• Fall of Olympus
    by
    Stone M. Medina

    Chapter 1
    It was a bleak December when the golden paradise that was Olympus fell. It didn’t happen during the rise of Greece. It happened on December 21, 2012. People said that Zeus and the other gods disappeared. They didn’t; they just left the mortal realm to itself and stayed. Demeter wept as humans destroyed her life’s work with toxic oil and radiation, yet Zeus would not let her care for her garden. It was days of tragedy that Zeus would often blame Prometheus for what he had created and would grow angry towards Heracles for
    rescuing Prometheus from the hawk. Zeus summoned his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, for a private council. They determined that they should wipe out the mortals. They determined a day where the world would explode in catastrophe. However, not all gods sympathized with the brothers. Apollo and Artemis were such. The siblings knew that the humans should have a fighting chance. They were able to recruit Athena, Hephaestus, and Heracles. The other gods, especially Demeter and Ares, waited for the appointed day to call Judgment. The five rouge gods just played along. They had to hurry; they only had ten years to fully train the mortals how to fight and, possibly, kill gods. They each had their respective jobs. Apollo had to find a way to recruit people; Athena, Artemis, and Heracles would teach the fledglings to fight and tactics; and Hephaestus would forge armor and weapons. They needed soldiers and that was up to Apollo.

    Apollo tried to get potential soldiers, but no one would listen, because of his subtle
    approach. He needed secrecy from Zeus and the others. All seemed lost, for an army is
    useless without soldiers. After one day of trying to get soldiers, Apollo sat in his god form upon a rock and buried his face in his hands. His sister was getting impatient and he was
    running out of excuses for his constant disappearance from Zeus’s court. His superior ears heard a child’s scream about 700 feet west of him. Apollo went to investigate the source of the cry. He saw a small child running from four bigger children throwing stones at him. He pleaded with them to leave him alone. They shouted that he should have just stayed in the orphanage. One stone hit him directly in the back of his head and he hit the stone bridge face first. Apollo was about to intervene when the child got back up. He had hate in his eyes, and he found a solid branch and went after the other children. He struck one across the face,
    dropping him. The others were surprised and drew up their own sticks. They surrounded him and proceeded to attack him. He elbowed the nearest one in the stomach and cracked his branch on the bigger boy’s neck. The small boy was struck in the back, which dropped him to a knee. He countered by literally sweeping the others’s off their feet. He broke his branch on the back of the leader and started to walk to the other side of the bridge.
    The leader got up and called the small boy a “chicken crap.” The boy looked over his right shoulder, only to see a speeding stone. It made contact in his right eye. He cried out in sheer agony and fell off the bridge backwards. Ruby tears hit the cold ground and the stone bounced, covered in that which gives life. Despite his small stature, the small child made a large and loud splash. The other boys got up and had horrified faces.
    “Ted,” called one of the boys to the leader, “you k-k-k-killed-”
    “Shut up!” Ted yelled. “I didn’t do nuttin ya hear! Nuttin! Let’s get out of here!” The boys ran into the forest back to suburbia. Apollo walked to the river and found the small boy, who turned the water around him red. He was floating, red flowing from his injured eye. Apollo held him and felt that Hades would have a new resident soon. He closed the boy’s eyes,
    regretting his hesitance.
    “Apollo.” He looked around, searching for the source of the whisper. “My god. You are real.”
    It barely registered to Apollo that it was the boy who was whispering to him. He looked down; the boy’s eyes were still closed.
    “In the orphanage,” the boy began, “I had no friends. I only had books. I loved the Greek mythologies, especially the ones about you.” He opened his left eye and gazed upon him. “You truly are a beautiful god.” His left eye watered and he coughed; his brain was about to hemorrhage. Apollo could feel his life force fading.
    “Apollo, my lord,” the boy whispered, “I can be your Phatheon.” Apollo’s cheeks drained of color as he recalled the death of his son. “Or if you think me unworthy of replacing him, allow me to be your sword and shield, and I shall serve only you...” The boy’s brain hemorrhaged and there he died convulsing in the arms of the Sun god.

    Apollo closed his eye and laid him on the side of the river. He called for Hermes, the messenger of the gods.
    “Give me counsel with Hades,” Apollo said. Hermes saluted and traveled to the Underworld and told Hades that Apollo requested to meet him and Hades allowed it. Hermes returned with Apollo.
    “My golden nephew,” Hades began,” what business you brings to such a dark and gloomy place, given to me by damned luck?”
    “Hades, my powerful uncle, I request that you allow me to take back the soul of a child whose death was untimely and incorrect.”
    “Apollo, you of all gods should know that untimely deaths do not exist. The Fates cut the strings of life when they feel it is time. But that is beside the point. What motive do you have? Children of all ages die at ‘untimely’ events, why do you wish this particular child?”
    “My business is of my own, Hades. Zeus knows I’ve never asked you for a favor, please grant me this one.” Hades grunted.
    “You do twist my arm, nephew. Fine, but just this once. Persephone!” The Queen of the Underworld came with the spirit of the boy.
    “He is under your care, now Apollo. I certainly can see why you would want this child. He is certainly full of vigor. The moment he arrived here, he fought and beat a stronger man. ”
    “This seems to be his character, Lady Persephone. Thank you.” Apollo walked out of the dark with the boy and placed him back into his body. Persephone had given the child an eye cover for his lame eye, for his victor over an Elysian warrior. She assured Apollo that though it would not return his sight, he would have the ability to see an incoming strike. She also had him drink from the River Styx, which sharpened his reflexes and increased his strength. The boy awoke and got on a knee before him and faced the floor.
    “Thank you, my lord.”
    “Thank me not, child, for you may regret pledging your life to me.” Then the child smiled.
    “My lord, you save me and whatever task you may ask of me, I promise I will carry it out whole heartily.”
    “What is your name?”
    “I have no name, but if I must, please call me...” The boy stopped and thought then beamed when he got one. “Arthur, like the king. My name is Arthur.”
    “Then so it shall be. Arthur, champion of Apollo, the Sun God.” Apollo allowed himself to smile as Arthur’s eye widened when he heard champion. Apollo put a hand on his back.
    “Come my son. There is much to be done.” He and Arthur walked to the Chariot of the Sun and flew back to the hut of Artemis.