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I have never been to a New Year’s Eve party before. My family usually spends the evening sitting around playing cards and eating pizza. We call it a party, but Mom and Dad go to bed by ten, while my sister and I play online games with our friends. We aren’t even allowed to go over to their houses because Mom and Dad are worried about drunk drivers. This year is different, though. I was personally invited to Veronica Meyer’s party by Veronica herself and am allowed to go. I hate to admit it, but I owe my parents’ permission to my sister. She heard Mom and Dad tell me, “no.” Then she burst in, screaming that she would be the laughingstock of the neighborhood if her brother blew off Veronica’s invitation. Mom and Dad relented because they were so proud that she was coming to my defense. They thought we were finally growing up, but Chloe really meant it – she was just worried about her own reputation.
I initially didn’t want to go to the party after the boring event at Christmas. Still, I know Veronica and Nancy, so I won’t be totally alone. Malik, Tyler, and Ethan were annoyed that they weren’t invited, but Veronica laughed and said, “heroes only, guys.” I guess Shontelle doesn’t count because Janus isn’t really a hero, but she didn’t seem to care anyway. The gang decided to have a New Year’s Eve quest at her house.
The party started out pretty good. Veronica rushed over and gave me a big hug, which sealed my reputation as someone worth knowing. There was lots of food and loud music, and it seemed just like the parties I imagined, but I still didn’t have any friends there and quickly became bored.
This was Veronica’s party, though, and she came to my rescue. She took me by the arm and introduced me to just about everyone. Man, I wish I had a better memory. I have now been introduced to all the cool kids in the eighth and ninth grades and can’t remember a single one of their names. Twenty minutes later, I was ready to leave but recalled that the rest of my family had gone to the movies. I was stuck for at least another hour before I could even call them. So, I sat in a chair on the porch where it was a little quieter. The porch was enclosed but still a bit chilly, so most people stayed inside where it was warm and festive.
“Hey, what’s up, Mark?” came a voice from behind me. It was Nancy Wellington.
There was a time when I dreamed of Nancy walking up and starting a conversation. Tonight, however, I just didn’t care.
“Meh, I’m kind of bored with this crowd and am considering leaving. Don’t get me wrong. Veronica’s throwing a great party. I just don’t fit in.”
“Why? Is it because people are laughing at you?” asked Nancy.
“Nah. Hey, wait! Are people laughing at me?” I asked in a panic.
“No. Well, now I am,” laughed Nancy. “You’re Veronica’s guest of honor. No one would dare laugh at you, but you can be sure that a lot of people are talking about you.”
I grumbled, “Great. I suppose you’re used to that, but I’m not even sure what to think. You know, I don’t think I really care. I should care what people think. I should care about being popular. I should like being a part of a great party like this. But I’d rather be hanging out with my friends who are over at Shontelle’s house.”
Nancy stared at me and said, “I used to think that Stavius got most of his attitude from Staven, but I’ve changed my mind. I think you have a much stronger personality than most people realize.”
“Yeah, that’s what I keep telling people,” I joked. “What about you? Why are you out here instead of inside?”
“Oh, I’m waiting for my parents. I have a game tomorrow, so I can’t stay out late. In fact, it seems that I can never stay out late,” she sighed.
I said, “Wow, you are competitive. I can’t believe it.”
She commented, “Yeah, I guess I am, but it isn’t what you think. I want to go to college, but I’ll need some sort of scholarship to make that happen, and soccer looks like my best shot.”
I suddenly realized that I was sitting alone with Nancy Wellington, at a party, having a real conversation. I panicked as soon as I thought that and realized I had nothing more to say. I looked around the room for inspiration. There was only me, Nancy, a philodendron in the corner, and a bowl of chips. I panicked and felt I had to say something, though.
I blurted out, “So, what kind of scholarship can you get with soccer?”
“Oh, it varies. Marlene’s sister got $30,000.”
“Um, that doesn’t sound like very much.”
Nancy glared at me and said, “Maybe not to your family, but it’s huge to mine.”
I quickly clarified, “No, it would be huge to mine, too, but the math just doesn’t make sense.”
Nancy was puzzled, “Math? What are you talking about, Mark?”
I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I had gone too far and had to explain myself. I knew this wasn’t going to end well.
I explained, “Well, think about it. Do you take lessons?”
“Sure, every week.”
“And how much do those cost?”
“50 bucks a lesson, but they’re worth it.”
I multiplied it out and said, “OK, so 50 dollars times 50 weeks per year comes to $2,500 a year. And you play travel league, right, which has to be at least 10 games.”
She started to get a worried look and agreed, “Yeah, at least that many, and they run the entire weekend.”
I continued, “OK, so if it costs $100 a night for a hotel, times 2 nights each trip, times 10 tournaments, then that’s another $2,000 a year. There’s also probably at least $500 in gas and meals, which brings it to another $2,500 a year.
“So, that’s $5,000 a year, which multiplied by 5 more years until you graduate, comes to $25,000.”
Nancy looked at me in disbelief. She added, “And that doesn’t even count in any tournament fees, equipment, or anything else.”
