The High Court

by Chris Ledbetter

I pouted. “You gonna make me beg?”

  “I’d make you get on your knees, if …” Her voice cracked. She brought her hand to her mouth. “I-I’m sorry. I’m just …”

  Rhea put a hand on Metis’ shoulder. “We’re all in this together. We’ll all get through it.” She sighed. “Here comes Amphitrite and Hestia. We should get started.”

  Tia appeared in front of me, carrying a small torch. She jabbed it into the wet sand. “I’m going to focus all my energy on the lower back.”

  “Phi, you focus on his feet,” Metis directed. “I’ll take the middle and high back.” She turned to Rhea. “Headmistress, we really need to get some nectar into him. How do we do that?”

  Rhea shook her head. “Not until we either get back to MO Prep or infiltrate Othrys Hall somehow.”

  “We should send Don or Shade or …”

  “Aphrodite?” Metis said. “Maybe she can use some of that damn irresistible charm for good. They’d never see her coming.”

  Rhea crossed her arms and pulled at her bottom lip. “Metis, that idea’s not half bad.” She made some clicking sounds with her mouth that more or less indicated that she was thinking. “Very smart, Metis dear. But we can’t send her alone. Her charm is certainly operating at a very high capacity, but would that draw people to her instead of allowing her to move unimpeded? That’s the problem. Tonight’s Hemera Khaos. Campus will be teeming with students, especially since the Agora is closed as well.”

  Phi removed her hand from my foot. “There are three main Hurler posts. One is by The Pit. The second is in the main square, near the field and gymnasium. The last is near the Headmaster’s residence.”

  “Shouldn’t we try MO Prep first?” I said.

  “Well,” Metis counseled, “first, we have no idea what kind of shape our campus is in. Secondly, we don’t know who is patrolling. And anyone seen milling around will look quite out of place. Whereas, anyone seen on the Othrys Hall campus would simply blend in. Only problem is, none of us has a black or red tunic at the moment.”

  “I got it,” I said. “Send Aphro and Shade. If he’s able to not fall all over her, he’ll be an asset because he can disappear.”

  “Perfect.” Rhea clapped her hands. “I’ll get Hades and Aphrodite and bring them down here.”

  “But that puts a heavy burden on Aphro,” Phi said.

  “She has a sword now,” Tia said as she continued to focus her energy through her hand on my lower back. Metis closed her eyes and sighed. I sensed her frustration. My own was a gathering storm, merging with hers.

  I opened my eyes to witness the last remnants of what had been a beautiful sunset. Lavender bands streaked through flashes of coral and peach. The bright amber orb of sun being pulled by Helios sat just above the far horizon. “Those boulders out there in the water, the dark mounds against the firelight on the horizon … have they always been there? I don’t recall them being there before.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Shade’s from this school,” Metis said. “We’ll ask him about when he gets here.”

  “It’s almost too dark to really make out what they are. I just don’t remember boulders in the middle of the water like that.” As I stared across the water, suddenly red slits appeared on the rocks, equally spaced. “Wait … Phi, Metis … I know I’m a bit under full power, but—”

  “A bit?” Metis said with a chuckle. “You are as far beneath full power as Tartarus is beneath the earth’s surface.”

  “That’s deep, Metis.” Phi slapped hands with her.

  “Seriously?” I said.

  “We’re just joking with you. Ha ha. Trying to lighten the mood.” Metis rifled her fingers through my hair. “We’ll bring you back to full strength. You’ll be so strong that one day, you’ll father a child that will be even more powerful than you are.” She kissed me. “But before we do that, you need to chew some mint, because right now, that breath is powerful enough to tame dragons.”

  I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly gave myself a headache. “Can you be serious for one moment?”

  Metis and Phi laughed and slapped hands again. They both closed their eyes to focus on my healing. Sitting with their feet in the water, Phi and Metis directed their energies to my legs. Tia kept her hands at my back.

  “By the way …” Tia drew in a deep breath. “Are you feeling anything at all? Fingers? Toes? Anything?”

