“My name is Ghelena. I am here to teach you of the history of the Titan race. Your race. It is a long tale, filled with great deeds and much tragedy. It will take a lot of time to tell you of it, but you all need to know what happened back in the distant past and how it applies to you and these modern times.”
One of the girls held up a hand.
“Yes?” Ghelena said.
“Miss, I'm sorry if this seems rude but.” she hesitated then rushed on, “could you tell us about yourself?”
There was a chuckle beneath the veil. “You mean, can I tell you what I am, don't you?”
The girl blushed and nodded.
“Ah well, I suppose I should or you will be distracted from our lesson. I am of the race of Gorgons. We were created in ancient times by the Titans. We were their allies until the fall of Atlantis. Most of us perished during that civil war but some survived to continue our race.” She waved her hand slightly. “We have lived on here, in Sanctuary since those days, keeping the records of the Titans safe for their eventual return. And here you are, so our long vigil has not been in vain.”
“But wasn't Medusa a gorgon?” Norm blurted out.
There was a hiss of anger and Ghelena's voice became sharp with rage. “Mention not that traitor! Yes, she was one of my race but she betrayed her people and sided with Hyperion and the others. She was hungry for power and believed the humans to be fit only to serve as slaves.” She shook her head and her voice became calm again. “Forgive me, but we do not speak of her. Our shame to have harbored such within our midst is deep and best left alone.”
“Sorry,” Norm muttered.
“You did not know. There is no need to apologize. And now, let us begin the lesson.”
The mysterious Ghelena told them about the early days of the Titans. She told them of the original leaders, the twelve who were revered by ancient men as gods. The lesson passed quickly and soon the teens were filing out of the room.
Justin's head was full of names and events and he spent the walk back to his room quietly trying to sort things out. It wasn't until he and Aaron were back in their room and sitting down on their usual couches that the weirdness of the previous two hours struck him like a jolt of electricity. He looked at Aaron who was sitting on his couch, lost in thought.
“Aaron, did we just spend a couple of hours talking to a snake lady?”
Aaron looked at him with a sort of dazed expression. “What?”
Justin repeated himself and Aaron seemed to snap out of his numbed state.
“Hey, you're right,” he said. He gave his head a shake. “What just happened? Why didn't it freak me out? I hate snakes!”
They stared at each other for a long moment.
“She's a gorgon,” Justin said as he remembered something.
“She's a gorgon? So what?”
“Well, didn't you read about Medusa? She was one of the gorgons too.”
Aaron nodded. “Yeah, but didn't she have snakes for hair? And turn men to stone?”
“Sure but remember how old that legend is. She might have had hair like Ghelena, you know, kind of unusual looking? And look what just happened to us. Her voice was almost hypnotic. Maybe that sort of control turned into a legend of being able to turn people to stone, over a long period of time.”
“Maybe,” Aaron agreed but he sounded skeptical. “Interesting effect though. My head felt like it was full of wool.” He was quiet for a moment. “I wonder where they live?”
Justin looked at him in confusion. “Where who lives?”
“Them. The gorgons or whatever. You heard her. She said some of them survived and have lived here ever since.”
“Yeah, so?”
Aaron looked exasperated. “Justin, it's been five thousand years! How could anyone live in this place, wherever it is, for five thousand years?”
Justin had wondered about that himself. He had also wondered how any organization, like the Guardians, could last for such a long time waiting for the rebirth of the Titans.
“I've thought about it, Aaron. And I don't have any answers.” Justin looked around their room. “But I'm guessing that we haven't seen even a fraction of Sanctuary yet.”
Chapter 16
When he entered the runic studies classroom a few days later, Justin saw Mr. Hunter standing behind the desk at the front of the room. He motioned for all of them to join him and, as Justin approached, he saw dozens of bracelets lying on the table and glistening with a greenish glow.
The teens arranged themselves in front of the table and stared at the metallic bands. Mr. Hunter smiled at them.
“As promised, today you will bond with your bracelet. Again let me say that this bond is for life. If you don't feel comfortable with that prospect, do not pick up a bracelet.” He looked intently at all of them.
