Chapter 24 - Darkest Night part 2
The elevator was on the ground floor when I pushed the call button. Hands shaking, I fumbled for the keycard only to frown in confusion as I now had two. Had Lord Anicetus, the Security Desk god, accidentally given me more than one? I admit I wasn't paying attention. With a shrug, I pocketed the spare card before inserting the other into the slot.
A new button appeared, made of polished bronze and engraved with the number six hundred. With a huge grin, I pushed the button and felt the elevator begin to move. This was it. I was really going to visit the city of the gods! I could hardly wait.
As much as I couldn't wait, I found that I had no choice. Six hundred floors was a long way to ascend, and the elevator was taking forever! I sat down against the back wall, wishing I at least had a ball to bounce or something. Maybe a coloring book? On second thought, crayons plus my body heat sounded like a terrible combination. Finally the elevator chimed, signalling that I had reached my desired floor, and the doors opened.
I'll be honest, my first reaction to seeing Olympus was to immediately backpedal into the elevator. I never imagined myself afraid of heights, but standing on a narrow platform suspended above where even airplanes travel would give anyone a sense of vertigo. Once my initial shock wore off, and I convinced myself it had to be safe, I went to grab the keycard from the elevator only to notice it had vanished. Checking my pocket, I found I still had that one on me. I guess they were one-time use only? With a shrug, I pocketed the card again and left the elevator.
Now that the initial bout of panic had passed, I found myself in awe of the breath-taking sight before me. I stood on a platform suspended miles above the ground, connected to a flying snow-capped mountain peak that seemed to rise out of the clouds below by a narrow, stone bridge.
The sky was clear and I imagined I could see the entirety of the galaxy from this vantage point. I always felt small - based on my height and weight, I was small - but right now, staring at the very cosmos unfolding before me, I felt truly insignificant. Taking a breath, I returned my attention to the ground beneath my feet.
"You can do this," I told myself. After all, the ones from the camp had presumably crossed the narrow stone bridge just fine. At least, there hadn't been any reports of someone jumping to their death from the Empire State Building today.
Tentatively, I placed one foot in front of the other - testing each step with my weight. When, after several steps - the bridge didn't collapse, I finally deemed it perfectly safe to cross. At the end of the bridge was a white marble staircase that wound up the side of the mountain. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multi-leveled palaces, all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires making the buildings all seem to glow in the twilight.
It was at this point that I realized I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that there was supposed to be a big meeting of the gods and that the kids from the camp would be in attendance. I had imagined it would be in a big building, but the reality of it was that every building on this mountain was big - It was literally a city of mansions! I glanced around, looking for any kind of direction - a sign or anything. And then it hit me. Well, something hit me.
I looked down and blinked as a small, deep purple olive that had hit me in the shoulder rolled to a stop at my feet. Before I could bend down to pick it up, I felt another one hit me in the back followed by the sound of giggling. I turned to see two teenage girls with green skin holding a bag. One of the girls popped an olive in her mouth, trying to look innocent.
"Hey," I greeted, "could you tell me where the gods' Solstice Meeting is at?"
The pair of nymphs turned to each other and held a rapid conversation before looking back at me and vanishing with a shared giggle in a cloud of leaves.
"I guess not," I said, sighing.
I followed the winding roads, feeling myself getting more lost by the second. This was ridiculous! I'd lived in Manhattan my entire life. Even Indianapolis wasn't as confusing. Of course, this was an entirely different city filled with so many new sights, sounds and smells that I found myself not sure if I was coming or going. It was an ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must have once looked thousands of years ago.
The twisting streets were filled with demigods like me and assorted nature spirits bustling about, minor gods riding chariots, and even a few cyclopes carrying sedan chairs. The air was clean, more-so even than the mountains I'd traveled with the hunt and, with the exception of the snow at the highest peak, winter seemed to only exist as a suggestion here. It certainly wasn't as cold up here as it was on the ground, and I shrugged out of my enchanted jacket, turning it into a broad belt and wrapping it around my waist. Soft music drifted down from open windows as I passed by the beautiful mansions, and I could smell gardens in full bloom, a gentle breeze carrying the scents of jasmine and roses and other, sweeter things.
