Treasure of Calliope: Chronicles of Zeus' Daughters - Book 1

Chapter 8: Lost & Found

As expected, Kyra’s grandmother had sent a crew to help with all of the renovations that had to be done before they could leave to visit her.  Kyra was feeling a little claustrophobic and decided to take a walk to see if Dr. and Mrs. Cooper could use some help. She ran into Tessa on her way out of the kitchen who decided to go along with her. She wanted to see how the wolf pup was doing, if they hadn’t already gone back with their pack. When they arrived, Tessa was greeted by one of the wolves.

“Hey buddy. Everything ok?”

The wolf c****d his head at her and started nudging her to the direction of the wolf pup. “I guess I have my answer. I will catch up with you later okay?”

“Yep.” Kyra wanted to try an experiment. “Wait. Mr. Wolf or whatever you are called.”

The wolf stopped nudging Tessa and turned around.  “Kyra, what are you doing?” Tessa asked as she turned as well.

“Anything happens to her and I am holding you accountable,” Kyra told him in a very authoritative and serious tone.”

Tessa was surprised when the wolf acted like he was receiving an order and acknowledged with a single nod of his head before turning back to Tessa and nudging her back in their original direction. “That was new,” Tessa remarked, and she and the wolf turned and headed back in their original location.

“Interesting.” Kyra replied then heard the soft laughing inside her head of the 3 women.  “You know, this would be a much easier process if you could just tell me what I can do now so I can start practicing.” This time the 3 women were laughing much louder. “I’m so glad I am your personal entertainment.”

Kyra walked into the kitchen and saw the Coopers who were bent over a table reviewing some plans. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Actually, there is. If it is okay with your parents.”

“Tell me what you need, and I’ll ask them if I can do it.”

“Will you drive into town for me? I need some supplies for the renovations and repairs that I forgot to pick up last time I was there.  And just can’t spare the 4+ hours driving back and forth with everything still needing to be done around here.”

“I’ve driven into town before, so I don’t think they’ll have a problem with it, but I will check with them to see if they need anything before I leave.” The last couple of days had everyone a little on edge and it would be nice to get away for a little while, even if it was just to town. 

“Do you have a list?”

“Yes. There may be a few more things, but I will text you when I double check inventory first.”

As Kyra headed out of the clinic, Tessa came back.

“What’s up?” Tessa asked.

“I was just headed back to the house. They need me to run into town for a few more supplies.”

“Want some company? It’s a long drive.”

“Yes. Well we have to check with the parents first.”

As the girls walked back into the house and grabbed the keys for the jeep, Cassie, Alexis, Helena, Ellie and Kat stopped them to find out why they have the keys to the jeep.

“We need to get out of the house too. Can we tag along?”

“It’s up to the parents.  We’re on our way in there now to ask.”

The doors to the office were open and their parents were standing at the conference table but looked up when they heard the girls walk in.

 “We have to take the jeep into town for Dr. Cooper. And it appears everyone is feeling a little stir crazy and want to join.  Can we all go?”

After a few shoulder shrugs, Kyra’s mom answered for the others. “As long as you stay together and don’t spend too much time in town.”

“Do you need us to pick up anything while we’re there?”

“No. I think we are good here.”

“We’ll pick up the supplies for Dr. Cooper, eat lunch and then head right home.”

“Be careful. I know you’ve done this drive before but that was before everything started happening.”

“I promise. And we’ve got Cassie. If she gets any funny feelings, we’ll call.”

#####

Everyone got into the jeep and Kyra drove them out to town which really wasn’t that far. If the road were paved, they could have easily driven the distance in an hour. But the road was dirt and there were several miles of dirt road with bumps and ditches.  They arrived into town around lunch time and stopped to eat before getting the supplies. The market was really busy and it was nice to see other people besides family. They were greeted by many of the locals and as they pass by each shop, they were greeted warmly by the shop owners.

They walk to the restaurant and order their food but they are really busy so they are told, they would get their food in about 15-20 minutes.

“Go ahead and sit at the table. I am going to place the order for Dr. Cooper’s supplies so they’ll be ready when we get done lunch.”