Aaron glanced at Justin and muttered, “Are you taking one?'
“Oh course!” Justin looked at his friend with surprise. “Aren't you?'
Aaron swallowed and looked at the metal bands. “Maybe,” he said softly.
Mr. Hunter continued speaking. “You may choose either arm, but I'd recommend the arm opposite your writing arm. But the choice is yours, of course.”
Several of the teens stepped forward and then hesitated, looking at Mr. Hunter. He smiled and motioned for them to continue. They began to pick their bracelets. Justin grabbed one at random, stepped back and looked at it.
It felt different than the one they had examined the day before. Justin weighed it in his hand. Was it lighter, perhaps? Certainly it was smooth and unmarked. He turned it over and over in his hands. The inside was as plain as the outside and he couldn't find a break in the metal. He looked up at the teacher.
“Mr. Hunter? Um, how are we supposed to get them on?”
The man chuckled. “Well, that's where your blood comes in.” Justin felt a chill but Mr. Hunter spoke reassuringly. “As I said, it's just a drop. Because pure titanium, like these bracelets, absorbs the genetic materiel from your blood, it will become malleable for a short time. You must slip the bracelet on to your arm in those few seconds. After that, the bracelet itself will adjust to fit you.”
Justin looked at his friends. Aaron looked worried and Gerry seemed excited. But Norm appeared to be puzzled. He held up his hand.
“Yes?” Mr. Hunter asked.
“Sir, the bracelet we saw the first day was covered with runes. But these ones are plain. So how can runes be carved into them once they are on our arms? Especially since they are made of titanium?”
Justin looked at Norm in surprise. His friend was right. Justin had forgotten that the old bracelet had runes all around it. He looked at the teacher.
Mr. Hunter looked impressed. “Good catch. Okay, this is going to sound a little magical, I suppose, but I assure you it isn't. The runes that you saw on that bracelet were the ones that the owner, Dania, knew. And as you learn, each rune will appear on your bracelet.” He paused for a moment. “From the amount of runes on her bracelet, I would guess that Dania was very young when she died. An adept, someone who was experienced in using runes, would have a bracelet that was so covered with the markings that you'd be hard pressed to tell one from the other.”
“But sir,” Denise spoke up as she turned her bracelet over and over in her hands. “How did her name get on there?”
With a smile, Mr. Hunter turned and picked up a box behind his desk and put it on to the table. “We fashioned small metal stamps with each of your names on them.” He reached into the box and pulled a stamp out randomly. He glanced at it and said “These small runes together make up your name, Mr. Dalton; more or less.”
Aaron eagerly looked at the stamp, which was basically an small piece of flat metal on a stem. “This is my name in Titanian?” he asked. Mr. Hunter smiled and nodded and put the stamp back into the box.
“Once you put on the bracelet, I will quickly stamp your name on it while it is still malleable. Now,” he looked around at the teens. “Who wants to go
first?”
Aaron had picked up a bracelet and was turning it over and over. As the others hesitated, he tentatively raised his hand.
Justin stared at his friend. “So you've decided to wear one?” he asked Aaron.
Aaron looked at him and smiled weakly. “Well, yeah. I mean, I can't let you guys have all the fun, can I?”
“Well said, Mr. Dalton,” Mr. Hunter said heartily. He searched through his pockets and finally pulled out a long, shiny pin that looked like it was made of titanium. “So just hold out a finger and, once I prick it, allow a drop of blood to fall on to the bracelet. As soon as it softens, slide it on to your wrist and I'll stamp it.”
The other teens watched apprehensively as Aaron held out a trembling forefinger and Mr. Hunter grasped it firmly. He gently poked Aaron's fingertip. The teen jerked slightly but held his hand relatively steady and watch a bead of blood slowly grow on his skin.
When the blood droplet was about to slide off his finger, Aaron let it drip on to his bracelet and Mr. Hunter wiped the blood from the boy's finger.
