Chapter Four: I Bathe In A Boiling River

''' Chapter 4 '''

''' I Bathe In The Boiling River '''

     Well, I was claimed. They showed me to my cabin, number 13, and left me to myself. So I was alone, again. Soon, I finally realized how tired I was. I put Felonious on the desk in my cabin, and laid down on one of the beds. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

     That night, I had a weird dream. I saw my mother, but she was like underground and like a spirit. She was crying and kept saying,

     “Ok, I give you my blessing, Connor.”

     Weird. Then my dream changed, It was pitch black, and these words kept chanting in my head. ‘Imagine the tip of your left pinky.’ Believe me, if someone was whispering that in your ear all night, you’d be thinking about that spot too. When all I could think about was my pinky, a strong wind blew me off of my bed. I was expecting to hit the hard floor, and I kind of wish I did, because I plunged into a river. My skin was on fire. It burned so badly I wanted to scream. But, someone pulled me out. I laid on the banks of the burning river, panting and coughing. When I got my breath I looked at my savior. He had an oily tan body, a very recent tan it seemed, and he had shoulder length jet black hair. On his head was a helm like mine. I realized who it was.

     “Dad?” I asked cautiously.

“Yes my son it is me,” the man said, “It’s good to see you again.”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Did you bring me here?” I asked, Hades nodded, “Why?”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Because it was a way to protect you until your fate happens.” Hades said simply.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Where are we?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“We are on the banks of the River Styx, and you just swam in it.” Hades responded.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“What does that mean?”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“It means that you now have the curse of Achilles, your body is now immortal except for the tip of your pinky.” Hades explained.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">I let that sink in. Here I was sitting on the edge of a river that turns people into iron, talking to my dad for the first time ever.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“What is my destiny?” I demanded.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“I shouldn’t tell you, you would try to change it,” Hades warned, “You must swear not to try and change it.”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“I swear,” I said.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“No, you must swear on the River Styx,” Hades said.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“You mean the river I just swam in?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Yes this river,” Hades answered.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“I-I swear on the River Styx,” I swore.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">I saw an image of my swimming in the Styx, it joined many other images in the river, all swimming.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“If you break your promise, you die.” Hades said.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">I gulped, but asked for my destiny again.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Now my son, you were born to be a great hero, possibly the greatest one ever. You will be a bane to Titans and Gigantyes alike, as well as Poseidon’s biggest threat.”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Why would I want to change that?”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Because you will lose many loved ones in the process,” Hades responded.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Like Mom?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Yes, she was a fine lady, but I don’t know who killed her, she lives with me now, in my kingdom,” He pointed at a palace in the distance.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">I felt relieved. My mom was in good hands. She loved this man.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Tahoma', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 20pt">“Son,” Hades said to me, “I am sorry I couldn’t be there, being a God is not that great, but I have assisted you in many ways, now we must say good-bye, for now.” He waved his hand and he, and the river, shimmered before my eyes, and I found myself back in my bed.

Chapter 6: