The War Orphan

Felix was in his room, playing with his toy cars, when he heard a loud, piercing scream.

He jumped to his feet and threw open his door. Guards, Gods, and Goddess were streaming past, with panicked expressions on their faces.

Felix searched the faces, looking for his father and his mother.

He spotted his father's messenger, Hermes, and pulled him into his room.

"Great skies, Hermes. What's going on? Where are my parents?"

Hermes leaned against the wall. "War, Felix."

"War? Then why are the gods fleeing? They should be helping. Where are my parents?"

"There's no time to explain, Felix. We must flee."

Hermes reached towards him, but Felix tore away, threw open his door, and ran into the crowd of panicked gods.

There were monsters everywhere. Some were flying, crawling, pouncing, and even hissing.

Some gods stayed behind and fought the creatures, giving the others a chance to escape.

The goddess Athena was going against a Minotaur. Apollo was shooting arrows at Stymphalian birds. Ares was up against harpies and Lamia.

Felix then remembered that his mother gave birth to his little brother early that morning. He pulled out a dagger he always kept in a sheath at his side and ran into the fight.

Lamia spotted him and stopped her attack on Ares to charge at him.

She had the face of a woman with brown hair and red eyes, with the body of a scaly beast with long claws.

Felix dodged her attack and stumbled backward, tripping over pieces from a statue.

She pounced and landed on top of him and bared her fangs. "Ah, yesssss. A child of Zeusss and Hera. What a lovely surpirsse."

Felix squirmed. "Get off of me."

He tried to reach the blade that had flown out of his grip. Felix grunted and summoned a gust of wind that sent Lamia flying backward.

Ares spotted him, and he threw his spear, pinning her to the wall.

"Get to your parents, Felix!" Ares boomed. "I'll deal with her, go."

Felix jumped to his feet, snatched up his dagger, and ran through the labyrinth hallways, dodging any obstacle in his path.

He reached his parents' bedroom and skidded to a stop. Standing in front of their door was the Sphinx.

She has the body of a lion, bird wings, and a female's head. Felix had heard the stories told about this particular beast.

The sphinx spotted him and bowed her head. "Felix."

"I need to get to my parents."

"Of course, but first, a riddle."

Felix raised his blade. "Don't make me hurt you."

"Ah, yes, Felix. I forgot how amusing you can be. But I wouldn't suggest doing that."

"Is that a threat?" he snarled.

The sphinx cocked her head. "No, a warning. Now, do you want to see your parents or not?"

Felix glowered at her for a moment before lowering his blade. "Fine. Let's hear it."

"What has 21 eyes but cannot see?"

Felix racked his brain, trying to think of a creature with 21 eyes. But if they have eyes, how can they not see?

And if they could not see, why would they have eyes?

As if the sphinx knew what he was thinking, she smiled.

Well, if it's not an animal, it had to be an object.

"Can you give me a hint?" Felix asked. "I know it can't be an animal, right?"

The sphinx only smiled.

Felix suddenly remembered the game he played with his father just yesterday. He didn't remember the game's name, but he knew it involved dice.

The dice had six faces, and each side had the numbers 1,2,3,4,5, and 6. The numbers add up to 21.

Felix looked up at the sphinx. "Dice."

"Is that your ultimate answer?"

Felix hesitated for a second, and then he nodded his head.

"Correct."

The sphinx vanished, and Felix raced into the room and saw his mother holding his brother in the corner. His father, Zeus, was in the middle of the room battling the minotaur.

Felix had heard different stories about what this beast looked like. He had the body of a man with a bull's head and strength.

The minotaur looked like it was trying to get to Felix's mother, Hera.

Felix raced toward his mom. "Come on!" he tugged on her arm.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zeus summon a thunderbolt and threw it at the minotaur, hitting him in the chest.

The beast collapsed to its knees, and Zeus turned towards Felix and Hera. "What are you still doing here?" he hissed. "Go now, while he's stunned."

Felix's eyes widened as he watched the minotaur rise behind his father and prepare to charge at him, horns first.

But before the beast could move, Felix's brother rolled over in his blankets and began screaming and wailing.

A storm began brewing outside. It ripped the roof from the palace, and then a bright light blinded Felix. He covered his eyes, and when the light vanished, he gaped at what he saw.

The minotaur that used to stand behind Zeus was now a pile of ashes. He whirled toward his brother, but he was sound asleep.

"Great skies," Felix whispered. "Did he . . .? Did he do that?"

Zeus helped his wife to her feet and took the baby from her. "He did." Zeus peered over at Hera. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"No. I will not let you, Zeus. He's my son." Hera whispered. "He will never belong, Zeus."

Felix looked at his parents. "What are you talking about, mother?"

"It's something your father and I have been talking about for months." Hera opened her mouth to continue, but she hid her face in her hands and sobbed.

Zeus placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Felix, years from now, your brother is going to play an important role in an upcoming war. The enemies of the gods know this. They're here to destroy him."

"But he's only a baby! He can't harm anything!"

"Did you not just see what he did to the minotaur? He's only an infant, Felix."

Felix scowled. "So you're just going to give him over to mortals? They'll never accept him, father! You mustn't do it, please."

"I know. I've thought this over. Trust me. I know of a mother hoping to get a son." Zeus looks down at the baby. "I know she'll take care of him."

Hera glowered at him. "And how do you know this mortal?"

"Not now, Hera." Zeus held out his hand toward Felix. "I'm going to give him to her. Would you like to accompany me?"

Felix glanced at his mother, who was slowly shaking her head, muttering under her breath.

He turned back toward his father and nodded his head. He took Zeus's hand, and a gust of wind picked them up and carried them until they were standing in front of a little cottage.

Zeus had changed his form into a middle-aged man. He still had muscled arms and grey hair, but it was pulled back into a slick tail.

Felix looked like he normally would with his thick, messy red hair, blue eyes, and tan skin.

"Here, Felix, time to say goodbye." Zeus handed the baby to him.

The baby opened its eyes and looked up at Felix with inquisitiveness. His eyes were bright blue, and his hair was black and curly.

He reached a little arm toward him, and Felix held out his finger so he'd grip it.

"Did you and mum decide on a name for him?"

Zeus cocked his head. "No, did you have something in mind?"

Felix blurted, "Keith."

"Interesting choice."

Felix secured the blankets around the baby and kissed him on the forehead. He walked towards the cottage and placed the baby on the step, then he knocked on the door.

A gust of wind carried Felix back toward the edge of the forest where his father was waiting.

"I know this was hard for you, Felix, but it was the right decision."

Felix wiped a tear from his cheek and didn't reply.

The cottage door opened, and a young woman, around twenty, poked her head out.

Keith cried and reached his hands out toward her. She gasped and scooped him up.

"My love?" came a voice from inside the house. "What is it?"

A man appeared next to her, holding a little girl around six in his arms. He gaped at the baby.

"I told you. I told you the gods would answer my prayers." the woman sobbed.

Zeus put a hand on his shoulder. "Our work is done here, son. Let us go home."

After one last look at the happy family, Felix and his father vanished in a gust of wind.