Chapter One

SAORI

Dreams were projections of our fears, hopes and experiences, but they could also 
sometimes be premonitions.  The ones I had been having for the past three days would, I 
believed, be categorized under the latter.  I hadn't told anyone about them; I needed to 
think them over first, decipher the meaning behind them.  I wondered if they were 
messages for Athena, that part of me that was growing more dominant day by day.  Kido 
Saori was now fading into a shadow, a shell for her Grecian alter ego. 

But I digressed - I had meant to contemplate on the dreams, not my identity.  In 
those dreams I was all by myself in a place so dark I couldn't even see the ground 
beneath my feet.  It was cold and not one sound was heard.  Then the earth began to 
shake, small tremors that became violent ones.  I fell sprawling on the hard soil while the 
earth heaved.  Vague voices cried out plaintively from the surrounding dark, "It's your 
fault, you sent us here to die..." At this point I usually woke up, trembling and in need of 
a glass of water.

I had been racking my brain, trying to remember what that place could be.  
Hades' realm?  No, we'd defeated him - if he was bent on a revenge it would not take 
place in the near future.  We wounded him severely, which meant he needed a very long 
time to recover, if he ever would.  I tried to summon Athena's memories, but however 
deep I had dived into them, not a clue had been found.

Shiryu would know what to make of this; I had never doubted the strength and 
wisdom of Saint Dragon.  Yet I still hesitated to share my uneasiness about the dreams.  
Somehow I had a notion that whatever lay behind the cryptic dreams, they were for 
Athena and her alone.  Her Saints were to be left out of the whole matter.  True, they 
were her protectors, but she had a power of her own, and she could not forever hide 
behind Saori, assuming the role of a helpless princess.  There were things she had to 
handle without any help - or interference, depending on the point of view - from the 
Saints.

The dreams were a precedent to something which, I felt, I would find out soon 
enough.


Last night I had another dream, but it was a reminiscence, not a warning of any 
sort.  

We - I and my Saints - were in Elysion, and Hades had just...died?  Was that the 
right word, for someone like him?  I was crying and calling Seiya's name, while the 
others stood around us, grim and quiet.  

Seiya can't be dead! my mind shrieked restlessly.  He's got a will nothing could 
break, not even Hades' sword!  I won't let him die, I won't!

I clasped Seiya's hand and my power coursed through me, flowing into his hand, 
his arms, his entire body.  Agony began to pulsate somewhere inside my skull and gave a 
brief but intense flare.  My eyes overflowed with the pain and some of the water spilled 
out.  Through the curtain of tears I noticed the others' stares.  The agony subsided but 
was instantly replaced by another, this time behind my ribs.  I was drawing on my life 
power to save Seiya, and I could lose a considerable amount of it.  Well, why not?  He 
would have done the same for me!

Seiya's eyes twitched a little.  It was working!  I tightened my clasp and 
concentrated.  There was a flicker along his arm; once, twice...then he began to glow. 

"Seiya!" I shook him fiercely.  "Seiya, wake up!  You have to wake up!"

The glow grew stronger and Seiya stirred in my arms.  His eyes inched open, then 
roamed around aimlessly.  They stopped at Shiryu, shifted at Hyoga, Shun and Ikki.  One 
corner of his mouth lifted.  "Hey, everyone," he said weakly.

"Seiya!" I hugged him, not caring what he or the others might think.  He blinked, 
then let his head sink against my shoulder.

Shiryu moved into my field of vision.  He knelt down next to me.  "We are so 
glad you finally come to, Seiya," he said.

I glimpsed at him, surprised; there were tears in his voice.  Shiryu had always 
been in complete control of his emotions, and it was rare to see the control loosen.  But 
then, he and Seiya were very close, their bond more than that of brothers.  I was dimly 
aware that my own tears were pouring.
"Well, it's good to know this whole mess has a neat end."  As usual, Ikki covered 
his feelings with gruffness.  Shun, on the other hand, had no such inhibitions; silent tears 
of relief were streaking clean tracks on his dirty face.  Hyoga smiled and nodded.

The dream faded away and I found myself staring at the ceiling of my bedroom.  I 
had used a great portion of my power to return Seiya to us.  In fact, I thought my power 
had lessened somewhat.  A voice within, tiny but persistent, asked me: Why did you do 
that?  Why sacrifice yourself for a mortal?  You are Athena, you don't really need Saints.  
If necessary you could handle whatever enemies there are on your own.

