by Lucy Roy
I took a deep breath and nodded, forcing all evidence of nerves off my face.
I closed my eyes and counted to ten as I tried to steady the heavy beating of my heart. After a few more deep breaths, I felt my body settle down.
John and Analise each gave me one final hug, then resolutely, I squared my shoulders and turned to face the gods before me. The four Elders waited a few more moments before calling us forward.
I walked toward the four beautiful gods waiting next to the door that had a shining golden 6 in the center. On Athena’s right, Apollo stood stock-still in his white suit, staring at the three of us curiously. When he caught my eye, he looked away, leaning to whisper in Athena’s ear before stepping through a door with the number four inscribed on it, allowing Hermes to take his place.
Well, that was odd.
Before I could think on it further, Ares spoke.
“Hermes will explain the process of crossing between realms.” His voice was deep and imposing—the complete opposite of Athena’s.
I joined the rest of the group and waited as Hermes gave us a blow-by-blow on inter-realm travel. I was surprised to hear how much he sounded just like any other twenty-first century guy.
“Alright everyone, listen up. This shouldn’t be too complicated, but I’ll walk you through it so there’s no confusion. This door—” he gestured over his shoulder with his thumb “—will take you directly to Olympia, where your trainers will be waiting just on the other side. The other doors will take you to other areas throughout the realms, but you’ll learn about those in time. I know it looks a bit intimidating, but there’s no need to be afraid.”
He grabbed the brass knob and pushed, opening the door onto what looked like a swirling mass of white, then turned back to us and grinned mischievously.
“Who wants to step into the swirling vortex first?”
I looked around at my friends and saw that neither immediately jumped to action. Rolling my eyes, and trying to remember Analise’s words, I tightened my hand on the strap of my black suit case.
“I will.”
“Damn, Tessa, you go, girl,” Mary whispered behind me.
Eric gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. “I’ll be right behind you, Tess,” he whispered.
“Tessa, right?” Hermes gave me a sparkling grin as I stepped forward.
“That’s me,” I said as I eyed the swirling whiteness inside the door.
“Alright, then. In you go!” He held out a hand and I grasped it, its warmth oddly comforting. For some reason, I’d expected the gods to be cold.
Slowly, I stepped up to the door. I hesitated for a moment, then a small voice, far in the back of my mind, urged me on.
‘Never doubt yourself, Tessa. You will move mountains.’
I faltered, unsure if I’d actually heard those words or imagined them.
Shaking my head to clear my cluttered mind, I stepped forward to meet my fate.
10
Nathaniel
I was oddly proud to see Tessa come through the portal from Earth first, stepping easily onto the reddish brick of the small village square. I couldn’t help but smile at her wide eyes as she took in her first view of Olympus.
Her friend Eric came next, stumbling a bit as he stepped through, followed by Mary. Hermes stepped through last, pulling the door shut behind him, then came to stand beside me.
“Athena and Ares headed home. Apollo went wherever it is Apollo goes,” he said with an eye roll. He jerked his chin toward Tessa. “Is that the one you met with?”
“Yes.”
He gave her an appraising glance, and I elbowed him.
“What? I’m allowed to appreciate a beautiful woman.”
“Fine, but do you have to ogle her?”
“Quiet, both of you,” Chiron said from my other side. The centaur was the lead trainer for the Ischyra, and as I had already encountered two of the Renville recruits, he had requested I be present at their arrival.
I stole a glance at his feet and was a bit disheartened to see that he’d come in his human form; no hooves in sight.
Over the years, the newer generations of Ischyra had needed more of an adjustment period when it came to seeing a half-man, half-horse upon arrival, despite previous knowledge of his kind. I often blamed it on the stigma entertainment had placed on shapeshifters of all types, classifying them as creatures to be feared. Sooner or later, they would be exposed to his true form, but at the beginning, he contented himself with runs through the forest when he wasn’t focused on training the recruits.
For now, his broad, seven-foot frame, bare torso, and mass of wild black-brown hair were the only indication that he wasn’t quite as tame as the rest of us.
As Chiron stepped forward, I hung back. As entertaining as it had been, I had no desire to relive the reaming I’d received on Tessa’s behalf the previous evening. By the looks of it, Mary wasn’t leaving her side.
When Tessa’s eyes met mine, she smiled, but the look of resolve on her face appeared forced. She wasn’t aiming her thoughts at me, though, so I didn’t try to read them.
The tired looking brunette at Tessa’s side followed her gaze, and when she saw me, her lips set in a thin line.
‘Try anything funny, and the second I get strong enough, I’ll rip you limb from limb and choke you with your own arm.’
I bit back a smile. The mentors were going to have fun with this one, that was certain.
“She’s feisty, isn’t she?” Hermes whispered, clearly having caught Mary’s message.
I slid him a sideways glance. “It’s rude to listen in on people’s thoughts, you know.”
“New recruits are far too entertaining to ignore,” he replied, laughing. “And don’t act as though you don’t want to hear what that pretty blonde’s thoughts are of you.”
I didn’t respond.
He was right. He knew it as well as I did.
