by Simon Archer
I heard Bethany choke on her spit from somewhere behind me. I prayed to the gods that one of them would realize that I was flattering her and inform the others so they didn’t get jealous.
“Cameron, you’re such a tease,” she said with a girlish giggle.
“I mean it,” I said, taking her hand in mine. I kissed the top of it and she turned her head away, averting her eyes. “And I would love to continue exploring your body but I have a better idea.”
“What could possibly be better?” she asked, looking up at me through those long dark lashes.
“You told me in bed that you hated how the world saw you in the myths,” I said, looking her deep in the eye. She flinched at the mention of it but I continued on. “What if we could change that?”
“You can’t,” the goddess said, shaking her head. “It’s written in history and you can’t change history.”
“There is a whole new generation of demigods being trained,” I said as I gestured out towards the ocean. “I can tell them that I’ve met the beautiful goddess Calypso and that she’s changed. She’s different, lovely and kind, and one of the best lovers I’ve ever had.”
“You would do that?” Calypso said, unmistakable hope in her eyes.
“I would,” I said with a hand over my heart. “You said you’ve heard of me and my word. I will gladly help rewrite your story. But I can’t do that if you keep me here.”
“Will you come back and visit me?” Calypso asked, with pursed, pouting lips.
“Of course,” I said as I tucked a finger under her chin. “But I won’t stay with you forever. I can’t do that. That has to be a part of the deal.”
The goddess sighed deeply as she considered my words. Then she nodded her agreement. “Alright, you can go. But I want to see you again very soon. Alone, next time,” she added with a glance over my shoulder at the three women waiting for me.
I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “It’s a date.”
With a final wave, I turned my back on the goddess and stepped beyond her barrier.
The climate shifted instantly, resorting back to the bitter cold that scraped along my intestines. My friends followed behind after having seen my successful attempt. We walked towards the Argo without once looking back at the island.
Bethany stepped up alongside me. “So… ” she said in a teasing tone. “One of the best you’ve ever had, huh?”
“I mean… ” I said, trying to find the right words as I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.
“It’s just interesting,” she said with a light shove. “I would have liked to see it. Or experience it with you.”
“It was definitely a unique experience,” I answered honestly. “But she’s a very possessive person.”
“I can tell,” Bethany said with raised eyebrows. “But when this is all over, we’re going to make sure we remind you who is actually the best of the best.”
She shot me a seductive half smile and bounced her eyebrows up suggestively. Then she pranced ahead and put her arm in Daniella’s.
Gods, as if I needed another reason to end this war sooner.
We boarded the ship, and Jade readied it for departure. Bethany and I gathered flammable items for me to start a fire with. We made a circle around the boat, with enough space so that the ship itself didn’t catch on fire. Once we thought we had enough materials, Bethany got back on the boat and back to safety. We tied a rope around my waist and it was Bethany and Daniella’s job to haul me back up on deck once the fire was lit.
I stood with a pile of flammable items and a seemingly endless wasteland of ice. I had to carve out enough of a path to free the Argo so Jade could lower the boat into the water. I held a stick in one hand and a piece of cloth in the other.
I closed my eyes and gathered as much frustration as I could. I thought about the pressures of having to save the world and the lack of support I had from my father. A sense of despair washed over me and I let it come. I allowed myself to fall into that well of hopelessness only to find a fiery core of anger and determination at the bottom.
Once again, the hairs on my arms rose as the heat buzzed against my palms. Before I knew what was happening, the items I held burst into flames. As planned, I laid them both down. The flame took to the wood, cloth, and paper right away. Like a string of dynamite, the fire raced along the circle of materials, burning ice as it went.
Suddenly, I felt as though I had been hit in the head with a hammer. Exhaustion overwhelmed me and I almost passed out on the ice. The energy it took to create that hot of a fire wiped me out. I noted that I would have to be careful about how much internal fuel I used in the future. This ability wasn’t going to be like my other ones where that were innate and second nature to me. This power required a piece of myself every time I used it.
Luckily, Bethany and Daniella hauled me up as promised and it wasn’t until I had both feet on deck that I let myself collapse into a state of unconsciousness.
29
Hailey
The next several weeks were some of the hardest I ever experienced as a soldier. In the past, I fought monsters of all kinds. Chimera, gorgons, griffins, scylla, and everything in between. However, nothing tested me like the daemon spirit children of the goddess of chaos.
None of it happened immediately either. Each spirit took weeks to fully appear. One would assume that after we managed to put away two of the spirits that they would back off. But it was as though each of them wanted to see if they could succeed where their brothers and sisters had failed. One by one they attacked our comrades mentally.
When we got word of murderous plans from some of the Oura soldiers against the Vreg barracks, we knew it was Phonoi.
The same went for Androctaslae when there was talk of brutal violence amongst the soldiers.
