Forge of the Gods 2

by Simon Archer

  As a group, we approached the twelve Elemental Officials and proposed the reinstatement of Drama classes at the Academy.

  We explained the essentials of remembering our history. We delved into the need for stories. We compared the benefits with that of other artistic disciplines like pottery or painting.

  “The Greeks created theatre,” I said in my closing argument. “It would be a disservice to our heritage and to our ancestors to reject this art. We owe it to the heroes of the past to tell their stories in as many ways as possible. The knowledge and the skills learned by participating in theatre might not be essential for a soldier, but they are essential for a Grecian demigod.”

  We stood in silence for a moment as we reached the conclusion of our presentation. The twelve Elemental Officials looked around the room at each other. Their expressions were completely unreadable, blank like poker players. I could feel Jade jittering with nerves beside me, and I reached out to take her hand. She squeezed it so tight that I thought she might break my knuckles.

  Sasha hovered in the corner, barely having said a word during the entire presentation. This was out of character for her, but the teacher agreed that the argument would be more impactful if given by students and soldiers alike, not just the former drama teacher. We hoped our words, our evidence, and our convictions were enough.

  From the end of the table, the Stratego cleared his throat. “We will need a moment to consider your proposition. Thank you for coming in today, and we will let you know soon, once we have reached a decision.”

  “Soon” turned out to be thirty minutes from when we all exited the Elemental Official’s room after we were excused. No one chose to leave. We hunkered down in the lobby, with most of us in constant motion. Whether it was Beth’s jiggling leg, or my pacing, or Sasha’s nail-biting, our nerves were apparent.

  Suddenly, the door opened. Like dogs spotting a squirrel, all of our heads snapped towards the door. Noel, Sarah’s sister and the daughter of Poseidon, stood in the doorway, a hand on either side of the frame.

  “In a vote of twelve to zero, we have decided to reinstate the drama program back into the curriculum of the Academy, effective as early as next semester,” Noel recited as though she were reading off a prompter.

  There was a pause as we all processed the message. Then, as one, we released a chorus of cheers and whoops. Bethany and Daniella hugged one another while Sasha pulled out a handkerchief and began to dab at her eyes while muttering, “Thank you, thank you” over and over again.

  I turned to Hailey, who beamed at me. She reached out her hand, and I didn’t hesitate.

  “This is another story for the books,” Hailey said, just quiet enough for me to hear in the midst of the hoopla.

  “Or one for the stage,” I joked.

  Either way, we knew that this moment, along with the others from that semester, would be ones that would be talked about for generations to come.

  Author’s Note

  Hey, if you got here, I just want you to know that you’re awesome! I wrote this book just for someone like you, and if you want another one, it is super important that you leave a review.

  The more reviews this book gets, the more likely it is there will be a sequel to it. After all, I’m only human, and you have no idea how far a simple “your book was great!” goes to brighten my day.

  Also, if you want to know when the sequel comes out, you absolutely must join my Facebook group and follow me on Amazon. Doing one won’t be enough because it relies on either Facebook or Amazon telling you the book is out, and they might not do it.

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