Chapter 8: Rise, Fall Down, Rise Again
Samael and I travelled to New York together. We reached the city early in the morning. He taught me some more sword play and I was actually getting half decent now. The sword I had was weird though. It didn't feel right wielding it. But it didn't matter. I was getting better at killing with a blade, that's what mattered to me at the time.
"So who are we going to see here Samael?" I asked.
"An old friend of mine. If we can get him on our side it would make it a lot easier for us." He said simply.
"Make what easier?" I asked. I didn't really know what Samael's plans were. And if I was a big part of it I wanted to know!
"You ask too many questions kid." He said. I hated it that he called me kid. I was only a few years younger than him. I didn't say anything though. He would probably kill me if I did. Eventually Samael stopped in front of a give or take 40 stories high skyscraper. We didn't talk as we went inside. We took the elevator to the top floor and after we came out we walked up to the roof. The stairs were cracking as we walked up and it didn't seem all too stable. Before we opened the steel door to the roof we could already hear flat punches against something. When Samael opened it there was someone on the roof. He was about my height, had short dark brown hair and was wearing bronze plated gloves. He seemed about the same age as Samael, both were eighteen. Samael seemed a little older because of the grim look and his scar.
"Hello Samael, or whatever you call yourself these days." The guy said with an English accent. He was punching a punching bag hanging from the roof of the little cubic building we came from.
"Hello Jake, I thought you'd know we were coming." Samael said. "I presume I don't have to explain what I want then?" He said. At the time my guess was as good as anyone's. I had no idea what Samael was on about or who this Jake was.
"I can't believe you're stupid enough to even try. You really think I would join your father? I'd die before that." Jake said as he stopped punching the bag.
"You can't stop him Jake, even if you know what he is planning. Hyperion was a piece of cake compared to what he's got planned." Samael said.
"There's more demigods. Even if I die there are others." Jake said. For some reason he seemed to be looking at me while saying that.
"I'm a little disappointed Jake. I thought you'd at least be a little surprised about me being alive." Samael said with an evil smile on his face. I wondered what Samael meant by that. Did Jake believe he was dead?
"It's tough to pay me a surprise visit. Now get out of here." Jake said. I had never seen Samael listen to anyone but himself. I didn't think he would ever be intimidated by anyone but this guy Jake, apparently Samael feared him in some way. He started walking back into the door. I followed him back down the stairs, into the elevator and through the lobby of the building. Once outside he went into an alleyway, I followed him like a slave. He stopped suddenly, I wanted to ask him why but I decided that it was better not to. Without warning he turned towards me and stabbed me with a dagger. The blade went right through my shoulder, I could feel blood dripping down my chest and arm. I screamed in pain. The only person I had the slightest bit of respect for had just stabbed me in the shoulder.
"Sorry Michael, but you're not a part of this after all. I guess you're not as strong as I expected." Samael said. I felt myself slipping away. I wanted to fight Samael but I couldn't find the strength.
"I'll kill you for this Samael. I'll make you pay!" I said. The words barely made sense. I was on the brink of passing out. Darkness covered my sight, I thought I was done for until I heard someone approach. I passed just as someone lifted me in the air.
I woke up in a bed I didn't recognize. It wasn't a hospital bed as was expected. It was a simple room, a few cupboards and a bed that was it. The wound in my shoulder was still there yet it had already started healing. How long was I out for? I got up and walked out of the room. I entered a small living room of a New York apartment. There was no one there. A bronze knife lay on a small coffee table. I picked it up and spun it around a bit. This was obviously the place of a demigod. That's when the front door opened, I pointed the dagger straight at the person who was coming in.
"Good, you're awake earlier than I foresaw." Jake said. "Might want to put that weapon down, you don't stand a chance against me." The guy was quite arrogant and obviously underestimated me a great deal. He had no idea who I was, what I had done.
"You're unarmed, I'll kill you with ease." I said. He smiled. He was wearing the same bronze gloves as he was the last time I saw him. They were guards not weapons, that's what I thought anyway. That's when he flexed the muscles in his wrists and spikes appeared all over the gloves. Now it was a weapon.
"Are you sure?" He said. I wasn't going to be scared into giving up. I lunged at him pointing the dagger at his heart. He grabbed my arm with his left hand and hit me in the nose with the palm of his right hand. I fell backwards, his power was incredible. He obviously didn't want me injured too badly. Else he would have hit me with the spikes not the palm of his hand. I felt blood dripping out of my nose. My nose was definitely broken. I couldn't believe how fast Jake was. I had been fighting all my life but I hadn't seen that coming at all. "Calm down a bit?" I wanted to attack him again but I knew he would only knock me down again.
