Lightning Strikes - Demigod Chronicles book 1
Note to readers
Not everything is as it seems. Not everything is truth. What is and what isn’t is to be determined by you. You possess free will, the greatest of all powers.
CHAPTER 1: Dreams
Ψ Icarus
There was fire as the monster raised it’s hand and it fell down on the village, I ran out of the ocean were I was standing towards the city, now full of flames. Looking around I saw the Soldiers fighting off the demons and the houses burning down. We were losing. I saw the sword in the street and grabbed it then looked down an Isle of homes and saw him. The man who always haunted my dreams. He took off his black cape and helm and drew his sword as he had seen me pick a sword up from the street. “you dare fight a god?” He asked looking straight into my sole. Out of no were my father jumped out of an alley way to the God’s left side and tackled him to the ground, the two men clashed and fought for the God’s sword. My father took a kick to the stomach and fell to the ground. The God rose his sword in the air and I screamed as I through my sword to my father and he caught it, spinning it in his hand and stabbing it into the God’s chest. The God fell to the ground and turned to gust and my father turned his head and looked at me with a smile. The monster, made of molten lava sent another ball of fire upon the city and in a second everything around me was in flames and I was dead. I woke screaming and leaned straight up in my hammock. The light shined in through the window (which was really just a square cut out of the side of the house. I flipped out of the hammock and fell to the ground. I quickly recovered and stood, looking around. “Father?” I asked as I realized I was alone in our small home, I walked out of the door (AKA, big rectangle cut out of another wall in our house) and looked at our house, which was the smallest of all of them in Argos, but it was also closest to the shore line. Right on the beach. I walked to the right side of the house and grabbed the Trident and net off of the wall and noticed my fathers were gone. Must be out already, I thought to myself as I ran east from the beach to were Mount Elanious met the beach, with giant cliffs and rocks that jutted into the sea. “A little late today are we?” I heard my Father Perseus ask as I ran through the natural tunnel that was made by the rocks to the secret beach that we fished at. “No father, I’m on time, you are early” I answered with a smile. Being fifteen years old I was aloud to be arrogant around my father most days. “To be on time is to be late son, to be early is to be on time, and to be late is to not come at all” My father said with a grin. His beard was growing back and his black curly hair was getting longer, he was getting older. It was a scary thought. “Whatever you say old man” I said with a laugh as I ran my hand through my short blond hair and through my net into the water, waiting for the fish. “How did you sleep? Any dreams?” My father asked as we pulled our nets back in and through them back out. “No” I said with a lie, knowing if my father knew what I had dreamt of he would worry. He always said dreams were a passage way to the gods, but I didn’t know how he could believe in them, they never helped us no matter how hard we prayed. Not even when we lost my mother. But that wasn’t what we needed to worry about at the moment. “Really? You were moving around in your hammock a lot when I left the house” he said looking at me with a smile. “I didn’t dream of anything father” I said as I prodded him with the butt end of my Trident. “Don’t goad me boy, I’ll embarrass you” He said with a smile as he lifted his Trident towards me. “How do you plan to embarrass me? there’s no one here old man!” I said with a smile and a laugh, holding my trident up as I had seen soldiers in the Argonian army do in training. My father prodded at me with his trident and I dodged it and used the forks of the trident to pin his to the ground, he ran the left side of his body into me, throwing me to the ground and grabbed both tridents, holding one in each hand, I crouched and got ready in a stance as he prodded at me again with my trident and I grabbed the shaft, pulling it out of his hands and spinning it in a circle, as to goad him. We clashed with our tridents for a while until we were both left tired and out of breath. “You’ve gotten better, you’d make a good soldier” My father said with a smile as we sat down on some rocks. “You know I would never join them, not while Thesis is their leader” I replied looking out the tunnel back at town, “I think we’re done for the day, I’ll pick something up at the market for us to eat” My father said as he walked down the tunnel with his net and trident in hand. I walked over to my net and picked it up along with my trident and walked down the tunnel. I’m exhausted, I thought to myself as I fallowed far behind my father and noticed he was in great shape, not breathing hard at all. What makes him the way he is? He should be more tired than me by now, I kept thinking as I put my trident and net on the outside wall of our house and walked inside. I looked at the small one room area that made up the whole of our little world and then walked out the door and looked behind the house at the City of Argos, built right into Mount Elanious. I turned around and looked out at the sea, the port of Argos was far to my left and I could see the Tiremes and merchant ships as they docked or floated out onto the Mediterranean. Looks beautiful doesn’t it, a voice said inside my head, Yes, who is this?, I thought back, your new best friend, It said back I closed my eyes and opened them again and the voice was gone. Must be tired, I thought to myself, walking into the house and laying down on the hammock. I would worry about it tomorrow.
