I stepped forward, but Headmistress calmed me with the simplest touch to my shoulder blade. “Of course not, child,” she soothed. “No one here knows of any Hyperion-led attacks.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“I can see now that I’ll have to keep a close eye on you,” Headmaster said. “Just keep your nose clean and there shouldn’t be any trouble,”
“Don’t you mean … won’t … be any trouble, Ouranos?” Headmistress asked.
He glared at her while she hugged me. The energy that transferred from her embrace tingled right on the surface of my skin, and then moved through me in radiating circles. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It lifted me. Not to say Amalthea’s hugs didn’t. But not like this.
Headmistress held me at arm’s length and smiled. “You’re here now, completely safe. We’ll attend to all your questions in due time. For now, just relax. We are all one big family. Nothing will happen to you here.”
My anxiety vanished, slipping through my fingers like sand. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Anger held its own comfort.
“You have ire.” Headmistress said. “That’s good. We’ll teach you how to harness it. Turn it into positive energy.”
I had half a mind to turn around and find my way back to my real home. Except, they didn’t exactly want me there either. I didn’t have a choice. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” they both chimed.
“That out of control campfire, Hyperion, said that an Oracle spoke of some boy, whom I can only assume was me. But then my guardian mentioned someone named Kronos. Where is this Oracle and who is Kronos?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Several silent moments passed before Ouranos spoke. “I’ve heard of this prophecy,” he said. “But I should warn you … the Oracles speak with three tongues. You can never be sure what they intend. As for Kronos, he is of no consequence at this Academeia.”
Headmistress wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I inched away but she held me fast. Her streaked hair fell over my shoulder. “I know this is a lot to process.”
My voice cracked. “But you do know who Kronos is, yes? I was told I’d find all the answers to my questions once I got here.”
“Yes, we know him.” Her fierce blue-eyed gaze pinned me as she nodded. “And you will find all the answers you seek. We just need to figure out how much we can set upon your shoulders, and when.”
I hesitated, and then straightened my posture. “Let me have it.”
“When we deem you ready.” She rubbed a circle on my back, immediately dissolving the knots that had formed there over the past few days. Headmistress glanced back at Ouranos. “I’ll give him a quick tour of the campus.”
“At your living quarters,” Ouranos said, “you’ll find uniforms, a campus map, and a Code of Conduct. Read that well. We have rules here that exist for your safety and that of the other students. And, you’ll need to see the guidance counselor for your classes.”
Code of conduct? Uniforms?
“Yes. Uniforms. Simple tunics that designate you as one of our pupils.” Headmistress smiled. We exited Headmaster’s office and crossed a grassy square to enter a column-flanked door at the center of a large rectangular, ivy-covered building. “This Megaron structure we’re in now holds classes and the eating area. But you’ll get a full tour later.”
I followed her across a covered wooden bridge that connected one-half of the Megaron to the other. Water dribbled slowly over rocks and pebbles in the creek below.
“Don’t mind Ouranos. He always gets tense at trimester’s end,” Headmistress said. “Our academeia once served the whole of Hellas. All lower academies fed into these hallowed halls, including Eastern Crete, your old school.”
I took a half step backward and knitted my brows. “Wait, how did you know I went to Eastern?”
“The same way I knew your name. Come on now. Keep up with me, here.” She continued through several turns and doorways. “Vicious infighting fractured the faculty at MO Prep and some teachers left to found a new academeia called Othrys Hall. So I turned this school into a magnet program for a few gifted and talented students of my selection.”
I wondered who the other students were, and what gifted and talented meant. I certainly was neither gifted nor talented. I couldn’t even keep from getting expelled.
“Your past is of no consequence here. And we believe our program is designed to elicit the very best from all of our students. Trust me, if I didn’t think you could handle our rigorous curriculum, you wouldn’t be here.” She sighed, bringing her hand to rest over her heart. “Most of my former students were pressured by exiting faculty to leave as well. Some did. Some dropped out and returned home. In fact only five remain here, whom you’ll meet soon. You’re the sixth.”
