by Simon Archer
I pointed up at the Flame as it emphasized my point. “See? It agrees with me.”
“I’m glad to have that stuff on my side,” Beth said, a little hesitantly. “I would hate to be on the wrong side of that stuff.”
“You and me both,” I agreed. I swung our hands back and forth enthusiastically. “Come on. Let’s see what Jade and the other chefs have cooked up for this feast.”
“Yes, please,” Beth begged. “I’m starving.”
We ventured down the path, walking hand in hand for a while until we got closer to the mess hall. The marble buildings looked regal in the fading sunlight. Long shadows stretched out onto the short grass from the various columns, statues, and figurines unique to each of the training buildings, dorms, and classrooms. The sight was like a breath of fresh air, reminding me why I was here in the first place.
For the first time all summer, I was excited to dive back into my studies. Yes, I itched the whole three months to get back in the forge because that was where I felt most comfortable, but it was nice to know that that same feeling extended to the Academy campus as a whole.
Beth and I entered the mess hall, which was already packed to the gills with students. They buzzed about from table to table, the sash colors prominent in the sea of black uniforms. It was a long room with high ceilings that had paintings from the Greek myths of our ancestry. I loved that mural as it depicted so many of the infamous myths. It was like one of those I Spy books from when I was a kid. There was always something new to notice or spot. Whether it was Athena’s bridle, the Helm of Hades, or Aegis, the famous shield of Zeus, it was the perfect piece of art for a Greek history nerd like me.
The buffet was packed, the line stretching all the way to the door. Even from where I stood, the smell hit me full force. Sage, rosemary, garlic, and some sharp cheese I couldn’t identify right away. It was a cornucopia of delights, all the staples of an American Thanksgiving with turkey, ham, green beans, both in casserole form and freshly steamed. The cranberries came in three different ways, and the gravy flowed from a fancy container that was shaped like the Argo itself.
“Holy Hermes,” Bethany whispered from beside me.
“No kidding,” I agreed, my own voice low as if we’d stepped into a church rather than a cafeteria. “We better get in line.”
Beth and I joined the slow-moving queue for food. My eyes scoured the tables as we waited, trying to find Daniella and see if she already snagged seats for us or if we would have to venture out and fend for ourselves. As I looked, I noticed the influx of first years. I didn’t know what the gods were doing this time eighteen or so years ago, but there seemed to be quite a few first years. Definitely more than in our year.
That wasn’t the only reason for the influx of people. There were also many more soldiers. I saw aquamarine, green, orange, and white sashes all over the place. Most of them contained the engraved insignia at the top, near their shoulder, that indicated they were graduates of the Academy, soldiers in the Elemental Military.
“What’s with all the soldiers?” I asked Beth, though I wasn’t sure she would know any more than I did.
“Couldn’t tell you,” Beth replied with a short shake of her head. “But I definitely noticed it too.”
“It’s weird,” I commented, knowing that both of us were thinking the same thing. “I don’t remember this many hanging around campus last year.”
“Maybe the Stratego will explain it in his speech,” Beth reasoned as we took another step closer to the buffet.
“His speech?” I asked. “How exactly does this opening ceremony thing go?”
“It’s a huge formality,” Beth said with a roll of her eyes. “Last year it took ages. Basically, the Stratego walks in and introduces all the staff. Then he explains the way of the Academy and the purpose of the Military of Olympus. Then all the poor first years have to introduce themselves.”
“In front of everyone?” I gaped. “That sucks.”
“It’s a lot better to do it in a group than the singling out you had to endure when you came late,” Beth said skeptically.
“Point taken,” I said, remembering back to my first night at the Academy when the Stratego called me out in front of literally the whole school.
“Anyway,” Beth continued, taking another step forward. “Then the drafts happen if there are any this early.”
“Are you nervous about the draft?” I wondered if my friend felt the same jolt of nerves that I did.
“Oh hell yeah,” Beth agreed with conviction. “I don’t think there’s a single second year that isn’t nervous.”