Athena's voice, or Saori's?  I sat up and hugged the pillow, gazing into space.  
Athena's, decidedly.  She had a warm, compassionate heart, and Saori had only been a 
spoiled girl who didn't give a tuppence about anyone.  Was that true, though?  Hadn't 
Saori, through Athena, learned to be more caring?  Hadn't Seiya's undying - pun not 
intended - determination and courage gotten into her at last?  

I stayed awake until morning, pondering on this.  When I looked at the mirror, I 
saw mauve shadows beneath my eyes.  And I still hadn't had a satisfactory answer.  That, 
however, would have to wait; today was the day for a reunion.

Things had reverted back to normal after the Hades episode - as normal as it 
could be for us, at least.  Seiya was unutterably delighted to have Seika with him.  He 
was endlessly grateful to Marin for having brought her to him, for it had been Seika's 
voice, along with mine, that revived his spirit when he almost gave up in the clash with 
Thanatos.  The two of them were now living in my house, Seika playing the part of the 
perfect sister.  I noticed how Seiya's face softened whenever she was near.  Their love 
had not been diminished by the years of separation.  It was good for Seiya to have her by 
her side.

Shiryu was back to Mount Rozan, where, he told me, he could find the ultimate 
peace.  He had also promised  we would receive a wedding invitation shortly, and it made 
me happy for him.  A nicer girl than Shunrei - or Chun-li, as he sometimes referred to her 
- was hard to find.  She and Shiryu would make a faultless couple.  And since the Twelve 
Gold Saints had also returned from Hades' realm, Roshi - a name more suited to him 
these days than Dohko - was also living with them.  Shiryu admitted it took some 
adjusting to see his teacher turn into a muscular young man after years of appearing as an 
ancient old hermit, but other than that, he could see nothing wrong with his present 
situation.

Siberia was Hyoga's chosen homeland, and he spent a lot of his time there. I 
sometimes wanted to go to Asegard myself and see Hilda, but I knew the mere sight of 
me was enough to remind her that she had lost all her Warriors.  So I didn't go.  Hyoga 
seemed content to live in Siberia, being close to his beloved mother, his Sensei and Isaac.  
He said he didn't resent Isaac for taking his eye; after all, he had cost Isaac his.  The last 
time I saw him, he was wearing glasses.  His left eye couldn't properly focus on objects 
so it needed some correction.

Shun and Ikki lived in a small house in the outskirts of town.  Ikki sometimes 
disappeared for days on end, gone to heaven knows where, while Shun spent his time 
learning to paint and write.  That surprised me; I thought it was Shiryu who was the 
writer's type, he read so much.  Shun had sent a couple of articles and stories to some 
magazines, all of which rejected his works.  He wasn't daunted and kept working on his 
newfound hobby.

And a new enemy would intrude upon this peaceful scene...My jaws set.  I had 
almost lost Seiya in Elysion, and I didn't intend to go through all that again.  The next 
time it happened, it could be all five of them, and I wouldn't be able to save them.  No, it 
was enough.  The next enemy would face Athena - after all, they usually challenged her, 
didn't they?  Well, she would come and meet them by herself.

Athena's voice, or Saori's?  I sighed and began to rummage through my 
wardrobe; breakfast would be in a minute.  Today we all would gather and be happy.  My 
worries - and new enemies - could nag at me later.  


The weather was mildly fragrant with new growth; a beautiful spring morning.  
We sat down and began to unload the hamper under the cloudless blue sky.  Seiya was 
the one who had come up with the suggestion that we held a picnic on the city park.  I 
thought about screaming kids and couples who would drift heedlessly by, and agreed.  I 
had never had a picnic before, not with Seiya and the others, that was.  Before their 
training they had been too busy hating me, and afterwards there were Ares, Poseidon and 
Hades.  A picnic was precisely what we needed right now.  The only thing missing was 
Ikki.  I was a trifle disappointed; but then, Ikki was always missing.

The spot we picked was right in the middle of the park, with no nearby tree under 
whose shade we could duck when it got too hot.  I'd forgotten to put on some sunscreen 
lotion and would probably be all red by the end of the day, but never mind that.  The day 
was too pleasant and the company more so.  

"Hyoga, I hate to see those glasses," Seiya protested between mouthfuls of 
beefburger.  "I mean, a Saint wearing glasses?  It's like a bad joke."