  I shook my head and sighed. “But seriously? Do you see what I’m seeing? Look out there. If I could point, I would.” I wanted to point so badly, I almost thought I could will myself to move. But, no luck. “Maybe it’s nothing. Or maybe I’m seeing things?”

  Metis and Phi turned simultaneously. The red slits had widened, now looking the orangish-red color of lava, just above the calmish surface of the bay. The burnt crimson light eerily danced in the subtle waves. Ominous enough, though. But then three more pairs of slits appeared elsewhere across the bay that led to the Aegean beyond.

  “Metis … I don’t like this,” I whispered. “Can you slowly move me away from the waterfront?”

  “Umm, I don’t want to be alarmist,” Tia said, “but those look like the eyes of the …”

  She never finished her statement because the boulders abruptly rose into the air atop insanely immense earth and stone shoulders and arms.

  “Nooo! Smite!” I yelled. “And I can’t do a damn thing!” I growled.

  Water cascaded over the bodies of the gigantic monsters, like four huge waterfalls crashing to the bay. The great disturbance caused a wave to rise and crash high on the beachhead. Metis, Phi, Tia grabbed and pulled me up the beach as fast as they could. The wave knocked all three of them down. They dropped me. I sucked in a lung full of air just before sinking beneath the water. Helpless. Water ran up my nose in a manner that made me want to sneeze. But if I had, I probably would’ve died.

  A hand dove into the water and clamped my nose. It’s like the person knew. With another hand to the back of my head, Metis pulled me above the receding water.

  “Rhea! Eurynome, Help!” Tia yelled.

  Following a thunderous rumble from the bay that shook the ground, Phi called out, “Incoming!”

  Another huge wave towered over us before crashing down. I closed my eyes again and held my breath. No water hit me. I peeked an eye open to witness Phi and Metis both with their hands outstretched … holding the wall of water just beyond their palms.

  With her long indigo hair blown straight behind her head, Phi said, “I got this. Get Zeus out of here before he drowns.”

  Out of nowhere, a rock as big as my head hit Phi on the side of hers. Her head flopped to the side and she crumpled to the ground. Metis turned and dove on top of me just before the wall of water crashed upon us. She pinched my nose and covered my mouth with hers as the water gushed around us.

  If I had to die, I guessed there were worse ways than this.

  As the water receded, Metis grabbed me again. Tia had hooked her hands under Phi’s armpits to pull her, but she’d already begun to heal and shake off the rock’s impact.

  Rhea, Aphro, and Shade’s voices rounded the bend at the top of the beach path as Metis finally got me high enough on the beach and propped me on the side of a rock wall that lead to the path up to the school campus. From there, I was in no danger of drowning and I could see everything. I was so angry that I couldn’t help or do anything. My team was under attack and I was helpless.

  The four molten rock mountains moved forward with epic sloshing, then stopped. Shade and Aphrodite strode past me. They were a sight for sore eyes.

  “What do we have here?” Shade said. “Rhea, do you want Aphro and me to go on the secret mission after all or help take out the trash for you?”

  “Depends on what happens in the next few moments,” Rhea replied.

  “Are those boy giants or girl giants?” Aphro asked.

  Shade laughed the loudest, most genuine laugh I think I’d ever heard from him.
Don, Hera, and Meter jogged down onto the beach to join us.

  “Pontus is getting geared up. Phoebe and the Muses are trying to find Eurynome and the other Limnos faculty and students to warn them,” Hera said. “No one has heard from them since we all ventured to the forge yesterday.”

  “I just find this so odd,” Meter said. “We may be under the biggest menace to ever threaten this school, and the student body and faculty have ghosted?”

  Metis stepped in front of everyone. “If this gets ugly, Hera, you and Rhea, er Headmistress, should occupy high ground so you can direct us mentally. You’ll be our stragegoi generals.”

  “You’re probably correct,” Rhea said. “I don’t even have my lions or chariot here.”

  “What do they want?” Shade asked. “Can we bargain with them to fight for us instead of against us?”

  “Looks like we’re about to find out.” Don pointed.

