The Sky Throne

by Chris Ledbetter

  “And my invisibility,” Shade said.

  “That’s comforting.” Hera rolled her eyes. “Can you be invisible right now?”

  “Fat chance.” Shade said. “Let’s go.”

  I gingerly rose to my feet and walked toward the bend in the river. Strength and vitality slowly returned to my limbs. “Shouldn’t we wait for Metis?”

  “If she were coming,” Hera said, “She would’ve come through by now.” Her lips tightened. “Come on. The sooner we get to Tartarus, the sooner we can leave.”

  Around the corner, the cavern opened. Thick fog rolled across the river. Shadows of the darkest hues of silver and brown draped every surface. Nothing had color. Not even us.

  I looked around at Hera and Shade and wondered how we’d cross the river.

  “That’s a good question,” Hera said.

  “What?” asked Shade.

  “Oh, just wondering how to cross the river,” I said.

  “You’d almost want some kind of ferry or something, right?” Shade asked. “If I ran this place, I’d for sure have a ferry service, someone to escort everyone across.”

  “Who’d ever want to run this place?” Hera asked.

  “It gives me the creeps,” I mumbled, looking up toward the ever-receding ceiling of the Underworld. It looked like an inverted mountain range.

  “No way!” Shade’s voice echoed several times. “A boat.” He pointed to a beat up looking dinghy that sat against a far earthen wall.

  “Yes!” I pumped my fist as we walked to it.

  “Look, it’s even got two oars.” Shade picked one up and inspected it. I examined the other.

  Hera folded her arms. “And if you put both of them together you might get a whole paddle.”

  The oars were half-eaten by time, moisture, and neglect. They’d likely fill our hands with splinters, but they offered the only option. “If we paddle fast enough, it won’t matter that the dinghy has a few holes here and there, right?” I said, trying to muster some optimism in this dreadful place.

  “Hey, Mr. Impetuous. Haven’t you gotten us in enough trouble?” Hera huffed. “We have no weapons and no food.”

  “We didn’t have a choice.” I glared at her. “Go hard or go home.”

  “Anyone remember the Grinder?” Hera mused. “The column leaping exercise? Anyone?”

  I grumbled.

  Chin up, Spruce, Hera spoke to me mentally. Don’t get all sensitive on me. Turn your weakness into strength. Then, I won’t tease you. She winked at me.

  My blood roiled.

  “C’mon, Freckles,” Shade said. “It is our best option and you know it.”

  Hera sighed loudly. “When we get back to campus, I’m definitely gonna need a detox from both of you.” She paused to look around. “All right, let’s hurry before I change my mind.”

  Shade and I grabbed the rickety boat while Hera carried the half-paddles. We set it in the murky liquid of the Acheron, but then quickly removed it.

  “Hera, you get in first. Then we’ll thrust it out and jump in.”

  Hera’s face contorted as she climbed in. Shade and I picked up the boat and backed up to get a good running start. We sprinted toward the river, shoved the boat into the water, and clumsily climbed in. Hera handed us the paddles. With racing strokes, Shade and I churned the Acheron to frothy foam. I shut everything out of my mind except the task.

  A fair way out onto the water, Hera clapped her hands. “Hurry! The boat’s taking on liquid.”

  As soon as she said it, I felt cold wetness lurking around my toes. I paddled faster, despite my fatigue. Perspiration streamed down my forehead into my eyes.

  The liquid rose higher, climbing past my feet up my ankle. Our efforts weren’t getting us as far as they had been. Hera cupped the liquid in her hands and threw it out. Keep pushing. You got this, she said.

  Through the haze, a blueish halo beckoned in the distance.

  “It’s a Hurler,” I said.

  “Praise Gaia!” Hera said.

  Our dinghy had sunk down so low into the water that the liquid outside looked like it would cascade over the side of the boat and join the rest inside at any moment. The blue halo drew closer and closer. It had to be land. There was no way a Hurler would be in the middle of the water.