When Tessa saw Mary’s expression, she elbowed her in the ribs and gestured toward Chiron, who had begun his welcome speech.
“Welcome to Olympus, everyone!” He rubbed his hands together. He always enjoyed the arrival of the new recruits.
“I’ll get right to it. As it stands, there will be fifty new Ischyra coming in. Over the course of the last twelve hours, recruits have been arriving from other areas around the world. Your new living quarters are just up there. The three of us will be escorting you there shortly.”
He gestured toward a U-shaped building just down the tree-lined street that stretched to our left.
“At seven o’clock this evening—about four hours from now, considering your time change, so keep that in mind—you will attend the arrival feast for new recruits, during which time you will be able to get better acquainted with your fellow recruits. You’ll also meet Ischyra from previous generations who will be assisting with your training, which will begin the day after tomorrow at the training arena just outside the village.”
Their heads all turned in unison up the mountain, where the stone walls of the arena were just visible behind the village’s outermost buildings.
“Now, if you’ll follow me, we’ll be heading just up the hill here.”
Chiron began leading the way up the hill, and Hermes nudged me.
“I have to go check in with Chiron about the next round of recruits. I’ll be back.”
He jogged to catch up with Chiron, the rest of us trailing behind. A moment later, I was surprised to see Tessa fall into step beside me.
“Hey,” she said quietly. Her small black rolling suitcase clattered on the cobblestone as we walked.
Mary was on her other side and looked to be focusing intently on putting one foot in front of the other. Eric walked behind us, taking in the sights.
“Hi.” I gave her a smile. “How are you?”
“Eh, you know, living the dream. You?”
“Can’t complain,” I said.
“I don’t suppose you happened to look into…things, did you?”
I
opened my mouth, wanting to tell her what I’d learned during my meeting with Apollo and Hestia, but snapped it shut before any words came out.
It just wasn’t worth the aggravation of a fight with him. Not yet, anyway.
“I haven’t found anything out, but I’ll do what I can,” I said, smothering my irritation.
“Thanks.”
I slid my hands in my pockets. “Were you able to get some sleep last night?”
"Yes, surprisingly.” ‘No thanks to you,’ she mentally added with a smirk.
‘I told you that you’d be fine,’ I replied. ‘Any dreams?’
‘Nope, none.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Speaking aloud, I asked, “So how was your departure?”
“It was rough, emotionally, but now that I’m here, I’m dealing.”
“And coming through the portal?”
“Easier than I thought it’d be.” She gave Mary an elbow to the ribs. “How about you, Mare?”
When I looked at Mary more closely, I noticed she looked pale.
I opened my mind to hers and smiled when I saw what was bothering her. “Are you feeling alright, Mary?”
Sliding her sunglasses up onto her head, Mary gave me a scrutinizing look. I was on the verge of annoyance when she finally shrugged. She wasn’t forcing thoughts on me like she had been earlier, so I didn’t attempt to read whatever was going through her head now.
“I’m fine and it was okay.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear all went well.”
She gave me a brief smile, then gave Tessa a pointed look as she fell back to walk with Eric. He put an arm around her, and she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked.
I barely had time to wonder how she was going to manage walking with her eyes closed when Hermes joined us then, forcing himself between me and Tessa, throwing a casual arm over her shoulder as he grinned down at her.
She looked up at him wide-eyed, then turned to look at me.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. ‘Ignore him.’
‘Not fucking likely!’
“So you’re Tessa.” Hermes’ grin turned wicked. “Nathaniel told me about you.”
A look of confusion crossed her face. “He did?”
Hermes leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear.
“He thinks you’re pretty,” he whispered.
Her eyes darted to me, and a flush spread across her cheeks. ‘This is mortifying.’
‘I’m sorry. He’s incorrigible, but you get used to it.’
“Don’t you have recruits to meet?” I asked him pointedly. ‘This isn’t helpful. Go away,’ I sent to him.
Hermes smirked before responding. ‘It’s been ages since you’ve liked a girl. Let me have my fun.’
He grinned down at Tessa. “He’s deflecting. That definitely means he has a crush.”
Mary muttered something unintelligible, pressing a hand to her mouth as a sour look crossed her face.
Hermes looked back at her warily. “Is your friend going to vomit?”
“It’s—Mary isn’t feeling well this morning,” Tessa explained.
“Mary’s fucking hungover,” Mary muttered, shooting me a glare. Her eyes widened when she realized who’d actually spoken. “Oh shit.”
Hermes dropped his arm from Tessa’s shoulder, then turned to walk backward. He folded his arms across his chest and arched a brow.
“You’re braver than many gods I know, girl. Coming to your first day so hungover you don’t realize an Elder is in front of you? That’s just asking for trouble.”
Tessa pressed a hand to her face and shook her head.
“Right. Um, well, I think the portal might’ve made it worse,” Mary said, her words rushing out.
Hermes started laughing. “You’re talking to the god in charge of inter-realm travel. Portals don’t make people sick.” He narrowed his eyes at her, then grinned. “Cheap beer does, though. Especially mixed with tequila.”
