by Maz Evans
‘Asked, huh?’ said Zeus, plumping down on to his golden chair. ‘You always were a manipulative old baggage.’
‘Well, seeing as we’re all here now, we might as well have something to eat my lovelies,’ said Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest, ladling a massive stew into golden bowls.
‘Not for me,’ said a slender, pale-faced figure, pulling out a chair carved with vine leaves. ‘I’m detoxing.’
‘Dionysus?’ said Zeus, peering down the table. ‘Is that you? I hardly recognized you. You’re wasting away.’
‘Hi, Dad,’ said the God of Wine quietly. ‘Yeah, I’ve been trying to take better care of myself. I’ve cut out nectar, wheat, dairy, fat, carbs, sugar, salt and meat.’
‘Mate!’ said Hermes, flying over for a fist-bump. ‘You must feel, like, totes epic.’
‘Yeah,’ murmured Dionysus, feebly returning the gesture. ‘Never better.’
‘Tally ho!’ cried the Goddess of the Hunt galloping into the room on a dappled charger, followed by her twin brother, the God of Music.
‘Artemis! Apollo!’ cried Zeus warmly.
‘Sorry we’re late. Had another row with the neighbours,’ huffed Artemis, rolling her eyes and nearly knocking her riding hat off her head. ‘Apparently, they’ve been complaining about my Sunday hunts.’
‘What’s the problem?’ asked Aphrodite.
‘Well, for one thing, they don’t run fast enough,’ said Artemis. ‘My hounds can catch that pensioner from number thirty-six in no time.’
She snorted a laugh, slapping her riding crop against her jodhpurs, which stuck out from her ample hips like wings on a spitfire.
‘OK, Sis. So, on the one hand I totally respect that you’re a hunting Goddess and really dig chasing animals and stuff,’ said Apollo, whose long grey hair was tied back beneath a rainbow-coloured bandana, ‘but on the other it is, like, totally senseless murder.’
‘Pah! Pish and nonsense!’ shouted Artemis. ‘The animals enjoy it. Fresh air, exercise—’
‘Maybe not the whole, like, grizzly death bit, dude,’ said Apollo.
‘Lovely to see you all!’ waved Zeus from the end of the table as Hades quietly joined the group and took his place. ‘Now, I think that’s everyone.’
‘Ares!’ shouted out Aphrodite suddenly. Everyone stopped to look at the blushing Goddess of Love.
‘I mean, Ares . . . isn’t here – yet. That’s all,’ said Aphrodite, failing to look casual. ‘Not that I care . . .’
‘You’re not going to start all that up again, are you?’ Athene warned her sister. ‘You two are a bigger disaster than that blusher.’
‘As if,’ said Aphrodite. ‘That’s all behind us. I’m a mature woman now. Ares and I are just friends.’
‘You always say that. And it always has a horrible end.’
‘Just like you in your skinny jeans,’ pouted Aphrodite, slumping back in her chair.
‘Are you sure this is gluten-free?’ Dionysus asked Demeter as she poured him a glass of water. ‘And I only eat vegan now.’
‘Don’t be daft,’ said Demeter. ‘I ain’t cooking you a vegan—’
‘Yes, where is Ares?’ said Zeus. ‘Unlike him to be—’
A sudden crash above their heads snapped everyone’s attention to the roof of the Great Hall. A silver-haired, tuxedo-clad figure was suspended from the ceiling holding a golden gun.
‘SHORRY FOR . . . DROPPING IN!’ he yelled.
‘Ares!’ squealed Aphrodite, leaping from her heart-shaped chair and clapping her hands in joy.
‘Such a mature woman,’ sighed Athene.
‘SHAY! MIND IF I . . . DROP IN?!’ grinned Ares as he released the clasp holding the golden rope suspending him from the roof.
The Olympians watched, open-mouthed, as the God of War came whizzing down from the ceiling on his rope.
‘Oh, please,’ groaned Athene.
‘It’s so cool when he does this!’ Aphrodite squeaked, tapping her sister’s arm. ‘He drops down from a great height, then stops just at the crucial moment before he can—’
CRASH!
The rest of her explanation was lost as Ares smashed down, face first, on to the table. The golden gun fired, blasting Dionysus’s mung bean salad to smithereens.
‘Great,’ sighed the God of Wine.
‘Chin up, mate,’ laughed Hermes. ‘Think of all the calories you’ve saved . . .’
