Yay! Next Chapter! Exciting things ahead! R&R!
However crazy or loopy Mrs. Gordon might have been then, the boy had been real. I was sure of it. Maybe not the magical floating part- the I distinctly remember the 'trying to kill us' part, and that was not good, magic or not.
"I thought you dealt with him!" I shouted.
My mother's head snapped around to glare at me. "Devitka! Lower your voice. Big movements are not good now, she needs to be calm!"
"I am calm." said Mrs. Gordon. "It's just there's a Venti coming to kill your daughter."
"That's nice." said Mom, staring in disbelief at Mrs. Gordon. She glanced back at me for a moment, and I could read her mind- What a crazy. I wished I could be so certain too.
Sirens wailed, as ambulances came closer. They would be here soon, and my mother made a snap decision. She passed the blood soaked towel to me and stood. "Devitka, keep this applied to the wound. You have to keep constant pressure, okay? I'm going to go meet the ambulances. Stay. Here. We can talk about this later."
Blood started to trickle down my arm, warm and sticky but I nodded. I pressed the towel to Mrs. Gordon's head, ignoring the blood. My mother nodded, and left, running out the door and down the hallway.
"Mmm." mumbled Mrs. Gordon. "Sorry, Devvy... I didn't have Celestial bronze... couldn't really kill it... I was hoping you would leave before it came... If you run, it would have a harder time to find you..."
It felt like a lightning bolt ran through my spine. Leave? My eyes widened as I thought about it. Leave? While someone who may or may not have powers is trying to kill me? And can track me by my smell?
"No!" I yelled. "I'm going to call the cops- they-they're the ones who are supposed to deal with-" I waved my hands around in the air. "-All of this!"
Mrs. Gordon scoffed."Really. You think they can handle this world? The one with monsters and gods and really good tea- this is very good tea..." she sipped it again.
"What makes you think I can handle all of this?"
"Because you don't have a choice. You have to deal with it, and you have to learn how, fast." She shook her head. "I had someone to tell me how, but you... You don't- I would have, but you've got to go and I've lost... a lot of blood. Can't go anywhere now, but you can... You have to."
"I don't want to."
"Do you want your mother to get hurt?"
The short answer was no. The long answer was hell no. When I thought about it like that... it made sense. I'd rather that mom didn't have to go through what I did at the retirement home. But I didn't want to leave. My herd instincts were in control. Home was safe- people were safe- if I stayed with people, we would be safe. Safety in numbers.
But I knew that I had already made my decision.
I handed her the towel. "Hold it to your head- I'm going to pack."
She pressed it to her wound, and nodded gently as I left to my bedroom."Good for you, dearie. Looks like you're not so s-stupid after all. Head to the States... and take your passport!"
"I am not going to the States, you bat." I yelled. I pulled my backpack off the back of a chair, and dumped the contents on the floor. Audio books, pencils, paper spilled out. It made a mess but I ignored it, refilling the bag with a change of clothes and a pair of boots. After a moment's thought, I threw in my iPod. There were some books on there I wanted to listen too, might as well have something to do while I'm on the run. "I'm not going to be gone for long- I'm just going to get rid of this... thing! Then I'm coming straight back, you hear? I don't even own a passport..." I told her as I emerged from my room, snagging my jacket on the way out. Spring in Canada was less of a separate season and more of a second-winter. I would need it, even if I was gone for a little bit. There were still snow banks in a few areas and it was the end of March.
"Then take... this!"
A small booklet with red leather and Greek writing on the cover appeared in front of my nose. Even though I had never studied Greek, I could tell it said Greek Book. "Of course... it's been years since I've used it; I don't think they make them anymore, but if should get the job done. It's like... a special passport and guide. It'll get you any where across borders. Doesn't work on smaller things, like towns, so... be careful. If anyone asks you're on a t-top secret quest. " explained Mrs. Gordon. My eyebrows pulled together. "I don't want it."
"Take it anyway. It can answer some questions you have. You might need it."
I stared at the booklet for a second before sighing and tossing it into my bag. "I'll give it to you when I get back." I looked around and wondered what else I would need.
"A knife would be good." suggested Mrs. Gordon. I grabbed a carving knife from the rack, shoving it in my bag with the rest of the stuff, and threw in some granola bars.
The sirens arrived outside, and I heard my mother talking to them through the window- she must have been yelling.
