Olympian Challenger

by Astrid Arditi

  The giant claps once, calling forth an army of ghostly servants. They each carry an enameled box with intricate designs on the lid. All the contenders receive a box.

  “Your quest today is simple. Take your box, and deliver it to Prometheus,” Heracles explains. “Those who succeed and survive will move on to the second quest. You have until sundown to complete your challenge.”

  I think at first that the ground is shaking, but I’m the one who’s trembling. Some force tries to pull me away from my friends. Gabriel and Amy look frightened as they realize the same thing. I don’t want to face this quest alone. The ethereal trumpets sound again, echoing the applause of the audience.

  Just before I’m teleported somewhere else, I yell, “Meet me at the Castalian fountain!”

  The last thing I hear is Heracles’s voice—“Good luck, challengers!”—before I find myself standing next to Josh in a patch of daisies. Our quest has started.

  A torch is planted in the grass next to me, its flame singeing the fine hair on my arms. I jolt away from it and clutch the box in my hands like a shield. Josh looks as confused as I am, but I don’t pay him any heed. We’re not partners, whatever the gods say.

  I spin to look for the town where hopefully my friends will meet me. As soon as I spot it, I take off at a jogging pace.

  “Where are you going?” Josh yells from his original spot.

  “To find my friends,” I shout back without looking at him. “You can come if you want.”

  When I don’t hear footsteps following me, I have my answer. It’s a relief. Josh is obnoxious.

  As I run, I ignore the many torches on the way. I’m too focused on finding Amy and Gabriel. I run into other contenders as I near the town, all looking dazed after being dispatched unceremoniously by the gods. They hold onto their boxes for dear life, as if hoping it can ground them somehow.

  When I reach the piazza, Amy sits on the ledge of the fountain, fidgeting with her box. “Took you long enough.”

  I wipe my forehead, pearling with sweat. “I came as fast as I could. Where’s Gabriel?”

  “Perhaps he’s not coming. We should go.”

  “Let’s give him another ten minutes,” I say, dropping on the ledge next to Amy to rest my legs.

  She’s trying to find a latch to open her box. I slap her hand away, almost tipping the box onto the floor, but she catches it before it hits the ground.

  She glares at me, blowing on her hand to cool the sting. “What was that for?”

  “Don’t open it.”

  “Why? There may be a treasure inside.”

  “Have you understood nothing of Prometheus’s story? Pandora’s box, Amy!”

  “You said it was a jar.”

  Gabriel, followed by Melody, finally reaches the piazza. “What are you two arguing about?”

  “Hope won’t let me look inside my box,” Amy grumbles. “She thinks it may be a trap.”

  “What do you think?” Gabriel asks.

  “Judging by the box, I think the treasure inside must be very expensive.”

  Melody’s blue eyes alight eagerly. She studies her own box from various angles.

  “Stop it. Both of you.” I stare at the girls sternly. “What if opening the box unleashes chaos like it did for Pandora?”

  “What if you’re paranoid?” Melody retorts.

  “Do you really want to risk it for trinkets? Besides, the instructions were to deliver the box, not look inside it.”

  Gabriel, ever the diplomat, tries to steer us to safer ground. “So box aside, how do we find Prometheus?”

  “Maybe the clue is inside the box?” Melody suggests.

  “Why don’t we try to figure it out without opening the box?” Gabriel says. “If it doesn’t work, we can always look inside later.”

  “Seems like a waste of time,” Melody insists.

  “We have time. It’s at least six hours until sundown,” I remind her.

  Amy grunts in acquiescence while Melody rolls her eyes at my excessive caution.

  “So where do you expect we can find Prometheus? I haven’t met him yet, so I don’t know his emblem,” Gabriel says.

  Apollo’s challengers walk past us, scanning the palaces to look for Prometheus’s place. I don’t think they’ll find him here.

  “Prometheus is a titan. A giant. I doubt he’d live in one of the town’s palaces.” Now that I know some gods live elsewhere, like Poseidon and Nereus under the ocean, and Hades and Kieron down in Erebus, I’m fairly certain of my deduction.

