Chapter 16
Freya
Wow.
"This is amazing!" I shouted awestruck by the library. Each wall climbed at least two hundred feet into the air with an endless amount of levels. There was a hanging solar system that dwarfed the imagination. Each planet seemed to glow with a golden hue. The room was tiled with a chessboard floor, and about fifty shelves fanning out from a central reception area with six or seven people sitting at tables, working.
"Calm down, nerd. This is the most unappealing room in the whole house," Anson said completely unimpressed. As we walked, I ran my fingers over the spines of the books. The bookcase was ornate, as if carved by a person with a profound love of literature. The engravings were of leaves, autumn berries and birds in flight.
"As an artist, you should be able to appreciate other people's art forms," I said as we circled around the room.
"Too bad the only one I care about is mine," he said.
"Selfish."
"I like to think of it as having a healthy dose of confidence," he said.
"Sure, it is," Anson showed me everything in the house: a gym, suite bedrooms, a grand staircase, four hundred and sixty-five feet of beachfront, an IMAX home theater, a Go-Kart track, an ice-skating rink, three swimming pools, a private hiking trail, a ballroom with a coat check closet, and an indoor basketball court equipped with locker rooms and scoreboards, chromotherapy spa, arcade, an English-style pub, garden room, steam room, even an underground nightclub. But by far the library with the coolest thing I had seen, other than the on-call Butler's that were constantly bringing me food. As we made our way back into the hallway I had to ask, "If you can live here, why do you choose to live in your apartment?"
"Not impressed by my bachelor pad?" Anson said.
"Believe me, after my shitty apartment, your apartment might as well be a castle." Even though it wasn't anything much, I kind of missed having it.
"Privacy. I've never been a fan of commune living. We all have to move out of the dorms eventually."
"Gotcha, the girl in your apartment. Even rock stars have to settle down eventually," I said remembering her.
"Maybe, but Evelyn doesn't dictate what I do."
"I'm sure that's the only dick-taking she does." He ignored my comment as we headed back outside. "Where is everyone?"
"Training before we head to Haven." I saw a group of men running in formation towards us, "Ask and you shall receive. Would you like to meet some of our elite members?"
"No, but I would like to talk to your leaders."
"Why?"
"I've talked to The Elders." Hell, I had tea on a daily basis with Elder Favian, "And they've told me their ideology. Why can't your people do the same?"
"Because I'm sure they met you before your God-Killer days," he said.
Mockingly I said, "What happened to embracing being me?"
"We do. And..."
"And? Let me meet your priests," I insisted.
"The Ministry. And I will give them the option to meet with you," he said, a little apprehensive.
"When?"
"I don't know. But as soon as I have a date and a time, you will be the first to know...and would you look at the time, you have to go," Anson said waving his hands over me teleporting me back to my room at Haven.
Moments later a black box fell on my head "Aaa son of a bitch!"
As the box tumbled off my head and fell to the floor. I bent down to open it up. A tank top? With an ouroboros dragon on the left chest. I got swag for going to visit The Order. It's like visiting colleges all over again.
I stuffed the tank top into my dresser drawer and teleported to the training field. It was nothing special just a lowcut grass field.
A man with no shirt was working out alone. "Hey!" I shouted walking towards him yelling, "This is a closed session." I teleported in front of him, "Daniel? What are you doing here?"
Winded and confused he stood up from his push-up position, "I could say the same thing about you. Everyone said you were dying."
He pushed his black hair back and it glistened in the sun, "Apparently, I'm pretty hard to kill."
He chuckled, "You wouldn't be much of a God-Killer if you went down easy."
"Yup. Do you have a second?"
"For?" He said crossing his arms.
"The end of the world?" I said closing the distant between us.
"The Brotherhood is taking care of that," he said walking away. Rude.
I teleported in front of him making him stop, "I've saved your life twice, the least you can do is listen to me." Or I'll make you listen.
"I have class."
"For what? You joined the Brotherhood, isn't school over for you?" I asked.
"Not when you're behind in every way imaginable."
"The world is ending, and you can play a part in helping me save it. Just listen," I quickly launched into my story about Gaia, the vision and the other members, Nyx and Erebus. "We found you for a reason...." He started to walk away again.
I called up my earth element to seal him in a box. "Okay, okay!"
"I don't think you're taking me seriously," I said digging two fingers into the slabs of rock melting away a small opening so we could finally talk.
"Listen, Freya don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for what you and the others did, but you only saved the few of us that were there. There are still hundreds of other men held captive by The Order, and The Brotherhood has done nothing to help."
"You're trying to lead a revolution, when for all we know, the Earth is days from ending?"
"If it is to end, I would rather die a free man then in chains." I can't fault him for wanting to do some good. I was pissed when I found out The Brotherhood would do nothing to help.
"How about this; if I can convince The Order to release its prisoners, would you help me? Come to The Underworld with me and fight like hell to save Earth?" I said.
"And how are you going to do that?" He said intrigued.
"However I can," I promised. I knew he was searching for any reason to say no, trying to see if I would go back on my word, scanning me to see if he could trust my word.
I saw his body relax as he said, "Okay. Only if you can get them released."
"You sure it's the group you want released, or just one person in particular?" I asked. "Look, I understand, I've been held captive, tortured, beaten, broken, and taken more abuse than I ever thought I could, so, I get revenge. But you're not going after a certain guard you're trying to lead a little revolution?" He said nothing. "What's his name? I may not be able to get everyone out at once, but if I had to get one person out, who would it be?" Come on. Please, let this be a lover's divided thing.
