by Mario Routi
“Leylah, why did you nearly break Alexander’s nose?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve watched you train with Bull and you have extreme precision. You could have hit his forehead rather than his nose, had you so chosen.”
“Yes, I guess I could have, but hitting him in the nose was more effective, wasn’t it?”
Nemesis smiled. “That may be true but I could have disqualified you because of that. However, since this is your first time, I will let it slide but always remember: Love is boundless but so too is fairness. We fight with honour!”
“I understand. It won’t happen again.”
Nemesis led Leylah back to her parents and waved as she left them to start the next game.
“That was probably for the face hitting trick you pulled, wasn’t it?” asked Turgoth.
Leylah hung her head and frowned. “Yes.”
“Remember honey, Evil will do anything to win, but we always fight honourably, even if it makes the battle tougher.”
“I’m glad that Nemesis didn’t disqualify you,” Alexander’s voice was muffled by the shirt, “because you’re a very good fighter.”
Leylah laughed and, at that moment, her mother took her revenge: “Alexander,” Rebecca said, smiling sweetly, “would you like to join us for dinner? It’s the least we can do under these circumstances.”
“I would love to,” Alexander said.
All Leylah could think was: Well played, Mother.
***
Alexander bent over his plate and seemed to be concentrating on the food in order to avoid the chilly atmosphere. Leylah wanted the whole ordeal to pass without her having to say a word so she was perfectly fine with the silence that prevailed over the dinner table.
“So,” Turgoth decided he would break the silence himself, “I heard that you and Leylah are going to be welcoming Gregory and Anna together?”
“Yes,” Alexander muttered, “it was Princess Rebecca’s idea. She suggested it to me and I thought that it would be great.”
“Oh, really?” Leylah looked up and stared hard at her mother, who appeared entirely unabashed.
“Well, yes. If anything, it’s thanks to your mum that you’re even coming,” Alexander said as he continued to shovel food into his mouth as fast as possible.
“Well done, Mum,” Leylah muttered under her breath.
“What was that, honey?” Rebecca asked innocently.
“Nothing...”
Leylah turned her head a little and screwed up her eyes to glower at her mother, gesturing a finger towards Alexander as he stared fixedly at his food. Rebecca shrugged and looked as if she might not be able to suppress an urge to laugh.
“And,” Turgoth kept going despite the domestic war being waged around him, “what have you got planned for them when they arrive?”
“I was thinking about taking them through Domus Forest and then up towards Thunder Mountain,” Alexander said.
“Oh, that’s a bit different to what we normally do,” Rebecca said.
“My thoughts are that they will eventually see Utopia anyway, but rarely do visitors see the beauty outside the gates, except for when they fly in. I want them to get comfortable with our natural environment and show them a few cool things while I’m at it. They can see the inside of the Fortress every day they’re here.”
Alexander set his knife and fork down on his empty plate and dabbed his lips with his napkin. He put his hands on his legs and seemed to become a statue while he waited for the others to finish, causing Leylah to giggle uncontrollably.
“What?” he demanded.
“You looked like you were going to turn to stone. Is that a habit of yours?”
“Well, you see...” he grinned conspiratorially, “I have these really wonderful parents who like to talk at great length about all the things that have happened to them during their very long lives so, normally, I just sit like this until they’re done and then I leave the house for a bit of fresh air.”
“Well then, since you’ve finished your meal, why don’t we take a walk outside?” Leylah said.
“I would absolutely love that. Thank you very much for dinner King Turgoth and Princess Rebecca.”
As they shut the door behind them, Alexander let out a heartfelt sigh. “Well that was awkward.”
“It was Mum’s revenge for me entering the Games without her permission.”
“Really? I didn’t know she didn’t want you to fight.”
“Why do you think I had to be so cryptic with my words? I wanted it to be a surprise when it happened but I could never actually lie.”
Alexander laughed and hugged her. The scent of his skin and hair filled her nostrils and made her head swim with pleasure.
“See you later,” Alexander said once he released her and sauntered off as if nothing had happened, leaving her staring after him, trying to hold his sweet smell in her memory for as long as possible.
9
Leylah stared up at the stars, which seemed more brilliant than ever before. The night air was warm and soothing and she could hear the rustling of nocturnal creatures moving around as she gazed into the blanket of white lights above her. Taking a deep breath she went back inside to face her mother.
“So, you managed to escape?” Rebecca said.
“Listen, Mum, I know that you want Alex and me to be together but it has to happen naturally. He thinks I’m still too young and he pretty much sees me as a little sister. He’s much more interested in Larisa.”
Rebecca smiled. “Larisa is very attractive, but she’s not the one he wants. She’s an Amazon who only has charm and cunning going for her. She doesn’t hold a candle to you, my darling.”
Leylah let out an exasperated sigh. “Whatever,” she said.
Turgoth laughed. “Love is a very weird thing. It’s impossible to predict how things will end. I had no idea that I would come to love your mother even after a very special moment we shared that connected us. Do you know what that moment was?”