  “Then where else could he be?” Amy wonders.

  “The gods must have left us clues,” I say.

  Amy grins. “Like the torches all around? Am I the only to find their presence in the middle of the day strange?”

  “Prometheus’s fire. Would make sense,” I agree.

  “But they are everywhere,” Gabriel says. “How do we know which ones to follow?”

  We dispatch ourselves around the piazza, staring at the torches that surround it. Mine is plain wood and it doesn’t stand out in any way.

  “Do you see anything special?” I ask.

  “Not on mine,” Melody answers.

  “Me neither,” says Gabriel.

  “Mine has a symbol on it,” Amy says. “Some sort of anvil, with a hammer.”

  “Hephaestus’s crest!” I exclaim. “As in Hephaestus’s fire that Prometheus stole.”

  We all run toward her to examine the torch. It leads to an alley that splits into three more. A torch stands before each.

  “What about the next ones?” Gabriel asks.

  “This one has the crest,” Melody says.

  We veer into that street, then another one, following the torches until we exit the town. My heart beats faster—we’re on the right track.

  Melody scans the fields opening before us. The torches are spread farther apart this time so we decide to each run toward one to save time. I get the one with the crest, leading in direction of the arena. My friends rush to my side and we keep moving, repeating the operation until we walk past the arena.

  A scream resonates from the town. We all whirl around, trying to see whatever caused the scream without success. We’re too far now. The haunting howl still echoing in the valley makes us hasten our pace some more.

  “What was it?” Gabriel whispers.

  I lift my palms up toward the sky. “I don’t know…”

  “One less challenger to compete against,” Amy says coldly.

  We reach the meadow beside the forest.

  “Just orchards and prairies on this side,” Amy says as she stares up and down the slope of the mountain.

  “No building?” Gabriel asks.

  “Nothing but greenery,” Amy answers.

  “What about caves?” I ask, thinking of the entrance to Erebus.

  “Not that I can see,” she says. “Where’s the next torch?”

  While I look for it, a boy and a girl wearing onyx helmets similar to Ares’s catch my eye. They scan the edge of the forest.

  “Do you think Prometheus lives in there?” Gabriel asks.

  “No.” I’ve been canvassing the forest for the past week in search of the Pythia. I would have seen a giant palace if it was there.

  Ares’s male contender mutters something, obviously arguing with the tall girl with shoulders like a quarterback, whose name is Emily. She’s been fiddling with her box, then out of nowhere, she hurtles it hard against the ground in frustration. The box cracks open with a deafening sound.

  Our group stares from our safe distance, waiting to see what comes out of the box. Amy’s hand searches again for a latch on her box as she says. “See? Nothing to worry about—”

  My blood curdles at Emily’s shriek. A black fog emanates from the box, winding itself around her like a shawl. Tendrils of darkness tease the boy beside her, circling his arms and legs.

  Emily claws at her face and screams, the gashes on her cheeks crimson against her pale face.

  Amy drops he
r box, which startles us all. I exhale in relief when it doesn’t open on impact. Panic blooms in Amy’s gray eyes as she darts glances between her box and Emily, her fingers now trying to gouge her own eyes out, her face a mask of agony. The boy kneels down, whimpering softly.

  I start toward them, but Amy and Gabriel band together to hold me back.

  “Stay right here,” Amy mutters as she struggles to keep her grip on my left arm.

  “You could get hurt as well,” Gabriel whispers, his voice trembling as he watches Emily fall at the boy’s knees.

  As soon as the fog evaporates, I shake them off and dash to Emily and the boy’s sides, staying clear of the gaping box on the grass. I kneel beside Emily, forcing her fingers away from her eyes.

  “Help me,” I yell to my friends.

  Gabriel rushes to my aid, pinning one of Emily’s hands against the ground while I clasp the other one. Amy follows, her face ashen. Melody stays at a safe distance, earning a glare full of contempt from me.

  Ares’s other contender is still on his knees, sobbing pitifully. His eyes have a terrifying vacant look.

  “What’s his name?” I ask Amy, who seems to recognize him.