“Do you think it’s safe? The shop is only 3 buildings down and it will only take me 10 minutes.”

“Cassie, any bad feelings?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I won’t get a bad feeling 5 minutes after you leave.”

“This sucks that we have to be this paranoid. We’ve done this hundreds of times and nothing has every happened.”

“I will be right back,” Kyra said as she walked away in the direction of the shop. It takes less time than expected and Kyra is headed back to the restaurant with a deep breath, grateful. She returned to their table at the restaurant just as their food is being served. 

Suddenly Cassie stops eating.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure. Its not the feeling like before when the storm was approaching. I am not afraid. We are being watched.”

A woman approached the table. She was tall with fair skin and long wavy brown hair. “I am happy to see that you are all here. May I sit and speak with you?” the woman asked.

“I know you should not trust anyone but it is important I speak with you.”

She had a very kind looking face, and there was something about her that seemed genuine. Everyone looked at Cassie to see what she thought and she just shrugged her shoulders.

 “Please pull up a chair and sit with us,” Kyra said.

“My name is Phoebe and I have been sent to serve as your guide, not just to Kyra, but all of you. Each of you are very special but as you know, your family is in danger.  Part of my job is to help you prepare.” Phoebe continued since they were all silent. “Kyra is going to need your help with a journey she must make. You need my help in finding and developing those gifts which make you all special. We do not have any time and must leave now.”

“We just have to get Dr. Cooper’s supplies and we’ll leave.”

“I will meet you back at your home and we can get started.” Phoebe stood up and disappeared. When they glanced around to see if anyone else had seen her disappear, they did not see any reaction.

They walked quickly back to jeep, drove it to the shop to pickup the supplies and headed home.  When they got home, Kyra dropped everyone at the front door and delivered the supplies to Dr. Cooper.

#####

Kyra went right the library and found everyone waiting for her. Phoebe stood in front of everyone and waited for Kyra to sit down.

“As a daughter of Zeus, you were born with many powers already available to you, we just need to find out what they are and focus on the ones we think will help you the most.  Cassie, your power is easy to identify. It is premonition. Tessa, yours is also easy. You are able to communicate with animals. We just need to figure out how to use that to get them to help you. Alexis, you have the ability to listen to musical notes, identify and then remember them. Helena, Ellie and Kat, I am not sure about your powers yet, but there is a glow radiating from each of you so the powers are there, we just have to find them.”

“It sounds like there is a lot to do. Do you think we have time before the danger is on our doorstep?”

“Honestly, I am not sure but every little bit we can learn now is that much more you can use when the time does come. Kyra, you need to make a choice right now. If Zeus claims you, you will be able to take part in the trials to earn all of the powers from your lineage. If you do not, your chances for keeping your family safe drop to not very good. I am your guide whether you choose to take the trials or not.”

“So, if we do nothing and just go into hiding, they’ll find us. If we go into hiding and practice what powers we have, they’ll find us sooner, but if I decide to pursue the trials….”

“Your family is safe here for maybe another 2 days.  After that, they will be protected by others like me while you complete the challenges but that is no guarantee. If you want to guarantee their safety, you need to complete all of your challenges. The most likely reason you and your family is in danger is because there is a group if immortals who fear that you will be able to offset a very delicate balance of power, tipping the scale in more to Zeus’ favor. Killing you removes that fear. Not only does it take you out of the equation, but there are already whispers that he values you than Hercules which is saying a lot. I wish I could tell you more about the challenges but I can tell you that as you pass each one, they get more complex and dangerous, and they are not completed quickly. The last person to try the challenges took over 5 years and failed half-way through.”

“No pressure or anything, right?”

“I must leave for now. I know I have given all of you much to consider. Great weight is being put on your shoulders, and I know you will give your decision much thought. I promise to see you all again very soon.” Phoebe stood up and walked away, disappearing as she walked through the doorway.

“What do we do?” Kyra asked looking to her parents and aunt and uncle.

“We will have everything we need to have done in 2 days. I think we need to go stay with your grandmother.”

“I agree. I don’t know if we can trust this Phoebe.”

