Athena's descendants and the Jewel of Barthimia (Greek mythology)

Chapter 12 - The Panotii.

 Chapter 12 - The Panotii.

Hollie led them around a corner and towards the foot of the tower. They walked under some trees and then arrived. The tower wasn’t that big really, you’d expect it to be so high that you can’t see the top except you could. So it wasn’t as impressive as Jay was expecting.

“Ok, let’s have a look around. Talk about demi-gods and Greek monsters, then if someone looks at you quickly, and they look quite old and wise, then tell everyone who he is and we will try and talk to him. And if you find him, don’t talk to him by yourselves, we don’t know what type of guy he is. Ok let’s split up.” Hollie, Jordan and Claire went around the left-hand side, and Broudie and Jay went along the right.

“Oh, Jay, let’s talk about de-mi-gods, and chi-me-ras,” Broudie spoke quite loudly as they both wondered around the legs of the tower.

“Look over there, he might be him.” Jay pointed to a tramp sat on the floor, with an upside down hat. The man was sat cross-legged and was staring at the floor.

“Walk past and say his name, if he looks up, just walk back to me.”

“Okay.” Jay walked slowly towards the man sat on the floor in a very suspicious way. He was about to pass him when he whispered,

“Fred-er-ick, demi-god.”

The man kept his head down and didn’t move at all, so Jay wondered if he might have been asleep or deaf. Or even if he had heard and was Frederick, would he even look up in any case, for he is supposed to hide and not reveal himself. So how was Jay supposed to know?

“Jay, come here,” Broudie shouted from behind him.

Jay turned and walked back past the old man, who remained still once again. He was about to pass him when he decided to ask the man himself.

“Excuse me.” Jay bent down beside the crippled man. “Is your name Frederick?”

“F-Frederick, people ask moi, moi no knows,” The old man blurted out quickly in a French accent, swaying forward and back.

“More people have asked you?”

“People…things with, ah.” He stopped swaying and then slowly raised his head, it was covered in dirt and was scrunched up. His hair was shaggy and long.

“Frederick is in danger. moi no knows Frederick, Frederick in danger.” The old man looked tired and drained, no wonder with all the monsters that he must have seen here, trying to find Frederick.

“Merci,” Jay recalled the word for thank you in his lessons at school.

The old man grabbed Jay’s hand and shook it urgently,

“Au revoir monsieur.” The man let go of his hand and Jay jumped up and ran over to Broudie, who was stood with his mouth wide open.