  “Marcus. He’s Jessica’s friend. A foster kid.”

  As soon as Emily’s hand relaxes in my grip, I snap my fingers in front of his face. “Marcus? Marcus? Can you hear me?”

  He doesn’t look at me; he doesn’t seem to hear me.

  “Marcus? You have to focus. What was this thing?” I ask again.

  Amy grunts in frustration. She walks up to him and slaps him hard across the cheek, leaving an angry red mark. “Snap out of it, Marcus.”

  He blinks at last, looking dazed. I’d like to slap Emily back to her senses too, but her face is a bloody mess.

  “We need to take them out of here. They need help,” I say.

  Melody has finally rejoined our group, bending slightly over us out of curiosity. “What about the competition?”

  I can’t begin to answer her question without losing it. Instead, I look for something we could use as a makeshift stretcher to carry Emily. Her body has gone slack as a result of the pain she inflicted herself and with her strong build, there’s no way any of us can carry her dead weight alone.

  Running footsteps sound across the meadow. I crane my neck to find Jason and Ariadne, rushing to help. Jason bends toward Emily and picks her up in his strong arms while Ariadne inspects Marcus.

  “You didn’t open the box,” she says when he reacts to her examination.

  His hands are jammed under his armpits as he rocks back and forth. “Emily did.”

  “I’ll take Emily back,” Jason says. “Marcus can stay in the competition.”

  I look at Marcus’s haunted eyes hidden behind the shaggy blond hair that falls across his forehead. “What happened to you?”

  “Emily unleashed the contents of the box,” Ariadne answers for him.

  “And what was inside?”

  Marcus lets out a quivering breath. “Fear,” he answers without looking at me. “What will happen to Emily?”

  “She’s out of the competition of course,” Ariadne answers.

  “Do you feel well enough to come with us?” I ask Marcus.

  Melody moans when she hears my offer.

  “If you have a problem with that, you can go on your own,” I snap.

  “I guess I don’t have a choice.” Marcus accepts my hand to stand up.

  Ariadne scrutinizes his livid face, nods, and leaves the way Jason went. We cross the meadow in silence, having almost forgotten why we’re here.

  Chapter 24

  Amy’s shoulder brushes against my arm. She hasn’t recovered from her fright yet.

  “Thank you. For stopping me from opening the box.”

  A tight smile etches on my lips. “That’s what friends are for.”

  Melody places her hands on her hips. “Where’s the next torch?”

  We find one with Hephaestus’s crest standing at the edge of a cliff that falls abruptly down, with a ledge descending all the way to the clouds.

  “Makes sense,” I say. “Prometheus must live in a cavern. But how do we get across?”

  “There are ledges large enough for us to walk on,” Amy says.

  As if to prove her point, we spot another torch blazing further down a ledge. I squint at the distance. Two silhouettes sidle down it, their backs pressed against the mountain. The tallest one must be Bob Jr., which would make the blond boy next to him Heath. I grunt. Of course he would be in first place.

  “Let’s go,” I say.

  Gabriel blinks rapidly with fear. “I can’t. I’ll fall.”

  “You won’t.” I hold his arm, taken aback by the taut muscles in my grip.

  “I’m afraid of heights,” he says.

  “I won’t let go of you. You can make it.” I drag him toward the ledge. “Marcus, can you do this?”

  “I’m fine.”

  I worry about the tremor in his limbs, but we have no other choice if we want a chance to win.

  “Just let me know if you need a break, ok?”

  Amy goes first, followed by Melody. I let Marcus go before me then drag a reluctant Gabriel onto the ledge.

  Gabriel’s spine goes rigid as he looks down.

  “Keep your eyes on me. Slow and steady.”

  We creep over the ledge in the direction Heath and Bob Jr. went. Marcus wavers dangerously but stays upright. Gabriel quakes beneath my hand. After a while, I notice a flock of eagles circling threateningly over one particular spot.

  I call loud enough that Amy at the front will hear me, “Zeus’s eagles. We must be getting near.”

