by Simon Archer
“I know, but I thought I would make it worth your while,” I said with a smile and a light shove.
“You have to remember that I don’t hate Sasha as much as you do,” Bethany said with a pointed finger in my direction.
“I don’t hate her,” I protested. “She and I just have very different ways of doing things.”
“Uh huh,” Bethany said skeptically. “I, for one, have found her drama classes rather interesting. If you had room in your busy ass schedule, I would definitely suggest you take one.”
“No thanks,” I said with a dramatic wave of my hands. “With all that the Stratego has me doing in order to be an Elemental Official while trying to double my class schedule, and still work in the forge, I don’t think I can add another thing on my plate.”
“Well, if all goes well you will have to make room for learning how to weave and wood carve,” Bethany said with a smile.
“Don’t remind me,” I replied while trying not to gag over the thought of all the things I had to do.
It gave me a headache just thinking about it. The next semester was going to be a true test in time management if I ever had one. It seemed impossible to get done, but I knew I had the support from my girlfriends.
When I told them at dinner about all of my new tasks, they instantly pledged their help.
“I’m available for tutoring,” Kari offered. “I mean, I am the only one in this group who has actually graduated.”
“I’m a really great test taker,” Daniella said as she pushed her glasses up her nose. “I’ll show you how to make the best flashcards so you can study for that Elemental Officials test.”
“And while I’m not good at any of those things,” Jade said with a click of her tongue, “I will keep you well fed and will be your running buddy in the mornings.”
I didn’t know how to thank them all for the support. It was seriously going to take a village to get me through this semester. And that was just the school stuff. I hadn’t even considered all of the “saving the world from a war of chaos” that I will have to add.
When I thought about it that way, the Academy stuff seemed small and insignificant. As much as I wanted to do my best with all of it, the Fates and Eris seemed like much bigger problems than graduating from the Academy. I wanted to respect the traditions of the Military but couldn’t they understand that these were extraneous circumstances? I wanted to know how many of the current Elemental Officials managed to pass the test with a world-altering prophecy hanging over their heads.
I kept all of this to myself as we walked, however. I knew that Bethany would have happily listened to my venting, but I knew I was already leaning on my friends so much. They deserved a break from all of this as much as I did.
So we walked in a comfortable silence through the trees. The sun had already set on this winter evening, but I came prepared with a bit of the Eternal Flame to light our way. Bethany also had the added ability to see in the dark. Perks of being the daughter of a nature goddess. So while she didn’t need the light, I did, and the soft blue glow it gave off brought me a comfort I couldn’t explain.
Suddenly, the shadows of the trees and the whisper of the winter wind sent a chill up my spine. I froze in place.
“You know, we can probably do this in the morning,” I said as I spun on my heel. “It’s been a long day and I don’t want to bother her--”
“Oh no you don’t,” Bethany said as she reached out and took me by the shoulders. She promptly spun me back around so that I was facing the right direction. “You’re not chickening out of this. You need the nymphs' help and to get that, you have to talk to Sasha.”
“Remind me why I brought you with me again?” I grunted as I begrudgingly put one foot in front of the other.
“Because I’m one of Sasha’s favorite students and so that you don’t try and run away again,” Bethany reasoned. “You need to start on the tools as soon as possible. If you get them to agree then you can start tomorrow.”
“I know, I know,” I grumbled as we ventured further into the woods.
Eventually, we came to a clear path that was lined with tea lights. It looked like an enchanted forest with multicolored lights in the tree branches and a smooth aisle leading the way. Before we crossed the threshold into the fairy-like land, Bethany and I shared a glance.
“Well, she’s certainly spruced up the place since I last came here,” I said with a shrug.
“Why do I feel like we just stepped into a storybook?” Bethany said with more awe in her voice than I expected.
“Feel like ditching the ball, Cinderella?” I said jokingly, holding out my hand for her to continue.
“Not a chance, Prince Charming,” Bethany countered as she looped an arm through mine. “I’m not letting you run off anywhere.”
