Trials of the Four Olympians Read online

  TRIALS

  of the

  FOUR

  OLYMPIANS

  REBECCA J. SOTIRIOS

  Copyright © 2021 by Rebecca J. Sotirios.

  ISBN:

  Hardcover

  978-1-6641-0368-9

  Softcover

  978-1-6641-0367-2

  eBook

  978-1-6641-0366-5

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

  Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

  Rev. date: 04/28/2021

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  CONTENTS

  Meet the Characters

  Chapter 1 The Beginning

  Chapter 2 The Prophecy

  Chapter 3 Joining The Party

  Chapter 4 Two Becomes Four

  Chapter 5 Z for Zorander

  Chapter 6 The Sanctuary

  Chapter 7 Work for It

  Chapter 8 Bow or Sword

  Chapter 9 Practice Makes Perfect

  Chapter 10 The Minotaur

  Chapter 11 Ask Away

  Chapter 12 The Unforgivable

  Chapter 13 The Start

  Chapter 14 Olympic Taxi

  Chapter 15 Hellhound

  Chapter 16 Double Standards

  Chapter 17 First Time for Everything

  Chapter 18 Another One?

  Chapter 19 Alexandros’s POV

  Chapter 20 Anastasia’s POV

  Chapter 21 Fly Away

  Chapter 22 Alexandros’s POV

  Chapter 23 Anastasia’s POV

  Chapter 24 Be Watchful

  Chapter 25 Alexandros’s POV

  Chapter 26 Anastasia’s POV

  Chapter 27 One-eyed Beast

  Chapter 28 Alexandros’s POV

  Chapter 29 Anastasia’s POV

  Chapter 30 The Argo

  Chapter 31 Alexandros’s POV

  Chapter 32 Anastasia’s POV

  Chapter 33 My Evil Foe Zorander

  Chapter 34 Zorander’s POV

  Chapter 35 Vrykolakas and Lycanthropes

  Chapter 36 Last Goodbyes

  Chapter 37 Last Battle

  Chapter 38 Amends

  Chapter 39 Three Months Later

  To my dad, who assisted me on this fantastic journey to write my first

  novel, and to my mother, who made me do something productive.

  Dear Mortal,

  If you have found this book, please read with caution. Everything that takes place in this Novel is true. It’s based on the fates of four demigods.

  But I must warn you. There are evil forces out there that do not wish for you to read this. They will do anything in their power to prevent you from knowing the truth.

  Be careful and act like your every move is being watched …

  Because it very well might be.

  Stay Safe.

  Iris Dimitriadis.

  MEET THE CHARACTERS

  Name: Iris Dimitriadis

  Age: 18

  Parent: Unknown

  Name: Alexandros Papatonis

  Age: 20

  Parent: Hades

  Name: Anastasia (Tia) Papathanasiou

  Age: 18

  Parent: Poseidon

  Name: Theodore (Theo) Drakos

  Age: 19

  Parent: Apollo

  CHAPTER 1

  The Beginning

  In the beginning, there was nothing, a lot of nothing.

  There is no way to possibly know how the world was created.

  But I am going to tell you the creation story that the Ancient Greeks believed.

  But I warn you… It is not pleasant.

  From the genesis, the world was in a state of nothingness, called Chaos, drifting around in the cosmos. Chaos was soon joined by three other deities that appeared out of a formless void: Gaia (earth), Tartarus (underworld), and Eros (love).

  Gaia and Eros formed together to create every known and unknown thing throughout the universe. Birthing twelve Titans to roam the Earth, but one well-known Titan became the soul existence of the Olympian gods.

  His name was Cronus. He became the ruler of earth, marrying his sister Rhea, who bore him five children.

  But Cronus, being afraid of a prophecy that he had received from Gaia, that he would soon be overthrown by one of his sons, resulted in him eating his own children.

  He definitely won the ‘Best Father in the Galaxy’ award.

  Rhea, realising she was with child, her sixth son, decided to give birth to him in a far-off island, Crete, and raised him there with the nymphs. This child was named Zeus.

  After being raised by the nymphs, Zeus disguised himself as a servant in his father’s realm, chose to poison his father’s drink, which resulted in Cronus throwing up his children: Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, and Hestia. The children, being immortal, had been growing up completely undigested in Cronus’s stomach.

  The gods revolted against their father and defeated him. Zeus won with the help of the cyclops. After the war, Zeus cut Cronus into pieces and threw him into the depths of Tartarus, down in the underworld, leaving Zeus to reign over Mount Olympus with his godly siblings.

  Zeus became the god of the sky, Hera the goddess of marriage, Poseidon the god of the sea, Demeter the goddess of agriculture, and Hades the god of the underworld.

