The Anomaly

“Stand up straight, Calvin,” I ordered him. He tried to straighten up but his ribs wouldn’t let him. “Theseus, could put one hand on Calvin’s lower back and one on front of his shoulder and straighten his back so I can wrap this around? Please don’t break anything.”

“Sure,” Theseus said and did asked.

Calvin was straightened like a toothpick and I wrapped the rags around his stomach. I finished and tied it.

“Does it have to be tight?”

“Yeah it does Calvin. Even my scratch isn’t completely healed. Your’s is going to have to reform. It may take weeks.” Theseus put Calvin’s breast plate back on. I helped tie the breast plate back on.

“Alright! Sundown has started now. Send them into the maze,” King Minos ordered.

We were pushed into the entrance and the doors shut behind us. Torches automatically lit up to reveal three different corridors. Theseus followed his destiny with his sword to kill the minotaur to the right corridor. He stopped by one torch and tied something to it and continue the way down the right corridor. The others scrambled in different corridors.

“So,” Calvin said, turning in all different directions, “Which way?”

When you enter, follow the stars. I looked up. I saw the constellations. I saw the two bears and since it was summer, the different horoscope signs were Cancer, Leo and Virgo. Then I saw the Archer. It’s arrow pointed in the direction to the thing you desired but you had to think about it. I thought about the workshop and the arrow changed. It pointed where the middle corridor was.

“We need to go that way,” I nodded my head toward the middle corridor, “keep looking for the archer to find the workshop.

We were banged up but we followed my astrology. The maze would change into dead ends, but the archer would keep us on course.

“Zoë?”

“Hmm?” I kept walking, watching the archer very carefully.

“What was you vision about,” he asked.

“I told you Calvin. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Zoë, how can we work together if we don’t trust each other?” We turned a corner into an empty room.

“Sit down, Calvin,” I said as I helped him to a rock, “You need to rest before we continue walking.”

I set him down and limped to a rock across from him.

“Zoë? What was the vision about?”

“Calvin…” I was cut off.

“No. What was it about?”

He didn’t give me a lot of choice. He had a point and I couldn’t argue with it. He was right. I had to be honest with him.

“The vision at the Great Wall,” I took a deep breath, “was about one man and my brother.” I was a little distraught but I held it all in.

“What was it about specifically?” But then he met my eyes and understood. Terrible things. Future consequences and such.

“The older man disappeared and my brother was captured by the Jackal. This was way before Zar became the new bounty hunter. I just don’t remember his name or the old man. I have to talk to Apollo’s Oracle to know more.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Zoë. I’m just frustrated. This just doesn’t seem possible. Facing that dragon, the Jackal and Zar. I feel like this is just a dream that I’ll never wake up from.”

“Calvin, I know this is hard to believe, but this is real. Heck, if this wasn’t real, you wouldn’t feel those broken bones.” We ended our conversation and relaxed.

After a few moments of rest, I got up.

“We need to keep going,” I said as I limped back to Calvin and helped him up.

The empty room before had three exits. Now it had five. Unusual, huh? At least the archer never turned. We continued through the Labyrinth. A little while later, I started to hear grunting noises and I, without thinking mind you, kept stopping.

“What’s the matter Zoë?”

“It’s probably nothing. Let’s keep moving.”

I wasn’t sure what the grunting was but I think it was nothing. Calvin apparently didn’t know or care what it was. This place was freaky. I was worried more about the creatures attacking us before we got to Daedalus.

But as we continued, the grunting continued to follow. Once in a while, I felt the urge to turn my head and find out was following us. But every time I seemed to look, the thing kept jumping into the shadows as if it was nothing of this world. Well, that kept freaking me out till we got to a barred door.

It was a huge door, 7 feet tall and made out of wood planks. It was locked from the outside and it was a lock that we couldn’t open. Then I started to look for his mark.

“What are you looking for?” Calvin’s voice and tone sounded like it was a definite insult to his being or something.

“I’m looking for Daedalus’ mark.”

A few moments later, his voice had grown more worried.

“Uh. Zoë. Could you…uh…I don’t know… speed up the process?”

“Why? You do know that this is not rocket science… completely.”