"Yeah." He flexed his muscles again and the spikes disappeared. He reached out his hand, I grabbed it and he pulled me back to my feet.
"Here take this." He handed me a glass with some really weird content which I knew to be nectar. Martin had given it to me before. It's your regular soda for gods and ultimate medicine for demigods. If a mortal took but a zip of it they would instantly burn up like a match on benzine.
"You're not from around here are you?" I asked. Of course I could figure out that he was British since he sounded like it. But I didn't know what to say. He had saved my life, I knew that. But I felt nothing. I didn't feel thankful, I wouldn't have minded dying right there. I had lost my reason to live long ago. Life had just became an endless fight for nothing but survival. I wondered at that moment if living without a reason was even living at all. And I knew that there wasn't a reason for me to live. No big plan or fate for me. At least, that's what I believed.
"London to be exact." He said.
"How long have you been here?" I asked. I didn't really know why I bothered with the small talk. I didn't care how long he had been in America or where he was from. Yet I asked.
"Cut the crap Michael, I know you don't care in the slightest bit." Jake said. I bet he could read the amazement off my face. How the hell did he know what I was thinking? "No I can't read your mind Michael." And he did it again.
"Then how do you know what I'm thinking?" I asked. Right when I asked my mind started working full throttle. I remembered what Samael said: I thought you'd know we were coming. How would Jake have known? If I understood the conversation well then Jake believed Samael was dead. How could he have known. "You see the future?"
"Bingo." He said. "Ever heard of the titan Prometheus?" He asked me.
"No." I said. Martin had taught me about most of the gods but I guessed he didn't live long enough to tell me about Prometheus.
"He's the Titan of forethought. Also the one that created humans." Jake said. "He's my dad."
"Your dad created humans?" I asked in amazement.
"Yeah but its the forethought that's important. Because of it his children can see the future. Not a long way ahead or anything but long enough." He said. I wondered how long he could look. For some reason the fact that he said he couldn't look far...made it suspicious.
"So you know everything I'm going to do?" I asked him.
"Not necessarily. The future is never certain. One different choice and everything turns out differently. There's very few beings that know the whole future and all its variations." Jake explained. I wondered who these beings were. I didn't ask though.
"So you knew I was going to be stabbed by Samael?" I asked him.
"Nope, I can only see my own future. I heard you scream though. And since I would have checked it out. I did see what I was going to find. Get how it works?" He asked me.
"I guess." I didn't really. But it didn't matter. If he only saw his own future than it was of no importance to me. At the time I couldn't care less if he would die right there.
"Anyway. What are you going to do now?" Jake asked me.
"I'm going after Samael. I want some payback." I said determined. Samael had acted like a friend and mentor before stabbing me in the back...well shoulder. Anyway, I was going to kill him for it.
"You'll never beat him." Jake said. "Not now anyway."
"I'm tougher than you think." I tried. I now believed Jake wasn't that good. He already knew that I was going to hit him earlier. Everyone can intercept a blow that's expected.
"He taught you everything you know right? I can tell you, he hasn't taught you half of what he knows. I can teach you more than he will ever know." Jake said.
"What do you mean?" I asked him.
"I can train you so that you can get your payback. And after that you go to camp with me and try to do something positive for once in your life." He said. How did he know I never did anything good? He didn't know anything about me!
"You don't know me Jake." I snared.
"You were helping out Samael. That tells me enough." Jake said. I wondered about a lot of things at that time. Mostly about what had happened between Jake and Samael. There was obviously bad blood there. I wondered what that meant.
"Okay then. I guess we've got a deal."
I spend weeks living with Jake. He knew much more about swordplay than I could imagine. I grew better over time. Eventually I gave him a good run for his money. As the weeks passed I became calmer. I started to see that what I had been doing in my life was horrible. I used to tell about the things I had done with pride. Now I was ashamed of pretty much everything I had done in my life. I spend many nights on the rooftop just looking at the stars trying to find a way to forgive myself. I never figured out a way. The guilt would haunt me for a lifetime and beyond.
