Dioscuri

Dioscuri

A Novella by: Chrystalla Thoma

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy

Release: March 2011

Editor: Nancy Bell

Line editor: Penny Ehrenkranz

Cover artist: Delilah K. Stephans

Word count: 17710

Pages: 59

ISBN: 978-1-926931-31-9

E-book price: $3.50

Warning: Limited violence, sexual content, or language

Blurb: 

When you are Zeus’ immortal son, you know you can get away with mostly anything. Bringing back the dead is not one of those things. Yet this is what Polydeukes does when his mortal twin, Kastor, dies. According to the dark deal he strikes with one of the gods, the brothers must alternate days in the land of the living, and  Kastor cannot be told, or the deal is off. On top of that, If Hades were to find out, all hell would break loose. Literally.
But Kastor begins to put two and two together, and keeping the secret becomes difficult for Polydeukes. Will Kastor break his brother’s deal and save Polydeukes from an eternity of punishment in Tartarus, or will Polydeukes find a way to save them both?

Excerpt: 

Pol ran out and raced up the winding stairs as if the ghoulish Erinyes were at his heels.  He climbed higher and higher in the heart of the Acropolis Rock.  The torches on the walls reflected on roughly-hewn, white marble, glinting on the tiny crystals.

He only stopped when he reached the upper levels with the cavernous temples, and he hunched over, panting.

Jeez, that had been a close call.  He sniffed his arm.  He really smelled different?

A cry left his lips when a strong hand clamped on his shoulder.  “Damn it; give a guy a warning first!”

“Come with me.”

“Satyr?”

“Someone’s here to talk to you.”

The Satyr dragged him into one of the smaller temples.  Nobody was there.

Pol grinned.  “A long distance call?”

“Sort of.”

His grin died.  That meant someone from down below or from high above.  A higher immortal.

Colors shimmered in the air like a rainbow.  A woman appeared, willowy and translucent.  Iris, messenger of the gods.  This couldn’t be good.

“Hey.”  The words stuck in his throat.  “How’s Dad?”

She nodded, acknowledging him.  “Polydeukes.  Mighty Zeus is busy battling Ares over Asia and remains as yet ignorant of this situation.  Persephone sends me with a message.”

“Oh.”  Pol rubbed the back of his neck, feeling something bad coming.  “And that is?”

“Desist from this foolish game.  Hades won’t find it cute.”

He blinked.  “Persephone said that?  The great queen of the dead?”

“Not in these exact words.”

“Ah.”  He shook his head.  “Look.  It may look like a game to the high ones, but to me this is serious.  It’s about my brother’s life.  I’m not giving up on him.”

“Great Persephone says Kastor is meant to be in the hall of the dead.  Your brother is starting to remember, and to investigate.  Soon he will figure this out, and call attention to himself.”

Damn!  “Remember what?”

“His own death.”

Pol folded his arms across his chest as a trembling started low in his body.  “Is that right?”

“Yes.  What will you do?”

“Please.”  He clenched his jaw.  “I need time to think of something, a way to keep him alive.  Please ask the great queen of the dead for understanding.  Ask her for more time.”

Iris turned away, glancing over her shimmering white shoulder.  “Farewell, Zeus’ son.  I have delivered my message.”

“Please—”

“Do not wait until the father of the immortals discovers what you have done.  There will be no escape from his wrath.  Do you really want to sacrifice the world for your brother?”

The trembling spread to every limb.  Pol collapsed to his knees, despair a lump of ice in his belly.  “You can’t ask me to choose!”  But she was gone already.  “Zeus won’t do that.  He won’t destroy the world because I kept one of his sons alive!”

A deep voice said, “You never know.”

He flinched at the voice of the Satyr.  He had forgotten the ill-omened creature was still there.  “Why should he?  Mortals are his children, too.”

“Oh, you know how it is with great power.”  The Satyr pulled him to his feet and steadied him.  “You know that book, Of Mice and Men?  No?  Let’s just say when you are very strong, you sometimes don’t realize how disastrous a pat on the back can be.  Let me demonstrate.”

He patted Pol, and the blow hit him like an avalanche, sending him sprawling to the floor.  He lay there gasping, fiery pain spreading down his spine.  His back would be one big bruise come tomorrow.

The Satyr bent over, stared him in the face.  “And I am just an old Satyr.  Imagine if Zeus decides to come down to talk to you in person, so angry at your idiocy he won’t stop to think.  The mortals will be burned to a crisp.  The buildings will crumble, the earth will split, the sky will explode into electric storms. Just to talk to you.  Get it?”

Pol grunted.  “Listen, Satyr.  Kast is barely twenty.”  Even winded, he forced the words out.  His chest hurt.  “He hasn’t even had a girlfriend yet.  He hasn’t traveled the world, hasn’t even learned how to drive a car.  He’s too young to die.  What good am I if I can’t keep him alive?”  He sat up, swallowed hard.  “I can’t let Kast go.  Anything, but that.”

The Satyr glared.  His ears twitched.  He sighed.  “Talk to Zeus.”

“He won’t listen!”

“Make a sacrifice and ask for this favor.”

“He won’t allow it!”

“He may listen.”  The Satyr straightened, brushed off his hairy chest.  “Make him realize how important this is to you.  Make it a sacrifice worthy of your cause.  Hurry; or the matter will no longer be in your hands.”   He left the room, muttering, hooves clacking.

A sacrifice.  Pol pushed himself up to his feet with a wince.  What did the Satyr mean?

Reviews:

The alternance of Kast and Pol with their different voices is well done, and the humor great. I’m not a fan of urban fantasy, but this story was funny and gripping enough to keep me glued to the page. It was a great ride.

Five stars! Highly recommended

. CREATIVE BARBWIRE...READ FULL REVIEW

About the Author:

When you are Zeus’ immortal son, you know you can get away with mostly anything. Bringing back the dead is not one of those things. Yet this is what Polydeukes does when his mortal twin, Kastor, dies. According to the dark deal he strikes with one of the gods, the brothers must alternate days in the land of the living, and  Kastor cannot be told, or the deal is off. On top of that, If Hades were to find out, all hell would break loose. Literally.
But Kastor begins to put two and two together, and keeping the secret becomes difficult for Polydeukes. Will Kastor break his brother’s deal and save Polydeukes from an eternity of punishment in Tartarus, or will Polydeukes find a way to save them both?

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Customer Reviews:

Well written and enjoyable story. Excellent character developement and plot. (Ditto what's been said so far.)

This book held me from start to finish. It was emotional, intense you really believed in the struggle. This is bar far one of the best stories I've read in a very long time.

Thoma surprises and tantalizes with her wordcraft, weaving colorful stories from strong characters, energetic plots, and fresh looks at proven formulas. She takes a whole new look at the tale of the Gemini, and allows us to live in her world.rnrnHer style is smooth and easy on the eyes, and she tells her story without resorting to "purple prose," such an easy temptation for writers of her genre.rnrnAfter reading the "old formulas" of the Greek myths, I was amazed how she captures the basic tale, and throws her own curves into the mix. This will please sci-fi and fantasy readers alike.

Not just another myth rehash, Chrystalla Thoma has crafted an outstanding story with depth that is so rare in today’s market. With a style that is easy to read and characters that make you want to love and hate them, Dioscuri is by far one of the best tales I have read in years. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of her work and recommend other readers to do the same.

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