Chapter 20
3490 Words
"Now we know why our adviser is always irked with you, Taurei," Syden said snidely as the train we are riding travels in such speed, everything outside the window is nothing but colorful blurs.
The son of Hera just sighed sadly as he played with Mortis' handheld box with his sister, "Yeah, right. Maybe I should've used the opportunity to get on her good side. But, well, no use crying over it. Anyways, this is cool! You can also use this thing to play games and listen to music?"
"Yes. Well, it's better if you are connected to the wi-fi or mobile data so you can access near limitless functions," the boy next to me as he watched the twins fumble over his box.
"What's a wayfay and mobel daytah?" Avesa asked curiously as she screamed a little when she saw a young boy suddenly appeared on the screen and started singing some odd songs, "I only saw this on the scriptures on the temple and I must say, hands-on experience is definitely better than just reading and looking about it."
"Wi-fi is a wireless signal we used to process information in real-time. It has many uses and if you cannot access it, you may use mobile data which practically does the same thing, just different processes," Mortis said patiently as the daughter of Hephaestus can't stop herself from marveling the train we are in right now.
"Morris was right. The trains that we have are nothing compared to these bullet trains," she said excitedly as she looks around at the amenities given by the train attendants, "Ours are snails and these are cheetahs! Truly this might be one of the best my father has produced!"
Mortis just shakes his head in confusion, "I don't understand. If you are indeed from a far-flung future, why does it sound like your technology is backwards compared to ours?"
"In our history lessons, they dub this era the "golden age" of mankind. Where mortals have reached its peak in innovation and discoveries," Gala said quietly as he looked at the television in front of us showing news about the new metal ships the empire has launched to help the defense of the coasts from monsters, "We don't have airplanes, warships, spaceships, tanks or bullet trains. Come to think of it, when I observe the new things I have encountered so far, I realize that what we have in our place is a combination of relics and remnants of this age combined with refurbished technologies we have "discovered" from archeological sites all throughout the continent."
"Even cultural emotions and tendencies are different," the daughter of Aphrodite followed as she looked at a group sitting on the other side of the aisle which is composed of different nationalities but get along quite well, "Their level of demographic acceptance and absence of exceptionalism is really staggering. Truly ways beyond what we have."
Vaski nodded as he and his retainer stare at Mortis, "How about Scythia? Can you tell us more about it?"
"Oh, right, you said we're from the same place, huh?" he asked before smiling a little, "Even if our province is in the middle of the Almorican Desert, the quality of living is very high. Within the walls of the capital city, we have perfected the aquifer system that provides us with clean water for personal and agricultural use. It is also the industrial center of the empire, providing raw ores and processing them to various metal shipped to the capital city of Auralia."
"Wow, amazing. The aquifers in the emirate lies in ruins. We don’t have the technological know-how nor the materials needed to fix it. But to think that it predates the creation of our country is something else,” Vaski said while smiling sadly, “So, since it is a province, I guess the one who leads it is an elected politician?”
To his and Rebie’s surprise, Mortis shook his head, “No. The one ruling it on behalf of the Imperial Council is the emirati dynasty and their retainers. They are very benevolent and beloved by the Scythians. The dynasty prioritizes welfare and health that’s why I got this chance to enter the Hellenic Citadel even if I am just an orphan. Our social system is the envy of other provinces in the empire.”
“Looks like we really have fallen from great heights, eh, Rebie?”
Taurei and Narcine’s close friend just bowed her head in embarrassment, “Indeed. Just as what father has said repeatedly. To be honest, I am getting tired about his seemingly never-ending stories about how our country was in the forefront of social welfare in the old days. But hearing it right now makes me angry that I didn’t really realize earlier that our system and government as a whole strayed from its glorious route.”
“Why? What happened to Scythia in your time?”
The son of Poseidon looks at Mortis and shook his head slowly, “Periodic famines, endless drought, aquifers in ruins, children on the streets and monsters pounding on our outer walls daily. I don’t know how long Scythia can hold on its own.”
“On its own?” Mortis asked as the speakers around us announced that we are nearing the terminal of the capital city of the Province of Cretonia, “Scythia is supported by all provinces as our first line of defense against periodic monster invasions. The Province of Pagos is handling the funding and logistics while the Province of Anoixi provides supplies and basic necessities while the Province of Cretonia delivers much needed tools and building materials. The capital city of Auralia values our province above all else because if it falls, the rest of the monsters will spread unopposed towards other vulnerable provinces and the heart of the empire.”