I pursed my lips and followed my girlfriend, knowing that I was doing the right thing even though I had no desire to keep walking.
We made our way along the path and came to a wide clearing. At the center, there was a dancing bonfire though it didn’t give off any smoke. It crackled and burned wood like a normal fire, but there was no smell or heat coming from it. Assorted stumps and logs were used as benches. They were scattered under canopies of lush trees, which had green leaves in the middle of January.
I cocked my head to the side in wonder at the magic at use here. It seemed contradictory to the nymphs. While the females had an affinity for nature, they also were known to respect the seasons and the natural flow of the universe. So the fact that they were disrupting it bothered me.
But it didn’t seem to bother Sasha. Her thin form lounged in a wooden throne at the far end of the clearing. She had four nymphs surrounding her, treating her like the queen she thought she was. One nymph with orange skin rubbed her shoulders while another one fed her almonds, though she was bright blue. The other two rubbed her feet which were so dainty and immaculate they could be used as foot models.
Sasha noticed us right away. She opened up her arms wide, nearly smacking the blue nymph who was feeding her in the face.
“What a pleasant surprise!” her theatrical voice boomed through the clearing. “Ladies look! We have guests.”
The dozen or so nymphs that weren’t tending to Sasha rushed over to us. They split Bethany and me up, immediately taking us around the fire and asking us a million questions about what we wanted to drink or eat. What would make us comfortable? What could they do to serve us?
I shook my hands and backed away from them. “I’m fine. We’re fine.”
“Speak for yourself!” Bethany called out as the nymphs led her to her own stump where one offered her a tray of freshly cut fruit.
Annoyance swept through my body as I glared at my girlfriend for essentially abandoning me for an acai bowl. But Bethany didn’t notice. She simply plucked the foreign fruit off the tray and popped them into her mouth one by one.
I ignored my friend and cleared my throat. “Good evening, Sasha.”
“Hello, Cameron,” the drama teacher said as she took a sip of her wine. “It’s been too long. How have you been? How was Italy?”
“Fine,” I said, not really wanting to participate in small talk.
“Did you get to sample any of the cuisine there?” Sasha asked as she smacked her lips together. “Or any of the wine?” She toasted her glass to indicate what she was drinking. Though, being a daughter of Dionysus, I didn’t even have to guess.
“Not really,” I said with a sigh. “I was mostly there to study.”
“How boring,” Sasha said as she rolled her eyes. Suddenly, she perked up and leaned forward in her seat. “Unless it was to study theatre? The Italians have such amazing shows.”
“Nope,” I said with a slow shake of my head. “Just blacksmithing.”
“Pity,” Sasha said as she flopped back into her chair. “You have such raw talent, my dear. I could see it from the moment I met you. And then when you did that scene at the dance, gah!” Sasha put a dainty hand to her chest
and added a dramatic gasp. “You were wonderful, so passionate. Wasn’t he wonderful, darlings?”
The nymphs cooed their agreement and nodded vigorously.
“It was one of the best performances,” Sasha said after taking another sip from her goblet. “Simply divine.” Then she kissed the tips of her fingers as if she were Italian and complimenting a dish of food. The corner of my lips twitched at her exaggerated praise, not liking the comparison of me to an entree.
“So,” the daughter of Dionysis said, her demeanor completely shifting in one hundred eighty degrees. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. She looked me up and down with one sweeping movement. “I take it you’re not here to sign up for one of my drama classes.”
“Not if you paid me, Sasha,” I said as politely as I could muster, wanting this conversation to be over. “I have come to ask for your help, though. Or rather, help from the nymphs.”
When I mentioned them, the nature spirits tittered like a bunch of school girls. Some of them leaned over to whisper in each others’ ear while one held her hand up to her mouth to hold back a giggle.
“You want help from the nymphs?” Sasha asked as she crossed one leg over the other. She leaned back, nestling her back between the arm of the chair and the back of it. She took another sip but this time, she smacked her lips together and added an “Aw” sound, like she was in a Pepsi commercial. “You’re not planning another dance I hope?”
