Awakened | Teen Ink

Awakened

May 15, 2011
By Analyst51, Alpharetta, Georgia
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Analyst51, Alpharetta, Georgia
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It had been a long time since seismologist Matthew King had gazed upon the beautiful island landscape, dominated by the massive volcano, Mt. Etna; a tribute to Dr. King’s supposed “father” Zeus. It was a world of the gods. They were there. They were real. Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, just to name a few. They didn’t live far away, just on the mainland, on the top of Mount Olympus. And with them a whole host of mythical creatures. Cerberus, Ladon, Campé, and many others. But Dr. King was in Sicily, Italy to observe the active volcano. He was a tall man, browned by the sun with an old, kind face that shone with wisdom and composure. And with him on this trip was Greek culture expert Arthur Roberts. A short, balding man, he was nothing less than what everyone said about him: brilliant. After a few days of relaxation in the tropical atmosphere, they decided to ascend the mountain and complete their work.

Now, Dr. King’s work was simple. He needed to place a seismic sensor in the center of the mountain’s caldera. There had been rumors of volcanic activity around the mountain, and Dr. King needed to investigate the seismic activity. As they hiked to the top, Mr. Roberts kept Dr. King company with the story of the mountain. Mr. Roberts told it this way: “After Zeus had defeated the Titans, Typhon arose to destroy him. Typhon was the most powerful of all monsters that have ever been in existence. The size of a mountain, shooting flames, and attacking with his serpentine limbs, he was nearly impossible to destroy. Zeus finally managed to destroy the beast, and he was trapped beneath Mt. Etna, waiting to be awoken. Legend also had it that there was an incantation that could awaken Typhon, when the sorcerer stood in the exact middle of the volcano. It was a spell so powerful that would cause the volcano to erupt and summon a Typhon stronger than ever before.”

After several tedious hours of hiking to the top, they stood and gazed over the smooth, flat caldera. They started walking towards the rock sheet’s center to drill the sensor in. Then everything went wrong. Standing in the middle was another man. Dressed eccentrically, he wore a dark cloak, with bright, curved shoes, a tall pointy hat, and a stick mounted with a blue crystal. He saw them approaching, and they waved to him. When they got close enough, Dr. King greeted him and put his hand out as to shake hands. The man gave an inquisitive look as though he didn’t know what he was saying and slapped his hand away. He muttered a word in ancient Greek, and Dr. King and his assistant flew backwards. Holding his staff high in the air, the sorcerer screamed, “Οι μέρες θα είναι σκοτεινό, ο ουρανός θα είναι μαύρος, Olympus θα καταστραφεί! Ανοδος επάνω, Τυφών! (The days will be dark, the skies will be black, and Olympus will be destroyed! Rise up, Typhon!)” And Dr. King and Mr. Roberts had never run so fast. As they jumped off the caldera and descended with all haste, the earth began to shake. Violently. Smoke began to fill the air, little by little. Rocks began to shoot into the sky.
Just as they made it to their car, the wizard’s staff shone from the top of the mountain with a dazzling blue light. And the volcano erupted. Huge clouds of smoke shot out of the mountain, rocks tumbled down, forming immense pyroclastic flows, jets of lava shot out, scorching the forests. This continued for 5 minutes, as the 2 men drove away in their car, making for the Sicilian Bridge, taking them off the island. Then the chaos struck. Suddenly, the earth shook unlike anything before, splitting the very mountain in half. And out of the rubble of the annihilated island was a sound. A horrible sound that was like a thousand snakes and lions roaring and hissing simultaneously. Then a massive, shapeless hand appeared out of the hole, the size of a jumbo jet. Then another hand. And Typhon rose. It was a massive creature, so tall that its upper half was obscured by the clouds. On each hand, one hundred dragon heads roared and shot fire. Below its torso, massive viper coils reached to the sky. Its head was a picture of the devil. It was large and scarred, resembling a dragon, shooting a massive plume of flames from its mouth. Its body was covered in wings, and quickly laid to wreck the remnants of the island. The island was quickly consumed by Typhon’s furious inferno. But Dr. King and Mr. Roberts were safe. For now.

