They strolled down the path for a minute or so, until they reached the entrance. Where they had started their quest.
Jay smiled to himself as he thought in his mind: ‘Home sweet home’. Being in a foster home you never feel a part of anything, even if they try to make it homely, things are constantly changing. There’s always a new child, or one leaving that you’ve just started calling your closest friend. It’s not a nice feeling, its better than nothing Jay used to think. Until now.
Now he had a home he wanted to call home. A place where he felt he could fit in. That was about the nicest part of this all, he had a place. That empty pocket within him that had always lingered in the back of his mind. That darkness. It was gone now. It was fulfilled and bright as morning sky. His dreams had come true and, even though it sounds a bit pathetic, it was sort of like a fairytale.
“Here we are,” Hollie announced, braking off Jay’s daze.
“Hm, good hiding place,” Hecate said.
“Anyone for the honours?” Hollie asked.
“I will,” Broudie called.
He stepped up to the stream that trickled between the path and the stalactite covered cave. He hopped onto the stone, steadied himself, and then said the magic word (literally the magic word),
“Misgardio.”
The stalactites retreated and the sound of crumbling rock engulfed the midday tweets of the birds around them. Then the stream rose, creating a circle of water over the cave mouth.
“This is it.” Broudie smiled at the goddess, with her dragon on her shoulder and her friend/companion Mormo beside her, making her look like one of those really bad parrot training acts you have on holiday.
“Go on then Broudie,” Hollie signaled.
“Okay.” Broudie turned to face the water and leapt through it.
“Hecate, would you like to go next?” Hollie asked.
“No, I’ll go last,” Hecate replied.
“Sure?” Hollie jumped through the water wall.
“Go on Jay,” Jordan said.
“Okay.” He leapt to the rock and then stepped into the water. He was engulfed by it, blue and white swirling round him. Even now in this extremely weird transportation portal, he felt safe and at home.
Then he emerged from the water. He was thrown into the air, but he was ready for it this time. He bent his knees as he reached the ground and he didn’t even stumble.
“I can’t believe you’ve done it,” Liam squealed.
“Hi Liam,” Jay said.
“How was it? We got your bubble, who in the name of Zeus did you encounter?” Liam asked hurryingly.
“It was good. And to be honest I didn‘t know what half of them were anyway,” Jay replied, a wide smile stretched across his face.
“I gotta go, we had an agreement that someone had to stay here and then to gather everyone up first. I’ll meet you at the temple.” Liam jumped up and down and then sprinted under the banner towards mount Mouvast. There was the sound of splashing water, and Jordan erupted onto the scene.
“You know I’d love it if you actually fell one time,” Hollie said, staring at Jordan, who had landed in a perfect fighting position, just like he had done when Jay arrived.
“I wouldn’t,” Jordan laughed.
“Well Liam seemed excited,” Broudie said.
“You’ve spoke to Liam already?” Jordan questioned.
“They’ve had a rotor, so as there’s always someone by the entrance. And they had a deal so the person who met us first, couldn’t talk before gathering up everyone else,” Hollie said.
“Nice,” Jordan told, “I feel like a celebrity.”
With another splash of water Claire burst out of the miniature pool.
“Just waiting for Hecate then,” Jay thought.
“Did you tell Liam?” Jordan asked.
“No, I think we’ll leave that for when they’re all together,” Hollie replied.
“It feels so good to be home,” Claire smiled.
“Yeah,” Broudie agreed.
Then the pool let out Hecate. She leaped into the air and landed elegantly on the ground beside Jay. She still had her messenger pet on her shoulder as well.
“Well I like the teleportation device,” Hecate approved.
“Is that what it is?” Jordan pondered.
“You did not know?” Hecate asked.
“Athena did not tell us where the camp was, she just said the entrance was out of London,” Hollie replied.
“Where is our exact location? Are we even in London?” Jordan questioned.
“You are on an island, an island that was once owned by someone,” Hecate revealed.
“Who?” Broudie shouted.
“Can’t tell you that can I? Too easy,” Hecate answered.
“Well what island is it?” Hollie asked.
“Can’t tell you that either. But what I can say is that Athena used the island as a camp for you, she said it was ideal. It was completely mythological, so no mortal would ever find it,” Hecate said.
“Wait so where are we?” Jordan asked.
“You are in the Mediterranean,” Hecate answered.
“Where’s the Mediterranean?” Jay questioned.
“North Africa coast and southern Europe coast,” Claire replied.
“Wait, if we’re on an island, then there must be a beach?” Broudie pondered.
