FanStory.com - Adam's Choiceby davisr (Rhonda)

Background
Years after a fire took her parents lives and devastated her home, Echo worked at a small town newspaper. She was rescued from danger by her old friend, Theo, who took her to a new life in his world.

End of Last Chapter:

Hades let Echo's hair go and stepped away. "I'll also enjoy the fact I was able to use you to defeat the only real threat I had to becoming the head of the gods."

"Theo?"

"Yes, and those pitiful gods he's got helping him. He might be a great leader and a mighty warrior, but he has a weakness, you to be exact, and it's that weakness I'll use against him."

"Well, dead-god. I don't intend to be Theo's Achilles' heel, any more than I plan to be your wife."

"Really, and just how do you propose to stop me? With perseverance? What does that useless horse name mean, anyway? Are you planning to bug me to death? Haha, it will take more than tenacity to defeat me, my pet."

"Then, Sir, we'll have an interesting contest of wills. Before it's over, maybe you'll be the one begging for my attention."

Hades rested his hand, again, on her arm. "I beg it now."

New Chapter:

Adam leaned into the shadows as he watched Phillip and Hannah pass within arm's length. The youth held his sister clutched safely in tender arms. Adam wanted to reach out and touch the pair, let them know they weren't alone, but he couldn't.

Neptune, Hannah's favorite rabbit, had met him at the entrance to the cave and shared what transpired inside. He told him of Hades' threat to harm Hannah, the bravery of Phillip, and Echo's sacrifice. Adam knew his mission lay ahead. The kids were safe, but Echo needed to be brought home.

Adam left the safety of the shadows as soon as it was obvious there was no one following the pair. He moved fast and almost as silent as a passing breeze.

He slowed when he heard voices ahead. They were accompanied by harried noises, as often heard in the aftermath of disaster. Good, he would use their confusion to his advantage.

"Clean up this mess!" a voice cried out, "and get rid of those filthy land creatures roaming about. They carry diseases, you know."

"They're all gone, Overlord," another voice answered. "They left with the young ones."

"Well, check again. You know how Hades hates being sick."

"But, sir," the man said, "Hades is Immortal. He can't die."

"No, you fool, but he can get sick... very sick. They all can. Now, get rid of the creatures."

"Yes, sir."

Adam waited just a moment before slipping into the dimly lit enclosure. He could see some of Hades' minions scurrying about, straightening items of importance and looking under things for rabbits. He had to force himself not to laugh as he watched their pathetic antics.

He took advantage of their confusion to scoot to the back of the cave. He slipped, unnoticed, into a tunnel going deeper into the caverns. It's where he suspected Hades had taken his captive, and it's where he could hear the echo of footsteps.

The tunnel wall was peppered with torches allowing for some visibility, and lots of shadows. It was between these Adam snaked.

Finally, the young rescuer was rewarded by the sound of conversation.

"We're almost there." The melodic voice of Hades was the first he heard clearly. For a moment, Adam wondered if the comment was directed at him or his companion. Either way, he took it as a warning and slowed his approach.

The next voice he heard was Echo's. "It's your game."

Adam was thrilled to hear her sound normal, but worried she was being overly sarcastic. He wanted to warn her not to pick a fight in the enemy's stronghold, but figured it was her way of maintaining emotional distance. He just hoped she wasn't overplaying her part.

"Yes, it is a game, and one I intend on winning," Hades said. "And, to be honest, the cards are stacked in my favor."

"Your hold.. your keep... your rules. I get it."

Adam couldn't see Echo's face, but could tell she was conceding ground. The trace of sarcasm still evident in her voice, he assumed, was being ignored.

"This is your room," Hades went on. "There's a dress on the bed I'd like you to change into. I'll be back to pick you up in about an hour."

"And if I refuse?"

Hades' voice rasped back a response. "Then I'll dress you, personally."

A long pause, during which she seemed to be considering her options, and then a response. "Where's the bathroom? I'd at least like to take a shower."

Again, Echo was choosing discretion over foolhardiness. Again, Adam breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't prepared to take on his uncle yet.

"You'll find a bathroom adjoining your room. There you will also find perfumes, mirrors, combs, everything you might need."

"All the comforts of home."

"I can be a wonderful host if you'll let me," Hades said. Adam was surprised to detect a hint of warmth, perhaps even hopefulness in his voice.

The sentence trailed off with no reply. Adam heard the sound of a key turning in a lock, and then heavy footsteps leading away. He took the chance to slip out of the shadows and work his way to Echo.

To his right, he saw a tall wooden door fastened to a stone outcropping. Seated on the floor, at the foot of the padlocked entrance, was a pitiful looking gray cat. He was gazing at the door and meowing softly. Adam walked over and picked him up.

"Is she in there, Sunny?" he asked. Sunny responded with a despondent mew.

"Don't worry, buddy, we'll get her out."

