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  Before anger could course through his veins, she said, “The dinner lines will take forever, so I arranged for the servants to serve our meal at a private table.”

  “Princess, you shouldn’t baby the man,” Bacchus said as he approached the two. Athena sighed as if seeing his intentions from a mile away.

  “You can come, too,” she said in a voice that hinted he wasn’t welcomed.

  “I’m honored, my lady,” he said, then looked at Jonas. “You did pretty good up there, Jonas. One day, I’d like to take you on in a friendly duel.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to it,” Jonas replied. “And I won’t lose.”

  “Hey, Jonas, what’s that?” Athena said as she inspected his medallion. “This looks very familiar.”

  “Your father gave it to me,” Jonas said.

  “King Zeus gave you that?” Bacchus said. “What’d you do to get so lucky?”

  As she inspected the medallion more, she gasped, her face reddening. “I–I can’t believe Father willingly gave this to you. Do you . . . know what it means?”

  “He didn’t tell me,” Jonas replied. “Is it a big deal?”

  Athena let out a sigh of relief. “That’s okay. It’s kind of embarrassing right now. Come on, let’s eat.”

  “Wait,” Bacchus said. “Let’s invite Prince Thor and Sif.”

  “And why should we do that?” Jonas said. “Sif is nice, but Thor’s a problem.”

  “He’s not that bad once you get to know him.” Bacchus’ lemming appeared on top of his shoulder. Jonas still felt himself react within. Everyone around him treated teleporting like normal. “Hey, Ike, what’s the news?”

  The lemming folded his arms. “You are in Class Dragon.”

  “Sounds pretty good,” Bacchus said.

  “How will I get my class?” Jonas asked. “My lemming won’t be ready until tomorrow.”

  “And that’s my problem, human?” Ike snarled. Jonas glared at him.

  “Lucky for you, I do have the complete class list of Dragon.” He pulled a scroll out of his pocket, unrolled it, and cleared his throat. “The class list for Dragon reads, Bacchus, Sif, Cupid, Able, Venus, Jude, Loki, Mathis, Thor.” He paused. “And you, Jonas.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Whatever, human.”

  “Not a bad class,” Bacchus said, “except for Loki.”

  “And Cupid,” Ike added with a laugh.

  “The woman magnet, huh? He’s going to be the prissy type, yes?”

  “Can we eat now?” Jonas said. “We can grieve about how bad our class is later.”

  Athena laughed. “Come.”

  When the group sat at Athena’s table, Bacchus said to Ike, “Can you retrieve Sif and Thor?” He looked at Athena. “Maybe we should gather our entire class.”

  “No,” Athena said. “Just those two . . . now go.” Ike muttered something as he teleported away. Jonas picked up his fork, eager to plow it into the beef on his plate, but stopped when he noticed that Athena and Bacchus stared at him.

  “We’ll cut you a break since you’re not used to life here,” Bacchus said. “Here, we don’t eat until all important guests are seated. Believe it or not, Prince Thor will not shame his family by ignoring a royal invitation.” Minutes later, Thor and Sif arrived at the table.

  “We are honored to be invited to eat with you,” Sif said. Thor simply nodded.

  “Likewise,” Athena said. “Please sit.”

  After they sat, Jonas wasted no time taking a stab at his beef. The juicy, savory flavor burst through his taste buds, increasing his hunger. He felt a tad embarrassed for completing his meal first, but harbored no regrets.

  “Can’t believe this,” muttered Thor. “Let me ask you something, human. Do you even know why we’re here?”

  “He has a name,” Sif said.

  “Of course I know why we’re here,” Jonas said with a little anger in his voice.

  “Then let me ask you another question,” Thor continued. “What makes you think you’re able to wield lightning? Even the smallest of contact will give us a mess to clean.”

  “We won’t know unless I try,” Jonas replied. “You may not like us, but you shouldn’t look down on humans.” Jonas could tell by Thor’s redness and expression that he burned with anger. What’s his problem anyway? Jonas thought.

  “Very well, then,” Thor said minutes after finishing his steak and rice. “If the competition doesn’t break you, I will.”