They all watched, fascinated, as the blood drop sat quivering on top of the bracelet for an instant and then was quickly absorbed by the metal. Several of the teens gasped but Mr. Hunter nodded and said “Wait for it to soften, Mr. Dalton and then slip it on.”
Aaron didn't answer. He just stood there watching the bracelet closely. Justin could see his friend's fingers squeezing the metal, waiting for it to become malleable.
Suddenly Aaron's eyes widened and Justin saw the bracelet start to slowly flex between his friend's hands, as though it was made of hard rubber instead of metal.
“Hurry, Mr. Dalton! Slip it on to your arm,” Mr. Hunter said excitedly.
Aaron quickly pushed the bracelet over his left hand and on to his wrist. The teacher held the bracelet and pressed the stamp against it firmly. He held it there for several seconds and, as he pulled it away, Justin saw the bracelet shrink and form itself snugly on Aaron's wrist. The mark from the stamp was deeply cut into the surface of the metal and Aaron held out his arm to show the others.
“How does it feel Aaron?” Denise asked intently. “Does it hurt?”
He shook his head. “Nope,” he said. “It feels a little warm but if it didn't, I don't think I'd even notice that it was there.” Aaron looked at Mr. Hunter. “It almost seems to have no weight now that it's on my arm.”
“Yes, our research indicated that it would feel like it was a part of you once the bounding was complete,” Mr. Hunter said. “It's nice to know that we were correct.” He glanced at the others. “Now,” he said to the eager faces around him. “Who's next?”
An hour or so later, all of the teens were admiring their shiny new bracelets stamped with the titanian symbols for their names. Justin was quickly developing the habit of tracing the little runes that spelled his name over and over with a fingertip. He noticed that Norm was still looking doubtful every time he glanced at his bracelet, but Justin didn't say anything.
Mr. Hunter finally called them all to order. “That's it for today. I'm sure you will become accustomed to your new jewelry fairly quickly. Tomorrow, we will start discussing runes in depth. Have a nice day.” He waved them out and the students headed for the exit, all of them talking excitedly about runes, bracelets and what they might one day be able to do with them.
The following day, along with the classes on runes, history and self defense, the teens were separated and sent to several other types of classes. Depending on what their titan family lineage was, the teens found themselves being sent to lessons on medicine, monsters and other specific topics. So the rest of the first week spent in Sanctuary passed quickly.
Justin learned in his class on medicine that there were special ways to heal Titans that allowed them to speed up their regeneration time even faster than it already was. He found the techniques fascinating but he wondered why Aaron and Gerry didn't have the same class.
Norm was thrilled with the class and confided to Justin that he had thought about becoming a doctor when he grew up.
The class that Justin had been most interested in was entitled Monsters. Neither Norm or Gerry was in that class but Aaron was, so it made the class even more fun. But what they learned from their teacher, a very tall, thin black man named Mr. Nelson, sobered them up quickly.
Monsters, Mr. Nelson told them, were real. They had existed in the days of the first Titans and, they learned, had actually been created by them.
Some of the students wondered why the ancients had wanted to create monsters but the teacher didn't know.
“But what we do know,” Mr. Nelson said, “is that the rebel Titans have found a way to preserve these creatures and will use them as allies if they can.” He smiled grimly. “And the only ones who might be able to defeat them are other Titans. In other words, you. So do pay attention. What you learn here could save your life.”
The first lesson was on humanoid monsters, including, Justin was surprised to learn, the gorgons.
“But sir, Ghelena is a gorgon,” one of the girls said in protest. “She's not a monster.”
“Isn't she?” Mr. Nelson said with a faint sneer. “Well, perhaps not. But I assure you that she and her sisters are not human. If you ever see beneath that veil she wears, you will agree I'm sure. Now, other humanoid monsters like the centaurs and satyrs are fairly benevolent in nature.”
The teacher continued speaking as Aaron leaned closer to Justin. “He doesn't seem to like Ghelena, does he?” Aaron said quietly. “Wonder what she looks like under there?”