Adam leaned in and tapped on the mahogany door.

"Echo?"

"Who is it?"

"Adam."

"Adam, what are you doing here?"

"I've come to rescue you."

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Why? You can't want to stay here."

"Of course not, but we're up against a very powerful enemy. Come on, he's Hades, god of the Underworld."

"A fact that he's more impressed with than I am. Look, this whole god thing is new to you, but I was raised around it. Hades doesn't scare me."

"Well, he does me, so why don't you go back to the others and just see how this plays out?"

"Because I won't leave you to the fate that awaits you if I do."

Adam's voice betrayed some of his older brother's determination. "I'll wait until the odds are more in my favor and then I'll strike. I saw an area I can hide in on the way here. I'll wait there until the time's right."

"I don't know, Adam. If anything happens to you, my sacrifice will have been for nothing."

"Have a little faith, Echo. I may have been an irresponsible goof before, but that's behind me. Theo and Hermes believed in me enough to send me here."

"You've seen Theo? I thought he'd gone to save Mount Olympus."

"By now, he has. He was about to leave when we got word you and Phillip had come here. He wanted to come after you, but Hermes insisted he continue his mission to go get help."

"Good. At least one of you boys has some sense. You need to go, too."

"I'm afraid I can't. Hermes has even made this my trial for godhood."

"I didn't think you wanted a leadership role."

"Neither did I. Things changed when I knew I was needed."

"Good for you."

"Thanks."

"Adam?"

"I'm still here."

"What about Hannah and Phillip? Did they make it out?"

"Yes, I passed them on the way in. They'll be fine. Phillip knows how to call for his horse, and there are doctors in town that can help Hannah."

"I'm so relieved, and thanks for not leaving me. I wasn't very polite just now."

"That's understandable. I'd better go now before King Gruesome comes back."

"Yeah, and I need to get ready."

"Oh, and Echo."

"Yes?"

"Don't eat anything. That's how Hades tricked his wife Persephone. As long as she didn't eat, he couldn't force her to stay, but she finally ate six pomegranate seeds."

"I've heard the story," Echo said. "That's why she has to stay in the Underworld with him for six months of the year, and then she can return to her mother Demeter for the next six months."

"That's right."

"Okay, I won't eat. Anything else?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Don't marry him, not even if you believe it will save us all."

There was a moment's hesitation while Adam held his breath. Was she actually considering it? Finally, almost hesitantly, she spoke.

"I'll never marry him, Adam. Aside from the many other reasons I don't have time to list, he set the fire that killed my parents."

It was Adam's turn to pause as he let the information soak in.

"I'm so sorry. There seems to be no end to what that man is capable of. I'll do everything in my power to keep him from harming you."

"I don't want to be responsible for your life as well as mine. I don't know why Hades is so fixated on me, but he is, and anyone near me is in mortal danger."

"He isn't likely to hurt me, Echo. For starters, I'm his nephew and to be honest, he doesn't really see me as a threat. Which, I suppose, is my own fault."

"And a good thing in this situation."

"Disregard of duty is never a good thing, but that's a discussion for another day. For now, hang in there. Sunny and I are just a heartbeat away."

"Sunny? You have my cat?"

"Yeah, he was sitting outside your door when I got here. I'll keep an eye on him for you."

"Thanks. Sunny, keep an eye on Adam."

Meow...

~~~~~~~~~

Phillip hardly felt the weight of Hannah in his arms, but the toll of carrying her was beginning to tell on his body. His side ached so severely it took his breath away... breath he needed to keep running. If not for the physical training that was so much a part of Concorde Valley culture, he probably would have collapsed long ago.

Each step he took away from Echo was emotionally excruciating, but it wasn't something he could help. First he had to get Hannah to safety and then he'd go back for his brother's girlfriend, a young lady a whole valley had all fallen in love with.

Phillip hated that he had been forced to make a choice better suited for older men. Why hadn’t his father been present like he always was, or even Theo or Adam? Why was heroism thrust into the arms of a teen? Also placed there was his baby sister. He could make it. He had to. Just a few more yards.

Finally, he found the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. While longed for, it bored into his eyes like red-hot pokers. He stumbled forward, his eyes spasming with pain. It was odd how his eyes had adjusted so completely to the near darkness of the tunnels as to render him almost blind when he came in contact with natural light.

As he fell to his knees at the tunnel entrance, he was met by a crowd of anxious animals, creatures of all kinds that had been forced to wait behind. His eyes hurt too bad to see, but he could hear their individual voices and feel the press of their bodies.

Phillip placed Hannah gently on the ground in the midst of them. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he let out a penetrating horse scream. The call was answered by a neigh close-by. Phillip cried out again, and a painted horse trotted up, tossing a silky mane.

“Loyal,” he said. “Take me and Hannah home. The rest of you animals, gather your forces and meet me back here as soon as possible."