The hardest two were Ponos and Limos who struck together. The Spirits of hardship and starvation made our lives a living hell for two weeks as they ridded us of our appetites and made every task all that more difficult. Even Kari and I struggled with the effects of their powers. We struggled to eat even though there was food right in front of us. Getting out of bed took the effort of moving a stubborn elephant.
It didn’t help that Ponos and Limos were stationed just above the base, rather than stalking among us like their siblings did. It took some time but Kari and I were able to trap their asses right out of the sky with a little help from our Oura friends.
Each time we defeated a daemon spirit, I had to tap into my supernova powers. It was a scary proposition but I managed to calm myself down every single time. It was the kind of practice I wish I had before so I could learn the full effects of this ability.
I rarely kept track of the days because they were filled with strategy meetings and training sessions so that we could be as ready as possible for these new threats. However, the end of the semester came quicker than I anticipated.
I still hadn’t heard word from Cameron. While the weather had warmed enough to send regular mail back and forth, he didn’t return a single one of my letters. Neither did any of my other girlfriends when I finally gave in and wrote to them.
As a last resort, I decided to send a letter to both Ann and Arges, hoping that one of them would be able to tell me if Cameron was okay. I knew that the Academy was up and running because other soldiers were getting letters from students, siblings, and lovers alike.
I did my best to not let his silence bother me, but I would have been lying if I said it didn’t. I trusted Cameron with my life more than once and would do it over and over again. But didn’t he miss me as much as I missed him? I wanted to know how it was going, if he managed to make the tools or not.
The one hope I did have about not hearing from him was that he had found out where his father was and got permission to go find him. If that were the case, then I knew he was close to ending this war for good and we would have all the time in the world to be together.
However, that moment happened sooner than I thought it would.
I woke up one spring morning, too late to get breakfast. It was unusual for me to sleep that late so I dashed out of the barracks in the hope of snagging something quick to eat. For that reason, it also didn’t surprise me that none of my fellow soldiers were in the barracks when I woke up.
What did surprise me was the fact that most of them were gone. The base was almost deserted with only a few remaining soldiers packing up the tents. Two were even lowering the flag from the new flagpole. They had to resurrect a new one after I exploded the first one.
As I watched the multicolored symbol descend down the pole, I realized the removal of the flag could only mean one thing.
We were leaving.
I forgot all about trying to get some food and jogged over to the commanding officer’s tent, one of the few things still standing on base. I knocked on one of the wood stands, holding up the tent.
“Come in,” Officer Quinn permitted.
I entered the tent and saw that it, too, was mostly empty. The only thing left was a personal pack that no doubt belonged to the officer and two square crates.
“Good morning, Hailey,” Officer Quinn greeted me as she slung the pack on her back. “It’s good to see you’re alive. You missed the announcement at breakfast this morning.”
“This base’s been disbanded?” I asked, my voice coming out harsher than I wanted, due to the fact that I hadn’t yet used it this morning.
“Indeed,” Officer Quinn confirmed. She straightened her back and adjusted the straps on her pack. “There is no more magical activity in the area and so we are all being re-stationed. The first group of soldiers left just before sunrise and everyone else is set to leave in the next hour. That includes you, soldier.”
I froze at the officer’s words as they took longer than normal to compute in my head. “There isn’t any more magical activity in the area? You’re sure, ma’am?”
“Absolutely sure,” the officer said with a definitive nod. “Your work with the spirits cleared the area and made way for us to help out in other areas of the war.” She reached out and put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a pat. “Good work, soldier.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” I said, taking a step back out of Quinn’s reach. “There’s still five more spirits. They all travel together and it wouldn’t make sense for us to leave without defeating them all.”
“We still might be able to defeat them, but it just won’t be here,” Officer Quinn said. She walked past me and out of the tent. I knew that in order to finish the conversation, I would have to follow her, so I did. I kept pace with her as she walked away from the deconstruction of the base and down the hill to the pegasus.
“But ma’am,” I protested. “Kari and I have spent months now studying their patterns. The daemon spirits stick together.”
“Maybe this time they split up,” Quinn said with a shrug. “The Military and I greatly appreciate all that you’ve done, Hailey, truly. However, there’s just nothing left for us to do here. We can’t wait around for something to happen when there are other battles to be fought.”
“Ma’am, I understand that but--” I started but the officer didn’t let me finish. She spun on her heel and looked me dead in the eye.
“This is an order, soldier,” Officer Quinn said, pulling rank on me for the first time since I’d arrived at this base. “We are to evacuate this base and move on to other assignments. Now I suggest you go and get your stuff and find a pegasus before you find yourself having to share with another soldier.”
Without another word, Officer Quinn dismissed me by turning her back on me and walking down the hill.
As much as I wanted to argue with the officer, she was my superior. Maybe I had gotten used to all of the power and freedom Kari and I had experienced over the last several weeks, but I knew that I was still supposed to do as I was told. It was the job of a soldier not to argue, not to ask questions.
Still, as I walked back to the barracks, something about the situation didn’t sit right with me. It anchored in my stomach like an acidic meal. I tried to clear my throat and ignore it, but the feeling nagged at my core.