  Bodies much smaller than the molten rock giants appeared on what looked to be the monsters’ shoulders. With the red-hot orb of Helios’ sun being pulled below the far horizon, the smaller bodies, holding on to some manner of rope or vine, leapt off the backs of the mountains. They fell impossibly far, and then swung from back to front under the armpits of their hosts, getting bigger as they drew closer.

  They sailed toward us, flying off of their vines, and dropping into the shallow surf with great earth-shuddering splashes. With abnormally long torsos and small heads given their immense shoulders, the four smaller beasts marched forward onto the beach. But damn, they were still every bit as large as the Cyclopes brothers, if not slightly bulkier. Don, the tallest of all of us Olympians, stood only as high as the crotch of these beasts. Not a great height comparison, really, for either.

  One of the beasts sparkled like the night sky. “Asterius, am I. I told Olympians here. Debt must be paid.”

  “Wait a moment,” Rhea said with a strong voice. “Someone actually sent you after the Olympians? And what debt do you speak of?”

  “Olympians killed bigger brother,” Asterius said.

  My brain swiftly put the pieces together. The earthen monster that attacked us during War Games practice must be the brother he spoke of. But that was just a baby compared to the molten mountains in the water now.

  “Certainly we know of no brother of yours,” Shade said. “A man of distinguished visual indignities, I’m sure.”

  Rhea shot him a glare that could have sliced his throat open.

  Shade shrugged.

  “I speaks not your tongue as great as you, little man,” Asterius looked directly at Shade.

  “Who … said we did it?” And then Shade covered his mouth, knowing that in that instant he may have given away our greatest advantage, anonymity.

  “Damn, brother!” Don muttered.

  “You are tiny,” Asterius said. “Vengeance for brother be swift.” He adopted an aggressive stance. The other three giants followed suit with their clubs in the air.

  “Lions flyer dies first,” one giant spoke.

  “How did you even …” Rhea began.

  Without warning, preamble, or even pretext, Aphrodite sauntered into the middle of all the commotion, stopping in front of Asterius. “Hello, boys,” she adjusted her girdle. It glowed for a brief moment in the gathering darkness. She flipped her long curly hair back over her shoulder and twirled the ends. “Can’t we just talk about this misunderstanding?”

  Headmistress must’ve said something to her mentally. Aphro half-turned and waved her hand at Rhea.

  “Umm …” Asterius cleared his throat. “I ummm … you are … beautiful creature … ever … see.” He relaxed his club, allowing it to rest on the ground. The others beasts disengaged as well.

  Aphro’s voice was like warm honey. “I get that a lot.”

  “What …” Asterius shook his head like he was trying to force something out of it. “Witch … magic?”

  “Why would you say that? Boys …” Aphro sing-songed to the others. “Do I look … witchy to you?”

  They shook their heads as if Aphro had ropes tied around their necks. Aphro turned her attention back to Asterius. “Do you really mean to do us harm? Tell me the truth, now? I’ll know if you’re lying.”

  Asterius shook his head again, rapidly.

  “Is that a no?”

  “Out. Out … head.” Asterius clamped his hands over where his temples should’ve been.

  “I’m not in your head, baby. Not yet …”

  Asterius groaned. “Must … vengeance. No … Trial.”

  Several of us gasped when he said that. But whatever Aphro was doing was working.

  “Come closer, sparkly one,” Aphro purred. “I like glitter.”

  Asterius took a knee even though it looked like he was trying to fight through it.

  “Put your hand up,” Aphro said. “Swear you mean us no harm.”

  Clearly under Aphro’s spell, Asterius lay his club down and raised his hand.

  “Your life line is shorter than I imagined. Hmm …” Aphro purred. She ran her hand down the length of the club. “This is a mighty big phallic symbol you have here. Have you ever used it before? Does it perform as advertised?”

  Asterius gazed upon Aphro like she was the last girl on the earth. His breathing began to come faster.

  “All weapons must be named. Your club …” Aphro smiled with enough power to collapse a star. “Do you have a name for it?”

  Asterius came clear from the haze he had been under just long enough to clear his throat. “I-I don’t know,” he stammered. “J-j-justice … v-vengeance …”

  “Mmmm, I like that,” Aphro purred. “Do you know what I’ve named my sword?”

