Chapter 2

Sintara pov*

"Kelsanda" the lightning-chair-crown-guy said "Althea" he looked at us each in turn "Sintara." I watched as his gaze lingered over my slightly extended wings and the blue-hued scaling creeping up my neck to my cheeks. I bared my teeth at them all and saw one of the others flinch out of the corner of my eye. Hermes stepped forward and bowed.

"Almighty Zeus; the three girls..." He stepped back and ushered us forward. Althea immediately swept into a curtsy, Kelsanda followed her example but I refused until Althea tugged on my sleeve. I bowed shortly. I raised my head and saw the bow and arrows guy two to the right give a small smile. He was holding an idly shaped instrument - a lyre - which he started to strum lightly. Zeus raised his eyebrows at me. I stared back at him.

"Be polite" Althea hissed at me, elbowing me in the ribs.

"Why should I?" I hissed back. She rolled her eyes at me. I glowered back.

"Stand" Zeus commanded. The others stood up.

"Hermes has told you why I have summoned you here. You are to be reunited with your parents. You are to learn the ways of the gods. We shall meet here again in two weeks. Go now." Hermes led us away.

"You must follow as you are told exactly. If you mess this up you will not be allowed in Olympus again. I know. I was that close;" he held his fingers about an inch apart "from being out myself."

"Oh. So the secret troublemaker reveals himself..." I teased him. "What did you do?"

"I took a herd of your fathers cattle when I was about three. He annoyed me so I took them and went to the mountains. I've always been quick on my feet. That's why I'm the messenger." I liked Hermes, he was honest and joking.

"Wait so who's my father?" I strained my memory to that book I found with Greek gods but couldn't remember all Zeus's sons. Hermes (who hadn't answered my question) showed us a room with three doors leading off it. "One room each. Althea you're to the left, Kelsanda - the middle, and Sintara to the right. There is food waiting for you. Althea walked into the room on the left. She gasped and called back to us: "Wow! This is amazing! See if your rooms are this cool!" Kelsanda went into her room and yelled: "yep!" Then it was my turn. I stepped forward and slowly turned the brass door handle. I walked in and almost gasped. The room was exotic, decorated like a rainforest with a lush mud floor and tall trees. There was little furniture - but the branches, sky and ferns were teeming with rainforest life. Tacked to the tree nearest me I found a note;

Sintara,

Your room has real life and no ceiling. There are no dangerous creatures - like leeches or spiders - but there is plenty of living creatures for you to practice your hunting skills on. The edge walls are never-ending but the front and back are there.

Enjoy.

Your father;

Apollo

Well that answered my question.

---

On the far side of the room, barely visible, there was a long window stretching across the wall about halfway up towards the ceiling. On the other side of the sparkling glass was a golden forest. On a copper stand next to the window there was a little plaque with some info on it. Sintara walked past the trees and read it. It said:

THE FOREST OF LIGHT AND MUSIC

Owned by Apollo - Sun God.

In honour of his victory in the battle of light.

The laurel trees will live forever to feed the crows that live upon them.

"Fancy" Sintara said "What else is there?" She walked through a door to a little shack and there was a kitchen inside. Sintara went to the cupboards and found them packed with food. She got a bag of crisps and opened one. After sniffing them suspiciously she popped one in her mouth. The salt melted on her tongue. "Mmm" she raised one eyebrow and went through another door set into a large, rocky hill. There was a large double, four poster bed with silken sheets and hangings of her favourite colour - sky blue. Daytime sky on the sheets and night on the hangings. Also, a lounging sofa pressed against the wall with some books on a shelf next to it. There was another door in this room. It led to a flight of stairs and when Sintara went down them there was a large walk-in-wardrobe and yet another door. This one led to a bathroom with a swimming pool sized bath.

"Okay. That's pretty cool." She gaped around the room. There was a small wall separating the toilet and another for a shower. There's a large rack of fluffy white towels and a box to put the used ones in. Sintara went back upstairs and sat down on the sofa. She got a rag from her pocket and started cleaning her bow. When it was shining she went to the sink and started cleaning the gore from the arrows she had collected. When they were done she hung them all in mid-air and created a gust of wind to dry them. Sintara had only just finished putting them in the quiver, however, when there was a knock at the door.