  Faith is the persistent belief in the unseen, Hera whispered into my mind. At the moment, she was the only thing keeping me going. She reached over to caress my upper back, clearly having heard my thoughts.

  Hera shouted, “Almost there—”

  The boat slammed into something solid, lurching everyone forward. The boat pitched sideways and flooded the rest of the inside with the dark water. We scrambled, climbing out of the boat and the Acheron, unsuccessfully wiping at the thick liquid that coated our legs, torso, arms, and clothes. I wondered what made it turn so dark and muddy when the river that fed it was clear? Or at least clearer.

  The Hurler post shone like a beacon on the shore. “We could use this to escape later,” I said.

  “Or get some food,” Shade said.

  “Wait,” Hera said. “With all that’s been happening at school, we were lucky to get off campus when we did. By now, the campus will be in a complete uproar with our absences. There’s no way we can go back now without our friends.”

  I sighed and hung my head in frustration. My stomach growled at me. “Am I the only one weirded out by not knowing whether it’s day or night?”

  “I kind of like it,” Shade said. “But, I admit to being a bit tired. I bet you could sleep forever down here.”

  “Let’s catch some sleep over there by the Hurler,” Hera said. “If anything happens, at least we can get outta here.”

  The Hurler’s brightness against the shaded realm played odd tricks with my eyesight. Shadows passed across my vision. Blue squiggly lines swam before my eyes. I had to turn away from the post to allow my sight to return to normal. Yet, a measure of serenity washed over me.

  We agreed to take turns staying awake and standing guard. As I offered to pull the first shift, I couldn’t help but hope that nothing bad would happen on my watch.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Hera and Shade settled in as I leaned back against the Hurler post. They’d been asleep for some time when my stomach grumbled so loudly, I thought it would wake them. I could’ve eaten the north end of a southbound mule. How long could we go without food? And Metis had all our snacks.

  I considered Hurling back to campus. Or maybe the Agora. But, I had no idea if it was night or day out there. And I’d look mighty silly walking around the Agora at night. Or … maybe not.

  Perhaps I could blend into the throng, especially if it were nighttime and densely crowded. I was torn, though. At least if I left, I could bring food back. And possibly clothes. Nah, clothing would’ve been pushing my luck. But would Hera and Shade even be here when I returned? Would they wake to find me gone and then leave themselves?

  My eyelids felt like someone was pulling them downward. The window of opportunity was closing. Of course, I could just rouse Hera and tell her my plan. I didn’t have the nerve to wake them both. But Hera would never let me go. At least, not alone. But the three of us together would surely get caught. Dammit, why was this decision so tough?

  I cast a sidelong glance at Hera one last time as I placed my hand on the top of the Hurler. No turning back. I pictured the Agora, and off I went.

  I rematerialized in the semi-circle of trees where the Hurler was located just off the Agora. Nyx’s nightshade draped the heavens, painting the buildings in the darkest blues. I kept to the shadows.

  The charred scent of the torches reached my nostrils before I saw a bunch of them dotting the Agora landscape. Girls and guys pranced in a line, arms over one another’s shoulders. Melodies danced off kithara and lyre strings as drums paced what appeared to be an end-of-term party. They must not have heard about the drama unfolding at MO Prep. How could they not have heard?
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  I stopped a tall, thin guy I didn’t recognize to inquire about his level of awareness. “What school do you attend?” I asked.

  “Othrys Hall,” he replied. “I’m new this term. Just came from Limnos Lower Academy.”

  “The Blacksmiths.”

  His face brightened. “Oh you know about us?”

  I nodded. But I had to move on to my next question. “Hey, have you heard what’s going on at MO Prep? Big scandal, huh?”

  He frowned and shook his head. “Sad, really. Headmaster Kronos addressed the student body and told us that they had some students run away or something. He didn’t go into much detail. Just said to keep our eyes open. And if we saw anything suspicious, to alert him or other faculty members.”

  “Thanks.” I got what I needed to know. I wheeled around.

  “So what school do you go to?” He asked in vain because I’d already left his presence.

