Ancient Death

I would like to dedicate this book to my sister, Courtney McLellan, because I love her, and she was my inspiration while writing this book, and to all the authors that inspired me to do what I love, which is to become an author, and artist.

Thank you

You will remember that all the Greek gods and goddess’s lived on forever, even mortals. Humans lived up to be nine-hundred years old and maintain eternal beauty and youth. This was a time when old age wasn’t in existence. Until Azshara was banished from Mount Olympus, that is. Azshara was born on Mount Olympus with her twin sister, Aribeth. Though they were twins, they were very different. Azshara was beautiful with her jet black hair, and dark eyes, while Aribeth had light hair, and blue eyes. As they grew older Azshara liked causing mischief and playing tricks on her sister, sneaking up and scaring her. Her pranks often got her in trouble with her parents, who scolded her for bothering her sister. Aribeth was kind, caring, and gentle. She never caused any trouble. And so overtime, Azshara always thought her parents preferred Aribeth.

On their sixteenth birthday, Azshara found out that her sister was deemed the goddess of everlasting life, because of all her kind, and good deeds. One day, Azshara went out to the Fields and picked a flower for her sister to celebrate this great achievement. When she came back, the flower was long dead, and her sister was not impressed. Aribeth shoved the flower to the floor as she stormed out of the room. Azshara could feel tears running down her face, when she gazed at the flower that was thrown moments ago, she could tell that is was alive, and brand new as ever. Azshara was now jealous and angry at her sister. So many emotions were running wild through her, and that night Aribeth was murdered, by her sister. So then Zeus punished Azshara with a gift that would cause her much pain. She was pronounced the Goddess of Death and Decay. Before she was banished from Mount Olympus, Zeus had told her that she must figure out the true meaning of death and why it descends us. Once Azshara was on Earth, she started asking questions to herself, why her?, death is not honourable?, what did she do? While these questions were rampaging through her mind, she finally noticed that every other person that she walked by were staring at her. Some were staring at her in horror, some in disgust. She couldn’t figure it out. Why was everyone scared of her? Then Zeus’s words started coming back to her, “you must find the meaning of death, and why it descends us”. What does that mean?

“Excuse me” interrupted by her thoughts, an old lady was standing above her. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine” the goddess replies.
“Are you sure? You look kind of pale, poor dear” says the old lady.
“Yea” Azshara mumbles.
“Well, alright” she waddles away from the bench.

Azshara hates humans. Always so concerned about everything, why? Oh well, none of that matters. Right now, she needs to figure out a way back home. Home, the place most familiar. Most loved. Well maybe not loved now. Everything has changed. She starts walking again, walks till she cant no more. She noticed the street signs, but they were too blurry from the dark and her tears to read. She has to figure out where she is. What city? What country? For all she knows, what planet? No, too drastic, she knows she’s on Earth. Where there’s life. Where oxygen and trees are. The goddess continues walking, crossing Navan Road, she knows she came from a park, but what park? Point? Phlox? Phoenix? It has to be Phoenix Park. She needs to make sure her landmarks are in check, just in case she has to ask directions from the humans that annoy her so much.

Things would be so much easier if she was born a human. Not knowing anything about immortals or deities. With knowledge, comes power, but it also could be very dangerous. If she came across a vampire, fallen angel, or even a demon, within everything in their power, she would be destroyed. They wouldn’t even know her. All they would do, is smell her scent, and know she’s a goddess. But not what kind of goddess. No, they wouldn’t know she is deemed the Goddess of Death and Decay, for that is her weapon and they would be dead, not her. You see, deities are very powerful. So powerful, they have their own world. That of course would be Mount Olympus. Us gods and goddess’ are not supposed to be on Earth, rarely would you see them. Which makes her target number one. She knew she missed home, but after that thought, she didn’t realize how much. And she did. Within everything in her, she missed it. Mount Olympus, the most magical, alive, and beautiful place, that it makes her tear up just thinking about it. Makes her wish she was there, instead of here.

Azshara looks up on time to see a hotel. The Travelodge Dublin Phoenix Park Hotel. Another thing she hates about humans. Why they have to choose a long name for something that’s clearly stupid. She’ll get some sleep, ask where she is, and hopefully get back home. Getting off Earth is her main goal from here on out. The hotel isn’t so bad, it looks more like a regular house than a hotel. But it’s all she can do, for now.
The room is okay, it’s pretty, but not luxurious enough for a goddess. Even then she wouldn’t afford something like that, she couldn’t afford this one. The man behind the counter said it’s free for the first night, but trust goes really steep through her books. He could be doing really bad things to her tonight. She hopes that doesn’t happen. The walls look yellow. It could be beige, but you never know, the carpet is black-grey, there’s a bed, and a lamp. As she lays there, she can hear cars honking, people talking, and dogs barking. One of the disadvantages to having great hearing. A given trait a deity has. The thing is, those things are what help her sleep. So Azshara dreams.

She was standing on some kind of stone ground with darkness all around her, in the middle of nowhere, with no emotion and empty as could be. As she started walking, the ground shook and her legs trembled beneath her, both knees giving out. As the goddess fell to this stone ground, she realized there was something glowing between the cracks. Azshara crawled over to this big opening in the ground, that’s when everything started shaking and her stomach hurt, she was so scared and nervous. Azshara came to realize that she was walking around on this ground representing her life and that she had to make a choice in only a few minutes on which way she wanted life to go. The ground started cracking and a fiery red was coming through all the cracks, all around her, and everywhere she looked! On the other side of the opening she had found was the life that she denied for so long. If the goddess was able to jump across the opening, which was long and extremely hot and not easy to cross, then she would live, but if she didn't make it then she would fall straight down into what was the scariest place anybody has ever seen. She was crying and so scared. She has never felt anything before this place that lied beneath the ground. Azshara’s entire body was sweating and shaking with fear and she knew she HAD to jump across, or at least try, if she wanted to save her life. She almost chose to just stay on the side she was on since it seemed impossible to get to the other side. but finally, with no time left to decide, She cried and screamed out as loud as she could, she ran .and jumped with all that was in her, barely reaching the other side. Once she landed, absolutely everything was calm, the sun came out, suddenly she was around happy things, life, and indescribable joy, instead of nothingness in the middle of nowhere.