A stone amphitheater was built on one side of the mountain, and a full coliseum on the other. There was a crowd of people sitting, standing and dancing in the park around the amphitheater as four, very beautiful golden women sang. Even I found myself swaying in place as I listened to an entire song - though I couldn't tell you what it sounded like afterward.
Deciding to wander, I passed through an open air market filled with colorful tents. Various merchants shouted to be heard over each other, all hawking their various wares. I stopped by one table that had an assortment of bronze gears and trinkets, though what caught my eye was the cage full of metal birds. A sign on the table read 'replica Stygian bird automaton from Hercules Busts Heads - As Seen On Hephaestus TV' with a price tag of fifty drachma. I wanted one, but I only had the five drachma uncle Joe had sent me with. Another stall nearby was selling wall scrolls and posters, advertising a poster map of Themiscyra - the home of the Amazons. With a disappointed shrug, I turned and walked on.
"You there!" A female voice shouted out at me. Confused, I turned and pointed at myself in the universal 'who, me?' gesture. "Yes, you. I couldn't help noticing you looking at the wares. Not enough Drachma?"
"No," I said. "Actually, I was wondering if..."
"Say no more," the woman smiled. She was very beautiful, with short-cropped dark hair in a pixie cut and sparkling eyes that seemed to reflect the clear twilight sky above. "I know of a way you can earn some drachma and have some fun doing so."
"I don't know..." I said, taking a half step back. This was starting to sound pretty dodgy.
As if reading my mind (or my expression), the woman laughed; "No, no. Nothing like that! Dear gods, girl where does your mind go?" She shook her head, still grinning. "No, I mean there's a competition of sorts happening shortly, and the prize is a substantial amount of Drachma awarded for the top five winners."
"What sort of competition?" I asked.
"Well, the mortals have been utterly fascinated with eating contests as of late, so this year it will be an eating competition, of course!" The woman beamed. "And the best part, it only costs five Drachma to buy a spot at the table."
"Forgive me for asking," I said, trying to disregard the convenience of the buy in fee being the exact amount of money I had on me; "who are you?"
"No forgiveness necessary," the woman smiled. "I am Thalia, eldest of the Muses and goddess of banquets and festivity. So, you see, you would be doing me a favor by joining in."
"Well," I said with a grin. "Who am I to say no to a goddess' request?"
The goddess Thalia led me toward the coliseum where a massive crowd was already gathering, and through a door labeled 'competitors'. Inside, milling about was either the largest gathering of fashion models on Olympus or, more likely, a group of minor gods and goddesses - all of them wearing a numbered sign on their chests. A few of them turned their attention on me as I entered, and I fought to not feel self conscious under their gazes.
'I belong here,' I thought. After all, the goddess in charge of this competition invited me personally.
"Hello dearie," a nymph said, walking over to me. She was dressed immaculately in a dark gray pencil skirt and blazer combo and was holding a clipboard. "Are you in for the competition?" I nodded. "Wonderful! We just need to have you sign this waiver here, standard stuff, and then we'll get you a number. Are you going to be wearing that?" She pointed at my outfit.
I frowned slightly, looking around and noticing everyone else seemed to be wearing chitons, then shook my head and said; "I can get changed."
"Wonderful!" the nymph said, thrusting the clipboard and a fountain pen into my hands. "Now, just sign here, here and here!" I signed where she indicated, and she snatched the clipboard away just as fast. "Changing room is right over there if you want the privacy. Hurry up though, the show starts soon."