He pointed down the corridor. Guess who it was. Go on guess. If you said the Minotaur, you were wrong, or if you said Zar, you were definitely wrong. Now that you have narrowed it down, guess again. Now, if you said the Jackal, it’s wrong. But you’re getting closer. Yep. It was a wolf.

It crept behind us. I was now in a little of a hurry, so I kept looking. At this point, I didn’t know what the wolf was doing in this maze but we’ll never know. I found Daedalus’ mark and the doors opened.

I grabbed Calvin’s hand and said, “Come on.”

We ran into the Workshop at the pace we could go as the wolf launched itself to us. The doors closed right on it’s nose.

I heard a voice say, “Zoë!” in my head as the door closed. Then I turned around to see who had yelled at me. And, of course, I didn’t see anyone talking to me. Calvin was staring at the doors, probably thinking the door would collapse by the pounding of the wolf. I turned to see my first glimpse of Daedalus’ Workshop.

* * * *

Not what I thought it was going to be. All there was was a wooden table in the middle of the floor with drawings and papers to build things, a kiln and a window about 10-20 feet up on the 40 ft. wall. A young man was tending to the kiln.

As we got closer, an older man came out from behind the door’s shadow and kind of jump-attacked Calvin. The old man had his dagger to Calvin’s throat while Calvin’s sword was still in his scarab.

“Not again,” Calvin mumbled. I couldn’t endanger Calvin’s life.

I let myself relax from my tense stance while the younger man got some rope and grabbed me. He pinned my arms back and tied me to the table. Then the older man brought Calvin over and tied him up too. They took all my weapons and Calvin’s. (I noticed that this armor had a lot in hiding that I didn’t know about.)

“Who are you? Both,” the young man asked, “King Mino’s spies?”

“No. We are not King Mino’s spies. I’m Zoë and this is Calvin. We were sent by Hermes.”

“Liars,” the young man hissed, “Like the great Hermes would send you liars here.”

“They’re telling the truth, Icarus,” the older man said in English. Confirming our facts.

“How many other people speak English in Ancient times,” Calvin asked.

“How do you know, father,” Icarus asked, watching me warily.

“Hermes contacted me when you were tending to the kiln. Not a lot can speak English.”

“You’re Daedalus, then,” I asked as Icarus started to untie us.

“Yes. I am, young lady. Hermes said you would come Zoë of the future,” he introduced himself as he extended his hand out to me.

I grabbed his hand and he brought me to my feet. Calvin was having a hard time getting up, so Icarus had to pick him up.

“I know what you seek, Zoë. You must follow the archer and find Olympus. Be careful though. You might lose more than you have.” I looked at Calvin.

I knew I would lose more than I had to work with. Calvin might get killed. Icarus said something to Calvin and Calvin’s stern face had a smile go across it. Then I got dizzy.

I saw the older man more clearly this time. He had the same tint of calf, brown eyes. And he looked like me. Brown hair and the perfect tone of his skin. He was my father. But one thing caught me off guard. He looked like… like…

“Calvin,” I muttered.

My father was Calvin in the future. Oh My GODS! (Yes. There is more than one God in this world. It‘s respectful.) I thought about this. I couldn’t tell him he was my father. That would freak him out more than it was freaking me out.

“Zoë? Are you alright,” Daedalus asked as I fell unconscious.

“Zoë!” I heard Calvin call out.

* * * *

That was when the world turned dark. Scary as it may sound, it felt quite nice. Someone was lifting me up and I was laid down. Then, someone’s hands grabbed my shoulders and started shacking me. It felt like an earthquake had started.

“Zoë! Wake up,” Calvin’s voice called out, but it seemed so far away. I opened my eyes to notice I was laying on Daedalus’ table with Calvin leaning over me like the first day that we met.

“Zoë! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Well, apparently I am good at that. It freaks me out more though.”

“What did you see?”

“Why do you always assume I have a vision when I fall unconscious, hmmm?” He kind of narrowed his eyes at that comment.

“You can see things, Zoë,” Daedalus asked. His eyes were filled with more questions but this was the main one.

I started to sit up and nudge Calvin off the table so I could get off. “Yeah. I can see ’things.’”

“You still haven’t answered my question, Zoë.”

“You haven’t answered mine either.”

“What was your vision about?” At this point, I seriously didn’t want to be honest with him. I seriously couldn’t tell him he is my father in the past. Even if he could believe that, he’ll faint.

