Hero

by W Borne

  The town was busier than the other times Jaxx had seen it, and he mentioned it to Toxotis. He nodded and simply said, “Market day.”

  At Jaxx’s confused look, he laughed and elaborated, “I forget you are not from here. Every 8th day is Market Day, when all of the farmers present their wares, mostly food, for sale and people barter for goods. The various crafters also display their goods, as the crowds are generally higher. It is also a good day to meet people: there is usually a gathering tonight and there are lots of farmers’ daughters there.” Toxotis waggled his eyebrows at the last statement, a grin escaping his face.

  Jaxx laughed. Apparently, the jokes about farmers’ daughters were universal. “Sounds like fun,” was all he commented.

  Continuing to grin, Toxotis nudged Jaxx and said, “You seem to be getting pretty comfortable with Hylonome.”

  “Yes, I like talking to her,” Jaxx replied. He was trying not to show his immediate irritation at the subject, as he knew that Toxotis would take it as a sign to increase his teasing.

  His face turning a bit serious, he laid a hand on Jaxx’s shoulder. “In all seriousness, friend, she is a good person. Just be wary of her father. His wrath is fearsome.”

  Jaxx nodded. “Yes, I’m sure it is,” thinking of the massive centaur.

  They approached the Temple of Artemis and entered. As before, the statue of Artemis glowed faintly in the Godslight. Jaxx looked at it apprehensively, remembering the malice he had felt last time, but there was no sign of it. He breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing from the unconsciously tense pose he had adopted without knowing it.

  The Priestess, Adrasteia, stepped out from behind the statue. She was dressed exactly the same as before, in leathers with a white cloak. Her pale skin and hair faintly glowed from the light, and she held the same staff as before.

  She smiled, and said warmly, “Welcome back to the Temple of Artemis, Jaxx and Toxotis. I have heard that your quest went well and you found the source of the disturbances.”

  “You know what has happened?” Jaxx asked. “We have not spoken with anyone except the Guard Captain last evening when we arrived.”

  “Yes, I am aware, and he has communicated the results to me. Very impressive to defeat so many beasts, but I understand the actual problem plaguing the travelers to our Village was not, in fact, beasts? That it was a hostile party?”

  “Yes,” confirmed Jaxx. “It was a small party of bandits and a Priestess of Nyx named Apphia.”

  At the name, Adrasteia stiffened slightly. “Apphia? Are you sure?”

  Again, Jaxx and Toxotis confirmed it.

  “That is troublesome. I know her, and she is certainly a sign that this is no mere bandit problem. There is a larger purpose at work here, a malevolent one.”

  “Who is she?” Jaxx asked. “And while we’re at it, who is Nyx? What do they want?”

  Adrasteia chuckled. “Simple questions…with not so simple answers. Apphia is actually my sister, and we grew up here together. I grew to worship and do the bidding of my Mistress, Artemis. Apphia studied alongside me here in the Temple, but she grew bored and frustrated with our simple life here. She left years ago, determined to find adventure. I am not surprised she found her way to Nyx.”

  At Jaxx’s questioning look, she continued. “Nyx is the Goddess of Night, and a daughter of Khaos. She is the mother of the Three Fates – Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, and of the Three Brothers of Death – Moros, Thanatos, and Ker. Her very existence is tied up with Death.”

  “Is she evil?”

  “I would not call her evil, exactly,” replied Adrasteia, “but her goals are simple: promote death, destruction, and the end of the universe. She does not enjoy causing suffering, but she doesn’t care very much if that is a bye-product of her actions. Having a Priestess of Nyx involved means that the Chaos gods are actively trying to bring it about.”

  Jaxx glanced at Toxotis, who was unusually quiet. He seemed a bit pale-faced, but not too surprised. Undoubtedly his knowledge of the Gods was better than Jaxx’s, and so he knew most of this already.

  “How can we stop them?” Jaxx asked.

  Adrasteia looked him seriously. “So, that is your first question? I tell you the Gods of Chaos are working directly against us and you simply ask how to stop them? I honestly don’t know, but I assume that in part is why you Avatars are here in Olympus. I believe the Gods are working through you to prevent it.”