  “Enough already!” Athena interjected. “I tire of this. Let us have dessert.”

  Two servants flooded the table with plates of cakes, pies, and sweets Jonas didn’t recognize. One of the servants, a woman with short, brown hair, smiled at Jonas. “Lady Athena made this. Please try it.” She placed a pie with purple filling on his plate.

  “Looks goods. What kind of pie is it?”

  “Just blueberry,” replied the servant. Jonas frowned.

  “I’m not exactly fond of blueberries,” he said softly.

  “Come on, just try it,” the servant pushed. “Trust me, you’ll like it.”

  “Fine.” He pulled a chunk of pie with his fork and ate. The sweet flavor tickled Jonas’s taste buds with pleasure. “You’re right; this is really good.”

  Athena smiled. “Thanks.”

  “That does look good. Let me try, Princess,” Bacchus said.

  “Nope, I made it for Jonas, though I knew not that he disliked blueberries.”

  “You’re a strange one, Jonas,” Bacchus laughed. “Who hates blueberries? Bananas, I understand, but blueberries?”

  “It’s a long story,” Jonas said, and then took another bite of the pie.

  After dinner, the candidates either socialized or went back to their rooms.

  “I’m out of here,” Thor said as he headed for a side entrance.

  “You should at least stick around for a bit,” Sif scolded. She turned to the others. “Thanks for a great dinner. See you tomorrow.” She nodded and hurried after Thor.

  “That’s going to be an interesting married couple, I think,” Bacchus said.

  “They’re engaged?” Jonas said, surprised.

  “They are,” Athena confirmed.

  “Say, Jonas, do you not have someone waiting for you back in your world?”

  “No,” Jonas said, disapproving Veronica’s image that appeared in his mind. They would never meet again.

  “Really now,” Bacchus said with a chuckle. “I find that hard to believe, or are you just shy?”

  “He said he has no one yet, so leave him alone,” Athena scolded.

  Bacchus chuckled. “I only tease, my lady. One day we’ll see Romeo here walking hand and hand with some beauty.”

  “Romeo?”

  “He’s just a human legend,” Bacchus told Jonas. Jonas looked around, taking notice of the shrinking crowd. Candidates and lemmings were leaving or teleporting to their rooms. Teleporting . . . Such a convenient form of magic, Jonas thought. He felt a bit envious that titans could wield such power whenever they wanted.

  “Hey, Athena, I’d like you to teach me some magic one day,” Jonas said.

  “You can’t address the princess that way,” Bacchus said.

  “Actually, he can,” Athena said. “I do not want him to address me formally.”

  “It is your call, my lady, but a lot of people are going to get upset.”

  “I care not,” Athena said. “Besides, he selflessly risked his life for me today. A man like him appears once in a lifetime.”

  “Princess, what happened? Who attacked you?”

  “Worry not. I gave my father every detail of the scoundrel.” Athena turned to Jonas. “After this, there is something I must speak with you about.”

  Bacchus shook his head. “You know, I’m kind of jealous. You’re getting an abnormal amount of attention from the princess and now a night call?”

  “It is an important matter,” Athena snapped, her face flustered. “I demand you drop this foolish speech righ
t now.”

  “I jest, I jest,” Bacchus laughed. “He’s here in an unknown world, a single human. I know you want him to feel at home.” Ike reappeared on Bacchus’s shoulder.

  “It is time for the candidates to get some rest.”

  “It’s been a blast teasing you, but I bid you goodnight.” Bacchus bowed to Athena and then left.

  Athena sighed in relief. “He’s so annoying.”

  “Come on, he’s not that bad,” Jonas laughed.

  “Maybe, but I tire of formalities.”

  “So, what was that you wanted to speak about?”

  “Let’s go to your room first,” Athena suggested. “This is not the place something of this matter should be discussed.”

  The duo entered the palace’s side exit, and after the twists and turns and saying good night to lingering candidates they passed, they finally reached Jonas’s room. Athena closed the door after they entered.

  “So what’s the matter?” Jonas asked.

  “It’s about the sword you have,” Athena said. “How did you gain possession of something like that? My brother even asked Father if you were really human.”