I didn’t actually say he was my father. I just admitted to myself that my father had abandoned me. Let’s just say I told a lie and the truth in the same sentence.

I said, “It was about the old man in my vision before. He’s my father.”

“And what was he doing?”

“Abandoning me.” Flat out. I couldn’t help it. I was talking to my father who abandoned me and my brother. Great, I thought, how was I suppose to break it to Calvin? A nice guy who had to go up to a dragon, get attacked by Zar, and had to take a punch that broke most of his ribs. Well, I especially didn’t want to.

So I kept telling myself I’ll break it gently to him without making him go crazy. The subject was dropped as Daedalus was talking about how to visit the gods.

“There are only three ways,” he continued on, “Through the rest of the Labyrinth, or climbing through that window,” he pointed up, “and going by foot and getting a ride on Pegasus. I think Pegasus could bring you to the foot of Mount Olympus. But you have to find him.”

“Let’s try the Labyrinth. We’ll find Pegasus once we get out. How about it Zoë,” Calvin asked with a grin.

I don’t remember what my response was. I think my response was something like, “Fine.” I think Calvin took that as an instinct that something was wrong with me.

“Well. You should be on your way,” Daedalus interrupted.

Calvin started to march toward the door. His armor looked a little loose and his sword was in his scarab, he was prepared. I, however, wasn’t. I was reluctant to leave. Especially with my father.

“Zoë?” I turned around to face Icarus. In his hands were weapons that he took off of me. He handed them back and said, “Good luck.” I started to strap up.

Then, as I walked past Daedalus, he handed me a metal pen. It was retractable and I was thinking how the retractable pen came to be. There was, however, a button on the side of it.

“Press it,” he insisted. As I did, a shield the size of a basketball backboard, spiraled from the pen.

I was really surprised. The back had straps that magically strapped to my arm. The shield was hard, but it was light. Lighter than my backpack right now.

“Whoa,” I said.

Calvin, apparently, heard me and turned around.

“Wow,” he said as he continued to walk, “Amazing shield. Look at the markings Zoë.”

I looked in front of the shield. There were etchings in the metal used. The etchings were pictures. The Labyrinth on one side and the Fall of Troy. At the top, there was Mount Olympus.

“I made it for you, Zoë. I knew we would meet and you needed some defense.” Daedalus smiled.

“Thank you.” He nodded. I pressed the button and the shield turn back to a pen.

“Farewell you two,” Daedalus and Icarus said as Calvin and I walked toward the doors and the dark corridors, “Good luck.”

We walked back into the corridor that we came in from. I turned around to look at Daedalus and Icarus. As the doors closed, I knew that was the last time I would ever see those two. And that was that.
* * *

Meeting the Great Daedalus and his son before his death, it brought me to a thought. What would happen next to us? We walked in silence through the rest of the Labyrinth. Calvin kept looking at me, confused maybe. I wouldn’t speak to him as I looked up at the archer. My emotions were so mixed in that I couldn’t tell what to think.

The archer wasn’t helping. It kept pointing in different directions. Like a compass that can’t pinpoint where you are. As we continued, Calvin became tired of the silence.

“What did I do?”

“Hmmm?” It wasn’t the question that I would have thought he would ask. I kept my eyes at the sky.

“We have been walking in silence. You haven’t said a word since we left Daedalus’ Workshop. And you answered my question with a little bit of attitude. What is wrong?” I looked down.

I didn’t understand what I was going to tell him. As we walked, I saw light. To an exit that went to a forest. Then I realized, I wouldn’t be able to answer his question. We were ambushed.

I drew my sword and went for my pen. Calvin had already pulled out his sword and was moving toward the attackers. I activated my pen and slashed my sword at the ambushers. There were about twelve of them. I knocked out 5 and Calvin knocked out 4. The swords clanged in the small fight. They had hoods on and looked like bandits.

As the last one fell, and the others were groaning, I said “Finally.”

I spoke too soon. I saw one more, sneaking in the shadows right next to Calvin. A sword appeared with a gnarled hand. I did two things. I yelled at Calvin and jumped between him and the sword. As I did, the sword jabbed. The next thing I knew, I was stabbed right in my stomach.

