Tales of Olympia : Chapter 13 (Excerpts)

 A few steps forward they came across a commotion in front of a stall selling fried eels. Few people were gathered in front of the stall, as an heavy set women wearing an apron held a thin boy by his elbow.

“Stealing with your dirty hands, you lil punk?  How dare you?”

She yanked the boy roughly and shook him. The boy looked thin and malnourished, with rough curly hair covering his head. He kept his eyes lowered on the ground. But when the women continued berating him and raised her hand, he looked up. His eyes looked hardened and unfaltering.

 

“He is a serf.”

Someone in the small crowd of bystanders now gathered called out.

“Who does he belong to?

“That’s sols color hew wearing aint it?”

 The women turned to the boy with a nasty look.

“When Lord sol hear about this, he gonna teach you a lesson.”

For the first time the boys eye showed something close to fear.

“Call the sol guards and hand him to em, they will make him right.” A man standing right in the front of the crowd sneered.

 

“Wait.” Hades called out, before someone from the crowd left to call the sols guard who were quite fearsome by reputation alone.

 

He stepped out of the crowd to the women “How much does he owe you?”

 

A murmur went up the crowd.

“Isn’t that the prince?”

Tales of Olympia : Chapter 12 (Excerpts)

She saw only white light in front of her as anger blinded her. She was about to claw his eyes out but someone got to him before her. Scar stood in front of her, his sword was out. Po had been pushed back and was unsteady on his feet. And then everything happened in a flash. Po and Scar clashed with each other, scar swung his sword so fast that it was just flashing light, while Po who held a huge golden trident in his hand from nowhere parried the fast attacks. Both of them were dancing across the corridor now. The sound of metal on metal clashed through the corridor. Curious heads peeped out of the classrooms and a small crowd of curious bystanders formed on the sides, careful not to get in the way of the two warring boys.

Delphinus was looking vexed, as he tried to interrupt the fight.

 

“Po, stop it. Stop your guy.” He said looking around at Dora.

 

“What’s happening here?” Hades had arrived. Korai was with him.

 

“Scar and Po got into a fight.” Dora said guiltily.

 

Hades frowned and pursed his lips, and his face got a hard look. A look Dora was familiar with, it was a look of disapproval. Hades went towards the sparring boys unveiling his own sword as he walked forward. A lethal black blade, neither too long nor to short. Po and Scar were too busy throwing their swords at each to notice a new entrant on the field.

 

Suddenly there was a sound like cracking whip, both Po and Scar jumped back from each other as if burned. Hades Stood between them with his veiled sword, it was aflame with black flames.

 

“STOP it, both of you.” He said his voice cool and loud like steel.

 

“Brother, stand aside, unless you want a taste of this.” The air around Po started warming, his hair flew as if in a storm. Small electricity sparks cracked around him and bystanders close to him jumped back alarmed.

 

“Stop it Po.” Hades repeated “You could harm the students.”

Tales of Olympia : Chapter 11 (Excerpts)

The day dawned bright and fresh, Dora woke up early. She let marmee have her way today, pruning and preening her until, her skin shone. She had slipped into a pastel colored chiffon outfit, with a floral print inlaid. Marmee had few strands of her hair pulled back on top and decorated with lilies, the rest of her hair cascaded down her back, in lovely curls. Marmee placed one last lily on her hair and stepped back to admire her reflection in the golden encrusted mirror. Dora gave her a warm smile.

“Miss Dora, you look heavenly.” Marmee gave her a kiss on her head fondly. After she was dressed up and ready, Dora went down to her grandfather’s study. Her grandfather’s raspy voice answered her knock. He was busy pouring over some papers, but looked up when she approached his table. She took her seat opposite him, the place she always took from childhood.

“Dora, my child, ready for your induction.” Dora nodded.

“These are new beginning, not only for you but for the Kashinovs. Break and you, I know have been burdened with expectations. But I am sure you will shine through.”

“Of course grandpa.”

“We have friends in the academia, we can rely on. But I expect you to give your best.”

Dora smiled and nodded. Of course, she knew what her role was. The future of Kashinovs rested on their shoulders, she could never fail, and she will not allow herself to fail.