  I walked straight to Lambda, Lambda and ordered two large gyros. It took no time for me to inhale them. They looked at me cross-eyed when I ordered four more, but I needed them. I also ordered a goatskin of water to go.

  The woman’s face wrinkled and she glanced at me sideways after she’d handed me my food on a wooden tray. I requested a sack to carry them. She frowned and scurried to the back. After she returned, I simply took the sack and turned to blend into the crowd.

  My attempt at being inconspicuous was working beautifully until I looked back toward Lambda, Lambda and saw a burly man emerge through the front door. His head swiveled like he actively searched for something. Or someone. We locked eyes.

  I strode in the direction of the Hurler, shooting occasional glances over my shoulder. Rollicking laughter erupted from a gaggle of girls surrounding the Hurler post. The hair on my neck rose. I looked over my shoulder again. The burly man pushed through the crowd, clearly trying to follow me.

  I increased my pace, but didn’t want to bring more undue attention to myself. The girls still stood around the Hurler, giggling. Just as I reached the edge of the Agora and was about to shoot one more glance over my shoulder to check my follower’s progress, a finger dug into my shoulder blade.

  “What’s your name, boy?” a man asked me. He was totally different from the Lambda, Lambda guy who had been pursuing me.

  I turned slowly. Not recognizing him, I said what anyone would have. “I’m sorry. Let me just put my food down.” I placed my food several feet away and then turned to face the man.

  “And why’s your tunic so rotten and foul smelling?” he asked.

  “You ask a lot of questions.” Without warning, I spun around and swept his legs from under him. He toppled backward and met the ground with a thud. I grabbed my food sack and rushed to the Hurler.

  Even if he reached his feet to give chase, I’d be long gone. And, he’d have no idea to where I would’ve hurled. Certainly wouldn’t guess the Underworld.

  As I reached the Hurler, three shafts of energy descended upon the Agora, the brilliant white and golden shafts easier to see against the darkness of night. The Khaos Council. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

  The man I felled leapt to his feet and gave chase. I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I shot him a smug smile just before placing my hand atop the Hurler. “It’s time to mistify,” I breathed. I pictured the Underworld and immediately became mist.

  As I rematerialized, I saw that while Shade still slept, Hera paced along the shore of the Acheron. She glared at me with such fire that, even in the semi-darkness, I could feel the heat of her gaze. And it wasn’t the good kind of heat either.

  She approached me slowly, stopping about arm’s length away, her eyes never wavering from mine. With the speed of a cheetah, she slapped me so hard my neck twisted around.

  I stepped toward her and grunted, seething. I’d never been slapped like that. By anyone. Then, I turned away in frustration. There was no way I was going to retaliate. After all, I deserved it for leaving them without telling them where I was going.

  “That … was for leaving us,” she said. “Don’t ever make me do that again.”

  I stared squarely into her eyes. “I know.”

  “What’s in the sack?” She asked after a pause. “It better be some food. Or some clothes.”

  Her eyes softened when she saw the gyros. She looked at me and her eyes flashed hunger, before landing on Shade. “Guess I ought to save him some, huh?”

  I rubbed my cheek as she attacked her gyros without mercy.

  Shade stirred and opened his eyes. “What’s all the noise? Oh hey, who went for food?”

  Hera pointed to me.

  “Wait. You left us here?” Shade asked. “By ourselves?” He turned to Hera. “Did you know about this?”

  “Shhh,” Hera placed a finger to her curvy lips. “Zeus and I have already covered this. I think we understand one another now.”

  I nodded.

  “Where’d you go? Did you see Metis?” Shade asked.

  “I figured it was safer to go to the Agora. And no, she wasn’t there. How would she get there? There wasn’t a Hurler near the cave and we’re eons from MO Prep or the Agora.”

  “I just want this crap to be over,” Hera said. “Let’s eat and push forward. Or downward, rather.”

  “Can I finish my meal first? Sheesh.” Shade joked.

