The Twelve Labors of Nick
Page 21
“Daughter,” that orange mouth roared, driving Pegasus back. “Did you imagine I cannot sense you?”
“No, father,” said Helen. “But I hope you can sense this.”
From behind, Nick heard the sound of hissing. He saw Typhon’s eyes go wide, then stiffen, along with that flaming head.
Score one for Medusa!
Then the Titan raised a red fist, smashing the stone from his face. He caught a boulder-sized rock and prepared to hurl it at Pegasus. Great, Nick thought, if this wasn’t the end, what was? But he’d forgotten the gods, two of whom—Athena and Ares—shot up before them like bolts.
“Attack!” Athena ordered, and she and her brother split up, using both spear and swords to assault Typhon’s brow. While he was fighting them off, Nick had a second to think: What should he do now?
“Gods!” the Titan thundered. “Why do you oppose me? “I was here before Zeus and your cursed selves. You must bow before me.”
At that instant, Nick saw flashes: lightning bolts descended, blanketing Typhon like snow.
“NOW!” Athena called, and he hastily strung his bow. But how could he hit that head when its mouth threatened to scorch him?
His answer arrived in the form of an arrow—made not from wood but light. Winging in from the sky, it struck Typhon square on the neck. Artemis? Nick wondered, before he was struck by the truth.
“Orion!” he called. “Who else but you?”
Now, it was his turn. Using one of his last poisoned arrows, Nick closed one eye and shot.
He couldn’t tell if he’d hit that open mouth, or if his bolt would melt in lava. Time itself seemed to halt as Typhon stopped swatting lightning and lowered his massive fists. Pegasus reared as those red eyes went black and Typhon fell . . . until Nick heard a splash like a pod of whales breaching.
“You have done it!” cried Athena. “Typhon now rests in the realm of Poseidon.”
“Is that good?” Nick asked, remembering the fight with Hades.
In an instant, he was standing by that volcano, now smoking. Lined up before it were the twelve Olympian gods.
Zeus, still covered with clouds, stepped out to confront his brother.
“So,” he said to Poseidon. “You wish to replace me? I should replace you with a loyal subject like Triton.”
“Brother,” said Poseidon, hanging his head in shame. “Through the wisdom of Hades, I see now that I was wrong. Typhon would have destroyed me along with the whole of Mýthos. I beg you, return me to the seas. I will not trouble you further. By our father, I swear it!”
The thunderbolts in Zeus’s eyes softened.
“Very well,” he said, with a nod that shook his long beard. “Attend to your fishes and sea court and trouble us no more.”
Poseidon bowed and popped out, presumably for the depths.
Good riddance, Nick thought. You have been a royal pain in my a—
“Look to your sword,” said Hephaestus, pointing to his own handiwork.
Nick turned over the blade and saw the gold word: “Τετελεύτηκεν.”
He looked for Helen. Was she even still there? But then she took off her helmet and handed it back it to Hades. Now, she was not just visible but back to her lovely self.
“It means ‘Done’ in ancient Greek,” she said. “Your Twelfth Labor is finished.”
“Yay!” Nick crowed, giving Athena a bow. “Hey, since I’m a Hero and stuff, can I make a request?”
“Certainly,” said the stern goddess.
“Well . . . it’s about my dad. I couldn’t free him from the mountain. So, I was wondering—”
“DONE,” called Zeus with a wave. “I have placed him in the stars where he may serve to guide others.”
“Thanks,” said Nick, relieved. Then he thought of something else. “Uh—”
“DONE,” said Zeus again. “I hereby lift the sentences of those I sent to Tartarus. They have done us good service and may now dwell in the Fields.”
“Wow,” said Nick. “This mind-reading stuff’s pretty cool.”
He turned to Helen, taking her hand.
“Just one more thing—” he said, but couldn’t get out the rest.
With Helen and the gods receding, Nick put up his hands, hurtling through an unseen wall. He saw stars and some white smoke from what must have been Mount Etna, then landed on a slab of grass which, like a puzzle piece, locked into place. At first, Nick couldn’t see. But when his vision cleared, he knew just where he was.
Look to the Stars
“Wait,” Nick said, raising himself from the grass. “Hey!” He looked around at the Lil’ Pardner pasture. “Yo, Zeus, can you hear me? What’s up with this?”
He refused to believe he was back until he saw the red barn and the silhouette of a horse. Above, there was no moon.
“It’s not fair!” Nick yelled, pounding not armor but his old shirt. Why, he wondered, did Herc get to go to Olympus, while he got sent home like some kind of naughty child?
“Take me to Mýthos!” Nick yelled, but Johnny, walking toward him, didn’t have that kind of power. He only neighed a warm greeting.
“Why?” Nick asked aloud, sinking to his knees. I finished all of my Labors. Why am I being punished?
Nick heard a voice in his head: not Athena, but Helen.
“The gods are always changeable.”
“So what?” Nick said to Johnny. “My wishes are still the same. I’ll get Helen back, if I have to spend my life trying. I will return to Mýthos whether Zeus likes it or not.”
Johnny started to whinny, thrusting his head to the sky. For a moment, Nick was reminded of Pegasus.
“What is it?”
Nick looked up, spotting a constellation. He usually wasn’t too good at making out the shapes, but he could swear he saw a centaur—this one made out of stars—caught in mid-lope and hoisting a mighty bow.
The centaur pulled back an arm and released his twinkling arrow. Nick’s eyes followed its progress across the velvet sky.
“Dad,” he cried, running. “You’re here! Please, lead me to her.”
From above, Chiron nodded, setting off on hooves of light.
“Allagí!” Nick commanded, feeling his old shirt tear. He trotted along with a dad who at last led the way.
Books by Amy Wolf
Don’t Let Me Die in a Motel 6: or One Woman’s Struggle Through the Great Recession
The Misses Brontës’ Establishment
The Cavernis Trilogy
Book 1: A School for Dragons
Book 2: A War for Dragons
Book 3: A Hero for Dragons
The Honest Thieves Series
Book I: A Woman of the Road
Book 2: A Woman of the Road and Sea
Mýthos Series Book 2: The Further Labors of Nick
Upcoming:
Mýthos Series Book 3: The Starry Labors of Nick
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Wolf has recently released the second book of her HONEST THIEVES series A Woman of the Road and Sea, which continues the adventures of Megs.
She is an Amazon Kindle Scout winner for her novel The Misses Brontës’ Establishment. Her fantasy series, THE CAVERNIS TRILOGY, is out from Red Empress Press.
Amy has published 38 short stories in the SF/Fantasy press, including Realms of Fantasy (2) and Interzone (U.K.). She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writer’s program and has an honors English degree from the University of London.
She started her career working for the major Hollywood studios, including 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., and was a Script Reader for MGM and Joe Roth. She has recently plunged back into the world of scriptwriting.
One of three natives out of 10 million, Amy was forced from L.A. and now lives in Honolulu. She has one adult daughter currently terrorizing LA., and a small, barky dog.
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