“After all this, we understand where Kyra got her powers. What about the rest of us?” Tess asked.

“Honestly, we have no idea, but I guess at this point, we have to be prepared for anything. Right now, we have to focus on what we want to do as a family. I want everyone to consider our options carefully. We can go over the options at dinner and decide if that is what we are going to do.”

#####

There are still 3 more hours until dinner and the sun was still high in the sky. Kyra went to her room to think but felt trapped. “Maybe a run will make me feel better.” There was no response in her head, so she got changed into her running clothes and quietly headed outside. She needed to be alone and away from the house. She’s been feeling less hungry and thirsty lately so doesn’t bother to grab a bottle of water and skipped her normal stretching. Kyra started at a comfortable pace and found herself speeding up, pushing herself harder to get out of site of the house. As she continued to run, she watched the hillsides to see if the wolves were around, but she only saw tall grass and trees. She began to run blindly her thoughts all jumbled and soon found herself at the entrance of the forest. Determined to make her own decisions for at least the moment, she continued to run into the woods and got lost in her own thoughts again. She continued to run through the woods until the brush became so thick that she could no longer move forward. That was when she realized it had gotten dark.

“When did that happen? Mom and dad are going to kill me.” She turned around to retrace her steps back home. But the darkness kept her from seeing her path back. An owl hoots and it started her. “I’m going to be in so much trouble. They are going to ground me for life for this stunt. What was I thinking?” She remembered that she could use the stars for navigation, but when she looked up she was not able to find any. They were hidden behind some clouds and the temperature was beginning to drop. “Daughter of Zeus, the one with the lightning and I can’t start a fire,” she muttered as she sat on the ground and leaned up against a tree.  “If the wild animals don’t kill me, the cold might.” Kyra looked around to see if there was anything she might be able to use for cover and spotted a few branches still with leaves on them. They were small enough that she was able to move them to create a small shelter. Then she remembered her bracelet. It made her feel warm before, so she focused on it and began to feel the warmth spread through her body. Soon her eyelids grew so heavy that she fell asleep.

She again found herself in the familiar field, but she was alone.  She spotted the bench in its usual place next to the tree, so she walked over and sat down, her legs about to give out. “How do I fix this,” she asked the universe. The sun is warm so turned her face up to the sun and closed her eyes.

“Kyra, what have you done?” Atlas asked as he sat next to her wrapping her up in his arms.

“I went for a run and got lost.” 

“And now you are dying. I am stuck in this world and am unable to help you.”

“You’re helping me just by being here and holding me here like this.” 

“Have you given up?”

“No, but what else can I do?”

“You have to fight.”

 “I’m so tired. I don’t want to fight. I just want to be an average girl.”

“There is no way for you to be average, especially not to me,” he replied. “Kyra, look at me.”

Kyra turned her head to look at him. His eyes are full of fear. “I have waited my entire existence for you and my life is tied to yours. You have to fight. Fight for your life and the lives of your family.” Atlas looked down for a moment and then nodded his head as if he made a decision about something. “I’m in love with you and need you. I came alive when I first saw you. Fight so when this is done, we have a chance to have a life together.”

“That sounds wonderful.” 

Frustrated, Atlas looked up to the sky. “I have always done what you have commanded of me no matter the consequence. I beg you, please help her.”

Kyra heard him call out for help before there was nothing but darkness and silence.

#####

When Kyra woke up, she found herself on a couch in front of a warm fire. “Am I dead?”

“No, you’re not dead. How are you feeling?”

“Like my parents are going to kill me but maybe not before my sisters or my cousins get their hands around my neck.”

“I’m glad to hear you have your sense of humor. You’ve been unconscious for about 12 hours, and since you don’t have any identification on you, I didn’t know who to contact.”

“Thank you for saving my life. My name is Kyra.”

“You are welcome Kyra; I am Agamede.”

“I’ve never seen you in town.”

“No, you haven’t. That’s because I limit where I go and who I see. I have everything I need right here.”

“I wish my life was that peaceful,” Kyra responded. “But don’t you get lonely here, all by yourself?”

“No, I don’t get lonely. Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?”