“Not this semester,” I said dully. “I need to learn how to weave yarn or thread of some kind and wood carve. I’ve heard that they are well versed in those skills.”
“Is the blacksmith venturing out into new crafts?” Sasha said in a mocking tone. “Bully for you, dear.”
“Thanks?” I said, turning the work into a question because I wasn’t quite sure how to answer her.
The drama teacher swirled her goblet in one hand, staring into it as though she were admiring the way the liquid spun round and round. “Weaving and wood carving are definitely skills the nymphs could teach you.”
“Wonderful,” I said a little too excitedly. My hope rose up way too high only to have Sasha smack it back down like a blocked jump shot.
“But I’m afraid they are far too busy to help you now,” Sasha said with a quick shake of her head. While her voice made it sound like a pity, her neutral expression never faltered.
“Busy with what?” I countered as I flung out my hands, putting the nature spirits on display. They stood and sat around us, braiding one another’s hair, pampering Bethany, and tending to the fire. “Because the sure look hella busy to me.”
“You are not in charge of them and what they do,” Sasha said and from her tone, I couldn’t tell if she really was offended or if this was another exaggeration. “That’s my job. And I’m telling you, they’re busy.”
The drama teacher sent me a pointed look before her interest turned back to her drink.
I bit the inside of my cheek in an attempt to tamper my frustration. We both knew that the nymphs weren’t busy. That was utter bullshit. But Sasha wasn’t going to just let me work with the nymphs for free. That much was clear.
I cleared my throat before speaking, not sure I wanted to ask the next question but knowing I didn’t have a choice. “And what will it take to clear their schedules so that they are less busy?”
Sasha sniffed loudly and ran a thin finger beneath her nose. Then she licked her lips and her eyes looked up to the corner of her vision, considering. As if the bitch didn’t already have a prize in mind.
“I suppose,” the daughter of Dionysis said as she tapped the cleft in her chin. “I could be persuaded to change their schedule if you were able to help me.”
“Help you with what exactly?” I said through gritted teeth.
“I have an odd number of students in my drama class this semester,” Sasha said, her voice slow and slick. She stuck out her arm straight and examined her fingernails, refusing to look at me as if I wasn’t worth her time. “An odd number makes it very difficult to direct partner scenes, you understand.”
My intestines turned into knots as I figured out what she was insinuating. “You can’t be serious,” I gaped, unable to shut my mouth from sheer shock.
“I’m dead serious,” Sasha said. She held out her hand with the goblet and one of the nymphs took it from her. Then the demigod leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I don’t joke when it comes to the theatre, Cameron. Join my drama class this semester, and I’ll make some time in the nymph’s schedule to teach you weaving and wood carving.”
My mouth filled with bile and there was a weird taste on my tongue. I couldn’t imagine joining a drama class. It seemed completely unnecessary and wholly disinteresting. Plus, with all that I had to do already with finishing my studies to graduate early and do all of my Elemental Official duties, adding one more thing to my plate seemed impossible.
“Cameron,” Bethany said, suddenly appearing at my side.
“Oh, did you finish your massage?” I asked sarcastically.
Bethany shot me a look before not answering my question and continuing with what she had to say. “I know it seems like a lot, but you’ve got help. You’re not alone, remember?” My girlfriend put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.
I rolled my neck, letting my head hang back for a moment while I groaned. “Damn it, Sasha, you suck, you know that?”
Sasha gasped and recoiled, putting her hand to her chest again. “My dear, insulting me isn’t going to help you get what you want.”
“Cameron,” Bethany said out of the corner of her mouth in warning. “Be nice to her. You need her.”
My kneecap jiggled in frustration and nervousness. There was a weird feeling between my shoulder blades, pressing into me and making me squirm. I didn’t appreciate the fact that I was being forced to make all of these sacrifices, ironically piling everything up into my lap. It didn’t seem fair, but I knew that the end game was more important than anything else. I needed to get Hailey and the rest of the soldiers home as soon as possible.