I looked down at the sword as it was being pulled out. Then I looked at my attacker and fell to the floor. Calvin looked at me, horrorstruck. He looked at my attacker and yelled a battle cry. As the battle between Calvin and the stranger, I looked at the exit.

A large horse stepped inside the doorway and it’s wings sprung out at it’s shoulders. It was a white stallion by the looks and elegance. It was Pegasus. Calvin’s fighting instincts kicked into gear. They rolled and crossed swords at least a dozen times before Calvin’s blade cut off the attacker’s head. The body kneeled and then fell completely.

Calvin returned his sword to his scarab and ran to me. He leaned over and picked up my upper body.

“Zoë? Are you okay,” he asked, panting.

“Calvin?”

“Yes Zoë.”

“Take my body to Olympus. Tell them what has happened. Pegasus will probably take you farther up the mountain. And Calvin,” I said as I raised my hand to touch his cheek. He closed his eyes as I stroked his cheek. “I’m so…” I trailed off.

I died. Simple as that. I sat up and stood. I was still in the Xena looking outfit but I was glowing in a radiant light. I looked forward to see Calvin still clutching to me. Well, my lifeless body and a tear trickled down his cheek that fell on my body. The unusual thing was that I felt it.

“Well, well,” a voice said, “Nice to have another spirit for the Underworld and one that isn’t from this world.”

I spun around, searching for what the voice was.

“Ah. Yes. You can’t see me.” The voice seemed to be coming from behind me.

A strange and dark figure materialized into view. A young guy in a black robe with the radiance of godly power showed himself. He had black hair and a helmet in his hand. The helmet looked like a skull with a dark plume. Almost black.

“What do you want, Hades?” I was a little angry. This is the second time a god has come to visit me. They must want something.

“All I want from you, Zoë, is your spirit. You died.” As he said this, he pointed a finger at me and my stomach felt like I was stabbed again. I fell on my knees in pain. I looked up at him in hatred. He closed his hand and the pain ceased.

“There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”

He gave a surprised look as if he never thought I would ask that.

“What ever do you mean? I don’t want anything but your soul.” Calvin kept sobbing over my body.

“I remember a few myths about you. You never came to a spirit unless you have a special punishment or a favor to ask. I don’t think I would be talking to you if I were part of your ‘special punishment’. You want something from me.”

Now, at this time, he knew that I knew he wanted something. This would be the longest silence in history. He stood there staring at me. Probably thinking how I knew. During this time that he stood there, Calvin had already picked up my body and put it on Pegasus. He said something that sounded like let’s ride. They flew off and I hoped he would safely fly to Olympus.

I couldn’t pray since I’m dead and Hades was creeping me out, a lot. It was like staring into one of those statues at the park, knowing it will never move. I was about to look at my watch when I realized, I wasn’t wearing one. I started to walk towards him waving my hand in front of his face.

“Hello? Lord Hades?” I touched his shoulder and started to shake him. “Hades? Hey look. It’s Harry Truman!”

“What? Where’s Harry Truman?” He was out of the state of being frozen and started to look for Truman.

“He hasn’t been born yet. Now what did you want?” Not the right thing to say to a god but hey, I needed to know.

“Ah yes. I need you to do a small favor for me before that… boy tells the gods what has happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I need you to go to the living world and bring me information on Persephone.”

“Whoa! The Persephone!? Daughter of Demeter,” why wasn’t I surprised, “Oh no! I’m not going to help you kidnap her. And why can’t you send one of your Furies to do it? I’m not going to do it. You of all people should know better.”

“Now. How did you know what I was going to do?”

“It’s in one of your myths. You kidnapped Persephone and tried to make her your queen. Then you made her eat six pomegranate seeds to keep her down in the underworld. Demeter searched for her and Zeus told you to give Persephone back. Then Persephone admitted she ate six pomegranate seeds and she had to stay with you half the year, winter and the other with her mother for summer. Oops.” I had explained way too much.

“Ah. So you do know what is going to happen.”

“I am not going to do it, Hades. Never in a lifetime, so to speak.”

“Well then, I had better tell the Fates to cut your father’s string a little short.”

“What are you talking about? My father? Please. My father abandoned me. Calvin is just a friend.”

He pointed his finger at me and the pain surged back into my body.

