by Kate O'Hearn
Diana nodded. ‘My father hoped to use the gold from the bridle to defeat the Nirads and relight the Flame,’ she said. ‘Moments before he was captured, he used the last of his powers to send me here to collect the bridle and help Pegasus on his quest.’
‘What is his quest?’ Emily asked. ‘He can’t tell us.’
Diana looked at Pegasus. ‘Why did Father send you here?’
Both Emily and Joel stood in silence as Pegasus started to nicker softly. It continued for several minutes.
‘I never knew any of this,’ Diana said in a whisper. ‘None of us did. Only my Father, Vesta and Pegasus knew.’
‘Knew what?’ Emily asked impatiently.
‘Please get off your wounded leg and sit down,’ Diana said as she helped Emily settle under a tree. Joel, still a little starstruck, sat beside her.
‘Pegasus is on a precious quest,’ she started. ‘He says it is doomed to failure without your help. That the survival of Olympus and your world rests entirely with you.’
Emily was suddenly unsure she wanted to hear this.
‘Long before I was born, at the end of the Great War between the Olympians and the Titans, a Flame emerged in the heart of Olympus,’ Diana continued. ‘It was Vesta’s duty to ensure the new Flame was kept alive and strong. For its power was our power. Its life was our life. A wondrous temple was built around the Flame and it has burned brightly in Olympus ever since.’
‘Vesta?’ Joel said suddenly. ‘The Goddess of the Hearth? She used Vestal Virgins to keep the flame alive at a temple in ancient Rome.’
Diana nodded. ‘That was the symbolic Flame of Olympus. Those virgins were the servants of Vesta. The real Flame has always been in Olympus. But right from the beginning, my father worried that if this Flame were ever extinguished, we would lose our powers. So he sent Vesta to Earth with the heart of the Flame and commanded her to hide it in a human child. A girl child. This secret Daughter of Vesta would carry the heart of the Flame within her, without ever knowing it.’
‘But that was long ago,’ Emily said, frowning. ‘She’s got to be dead by now.’
‘She is,’ said Diana. ‘But Vesta made certain that upon her death, the heart of the Flame would pass to another baby girl being born. It would go from generation to generation, across all the waters of the Earth.’
‘So out there right now,’ Joel said, working it out, ‘there is another Daughter of Vesta carrying the heart of the Flame of Olympus.’
‘That’s crazy,’ Emily said. ‘How can a flame have a heart?’
‘Emily—’ Joel warned.
‘No Joel, this is getting too much,’ said Emily, cutting him off. ‘First Pegasus is real and crashes on my roof. Now Diana, also an Olympian, is here and telling us that a flame has a heart and that it goes from girl to girl. I can believe a lot of stuff, but this is just too crazy. How can you accept it so easily?’
‘Because I’ve read the books!’ Joel shot back. ‘I do more than fight, you know. I read. The Iliad and The Odyssey are my favourites. They tell some of the stories of the Gods!’
‘Stories, that’s right,’ Emily challenged. ‘This is real life and a flame can’t have a heart!’
‘Emily, I know these books,’ said Diana. ‘My father had them in his palace before the Nirads attacked. They are not lies, just retelling of certain events. Believe me. The Flame of Olympus has a living heart. And my father sent Pegasus here to find the girl who possesses it. He is charged with bringing her back to Olympus to reignite our Flame.’
‘Wow,’ Emily said softly, struggling to take it all in. ‘But after so many generations, how will he know who she is if she doesn’t even know about herself?’
Diana smiled. ‘Pegasus alone can see the flame burning within her. She will draw him to her. He won’t be able to resist her, for she is the source of his strength.’
Joel nodded his head in understanding. ‘So, Pegasus came to Earth to get this girl. But he got hurt and crashed on Emily’s roof instead.’
‘That is correct,’ Diana said. ‘With his wing broken, he has been unable to fly to her.’
‘Where is she?’ Emily asked. ‘Is she even in America?’
Pegasus neighed softly.
‘Pegasus says the daughter of this generation is here in this country,’ Diana translated. ‘That she is not far away. But he says something is very wrong with her because the flame has grown weak within her. This is why it became so weak in Olympus, and enabled the Nirads to attack and defeat us.’
‘Maybe she’s sick,’ Emily suggested.
‘Perhaps,’ Diana agreed. ‘But whoever she is, she has a great destiny to fulfil. But a tragic one. For hers must be the greatest sacrifice of all.’
‘What do you mean?’ Joel asked.
‘When the Daughter of Vesta is taken back to Olympus, she must willingly sacrifice herself to the Flame,’ she said. ‘It will consume her. But in offering herself, Olympus will be reborn and all our powers restored.’
‘She’s got to die?’ Emily asked in a whisper.
Diana nodded. ‘She must be willing to sacrifice herself in order for the Flame to be reborn,’ she said. ‘She cannot be forced.’
‘But what can we do?’ Joel asked.
Diana dropped her head. ‘Pegasus needs you to talk to the girl when we find her. You are from this world. You can better explain it than I. You must make this child understand that her sacrifice will not only save Olympus, but this world too.’
‘The Daughter of Vesta is a child?’ Emily asked. ‘And you want us to tell her she’s got to die to save everyone?’
‘No way,’ Joel said, shaking his head. ‘I know you guys have your own special Olympian ways. But this is too much. You can’t expect us to tell a kid she’s got to kill herself.’
‘I do not know how old she is. Nor does Pegasus,’ Diana explained. ‘He only knows that she is near. She may be an old woman nearing her natural death or a young child just starting her life. But whoever, or whatever she is, ultimately, it must be her decision. None of us can force her to sacrifice herself.’
‘So,’ Emily said slowly, ‘we’re going to knock on someone’s door and ask them to commit suicide in order to save the world.’ She felt light-headed with shock. ‘What would you do if it were you, Joel?’
‘I’d tell us to get lost and call the police.’
‘Me too,’ Emily agreed.
‘Then all is lost and our worlds will perish.’ Diana said flatly. ‘The Nirads have enslaved the survivors of Olympus and destroyed our home. You have already seen them here in this world. They know of Pegasus’s mission, and will send more to kill him before he finds the Daughter of Vesta. I am here to help him any way I can.’
‘So will we,’ Emily said finally. She looked at Joel. ‘We haven’t got a choice. If there are more Nirads on the way, we’ve got to do all we can to stop them.’
‘Wait a minute,’ Joel said as an idea came to him. ‘What if we got the bridle back? Maybe we can make weapons to destroy the Nirads. Then when we take the Daughter of Vesta to Olympus, Jupiter will have time to figure out another way to relight the flame without her having to die.’
Emily looked at Diana. ‘Do you think it’s possible?’
‘I do not know,’ she said. ‘It might work.’
‘I’m willing to try,’ Joel said. ‘It’s better than telling some poor girl she’s got to kill herself.’
‘I agree,’ Emily said excitedly.
Joel led the group forward. ‘Come on, let’s get moving.’
16
Paelen opened his fingers. The key he had taken from the orderly’s pocket was still resting in the palm of his hand. He manipulated the key into the lock on the handcuff. With one hand free, it was little effort to open the second cuff.
Paelen knew his body was mostly healed. The burn on his back was gone and his broken ribs no longer hurt. They had left the casts on his legs. He suspected they had done that to keep him from escaping. But as he stretched out h
is feet and flexed his calf muscles, he felt the plaster on the two casts crack. He felt no pain from the bones in his legs.
Paelen sat up, threw back the covers and started to break away the casts from both his legs. Before long, his legs were free. He tested his muscles. They were a bit stiff from lack of use, but apart from that, the bones had healed.
With both legs free, Paelen climbed quietly from his bed. He pressed his ear to the metal door and heard activity in the hall. There were still a lot of people out there.
