by J N Moon
Past the creature, past the remains of Atlantis, through the ridge, I heard Typhon and I laughed, seawater filling my mouth, but I didn’t care. Through the Atlantic, back to Mediterranean Sea and onto Greece, but it didn’t stop there. In an instant more, I stood in the main chamber of the Gods, falling to my knees- the Trident did that, it’s weight out of water was immense, I held it out my hands, my arms shaking and she, Emma, stood forward and took it.
A blast of power ignited through it, it hummed loudly, pulsed with that crimson- gold light as Emma held it, wielded it as if she knew it, looked out to the sea and grinned
The Sea Ran Red.
Emma
“So as far as we know, Typhon wants to kill immortals, or at least Gaia does because she is mad that we haven’t stopped humans from harming her planet, but I guess we’re part of that, too. So maybe she’s starting with us, then she’d move onto humans?” I asked as Poseidon’s Trident surged in my hands.
Conor spoke, in the time we’d attacked Typhon, someone had given him a toga, which was funny as hell actually but not the place or time to laugh at it.
“That sounds about right, without us the mortals will be easy bait, and with Typhon’s children running around, well I guess there’d be all out war, but these aren’t just large creatures, each possess supernatural abilities, so even with their armies, their military, I don’t fare with their chances. But it makes sense, but killing Triton’s people... I never saw or met them but it was my understanding you were peaceful,” Conor shook his head in disgust.
“It’s because of the pollution, because of the destruction of the sea, the killing that humans do, we didn’t intervene. She took from us what mortals were taking from her, we should’ve acted.”
Everyone was silent, it was merciless to kill an entire race because of the actions of a few, as I’d been human in my recent past, I, too, as many of my fellow species, had been disgusted by the way some companies treated our planet. But nonetheless, Gaia had, as had been said, done this before and now she was making her voice heard. I suppose we should be grateful that she hadn’t spread a plague, but once Typhon was killed, we’d have to start all over again on land. I looked at Luke, my man had aged a decade at least in the last week, dark circles around his eyes, his chest cut but not bleeding, and Kai, sorrowful eyes, downcast as we each evaluated the next few hours ahead of us.
“Ok, I’m taking this, I’ll charge it with my light, I have a hunch...” I muttered.
“A hunch... well normally I’d say you would be insane to try it, wolf woman or whatever you are but by the Gods I think you could pull it off, but you’ll still need our help. I will charge it, too, let’s hope it slashes only Typhon apart and not the planet.” Zeus laughed, his mood uplifted, his sound echoed around the open chamber.
He came over to me, wrapped his huge arm around my shoulder, “Well Athena, Apollo, what say you, it looks like these Lycaon’s have evolved from the brutal savages of the past.”
Looking back out across the ocean, the sun eclipsed by that fiend, everything was silent. No birds sang, the insects lay still, the air heavy with impending rain, clouds dark and threatening, he was waiting, waiting for our return, waiting for our deaths. The sea though, waves splayed high, violent like his intentions, black waters splashing, I took a deep breath, my muscles strained from the tension built up inside.
Looking to my love, his eyes dull, tired and now again he, too, would fight to protect our world, our home from the wrath, not that I blamed Gaia, but this was a step too far.
“What can we do?” Sabian asked?
“You can’t, your land based, you must leave it to us,” Triton insisted. “Save your energy, your fight on your home turf will begin soon enough, if it’s not already began...”
“This time dragon man, there’s no need to come, I will take Emma. See behind Typhon there is land, she won’t need to get that close to him, she can fight him there, and I agree with Triton, land creatures have no place in this fight, save Emma and only because she wields the Trident. Now, as Triton said, your time will come. Apollo, will you join us?”
Smirking, he nodded.
“No, I won’t let Emma go alone, she risked everything to rescue me and without her I, well, I’m coming, that’s final,” Luke snapped.
“You are not well, look at yourself, you need to rest and regain your strength, you’re in no...”
“And yet my mind is made up, Emma you will ride with me. And Marcus if you’re inclined, join us? Look at the size of that thing, it waits for us, baiting us. If we don’t pull together, we won’t defeat it, of that I’m fairly sure,” Luke cautioned.