With a quick glance at Mr. Nelson, Justin replied “I don't know but remember the legends of Medusa? Maybe they really can turn men to stone.”
Aaron snorted. “Oh come on, Just, that's ridic...”
“Would you care to share your apparently fascinating conversation with the rest of us, gentlemen?”
Aaron and Justin both jumped and looked at Mr. Nelson, who was staring at them down the end of his nose. “If I'm boring you, please feel free to take over the class yourselves. Give us some insight on monsters if you'd like.”
Justin felt his face getting hot. “Sorry sir,” he said. Aaron echoed him.
Mr. Nelson continued to watch them for a moment, then he turned back to the rest of the class.
“Now, as I was saying...”
After the class, Aaron and Justin met Norm and Gerry in the courtyard.
“So what class did you guys have?” Justin asked them.
“Believe it or not, marksmanship,” Gerry answered. Norm didn't say anything but he looked a bit pale.
“You okay, Norm?” Aaron looked concerned.
“Um, yeah, sure. I'm fine,” Norm said. He was blinking rapidly and looked at Gerry.
Gerry grinned. “Norm's never shot a bow before. And I think he was surprised to find out that he's a crack shot.”
“Crack shot?” Justin asked. “You mean he's good?”
Gerry laughed and Norm managed a weak grin.
“Good? Norm is crazy good! Our teacher, Ms. Drapeau, had us shooting at targets using arrows with tips made of titanium, if you can believe it. Norm hit the bulls eye every single time.”
“Hey, well done Norm!” Aaron patted him on the back but Norm looked sick again.
“But guys, don't you get it?” He asked them. The others looked at each other in confusion. “I was using titanium arrows! That means they're training us to kill other Titans.”
Gerry stopped smiling, as did Justin and Aaron.
“Whoa, I hadn't thought of that,” Gerry said somberly. He looked at Justin. “Feels like they're training us for combat, doesn't it?”
Justin nodded. “I agree. But if Mr. Fitzgerald is right, we may need those skills one day.” He looked sympathetically at Norm. “Try not to worry too much, Norm. Remember, they can't force you to do anything you don't want to.”
Norm just nodded weakly and they all headed back to their quarters for dinner.
By the end of the wee
k, Justin's head was swimming with facts and figures. He was grateful that their schedule gave them weekends off. He needed some time to try to organize his thoughts.
On Saturday morning, they were woken up by Jonathon who informed them that breakfast would be served in the Court. Both Justin and Aaron were happy to hear this. They wanted to talk to some of the others and see how their first week had gone. And Jonathon had hinted that there was a surprise waiting for them.
After getting cleaned up and dressed, they hooked up with Gerry and Norm and headed for the Court. Along the way they ran into Denise and her friend Leona, a pretty oriental girl with huge eyes and a mischievous grin. Norm became tongue-tied when he talked to her and Justin and Aaron exchanged grins at Norm's obvious attraction.
They entered the Court and found the usual tables set up with trays waiting for them. They served themselves, found an empty table and sat down to eat. Mr. Fitzgerald entered part-way through the meal, made his way up to the dais and sat down, his ever-present stack of papers in his hand.
Justin watched Mr. Fitzgerald. He had a feeling that any surprise announcements would come from him. Nor was he disappointed. When they had all finished up and their plates cleared away, the man stood up and moved to his customary spot in from of his desk.
“Good morning,” he said with a smile.
“Good morning, sir,” the teens responded.
“Well, I hope you've had a productive first week. Your teachers are generally pleased with your performance and your attitudes.” He looked pointedly at several of the teens. “There are a few exceptions but I'm sure with the right motivation we can encourage everyone to do their best.” He glanced around and his smiled broadened. “And I intend to provide that motivation. As I'm sure many of you have guessed by now, Sanctuary is larger than this one floor that you've seen so far. A lot larger. So today, I'm going to show you around a bit.”
There was a general murmur of excitement in the group. “About time,” Justin said quietly. The others at the table nodded then looked back at Mr. Fitzgerald.
The Return of the Titans Page 16