‘Areeeeeeees!’ Aphrodite yelped, crawling over the table towards him. The God of War sat up and tried to arrange himself into a casual pose, crossing his left leg over his right and resting his head on his hand.
‘Hi, everyone,’ he beamed through dazzling white teeth. ‘Jusht thought I’d—’
‘Drop in?’ said Athene, rolling her eyes.
‘You got it, shweetheart,’ said Ares, making his fingers into a gun and shooting them at the Goddess of Wisdom. She reached for her sword, but her stepmother glowered at her.
‘Sho – it’sh shwell to shee you all,’ said Ares, pulling himself upright and knocking Dionysus’s water into the new salad Demeter had rustled up for him.
‘I give up,’ huffed the God of Wine.
‘Hephaeshtush. Heshtia. Posheidon,’ Ares greeted them, going around the table. ‘And . . . hi, there, Missh Aphrodite.’
Zeus waited for his daughter to greet her former boyfriend. But all that escaped her beautiful lips was a high-pitched squeak. Here they went again.
‘You’re looking gorgeoush,’ winked Ares. ‘But then – you alwaysh do.’
The Goddess of Love blushed and giggled.
‘Right, then,’ said Zeus, trying not to wince as Ares led Aphrodite down the centre of the table, knocking over cups, plates, weapons and whatever else was in his path. ‘Thank you all for coming.’
‘It’s me you should be thanking,’ said Hera, not quite beneath her breath.
‘You all know the situation by now,’ Zeus continued. ‘Thanatos has mustered an army of Elementals down in Tartarus. It is only a matter of time before he launches an attack on Earth. We are massively outnumbered. And, unless we can get to our friend Elliot first, I fear it is only a matter of time before he retrieves the Fire Stone and hands it, along with the other three Chaos Stones, over to the Daemons. You all fought in the last battle against Thanatos. You don’t need me to tell you what could happen if, this time, he keeps control of those gems.’
‘Crikey!’ Artemis hollered. ‘Those bally gems were nearly the end of mortalkind two thousand years ago. Thanatos could wipe the whole jolly lot out with natural disasters this time.’
‘Sis,’ Apollo whispered, ‘he, like, totally said he didn’t need to tell us what could happen . . .’
‘So what are ye planning to do?’ asked Poseidon, holding his flagon up for more nectar.
‘That’s why I summoned you all here,’ Zeus began.
‘Shame no one listened,’ muttered Hera.
‘Will you just shut—’ Zeus roared, before Aphrodite’s high-pitched laugh rang around the room.
‘Oh, stop it!’ she giggled, slapping Ares playfully as she read the note he had just passed her. ‘You’ve seen these old robes a million times.’
‘Then it’sh jusht the way you shtyle them, shweet cheeks,’ said Ares, kissing her hand.
‘Urgh,’ groaned Athene. ‘Get a temple . . .’
‘Ares!’ snapped Zeus. ‘War is your game. What do you suggest?’
‘Well,’ Ares began, winking at Aphrodite. ‘The firsht thing you need ish a shuperb sholdier to lead the troopsh. I shuggesht Achillesh.’
‘Who are you blithering on about now?’ said Hephaestus. ‘I can’t understand a bloomin’ word you say.’
‘Achilles,’ said Hera. ‘The Hero. One of the greatest warriors of all time – superb idea, Ares.’
‘Thanksh.’ Ares winked, returning his gaze to Aphrodite.
‘Babes. Mates. Listen,’ Hermes said, leaping into the air for some aerial burpees. ‘I get, like, how you have to totes vanquish
the troops on Earth. The mortals are in for an epic bosh-not if Thanatos gets a foothold on the Earth. But, not being funny, unless we get to E and those Chaos Stones, we are facing the biggest anti-bosh since the invention of the home perm.’
‘Hermes, we need to get you to Elliot,’ said Athene. ‘Of all of us, you have the best chance of getting through to him. And besides, none of the rest of us can travel to the Underworld.’
‘Babe – tell me about it,’ said Hermes. ‘But I can’t get there neither.’
‘Why not?’ asked Hades.
‘You of all people should remember, Uncle H. I had special dispensation back in the day when I escorted the souls of the dead,’ said Hermes. ‘But my passport expired, like, millennia ago. Now I can’t get in.’
‘Well, none of us – other than Hades – can go,’ said Athene. ‘And Elliot’s only met him once. Respectfully, Uncle Hades, I can’t see him listening to you.’