Mary’s eyes widened as she realized Hermes was reading her mind.
Just then, Chiron called my name.
I grabbed Hermes’ arm and pulled him forward.
“Come on, let’s leave the recruits alone,” I said.
“Always ruining my fun,” he muttered. He flashed Tessa one last grin, then turned back around.
Chiron was waiting for us just outside the gate to the smallest of the five apartment complexes dedicated strictly to Ischyra recruits.
“Let’s get them settled in,” he said as he opened the gate, leading the recruits into the open stone courtyard of the dormitory. “We’ve got to go get ready for the next round to come through. Argentina, I believe. Are you alright to take these three on a quick tour?”
I nodded. “Of course. Are their dormitory assignments already on their doors?”
“Yes, they were put up earlier. The others are already in there getting settled.”
“Not a problem.”
“No funny business while we’re gone,” Hermes warned, jabbing a finger at me.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
With one last wink in Tessa’s direction, he vanished.
“That was awesome!” Eric said, staring at the spot where Hermes had just stood. “Can you all teleport like that?”
“Just the gods,” I replied. “Everyone else has to use the portal fields. Come on, I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Tessa reached down and pulled her friend to her feet. Mary had been lounging on one of the stone benches that surrounded the central fountain, somehow managing to look perfectly at ease, yet completely out of place.
Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I wondered how she would fair over the next twelve months of training.
I took them through a stone archway to the covered hall that wrapped around the courtyard. As we walked, I showed them the way to two large common rooms, two small workout facilities, and a laundry area, before finally coming to a stop at the entrance to the women’s residence halls.
“Nearly all of the other recruits have arrived, so it’s more than likely your roommate will already be present. Your room assignments will be inscribed on your door, so once you find your name, go on and get settled.”
I paused before opening the door.
“Now remember,” I said, turning to the girls. “Olympus expects the Ischyra to be a team. This won’t be a competition, so you should not look at each other as opponents. Rooming with someone new, someone you don’t know, is a way to foster that sense of comradery.”
“Can we—” Mary started to speak, but I cut her off with a wave of my hand.
“And no, you may not coordinate with other recruits to switch.” I smiled wryly. “Your assignments are made by the gods, and they don’t like their decisions being questioned.”
Her mouth snapped shut.
I pushed open the door. “Your rooms are just through here.”
11
Tessa
When we entered the hallway for the women’s dormitories, I was surprised to see how much it looked like a regular human university. Seven heavy wooden doors ran down either side of the gray carpeted hallway, and colorful paintings of various Olympic beings were hung on the white walls. I ran my fingers along their rough texture as I scanned the gilded nameplates until I found my name on the last door on the left.
I hesitated before entering, wondering if I should knock. Technically it was my room, but what if my roommate – Ms. Mariana Comsa, according to the fancily scripted nameplate – was getting changed or something?
After a moment, I rolled my shoulders back, then knocked lightly before slowly opening the door.
When I entered the room, I saw that it, too, seemed modeled after a normal college dorm room. A large, blue, curtained window on the wall opposite the door looked out onto a wide, grassy lawn that acted as a buffer between our building and the one behind it. Matching beds and nightstands sat on either side of the window. Each nightstand held small alarm clocks and lamps, and sp
anning the space between the two, was a squat bookcase that already held several books and a few framed photos. On either side of the room was a door that matched the one I’d just walked through. The one on the right was open slightly, revealing a pale blue tiled floor. The one across from it was shut tight.
A black-haired girl was lying on her bed with one arm draped over her eyes and her legs crossed at the ankles. Quietly, I tiptoed over to the other bed and set my suitcase down on the floor, then sat down, still reeling a bit from my encounter with Hermes. Before I could think much on it, a heavily accented voice came from the girl, causing me to jump to my feet.
“You can speak. I am not asleep.”
Dragging her arm away from her face, my roommate sat up and faced me, and for the briefest of moments, we assessed each other. She looked to be about my height with enough definition in her arms to tell me she spent a lot of time working out. There was a very severe look about her – sleek black hair cut in jagged edges at her shoulders, pale skin, with a perfectly bow-shaped mouth and angular jaw. One black eyebrow arched delicately as her bright blue eyes scanned me from head to toe. Finally, she stood and extended her hand.
“I am Mariana, but you can call me Yana. I am from Bălanu, Romania. You are from the United States, yes?”
Standing up, I gave her hand a quick shake. “Yep. Pennsylvania. I came through the portal field in Renville. I’m Tessa.”
She flashed me a quick smile and put her hands on her hips. “It is very nice to meet you, Tessa. I hope you do not mind I chose the bed on the right.”
I gave her a quick smile. “Of course, no problem at all.”
I sat back on the edge of the bed and kicked off my black flats. I was anxious to get out of the stiff capris I’d worn for my trip through the portal. Glancing at Mariana, I noticed she was in black leggings and a thigh-length sleeveless white tunic, making me wonder if I’d underestimated Mary’s casual comfort look.
“So how was your trip through?” I asked her. “Do you have a portal field in your town, or did you have to travel?”