Ω Perseus
I was getting old, that was no question but I wasn’t that old. “Good day Perseus” Someone said from the street, I raised my hand to their general direction and kept moving. I didn’t venture into the city much, too many people knew about me by now, or at least they knew what I was. I walked up to the market place and entered, looking around at all of the shops and tents as I decided what I would make for Icarus and I. I turned my head to look out at the ocean as I sensed it. It had been forever since I had felt that feeling. It wasn’t a good feeling either. The water pulsed and I walked out of the market. People were gathering in the streets in crowds to see what was going on as the Sapphire chariot rose out of the the water lead by Hippocamps, or fish tailed horses. The Chariot stopped before it reached the shore line and Poseidon himself walked off of the chariot and into the water. Standing there as if looking for something, then spotting my shack and walking towards it. Trident in hand. “Perseus, go, he is probably looking for you” I heard someone whisper form behind me, but all I could think of was Icarus as I ran down to the shack. I made it to the shack in mere minutes and walked in the door to find the God Poseidon sitting on my hammock talking to my son. “Great things are coming for you Icarus, great things” he said in his deep voice as he then looked over at me and smiled then motioned for me to sit next to my son. “Uncle, I am surprised to see you again” I said looking at him then at Icarus, who seemed to be baffled by me calling Poseidon Uncle. “I am surprised to be here again Perseus, but it is happening again and this time we can’t stop it. I am here to warn you that war will soon be upon us and you are being called to Olympus along with me and your son. We need anyone with the slightest ounce of Heavenly blood at the ready for training” he said, taking a glance at Icarus. “I wont have him fighting your war. I’ll go, but he will stay” I said, ready to stand my ground on that thought. “I know how you feel Perseus, but my own Grandson will be there also and Zeus will not stand for his not being present” Poseidon urged, Icarus went rigid at the mention of Zeus’s name. Poseidon noticed. “He doesn’t know does he? How dare you not tell him what he is!” Poseidon said, rising out of my hammock. “You forget your in my house, under my rules” I said standing up, it had been forever since I let out the god in me and I wasn’t sure if I could draw it back out again. “You forget who you are!” Poseidon yelled, smashing the butt of his Trident into the ground, causing the whole earth to shake. “No! I resist what I am so that I can give him a normal life!” I yelled, clenching my fists and feeling the electricity pulse through my vanes. Poseidon could sense it and put his hand on my shoulder, “Your father wont stand for him not coming” He said in a low voice as he turned and walked outside. “What was that about, and what in the name of Olympus is going on? Are we…..” I held my hand up to Perseus before he could ask any more questions and walked out of the house to fallow Poseidon. “When am I to leave!” I yelled at him as he walked into the water, “Your horse will be here tomorrow morning with Hermes” Poseidon yelled back as he walked on to the chariot and it sped away through the water. I looked back at the house, Icarus stood at the door with a confused look on his face. I had some explaining to do
Ψ Icarus
The explaining was simple enough, my father had made it very simple and told me not to ask any questions. ”Your grandfather is Zeus, and that was your Uncle” he said as he walked out of the house. That was twenty minutes ago, I sat down on my hammock inside of the hut and I knew that there were bad things going on. From what my Uncle had said I suspected that father and I were going to Olympus and if that was true then that meant that every other demigod or any other living being with ichor (the blood of the gods) flowing through their veins was also being called. Poseidon had also said that something was happening again, what it was though I had no clue. ”I’ll be inside soon” My father said from somewhere outside, I heard some metal clinking and looked out the window. The sun was going down. Tomorrow would come sooner than we thought. My father walked into the house and I gasped. In his hand he held a giant golden box that he placed on the ground. ”What’s that?” I asked in amazement, trying not to fall out of my hammock, “Your inheritance and my old armaments” he answered. He placed his hand on top of the lid and it slid off the box and fell to the ground. Inside the box sat two sets of armor, helms, and swords. One set was the purest glowing white, and the other was a pure glowing