I stuffed my bag with my clothing and assorted weapons, which I noted needed a shine and a sharpening. My mind was so focused on ignoring my gut feeling that something was off that I also ignored the person who walked into the barracks.
“Earth to Hailey,” Kari said as she suddenly waved a hand in my face.
Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed her wrist, spinning it so that the force would push her wrist back and break it if she moved.
“Whoa, hey, what the hell?” Kari cried. She stomped on my foot and got herself out of the hold. “What has gotten into you?” she barked when she took a step back and rubbed her wrist.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I was distracted, and you surprised me.”
“I should say so, holy Hermes,” she muttered to herself. “What was distracting you?”
“This whole relocating thing,” I said as I gestured around the barracks. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Kari said as she pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket. She slapped it a couple of times against her palm. “But there’s nothing that we can do. We have to go where they send us. We were just lucky enough to help while we were here.”
“I know,” I said with a sigh. “Do you know where we’re going?”
“I heard it was somewhere north, like the Maine area or something like that,” Kari said as she scratched the back of her neck, not quite sure. “But you know how this works. They never tell us the exact location, but the pegasus know.”
“Right, right,” I said under my breath.
Kari must have caught on to my dismay because she took a step forward and said, “Look, I know you probably wanted to go back to the Academy and Maine is so not where the Academy is--”
“No kidding,” I said sarcastically.
“But hopefully this will cheer you up,” she said as she held out the piece of paper. “A letter came for you. I don’t think it’s from Cameron, but maybe Ann can tell you where he’s off to.”
I dropped my pack and snatched the letter from Kari so quickly that she chuckled at my enthusiasm. I tore open the envelope and my eyes scanned over the words.
It didn’t take very long because it was short and to the point. But as soon as I deciphered Ann’s scrawl, I felt the blood drain out of my face.
“What is it?” Kari asked immediately, seeing my demeanor change.
“Something isn’t right,” I said, my thoughts coming too fast for me to voice them. “Ann said that Cameron is off finding Hephaestus.
“Well, that’s good?” Kari said, her voice turning the statement into a question.
“That’s not the weird part,” I said quickly. “She mentions that things are weird on campus and that the new branch leaders are changing a bunch of things, which makes her uncomfortable.”
Kari’s head jerked back in surprise. “New branch leaders? You mean those four creepy soldiers that took over when you all left?”
“Wait, you met them?” I balked. I held out the letter to her so she could read it. “The Stratego told me that all of the soldiers would be stationed. That they couldn’t spare anyone to be branch leaders on campus right now.”
Kari didn’t finish reading the letter. She let her arms drop to her sides as she stared at my worried face, her features moving to match my own.
“Something isn’t right,” she repeated, using the same ominous tone that I used only seconds ago.
“Kari…” I said as a new thought formed in my head, one that I didn’t even want to consider. “What did you mean when you said they were creepy?”
“I don’t know,” Kari considered for a moment. “I just didn’t like the way they made me feel. It reminded me of…”
When she didn’t speak right away, I moved my hands in a circular motion and prompted her. “Reminded you of what?”
“How I felt in the Un
derworld,” Kari finished, her eyes flitting up to meet mine.
“No,” I said slowly. “It can’t be.”
“If it is, we need to get the Academy right away,” Kari finished for me.
“We’re going to have to steal the pegasus,” I concluded. “It’s the only way to get there as fast as possible.”
“Or we just tell Officer Quinn that we think the other four daemons spirits are at the Academy,” Kari concluded.
I pointed a finger at her. “That sounds like a way better plan. Then I need to find Irema.”
Kari cocked an eyebrow at me. “Irema? Why?”
“Because I need to tell Cameron,” I said, my voice cracking at the sound of his name. I hadn’t spoken it in so long and the thought bothered. I had to push back the wave of hurt and aching that welled up. I had a mission to complete, feelings be damned.
“And Irema can help you with that, how?” Kari wondered.
“I…” I stalled not knowing if I should say anything to Kari in order to keep my promise to the other soldier.
“You know what, whatever, we don’t have time,” Kari said as she waved her hands in the air. “We have to get to Officer Quinn.”
I could have kissed her right then for not putting me in an awkward position, but I opted for running out of the barracks. “Also if the officer doesn’t believe us, then we can steal the pegasus and get to campus ourselves to warn them.”
“I’m right behind you,” Kari said as the two of us took off out of the barrack tent and down the hill.
We had to deliver some new orders to the commanding officer. Either way, we were going to the Academy, either with an army of soldiers or as two traitors to the Military.
30
My dream transported me to the top of some snowy mountain. I didn’t feel the cold, but there was a flurry of snow falling from a gray sky. Around me, I could see the remnants of some sort of village or camp that used to be here. There were holes in the ground where posts would have gone, along with some left over items like abandoned clothes and a couple of pots and pans. Whoever had been here looked like they had to get out in a hurry.