Hyoga pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose.  "Well, I don't wear it all the 
time.  I'll take it off during battles."

"It makes you look nerdy," commented Seiya, downing half a can of Coca-Cola 
to follow the burger.  I always wondered what his stomach was built of; it seemed able to 
digest anything short of concrete steel. 

"I think it makes him look kind of cute," Shun contributed. 

Shiryu smiled, savoring his egg-and-salad sandwich.  He was the only person I 
knew who could eat anything without a sound, from lemon to crackers.  His calm dark 
eyes flicked over to Hyoga.  "But the damage to your eyes isn't very bad, is it?"

"No," said Hyoga.  "It just makes me dizzy sometimes."

"Okay, enough about glasses.  Shiryu, when will you and Shunrei tie the knot?  
Haven't you two waited long enough?" Seiya reached for a second can.

"You will be the first people to know.  What about you, Seiya - when will you tie 
the knot, and with whom?"

It startled me to hear Shiryu tease Seiya.  Perhaps this picnic was indeed an 
excellent idea.  I glanced surreptitiously around and met only with relaxed faces.  I 
breathed in secret relief; we were indeed a normal group of youngsters this morning, 
enjoying an early spring picnic.  Athena, Saints and archenemies were light years away.  I 
wished this moment could last forever.  But my dreams had informed me otherwise.

Seiya went a shade of pink.  "Aw, hell," he said.  "Miho's very nice, and 
Shaina.well, she has a spirit."  I saw his eyes shift toward me before he swiftly averted 
them.  "I have a lot of time to think about it - there's no rush."

I got up.  "I'll go and buy us some ice cream."

"Good idea!" Shun said enthusiastically.

I walked away, sensing a pair of brown eyes following me.  I realized Seiya's 
feelings for me were very strong - else why did he bother to risk his life every time mine 
was in danger?  He was devoted to Athena but Saori also had a special place in his heart, 
regardless of Miho and Shaina.  Why couldn't I return his affection?  The answer to that 
was simple: because I didn't share the feelings.  Would it hurt him if I said so?  I didn't 
have the gumption to try and find out.

The ice cream vendor was several meters away when someone stood in my way. 
"Athena," he said, his voice a rich baritone.

I skidded to a halt; few people knew I was Athena.  I looked at him carefully.  He 
was in his early thirties, his face craggy and lean.  His wavy strawberry-colored hair 
brushed the collar of a long brown robe, similar to the ones worn by cowboys in old 
Western movies.  He exuded no Cosmos, yet another kind of strength radiated from him.  
Alarms clanged through my brain.

I could almost hear Saori's impulse to call the boys and Athena's to stay calm and 
deal with this stranger without a third party.  That reminded me of my vow not to involve 
the Saints in whatever combat awaiting next.  I straightened up.

"Yes?" I said, the word neutral.

"Do you remember Cimmeria?"  His tone was slightly derisive, as if he was 
certain I didn't.

Cimmeria?  My mind struggled to remember, and failed.  He must have seen it in 
my face, for his eyes hardened.  Obviously Cimmeria wasn't something I was supposed 
to forget.but what, or who, was it?  

"Come there alone," he said, and turned his back on me without further 
elucidation.

I said the only thing I could think of, "What's your name?"

He looked over his shoulder.  "Jason."  Then he strode away, leaving me to stare 
after him.

Cimmeria?  Cimmeria - An explosion went off inside my head, triggered by a 
memory of Athena's.  I staggered a bit.  Cimmeria - the place I had seen in my dreams.  
The place I thought had vanished long, long ago...I swiveled around.  Don't involve the 
Saints, my mind kept repeating.  Don't let them suspect anything, or they will insist on 
coming along, especially Seiya.  Suddenly the picnic lost its enchantment.

Hyoga looked up when he saw me.  "You're a little pale, Saori-san," he said.

I managed a smile.  "Too much sun."

Seiya peered at me.  He wouldn't accept the explanation that easily.  "Are you 
sure?"

"Yes.  Yes, I'm sure."  I was already devising a plan.  I would take a flight 
tonight, very quietly, straight to Sanctuary.  Seiya and the others would discover that I 
was missing the next morning, but by then it would be too late for them to catch up.  Yes, 
that was it.  I breathed more freely.  "Oh, sorry, I forgot the ice cream.  I'll be right back."