After breakfast Rueben turned up with a note from Hades, he had to leave early due to an urgency, so Dora was on her own. It was the induction and she would have liked to start the day with Hades, but oh well, looks like she is on her own.

Tales of Olympia : Chapter 10 (Excerpts)

“Hey” Hades called out to her. She stopped midway and turned to look at hades surprised. Green. Her eyes were the color of the green fields stretching forever, where his mother would chase after him and he would run in abandon. He would look back to see her with her arms outstretched, her head thrown back  a slight smile on her face, defiant to the gusting winds around her.

“Yes” her answer pulled him back with a jerk grounding him to earth.

“Your arms keep it straight. And arch your sword a complete half circle.” he said briskly. “Only then you will be able to manipulate your mana correctly. It need to flow with your body.”

She immediately flushed, her face fell.

“Oh, like this.” She asked slashing her sword with gusto.

“Close.”                  

“Show me.” She asked offering her sword to him. He sighed inwardly, exasperated. Great he should have just kept his mouth shut.

“You hold it perpendicular like this. Moreover, when you slash it forward, you need to do it smoothly. Your mana is like water; your sword is an oar. You have to guide it and not get guided by it.” He said cutting the air smoothly with the dummy sword, so that the air vibrated and rippled like water.

She looked on with eyes as wide as two pennies and actually gasped when he created the air ripples.

“I can never do that and I have been practicing, every day morn to noon. I thought I was just terrible.”

“Practice is important, but so is technique.” Something Hades could vouch for. “Why didn’t you ask any of these guys for help?”

“Most don’t want…..anything to do with me, they think am stupid.”

Hades did not exactly have a comeback for that; mortals were not exactly treated with respect in gaia. In fact, demis were seen as abominations. He wondered whether he should nod sympathetically, a sympathy he did not particularly feel. Thankfully, he was saved from any reaction by her response.

“Am korai, I was there for the initiation. I dunno whether you remember.” She said uncertainly, shifting from her left to right foot. Her voice was husky and she had a thick gaian accent.

Tales of Olympia : Chapter 9 (Excerpts)

“Are you satisfied?”

Hades turned to look at the man in the robes.

 

“Yes.” Hades replied.

 

“Now you are king of the dead though.”

 

“It’s what they deserved.”

 

“And did you deserve this?”

 

Their boat came to an abrupt halt, as its hull clashed on solid land. Hades frowned; every moment seemed like a ticking bomb increasing his anxiety. The man got down from the small boat, unhooked the lantern and motioned hades to follow him. Hades drew his arms together, as a defense to the chilling cold that attacked them. He looked around trying to access the location. He was on rocky, uneven ground, melting into black to his eyes. His vision was hazy owing to the mist that hung low over the ground like a thick blanket. He followed the light of the lantern bouncing of the thick mist forming dark shadows and glimmering light. It reminded him of Zeus thunderbolts.

 

The mist started clearing and a huge wall of black molten rock became visible. Hades tried looking at its peak but it seemed to extend forever. He followed the man into a small crevice between two large boulders. The passage inside was treacherous. Sharp rock jutted out in the most importunate places, hades kept hurting his feet trying to negotiate his way around it and the harsh turns every now and then made him feel disoriented. Soon enough the passage cleared into a large area.

 

Hades looked awe stuck, His jaws almost dropped to the ground. By the looks of it, it looked like an ancient throne room came to ruins, caved in this mountain. The throne made of limestone and hardened black lava was embedded in the cave walls at one end. What stuck Hades particularly was the forty feet stone statues standing in a circle around a slightly raised dais in the middle of the clearing. Hades craned his neck to see the face of the statues, but they were armored each holding a great knight sword between their legs. It filled him with wonder, where was he?  The center of the dais, contained a raised structure carved in the shape of a scabbard. The hilt of a long sword was clearly visible embedded in the stone frame. Its pommel was a three-headed dog, with red rubies inserted in place of its eyes.

 

Hades heart beat wildly, was this his prize?