“No, Dad, what was it?”
“It was the moment when we first looked into each other’s eyes. Neither of us knew it at the time, but we fell in love in that instant. In fact, we’ve been in love in more than one life, but we didn’t know that either when we first met.”
Rebecca gave her daughter a hug. “It’s time for bed, honey; let’s get you into a warm bath.”
***
An hour later Leylah was lying on the bed writing in her diary.
Well, today was a bit unusual. The truth is that I owe my dad big time. He can be a very kind man sometimes despite his power and strength. When it comes to a fight, probably only Bull and the Gods would ever have any chance of beating him, but you would never guess that from meeting him.
I really enjoyed the time I spent with Alexander but he is totally clueless. Maybe he just isn’t ready to love me and that’s why he likes a girl that has... well, whatever she has. Anyway, time will tell, I guess. I think that he still sees me as a child. Mum can really be annoying, though. I mean, I love her for doing what she does, but I wish she would at least give me fair warning before deciding to push something - or someone - on me.
I am looking forward to meeting Gregory and Anna upon their arrival tomorrow. Alex’s plan for us to take a scenic route isn’t a bad idea at all. Mum certainly seemed to like it. I guess she probably imagines it’s more of a date than anything else. That’s all for tonight. Time to head for dreamland.
She closed her diary and lay back on the pillows. Her eyelids slowly slid shut like curtains covering a window.
10
Tartarus
Cronus stood before the other Titans as they gathered around the black waters of the giant vast lake. The mighty doors of Titan Hall crashed shut behind him.
> “My fellow Titans,” he boomed, his voice bouncing off the walls. “For years, we have succumbed to the forces of Good on Earth. We have allowed those little Orizons to take control of everything that we have wrought and our Sartani have become nothing more than a nuisance to them. You may all remember the Sceptomorphs of long ago - the Dark Ones - those shadow vampires that fed on human fear and all the negative energy of the universe, but - curse them - the Orizons vanquished them. The time is long overdue when these creatures should be brought back to take their deserved revenge - just as it is time for us to exercise our right to be freed from this accursed jail.”
Cronus gestured to a tall man clad in black robes who was standing by his side. The man was so pale he seemed to glow in the gloom and his eyes were shot red with blood. The other features of his face seemed to be constantly changing into different forms and different people. One moment he appeared to be a wizened old woman, the next a smooth-faced young boy and then a skull without a scrap of flesh.
“May I introduce to you my dearest creature, General Varta, who will help us to fulfill our plans before he once again takes his rightful place as leader of the race of the Sceptomorphs. The Orizons have made it difficult for us to produce fear among humans lately but the Sceptomorphs are returning to provide us with the perfect distraction that we need in order to prevail over Good once and for all. It is with their help that we shall conquer Earth, steal the Sacred Flame and release ourselves from this prison. We will then destroy the Gods, just as they deserve.”
The Titans cheered and applauded their King’s stirring words until General Varta took a step forward and silenced them with a voice so cold and threatening that it struck a terrible fear into the hearts of even the bravest warriors.
“You have all heard of the great and ancient Persian warriors, the Immortals. Our Lord Cronus will bring their souls back from the dead. We will release the Sceptomorphs upon Earth for a feeding frenzy of fear. We know exactly how to induce this terror and cannot allow the Orizons to thwart us any longer. Although the Sceptomorphs are invisible shadows to human eyes, the Orizons can see them and they have the power and knowledge to destroy them. We will therefore need to distract the Orizons with other things. We will unleash the Immortals to fight side by side with our Demons, attacking Utopia and stealing the Sacred Flame. If they succeed then total victory will be ours in both worlds, but even if they fail we will still have prevailed on Earth. My Lords, the chess players amongst you would call this a checkmate!”
The elated Titans roared their approval - none louder than Cronus himself - as General Varta gave a low bow. However, Cronus knew that the greatest problem now would be keeping their plans a secret from the Gods and the Orizons until the moment when they would be ready to execute them without a hitch.
General Varta thought he saw the shadow of a young blonde girl and moved faster than the eye could see in pursuit, but she was nowhere to be found. Confused and angry that someone might be making a fool of him, he returned to Cronus’s side before the Titans had even noticed he had gone.
11
Utopia
Leylah twisted and contorted in the bed as the dream world took hold of her mind. Sweat drenched every inch of her skin as she panted and struggled to understand the dark place where she found herself.
Simultaneously sweating and shivering from the chill that gripped her bones, she stared frantically out into the blackness. She could hear chanting in the distance but she wasn’t able to see anything. She didn’t know which way to run or where to hide. She pressed her hands out on either side of her body and felt jagged rocks digging into the soft flesh of her palms. Ignoring the pain, she pushed forward, the rock edges leading her down a passage as the chanting steadily grew louder. Finally, she was able to see the flickering light of a fire as she reached what looked like an opening of some kind in the rock.