"Tell my mom-" I swallowed hard. I suddenly had a frog in my throat. "Tell my mom I'll be back soon, okay?"
"Of course, dearie." Mrs. Gordon waved her away.
I swallowed again, and left my home. I took the stairs, just as the elevator doors dinged, and opened.
The wind was picking up when I made my dash to the shed for my bike. It would be easier than running; faster too. It only took a few moments for me to unlock it and be on my way down the street. The sun was shining, with a brisk wind. It was weird. I expected it all to be doom and gloom, but no... Today was only a train wreck for me. Everyone else was having a normal day.
Heh... Normal.
I didn't have a plan. I really wished I did though. Some fore-thought would have been nice, but I was getting the feeling that there wasn't much time for advance-planning in this strange new world I was in. I thought about going to a friend's house, but I couldn't for the same reason I was leaving in the first place. They would be in danger. I headed East, going to the shoreline of Lake Ontario- there were more bike lanes and paths. It would be faster there.
Thunder rolled overhead, a freak storm appearing. Storm-spirit, said Mrs. Gordon. This couldn't be good.
Rain started to pour, and I started to panic. Darkness fell, even though it was only early afternoon. Rain bounced off of my head, getting in my eyes, and making it hard to see. The hair on my arms stood on end. I could practically feel him near me. He was getting close.
Lightning struck a stoplight two blocks ahead in a flash so fast I would have missed it had I not have been glancing up. I could hear the wires and circuits practically scream from there, high and piercing. Next to the light, I saw a figure, with dark wings. The Venti. I slammed on the brakes, only to start skidding, hitting a parked car and rolling a few feet on the cold wet concrete before coming to a halt.
I scrambled up to my feet, keeping my eyes on the figure.. He started walking towards me, and I could just hear over the wind. "YOU BROKE MY NOSE! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" he yelled, pointing to his swollen nose. "MY NOSE MAY BE WEAKER, BUT I CAN STILL SMELL YOU!" Lightning struck again, hitting a power line. It sparked and flared, blinding me. I blinked away spots, and he seemed to float towards me, feet barely touching the ground, and I lurched into action. I righted my bike, and put pedal to the metal.
Through the rain, I biked as fast as I could. I headed towards the lake, which crossed my mind as a stupid, idea, but it seemed like the right direction. Away. Less traffic, more people.
Once I hit the lake shore, I turned west, away from Toronto.
I paused, the storm seeming to have subsided to the horizon. I seemed to have out run it for a while. I had been pedaling for like, 4 hours, and had managed to get somewhere near Burlington, some minor town in the Greater Toronto Area. I had never been before, but it seemed nice enough.
I took down my hood and shook out my hair. I was soaking. I hadn't dried out from the downpour earlier that day. The sun was beginning to set as I wandered around their downtown. I'd need someplace to stay. My first thought was a homeless shelter. Scary and sketchy as hell, but I didn't have enough money for a hotel room and then food for tomorrow. I looked around, checking the flyers taped to telephone poles for any ads for a homeless shelter. I passed by a tech store, and the display TVs were all turned to a news channel. The anchor was reporting some story. I couldn't hear it through the glass. There was a tagline beneath her, and after trying to decipher it, I read: "UNEXPECTED FLARE ABOVE THE NIAGARA RIVER: SUSPECTED FIREWORKS. AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING." I wondered how slow a news day they must have had in order to resort to that story- usually there was nothing but drugs, scandal and violence on the news.
Like it was timed, the news report changed. It showed the retirement home at which I volunteered. There was shaky video footage, mostly of elders trying to run. There was no footage of the inside. Old people, for the most part, wouldn't have video cameras. I thanked God for small miracles.
Out of the corner of the frame, I saw myself dart out of the building. I looked like I have just been through a blender and- I looked down at my cuts and bruises and tears in my clothes from falling off my bike- I suppose I still did.
Next, a picture of the monster popped up on the screen, the words SUSPECT underneath with bold red letters. The news anchor did her best to look severe, but only came off as mildly constipated. Next, the words "Last seen in the Mississauga area, heading south-west" appeared, and I mouthed the words to myself as I read the words slowly.I frowned, fear running through me like adrenaline. Wait, no. That was the adrenaline. "South-west" was in my direction. Damn! He was quick.. Even on my bike, I was too slow. But I was already tired. I was fit, but still. Four hours of non-stop-pedaling-for-my-life takes it out of me. I needed someplace to sleep, maybe doesn't have to be safe per se, but it should be dry and warm and come with a shower.
