Nyx lowered her hands, and the Crown of Stars vanished from between her fingers. “A trial it is.” She turned to her brothers and sisters. “Who shall set the challenge for the child of man?”
The man with the glowing sword spoke up. “Why not a melee? I have heard of your unusual talents, Dustin Graves. And your unusual friends. You have with you a talking sword, do you not?”
“I do,” I said. “Forged from star-metal.”
Murmurs went up from the gathered gods, some of them uttering hushed curses, others making curious noises as they scanned my body for Vanitas’s scabbard.
The man spoke again. “This will prove interesting. Very interesting indeed. I have heard that you have defeated gods, demons, even angels in battle.”
Where the entities murmured before, now they were openly talking amongst themselves, throwing me glances of renewed interest. A couple of them even looked somewhat impressed. I held back a grin, but I puffed up my chest. And sure, practically all of my body was wrapped in denim and a snug jacket, but maybe I flexed my muscles, too. Just because.
“I mean, I do my best,” I said, somehow managing to seem even cockier as I struggled not to brag.
“Bring the sword, then. Bring as many friends and warriors as you wish. My siblings and I will meet you on the field of battle. Lose, and I take your head. Win, and you shall wear the Crown of Stars.” He smiled at me, then bowed. “Until then, Dustin Graves.” He turned away from our gathering, then vanished.
I leaned over to Artemis, muttering under my breath. “Surely he doesn’t mean I have to fight all of you?”
“No,” she said. “He means his actual siblings. Still more of a challenge than you’d think.”
“And who is he – who is this family, exactly?”
“You really don’t know?” Artemis cocked an eyebrow. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Nyx waved her hand, and all the stars went out. The meeting was over. Only the faint, ambient auras of power surrounding the entities cast any light – that, and the strange pattern of moving, blinking stars that shone from within Nyx’s skin itself.
“We shall send a messenger to fetch you when the time is right, Dustin Graves,” she said. “For now, you will adjourn to the Twilight Tavern.”
“I hope it won’t take too long,” I said, as politely as I could. “This is about the Eldest, after all. It’s why I approached the Midnight Convocation in the first place. For your help.”
I wondered if she would take the hint. One by one, as if they hadn’t heard a thing, the gods and entities of night and shadow turned their backs, then disappeared into darkness. Artemis waved at me, then left herself, walking off into empty space and simply winking out of existence. That left only me, and Nyx.
“Some things, Dustin Graves, are best left to humanity,” she said.
I scoffed. “Surely this affects all of us. Not just mankind. If there’s no earth, then there’s no humanity to worship you, to give you power.” Now that we were alone I’d somehow rediscovered my confidence, along with my absolute lack of impulse control.
“Perhaps you will consider saying the same thing to the rest of the pantheons, the infernals, the celestials, to all the powers of earth. We are not so different than you, after all. The entities are fickle. Some may answer the call. Others will slam the door in your face.” Nyx lifted her head. “How much time do you have to speak to all of them, to rally so many limitlessly powerful beings who possess the maturity and impetuousness of children?”
I was frowning, but that last thing made me chuckle with the bitterness of its truth. “Point taken,” I muttered. “Oh. I just remembered something.” I may as well ask while we were alone, I figured. “Could I maybe, possibly, if it’s not too much of a bother, ask you for a lock of your hair?”
Nyx covered her mouth to stifle a chuckle. Her laughter was beautiful, how you might imagine the twinkling of stars to sound. “My hair? Why, your audacity is amusing, child of man. Would you ask the sky for a strand of stars? Would you petition the heavens for one of its constellations, too?”
I blushed. It really was a demanding request, let’s be honest. And how, exactly, was I supposed to transport a lock of Nyx’s hair, anyway? Her tresses really did look like living, animated segments of the night sky.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know it’s a lot to ask. But I owe someone a favor, you see, and – ”
“Arachne really can be such a vengeful sort. Still, it isn’t in her nature to be so spiteful that she would use my hair to bewitch me, or to lay a curse. The spider-queen is powerful in her own ways, but I do not think she would risk angering yet another of the Greek pantheon in her lifetime.” She folded her arms, what little light remaining in our void dimming even more when she squinted her eyes. “I will consider it. If you survive your trial, then come and speak to me again.”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Right, right. I just hope this is all going to be worth it. The Eldest are coming, and they aren’t shy about announcing their intentions.”
“The Crown of Stars is your best option, Dustin Graves. And in short order, you should have your opportunity to wear it. That is, of course, if you win.”
“Any tips?” I asked her.
“Why, yes. It’s simple.” Nyx waved her hand again, and I began to slowly descend from space. “Try not to die.”
My descent quickened, faster and faster, until I was falling, sucked back into the gravity of our world. As I fell, Nyx shrank in the distance, until she was nothing but a pinpoint of starlight. As I fell, I reached out to clutch at something, anything, finding nothing but the abyss. I screamed, and I screamed.
And smashed heavily onto dry earth.