How bad could one drama class be?
“Fine,” I relented, the word coming out in a big exhale. “Fine. I’ll take your… ” I coughed to keep myself from saying something insulting like “stupid” or “unnecessary”. “Class. I’ll take your class. When can the nymphs help me?”
Sasha clapped her hands together like a kid who just got a bike for Christmas.
“Excellent! Just excellent.” Then, the drama teacher held out her hand, curling in a finger towards her. She looked off to the left, indicating to some of the nymphs in the circle. “Pomona and Iynx, come here please.”
Two gorgeous nymphs joined Sasha at her side. One of them had skin painted with moonlight and a round face, still filled with baby fat. Her curves rolled off her like a waterfall and her strawberry blonde hair sat atop her head in a loose bun. The other one was long and lean, with stick-like arms. Her skin was also as pale as a vampire’s but her hair was a shocking blast of blue. Her nose curved downward, almost like a beak. It was from that feature alone that I was able to tell the two apart, identifying the long-nosed one as Iynx and the rounder peach colored one as Pomona.
“May I introduce Pomona and Iynx,” Sasha said with a nod in the general direction of the nymphs. “Pomona is--”
“A wood nymph who watches over fruit trees and was tricked into marrying Vertumnus after he was disguised as an old woman,” I rattled off, the facts popping up in my head automatically. “She’s also the creator of the pruning knife, so thank you for that. And Iynx is the daughter of Pan and Echo. She was turned into a bird by Hera when she made Zeus fall in love with Io. Then her bird form was given to Jason by Aphrodite as a symbol for her passionate love for him. Even though we all know how that turned out.”
There was a familiar stunned silence as I finished. The nymphs stared at me in awe, Pomona with her hand hovering over her mouth. Iynx, on the other hand, crossed her arms over her flat chest and glared
at me. I wasn’t phased by this reaction because her story was much sadder than her nymph sister. I’d clearly angered the bird nymph with a recount of her ancient Greek exploits, but I didn’t care. It was a part of her history, and I didn’t want to waste any more time.
So I sucked on my teeth and said, “I know who they are. And I’m Cameron, son of Hephaestus. Do you know how to wood carve and weave?”
Pomona nodded while Iynx grunted which I took to mean yes.
“Great,” I said as I plastered a smile on my face. “When can we start?”
10
We started the weaving and carving lessons the following week. Admittedly, I welcomed the reprieve from the Elemental Official meetings and accelerated classes. The meetings had been an utter snooze fest. Literally. I almost fell asleep in one, with my head dipping down onto the table, right out of a movie. Jasmine had to kick me constantly under the table to keep me awake.
I didn’t care about battle strategy or how they were going to allocate the budget to replace the grass on the north end of campus. It just seemed like unnecessary information that clogged my brain. Especially when I was still trying to memorize fight sequences and tactical courses added to my schedule.
My friends were true to their words and helped me study as much as they could. Jade was a queen and had my meals already prepared for me so that I didn’t even have to go into the cafeteria to get them if I needed to spend time studying at my house. Or she’d just come and make it right in my fancy kitchen, which I never stepped foot in. Jade could have owned that room in my house for all I cared.
Kari, Daniella, and Bethany took turns with the tutoring and quizzing. It helped that each of them had their own things they were studying too, which made me feel less alone. Daniella was learning how to properly ride a pegasus with her Oura branch. Though, admittedly, she did have some extra practice in that area considering that we “borrowed” two winged horses in our first year for a rescue mission. Jade was even learning how to navigate the Argo, which was a mandatory lesson for all Vreg soldiers. Sometimes, while Daniella was tutoring me, Kari would help Bethany with her Eda branch specific lessons. This was especially lucrative since Kari was a graduated Eda soldier already and Bethany was learning to evolve her powers beyond just being able to create multiples of something, but making them larger and smaller as needed.
