I didn't have to be so nervous. Greece was a very nice place. It was warm and sunny all the time, and the people were so friendly. We finished our lunch of delightful round bread sandwiches called "gyros" and browsed through an open market. There were so many things I'd never seen before. There were spices and robes and wonderful sculptures.
We stopped at a jewelry stall, and I admired the assortment of hammered bronze bracelets and decorations. I'd always preferred crystal before, but there was something so exotic and bold about the flat metal forms.
"Are you going to buy one?" Anna asked. I glanced at the waiting shopkeeper.
"Oh… I don't know," I said hesitantly. I crossed my arms.
"But they're so pretty. You never buy anything," Anna coaxed. I looked at the bracelet again.
It's a diplomatic gesture, I told myself. I hovered my hand above the shopkeeper's and dropped in a pile of coins.
Please be enough. Please be enough, I thought. The merchant looked at the coins in awe, looked back at me, sighed, and gave half of the coins back.
"Thanks. Have a nice day!" Anna said. I tucked the bracelet in my bag and retreated to another stall.
See? It went fine. It was just a bracelet. You didn't have to get so worried.
After Anna had looked through every last stall, we slipped away into a quiet forest and admired the Grecian fauna. Anna led the way, pointing out all the interesting trees and any birds that flew by. I followed after and enjoyed the quiet. I wasn't even worried about how things were back home. Right now I was spending time with my little sister, and it was wonderful.
Up ahead there was a clearing. I sat down and ran my hands across the grass. It was nice to be alone with Anna after that bustling market. Something caught her eye, and she crouched down.
"Elsa, look!" Anna said as she wrapped her fingers around the stem of a delicate purple flower.
"I've never seen flowers like those," I said. The ground trembled slightly, and I started to get up.
"What was that?" I said. I walked closer to Anna. "Are there earthquakes in Greece? We'd better go." I took a step toward Anna. Then the ground split open and we both fell to the ground. I sprang to my feet and ran toward Anna, who was looking into the pit. I followed her eyes and gasped. Something in the hole was moving. Two black horses' hooves scrabbled at the edges of the pit. Two more followed after them, and then a black chariot. Then the driver appeared. His skin was blue and his eyes were yellow and sunken. Flames danced on top of his head. He rose from the earth in a long black robe.
It's a Draugr, I thought. No, they're just a legend. It's death, I thought. The Draugr reached toward Anna.
"Anna, no!" I screamed. I ran in front of her and pushed her aside. The draugr grabbed my waist and pulled me into the chariot. Anna screamed my name and grabbed at the lead horse. A clump of its hair ripped out in her hand as the Draugr pulled on the reins and guided the chariot back into the earth. I felt the ice welling up in my hands and directed it at Hades, but something stopped me.
Anna's behind him. You'll hit Anna like last time. You already hurt her twice. I curled my fingers and pressed my hands to my stomach. I shrank away from the Draugr's touch as we went deeper into the ground. I kept my eyes on Anna until there was another rumble and the ground closed up above us. It should have been dark, but there was a light coming from even farther below. I couldn't imagine what was making it, but I was going to find out.