Tales of Olympia : Chapter 8 (Excerpts)

She was no longer in the Kashinov mansion. She was…she did not know where she was. Her eyes were not able adjust to the dim setting around her. Except in front of her, there was the stone chalice containing the orb in it. She wondered if she was somehow back in the arena. The orb was glowing illuminating a white light around it. A woman was standing in front of the orb, her back turned towards dora. She had long silver hair. She was wearing a white robe so silky; it looked like she had wrapped water around her. She was singing.

“You commit endless follies,

Letting your desires make your destiny.”

The women turned around and faced Dora. Her blue eyes glowed, giving her an eerie look.  Large butterflies the color of sapphire with intricate patterns on its wings fluttered around her, some sat on her shoulders, her hair, made patterns on her white gown. The butterflies were glowing a dim blue. She raised a finger and one landed on its tip.

“Aren’t they beautiful Dora.”

She raised her head Upwards. Dora followed her eyes. She let out an audible gasp. Butterflies of all sizes attached themselves on the rocky surface above them. She could hardly see any surface that was not covered with these insects. She looked around; every surface around her was covered with them. These large insects were beautiful with their dim glow. Dora watched hypnotized and yet her insides felt queasy. There was something sinister about these large insects.

The women stepped forward outside the glow of the orb. Her skin was pale and her blue eyes glowed in the dimness. A soft radiance encircled her.

She stretched her hand towards Dora who was still on her knees.

“When the time is fair, and you’re in despair,

When the oceans retreat, and leave you to bleed,”

The tears rolled down Dora’s cheeks, she was shivering. Her body trembled as an unsurmountable grief took over her.

“When the heart betrays, and leads you astray,

“Will you let your sins arise, and make them your best allies?”

Tales of Olympia : Chapter 7 (Excerpts)

A booming sound pierced the air, the blowing of the trumpet to announce the arrival of the Queen and her posse, along with other esteemed dignitaries. They filed into wooden podium, situated at one end of the arena. It was a large suspended wooden stage, attached to the side of the parapet of the first floor. The queen took her seat, at the front and center of the stage, on a gold encrusted seat. On her left, was the valvar chief.  On her right, Raghor sol, the heir of sol family. Today he wore flashy orange satin robes; his muddy blond hair was straight and parted in the middle of his head, it hung below his waist.

The queen was resplendent today in golden robes, which caught the rays of the sun and flashed.

Her crown, with Hugh red rubies, glittered so brightly that Dora could see it all the way from her enclosure.

“Oww…..my eyes.” Skar whispered, shading his eyes. Dora laughed.

She spotted her uncle Kyiv, who was there representing house Kashinov; take his place a few seats away from the queen.

After refreshments were served and all had settled down, Raghor Sol stood up and addressed the arena from the Podium.

 "We are gathered here by the wills of the god, so let’s start this auspicious day by offering prayers to the sun god."

 The sols were rabid sun worshippers. They were one of the richest house on Olympus. They owned the arena, which had many rich patronages, the royal house being one of them. The Kashinovs were also one of the patrons. A sore point with break. It was common knowledge how the arena came into being.

 Soon enough, the arena reverberated with melodious chanting followed by the appearance of the twelve priestess of the sun god. These were beautiful maidens, pledged to the sun god. The priestess followed a head priest, dressed in a white and golden ensemble, into the arena. The center of the arena had a dais, cut from black rock to form a roughly hewn oval shape, irregular and grainy on its surface. The black rock called onyx was one of the most powerful substance known to god kind, for its property of being able to absorb mana, and sometimes reflect the residue. Weapons made of onyx were prized possession. Ironically, it could only be found on certain regions of Gaia. Four metallic pillars on four sides surrounded the oval dais. In the center of the dais, the floor rose to form a stone chalice, supported on a column, raising four feet of the ground. The stone chalice contained a white translucent orb in it.

 The head priest took his place, center of the dais, next to the stone chalice. The priestess formed a circle around the dais, just outside of it. Each of them carried a silver chalice containing a finger of red flame . The priestess were dressed in white flowy robes. Transparent veils covered their faces. The beauty of the sun priestess was renowned throughout all the realms, paralleled to the ‘pulchra tribe of women’ from the mountains and the sirens under the oceans. The priestess never showed their faces to public. “Then how can we judge their beauty” Pandora thought.