I moved to the indicated changing room and quickly stripped out of my street clothes, turning the wide belt into it's original saffron chiton form. Folding my clothes neatly, I placed them into a provided cubbie and stepped back out to get my number - forty nine - before being ushered out to stand on the stage. Standing next to each competitor was a nymph holding a stack of signs with numbers. I guessed they must be the ones keeping track of how much was eaten by whom.
"Hello, Olympus!" Thalia said, her voice magically amplified to echo through the entire coliseum. The crowd roared in excitement. "I am Thalia, and tonight I will be your Master of Ceremonies! In just a moment, these fine folks will be competing to see who can eat the most spicy gingerbread man cookies. They will have exactly ten minutes, and all food must be completely swallowed to count. No chipmunking allowed here. After the ten minutes have elapsed, there will be a two minute Grace period," She paused with a grin, "where they must keep the cookies down. Any reversal will mean instant disqualification. The only drinks allowed are the bottles of nectar provided. No milk and no dunking allowed. Further, competitors must maintain a clean eating space. Excess crumbs or debris may count against your final total. Now, let's give these eaters an Olympus countdown! Ten...! Nine...!"
I felt myself growing more anxious as the crowd joined in the countdown, their shouts echoing clearly all around. When the countdown reached zero, the other competitors immediately began to shovel cookies into their mouths. What was I even doing up here? These were actual, literal gods I was apparently trying to compete against! I felt like I should quit before I even started and save myself the embarrassment.
"No!" I growled. I would not quit. It would be more embarrassing if I didn't even try. Grabbing a cookie in each hand, I began shoving them into my mouth as well.
The first bite surprised me so much that I didn't notice the brief look of shock on the minor god's face next to me. The gingerbread was soft and chewy, and surprisingly moist. There was the barest hint of spice to it in the back of my throat, but nowhere near what I would imagine a god might consider spicy. It was also the best tasting gingerbread man I had ever eaten. Chewing quickly, I swallowed the first cookie before starting on the next one. Soon, I was more focused on the tray of treats before me than I was on my surroundings. Dimly, I registered Thalia's voice saying something, but the words were meaningless compared to how delicious these cookies were. I barely registered that I had finished one tray before another was placed in front of me.
"Three...! Two...! One...!" The crowd shouted.
"Okay, competitors, finish swallowing and step back!" Thalia said. "As a reminder, starting now, the competitors will now have two minutes to keep from tossing their cookies."
I stepped back along with the others, shooting a glance at my still half-eaten tray of cookies before glancing around at my competition's settings. One or two of them seemed to have dropped out at some point, judging by the empty spaces, and a few others seemed to completely disregard the clean plate rule. That would almost certainly cost them.
"And time's up, folks," Thalia's voice rang out, breaking me from my thoughts. "Let's tally up the numbers now, shall we? In fifth place, with sixty-eight cookies eaten is number thirty-seven. Theodon! You win a hundred Drachma and a commemorative t-shirt, congratulations!"
The god next to me stepped forward and accepted his winnings before walking off.
"In fourth place, with a total of seventy-nine cookies eaten," Thalia shouted. "A demigod, if you'll believe it, ladies and gentlegods. Number forty-nine, Penelope!" I blinked. Fourth place? I had actually placed in the top five? "Come on over and collect your winnings, Penelope."
"Thank you," I said, unable to control my excitement. I was practically vibrating as I walked off stage with my shirt and prize money. Two hundred Drachma was a huge amount!
"Good job out there, kid," Theodon said as I got off stage.
"Oh, right. Thanks," I said. "You too!"
"I'm actually really impressed with you," he continued. "And not just because you managed to beat me. You see, I was fixing you with a heft dose of self doubt up there."
"That was you?" I frowned.
"Hey, I was trying to do you a favor," he said, holding up his hands. "You see, the amount of ambrosia in those cookies would have been lethal for any demigod after the first dozen - let alone six and a half. If it were anyone else, they would have spontaneously combusted right there on the stage. You're an interesting one, Penelope. I think I'll be keeping a close eye on your future exploits."
