We were now sitting on the 193 bus to a place called the 'Alma', as Fotia had called it. I watched as Hornchurch went past, and we were now entering back into the area where my school sits. Forest's and building complexes merged into a blurry picture as we picked up speed. I looked over at Fotia and she was fiddling with her ring.
She twisted it back and forth on her finger, with a look of worry, as if contemplating whether to bring out her scythe or just burn me alive. I hoped for neither. I glanced and the missed coloured hair that hung over her right shoulder. It had a faint glow around it, however only noticeable by people who knew what they were looking for.
She sat only a seat away, but her face told me her thoughts were millions of miles away. Our eyes caught each other glancing and we both looked away. I wondered what on earth was going on for her to look so worried. So forgetting every punch I've received from doing this, I pried for information.
"Whats up flames?"
She jumped as I said her nickname, though I didn't know why. I waited for a sense that she would respond. Her eyes met mine, then she looked out the window while crossing her arms. I got the strange sense that she wants to kill me and hug me at the same time. I watched as she took out a purple notebook from a bag that was a 10th of the size. So magic is real. She opened it and I saw a language that I recognized, however, I did not understand. Ancient Greek.
The patterns of writing lay on the page with symbols that weren't a character. The focus point on many pages, as she flipped through, was a flame that had 2 circles around it. The circles had a 1cm wide gap between them. The symbol itself was an orange, however, everything else was jade green. Between the emerald circles, light emitted from the purple ancient greek text. She took out a vile of clear liquid, from her red pouch, that had spray cap on. She sent 3 gusts of it into the air.
"Krývo juice. It hides what the people would say is unnatural." She said so out of the blue, it made me jump.
After putting it back, she opened her hand and a dim flame licked her fingers. Then she brought her hand to the book, with the flame somehow upside down. I decided that: I was to shut up and everything will be explained. When the parchment made contact, a flickering image appeared in front of us. A silver sphere appeared with the head of some blond boy in it. Once the appearing and disappearing act stopped, they began talking.
"Hey earth boy!" A gleaming white smile playing across her face.
He had short wavy blond locks, with one abnormally coloured strand of hair, coming from the centre of his head round to the back. Just sweeping his forehead. He wore a field green hoodie, unzipped to show a blue sweat-top. Accompanying all this a single earring had a set of feathers dropping from it. One I recognised as an eagle.
"Hello my princess! see you have our friend here." came the instant reply of someone a little too happy. My heart twinged at the look of her smiling at him. I am trying to ignore it, I address him.
"Hey, I'm Nero. I'm a freak of 3 realms." I said, hiding my hatred for him.
confused he asked, "3!?"
"well hell didn't want me, tho I may be wrong as it seems to be dragging me back in"
He laughed with his idiotically perfect teeth and replied with," I think I'm gonna like you. So has she told you everything."
I contemplated that for a bit, then as I went to tell him my answer, Foria interrupted me and answered for me.
"He's got all of them."
The emotions: horror, excitement, terror, interest and fear. All appeared and disappeared instantly, then his apparent usual, perfect smile came back.
"Show me your ring!" came his American twang, with more authority than I thought possible by him.
I presented my obsidian ring to him, and the 12 symbols gleamed its pristine white glow. Encapsulating each image with the feeling of raw energy pulsing. His smile widened and then said,
"Hi my names Zoi, I'm like Fotia here. I'm a special wielder, also known as an Eidikós."
I must have looked super confused then, cause he instantly continued.
"Unlike you, where u are the son of 2 mortals. 1 of our parents is immortal. Mine is Gaea, the titan of earth, and the only titan left. And our princess over there is the daughter of-"
I cut him off already knowing the answer, "Hephaestus."
She looked at me with something between guilt and resentment, but I didn't know what at.
"Yes. She is called princess as 'The big fire dude' has never blessed anyone else."
He stared at me with curiosity, "And now there's you. Should we call you the prince now!"
I laughed, not feeling like a prince, and replied.
"Prince isn't my style!"
I lifted my hand into the air and just stared at the ring. Its obsidian purple colour was emitting a low glow. I noticed something in the ring. A dragon! It was the same head as the one I saw on the hilt of my sword, and it winked at me.
"Erm? What's that?" I said while staring at my new ring. They looked at me with an exasperated look. Fotia said with an unwelcomed, tired tone,
"Its the creature you're associated with. I got a snake, as you probably saw by the serpent on my scythe. Earth-boy here has a Lion. I call it snot-mane though!" She giggled and smiled, like id never seen before. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. Then she went back to the stone look I had always known. I decided that I wasn't going to ruin her happiness with something probably trivial.
We said our goodbyes to Zoi and continued on the bus to a destination yet unknown.
When we got there, where ever there was, I was gobsmacked. An Ancient Greek styled building as talk as the tallest skyscrapers in the world. Long and wide, marble pillars along the entrance, holding up the roof. A statue of a young boy was smiling down on us, extremely lifelike.
Only 100 or so people were within. 10 or so, of them, was wearing the same bronze armour as Fotia had worn, with multi-coloured combat gear beneath. I looked down at my tattered uniform. It felt like it could crumble to dust any second. 5 steps down led to 20 people in long robes. 5 of them was chanting into something, while the others looked exhausted and were eating from a major buffet for just 20.
I watched as the 5 was speaking into a swirling sandpit, yet it was as blue as a summer sky. Fotia walked over to a person that, down to his waist was human, but below that, he was a goat.
"Hey, we need to get to Kéntro, on Zeus's island"
In a heavy northern American accent, replied,
"Righty. Then just wait for a second and it should be ready."
He went over to the people chanting and told them the same thing. The change of the chant was instant. I stared, unblinkingly, at the swirl of sand as it changed colour rapidly, only slowing down as it began to take some sort of form. People walking down a busy medieval street, shops and stored lining each side. Shouting and bargaining coming from each stool. A dozen abnormal-looking humans were walking around, each with an animalistic feature: Cat ears, a dog tails and one teenager even had a wolfs face. A life filled every inch of the image. Creatures scarpered everywhere. Sunlight yellow Lizards and emerald green Bunnies.
Entranced by the site, I grew closer. I got pushed in. As I fell, I looked up to see Fotia's face filled with joy and laughter. I thought to myself, 'I will kill her'. Then I started to spin, around the bowl of sand. As I span, I fell deeper into the pit like quick-sand. Nausea hit. A headache began in the back of my head, as every direction I looked was a blur. I shut my eyes to see if it would improve the situation. It didn't!
Then everything went black.
