The High Court

by Chris Ledbetter

  “Nooo!” Don and I yelled at the same time.

  All the fighting stopped for half a moment. The entire melee slowed to a crawl. To the best I could see, Phi had curled into a ball.

  Rhea scrambled into the line of fire. Meter ran, jammed her spear into the sand, and vaulted onto the back of the giant still atop Shade. Metis reached Phi’s side and tried to pull her farther into the water, but Asterius grabbed Metis by her upper body and held her in the air.

  “Metis!” I yelled.

  Arms pinned to her sides, she writhed and squirmed.

  My throat closed up. My vision suddenly blurred. I focused every measure of energy I had and still could produce nothing helpful. Rage clouded my vision.

  Don finally rose out of the surf, trident in hand. It pulsed Aegean blue like the Hurler posts. He stood with his feet firmly planted in the cresting waves. His body scaled over from legs up to neck. Each scale was golden before turning deep blue like the sea. Don spun his trident around in a circle before jamming it into the ground. The result was a cobalt blue, circular blast that illuminated the night sky and completely blew everyone off their feet, including the giants on the beach. Each landed several paces from where they’d stood. The aftershock quaked the earth with enough power that even the molten mountains in the water stumbled. Don grabbed Phi into his arms and carried her up the beach.

  Hera spoke to us mentally, We all need to fall back and regroup. Now.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Rhea and Hera helped to secure me out of harm’s way. After gathering ourselves and scrambling back up the hill to the East Barracks, we huddled in Rhea’s room briefly to construct a new plan. But any path forward would be on a collision course with controversy.

  Don watched as Tia healed both Amphitrite and Shade. Rhea comforted Metis. The last time I’d felt such conflicting emotions of anger and sadness was just after Hyperion attacked. And helplessness, then as now, but for different reasons.

  Shade, whose chest had nearly been collapsed, cleared his throat. His voice was weak. “That went well, eh? We got in our War Games match after all.”

  “Shut up, Shade, before I choke you out!” Hera scoffed.

  “Oh,” Shade retorted. “Cool reference to that damn giant ogre standing on my wind pipe?”

  “Ladies!” Don yelled. “Enough. That was bad enough without any in-fighting.” He paused to pat Phi’s leg. “But if I had to offer one critique … Aphrodite, your opening move was reckless. If not stupid.”

  “Goatshi—”

  “Aphrodite …” Rhea cut her off.

  “No, Headmistress,” Aphro said. “I calculated that assault all the way down to the moment I stabbed him straight in his damned heart. That would’ve been the end of him. How was I supposed to know they had some immortality link with the earth’s soil? No one knew that. Least of all you.”

  “She tried to tell you all she knew her way around a sword,” Hera said. “Didn’t listen, did you?”

  “Listen to you,” Tia chuckled, sounding playfully shocked.

  Hera folded her arms. “What can I say? I’m converted.”

  “Aphro has a point, Don,” I said. “I think what she did took real guts. She’s earned a spot on my team.”

  Metis shot me a sidelong glance.

  “What team would that be, exactly?” Don countered. “The invalid team? Or the invalid team? You wanted to lead so badly. Last I checked we almost got slaughtered, no thanks to you … you, who chose a risky ass procedure that has left you incapable of offering anything resembling firepower or cover. You chose spinal fusion over blood transfusion—”

  “Leadership is making hard choices in the face of doubt,” I said.

  Hera held her hand aloft. “That sounds oddly familiar.”

  “In any case,” I said, “a blood transfusion would have left me much weaker.”

  “How’s that working out for you now?” Don jeered. “We could have used a weaker you versus a non-existent you. See the difference?”

  I glared at him. If I could’ve summoned energy to shoot through my eyes, I would’ve. Just then, the familiar crackle and snap of energy sounded like music to my ears. And the room became blindingly white.

  “Whoa!” Shade exclaimed. “You can do that energy thing with your eyes too?” He touched my shoulder, and then yanked his hand away, hissing as if he’d been burnt.