I agreed, “Right, so you’re spending close to $30,000 for the possibility of getting a $30,000 scholarship. As I said, the math doesn’t make any sense.”
I saw the look on her face and knew I had made a terrible mistake. I quickly said, “But you’re great. Maybe you’ll get a full scholarship. Or, maybe it’s worth it because you love playing so much.”
Nancy stared at me as though I were insane and said, “Are you crazy? Sure, I love to play, but I’d have a lot more fun just kicking it around on the school team. All this competitive stuff is hard work for long hours. It isn’t so much fun when you’re working hard to be the best.”
We sat in silence for several long minutes while I desperately tried to think of something, anything, to say to change the topic.
Nancy eventually said, “So, you’re saying that I’d be financially better off if my parents just invested the money they’re spending on my soccer?”
I quickly replied, “Hey, I’m not saying anything. I’m just being a math geek. I don’t know anything about athletic scholarships or investments.”
She looked at me and thoughtfully whispered, “No, you don’t, but sometimes a different perspective helps a person see things more clearly.
She then asked, “Why are you really leaving? I thought you were V’s special guest. You didn’t have a fight, did you?”
“Nah, I just realized that this isn’t my crowd. Unfortunately, my crowd is over at Shontelle’s house in Clifton while I live in Mount Lookout in the east,” I laughed. I was so relieved that Nancy wasn’t mad at me. I was no longer infatuated with her, but I didn’t want to lose her as a friend.
She said, “I live in Clifton, and I’m sure my dad would be willing to give you a ride if you want. It would be fun to leave with you.”
“Fun?” I asked.
“Yeah, imagine the gossip when V’s mystery guest leaves early with me. It’ll be hysterical,” Nancy laughed.
I nervously said, “Um, but I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
Nancy took my hand and said, “Mark, don’t worry about it. You’ll be famous for about a week, and then you’ll either be forgotten, or you’l
l do something else that draws attention – good or bad. Some people crave being popular, and that’s not bad, but I don’t really care. I mostly like to have fun with it. You need to learn how to handle fame and popularity if you’re going to be a god.”
I laughed, “You’re right, of course.” Then I added, “You are a lot different than I thought, Nancy.”
A couple of kids wandered in, and she quickly kissed me on the cheek. She smiled and said, “You too, Mark. You’re all right, and I’m glad we’re getting to know each other. After all, it looks like we’re going to be spending thousands of years together.”
I caught a glimpse of dozens of faces pressed against the windows as we walked to the street with our arms around each other and smiled. Nancy was right. Once you stop worrying about what people think, this really is fun.
Then she added, “Of course, that might feel more like millions of years to you since you’re walking out of Veronica’s party without even saying goodbye.”
She felt me tense up and laughed, “You’re too easy, Mark. You really need to lighten up.”
Chapter 10
Euryale
January 7, Mearth
Janus turned the hefty, stone block in his hand and sighed. It was solid granite with letters and simple, meaningless designs carved on the sides, and a large ‘W’ or ‘M’ carved on top. The only thing of which he was certain was that L. Janus believed it was necessary. He felt as though he was letting everyone down again.
They sat down with Saiph, Euryale, and three of the gods to try to learn how previous heroes had used their talismans. Venus refused to leave her hot tub.
The heroes were primarily interested in tactics they might reuse to help steal the talismans. Janus, however, wanted to know why their predecessors hadn’t fulfilled The Prophecy. The heroes were disappointed with the answers because the gods and dragons typically only met the heroes after they had most of the talismans. The answer to Janus’ question was a single word, simultaneously grunted by both dragons and all three gods: Janus.
The dragon’s answers were also intimidating. The dragons had memories going back over eight thousand years. They knew that heroes had attempted to fulfill The Prophecy hundreds of times throughout those years. However, only three groups had managed to acquire all seven talismans.
The heroes suddenly felt like they had been stabbed in the gut. They had all felt the same giddiness about their fun, little quest when their dreams had started. The girls had given up when they were captured, and Stavius’ mission had changed to saving the girls and staying alive. Their attitude changed again when they stole two talismans and then two more. They had become confident that they would succeed in capturing the three remaining talismans with plans and alliances to attack Septumcolis. Now they learned that while hundreds of heroes had attempted to fulfill The Prophecy, none had ever succeeded. In fact, only about a dozen teams had ever acquired four talismans, and only three groups had ever captured the full set. Their quest seemed impossible.
Janus felt even worse than the others. None of his predecessors had succeeded. The Key, Janus’ proper title, was not even involved the one time the magic motor was built. The consistent problem was that Janus was the person everyone relied upon to have answers, which neither he, nor any of his predecessors knew. How was The Key supposed to know what to do when even the dragons didn’t know? Janus’ friends were risking their lives to bring him the talismans, and it would be for nothing if he couldn’t figure out what to do with these artifacts once they arrived. He felt nauseous.
The dragons explained that the first group to successfully acquire all the talismans were from Egypt, nearly four thousand years ago. Their Janus had no idea what to do with them, so he recommended that they bring them to the gods as offerings. The gods assured them that they didn’t care about offerings. However, they could not explain what the Egyptians were supposed to do with the talismans. That was Janus’ task.
