City of gods - Hellenica by Jonathan Maas Page B

Saoirse’s abilities, but made a note to keep an eye out for them whenever they showed themselves.
    “And you?” he asked Kayana. “What can you do?”
    “Whatever my power is, it’s not helping us now,” she said. “How about you, General? What’s your power?”
    “Strength,” he said. “Fighting, endurance, something like that.”
    “The fool called you War ,” said Kayana.
    “Then he’s indeed a fool,” said Gunnar. “I fight in pits, lunch halls and back alleys. My time for the battlefield is over.”
    “But it appears we’re Horsemen,” said Tommy. “They call us Horsemen .”
    “Indeed,” said Gunnar. “Do any of you know what gods Horsemen were? Or are ?”
    There was a silence until the hyaena made a high-pitched bark.
    “I know,” said Saoirse. “They taught us this at Elysia. The Horsemen were ancient gods—well, not really gods , but supernatural beings from the monotheistic times. They were to bring about the end of humanity. War, Death, Pestilence, and the White Knight.”
    “Perhaps you are indeed War, General,” said Kayana.
    “Then you, Death,” said Gunnar. “Tommy, perhaps you’re Pestilence?”
    “Perhaps I am,” said Tommy. “Perhaps I am.”
    Tommy checked his mask again and then sat in the corner, dejected and motionless. Tommy’s suit is amazing, thought Gunnar, but he doesn’t want to fight. If some monster were to come from the maze, he’d be helpless.
    “And what of you, Saoirse?” he asked. “What does this White Knight do?”
    “I don’t know,” she said. “It’s unclear what the White Knight does.”
    “What about your dog?” he asked.
    “It’s a hyaena,” said Saoirse. “A striped hyaena, and I don’t know what it can do.”
    Saoirse remained silent, and the hyaena’s hair stood up straight until its size was almost doubled. They looked into the darkness and at the entrance to the maze was a small, stout man.
    “We don’t know what the hyaena can do,” said the man, “and for that matter, we don’t know what any of you can do.”
    The man came out and he had smooth brown skin, short arms and legs; he looked to be a dwarf.
    “My name is Bes,” said the man. “I’m an Egyptian god, but in the Academy I’d be considered your advisor . So for the time being, our interest is one and the same. That interest is you making it through the next hour without having your bones crushed.”
    Bes came near them; he might not have been a meter in height. Gunnar knew Bes to be a powerful god so he paid him respect and gestured towards his group to stand at attention.
    “Relax, Redstone,” said Bes, “I care nothing for your deference. In fact, this whole school can go to Hades as far as I’m concerned.”
    Bes is the god who defends the weak, the old and the infirm, thought Gunnar. He’s good, but detests authority. It’s a miracle he agreed to come to the Academy in the first place.
    “We thank you for coming to our aid,” said Gunnar, “and we ask your advice how to manage the maze ahead.”
    “First of all, it’s not a maze,” said Bes with a smile. “It’s a labyrinth. Mazes are built for recreation; labyrinths are built to punish.”
    “It’s a labyrinth without light, too,” said Tommy.
    “You’ll survive it,” said Bes. “It’s the creature inside that concerns me. We placed this creature, a monster , if you will, to lie in the depths for you. It’s young, just barely hatched, but still quite deadly in this environment. You’ll all use your powers to navigate the labyrinth and get past the monster.”
    “Get past him?” asked Gunnar. “Shouldn’t we fight him?”
    “You’re no match for this creature; don’t fight him,” said Bes. “I’ll be watching to make sure that no fatal injuries occur, but should this creature decide to shatter your collarbone, even I won’t be fast enough to defend you.
    “Now, your task is simple: make it through the labyrinth,” he said. “Do you still wish to go