With the force of a tornado, Typhon flapped its wings and rose from the lava basin into the sky and flew off, toward Greece, in the direction of Mount Olympus. Typhon would challenge the gods once more. It descended as it approached Olympus, shooting streams of fire at the home of the gods. In a moment, the Olympians appeared, defending against Typhon’s furious onslaught. In a glowing light, each god appeared, striking back against the evil monster. Zeus hurled lightning bolts; Poseidon created massive torrents, Hades created an army of the dead that attacked the beast; Athena stabbed the beast with her spear; Ares sliced the viper coils with his sword; Apollo shot thousands of arrows at the monster; Artemis summoned a horde of wolves; Demeter and Dionysus thrashed the beast with long vines; Hera cut off the wings of the beast; Hermes distracted Typhon as it chased him around the mountain; and Hephaestus hurled boulders at Typhon. The battle continued back and forth as the gods attacked Typhon and Typhon attacked back, shooting massive plumes of fire at the Olympians. Then all hell broke loose. Hermes was hit by the cursed fire and then snatched up by the hundred dragon heads of Typhon’s hand and engulfed in a fire that could burn down a thousand villages. Then he was gone. The first god had fallen.
Chaos ensued, as the fight began to lean in Typhon’s favor. Hephaestus was killed. Then Artemis, Apollo, Hera, Demeter, Dionysus, Ares, Athena, Hades, Poseidon. As Poseidon fell, Typhon shouted, “Μόνο εσείς και εγώ, του Δία! (Only you and me, Zeus!)” With that Typhon launched a plume of flame and Zeus hurled a massive lightning bolt. Again and again, the forces of lightning and fire clashed until Typhon enveloped him in a monstrous jet of fire that could have swathed over a mountain. Then it was over. The gods were gone. With no one to protect it, Typhon would destroy the earth unless someone killed him first.

Back in the car, Mr. Roberts drove Dr. King to the island of Delphi, the location of the oracle. As they reached its shores, a green ray shone through the sky, enveloping them in a humid mist. Suddenly, they were transported onto an island. It was a tropical place, filled with fruits and trees, and there was no one in sight. After exploring the island for what seemed like hours, Dr. King spotted an old hut. “Over here!” he shouted and Mr. Roberts came running up. Together they entered the hut, and inside was a man. He was ancient, hunched over with long silver, hair and wrinkled, tanned skin. But his eyes; they were startling. They were a bright, lime green, the intense color that children love to draw with. He beckoned for them to sit, on a pair of old, worn stools. He then opened his mouth, and a mist came out. It was an eerie, foreboding mist, and out of it came a deep voice. “Typhon has risen, the gods have fallen. Earth has fallen, hell has risen. Seek the shining armor of Lanthanore. Rise up, and fall Typhon.” The voice chanted eerily again and again until the green mist enveloped them, and they appeared back in their car.
“Did you just see that?”, asked Dr. King. “Yes, we need to find the shining armor of Lanthanore. And fast.” “What exactly is it?” Mr. Roberts replied, “The shining armor of Lanthanore is a set of armor made by Gaia, mother of earth. It is the most powerful magical object in this universe. Its sword can destroy anything it stabs. The armor is impregnable. It could even withstand ‘the fiery breath of Typhon himself’.” Dr. King asked, “Then where is it?” “That’s the problem. It is located in the depths of Tartarus, the pit of Hades. The only way to get it is to dive into the chasm. If you touch the armor, you will rise back to the surface. If you fail, you will never return. Many have tried. No one has succeeded.” “Where is the entrance to Hades?” “It is in Mount Etna.” Dr. King gave Roberts a look of pure fear. They were going to go back to the inferno itself, the ruins of what hours ago, had been a tropical paradise.

As they reached Sicily, they got out of the car and examined the wreckage. Everything was consumed by Typhoen fire, a cursed flame that could kill on contact. After an hour of careful walking, they approached the charred edges of the mountain. They ascended to the top of the destroyed mountain. “Do you see that?”, Dr. King said, as he pointed to a dark, swirling abyss in the bottom of the mountain, several thousand feet below. “That is the entrance to the Underworld. After we enter, we must find Tartarus quickly, or we will not be able to exit.” “How do we get out?” “We must retrieve the armor. If we fail, there will be no escape.”
Then, holding hands, they jumped out into the emptiness. They fell thousands of feet into the center of the abyss, the swirling black hole. Suddenly, the mountain was gone, and they were standing on a barren wasteland, filled with the mists, spirits of the dead. The mists came forward, and a shape appeared. It was Lanthanoris, son of Gaia who witnessed the forging of the mystic armor over 10,000 years ago. In an eerie, whispered voice, he told them, “The location you seek is not far. To the left you must go. Fail, you must not. For then death will come to possess your spirit.” And the mists dissipated. For hours, they walked through the barren wastes of the Underworld, finding nothing. Then it appeared. It was a black pit, a massive chasm reaching down miles below the surface of Hades. But there was a light. In the abyss, a single, small point, the armor was there. “Is that it?”, asked Dr. King. “I think it is. We must jump down and grab the armor. And together, they jumped and sunk into the pit below. The light came closer and closer until they saw it, a beautifully engraved armor, shining in the darkness. Dr. King reached out his haad to grab it, but he missed. His finger hooked a small ledge and hanging from his other arm was Mr. Roberts. “I hope you trust me”, said Dr. King. And with that, he let Mr. Roberts go, pulled himself up, grabbed the armor and dived into the depths once more. As he pulled the shining armor on, he grabbed Roberts, and they began to glow brightly.
And in an instant they were teleported back to their car. The armor was silver, with symbols carved into it. There was a helmet with an eagle mounted on the brow. On the shield, there was a carving of an eagle. All tributes to Zeus. And on the sword… It was a weapon unlike any other. It shone in the sunlight. It was double edged, keenly cut, razor sharp. The steel was pure, and the hilt was elegant, and mounted with diamonds. On the sides of the sword were these words: “One sword to raise, one sword to rule, one sword to balance the world.” “Before we fight Typhon, you must learn to use that blade”, said Mr. Roberts. They drove off in the direction of the mainland for the Mount of the Lion. Located on tip of Greece, it had not yet been destroyed by Typhon. But as they drove along, they both saw where Typhon’s fury had struck. Villages, towns, burnt to smoldering ruins. No life. Only charred remains.

