Chapter 5: A Gift From a Stranger
1879 Words
When he entered his room, he took his chair and booted his laptop on.
Who would have known that one day he would search about the Olympians? He knew it was a silly idea but he couldn't help it, maybe the internet could help him get some useful information. He took his headphones and played an Ed Sheeran song on iTunes. Tyler thought that it would be a great idea to first find additional info about Hecate and her story. He found several results but what he wanted to find wasn't on the internet. He tried to be more specific and typed the names of the two great wizards, Naflamuss and Dwergloud. Still, nothing showed up. Tyler thought that maybe it's a story only told to those who are like Amber or maybe like him.
Tyler took a deep breath and thought that maybe his history teacher could help him, but he realised that it wasn't a good idea to open up and ask about those matters. He recalled how his professors would not care about anything his students asked. Not unless if it was about class suspension because of a snowstorm in the middle of spring or a bridge blown up because of a mysterious force or something, which he was certain that those have something to do with the Dwergloud and Naflamuss guy. He recalled how everybody freaked out when a snowstorm suddenly happened out of nowhere for 3 days in the midst of spring. How everyone got stuck and was unable to go out. The power went out and the snowstorm extended throughout the whole Europe. It was so destructive that the classes and private works were suspended for almost 2 weeks. How his mum would check out the newspaper and some useful articles from time to time with the hope of finding something helpful that might help explain what was happening at that time. Looking back he felt stupid. Some mad god might have caused it or maybe someone up from Olympus caused Boreas, the winter god, to be upset.
Tyler went back to his consciousness when a bright glow appeared and slowly floated from his behind. He turned and was so startled that he forgot his headphones still plugged in his ears playing Haunted by Taylor Swift, that it added a dramatic background sound, enough to double his fright. He stood up and pressed himself on his cabinet door as he watched the bright light swallowed his room whole. He wasn't ready to die of an explosion, he thought. But no luck, so he covered his whole face and closed his eyes screaming AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Amber's eyes were shut open and Helmina choked on her tea. They both hurriedly went upstairs to his room and blasted his room door open. Tyler was in an awkward position. Helmina thought that if another unusual thing would happen, that would definitely send Tyler's sanity straight beyond oblivion. So she thought it'd help him to calm a little if she get him some crumpets and tea.
"Oh, gods. I almost had a heart attack!" Amber admitted. "Tyler, it's okay. It's just a... look." Amber pointed toward his bed. He uncovered his face and saw a small box covered with red parchment paper, tied with white silk ribbon. "Who in the world would deliver a small box like that?!" he asked removing his ruined headphones. Still startled.
He went closer to the box, still cautious. He was worried that it might explode or something. His blood gushed as he approached closer. He looked at Amber before picking up the small box, wondering whose gift that from. A closer look revealed faint shapes of blue-violet roses. Unfamiliar characters engraved on the lining of the silk ribbon, glowing gold as soon as he focused his eyes on them, like a small sun ray of a setting sun. Tyler didn't know how and what to react. He was left speechless and awed. Judging the gift by the amount of decorations and details, Tyler could say that is was somewhat personalised.
From: ΟΘεόςτηςαγάπης
To my son: Tyler Harisson
Yep. Personalised. "You gotta be kidding me. This is for me?" He asked.
Tyler untied the ribbon and slowly opened the box. It was smooth and made of expensive material. Inside, was a golden necklace with a pendant of something like a feather, in the middle was a black obsidian stone with rough and sharp edges, and another letter rolled and tied with another strand of golden ribbon.
"That might be from a god," Amber suggested.
Tyler was holding both the necklace and the letter whilst staring at the pendant. Unlike the first letter, this one was a bit smaller, it has a soft cloth-like envelope, and it smelled nice. Like it has been bathed with wisteria oil. It looked like a Love Letter, but it wasn't a love letter because 'To my son' was written in it. It was sealed with bronze melted wax stamped with a familiar emblem in the middle.
Ever since he woke up, Tyler had been stumbling around in a daze, unable to function well and unable to think clearly as if his brain was stolen from his skull. The letter made him very uneasy. Anxiety filled him and it was clear that there was something important inside. "I need to read this" he mumbled to himself. He got the same urgency and anxiety he had when he first received the scholarship envelope he was expecting to not get approved for. But this time, it wasn't about scholarship nor admission approval, that would be something about his true identity.
What if the letter was all about their death? Or maybe his death alone. A warning, maybe. Those thoughts made uneasy. "Ok, nothing's going to happen." He said for the hundredth time.