Jake didn't walk much about his quest to stop Hyperion. He told me a lot about his friends though. Mostly about the three others on that quest. He said it was rare that four people went on a quest, he believed that's why Darius or Dean died. 3 is a holy number in the world of demigods. Four leave, only three return. He also told me about the others. Ashlyn West and Sophie Brighton. Whenever he told me about Ashlyn it seemed that he cared more about her than he wanted me (or anyone) to know. Sophie Brighton he didn't tell me a lot about. He said I would meet her shortly. I guessed he could know, he saw the future after all. And sure enough I did. It was February at the time. I had been living with Jake for three months. The signs of spring were all around us. It was still winter of course but it had stopped snowing and the sun showed itself occasionally. Sophie came to the New York apartment on a warm afternoon. The first time I saw her my heart skipped a beat. If angels existed, she was one of them. She had long blond hair, emerald green eyes and a nearly constant smile on her face. Jake had told me she was a daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. I didn't really realize that it meant that her daughters were this stunning.
"You must be Michael." She said as she came in the living room. I was sitting on the sofa looking at her with amazement.
"What happened to you Mikey? A bit starstruck are we?" He said laughing. Jake was quite the joker. He said it was his way of forgetting about all of the troubles in the world. It was a thing I took over after time.
"I'm not!" I tried. Of course they didn't believe me at all. Both of them laughed.
"Look Michael, why don't you go up to the roof and train that attack I taught you yesterday. Sophie and I have some catching up to do." Jake said. I left the room as he asked taking one last look at Sophie. At first I wanted to go up the roof, until I heard them mentioning me that is.
"Think he's gone?" Sophie asked. I wasn't of course. I was just outside the apartment door trying to hear them. It was tough but I had good ears.
"Yeah I think so. Its getting tougher to see the near future instead of the years coming." Jake said. What did that mean? He told me he only saw the near future.
"I still think what you're doing is stupid Jake. You're challenging the fates, no one who's done that hasn't regretted it." Sophie said. She sounded concerned. For me it was just another question raiser. I had no idea what she meant with challenging the fates. Maybe I didn't want to know.
"I know but what else am I supposed to do Sophie? I can't let all these things happen. And besides if you and the others just keep your words it will all work out in the end. There are only a few kinks in my plan that need to be worked out but I will. Trust me on this one." He said. His plan? What did all this mean? I had started seeing Jake as a close friend but there were obviously many things I didn't know about him.
"You know I do Jake. It's just...I don't know if what you're doing is right. Are you sure he can even handle this? If he's as bad as you told me he would be...he doesn't look like much." She said. I wondered if she meant me. If she did...she didn't really inspire a lot of confidence. I didn't look like much? What was that supposed to mean?
"If the gods and the fates can have their little plans for our lives, why can't I? I know that this will work. Everything I've planned will be holding him by the hand throughout everything. All he has to do is remember what he's been taught." Jake said.
"I can't stop you from doing this can I?" She asked Jake.
"You can. But if you mess it all up than we're all dead." Jake said. "I'm relying on you and everyone else. I'm putting faith in all of you to do what I won't be able to. I won't put you at risk to do it, you know me." Jake said.
"I know Jake...I know." She said.
The following months I increased my training. The conversation between Jake and Sophie bothered me constantly. I had no clue what they were on about. But I was sure that it was about me. And if it was I didn't like what was being said. So many things about it seemed very very bad. Especially the way Sophie doubted Jake. What I did know of the things they had been through I could imagine that they would have quite a bond of trust. But Jake really had to persuade her to help him with his 'plan'. I tried not to worry too much. If Sophie could trust him even with her doubts than I should do the same. Of course that didn't go too well... Every moment I was wondering what he meant. Of course I knew nothing of the contents of the plan. Maybe it wasn't even about me. Didn't make me worry any less though.
I left in the early days of April. I had pretty much surpassed Jake so we believed Samael should be no problem. So I went after him, well I tried. I knew Samael was hard to track. And in New York not being noticed was pretty easy. I knew no one in the city. And the people Jake knew didn't know anything about Samael. It took me three days to find him. He had been living in one of Martin's demigod hideouts. I didn't even know about this one but if Samael found the Detroit one he probably found this one easily. The place had been used, but like always Samael was one step ahead. He had already left. It was a total mess. All the food, nectar and ambrosia that should be there was gone. There were still a few random weapons laying around. I already had a weapon. The same sword I got from Martin months before. Samael had his own sword. Shadow-edge, a four feet long celestial bronze weapon. Made as a sword to be handled with two hands but light enough to be used with one. The blade seemed simple. But whenever I was close to it I felt something...dark coming off that sword. Others would probably fear that feeling. Me however, felt strengthened by it. At first I believed it was an evil blade, and I was evil. How wrong I was.
