Gateways: COE THE ALMIGHTY, page 10
“I just saw the way you hit Boulder and the way he put you through the wall,” Cynthia said. “I was amazed you weren't dead. That and the way you always seemed to have more cameras. We went through some kind of machine to get here. I don't see one on this side.”
“Enough of this,” Coe said as he handed over the stave. “It is an energy thrower. The electronics that notifies the Guardians or anyone else when it is used is turned off. It has two modes, stun and kill. To anyone here, it will look like you have some kind of weird magic. You are also stronger than the men here. Even the biggest man you see is probably weaker than you are. They can still kill you. We need to eventually come up with some protective clothing for you to wear. Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” Cynthia said as she looked over the stave and could see where the controls for the energy thrower was.
“Press the reddish colored portion of the wood first. Then press and hold the blue potion and press the red portion again for it to discharge. Do the same thing but hold the stave with only one hand and it will give a deadly discharge. We can work out other weapons later.”
Cynthia nodded as Coe walked up to the Temple and banged loudly on the door. Arian’s power running through Coe was working. Coe thought he could bash the stout wooden door down if he wanted. A man appeared and opened the door. He was a Sorcerer and had his stave out. Coe easily snatched it away from the man using only one arm.
“You dare challenge me?” Coe said in a deep voice as he grabbed the man by his neck and lifted him off his feet.
“My, ugh, my,” was all the sorcerer could say as another Sorcerer rounded the corner with his stave out. Coe casually tossed the Sorcerer he had aside and eyed the new threat.
“My Lord!” the new Sorcerer said as he lowered his stave.
“I am Coeus,” Coe said. “God of Knowledge. I have come here on the order of the Sun God and you dare attack me?”
“I was confused my Lord,” the first Sorcerer said as he climbed off of the ground.
“I bring you my Priestess,” Coe said and gestured behind him. “She is Pythia and she will be your Oracle.”
“Oracle?” the second Sorcerer said. “A great scryer?”
“She is,” Coe replied as he deepened his voice. “She needs a place to stay free from distractions. You have a place down below where your students study?”
“We uh,” the second sorcerer said stumbling.
“I am the God of Knowledge!” Coe screamed out as both men shied back.
“Yes, My Lord,” the second Sorcerer said.
“You will not tell the other Gods of their presence,” Coe said. “For they are jealous and seek to keep man from learning. Bring me to this place, so I can show you where my Priestess will stay.”
“She will be here?” the second Sorcerer asked.
“And she can warn you when any of the Gods are close,” Coe said.
Coe followed the men down and found what he was looking for. He roused two sleeping students who were in awe of his presence. Coe would give Cynthia the back half of the hallway complete with four rooms he found there. Coe demanded that two people would always stand guard just outside of a line that he drew on the ground. Coe shooed everyone away and started placing cameras inside of the hallway.
“Tempy I need for you to warn me if anyone is coming,” Coe said.
“Who is Tem-,” Cynthia said as Tempy started talking.
“I sure can sexy,” Tempy said. “My other half is getting the building materials you need ready. I recommend hanging a cloth over the hall before you start, just in case.”
“What in the, you gave Einstein a sexy girly voice?”
“Don't judge me,” Coe said as he opened a portal.
Working with plastibricks was easy. In an enclosed hallway with the special bonding properties they had it took the two of them less than ten minutes to block off the hallway. The locals could bring it down but it would take a lot of force to do so. Coe then brought in all the equipment they would need to set Cynthia up. Four hours later everything was working properly. Coe had to send Cynthia through his portal a few times to get all of the Oganesson out of her system but everything was finally finished. She had large screens that she could use to see all over the city. Another wall was erected right behind the first one they built. This one had a display that looked like a mirror. Anyone wanting to contact her could look into the mirror and like magic she would appear. The mirror could also be used to display all over the city and in parts of the temple. Coe decided it would cost someone a drachma to talk to Cynthia. Cynthia would also take offerings. When Cynthia wasn't around, the virtual version of her would be ran by Tempy.
“So how do I get out of here if someone is looking for me?” Tempy asked. “Someone that wants to hurt me?”
“If someone comes you can press this button and anyone from Terra would be in a world of hurt if they are outside of this wall,” Coe said. “The tanks that are sucking poison away from you would be discharged directly at them. You also have two energy throwers controlled by Tempy that would fire on anyone trying to force their way inside.”
“But how do I leave?” Cynthia asked.
“This gateway will work but it has to be charged up,” Coe said and pointed. “Once you go through, Tempy will kick you out of my home and you will have to wait for me before you return. You might have noticed that Tempy doesn't talk to you and will obey simple commands that deal with your mission here.”
“So when can I get out of here?”
“You can leave with me right now,” Coe said. “I need to show the locals how to reach you and what you can do for them. Your display is also a doorway that will allow you to come and go.”
“There are Sorcerers right outside of your curtain that are curious as to what is going on inside of here,” Tempy said. “Speaking of being inside of something….”
“That will be enough of that Tempy,” Coe said.