"Philip McAvoy. Find him, I'll go," he said.
"You have my word. I'll find him." I let Daniel go.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome." I wanted to ask how they met? How long have they been separated? Did he know if he was even still alive? I didn't want to take the relief I just gave him away. Even if I have to bring home a body, he'll have answers and closure.
"I do really have to get going..."
"Yeah, go. Wait! Do you have a phone number? I can never find you on campus!" I shouted as he ran away.
"I'm here every morning!" He said shouting back and disappearing from view.
What have I done? What the fuck do I know about negotiating for prisoners' release?
Overwhelmed by the task I chose to undertake, I looked up to the sky. I wonder if anyone noticed how pretty the sky was today? How the blue was bright and soft all at once? If they saw the serenity of the clouds that sailed by, gently passing on toward anyplace the wind wishes them to reach?
"That was very heroic," I jumped at the sound of Gareth's voice behind me. I guess all he wears is suits, he had on a black suit but this time he had a silver cane with a shield embedded into the top. "Many people have tried to broker deals between The Order and The Brotherhood. All have failed of course, except Zeus with this newfound promise of Elysium."
"Which if we're being honest, it's pretty fucked up? I don't want a better death; I want a better life. He could give out mansions, worldly experiences- I don't know a car? A fucking Toblerone?"
Gareth laughed, and it was rich like rolling thunder, "You should run a marketing campaign. Truly, you know the hearts of men."
"Oh yeah, I'm beating them off with a stick," I said rolling my eyes and walking closer to him.
"You doubt your beauty?" He asked confused.
"No, I just know my worth isn't just in my looks. A pretty face can only get you so far. I didn't struggle my way through college for nothing," I said. Why was I being this honest with him?
"So, you resent it?"
"No, I just know there's always going to be someone younger or prettier. I have more value than just my face. Does that answer your question?"
"Interesting. How do you feel?"
"Like I'm starving all the time," I said.
"It will pass, one of the side effects of healing," he reassured me.
"Please tell me blistering anger is also a side effect?"
"No, your emotions are your own. Why?" He asked. I told him about this morning and how I broke down Alaric's door, "Bonded couples can't cheat on one another."
"It's not like we're a couple anyway." We're just two people in a situation. "Not that you care." Shut up, Freya.
"You don't know much about Bonding. Have you never felt the urge to ask your text?"
"I know what a soulmate is. It's just happens mine may prefer Cecilia," I mumbled under my breath, "Like everyone else does."
He nodded as if he understood me. He said, "It's a nice day. Let's take a walk." He started walking towards the main part of campus.
"What about training?" I jogged to catch up with him
"Come the end of summer, I know you will be a God-Killer. One day will not make much of a difference," he said. A shiver ran through my body. I didn't like the sound of that. "There's no need to worry, I don't plan on beating you into a God-Killer. That only makes you wild and unpredictable. We will do things the long way, the right way. We don't need uncontrollable, unchecked powers being unleashed into an unknowing world." We walked until we hit the football field. We stood under some thick old oak trees watching The Order and The Brotherhood both training with Hercules. He lit a cigarette and asked, "What do you see?"
I looked over to him with furrowed brows, "Training?"
"Try again," he said blowing out a puff of black smoke.
I turned my attention back to the training field letting my eyes find Hercules, Damon, Leo, Milo and Anson, "The first and last line of defense. Soldiers."
"Each man is a balancing act. Flawed and imperfect, embedded with an ideology that has been taught since infancy. Which makes them the perfect soldiers."
"Is this where you tell me to be more like them?"
"No, we will not win this war with just soldiers. We need warriors, people that will put the greater good of Earth's survival first. I'm not just training you to be a fighter or to get your revenge, I want you to be more than what they are, so that you can be the example they aspire to be. Perseus, Achilles, Jason, Meleager, Theseus, and Bellerophon all found themselves in Elysium, but none of them got there with the promise of it," he said.
"You think what they're doing is wrong? Maybe I'm a sore loser, but anything Zeus offers has a double edge to it."
"Smart girl," he said as a gentle breeze swayed over us. "The Gods no longer care for Earth and they would take your best for their war. Your real test will not be any riddle or to find any coin, it will be in the loyalty you can inspire from others." He was getting deeper than I expected. But I wanted to listen to him. Gareth was the first person I've met that called the Gods out on their bullshit. I looked back out to the field and stared at Damon. Gareth continue to speak, "You already have the makings of a warrior, but by the end of all of this you will be a hero." I laughed. "You laugh but it is true. A hero isn't about being the bravest or strongest, it's about being steadfast in the face of injustice," he puffed on his cigarette again. I've never seen black smoke before from a cigarette.
"Because revenge is so gallant," I said.
"If done for the right reasons, some could argue yes. You're holding people who think they are above the common decency to a standard of morals. I would say that is heroic."
Holding the Gods accountable. I may have to keep that.
"You chose death before you would let Zeus treat you like a dog. There was a gymnasium full of people and only one came to your aid. One person who was inspired by you to take action. Someone who made a choice, not because it was easy, but because it was the right thing to do. And for that fleeting moment you turned a soldier into a warrior."
I turned to face him confused, "Who?" I know I blacked out but who help me?
"I think you already know," he said turning and walking away.
"Hey! If you're giving out sage advice, tell me the simple way to save the world!"
"You save the world; one life, one act, one kindness at a time."
I rolled my eyes. And we're back to the fucking riddles again.