I had been so concerned about my own fate in the Academy that I hadn’t considered my friends before now. There was a distinct possibility that one of them wouldn’t get drafted. Then the same terrible fate would happen to them. They would be removed from the Academy, and I wouldn’t even see them again. My mouth went dry at the thought.
Beth sensed my discomfort and reached out with a hand on my upper arm. “We’re going to be fine, Cameron. We’ll get drafted, though I don’t know how likely it will be that we’ll all be in the same branch.”
“Probably not,” I reasoned. “Where do you think we’ll all go?”
“You’re pretty much a shoo-in for Enka,” Beth commented. She crossed her arms over her chest and put one hand up to her chin, thinking.
“Don’t say that like it’s a guarantee,” I begged her, my doubt showing openly.
“Oh, come on, Cameron.” Beth rolled her eyes. “Where else are they going to put you? Eda? You helped burn down an entire section of campus last year.”
“That was mainly the harpies!” I said defensively. “I actually controlled the fire and kept it from spreading.”
“Whatever,” Beth blew off my excuse. “Vreg is the exact opposite of your abilities and Oura, well, I just think that would suck for you considering how afraid you are of heights.”
There was no arguing with her line of logic. While I wanted to point out that there was still the possibility that they wouldn’t draft me at all, I didn’t want to perpetuate that negative thought. So I turned back to speculating where my friends would end up.
“You’ve got to be Eda,” I pointed out.
“As much as I hate it, it is the most obvious choice,” Beth said as she blew out a puff of air.
“Why would you hate it?” I wondered.
“Cameron,” Bethany looked at me with an exasperated look. “In Eda, there are members that can yank up whole trees with a flick of the wrist. Or make an entire garden grow with a single touch. I can multiply things. That’s it.”
Admittedly, Beth did have a very limited magical ability. Considering her mother was the goddess of the harvest, one would think she could do something way cooler. Unfortunately, the most her gift could be used for was getting a landscaping job on campus to keep everything cosmetically beautiful and uniform.
“Where would you prefer to be?” I asked. “I mean, if you could choose, that is.”
Beth paused and considered my question as if she’d never thought of it before. She licked her lips and looked up into the corner of her vision.
“I think I’d like to be in Oura,” Beth confessed as if the thought were occurring to her as she said the words. That answer surprised me.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Beth answered, nodding with conviction. “It would be cool to travel as much as they do. And I don’t have to be a fighter up in the sky. I could be at the control deck or calculate the flight patterns. Not everyone has to be an active fighter.”
“You do if you’re in Enka,” I grumbled, thinking of all my training sessions with Hailey. All the Enka soldiers were impressive when they wielded weapons. It was considered a quintessential part of Enka training because we were the warriors of the Military.
“Which is exactly why Daniella won’t be drafted to Enka,” Beth pointed out as she raised a confident finger.
“Oh no,” I agreed wholeheartedly. “She’s
too good of a healer. They need her in the med bays for sure.”
“So I’m thinking Vreg,” Beth guessed. “With all of their peace talk, a healer would be good for them.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” We were closer to the buffet now, so I lowered my voice. “What about Jade?”
Beth sucked in her teeth. “It’s hard to say.”
“I know, right?” I agreed, feeling vindicated. “I mean, Eda makes sense with all of her knowledge of fruits and vegetables.”
“True, true,” Beth considered. “Or maybe Enka with all of the cooking and heat aspect of what she does.”
“That seems like a stretch,” I reasoned.
Beth sighed and rubbed her upper arms up and down as if she were cold. “I know, but she’s got to go somewhere.”
We fell into silence as we reached the first part of the buffet. Dozens of thoughts buzzed through my head. I analyzed possibilities and outcomes for all of my friends, and unfortunately, it saddened me to think that there was a good chance I would be drafted into Enka all by myself. That would result in separating our classes and having very different schedules. Would we still have time to hang out? Or would the distance pull at our friendship until it ceased to exist? Would the relationship forming between Jade, Daniella, Hailey and I slowly begin to unravel before it even truly began?
