Pegasus and the Origins of Olympus (7 page)

Pegasus whinnied and Chrysaor joined in.

‘They both believe it is best if we leave here,’ Paelen said. He looked around. ‘I agree. This place is not good for you.’

With the mood broken, they returned to the camp, where Jupiter greeted them. ‘I am glad you are back, I was just coming to get you. There is a lot more writing on the walls of the temple and we need your help to understand it.’

While they made their way to the temple, Emily told Jupiter what she remembered of the Xan and how Xanadu really was a sanctuary.

‘Brue,’ Jupiter repeated as he stroked the Mother of the Jungle, ‘you will not be alone any more. Our own myths tell us the Xan were a great and benevolent race,’ he told Emily. ‘With what you tell me of this place, I can see that it is true. It also explains why you sent Pegasus and Alexis here. They were in grave danger from the military at Area 51. Your instincts took over and you sent them to a place of safety, to sanctuary.’

Pegasus nickered softly and bobbed his head up and down. He then nudged Emily gently.

‘He is thanking you for protecting him at Area 51.’

Emily put her arms around the stallion’s neck. ‘You don’t need to thank me, Pegs. To be honest, I really thought I’d killed you. Sending you here was an accident – a good one, but still an accident.’

There was something about the temple that called to Emily. Part of her was curious to find out what it was, but another part wanted to run as far from it as possible. Pushing her doubts aside, Emily followed Jupiter. ‘This is the Temple of Arious,’ she explained. ‘I can’t remember who Arious was, but I do know she was important.’

‘I wonder if we’ll ever figure it out,’ Joel said. ‘I mean, you and all of this? What does it mean?’

Emily shrugged. ‘I really don’t know.’

They walked into the temple and stood in the spacious entranceway. Long corridors ran in several directions as well as the stairway that Pegasus had used the night before.

‘Wow,’ Joel said, ‘this place is massive.’

‘It is also very dark,’ Paelen commented. ‘Emily, would you turn on your Flame?’

Jupiter nodded. ‘That is a good idea. At least until Apollo, Diana and Steve return. They are making torches for all of us.’

‘
We do not need them
,’ Emily said softly in a voice that wasn’t her own. She walked, as if in a dream, to a wall and placed her hand on a raised carved stone. ‘
Illumination
.’

Suddenly the entire temple was filled with bright light. There was no apparent source, but every wall was glowing. With the entrance brightly lit, they saw multiple carvings in the language of the Xan.

Emily shook her head and looked around in shock. She turned to Joel. ‘How did you turn on the lights?’

‘Me?’ Joel said. ‘I didn’t do anything. It was you.’

‘No it wasn’t.’

Pegasus pawed the floor and snorted. He nudged Emily.

Paelen said, ‘Emily, it was you. Do you not remember?’

She looked desperately from Paelen to Pegasus. ‘Was it really me? I don’t remember. What does it mean?’

Pegasus pressed his head to her and nickered.

Paelen translated. ‘He believes the longer you are here, the more memories from your previous life as a Xan come forward. The person you were is mixing with the Emily you are. There is going to be some confusion as you two come together.’

Emily wrapped her arms around the stallion’s neck and pressed her face to him. ‘But what if I lose myself, Pegs? What if that other person is stronger than me and I disappear completely?’

Pegasus whinnied and pounded the ground with his hoof.

‘He will not let that happen. He will protect you, even if it means protecting you from your previous self,’ said Paelen.

‘We all will,’ Joel added, putting his hands on her shoulders. ‘Emily, I don’t understand any of this either. But no matter what, I promise we won’t let anything happen to you. Xan or not, you are still our Emily.’

Emily was grateful to her friends, but still frightened. Something was stirring deep within her, as if waking from a long slumber. When that something woke fully, would she be strong enough to survive?

‘Now,’ Joel said, ‘how about we look around?’

Emily tried to push her fears aside as she and the others explored the temple. Before long, her father joined them.

‘This place is amazing,’ he mused. ‘It seems to go on for ever.’

‘It may well do so,’ Jupiter said. ‘I believe for today we will just take a quick tour. Then tomorrow, Emily, I hope you will work with the scribes to start translating the writings.’