  “I’m just not a fan of being in the Underworld any longer than I have to. Besides, my skin is screaming for some ambrosia.” She grabbed her mass of hair “And I can feel my ends splitting.”

  “Here’s my only concern,” I said. “We know there is a Hurler right here. But, the deeper we go we may not find any. And might get lost trying to find this one again.”

  “We can’t stay here. Obviously,” Hera said. “We also know that there is one when we get all the way to the bottom. So let’s just suck it up and push onward. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  The next few days were painful. I couldn’t even be sure they were actual days. They could’ve been long hours. Time meant nothing down here. The nauseating ache of hunger and need for daylight played the oddest tricks on me. Darkness from the tunnels absorbed through my skin and burrowed into my spirit.

  No more food. No more water. No more patience. I argued with Shade and Hera about every decision we made. At least we had Shade’s memory of the maps, even though it only helped when we were walking straight with no forks in the path. And, thank Gaia for his ability to produce fire. Without it, we wouldn’t have any way to light our path forward.

  But even that was fading. As was Hera’s ability to read my thoughts. Which was probably a good thing.

  Our cosmic dust powers, even though I hadn’t figured out how to use mine … whatever mine were, were strongest when we’d recently used a Hurler. I figured that somehow, we fed off the cosmic dust in them. Getting back to that last Hurler would’ve proven a difficult feat after all the forks in the tunnels we’d passed. There were no signs and no indicators, and our tempers simmered.

  I wasn’t entirely certain we weren’t walking in circles. For as long as it seemed like we walked, we could have encircled the Underworld seven times or more. We came to yet another three-way fork in the tunnel and I’d had it.

  “Shade! I thought you knew where we were going! Didn’t you say you had the maps memorized?”

  “I did. But since we crossed the Acheron, I’m unsure of our bearings. Whose fault is it we all got sucked through a water chute and almost capsized in the Acheron?”

  I countered, “Oh what, this is all my fault? My fault that I encountered a deathly whirlpool?”

  Hera walked away from us then turned around. “Shut up! Both of you! I’m so frustrated right now I could kill you both with my bare hands. You, Zeus, for jumping into the water up there. And, for leaving Shade and me alone when we were asleep. And Shade for not memorizing the maps better. And just for being … Shady.”

  S
hade extinguished the fire he’d produced in his palms. Darkness enveloped us. I saw the same degree of utter blackness whether my eyes were open and closed. My pulse pounded in my ears, drumming through the silence.

  “I am sooo done with this place. When we get out of here, I don’t ever want to come back,” I said.

  I waited for a response. The complete void of light reminded me of the cave back home. And then I heard a voice purr out of the darkness. “That’s the point.”

  My eyes shot open, as if the wideness would help me see anything. Shade flickered a weak blue flame and illuminated Metis.

  “Where in Gaia’s name did you come from?” Hera asked. “And how long have you been standing there?”

  “Yeah,” Shade echoed. “Is there a Hurler nearby?”

  “There is actually. But I didn’t use it.” Metis stood there with the rolled maps still in her hands.

  I rushed to Metis and threw my arms around her. She dropped everything in her hands and returned my embrace. I experienced slight energy transference similar to when Rhea touched my back. Serenity. A sense of calm. Metis buried her head into my shoulder.

  “I’m so glad you’re all right,” I said, knowing fully that my mind had gone to the darker regions of doubt during her absence.

  “Trust is earned, right?” she said as she pulled back. “I felt like I still had some work to do on that front.” She flashed a tight-lipped smile in the faint illumination Shade provided. “These maps were quite handy. I hoped you’d show up. I’ve been waiting for you just around the bend there. Had you walked fifty more paces you’d have run right into me.”

  “But—” Shade scratched his head.

  “Yeah, well after you all left me up there holding all the supplies, I went back to the sunlight and looked at the maps a little closer. And the initial cave tunnel we were in led me straight here. I did have to cross the Fields of Asphodel, but after that, it was pretty much a straight shot.”

  “Damn!” Hera said.