  “B-beautiful girl no need sword. Smile … cuts.”

  “Indeed. I could. But I like to use protection.”

  “What name … sword?”

  Aphro grinned. “Heartbreaker.” In one fluid move, she unsheathed her sword, leapt into the air, and plunged her blade into the giant’s chest, twisting as she dropped back to the ground.

  “Damn!” Hera said. “She said she was mean with a sword.”

  Asterius hollered in agony. More of a howl, really, that turned into a guttural growl.

  Pleased with her work, Aphro said, “Tell your friends to leave us alone or I’ll break their hearts too.”

  Asterius backhanded Aphrodite, sending her twenty paces in the air. He then pulled the sword from his chest and slammed it across his knee in an attempt to break it. It didn’t. “What cursed blade?”

  “Cyclopean steel,” Shade said. “I’d tell you what it’s made of, but then I’d have to kill you.”

  Asterius tossed the sword to the ground. And then his chest wound closed up. He glared down at Shade. “I earthborn. Feet soil, I heal.”

  “Uh oh …” Don muttered. “So how do we kill these things?”

  “You no earthborn. You die now!” Asterius yelled as he picked up his club.

  Hera spoke to us all mentally, Everyone spread out. Headmistress and I will take higher ground. Don’t let them focus on Zeus.

  Phi, Don, and Metis crossed behind the smaller versions of the giants on the shore. The four larger behemoths still stood out in the water. I guessed Phi, Don, and Metis deliberately sought the seawater side of things to gain strength from it. Hera and Shade zig-zagged in front of the giants to confuse the monsters as Hera sought higher ground on the right flank. Shade slipped his helmet down over his head and disappeared.

  While the beasts were distracted by all the movement, Meter snuck up and struck one over and over on the ankle. He healed after every blow. The giant swung for Meter, but she ducked, and then slashed the same giant’s hamstring area. It howled and turned on her. Meter stabbed it again and again. Another large gash opened up on the beast. Must’ve been Shade.

  Meanwhile, Rhea helped Aphrodite to her feet after her spill. Tia stood by their side, her hands already healing the gashes Aphrodite
had sustained in her fall. Just then, a horrific gash appeared on one giant’s back. Dark blood spilled like a fresh spring to the ground as the giant fell backward. Shade became visible again, just before getting trapped beneath the falling giant. Shade’s helm of invisibility must’ve rolled off his head during the fight. Still, even that wound on the giant healed.

  The giant rolled over, unable to remove the sword from his back, and punched Shade so hard that the sand beneath him indented. The giant stood on Shade’s chest, applying the full weight of his body. Demeter ran over and got swatted away. My stomach turned.

  Amphitrite made her way to where Shade lay. She stretched as far as she could to maintain contact with both the ebbing surf and Shade in order to heal whatever damage the giant was doing to him.

  While the fight raged on, a knot twisted my throat. I tried to will myself to move. Nothing happened. I needed so badly to be free of my prison. I yelled into the face of the storm before us but no sound emerged from my parched throat. The powerlessness of my affliction devastated me to the core of my soul. I could do nothing but sit there and watch my friends getting pummeled.

  We’d never make it to trial at this rate.

  Then some of the pieces of this entire ordeal began to fall together for me. Everything.

  My mind feverishly worked as one giant started up the hill toward Hera. Another chased Tia and Meter, to no avail—they were too fast. The giant managed to get close enough to Meter for one club strike, but Meter managed to deflect it with her shield held high overhead. The shield was unharmed, but she sank into the sand up to her knees from the blow.

  The glittery Asterius stalked across the beachfront toward Shade and Phi. Don tried to cut him off, swinging his trident like a sword, but he got swatted out into the incoming waves. Asterius whirled his club in the air, and then slammed it down on Amphitrite’s back with enough force to almost break her half.

  Even I found myself breathless and speechless for a moment.

  The delayed reaction from Phi was pure agony. It’s like she’d sucked in all the available air in the cosmos before releasing it. Her scream made my ichor blood curdle.