I could not believe my eyes! There in front of me, the most important thing in my life was dying! John looked at me with eyes that pleaded for an answer. He fell on his knees and died. I stood there stoned by this, that I was not even able to show any emotion. The whole world stood still. After a while, I took off circling and running away from the temple hoping that it would end, hoping that it was all a dream, with tears streaming down. I turned to the main corridor when Veronica grabbed me. I was frantic! Crying, screaming and trying to get away.
Veronica: Marguerite what's wrong?! Marguerite!
Veronica shook me hard so as to make me stop. I looked at her, tears blurring my vision with my whole body trembling with agony.
Me: I...I...I killed John...I killed my John.
It was then that it sinked into me. I sent a sword through his heart and killed him. I killed him! The others stood equally stunned. I dropped myself on the floor and started to cry.
Me: I killed my John. I...killed...
Challenger: Marguerite, where is he?
Me: there's no point I killed him!
Challenger: Marguerite show us where?!
They lifted me up and I lead them through to the room. I dreaded going there to see my love like that but as I turned, what I saw drove me to the brink of insanity. There on the floor lay John dead with a sword pieced through his heart and in the far corner was JOHN moaning for his injuries.
I stood there confused as I looked for answers in the face of the others. I did not know what to do that I slowly approached the dead John and sat next to him. I leaned my face against him and then suddenly, he opened his eyes and griped me from my neck. I tried to scream and then, both of us disappeared to the floor.
Challenger: Marguerite! MARGUERITE! Melone, you and Veronica take Roxton or what seems to be Roxton to Arthur. I'll look for Marguerite.
Melone: okay. Will you be fine?
Challenger: I'll be fine. Go.
We crashed through the earth and fell on to a flat ground with fire around me. I was at the cave with the tablets. The heat licked my skin making my fears boil up. 'John' also stood in front of me with the sword still through him. He pulled the sword out with the sickening sound of the flesh being cut ripping through the air. I tried to be as strong as possible but the fear burned through it. He threw the sword to my feet and with a brilliant light, he turned to a man with fine Grecian clothes.
Me: You're not John...you're not Lycious!
He: No Marguerite.
Me: THEN WHO ARE YOU?
He looked at me and shouted in a booming voice.
He: DON'T YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE ON ME!
Me: I WILL IF I WANTED TO! Tell me what is this?!
He: THIS MARGUERITE IS RETRIBUTION!
Me: retribution?
I stood there confused thinking of what this might be. Then it dawned.
Me: Nemesis?
He: Yes Marguerite, I'm the mighty Nemesis, the God of retribution.
Me: And for what am I being reattribute for?
He: You above all know the answer for that Marguerite.
Me: No I don't and even if I did, it would not be your business.
He: I made it my business when you came to my world Marguerite. I had been
eyeing you to make you repay your sins.
Me: By making me kill Atlas?
He: yes. And it would have all been complete if not for Roxton.
Me: why did you make me...
He: because of your lies Marguerite. You lied to each and every one of your
friends. They gave you understanding, support, care, comfort and most
importantly, Roxton gave you love.
My face fell with each accusation because I knew all was true. The guilt burned up inside me and Nemesis provided the perfect mirror for it to reflect.
He: You, in return, gave lies. Lies upon lies you offered them. They trusted you and you planted doubt in them, they cared for you and you scorned their hearts, they loved you and you betrayed that love.
Me: Yes I did but why, why make Roxton suffer?!
He: because he loves you! He loves you so much and now he has to pay his
price.
I searched inside me for an answer, an answer that I knew but never dared to say.
He: he loved you so much that his blood, today, saved you from the ultimate death.
Me: is he going to die?
He: No. It's you who have to pay that price.
Me: I have to kill Atlas?
He: No. As a God, I can change your destiny but not your nature. Only you
can change that. And now you will get a chance to do that.
He walked over to me and pointed at the aligned tablets.
He: She shall wake Marguerite, throwing fire across the sky, when the Gods align in the Universe. And as you can see, they have. I lay your destiny on your hands and your nature in your heart but remember this, only five souls can pass through to your world at tomorrow's sunset before she forever closes the door. And now it's up to you. Better hurry!
And then he disappeared leaving me in this cave of fire. I ran outside motivated by fear and my legs carried me John's room. Without my sandals, my soles were cut by the stones, my dress ripped and soiled. My face too was unclean, unclean with guilt. I stood at the door afraid to go in as Veronica sponged John's forehead. My sobs alerted Melone and he looked at me.
Melone: Marguerite! Are you alright?!
Summerlee: Oh my child come in!
Melone: I'll go and get Challenger, he's looking for you.
Veronica: I think you need to clean your feet. I'll get some water. Look at
you.
All this time, John had his face turned so I did not see him. Summerlee seeing this knew that I needed to be with John.
Summerlee: Marguerite, could you stay with John. I need some more of this herb.