My backpack shifted of it's own freewill and I jumped a mile high. I threw off the pack and scrambled away from it. It shifted again. I swallowed hard. What the hell was up with my pack? Summoning my courage, I crept forwards and pulled the zipper down.
The Greek passport book fell out, twitching on the ground like it was having some sort of papery seizure. It flipped open, flying to a middle page.
"Hello! And welcome to the Wonderful Demi-god Life Manual!" it said in a pleasant and cheery female voice. It was like the voice on an airplane that explained how to buckle your seat belt, but had a thin, almost dry voice.
I yelped and hid behind a telephone pole.
It continued, the pages wavering slightly as it spoke. "Please insert your name, and godly parent!"
I didn't know what to do, so I just stared at it for a while until it sighed in it's thin voice. There was no way I was going to talk to a book. That would just be the last straw. I would officially be insane.
"State you name and godly parent, please," it said. "Out loud, please."
I bit my lip and gave in. Today was crazy enough. This couldn't hurt. "Uh... Devitka Gupta, and... I don't.. .know?"
"Should I put you down as unclaimed?" asked the book.
"...Sure?" I replied even though I had no idea what it was talking about.
"Welcome, DEVITKA GUPTA, to the Wonderful Demi-god Life Manual, also known as the Demi-god Manual, or even, the G-book, for Greek-book," it said as if it was reciting lines memorized a long time ago. "This is a book to help you on your journey as a young hero. May I take a moment to tell you about my author?"
I shrugged. Might as well... "I don't.. see why not."
" Dionysus, god of wine and festivities, has put this manual together to help young heroes complete their quests and survive on their own so they 'can leave and never come back, the little sh-' QUOTE REMOVED BY CHIRON. Please remember that he has written this out from the bottom of his life, and you should be eternally grateful. I have been brought to life by Hecate. Please enjoy, and pass it on to other worthy demi-gods in the event of your death. Thank you for listening."
My heart skipped a beat. "Death?"
It ignored me, "I was specially designed to help you with all your needs. Use me to make your quest easier. May I ask how you came across me, and why you are not wearing a skirt? It is unwomanly to be seen in anything but a skirt that reaches your knees," It paused, then coughed pointedly when I took more than 5 seconds to respond.
"What? Oh-uh... An old lady gave it to me- Mrs. Gordon..." I ignored the part about the skirt.
"Oh! ... Yes, she's a clear sighted mortal- there are a number of them in the world. She was the mother of my last owner." the book was silent, but not for long. "May I ask the date?"
I thought for a moment before replying. It flapped its pages, which I took as the equivilent of nodding.
"My, it has been a long time... My duty remains! From the information I have recently found, I seem to be over 40 years out of date. Please turn me in, and receive a new, updated version!"
I tried to think of a way to word what was running through my mind. "Turn you into... where? Mrs. Gordon said that things like you weren't made anymore."
"Very well, you will have to make due with me, until other substitutes can be found. What would you like to know, DEVITKA GUPTA?"
"Uh..." My mind raced. "Where can I find some place to stay?" I asked.
"What do I look like? A phone book directory? No, I can't tell you where you can find a place to stay. I can only give you advice."
"Then, can I get some advice?"
"Pick me off the ground first, thank you very much."
I sighed, but picked the red-leather book and then slung my back pack on my shoulder. "Now can I have advice?"
The G-Book pages flipped rapidly making a pfthhhhh noise before finally resting to a page that had a picture of a house on it.
"When finding a place to stay, please take into account your location, and your budget," began the G-Book. "There are many places to stay including, but not limited to hotels, motels, hostels, homeless shelters, alleyways, under bridges, abandoned buildings, and cars. If you you do choose a hotel, motel, hostel or shelter, beware, as they may record your visit, and pass it on to unsavory characters, like GORGONS, HARPIES, MINOR GODS, and other HUMANOID BEINGS. They may have minor security, and comfortable quarters. Alleyways, under bridges and by-passes, buildings and cars are anonymous, but there may be legal ramifications-"
"This isn't helping, G-Book," I cut it off.
"Well, excuse me," said the G-Book with more sass than any other books I've heard. Which is a total of one, but let's not nit-pick, okay? "This is just what was written in me!"
