Thursday, May 28, 2015

Unlocking Olympus: Chapter 2

Unlocking Olympus

Chapter 2: Adamaris



“Son of a bitch!” I got cut off with a loud oof when the sudden gush of wind knocked the oxygen out of my lungs, sending me across the room. “Fuckin’ ugly bat!” I wheezed as I pulled myself up from the carpeted floor of once was a very cozy apartment. I brushed off the broken pieces of her cheap vase from my hair after it broke in my head, wincing as my fingers made contact with trickling blood.


“You should have left me alone, you asshole!” The harpy bared her uneven teeth which stunk like a rotten flesh. This monster was Gale Bobsmith who lived two streets down from my apartment. She rented this apartment merely two weeks ago and ever since a lot of robbery has been going on to this side of Manhattan. It was not your daily case of robbery, feathers of some kind of a huge bird has been seen in the area. I knew what it was. I just needed to locate the robber. After my investigation, I finally hunted down the culprit and there you go, voila, a freaking harpy. They had always been known for their robberies.


I took the dagger from the back of my jeans and Gale’s eyes widened from fear. Of course she’d know this dagger, the stink of Athena’s blood and magic coated it. Her wings spread like huge canopies, her eyes darting to the window at our left.


I smirked, “I don’t think so,”


“I didn’t do anything!” Her hostility was replaced with sheer terror as she knew what I intended to do. I came here with the intent to kill.


“You’re not supposed to be here.” I told her,


Her dark eyes were wild as her pea-sized brain worked miles per second. Then her unsteady gaze came

back to me, baring her teeth and claws. “So are you,”


My eyes twitched but my face remained carefully blank, my taunting smile still in place.

“You are not human yourself.” She sneered, speculating that she found my weakness.


Harpies are one of the most stupid kinds of monsters Olympus has. They are basically toys of Zeus. With the head of a human and the body of a huge bird, they looked monstrous. Her bare torso heaved, her naked breasts lifting. Her arms were covered with dull red feathers, expanding to form her strong wings and her waist was of a bird’s, her lower limbs tipped with sharp claws.


“You’re right. I am the kind of monster you should fear.” Her sense of victory was short lived and her face was once again overcome with fear. The air around us stirred with the slightest movement of her wings and I braced myself for a strike. I should really end this already. I haven’t completed the one thousand words essay I needed to submit tomorrow. Besides, this tote-a-tote has been dragging on for minutes now.


With her bared claws, she came to me with so much speed that normal people wouldn’t be able to see her movement. Within a millisecond she was already in front of my face. But I am not a normal person, she was right. I did not belong here as well. But unlike her, who belonged to the outskirts of Olympus, I didn’t belong anywhere.


It only took half a second when her claws dug into my flesh and I emitted a cry of pain. It only took half a second after that before the harpy fell on the ground in a heap, her huge wings flopping like fans in her floor. Both my shoulders were bleeding and the numbness of a deep wound started to seep in. This is what I liked with deep wounds. The injury was already past the pain receptors so the sensation of pain was quick.


The bird in front of me convulsed one last time before it became still: dead. I took the Athena’s dagger which I embedded in her chest, straight to the heart. The blue goo, which was this monster’s blood, dripped from the blade of the dagger and I winced in disgust.


“Ugh,” I groaned, scrunching my nose and wiped it to the dead monster’s feather. “I hate cleaning up!” I started to look around the turned over, one room apartment. Splintered woods scattered around the room together with the broken lamps. The owner would faint in conniption once they see this mess, not to mention the missing tenant. It’s not my problem anymore, though.


I finally found what I was looking for and I crossed the room, going straight to the upturned couch and took my sling bag. Taking out a small canister of gasoline, I went back to the dead body and poured the liquid to it. I took out my blue zippo from my pocket and flicked the small igniter, a bulb of fire coming out.


“See you in the underworld,” I threw the lit lighter to the soaked dead body and not short after it burst into a huge heap of fire. It was not an ordinary fire though, it wouldn’t stop until it obliterated every fibre of that harpy’s body and after which the fire would die like nothing happened. It was not because the gasoline was special or blessed or something. It wasn’t also because the lighter was bought on some kind of a high class store or it has magic. No, it was not because of that.


It was because of me.


I could control one of the most basic elements in this planet: fire. How cool that was, you might think. But you’re wrong. This was much of a curse than a gift.


After the last lick of flame died out, I have already washed off the blood in my arms and already changed my t-shirt. I went out of the apartment and closed the door behind me with a soft click. No one was around the halls as I went down the stairs and went straight to my red Kia Rio.


It was then when it happened. It was four o’clock but the sky turned as dark as if the sun was suddenly afraid of Earth. It was too abrupt, faster than when a solar eclipse happened. Then the lightning followed, showering the sky with thin light strips, the thunders were so loud it could shake the ground. Something was happening up there, something really bad.


I should be worried or anything but the glee springing up from my chest was what made my lips spread in a big smile.


“Nice view,” I whispered to the sky and entered my lovely ride. Time to finish that damned essay about Jane Austen.