We all just looked at out Scythian classmates that exchanged surprised looks as Zenith ordered us all to stand up and prepare to disembark.
“We can talk more along the way,” the son of Zeus said as he nodded at Narcine and Eonia, “For now, we need to find this so called Forgotten Temple or we can kiss our chance to return home goodbye.”
All of us nodded at each other grimly as the bullet train finally slows down as we reached our destination.
-0-
“So, I was thinking. Even if we managed to return to the future, will it be the same future that we know?” we all looked at the son of Koalemos who is walking behind us with Taurei and Avesa, “I mean, we are now in the past right? What we are doing will inadvertently change something no matter how hard we try not to deviate the course of time.”
The boy clinging in my arm whispered loudly to me, “Is he really a son of Koalemos?”
Syden seemed to take this as an insult as several men and women around us began banging at each other among themselves or in the wall for no apparent reason before rolling over and laughing hysterically.
“I am, Morris. You are really getting on my nerves. Several times you repeatedly ask me the same question to me and to our classmates over and over again. If you want to personally feel my father’s power you can just ask nicely,” he warned angrily as several shoppers from nearby malls and marketplaces just ran outside to the streets and began doing weird things like dancing and acting like animals.
Mortis raised his hands and shook his head as several screaming men and women ran past him waving their bags madly, “I am sorry. But as far as I know, that is the first time I ever ask that question. If I ever offended you the please, forgive me. Just, don’t get riled up any more. It’s terrifying!”
But our classmate just looked at him angrily as the sirens blared and riot police forces arrived to the scene to try and control the mad situation happening around us.
“Now, now, Syden, bro. That’s enough display from you. Remember, we are trying to play it discreetly here,” Taurei said calmly as he put his arm on the shoulders of our classmate and shake it as if there’s no mass ridiculous hysteria being instigated by the boy he is cozying up with, “Let’s just find this temple and be done with our stay with. Surely you don’t want something like “Ridiculous Mass Stupidity Hysteria” in our next history class, would you want that?”
To our surprise, the son of the god of stupidity laughed out loud all of a sudden and grinned at the son of Hera fondly, “Okay, Taurei, my man. You know I can’t just say no if it’s you, right, Asher?”
The son of Lytta laughed out loud and clapped the backs of Syden and Taurei, “I know, Syden. If it’s Taurei who asks nicely, I just couldn’t say no.”
“Hera and her attendants, Lytta and Koalemos,” Estelle whispered loudly to me and our other classmates just as the chaotic commission finally stopped and the Cretonians are wondering what in the world are they even doing earlier, “Beware not the Heavenly Queen you crossed but her attendants that will visit upon your abode.”
Avesa sighed and shrugged her shoulders as she pinched the cheek of Mortis who looks relieved, “I advise you not to cross the boys too much. You see, from what I heard, Morris is kind of nagging them repeatedly for past time.”
“But I’m not… Fine, consider me warned,” he answered before pointing at the mountain towering above the beautiful capital city of Cretonia, “That’s where the Forgotten Temple is said to be located.”
Zenith nodded before flying to the skies to see further, “Why is it named like that? Also, why didn’t Apollo just gave us a map or something?”
“Because even the Olympians themselves dare not to cross the unspeakable deity who resides there,” our guide said ominously as he looked at Narcine and Eonia who nodded in agreement, “I suppose even in your time, that mountain is off-limits, right?”
“Yes, very,” our class president responded as she steels herself, “Anyone who ventures to the Nameless Mountain will never return.”
“Not a trace will be found, best to stay clear if you don’t want to be lost forever,” the daughter of Persephone said in an ominous voice as she looked at the mountain warily, “Some say they saw a boy sometimes wandering around, though. But yes, under normal circumstances, I would never even dream of stepping at the foot of that mountain.”
Gala just shrugged her shoulders and looked at our two Cretonian classmates, “Nothing risked, nothing gained. Besides, we are lost anyways. I doubt we can be more lost than what we are already right now.”