I blinked as he vanished, suddenly feeling less enthusiastic with my victory. Just then, Thalia walked backstage and saw me.
"Hey, great job up there, kiddo," she said. "You really hit it out of the park with that victory! was that really your first time in a competition?"
"Were those cookies actually potentially lethal for me to eat?" I asked.
She frowned for a moment and then her eyes widened almost comically; "Oh! I didn't even think... But, you're fine. You are fine, right?" She immediately began to fuss over me, grabbing my shoulders and turning my whole body this way and that as if to verify that I was still in one piece. "I am so sorry about that, really. I can't believe... Well, it all worked out fine in the end, right? If there's anything I can do for you, just name it."
"Right..." I said. "Actually, um... I was wondering, where is the big Winter Solstice meeting being held at? I came separate from the rest of the group and it's my first time up on Olympus."
"Oh, is that all?" She asked. "It's always held in Lord Zeus' palace. That's the really big one at the top of the mountain."
She pointed, and I realized that what I had originally passed off as the stone face of the mountain summit was actually a massive palace that seemed to dwarf even the largest palaces I'd already passed. There was also a very clear road that led directly to it.
"Thank you," I said, eager to be on my way and not to think about how close to dying I had apparently just come. I'd make a reminder to unpack all that at some later date. Maybe.
Once out of the coliseum, the first thing I did was return to the market and buy both the automaton bird and the wall poster map of Themyscira. Afterward, I found my way to the main road and hailed a cyclops to take me up to the summit on one of the sedan chairs. Even after all that, I still had over a hundred Drachma left. The cyclops let me off at the top, and gratefully accepted a generous tip before making his way back down the mountain.
Up close, Zeus' palace was even more impressive. Eagles circled the parapets, high against the glittering stars in the sky. The outer walls of the palace glittered white and the two-story tall silver gates stood open. Up close, I could see that the engravings on the gates were scenes of heroic accomplishments. Some of them came from modern times - First responders pulling people from the wreckage of the Twin Towers, a woman on the battlefield providing medical attention to a wounded soldier while bullets flew around her, a single-engine high wing monoplane flying over the Eiffel Tower - but all of them looked to have been engraved thousands of years ago. A shiver ran down my back at the possibility of seeing prophecies that had come true. Walking through the gates, I followed the path to a set of steps that led up through the central courtyard, flanked on either side by a well manicured lawn and garden the likes of which that would make the White House green with envy.
Before I could reach the doors, however, the sky overhead filled with dark clouds that rumbled dangerously. A moment later, thunder shook the very ground as the doors flew open and a rush of people came almost running out. Most were wearing matching orange t-shirts while a handful of others were not.
"Hey, single file!" I felt a sudden lurch in my stomach at the familiar voice calling out instructions. Andromeda was one of the kids in matching orange shirts, her long hair pulled back in a messy attempt at a ponytail. "No pushing! Stolls, where's Luke?!"
"Right here," I heard an older male voice call out as a sandy blonde-haired guy waved, making his way over. At that moment, I noticed a familiar group of girls in matching silver winter parkas moving away from them at a much more efficient pace. The hunt was here!
"Hey," I said, greeting the Hunters as I allowed myself to be swept along by the flow of the crowd."What's going on?"
"No clue," Hunter said with a half shrug. "All we know is that Zeus apparently got really pissed off about something and kicked everyone out. Which sucks for the campers since nobody got claimed this year. Double sucks for us, because Lady Artemis had to stay behind though, which probably means we're gonna be stuck going to the camp."
"Oh," I said. "That's... I'd offer to go with you for moral support, but I did promise uncle Joe I'd be back tonight."
"Skipper, you're a genius!" Hunter exclaimed, then turned around and fought against the push of bodies shouting out for Zoë's attention.
"How am I a genius?" I muttered, confused.