gold. ”The white ones are yours” Father said as he looked over at me and reached into the box. He took his hand out of the box and in it there was a sword, a Lakonia or short sword, with a white hilt and white scabbard. He smiled and threw me the sword and I caught it in my left hand and unsheathed the sword with my right. The sword had a god like glow to it and I stood up and turned it around in my hand, then swung it like I was about to take down an enemy. It was light, easy to swing, and very comfertable. ”The god Hephaestus crafted it himself, it’s name is Thanatos, or Death” I smiled and twisted the sword around in my hand “It’s amazing, and it feels…. Powerful” I mustered as I took a stab at another fake enemy. ”That’s because it’s ability is to make the weilder the best swordsman in all of Greece. It once belonged to Ares, god of war, and now it is yours” My father said, I felt my face drop as I was shrowded in fear. ”It…. belonged….to…. Ares?” I asked, I almost felt the sword fall out of my hand, but I hadn’t lost that muchstrenght out of fear. ”I took it from him when I defeated him, there are no hard fealings now….. Or at least I hope not” My father said smiling at me. ”How will he react when we’re in his presence tomorrow?” I asked, I could feal my voice quiver. I was surprised by the fear that was coursing through me and I knew that I wasn’t ever going to be able to face a god. The idea scared me. But what scared me more was how I had lost all the courage I had ever posessed in a matter of seconds. It was unnerving. ”He wont react. He doesn’t want the force of your grandfather to fall down on him” My father answered. I looked back out the window, it was very quiet and very dark outside. ”Get some sleep. We leave early tomorrow” Father said, he put the lid on top of the golden box and whispered something to it. In seconds it had sunk down into the ground. ”How??” I muttered as I lied down in the hammock, “Magic” My father answered as he got into his hammock. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see anything like that ever again.
Ж ΣGYPT Ж
ζ Amun
There was five seconds and I rolled to the left bringing up my Khopesh to hook Abisi‘s spear and push it upwards. ”Good job Amun! Keep it up!” he said as he brought his spear back and got ready to attack again. I checked my surroundings, The temple of Edfu (dedicated to Horus my patron god) was close to us (we were in the yard outside of the front door) and I was worried Abisi would bring the fight inside. Some people could say that Abisi and I were brothers, he had always had my back. We even looked alike, the same dark skin that was almost completely black (except his was lighter) and we were both priests in training at the temple of Edfu. I was a master in the use of a Khopesh, or the Egyptian curved sword and Abisi was a master with his spear. ”Don’t let up on me Amun!” Abisi taunted as I rolled to the right. We were supposed to be on guard duty, but the night was getting very boring as it went on and we needed something to do. I used the curve of my blade, knowing it’s sharpness and pushed Abisi‘s spear down to the ground making sure to exert as much pressure as I could and felt the spear give out and snap. ”WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!” Abisi yelled as he through the shaft of his spear on the ground, “Because I like to win!” I answered back with a smile. ”This is no game Amun! What if we are attacked!?” Abisi yelled. Right as he finished what seemed to be a yellow comet fell straight from the sky and landed inside of the temple’s court yard. Abisi and I ran inside immediately, not having to say a thing and I threw him a knife as we entered the hall. ”Put down your weapons, I mean you no harm” A calm, but powerful voice told us. Were the Comet had hit there was a creature with the body of a man and head of a Falcon. ”Lord Horus” Abisi and I both muttered, drained of all strength and courage. I kneeled and placed my Khopesh on the ground, looking to my left I saw Abasi doing the same. ”Rise Amun, I am here to collect you and your friend Abisi” Horus said as he walked over to us. ”Yes My lord” I said, rising. ”How may we be of service?” Abisi asked, I didn’t know were he got the courage. Horus put his right hand on Abasi‘s left shoulder and his left hand on my right shoulder. ”There is a storm coming that will kill us all. I need all of my junior and major priests to join me and the other gods to try and prevail.” Horus answered. I didn’t know what to say, but as soon as he finished we were surrounded by a golden aura and sent flying into the air towards the heavens, looking around I saw many more yellow comets flying into the sky from all over Egypt and I knew that they were all of Horus’s followers.