Yeah, so here's another chapter! How was it? I will be happy to hear what you think down there, at the comments section! ♥
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Read Project: Exodus by Marigold Uy!
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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Unlocking Olympus: Chapter 1

Unlocking Olympus

Chapter 1: Alectrona


My head throbbed from the impact and I struggled to stand. Mt. Olympus was in complete chaos. Pillars were crumbling, the ground was shaking and every creature was running and flying for their lives. I regained my balance as I watched the Olympians inside their throne room, all seated in their respective thrones, brooding over some matters.



Zeus, in the center of it all, closed his eyes, his forehead crinkled in agitation.



“The gates are closing.” Hera was repeating but her husband wasn’t paying her any attention. “Husband!”



I don’t have time for this. It’s flee or perish inside Olympus. I flew past the satyrs, crashing amongst clouds. The gates are closing!



My heart pounded inside my chest, my head still hurt from being hit by falling debris. I passed a hand over my forehead and felt Ichor on my fingers. Groaning, my eyes blurred and I crashed on concrete clouds, right shoulder first.



I rolled on my back, a gnawing sensation of wanting to give up creeping up my spine. Closing my eyes, I was ready to accept my fate.



Hearing something crash, my eyes snapped open to witness a large chunk of what used to be part of an obelisk falling down on me. By then I felt someone gripping my arm and I was lifted in the air. Crashing on a nearby fountain and almost drowning in its deep waters, I swam up. This used to swarm with naiads but they must have fled too. I have to flee too but…



My head shooting up to find my savior, I saw a familiar physique… it’s a god I used to know but at the moment, my memory was in shambles. I couldn’t pinpoint who he was.



He was mouthing something at me but I couldn’t hear him with all the ruckus. That or he just threw me so far away from him. Who was he? Why did he bother helping me?



Never mind. If, by any chance, I survive this and he too, I shall thank him then. But now, it’s every god for himself. Floating up in the air, I felt my feet dragging me back to the ground but I struggled to keep afloat. I must get out of here. I started for the closing gates and I could barely see the Horae trying to keep it open. And even at this distance, I could hear them commanding everyone to go out. To flee for safety.To flee from…



A loud crashing sound coming from behind me startled every one of us and we all looked at the source. My eyes widened. A whole building had crashed down on… on…



That was the same spot that god earlier was.



I pursed my lips and clenched my fists, feeling a bit remorseful. But I shook my head. No. It’s every god for himself. I resumed flying towards the gate. It’s his choice, it’s his fate to die. I don’t care. I shouldn’t care.

Growing into their full sizes, the women of the Horae pulled on the colossal gate but it kept on closing still. I have to hurry! Below me, I caught sight of nymphs, satyrs and other lesser gods trying to go back, the looks on their faces telling me they couldn’t. They all seemed like they were being pulled back by some force. Afraid that I might be pulled back too,I flew on full speed, my arms shielding my face from the humid clouds. After that, I… finally got out.




The view of the human world’s lights shone from below. Looking up once at the growing distance between myself and the sky, I resolved to descend into human grounds. The rumbling noises from above was deafening and I knew things weren’t resolved still in Olympus.

My feet touching the ground, I looked around, retaining my invisibility. The human world has changed that much since the last time I came down.

It was funny because I never really liked the human world and being earth-bound, for that matter. As one of the lesser goddesses of the sky, I had the pride that equaled every sky rulers. For us, the earth is something that was in the lower class.

But I had no choice.

I had to survive this.


And so, as I limped my way through the streets, my head tilting to both sides to study the humans around me, I suddenly felt so weak. And I never felt this way in my whole life. I should always be sky-bound. But as things were in the skies right now, with the rumbling thunders and lightning strikes, I knew it was impossible.



I wonder how many times I glanced upwards. It’s an instinct, a desire, an inherent need.



I wonder how long have I walked. It was a tiring effort. I haven’t really used my feet for this long. Above there, I didn’t really need to walk or run. We just float about endlessly, monitoring clouds, guiding birds and keeping the sky blue. Okay, so maybe that’s a tad bit senseless but well, it was part of our job description.



I wonder how my body can keep up with this. I have to rest.



Collapsing on barren land, my head moving to scan my surroundings, I realised I was somewhere far from the human city. Sitting up, feeling the wind flow around me, I weakly watched the bright lights of the cityscape. So this is what their night-time looks in the human world.


Maybe I should return? I thought, standing up. I didn’t know where to stay. I could manipulate a human family into thinking I was one of them. But to what extent? Until when shall I keep masquerading? I wouldn’t know. And it could drain me. Being here on earth has already depleted my power and if I do that…

I lied back down. Running out of options, I raised a hand to the sky. At least, give me strength to endure the night. And then tomorrow I shall start anew.

I am just a lesser goddess. I have limitations. Maybe this was one of them. I bitterly grinned.

Closing my eyes, I began to chant a song and hoped that somehow, it could ease me to sleep. Voices started to follow mine and I scanned my surroundings once again.

Dryads.

I watched them as they surrounded me. What were they doing? I remember having dryad friends when I was young but I was often scolded by my mother to stay away from them because they were lower in class than we were. Because I was sky and they were earth.

But tonight I didn’t care. I saw a familiar face among them and relief washed over my body. I was safe.
 


 Hi again! Chapter 2: Adamaris will be posted on Thursday (May 28, 2015). I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as Marigold and I had fun writing this. I am looking forward for your comments. ♥
Check out more of my stories in Wattpad!
Read Project: Exodus by Marigold Uy!