  Trust me, I know what you are thinking … This sounds like a whole load of nonsense.

  You might not believe in them… but they are out there, and their very own offspring may be living amongst you.

  Before I get too carried away with the story, let me just fill you in on some small crucial details.

  When a god has a child with a mortal, the result is a demigod.

  And that is what I am.

  Careful, you may very well have heard about us in ancient legends: Achilles, Hercules, Theseus, and Perseus. There is a lot of us out there. I will stop myself before I get carried away.

  Most demigods only meet their godly parents when they receive a prophecy. I, on the other hand, have not received one, so I haven’t the slightest clue who my father is.

  The only positive side about being a child of a god is that we have above-average strength, knowledge, and charisma. We know Ancient and Modern Greek extremely well, but only the strongest of us have control over the realm our godly parent rules over.

  All right, enough of that, now let me tell you the story of four demigods that were destined to save Olympus.

  My name is Iris Dimitriadis, and today is my eighteenth birthday. Something weird just happened recently, and am I one of these demigods living amongst you? As a young Greek, I was encouraged to visit the oracle of Delphi.

  CHAPTER 2

  The Prophecy

  At the age of eighteen, each demigod is sent to visit the oracle of Delphi but never during the day. The best time to visit the oracle would be at sunset, when no tourists are around to see anything out of the norm.

  I didn’t believe in the Greek gods, I always thought they were myths, or stories parents would tell to scare their misbehaving children back into line.

  The whole ordeal of someone-something out there, so much bigger than me, really puts things into perspective.

  I can still recall the conversation I had with my Aunt about this, like it was only yesterday. I had a right to find out the truth about myself; I’d rather be safe than sorry.

  The Oracle of Delphi will either give me good news or the news my family and I have been dreading to find out. That I’m one of those … those demigods. The ones the gods would terrorize for the fun of it.

  Weird occurrences have been happening to me since I turned sixteen years old, the weather would change depending on the mood I was in. Birds or should I say eagles, become attracted to me, following me, keeping a close eye on me, whenever I would stray too far from home. What was even more unique, was that I could feel their emotions, a spiritual connection towards them, like they had a greater meaning or purpose.

  With every bone in my body crossed, I really hope these bizarre occurrences are nothing other than that, just bizarre.

  That’s why I’m visiting the Oracle of Delphi, her prophecies will answer everything that’s unan
swered.

  You’re probably asking, ‘what’s a prophecy?’

  A prophecy is a prediction of events that will take place in the future. There are many ways for a prophecy to be told, but the one the Greeks used most was from an Oracle, the Oracle of Delphi.

  In Ancient Greece, people would travel from around the world, just to have heard the words of the Oracle, who would speak the words of Apollo-the god of prophecies.

  Delphi was known as one of the most sacred places in Ancient Greece. The city of Delphi thrived in Ancient Greece. Now, it has become an archeology site, filled with everyday tourists.

  I arrive at the site of Delphi as soon as the sun began to set, the night air was fresh, but the heat of the summer day was still present as I make my way to where the oracle of Delphi was said to be. I watch my footing as I step over rocks and loose gravel, slowly making my way to the fore temple of Delphi. As I reach the ancient steps that lead to the temple, everything goes silent, including the birds chirping in the trees. Off in the distance, I see a couple of nymphs watching in awe as I make my way up the fragile stone steps, none of them daring to look away, just in case they miss what’s about to take place.

  The mist covering the temple from everyday tourists begins to fade away as I reach the top of the stairs, being replaced with the real temple of Delphi. I take in the temple in front of me, tall white marble columns holding up the temple’s roof.

  ‘Hello?’ I whisper into the night air, hoping to receive an answer.

  Moments pass, as I receive no reply. The temple is completely empty, with only a lonely concrete square slab that rises a few metres of the ground, a small hole engraved in the middle. Unlit torches hang off the marble columns. I carefully make my way towards the slab, crouching down beside the monument, so that my face is level with the hole. This time, instead of speaking, I place a few drachmas inside the gap. It has been told that if you wish to summon the spirit of Delphi, one has to offer a sacrifice. However, in modern days, just a few drachmas will do the trick.

  As soon as the drachmas are placed, they disappear into green mist. In front of me, a spirit slowly takes form of a middle-aged female on the other side of the concrete slab. The unlit torches around the temple suddenly light up in green flames. I stumble backwards, startled. The woman standing in front of me has a dark aura around her, green mists replace her eyes. She looks directly at me, as if she is looking straight through me.

  ‘I am the spirit of Delphi, the Oracle of Apollo, speaking the prophecy of the Olympian gods. Approach, demigod, and ask,’ says the oracle in a deep, emotionless voice, sending a chill down my spine.

  “I … I … ” I was lost for words.

