulated a lot of information that could be useful to the Fury."
"Useful how?"
"Well, their main goal has been clear since the start: kill the gods. Anything that could help accomplish that goal would be advantageous to them."
"You mean curios?"
"Perhaps," he shrugged. "There are many ancient curios around the world, many of which we have no idea the extent of their power."
"Noah didn't believe that any of them could kill gods," she stated.
"Nor do I. But the Fury are beyond reason. If there is even the smallest possibility that a curio could kill a god, then they will exhaust every effort in order to obtain it."
"What happens now?"
"The Gray will keep investigating. They are looking into the magical imprint on the car and cross referencing it with texts to attempt to learn its origin."
"And you? Are you back teaching?
"Yes. I will resume mentoring you and my other pupils. I would, however, like to again attempt to unblock your memory."
She groaned in discontent. "It's no use, Ziggy. I've had about a dozen others try it with no results. It didn't even budge," she pleaded, tapping her temple.
"I want to teach you to unblock it yourself."
"Really?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Other than having the person who placed the spell there in the first place, having a person remove their own block is more successful."
"Why's that?"
"You know your own mind better than anyone. It is a lot less strenuous for you to go searching inside of it rather than having a stranger go wandering in there."
"Makes sense. When do we start?"
He grinned at her eagerness.
"Today. Come with me."
He turned towards the door, and headed towards the hallway with her on his heels. The hallway, like most of the walls in the Magi Temple, were painted floor to ceiling with famous fables and deities. The painted figures on the walls slowly moved, almost making the walls feel alive. One figure caught her eye as she followed her Master: Pandora. Pandora's fiery red hair, sly smile, and ornate jar gave her away. She watched in abject fascination as Pandora slowly opened her jar (you heard her - jar, not box, as often mistranslated), and Pandora's beautiful face twisted in horror as vile beings flew from the infamous jar, cursing humankind with evil. The fable, while untrue, was a famous one in both human and Magi culture. Pandora was very much a real person, but she certainly was not responsible for releasing all evil into the world. She was the first woman created by Zeus, nothing more. But her story was altered, depicting her curiosity as being the downfall of mankind.
She wondered who Pandora pissed off in order to gain that undeserving infamy.
She continued down the vast hallway, trailing Ziggy. While her and Caleb lived in their own house, this was the place she felt most comfortable. She grew up here. She met Daisy here. She even met Noah here.
Noah, she thought, her heart clenching in sadness. She was trying so hard not to give up hope. But a small part of her - the cynical, pragmatic part - was telling her that he was gone. She shook her head, attempting to get rid of the thought; if she were missing, Noah would stop at nothing to find her. It was only right that she do the same.
The hallway lead to a massive, elegant stairwell. The white and gold marble stairs led to the second floor of the temple, home to the library and living quarters. She followed Ziggy up the stairwell, running her fingers along the cold marble railing. Ziggy walked past the library, and she hesitated a moment at the entrance. She could have sworn she saw a woman with a shock of red hair standing over a table, reading a book. But when she looked again, there was no one there.
She felt a small shiver race down her spine.
She caught up to Ziggy, who had paused and was waiting for her with a dark brow raised. She gave a sheepish shrug, and they continued. They wound through the living quarters until they finally arrived at a door that she did not recognize. There was a glittering symbol of a moon on the door - it kept cycling through the phases.
"I don't think I've seen this door before," she commented, watching the first quarter moon morph into the gibbous moon.
"I am not surprised. This is a restricted room."
"Then why is it in the living quarters? Lots of people roaming through these halls. Doesn't seem like the best place for a restricted room," she countered.
"Perhaps not, but not any Magi can get through here. See? There is no door handle."
She was so focused on the changing moon, she did not notice there was, in fact, no door handle.
"Uh, I'm assuming you have a way in?"
Ziggy gave her a sly, confident grin. He closed his eyes, and placed his left palm over the moon.
"Safíneia," he whispered, his voice sounding almost reverent. The moon changed once more to the new moon - a dark circle outlined by a thin, shining ring. The ring pulsed a bright white, and the door slid open.
"Now," began Ziggy, his face and voice serious, "are you ready to begin?"