“Ok, are we ready, Emma, need a hand?” Lucius breathed slowly.
Biting my lip, I nodded, and concentrated, the light burning bright up through my limbs, holding the Trident which grew immensely hot then illuminated so brightly we all, Zeus included, closed our eyes.
Thundering through the place, a roar from Typhon bellowed through me, as the light from the Trident had shown him exactly where we were, I watched to see Luke transform fast. Alongside Conor, Marcus grinned, picking up his sword and one final time we ran together, Zeus on Pegasus, off that temple edge across the ocean to live or die... adrenaline pumped through me, I yelled like a warrior. I may not be a God but today I would act like one, bring death on those who would harm others, I would wield that power.
Arms flailing, trying to snatch us, we were like flies to the beast of the earth. Now I stood on Luke’s dragon back, pointed the Trident at Typhon, whose breath roaring nearly sent me off balance, it’s power like a gale.
Intense crimson-gold shot out, belting at him, screaming, he strode towards us, wading through the ocean. Lucius pulled me down onto Luke as the dragon twisted fast, but not fast enough and Typhon grabbed his tail, pulling him back and started whirling him around. Screaming at Marcus who flew fast, grabbed me by the waist so again I could shoot the weapon at Typhon, this time at his eyes. Instinctively, Typhon let go of Luke to cover his eyes, but Luke hurled towards the ocean, poor Lucius’s face in horror as they descended fast. Shockingly from nowhere, another dragon came like lightning, his small arms out, clutching Luke from underneath, as I continued to fire at Typhon with Zeus firing thunderbolts, Typhon now wading through the ocean to grab us, I glanced fast, Luke was able to stumble, fly onto land.
Torn between wanting to help Luke and killing this thing, I kept glancing at my dragon but Typhon never let up.
Elijah and Eva, two dragons I guessed breathed fire at the monster, then another loud roar broke our attention.
Marcus flew up, the cold wind stopping my breathing for a moment until the fire inside me grew hotter to adjust, he placed me next to Luke, only to see Zeus and Pegasus fire yet more bolts at Typhon but Poseidon, who we presumed dead, leapt out of the water and landed beside us.
“I wanted to be angry at you Emma for stealing my Trident! But bloody hell, you use it well, here, let me assist.”
Cramping with acid, my arms ached beyond belief, I passed it to him. “Please, it’s bloody heavy and I’m exhausted,” I panted.
Zeus glared at Poseidon but there wasn’t time, Typhon grabbed one of the dragons, smacked it so hard it hurtled through the air landing not far from us...
Luke, enraged, belted fire, as did the other dragon, they both charged at Typhon, hate surged through me, I lunged my celestial light at him, Zeus’s bolts raining on him, and Poseidon breaking up the ground the monster stood on using the Trident.
The sky cracked open, an almighty bolt, almost as large as the creature came thundering down on Typhon’s head. He yelled, his breath like a hurricane sending us backwards, but he fell, fire and flames, his skull split in two from the onslaught of lightning.
Barely able to make it back, the two dragons and Zeus and Pegasus joined us as we watched the colossal beast topple like a skyscraper, slowly into the sea.
Sweat sticking to me like the salt water, I ran in a hobbled fashion, tired, bruis
ed to the dragon who was slowly, painfully morphing back into human form, Elijah. Gasping in, his eyes flung open, black and purple, he choked then his eyes closed, fear written onto his face.
Startled as we heard Pegasus stumble, we turned around, the horse was injured as was Zeus, gaping wounds. Poseidon acted quickly, looking up as Marcus had flown off back to Olympus.
“Come, put your hands over these wounds immortals, help...” Poseidon commanded and we did, whilst Lucius stood close, his arms outstretched, hands splayed chanting some ancient spell to seal the wounds.
“Thank you, demon,” Poseidon's voice boomed, “But I don’t think dark, arcane arts will work for such... divine creatures, no offence lad!”
Marcus landed softly behind us, Apollo with him and rushed to both Zeus and Pegasus, his arms also out, he nodded to Lucius, chanting something loudly, so that Lucius copied and before us, the pair started to heal, if somewhat slowly. Or at least their wounds healed.