Escape proved to be harder than I had estimated.  Shiryu, having come all the way 
from China, wanted to stay at my house so that he could have a long talk with Seiya.  
Hyoga and Shun heard this, and thought it was a good idea if they joined in.  It was the 
first time in months they were together again, and Ikki also happened to show up in the 
evening.  

I pleaded a slight headache (it was a lame, Victorian excuse but the best I could 
manage) and retired to my room after dinner.  Seiya and the others went to my study to 
converse there.  I had ordered the servants to see to it that the boys had everything they 
would need.

Once in my room, I wasted no time.  I phoned Tatsumi, who was already on the 
airport, to ask if the plane was ready.  He said yes.  I left my room to go downstairs 
immediately.  My limo would already be waiting on the driveway.

As I reached the stairway, Ikki came out of the study.  My heart skipped a beat, 
then resumed its normal pace.  I tried to act as naturally as possible when he frowned and 
asked, "Are you going somewhere?  I thought you said you had a headache."

If this was Shiryu, Hyoga or Shun, I could find a reply that was avoiding the real 
issue, or even a downright lie.  Unfortunately Ikki was blunt and a good lie detector, as 
was Seiya.  How to pass him without raising his suspicion?  "No.  I was just going to 
look for some fresh air.  Maybe that will help ease up my headache."

He scrutinized me for a second, then went off.  I took a deep breath, bolted out of 
the house and got into the limo.


The plane had not started the engine yet when I arrived.  I slammed the limo's 
door shut and walked angrily to where Tatsumi stood.  "Tatsumi, I thought you told me 
the plane was ready?"

"I'm very sorry, Saori-sama, there's a small problem with the engine.  The pilot 
says it won't take a minute."

"I don't have a minute!  I want it to be ready now..." I stopped as abruptly as 
though I had been slapped.  In a lower voice I added, "Just make sure it won't take too 
long."  I climbed back into the limo.  I opened the bar and poured myself a full glass of 
Seltzer.

Saori again - the rich bitch who wanted things to go as she wanted.  Why did she 
have to emerge every now and then?  I wanted to be Athena totally, for Athena was a far 
more mature personality.  Athena would understand that there were obstacles outside the 
human factor for which humans could not be held to blame.  Yes, but Athena would want 
to get to Sanctuary as soon as possible, and she'd be too impatient to tolerate delays, for 
it meant that the Saints would have time to follow her.  So was it so wrong to let Saori 
out of the closet every now and then?  I didn't know, I didn't know.I drained the glass 
and put it down, feeling disoriented.  

I wasn't certain why my two personalities had caused me so much troubled mind 
lately.  Was Athena trying to repress Saori, force her into some inner corner where she 
would dwell and not interfere?  Where did that put me then?  Was I still Saori, had I 
turned into Athena full-fledged, or were those two simply halves of my entire self?  
Firmly I put the topic away; Cimmeria was waiting.

What could be wrong in Cimmeria?  Why did one of the Cimmerians search for 
me and ask me to come there?  They had every reason to hate me, yet now they wanted 
me to go to Cimmeria.  I was growing more convinced that this was Athena's affair and 
had nothing to do with the Saints.  I stared moodily at the silhouetted bulk of the plane 
outside, wondering whether it could be fixed before Seiya and the others realized I was 
gone.

My hopes were dashed in a second; there was the approaching sound of another 
vehicle.  I rolled down the window to get a better look.  It was a taxi.  As it slowed down 
to a stop, Seiya shot out of the back door, followed by Shun, Hyoga, and Ikki.  Shiryu 
emerged from the front next to the driver's seat.  I should have known I couldn't fool 
Ikki.

Seiya was the first to reach me.  "Saori-san, what is all this?" he demanded 
unceremoniously.  "Are you taking off without even saying goodbye to us?"
I sighed.  "Let's wait until the plane is ready, and then I will tell you everything."


SEIYA

We were in the middle of reminiscences on the Poseidon battle when Ikki walked 
back into the study.  He strode across the room to the window.  Shun half rose from his 
chair.  "Niisan?" he asked.

Ikki pushed aside the curtain and peeped out.  Curious, I went to stand next to him 
and stared out into the night.  Saori was climbing into her limo.  

"I thought she had a headache," I said, puzzled.

"She didn't," Ikki announced, in a level but all-knowing tone that disgusted me.  
"She wanted to go somewhere without our knowing."