“Yes,” Hecate agreed.
“Well where is it then?” Jay asked.
“It’s the other side of the trees, mind you I wouldn’t want to go walking through those. I’d make a wide path if I was you,” Hecate suggested.
“Wow, how much land have we got then here?” Hollie said eagerly.
“Well you’ve probably got another four times what you’ve got now,” Hecate answered.
“Gods, we’ve got a beach,” Claire squealed.
“Mormo thinks your friends have found each other and are on their way,” Mormo told them.
“We best get going then.” Hecate walked under the camp banner. They all followed behind her.
“How d’you know the way to the temple?” Hollie questioned.
“Oh well I helped Athena with the transformation of this place. We decided that it was best to just stick with a small area away from the sea. So, Athena grew some trees round here, told Amy, it is Amy isn’t it, that they should not go near the woods. And you lot haven’t,” Hecate said.
“You helped Athena make this place?” Jordan asked.
“Why yes, it was a big job, what with all the secret doorways and stuff,” Hecate replied as they veered closer to the temple. The sight of it warmed to Jay, he felt so safe, and so excited that there was even more of this place that they could explore.
“That’s what you meant when you said the finished project,” Jay said.
“Oh yes, I didn’t do everything but I helped with most of it.”
They reached the temple, swept between the pillars and entered the hallway. The columns at the front scared Jay a bit, he thought a load of Cyclopes would climb from underneath them if he got too close, and then he laughed at his own stupidity.
“So I’ll be sleeping in this room then?” Hecate asked, strolling past a picture of a large boat on the seas.
“Yeah. It might not be great.” Hollie bit her lip.
“Oh don’t worry, I’ll spruce it up.” Hecate smiled, now moving into the main hall, with the two lots of seats either side.
Hecate picked the tiny dragon off her shoulder and placed it on the one table then sat on the sofa. Mormo glided over to her side.
“Chairs?” Hecate pondered, raising her hand and making her sofa split into six, so there were now six chairs and a sofa opposite.
“Take a seat,” Hecate laughed.
Jay sat next to Jordan who was sat next to the goddess herself. The other side of Hecate was Mormo, Hollie, Claire, and Broudie.
The problem with sitting so close to Hecate was that it was hard not to fall on the floor and start begging a
t her feet, as that’s what the aura made you think, it was so powerful.
Hecate leant forward on her chair and put her fist on the table. As she pulled it away, a small red ball took its place. The dragon stared at the ball and sat down on its hind legs.
“May he play?” Hecate asked.
“Yeah, sure,” Hollie answered.
The dragon turned its head to face Hecate, who nodded.
With that he ran at the ball and jumped on it. The ball rolled under its belly and flipped up into the air. When it fell, the dragon wagged its tail and leapt into the air. He caught the ball and then dropped it on the table.
The cute, little dragon played with his tiny red ball, chasing it round the table, making everyone laugh.
They sat by themselves for a minute or so, when they heard the rustling of feet and chattering. Hecate immediately stood up and the dragon curled up in a ball around its toy.
“Hi guy-” Philippa called, racing round the corner and stopping in her tracks immediately at the sight of the extraordinarily tall goddess, Hecate.
Everyone else piled into the room, all shutting up when they saw Hecate, oblivious to who she was.
“Good Morning,” Hecate greeted.
“Hi,” Bobby said confusedly.
“And you are?” Cameron questioned.
“I am-” Hecate was interrupted by Amy who had just entered the room and got down on her knees immediately,
“Hecate, goddess of magic.”
“Wha-” Liam was nudged by Alice, who pulled him to his knees as well.
“Do take a seat,” Hecate declared.
“That is so unfair, how did Amy recognise you so easily?” Claire mumbled to herself.
They all rose to their feet, most of them wearing utterly confused looks. Amy took the seat opposite Hecate and they both sat at the same time as if they were old enemies.
“So Hollie would you like to explain?” Hecate asked, once all the seats were occupied.
“Thank you Hecate,” Hollie replied. The dragon jumped into the air at this point, shocking everyone who had just entered the room.
“Well I’ll start off with the journey there…” Hollie recalled the whole quest from the start where Jay was dipped in the sea, to when they tumbled to their death at the entrance to the temple. Most of them laughed at the bit where Broudie was hit by an ear and most of them had their mouths wide open when she told them about when Jay incinerated a dracaenae and when Claire sliced the amphisbaena in half.
She pulled out the ball from her pocket and showed it when she told them how Broudie had been knocked out and how Claire had made a conscious potion to help.