“Can you help my brother?” Eva yelped.
Turning around, Apollo whispered, “He is already passed, I am so sorry. He flies now with the Gods.”
Luke carried Elijah’s broken body, Athena appeared, flicked her wrist and we were all back in the temple in the main chamber.
“Last time you buried Typhon it was under Mount Etna, are you quite sure he’s dead?” Lucius asked tentatively.
“He cannot die as he is immortal and an instrument of the mother. We need to do something,” Athena added matter of fact.
“I will go now and see to it, Poseidon, you’ll help brother?” Zeus added swiftly.
Conor and Sabian watched, their faces strained, not being able to help. Conor seeing Eva’s distress went to her and fought against her will, pulling her into him, forcing her to find solace.
A shadow suddenly cast over all of us, my body shuddered as an icy chill swept through the hall blowing our hair like a strong breeze.
“No need, brothers, I can take Typhon.”
A tall rugged man strode in, his long coat flowing open, “I’ll take him and Teran, too, for I have a need of souls, powerful souls.”
Zeus and Poseidon looked at each and simultaneously burst into laughter, Poseidon roaring, “Brother! By all the Gods, we never knew you’d help or...” he paused, “Or that you could! You think you can restrain Typhon in Hades then, are you sure?” his voice rose high in with his question.
Hades strode to his brothers embracing them strongly, “I believe so but let’s waste no time, Typhon’s children are abroad by all accounts.”
A little more sceptical, Apollo asked, “We could not hold the monster under a mountain, how will you do this in Hades?”
Hades and Lucius answered at the same time, “Magic.”
Athena now added, “It is gracious Hades you offer this now, even though I’m not entirely convinced of your motives but for now we should do this. Time is not on our side and as long as you can guarantee you can keep the creature locked up, we can assess this later.”
Smirking, Hades’ face was like his brothers’, sculpted. Artists represent the Gods as human looking but none of them are, not being mortal, they are the like most perfect version of the human form but they have an otherworldliness about them. Their skin has a sheen like wet clay formed by the sculptor, their eyes glimmer like the Gods that they are, even in battle it’s hard for them to look too weary.
“Your discretion serves you well Athena, for I probably wouldn’t trust me, either,” he opened his arms looking around the room, then continued, “But I can help for now.”
“Do it then brother, and we shall bury this brave soldier and honour him with a feast before we hunt on land,” Zeus cried.
Until now, her face was tight, jaw clenched but now Ava yelled, her control lost as guards appearing from nowhere it seemed, stooped over Elijah’s body and carried him off with great reverence.
Servants preceded them and Athena spoke gently, “Now go, bathe and refresh yourselves and then we shall feast in honour of our dead and send them onto heaven.”
Tired, bruised and broken we did that, Luke and I were led to a sumptuous room, gold fixtures and fittings catching the bright Greek sun that was once again gleaming after Typhon had fallen.
Gasping, the huge stone fireplace, a carving of a pagan deity I guessed, his huge mouth the fire hearth, with massive carving of his face and hair surrounding it, so that the fire inside appeared in his mouth.
An eclectic mixture of rustic and luxury in this palace, carved wooden four- poster bed, white silk tulle flowing in the breeze, no glass, in fact no windows but marbled columns, with a stone pillar balcony overlooking the once dreaded sea, now awash with seagulls, birds and below us in the valley, the soft chirping of crickets.
Holding hands, we looked out across the sea, the heat of the sun warming our souls, the sounds of life soothing our hearts. Comfortable in our silence after so much chaos.
A huge claw footed bathtub sat in the bathroom with various pots and potions alongside, a sudden flash back to my human life as an ecologist, which seemed a lifetime ago, I selected frankincense and lavender. Filling the bath, back in the bedroom I found Luke sound asleep, wondering for a moment if I should wake him, the oils would soothe his broken skin but instead I covered him with the soft bedspread.
Greek hospitality knows no bounds. On two chairs that sat either side of the stone fireplace, fresh clothes lay out for us in roughly our size.
