Chapter 21 Clotho

Max

July 21st, 2017

8:44 AM

Rome, Italy

Colosseum

The room is empty, clear, and dark. We are no longer in the room we stood before. Bryan, Rachel, and I stand on a floor with a reflectively wavy substance underneath our shoes as if we were walking on water. There was nothing but empty darkness in our surroundings. We were no longer in the chamber with the mechanism. Whatever the puzzle triggered, it had taken us here. Wherever was here.

Before any of us could ask where we were, something was glowing in front of us. A bright red light blinded us until another strange figure appeared before us out of thin air and from the red light. The figure featured an overweight body with four arms, large breast, a think head and chin, and long snow-white hair. I knew who she was. She was huge and half as tall as the lighthouse in Arcadia Bay. It was Clotho. The third sister of fate and guardian of the Reality Shard.

"So…you've come this far, Arcadian Traveler," said the obese witch-like female named Clotho.

"Clotho," I said with my eyes popping.

Bryan and Rachel are mesmerized by the sight of Clotho as well. Harmless, but unattractive. They both stand next to me silently and allow the traveler to do the talking.

"It would seem that my sister Atropos has guided you here, Max Caulfield."

"I had to find you. Atropos said you'd be here with the Reality Shard."

"This is indeed the domain of the Reality Shard that I've protected for centuries since. You've come to the right place."

"King Arthur and Ezra Prescott claimed this place to be the shard's protector. Why here?"

"The Colosseum was the only place your ascendants made invulnerable to their oppressors. I swore on their allegiance, that I would remain here as guardian of the Reality in the millennia to come."

"What's happening? What is this place?"

"This is the Reality Realm. Where I communicate through your mind and present the many realities unforeseen by any primitive being. And sometimes, realities foreseen by a traveler such as yourself."

"My world is at war with Ares and ConDef. We need the Reality Shard to win it. Can you help us do that?"

"There is no war. There is only the reclamation."

"Then help us stop it."

"None have possessed the strength in past times. Your own species could be destroyed with a single thought. But you are different. My sisters and I have witnessed your actions in your time. The destruction of Arcadia Bay, the fall of Portland, Ares perceives you as a threat. And I understand why."

Clotho held out one of her four arms and made a glowing red shard appear over the palm of her hand. The Reality Shard was floating over her hand. With the shard's power, she made a scene appear in the emptiness around her. A scene of knights on horses gathering around the roundtable where the Knights of Loomis sat and King Arthur sat with them.

"Seventeen centuries ago," began Clotho. Projecting the scene of Arthur and the knights at the table. "My sisters and I were the apex of time and continuum. Keeping the peace and balance of the universe for King Arthur and the Knights of Loomis who were in our thrall and worshipped us. Serving our needs. We grew more powerful and they were cared for. But we could not protect them from themselves. Over time, Ares had rallied their antagonist known as the Saxons that then destroyed them. Tribute does not flow from a dead race."

Clotho stopped projecting the scene with the shard and switched to a new scene. One of a wall with petroglyphs and engravings of the Ark of Genesis carved on. Projected by the Reality Shard.

"To solve this problem," continued Clotho. "We created a machine with the mandate to preserve life and time at any cost. The Ark of Genesis. As its technology evolved, it studied the development of eternity. Its understanding grew until it found a solution. In that instance, it betrayed us. It chose Ares to be the reclaimer of half of all life in the universe. From our essence, a new band of crusaders was called upon sixteen centuries later. You call them the Herd of Whales."

"You built that machine despite what you saw the knights and the herd experience," I said. "Why?"

Before Clotho could answer why, she projected the actual Ark of Genesis behind us. It was a very tall and huge pyramid-shaped machine. Bigger and taller than the Egyptian Pyramid and illuminating an aqua blue light on top.

"You cannot conceive a universe that bends to your will," said Clotho. "Every creature, every nation, every reality we discovered became our tools. We were above the concerns of lesser species. The power was envisioned as simply another tool."

"And now we all pay the price for your mistake," I said.

"There was no mistake. It still serves its purpose."

"How did you remain hidden all this time?"

"Our purpose was not complete. My sisters and other celestials found refuge in the dark corners of the universe after the first two Eternity Wars. I remained here long after Arthur's war and Ezra's. To keep my oath to protect the Reality from any primitives against yourself."

"You said 'every reality'. Have you seen realities of alternate outcomes in the conflicts?"

"It is not for us to make those realities for ourselves or travelers such as you."