  “Why do they have to work through us?” Jaxx asked. “Can’t the Gods just smite Nyx and the rest and destroy them?”

  Adrasteia again looked at him. “They cannot act directly. The Gods, both of Existence and Chaos, are bound by the Titans. There was a War amongst the Gods a long time ago – it nearly destroyed all of Existence. The Titans stepped in and enforced a new Contract to forbid any more direct conflict between the Gods. They must act through Mortal subjects, and only through them can they advance their goals.”

  Jaxx remembered more of his Greek mythology. “I thought the war was between the Gods and the Titans.”

  Adrasteia nodded, “That is a simplified version of what happened. Truly the Gods with all their power could not truly challenge the Titans, from whom all the Gods originally sprang. Some people say that the Gods fought the Titans, even killed or imprisoned them, but that is not so. Once the new Contract was forged, the Titans withdrew to allow the Gods to rule Existence. For the Titans allowed themselves to be bound as well: they will not interfere, as long as the Gods hold to the Contract.”

  “So, the Titans would allow Chaos to win?”

  “If they accomplished it according to the Contract, yes.”

  Jaxx thought about all of this. The revelations were pretty big: the overall inference in this information was that Avatars (players) were central to the struggle, and that the Gods were behind it. But Jaxx felt that wasn’t, couldn’t be the whole story. This was a game world: how could the Gods know enough about the outside world to arrange for people to come into the game and act as Avatars for the Gods? And would there only be Avatars working for the Gods opposed to Chaos, or would the Chaos gods be given Avatars as well?

  As with everything else, the explorative nature of Olympus Online showed itself. Each question answered led to more questions. Jaxx felt that he had some more pieces of the puzzle, but some of those pieces didn’t seem to fit exactly.

  He looked up at Adrasteia. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

  From behind him, a firm voice answered. “Because I asked her to.” The Godslight seemed to brighten, and Jaxx turned to see the statue of Artemis standing behind him, looking him in the eye.

  She looked the same: off-white skin contrasting with pure-white marble hair. Her eyes were golden, and she carried her golden bow and arrows. Her clothes were those of a hunter, but still the color of marble. It was obvious she was still made of stone, but moved with a liquid fluidness that bespoke of Her power. A symbol of a roaring bear’s head was carved subtly into her breast, and Jaxx realized it was the same symbol that graced the tunic of Adrasteia.

  “Greetings, Avatar. I am pleased with your actions, both against the Priestess of Nyx and also against the monsters that were threatening my people.”

  Toxotis had sank to his knees, head bowed in prayer. Apparently, he was more devout to the Huntress than he had chosen to speak of. Artemis smiled at him, laying one stone hand on his brow in fondness.

  Jaxx bowed. The sense of power from the Goddess was stronger and more aggressive than had been Apollo’s. “Thank you for honoring us with Your presence,” he said.

  Artemis waved a hand. “No need for flowery platitudes with me, Avatar. My Brother likes his ass kissed: I find it boring.”

  Jaxx started, unsure of how to respond.

  Artemis continued. “I am not in the habit of speaking often with Mortals. I am speaking to you because my father, Zeus, commanded it. He wishes to express His wishes, and instructed me to pass on his instructions.”

  “First, a confirmatio
n of sorts. You are indeed here to do the bidding of the Gods, just like all Mortals. Your task is unique due to your unique origin. You are here to allow yourself to reach your potential: in doing so, you will help defeat Chaos and keep Existence whole.”

  “How exactly am I to do that? What do you mean by potential?” Jaxx had more questions than answers, again. Potential? Obviously, Artemis was referring to his origin from outside the world of Olympus, but did she truly know what that meant? And her words seemed to indicate that Jaxx reaching his “potential,” whatever that was, was the main point of all of this. That the plot of the Chaos Gods was simply a by-product.

  “I am repeating the words that Zeus told me: I have no insight directly on what he means by this. I can tell you that you are already on the path, simply by following your nature. You are to continue doing so. The next part of your path will be revealed to you in time. For now, train and hone your skills. The Gods of Existence will send others to help you.”