“I know a lot about you, Zoë. Your mother died 5 years ago. Your father left you 2 years ago and your older brother was taken away a few months ago. Your fate has prophesied. You will meet the same fate as your future. Calvin won’t be able to save you. Nor the father in him. Nor the brother you once had. You are the only one to stop your own demise.”

“What do you mean, ‘demise’? How do you know Calvin is my father?”

“I can not say any of my secrets, nor the rest of the gods, but I can tell you this. Everyone has a scavenger for information. Now will you do it?”

I was thinking, go to the underworld, but I almost forgot that that was his home and he control to keep stabbing me.

“I guess I have no choice.” His hand closed and the pain ceased again.

“You don’t have very long. I’ll be able to send you into the field she’s suppose to be. I want you to only observe. If not,” he kept his pointer up like he was ready to cause me more pain without mercy, “Understand?”

“Yep,” I said, determined and I was not afraid of eternal torment either.

“You will be brought back within the hour. Don’t fail me.”

He waved his arm and I was transported like pixels to a T.V.
* * * *

I fell into a flower bush, screaming. Pollen came up as I fell into the bush. I sat up and started to brush the pollen and the petals off of me. Then I saw a really petite, but very pretty girl picking flowers. Her light brown hair shined in the sun and her violet eyes gave innocence to her well being. She apparently didn’t even noticed that I fell into the bush. Which I would have considered weird.

Then I realized I was still glowing and I still felt dead. So she couldn’t see me and I had to follow her. Great. Screw you, Hades, I thought.

“Persephone! Come here dear,” a female voice called.

“Coming mother,” the girl called back. She picked up a couple of gardenias and skipped to the place where her mother’s voice came from.

I knew that I had to follow. As I watched her, I realized why Hades was in love with her. She was sweet and kind enough to care for all other things. I found details of what she liked. She was into nature and violets. It felt like forever that Hades brought me back.

He asked me everything she liked. I told him all I knew before I had a feeling of being summoned.

“Not again,” I muttered as I felt like I was in a whirlpool.

I was standing in the middle of the 12 giant chairs with the gods on each on creating a large U. Zeus was sitting in his throne with his lightning bolt in it’s kind of holster. His throne was next to his wife, Hera, who’s peacock laid on her lap. They made the bottom of the U. The goddess were on the right while the gods were on the left. Their eyes were running from me and something behind me.

I turned to see my lifeless body on the ground and Calvin standing over it. I stared at him in disbelief. He was scarred and his lips were blue. He looks like he went through hell, literally. He was standing there, shivering.

“Calvin? Calvin.” I exclaimed.

He didn’t look at me though. He was starring at Zeus. His eyebrows were narrowed as if Zeus said something like he couldn’t bring me back or Ares’ powers were working overtime.

“Bring her back, Lord Zeus. She said you could help. Was she just lying to me,” Calvin said with anger in his voice.

Zeus stood up and the clouds around turned into thunderclouds.

“Do not underestimate me, boy. She’s is here,” Zeus’s loud deep voice rang in the Council as he pointed at me.

“She’s not in her body and what are you pointing at,” Calvin argued.

“I’m right here!” That time he heard me.

“Zoë? Where here?” He started to look around for me. I walked up to him and stroked the side of his cheek. It was burning under my cold knuckles. As I touched him, he closed his eyes.

“I’m right here, Calvin. I’m never to far,” I said, “I know I’m just a spirit. And plus Hades was creeping me our.” He smiled. “My lords and ladies,” I turned around and addressed the gods and goddesses, “I… We need your help.”

A guy in his late teens with blond colored hair with a wreath on his head and a tunic, I’m guessing Apollo because his throne was the sun and he had a quiver of arrows there near his feet, listened intently to me. He addressed me first.

“What can we help you with?” His voice was calm and nice, almost musical in the tension in the council. Zeus finally relaxed and the clouds deprived from the scene.

Hermes sat next to him, giving me the thumbs up. He was wearing his items of power. His hat was flexing it’s wings as well as his shoes. His Caduceus had two snakes slithering around the staff and intertwining.

“Well for one,” I spoke a little louder so they could all hear me, “I’d like to return to my body and have some help to get the time crystal. And I have a special favor to ask you Lord Apollo.” He beckoned me forward. His eyes were curious and his face was gentle. I bowed and went to Apollo’s throne.