A clap of thunder made the surrounding buildings shake and a few drops of rain began to fall. The G-Book trembled in my hands. "RAIN! RAIN OH GODS RAIN DON'T LET ME GET WET!" it screamed. I sighed and put it in my jacket. "Better?" I asked, as I pulled my bicycle up and straddled it. "Way to go- you wasted my time and now it's caught up with me. Guess who doesn't get any rest?" I snapped at it.
The voice of the G-Book was muffled slightly by my jacket. "Wait- something is after you? What is it?"
"Uh.." My mind went blank. Damn! The name had flown out of my head. "Something Starbucks-y.."
"Are you even speaking English?"
"Shut up- you're not helping!" I hissed, pedaling away on my bike. "It was something like... like.. It started with a 'V'- Venti! It's a Venti- that's what Mrs. Gordon said it was."
The G-Book paused, then launched into a speech; "VENTI, also known as STORM SPIRITS. Monsters born of pure chaos, born when TYPHON was defeated by various OLYMPIAN GREEK GODS. They have the abilities to A- Control lightning and wind, B-fly, C- become intangible. Extreme caution advised. If you have a child of Zeus or some one with powers over the sky/wind/rain, it would be best if they fought the Venti."
"Fat lot of good you are- I don't have a child of Zoo or whatever!"
"You may be a child of ZEUS-" it pronounced the name deliberately. "-seeing as you are unclaimed. Have you ever demonstrated any ability to influence the skies with emotions, fly, shock people with lightning, or find yourself drawn to high altitudes?"
"I don't scared of heights and I've never influenced the sky as far as I know!"
"This doesn't look good." it muttered in my jacket.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." I muttered back.
"I would suggest going south. The gods have more control in the States, you will have more power and protection."
"What if I don't want to go to the States?"
"Would you rather die, or run?"
Lightning flashed besides us, and I counted seconds for the thunder. One... two... thr- Thunder boomed. Too close, so close. It answered my question. I pedaled harder, and pulled around a corner, course correcting for the U.S.. "Fine. I run. We do as you say."
I had been bicycling for a total of 8 hours and I was exhausted. Sleep and rest was so tempting, but every time I stopped, even for a few minutes, the Venti came closer and the storm intensified, forcing me back on my bike.
But finally, the Niagara river was so close, I could see it through the buildings, and a bridge. A custom's building. I pedaled harder; salvation in sight, it felt. Lightning flashed, and there wasn't even enough time to count a second before thunder rumbled closer than ever before. I glanced up and in the dark sky, I saw a figure in the clouds.
The Venti.
I ditched the bike, throwing it to the side just as a bolt of lightning struck it. Sparks flew, but I ignored them, running for the customs' building. Light flashed, and the front doors crackled alive with electricity. I didn't stop. Without even thinking about it, I kicked the doors open with my shoe, the rubber protecting me, but melting at the contact.
Inside was dim, lights flickering on and off, and a small line of miserable people waiting to get through. They all turned and gawked at me, but I ignored them.
I leaped a rope barrier and charged for the security guard as another roll of thunder shook the building.
"Hey you can't-" began the guard, her hand reaching for her belt. I was quicker than her, thankfully. I had my G-Book out and shoved it under her face "I'M ON A QUEST AND I NEED TO GET THROUGH NOW." I screamed. The poor guard looked terrified, like she was going to scream or call security Then a strange thing happened. Her eyes became cloudy, like a film of mist was covering them. She snatched the G-Book from my hands and stamped it. I had it back faster than I could blink. "Enjoy your stay." she droned. I didn't wait to say thank you, I just bolted.
The bridge was mostly deserted, with only a trickle of cars going to and from the border. I ran to the side, the headlights of passing cars illuminating my shadow as they passed. Beneath me, the Niagra swirled and churned. My feet felt so heavy, like concrete blocks, splashing in the puddles. I suddenly regretted leaving my bike behind. My body was resisting me, and I could feel myself slowing down. I needed all the speed I could get.
Rough hands seized me, lifting me into the air. My feet left the ground and I kicked wildly. I made the mistake of looking down, and I nearly passed out. My heart rate shot through the roof and I squeezed my eyes shut. Not heights, please not heights.