“I guess this is as far as I can guide you all,” we looked at Mortis who take a step back, “I have lead you to the location of the temple as Lord Apollo ordered. My job is done, don’t you think?”
I was about to agree when Zenith landed right in front of him, “Yeah, your job is done. But are you done, Morris? You are always the seeker; you know that? Always restless until the truth has been found. I guess, you are really not him or at least, not the one we have known and loved.”
“I…”
Avesa smiled sadly and sighed, “And here I thought we can spend more time together, Mortis. But I guess this is really as far as we can go.”
“Avesa… Well, ok, I guess I can accompany you for a little more before I find a shelter and hide myself from whatever the sun god has warned us about,” he answered rather quickly as Estelle giggled with Narcine.
“Yeah, when you look at it this way, nothing really changed,” the daughter of Aphrodite said as he clung once more on my arm, “Regardless of name change and slight behavioral discrepancies, yep, he really is ours.”
“I know, right? He really has it bad with our guest. How I wish we can somehow make this work,” Narcine sighed as we began to walk towards the mountain in earnest.
-0-
“So can we finally say with utmost surety that we are lost now?”
As much as I don’t want to admit Taurei’s statement, I guess there’s no point denying what is real.
What finally put the final nail in the coffin is what the daughter of the goddess of wisdom said with finality.
“We are lost.”
The son of Zeus gave up and landed besides the twins as Asher and Estelle returned from their wanderings as Rebie and Narcine stopped looking around.
Eonia just sighed wearily and looked at me, “How odd. We keep on just walking on straight line but it seemed that we keep on returning to the same spot over and over again.”
“And we can’t also go back,” Syden said sadly as he returned to us from the south, “I keep walking on downwards but I always come back to you all.”
Mortis quietly look around us and blinked his eyes repeatedly, “Wait, we are not going around!”
“What?!” Vaski asked before touching the ground and his eyes widened in shock, “We are not moving at all! Look down!”
We all followed his words and to our horror, we saw the path we have been walking all along and realized that the son of the earth shaker is right.
The grass that we have been walking on is trampled flat.
“An illusion?!” Rebie asked loudly before the daughter of Persephone touched a flower nearby.
“No! Everything is static! Unmoving! The dew on this petal is not even moving at all!”
“Hephaestus: Fire Storm!”
To our surprise, our class president summoned a huge wave of flames from her hands as she willed it to touch the trees, flowers and grasses but to our surprise, the fire just died out leaving everything intact and unscathed.
“How can this be?!” Eonia asked as I stepped forward and touch the very flower that was earlier supposed to be burned down by the ravaging fire the daughter of Hephaestus has unleashed.
“Who am I, Vivet?”
I heard a familiar voice of a boy in my mind.
“You! Why the hell are you just talking now!”
“Who am I?”
“How in Tiera should I know?!
“Just who am I?”
“While you are having an existential crisis, we have been thrown back into the past for gods knows what reason and we are parted from Morris and met someone named Mortis who looks just like him!”
“Past?”
“Yes! Past! Now we are lost in a mountain and if we don’t find a way quickly then we will be nothing but fossils and remains for archeologists to find in the future!”
“Future?”
“For goodness sake, are you even listening?!”
“Who am I?”
“Who is that?!”
I looked at Estelle who screamed in surprise as if she heard the voice in my mind.
“I don’t know who I am…”
“What?!” I gasped as I heard the very same voice earlier but now, it can be heard by my ears and friends around me.
“Show yourself!” Vaski demanded as he raised his hands and summon several shrapnel of sharp rocks and levitated it, “Poseidon: Flak Stones!”
The rocks dispersed in all directions but to our surprise, it just stopped in mid-air after in just a blink of an eye.
“Hold, everyone!” Gala shouted as she raised her sword, “We are not facing just a random deity. This one, whoever it is, holds us in the palm of its hands. Let’s try not to anger it.”
“Please, who am I?”
Estelle and Narcine looked at each other in grim realization, “Estelle, could he be the boy?”
“Oh gods, it does sound like a young boy! No, we are doomed!” the daughter of Aphrodite began to cry emotionally and her powers began to affect us all as she unleashed a wave of potent feelings of dread unconsciously.