“Are more coming?”
A glimmer shined in her eyes. “One day.”
“What does all this have to do with Kronos? Also, why did the Elder Sun Deity descend upon my mother and me?”
Headmistress stopped abruptly. Her eyes turned the color of storm clouds. Her lips tightened as she took me by the shoulders with a firm grip. “I am so sorry about that,” she breathed, shaking her head. Her gaze held me tightly. “No one should have to endure what you have. No one. You’ll discover that some of the Elders are an evil lot. Until we can get you to full strength, you must avoid them.”
“Full strength?” An image of Hyperion flashed into my head, a mountain of fire and fury. “I have a debt to settle with Hyperion and his henchmen. And I need to find this Kronos person.”
“I must caution you. You’re not yet ready to fight them.” She patted my shoulder blade. “We’ve yet to give you the tools. Remember, never rush to vengeance. Anger will always hog-tie strategy.”
My blood temperature rose at the thought of Hyperion and Kronos. Headmistress placed her hand on my shoulder blade again. Instant calm. I suppose there were benefits to her mind reading.
“So you know a lot about these Elder Deities?”
“In short, yes. I am one. So are Ouranos and all the professors here. But as I said, some are evil. Beware of them.”
Aristaeus’ words returned to my ears. Deity magic is unparalleled.
Hyperion’s ability to wave off the spears. Headmistress’ ability to read minds and calm my soul. Suddenly, I remembered to shut my thoughts off from Headmistress. I wondered if I’d ever have another private thought. Headmistress cast a sidelong glance at me.
While we walked across campus, my gaze darted from the roughly-textured, vine-covered buildings to the smooth, blue dome of sky, and back to the ground. Sunlight illuminated hundreds of shades of green in the lush landscape surrounding the school. Nothing like dry and dusty Crete.
White-pebbled gravel walking paths criss-crossed the courtyards, separating the quad into grassy triangles. The energy of the place embraced me. I drew a deep breath and tried to relax.
A stone building on the far side of the yard whispered to me, calling as if with a crooked forefinger, like it had secrets to tell me. Columns lined the entire façade. I fixed my gaze on huge wooden doors at the center of the wall. A sign hung above the entryway, but at that distance I couldn’t read it.
Someone behind us called out, “Good afternoon, Headmistress.” The voice sang like a flute. Beautiful.
I turned and immediately had to force my mouth closed.
A gorgeous girl skipped over to us wearing a deep plum colored tunic and golden sandals with straps that wrapped around her calves. A bright fuchsia flower stuck out of her wavy, auburn hair that had been parted straight down the middle of her head.
“Where is your uniform, young lady?” Headmistress asked.
“Oh that silly thing? Don’t you just love this tunic, though? I got it from The Golden Himation in the Agora.” The girl twirled around and, immediately, my nose filled with notes of fresh flowers. As she spun, air lifted her tunic just enough for me to gl
impse her athletic thighs.
“Hestia, whatever will I do with you? You’re setting a bad example.” Headmistress thumbed to me.
“Who’s this?” Hestia cooed. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall “Do we have a new student?”
Warmth flooded my cheeks. The corners of my mouth turned upward before I had a chance to manage them.
“Indeed, we do. His name is Zeus.”
“Call me Tia.” She extended her hand, flashing a smile that was higher on one side than the other. “Zeus, eh? I can remember that easy. Zeus. Zeus. Zeus. Done.” She gripped my hand confidently. A bronze cuff bracelet sheathed her wrist.
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
“I like him already.” She slid her arm inside mine. “I can show him around if you like.”
“Great idea. Just make sure he ends up at the guidance counselor.” Headmistress turned around. “I need to prepare for class.”
Hestia led me off toward the rectangular structure and the wooden doors. “Sooo, welcome. Your first day, huh? This is a great school. Headmistress hand-picked us to be the dawn of a new revolution. You’re going to love this place over here. It’s our gymnasium. Do you play sports?”