He recalled the orderlies making plans for the evening. They were going home for the night. As Paelen stood by the door listening, he heard the guards outside change. Two men were leaving. They were reporting the events of the day to the one man who would remain outside the door for the rest of the night. Paelen would wait a while longer before he made his move. He always did his best work late at night.
Paelen waited. Somehow he would always feel when it was time to move, rather than plan anything specific. As he lay back, he recalled everything he had seen of the facility so far. He knew they were deep underground. There were multiple halls, countless doors and several levels. So far, he had been taken to three different laboratories for testing. They were all two levels below this one.
Each time they took him from his room, Paelen had been careful to memorize where they went. He had been taken past a set of doors with a symbol of stairs above it. More than once, he’d seen people enter or exit at that point. That would be his escape route after he had found the lab containing Pegasus’s bridle and Mercury’s sandals.
Paelen now concentrated on the air vent above his bed. The sounds of people in the rooms connected by the tunnels faded slowly. Moment by moment, the facility was shutting down for the night.
When more time had passed, Paelen felt that strange tingle that told him it was time to move. He walked quietly back to the door. He heard nothing from the outside except the faint sound of paper being shuffled and a soft breath being taken. The guard was still out there. But he was alone.
As he looked at the key pad that controlled the sound lock, Paelen counted twelve buttons. To open the door, the men always pressed four. But which four? From his angle on the bed, he had never been able to see exactly which buttons. This left only two options. To start pressing buttons until he heard the sound combination he needed, or simply use his strength to force open the door.
Neither option was particularly appealing. As pressing buttons always made sounds on both sides, any attempt he made would be heard by the guard. However, there was an equal chance of the guard hearing him force the door.
Finally Paelen chose the first option, but with a slight change. Even though the tingle in his senses told him to go, he held back. Waiting … waiting …
He eventually heard movement outside his door. The guard was saying something about leaving his post for a toilet break. A moment later, another voice gave the authorization. Immediately the guard left his desk, leaving Paelen’s door unattended.
Paelen looked at the buttons on the key pad. Starting with the number one, he closed his eyes and pressed the button. He listened to the distinct sound it made. It was not one he’d heard before.
One by one, Paelen pressed the twelve buttons, familiarizing himself with their sounds. When he hit the last one and heard its unique tone, he smiled. He confidently reached up and pressed the correct sequence of four buttons to open the door. A faint click immediately followed. Paelen pulled the door handle. It gave without any resistance.
Paelen saw no one. He dashed down the hall in the direction of the stairs, entered the stairwell and descended two levels to where all the laboratories were located.
Remaining in the stairwell, Paelen lowered himself to the floor. All of his senses were alert to any sounds. There were two people in the laboratory corridor. Paelen heard their voices drawing near, and then passing the doors and fading in the opposite direction.
When they had gone, he entered the hall quietly.
A series of doors lined the long corridor. Paelen recognized the first laboratory he’d been taken to. He shivered when he recalled what they’d done to him in there.
Further along the wide, white corridor, Paelen approached a big metal box against a wall. Even before he drew near, he could smell a sweet fragrance that made his mouth water and stomach grumble. It was almost like ambrosia, but not quite.
Paelen had asked countless times for ambrosia to be brought to him. Instead he was given food that he couldn’t eat. The only thing he’d managed to get any nutrition from was what the doctors had called dessert. But it was never enough.
Feeling half starved, Paelen approached the glass front of the vending machine. Behind it he could see stacks of brightly coloured items. They all smelled of that same sweet, delicious fragrance. His need for food quickly outweighed his need to get the bridle and sandals. At the side of the machine, he found a lock where a small round key should be inserted. Paelen used all his strength to tear at the lock.
He pried open the front glass door of the machine and reached for the first item. Tearing off the paper, he hungrily bit into the soft candy bar. He nearly cried out in joy as the sweet chocolate went down his throat. It was only then he realized just how hungry he had been.
As he tore open another candy bar and shoved it all in his mouth, he quickly checked the hall. He was exposed and vulnerable. But he had to eat.