  Jaxx’s head whirled. So even the Gods didn’t know everything that was going on.

  As he thought, Artemis stepped closer, her eyes narrowed. “One last thing, Avatar, I have something for you that I was commanded to give you. I am not pleased about it, and you must promise me not to lose it.”

  Jaxx glanced at Toxotis, who was staring wide-eyed at his Goddess. “No help there,” Jaxx thought.

  “I promise to treasure whatever- “he began and Artemis waved him quiet.

  “I said to hold your flowery tongue. Speak plainly and I shall do the same. And I promise, if you lose this, I will seek to punish you for it, favored of my Father or no.”

  The force of her words hit Jaxx like a hammer. He had no doubt that not only would the Goddess punish him, it would be something supremely unpleasant. He knew he couldn’t really die, but that could be a bad thing as well if an angry Goddess decided to torment him.

  Artemis reached into what looked like a pouch and pulled out a spear. It was about 7 ft tall, with a golden-wood handle and what looked like a steel blade. Golden scrollwork covered the base of the blade and wrapped around the handle. A steel butt cap covered the base of the spear, which sparked when Artemis lowered it to the stone floor.

  Steel Spear of Artemis

  Deific – Scales with Level

  Durability – Indestructible

  Damage – 50 (base)

  +5 to 2H spears

  Description – The Spear of Artemis is the ultimate expression of deadly art. The Godsmetal blade will never break or dull. If the wielder is killed, the Spear will appear with your resurrected body. Provides Blessing of the Huntress when wielded.

  Jaxx’s eyes widened. This was incredible! As he took the spear from Artemis, it felt incredibly light and at the same time, massive. It moved like liquid in his hands, and made a solid thump when he grounded the butt. Another scaling item! Jackpot! The description of the spear….Godsmetal? That must be what they call steel here. He recalled that Ancient Greece had never had steel weapons; they were barely in the Iron Age back then.

  Artemis studied him, still scowling. “I do not like giving up my spear – it was forged for me by Hephaestus himself, and I will be most wroth if you damage or lose it. I see, looking at you closely, that my brother has also given up his Cloak. Apparently, my Father is not playing favorites, which pleases me a little. Use these gifts wisely, Avatar, for you know not what you have been given.”

  The Goddess turned to Toxotis, who was still on his knees. “Rise, disciple, and receive your reward. Know that I approve of the path you have chosen, to walk with this Avatar. You have always honored Me. Here.”

  With these words, She passed to Toxotis a bow and a quiver of arrows. He gasped, unable to speak. A mad light of devotion shone in his eyes as he sank back to his knees, and he swore, “Thank you, my Goddess. I will treasure it always.”

  At that, Artemis turned and walked back to the dais, positioning her statue in its normal place. “Farewell, Heroes, and good luck. Existence depends on it.”

  Her statue stilled, and lost its otherworldly glow.

  The Priestess Adrasteia, who during the time that Artemis was present had been on her knees in a position of prayer, rose. “You are truly Blessed by the Gods, Avatar, and you too, Toxotis. I have never had the pleasure of feeling Her presence directly. I must think on what this means.”

  Jaxx was still shocked by what had been revealed, and by the rewards he had been given.

  As she rose, she said, “I have one last reward for completing your quest. Here.”

  Jaxx received the item, a set of leg greaves that fit him perfectly.

  Bronze Greaves of Artemis

  Rare

  Durability – 50/50

  Armor – 50

  Description – These bronze greaves are designed to protect the wearer’s lower legs and feet. The metal is finely worked, with lightweight scales backed by a flexible metal chain.

  Jaxx snapped the greaves into place and they tightened on their own. They were lightweight, yet strong. Somehow, they had encased his feet like a pair of boots. Jaxx was pleased. His Barbarian class was not designed to wear bulky armor, and he still was only wearing the greaves, cloak, and a waistband that covered his manly bits. His chest and arms were free, and Jaxx doubted he would ever wear much more than what he had on. Perhaps he could find a set of bracers to match.