“No, this is not the end. Not here, not now,” I said with finality as I looked at Mortis who just stare at me expectantly, “We didn’t get thrown to the past only to just let it end here. We will return!”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, “Who are you?”
“Who am I, Vivet? Please, help me,” the voice in my mind begs in despair as it began to cry like a sad and lost boy, “What is my name?”
“Your name…”
“Vivet?”
I looked at my companion, or rather, who he was and smiled reassuringly, “It’s okay, Morris. It’s going to be okay. He is just lost, like us. The poor boy, he didn’t even know his name. Yet he I can feel him. He is not angry or anything. He just needs guidance.”
“Who am I, please, tell me, who am I?”
“You are,” I closed my eyes again and envisioned the boy who appeared in our dreams and remembered his frail appearance and seemingly nigh-endless powers and what he represents, “Time.”
“Time…”
The voice answered and this time, it sounded like he is no longer lost anymore.
“Time. I am time. I am time itself.”
In a flash of blinding light and deafening sound of clocks ticking and its bells ringing, the forest around us disappeared and a magnificent but crumbling castle appeared right before our group.
“No way!” Morris exclaimed as we looked above the castle which its white turrets almost piercing the skies above.
Asher walked forward and nodded, “That’s why it’s odd that we are in a forest supposedly but it doesn’t smell anything like a forest at all. It is all an illusion!”
“Time? So this is…”
“Where I govern time itself, my bastion and I, it’s owner,” the voice of the boy said but this time he sounded like he is sounding behind us, “Look back and you will never be move forward.”
We all looked at each other and nodded knowingly as we let our president talk in behalf of our group.
“We are here to seek your guidance,” the daughter of the god of forge said carefully and respectfully, “If you are the one who govern time itself, then you must be...”
“Khronos, god of time,” the boy answered clearly, “But like the state of my castle, I am deteriorating, fractured and separated from my other halves.”
Avesa nodded and looked at the sorry state of the castle that despite of its magnificence, it is clearly falling apart, “Lord Khronos, Apollo sent us here. He told us that you can guide us on how to return to our present time in the future.”
“He is not incorrect…”
The daughter of Hera breathe a sigh of relief but hers and our celebration are cut short.
“…if I am complete. But as I said, I am not powerful enough as is. If not for the girl who called me by my name, I would’ve stayed lost here for all eternity not knowing who am I…”
“Then we have just come here for naught,” Taurei said sadly and we all feel hopeless but the boy just chuckled and it sounded like clock chimes in the soft breeze.
“Why are you all here anyways? You have the means to travel back from whence you all came but you have to pay the toll…”
I heard Zenith’s electricity cracked as the ground shook a little as Vaski suddenly looked angry.
“That toll again! Always asking for something in return! Can you immortals just give out something for free for once with no strings attached?!” Syden demanded as he is about to turn his back but Asher and Taurei stopped him in a nick of time.
“That’s not how the world works, son of Koalemos. Your father knows that full well. If there’s no stupidity, there’s no wisdom. He exists because the basic law of exchange governs our realm, mortals or immortals. If you want something, then you have to give up something in return.”
Gala nodded and hold her temple as if to calm herself down, “Then what is it that we have to pay and to whom.”
“Hmm, I think that boy clinging to the firstborn of hope will do…”
“No!” I was mortified by what he asked and shook my head vehemently, “I will not let it!”
But to my surprise, Mortis just nodded sadly and smiled at me that broke our hearts, “I think that’s the reason why I was instructed to guide you all here in the first place. All my life I’ve been searching for the meaning of my existence and if the reason for it is that I can help you all get home then so be it.”
“But!” the daughter of Hera protested as she touched the face of Mortis.
“Don’t worry, Avesa. Saving you all leaves a better taste in my mouth than letting you all die here with me,” he then nodded and stepped forward, “I wonder if I can ask for something as well in exchange for this, Lord Khronos?”
“Ask…”
“If I do this, will I know who I really am?”
I cried when he asked that question.
The very same question he asked back in our time.
“You will but not now…”
“Fair enough, I can wait,” he answered happily as he tries to pump myself, “So what do I have to do to send them back to the future?”
“Exist…”
And with that, we are engulfed again in a flash of blinding light and was thrown in the middle of a desert.
“Look, the skies!” Rebie screamed as she points above us.
The skies are burning…
- Writer