‘Daemons can’t come up to Olympus and Gods can’t travel to the Underworld,’ Hera confirmed. ‘How are we going to get to the child before it’s too late?’
‘This is ABSURD!’ Zeus roared, sending a pile of papers flying up the table. ‘We’re trying to save the world and we’re being held back by a pointless bit of admin! What are we going to do?’
The Olympians looked at each other helplessly.
At length, a throat was cleared at the back of the hall.
‘Er, did someone say “pointless bit of admin”,’ asked Taurus, surrounded by the Zodiac Council. ‘I wonder if we might be able to offer our services . . .’
4. Can’t Stand the Heat
‘So, are you ready?’
Elliot stared into the fiery flames from the bank of the Phlegethon early the next morning. How could he ever be ready for that?
‘You’re sure this will help?’ he asked the Daemon of Sleep, looking doubtfully at the tube of ointment in his hand.
‘Sure.’ Hypnos shrugged, looking far from certain. ‘Medea swears by it.’
‘Is this the one she used to protect Jason from the fire-breathing dragons?’ said Elliot, recalling his school mythology.
‘No, it’s the one she uses to protect herself from harmful UV rays,’ said Hypnos. ‘She’s terrified of premature ageing. It’s factor 57,000.’
Elliot squeezed a handful of golden cream from the tube and smelt it. He quickly wished he hadn’t.
‘Will it or won’t it shield me from the heat?’ he sighed.
‘Full disclosure: I can’t say for sure,’ Hypnos mused. ‘But the good news is that you definitely don’t need to worry about wrinkles.’
‘Good to know,’ said Elliot, standing back from the ferocious flames. He was beginning to feel as if he didn’t need to worry about any kind of ageing.
‘Good morning. How’s everything coming along here?’ said Thanatos, his slow footsteps crunching on the cinders beneath his feet. ‘Shall we get this show on the road?’
Elliot felt the blast of the blaze burnish his skin. Surely he couldn’t survive even a few seconds in there, let alone long enough to dive down to the bottom to retrieve the Fire Stone? In the depths, the bright sapphire sparkled invitingly and he felt the tingle of its powers flow through his blood.
‘Tick-tock,’ said Thanatos, his nervous fingers betraying his impatience. ‘None of us is getting any younger.’
‘It’s getting any older I’m worried about,’ Elliot grumbled, removing his T-shirt.
‘It’s really quite simple,’ Thanatos drawled. ‘The flames are a test of courage. Hold your nerve and they will bounce off you. Show your fear and . . . well. You won’t need to worry about that.’
‘Why not?’ Elliot asked hopefully.
‘Because you’ll already be toast,’ trilled Hypnos.
‘This just keeps getting better,’ Elliot muttered, slathering Medea’s potion all over his body before stuffing the tube in his hole-filled trouser pocket, where it immediately fell straight to the ground. With a grunt, he transferred it into his other, safer pocket where he kept the Chaos Stones. He took a deep breath and started to walk towards the riverbank. But almost immediately, he was repelled by the heat.
‘So much for your stupid sun cream,’ he grumbled at Hypnos.
‘Trust me,’ winked Hypnos. ‘Without it, you’d be approaching medium rare round about now.’
Elliot looked nervously at the river. How was he ever going to survive this?
‘Oh, dear,’ sighed Thanatos. ‘Looks like someone has stage fright. Allow me to offer you a little incentive . . .’
Elliot stared into the fire as Thanatos muttered strange incantations under his breath. At the Daemon’s command, the flames started to meld and twist, forming a golden shape in their heart. It was a face. A face he knew. A face he loved. It was her face. It was Mum.
He felt the waves of grief surging at the dam.
‘You see,’ whispered Thanatos. ‘I have power over death. Only I can summon your mother’s soul and return it to the Earth. All you have to do is give me my Chaos Stones.’
But Elliot was only half-listening. He was hypnotized by the image in the flames. Without thinking, he reached for his mother’s beautiful, smiling face . . .
‘AARGH!’ he screamed as the flames licked his hand, instantly snatching his mother from view.
‘Mum!’ Elliot cried involuntarily. She had been there. She was real. She . . .
Elliot stopped himself. He tried to rebuild the dam inside. Emotion couldn’t get the better of him. Not now.
‘Here – have these too,’ said Hypnos, almost looking concerned. ‘They’ll help you see where you’re going at least.’
He handed Elliot a pair of golden goggles.