“I do all right. Javelin throw. Wrestling … ”
“Wrestling, huh?” She turned to me. Her face wrinkled as she gave me a once over. “You’re a bit scrawny, but Coach Pontus will fix that. He’s our Calisthenics advisor as well as our intramural sports coach. We have a superlative sports program here. Wrestling in Term One, which we’re in right now. War Games in Term Two. Running, throwing, and swimming in Term Three.” She talked as if she were running a race, her energy, warmth, and effervescence brightening my mood.
“Am I talking too fast?”
“No, not at all.”
We approached the gymnasium doors. I gazed at the sign that I couldn’t read before. The words sounded in deep monotone within my mind as I read them:
HEROES ARE MADE, NOT BORN.
TRAIN LIKE A CHAMPION.
“Yep. That’s our mantra around here,” she said, noticing my upturned chin. And then she turned a searing glare toward me. Jovial Tia had vanished. Her celestial green eyes bored through me. “We. Don’t. Lose. Here.”
I returned her gaze, unsure of my next comment.
“Now then.” Jovial Tia returned, her voice playful. “Let’s see who’s training, shall we?”
She led me through the weather-beaten, wooden doors. I’d done light training back on Crete. Running. Spear throwing. Goat roping. The scrawny comment almost offended me, until I saw a man-child in the corner of the gym floor, tossing a boulder back and forth with another male student. A boulder.
“The bare-chested one on the right is Poseidon. On the left in the black tunic is Hades. Don is training for the World Pantheon League wrestling championships next week.”
Dark-haired Poseidon stood the larger of the two, taller and broader. Hades’ sinewy, physique was highly defined. His strength compared to his size shocked me. I stood slack-jawed at how easily they tossed the huge rock. Effortless. There’d been a rock that size back on Crete that I used to sit on.
“Yeah, they’re pretty lava-licious.” She slid her arm around my shoulder. “But you’ll get there. You’re one of us now.” She pointed to an opposite corner of the gym. “Look at those banners. The gold ones are for wrestling. Don has two and Hades has one. Ol’ Shade got his before Don did. Now Don rules the roost.”
I nodded.
“The blue ones are for swimming titles. Don flat out owns the water. You should see him when he swims. Magical. Rumor is that he can breathe underwater, but I don’t believe it. That’s just haters talking. The green banners are for War Games. We dominated the world until two years ago when Othrys Hall was formed and they beat us. Still volcanic about that.”
“What’s the deal with Othrys Hall?”
“It’s our rival school formed with former students and teachers from MO Prep. We used to all be friends. It was us against the world. Solidarity, you know? But then the faculty splintered. And before we knew it—two schools. But now, we hate each other. It’s pretty sad.”
Poseidon set the boulder down with a thud that sent tremors to where we stood. He straightened his loincloth and ran his fingers through his short crop of dark hair from front to back. Glancing toward us, he grabbed an amphora jug, leaned his head back, and poured the water over himself.
Tia’s arm tensed around my shoulder. She inhaled sharply and sighed. Almost purred. “I love when he does that.” She shuddered against my side. “All right then. Enough of that. There’s more to see.”
My skin tingled from the residual closeness to her.
She wheeled me around by the shoulder and led me back out. “Just so you know,” she continued, “The gym is also for Creatures Class and Calisthenics. We take fitness seriously. A sound body leads to a sound mind.”
As I opened the gymnasium doors, a gust pushed past me like the opening motion had sucked it in. Three silver-haired ladies glided to the opposite edge of the quad. They appeared to be professors. Similarly dressed in white, hooded cloaks, they sang beautifully as they walked. The harmonies drifted across the yard and danced around my ears.
“Muses.”
“Whoses?”
Tia laughed. “They’re Muses, sisters who teach fine arts.” She pointed to the sunken half-moon theatre. “You know, art, music, drama, that kind of stuff. Like I said, you’re going to like it here.”