Hades? A new enemy?  I bounded away from the window and straight to the door.  
"Then let's go after her!"

The others just stared.  "Seiya, doesn't it occur to you that whatever it is she's 
going to do has nothing to do with us?" said Shiryu.  He was sitting on the far corner, an 
open tome on his lap.  I loved him like a brother but I could never understand his zeal for 
reading.  If he didn't watch out with his love of books, we'd end up with two four-eyed 
Saints instead of just one.

"But of course it has something to do with us!  Don't you remember when 
Specters invaded Sanctuary?  She told us to stay away because she wanted to deal with 
Hades by herself.  Well, that's not going to happen again!  We're Athena's Saints, and 
it's our job to protect Athena!"  Without waiting for their reactions, I bolted out of the 
study and downstairs.  When I stepped past the front door, the limo was nowhere to be 
seen.  I cursed softly.  Behind me, I could hear the others following, but I was already 
busy thinking where Saori could have gone.  

Shiryu materialized at my elbow.  "The airport," he said in his calm voice, which 
put some brake into my racing, frenzied thoughts.

"Why there?" asked Hyoga.

"Because wherever she's going, she will need a fast means of transportation.  And 
Kido's jet planes are always ready at her disposal twenty-four hours a day."

That made sense.  I ran to the main gate and flailed wildly at the first passing taxi.


"Thousands of years ago, when the Age of Myth came to an end, all Grecian 
heroes and people you read about in mythology books either went to Hades and 
Olympus, or placed as constellations," Saori was explaining.  "After several hundreds 
years, the souls sent to Hades grew restless.  They felt they deserved something better 
than spending eternity languishing in Elysion or enduring cycles of punishments.  They 
wanted to join the Olympians.  Only of course it wasn't possible.  They raised a rebellion 
and Athena put it down.  

"They were collected - I suppose imprisoned is too strong a word - in a land 
called Cimmeria.  The portal to Cimmeria is in Sanctuary, near the statue of Athena.  
Only Athena could open it, or those fated to be Cimmerians.  The souls had been dormant 
in Cimmeria for millennia - until now.  Among other things I learn as Athena is that 
those souls have gained enough power to reincarnate, like you Saints.  They have been 
reborn into different bodies all over the globe.  These people will feel a `beckoning' from 
Cimmeria and go there - or not.  But most of them do.  And now the souls in Cimmeria 
have awakened.  They sent someone to me this morning, a man called Jason.  He said I'm 
expected in Cimmeria.  He didn't say why."

We were on the plane en route to Sanctuary.  Shun was, predictably, seated next 
to Ikki.  Shiryu and Hyoga sat side by side, Saori-san behind them.  I sat across the aisle.

"You don't have any guess?" Hyoga asked, adjusting his glasses.

Saori shook his head.  "Do they plan to rebel again?  But why invite me to come?  
If I was there their odds would be low."

"Forgive me for saying this, Saori-san," said Shiryu.  "They probably have heard 
that Athena is now just a young girl, and there isn't much chance for her to stop whatever 
it is they're doing."

I thought Saori would bite his head off - her pride wouldn't let her put up with 
such an insult, even if it was directed to Athena.  To my surprise she just frowned.  "I'd 
still have Athena's power, though.  No, a rebel can't be what they have in mind."

"Unless they plan to kidnap you," Ikki suggested dryly.

"Why would they?  So that they could rule the world as Ares, Poseidon and Hades 
had tried?  If Jason was any clue, these people don't have Cosmos or anything.  They are 
now just reincarnated versions of their previous lives without special powers.  And they 
could have chosen not to return to Cimmeria, when they have the opportunity to live as 
ordinary people on earth.  There's got to be something else."

This isn't the usual Saori, I was thinking.  She seems more composed, more 
mature.and more lovely.  I found my eyes straying to her bosom and pursed my mouth 
to hide a grin.  Well, it wasn't my fault that she was generously endowed in that area.  
Every male eyes would naturally be drawn there.  Saori was indeed very fortunate when 
it came to physique.or was this young woman before me Athena?  Suddenly I felt 
puzzled; it wasn't like me to make a distinction between Saori and Athena.  I usually 
thought of them as one.

"What do you think, Seiya?" said Shun.  He must have noticed that I hadn't made 
much contribution to the subject.

"No idea either," I replied, dragging my eyes off the front of Saori's dress.  
"Maybe when we get to Cimmeria we'll find out."