  Come on! Snap out of it. I know what I am here for, put your big-girl pants on, and ask.

  ‘I … have just reached the age of eighteen, and I haven’t been claimed by my godly parent.’ I pause again before adding, ‘May I know who he is?’

  Silence fills the temple, but all I can hear is my heart pounding in my chest.

  ‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. Your father is the god of the beginning and the end,’ says the oracle.

  ‘Zeus….’ I whisper in disbelief. Zeus is my father, god of the sky, the king of Mount Olympus.

  As if ignoring my response, the oracle continues, ‘When rain falls in cloudless skies, Olympus will be known once more. I warn you, the souls of the dead and the living will see no peace until Olympus is saved or razed to the ground. Four demigods, the offspring of each of the gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Apollo, none older than the age of twenty-five, will either bring chaos or raise Mount Olympus from the hold of evil.’

  And with that, she disappears, extinguishing the torches around the temple whilst doing so, leaving me in complete darkness. As I stand there in silence, her words replay in my head. Oh no … I start to panic, my heart beating faster than ever. I had just received a prophecy.

  CHAPTER 3

  Joining The Party

  Receiving a prophecy as a demigod rarely turns out to be a positive thing; most of the time it sends us to our deaths.

  Standing within the now-empty walls of Delphi, the haunting words of the oracle repeat in my head as I try to make sense of it all.

  ‘When rain falls in cloudless skies, Olympus will be known once more. I warn you, the souls of the dead and the living will see no peace until Olympus is saved or razed to the ground. Four demigods, the offspring of each of the gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Apollo, none older than the age of twenty-five, will either bring chaos or raise Mount Olympus from the hold of evil.’

  A bright light appears in front of me, squinting my eyes shut, as I use my free hand to shield my eyes from the light. A few moments pass, until I feel the light begin to fade. Removing my hand from my eyes, I blink intensely as I try to regain my sight and adjust to my surroundings. I am no longer in the temple of Delphi. In front of me, a layout of twelve thrones; the throne in the middle was adorned in gold, with blue canopy over the top, mirroring the sky. On the right arm of the throne was an eagle made up of gold with bright ruby eyes. Another throne directly next to it was made of ivory, with a white cow skin draped over the top. Down either side of the thrones are a further ten thrones, five on each side.

  Behind me lies an enormous courtyard, with golden pavements that lead into every direction. On either side, smooth, verdant lawns stretched away. One segment held a large apple tree, its branches sagging beneath a heavy load of fruit.

  Where am I?

  As if hearing my thoughts, a tall glowing figure appears in front of me, sitting on the biggest throne in the middle of the room.

  ‘Welcome to Mount Olympus,’ welcomes the man in a loud, deafening voice.

  Others start appearing, occupying the other thrones in the room, as if what he announced was a beckoning call.

  Zeus? The king of all the gods.

  Realising where I was, I quickly kneel before the gods of Mount Olympus.

  ‘Rise, my daughter,’ commands Zeus.

  I do as I am told, shaking to the very centre of my bones, as I lift my face towards the twelve Olympian gods. The awe of their presence was captivating, entrancing. The idea of being in the very presence of these superior beings was enough to shake anyone to their core. I don’t know how I should be feeling—confused, anxious, scared? In ancient times, no mortal could ever set foot on Olympus, but as times have developed, the gods have given an exception to only demigods and heroes.

  ‘Do not be afraid … We are aware that you visited the oracle of Delphi, and in doing so, you have woken up the prophecy that we have all been dreading to hear,’ Zeus explains.

  ‘With the fate of Olympus in the hands of four demigods,’ responds the god to the left of Zeus, holding a trident, Poseidon.

  The gods start chatting amongst themselves, as if forgetting that I am still standing in front of them.

  ‘Well, we’ve found one of the demigods, just three more to go,’ Poseidon continues.

  ‘The children of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Apollo,’ says an extremely beautiful Greek goddess, which I believe to have been Aphrodite.

  ‘This means we need to invite Hades to our little reunion,’ points out one of the gods.

  ‘Agreed.’

  ‘Hermes, send a message to the underworld,’ Zeus commands as a letter appears in Hermes’s hand. Hermes obeys his command and disappears, reappearing a few seconds later with another man. The man is clothed in a black robe from head to toe, holding a bident, resembling a pitchfork, with two pointed ends; his face not visible but hidden in the dark fog surrounding his body.

  ‘Hades,’ Zeus says, acknowledging his brother, as everyone brings their attention to the gloomy man who had immediately been summoned.

  ‘We are putting the fate of Olympus in the hands of mortals?! This has to be the most horrendous thing I have heard in this century,’ Hades says in a croaky voice as if he hadn’t spoken in years.