Ω GREECE Ω
Ψ Icarus
The Sun was bright as it shined into the window and I was awakened. I heard my Father outside, talking to a man who’s voice I did not recognize and I got out of my hammock. The golden box from the night before was open in the middle of the hut and I quickly put it on over my clothes. I walked outside in the shining white armor with the sword on my left hip and the helm (with it’s blue horse main) under my left arm. ”Icarus, how nice of you to join us” My father said looking away from the man in golden armor with olive skin and curly black hair. I studied the man and noticed that his shoes had wings on them. I’m not a person who judges others, so I didn’t say anything. ”Icarus, nice to meet you” The man said sticking out his hand, I took it and felt the strength of his grip, this man had to be a god. ”Nice to meet you also Hermes” I said, thinking back to what Poseidon had said the day before. ”Smart boy you got here Perseus” Hermes said as he turned around and whistled. My father point up in the sky as two horses with wings, or pegasus (is plural pegasi?) flew down to the beach to meet us. ”Don’t be scared Icarus, we’re blood of Zeus, we’re born for the sky” Father said as he got on to the black one and I got onto the white one. ”Now son, as soon as we take of the creature will meld it’s mind with your own, you will become one and the creature will never leave you until the day it dies!” Father said as he grabbed his horses main and it took off into the air. I put my helmet on then grabbed onto mines main and thought, fly, the pegasus took off into the air at the highest speed I have ever traveled and we were suddenly in the clouds. Your not so bad at this are you little guy?, I thought to the pegasus as we climbed higher into the air and the God Hermes flew past us with his winged shoes. Don’t call me little guy or I’ll put you right in the Mediteranian, The horse thought back. That ended my conversastion with the pegasus as we got so high into the clouds that everything around me was white. Hold on tight, this is gonna be bumpy, The Pegasus thought to me, I grabbed it’s main and held on for all of life as it flew forward and suddenly out of the cloud bank. “LOOK DOWN ICARUS!” My father yelled as he flew next to me, I looked down and saw the most beautiful city ever imagined. Olympus. We landed the Pegasus outside of a gigantic temple and walked inside, the room was shaped like a greek omega (Ω) and 12 giant thrones were arranged on the walls. ”We need to be by Zeus” Father said as he walked me over to my Grandfathers throne in the middle of the room. ”Perseus, Icarus, I’m glad you could join us” Zeus said as we walked over and stood on both sides of his throne. Zeus was in the cerimonial Greek Toga and had white curly hair on top of his head and a long curly beard and mustache. ”Icarus, stay after everyone leaves the throne room, I need a word with you” Zeus whispered over to me in a powerful voice. ”Yes sire” I answered, he chuckled and I didn’t know what to do so I looked at my father, “Call him Grandfather” he said and stood at attention as Zeus stood out of his chair. I did the same. Horns sounded off in the distance as two men entered the room, one of them had on a blue toga and had identical hair to Zeus, except a shorter beard and blue hair (Poseidon) and the other had on a black Toga and had a clean shaven face and short hair on his head. ”Poseidon, Hades, nice of you to join me on this day” Zeus said as more men walked in, I looked over at my father and he mouthed the words “Demigods” and I knew that those were the relatives of mine that had chosen to stay in Olympus. Every Demigod family gets a choice when they are born, Stay in the human relm and be a mortal, or come to Olympus and train to be a hero. Most chose hero, but my father chose for us to live in the realm of humans, and you could tell we were ill prepared for what was abbout to happen. Stay strong my boy, your in better shape than half the people here, the voice of Zeus said in my head. I had a hard time believing him
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