I wish I had returned to Jake after that. But I didn't. He had told me not to. He said that if I couldn't find him, I had to go to camp. So I did. Samael could be anywhere, and it was safer for me at camp than at his he said. He also made me believe he had nothing more to teach me. I knew that was a load of bull. In a life or death fight I wouldn't stand a chance against him. He was a swords master. I knew. But he had taught me a lot. I was so much stronger than before, my senses seemed so much more active. Whenever I was in a fight I noticed everything around me. Now it seemed like I always did. It was amazing what a few months of training could do. As I strolled through the woods that led to camp I noticed every little movement around me. Which included the knife flying at my head. I ducked and tried to look for my attacker. There he was, the guy I had been looking for.
He looked even darker than before. His eyes had more blood-lust than ever and he had a wicked smile. He had another scar running from the side of his face down his neck. He hair was a little longer than before yet I expected him to trim it short again sometime soon. He was holding Shadow-edge in his hand, again I felt the sensation of its power.
"He told me you survived." Samael said. I figured he was talking about Jake. I didn't know when they talked, but apparently Samael knew.
"So you have been in New York all this time?" I said.
"You've been trying to find me have you?" He laughed. "With promises to kill me probably? Well then Mike, let's see what Jake taught you." He lunged at me trying to cut me in half with one swing. I rolled out of the way getting ready for his next attack. Defence was the best offence. Jake had taught me many ways to counter attacks instead of aimlessly attacking. Samael was too ruthless to stop attacking. He slashed at me again, this time I blocked his attack and in one fluid motion I created a bleeding cut on his chest. He stepped back, surprised by my newly gained skill. "I guess he taught you quite a bit. Well that's a way of honouring his memory I suppose."
"What are you on about Samael?" I asked him.
"You don't know? Well some friend you are. He's dead Michael. Guess who killed him?" He said with an evil grin. It couldn't be, Samael couldn't have killed Jake. It was impossible! Samael wasn't as strong as he was. More importantly...Jake couldn't be dead.
"You! I"ll KILL YOU!" I couldn't control myself. I attacked him in a blind rage. Just like I had the others that dared hurting my friends. Samael thought that by angering me I would lose concentration and lose control of the fight. Well...he was right. I was no match for his skill and experience without my full concentration. Before I knew what was going on I was covered in deep painful cuts. I nearly collapsed. My legs were shaking and I was feeling light-headed. Blood was dripping down to the ground from pretty much every part of my body. If I lost any more blood I would pass out. I tried to concentrate. If I didn't I was done for. Samael was coming at me again. I could feel my heart pounding in my head. It was so tough to concentrate. The only thing I could do was let instinct take over. I raised my sword and blocked his attack. I moved my sword backwards and with the last strength in my body I pushed the sword into his shoulder. I pushed and pushed until I pinned the tip of the blade into a tree. Samael screamed in pain trying to free himself but the sword was stuck in the trunk. I barely had the strength to stand. The only thing that seemed to make me feel better was Shadow-edge. I picked it up and I felt strength returning to me. Some of it anyway. Samael looked at me with pure hatred.
"I'll get you Michael! You'll die for this!" He said. I ignored him and started walking towards camp. I wasn't going to kill him. That part of my life was done. Jake had helped me to see that I couldn't just end someone's life. Maybe Samael would better his life...yeah I know what you think. It was very naive to think Samael would change, but hell, I did. I knew I was nearly at camp. If I could get there I would be able to get Nectar and Ambrosia which would heal me just fine. I was so close, when an excruciating pain filled my head. I fell down to the ground. The entire world was spinning around me. My sight was blurry, all I could see was someone standing in front of me. He seemed to be a teenager. He had messy blond hair, a sleepy look in his eyes and wore an oversized t-shirt and jogging trousers.
He yawned before saying. "Ugh, what a drag." He yawned again and stretched before disappearing. I wondered who it was. If it was a fragment of my imagination. I couldn't worry about it for long. We both know that after I woke up hours later, I couldn't remember a thing.
The scene of my dream changed as it constantly had. I remembered everything now. I had seen my entire life in one giant dream. As I stood there I wondered how long I was already asleep. Was I still asleep? There was nothing around me. Pure darkness, and my reflection in front of me. I believed it was my reflection anyway. He looked exactly like me. The only thing was that he had a wicked smile on his face and a blood thirsty look in his eyes. He was me...but he wasn't. He drew his sword, it was like my sword. Or was mine like his?
"Well Angel...I guess this is where it begins."