Each and every chamber they entered was filled with secrets and messages. Strange items were scattered everywhere as if the owners had just gone out for a bit and planned to return. Yet by the layers of dust over everything, they had lain undisturbed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

They spent most of the day in the temple and had only explored the tiniest portion of it. When they returned to camp, they found that Mercury had just arrived through the portal to the Solar Stream.

The blonde messenger was breathing heavily as he ran up to Jupiter. ‘Juno has taken very ill,’ he reported, gulping air. ‘She has asked for me to bring you back.’

‘Ill?’ Jupiter repeated in alarm. ‘How? What is wrong?’

‘I do not know,’ Mercury panted. ‘But she is not the only one. Ceres, Venus and Minerva are also ill. We found Vesta collapsed in the Temple of the Flame.’

‘Vesta?’ Emily cared deeply for her teacher. It was because of Vesta that she now had Pegasus in her life. She owed her everything.

‘I came as fast as my sandals could fly me,’ Mercury continued. ‘But the journey was long. I fear for what we will return to.’

Jupiter called his two brothers forward. ‘Neptune, Pluto, come. We must return to Olympus immediately.’

‘I’m coming with you!’ Emily insisted.

Jupiter shook his head. ‘No, child. We do not know what we are facing. You must remain here. Work with Chiron and his team. Try to discover what you can about your past and your powers. I am sure this is nothing.’

The centaur approached Emily and placed a hand lightly on her arm. ‘Stay with us, Emily. There is much work to be done here. I’m sure everyting is fine.’

Chiron said the words, but his eyes expressed something else. He wasn’t alone. There were exchanged looks passing between him, Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto. They were all deeply concerned.

‘My brothers and I will return when the crisis has ended,’ Jupiter said. ‘For now, please remain here and continue with your investigations.’

Emily stood back with Pegasus as Mercury and the Big Three slipped through the portal to the Solar Stream. It would be a long journey back to Olympus and an even longer wait to find out what was wrong.

Emily turned to Pegasus. ‘In all the time before time, have you even known any Olympian to become sick?’

Pegasus snorted, pawed the ground and shook his head. Emily didn’t need a translator to understand. No one in Olympus had ever been ill before. Wounded, yes, on occasion. But never ill.

‘I have a bad feeling about this, Pegs,’ Emily said as she leaned in closer to the stallion.

The journey along the path was endless. All the animals and insects were wishing her well, but were grieved that the Xan were leaving.

‘Not much further,’ Riza cried. ‘Please wait for me, I’m coming.’

But even as she forced more speed, she could feel the power of the others building. They had waited as long as they could. But the stars above were aligned. They could wait no longer.

‘No!’ she howled as she felt their energy converging. ‘Wait for me! I am almost there!’

Riza pressed on, struggling to reach the gathering. She burst through the trees and arrived at the appointed place. Before her stood her people; arms raised, their powers merged, until they finally released themselves into the cosmos.

‘Wait!’ she cried. ‘Please don’t leave me …’

She was too late.

Her people had merged themselves into one great blinding flash and released themselves. It was as it should be. They had ruled long enough and had earned their rest. It was time to let the younger ones take over.

Standing at the edge of the gathering, she watched her people go. Rainbows of pure energy flashed across the night sky, blocking out the stars and moons. Powers divided joyously and scattered across the universe.

Then they were gone.

Beside her, Brue, the Mother of the Jungle, raised her two heads and howled in lonely mourning at the passing of the Xan. Brue turned pain-filled eyes to her, begging her to stay.

‘I cannot be the last,’ Riza said. ‘Forgive me, Brue, I must try to follow.’

Riza summoned all her powers. Perhaps it would not be too late. Perhaps she could still reach her people and join them on their new journey. She knew what she had to do. She just prayed her single powers were enough.

Raising her hands in the air, Riza did as she was taught to do. She opened herself and released her powers to the cosmos
…

‘No!’ Emily howled. She woke, panting heavily as the memories of that terrible night came flooding back.

Pegasus was beside her. He licked her face while everyone else in the camp gathered around.

‘Dad?’

‘Em, you’re safe,’ he said, putting his arms around her.