The Egyptian Janus decided that the gods were idiots, and his heroes agreed. He claimed they were false gods who had misinterpreted The Prophecy. Egyptian Janus concluded that the objective was not to bring magic to Earth but, instead, to bring the magic of the gods, they worshiped back on Earth here. He instructed his people to construct a vast temple shaped like a pyramid to house the talismans as a beacon.
Their gods never arrived, but Janus and his team did manage to become very wealthy and powerful here on Mearth. That lasted for about ten years until they were attacked and destroyed by a rival kingdom. The temple, talismans, and city were all destroyed when the invaders removed the talismans without proper precautions. The combined blast of seven, simultaneously-exploding talismans obliterated everything for a hundred miles in every direction, and no Egyptian hero ever arrived on Mearth again.
The next group of heroes to capture all the talismans was a group of Romans over a thousand years later. By this time, all of us – gods, dragons, and humans – were completely confused with all the heroes and keys having the same names. Mars groaned that his “brain hurt” from trying to keep everyone straight and asked if they could use other names for the characters. Saiph offered that they remembered the travelers’ Earth names, and everyone pleaded with her to use them.
The Earth-name for the Roman Mars was Gaius. Terra was Caecilia, Venus was Valisia, and Luna was Lollia. Saturn quickly asked whether Saiph remembered their last names, and she glared at him.
She sighed, “The only ones I remember are Mars and Janus. Mars’ full Earth name was Gaius Julius, and Janus’ proper name was Gnaeus Pompeius. I’m sorry I can’t remember the girls’ names, but you try remembering the name of someone you met twenty-five hundred years ago.”
Saturn complained, “Why is everybody always related to someone famous?”
Saiph growled at him, “I don’t know whether any of them were famous. They came over here as kids like you.”
Saturn became pale and cowered in the corner from the intensity of Saiph’s response.
Mars added, “Yeah, and I do remember those guys. Gaius and Gnaeus were awesome military leaders.”
Luna agreed, “They were impressive. Too bad, Gnaeus was more interested in military conquest than in fulfilling The Prophecy.”
Saiph explained that they didn’t even bother to try and fulfill The Prophecy. They acquired the talismans by building a massive army and conquering the people who created those relics. Gaius and Gnaeus recognized the combined power of the talismans. They did not view them as offerings to the gods like the Egyptians. This group used the talismans’ energy to power their already-mighty army. Gaius proclaimed himself to be King Mars, with Gnaeus as his consul and, Caecilia, Lollia, and Valisia as his generals. They conquered everyone in their magic well and used the talismans as anchors to extend the well and expand their domain.
King Mars built an empire, which he ruled for over thirty years. Then he unexpectedly died in his sleep, and his empire was thrown into chaos. Gnaeus had died four years earlier, and Mars had not named a successor. His generals began fighting for leadership, and the empire was thrown into a civil war. The talismans were either lost or destroyed in the fighting. All evidence of this mighty civilization disappeared within a hundred years.
Goddess Terra grumbled about how Gnaeus should have done his job as The Key instead of being so greedy. She lamented how the gods could have retired thousands of years ago. Mars and Luna agreed but still maintained that those guys were the most amazing military leaders ever.
Nariana whispered to Stavius, “I wish we had them with us when we attack Septumcolis,” and Stavius agreed.
Elisa saw Saturn gnawing on his fingernails in the corner and asked what was bothering him.
Saturn looked up and said, “Well, if what Saiph says is true, then we are part of an impressive crowd. On Earth, the boy named Gnaeus Pompeius was later called Pompeius Magnus, or Pompey the Great. Gaius Julius grew up to be a man named Julius Caesar. They were two of the greatest military leaders ever. The two of the
m formed an alliance for many years, which expanded the Roman Republic. As you know, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of Roman senators, so, yes, his death here would be unexpected.”
Even Mark, Stavius’ Earth-half who hated History, knew the story of Julius Caesar. He felt goose-bumps rise on his arms and saw the rest of his friends shivering as well.
Stavius said, “But I thought Julius was his first name.”
Nariana threw a clod of mud at him while Versera groaned, “Stavius, you are such a dork. Don’t you pay any attention in Latin class? Julius was his last name. Caesar means king.”
Stavius admitted, “Well, I did always think that Julius was a kind of girly name.”
“And Gaius isn’t?” laughed Versera.
Stavius grinned and admitted, “Well, it does kind of make me feel better about being named, Marius.”
Nariana interrupted to say, “Guys, this is all fun, but can we get back on topic? I want to hear about the third group. After all, they’re the ones who almost made it work.”
They stopped chattering and turned to look at Saiph. She said, “I think that Euryale should explain this one. She has the best memories since her mother is from England and knew their Mars.”
Elisa couldn’t help exclaiming, “But, if Mark’s theory is right, that had to be fifteen-hundred years ago! How long do dragons live?”
Saiph coughed and appeared to blush as she deferred to her mother-in-law to explain.
Euryale thought for several minutes before answering, “Well, it is difficult to give a definitive answer to that. Male dragons spend most of their lives living alone. They are often killed in some sort of fight or gardening accident before they reach a thousand.”
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