Pulling up the bottom of his hospital gown, Paelen made a small pouch. This he filled with as many candy bars and chocolates he could carry. But he was also careful to leave enough in the machine so that anyone who came by would not see that he’d been there.
When he had taken as much as he dared, Paelen closed the glass front of the vending machine and ran back to the stairwell. He crept to the back of the stairs and tucked himself under the base. It wasn’t the best hiding place in the world, but it was better than nothing.
Paelen started to eat. As he tore open each package, he discovered new flavours and delights. Until this moment, there’d been nothing about this world he liked. But as he stuffed his face with candy and chocolate from the vending machine, he realized there was at least one good thing about this world – sugar.
When the last of the candy was gone, Paelen sat back and sighed with contentment. It was the first time he’d felt satisfied since he arrived. Already he could feel his strength increasing as the sugar went to work on his body, healing the last of his wounds.
Soon, Paelen was ready to move again. Creeping out from his hiding place, he felt refreshed, alive and alert. Every sense was working properly. He was himself again.
He could hear the sound of people moving around on the levels above him. But on this level, he was alone. As he moved further along the corridor, Paelen suddenly smelled something he hadn’t smelled since Olympus. It was the awful scent of rot and filth. It was the scent of – Nirads!
The odour grew worse as he continued down the hall. The stench was coming from behind a locked door. He pressed his ear to the door, but heard nothing. The smell told him there was a Nirad in there, but something was wrong. It didn’t smell like other Nirads. This one smelled dead.
Paelen pressed the same code from his door into the sound lock, but nothing happened. He pushed hard against the door. If there was a dead Nirad in there, he needed to know how it had died, and if there was some way of defeating the awful creatures. Perhaps with that information, he could save Olympus.
With the sugar coursing through his body, Paelen felt almost as strong as he did when he was home. No human door could withstand his Olympian might. With a grunting shove, the lock and hinges gave way and the door burst open.
Paelen found himself in another laboratory. But this was nothing like the labs he’d been in before. This room smelled of death and decay. There were similar machines in it. But there was also something else. Something awful.
In the centre of the room, Paelen saw a large metal table. There was a big round light hanging above it
, shining its brightness down on the table’s occupant. The table had metal sides that folded up several centimetres, to keep the blood and fluids from spilling on to the floor.
Lying on the table was a dead Nirad.
Paelen could see the four arms lying limply at the sides of the creature. The stench rising from the table was so awful he had to plug his nose to keep from losing the precious food he’d just eaten. But the sight of the dead Nirad was almost enough to make him sick anyway.
The doctors of this place had clearly been cutting the Nirad open to see what was on the inside. He didn’t want to look. Instead, his eyes were drawn to a deep scar burned on the folded-back skin of the Nirad’s open chest.
Closer inspection revealed several other similar scars along its exposed body. There was a big one on the Nirad’s bloated face. When Paelen crept closer, he immediately recognized the shape of the scars. They were caused by Pegasus’s hooves.
Suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle came together. Back in Olympus, it was Pegasus and Diana who had killed the first Nirad. This Nirad here was also dead because of an encounter with the stallion. Pegasus was the only Olympian capable of killing them and they knew it. The Nirads needed Pegasus dead before they could complete the destruction of Olympus and all the other worlds. So they had followed him to this world to kill him.
Paelen had to warn the stallion. Pegasus had to be protected. He was the Olympians’ only weapon against the ferocious Nirads.
‘Was that a friend of yours?’
Paelen jumped. Turning quickly, he saw Agent J standing there, flanked by several security guards.
‘You must let me go,’ Paelen said desperately. ‘Pegasus is in terrible danger. The Nirads are here to kill him.’
‘Pegasus?’ Agent J asked.
‘Yes, Pegasus,’ Paelen insisted. ‘We must help him! He is the only one who can defeat the Nirads. I must go to him.’
‘You aren’t going anywhere,’ Agent J said. ‘You didn’t think you could get away from us that easily, did you? We have been following you on the corridor cameras from the moment you left your room.’