It was bigger then I thought. He leaned forward and I whispered if I could talk to his Oracle with something personal. He nodded as a sign that I could. I smiled as I bowed and walked back to the center. Calvin stood there, probably wondering where I was.

“For your first request to be returned to your body, I will speak with my brother,” An older man, with grey hair and a trident said as he left the Council and went to contact Hades.

“The time crystal is my jurisdiction though father,” a younger lady with light blue hair and a distinct dress said as she brushed the tummy of her spotted owl. It hooted at me and closed it’s eyes, content on it’s masters throne. Her throne was right next to Hera‘s, “How do we know that the time crystal will be carefully put back to where it should be?”

“Zoë? You think you could explain,” Zeus asked, his eyes turning into a grey color like his daughter Athena’s.

I guess I was as trustworthy for the gods as most mortals were.

“Lady Athena, you must of heard of how my journey started. I met Calvin, lost Dot and my memory, escaped the Jackal and Zar, made it to recover a crystal in China and have been through more than most people can stand. I risked my life for someone who has helped me thus far,” I pointed to my lifeless body, “And I did this to save my future and Calvin’s, maybe even your’s. I know you are the goddess of wisdom. You know what has to be done. Calvin needs to return to his own past.” Okay. Got that weight off my chest.

She stopped stroking her owl’s underbelly. “I trust you. This means a lot more. You never know when you’ll lose everything. Even our future. Nothing last forever.” She looked at her sister to her left and her mother-in-law on her right. They both nodded.

This part really freaked me out. The first crystal was in a dragon’s dungeon. Now here’s what happened. Athena put a finger to her forehead and the skin opened enough for her hand to dig inside. She went and fished out the pinkish looking time crystal. The time sign was showing on the side. The half-hour glass and a little curved line over that. Distinct. It was the same on the other one.

Calvin stared at her the whole time. Then I watched as he collapsed. Too much to watch I guess. I asked something, “Could we stop with freaking out us mortals for a little while, please?”

“Well, sorry. We have to keep it somewhere people won’t think to find it,” She explained. The other goddess were adverting their eyes.

“Yeah. I really doubt that someone would look there.” I said.

Poseidon walked in as this was happening. “Eww! Athena,” he exclaimed, “yuck! Hades has responded. He says he won’t let you go.”

“What? I want to talk to him then.”

Poseidon lead me to a pool of water just outside the Council. The sun was making a rainbow into the pool.

“Iris will connect you to Hades, Zoë. Tell me when you are done.” He walked out and back to the Council. Hades came into view in the rainbow.

“Ah Zoë. It’s been 30 minutes,” he said before I interrupted.

“Save your comments, Hades. Why won’t you release me?” I was extremely mad at that moment.

“Right to the point, huh? You forgot to give me crucial information.”

“Like what?”

“Can she ever love me,” he asked, “If you answer this truthfully, you shall be freed.”

“Do you swear?”

“Upon the River Styx.” The clouds started to thunder a little.

“Truthfully, I don’t know if she loves you. But there is always a chance.” I said.

He stared at me, astonished. He analyzed me like I was a convict. Then his expression went blank. I spoke a truthfully as possible while trying not to make him mad. He faced his palm toward me.

“I release you.”

He was true to his word. I felt free again and started to walk away from the pool of water. I was heading back into the Council when I called back, “Thank you, Hades.”

I walked into the gods’ throne room where Calvin was conscious and was cradling my body.

“It’s time I stopped glowing,” I said to the gods. Their faces lifted into smiles except a couple of faces that I couldn’t name.

I glided to the spot where Calvin sat and I laid back on… Sorry into my body. I felt the rocking that Calvin was doing. I fluttered my eyes open and Calvin’s expression was different. He was in shock.

“Oh Calvin!” I wrapped my arms around his neck. He hugged me awkwardly and patted me a bit. He got up and extended his hand to me.

“I thought I would never be able to help,” he said as he yanked me up.

“Here’s the crystal,” Athena announced as she handed it to her owl and the owl flew to me. He dropped it and I caught it. I grabbed my back that was laying next to my leg and stuffed it in there. Two down, three to go, I thought.

“Thank you, my Lords and Ladies.” I bowed.

“Now about your favor, Zoë,” Apollo said and beckoned me forward.