Saori leaned back against her seat.  "I tried to prevent you from getting into this, 
but as always I didn't have much success."

Tatsumi entered and coughed delicately.  "Excuse me, Saori-sama, the sleeping 
quarters upstairs are ready."  The plane was a two-floored Boeing 747.

"Let's get some rest first," she said to us.  "Then we'll think of what to do next."


JASON

I saw Harmonia long before she saw me.  She was marching right at me, her face 
flushed.  In her anger she looked taller than her five feet one.

"Jason, are you out of your mind?" she demanded without preamble when I was 
already within hearing distance.  "You actually went to ask Athena to come here?  What 
stunt are you pulling here?"

I folded my arms.  Harmonia's stubbornness would put a mule to shame, and I 
knew she wouldn't leave until I gave her an answer.  "Have you noticed the weather in 
Cimmeria lately?"

"What's that got to do with this?"

It was mid-afternoon, and I had just returned from Japan - or from earth, 
whichever was more suitable.  One of the advantages gained by a Cimmerian when he 
was visiting earth was that he could land in any place, any country, he wanted.  It took 
me some time to locate Athena but she was like a lighthouse amidst the plains and oceans 
of Asia - you could sense the warm golden light called Cosmos miles away. 
 
She had agreed to come, and I should have been relieved.  Yet I was disturbed.  
Athena's arrival would bring a great change upon Cimmeria, a land I had known for 
years and begun to love.  Whether the change was for the good or the bad I couldn't 
decide for now, but I didn't regret having asked Athena to come here.  She put us all 
here, so we were her responsibility.

When I saw her in the park, I was rather astonished.  I hadn't thought Athena 
would reincarnate into a teenage girl.  I thought she would scream for her Saints when I 
appeared, but she hadn't.  She listened and replied to me serenely, making my task easier.  

The first thing I wanted to do once I returned here was to avail myself of some 
quiet moments to hear myself think.  I had gone to a small pond near the forest, where I 
could usually steal some peaceful hours for myself.  And now here was Harmonia, 
breathing fire down my neck.

"It means Cimmeria is falling apart at the seams," I said.  "Hasn't Cheiron told 
you?"

Harmonia scowled.  "Yes, but where does Athena fit into this?"

"Cimmeria will be inhabitable in a couple of days.  We will all have to leave.  
And Athena is the only one who can set us free.  Sure, I left for a few hours, but that's it.  
I'll die if I don't come back in more than twelve hours.  When Athena releases us from 
Cimmeria, we can live on earth again as we did before...well, before the beckoning."

"That's nuts!  I don't want to leave Cimmeria!"

"Kid, what you want is irrelevant.  You and the rest of us will have to leave, 
unless you want the Cimmerian sky to cave in on you and bury you alive."

"She may not come."

"She's given her word."

"Bah!  Olympians are not to be trusted!  After all, who threw us in here in the first 
place?"

"Harmonia, I'm tired and in no mood to argue.  Athena is coming - live with it.  
If you can't, it's your business.  Now kindly leave me alone.  Your very presence is 
giving me a toothache, and some other things besides."

Harmonia swirled on her heels and walked off.  I closed my eyes and my 
jumbled-up thoughts started to reorganize themselves into a comprehensive, sensible 
sequence.  I let my mind drift with them.


I had first felt my beckoning at eleven.  My initial reaction was fear for my sanity: 
I was raised in a world - New York, the United States of America, to be exact - that 
believed in logic.  There was no such thing as reincarnation, and the idea that I belonged 
in a land that I had never even heard of was more than a little spooky.  Then I started to 
believe, and thought.  I came to Sanctuary on a vacation at fourteen with my parents.  
One night I sneaked off and went to the altar of Athena, miraculously escaping the notice 
from anyone.  I heard that there were Gold Saints in the Twelve Gold Temples and a 
leader of Sanctuary called Pope Ares, but I had seen none of them.  That was when I 
became firmly convinced that whatever lay in wait for me was where I was supposed to 
be.

Cheiron was the very first person I saw in Cimmeria.  I was still lying on the 
ground, staring dazedly at the sky when a shadow fell across me.  I raised myself on my 
elbow and my eyes instantly met an old, old man.  His hair was mostly gone and his 
beard was pure white.  He was leaning on a cane.

"Jason," he had said.

And I knew that no matter what name had been given me, I was, and always had 
been, Jason.