It was raining when they approached the mountain. It was a tall, dark mountain, with no trees. And on the highest peak was a shimmering light. It bathed the mountain in a cool, blue aura, that along with the torrential rain, gave the mountain a dark, eerie feel. But the armor shielded them from the rain, creating a sphere around them that no water could penetrate. They ascended to the top, the highest peak, thousands of feet in the air. When they reached the summit, there was a shining blue platform with a throne on it. Seated on the throne was an ancient man, old and gray, with a sword resting on his lap. “Sit”, he said and two cushions materialized on the ground. Dr. King and Mr. Roberts sat down. “You, Dr. King, wear the shining armor of Lanthanore, forged in earth’s core by Gaia, the mother of earth. The armor posses many magical powers, some of which you have already experienced. The reason you left the pit after grabbing the armor was a charm set upon the armor by Gaia. It doesn’t teleport you. The armor protects the wearer anything earth, or hell, can bring against it. You are the only one who can survive Typhon’s cursed flame. The sword is also magical. While holding it, you can fly and run at the speed of sound. That sword can launch bolts of lightning, flood the area, and raise an army of the dead to fight on your side. As you know, the gods have fallen. You are the only one who can stop Typhon. Earth is doomed if you fail.” “Then how do I kill Typhon?”, Dr. King asked. “To kill Typhom, you must plunge the sword into heart of the great monster. Doing so will destroy him and hurl him into the depths of Tartarus. He would be effectively dead. Monsters don’t die. They can be destroyed, their power can be broken, but they will never cease to exist.”
“Then teach me to fight.” “I will, for that is why you have come to me.” With that, the man stood up and drew his sword. An epic fight ensued. They both fired lightning bolts from the tips of their sword, clashing with each other, back and forth, a show of strength. But the old man was more powerful and destroyed Dr. King’s lightning bolt. Dr. King then launched a huge gust of wind that dissipated the lightning bolt. Flames erupted beneath the feet of the man, and with his magic sword he shot them at Dr. King. But Dr. King was ready. He created a torrent of water, hundreds of gallons of water falling down, obeying his every command. They extinguished the flames and surged toward the old man. But the man still had one more trick. He thrust his sword into the earth, cleaving the ground like butter. A massive shock wave erupted, blowing the water away and knocking Dr. King off his feet. “Now you try it”, the man said.
With his full power, Dr. King stabbed his sword into the earth. And from the sword came an eagle, made of light, blinding all. It exploded into a lightning bolt that pierced the mountain down the middle, disintegrating everything in its path. The man said, “You are ready to fight the great monster. Jump into the chasm and you will be transported to where Typhon is. “I am coming with you, my friend”, said Roberts. “Arthur, you know you can’t come.” “Then be careful.” The man said, “Absolutely… earth is depending on you.” “Teacher”, Dr. King asked, “what is your name?” “My name”, he said, “is Lanthanoris XXXI, descendant of the great Lanthanoris, son of Gaia, who forged the armor you now carry. I have been waiting for the one. The one to destroy the beast Gaia created all those eons ago. You hold the sword of Lanthanore. You are the one.” “Then I will not fail.” He jumped, with all his might, into the deep chasm. Second later he was lost from sight.

He reappeared in the scene of chaos. People screaming, running for their lives, as the leviathan incinerated the village. Typhon noticed him and shot a plume of fire at him. But Dr. King was suddenly enveloped in a milk-white sphere, that the fire couldn’t penetrate. And Dr. King launched a lightning bolt, striking Typhon in the chest. The battle raged on for hours. Typhon attacking Dr. King with his viper legs and dragon arms. Dr. King throwing fire, water, lightning, wind, everything, but with no avail.
Then Dr. King pierced the ground and the eagle appeared, striking Typhon and exploded into a massive lightning bolt. It struck Typhon and stunned him long enough for Dr. King to jump in the air, and plunge the glowing sword, forged by the creator of the monster years ago, into the heart of Typhon. Typhon screamed and began to glow. He exploded in a shower of flame, disintegrating and screaming into the sky, until ultimately exploding into a massive column of flame, which slowly dissipated into the electrified air.
Dr. King had won. He reappeared next to Lanthanoris and Roberts. He was heartily congratulated by them and the armor disappeared. “Well”, he said, “I don’t think I’m going to be investigating Mt. Etna anytime soon.” “Oh, there may be some of it still standing”, said Roberts jokingly. It was a day of rejoicing, for the greatest of all monsters was slain.



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