  “I have no idea what that eye thing is,” I said. “I’m just volcanic that I couldn’t do anything.” And in that moment, I doubted my decision more than ever. Don was correct. The decision I made to go with the aegis meant I was forced to sit and watch my friends nearly die. Which also meant I had no cover or adequate means to hide the emotional weight of Don’s statements upon me. My throat closed upon a lump sitting directly in the middle of it. I struggled for breath.

  Aphro walked over to me. “You all right?”

  Metis leapt out of Rhea’s embrace and cut Aphro off at the pass. “I got it. Get your hands off. You don’t even have any healing powers.”

  Aphro scoffed, “I’m not so sure I’d cling to that lie if I were you.”

  Professors Phoebe, Nemo, Aoede, and Melete walked in, carrying trays piled high with food. Nemo said, “We raided the Syssitia. There was no one around. I haven’t found one stray hair of Eurynome. Isn’t that strange?”

  “Indeed,” Rhea said. “I even tried to reach out mentally to locate her brain signature and got nothing.”

  “Any vegetables on that platter?” Meter asked.

  “Some,” Phoebe said. “But you need to eat more than leaves, Demeter. Have to keep up your strength, young lady. We don’t have any nectar down here.”

  “Uggh!” Meter groaned. “Down here is right. Feels like Tartarus all over again.”

  Tia put her arm around Meter. “I got you, girl. I won’t let you faint out on us. There’ll be sun tomorrow.”

  Pontus rushed back into the room with Shade’s helmet.

  “Thanks,” Shade said. “I was wondering where that had gone to.”

  Pontus continued, “The beasts are finally coming around. Shaken, but moving.” He glanced at Rhea. “We need to fall back farther.”

  Metis looked up. “Let’s carry the food back to the Hearthstone Forge. The Cyclopes can help us fashion new weapons for our new foes.”

  Aphro muttered, “Yeah, I think I need to take up the bow and arrow. The sword is a little too intimate for these creatures.”

  “I hear you,” Meter said. “Maybe I can search the hills for a poison to dip those arrows in.” Meter and Aphro slapped hands.

  “Let’s move out,” Pontus said.

  Metis fed me grapes and bread dipped in olive oil and then allowed Aoede and Melete to hoist me up. They carried me out into the square. Selene’s moon was nearly full. Our ability to move under cover of darkness had evaporated beneath a cloudless sky. The heads and shoulders of the molten mountains loomed over the Limnos academy building rooftops. Once we all flooded out onto the walkway toward the center square, one of the mountains growled loud enough to reverberate in my throat. Then with a great sloshing sound, it began moving toward landfall, toward us. The ground shook with each step.

  “Oh damn!” Rhea said. “Hurry.”

  “I’ll hold them off,” Pontus said, moving toward the trail back down to the waterfront. “Get to safety for now. Live to fight another day.”

  “But you won’t stand a chance by yourself,” Tia pleaded. “They’ll kill you. Pl–”

  “Shh, child.” Pontus held up his hand. “When I was hired at Mount Olympus Prep, I swore an oath to protect students and faculty from all threats.”

  The giants’ footfalls rumbled ever closer. The tops of their heads bobbed just above the halls that guarded the path to the bay.

  “But above all, I swore to protect the students. The Grinder wasn’t for naught. I fathered such monsters in the past, but …” He sighed. “Poseidon, you were the son I’d alw
ays wanted. Remember all I taught you.” He slapped his fist to his chest. “Mu Omega Pi.”

  “Mu Omega Pi,” we responded in unison.

  Pontus turned and jogged toward the coming danger. The glittery Asterius rounded the corner. Pontus leapt into the air and nearly punched a hole in the giant’s head. Asterius staggered. Pontus crouched and launched into the beast’s midsection, before slamming him to the ground with a textbook maneuver.

  “Get ‘em, Coach!” Don yelled.

  We all maintained our steady march toward the Hurler post in the center of the main square. Aoede and Melete set me down, handing my care over to Rhea.

  Rhea waved us forward. “Let’s go. Two waves.” She huddled the first wave around the Hurler. “Off you go.”