Whilst he slept, I bathed, almost dozing myself, wondering what the hell everyone else was up to. My mum, Conor’s friends... My phone had long since died. After getting out, drying off, towel drying my beyond matted hair, I poured some warm water and oils in a bowl, dropped a clean cloth in there and tended to some of Luke’s many wounds.
The gash on his arm, which Triton had treated had since become infected. He stirred, restless, his heartbeat erratic. When it was as clean as I could get it without waking him, I climbed under the bedspread with him, not caring that he stank, his clothes soiled form dirt and filth, instead the relief was so intense that wrapping myself over and around him, sleep came fast and heavy.
Opening my eyes slowly as Luke nudged me gently, the cool salty breeze filling my senses, soft bedding beneath my skin, I took a long languid breath. His smile fired up inside me, his wounds, face looking flushed, clean, “Come, we’ve been called to the feast and I don’t think we can rain check Zeus,” he sniggered.
As I got up, Luke grabbed me, pulling me into him. I had so much to say but no words came, so I just melted in his embrace.
This strange guy who I remembered that I’d thought at first was creepy when in fact he was just uncomfortable showing emotions.
Sinking into the moment with the salty air around us, the wind blowing gently and both of us safe, I didn’t want to leave, to move, let alone eat and talk with others.
At last we pulled away. As he spoke, he took my hands, his hair had grown longer since I met him, slightly unruly, dirty blonde, and he used his fringe as a mask to speak to me, peeking through it, “I don’t know what happened when you came to rescue me, but I cannot thank you enough. You, you were my reason to break free, I know we haven’t known each other that long, but we’ve been through more in the last month than most people do in a lifetime.”
“I don’t want to be without you, but more than that, I couldn’t let Teran take you, I wouldn’t allow that.”
A knock on the door, “When you are ready?” was the voice, so I pulled on the clean clothes they’d provided, jeans slightly big but at least not too small, and the t- shirt, bare feet seemed the thing in these places and I longed for my boots but they were, hopefully, still back at the rental bungalow.
Dragging ourselves out, we soon woke up a bit more as the smell of olive bread, roasted vegetables, grilled halloumi and the sweet, woody scent of rich wine met our senses like lightning meets the earth. Growling, our stomachs ached from hunger, Luke laughed, saying, “I haven’t eaten since Teran took me. He gave me wat
er, and offered me some kind of flesh, I had to fight the dragon not to eat it, God knows what it was, nothing good I’m sure.”
Kai and some of his people were seated alongside Triton, Poseidon and his wife, Amphitrite, Lucius, Marcus, Apollo, Athena, Hades, Zeus and Conor. I looked for Eva but there was no sign of her, though three chairs were empty.
We took our places, the table groaned with food but the atmosphere was solemn, Zeus bellowed, “We will not start until everyone is here, where is Eva?”
“I’ll go get her,” Conor whispered.
As we waited, Luke’s stomach moaned, “You begin, you were captured by that Teran, I suspect you must be famished, in fact, let’s all begin. Eva’s heart is heavy, no amount of anything will change that, but the battle has just begun and we need our strength, otherwise more losses will ensue and Eva, well I wouldn’t blame her if she didn't fight. Who would?” Apollo shrugged as he finished speaking.
Like lead clouds, the atmosphere was heavy with an edge that something, just anything could burst it.
As we shared around plates, Athena asked, “Emma, Luke, I hope you’re suitably refreshed? Did you find everything to your liking?”
“Thank you, yes,” was all I could manage.
“I’m very grateful, to you all, I... I never expected to get out and I certainly didn’t expect Poseidon’s son to help. In fact, I thought you were, all of you, a myth,” Luke muttered, his face reddening.
His voice quiet, then getting slowly louder, Poseidon answered, “That’s my boy, I’m fiercely proud of him and of course he, we would come to your aid. I see in the future us immortals working closer together and we should drink to that.” Raising his glass, he was interrupted by his son, “So, where were you? You and most of our people disappeared, I thought you were all bloody dead, do you know what that felt like? You never stop to think do you, no, you just charge ahead like a... like the bloody minotaur...”