Clotho used the shard again to project the things I've seen in an alternate reality I've experienced 'that' fateful Wednesday and Thursday. Projecting my alternate-self hooking up with Victoria, getting together with the Vortex Club, and sitting next to the crippled and paralyzed Chloe lying down in her medical bed.

"You have witnessed the consequences of the alternative timestreams yourself," continued Clotho. "The reality in which the father of your friend Chloe Price had never deceased. And where Chloe alone was debilitated from an atrocious accident. Any in all alternatives could only be seen or shown by other known travelers before you. That is the best I can educate."

"Tell me about Ares," I asked.

"Ares is known to be the god of destruction and war. For all of millennia, he has only have been known to us as the immortal warmonger obsessed with raging war and thriving the reclamation for himself. As well as the goal of exterminating half the population of every species in the universe. Proclaiming and justifying his motivation as a way to bring balance to time and space so only half of every living being can live with more resourcefulness, dignity, and satisfactory. Something he claims to be a mercy upon ourselves. To do that, he would need every six Eternity Shard, the Eon Codex, and the Ark of Genesis to fulfill his mission he has relentlessly pushed forward for centuries. A mission he must never complete."

"What do you know about the Ark of Genesis?"

"There is more to the Ark of Genesis than Ares's cause. The machine was built not only to damage life and time, but also to save it. The Eon Codex and the Eternity Shards are also the keys to do the opposite of what Ares wants. They can be used to end Ares and his army of Fallen he uses as his secondary army. The Fallen you've witnessed during the battle of Portland known to you as Triple 4. An undead army Ares will rise as his preliminaries should his primary army known as ConDef fail. Then your war will be won and you alone can wield the Mantle of Possibility. Only a traveler can claim absolutely."

"Okay, you've made your point. Will you help stop Ares by giving us the Reality Shard?"

"I have searched your capabilities. They exceed my expectations. And my sisters'. The Reality Shard shall be yours."

Clotho lends over the Reality Shard to me as it hovers over to my fingers. I reach for it take it in my grasp as it levitates in the air. The red glowing jewel holding the mystic entity itself lights my hand in redness like a nightlight made of blood. What we all came here for is now in the good hands of mine.

"Take the Reality Shard with imperative care," said Clotho. "Keep it away from the wrong hands at any cost. If you fail, Ares will be another step closer to success. Find the other shards and use them to defeat Ares with the Ark of Genesis."

"There are only two other shards Ares doesn't have," I said. "How do I find them?"

"You must go to the Mediterranean Islands where the Time Shard will be hidden. And where Chronos protects it as well. He will guide you to your next step. The Space Shard will be hidden in Beirut of Lebanon. Where Hades protects it from your adversaries. Then you'll be one step closer to your last task on the island of Meridian Prime. Where the Ark of Genesis shall be yours. We will be counting on you, Max Caulfield. The fate of the universe rest upon your brave shoulders."

I wake up to a brighter room. Back in the founders' chamber where the table is still turned over with three tablets flipped. I see Uncle Bryan and Rachel waking up off the floor from the Reality Realm as well. Clotho said that we need to find the Time Shard in the Mediterranean Islands and the Space Shard in Beirut. Easy for us to find one in the islands. Harder for us to find another in Beirut where part of the war is taking place crawling with ConDef and resistance fighters.

I fell something in the palm of my hands and its Reality Shard the I'm holding. I put in a safe place inside my pockets and so it doesn't go anywhere else. I still needed to take those photos for Alex. The tablets appeared to be showing something of importance and we were going to need it. Rachel and Bryan brush themselves off and stand up on their two legs as I do when taking the pictures with my phone.

"I don't know what the fuck we just went through," said Rachel. "But that Clotho sister was ugly as fuck."

"At least now the Reality Shard is in our hands," said Bryan.

I snap three photos around the table of the three that were flipped over. Showing three landmarks that could be the islands Clotho mentioned. As soon as they're taken, I send them to Alex.

"Alright," I said. "Let's see what Alex makes of these."

Bryan stepped in front of the table to analyze one of the landmark tablets for himself. Then he actually understood something about them.

"You know," he said. "That kinda looks-"

"Hold on," I said.

I rip out some sheets of paper from my journal, take a pencil, place the paper on the tablets, and use the pencil to scribble on the paper to mark the landmarks with it. A pencil rubbing can be a good backup tool if I no longer had my phone.

"What are you doing?" Bryan asked. "You just took pictures."