Now she could make out the rumble of male voices below the chanting. Crouching down, she peered out and her eyes adjusted to the scene below, lit by the flames of the fire. In the distance, a tall faceless creature with red eyes seemed to be giving a speech to a crowd she could not yet see. As she peered round the final corner she only just managed to stifle a scream as she found herself mere inches from a huge Titan standing on the rocks. He was looking down at the horde that was gathered below him on the edges of an immense black lake.
She thought she could make out a pit of black shadow in front of what looked like a stage. As her eyes grew more accustomed to the gloom, she could see that the pit was farther than the horizon and it was glinting. She kept her gaze focused on one spot until the image of a skull exploded out of nowhere in front of her eyes.
She yelped and fell backwards onto the ground. Rough hands grabbed her arms before she could regain her foothold. She heard the dragging sound of her feet and felt breathless and overcome with exhaustion but couldn’t remember doing anything to cause it. Panic shot through her like an arrow, her body going into survival mode. As she struggled, her feet were lifted from the ground. There was a smell of dead timber which was instantly replaced by the smell of dead corpses, making her retch.
She dared to take another look and the crowd had vanished, replaced by a half-degraded skull, its empty eye sockets staring directly into what felt like her soul. It started laughing, softly at first but gradually growing louder and harsher until eventually the sound became one long, ear-splitting scream that jerked her awake. Sitting bolt upright, she clamped her hands over her ears but it did nothing to quell the noise as what she was hearing was the sound of her own blood-curdling screams. It continued until she heard Bebi barking as he jumped onto the bed to protect his mistress and gradually the world changed into something familiar.
Rebecca burst through the door and onto the bed, wrapping her daughter’s quivering body in her arms while whispering softly and comfortingly into her ear just as she had when she was a small child.
“Hush now, shh. It’s okay. I’m right here. You’re okay now. You’re going to be okay, my love.”
“Mum, it was horrible. It was absolutely horrible.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I was in a dark and cold place but I could hear voices chanting in the distance. I walked towards the noise and came out by a gigantic black lake. I was trying to figure out exactly where I was and what was going on when something terrible jumped out in front of me and scared me. I knew it was awful even though I couldn’t see it. Then, the creature that was talking by the lake brought me to a pile of wood and I felt like I couldn’t move. It looked like he was half dead and he was just laughing at me.”
“Did this creature wear any type of symbol or anything else that might distinguish him?”
“No, he wore only black and spoke in a language I’ve never heard before in my life. Mum, there’s something else.”
“What is it dear?”
“A Titan was there as well, although I couldn’t get a good look at him.”
“Well, it’s okay now. You’re out of the nightmare and you’re home. Would you like to talk about it some more?”
Leylah looked at her mother for a long time as if trying to work something out. “With the Flame here,” she said eventually, “how can I have a nightmare?”
“The Flame prevents Evil from existing inside us but nightmares are not necessarily Evil. Our dreams are made for us and sometimes we can reflect what has happened in them to reach a better understanding of a problem or a situation. Dreams can sometimes help us with the past or even with the future. In essence, the Flame only protects us from things that are solely meant for Evil. Dreams are not Evil; they are simply a viewing board on which things are seen.”
“If that’s true, then why did I dream of a Titan?”
“It could be that you have a memory of seeing a Titan illustrated in a book or perhaps you’ve heard us talking about them. We cannot confirm a
nything until you have this dream or similar ones more than once and some details within them start to change. That’s when we can begin to follow the dream’s trail.”
“Thanks, Mum. I feel better now. I think I’ll try to go back to sleep.”
Rebecca stroked Leylah’s hair as she lowered her head down onto the pillow as gently as if she was still a baby. Pulling the covers up over her daughter’s arms, she leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, which was now dry of sweat.
“You let me know if you need anything at all, okay?”
Leylah yawned and nodded. As Rebecca left the room, Leylah took Bebi in her arms and fell back asleep, this time to dream of more peaceful things.
12
Leylah woke up to find a concerned pair of eyes watching her from a chair in the corner.
“Dad?”
“Yes, Leylah?”
“Why are you staring at me like that? It’s weird.”
Turgoth smiled. “I was out earlier. When I returned your mother told me what had happened. I came in here to watch over you until you woke. Would you like a pear?”
She saw he had a basket of fruit at his feet. “Sure, I’d love one.”
He tossed the pear to her. “Can I ask, what form the Titan had?”
“What do you mean?”
“Although Titans look alike - very large and demonic - they do have distinct individual features.”
“The problem is I can’t really remember what he looked like. It’s as if it’s been erased from my memory.”
“That was probably Cronus himself then.”
“Cronus! You mean the King Titan?”
“Yes. It’s said that if someone sees Cronus, he then cannot remember what he looked like. Cronus, unlike Zeus, let his powers corrupt him. He is the only Titan who can take full human form. I saw him once, when your mother and I had to go to Tartarus when you were still an infant, and even I can’t remember what he looked like.”