When she got to the bit where they entered the temple she paused for a breath.
“Gods what was it like in the temple?” Amy questioned.
“Eh, does anybody else want to do this bit?” Hollie looked around, “Talking is quite tiring.”
“I’ll do it,” Jay volunteered.
“Go on then.”
Then Jay told them about the temple. The strange flower, the sirens and the riddle, the Cyclops, the moving doors, the hexagonal chamber, the cloud land, the icy room, the lava pit and then finally the palace and the fountain.
“Yeah and then we ignored Hecate thinking she was going to take us off our track. We didn’t know who she was then though. So we ran along when Mormo took us back to Hecate and she introduced herself. Then we had to work out the last bit,” Jay said.
“Well where’s the jewel?” Bobby questioned.
“Here,” Jordan nodded his head towards Hecate, who was smiling mischievously.
“Here?” Lochlan pondered.
“It all makes sense,” Amy blurted.
“Nothing makes sense,” Cameron debated.
“Hecate’s the jewel of Barthimia,” Amy revealed.
Then Jordan, with the help of Hecate, had to explain why the goddess was there, why she was the jewel, and everything else they’d been told on their journey back home.
“So that’s why the monsters were after you, because they thought you would remove their curse,” Philippa summed up.
“And the gods didn’t trust you much, so when you swore on the river they were really pleased,” Liam finished.
“Yes,” Hecate agreed.
“Wow,” Bobby said as the dragon blew some fire at the red ball, which disintegrated immediately.
“Yeah we used him to get back, then Hecate shrunk him,” Broudie told.
“So I say we should go and contact Olympus, they can congratulate you,” Hecate suggested.
“Let’s go,” Liam said.
“Mount Mouvast, yes?” Hecate questioned.
“Yeah.” Hollie leapt to her feet, closely followed by Hecate.
“How do you know about Mount Mouvast?” Cameron asked.
“I helped Athena create this place,” Hecate replied simply.
“What?” Alice pondered.
They all strolled out of the temple and towards Mount Mouvast, Hollie explaining the whole island thing, which they all got really excited about, thinking about how much they could do now, all the exploring.
“How are we getting up?” Hecate asked.
“We’ve got our own ways,” Amy answered.
“Meet you up the top then, come on Mormo.” Hecate shot like a rocket up the mountain, Mormo and the miniature dragon flying slowly up behind her.
“She’s not like most gods is she?” Bobby said.
“She’s really nice,” Lochlan agreed.
It was strange. Jay’s first impressions of the goddess were quite negative, and he’d suddenly changed to love her like she was some awesomely amazing aunty or something.
“C’mon, don’t want to keep her waiting.” Hollie whispered a spell then shot up the mountain, water gushing from her feet.
“Would you like me to take you up?” Jordan laughed then transformed into his eagle self, “Hokvalmia.”
“No thanks,” Jay replied as Jordan swooped off.
Everyone else was already on their way up: the dog, the deer, the lion, everyone. So Jay got in position and chanted the spell,
“Hokvalmia.”
He erupted into flames and sped up the mountain side. He was drizzled with water now and again from Hollie. Thankfully he didn’t fall like he did whilst crossing the English Channel at the start of their quest, which was a bonus.
He shone orange and yellow as he passed over the top of the mountain. He could see Mormo, Amy, Jordan, Hollie and Hecate already stood on the top.
So, he dived towards them, air rushing past him at supersonic speed.
As he approached the ground, he pulled up and landed perfectly.
Across the forest the same misty murk hung on top of the trees. It must have been blocking all sight of anything beyond - the rest of the island, the beaches!
The fire around him distinguished and he breathed a sigh of relief. It must have been Hecate strengthening his powers again.
“I forgot, we haven’t got the box,” Hollie told.
“Don’t worry, I don’t think we’re going to need it. I think Athena will be able to contact us easily now with you lot showing how good you can be.” Hecate smiled.
“You think?” Hollie questioned.
“Yeah, that wasn’t a small quest at all. I mean not as big as the Golden Fleece quest or anything, but very good. You’ve proved yourself,” Hecate replied.
They waited on the hill as the others galloped up the side. The dog, the lion, the deer, Lochlan on his vines, a fox (which must have been Liam), the dove and the flying shoed Cameron all gathered round, transforming back to their normal selves.
“So do we just wait till she calls?” Jay asked.
“I’ll see where she is.” Hecate closed her eyes and then reopened them. “She’s informing Zeus of your accomplishment.” Then she closed her eyes again. “Wait, she wants us to call her, she’s going to show Zeus.”