Coe pressed a button and the display swung open like a door. Cynthia saw how it worked as they both passed through and were confronted by the wall they built. Coe shined a light on it which easily weakened the bonds that held the material together. Coe walked through the wall as it crumbled and thought he would need to bring the material back with him. Coe ripped down the curtain and could see twelve magic users and their students looking at him in shock.
“This is your Oracle,” Coe said as he deepened his voice. “To use her, you need to have a dark blue ribbon tied to your staves. You also need to leave an offering for me. Larger requests require larger offerings. She will be able to tell you the weather and when storms are coming. When enemies are about and help you solve some crimes. She can see much and is more than a match for any.”
“I am the best Scryer here,” a witch said as she stepped forward.
“Then you can be her voice,” Coe replied. “Provided that you can match your new Priestess. Return to your lair Pythia and test yourself against this mortal.”
Coe watched Cynthia as she returned through the mirror and closed it behind her. “Your offering needs to be left here. My priestess knows how to prepare it for me. A special offering table needs to be constructed. Now here is the power of my priestess. Through her magical mirror she will show you mortals the information that I place in her head. This mirror must never be damaged and you need to have guards down here at all times.”
“What can she show us that I cannot?” the Witch asked.
“Show me the outside of this Temple,” Coe said as a video of the outside of the Temple flashed on the screen. “Match her Witch.”
“I need a big bowl of water,” the witch said as she stared in awe. “This is so lifelike.”
“Show me the gates,” Coe said as now there were two images on screen. “Show me Olympus!”
Both images were replaced by an image of Arian walking around shirtless. The sound was of course muted as Arian was followed by Frodia. They both were dressed in their roles and the magic users behind Coe were shocked. They fought each other to get closer to the mirror. “Stop the visions,” Coe said as the screen went blank.
“Show me your power,” Coe said. “You mortals are not privileged enough to see the inside of my home any further. In fact, all of you test yourself against my priestess. All of you except one. The strongest amongst you will show me where your Kosimatas and spells are kept so that I may see them for myself.”
“I am the strongest,” said the Sorcerer that Coe had thrown down by the neck.
“What is your name?” Coe asked.
“Orpheus,” the Sorcerer replied.
“And what is it that you do besides spells?” Coe asked.
“I am a musician,” Orpheus replied. “I play the lyre.”
“Bring this instrument to me,” Coe replied. “So I may see it. I will give you an instrument from Apollo’s own stash. You will keep this a secret and you will be celebrated if you have any skill. Now show me what I want.”
Coe followed the man and gathered what he needed. He ensured that Tempy was able to get a visual on everything he was shown and knew she would record it for him. The Kosimatas were nice, Coe would replicate them as much as possible. All he needed now was to gather DNA from the magic users there which wasn't so difficult. He made them swear a blood oath which involved slashing the finger and dripping their blood on a piece of papyrus which he would take with them. When that was done, Coe gave instructions on how to care for his Priestess and flew off with his prizes. It didn't take him long to find his scooter and Coe flew it through a portal.
“Tempy I need this worked on right away,” Coe said as he started placing the drops of blood in his machine.
“Tempy I need this worked on right away,” Tempy mocked as the body she controlled walked over and started massaging Coe’s shoulders. “Will she work?”
“Who knows,” Coe replied. “But she is the type of girl to go for what she wants. I set her up along with the rest. Between her, Ms. Nyms and the Amazon women, we have a decent system of knowledge. We did this all without the Olympians knowing anything.”
“The Olympians have not been silent,” Tempy said. “I have spied on them like you wanted. Sydell Downs has over a hundred grafters made from the Gaians. They are calling themselves Merfolk and have started building an underwater city.”
“Merfolk?” Coe asked.
“They have gills and can breathe on land and on water,” Tempy said. “It has also been discovered that the water contains far less Oganesson than the air. Sydell Downs has shared this information with the rest of the Olympians.”
“It might not be long before Ogygia is discovered,” Coe said. “Warn Ms. Nyms.”
Coe began the necessary steps for gaining the powers and abilities of the magic users in Delphi. He didn't bother resting between treatments and instead started making Kosimatas. The abilities of the Gaians were watered down versions of the abilities in Terra. They didn't take too much out of him. Coe was happy with the new spells he learned. There was a magic spell that allowed the user to temporarily draw in magical energy. Another one allowed a user to temporarily grow stronger. There were many spells he found and many Kosimatas that he created. Coe had worked for hours and was only stopped by Tempy informing him that Ms. Nyms had been discovered by Demeter of the Olympians.
“How do you know this?” Coe asked.
“Because my other self is there and opens a gate lasting 1000 attoseconds every minute. It uses very little Oganesson and allows us to communicate. Demeter has landed on the island.”
“I need to get ready,” Coe said as he put on all of his ring shaped kosimatas and grabbed a few tablet kosimatas. “Open a portal for me the next time you communicate.”
A portal was opened and Coe stepped through. Coe pressed a button in his workshop and his body was infused with a lot of Oganesson. It was just enough for him to function without being too sick. Coe grabbed his stave and headed out of his workshop. He was underground and could see people arming themselves with the swords and putting on armor. Whatever they had was far more primitive than what Demeter would have. It was created so it could blend in with the populace.