  After handing him the greaves, Adrasteia bowed to them both. “Thank you for visiting, and for giving me the gift of my Goddess’ presence. It means more to me than anything else in my life. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to call upon me.” She turned, and walked slowly into the depths of the Temple, leaving them alone.

  Jaxx glanced at Toxotis, who was still clutching the bow and arrows and staring at them. When he looked up, Jaxx saw a tear in his eye.

  “Congratulations, brother! Come on, lets see that bow!” Jaxx said.

  Toxotis started, then slung the bow and quiver and just said, “Outside,” and walked out.

  Jaxx followed him out and Toxotis shared the description of the bow with him.

  Lesser Bow and Quiver of Artemis

  Epic

  Durability – 50/50

  Damage – 40 (base)

  Description – A bow and quiver similar to that of Artemis, Goddess of Hunters. Made of bronze and ironwood, the bow is Blessed to never break in combat. The quiver has 50 Godsmetal-tipped arrows, that will slowly refill by itself.

  Jaxx whistled, impressed. “Wow, what a weapon!”

  Toxotis nodded. “It is easily the best weapon I have ever wielded. I shall have to be worthy of it.”

  As they were examining their new weapons, Toxotis examined the Spear and then turned to Jaxx. “I have never even heard of this – a Goddess giving up one of her God-forged Weapons. Truly you are blessed.”

  At that point, Guard Captain Adrastus walked up to them. With narrowed eyes, he inspected the duo until his gaze fell upon their weapons. Eyes widening in shock, he gasped. “Are those what I think they are?”

  Jaxx and Toxotis nodded.

  “I have never seen such things.” He continued to stare at them.

  “Captain,” Jaxx said, “Did you have something to tell us?”

  Adrastus started out of his reverie. “Yes, I have been sent with a request from the Village Council. They would like to speak with you regarding the men and beasts you have slain protecting our Village.”

  Putting away his Spear, Jaxx said “Yes, of course. Now?”

  Adrastus said, “Yes, immediately if that is possible. They are concerned about the threats you have uncovered, and what it means for the future. They are also curious about you, Avatar. Your presence could be seen as a portent for future problems, and they wish to ascertain what they can from speaking with you.”

  Glancing at Toxotis, who nodded, Jaxx said, “Of course. Lead on. We would be happy to speak with them. Our only goal is to help.”

  Seemingly relieved, the Captain nodded and gestured for Jaxx a
nd Toxotis to follow him. They strode back towards the main gate of the Village.

  As they walked, Toxotis said quietly, “Be cautions what you reveal, Jaxx. The Council follows its own path, which may not be the same path that we follow.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They are men, and not necessarily selfless like the Priestess. I still have my suspicions about what you told me about the council in Triada – remember that someone there hired me to ambush you, telling me that you were a murderer?

  Jaxx had forgotten about that. The way that he and Toxotis had come together was suspicious, and in the excitement and activities since then he had forgotten the tie between it and his time in Triada. “You think that one of the Council there was involved? Why? What benefit could they get from my death?”

  “I don’t know. But if there are humans working for the Chaos Gods, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they are more widespread than we realize.”

  “Do you think that some of the people here in Delios could be working with them, too? On the Council?” Jaxx’s head was spinning. The revelations that Artemis had made, coupled with what Apollo had told him and all of the things that had happened to him since the entered Olympus were all swirling in his brain.

  “I think that is it possible, and we should be wary of revealing too much of our plans to anyone that is not sworn to the Gods that we serve.”

  Sound advice, Jaxx decided. He straightened his shoulders and walked on behind the Captain, mentally preparing for a battle of words.

  Chapter 17

  The Town Council of Delios met in the Town Hall. The building was situated on the opposite side of the Village from the main gate and guard headquarters. The village was laid out with two sets of walls, one inside the other in a large set of circles. The main gate had the guard house at 12 o’clock, at about 9 o’clock on the circle was the Temple of Artemis, the Centaur’s Barrel was at 3 o’clock, and the Town Hall was at 6 o’clock. All of the main buildings were in the outer circle between the outer and inner walls, along with most of the shops and businesses.