“What?” Bobby blurted, unable to contain her surpris
e.
“Zeus himself?” Claire questioned, uneasily.
“Oh he’s all talk, he’s not even that bad. Just a bit unforgiving and a bit annoyed about getting help from anyone else, he’s like that,” Hecate answered.
“So do we?” Hollie asked.
“Yes.” Hecate turned to face the rock where they’d placed the box when they had called Olympus the last time. She opened up her arms and started chanting a few words, then clapped her hands together.
A shot of white light sped out from her hands making a large white circle. She threw her hand at the cloudy circle and whispered,
“Athena.”
The circle of clouds swirled together and then cleared, to show a tall, bearded man sat strongly on his chair, with a woman sat at his feet. The chair was grey and gloomy and seemed to sparkle like thunder now and again.
The old man wore a cream toga with a bright gold, badge type thing on his shoulder. He wore a thistle crown made of gold and green vines. His eyes were terrifying and dominating, electricity shot around his black pupils as he looked down from his mighty thone.
The woman Jay recognised as Athena, the same woman they’d talked to on mount Mouvast the last time, and she was sat beneath. She wore a turquoise tinged sheet and beautiful accessories on her arms. Not the plastic ones, but bronze and silver ones laced around her arms and a gorgeous silver necklace that had a dull gem inside.
Behind them was a crystal white, marble temple. Columns dressed with sculptured of beasts and plants.
The old man narrowed his eyes at the sight of them.
“Hello Lord Zeus of the sky. I have called on behalf of these twelve ring bearers, to inform you of the completion of a quest Athena of wisdom did give to them.” Hecate bent down on one knee, Amy and everyone else followed her lead.
“Rise,” Zeus told in a deep, angry voice.
They did as he said, rising to their feet slowly, as if a giant was pressing a finger down on their backs.
“Lord Zeus, do you know of their quest?” Hecate asked.
“I do,” Zeus replied.
“Then you know that their quest was to find me, the jewel of Barthimia. And that they had to find Frederick, the great demi-god that helped us with our duties at the beginning of the fading millennia’s, first, to find out the whereabouts of my latest home?” Hecate questioned.
“I do,” Zeus agreed.
“And do you know the type of monsters they have come up against. The ones they have sent back to Tartarus?”
“I do Hecate.”
“Would you like to say anything to these young ring bearers, who are going to spend the rest of their life fighting to protect Olympus and its gods?”
“Yes, a word or so.” Zeus breathed slowly. Even though they weren’t in the same room, Jay could still feel the power radiating off him.
“This quest,” Lord Zeus started, “was a quest of importance. Not only for the safety of humanity and of the curse the monsters still bare. But of another importance. The importance of trust. During this quest, many gods and goddesses have been watching you. You’re every move. We have seen what you are capable of, and we know now, that you are trustworthy. I have had nothing to do with you, for reasons I keep to myself. But, it looks like the prophecy does speak truth. You may be the ones who are to save the earth from the monsters of Tartarus. And I hope you will keep this trust. I cannot, as you should understand, trust you too much. You are mortals, and are capable of breaking this trust, turning on Olympus and creating your own world. This is, I hope, not within your minds, for we gods of Olympus need someone who can do the things we gods used to do. I finish this speech to you on a high note. You are building trust with Olympus, and when the barrier of trust is so thick that there will be no way of breaking it, we shall support you in all ways possible. But for now, you must become experienced, you must build this barrier for yourselves, and for the survival of earth’s mortals. Train hard and show us how good you really are.”
There was a short pause of dreadful silence.
“Thank you, Lord Zeus.” Amy knelt down.
“Thank you,” everyone repeated, except Jay, who quickly knelt and joined in.
“Hecate,” Zeus called.
“Yes,” she replied without her formal tone.
“I would like you to return to Olympus as soon as you are ready. I shall order a chariot. Apollo or Hermes shall meet you there. Send a signal when you are finished with the ring bearers. Good day all,” Zeus finished.
“Good day.” The woman, Athena, winked a comforting smile.
The cloudy circle fogged up again, and then disappeared, leaving everyone on top of the mountain, except the dragon, silent.
“Well, I told you he wasn’t bad,” Hecate told.
“Yeah, em Hecate, how long will you stay here?” Liam asked.
“I think I’ll have a guided tour of the place, I can’t remember much. Then I’ll help you build a path through the forest to the rest of the island. And then I think I’ll be off. I’d say about three days,” Hecate answered.
“Yes!” Jay mumbled under his breath.
A dream team.
(Chapter 20)