Emily started to shiver. ‘I remember what happened.’ Her eyes landed on Brue, who was towering over Paelen. ‘They all died …’

‘Who?’ Diana asked, kneeling before her. ‘Emily, who died?’

‘The Xan.’ Emily was overcome with sadness as she remembered everything that had happened on this world so very long ago. She pulled out her special sea-green handkerchief and dabbed at the tears that threatened to fall. The handkerchief had been a gift from Neptune – to collect and store her tears before their powers could do any harm.

‘I was there,’ she spoke slowly as it became clear in her head. ‘I watched them go. They were tired of their endless existence. They said it was time for the younger ones to take over so they could move on. They gathered together and merged their powers and released themselves into the universe.’

‘You were with them?’ Diana asked.

Emily shook her head. ‘No. I was late getting back. Something happened, I can’t remember what. By the time I arrived at the temple, the moons and stars had aligned and everyone was already at the gathering place. I tried to get there on time, but I couldn’t.’ Emily dropped her head. ‘They left without me.’

‘Em,’ her father said gently, ‘that wasn’t you. You’re my baby girl, born and raised in New York City. Those are just memories from someone else’s life.’

Emily raised her eyes and looked at her father. ‘No Dad, it was me. Somehow it was.’ She looked over to the Mother of the Jungle. ‘Brue was there. She saw it all. She begged me to stay so she wouldn’t be left alone. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t be like her, the last of my kind.’

‘What did you do?’ Joel asked. ‘Em, what happened?’

Emily sniffed and searched his handsome face, finding strength in the warmth of his gaze. ‘Joel, do you remember that glass lake?’

When he nodded, she continued. ‘That is all that remains of the Xan. When they released themselves into the universe, their bodies and the ground beneath them melted into thick glass.’

‘We were skating on bodies?’ Joel cried in shock and disgust. Suddenly he understood more. ‘Wait! That small circle? The one on the shore all by itself, that was you, wasn’t it? That was your body?’

Emily nodded. Then her voice changed, and sounded as though someone else was speaking directly through her mouth. ‘
I did not want to be left alone. I tried to follow, but I did not have their collective power. I released myself the same way they did, but it would not work. Instead I destroyed my body and sent what was left of me flaming through the Solar Stream
.’

‘Who are you?’ Emily’s father asked. ‘Who is speaking and where is Emily?’

‘
I am Riza, the last Xan. Emily is here with me. We are one
.’

Diana nodded in blinding comprehension. ‘Riza? That was you who crashed on Olympus!’

‘Of course!’ Chiron added. ‘It all makes sense now. Alone, you were not strong enough to join the others and disperse properly. Instead you somehow crashed on Olympus right before the war with the Titans. It was you, the last Xan, who made it possible for us to defeat them and restore peace. You shared your powers with us. We are part of you!’

Emily nodded. ‘
But it was not just Olympus. I became fragmented. Other parts of me were scattered to other worlds along the Solar Stream. Most of my memories are gone. I cannot remember my early life or my family. That Flame-shard is still missing. I carry only bits and pieces of myself
.

‘
Yet despite being separated, I remained conscious and aware. I remember Vesta coming to me and taking the heart of my powers away. She fragmented me further, when all I wanted was to be whole again
.’

Diana reached for Emily’s hands and lowered her head. ‘I am so very sorry. Had we known, Vesta would never have done that.’

Beside her, Pegasus nickered and pressed his head to her. Emily reached up and stroked his beautiful face. ‘
Do not be sorry. If she had not done it, I would still be just the Flame. Unknown and unheard. Existing in lonely misery. But because she put my heart in a human girl, it gave me a chance to live again. And I have lived, many, many lives. Passing from one girl to another until, finally, the “I” that was the human Emily went into the Temple of the Flame and we merged together
.’

Emily looked down at her hands and took over speaking. ‘I am still Emily, but I am also Riza.’

‘Riza,’ her father repeated softly. He pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered in her ear. ‘Listen to me, Em. I don’t care if you are still my Emily or Riza. I love you – both of you. And you are not alone. There may be no more Xan, but you have a family and people here who care for you.’

‘Oh Dad!’ Emily cried as she threw her arms around him. ‘We love you too!’