Helmina entered his room carrying crumpets and tea. "I saw a dove from the kitchen window. Its feathers were tinted with pink and it flies very fast. So I knew it was from Olympus. Something important is inside of that thing." She pointed at the letter with her mouth.
"But how did you know that this is from Olympus?"
"One thing, Olympians and other gods usually use their symbolic animals or any forms to deliver a message or something really important to their demigod children; after the god, Hermes was captured, communication became harder for the demigods and their godly parents. So a delivery through a winged animal is their last resort."
"But how about Iris? Isn't her rainbow also a form of communication up from Olympus to earth?" Tyler wondered.
"No, not today. After what happened to her, The Olympians went quiet. Iris's disappearance was so alarming. Dwergloud knew that communication might be important on the day of his rise. So he advanced toward Iris first where everybody knows that she's virtually one of the most unguarded goddesses. And as for Hermes, I don't know how he got captured."
"Where are they?"
"I'm afraid no one exactly really knows, Tyler," Helmina answered. "Finding her would require you a blessing from the fates."
"Read the letter Tyler. A warning or a guide could be there" Amber eyed the box.
Tyler tried to remove the seal of the envelope. Behind was a keyhole. He wondered where the key could be.
Amber snatched the necklace quickly out of Tyler's hand and inserted the pendant into the hole. The envelope tore itself down as soon as the pendant was inserted and inside revealed a folded vintage paper.
Tyler opened the letter and began reading it.
A deafening silence cloaked the whole atmosphere of his room. His head went numb and he could hear his heart's pounding like a blacksmith's hammer beating hot iron. His body began to feel hot and the name Eros ringed in his ears. He shot a nervous look at his mother and Helmina replied with sad eyes.
Tyler put down the letter and the necklace beside him. He sat down and typed on the name of Eros on his laptop. The results he was expecting to show, showed up.
He opened the first result and lead him to a historical article. He scanned everything but the "Eros, the personification of Love, the son of the goddess Aphrodite, and the lover of Psyche " was the only line he was looking for.
Tyler stood and took again the letter to re-read. He thought that he might have mistakenly read the name, but no. He stared at the necklace and wore it. He didn't say a word but the tension can be felt inside. Helmina tried to say a word but Tyler started. "How? I mean why...?"
"Tyler, your dad was in the form of a human being when I first met him." Helmina clarified. "When I was pregnant of you, he told me that he wasn't what I am thought he was. I almost lost my sanity when he left me. I was so desperate and alone. But he came back when you were born. He told me that you'd be a great hero, but first I needed to protect you from the enemies. When I was pregnant, I've learnt his true form. He showed me his wings and I believed him."
Tyler didn't say a word. Amber was feeling awkward and felt like watching a drama series. "Uhm... ah... Can you use your weapon?" He blurted. "Ow maybe wield?" he tried to change the subject.
Tyler doesn't have any idea how to use it. Maybe toss it, then it'll explode? He stood beside his bed and pulled the necklace out of his neck to throw it back to the box, his necklace glowed and dazzled curtains of lights like the Aurora Borealis. The feather pendant grew bigger and spread like majestic wings of an angel. It has transformed into a magical bow. Its grip was made of aurichalcum metal and ruby crystal whilst the upper and lower limb—resembled wings of an angel—were a solid combination of gold, lethe anhydrite, danburite crystal, and Pegasus' feathers. It was shockingly beautiful and sleek.
"Gobsmacking!" Amber exclaimed. "But where are the arrows? Wait, I've read this before. Try to imagine Tyler that you are holding an arrow. An arrow that will satisfy your thoughts and imagination. Be like a cupid!" his eyes sparkled.
"A cupid..." Tyler repeated.
Tyler calmed himself and tried to imagine an arrow of water and he doesn't know why just to satisfy his thoughts.
A line of faint crystal blue light shone and an arrow formed. Tyler opened his eyes, he was shocked that he uttered the bowstring accidentally. The arrow flew across his room and hit the clock above Amber. He covered his head and the arrow broke like a thin stalactite that hit the ground. But as soon as it touched the frame, the glass cover of the clock was left with intricate designs of frost like a woven tapestry; the broken pieces of the arrow turned into droplets of cold water and fell on Amber's head.
"You almost killed me!" Amber yelled.
"I just did what you said." Tyler grinned flexing his bow like he has been using it since.
Helmina was staring at him, teary-eyed. "You just looked exactly like your father."
Tyler clenched his teeth and didn't say a word. He doesn't know how to respond to that. Sixteen years and he just learnt that his father was a Greek god of Love. But where is love there?
"So what's your plan now?" Amber asked.
"My plan...?" he paused gripping his bow "I will take a quick nap first and meet my dad."
- Writer