“Yes, a little if I am being completely honest. You live here in peace. No one making demands of you and threatening your life.”

“It sounds like you’ve had a rough week.”

“You could say that. But I know I’ve just made them worse by going out running alone and getting lost in the dark and cold. The only good thing that has happened is that I met someone, and he really seems to care about me.”

“And how is that a problem? Do you not care about him?”

“I don’t know, but that’s not the problem. You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you.”

“Try me.”

“He isn’t on this world. I can only see him in my dreams. I know he’s real because he gave me this bracelet.” Kyra pulled her sleeves up to show her wrist.

“That is beautiful. Does this man have a name?”

“Atlas.”

“What do you know about him?”

“Are you ready for another reason to think I’m crazy?”

“I know you’re not crazy. You are young, and there has been a great deal of weight put onto your shoulders in a short period of time.”

“How did you know that?”

“I know many things. I know you went on your run because you felt like you had no control of destiny. It was written already, and you have to follow it or our family will suffer the consequences wanting to take a different path. Everyone has a destiny, but what really matters is how you live your life getting there. Now, tell me about Atlas.”

“I just found out that my mother was seduced by Zeus. But she was tricked. She thought the person who went to her that night was my dad, but it was really Zeus in a disguise. Its kind of ironic that I am the daughter of the man who punished Atlas. He is a good man and does not deserve to be imprisoned and alone.”

“He is not alone anymore but you need to free him. I am not sure if it is because you somehow feel guilty for what Zeus has done or because you feel something for him which cannot possibly be real until he is free.

“Yes, I do feel guilty and yes I feel something for him. He has become a very good friend to me. He listens to what I have to say and looks at me like no one ever has before. I can’t really explain it.  I believe our lives are tied to one another.”

“Is that what the Fates told you?”

Kyra did not know how to respond.  She had been told not to tell anyone so how did this woman now? “I knew I liked you when I found you leaning against that tree. How do you think I was able to find you? And why you feel comfortable enough with me to tell me so much.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’ve told me some of your secrets, so I will share with you a few of mine. We have a common acquaintance. Well, actually there are 3 of them. You may be in a lot of trouble at home, but they told me we would meet. When you found yourself lost in the woods, they told me where to find you.  I am what some call a witch. I know how to use plants to get certain results. I know what every combination of every plant will do. And there is a potion made up of three rare plants which when combined and drunk will help you release Atlas?”

“How?”

“The power to free him is already inside of you. It is either dormant because you have not been trained or it is one that will only become active once it has been earned through the trials.”

“How do I find these plants?”

“That is where this gets a little bit tricky. You have to complete each of your trials, so you can save your family but, you need these plants to free Atlas. He can help in your physical world. Everything comes at a cost. Once you find the plants, you will need to mix them precisely. If you do anything wrong, it will kill you. If you do everything right, you’ll live, free Atlas, but will be very weak for several days. Remember my words Kyra.” 

“I will. This is the first time that I feel like I have some control over my life.”

“You do have control over your life. Yes, you have a destiny but how you live your life fulfilling that destiny is up to you. Now child, give me your hands.”

Kyra placed her hands in hers as requested.

“Close your eyes.”

Kyra complied and closed her eyes and focused on the words she spoke but could not understand them. Soon, her hands got very warm and Kyra saw the images of the plants in her head along with detailed instructions on how to prepare the mixture.

“Open your eyes. It is time for you to head home now.”

“How do I get there?”

“That is easy. Just head out my front door. There is a pack of wolves waiting for you who will lead you there. They’ve been here for a little while just waiting for you to wake up. Tessa has a powerful connection with them. Don’t underestimate what they can do or what any good relationships can do. Your success in saving your family is based on the relationships with your sisters and your cousins. You don’t always have to fight a war with swords or guns.”

“Thank you.”

“You will see me again soon.”

Kyra walked out the front door as instructed but when she turned around to wave goodbye and thank her, all she sees was a large tree. There is a large brown wolf standing in front of her that shook its head at her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make everyone worry like that. I just had to get out on my own and figure things out. It’s too much.”

He huffed back at her and then he and the others lead her towards home.