Chapter 3

“Day 1 of training starts tomorrow. You will need to be ready to go quite early. If you do well-“Apollo’s speaking was cut off by his daughter saying “I will be able to stay. Yeah. You’ve said that 3 times already! What if I don’t want to stay? What if I want to go home?” Apollo stopped walking and stared at Sintara. “You will have everything here. A proper home, a family, all you want to eat. Why would you want to go?” Sintara jumped and grabbed onto the golden leaves of her father’s forest with one hand whilst resting her feet on the trunk and hooking her arm around another slippery gold branch.

“The only things I love are the forest – as in, real trees – and Althea and Kelsanda. They are my family and the forest is my home. Besides, why were we kicked out in the first place?” Apollo took her hand and she dropped to the ground and sat on a shiny golden rock next to him.

“I did not want you to go. It was a hard decision to make. Zeus, well he thought it would be for the best. Never before has there been a child of such extraordinary power. You are the daughter of the sky. However, we did not know what other powers you could gain. If I could go back I would go to when you were. Created. And stop myself and Aura. I did not know what would happen. I did not know the consequences our actions might make.” He looked at her with so much tenderness she believed him.

“Okay. So why did Althea and Kelsanda come?”

“They volunteered. As you grew up here you were all three best friends. When it was decided you could not stay, they chose to go. This way you would have a higher chance of surviving. I watched you when I could. You never sang. Here you did. Every day, and you were the best. Even my crows stopped singing to listen to you. Even the flowers in Aphrodite’s meadow of beauty turned towards your voice and stopped talking to listen.”

“2 things. 1 – There’s talking flowers?” Apollo nodded “and 2 – I can sing?” her father nodded again.

“Why don’t you try?”

“But I don’t know how to sing”

“Let the music carry you away.” Apollo held out his hand out and a crow dropped his tortoise-shell lute in it. He started to strum and reached out. His fingertips gently closed her eyes and he whispered “Let the music guide your voice” into her ear. Then he went back to playing and Sintara sat there and let the music fill her up.

Hesitantly, Sintara opened her mouth and sang:

“In the golden forest;

In the dead of night;

A lullaby was sung;

To scare off any fright.

“In the beauty meadow;

In the dead of night;

A lullaby was sung;

To make wrong turn right.

“In the sparkling ocean;

In the dead of night;

A lullaby was sung;

So young could sleep at night.

“In the land of Olympus;

In the dead of night;

A lullaby is sung;

So sleep my little light.”

Sintara opened her eyes and looked around. On the floor and in the trees and bushes, there were crows. Silently sitting there. Waiting for more. This time she sang it with her eyes open and she heard her own voice. It was a beautiful, soft, gentle sound. Silky smooth but hitting the notes perfectly. When the song finished Sintara looked at Apollo, her father, and he looked deep in her eyes.

“If you can stay. You’re always able to go back to earth every other year and spend a year there. You know that don’t you?” She stood and he followed her example. Then, suddenly, she leant forward and hugged him.

“I do now. What was that song? I think I have heard it before." Apollo chuckled.

“Many a time. I used to sing that to you every night. It was your lullaby.” She smiled and her fangs poked out her mouth slightly. He didnt even flinch.

After that she settled into learning the way of Gods and Goddesses. Althea and Kelsanda was shocked to see her change of attitude. On the first afternoon they had off, three days in, Sintara invited them swimming. They all splashed around in her swimming pool sized bath – they each had one but Sintara asked to use hers – and she sung them her lullaby.

“I couldn’t believe that I can sing! Is there anything you can do?” Althea suddenly went quiet and started looking quite guilty.

“What’s wrong Althea?” Kelsanda asked.

“Well... When we were sent to earth our memories were erased. Right?” they nodded “but mine were half left. I mean, I didn’t know we were daughters of Gods and Goddesses and stuff but I had this faint itch in the back of my head which sorta knew about Olympus. It sorta made me feel we were more than just wild weirdoes. You know what I mean? My father, Hades, told me that I asked for that. So I could understand all this better.” She gestured around the room. Kelsanda nodded at her.

“Yeah. That’s why you were always bugging us to try out our powers and explore them and stuff. You just didn’t know why. So, I found out that I am a good shot with a trident. I can fish quite well. I also have a minute say in the victory of something. That’s a minute part of the reason we have always won those rifts. And apparently I have inherited my mother, Nike’s gift of beauty and flirting. Hence that farmers son.”

                                               ****

After about three months on Earth, Kelsanda had hooked up with some farm boy. He was very cute but all he did was drool over her and want to be an idiot with her. Of course, Kelsanda relished in this. She flirted with him and teased him for ages before letting him kiss her. However, when she broke away he only wanted more and she had to kick him in the shins to get him to leave her alone. It was actually quite funny for the girls. He obviously didn’t think so.

                                                 ****

“I found out that I have the memory of an elephant. I can remember that song you sang, Sintara. You have a beautiful voice and you used to sing to children. Have you learnt any more songs?” Althea was so relieved that they had forgiven her for not telling them what she knew on Earth that she dared to say this.

“I might sing that to them later. Apollo played me another tune and I remembered the words to that as well. It goes:

“In the fiery furnace that is the sun;

A creature was born and the bell was rung;

This creature had red skin, eyes and ears;

This red monster was the devils son.

“It crawled from its shell;

The black tailed thing;

And stood on a stone;

Called ‘Where am I in?’

“But the stone melted;

And the devils son fell;

He was punished by Gods;

For making unwell.

“So, if you are bad, don’t try to run;

Think of all told in this song;

And what happened to the devils son;

In the fiery furnace that is the sun.”

Althea and Kelsanda stared at her.

“That’s beautiful. And it teaches a moral lesson!” Althea exclaimed.

“It was amazing! That’s for sure!” Kelsanda agreed. They all splashed around a bit then went back to their separate rooms. That night, Apollo came to Sintara’s room and led her to the homes of the children. She sung them the lullaby and every one fell asleep by the end. All apart for one.

Kaunda was the daughter of Apollo’s twin sister, Artemis. She was only about 4 years old but acted creepily mature for her age. She could converse like an adult and had a deep blue-purple eyes and hair. This spooked a few people but Sintara had got used to surprises by then. She was not at all fazed by this girl’s strange appearance. Once she had finished the song and Kaunda was still not asleep she asked why.

“I don’t sleep” Kaunda said “I never have been able to. Being the daughter of the goddess of the moon, I can’t sleep. I have to stay awake to control the moon. Make sure it rises at the right time, and sets in the right place – things like that.”

“So your mother, my aunt, had no power over this?” I was curious now “Or did she, but only in her youth and it was passed on to you but fully and stronger?”

“The latter. I have the power now, and will do my whole life.” I went home confused. I slept fitfully, worried about our test tomorrow. It decides whether or not I have to go back to the forest. I can’t decide which I prefer.