  At the next torch, the abrupt rock wall turns into a milder slope. It is made uneven by serrated boulders, but at least we’re not on a narrow ledge looming over a deep gap any longer. Gabriel’s stiff shoulders soften.

  We descend slightly to get an overview of what lies ahead. A cavern opens up in the mountain with jagged edges, like the teeth of a monstrous dragon. Three eagles, their powerful wings flapping in the breeze, protect the gaping mouth in the rock.

  “Do you think that’s it?” Melody takes a cautious step toward the cavern.

  With feral shrieks, the eagles dive toward a place hidden by large boulders.

  “That is where Heath and Bob Jr. went,” Amy says.

  “Should we help them?” Gabriel asks.

  Marcus is shaking and his face is chalk white.

  “We need to get him to safety first,” I say.

  “The boys can fend for themselves,” Amy agrees. She grabs Marcus’s left arm.

  We force him to walk although he’s still locked in his prison of terror. Gabriel and Melody follow closely.

  Two of the eagles are busy with Heath and Bob Jr., so only one remains. He flaps his majestic wings in warning as we get closer. Amy unsheathes her dagger while Melody lifts up her slingshot. Gabriel takes Marcus’s arm in Amy’s place and helps me drag him on.

  We’ve almost made it to the entrance when the last eagle attacks. He dives straight for Marcus, who tries to run away. I fight him, worried he’ll make a perfect target for the eagle.

  Amy steps in front of us like a human shield while Melody stashes her box between her thighs so she can take aim. She hits the eagle’s right wing just before its claws dig into Amy’s shoulder. The shock propels it backward, but within seconds it flies back toward us. This time Amy’s dagger slashes at his feathers, drawing blood.

  I make sure Marcus isn’t about to faint and find Heath below us, zapping an eagle with his bare hands. He’s already learned to harness some of Zeus’s powers. Bob Jr. flails his massive club around, keeping his eagle at bay for now.

  While Amy single-handedly fights our eagle, I turn to Melody and point to the boys. “Can you help them out?”

  She takes aim and shoots a rock into Bob Jr.’s opponent. The bird squawks and flaps away to nurse its wound. Instantly Bob Jr. is at Heath’s side, and together they knock the
last eagle out. Our eagle is getting dangerously close to Amy again, who’s starting to tire. I don’t want to shoot; I don’t want to hurt anyone, not even a poor bird, but I need to protect my friends.

  I nestle my box between two rocks, then I pull my bow and arrow from my quiver. Tears pool in my eyes as I’m about to end its life. But before I can shoot, Heath comes running toward us and slashes my target with his sword. Its wing should fall off after such a blow, but it mends swiftly while the eagle flaps away to regroup.

  “The cavern is unprotected,” Heath yells, sprinting to the cave.

  I return to Marcus’s side and with Gabriel’s help, we run for cover inside the mountain.

  The cavern is even more spacious inside, and a massive bonfire flaming in its center makes it bright and warm.

  A giant sits in a proportionate armchair, heating his feet by the flames. His golden eyes shine as he sees us coming.

  “Welcome, young champions. I see you’ve defeated my winged guardians.” His voice rumbles so deep, I fear it’ll bring the mountain down on top of us.

  Heath sounds suspicious. “But you can’t?”

  Prometheus smiles sheepishly. “I must admit I have never tried. I enjoy keeping to myself.” He looks at us intently. “I think you have something for me.”

  Amy takes out her box from between her dress and belt. Heath and Bob Jr. did something similar, tucking the box in the waist of their pants, hidden under their tunics. Marcus, Gabriel and Melody hold their boxes in one hand. I gasp—I’ve forgotten mine outside.

  “As soon as you hand them to me, your quest will be completed,” Prometheus says.

  I look at the exit, cursing at the thought of going out again. But I don’t want to risk my friends’ safety by asking them to come with me. I wait for them to be distracted by the exchange with Prometheus, and when a new pair of worn-out contenders steps in, I creep out unnoticed.

  I nock an arrow on my bow just in case, hoping I won’t have to fire it. The eagles are absent, probably licking their wounds after their altercation with the last challengers to come in.