“Hey, guys!” Jade cried enthusiastically as she spotted us from her side of the buffet. She worked in the kitchen with the other chefs. Her apron was coated in splotches of different food from their day of prep and work. Despite the disarray of her clothing, Jade’s eyes were bright with excitement and joy.
Like the forge was my home away from home, Jade’s happy place was in the kitchen. It showed in every part of her. The way her hands moved excitedly when she spoke about new recipes. Or how fast she talked when explaining how to best plate a meal.
“Bethany,” Jade said, elongating her name out into more syllables than the normal three. “Looking good, ma’am.”
“Thanks,” Beth replied sheepishly. A light blush flooded her cheeks as she accepted the compliment.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Jade,” I complimented, taking the attention off Beth and her new style. “This looks delicious.”
“For sure,” Beth agreed, grateful for the change in subject.
“Aw, thanks, guys!” Jade beamed. “You’ve got to try one of everything. Seriously, it’s that good, and you don’t want to miss it.” She kissed the tips of her fingers and made an exaggerated noise when she pulled them away, like a stereotypical Italian chef.
“There is not enough room in my stomach,” I said as I looked down the buffet.
“Well, at least make sure you save room for dessert,” Jade said with a tempting smile. “I made it all on my own.”
“Wow, Jade, that’s awesome,” Beth complimented. “That’s a big deal.”
“It was a lot, but I went with something everyone loves. Pie!” Jade said. “Except Cameron, I made you something special.”
“Why me?” I wondered, sliding my tray further down the row, picking up two bread rolls as I went.
Jade followed along the line but stayed on her side in the kitchen. “Because it has crushed apple seeds mixed into the seasoning. I don’t want to kill you.”
“That’s good to know,” I said with a tight laugh.
“So, I just made you a personalized one without the seasoning on top,” Jade said with a proud smile. “I’ll bring it out to you.”
“Thanks,” I said, putting all my gratitude into my words. Knowing how much work this feast must have been, I was honored that she took the time to make something specialized for me.
Jade waved the two of us off as we finished piling our trays. Beth and I managed to find an empty section of one of the long wooden tables since we couldn’t find Daniella anywhere. We settled in when Beth asked the obvious question.
“Do you think they have her working in the med bay already?” Bethany wondered.
“That would suck,” I commented. “The school year hasn’t even really started, and she’s already started his shifts.”
“That’s what she gets for being the best healer on campus,” Beth said without regret as she scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes.
We devoured Jade’s delicious meal, and it was every bit as tasty as it looked. We each took a minute of silence, simply chewing and enjoying the food. The meatloaf was fluffy and hearty. The tang of the gravy on the potatoes tasted like home. When my friend took a bite of the buttered corn, she moaned. And the sound was way more sinful than it needed to be. It sent a shot of desire straight to my groin. While I thought there was no way I could finish it all, I ended up even picking the leftovers off Beth’s plate. She claimed the pie Jade made was her favorite, scraping her fork along the plate with an annoying clinking sound.
I’d just inhaled the final bite of yellow corn when Daniella sat down next to me.
“Hey, friends,” she greeted us with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Hey!” Beth and I chorused together.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
“Let me guess,” Beth said as she held up a hand to stop Daniella from answering. “Med bay.”
“Unfortunately,” Daniella sighed. Her tray wasn’t nearly as full as mine or Beth’s had been. “A couple of second years got sick on the Argo on the journey over. They just wouldn’t stop vomiting, and it took me forever to rid their stomachs of the food poisoning.”
“Suddenly, I’m really glad I didn’t ride on the Argo to get here,” I muttered mainly to myself.
“So yeah, I’m not really hungry,” Daniella admitted as she lifted her elbow on the table. She rested her head in her hand and stirred the limited food on her plate around with her fork.
“Can’t imagine why,” Beth commented. “We’re glad to see you.”