‘Won’t these just melt?’ Elliot asked uncertainly.
‘Shouldn’t do,’ said Hypnos. ‘They’ve been forged in the flames of Tartarus and are designed to withstand even the hottest immortal flame. They’ll survive anything.’
‘Lucky them,’ said Elliot, pulling them on to his face. ‘Don’t suppose you have a wetsuit made of the same stuff?’
‘Afraid not,’ said Hypnos. ‘But good eye care is essential. Just ask Medea.’
Elliot moved closer to the edge of the river of fire. The heat was almost unbearable on his torso. But he had to do this.
He closed his eyes and fixed an image of Josie in his mind, recalling her cartwheeling next to him in the fields. He could hear her laugh, feel her loving touch as she collapsed in a fit of giggles, pulling him into the long grass beside her and hugging him silly. He took a step closer to the flames. He could feel their heat still, but his body wasn’t hurting. He felt strong. He felt ready. He raised his arms and tucked his toes over the bank of the river, preparing himself to dive in after one, last, long—
‘ELLIOT!’
The voice snapped him out of his reverie. The moment his concentration lapsed, the flames licked around his toes, burning his feet.
‘Ow!’ he screamed, hopping around on his scorched toes. ‘What – why . . . ?’
‘Who goes there?’ Thanatos commanded through the smoky gloom. ‘Come no closer.’
‘Elliot – stop!’ cried Virgo, running breathlessly towards him.
‘How did you—’
‘You can’t take another step!’ she yelled, pushing past Hypnos.
‘I can’t now,’ said Elliot, sitting down to nurse his scalded foot. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Saving you,’ sighed Virgo. ‘Again.’
‘Get out of here,’ said Elliot, pushing her away. ‘Now.’
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she huffed, crossing her arms. ‘Not without you.’
‘Go,’ Elliot whispered. ‘You don’t know what you’re getting into.’
‘Neither do you,’Virgo retorted. ‘This is wrong. There will be another way . . .’
‘To get my mum back?’ Elliot snapped. ‘No, there isn’t.’
Virgo knelt down and looked straight into Elliot’s red eyes.
&nbs
p; ‘Josie-Mum has gone,’ she whispered. ‘She can’t come back.’
‘Yes, she can!’ Elliot snarled. ‘I saw her! I just have to do this one thing. Then, then, then . . .’
‘Then every mortal on the Earth will be under threat of extinction,’ said Virgo softly. ‘Can you live with that?’
Elliot’s heart hammered in his chest.
‘I can’t live without her,’ he whispered. He could feel the dam straining.
Virgo gently took his hand in hers.
‘But you already are,’ she said quietly.
Elliot looked into Virgo’s concerned eyes. She was so sincere. So pleading. So caring. Was she . . . did she . . . should he . . . ?
‘Well, isn’t this quite the reunion?’ said Thanatos, snatching Virgo up by her hair. ‘Here we are again. Anyone else getting that funny sense of déjà vu?’
Virgo screamed as he dangled her off her feet, just as he had done in the cave beneath Stonehenge all those months ago.
‘Put her down!’ Elliot shouted. ‘She’s only trying to help!’
‘What a good idea,’ said Thanatos. ‘I think she’s going to be an excellent help.’
With a jerk of his arm, he yanked Virgo towards the Phlegethon and swung her precariously near the flames.
‘Argh!’ she screamed as the fire danced around her.
‘I tried to give you one incentive,’ Thanatos trilled. ‘Let’s try another . . . Elliot. Go and fetch my Fire Stone from the bottom of the river. Or I’ll drop your friend in next to it.’
He jiggled Virgo by her hair, making her scream again.
‘Oh, dear,’ frowned the Daemon of Death. ‘Doesn’t sound like she’s got the heart of a lion today. More a nervous kitten . . .’
‘None of my business,’ said Hypnos out the corner of his mouth. ‘But is frying the friend really the best way to motivate your people? Basic staff management . . .’
‘Put her down,’ Elliot said, as calmly as he was able. ‘I’ll do it. Just, just give me a second . . .’
‘I’ve waited long enough,’ said Thanatos darkly. ‘The time for talking is over. I need to see some action. Now.’
He waggled his screaming prey to underline his point.
‘Elliot!’ Virgo panted, the tears streaming down her face. ‘Elliot, don’t listen to him. I’m just one person, he will destroy the whole . . . ARRRRRGH!’