“Tempy I want you to disable all energy throwers on Ogygia except for mine,” Coe said as he took the elevator up. The elevator led to a disguised tree that could only be opened by people approved by Ms. Nyms. Coe stepped outside and right into Sarpan.
“You are back dude,” Sarpan said. “Some chick holding a energy thrower calling herself Demeter just landed. She has shot a couple of people with her energy thrower but it was on stun.”
“I’m not worried about her,” Coe said. “What happened?”
“I was knocking the bottom out of this chick when she flew up,” Sarpan exclaimed. “I was tearing it up and Demeter just landed. She is some chick on a scooter but I don't have anything that could stop her. She demanded obedience and I took off running as fast as my little goaty legs could take me.”
“Where is she?”
“Three hundred meters to your right, Baby,” Tempy purred. “98 degrees.”
“Whoa, what was that?” Sarpan asked.
Coe didn't answer and instead walked towards Demeter. There were nymphs running away from her along with men who were most likely native to the area. Coe walked up and saw Demeter holding her energy thrower. She was surprised to see people walking towards her and raised her weapon.
“You mortals are bold,” Demeter said. “Didn't I already deal with you? You attacked me!”
“Save it,” Coe said. “Your name isn't Demeter and you aren't a God. You are most likely with Frodia Downs and you are lucky if I don't stomp you into the ground.”
“W-what?” Demeter said as she aimed her weapon.
“I am not worried about your energy thrower,” Coe said. “Now what do you want?”
“You are from Terra?” Demeter asked.
“Yes I am,” Coe replied. “I don't ruin your fun so stop trying to ruin ours.”
“I can tell my people and have this place leveled,” Demeter said and gave a sly grin. “You are the ones who have been hiding around Olympus.”
“And you can get hurt,” Coe replied.
“There are more than just me,” Demeter said.
“Attempted discharge detected, attempted discharge detected, attempted discharge detected. Deadly attempted discharge detected,” Tempy said.
Coe looked over at a stunned Demeter and pointed his stave. His energy thrower operated correctly and dropped the wanna be God. Coe shocked her again for good measure and then walked over and casually picked her up. Sarpan didn't get a chance to say anything as Coe opened a portal and stepped through with Demeter. “Tell them to hide her vehicle and other things.”
“You should take a sample,” Tempy said as she grabbed Demeter from Coe. “Demetria Hollingsworth. Her power is increased healing. She will not be out for long.”
Coe took a few strands of hair as Demeter jumped awake. She looked around frantically and then punched Coe hard in the face. Coe knew the blow hurt her as he barely moved. Tempy caught her with the modified energy thrower Coe kept at home. Coe then took Demeter outside and into his vehicle. She would wake quickly but she would be nowhere near his home. Coe returned and thought increased healing was great and thought about how he could do more. Maybe he needed a machine that could boost powers somehow.
“She has awakened and demanded to be brought home,” Tempy said. “I am bringing her there now.”
“What else?” Coe asked.
“She wants to know whose vehicle she is in,” Tempy replied. “I told her that she needs to ensure that she isn't pregnant. She is quiet now. So baby, what is next?”
“I have been slowly getting better but my allies are in trouble,” Coe said. “I know Arian is coming and I need a way to fight him. The only thing that is going well for us is that he cannot take Guardian equipment off Terra. The only one he knows that can disable the monitor devices is me. I am sure the energy thrower that girl had was one of the ones I worked on for my father. I don't know how many are still out there. What I do know is that a fight is coming and I need to be prepared for it.”
“I can disable computerized equipment,” Tempy said. “Anyone coming near the island will be handled.”
“My brother and father can still be tough,” Coe said. “My mother can turn our allies against us.”
“But we have you, my strong man,” Tempy said. “And you will be in Gaia, not Terra. You have me working with you and your technology will work.”
“It will,” Coe said. “Still, I need to be prepared. Tempy I also want you to enroll me in the next closest institution and disenroll me from College #94603.”
“It is already done,” Tempy replied. “Why don't you get some sleep and I’ll help prepare everything.”
CHAPTER 11
THE OLYMPIANS
Coe was armed with all of his magical items and was ready when he heard about a group of seven people leading an armada was heading his way. Sydell Downs had done recognizance as Poseidon and had relayed everything to Olympus. Tempy could make out the form of Heracles on the lead ship and he looked happy to be standing next to Arian. Coe thought the locals had to be happy fighting alongside their Gods. Poseidon was in the water with his Merfolk. Ares was on a ship with Gaia’s mightiest mortal. Zeus was flying in front of Aphrodite, Athena, Hera and Demeter who were on scooters.
“Dude,” Sarpan said as he looked at the incoming army.
“There is a lot of them,” Coe replied.
“I am going to relax in your home until all of this is over along with my daughter,” Lypsia said.
“You might as well stay,” Coe replied. “There might be a time when I am not here.”
“That is Boulder of the Guardians coming this way man,” Sarpan said. “And he is with another big dude.”
“Yeah but seeing me here will surprise them,” Coe said.
“How bro?” Sarpan asked.
“They are my family members,” Coe replied as the group got closer.