  “I found this sword in the woods,” Jonas said. He decided to keep the details to himself until he knew Athena well enough to fully trust her with them.

  “There’s no way . . . Jonas, do you know what that sword is?”

  “It’s special, I guess. If you’re lucky, it may trap you into a hell of nothingness.”

  “You mean you’ve carried that without knowing that is the Holy Sword?”

  ***

  That night, Jonas tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Even though Athena knew it was the Holy Sword, she knew little about it. The man that attacked her earlier desired it, but what power did it possess? Jonas knew that it could supply him with miraculous energy and trap people in a white void of nothingness. Maybe this was why the man sought it. If the wrong hands possessed such a sword, everything would be in danger.

  Jonas crawled out of bed, put his shirt and shoes on, and slowly opened his door. He quietly walked down a hall, turned left, and took a staircase. At the end of the stairs were a balcony and a brilliant night sky. Two moons paraded it, accompanied by billions of multicolored stars. Jonas leaned on the balcony and admired the cool breeze that whipped across his face. He turned to his right and froze. A girl with long, black hair, dressed in matching robes, stared down below the balcony as if she contemplated whether to jump. She looked depressed, as if she mourned every second she breathed.

  “Nice night, is it not?” Jonas said to her. She turned to him. The red irises of her eyes sent a chill through Jonas’s spine.

  “Who are you?” she asked, her red eyes nearly immobilizing him.

  “I’m Jonas.”

  She smiled. “Interesting for a common human boy to wield such a powerful sword. What is happening in the world?”

  “I’d like to know the same thing,” Jonas said.

  The girl laughed. “I am called Medusa.”

  Jonas gasped, confusedly. “You’re Medusa?” He had heard many tales of the titan Medusa. One of the most famous legends described her as a giant, snake-like creature. Could this girl be that? If so, how?

  “Surprised?” she turned her gaze to the stars in the sky. “I’m impressed. You’re the first not to react dramatically upon hearing my name. Such a fearless human.”

  “You’re not like . . .”

  “Stories described,” Medusa finished. “Are you sure?” She rested her piercing gaze back on him.

  “You’re actually very beautiful,” Jonas said, turning his head.

  Medusa laughed. “Amusing human. Thank you, but you don’t have to act sappy to flatter me. If you’re going to wield that sword, you’ve got to be . . . what do you humans call it . . . manlier?”

  “Hey, I’m manly enough,” Jonas laughed.

  “We shall see,” Medusa said as she stretched her arms. She followed the stretch with a yawn. “I guess we should call it a night. We need not be late in the morning.”

  “Of course,” Jonas said. “What class are you in?”

  “Class Fire,” Medusa answered.

  “Then may the better of us prevail.” Jonas offered her a peaceful handshake. Medusa accepted it without removing her gloves. He knew removing them was a sign of respect but didn’t dwell on the thought. It was late at night.

  Chapter 15

  Aaron chugged his fourth glass of ale. His men raised their glasses, laughed with him, and followed his drinking lead.

  “Tomorrow, we will have a look around the parameters of the palace. If you catch the scent of the dead man who slew our brother, report back to me immediately. I will personally shove my blade through his head!”

  Aaron’s men cheered, pleased with his declarations. They had worked under him for years, from Abaddon’s reign to his banishment. Aaron was invincible to them.

  Aaron stood up and put down his fifth glass. “Who’s loving the drinks of this ale house? Want something better? It’s my treat!” He tossed a bag of gold into the air and waved at a nearby waitress. “Hey, beautiful, give us your best.”

  The waitress sighed as she hurried to a back room to retrieve the drinks. Aaron turned to his men. “We’ll celebrate again after I avenge our brother, retrieve the sword, and present it to Lord Abaddon stained in the dead man’s blood.”

  The next morning, Aaron opened his eyes in the bed of an inn and groaned. His head ached, and the room spun. He looked to his right to see the waitress from the previous night asleep in his bed. “Oh.” He slouched to the nearest washroom to clean himself up.

  After breakfast, he gathered his men outside the inn.

