Demigod Tales

Chapter One

I'm walking behind Pantelis, not paying much attention to the surrounding. I could walk through this place with my eyes closed. But my eyes aren't close now; I'm studying every detail of Pantelis, and that, I've never done before. He's walking in small steps, putting nearly half of his weight on the cane supporting him. He's getting slow. He's getting old. Older, I mean. But I just walk silently, not wanting to make conversation: I know that when the time is right, he will tell me everything. It takes us a couple of minutes to get to the two tall pillars that delimit the start of Section 4. The pillars are huge, sculpted in white marble, and on top of each is a statue of a flying eagle. I have no idea how people managed to build these up, since we're pretty much against all men-built machines. We walk through these without stopping for a minute. People are waving to Pantelis, and he's nodding back; demigods are looking at me and I'm doing my "I have no idea" face. They're all my friends, and that's why they give the questioning looks. Other people wouldn't care who passed by or how, as long as they didn't want something to do with them. We've been walking for around fifteen minutes when I find myself standing in front of a huge white sculpted rock. It seems like a block of ice, having a weird glow and transparency when it is made of stone, and I admit I've never been this far before to question the existence of such a thing. Pantelis gestures for me, telling me to stand aside. His long, white cloak is flying with the wind. He inclines his head and rests it on his cane. I realise now that the bottom extremity of the cane is sculpted in three clawed fingers that go vertically, following the form of the cane; I'd never noticed that before. And now they're sinking into the ground. The old figure of a man is now trembling in place. The earth is shaking. He is shaking; muttering something in ancient latin so fast that I can't even catch a word. Then suddenly, he stops.
Nothing happens. Pantelis lifts his cane up, holds it horizontally, and then it seems like he's attacking the white marble in front of him. He knocks on it 3 times, the claws leaving marks and making an unbearable scratching sound against the rock. A few minutes after nothing has happened, a lock appears from thin air, out of nothing, followed by two others, disposed in a triangle form. I'm not surprised. Pantelis was an oracle once, he would receive all kinds of messages from gods, leaving to him bits of every god in him. He's a born leader, a fierce warrior, a wise advisor. And he has a passion for tasting wines. He lifts his cane again, and inserts the clawed fingers in the holes. They fit in, like the final pieces of an unfinished puzzle. The front of the rock trembles a bit. Maybe more than just a bit, and then it starts to sink into the ground. I'm watching it as it totally disappears. And when it's fully gone, it reappears in place, like nothing ever happened. Now I'm surprised. What was all of this for?
Then Pantelis looks at me. He must understand my expression, because he stands aside and gestures for me to walk in front of him. A thousand questions are spinning in my head, like, has he gone blind? Or worse, has he gone crazy? But I know better than that. I should trust this man. So I do, I walk towards the stone. I keep walking. It is so close to my face now, but I keep walking. And when there should have been a cold breaking contact between my body and the rock, all I feel is a rushing stream of cold water which disappeared in a few seconds after I ended up on the other side. Pantelis follows me. He's walking behind.
I'm astonished; I hold out my hand through the stone-barrier. The same ice cold feeling washes through me, while I don't even see my hand, then I let it fall back and take a deep breath. I look around. Candles, a lot of candles illuminate the place. Tall, half melted, all aspects of candles take half the place. To the back of the square room is an antique desk, with a chair behind it and two in front of it. The chairs have the same clawed feet as Pantelis' cane.
-"Please, sit." I do. He sits in the chair next to mine.
-"I know you must be overwhelmed. I know many questions must be swirling in your mind. But you have to listen.
You have no idea what mission your brother left to go on, do you?"
I shake my head. He left without even saying goodbye. But nothing he does might ever make me think lower of him.
-"I was the one who sent him. The mission is mine. And I was the reason why he didn't even tell you he was going. I'm sorry you had to learn he left the way you did; but it is a dangerous mission, and he might never come back."
-"So that's what you did. You stole our last moments together. You stole my brother from me for a mission you had imposed-"
My tone was getting higher when he cut me right in. He's still so calm. It drives me crazy.
-"I imposed nothing on no one. I stated the mission. Alec volunteered, along with two sons of Ares. And he left you a note in a place he said only you would find in case he doesn't come back." An image instantly forms in my head. But I dissolve it immediately. If I will have to go there, this means he's not coming back. Pantelis is talking with such coldness in his voice. Of course he will. How is that affecting him anyway?
-"Oh, but it is affecting me. I understand your questions, and I'm sorry for you. Your mind is open for anyone who has the power to go through it. You need to work on that."
-"Sir, Alec is supposed to come back tonight. I need to know, what kind of a mission was he on?"
-"Our stocks of ambrosia are almost empty." He opens the drawer and lifts a broken, empty metal box and poses it on the table. "A cursed wind broke the safe open and blew away what was left of phoenix ashes. I'm dying, Priam. And someone has to retrieve these, because, on my honor as your leader, nothing will ever be the same for you people anymore."
-"So that's it. You sent my brother and his friends to an almost certain death so you would not die."
-"You have no idea what would happen next. They chose to be the defenders of men. And should they succeed, they will be known as heroes. The threat opposing us would have vanished."
-"You want me to understand. But you keep talking about a threat that I know nothing of. What is this all about?"
-"I will tell you. I will tell all of you tonight, whether Alec comes back or he doesn't. Tonight, you will know the truth."
I stand up so quickly the chair almost falls behind me. I'm not sure what to believe. What if Pantelis is just a selfish person looking to live longer?
I walk towards the portal rock without looking back.
-"Priam."
I don't answer. I keep walking.
-"Priam. Don't presume. Wait for tonight."
I walk through the rock. And now I'm on the other side. I let myself fall, and to my surprise, the portal I just walked through is now as solid as... Rock.