Page 39 of Siriarna
“Come on Siriarna, let’s go.”
Miriam jumps up, following the crowd. I have no choice but to follow her. Her excitement is contagious, so I push her story to the back of my mind and concentrate on the events that are about to unfold.
A wave of people gathers around the outside of a vast empty field. Miriam expertly manoeuvres us into a superior vantage position. “We made it, it’s about to begin,” she says, squeezing my hand.
I see nothing but an empty field. I try to pretend I am just as eager as she is, and force a smile. Within seconds, a loud bang echoes, smoke shrouds the fields, and the crowd erupts in voracious cheers.
I have no idea what’s going on … then I see it. A large chariot emerges from the haze. I’ve never seen anything like it. It stands tall and proud in all its glory; the craftsmanship is superb. A bright flash of light signals the arrival of God Apollo, who is now standing at the helm of his new golden chariot. He throws a ball of light into the sky above, takes out his bow and arrow and shoots a spear through its centre. The ball explodes into thousands of tiny snowflakes. My mouth drops in awe.
“I told you it was something else,” Miriam grins.
She explains the annual festival celebrates the labour of workers in The Between and is centred around a different god each year, this year being Apollo. His gift, the glorious new chariot, took artisans the entire year to proudly complete.
Apollo takes his time to speak to festival goers, particularly paying attention to the children of the realm, who lap up the sheer magnificence of his presence. It really is a spectacle not to be missed, and I’m glad Miriam invited me.
After the snowflakes dissipate, food tables are wheeled into the centre of the fields. Freshly farmed fruits and vegetables are on display, together with exotic looking refreshments. I help myself to a mouth-watering scented vegetable dish wrapped in abanana leaf, and a sky-blue coloured fruit cocktail. Miriam grabs the same. We find a space along a fence to lean against while we consume the appetising cuisine.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Miriam. I’m actually having a great time. And this truly is the most delicious food I have ever tasted.” I say with gratitude.
“You’re welcome. The food is the best thing about this realm. So fresh. Only the best for our gods.” She winks.
Music from the band playing in the north field, is carried through the atmosphere by the light breeze. A flock of people dance freely in front of us, not a care in the realm, and children’s laughter echoes throughout the space. The festival is in full swing now, and I’m enchanted by the celebrations. It’s exactly what I needed to inject some life back into my damaged soul.
Out of the blue, I hear my name spoken.
“Interesting. I didn’t think I would be seeing you here, Siriarna.”
I whirl around to find Apollo towering over me. How does he know who I am? We have never met. “I can’t say I thought I’d be here either,” I respond matter-of-factly.
He laughs—a great audacious guffaw. It fits his sheer size and magnificence. “You are quite the enigma. I must say, I did find it intriguing when the boy asked Athena for her assistance in finding you. It was a bold move to ask a favour of a god, and Athena is particularly pedantic. Of course, she declined his request. But you don’t seem to be misplaced any longer, I see.”
I have no idea what he’s talking about.
What boy and how did he know I was missing?
I’m about to ask Apollo this very question when I remember the Evolirium Challenge reward dinner. Braxton must have attended without me. My heart flip flops in my chest as I remember the last time I saw him andthatkiss.
“The dinner,” I reply, temporarily distracted.
“Yes. Hermes was quite taken with your replacement, so all was not lost.”
My what? Someone went in my place.
Before the words are even out of my mouth, I know exactly who it was—Alexandraya.
Apollo seems bored now. He has turned his back and is walking away toward his gleaming new chariot. Before he gets too far away, I ask him the question that had me curious the moment he addressed me.
“Your Greatness, can I please ask how you know who I am?”
His response floors me. “Eleos—she seems to think you have a higher purpose.”
I can’t ask anything further because he has vanished. I have a million thoughts swimming through my mind. I don’t know where to start, or how to sort them into any kind of sense. I clutch my temples that are now aching with confusion. Miriam grabs my hand and pulls me to a vacant space.
“What was that all about Siriarna? Do you know Apollo?”
“No, I’ve never met him or any god. Oh, wait, I have. Sort of. Kind of.” I reply flustered, thinking back to Eleos who came to me at the bottom of the Void, relaying that strange message. Then there was Hermes, after my one and only mission.
“Take a deep breath. You don’t look so good,” she instructs after scanning my pallid skin tone.