  “Let’s scope out the palace. Report back when you smell him. Also, find weak points too. We’ll make a short breech, then afterward get the hell out of there before Thunderbolt Head Zeus shows up. Lord Abaddon wants the honor of killing Zeus himself, so later we’ll take all the women and kill everything else. How does that sound?” The men howled and hooted. “Move.”

  Chapter 16

  Jonas sat up as the morning sun’s rays pierced through his window. Day one. He wondered why Zeus didn’t select a candidate first and then train the winner. Why didn’t he select his children? What was his motive? Even for a test, a selection like this had too many risks.

  Jonas tried to shrug off this thought as he prepared for the morning. He noticed a large box on the dresser. He hopped up and peeked inside. The first thing he noticed was a note on top of black cotton pants and a blue tunic top.

  The note read,

  You will need more clothing, as the competition has no specific end time. Your attire will be delivered to you and washed until you’re finally able to support yourself. Please leave yesterday’s clothing in this box.

  Though interested in Olympus, Jonas had no intention of staying long. He had yet to explore his own world; why would he plan to live here? Jonas entered the washing room. He was impressed that everything produced water automatically: the sink, the latrine, and the tub. He didn’t have to gather water, heat it, or fill anything. The sheer difference between titan and human lifestyles amazed him. He made a mental note to bring some of the ideas home.

  After he washed up, Jonas changed into the provided clothing and strapped his sheathed sword to his side. Someone knocked on his door. He assumed that Athena was there to show him to his destinations, but to his surprise, her servant, Orline, stood outside.

  “Morning, Jonas Ariel,” she said. “I’ll escort you to breakfast and then the arena. Your class meeting has been delayed until this afternoon.”

  “Why did the classes get delayed?” Jonas asked as he followed Orline through the halls.

  “Something has come up, and it requires the attention of all instructors. For now, just focus on proving yourself in your class and not disappointing Lady Athena.”

  Jonas still hated the thought of wasting so much time in Olympus. He had his own friends, family, and dreams in his
world. He’d have to somehow win this campaign as quickly as possible and stop the Altimias’s predicted calamity.

  “If you have any concerns, you can talk to me,” Orline said as she stopped in front of a large door.

  “Thanks,” Jonas replied. When Orline opened the door, his mouth almost fell agape. Flashy, grand, too much. The dining room looked a mile long, decked with golden floors; a long, marble table; diamond chandeliers; and even a silent waterfall. This was too much for Jonas. Sure everyone had their own view of interior decoration, but to Jonas, this dove overboard. Someone tapped on his shoulder, breaking his trance. He turned to see Medusa walk away, waving twice, a smirk perched on her pretty face.

  “Hey, wait.” Jonas turned to Orline. “I’ll see you later.” When he caught up to Medusa, he greeted, “Morning.”

  “Morning,” she replied. “I see you never let that sword leave your side.”

  “Something’s weird about it,” Jonas said, “but enough about the sword. How are you?”

  “You’re greeting as if we are old friends,” Medusa said. “Is this typical of —”

  “Is it wrong to greet people?” Jonas interrupted. “Even if we are competitors, there’s nothing wrong with making friends.”

  “You really know not much of this competition, do you?” Medusa said. The duo sat at a table loaded with pans and plates of foods and delicacies. A servant nearby served them. Jonas made sure his plate consisted of a balance between meats, vegetables, and minimal dessert.

  “Since no one will deliver you the harsh reality of being here, I shall do it. But not here.”

  “Fine, but where?” Jonas asked.

  “Same time at the balcony, tonight. After hearing this, reconsider staying here, for your own good.”

  “You speak as if you believe I’m here in a naive manner,” Jonas said.

  “No, I wouldn’t go that far, but you’ll look less stupid if you’re aware of what’s happening between the realms.”

  “That’s kind of you,” Jonas said. He couldn’t understand why many stories described her demonically. He wasn’t oblivious to the darkness he felt deep within her—he might never forget her depressed face from the previous night. “Medusa, you and I, let’s be friends,” Jonas said after he finished his meal. Medusa stared at him for a minute as if she prepared to harshly reject the offer.