I stared at how her hair parted in a straight line down the middle of her head and how the loose wavy strands fell to frame her face. “I already do like it here—”
“Eyes on the path, Zeus.” A chuckle reverberated in her throat as she adjusted her cuff bracelet.
I glanced back toward the theatre structure. “What’s the building behind the theatre?”
“Oh, that’s the stable and barn. We have all manner of animals here. Goats. Elephants, Bulls, Stags, Lions. Professor Thalassa tends to them. And beside that is the garden conservatory where Horticulture is taught.”
“Goats, I know very well.” I pause. “Lions, umm, yeah … I draw the line at them.”
“I’m with you. We let Headmistress handle them. She’s actually the only one who does.”
“I don’t think I’m too fond of elephants either—”
“Hello, Headmaster Ouranos,” she sing-songed as he suddenly crossed our path.
“Ah, yes. Tia. How are you?” His robes swished with each step. “Is your project ready, young lady?”
“Almost. I’ll put the finishing touches on it soon.”
“Good. I’ve been regaling the Khaos Council with reports of your superb research on cosmic dust.”
Tia’s cheeks turned pink. “Thank you, professor.”
“Carry on then,” he called over his shoulder. He turned onto a path that wound upward through a cypress grove. A sign near the path read: Observatory Hill. A domed white building stood prominently high above the trees.
“Observatory? What’s he observe up there? The sky?” I tried to be charming.
“Actually, yes. Interesting you should ask that. Headmaster Ouranos, or Professor O, teaches Astronomy and he rules the Sky Throne from his Observatory. That’s the highest peak in the world. He controls the weather and the heavens from his Throne.”
I gazed at the blue dome above us, combing over the heavens. “But it’s so vast. How can he rule it all?”
She smiled warmly. “Because he was meant to, I guess.” She looked into the air as if trying to remember something. Her brow wrinkled and her eyes narrowed. “‘Bestowed Upon The Bearer Of The Throne Is The Power To Rule Heavens Alone.’ I think that’s how it goes. That saying is inscribed on the base of The Sky Throne. Perhaps, you’ll see it one day.”
“That’s a mouthful.”
She nodded. “Don’t go close to the Throne, though. If you try to mount it, it will kill y
ou.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
When we rounded the corner of the gym, Tia pointed back toward two buildings. “The first is the Megaron. It holds general classes … Rhetoric, Philosophy, History, Geography … you know, boring stuff. Although, I did enjoy mapping the Underworld in Geography class.”
“The Underworld … ” I echoed to myself, before my mind drifted momentarily back to Tos. I snapped back to present. “Oh hey, can I ask you something?”
“Fire away.”
“Is Ouranos always such a grumpy goat?” I asked.
She returned a quizzical expression.
“It’s just that he wasn’t overly warm to me when I met him earlier.”
Her dark eyebrows pinched. She shook her head and shrugged. “I’ve actually never seen him grumpy, per se,” she said. “But I suppose it is a bit stressful being the Headmaster, Astronomy professor, and Sky Throne ruler. It’s a good thing he has Headmistress to help him. Know what I mean?”
“One more question … who is Kronos? I asked Headmistress and—”
Her voice dropped an octave. “We don’t talk about him here. I could get in so much trouble. No doubt you’ve discovered that Headmistress can read our thoughts.”
“Unfortunately.”
Tia paused, her wide eyes darting furtively. Her voice approached a whisper. “Well, Kronos used to be the head coach of intramural sports here. That is, until he founded Othrys Hall to our south. Headmaster Ouranos is his father, but they have a horrible relationship. I’ve heard their epic arguments.”
“South?”
“Yeah, it’s a direction. You know … North. South. East. West.” Her hands made a cross in the air. “Where’d you come from again?”
“Ohhh, that south. I know what south is.” Obviously, Tia’s attractiveness was affecting my path to clear thought.
“Hey listen, forget what you just heard. I didn’t tell you anything about Kronos. Deal?”
The Sky Throne Page 4