I nodded and waited till Summerlee left. I slowly approached John and with trembling hands, turned his face.
Me: Oh my God!
His right eye had been punched badly and his lip has split terribly at its corner. He even breathed with pain.
Me: Oh I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry.
Will he ever forgive me? Me a sinner as Nemesis told. I did not deserve any of this! None of this!
Just then Challenger and Melone walked in. I had other business to take care of.
Me: Challenger thank God you are here. We have a big problem.
Challenger: Marguerite why don't you...
Me: No time! Listen. Remember Roxton and I told you that we found a cave
with tablets?
Challenger: Yes.
Me: that is NOT an old temple. It's some kind of an observatory predicting
something.
Challenger: end of something?
Me: maybe...yes.
The other two came in too.
Veronica: what's wrong?
Melone: the cave she found is a possible an observatory predicting
something.
Summerlee: predicting what?
Me: Possibly the end.
Veronica: And you tell us now!
Me: I figured it out but when I came to tell Challenger, Neme...er...
Lycious kidnapped me.
Melone: what happened to Lycious? What happened to you?
Me: I can't explain now. This is more important!
Challenger: tell us what you know.
Me: the tablets are arranged according to the Grecian Gods and these tablets
fall, they align with each other during some interval. But inscribed there
was the quote, "She shall wake, throwing fire across the sky, when the Gods
align in the Universe".
Veronica: what does that mean?
Me: I don't know but what I can explain is the meaning. Grecian gods have a
Roman equivalent and the planets in the universe are named after them. All
except Pluto. It might not have been discovered by our world yet.
Challenger: fascinating! So they might refer to the aligning of planets.
Me: yes. Challenger, what geographical changes can this cause.
Challenger: Well the magnetic and gravitational pull can cause certain
changes like weather changes, changes in the condition of the mantle,
movements of plates.
Melone: so have the planets aligned?
Me: the tablets yes but I don't know about the planets.
Melone: the quote again?
Me: "She shall wake, throwing fire across the sky, when the Gods align in
the Universe."
Melone: She? A fire breathing woman?
Me: possibly.
Challenger: We'll have to find out if the planets have aligned. Melone come
with me. Marguerite, try to figure out the quote.
I nodded my head and instantly put my head to work. I wracked my brains for over an hour as Summerlee nursed my wounds. I suddenly remembered what Nemeses told me. How I betrayed each and every one of them. Oh Summerlee if I can only turn back time.
But the name of Nemesis also reminded me of something he said. He told that this 'she' would forever close the door to my world. The base was clear. It was a woman who was able to spat out fire. Could it be a Goddess? Of cause the Goddess of Fire Hestia!
Me: Veronica! I need you to find the priest and ask him about any monument to do with Hestia.
Veronica: Hestia?
Me: Yes.
It seemed like hours before Melone and Challenger returned and their face told a story of fear.
Challenger: The planets have aligned!
Me: Oh my God!
Summerlee: What does it mean Marguerite?
Me: I don't know Summerlee.
Summerlee: How was Atlantis destroyed in Pluto's account?
Me: A volcanic eruption destroyed the whole island.
Summerlee: So it could be a volcanic eruption they are predicting. This cave
you said was underground, very hot and an observatory so couldn't it be
possible they were monitoring a volcano?
Malone: Yes, the quote talks about a 'she' who throws fire across the sky. Things of nature is referred to as 'she' and a volcano is a geographical situation which spats out fire or lava in this case.
Me: Possible.
Challenger: Possible but the whole volcano exploded at its own eruption and
was destroyed so it can't be.
I thought for a while.
Me: But...
Challenger: But?
Me: There were always these skeptics who believed that Pluto got the idea
from the eruption of Mount Santorini also known as Thera approximately
during the same time. This Volcano was in the island Cyclades in Greece
and the massive eruption completely destroyed the whole island and possibly
the Minoan Civilization.
Melone: Almost similar to the legend of the Atlantis.
Me: So what if that was the volcano that erupted and not the one in
Atlantis?
Summerlee: then the quote does predict a volcanic eruption.
Challenger: But where?
Just then Veronica walked in.
Veronica: Marguerite I found Hestia!
Me: what is it?
Veronica: It's a volcano situated near the place we arrived from.
At the sound of those words, my whole life seemed to come to an end. How could this have happened? How could I bring them here to kill them?
Veronica: What's happening?
Challenger: Well you see a volcano erupts when the pressure that builds up
causing the molten magma to boil up and spray out. And one factors that
builds the pressure up maybe the immense gravitational pull that the
aligning of the planets such as the one that occurred. So you found the
volcano and the theory fits.
Veronica: How can you be sure it's Hestia? She does not show any signs of eruption.
Me: I can tell you that because we have to leave this place at tomorrow's sunset or the Hestia will seal that door forever!
But what I did not say was that out of the six of us, only five souls could pass through!
