New Finnish Republic wrote:--
There was nothing, nothing at all as far as the eye could see. Darkness all around, enveloping him, forming a perfect void. No light, no touch, no heat or cold. But there was sound. There were voices, so many voices. Roaring, screaming. Deafening. Thousands of voices screaming in the void while he floated across helplessly, unable to hear his voice over the background roar, unable to move or speak or hear anything but the voices and feel anything but the pain that came with them. Then suddenly it all stopped, and there was only darkness and silence.
Then everything came to life with a bright light that burned everything way...
...and the young man woke up.
The first thing that he became conscious off was that whatever he felt previously was quickly turning into a distant memory without a beginning or an end, as often happened with dreams or, in this case, nightmares. The next thing he became conscious of was of a more physical nature, the feeling of his own body. His head pounded terribly and his mouth felt completely dry. As he tried to prop himself up with an elbow before standing up, he realized how heavy his body felt. His movements were sluggish, and the early morning light streaming in from his window almost hurt to look at.
"What the hell..." Raven said to himself as he covered his face with one hand. "Why... ah, right..."
His thoughts, like his body, felt sluggish, but after a few moments his memories came flooding back. Memories of the previous night, of the party he had barely been able to enjoy before being whisked away, and of the ominous meeting he and his fellow university students had with Professor Iraklidis. A summons, to a great quest that was of vital importance, and a source of anxiety and fear. His memories of whatever happened afterwards were less clear. He recalled purposefully getting drunk, not out of any intent to enjoy the party, but rather in an attempt to drown out his newfound knowledge and the dread that it caused in him. He didn't even quite remember how he'd gotten back to his room, but he recalled that it had taken him a very long time to fall asleep, in spite of all the alcohol he'd had.
"...That explains a lot."
Suddenly, a loud piercing noise blared through the room, startling Raven and causing him to fall off his... couch?
Groaning as he forced himself to ignore the pain shooting through his body and to get back on his feet, the young man spotted his cellphone on the nearby table and picked it up to turn off the alarm. Ever since he could remember, he had the uncanny habit of waking up a minute or two before his alarm sounded, something he didn't question, though he was amazed at the fact he managed to pull it off in his current state. It was now exactly 7 AM, which meant he had an hour before his fateful meeting. However, his attention was soon drawn from that fact to a certain detail.
Next to the phone, there was also a note that read:
Don't drink so much next time, little bro. I can't drive you all the time.
-Tiff
"Huh, more explanations." He said. Tiffany was another child of Hecate, a free-spirited, artistic girl he'd met after enrolling in college, who had immediately taken to treating him as a younger brother. Given how distant he and his actual sisters were, it was nice, but troublesome at times.
Now was not one of those times, though. He was definitely too drunk to drive home last night, so he appreciated the lift.
"Well..." Raven mumbled to himself, stifling a yawn afterwards. "Better get ready for that meeting." He said, resigned to whatever was going to happen. He was quite nervous about the whole thing, not knowing what the mission might entail, why it was so important, or why he was chosen, specifically.
With a sigh, he started on his morning routine.
Raven stood in front of Chiron, Heracles and the Oracle at the stadium, side to side with his fellow demigods from the previous night. An hour had passed and he was hydrated, showered and dressed up, a huge improvement over his state earlier in the morning. However, that did little to assuage his anxiety as he fidgeted with his hands and waited for the meeting to begin.
Finally, once everyone had gathered, Chiron stepped forward and explained the situation, albeit he wasn't very forthcoming with details at first, merely repeating what Heracles had told them the previous night. Soon enough, however, he passed the baton to the Oracle, so to speak, and she stepped forward, reciting the prophecy. It was intimidating enough to know what they would be up against - Chiron later confirmed it, but it was obvious to him that the old ones alluded to were the Titans - but the worst part was when the Oracle reached the verses about the nine heroes. The subjects of some of the verses were obvious, some others not so much, but there was one in particular that stuck with him.
A heart of darkness... his blood...It wasn't hard to imagine what the first part was referring to - out of everyone present, as far as he knew he was the only demigod born of a chthonic deity, and the only one who could control darkness as a result. Perhaps it had little to do with his nature, which is what one might think of when the 'heart' is mentioned, but it was still the interpretation that made the most sense. That, however, left the matter of the second half of the verse. What could it refer to? A sacrifice? The idea fit, and it made him nervous... the gods weren't the type to hesitate with such matters, but were the teachers? He didn't think so, and the thought offered him a little solace.
But then the question continued. He could refuse, as Chiron very clearly stated later. But someone would have to embark on the quest, fulfill the prophecy. If he refused, wasn't he forcing someone else to do it, directly or indirectly? They could refuse, but the chain would have to end somewhere, and he was the first link. What if they tried to recruit his fellow children of Hecate? Children of the other chthonic deities were likely candidates as well, but even then he couldn't shake the feeling that by refusing he might endanger his brothers and sisters.
And ultimately... if he refused, they would have to go through the trouble of finding another candidate. If the situation was as dire as Chiron claimed... then, wouldn't that mean that, by wasting their time and delaying the quest, he was indirectly putting the world closer to its destruction?
He was very frightened by the prospect of facing the Titans of course, but... refusing seemed like an even worse option.
Pondering all of this, he didn't pay much attention to the questions posed by his classmates. It was impossible, however, to ignore when a mystical ship straight from ancient legends, the Argo, descended from the skies and settled down on the stadium. Slack-jawed, Raven slowly walked around the ship, taking in everything. "So this is how we're traveling to the Old World..."
He looked towards Chiron, budding resolve in his gaze. "I... I'll come. I want to do my part in keeping the world safe."