  I was on the second trip, with Don. And Meter, Tia, Shade, Hera, and Rhea. Once the first order had vanished, we turned back to the melee. Over top of the buildings, I saw ropes that were tethered to the far molten beasts out in the bay. The rope tugged, and then the monsters sloshed forward. One of the gigantes reached down and picked up a legitimate boulder from the water and flung it toward the square.

  “Watch out!” Meter yelled.

  We all ducked. The giant stone flew over our heads and smashed into the Megaron Hall to our rear. My attention returned to Pontus. He one-handedly tossed a beast backward down the path. But then a third smashed his club right into the side of Pontus’ knees.

  He crumbled to a heap on the ground. That was the beginning of the end. Asterius thrust the butt end of his club into Pontus’s stomach then uppercut him right in the jaw. Another beast circled behind Pontus, wrapped his massive arms around Pontus’ neck, and lifted him off the ground. The others continued to break his legs and swing their clubs into his chest. And yet, Pontus fought on.

  “Mu Omega Pi,” Hera whispered.

  “Till we die,” Don responded in kind.

  We all surrounded the Hurler. Rhea placed my hand atop everyone else’s … and off we went.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Rhea and Metis carried me up the hill, where we joined our other classmates and faculty, and checked in with the Cyclopes brothers. Illuminated by the torchlight from just inside the cave, we sat and ate a bit. Despite our ordeal, most of us only picked at our food.

  “What is happening to us?” Don yelled abruptly. His pale skin ran splotchy. He wiped his nose. “First Ouranos and now Pontus? And to have found out that Ouranos was our actual great-father … only to lose the only real father figure I’d ever had in my life, Coach P.”

  Phi slid an arm around his waist and leaned her head onto his arm, as incoherent murmurs and grumblings crisscrossed the space. I gazed around. Everyone’s eyes were red, if not slightly swollen. Tia wept quiet tears. Meter hugged her close. Metis sat against a side wall and placed me in front of her so that I could lean back against her. She wrapped her arms around me. I wish I could’ve actually felt her touch. Aphro, perhaps not having the emotional connection as the rest of us, consoled Hera. It was an odd visual, but it felt right. It worked.

  Rhea raised her hands. “This is indeed the worst set of circumstances yet to visit our school. I have a feeling that if we can just make it to the trial and get through that spectacle, all will be well. All of our eggs are squarely in that basket. The trial will solve most of this. As for right now, the beasts have no idea to where we’ve escaped, so we’ve bought some time and distance. We could’ve hurled back to Olympus for all they know. For now, let’s just try to get some rest.” She turned to me. “And Zeus, once everyone recovers from a full night’s rest, we’re going to try to heal you again in the morning.”

  I nodded.

  Arges hauled up some extra-large blankets for us to use since we’d had to leave the academy so hastily. I was certain everyone fell asleep in short order. I know I did. Safety never felt so warm. The caves of Mount Ida on Crete were cold and damp inside. Even when the forge was not full-bore, the volcanic nature of this place was still rather toasty.

  I was grateful for a night without incident, though no one knew when or even if the gigantes would march inland. It’s difficult to know how they even found us in the first place. I needed to talk with Headmistress.

  After Metis finished feeding me grapes and bread for breakfast, I whispered to her, “Hey, can you find Rhea for me?”

  She nodded, kissed me on the forehead, and strode off out of the cave. I closed my eyes. Unable to move … still. I was in no mood to catch someone’s attention before I’d wanted it. Within moments, Metis returned with Rhea. They propped me up.

  “Do you want some privacy?” Metis asked innocently.

  I shook my head. “In fact, I need you to hear some of this too.”

  “All right… but we all are in need of washing up a bit. Brontes said there’s a thermal spring nearby … says it is rumored to heal all ills. Which means that it might possibly heal you too.”

  “I’m definitely game for that …” My voice trailed off under the weight of what I needed to say. I sighed. “First though, I think I need to relieve myself. It’s been a while.”

  “Oh … right,” Rhea said. “I bet Brontes has something for that.”

  Rhea and Metis rushed out of the cavern. Brontes’ footfalls gently shook the ground and lifted dust into the air as he entered the inner forge area and returned with a contraption.