“Same,” Daniella said, managing a smaller but brighter smile this time.
Just then, a long and low note rang throughout the cafeteria. It came from a brass instrument and signaled to all of the students to be quiet.
The opening ceremony was about to begin.
7
The doors to the cafeteria burst open with a trumpeted fan fair. Four soldiers entered first, each carrying a tall rod that held a flag. The flags matched the colors of the branches, and each held a symbol. It was the same symbol stitched on to the graduated soldiers' sashes. There was a triangular flame for Enka, a spiraling circle for Oura, a teardrop for Vreg, and a single mountain top for Eda. They paraded into the cafeteria while the students sat in silence.
If the first years weren’t already obvious from their red sashes, I could instantly pick them out of the crowd by their surprised faces. It was rather cute actually that they displayed such open wonder at the unfolding events.
After the flags, all the professors entered in a single file line. I recognized Ann instantly, though it was unusual to see her wearing her Eda sash, which she hardly ever did. Noctua, the Mythology professor and an owl polymorph, walked in proudly with her Oura sash. Finally, my favorite teacher and blacksmith mentor Sarah walked in.
My heart swelled at the sight of her. In a wicked fire last year, Sarah had hurt her leg and spent the whole second semester recovering. It was wonderful to see her upright and walking. She adjusted her orange Enka sash and sent a wink my way when our eyes connected.
I returned her wink with a big smile and a small wave. She continued in line with the rest of the officers. Also in the mix were the leaders of each branch, Hailey among them.
My throat went tight when I spotted her. Her emerald eyes stared straight ahead, portraying her soldier side with efficiency and grace. I fought back all of my thoughts about her, now was not an appropriate time for sexual fantasies.
I recognized the other two graduates who had been stationed to lead the new recruits of each branch. For Vreg, Olivia was a petite blonde-haired woman with a scar along her cheek, wearing a light blue sash. I also k
new Mia, who was a burly girl with buzzed brown hair cropped to her skull and an imposing figure that headed up Oura. However, the Eda leader was someone new, which should have been obvious to me because they needed to replace Kari. Eda had spent the whole second semester with a rotating cast of leaders, but it looked as though they found a permanent replacement for this year.
She had sharp cheekbones and an angular face which was free of any blemishes or scarring. The new leader was tall and lanky with a regular hipster vibe to her. She had graceful movements, even as she marched with the group, like that of a dancer. The uniform accentuated a well-toned body that was obviously strong while still keeping its leanness. Finally, unlike the rest of the officers who mostly kept their faces stoic and devoid of emotion, this woman smiled. It was award winning, that smile. Something that reached all the way up to her eyes and made me feel like her whole attention was on me for the brief moment she caught my gaze.
She reached out to as many of the students as she could with that smile and a welcoming gaze. There was a clatter next to me, and I turned to see Bethany reaching for napkins. My friend spilled her water and rushed to clean it up. But what I noticed more than the clumsiness was the rising blush that crept up to Beth’s cheeks, prominent as ever despite her new tan.
When my friend finished cleaning, she looked up and caught me staring at her. I shot her a questioning look, which caused her to narrow her eyes at me, warding me off. A smile played at my lips, which I only released when I turned back to the raised platform and away from Beth.
Lastly, the Elemental Officials entered the cafeteria. These were the daughters and single son, of the twelve Olympians, who rose to the ranks of the Academy. They were the ultimate authority on campus and ruled the school with an iron fist. The only reason there were twelve of them was that they included Hades in the group, while they were missing a child of Hephaestus. I was the only one to come through the ranks of the Academy in years.
On the one hand, it was an honor to know that my dad wasn’t like the other gods who seemed to sleep around without consequence. But on the other hand, there was already tremendous pressure for me to join the ranks of the Elemental Officials eventually and complete the set of them. Which, if anyone asked me outright, was the literal last thing I wanted to do. If I had it my way, I would just keep to my forge and make weapons. However, something told me that I wouldn’t ever be given that luxury in the way I hoped.