I had a notion that Cheiron had been here for so long that he himself might have 
lost count of the amount of millennia he had spent in this land.  He possessed what could 
be best described as a sight - not in the sense that he could predict future tidings, but that 
he could see what was happening in the world I had left behind.  Added to which, he was 
a kind and patient man, and almost everyone in Cimmeria had studied under him.

Cheiron taught me a lot of things - self-defense skills, for the most part.  He also 
told me of what was happening in `the other sphere', as he called it.  Athena had been 
reborn, and so were her eighty-eight Saints.  They fought against many enemies, their 
victories sometimes Pyrrhic.  Five of the Saints achieved the highest-ranking level any 
mortal could, so that they were near immortals themselves.  Cheiron also enlightened me 
on the history of Cimmeria.

"Athena hadn't counted on us being reborn, so Cimmeria wasn't even supposed to 
see the present century.  According to her plan, the land was to die hundreds of years ago, 
and we with it.  I don't know why we survive so long.  But here we are, and do you regret 
it, Jason?"

I had shaken my head.  "No, sir, not at all."

Cimmeria was my true home.

Harmonia came along eight years ago, a thin, malnourished child.  She was barely 
coherent when she arrived here, and kept gibbering something about beatings and 
darkness.  Cheiron took her as his pupil right away, recognizing fiery spirit beneath the 
bruised outer appearance.  He hadn't been mistaken.  Once Harmonia was calmed down 
sufficiently and made to forget her obviously unpleasant previous life, she turned out to 
be a very talented pupil.  She absorbed all Cheiron's teachings like sponge.  I wondered if 
I had been as good a pupil at her age.

There were many kinds of people in Cimmeria: coarse and empty-headed louts, 
taciturn and studious people, hedonistic ones, and some others.  I didn't have many 
friends, but I never let that kept me awake at night.  I knew some people, Harmonia 
included, viewed me as weird, because of my great concern for this land.  I never 
justified myself to them by saying this land was all we had, and that was why we must 
love it.  That would only confirm their opinion of my mental state.

And now the land was crumbling.  I knew only one person who could save us, and 
that was Athena.  So I asked her to come.  Harmonia plainly stated that was crazy, but 
wasn't it better than just sit and watch while Cimmeria deteriorated and finally came to 
ruin?  

I stretched out my feet; they felt limp and loose.  Leaving Cimmeria had sapped 
away some of my strength.  Cimmeria was more than a place to live for us Cimmerians.  
We drew our energy from it, which was probably why it was disintegrating before our 
eyes.  We had sucked its life force.  I didn't like this thought - it made me feel we were 
vampires of some sort.

"I heard you went to fetch Athena."

The soft voice intruded upon my musings.  I didn't bother turning around.  "Bad 
news travels fast."

I had forgotten to mention one thing: when I came to Cimmeria, I wasn't alone.  
My stepbrother was with me.  Our ages were three years apart, and he was my 
stepmother's son from her first marriage.  He, too, had felt a beckoning at roughly the 
same time I had.  So we went together.  He had some training from Cheiron, then one day 
he hauled stakes and left.  If I was odd, then he was a complete anomaly.  He did what he 
wanted to and never cared to tell anyone his reasons.  

My stepbrother - who was called Aristaios here - sat down next to me.  Although 
he was older, he was shorter than me - due to different genes, I'd bet - and had a willowy 
look his mother had.  Unfortunately for me he also inherited her talent of pestering people 
she thought had committed a mistake.

"Jason, are you sure you're doing the right thing?"

"If you have a better suggestion, then you can question me.  If not, please leave.  
First Harmonia, and now you.  I need a rest."

Aristaios didn't move.  "Athena here can mean trouble, to say nothing of her 
Saints, which she's sure to bring along.  I don't want them - the Saints - to wreak more 
havoc in our land."

I smiled.  "They'll do no such thing.  They can't do anything here.  Remember 
what Cheiron told us?"

Aristaios gave me a long, searching look.  Then his brow cleared and he climbed 
to his feet.  I didn't have to glance up to know that he looked sad.  "I hope you do know 
the consequences."

"I do.  Now get lost."

He went away.  I hated it when he started being paternal, but he also knew better 
than to keep bugging me.  I stared at the pond's rippling surface.  Cimmeria was failing 
us, but we wouldn't fail it.  When Athena was here, she would have to do what I was 
planning to request of her.  One way or another she would.


Continued to Chapter Two