  “Rhea, you have to jab this into his bladder. That will release the pressure.” He gazed directly at me. “It would hurt under normal circumstances. But you won’t feel a thing. I cobbled it together while you all were gone back to campus. Also, you need to drink as much water as possible so you can do the other thing–”

  “Okay,” I interjected. “I got it.”

  After Rhea and Metis helped me through that business, I turned to Rhea. “There’s something else that I definitely need to get off my chest.”

  She nodded. “I know. Go on …”

  “You obviously know what I’m thinking … but I feel like I need to say it aloud to see if it sounds as crazy as it might be. I’ve had trouble trusting my own thoughts lately.”

  Metis rubbed my neck.

  I drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry … but none of this is random. All these attacks, these micro-aggressions by faculty and staff of academies in our scholastic system … none of it. I …” I turned to Metis, “Sorry, we … had a rather rude interaction with Headmasters Okeanos and Tethys on Crete when we visited. That was before discovering that Amalthea and the Kouretes had all been killed.”

  “That still stings,” Rhea whispered. Her eyes cast downward.

  “And the worst part of that was … and Metis was there, she can tell you … the worst part was that when I told my old headmasters that I was going to see Amalthea … Okeanos said … ‘Good luck with that.’ It was like they already knew.”

  “Or were party to it,” Metis added. “I have no love for them, Headmistress. None.”

  “And then the first gigante solo attack at the Caldron. And then the subsequent attack that forced us from Olympus.” The emotional vibration in my voice pitched upward. “And then the rude attitude of Eurynome when we arrived. And then the attack from the mass of gigantes. And after all of that … where are Eurynome, the faculty, and all the students? That Asterius giant man-thing said they’d been sent here to find us. Who sent them? Who tipped them off? How did the person know we were on Limnos? After leaving Olympus, we could’ve gone anywhere … but the gigantes followed us right to where we were!”

  Rhea placed her hands on my shoulders. “You raise erudite concerns. Well thought out. I don’t think you’re far afield. All the pieces haven’t fallen in place yet but you’ve laid out the most pressing queries.”

  Metis raised her hand.

  “Speak your mind, dear. We’re not in class.” Rhea flashed a rare smile.

  “I think someone doesn’t want us to make it to the trial.”

  “Wait …” Rhea’s face turned
somber again. “I’ve witnessed the wheels of justice in other pantheons. Our system of justice is the best I’ve ever seen. The Khaos Council knows what it’s doing. You’ve seen their work up close.”

  I nodded.

  “You’ve not met her yet, and be glad you haven’t, but Themis has one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever known. She’s the personification of fairness, law, and divine order. And Gaia, Mother Goddess to us all, presides. Yes, some transgressions occurred. Yes, my father, your great-father, was murdered. But I have yet to see justice not metered out in good form.”

  “But, Headmistress,” Metis began, “what other explanation do you have for all of the events that have transpired since Hyperion and Kronos were taken into custody?”

  “Yes, child …” Rhea cradled Metis’ chin in her palm. “But our entire cosmos is under assault by evil … not just us. We are a tiny pantheon. There are more. The Hindu pantheon has major tension between the Devas and the Asuras. The Babylon pantheon apparently has its own conflicts. According to Headmaster Odin, The Nine Realms of Yggdrasil Academy is under siege by a wolf who’s larger than the molten lava giants we just faced … and a serpent who swallows the sea. It’s not just us. We can’t fall into a rut of navel gazing and thinking that our problems are the only ones that exist. They’re not. All the pantheons are linked. We are alike more than we are different. As school administrators, we pledged to hook arms so to speak against any threat among us. We count on them to do their part in turning back evil. And we must do our part.”

  Rhea took a breath, looked off into the distance, and continued, “Despite your current condition, Zeus, my belief is that you, along with the rest of your classmates, are the best we have to offer this cosmos … the next generation. And each generation after will progressively become stronger than the last. That should not be a basis for fear, but a banner of hope. We should want our offspring to be more powerful than we are, because if they are not … what are we even doing as parents? Our children must be prepared for the world that awaits them.” She hugged me and pressed her cheek to mine.