"Hold that," I asked him.

I go back around the table to rub more graphite on the paper for the other landmarks while Bryan holds the first one for me.

"You know," I said rubbing the paper. "Ezra's recruits wouldn't've had smartphones obviously."

"Obviously," said Rachel.

"So this would've been the only way to get to the next clue."

Bryan chuckled.

"These are clues?" He asked.

"Yeah, lemme see," I asked.

After finishing all the rubbing, I take them all, including the one Bryan held, and place all three of them in front of a burning candle. Projecting light through them to see something hidden in the rubbing. Ezra's sigil with a motto written in Latin. My uncle chuckled again.

"Huh," said Rachel.

"Alright," said Bryan. "These could be trade winds…yeah, and these look like latitudes…and I would guess that we are packing our bags again, miss. What?"

"Sit autem omnis grex dirigendos pedes nostros," I read. "No, no – it can't be."

"Can't be what?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, my dog. It's so obvious."

"Max?" Bryan thought.

"Why didn't I see this before?"

"Jesus," said Rachel. "Enough with the 'beautiful mind' shit. What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Just, just, hang on."

I pick up my phone to call Alex for one moment to talk about my discovery.

"Alex, did you get the photos?" I asked on the phone.

Unfortunately, it's not Alex's voice I hear. It's the laugh of a female voice on the call. And I know who's laugh it was on Alex's number I dialed.

"Here I am," said Joanna. "Calling what I thought was Bryan's phone and look who picks up. How you been, Max?"

My face turns pale and my stomach stings. I turn around to Bryan and Rachel. Shocked to hear Joanna Prescott on the phone. Either she has Alex and Frank and took Alex's phone to call me or she has my number.

"Hey, Joan," I said. "Missed you in Greece. How'd you get this number? Bryan leave it on a cocktail napkin?"

"I wish," laughed Joanna. "That would've cost me a few shots of rum, right? No, no. I had to pay top dollar to find you guys and gals."

"Yeah, well, I hope you didn't spend too much on your ancestor's whole thing. I hear the competition is fierce."

"Yeah, you pulled off some clever moves there. But in the end, all that matters is who gets to the Ark of Genesis first."

I chuckled.

"That sounds like a bet," I said.

"Hey, Max," said Joanna. "You know I'm always game, but my partner…well, he prefers to…mitigate unnecessary risks. As for Ares…you really don't to mess with him. No siree."

"Wowser, Joanna Prescott, taking orders from somebody else. Oh, how times have changed."

"Look, Max, I'm gonna make a one-time offer here. You drop everything, go home, live your life, and I'm willing to forgive and forget. For old time's sake."

"As tempting as that sounds, Joan, I gotta say I'm – not normally the kind of gal who likes to quit while she's ahead."

"Okay. 'Sit autem omnis grex dirigendos pedes nostros.' May the herd guide us all. These are nice pictures, Max. Good composition."

"You hacked our phones?"

"You stole my codex! Listen, Max, if you're half as smart as you think you are, you'll accept my offer. What's it gonna be?"

"Listen, as nice as it's been to catch up with you, I – really got to take this call. So…"

"Well, Max, one more thing. Max!"

"What?"

"You, uh…you do realize that your phones are equipped with GPS, right?"

Now my face is paler. Joanna is using Google Maps or something to track us down.

"I'll see you soon, missy," said Joanna lastly before hanging up.

I hang up immediately and race for the exit with Bryan and Rachel.

"Shit," I panicked.

"Let me guess," said Bryan. "Goons with guns on their way here now?"

I call Alex for real this time and to warn her and Frank.

"Alex!" I snapped on the phone.

"May the herd guide us all," said Alex on the phone. "Max, do you understand what this means?"

"Alex, listen to me! Get off the streets right now! And turn off your phones or destroyed them or whatever!"

"What's going on?!"

"Joanna knows where you are! Alright, you gotta find someplace to hide!"

Before Alex could reply, I hear a screeching noise of tires coming to a halt. Then gunfire. And then two last words before Alex broke up."

"Oh, shit! Fr-"

"Alex?! Alex! Dammit!"

X/SQUARE/LM – DESTROY PHONE

B/CIRCLE/RM – TURN OFF PHONE

My phone had those pictures in it and I just got this phone a month ago. I decide to turn it off and make sure everyone else's phones were off too. And that the Reality Shard was kept in a tightly safe place in my pants pocket.

"Turn off your phone!" I warned. "We gotta get to, Alex! Now!"