I clawed at my attacker. The Venti hissed. He dropped me onto the river bank. I splashed in the shallows and muck. The entire bank was littered with pollution, shopping carts and huge, metal and unrecognizable objects lay half-buried in the mud.
"Water! Water! I'm wet!" screamed G-Book.
Surfacing, I was just quick enough to catch the Venti landing on the firm sand of the river. I reached into my pack, not tearing my eyes off of my hunter, and pulled out the knife I had brought. I clutched it in my hands. It slipped, but I kept readjusting. A trickle of mud fell over my eye, and I wiped it away, smearing mud over my face.
"Well, well, well..." said the monster, flying gently towards me. Wind whipped my face, making it hard to see. "Little demi-god's got a knife. Colour me... scared." he sneered the last word. I couldn't blame him for not being intimidated. I was exhausted, scared, shivering, muddy and I could barely hold a knife. I bared my teeth. "Stay back!" I screamed. "I'm n-not afraid to use it!"
"Oh, really? And what good will that do me? You're not sending me back to Tartarus with that letter opener." it smirked. "Not a lot of demi-gods have your audacity. Not even attacking me with a divine metal." it scoffed.
Confusion filled me. Other demi-gods... people like me, divine metals- that must be what Mrs. Gordon mentioned. Not to mention the fact that I didn't know what audacity meant at all."Yeah, well... What were you doing in a retirement home? Creepy much?" I shot back.
It frowned, "I got lost. Human establishments are... confusing to me. I thought it was a school."
I snorted, even though my death was probably imminent. "Still creepy."
The Venti sneered. "What am I waiting for?" it laughed. Lightning crackled in the air. It raised his hand, and I sprung into action. I ran forwards, out of the water, and slashed at the monster. It was taken aback, and I managed to cut across it's arm. It hissed in pain and leapt back, throwing lightning at me.
I twisted away, and the lightning flew past, blasting a crater in the river bank. I pushed at the figure, trying to stab him again. It scowled, swiping at me. I dodged to the right, but lightning the blast flung me further, slamming me into the bridge foundations. I saw stars, and landed in soft mud. I lay, winded, as I watched the Venti fly above me, perching on the railing of the over pass. He smirked, and burned through the railing off with two rapid-fire lightning strikes, separating a portion of it.
Before I had time to realize what it was doing, it kicked the railing over, landing on my lower half.
The weight pushed me lower into the mud, and it almost consuming me. I screamed out in pain. I couldn't tell if my legs were broken or not. The Venti smiled cruelly and hovered over me, hanging in the air.
"Trapped so easily..." it murmured. "What a disappointment... I thought you would be more fun."
I gripped the iron bars, trying to pry them off, but to no avail- I was trapped. I was helpless, I was going to die. I strained, grunting from the effort.
The Venti landed on the railing, pushing me further into the muck, and making me scream again. "No one can hear you, little demi-god," it taunted, grinding it's shoe-less foot into my stomach. I flailed my arms around, looking for something to grab, something to fight with. My hand touched something cold and metal and my heart leapt. I got a firm hold of it, feeling the edges. It was sharp, perfect. I tried to pace my breathing and waited for the right time to strike.
The Venti leaned forwards, it's face only a few inches from mine. I could see it's eyes, crackling with energy, and smell its breath. "You're a runner not a fighter," it mused. "But you can't run forever."
I really wished I had said a witty come back, but I was tired, wounded, about to die and desperate. Give me a break.
In a flash, I sliced at the Venti with the metal object, and prayed it would hit.
It did.
A gash of golden liquid appeared on it's throat, dripping on me. The monster's eyes' bulged as they slowly flickered out. I stared into them as he died, never once loosening my grip on the sharp of metal I had found. Slowly, his eyes went out, and his body crumbled into dust.
I lay back in the mud, shocked at what I had just done. I had just taken a life. I killed something. I didn't know what to feel. Confused, angry, scared... I glanced at the shard that had saved my life. Underneath the dirt and gold blood, the bronze metal shone in the darkness.
I thanked it with my mind, slipping it into my coat pocket.
Still in shock, I braced my hands against the cool metal that trapped me and pushed.
Slowly, but surely and with a huge sucking noise, the railing rose off of me and I managed to slip out from underneath it.
I gasped in relief that the weight was gone, and I started to cry. I was so tired I didn't care.
"Come on," said a voice. "Get up, there might be more."
Things are picking up! More in the next chapter!